《Dark Magus Returns》


 Chapter 1: Goodbye, Raze Cromwell

    <h4>Chapter 1: Goodbye, Raze Cromwell</h4>


    The wind was sharp and biting as it raged atop the towering skyscraper. An old man, hair and beard whipping wildly in the gale, squinted against the luminescent neon lights that illuminated the city''s buildings.


    Raze Cromwell raised a hand to his eyes, trying to shield them from the stinging gusts. "Why on earth did I choose the rooftop for this damned ritual?" he grumbled.


    As his long hair veiled his eyes, he brushed it aside impatiently. "Magic may solve many problems in this world," he mused, "but it can''t fix poor decision-making."


    His robe billowed, tugging at his frame as he made his way towards the center of the rooftop.


    "If it weren''t for this wind, I would have been done with this ritual by now."


    The muffled cries of several voices reached his ears¡ªsounds of despair, some even on the verge of a scream.


    Raze''s patience wore thin. "Will you all keep quiet? What could you possibly want to say?"


    Below him, etched into the rooftop, was a radiant circle filled with intricate symbols and glyphs. It glowed white¡ªnot from any external power source, but from Raze''s own magic. Bound with their hands and legs tied, within the circle were five individuals. Though no physical seals covered their mouths, their cries were reduced to mere muffled sounds.


    "If I allow one of you to speak, will the rest of you stay silent?" Raze questioned, tracing a symbol in the air. A faint purple glow emanated from his fingers.


    At his gesture, one of the captives¡ªa middle-aged man¡ªfound his voice once more. Drawing a ragged breath, he pleaded, tears streaming down his face. "Please, Dark Magus! Spare me. I''ll give you anything! Please just don''t kill me!"


    Raze stepped closer, looming over the man. "And when that couple begged for their lives, what did you offer them? Where are they now?"


    The captive froze, eyes wide with terror.


    "How did you know?"


    Continuing his circuit around the circle, Raze listed the sins of each captive. "Killed their lover in a fit of rage for looking at another person. Creating false reports of being abused, sending those that she dislikes to the pit. Selling illegal substances to desperate mages, causing their cores to burst."


    The captives understood now¡ªRaze was recounting their hidden crimes, the atrocities they''dmitted and escaped.


    But when he reached thest captive, he paused. "And you," he said, a note of mockery in his voice, "a zealous vegan, imposing your views on others. Truthfully, you''re just here because I needed five, and time was running short."


    Tension filled the air as more symbols appeared within the circle, its luminescence intensifying.


    Just as Raze was readying for the next phase of his ritual, a defiant voice from among the captives challenged him. "So what! You judge us, but what about you, Dark Magus? How many lives have you imed? How many people have you killed, you are no better than us!"


    Raze opened his mouth before his response was interrupted by a bout of violent coughing, flecks of blood staining the ground below. "You''re right," he rasped, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "We all deserve to die."


    Suddenly, a voice from behind proimed, "Not all, just you!"


    The captives and Raze turned to the neers - five figures dressed in pristine white robes, descending from above.


    "The Grand Magus! They''vee to save us!" one captive eximed.


    Among the mages, these were the elite, each holding the power to reshape entire nations. They were all 9-star mages at the very top. Due to their power, seeing them assemble like so came as quite a shock, even if they were going after the Dark Magus.


    "I see you''ve received my invitation," Raze taunted, singling out one. "Enaxx, how does your wife cope, knowing you''re... iplete with just having one ball to y with?"


    A sharp pain welled up from below, as a heat of anger rose to Enaxx''s face, making him turn red.


    "Raze!" One of the Grand Magus with long blonde hair stepped out before the others. He radiated with energy, lighting up the night sky around him. "I can''t believe such a talented mage like you has be this!"


    "SHUT UP!" Raze shouted back. "None of you, not a single one of you have the right to speak to me! You can all drop the act. All of you took everything I cared about from this world! You all know what you''ve done. Especially you, Idore!"


    Dark energy started to shroud Raze in his tattered clothing, growing around his back evenrger, causing the other magus to radiate their own energy as well.


    Despite these taunts, Idore had a smile on his face.


    "Did you think we didn''t know?" He asked. "You''re already dying, you already have one foot in the grave. Even if you did nothing, you would naturally pass away. But how could we let that happen? You, the Dark Magus, the most wanted man in the world, we need to kill you with our own hands."


    "HAHAHA!" Raze let out a loud bellyugh. "Idore, Gizin, Ibarin, Trubin, and One ball. This is myst message to you all."


    The magic circle from beneath was starting to light up. Cautious about what this would do, the Grand Magus shielded themselves with their own magic.


    The captives inside the magic circle soon felt pressure building up in their heads. A great pain welled up, until *Pop*. The tops of their heads exploded, their bodies falling to the floor, including the man who stood in the center, Raze Cromwell.


    Seeing this, the magic started to fade from the Mages, and they began to walk forward. They felt no traces of life and looked at the blood sttered on the floor.


    "Do you think he''s really dead?" Ibarin asked.


    "He has to be, that''s his body and his head, at least what''s left of it," Gizinmented.


    Trubin, the youngest of the mages, looked around, examining the magic circle and the blood stter. That''s when he smirked.


    "Well, now I know what he meant by thest message."


    They all took a good look at the floor, and now they saw it as well. The blood had sttered in such a way, along with the magic circle, that it created a bloody image. An image of arge fist with its middle finger raised towards them.


    "Raze Cromwell''s death is confirmed," Idore stated, lifting his hands, summoning a ball of fire. He started to levitate, floating in the air, and so did the others by his side above the buildings. "Our secrets will die with him."


    The fireball was hurled toward the building, and as it hit the roof, it expanded, setting everything aze in an instant, including all the dead bodies on the rooftop. As the magus flew away from the scene, they all looked back at a stain in their past, with a great sigh of relief.


    ---


    ''I can''t believe I gambled my life away like that,'' Raze thought. ''I put all my hopes into that book I received from the portal. I don''t even know if it will work. I was dying anyway¡­ I just wanted a chance to get them all back.


    ''Those damned smug faces. They call me the evil one, yet they would easily steal candy from a baby. All I would do is lick it when they weren''t looking and give it back. Who''s the more evil one?''


    Memories of Raze''s life started shing before his eyes, especially the painful ones. Memories from his childhood, the losses he had experienced in his life, the memories that turned him into the Dark Magus.


    Then, other images entered his mind: vast mountain tops, grand temples, lush greenery everywhere. Images of a man, a woman, and a young girl he had never seen before, wearing robes, and people fighting using just their fists.


    ''What is all of this? These aren''t my memories! They don''t even look like they''re from my world!''


    shing back and forth were memories that Raze could tell were clearly his, interspersed with unfamiliar ones. Intense pain pulsed in his head, sending shockwaves through his body, until Raze''s eyes snapped open once again.

 Chapter 2: The Dark Magus Has Returned

    <h4>Chapter 2: The Dark Magus Has Returned</h4>


    Memories flooded Raze''s mind, like a torrent of emotions, emotions he had locked away for so long. They made him sick every time he revisited them.


    "When did it all start, my terrible life? Was it my father? Selling me to those men... every night? No, that wasn''t what broke me. It was..."


    However, the vivid memories were soon overwhelmed by something else: faces he didn''t recognize, ces he had never been, and names he was sure he hadn''t heard before.


    Suddenly, his eyes opened, vision blurred momentarily.


    "Why... why am I in pain? My neck hurts, and it feels like... I can''t breathe!"


    As his vision sharpened, it seemed to dim simultaneously. Eventually, a pair of bulging eyes became clear, staring right at him. Now, he recognized the sensation of fingers clenched around his throat.


    "I''ve escaped death before, and now this? I''m being strangled, facing death again!" Raze thought. "If I were to die, I''d never choose something this painful! I won''t die again!"


    He saw his attacker: a man draped in ck garments, his face obscured, leaving only his eyes visible, reminiscent of a ninja.


    Struggling, Raze pressed his hands against the man''s stomach.


    "Let''s see how you like having your insides torn out!"


    Raze pushed, but nothing happened. No explosion, no reaction from his assant, who kept tightening the grip on Raze''s neck.


    "Did I deplete all my magic using that spell? Damn it... I really am going to die..."


    Darkness encroached on his vision, and he felt consciousness slipping away. Yet, he sensed the man''s strength waning for some reason.


    "Did part of my spell take effect? This is my chance."


    Catching sight of a broken shard of a te from the corner of his eye, he grabbed it, thrusting it into the man''s side. The man grunted, his grip weakening.


    Blood dripped from where the shard had also cut Raze''s hand, but adrenaline numbed the pain. He pulled out the shard, stabbing repeatedly until the man''s strength failed entirely, and he copsed atop Raze.


    "I can breathe!" Raze gasped, but the weight on his chest felt oppressive. He waited for strength to return before shoving the man aside and painstakingly getting to his feet.


    Exhausted, Raze huffed and panted, feeling as if he might copse. After a few moments, the pain faded, and he surveyed his surroundings.


    The motionless man in ck bore injuries other than Raze''s inflicted wounds. Raze had seen enough dead bodies to know this man was truly gone.


    "Arghh!" A sharp pain struck his head, memories pouring in, clearer this time. Examining his hands, the smooth skin told a story. They were smooth, his hands were responsive as he opened and closed them.


    "The spell... it actually worked. I''ve been reborn!"


    Judging by appearances, he seemed to inhabit a young body. That of a teenager or a young man at least. It was hard to tell without looking at himself in a mirror. "I had my doubts about that book, but it worked!" Raze mused. "Thankfully, I''m young. Who knows how it would''ve been if I''d ended up old again? Or in the body of a bed ridden man!"


    His joy was tempered by the grim reality around him. His first experience in this new body had been a brush with death, hardly auspicious.


    Scanning the room, Raze attempted to piece together events. The modest room had water-damaged floorboards and moldy walls. Crude wooden utensils and half-eaten food hinted at a bygone era. Feeling as if he had stepped back in time.


    "They were in the middle of a meal," Raze noted.


    By "they," he meant the three other bodies: an adult male, a female, and a teenage boy, each bearing fatal wounds. The memories suggested they were his new body''s family. A pang of sorrow surfaced, though Raze tried to suppress it.


    "They were murdered, likely by the man who tried to kill me. But why?"


    His new memories were fragmented. He remembered family names, which seemed pointless, but not their lives or experiences. However, he remembered his name: Raze.


    "Maybe it''s coincidence this body''s named Raze," he pondered. "Or perhaps the spell ensured it. Regardless, I''ve seeded."


    Raising a fist, he tried to channel magic. His eyes were staring hard, he was focusing, and focusing, The veins were popping at the side of his head, but there was nothing. Leaving him to delve deep within himself. After a few moments, it started to click.


    ''Now it makes sense, why my spell faltered earlier,'' Raze mused. ''It''s because this boy doesn''t possess a mana core. And that means he hasn''t chosen an attribute either!''


    At first, Raze had been disheartened. Inhabiting a person''s body with no mana core meant that he was devoid of magic, and he''d have to embark on the long hard journey from scratch. The painstaking years he invested to ascend as a 9-star mage seemed to evaporate in the blink of an eye. It was as if he was reset to square one.


    Yet, as he delved deeper into the implications, he realized it could be a blessing. Had he inhabited a body with a pre-existing mana core, that individual would undoubtedly have an innate magic attribute.


    In his former life, Raze had a natural predisposition towards wind magic, making him adept at harnessing its spells. But as the sands of time flowed, he gravitated towards the Dark Attribute. It was an arcane form of magic, pursued by few mages. He became an enigma as the only 9-star mage who exclusively delved into Dark magic, earning him a name whispered in both reverence and fear, the Dark Magus.


    His inborn inclination towards Wind magic, however, ensured that his proficiency in Dark magic would always remain somewhatcking. But now, with this clean te, he could amend past shorings.


    His gaze settled on the lifeless body adjacent to him. Grinning ear to ear, Raze settled into a meditative posture on the cold ground. Using the blood oozing from a wound on his palm, he meticulously sketched a magical circle around him.


    ''For eons, it was believed that one''s affinity for attributes was merely a capricious act of fate. Upon a mage crafting their core - the bedrock of all magic - the core would shimmer in a colour based on one''s magical affinity.''


    ''Yet, as history unfolded, it was discovered that certain acts could steer the formation of the mana core. As long as it hadn''t been made. Consuming spicy dishes could kindle fire, while a perilous fall from a great height might awaken wind magic. But for the enigmatic Dark Attribute, the path to a jet-ck mana core was paved with a most sinister act...murder.''


    "HAHAHA!" Raze''sughter, unhinged and manic, reverberated through the air. "Is this fate''s own design? It''s as though the cosmos itself is directing my path!"


    With the final touch to his magical circle, Raze''s concentration deepened. The ambient energy seemed to dance, twirling and wrapping itself around him, gradually getting absorbed.


    He felt minuscule orbs of power wriggling within, converging near his heart - the cradle for a mage''s mana core. The energy coalesced, condensing into a potent sphere.


    After what felt like hours, the process reached its crescendo. Nested within Raze was a deep-ck mana core, enveloping his heart.


    His eyes snapped open, gleaming with triumph.


    "The Dark Magus, has returned."

 Chapter 3: Unfamiliar Territory

    <h4>Chapter 3: Unfamiliar Territory</h4>


    The smirk on Raze''s face was irrepressible. The prospect of beginning a new life with the dark attribute meant he could grow stronger as a Dark mage, reaching heights previously unimaginable.


    A mystic energy, a blend of dark purples, blues, and cks, began to swirl around his finger. It was thick, almost like paint, yet fluid as parts of it moved and disappeared.


    Raze extended his finger and pointed it at one of the tes on the table. "Dark pulse!" he eximed. The energy dispersed and shot out like a small beam, hitting the te and shattering it into pieces.


    Using just one spell made his head throb slightly. Dark magic was powerful and destructive but consumedrge amounts of manapared to other attributes.


    Now that his body physically possessed a dark core, he would need to strengthen other attributes through magical items, crystals, herbs, and so on. It was possible for mages to learn every attribute, but depending on their core, some would be more difficult to master than others.


    For instance, Raze would find it challenging to increase his strength in the light attribute since it opposed his dark core, but it wasn''t impossible. Raze tended to perceive things more like a game to simplify his understanding.


    If it was like a game, having a dark core granted a person 10 points in the Darkness attribute to start with. This could be increased through certain techniques or items that enhanced that particr attribute. Due to his dark core, Raze''s body could easily absorb items, adding to his points.


    Items rted to the light attribute could still be absorbed, but he would need to absorb ten times the amount of energy to see a single point increase. Other attributes would be easier to enhance, just not as easy as the Dark attribute.


    Moreover, no other attribute could now surpass his Dark core, as it was the foundation of his body.


    Eventually, the headache subsided, but it posed a serious problem.


    ''I''m only a one-star mage right now,'' Raze thought. ''My mana is limited. Since I only have the dark attribute, I can only use one-star dark spells, which consume a lot of mana. It would be wise to learn another attribute quickly that doesn''t consume much mana, perhaps wind?''


    Mages were ranked based on the amount of mana in their cores, ranging from one-star to nine-star mages. Raze had been a nine-star mage in his past body.


    However, being a higher-star mage didn''t merely mean having more mana. It also enabled the performance of higher-level skills, but that wasn''t everything in a battle, especially if one had arge arsenal of spells and different attributes.


    Many of Raze''s early battles with mages were won because many underestimated the strength of dark magic.


    Rubbing his hands together, he couldn''t contain his smile any longer and burst intoughter.


    ''Haha, but I won''t be a one-star mage for long! I wasn''t entirely sure the spell would work, but just in case, I stored all my items, herbs, and crystals in a secret vault! All I need to do is ess it, and I''ll be back to being a nine-star mage in no time.''


    Raze was already envisioning his new life¡ªa life where he wasn''t a criminal, wasn''t pursued by the Grand mages, and could grow stronger even more rapidly than before. With all the experiments he had conducted and the experience he had gained over the years, he would excel faster than any other mage, be hailed as a genius in this new life, and, when the time was right, exact his revenge.


    Suddenly, heavy knocks echoed at the front door, almost pounding it down.


    "Open up!" a deep voice bellowed from the other side. The voice sounded slightly strange to Raze, as if it had a strong ent and a twang, but he could still understand the words clearly. "This is the Red Brigade! We received reports of screamsing from this house. If you don''t open up, we will force this door down!"


    ''Red Brigade?'' Raze pondered, struggling to recall any group by that name. It sounded like a guild. He was in a new body and didn''t know all the Mage guilds'' names, so he had to be cautious.


    ''If they discover I''ve been practising Dark magic, I''ll be reported immediately!'' Raze realised. Another reason he was hunted down was that Dark magic was a prohibited attribute to learn.


    The banging on the door continued, and they could no longer wait. The door exploded open, crashing into the side of the house and breaking off its hinge. Five men in red armour burst through the door.


    Raze raised his hands, eyeing the men warily.


    ''Hopefully, they don''t think I''m the killer. Although being the only one alive isn''t a good sign. I wonder what level these mages are at.''


    However, as the men came in, Raze realised something was extremely strange. For one, they were wearing armour, not light clothing by any means. Their bodies were all well built as well.


    Strangely, some of them had swords by their side as well as a host of other melee weapons.


    ''Could the Red Brigade be a magic weapon''s guild? If that''s the case, this could be extremely difficult.''


    The men who hade in forcefully soon spread around as they looked at the scene, and a lot of the emotion had left their bodies as they looked at the dead bodies around.


    "What happened here¡­" one of the men said. "Was it an assassination? Who would go after a family with no name?"


    Raze could hear the others speaking but he couldn''t understand it. What did they mean by no name? He had a name; the person he had taken over had a name, it was Raze.


    ''Wait a moment, wait, why can I only remember his first name¡­ does this mean I have no family name, but everyone has a family name? And these people, they are definitely my family.''


    One of the younger members had entered through the front door, and he immediately covered his mouth as he looked at the bloody sight, but his eyes soonid on Raze.


    "Raze!" the young member called out. "What happened to you¡­ your hair?"


    ''My hair... What''s wrong with my hair? Why would someonement about my hair? Well, at least it looks like this person knows who I am. I don''t think acting calm is good in this situation either.''


    Seeing as someone knew him, it looked like this situation would be cleared up with a bit of acting, so Raze fell to his knees and ced his hands on the top of his head while looking at the floor.


    "My family, they''re all¡­ they''re all¡­ dead!" Raze said.


    "Raze," the man said in a soft voice.


    "Sonny," the oldest member of the Red Brigade with a thick moustache on his mouth, the leader of the group shouted. The young man who had just entered looked up upon hearing his name.


    "Take the boy out of here, make sure he gets looked after. We will see what we can find here. For now, he should get some rest."


    "Yes, sir!" Sonny said, rushing over and went to pick up Raze, but before he could, Raze stood up on his own two feet and shook his hand in the air gesturing to the other there was no need.


    "It''s okay, I can walk myself," Raze said, as he followed Sonny out of the building. When he went outside, the bright light of the sun hit him, blinding him for a few moments, and soon he could see where he was.


    ''Wait a second, what is all this? Nothing on the ground but just the dirt. Houses that are crudely built right next to each other¡­ and there are no skyscrapers, heck, I can''t see any lights, and why are there so many mountains off in the distance?''


    The people were all dressed strangely with many carrying around weapons. They looked ordinary, no special crystals embedded into them, and there was one more thing that was noticeable just looking everywhere; there wasn''t a single person using magic anywhere.


    ''Wait a second¡­ is this¡­ is this¡­ another world!''

 Chapter 4: The Red Brigade Clan

    <h4>Chapter 4: The Red Brigade n</h4>


    A whole new realm unfolded before Raze''s eyes, a tableau of sights he had never encountered. Market stalls brimming with fresh produce lined the streets and townsfolk sauntered openly with weapons strapped to their sides.


    No building rose higher than three stories, each one nestled close to its neighbours. Not a single vehicle was in sight, a stark contrast to his world where vehicles soared through the sky. Instead, only wagonsden with goods, pushed or pulled by hand, popted the streets. People traded with coins and notes, rather than relying on technology. It was evident that this was not the world Raze had known. As he ambled down the street behind Sonny, he absorbed every detail of his surroundings while contemting his predicament.


    ''Could this truly be another world? Or have I been transported to a remotend where society and technology are still primitive? But then, why is there no magic? It must be another world.'' Raze mused.


    ''The book promised that I would inhabit a new body, but it never specified where or how. I should have anticipated this from a book requiring dark magic. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.''


    Abruptly, Raze halted in the middle of the street, his hand instinctively sping his chest as a heavy realisation sank in.


    ''My treasures!'' hemented internally. ''If I am in another world, then everything I stored for my advancement as a mage is gone. Lost forever... How am I supposed to increase my power now?''


    Memories flooded his mind: the arduous trials he had endured to collect those items, the mythical beasts he had battled, narrowly escaping with his life. All that effort, now in vain.


    A tear threatened to escape as Sonny, sensing Raze''s distress, turned and noted the sombre expression on his face.


    ''Poord, he just lost his family. The reality must be sinking in,'' Sonny spected.


    ''My items!!!'' Raze fought back a sob as he forced himself to move forward.


    Just as he began to ept the loss of everything he had worked for, another thought struck him.


    ''Wait, the Grand Magus! They don''t exist in this world. My entire purpose for being reborn was to exact revenge. If they aren''t here, what is the meaning of my existence?


    ''Isn''t rebirth supposed to be a cheat code? Attending the magic academy, being hailed a prodigy at five, defeating bullies who underestimate you, and proving your doubters wrong?''


    His dream life crumbled before his eyes.


    "Get back here, you little thief!" bellowed a rotund, bald man with sweat pouring down his face as he pursued a small child, who Raze guessed was about five years old.


    The child, d in tattered clothes speckled with dirt and scabs, darted past Raze, closely followed by therge man, who seemed to be gaining on the exhausted child.


    Raze, tapping into his magic reserves, felt the core within him ignite as power spiralled around his finger.


    "Dark pulse," he murmured. A beam of energy, paler than usual, shot from his finger. In the sunlight, it was almost invisible, but it struck the man''s leg, causing him to stumble and fall face-first into the dirt.


    ''He looked well-fed, while the child seemed starved. He can spare a few loaves of bread.''


    Onlookers gathered around the fallen man, some chuckling, others offering assistance. Either way, the child had escaped, and no one had witnessed Raze''s intervention.


    ''No one should have to endure hunger,'' Raze thought, as he continued onward.


    Finally, they reached their destination: a grand edifice surrounded by a wall and nked by two enormous red doors. Beyond the wall, the building loomed majestically, its roof adorned with ancient tiles and dragon carvings. Intricate patterns decorated the supporting pirs, a testament to craftsmanship long forgotten in Raze''s world.


    Guarding the entrance were two stone lions, regal and imposing, as if truly safeguarding the doors. Beside the stone pirs stood two men d in red uniforms, like Sonny, each holding a spear and standing as rigid as statues.


    Above the entrance, a sign read ''Red Brigade n.'' The letters, patterns and lines foreign to Raze, were somehowprehensible.


    ''This is not my world. And what is a n? It''s not a guild or a faction. What kind of world have I entered? If magic doesn''t exist here... could I be revered as a god?''


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Raze found himself in a guest room of the Red Brigade''splex, a term more fitting than ''building,'' given its sprawling nature with several structures scattered about and grand courtyards at either end. A constant flux of individuals, all donned in identical uniforms, traversed between the buildings.


    The fading sun signalled that many of the several hundred residents had already retreated to their slumber. Raze was tucked away in a corner room of a building set apart from thergest one he had encountered.


    The room was spartan, equipped with just a single bed, a table, and an oilmp to stave off the encroaching darkness.


    ''It''s so dim in here. I could employ my magic to amplify my vision, but it would squander my mana. The struggles of a 1-star mage resurface. It would be optimal to bolster my mana. Amplifying my dark attribute is futile without mana for spellcasting.''


    Raze estimated that he could currently muster a mere five spells in quick session. Moreover, the recent demise of his newfound family loomedrge. With no knowledge of the events, anyone could potentially be pursuing him.


    The Red Brigade n seemed to be a sanctuary of sorts, possessing some influence in this realm.


    Venturing to the toilet, Raze made a startling discovery. The absence of a separating door revealed that the toilet was, in fact, a part of the single room. His dismay deepened upon discovering the toilet to be merely a hole in the ground.


    ''No...please, don''t tell me the toilet is just a hole!'' Raze heaved a sigh of resignation. ''I endured the slums of Alterian, but this is pushing it.''


    This revtion galvanised his resolve. If he had been transported to this world, there must be a way to return.


    Clutching the oilmp, Raze examined his reflection in the room''s mirror, the first glimpse of his new form.


    As suspected, his skin retained a youthful radiance, devoid of wrinkles, aligning his age withte adolescence. However, his physique was rmingly slender.


    His former self was also lean, butpared to the popce he observed on the streets, he appeared emaciated. His fingers grazed his hair, which, although mostly straight, curled at the ends and was wildly dishevelled. Strikingly, it was a stark white.


    ''This¡­ my hair was also white in my previous body. Icked the fortitude for 5-star magic and underwent a forbidden procedure. It seeded, albeit at the cost of a gradual decline in health and the bleaching of my hair.''


    Raze recalled Sonny''s initial reaction upon seeing him.


    ''Did the original upant of this body not have white hair? Did my arrival instigate this transformation?''


    A knock interrupted his musings, followed by the entrance of Sonny.


    "Apologies for the dy, Raze," Sonny expressed. "I understand your anxiety and curiosity about the current circumstances. We are eager to learn any details you can provide that might shed light on this situation."


    It was evident that they did not perceive him as a suspect, despite being the sole survivor. Raze seized this opportunity to partially disclose his predicament.


    He recounted his awakening amidst a life-threatening confrontation with an assant, ultimately culminating in a fatal act of self-defense. Given the ubiquity of armed civilians, he doubted that this act would be deemed egregious, particrly under the circumstances.


    However, Raze then confessed his total amnesia, epassing not only the world and his location but also his age. This admission would serve as a buffer for any future unconventional behaviour.


    "I can''t fathom your emotional turmoil," Sonny empathised. "Do you have any recollection of me?"


    Regrettably, Raze shook his head. The original body retained scant memories, more akin to vague sensations than concrete recollections.


    "Got it, just a sec." Sonny walked out of the room, carefully closing the door behind him. It wasn''t long before he returned, this time with a teenage girl in tow. She had unruly ck hair, fairly thick, that cascaded past her shoulders.


    Her outfit mirrored that of Raze - a in grey shirt and trousers - but her eyes, shadowed underneath, hinted at a world of fatigue.


    As soon as Razeid eyes on her, a torrent of emotions flooded over him, and a smile involuntarily spread across his face.


    "Thank heavens," Sonny breathed a sigh of relief. "It seems you do remember your sister, Safa."


    ''Wait, my sister? Did he just say... my sister?''


    Suddenly, the pieces started to fall into ce, just like when he had seen his parents. Memories, long-forgotten, resurfaced, linking him to this girl.


    "She was hiding in the cupboards during themotion. When we searched the house, we found her trembling inside. The fact that you both made it out alive is nothing short of a miracle," Sonny elucidated. "I''ll leave you two to reconnect."


    With that, Sonny exited the room once more. Safa, looking up at her brother, offered a timid smile. She appeared to be around the same age as Raze, but he recalled that she was actually a couple of years younger.


    Almost immediately, she dashed over to Raze and clung to his arm, her body leaning against his. Raze''s heart began to race, and images started to flood his mind.


    "DON''T TOUCH ME!" he bellowed, violently shaking off her grasp and stepping back.


    Safa was taken aback. Her eyes locked onto Raze''s for a few moments before welling up with tears. She quickly retreated behind a chair in the room, almost copsing onto the floor.


    Raze was still panting heavily, his heart pounding. Witnessing her reaction, a pang of guilt pierced his chest.


    ''This wretched body... it''s still reacting to her... and my emotions are aplete mess.''


    Approaching Safa, who was clearly still terrified, Raze struggled to find the right words to mend the situation.


    "I... apologise," he stammered. "Something''s messed up in my head. I''ve kind of lost it and can''t stand being touched. Do you get it?"


    Safa, although still somewhat apprehensive, nodded her head slowly.


    ''Great, just great. She''s lost her entire family, and the only one left, her brother, is now a lunatic who yells at her for simply touching him. This can''t be easy for her either.''


    Gradually, Safa regained herposure and stood up. They both stood there, awkwardly staring at each other.


    "You hid in a wardrobe, right?" Raze inquired.


    Safa nodded but remained silent. Raze began to suspect that his sister might be mute. However, as certain memories resurfaced, he realised that she indeed was.


    ''Wait, if she was hiding in the wardrobe... Did she witness what I did? Did she see me use magic? If she did and told people, there would be trouble... No, she must have seen nothing. Otherwise, she would havee out after the killer was neutralized, or when the Red Brigade arrived.''


    Sonny reentered the room, pping his hands together cheerfully.


    "Alright, I have some good news for you both. We''ve figured out where you''ll be staying for now. I know it''s a tough situation, but I''ll exin everything in due course. For now, just follow me."


    They exited the building and strolled through the expansive courtyard of the base. Raze trailed behind Sonny, while Safa lingered at the back, her head bowed.


    "Even though I won''t be with you two, you''ll be well taken care of. If you need anything or just want to talk,e visit me. Of course, I''ll also check up on you both tomorrow to see how you''re doing."


    Suddenly, Sonny halted mid-sentence and swiveled his head to the right. Charging towards them was another man, dressed identically to the one Raze had encountered earlier. He seemed to materialize out of thin air.


    In a single powerful stride, he closed the distance between them.


    ''Enhancement magic!'' Raze surmised. ''So magic does exist in this world?''


    The mysterious man brandished a dagger, aiming directly for Raze. In his palm, dark energy swirled ominously.


    ''I didn''t want to use it publicly because it would raise too many questions. But if my life is at stake...''


    "Red Lightning Fist!" Sonny unleashed a punch, striking the man squarely in the chest and sending him hurtling through the air until he crashed into a building on the other side.


    Witnessing such raw power, Raze was dumbfounded, his mouth agape.


    "What... kind of magic was that?" he blurted out.


    "Magic?" Sonny echoed, puzzled. "That wasn''t magic; it was martial arts."


    Raze had stumbled into a world where battles were waged not just with weapons but with fists as well.

 Chapter 5: Pagna Warriors

    <h4>Chapter 5: Pagna Warriors</h4>


    Raze and Safa found themselves residing in a ce referred to as a temple by the locals and the Red Brigade. However, in Raze''s homnd, it would have beenbeled as an orphanage.


    Nestled partly up a mountain, and a tad isted from the town, the vast estate featured arge, tiled courtyard at the front and an exceptionally broad single building. Raze couldn''t help but wonder about the cost of constructing something this grandiose on his home Alterian.


    Including the neers, the orphanage was now home to twelve children, all there for various reasons. Yet, this was no ordinary orphanage. eptance was contingent upon the approval of Mr. Kron, the proprietor. A scar running from his chin through his face marked the visage of this bald, monk-like figure, always seen in robes. The children, on the other hand, made do with ill-fitting hand-me-downs, their ages ranging from as young as five to adult teenagers like Raze, who had recently discovered he was fifteen.


    Sonny had mentioned that a year older, and Raze would have been on the streets. Pondering this, Raze recalled a starving child and wondered why he was admitted to the temple, but the other was not.


    Raze was clueless about Mr. Kron''s criteria. Sonny had mentioned there were requirements before leaving them in Mr. Kron''s care, assuring them they were safe. Whether Sonny genuinely believed that or merely sought to instill confidence in them after a recent attack remained uncertain to Raze. Nheless, the previous night''s events made Raze realize he needed to understand this world of martial arts better.


    On their first night, Mr. Kron assigned them a shared room with only one bed due to space constraints. Raze, unbothered, let Safa take the bed while he settled on the floor. Although Safa gestured that sharing the bed was fine, Raze quickly reminded her of his rule - "No touching." Disappointed, she abandoned the idea.


    Ready to help around the temple the next morning, they stepped into the main hall and encountered a familiar face. "Ah, looks like the two of you managed to sleep in alright then," Sonny greeted them warmly. "I told you I would be back tomorrow to check up on you two. Now that I see you''re both okay, I can head off."


    "Wait!" Raze interjected. "Actually, I have a few things I want to ask you about."


    As Safa apanied Mr. Kron to familiarize herself with her chores, Sonny and Raze retreated to thetter''s study¡ªa spacious room filled with well-maintained, high-quality books and furniture, superior to anything in Raze''s own home.


    Settling into a single-seater chair, Sonny invited Raze to sit on the couch before asking, "So what is it that you wanted to talk about?"


    Struggling with memory gaps about this world and recent events, Raze sought rification, particrly regarding martial arts. In his world, martial arts served merely as exercise, not abat form. The notion of someone punching hard enough to break a wall belonged to the realm of fiction, not reality.


    "Oh, I see. I guess I should really treat you like you''re an alien or something then?"


    ''More like from another world, but close enough,'' Raze mused.


    As Sonny elucidated everything he could, Raze''s curiosity deepened, realizing the world was not just slightly different, but vastly so.


    Primarily, those proficient in martial arts, like Sonny, were known as Pagna Warriors, akin to how magic practitioners were dubbed Mages. However, a rationale existed for the distinction.


    Not everyone pursued martial arts to the extent Raze witnessed. Pagna Warriors belonged to a uniquemunity, separate from the military and Empire, with their own societal norms. Although it was a standard rule for Pagna life members not to interfere with others and vice versa, Sonny exined it was more of an excuse. Pagna Warriors enjoyed greater freedom, such as the right to kill. Kingdoms also often hired andpensated ns for their services.


    "Now that you know about Pagna Warriors, you need to know how they are split. The continent is considered onerge piece, despite there being inds here and there, but it is divided between threerge factions.


    "You have the Dark Faction, the Light Faction, and the Demon Faction."


    Sonny had marked the territory areas on the map, and it was fascinating to note that several different ces and kingdoms resided in different regions.


    "In each of these factions, there are several families, each with their unique styles of martial arts that they pass down to those loyal to the n. For example, the Red Brigade, we are a n that is part of the Dark faction."


    Sonny continued to exin a few details, such as, even though other ns were in the same faction, it didn''t mean they were friendly. ns mostly operated on an individual basis.


    The faction a n belonged to mostly depended on the source of their martial arts energy. It wasn''t as simple as the ns in the light faction being good, or those in the dark being bad, but rather the type of energy they used for their techniques.


    Raze was incredibly interested in this particr part, considering his own powers. Being a mage, research was his forte, but Sonny seemed to be pressed for time.


    "Of everything I tell you today, this might be the most important. As warriors, we cultivate our powers and perfect our techniques, and among us, we have masters so powerful they could obliterate an entire city with one fist."


    What Sonny described sounded like the same power as that of a 9-star mage.


    "The stages of a Pagna fighter can be split into three parts. The initial stage, where fighters are ranked from level 1 to 6, the middle stage, where fighters are ranked from 7 to 9, and then the Deity stage, from rank 10 to 12.


    "If you ever be a Pagna warrior, you would truly learn how frightening each of these stages can be, and the titles that are given in each of these stages. Because the difference in power between ranks can be astronomical. For you, though, just understanding the three stages is enough. If you ever hear someone use the words ''Deity stage,'' then you should never anger them. No one will be able to save you if you do."


    The tone of Sonny''s voice and his entire demeanor changed when talking about thest part. It was interesting to note the mention that the current Raze was not a Pagna warrior. A ''no name,'' one with no family name, was one that wasn''t rted to a n, nor were they rted to any of the higher-ups in the kingdoms and empires.


    He could only imagine the strength he would have had if he had transmigrated into the body of a powerful Pagna warrior.


    "So... what stage are you at?" Raze asked.


    Sonny smiled as he thumped his chest. "I''m at the initial stage, a rank 2 Pagna warrior," Sonny dered.


    Raze was quite impressed. If that was what a rank 2 warrior could do, he could only imagine in his head what a Deity stage warrior could do.


    Thinking about that, something clicked in his head.


    "Wait, the ones that attacked us, were they Pagna warriors as well?"


    Sonny nodded.


    "Then, if that''s the case, why would Pagna warriors target a no name family like ours? And even go to the point where they would target us against night?

 Chapter 6: Pagna Academy

    <h4>Chapter 6: Pagna Academy</h4>


    From what Raze had learned, members of Pagna typically refrained from meddling in human affairs. It was only the high-ranking officials or those particrly irked who would intervene. Hence, the recent attack baffled Raze.


    "I honestly don''t know," Sonny replied, releasing a deep sigh. "There''s a lot happening right now that we don''t understand. Even though the Red Brigade controls this area, it''s challenging to monitor everything."


    "Look, I know you want answers, but don''t even think about seeking revenge. An ordinary person like you wouldn''t stand a chance against a Rank 1 Pagna warrior. Remember, you have a sister to take care of."


    ''Revenge!'' thought Raze. ''Why would I care about a family I have no connection or memory of? The only people I want revenge on are the Grand Magus.''


    Sonny was already halfway out the door, clearly pressed for time, so Raze didn''t press him with more questions. He could either ask next time they met or do his own research.


    Returning to Mr. Kron, Raze was introduced to the other temple upants. Four were his age: three boys and one girl.


    The first to catch Raze''s eye was a dark-skinned, curly-haired boy with an incredibly goofy smile named Simyon. He seemed genuinely pleased to have newpanions.


    Next were two boys: a shorter one with a handsome face and good build, reaching only to Raze''s shoulders, named Gren. He seemed annoyed to be summoned for no apparent reason.


    Beside him were twins, one male and one female, Biyo and Giyo. They were identical, except for their hair length. They politely introduced themselves but seemed indifferent.


    The remaining children were much younger and greeted Safa and Raze with broad smiles, waves, and bows.


    After the introductions, everyone resumed their tasks. Safa continued cleaning the ornaments and floors before sweeping outside. She was paired with the twins for cleaning, the main chore here. Raze was assigned to help prepare food and was instructed to shadow Simyon.


    Entering the spacious kitchen, which resembled a canteen capable of serving hundreds, Simyon lifted arge basket of potatoes and mmed it onto the table.


    "Alright, just follow my lead, and I think you''ll get the hang of it!" Simyon grinned.


    They washed the potatoes, removed certain roots with a knife, peeled them, and tossed them into another basket. Simyon monitored Raze closely and was somewhat surprised.


    "Man, you peel those potatoes even better than me! How did you learn to use a knife so well?" Simyon inquired.


    "I lived alone for a while and learned to cook for myself. I''ve been doing this for a long time," Raze replied.


    "A long time? Aren''t you my age? Were you peeling potatoes since you were three or something?" Simyon joked while continuing his work.


    Raze had answered automatically and realized he might have revealed too much. The children were unaware of his backstory, but kids being kids, they would inevitably ask all sorts of questions. Currently, Raze was supposed to have lived with his family, not alone. He needed to ensure his story remained consistent.


    "You must have had it rough too, huh? Don''t worry, everyone here has had a hard life. But don''t stress too much; we''re in a good ce," Simyon reassured.


    Raze recalled Sonny mentioning they were safe here, all thanks to Mr. Kron.


    "Is it because of Mr. Kron? Is he a Pagna warrior too?" Raze asked, wanting to gauge his surroundings and potential threats. With his current strength, he might not even defeat a rank 1 warrior.


    "Ha!" Simyon chuckled. "I guess you haven''t heard; you did just arrive, after all." He nced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "Rumors say that Mr. Kron used to teach at the Pagna academy."


    "The academy? There''s a Pagna academy?" Raze raised an eyebrow. Sonny had never mentioned it, but it made sense since Raze wasn''t initially a warrior.


    Simyon was so shocked he dropped a potato he was peeling. Before it hit the ground, he kicked it back up, catching it, although now it was covered in dirt.


    "What rock have you been living under? How do you not know about the academy?" Simyon asked.


    Raze pointed to his head.


    "I¡­ don''t have many memories. Something happened to me before I came here." Raze tried to pull a face that made it look like it was a difficult subject to talk about. That way he could avoid more questions. "Could you exin the academy?"


    The topic seemed to excite Simyon, he ced the potato down along with the knife as he swung his arms as he exined away.


    "The Pagna academy is the ce for anyone aspiring to make a mark in this world," Simyon borated. "There''s one in each faction, including here in the dark faction. It''s a school funded by all the ns in the faction."


    "It began as a way for the ns to nurture promising fighters, and its sess ensured its continuation. n members send their children to the academy, but it''s also open to those not affiliated with any n, offering a stepping stone into the world of Pagna.


    "Upon graduation, other ns would eagerly recruit you. Joining the academy isn''t mandatory to be a Pagna, but for those like us, without a n or ess to cultivation techniques and skills, it''s the only path to bing a warrior!"


    Simyon''s voice quivered with excitement, unable to contain his enthusiasm.


    The mention of the Pagna academy reminded Raze of the Mage academy. Although he was told hecked magical talent, he ultimately proved everyone wrong.


    He even secured a respected position within the Mage academy, despite never being a student.


    ''Those... memories... are ones I don''t wish to relive,'' Raze reflected.


    "However, not just anyone can join the academy. You must at least be able to cultivate your Qi and demonstrate a rank 1 basic skill to a certain standard."


    Many unfamiliar terms were used ¨C Qi, basic skills ¨C but Raze doubted Simyon could adequately exin them. He found written exnations in books easier toprehend.


    "That''s why we''re fortunate to have Mr. Kron. He teaches us for an hour every day. Thanks to him, we all have a chance to be Pagna warriors!"


    Raze examined his hand as he clenched it into a fist. He had harmed many with his magic, but had he ever physically hurt someone?


    Memories of the assassin he killed shed in his mind. He certainly had used his hands back then. There was no doubt about that.


    ''I guess he was the first. I wonder if this body is capable of performing these martial art skills. I guess I''ll find out today.''

 Chapter 7: The start of cultivation

    <h4>Chapter 7: The start of cultivation</h4>


    The group had a pleasant time, sharing a meal, and then getting on with some chores like nting crops in the adjacent farm and assisting with various tasks here and there.


    While Mr. Kron did assign them a considerable amount of work, it never felt like strenuousbor because he was mindful not to overexert anyone, and rest was permitted if someone was fatigued. Interestingly, Raze observed that nobody grumbled about the work.


    ''I wonder if it''s because they don''t want to upset Mr. Kron, or is it because life here is much better than being alone out there with no one to care for you.''


    During meals, Raze and Safa were naturally seated together, although they didn''t converse. However, Safa used hand signals to request some dishes from the table.


    Unconsciously, Razeprehended and passed her the requested dish. Mr. Kron excused himself from the table to attend to something, which made everyone feel more at ease.


    "Aha, so she''s mute!" Gren eximed, snapping his fingers. "I was wondering why she was so quiet. I thought she had some mental issues, but she''s just mute. That''s great for a wife, since she can''t talk back."


    "Hey, that''s not cool, man," Simyon interjected, shooting a quick nce at Raze to gauge his reaction to thement about his rtive. "We all live here, so we''re like family. Would you say that about your family?"


    "We are not family," Gren retorted immediately, almost as if offended by the suggestion. "You have dark skin; I have light skin. Even the disabled girl could tell we''re not family."


    Raze continued eating, feeling a wave of unease, but it felt foreign, as if it wasn''t his emotion but something else stirring within. He noticed Simyon''s clenched fist, not surprising since Gren was known for being obnoxious and usually made such remarks when Mr. Kron was absent.


    The room quieted down when Mr. Kron returned.


    "Once you finish eating, take a break to digest, then meet me in the courtyard for training," Mr. Kron instructed.


    All the children, even the youngest ones, brightened up at the announcement, some even raising their hands in excitement.


    ''I guess even the little ones are enthusiastic about learning martial arts... it reminds me of my own excitement as a child.''


    Instead of a happy childhood memory, an image of a five-year-old Raze, bruised and weak with hair obscuring his eyes, shed in his mind.


    ''Stay focused on the goal,'' he reminded himself.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After a brief rest, everyone congregated in the expansive courtyard in front of the main building, which wasrge enough to have its own track and obstacle course.


    "As we have neers today, I have a few words before we start," Mr. Kron announced, hands sped behind his back, reminding Raze of military mages he had encountered before.


    "The world outside is dangerous, especially for you all. Although many of you wish to avoid the Pagna, there is always a risk they will infiltrate the general public.


    "Therefore, everything I teach you is essential for maintaining a peaceful life out there. What you decide to do with these skills after you leave is your choice. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, sir!" the children responded in chorus.


    "Excellent. Gren, lead the warm-up!" Mr. Kronmanded.


    Gren bowed before beginning the warm-up, jogging around the entire courtyard with the other children following suit. Raze and his sister joined in at afortable pace.


    They continued to jog in a square pattern, round and round until Raze felt his feet dragging, his lips parched, and his chest ready to burst from the exertion.


    ''What is happening?'' Raze wondered as an eight-year-old child sprinted past him, having alreadypleted an entirep around him.


    Everyone managed to overtake Raze, including his sister.


    ''I know my old body wasn''t athletic, but I''m in a teenager''s body now. Shouldn''t I be somewhat capable? Why am I trailing behind everyone? Why is this body so weak?''


    A troubling thought crossed his mind. Was it because of the spell he had cast in the past? To strengthen his body to withstand 9-star magic, he had engaged in some forbidden practices, which turned his hair white. The current body also had white hair; did that mean the spell''s effects transferred to this body as well?


    At that moment, Raze paused, his hands resting on his knees as he took a deep breath.


    ''Screw it, it''s clear, this body is not suited for martial arts.'' Raze thought. ''But it doesn''t matter, as long as I can still do magic, everything will be fine.''


    Mr. Kron had been watching Raze and his sister as the new arrivals.


    "Alright, Gren, continue on to the next steps, Raze, Safa,e over to me."


    Gren continued the basic warm-up that the kids would proceed to do. They then moved on to body weight exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.


    Seeing how hard they were working, Raze was relieved that he wasn''t going to be a part of that.


    "Eventually, the two of you will be able to do the same as them," Mr. Kron said. "But as it''s your first day, you don''t want to overexert yourselves to the point that you won''t be able to exercise again. Both of you sit down, with your backs facing away from me."


    The two did as they were told and sat down. Soon after, they felt Mr. Kron ce his hands on their backs.


    "Both of you have never practiced martial arts before. What I am about to teach both of you will be the foundation of your martial arts; it''s what we call Qi.


    "Qi is the internal energy inside your body. Ites from your dantian, an invisible force centered around your stomach. When we use our skills, from the steps we take to the air we breathe in, we are always using this power of Qi.


    "That''s why it is important to strengthen the dantian. Think of this as the te, whereas the Qi is the food. What I am going to teach both of you first is how to feel your Qi. The energy from the world, the energy around you in the nts and such, to fill in your dantian.


    "These two things go hand in hand, and as you improve them both, it will increase your rank as a warrior, but that''s all up to you in the future."


    It was quite amazing what the teacher was saying because Raze thought that this Qi was quite simr to mana. The difference was, mana was energy from the world, and one''s skill level was determined by how much mana they could control.


    This was dependent on how strong one''s magic core was around their heart. However, magic cores allowed one to control the different types of energy in the air, depending on how well groomed it was to certain affinities.


    "As you know, we are in the Dark faction, and what I am going to teach you is the basic Dark faction cultivation technique, the Dark Essence absorption technique. Once you have learned this, you must cultivate and use this technique each day to grow your dantian, allowing you to use more Qi in your techniques.


    "With this, I give you a warning. Never go beyond your limits. If you absorb more than your body can handle, it can have detrimental effects on your mental state and morality if not practiced with caution. If either of you were to go mad, I would deal with you myself."


    Inwardly, Raze couldn''t stop smiling. What was this, was it Dark magic that he was learning? What they said about one learning dark magic was the same. Mad? Had he ever gone mad? No, he was always sane and always knew what he was doing.


    If the Dark magic that was meant to make him go insane had no effect, then he would wee this Dark Essence cultivation technique with open arms.


    ''What an interesting teacher, to threaten new pupils with death, who he''s just met. If it''s so dangerous, then why is he teaching it to us? This world is starting to get a little interesting.''


    "I will now, begin!"

 Chapter 8: The Dark Core

    <h4>Chapter 8: The Dark Core</h4>


    Mr. Kron instructed them to close their eyes and follow the process every step of the way. He first asked them to envision a realm ofplete darkness, as if they were sitting in a shadowy cave or a forest with barely any light.


    Once the image was vivid in their minds, they were to inhale slowly, taking deep breaths through their nose and exhaling out of their mouth. They needed to eliminate all distractions, all of the noises surrounding them.


    ''Both of them are quite adept at following instructions. I can see that it hasn''t taken them long to tune out even the sounds of the kids training in the background; they are truly only listening to my voice.'' Mr. Kron mused. ''If I didn''t know better, I would have thought they had both done this before.''


    It was a surprise to Kron, especially after witnessing how poorly Raze had performed in the physical activities, but everyone had their strengths and weaknesses.


    "The next part is the difficult part. In your mind, the darkness surrounding you, you need to visualize it as energy. Imagine absorbing the darkness in the form of energy inside you. When you breathe in through your nose, all the way down into your body.


    "When you exhale, visualize expelling the negative energy from your body."


    This was partly why Mr. Kron was touching both of their backs. It was a challenging task topletely do on your own, but he could help their bodies sense the energy easier by trying to control the Qi that everyone had in their body.


    Then, when the Qi entered, he would focus on building it in the dantian and ensure it didn''t overflow or break. He would continue doing this a few times for them until they could do it themselves.


    The cultivation technique, building one''s Qi, was the basis of all Pagna martial arts. Although the technique could only take you so far, and in the future, when hitting bottlenecks, one would have to try and rely on absorbing items.


    Mr. Kron''s eyebrow started to twitch slightly as he noticed something happening. When looking at Safa, everything was flowing smoothly. The energy gathering was substantial, and a solid base was building up in her stomach.


    The energy had already stabilized in her body. She was a true talent. Although Mr. Kron wouldn''t tell one directly, not at a young age, as words were very effective at stunting one''s growth if it got to their head.


    Yet, the one that made his eyebrow twitch was Raze. He could feel the energy flowing inside of him, but the impurities in his body weren''ting out.


    Not only that, but Mr. Kron could feel no Qi entering his main dantian, located a little under one''s belly button.


    ''I can tell that the energy is going inside him, but is his body absorbing it? If it is, where is it going exactly?''


    A phenomenon was urring right now, and it was something that had never happened in history before; it was perhaps something that even Raze couldn''t predict.


    As Kron suspected, Raze was using the cultivation technique perfectly. This was because the idea of controlling the energy around him in such a way had many simrities to Mana.


    When using this technique, though, the energy wasn''t going to his core; instead, it was going to his mana core, his heart.


    The Dark essence he was absorbing was increasing his affinity with Dark magic, increasing his Dark attribute.


    ''This is¡­ what are these techniques? Countless mages tried to research a number of different ways to increase their affinity with a type of magic.


    ''Due to Dark magking research, there were very few methods, meaning one would have to stick to more conventional methods, using beast crystals from powerful creatures and creating special elixirs from rare herbs, but this, it''s almost simple meditation.''


    With this, it was increasing Raze''s power when using Dark techniques, but it still didn''t increase the amount of mana he could control. Both things would need to go hand in hand, so eventually, Raze would hit a bottleneck, but if this was a world of magic, he would be a step ahead of everyone else.


    "Alright, you two, remember this feeling well, and we will continue to do this every day from now on." Mr. Kron said.


    When the two opened their eyes, they could see that the rest of the students had stopped their basic training and were now sitting in a meditating state, cultivating their powers as well.


    "Safa, is it okay if I speak to your brother alone for a bit? If you want, you can join the others and practice what we were just doing, but only do what you can." Mr. Kron said.


    Usually, he wouldn''t have done such a thing for a student cultivating for the first time, but Safa had perfect control.


    "I wanted to speak to you on your own." Mr. Kron said. "I''ll be blunt when I say this; I don''t think the Dark Essence cultivation technique is for you."


    ''Not for me, not for me, what does he mean, this is perfect for me! I''m able to make my dark energy stronger just by meditating every day!''


    "I don''t want you to lose heart," the teacher said, his eyes serious but kind. "This doesn''t mean you can''t practice martial arts, but I might not be the one who can help you."


    "What I suspect is that your body already has arge amount of Light energy inside it."


    ''What? What!!!'' Raze was extremely confused but he allowed the teacher to share his theory.


    "I''m not certain because I am not a Pagna doctor, but asionally we encounter individuals whose bodies contain a natural amount of Dark energy or Light energy. Because they are born this way, their bodies are usually very sick and weak. They have a lot of impurities due to the buildup from birth. Now, when we cultivate, we rid our bodies of these impurities. When you were cultivating just now, the energy was being absorbed but no impurities wereing out from your body."


    "So, my guess is, the energy was being destroyed by your body that already has a lot of light energy inside it. Whereas a normal body would be an empty vessel of sorts."


    Now Raze understood where the teacher''s theory wasing from, but the energy wasn''t being destroyed, it was just being added to his mana core instead.


    "What I suggest is for you to learn a different cultivation technique. There are those that take in more than just the energy of dark and light, however, I do not know of any other cultivation techniques than the one I just showed."


    "Perhaps, if you joined the academy or traveled elsewhere, you would be able to learn another cultivation technique. However, if you n to stay in the Dark Faction, I must warn you."


    "The fighting techniques taught by the Dark n use Dark energy as its basis along with Qi. Although you can use another energy, it might mean you might not get the best out of that technique."


    "Dark energy is more destructive and spreads out wide, so the techniques taught suit that energy. Light energy is more straight and forward."


    "One can use different energy to perform different fighting techniques, but the results might not be the best. I will continue to teach you fighting techniques, but I only know techniques belonging to the Dark Faction, so in the future, if you do cultivate another energy, it might not be the best for you."


    Hearing all of the information, Raze bowed down, as he gave his thanks. Because he was truly thankful to the teacher. Although this news might have been disappointing for many, for Raze, he was over the moon with what he had just learned.


    ''That does make me wonder though? If I did learn a different cultivation technique, would I also be able to control Qi in my dantian? Since the energy wouldn''t be absorbed by my magic core.''


    ''Would I then be able to do martial arts and perform magic?''

 Chapter 9: The power of a punch!

    <h4>Chapter 9: The power of a punch!</h4>


    Despite Raze not having a core of Qi to work with, he was still invited to the next part of the ss training. The students were lined up in the courtyard with a few meters of space all around them.


    "A good foundation for one''s body is important, and you should build that by enforcing your body with Qi, breaking down the muscles inside your body allowing it to repair and create a stronger body, as well as a mix of physical activity as well. Does anyone know what the next important step is?" Kron asked.


    Simyon and a few others had raised their hands, and Kron nodded toward him.


    "Fighting techniques!" Simyon threw out a fist hitting the air. It sounded rtively powerful as some wind was seen flowing around his arm from the impact.


    "The number of techniques you have is important in order to be diverse when fighting against your opponent, but what I am looking for is something that would enhance even that."


    Gren then raised his hand straight up, and Kron selected him this time.


    "Footwork sir. Without footwork, the appropriate power cannot be put into one''s techniques. Not only that, but the basics of any battle is to hit without being hit."


    A smile appeared on Kron''s face, pleased with the answer.


    "Correct, this is why I have been teaching all of you the basic two-step shift. It is the most simple of footwork techniques but can be added to any technique to make it more powerful."


    Raze, watching everyone, was starting to figure it out. Gren was one of those that were a bit two-faced. The perfect student in front of the teacher, but then when his back was turned he treated everyone else as if they were below him.


    "Allow me to demonstrate."


    Kron took a deep breath through his nostrils, and then with the Qi channeling inside him, he threw out a punch in the air. A loud bang went off right in front of their eyes. Although it only had hit the air, Raze''s heart was starting to beat faster.


    ''That''s it¡­ that attack is the same power as Sonny had. The power to crush boulders with just one''s fist!''


    "Now, I want you to watch carefully as I add the two-step shift," Kron said.


    He got in the same fighting stance again, but his legs were spread further apart. After that, he moved forward, his front foot first, itnded on the ground perfectly, and then the back foot followed.


    There was a shift forward and with the perfect timing, the fist was thrown out. Each of the movements used had Qi utilized in them including the two steps. When the arm was fully extended and the fist hit the air, a louder bang nearly four times as loud was heard.


    Wind currents were created moving furiously in the air.


    "Now do you see, the two-step shift is a technique on its own, and the spiral punch is another. When using these moves, I used the same amount of Qi, yet the power was amplified. Even if you don''t have strong Qi, if you are able to perfect your footwork and add it to your techniques, you will be able to create a powerful hit."


    Kron went on to demonstrate just the footwork a few times, and each of them repeated the steps over slowly, again and again. Kron would then walk around and give each person pointers.


    Once he was satisfied with the basic movements, one was able to speed up the two-step shift, but that was where people made mistakes and he would correct them again. Finally, he would allow them to add on a punch at the end. It was just throwing out one''s arm, not a special technique like he had demonstrated earlier.


    Everyone was doing rtively well, although it was hard for the students to evaluate each other. They weren''t at the skill level to be able to tell if one''s technique was off. For a while, he paused as he watched Safa.


    "You are very good at taking instructions and copying, aren''t you." Kronplimented.


    Safa turned her head, her cheeks turning a shade redder.


    Then it came to Raze once more. He was copying the steps, and although it didn''t seem sloppy it felt like there was no energy in any of his movements. Not only that, but he was already tired, and more exhausted than anyone else.


    ''This could be the result of him having little Qi in his body, or his body being full of impurities. It''s a shame because he seems to follow instructions well.'' Kron thought.


    Raze managed to catch the look that the teacher had given him before moving on.


    ''I''ve seen that look before¡­ I''ve seen it many times. Back then, they thought the same thing, they said I would never aplish anything, I would never change anything, and then I became the most wanted man in the world.'' Raze clenched his fists and continued the steps again and again until his body couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Alright!" Kron pped. "As usual, we will proceed with the final part of our exercise."


    Walking over to another part of the courtyard there was what looked like a giant pir. However, immediately Raze could tell that it was no ordinary pir, he could see that energy was being pulled from the air and was being absorbed by the pir itself.


    ''That''s interesting, I wonder what material that is made of. If there are things like this, then maybe there are ingredients simr to it on Alteiran. If that''s the case, I might even be able to create elixirs to improve this body''s condition.'' Raze thought.


    Kron gave the pir a light tap, and the energy from his fist was almost absorbed. On the pir itself, a number started to faintly appear as if it was engraved into the stone, and it had perfectly stopped at 50.


    "I hope each of you remembers what your numbers werest time," Kron smiled.


    The students, one by one, prepared themselves as they used the two-step along with the punch to perform the technique, hitting the pir. The number on the pir would change. It was interesting as the pir seemed to absorb the power of the hit, making no noise and then registering the hit. The first to try to hit the pir had achieved a number of 12, and they were an eight-year-old child, but they had performed the technique well.


    It also went to show the difference between the hits since Kron had given it a light tap, how much power must have been in the tap.


    ''Ah, now I see, it''s a measuring device. The students take their scores down and see if they have improved or not.''


    Most of the students were jumping for joy as they saw their numbers higher than they were the time before. The numbers ranged from 10, going up to around 20 was the highest he had seen.


    Soon, it was Simyon''s turn next. His hands were shaking and he looked a bit nervous. He followed the steps and hit the machine with a loud bang, waiting for the number to appear.


    "14¡­" Simyon said. "That''s the same asst time¡­ why have I been stuck on this number for so long."


    Next up with arge grin on his face was Gren. It was the pr opposite of Simyon, who was confident in each of his steps and when he finally let out a fist hitting the pir, the score appeared.


    [22]


    "Yes, I finally did it, I finally surpassed the twenties!"


    As annoying as a person might be, one had to admit when one was skillful and talented.


    "Alright,st up, Safa and Raze, the neers!" Kron shouted.


    ----


    At therge Red Brigade base, Sonny had entered one of therge meeting rooms, where a single man wearing a red helmet with arge point on top of his head sat. He was sitting on a chair looking away from Sonny.


    "How are the children?" The man asked.


    "They are doing well, with Mr Kron we will not have to worry about them for now. The only ones that know his location are us." Sonny stated.


    "That makes me feel a little at ease." The man replied. "We have to protect them, those two are the only ones that have ever survived an attack. I''m sure there will be those that will do anything they can to make sure they are dead."

 Chapter 10: A combination?

    <h4>Chapter 10: Abination?</h4>


    Of the two neers, Safa was the first to step forward. Although some time had passed, Raze was still feeling somewhat exhausted, and he wanted to give his all on the measuring device. That way, he could at least have an idea of how hepared to the others around him.


    As Safa walked up, Gren whispered to the twins by his side, "Hey, it''s the disabled girl''s turn. I guess we''re going to see the score of a non-fully functional human."


    The twins giggled as they heard this. The twins themselves hadn''t gotten a bad score on the assessment, hitting around eighteen. It was quite clear that the three of them were the best out of the kids here, and they made their position quite clear.


    ''I can''t believe these kids care so much about a simple matter. When they get out into the real world, they will learn that all of this is pointless,'' Raze thought. ''Who''s the best looking, who''s the strongest, none of that matters apart from trying to put food on the table and a roof over your head.''


    Stepping up, Safa prepared herself and gave the nod to Kron when she was ready. She then executed the two-step shift. ording to Raze''s eyes, it looked perfect, at leastpared to the teacher.


    Then, when throwing out the fist, a small spark of her inner energy could be felting out of her fist. It mmed into the pir, and the numbers started to change.


    [22]


    "Haha!" Kron couldn''t keep the smile off his face. "I knew you were a special one."


    Raze peeked over at Gren, whose mouth looked as if it was ready to fall to the floor. How long had he been at the temple for, how hard had he worked, to eventually achieve a score of 22?


    Then, someone who had just joined, with a few simple instructions, was able to get the same score as him. This was what one called true talent.


    Safa, pleased with herself, smiled as she went back to join the others in the line-up, and now it was Raze''s turn.


    "Come on, Raze!" Simyon shouted at the top of his lungs. "If that''s what your little sister can do, then I expect big things from you."


    ''Come on, really?'' Raze thought, getting into position. ''Didn''t you see how weak this body was?''


    There was something innocent about the way Simyon cheered him on. He was generally a happy guy. For an orphan like him, it was rare.


    Ignoring all of that, Raze focused. ''I rested enough. I want to do this properly, at least once,'' Raze thought.


    When he was ready, Raze took his time. He remembered carefully the movements that Kron had made, and then remembered what his sister had just disyed. His legs were moving as he imagined his body like theirs.


    The two-step shift was imitated, and throwing out his fist, it hit the pir straight ahead, absorbing the energy.


    ''That was a good hit¡­ he copied the movements exactly like his sister,'' Kron thought as he looked at the number that was starting to appear.


    [10]


    ''But, his body is incredibly weak, and there was zero force of Qi. Sometimes, I don''t know what to think about him. He is perfect at practicing movements, imitating them well, a talent just as good as his sister, but a body that can''t keep up with him.''


    Raze was breathing heavily, as if out of breath. Even though he had only done three movements, two steps and one punch. Focusing while doing such a thing, on top of all the exercise, had worn him out.


    ''I guess, an attack that is half the strength of the others isn''t so bad.''


    "What the?" Gren whispered to the twins again. "I thought his sister was the disabled one, but it might be this guy. What the heck is wrong with him? Man, if Mr. Kron wastes his time teaching this guy, then he''s just going to waste our time."


    ¡ª¡ª


    The day hade to an end, and Raze felt like he had learned a lot about the world already that could improve his basis for his magic. It was a good start, and he was sure that he would be able to surpass the strength he had in his previous life.


    Exhausted, everyone had returned to their rooms for the night, and Raze was in the room with his sister, who was lying on the bed with a smile that couldn''t leave her face.


    ''I guess she''s over the moon as well. It''s good to see her smile like that after having lost her parents,'' Raze thought but soon shook his head, wondering what on earth he was thinking.


    With a clench of his fist, he struck his own thigh, frustration clouding his features. "This damned body of mine is mixing my emotions," he muttered bitterly, his mind swirling with confusion. "It reacts every time he sees his damned sister; was he a siscon or something? I wonder how long until these feelings will disappear. Old Raze, you''re dead, stop lingering in this body and let me do what I wish!"


    Before going to sleep, Raze settled into the meditating position he had adopted earlier. Hemenced the dark essence cultivation technique, trying to absorb the energy that surrounded him, directing it towards his Dark core.


    ''This is good, but it''s hard to know my progress,'' Raze mused. ''There were a number of facilities on Alterian that allowed one to measure their mana capability and dark essence power.''


    A sudden realization dawned on him; there was a way to measure his power in this world. Rising to his feet, he headed to the door and turned to his sister.


    "Don''t say a word to anyone about me leaving this ce," Raze instructed, then pped his forehead, remembering she couldn''t speak. "I mean, just keep this a secret, okay?"


    Safa nodded, watching Raze leave the room, curiosity flitting across her face as she wondered what he would be doing at thiste hour.


    Moving stealthily through the building, Raze was grateful everyone else was still asleep. Eventually, the crisp night air greeted him as he stepped outside. Walking across the courtyard, he arrived at the spot where they had trained earlier that day, standing in front of the measuring pir.


    ''This thing¡­ I saw how it worked. It absorbed the energy from the blow, which means...'' Raze lifted his hand, dark aura swirling around it.


    ''It should be able to measure the strength of magic as well.''


    Pointing his hand towards the target, Raze intoned, "Dark pulse." Energy shot out like a beam, a small pulse leaving his hand and striking the pir.


    Just like the punches, the energy was absorbed, ensuring there was no sound, and numbers slowly started to appear on the pir.


    ''I can tell, the dark energy is already stronger than it was before due to the cultivation technique. Of course, as time goes on, its effects will lessen, but this is still great.''


    [19]


    The score finally appeared on the pir, bringing a smile to Raze''s face. With this score, he was the third strongest in terms of a single hit. Not only that, but Dark pulse was a skill he could use at least five times and from a distance; if he got into a fight with one of the others, he was confident he would win.


    Satisfied with the results, Raze resolved to continue using the cultivation technique and test it out on the pir night after night, observing how much his skill would grow in terms of strength.


    Before hepletely turned away, however, he stopped himself and looked at the pir once again. Approaching it, he adopted the same stance as he had earlier in the day.


    ''The two-step shift¡­ this should work right?'' Raze thought.


    As before, he memorized the steps, feeling well-rested, and moved his feet at the right time. Then, as he prepared his punch, he gathered the dark aura around his hand.


    "Dark pulse."


    Raze''s fist hit the pir, and simultaneously, a ripple of dark energy spiraled before being absorbed into the pir. It felt like a solid hit with more power than before. The numbers began appearing on the pir.


    [35]


    ''This¡­''


    Speechless, Raze pondered the implications. Kron''s words suddenly made sense.


    ''That two-step shift, Kron said, it could be used to enhance other techniques, right? What if I used the two-step, and then, when throwing out a punch, I used the Dark pulse skill; would it create arger effect? I have none of this Qi energy¡­ but the skill improved my regr punch, so in theory, it should work, and it seemed like it did.''


    At best, he thought the result would be his punch plus Dark pulse, giving him a total score of 29. However, the footwork, added to the magic skill, must have improved the power of the magic attack as well, giving him a total of 35.


    ''I was right¡­ mixing martial arts, even if I don''t have Qi, with my magic, it works!''


    Raze felt as though he had taken his first step towards bing a magic fighter. Exhausted, he wanted to try the hit again, but he could feel his body weakening, and the results wouldn''t be as good as before.


    That''s when he heard movementing from the temple. He quickly needed to move away. Swiftly, he moved to the side of the temple entrance. One of the children had gotten up in the middle of the night.


    Deciding it was best to head back to his room, Raze pondered his next steps.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Early the next morning, Mr. Kron rose before the rest of the children. A dedicated trainer, he had a routine and didn''t need as much sleep as the others.


    Upon reaching the courtyard, he headed towards the pir. There were no numbers on the front of the pir; they disappeared after some time, but Mr. Kron went to the back of the pir. Here, the numbers would be recorded, and Mr. Kron was keeping note of who was showing the most improvement.


    That''s when his eyebrows raised in surprise.


    ''What¡­ When was this recorded¡­ who managed to get such a high score?''

 Chapter 11: A Pool of Tears

    <h4>Chapter 11: A Pool of Tears</h4>


    The dawn of a new day arrived, and, much to Raze''s astonishment, despite having slept on the unforgiving wooden floorboards, it was probably the most restful slumber he had experienced in a long while. There was an absence of inner turmoil.


    No anxiety that he would be pursued or assaulted at any given moment, and his dreams were filled with hopeful visions of what the future might hold. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he was pleasantly surprised to find Safa already awake, seated on the bed in a meditative pose.


    "A diligent one, I see," Raze remarked. "You should maintain that, you never know when the world can flip upside down, and who knows, those people might return to kill us."


    His suddenment shattered Safa''s focus, and her eyes began to well up slightly. Tears were already forming as she recalled her parents'' demise.


    "Oh¡­ Come on!" Raze protested. "The death happened like, a few days ago, aren''t you over it already?"


    Somewhat irritated, Raze exited the room. He shut the door behind him, and as he did, he felt a heaviness envelop his chest once more. Death, losing loved ones, had be a part of his reality.


    The only thing one could do was concentrate on how to move forward from that.


    ''When you lose someone, you need to channel all your energy into the next thing... and for me, that''s getting rid of them.''


    The daymenced simrly to the previous one, with each of the children assigned chores around the ce. However, this time, Raze wasn''t absent for the morning, so he had to assist in preparing breakfast.


    He and Simyon were reunited once again, and they were boiling some bones to make hot, fresh bone soup.


    "Hey, your sister did pretty amazing with those moves yesterday, she''s really talented," Simyon said. "You know, you''re going to have to work a bit harder to catch up to her. I''m sure when she''s older, there will be a countless number of guysing after her; you might need to fend them off."


    "Why would I need to do that?" Raze queried. "She''s better than me, so surely she could just beat them up herself."


    "You know, it''s just what family does!" Simyon dered. "It''s not about who''s stronger; you''re her big brother after all."


    "Well, we''re not that close," Raze responded, as he continued stirring the soup. "So she will have to deal with that stuff on her own two feet."


    Hearing those words, for some reason, Simyon fell silent until a few words were eventually spoken out.


    "You should be careful, Raze. You never know what you''ve lost until it''s gone; you should cherish your time with your family."


    It was the first time Raze had seen Simyon so solemn; he was always upbeat with his words, which was why he chose to say nothing, but the truth was, Raze wanted to reply.


    ''Trust me, I know that better than anyone.''


    As they were ready to move onto the next step, suddenly Mr. Kron entered the room.


    "Ah, I see you two are basically done. Raze, is it okay if I speak with you for a while? Simyon, why don''t you go help clean the hall with the others for the time being? When Raze and I are back, we''ll serve up breakfast for you all."


    "Of course!" Simyon agreed as he left, looking back briefly before exiting the room.


    ''That''s a little strange; I wonder why Mr. Kron wants to speak to Raze. Did he do something wrong?''


    Regardless, Simyon continued and entered the main hall. It wasrge, filled with armaments on stands that needed dusting. There was also a giant statue at the back of one of the legendary figures that had formed the Dark Faction.


    Just from the face, one couldn''t tell who it was because the statue depicted a hooded figure, but in all images and statues, the leader was portrayed in this manner. Then there was therge wooden floor.


    Each of the children had a separate area they were responsible for cleaning, and he could see Safa scrubbing the floors diligently.


    ''Hmm, Raze is sometimes hard to talk to; it would be good if I could get close to Safa and find out what''s up¡­ but she can''t speak. For some reason, even though that''s the case, I feel like she''s more approachable.''


    Heading over to Safa, Simyon was about to give it a try when he saw a bucket of water spill all over the area Safa had just cleaned. The water was dark, filled with dirt.


    "Ah crap!" Gren eximed. "I dropped the bucket all over the ce. I''m sorry, after you had just finished cleaning it all. Well, what can you do? You don''t mind cleaning it all again, do you?


    "I don''t mind cleaning it for you, but if you want to, then you just have to ask me. You have to say the words, ''can you clean it''."


    Finishing his sentence, the two twins, Biyo and Giyo, couldn''t help giggling. They knew she was unable to speak; everyone knew by now.


    ''Ah crap¡­ Why did Gren have to target her?'' Simyon thought, rubbing his eyelids.


    Safa didn''t say anything, of course, and decided to just continue cleaning up the mess that had just been made. It was easy work for her, and she knew what was happening.


    The two twins then looked at each other, as they suddenly had an idea. Picking up their buckets of dirty water from cleaning, the two of them started running straight at Safa.


    "Hey, Giyo, stop pushing me!"


    "No, you stop pushing me, Biyo!"


    Colliding into each other, the buckets flew into the air,nding on Safa and dousing her entirely. The other children turned their attention to Safa as she was drenched in the filthy water. They recognized what was transpiring; they had witnessed it before. The three had designated Safa as their target.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Escorting Mr. Kron, the pair eventually made their way into his study. It was Raze''s second visit to the room, but rather than upying the sofa, he stood before the desk while Mr. Kron settled into his chair.


    "I''ve been pondering the situation from yesterday and my inability to assist you. After some reflection, I arrived at a decision," Mr. Kron announced as he retrieved a small box from behind him and positioned it on the table. "You possess talent, Raze, and it would be inhumane to thrust you into the world without the means to defend yourself."


    Mr. Kron lifted the lid of the box, unveiling a red, petite sphere.


    "What you see here is an Essence Foundation pill. Once ingested, it will provide you with the equivalent amount of Qi as a decade of cultivation. Given your constitution, it may not yield the same results, but it could be the catalyst needed for your body to establish its foundation."


    Raze found himself unable to look away from the pill, but it wasn''t Mr. Kron''s words that captivated him. It was the energy radiating from the pill itself. Having the ability to manipte mana in the air, Raze was particrly sensitive to energy.


    ''This pill¡­ it shares the same energy as an energy crystal from a beast of another world! Could I potentially utilize this¡­ to return to Alterian? To revisit my world?''

 Chapter 12: Family hurts

    <h4>Chapter 12: Family hurts</h4>


    Energy swirled from the pill before him, a phenomenon Raze was intimately familiar with. It was the same energy emanating from mythical creatures in his world, or more specifically, from the crystals they would relinquish upon their demise.


    Raze hailed from a called Alterian, a world devoid of such mythical beasts. Yet, mages, through their magic, strength, and rigorous testing, had achieved a breakthrough: the ability to create portals to other worlds, or perhaps others - the distinction remained unclear.


    On these foreignnds, mythical creatures, animals of immense power capable of harnessing strength akin to mages, roamed freely. Upon their death, the crystals were uncovered. These crystals were a monumental breakthrough, empowering mages to craft items that enhanced their abilities, facilitated physical growth to ascend to the next star stage, and even opened portals themselves.


    This era was hailed as the golden period of magic, and to this day, portals were continually opened to hunt beasts for stronger crystals. Despite exploring numerouss and locations, there remained no sign of other intelligent life, at least to Raze''s knowledge.


    ''A high star mage, equipped with the knowledge of magic circle formations, can utilize their own mana to open a portal. As a one-star mage, my mana is insufficient. However, instead of using my own mana, I can harness the power of a crystal, or in this instance, this pill!''


    Human life, in any other form, had yet to be discovered through the opened portals. The world Raze currently inhabited was beyond imagination, yet it existed. Thus, there was a glimmer of hope that a portal could lead him back to Alterian.


    ''It''s unlikely that I will seed on my first attempt. Nevertheless, even if I am transported to another location, I can hunt beasts, gather more crystals to augment my body''s strength, and progress to the next Star stage!''


    "This pill is exceedingly rare, Raze," Kron continued. "For individuals like us, acquiring something of this nature could take a lifetime. For intermediate and deity stage Pagna warriors, this might be trivial, but we are not them. It is imperative that you do not inform the other students of my involvement. Ideally, consume this discreetly at night. It will take a few hours for your body to assimte all the energy." Kron winked.


    Raze was genuinely perplexed by Kron''s generosity. It concerned him that there might be an ulterior motive. However, for the time being, he decided not to dwell on it, as he had no intention of using the pill as Kron had advised.


    With that, their meeting concluded, and they rejoined the others for breakfast. As they exited the room and entered the main hall, they noticed Safa soaked, water dripping from her body.


    "What happened here?" Kron inquired.


    "Ah, it was us, sir!" Giyo confessed, bowing down. "My brother and I were careless while ying and made a mistake. We will clean it up immediately!"


    "It''s okay," Kron reassured. "Safa, clean yourself up, change your clothes, and then join us for breakfast. The rest of you, don''t worry about this; I will handle it."


    The groupplied, and everyone prepared for breakfast, with Gren, Giyo, and Biyo sporting broad smiles.


    Breakfast was uneventful. Safa joinedter, and everyone enjoyed their meal. A brief respite followed before they resumed their chores.


    Since Simyon had praised Raze''s culinary skills, they continued to work together in the kitchen, preparing both lunch and dinner. While busily chopping vegetables, Simyon could no longer contain himself.


    "Hey man, I''m not sure if your sister nned to tell you, but what happened to her this morning wasn''t an ident," Simyon revealed.


    "You mean her being soaked with water?" Raze asked.


    "Yes, man. Look, I''ve witnessed it before. Those guys resent anyone talented encroaching on their territory. They relish being Kron''s star pupils and are easily envious. If you outshine them, they will attempt to knock you down. Why do you think my scores are always so low during practice?"


    "Because you suck?" Raze retorted instantly.


    Simyon felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart, but he tried to dismiss it because, in all honesty, there was some truth to it. He was merely attempting to salvage his pride.


    "Hey, I''m serious here. Things will only escte. Thest person they did this to ended up fleeing the temple. They''ve done it before and gotten away with it, so they''ll do it again."


    Raze sighed, realizing the direction Simyon was headed.


    "You said it yourself, it''s happened before and will happen again. So things won''t change unless someone does something. If I intervene, it won''t alter the situation. Safa needs to stand up for herself.


    "There are plenty of people like them out in the world, so when it happens again and no one is there to protect her, what is she going to do? Cry like she did now? Will a white knight like youe to her rescue?"


    Simyon''s face flushed with embarrassment at the remark.


    "Besides, what am I supposed to do? She''s stronger than me; I''m just a weakling who''ll get hurt in the process," Raze added, as he continued chopping the carrots before him.


    "But she''s your si-"


    "Enough!" Raze interjected sharply. It was the first time he had raised his voice, especially at Simyon.


    Something about the entire conversation rubbed Raze the wrong way. It didn''t help that his body was reacting contrary to his thoughts. When he saw his sister earlier, he yearned to rush over and embrace her.


    But Raze also understood that just because someone is family doesn''t mean they need to be kind to you. Family, being the ones closest to you, are often the ones who can hurt you the most.


    It was best for Safa to be stronger independently.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Outside, a group of children were sweeping the ground. Safa was near the stairs leading up to the temple, while Gren and the twins upied the vast courtyard. They asionally nced over their shoulders at Safa.


    "That was really clever what you did back there," Giyo chuckled.


    "How long do you think this one willst?" Biyo inquired.


    "I don''t know; she might stay a bit longer since she has her brother with her."


    "Yeah, but he''s a weakling; it''s not like he can do anything. Maybe we should target him as well; that way, she''ll leave quicker, and they''ll both be gone."


    "No," Gren interjected, interrupting the two. "Leave her brother alone. He seems unaffected by what is happening. I''m sure the two aren''t close, and besides, like you said, he''s weak; there''s nothing to worry about."


    Although Gren expressed these thoughts, he was contemting something different. There was something disconcerting about the new boy.


    ''I''m not sure if I imagined it or not, but when he came out with Kron and saw his sister, it was only for a moment¡­ but those eyes. I don''t know why, but my whole body trembles every time I think about it.''

 Chapter 13: Opening another door

    <h4>Chapter 13: Opening another door</h4>


    As evening approached, mirroring the day before, it was time for their afternoon training. Raze, once more involved in the physical exercises, struggled as he had previously, but endeavoured to push himself a bit further.


    "I think Isted 3 minutes and 25 seconds this time. If I stay on track, I can improve bit by bit. It''s a shame there are no elixirs here... but if there are cultivation pills, I might find a way to acquire more," Raze mused.


    Considering this, he deemed it too risky. The temple was secluded, far from the central city, and the only cultivation aids of value were from the Pagna warriors. Unless he courted danger, he needed to chart his own path for growth.


    "With my current stamina, I might not even make it there and back before sunrise."


    During the run, Safa was near the lead, running closely behind Gren. Seeing this, Gren quickened his pace. Other students began tog, but Safa, determination etched on her face, maintained her speed.


    Gren thought with a hint of irritation, "What''s she trying to prove? Overtake me? Just who does she think she is?"


    In a sudden move, Gren lifted his foot carefully, and at the right time, he stomped on Safa''s foot, causing her to trip. Because of their swift pace, she fell hard, scraping her hand against the ground.


    Seeing the mishap, Kron swiftly ordered everyone to stop and moved to the next phase. Simyon, meanwhile, eyed Gren and the twins with evident displeasure, asionally shooting nces at Raze.


    "Does he genuinely not care about his sister?" Simyon pondered.


    Next came meditation, channeling energy and refining one''s Qi. Raze enjoyed this immensely, feeling the power of his dark core grow stronger. Soon, they transitioned to the practical lesson.


    "Now that you''ve mastered the two-step shift, I want to teach you about controlling distance in a real scenario," Kron announced.


    "Pair up with someone of simr ability. Stand with your fist just touching your opponent''s nose. Take two steps back, execute the two-step shift, and return to the starting position. Your partner''s task is to focus on the iing fist, resisting the urge to flinch. Start slow, then gradually increase speed. If a hit seems inevitable, dodge, but only if you see iting."


    As the students began to pair up, Simyon approached Raze. "Hey, I know I''m ahead of you in this, but first, I think I''m the only one who talks to you, and secondly, matching you against the younger ones? It''s clearly a disadvantage."


    Raze merely shrugged in response. Simyon initiated, throwing punches without the steps. Raze was unphased. Even when Simyon incorporated the two-step shift, Raze remained steady, almost looking a little bored.


    "Is it really not that frightening?" Simyon inquired. "Are you trying to get me to actually hit you?"


    Simyon had to admit, right now Raze had a really punchable face.


    He soon regretted asking. Raze, in a mock attempt, sent a fist towards Simyon who stumbled back in surprise.


    "How were you soposed? I couldn''t even keep my eyes open!" Simyon questioned.


    Raze thought, ''Being a mage, I''ve faced countless magical formations. A fist is the least of my concerns.'' He silently wondered how he''d fare against a genuine Pagna warrior.


    Elsewhere, Safa was seeking a partner. As she spotted her brother, excitement filled her eyes, ready to approach him, but Gren stepped in her way. "Our scores on the pir test were simr, and we''re about the same height. No one else came close to our results, so we should be partners, right?"


    Trapped by Gren''s logic and unable to voice her thoughts, Safa resorted to signnguage.


    "Alright, here I go!" Gren stated, letting out his fist.


    Overzealous, he shot his fist out, striking Safa''s nose. Blood sttered as she fell, dazed and hurt.


    "I''m so sorry! I misjudged the distance! I should''ve listened to Kron," Gren eximed, offering a helping hand, and bowing several times.


    Safa, overwhelmed with emotion and on the verge of tears, refused the gesture. With her family gone and her brother''s indifference, she felt utterly lost and alone.


    When she heard Kron praising her for her skills and martial arts, she thought she could immerse herself in that, but now she was being treated this way. Why?


    Simyon took a step forward, halting abruptly and staring at the ground.


    ''I really want to help,'' Simyon thought. ''It''s clear they''re doing this intentionally. Even if I mention it to Mr. Kron, he''ll just reprimand them. He won''t expel them from the temple. They''re too talented, and then they''ll target me. If that happens, I''m not sure I can handle it. If I leave the temple, my dream of bing a Pagna warrior will be shattered.''


    Due to the unfortunate events that urred, Kron had paired them up differently, and the training soon ended for the night.


    Back in their room, Safa gingerly touched her nose. It was sore, but it didn''t seem broken. She was stronger than she appeared, or perhaps Gren wasn''t as forceful as he seemed. Either way, it was difficult for her to fall asleep.


    "As usual, don''t tell anyone what I''m doing," Raze said, sliding the door open. However, he didn''t walk out and just stood by the door before sliding it back again.


    "If you''re frustrated, sad, angry, annoyed, or whatever you''re feeling right now. If you don''t do something about it now, you will end up feeling a lot worseter on. Some advice for you, you should fight back."


    Opening the door, Raze left just like that.


    Instead of going to the courtyard this time, he needed to head to a more secluded area. The temple was located partly up arge hilltop and was surrounded by trees in all different directions.


    Walking out of the temple was easier, and after he was a distance away somewhere in the forest with enough space, he finally stopped, huffing and puffing from his steps.


    ''I wonder if Kron thought I would be heading outside of the temple. He did tell me to consume the pill away from the eyes of others, and I assume that means my sister as well.''


    Raze broke off a branch and started to draw a circle on the ground. After drawing the circle, he then began to draw many symbols inside of it.


    ''The symbols in the magic circle are instructions for the energy to be used in a certain way. With my life as an outcast, I couldn''t just use the normal facilities other mages had, so I had to memorize the magic circles.


    ''I''m sure this was a magic circle that opened up a portal to a rtively safe ce with the creatures I''m looking for, but I am on a different altogether. Which could mean that these symbols could lead me to a different ce altogether. For now, it''s best that I don''t try and experiment though, and stick with what I know.''


    Lifting up the stick, Raze was proud of the design he had drawn, and now there was just onest step. He took the pill out from its container and stretched forward, dropping it in the middle.


    Then, walking to the edge of the circle, dark magic surrounded his index finger as he touched the circle on the very edge.


    Immediately, the magic circle started to glow a faint purple. It was moving, filling the lines that Raze had carefully drawn. When all the lines were filled, it started to light up, and the energy from the pill was being drawn out.


    ''I would have liked to have known what would have happened if I was to eat the pill, but right now, this is the much safer bet.'' Raze had arge grin on his face because right in front of his eyes was arge glowing portal.


    It looked like a giant floating mirror, but there was no reflection, instead, a mystical glowing power that was lighting up the forest.


    "It worked," Raze said to himself, and didn''t hesitate as he took a step forward into the portal. "Let''s get stronger and then I can deal with this world of martial arts."

 Chapter 14: Portal Discovery: Battle with a monster

    <h4>Chapter 14: Portal Discovery: Battle with a monster</h4>


    Stepping through the portal was always bizarre. The sensation was like temporarily losing one''s grip on existence ¡ª ethereal and almost vacant. Once on the other side, sensations like the brush of the wind would slowly seep back into one''s awareness.


    No matter how many times it was experienced, that fleeting emptiness was something impossible to grow ustomed to.


    As Raze''s boot met solid ground, the portal behind him snapped shut with a near-electric buzz.


    Taking in his surroundings, a whirlwind of questions consumed him.


    "Where am I?" Raze pondered. "This doesn''t resemble Alterian. I used the identical magic circle formation. How did I end up somewhere entirely unfamiliar?"


    Above him, the night sky was painted with the hues of arge red moon, bathing everything beneath in a crimson glow. Cobblestonesy underfoot, and the area was strewn with decaying crates, tarnished silver, and items too eroded to discern. However, what dominated his view was an imposing building, reminiscent of the ancient architecture of Raze''s world. It had the majesty of a coliseum, though time had taken its toll on the structure.


    A noticeable absence of life ¡ª even vegetation ¡ª made the scene eerie. Spotting the imprint of his magic circle on the ground, Raze hastily erased it with his foot, making a mental note of his surroundings.


    "Between the copsed wagon and those sinister-looking trees forming a heart shape," he cataloged the location in his mind.


    The residual energy of a portal remained for a few days. As long as Raze returned and sketched the same formation, infusing it with his magic, a gateway back to his new homnd would manifest. But he didn''t want to risk someone else activating it, hence the need to remove the marking.


    For now, exploration seemed the only logical course of action.


    He wondered if any records of this ce existed in Alterian. Through their portal project, mages had visited numerous worlds, each distinctly unique. Some held treasures potent even for mages, like the book Raze had procured ¡ª the one containing the transmigration spell.


    While intelligent life remained an undiscovered mystery, remnants of past life were prevalent on these worlds.


    Drawn to the grandeur of the coliseum, Raze ascended its steps. The distant cityscape beckoned, but the immediate allure of the massive structure was irresistible.


    Suddenly, a guttural growl reverberated from his right. Turning, Raze''s eyes locked onto a capsized carriage, behind which glowed three menacing eyes.


    "Trust me, growling at me won''t end well for you," Raze warned, magic pulsating around his entire hand, amplifying in intensity.


    With a terrifying roar, a beastly creature lunged from the shadows of the carriage. About the size of a husky but far more menacing with its triad of eyes, spikeden back, and hairless, ruby-red skin.


    As itunched toward him, Raze thrust forward, "Dark Pulse!"


    A surge of shadowy energy burst forth, mming into the creature, piercing its midsection. As it hurtled onward, Raze deftly evaded its snapping jaws with a roll. Reposing himself, he noticed the creature, though gravely injured, remained a threat.


    Lifting his arm, he pointed it at the head and unleashed a smaller yet more focused "Dark Pulse", instantly incapacitating the beast.


    ---


    ''Ugh, my leg is killing me¡­ Maybe the two-step shift would''ve been smarter. Why''d I trust my instincts?''


    The creature, once defeated, emitted a mysterious ck mist. The ethereal veil floated towards Raze, sinking seamlessly into his skin, drawn maically towards his Dark core.


    ''The perks of Dark Magic that my previous body couldn''t capitalize on.'' A smirk yed on Raze''s lips. ''Each life taken boosts the Dark element. It''s why it''s been shunned,beled as taboo. My previous wind core limited my Dark potential. Not this time.''


    His gazended on the fallen beast, reflecting on their skirmish.


    ''Stronger attacks, but such limited mana¡­ Three more Dark Pulses at most without casting anything else.'' His hands got to work, tearing into the creature with unsettling expertise. Blood spurted and flesh parted until he found his prize: a crystal.


    ''Bingo. This is why I''m here.'' His eyes sparkled with excitement.


    The crystal shimmered faintly, a muted yellow hue hinting at its power. The creature was what was known as a basic creature, which gave basic crystals like this one. To the normal folk it was a treasure, to the top mages it was nothing, but to a 1-star mage like Raze, every bit mattered.


    Tucking the crystal away, he diverted his attention to the nearby crates and cases. Momentster, he held up a ring. Finding a patch of ground, he began to craft another magic circle.


    ''In my former life, status restrained me. I made ends meet selling enhanced gear and elixirs to boost mages. Dark magic creations were the pinnacle, if only they didn''te with their¡­ quirks.''


    Upon finishing the circle, the ring and crystal met. Fueled by Dark magic, an item could reach a caliber fit for a 3-star mage. A swift magic-infused gesture lit the circle. The silver ring began its transformation, emerging with a regal purple hue.


    "Reveal the ring''s properties," Razemanded. A ghostly whisper answered.


    [The Cursed Dark Ring]


    [The item is bound to a single user.]


    [If taken off, the ring will be destroyed, if destroyed, the user will lose ten percent of its dark attribute power]


    The catch of Dark magic, the items were always cursed, meaning it always demanded a price. A general-use item had been transformed into something personal and untradeable. On top of that, if the item was destroyed even in battle, or Raze wanted to use a better item in the future, he would have to deal with losing some of his power.


    [For the one who wears this ring, with each life taken with the use of dark magic, a portion of their mana will return.]


    ''Yes! That''s the 3-star magic boost I needed!''


    Raze slid the ring onto his index finger. A brief surge of power, an intimate connection with his core, and then... nothing.


    ''With this, hunting beasts just got a lot easier.'' He resumed his journey towards the coliseum.


    Suddenly, a distant scream echoed. "ARGHH!"


    Raze''s steps faltered. "Was that¡­ a human?"

 Chapter 15: Dark Strike

    <h4>Chapter 15: Dark Strike</h4>


    Locating where the sound hade from, it appeared it was towards therge building to his right, the ce he was originally going to head to.


    ''One would be a fool to head over to a scream like that,'' Raze thought. ''That is only a recipe to get killed. We''re not in some kind of horror movie. So, it''s best that I stay away from that.''


    With this thought in mind, Raze decided to continue to explore the outside tform that went along the side of therge building. The noise was bothering Raze, though, and for a number of reasons.


    One, this was a portal to another, one with the same creatures that he hade across when he went through portals on Alterian. Not once had they evere across another human.


    ''So does that mean there''s another mage here doing a hunt as well? The creatures here don''t seem to be of high level, so at most the mages would be around 2 stars. Then again, it could be someone who is just from this, a first.''


    Raze soon had to stop in the middle of his thoughts though, as the same creature from before appeared from behind one of the crates, growling and staring at him with its piercing eyes.


    "I understand how you feel. I killed your friend earlier, right? Was that your aunt, brother perhaps? Look, let''s make a deal, if you don''t attack me, I won''t attack you, okay?"


    Almost immediately after saying those words, the beast leapt toward him again right in the air. The monsters of other worlds, if the same, often attacked in the same manner.


    At the same time, they were nearly always hostile to anyone they met; it was kill or be killed. This was how they had discovered the use of the crystals in their bodies in the first ce.


    Rather than rolling away, Raze waited until the right moment, and he positioned his feet, just like he had done in training. Then, leaping off his back foot and stepping with his front, he threw out a fist. Dark aura flowed out from it.


    "Dark pulse!"


    The fist pulsated and shot the magic out fiercer than before, ripping the top half of the dog''s head away, killing it in one hit and causing it to fall to the floor.


    ''The result of adding the two-step shift, while throwing out a punch, amplifies the dark pulse. Even if I don''t make direct contact, it''s stronger than I thought.''


    Just like before, the dark essence lifted from the dead creature and flowed right into Raze. When it connected with his dark core, the ring on his finger lit up as well.


    [16/250 Dark essence absorbed]


    The dark ring had another effect; having connected with his dark core, it gave him a better way to track his affinity with the dark attribute. Now, when cultivating the dark essence or killing creatures, he would have an idea of how much stronger his dark magic was getting.


    For now, there was a cap, but each time he raised his star mage level, the cap would also increase, allowing his dark magic to grow even stronger than before.


    [A portion of your mana has been restored]


    The other effect of the ring had also kicked in, allowing him to use the Dark pulse skill once again. But there was something that hadn''t recovered, and that was his stamina.


    ''Using the two-step shift, because of this weak body, each time I use it with the Dark pulse, its effect will weaken. I think this body could only do it perfectly about three times. Also, this naming is a bit confusing. Let''s just call them Dark pulse and Dark strike for now.''


    For a mage, saying the spells was actually an important part of performing the spells. One would have to have an image of the spell formation in their mind when they produce the skill they said.


    Attaching a word to each formation allowed for the image to easily appear in their head, giving them a chance to use the attacks quicker with the correct formation. Essentially, one would connect the word to the formation, and it was a lot easier to remember the word than the image of the formation in their head.


    Another crystal had been obtained, and the best part was, this crystal was all his to use. He didn''t need to use it to create an item; he could instead use it to increase his own magic powers.


    Knelt down, Raze was admiring the crystal in his hand with arge smile on his face.


    "Stop right there!" A voice shouted from behind, slightly high in pitch, sounding like a female.


    ''Don''t tell me¡­ I decided to walk around the ce so I would avoid everyone.''


    "You do not have permission to be here. Who are you? State your name and where you''re from!" The person demanded.


    "Don''t have permission?" Raze said, standing up and turning around. He wanted to have a look at just what type of person could be so bold as to make such a im.


    "Are you the owner of this ce or something? Who are you to ask for permission?" Raze asked, as his anger had slightly taken over. The way the person spoke reminded him of the many arrogant mages who looked down on all the others.


    The two-faced bastards in the tower that preached all sorts of things but then did what they wanted themselves.


    When seeing the person in front of him, Raze was rtively surprised by what he saw. It was a young woman, a beautiful one at that. Her straight ck hair was tied up in a ponytail, while part of her fringe stuck out over to one side.


    However, her skin seemed to be glowing even in this light, but the surprising thing wasn''t her beauty. Raze had seen plenty of beautiful mages, especially ones who would use magic to enhance their looks and change with the fads. Creating big lips one day, big bums the next, and evenrge knees at one point had be a fad!


    What Raze was surprised about was what she was wearing. She was covered in a white and gold type of cloth material. It was tight-fitting around the chest and waist but a little loose around the arms, and in her hand pointing right towards Raze was a sword.


    ''This, she''s clearly not a mage, she almost looks like¡­''


    "You must answer me!" The woman demanded again. "This area is owned by the Dawnde n! State what n you are from. If you cannot answer me, I will get rid of you right here, I swear on my name, Beatrix Highborn!"


    It was now very clear, Raze was certain of it, this person was from the same world as him, not the world of mages but the world of martial arts? Did he just teleport to a different area?


    No, he was sure of it by the color of the moon, this was another, so why was there a Pagna warrior in front of him?


    Raze was wondering if he should mention the name of the Red Brigade n or say no name at all since he wasn''t technically from there. He also had no idea what stage this warrior was at.


    In the end, Raze had decided to take a risk.


    "I''m from this," Raze answered.


    "From this? Then you are just a beast disguised as a human, you must die!" Beatrix shifted forward with her sword pointed. It was at incredible speed. It was clear that she was able to use Qi, and his guess about her being a Pagna warrior was right.


    ''I can''t avoid this¡­ this body is too slow, I have no choice.''


    Raze had no skills that could quickly move him out of the way, nor did he have any magic. So he did the only few things he could do. He got into a stance and shifted forward.


    ''The two-step shift, so he is a Pagna warrior!'' Beatrix thought. ''But, that''s such a basic skill. Why would someone use that in this situation?''


    "Dark strike!" Raze shouted out, throwing his fist, gathering his magic.


    The movements were simple, too simple and Beatrix was able to avoid the strike, and instead she thrust her sword forward with her Qi, right toward Raze''s chest.


    ''I thought you would do that, go right for the chest, and aim for the kill¡­ I have no choice, it will take up nearly all my mana, but I have to survive!''


    "Shrouded heart!"


    The sword hit Raze right on the chest, and his entire body was sent flying through the air. His body crashed through therge building that was to his side, and he was no longer in Beatrix''s sight.


    "That felt a little strange," Beatrix thought, looking at her sword. It was fine, but what was of more concern was her own shoulder. Even though the fist hadn''t connected, something else did.


    "What n or faction was he from?"

 Chapter 16: Spread My Name

    <h4>Chapter 16: Spread My Name</h4>


    The power from the sword strike was unexpected for Raze, as his whole body was lifted into the air and hurled like a cannonball. Simrly, he had crashed right through the walls of the building, eventuallynding on the ground, covered in dust.


    "Kuk!" Raze coughed, feeling a thumping pain on his back. Thankfully, the walls were rtively brittle, having decayed for so long; otherwise, the hit would have taken a bigger toll on his weakened body.


    Lying on the floor for a moment, Raze pressed his hand against his chest over his heart, right where the sword strike had hit him.


    ''If I didn''t use the skill shrouded heart¡­ I would have died,'' Raze thought to himself.


    As a 1-star mage with only the dark attribute, there were only so many formations and spells that Raze could use. Dark magic wasn''t heavily researched until him, so there were fewer spellspared to other attributes.


    In total, Raze could use five different spells right now. Dark pulse was an offensive move, gathering and condensing the dark energy into a singr beam, and there was the skill he had just used to save his life: shrouded heart.


    This skill would gather all of the mana it could, creating a type of barrier. The barrier would expand slightly out of the chest, appearing just outside one''s clothing.


    However, the skill was not to be used lightly. For one, it used up all of one''s mana regardless of the amount. Even Raze, as a 9-star mage, would deplete all his mana using this skill, rendering him unable to fight afterward and preventing the use of other magical skills while it was active.


    The second downside was that the skill would only cover the heart. If the attacker had aimed for his head, Raze would be dead right now.


    It was a powerful defensive skill, but if one knew its weaknesses, it was practically useless.


    "You know, with how long you''ve been lying there, one would think you were dead," a quirky young voice said.


    Rolling his eyes to the top of his head, Raze saw an upside-down face smiling right at him.


    "For f*ck''s sake, what did I do to deserve this?" Raze said aloud.


    It was pointless now. He had used all his mana and had been thrown from one person to another, seemingly another martial artist, judging by the dark grey clothing they wore.


    "Someone''s not in a good mood," the man remarked. "Although I do understand, since you did juste crashing through that wall. It couldn''t have felt nice. Kirk, do you have one of those energy pills?"


    Arge, bald-headed man appeared by the young man''s side, and from a bag around his waist, he pulled out a red-colored pill. It looked simr in size and energy to the pill that Kron had given Raze.


    "Do you really think I''m going to eat a pill a stranger ga-"


    The man shoved the pill forcefully into Raze''s mouth. "Just eat the damn thing."


    Swallowing the pill, it didn''t take long for it to have an effect. Energy spread out, and a tingling sensation could be felt all over Raze as his body absorbed it. His aching back and sore chest began to dissipate.


    However, his depleted mana had yet to return; that would slowlye back to him.


    "That worked!" Raze eximed.


    "I believe you''re looking for the words ''thank you''," the man smiled.


    Now no longer on the brink of death, Raze got a proper look at the people he had encountered. Simr to the girl he had just met, they were all wearing martial arts-type cloth material, wrapped around them like a robe.


    There were four of them in total. Two of them had weapons, while the other two appeared unarmed. The man who had force-fed Raze had long hair, tied up on a pony tail like the woman from before, but his fringe parted in two ways. While he did look young, his jaw and eyes were incredibly sharp. His kind words and yful demeanor didn''t match his face.


    "ARGHH!" A man continued to groan in the background.


    The group, along with Raze, was currently on the third floor of the building. They were in a hallway that was as much destroyed as the outside. Originally, Raze thought the outside looked bad and was falling apart, but the other side of the building waspletely open.


    There was no wall at all, allowing one to see the streets and other crumbling buildings in the distance. On the floor, one of the men was screaming, holding the top of his knee, while another was attending to a wound on his shin.


    The wound didn''t look ordinary, as it was pulsating in a green color, having burnt the topyer of skin and seeming to still move.


    "It''s a shame these pills do nothing to help him out. They''re useless," the man said. "It might be best for us to head back."


    From a distance, Raze recognized something simr about the wound. During mage raids, they had suffered simr attacks from beasts. Raze began to walk over for a closer look.


    "What are you doing?" the young man asked.


    "I don''t like to have debts, so consider this a debt paid," Raze said.


    The man attending to the wound looked unsure about Raze approaching them. He looked to the young man who seemed to be the boss of the group, who politely nooded his head.


    Raze, now close enough, confirmed it was the same type of wound after all. cing his hands at the top of the knee and the bottom of the foot, he closed his eyes.


    ''I''ve barely recovered any mana back. I don''t even have enough strength to perform a dark pulse, but I can at least do a dark clean of this level,'' Raze thought.


    "Dark clean," Raze whispered quietly, and the dark energy from his hands started to trickle, moving over the green pulsating parts of the wound.


    Dark clean was one of the other skills that Raze could do, the skill that took the least amount of mana, depending on how it was used. Dark energy was destructive in nature, and this skill allowed it to destroy certain things on a level as long as it could be covered in dark magic.


    Raze had used it internally on himself when he had been hurt by magic that would take over one''s body. Or in cases like this, where an infection, a parasite, venom, and things of simr nature were in or on one''s body.


    The dark energy stayed on it for a moment and then itpletely disappeared, but with it, so had the green color on the wound. From the look on the man''s face, the pain did as well.


    "It''s gone!" The one attending to the wound said. "It''spletely gone!"


    The young man''s eyes widened with surprise.


    "The infection is gone, but the wound still needs to be treated and healed. Do your best to bandage it up," Raze said.


    "This is not us being equal," The young man said. "You have done me a far bigger favor than you might have realized... are you at the middle stage, or possibly the Deity stage?"


    Raze had heard these stages before; they were high-level Pagna warriors. So why was he being confused as one now? Had what he did really been that special? Mages eventually would end up carrying potions around that would not just take away the infection but heal the wound as well.


    The good thing was, he now knew when he got back, that he should keep certain skills to himself if he didn''t want to cause a misunderstanding.


    "I''m not; I''m just a bit different," Raze answered.


    The expression on the young man''s face didn''t change making it hard for Raze to read, the proposal in itself was quite absurd. Since he was only a teen wouldn''t it be impossible for him to have reached those stages already? And wouldn''t people of that status be wildly known?


    The question seemed to be more of a proabing one.


    "Come back!" the young man cheerily said.


    "Huh?"


    "As I said, what you have done is too much. I now clearly owe you a reward. In a week''s time, I will prepare something nice for you. Come back here, and I promise it will be worth your time."


    Over time, Raze had learned to judge people, but often more than not, he wouldn''t even trust his own judgment because he had learned the best thing to do was to just not trust anyone at all.


    "We''ll see. I won''t make any promises," Raze answered.


    The young man smiled and nodded, seemingly taking Raze''s answer as a yes.


    "The name is Dame. Oh great one, do you mind telling me your name?"


    Telling him his real name might cause problems in the future if Dame was indeed from the same world as him. But Raze had a sneaky thought that made him inwardlyugh. The idea that one day, the Grand Magus would hear this name again and be shaking in their boots was filling him with ecstasy.


    "I am the Dark Magus," Raze answered. "Remember it."


    "I see," Dame bowed down politely. "Well, I hope we meet again, Dark Magus, and for you to receive your reward."


    "At least, you guys are a lot nicer than that woman," Razemented.


    "Woman!" For the first time, Dame seemed a little frightened.


    "Yeah, the woman with the white and golden clothing?" Raze said.


    Nearly all the mouths of the men there were about to drop to the floor. They were quickly rushing to their feet.


    "YOU!!!" A loud voice bellowed.


    From the side, through the hole that Raze had entered from, the same woman in white clothing was standing there with her sword pointed right at Raze again. "How did you live¡­ how did you survive!"


    Dame looked at Raze and now it made sense why he hade flying through the wall. Perhaps that should have been the first question for him to ask, but instead, he was now even more amazed by the Dark Magus.


    ''I was only trying to see his reaction when I asked him about his stage, but he managed to survive a strike from Beatrix, who''s at the peak of the initial stage! ''

 Chapter 17: The Hit List

    <h4>Chapter 17: The Hit List</h4>


    The peak of the initial stage meant that Beatrix was a Pagna warrior at the 6th rank. Although Rank 1 to 6 warriors were all considered the initial stage, there was arge difference between one and the other.


    Each rank was a breakthrough in power, martial arts, and overall body structure as well. If one was a stage higher, they should never lose to a stage below. Although there were cases where that happened, it would be an embarrassing moment for the Pagna warrior.


    Being at the 6th rank meant they were on the cusp of going from the initial stage to the middle stage. These stages were where the bottlenecks were for most. Only a few in the world would be able to break out of the initial stage.


    Which was why, Beatrix being at the 6th rank, was practically one of the strongest fighters in existence. She could take out an entire squadron and small ns if she wanted to. So then how did someone who had used the basic two-step shift, a martial arts move that didn''t even belong to any n, survive her strike that was embedded with Qi?


    "How did you survive!" Beatrix asked, with her sword pointed at Raze once again.


    The same thought was running through Dame''s head.


    ''When he came flying through the building from before, was that an attack from Beatrix? If he''s still alive, then doesn''t he have something that has the same power as a Pagna warrior at the peak of the initial stage? I thought he was... never mind.''


    Beatrix''s eyes soonnded on the others, as she spotted the color of the uniforms the others were wearing.


    "You know that this is a Prohibited Area, no one is allowed in here without the permission of the Dawnde n. We have the rights to this portal. State where you are from?" She asked.


    Raze had seen this before; he had just been through it himself moments ago, and any second now, he was sure she would attack.


    "Ha!" Dame smiled, as his men moved to his side, while the injured man remained at the back. His wound had only just been wrapped up, but it would be difficult for him to fight.


    "Why are you asking questions you already know the answer to?" Dame said.


    "Then I shall get rid of you!" Beatrix shouted, as she charged forward once again with her sword glowing with power.


    Dame widened his stance, and so did the three next to him. Energy was building up from within. All six of their hands swung out, hitting the sword, causing sparks of energy to fly. The whole building was shaking, and part of the floor was already falling apart.


    "I hate it when I''m right," Raze said to himself, but he was quite amazed. He could see that Dame and his men were able to handle the strike from the swordsman, which meant he wasn''t so weak himself.


    Whoever was watching this, Raze knew one thing: if he was to get into a fight with any of them, even the men by Dame''s side, Raze would be no match for them. The strength that was being used right now was close to that of 4-star magic.


    "Get out of here Dark Magus!" Dame shouted, looking back, sweat running down his face. "I''ll survive; you don''t have to worry about me, just remember our deal!"


    The ground underneath Dame''s feet started to break, and eventually, all three of them fell. Not letting up, Beatrix had followed the two of them down below, and several shes, loud bangs, and vibrations were felt.


    Raze could now only imagine what was going on below, but this was his only chance to get out of here.


    Going to the edge, there were parts of the building that had crumbled and were leaning up against the outside of the building. It had made a type of walkway that one could jump and run across, making it to the bottom floor.


    Reaching the bottom floor, Raze started to run. He had no intention of watching the fight and finding out the oue. He had already escaped death once, perhaps twice with this new body, so he wasn''t going to stick around.


    Seeing the staircase up ahead, he knew he was on the right path, but something had caught his eye.


    ''Holy Sh*t!'' Raze was standing in a field full of dead beasts. There were around eight of the same dog creatures that Raze had faced.


    All of them had a clean cut on their body, having been shed in half, head decapitated. It was clear that they had all been killed in one strike.


    "Was all of this the work of that swordsman from before... wait a second, she didn''te in that long after attacking me and from the looks of it," Raze rushed over and immediately started to dig into the beast''s body.


    He rummaged around until pulling out a bloody crystal and holding it up to the light.


    "She didn''t take the crystals out. This is great! I was worried that going into this portal would have been a waste if I had just returned with one crystal, but now!"


    Not wasting time, Raze quickly went through each of the dogs. From the loud explosions he could hear behind him, the two groups were still fighting against each other. Would there ever be a chance like this for him again?


    After gathering all eight of the crystals, Raze now had a total of 9 in his possession. He couldn''t use them here, so it was time for him to head back. Huffing and panting, he ran down the stairs, across the cobblestone pathway, and looking around, he could see thendmarks from before.


    Quickly, while peeking over his shoulder, he started to redraw the magic circle. There was enough dirt on the ground for it to work.


    ''The sound of the fighting has stopped; does that mean one of them won? If anything, it means I need to hurry this up.'' Raze thought.


    Finally, the magic circle had beenpleted, and he activated it, igniting it with a part of his magic. The portal opened up right in front of him, and he looked back one more time.


    "You said we would meet again, but I''m not too sure about that. I guess we''ll have to see." Raze said, as he stepped through the portal, his whole body disappearing with it, the portal sealing up behind him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    A short whileter, Beatrixnded back on the lower tform outside. She had arge frown on her face and some of her clothes were torn.


    "Those dirty bastards!" Beatrix eximed. "I can''t believe they would use such a cheap method to get away. I shouldn''t have expected anything less from those guys."


    She soon let out a big sigh, trying not to let it get to her.


    ''At least I can go collect those crystals and earn some coin while I''m here. It''s the only thing that will have made this trip worthwhile.''


    Reaching the area from before, she stopped dead in her tracks as she looked at the scene. The bodies of the dead creatures didn''t look the same as she remembered. Rushing over to one, there was no need for her to inspect it further.


    ''Someone took the crystals¡­ someone took my crystals!'' Beatrix''s face was turning red, and she was reaching a boiling point. ''It was him¡­ it had to be that guy that escaped before. What did they call him, Dark Magus? Well, you''ve just added yourself to my hit list!''

 Chapter 18: The World of Pagna

    <h4>Chapter 18: The World of Pagna</h4>


    The name "Pagna warriors" hade about in a simple way. It was because the world of martial arts that they lived in was called Pagna. It was a world that was split into three continents with small areas of sea between them.


    One of the continents, known as the east continent, solely belonged to the ns in the Light faction, and the biggest empire in Pagna also resided there, boasting thergest military force.


    The west continent had two factions: the dark and the demonic faction. The Dark faction ns were mostly based in the south, with the demonic faction based in the north.


    Then there was the final continent, the north continent. It was uninhabitednd, or at least that was the theory. There was no map that dictated how big, what shape or size the ce was, but by all of the factions as well as the locals, it was deemed a ce impossible to explore.


    The seas nearby were treacherous. Whirlpools surrounded thend, lightning would strike on the surface, and the waves were impossible to sail through for any ship.


    This was the current world of Pagna. Somewhere on the massive continents, there was one ce in particr that was special, a ce which belonged to the Neverfall n. The ce was known as the Abyssal Pinnacle.


    It was an ancient, inverted mountain. Instead of rising from the earth, it delved deep in, forming a spiraling abyss. Legends once stated that a demon had fallen from the sky and upon impact had created the ce.


    Over centuries, the Neverfall n has used it as their base, and returning to the base was none other than Dame and his group. They were currently walking down a spiraling staircase that went deeper into the n''s base.


    The base was split into different levels. On the upper levels, pathways were carved into the side of the walls. The lower members lived and trained here, and as they cultivated and grew their powers, they were allowed to head to the lower levels.


    "Sir, where are you going?" Fixteen asked.


    Fixteen was Dame''s right-hand man. The two of them had been together since they were young and were around the same age. They had even attended the Pagna academy together. If there was anyone that Dame trusted, it was him.


    "I mean, aren''t we going to inform the master of our return, or the fact that we ran into Beatrix Highborn? If she finds out who you are, it could cause us a big headache," Fixteen said.


    "We barely managed to escape with our lives," Kirk said, patting the sweat on the top of hisrge bald head. The Abyss also got hotter as one went further down.


    "Don''t you see? That''s what''s not important right now," Dame smiled. "Carlson''s leg ispletely fine. They actually managed to heal the infection of a beast! Something that only middle stage warriors are able to do."


    "Okay?" Fixteen said as he was trying to climb down the stairs faster to catch up to Dame who was speeding off ahead.


    "Doesn''t that just mean he''s a middle stage warrior?" Fixteen said. "Although that is impressive, I still don''t understand why you are acting this way. It''s not as if you''ve never seen a middle stage warrior before."


    Stopping in his tracks, Dame turned around with his fists by his hips. The look was the same as a parent that was disappointed in the actions of their child.


    "Have you ever seen him before?" Dame asked. "Don''t you think we would have known someone if they were at the middle stage and looked that young? The whole world would have known of him, and there''s one thing that you probably missed."


    Dame tapped the side of his nose and had arge smirk on his face.


    "That kid¡­ he had next to no Qi. That''s why the pill worked on him so well."


    All of the faces in the group had dropped.


    "No Qi?" Carlson said. "That''s impossible, otherwise, how would he have been able to heal my leg."


    "Exactly!" Dame said, as he continued to hurry down the stairs, and the others had to follow to try to listen to his exnation. "Not only did he have no Qi, but he was able to survive an attack from Beatrix and to finish it all off, he healed your leg.


    "It''s as clear as day; what he used were powers that aren''t from our world."


    The others didn''t say anything because they thought what Dame was suggesting was crazy talk. How long had they been using the portals to travel to other realms, to other worlds and dungeons, yet none of them ever had signs of human life, and not humans that looked like them.


    What were the chances that they would be the ones to discover this? This was something that would have at least been revealed by one of the Deity stage Warriors.


    Eventually, after the group went deeper into the inverted mountain, they came across what was known as the Abyssal library. It was a vast cavern filled with ancient scrolls, tomes, and books.


    In here, there were forbidden techniques, rituals, and the n''s secrets. Some of the scrolls and books were said to whisper to only those that they felt worthy of hearing their words.


    "So what are we doing in the n''s library then?" Fixteen asked. "That you so desperately had to get to before going to the master."


    "Don''t you remember what I said?" Dame replied, as he was scanning the bookshelves, looking for something in particr.


    "The Dark Magus is one that is not from our world. Which means they have extreme knowledge, possibly items and more that we don''t have here. This world is about give and take, and judging by how he reacted, he is also one that believes in this concept.


    "If we give him a few things, then I''m sure there are things that we can get in return from him. It''s quite possible he could be the one that could change our entire n forever, and the status quo that has existed for a long time will finally break."


    Just then, Dame had found what he was looking for and pulled out a book.


    "You can''t be serious!" Kirk said, looking around. "That''s one of our n''s techniques. We aren''t allowed to teach that to outsiders. If someone finds out what you did¡­ you could be executed!"


    "Rx yourself," Dame said. "Think of the big picture, think of what we could get in return from him. The Dark Magus will be our biggest helper and the start of a change in our world."

 Chapter 19: Raze’s Crystal Stash

    <h4>Chapter 19: Raze''s Crystal Stash</h4>


    A portal opened up in the middle of the forest, and stepping out of it was Raze, who had managed to return safely. He turned his head to look behind him, making sure that the portal closed, because thest thing he wanted was for any of those creatures toe after him.


    "That wasn''t what I was expecting for my first outing," Raze thought. "Anyway, it''s clear now. The formation I knew for opening portals back at Alterian works differently here.


    "If I''m not careful and start journeying into different dimensions, I could put myself in a dangerous position, especially if Ie across some powerful creatures."


    A slight tingle around his chest, where the sword had hit him, was felt.


    "Alright, an even more dangerous position, but it wasn''t all bad."


    Raze was still wearing the clothing of the temple kids. It was a simple, dirty brown cloth material with a band around his waist. The handy thing was that inside there were pockets. It was designed this way to prevent items from falling out easily, though it did look a bit strange when one would retrieve something. One might fear pulling out something inappropriate, which in his world, could lead to a long imprisonment.


    In his hands were the small crystals he had obtained.


    "Finally, with these, I can increase the strength of my mana core. It won''t be enough for me to reach the second stage, even if I absorb all nine."


    Raze started to think about the best use for the crystals. Considering how dangerous it was entering the portal the first time, he wasn''t eager to return immediately.


    "I''ll need to keep one crystal to open the portal again just in case. It would be good to create a mana potion with one of these as well, so I don''t end up in the same situation again. And I suppose I''ll need ones in case I want to create more items."


    "Right now, I only have the dark attribute. These are just regr crystals, so they won''t help me gain affinity with other attributes. I might have to rely on enhancing items for a while and deal with them being cursed."


    The night sky lingered, but Raze thought it was best to absorb the crystals right there. He sat down, ced the crystals in front of him, and closed his eyes. Energy swirled in the air, and dark energy escaped from his body.


    It swirled around the five crystals, causing them to levitate. They were lifted by the controlled energy in the air. As the dark energy enveloped each crystal, it started to glow, establishing a connection with the core in Raze''s heart.


    The outside of the mana core was swirling rapidly, and the energy began to break down the crystals. They transformed into dust particles that resembled glitter.


    The particles gravitated towards Raze, and a gentle glow radiated from his body. He could feel his mana increasing with the absorption of each crystal, strengthening his core and enabling him to harness more of the world''s energy.


    It felt almost as if he had been restricted from breathing before, but now he could take in and expel a muchrger breath.


    The glow around his body faded, and upon opening his eyes, the five crystals had vanished. The remaining four were safely stored in his pocket for future use.


    "As I thought, it''s not enough for me to be a 2-star mage, but I now have enough Mana to cast about 7 dark pulses. Those beast dogs won''t stand a chance."


    Eventually, Raze returned to the temple and to his room. The sliding of the door seemed to wake his sister, who rubbed her eyes. With a gesture, Raze signaled her to go back to sleep, for there was one more task at hand.


    "I can''t just keep the crystals in my pocket. We change our clothes daily, and the material of these garments is fragile. Half the trousers I receive have holes where a crystal would fall right through."


    As if on cue, a crystal sliced a hole in his pocket, sliding down his leg and ttering to the floor, rousing his sister again. Now, she merely stared at Raze, who was bent down, retrieving the crystals.


    Frozen in ce, he hoped the sound might lull her back to sleep. Instead, their eyes locked in a mutual gaze.


    ''Hey... maybe she won''t even recognize these crystals? Perhaps it''s not something the average person would know about?'' Raze mused with a hopeful smile.


    However, Safa pointed directly at the scattered crystals, her mouth and eyes wide in astonishment. It was as if someone had dropped a pot of treasure in their room.


    The only silver lining was her silence; otherwise, others might havee rushing in.


    Raze quickly collected the crystals and moved to the bed, approaching her.


    "Look here," Raze whispered, his tone aggressive. "I''ve been really, really nice to you, far nicer than I ever imagined. So, you need to do me a favor and not tell anyone about this, okay?"


    Safa immediately nodded, quite frantically at that. Ever since the incident, she found her brother''s stare menacing, even though he had been a weak boy growing up. She had never seen this look on his face before.


    "Alright," Raze said, lifting part of the mattress and cing the crystals underneath before setting the mattress back down. "No one is to find out about these, no matter what. And if they go missing, I''ll know it was you, understand?"


    Safa frantically nodded her head once again.


    With that done, Raze brushed off his hands and settled on the floor for a good night''s rest. The only person who had discovered his crystals was a mute¡ªhis sister. So, in a way, he was lucky. But judging by Safa''s reaction, those crystals were a big deal in the world of Pagna as well.


    For Safa, she turned to face the wall, pulling the nket tight around her. She was conflicted. Sometimes he seemed distant and cruel, but there were moments she felt love radiating from him.


    For instance, Safa was sleeping on the bed while Raze rested on the floor, and his words of advice before leaving in the night left an impact.


    ''What a strange brother,'' Safa thought, smiling slightly. Despite his threatening looks and harsh words, why did she feel safe around him?


    ---


    Waking up was a struggle for Raze; he had spent half the night in another dimension, so he had gotten only a few hours of sleep.


    It was time for their chores, but Raze was in a deep sleep. Safa, unable to call out his name, pondered how to wake her brother up, especially since she wasn''t allowed to touch him.


    In the end, she decided to leave him be. However, this didn''t sit well with the others. A few minutester, the door slid open. A young man in a red uniform, Sonny, entered for another visit.


    "So this is thezy boy, huh? Look, Safa, if you can''t shout his name, then all you need to do is shake him a bit," Sonny suggested. As he moved forward, Safa grabbed his hand, shaking her head.


    "What''s wrong? Come on, he won''t bite," Sonny reassured, gently moving his hand away and approaching Raze.


    "Hey, wake upzy head," Sonny said, touching Raze''s side and giving him a shake.


    Instantly, Raze''s eyes snapped open, and he sprung up. "Don''t touch me!" Raze shouted loudly enough that the other kids in the neighboring rooms would''ve heard.


    "Hey, take it easy, Raze. It''s me," Sonny said, hands raised in a non-threatening manner. "Sorry, I should''ve known better after what happened to you."


    Raze''s hands were behind his back. He had gathered dark magic, ready to use it if someone got too close, but he quickly dispelled it before anyone noticed.


    ''Crap¡­ What would''ve happened if I had attacked him? That would''ve been bad news.''


    "I''m sorry," Raze apologized, touching his head. "It hasn''t been long since¡­"


    Sonny observed Raze. He remembered the state of him when they first found him. It was normal for someone his age to react this way, but Sonny''s assumption was off; it had nothing to do with that incident.


    "I don''t know if this is a good time or not, but our n master wants to speak to you. I think it''s about your parents'' death."

 Chapter 20: A world of portals

    <h4>Chapter 20: A world of portals</h4>


    Looking behind him, Raze nced at therge temple situated atop a hill. He was huffing and panting as he continued his descent down the stairs.


    "Why... why would they build a temple on top of a hill?" Razeined aloud.


    "Haha," Sonny awkwardlyughed. He could tell Raze was quite annoyed; he had beenining nearly the whole way down. "I''m sorry. I would have brought a carriage if it was possible, but the terrain is incredibly steep."


    "It''s actually quitemon for ns to have their bases up high. It offers protection, provides a vantage point to see iing attacks, and helps students build physical endurance as theye and go."


    "Exactly," Raze responded. "This is a temple, not a n base."


    For Sonny, Raze was a peculiar sight. He had never seen someone of Raze''s age struggle so much with mere steps. Though Raze wasn''t a Pagna warrior, it was evident his physical condition and fitness weren''t even at a basic standard, it might even be worse than a child.


    Currently, they were en route to the main town where Raze had first entered this world and where the Red Brigade base was located. It was only the two of them traveling. Sonny felt there was no need to bring Safa for mere questioning, especially given her limitedmunication abilities. Another concern was the potential for them to be targeted again; Sonny was confident in protecting one person but was wary about two.


    ''I wonder why they''ve called me now. What have they discovered about the original body''s killer that they need to inform me about? What do they want to ask? I''ve already told them I''ve lost most of my memories, which is true. There''s still something that perplexes me about the whole situation. Why target this kid''s family? Even with what I''ve learned, it''s baffling. And that damned leader, if he had questions, he should have approached us directly.''


    Though frustrated, Raze tried to focus on the positive. He had many queries about this world, and Sonny, with his Pagna warrior knowledge, might have the answers he sought.


    Eventually, they reached the end of the staircase. Though they still had to traverse a pathway through the forest to the town, Raze finally caught his breath enough to voice his questions.


    "Portals," Raze began. "I heard the other kids talking about them ¡ª portals leading to other worlds. Is that true? Do Pagna warriors use them too?"


    "Oh, so you''re starting to get interested in the Pagna warrior world," Sonny smiled. "Many youngsters are. But it''s a dangerous world, including the portals you mentioned. Yes, they do exist, but they lead to other dimensions filled with deadly creatures. Many have lost their lives due to these portals. If you see one appear, run and inform the nearest n."


    "Appear out of nowhere?" Raze asked, intrigued. In Alterian, there was no such phenomenon. Portals to other realms there required magic to open.


    "Yes," Sonny replied. "It''s rare, but when these portals open, theyst for a specific duration. Typically, a n will im a portal and take responsibility for its safety, ensuring any threat emerging from it is neutralized. But, honestly, when a portal appears, it causes tension. ns often fight over its ownership."


    This surprised Raze. In Alterian, portals weren''t permanent; they needed to be reopened from the other side.


    "Why the conflict over portal ownership? Wouldn''t it be simpler to let another n guard it if they offered?" Raze inquired, though he suspected he knew the answer.


    "It might seem that way," Sonny began, "but it''s because of the creatures within these portals. They possess crystals inside their bodies that are invaluable to Pagna warriors. They''re also quite valuable formoners as they can be sold for a significant sum, even the most basic crystal."


    Now he knew the reaction from Safa was clearly warranted. How would a child get their hands on crystals if the only sources were these portals and beasts?


    This realization made Raze slightly more optimistic about keeping some of the crystals. Perhaps he could sell one to acquire some money. With the money he could purchase items and enhance them. There were items he could use to make things a tad easier.


    "Why are the crystals so valuable?" Raze inquired.


    "As I mentioned earlier, they''re actually valuable only to Pagna warriors. Commoners and the empire don''t value them. That''s because the crystals can be transformed into Qi pills to aid in one''s cultivation," Sonny exined.


    "The higher-grade the crystal, the stronger the Qi pill that can be produced. It''s a useful tool for rapid growth, and the high-grade pills can help break through bottlenecks as well. Hence, it''s primarily valuable to Pagna warriors.


    "However, merchants, lords, and the military purchase the pills since they hold immense value to Pagna warriors. They sometimes use these pills as a form of payment. At the same time, this system ensures that others don''t fret over the beasts emerging from the portals, as the ns handle them."


    "So, they only produce Qi pills? They don''t craft weapons or other items with them?" Raze pressed.


    "No, just Qi pills."


    Raze contemted. The application of crystals in this world was significantly different than on Alterian. However, theycked magic here. He spected if he utilized crystals to enhance items or crafted elixirs and potions,modities unknown in this realm, he could be a prosperous merchant. Furthermore, since he''d be the sole producer, he could reserve the premium products for himself.


    "Does the Red Brigade n own a portal?" Raze queried.


    Sonny chuckled heartily, "No. We''re too small a n to possess something of that magnitude. However, the Pagna Academy does ess several portals for training their students."


    Raze had hoped to perhaps utilize the Red Brigade n''s portal, but that idea was now moot.


    As they entered the town, the atmosphere was familiar. Wide streets bustled with folks hauling carts, purchasing goods from market stalls, and engaging in spirited conversations.


    There were several prominent inns and restaurants. As they ambted through the streets, Raze tried spotting any vendor selling these crystals, but to no avail.


    ''They must be rare... but that also means selling them might be challenging,'' he pondered.


    They were still some distance away from the n building when another question popped into Raze''s mind.


    "Ah, there was another topic the kids discussed," Raze began, "Do you know someone named Beatrix Highborn?"


    Immediately, Sonny halted, turning to Raze with raised eyebrows. It wasn''t just Sonny; everyone around them, having overheard the name, stopped to stare at Raze.

 Chapter 21: Number 1 Suspect

    <h4>Chapter 21: Number 1 Suspect</h4>


    Beatrix Highborn was the name of the woman who had struck Raze. Due to her strength, and the fact that she had attacked him before giving him the chance to properly exin himself, Raze decided to remember her name.


    He didn''t know why she had stated her name before attacking. It must have had something to do with the way martial artists fought against each other. If the chance ever came that Raze could pay her back for what she had done, he wanted to know about her, which was why he had asked the question.


    "I wasn''t expecting this though," Raze murmured, looking around. He noticed the onlookers not only giving him a certain look but also the scorn in their expressions. "I had no idea she was this well-known."


    "It''s okay, everyone," Sonny said aloud. "The kid is just curious; there is no need for rm."


    Sonny quickly continued walking with Raze following him. Once they were away from the eyes and ears of those who had recognized the name, he spoke up again.


    "That name is probably one you don''t want to mention too loudly, not unless you want to cause a panic," Sonny exined. "You remember when I told you about the different factions? For one reason or another, and a long history of back and forth, the light factions and dark factions have been at each other''s throats."


    "The person you mentioned is one of the Faction''s rising stars. Her name has been spread quite a bit, especially after she won the recent Warriors Summit."


    Raze had no clue what this Warriors Summit was; from the sounds of it, it seemed like a type of tournament.


    "So she''s really that strong then?" Raze asked.


    "Haha... yes, really strong. You saw how everyone reacted when you mentioned her name, right? That''s because she could take out our whole n if she was here," Sonny replied.


    Raze touched his chest again, feeling the beginning of pain. He was certain it was phantom pain from the memories resurfacing. He had only experienced a single strike from her, but judging from what he had just heard, it was only a fraction of her strength.


    ''The dangers of this world keep increasing. I have to grow stronger faster, especially if I want to return to Alterian. The number of portals I would need to test, going through trial and error, means I could run into more people like her. Let''s just hope she doesn''t remember me,'' Raze thought.


    The two finally reached therge Red Brigade n base, with tworge double doors at the entrance. It was the second time he had been there, and unlike before, he could hear heavy grunts and shouting.


    Entering the base, Raze soon saw why. Multiple kids, around Raze''s age or younger, were training. They had their shirts off and wore only a pair of fitted, flexible cloth trousers.


    Sweat ran off their bodies as they practiced formations, repeating them and exerting all their power. Observing for a while, Raze could see that with every punch that hit the air, every single one of them was using the same thing Kron had shown; they were channeling Qi in their attacks.


    "Are they from the academy?" Raze asked.


    "Them? No," Sonny replied. "Those children are getting ready to enter the academy. All ns are required to send their members to the academy when they turn sixteen, to ensure that all warriors of the n meet a certain standard and do not fall behind other factions."


    There were arge number of people, around thirty, and they were all stage 1 warriors. Off in the distance, Raze saw one of the students hit a measuring pir, and the number [35] appeared.


    ''That person looked average, just like all the others. Every single one of these kids is more talented than those at the temple,'' Raze thought. ''And yet, Beatrix can still take out an entire n like this?''


    Heading inside the main building, a few of the students made eye contact with Raze. It wasn''t a face they recognized, and with his white hair, Raze stood out. However, his frail body showed he clearly wasn''t a warrior, and non-warriors weren''t worth their attention.


    Theyout of the Red Brigade building was confusing, with multiple hallways and sliding doors that had thin paper attached to them. Shadows could be seen if someone was on the other side, but there was almost no signage, making navigation challenging. Nevertheless, Raze continued to follow Sonny until they reached two guards outside a pair of sliding doors.


    "Sonny Baxt is here with Raze!" Sonny announced.


    "Come in!" a deep voice responded from within.


    Upon entering the room, the scent of incense greeted Raze, reminiscent of a field of flowers. Candles illuminated therge, sparsely decorated space.


    The main thing that stood out was at the back of the room. There were several giant scrolls hanging there. From the looks of things, they seemed to list just a few names, names of those who had started the n.


    The next thing that stood out was therge table with papers stacked up around a meter high, and an old man in red robes sitting down.


    "Thank you for making the trip," the elderly man said.


    Sonny stepped forward and bowed, cing his fist in the palm of his hand.


    "I greet the n Master."


    Raze decided to do the same.


    "I greet the n Master."


    "Oh, that''s very polite of you. I believe this is the first time we have met. I am Elder Yon, the n Master of the Red Brigade unit. I believe Sonny has informed you of why I asked you toe here."


    "He has indeed, sir," Raze answered.


    "Good. Well, you see, I have a few questions of my own." Elder Yon looked Raze dead in the eyes, not staring away for a moment. "Tell me, how does a child, especially a weak one, manage to fend off a Pagna warrior who managed to kill his entire family? You''d say it''s impossible, right?"


    ''Wait, is he suspicious of me?'' Raze thought. ''Does he think I have something to do with this body''s parents'' death? That can''t be. I''m certain I had nothing to do with it, at least the real me didn''t. If he''s trying to pin this on me, what happens if they suspect me? How do I get out of this ce alive?''


    Raze could feel the palms of his hands starting to sweat. He thought that in this new body, the tense situations where he felt his life was on the line would be over. Yet, he kept experiencing the same feeling again and again.


    "Now, tell me, how was the Pagna warrior unable to kill you?"

 Chapter 22: Fight Back!

    <h4>Chapter 22: Fight Back!</h4>


    Although there was no Raze at the temple, the rest of the kids had to continue their day as they usually would. Instead of having Raze as a partner in the kitchen, Simyon had Safa there instead.


    "You''re not bad!" Simyon eximed, looking at Safa peeling the potatoes. "But your brother is quite skilled at this. Did he always cook at home for your family?"


    Safa stopped for a moment and looked directly into Simyon''s eyes. She was a little surprised by his words, because Raze hadn''t cooked once in their home. However, she surmised that maybe Simyon was just trying to be nice about her brother and make conversation. With these thoughts, an awkward silence enveloped them.


    "Ah, right, you can''t talk. I''m so stupid," Simyon blurted out as he hit his forehead with the palm of his hand, forgetting that he was holding a knife. A stinging pain immediately followed, and he realized he had identally cut himself. It was small in size and wasn''t very deep, but stinging like a paper cut.


    Turning her head swiftly, Safa jumped up to find something to clean the wound with. There were kitchen towels avable, which she wet with clean water that had been boiled and then used it to dab at Simyon''s injury.


    "Erghhh, thank you," Simyon said. "You know, you''re a lot kinder than your brother. I imagine if this happened between the two of us, he would just say something like, ''Have you never been cut before?'' then carry on peeling potatoes as if nothing happened. Or maybe he''d quip, ''I hope you aren''t going to use that knife to continue peeling potatoes."


    Safaughed at Simyon''s imitation of Raze, as she could easily picture her brother reacting in such a manner. At least the new version of him.


    The pair resumed their chores. In the prevailing silence, which was unfamiliar for someone as talkative as Simyon, he felt the need to speak up.


    "You know, it''s a good thing you have Raze, and he has you. You two can watch each other''s backs in this ce. And if you ever leave, at least you won''t be alone."


    Simyon stared at the mes dancing under the pot, boiling the water. It was bringing back certain memories for him, especially when thinking about family. "I used to have a sister, and of course, a mom and dad," he began. "But there was a portal break in our vige. Monsters emerged, killing everyone, including my family. In the end, I was saved by a wandering Pagna warrior, and I was brought here.


    "You''d think, with a backstory like mine, I''d be the main character of some show or story," Simyon added, clenching his fist so hard it trembled. He was struggling to contain his emotions, and had to gulp down his feelings before something else came out of his eyes.


    "I thought I could use the determination from losing my family to be a strong Pagna warrior, to prevent what happened to me from happening to others. But as you can tell from my martial arts skills, I''m not main character material. From the looks of it, neither is your brother."


    He then looked at Safa.


    "Safa, I think it might be you. You might be the one who needs to protect your brother, so stay strong, okay?"


    While others might view Raze as weak, Safa didn''t agree, especially not with the transformed Raze. Nheless, she nodded in response to Simyon, not wishing to upset him. She appreciated his presence and offered him aforting smile.


    As breakfast preparations nearedpletion, Safa set the table with tes and cutlery, while Simyon was responsible for ting the dishes. He heard the door open behind him.


    "Ah, Mr. Kron, it will be ready in about ten minutes," Simyon announced as hedled boiled potatoes and vegetables into a bowl. The meals were in, but Simyon surmised that even if Mr. Kron wasn''t poor, feeding ten children was no small feat.


    "It smells good," came a voice.


    Upon hearing the voice, irritation prickled at Simyon. Turning around, his fears were confirmed: it was Gren, apanied by the two twins.


    "You never do kitchen work. You have no reason to be here," Simyon pointed out.


    "You''re right. We just wanted to help out for a change," Gren replied nonchntly, shrugging his shoulders and taking a bowl of food.


    "You know, we''ve recently weed a special student. She''s incredibly gifted. Everyone''s buzzing about her, especially the other kids," Grenmented, receiving something from Giyo.


    In his hands, he held a purple mushroom adorned with green spots. Carefully, he began to crumble the mushroom, making its distinctive color less noticeable.


    "A unique student deserves unique food, don''t you agree, Simyon?" Gren smirked, sprinkling the mushroom pieces over a single bowl. "We''ll reserve this for our special guest."


    Simyon stared at the floor, avoiding Gren''s gaze. The trio''s mockingughter and their previous smirks churned his stomach. Yet, the most prominent cause for his unease was his own feelings of inadequacy.


    ''Is Gren so confident that he believes he can do this before me without repercussions?'' Simyon pondered, finally lifting his eyes to confront the trio. ''I guess in his eyes I''m that weak¡­st time, I didn''t say anything either. If I do the same thing now, will the same thing happen to you.''


    A conversation sparked in Simyon''s head, when speaking to Raze and talking to his sister, his answer to this whole situation from before.


    ''If Raze won''t stand up for you, I guess it falls to me,'' he thought.


    "Gren, I''ve wanted to do this for ages!" Simyon yelled.


    Lunging forward, he threw out his fist and missed Gren entirely. Gren evaded the blow, eyeing Simyon with disdain.


    "You tried to hit me, you worthless worm!" Gren retorted, counterattacking with a Qi-empowered punch that sent Simyon flying back, blood pouring from his nose.


    "What''s gotten into you? Did you get brainwashed by that girl?" Gren sneered. "Ever since she arrived, things have been off. She''ll need to be handled. As for you," he continued, grabbing Simyon by his shirt, "we need this to look like an ident, or Mr. Kron might get involved. You''ll stay silent, won''t you?"


    Scanning the room, Gren''s eyes settled on the boiling pot of water. "Perfect," he mused, dragging Simyon towards the pot. His shoes scraped against the wooden floors. "If this scalds you, it''d justify your injuries."


    Suddenly, the double doors swung open. As Gren pivoted to identify the intruder, a swift fist was speeding towards him, much quicker than Simyon''s punch.


    ''I can''t dodge it!''


    Gren took the full brunt of the blow, his head snapping to the side, diverting some force. When he looked up, rage contorted his features, veins bulging at the side of his head.


    "It''s you! You b*tch, I''ll kill you!" Gren yelled at Safa.


    Dropping Simyon, his vision blurred as he assessed the situation. ''Damn it¡­ She''s outnumbered. She can''t handle Gren and the twins. I have to stop this somehow, before she''s really hurt. I can''t let Raze lose his sister like I lost mine!''

 Chapter 23: You Are A Killer

    <h4>Chapter 23: You Are A Killer</h4>


    From what Raze had learned about Pagna warriors, it was no wonder that he had be a suspect. He was in a body that could barely do a 400-meterp around a field. He was less than a normal human being, and Pagna warriors were more.


    Not only that, but the Pagna warrior had managed to kill the rest of Raze''s family, and only the weakest managed to survive.


    The truth was it was a situation he had barely managed to escape from. At the time, he had a desperate will to live and did what he could.


    "I thought you called me here because you had information on my parents'' death?" Raze smirked. "But instead, I see that you''ve learned nothing at all, and now you''re trying to pin the me on me. I didn''t realize that the n would act this way."


    Sonny was a little nervous hearing Raze speak. When one spoke to an Elder or even a Pagna warrior that was a rank above them, they would speak with the utmost politeness. It made sense because they could end their lives with ease and no one would bat an eyelid, no one would investigate it, especially a no-name.


    "Raze, there are many reasons why people get killed by the Pagna every day. People witnessing or overhearing things they shouldn''t. A thug hired by another, or simply for disrespecting another person," Elder Yon said thest line slowly, as if he was warning the kid.


    "If we learn how you managed to survive, then maybe we can know what the target''s goal was. An item your family stole or something else? I guess what I am asking more specifically is, what led to the final moments between you and the assassin. Did you hear your parents''st words, or anything of the sort?"


    The boy truly remembered next to nothing; he didn''t even know he had a sister until he saw her.


    "I''ll tell you what I remember," Raze answered. "His hands around my throat, me fighting to just take in a breath, and then me stabbing him as hard as I could in his side just so he could get off me.


    "When I stood up, I was in a room full of my dead family members. There were wounds on the assassin''s body already that looked to be made by swords, and that hadn''t been done by me. I think that due to the injuries, the assassin was already on hisst breath and that was how I managed to best him."


    While Raze was speaking, Elder Yon wrote down a few things using an ink pen on arge scroll, and he started to tap away on the paper.


    "I have another theory, if you would like to hear?" Yon said. "A Pagna warrior could have killed you with a simple fist. The only reason I can think that you are alive right now is because you had to be in on your parents'' death. You aided in their death."


    Raze''s eyes widened. Why would he? Or more correctly, why would the old Raze do such a thing? At the same time, though, he couldn''t outright deny it.


    "Why would a warrior let me kill them with my own hands?" Raze asked.


    "Don''t you think you should be asking, why would you try to kill your own parents?" Yon replied, but quickly moved past that point. "That''s what I want to know as well. Did you back out of the deal at thest moment? Allowing you to strike him, was there a disagreement, or did youe to realize something?"


    "Then why would they try to strike me and my sister down again?" Raze asked.


    Elder Yon stood up and stopped writing things down at this point, and turned his back to look at the scrolls on the wall.


    "That is the most interesting part of it all, what is it that these people want to hide so much that you know?" Yon said. "I think you aren''t lying about losing your memories, Raze.


    "Either due to some type of shock that urred that day, or maybe even something that had urred in a way to protect you, simr to a seal, but that knowledge is still inside you, hidden, and whoever is after you is unaware of that."


    Out of everything Raze was feeling right now, he was feeling extremely annoyed. Why did the new body he entered have to have a target on his back already? The good news was that even if Yon was suspicious of Raze, it seemed like he was still trying to protect him in a way.


    "Raze, there is a reason why I believe in my theory so strongly," Yon continued. "You are not the only one this has happened to. Lately in this town, and the nearby towns, families with no name have been killed, ughtered in their own homes."


    "It''s an unusual case, but the patterns that follow are the same, that was until you. You broke the pattern, and you have done that by managing to survive. You and your sister are the only survivors of this strange case that is going on, which is why I had pleaded for Kron to look after you."


    It was clear that if the n master trusted Kron this much, then he had to be someone special or at least strong enough to deal with whatever came after him.


    "I have a feeling that the reason for your parents'' death lies with you, and if we can''t find the answer, then the only thing we can do is protect you. However, we can only do that for one year.


    "Once you''re sixteen, the temple is no longer obligated to look after you, and you will be a sitting duck once more."


    "I assume you have a suggestion if you asked me toe here?" Raze asked.


    "Yes," Yon answered. "If the world of Pagna hase after you, then you are already a part of it, and you cannot escape. So you have no choice but to be a Pagna warrior. I will give you a rmendation into the academy.


    "However, the rest will be down to you. You must at least have Qi to be recognized as a Rank 1 warrior; otherwise, you won''t be allowed to enter the academy."


    If only it was magic, then Raze wouldn''t have had to worry so much, but there was something else he had taken away from the conversation as well.


    ''To think, what are the chances that the body I inhabited might be a killer as well.''

 Chapter 24: A Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 24: A Punishment</h4>


    As Safa returned to the kitchen, she could hear the sound of talkinging from the other side of the door. Pushing on it, she peeked through a little gap to see what was going on, and she managed to catch the tail end of the confrontation.


    She hadn''t seen Simyon get hit, but she could see what was going to happen to him next and knew exactly what he was insinuating on doing. Her hands were shaking.


    ''These people, what is wrong with them!'' Safa thought. ''They were targeting me, and now what? Just because Simyon is next to me, are they targeting him as well? Are people getting hurt all around me because of me?''


    The look on Simyon''s face, bloody, caused memories to sh of the noises she had heard while having sat, hiding in the cupboard. Then she remembered looking at Raze, the look on his face. This brought another thought to mind.


    ''He said¡­ that if I want to stop it, then I need to fight back!''


    With these thoughts in her head, she pushed through and immediately ran with all her might to protect Simyon. When she was close, she used the two-step shift to go past the two twins and threw a punch,nding right on Gren''s face.


    However, something felt strange about the hit; it didn''t feel solid, as if her whole fist hadn''t made a connection.


    "It''s you, you b*tch! I''m going to kill you!" Gren shouted at Safa.


    Immediately, the two twins that had been bypassed, with furrowed eyebrows, came right at Safa. She turned around as she could see them approaching and avoided the first hit from Giyo.


    However, she had moved right into Biyo, who ended up grabbing both of her arms. Trying to get out of the situation, she lifted her legs, preparing to kick behind her.


    Before she could, though, Giyo mmed the side of her foot, kicking her shin.


    Safa''s face was full of pain, but next to no noise came out from her throat. Only small silent grunts were heard, like a soft whisper.


    Gren slowly walked over as the two twins held her together. "Why don''t you scream? Maybe someone wille and help you then," Gren said, as he readied his fist. He closed his eyes, focusing in a way that allowed him to gather more Qi.


    "What are you doing!" Simyon shouted. "Are you trying to kill her? Stop!"


    The sound of the doors pping open were heard again, and immediately a wave of pressure was sent swirling into the room.


    "What on earth are you all doing?" Kron shouted.


    His voice alone created a gust of wind that was moving their hair, and with just his eyes bulging as they were now, one could tell how angry he was.


    "Sir Kron!" Gren shouted and immediately went to bow down. He didn''t lift his head, and soon the other twins had followed.


    "It''s not what it looks like, Sir!" Gren said. "It looked like Simyon was giving her a few tips about her cooking. She didn''t seem to take it well when she suddenly hit him. The three of us heard themotion and rushed inside; we were holding her back. Isn''t that right?"


    Gren turned to look at Simyon, who had managed to get his upper body off the floor and was leaning against the cupboards.


    ''That look on your face, I recognize it. You''re telling me you''re going to make my life hell if I don''t go along with your little game. Haha, what an idiot.''


    "No," Simyon said. "Sir, check the dish on the table. Gren came inside while we were cooking and ground up a type of mushroom, adding it to the food. He wanted to ensure that Safa ate it. I tried stopping him, and I ended up like this." With each word spoken, Simyon had done so with a smile on his face.


    He was happy, he had finally told on Gren.


    "That''s not tr-"


    "Enough!" Kron shouted, interrupting Gren before he could say anything more. He knew Simyon wasn''t the type to lie. Why would he lie if his attacker was about to get away?


    "There will be no meals for the three of you today. If you can''t learn to use your fists properly, then you won''t be allowed to use them at all. You are banned from training until further notice!" Kron ordered.


    Gren wanted to argue back, he wanted to say something, but when he looked up from his bowing position and saw the look on Kron''s face, he was frightened. An aura made him appear several timesrger than he was. Fearful that saying anything else would worsen his punishment, he decided to remain silent for the time being.


    ¡ª¡ª


    It was midday, and Kron was in his office, sitting at his desk as he gazed at the ceiling. He let out a big sigh, thinking about what had just happened.


    ''Those mushrooms, they were poisonous. For a kid of Safa''s size, a dose like that could have been lethal. Where did Gren even get something like that?'' Kron started to shake his head, reminiscing about the day he first met Gren.


    ''I was concerned something like this might happen. I hoped that with some guidance, I could change him, but was he too influenced by his past? I was blinded by the talent he had and believed I could shape him. That is my mistake.''


    ''This is serious. If I were to expel him from the Orphanage, what would follow? Others might try to exploit him.''


    Tapping his fingers, he pondered the best course of action, knowing the situation could deteriorate further.


    The rest of the day continued as usual. Even Gren and the twins had toplete their chores, albeit more slowly due to theirck of energy.


    Missing two meals for growing kids doing hard work was challenging. Both Simyon and Safa did their best to avoid the trio, and rumors amongst the other kids were circting.


    "I heard it''s a love triangle; they''re all fighting over Safa!"


    "Nah, Gren''s just upset because he''s short. He''s got all this pent-up energy."


    "You mean he''s just a jerk? Yeah, I''d agree with that."


    Since the kids noticed Mr. Kron treating them differently, many were voicing their frustrations publicly, something they hadn''t done before. With Mr. Kron''s protection, which they previously doubted, they spoke their minds, and Gren heard every word.


    He ground his teeth back and forth as he polished the statue.


    ''Everything, everything that I built up, the respect they all gave me, it''s all been ruined because of her!''


    In the evening, Raze still hadn''t returned from the Red Brigade, but the students continued their evening training. True to his word, the twins and Gren had been told to stay out.


    The twins quickly went to bed, exhausted and hungry, while Gren couldn''t contain his anger.


    ''I can''t participate in training, and he''s teaching all those useless fools who don''t even know how to punch! Why? Why?'' Gren started to take deep breaths and looked around until his eyes settled on a particr room.


    Before he realized it, he had already entered and shut the door behind him.


    "Arghh!" Gren screamed, as he lifted the chair in the room and smashed it to the ground. He then lifted his foot and mmed it onto the top of the desk. He was breaking everything in the room, everything that belonged to her, but his frustration still hadn''t been satisfied.


    Approaching the mattress, Gren started to punch it constantly, his hands shaped like ws. He tore right through the topyer, pulling out the stuffing bit by bit.


    "ARGHHH!" Gren shouted as he continued his onught, eventually stopping, huffing and panting.


    "All of this is useless. If I can''t train or get stronger, I might as well leave." Looking down, something caught his eye. They were sparkling in a yellow color: beast crystals.

 Chapter 25: Weaker Than Before

    <h4>Chapter 25: Weaker Than Before</h4>


    The training was going on as it had been, and they were now wrapping up the final stages. Each student was being called up to measure their strength on the pir. As they were doing this bit by bit, a pair of guests had finally arrived.


    "Freaking hell, why did that walk back feel a lot longer than the walk there?" Razeined, his hands on his knees, gasping for air.


    "That''s because it did take a lot longer," Sonny replied. "We had to take a break around every five minutes. Are you sure you don''t have some kind of medical condition?"


    Pressing his hand on his chest, Raze wasn''t sure himself. What if the after effects had been passed onto this new body? He wouldn''t be able to check his own condition, though, until he was at least a 3-star mage.


    Walking over, Kron had caught their attention. He made eye contact with Sonny and nodded slightly before giving orders to the rest.


    "Alright everyone, training is over for the day!" Kron shouted. "Why don''t you all head inside and rest up for the day!"


    The kids bowed down, thanking the teacher for the lesson, stomping their feet together, and started to walk off. Raze stayed by Sonny''s side as it appeared that he wanted to talk to them about something, and that''s when his eyes noticed something.


    ''Why is she walking with a slight limp?'' Raze thought.


    The two adults continued to whisper to each other. From what he had learned, Kron and the Red Brigade n were quite well connected, enough to ask him a favor to look after them.


    It seemed like they were just discussing the results of the meeting until the two of them turned to look at Raze.


    "Do you mind having a go at the measuring pir again?" Kron asked. "Just use the two-step shift like before and strike out."


    Not caring, he walked up to the pir and prepared himself.


    ''Are they trying to see if I have the potential to join the Pagna Academy? If that is the case, I have a feeling they won''t like the result.''


    Raze had gone through the steps perfectly, and it was looking hopeful in Sonny''s eyes, that was until thest moment when his fist was thrown out.


    "Why is it so weak?" Sonny blurted out loud, due to how shocked he was, and the number that had appeared on the pir had soon proved it, as a [6] had appeared.


    "Six!" Kron shouted, shaking his head. Even he couldn''t believe it, but Raze knew why. It was simple, he was exhausted from climbing up all of those stairs. So his punch was less powerful than thest time.


    "Did you not absorb the Qi pill I gave you?" Kron asked.


    The pill had already been used up, so Raze thought it was better in this situation to tell a lie, especially if Kron asked for it back; he just was hoping that it wouldn''t open the doors to more problems or questions.


    "I did." Raze replied. "I felt better."


    The two adults looked at each other again, with Kron tapping his finger on the side of his face.


    ''That was just a basic Qi pill; maybe he needs one at a higher grade. But that''s not even something the Red Brigade gives their students. If it had no effect, then his body might be filled with more impurities than he thought.''


    "Alright, Raze," Kron said. "You did well; why don''t you go rest up in your room for today? It might just take a couple of days for the pill to have an effect."


    Walking off, Raze could see the two of them still talking about something, but he had no tools or spells to eavesdrop. It was no doubt about him, something that they didn''t want him to hear.


    ''I could tell Mr. Kron was lying about the pill. I wanted to know what type of effect it will have on me as well.'' Raze thought. ''The important thing is the next step. What to do with the crystals.


    ''I can use one of them to create a mana potion. I need to create an item that allows me to keep track of my mana as well. Then, one crystal could be sold on the market; maybe if I''m lucky, I can buy a Qi pill and see how it goes, and thest one, to open a portal when I go back to that ce.


    ''The main issue is, to get the items I need, I need to head back into the town somehow¡­ at night all the markets will be closed. This might be difficult. Anyway, it''s time for me to get my crystals.'' Raze thought as he entered the main hall.


    ---


    A little before the training hade to an end, Gren had entered Safa''s room. Infuriated with what had happened, before he had realized it, his anger had taken over and he had destroyed everything that was in the room, including the mattress.


    However, he had struck a pot of gold because he had somehow found crystals. Pulling out the one he had seen, he could feel that there was something else underneath. Eventually, Gren had pulled out all four crystals.


    He held them together in his hands with his eyes sparkling the same as the crystals themselves.


    ''Four... I really have four of these things in my hand; this is unbelievable! How did those kids even have something like this in their room? Is it some type of fortune their family left them?''


    Already, Gren''s mind was going through all the things he could do with the crystals. With them, he wouldn''t even have to worry about Mr. Kron anymore.


    Snapping out of his daydream, he shook his head and looked at the state of the room.


    ''Crap, I better get out of here; as long as no one sees I''m in here, they can''t fully pin the me on me, they can only suspect.''


    Taking a step forward, the door slid open, and Safa was standing inside the room. Immediately, her eyes looked onto one thing. It wasn''t the state of the room; it wasn''t Gren; it was the crystals that were in his hands.

 Chapter 26: Not Your Crystals!

    <h4>Chapter 26: Not Your Crystals!</h4>


    Safa''s eyes were locked onto the crystals held in Gren''s hand. Noticing what she was looking at, he quickly closed his fist.


    "These are mine!" Gren dered immediately, a big smile on his face.


    She started to shake her head frantically upon hearing this. She remembered her brother''s words well. Only she knew about the crystals, and if they were to go missing, then how would she exin what happened? All of the me would be on her, and the rtionship between the two of them would be broken.


    In a desperate attempt, with all the thoughts filling her head, she charged forward, aiming to snatch them out of Gren''s hand.


    "Idiot," Gren said, as he pulled his hand away, and with his other hand, he made a fist, hitting her right on the side of her head. It was a solid hit that forced her whole body and head to hit the side of the wall.


    Going to the door, Gren slid it shut in case anyone walked by. "Did you really think I wouldn''t hit you? I''ve been waiting to do that all day."


    Surprisingly, though, when Gren turned back around, Safa was already up on her feet, and had grabbed Gren by the neck. The two fell to the ground, and now she was trying to pry his hands open to get the crystals.


    It wasn''t a disy between two martial artists; Safa didn''t know much to begin with. It was a desperate attempt from her to do whatever she could to get those crystals out of Gren''s hand.


    It was almost impossible; using all her strength, she couldn''t open any of his fingers. So, opening her mouth, she then bit down hard on the side of his forearm. The teeth sank in, and she tasted the slight tang of iron in her mouth.


    "You dirty witch!" Out of sheer anger, Gren threw a fist, hitting her on the side of her rib. A great pain surged through Safa''s body as she opened her mouth, but the hits didn''t stop there. He continued to punch her on her side again and again, until a cracking sound was heard.


    It was clear that her rib had now broken, and shepletely let go of Gren, rolling on the floor, holding her side. A wheezing fit started as she made soft noises from her mouth.


    "Did you think I wouldn''t go this far or something?" Gren asked, getting up to his feet and walking toward her. He then lifted her up by pulling her hair so he could get a look at her face. He ced the crystals in his pocket and, lifting his hand up, he swung his hand with an open palm and gave her a big p right across her cheek, sending almost a small shockwave in the room; it was so loud.


    For a moment, Safa felt like she was going to pass out.


    "Did you think you had the protection of Mr. Kron? From the look you had on your face, you knew these crystals were here, but you have no idea of their worth," Gren exined.


    "With these, it doesn''t matter if Mr. Kron kicks me out. Heck, I''ll leave this ce myself. All I have to do is hand one of these crystals to a n, and they would happily ept me, and as a disciple no less. I can start to learn real martial arts, and not this second-hand fake nonsense."


    Gren then made a fist, pulling it back. "So you see, it doesn''t matter what I do to you now, there is no one that can save you. You should have known your ce... you are nothing in this world."


    The fist was thrown out andnded square right on her nose and mouth. The punch hit so hard that her lip had ripped into her teeth, and her head swung back, banging against the floor.


    Blood started to spill from her mouth, and she justy there on the ground. "You''re lucky I''m not a Pagna warrior yet, an official one anyway. So I would still get into trouble for killing you."


    Turning around, Gren was ready to leave the room until he felt something grab his back leg. Looking down, he could see Safa had locked both hands around him. She was holding on as hard as she could.


    Those were Raze''s crystals; they were his, not Gren''s. After hearing how much they were worth and how important they were, how could she let Gren take them? What had Raze been through, what had he done to obtain those things?


    She had one job, and that was to look after the crystals. Right now, she didn''t care. If her life was taken, she would get those crystals back.


    "Are you a masochist or something? Do you enjoy feeling pain?" Gren was grinding his teeth.


    His foot lifted up, and he shoved it, hitting her right on the top of the head. The grip from Safa was still strong, so he lifted his foot up and mmed it down, again and again, hitting her on the head.


    In the end, he stopped aiming for the head and instead infused Qi into his foot and mmed it down right on her forearm, breaking the bone.


    "GHHKKK!" She tried to scream, but it sounded more like a strong whispering out from her mouth. No one from outside the room would be able to hear her words, and a few bangs here and there in a room for kids their age wouldn''t be a cause for concern for someone to check up on them.


    "That was your own fault. I already let you go, and then you went ahead and did that, stupid girl," Gren turned around. His happy mood from finding the crystals was now ruined.


    Reaching out, Gren went to slide the door open, but instead, the door slid open by itself from the other side.


    Standing by the door was a tall white-haired boy.


    "What the f*ck are you doing in my room?" Raze asked.

 Chapter 27: You’re a Cromwell

    <h4>Chapter 27: You''re a Cromwell</h4>


    It was quite the surprise to see Gren in Raze''s room. There was no reason for him to be there. What he was worried about more upon seeing him, was whether or not he had found the crystals. They hadn''t been hidden in the best ce after all, but he didn''t n to keep them for long either.


    ''What is Safa doing? Shouldn''t she have gotten here before me?'' Raze thought.


    For some reason, there was an uneasy look on Gren''s face; he still hadn''t said a word, and had slight sweaty forehead.


    Taking a peek past his shoulder, Raze''s eyes locked onto the state of the room. His heart thumped slightly stronger. His eyes started to follow around the room, and he noticed the mattress torn to shreds. Once again, his heart was beat even stronger than before, and his lips started to quiver.


    However, there was soon an odd smell that had entered his nose, a smell that he had be familiar with, the smell of blood. Parts of red could be seen on the side of the wall and on the floor, and the faint sound of wheezing was heard. Finally, his eyesnded on Safa.


    She was lying there on the floor, blood falling out from the side of her mouth, her lips cut. Her arm was bent out of shape in one way, and her face was swollen in more areas than one.


    Raze''s heart started to not only beat stronger than before but faster. It felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.


    The fact that Raze hadn''t said anything, was giving Gren chills.


    ''This guy, I''ve had an odd feeling since day one when I saw him. He''s not going to suddenly care about his sister, is he? Ah, sh*t, what am I talking about, anyone would do after putting her in that situation. If he tries to hit me then, I''ll just have to fight back. I already decided to leave this ce anyway!''


    In the middle of his thoughts, Raze had walked straight past him, seemingly ignoring him. He then knelt down by his sister''s side, getting a closer look at the wounds on her body.


    In that moment, Gren took this opportunity to get out of there. Sliding the door open, he fled out of the room, not turning back.


    On the ground, Safa was still conscious. She felt a presence next to her and looked at Raze. The moment she did, her eyes were filling up with tears. She had failed him, failed to protect the crystals.


    "Hey, idiot," Raze said. "Did you try and fight back?"


    Out of all the things that Raze could have said, she was shocked by these words. Why was that important right now?


    "I saw the bite mark on his hands and him holding onto something," Raze continued, turning his head at the mattress before going back to look at Safa. "Just answer my question, did you fight back?"


    Hearing a little annoyance in Raze''s tone, Safa had decided to give a nod, although it was painful for her to do so.


    Letting out a big sigh, Raze sunk his head into his chest and looked at the ground.


    "I heard our family has no name," Raze exined. "I''ve never felt like I''ve had a family before, but I did have a name once, a second one. Given to me by my family, but they weren''t family; they were just demons in human skin.


    "You listened to me, you are the second person who has ever tried to help me. You did well, and right now there''s this great pain in my chest. So I want to ask you a question. In the end, I decided to give myself the family name of Cromwell. So...Safa!" Raze said, looking deep into her eyes. "As a reward for you listening to me, I ask you. Do you ept the family name Cromwell?"


    Safa didn''t know what Raze was talking about, or his random mumblings, but she could feel a great pain in his words and strength behind them. Her tears hadpletely blurred her vision and were rolling down the side of her cheek. A connection, with the same name as each other, the two would have a connection and feel like a real family.


    Slowly once again, Safa gave a nod.


    "You are a Cromwell now," Raze stated. "Don''t ever forget it."


    Walking outside, Kron had finished his talk with Sonny, and as he was heading to his office, he had noticed that Raze''s room had their door open, and immediately the scene caught his eyes.


    Kron ran across and burst into the room. "What happened to her...what is this?" Kron asked.


    "She needs to go see a doctor, straight away, there''s no time," Raze said, staying in his knelt down position.


    "The Physician!" Mr. Kron thought. "But the closest one is in town. I''ll have to carry her on my back."


    Not hesitating, Kron picked up Safa; he tried to do so carefully, but she was still grunting in pain. Wasting no time, he quickly ran out of the temple and headed down the long staircase that led into the town.


    ''These wounds...they look like physical wounds. Why was she in a state like this?'' Mr. Kron thought. ''It couldn''t have been Raze; he doesn''t even have the skills to do something like this. Could it be?"


    An image of Gren and the mushroom incident had shed into his mind. "It appears I have made a grave mistake. If that kid managed to go this far, then there is no saving him. He will no longer be allowed in the temple, but first I have to save her!"


    Back in the room, Raze was still on the floor on his knees; he was looking at the state of the room and the blood on the ground. His heart was still thumping loudly. Why would such a person go far, just because he asked them to do a simple thing? She was truly an idiot.


    "This feeling, I didn''t know it would be so soon that I would feel it again," Raze slowly got up off the floor and looked at the mattress again.


    "It looks like, for the first time, you and me are in agreement." Raze could feel his body reacting more and more as he thought about his sister. This dark, deep feeling that was rising to the surface wasn''t an unfamiliar feeling for Raze.


    "He who dared to steal crystals from me! And he who harmed your sister!" Dark magic had activated out of Raze''s body and was swirling around his hands, running up his arm. A few objects on the floor around him were starting to move, reacting to the mana flow in the air.


    "Where is this little f*ck Gren? He''s dead!"

 Chapter 28: Punishment Served

    <h4>Chapter 28: Punishment Served</h4>


    After exiting Raze''s room, Gren immediately ran across therge hall and took a left. He passed several of the other sliding doors that belonged to those staying at the temple. Finding his own door, he slid it open and closed it behind him.


    Standing behind the door, Gren took quick deep breaths.


    ''What was that?'' Gren thought. ''Why is it every time I see that guy, he gives me the creeps? He''s not even a person I want to kick his arse¡­ crap, but now I have to figure out what to do.''


    Bringing out the crystals from his pocket, Gren checked to see that they were still there; as he did so, he dropped the crystals frantically on the ground. His palms were covered in sweat.


    Quickly, he bent down to pick them up and ced them back in his pocket.


    ''Everything is okay, everything is fine.'' Gren thought. ''I already made the decision to leave this ce. She''s not dead, so they can''t punish me for anything. The worst thing they''ll do is kick me out... and I can just use the crystals to join another n anyway.''


    These thoughts continued to repeat in his head as a way to calm him down. But before he knew it, he had already grabbed a bag and was packing his belongings into it. He didn''t have much; most of the temple kids didn''t have much.


    Just a few personal items and clothing that they had bought with pocket change they would get from Kron now and again.


    ''Screw it!'' Gren thought. ''The best thing to do is to leave now. I know they''re going to kick me out anyway. So what''s the point in staying and getting an earful from Mr. Kron? It''s just not worth it.''


    Slinging the leather bag over his back, he pulled on the string that would close the top and slid the door open. He took a peek to the right and left, seeing no one, he decided to make a break for it, leaving through the main entrance door.


    Hearing a bunch of noise outside, Simyon slid his door slightly, managing to catch the tail end of Gren leaving.


    ''I wonder where he''s going at this time?''


    Gren''s feet shuffled down the stairs of the main building and onto the courtyard. Taking a few steps, he soon stopped dead in his tracks as he looked up ahead. A white-haired figure stood in the center of the courtyard, all on his own.


    The sun behind him was starting to set as it went behind the town, and darkness was starting to fill the sky.


    "You!" Gren shouted, swinging his arm. "What are you doing? Trying to stop me?"


    The right side of Raze''s mouth curled upwards. "I believe you have something that belongs to me?"


    "I don''t have a clue what you''re talking about, and if you don''t move out of my way, I''ll beat you!" Gren said, starting to walk forward, heading towards Raze.


    "You know, I was hoping you would say that, because I really didn''t want a reason to hold back!"


    Rushing forward, Gren ced Qi into each of his steps. It was something only he could dopared to other students, not just utilizing Qi when doing a skill like the two-step shift. He then channeled it from his stomach into his fist, ready to close the distance and pound Raze.


    For Raze, however, he didn''t move. Instead, he ced his hand out by his side, and dark magic started to swirl around his hand, looking like a visible liquid moving about.


    ''What¡­ what is that?'' Gren had never seen anything like it; this wasn''t Qi. It wasn''t any type of fighting technique he had seen or heard of. Still, he chose to go forward. ''I saw the score he got on that pir, he can''t best me!''


    "Dark pulse!" Raze announced, moving his hand out. The magic pulsated out an inch away from his palm and shot out, hitting Gren in the stomach. The attack was heavy, causing spit and all the air to shoot out of his mouth. He was lifted off his feet and fell on his back.


    "Oh, a hole didn''t appear through your body?" Raze mused, taking a few steps forward. "Maybe it''s all that training Kron made you do, or perhaps this is what it means to have Qi? Anyway, it looks like between martial arts vs magic, magic is the winner at the moment," Raze remarked, stopping about three meters from Gren. Gren managed to rise, one hand on his stomach, his face contorted in pain.


    "What did you do?" Gren shouted, charging in again, this time performing the two-step shift. But Raze already had dark magic swirling from his hand.


    "Dark pulse!" The attack hit Gren again, feeling harder than before. His body wasn''t able to handle the impact as well, and a bit of blood spat out before he fell once more.


    "You see, to use your martial arts and this Qi of yours, you have to get close to your opponent. If you can''t get close, it''s useless," Razemented.


    No longer was Gren trying to stand and fight back; instead, he used his hands to try and crawl away, to get off the ground.


    ''What is this? Who is this person? I knew there was something off with this freak. He''s a monster! What the heck is he using?'' Gren eventually managed to half-rise and turned away, his back towards Raze.


    "But recently, I discovered something quite fascinating," Razemented, assuming a fighting stance with his fist out in front of him. His feet moved, performing the two-step shift, and he threw out his hand. "Dark strike!"


    The pulse unleashed was stronger than before and was aimed right at Gren''s leg. The energy was condensed and hit Gren right in the foot. Not only did it hit him, but the attack also pierced through his leg and struck the ground, breaking it.


    "ARGHHHH!" Gren screamed, as he fell to the floor and looked at his leg. There was a hole through the side of his calf, and even part of his bone could be seen. "Arghh!" Gren continued to scream.


    Raze walked over, kicking Gren in the chest. Even in his weakened state, he was able to do something like this after wearing his opponent down. Gren was no longer in any state to fight. Tears were rolling down his face, and he was focused on one thing; he just wanted to live.


    Bending down, Raze began to search Gren and eventually found the crystals. Taking them, he ced them in his own pocket.


    "Stealing from me was a bad decision, kid. Did you even use your brain for a moment? How do you think I was able to obtain these crystals? Did you think you could take them from someone capable of acquiring them?"


    Taking his foot off Gren''s chest, Raze pressed down hard on Gren''s left wrist.


    "However, the worst thing you did was touch a Cromwell," Raze said, his hand swelling with magic. "Is this one of the hands, the mighty hands, that did all of that to her?"


    Gren stared into Raze''s eyes, trying to plead with him in some way. But he saw the same look he had caught in Raze''s eyes a few times before: they felt dark, lifeless, as if there was no humanity in them to begin with.


    As Raze continued, there seemed to be no emotion in him. No matter what Gren said, he wouldn''t have been able to escape this situation.


    "Dark pulse!"


    The attack left Raze''s hand and hit the palm of Gren''s, creating a hole that could be seen through. "Dark pulse," Raze dered again, destroying anotherrge chunk of Gren''s hand.


    "ARGHHH!" Gren screamed, kicking his legs.


    "Dark pulse!"


    The attack was used once more, leaving no hand in sight. Just a bloody small wrist; his hand hadpletely vanished. There was almost no blood on the ground, as it looked scorched ck by the magic, having evaporated the blood entirely.


    Lifting his leg, Raze waited. Immediately, he saw Gren trying desperately to rise. It was a dire situation, and it was finally time. Raze had done enough.


    "Let''s finish this," Raze dered.

 Chapter 29: Will To Live

    <h4>Chapter 29: Will To Live</h4>


    Raze''s hand was pointed toward the back of Gren''s head. Gren had gotten to his feet and was heading towards the temple exit, limping, much like Raze had seen Safa do earlier.


    Seeing this, Raze''s determination was confirmed.


    "RAZE, DON''T!" A loud scream came from the temple doors.


    Raze turned his head to see who it was and spotted Simyon running towards him.


    "Stop, don''t do something you''ll regret!" Simyon shouted, and it looked like he was almost going to rugby tackle him. Raze nced at where Gren had been, but he hadpletely disappeared.


    ''Damn it!'' Raze thought, lowering his hand and dispelling his magic. ''If he managed to escape that quickly... Did he use some type of skill, or maybe Qi aided him? I can''t believe it, especially with that injured leg. In my condition, I''ll never catch up to him.''


    With that thought in mind, he turned to look at Simyon, his eyebrows furrowed.


    "Do you have any idea what you just did?"


    Simyon, out of breath from his sprint, stopped just short.


    "Look, I dislike the guy as much as anyone, but you can''t go around hurting people. It seemed like you were going to kill him. Do you really want that burden on your shoulders?" Simyon asked.


    "Killing people? Let me ask you, if a wild animal killed your family or attacked them, would you use everything you had to kill it?" Raze countered.


    Unbeknownst to Raze, beasts from a portal had killed Simyon''s family in the past. The scenario Raze described resonated deeply with Simyon.


    "Of course I would. I''d do anything to protect myself and my family," Simyon replied.


    "Exactly. What I''m doing is protecting me and my family right now. The problem you have is that you treat humans, beasts, and animals differently. In reality, it''s all the same. If anything, humans are far crueler than any of those beasts. Beasts act on instinct, whereas people make the decision to act!" Raze eximed.


    Raze continued to stare at the direction Gren had taken off to, but hope seemed fleeting. After what he had done, the chance of Gren returning was slim.


    As for Simyon, he couldn''t stop mulling over Raze''s words.


    "Remember this, Simyon, you''re the one who let him get away. If he returns, he might do far worse than what he did to Safa today. That will be on you," Raze said, walking past Simyon and heading back inside the temple.


    For Raze to speak like this, to see humans and beasts as the same thing, it was hard for Simyon toprehend, and in fact, he didn''t see them the same. It was clear that he thought humans were worse.


    ''Just what type of life did you go through¡­ is it because your family was killed by humans, unlike mine by monsters?'' Simyon thought, but then the other words had hit Simyon as he realised what he had said.


    "Wait! What happened to Safa? Is she okay? Raze, talk to me!" Simyon shouted, chasing after him.


    It had been tough for Raze, he had used Dark pulse several times, having exerted a lot of his mana, he needed to rest, and he was wondering just how much did Simyon see?


    Gren had entered the forest just outside the temple, his leg throbbing with pain from the hole Raze had inflicted. In the heat of the moment, seeing an opportunity while Raze was distracted, a surge of Qi erupted from the depths of his being. This Qi was more potent than any adrenaline rush.


    It gave Gren the strength to run on his injured leg, but the power was fleeting. Unsure if Raze was pursuing him, Gren decided to seek refuge in the forest. With the sun now fully set, the surroundings were pitch ck and it was frightening. At every turn of a tree, every sound of bushes moving, he thought he would see the white haired figure, but it was just his imagination.


    Eventually, Gren found arge rock to rest upon. He needed a moment to catch his breath as all of the Qi had been used up.


    "What was that? What did he use on me? He tore right through my leg, and my hand¡­ My damn hand''s gone!" Gren''s panic was evident. His situation was dire.


    He couldn''t return to the temple, fearing not only Mr. Kron but the white-haired boy''s wrath as well. Moreover, with the crystals taken from him, no n would ept him now.


    Lifting his hand up again, he realized that the situation was a lot worse.


    ''With this injury... I''ll bebeled as disabled by everyone. Can I even find a job to sustain myself?''


    Examining his wounds, he noticed they had been cauterized, so at least he wasn''t bleeding. That was one less concern. Dying in the middle of the woods and being eaten by the animals around, maybe it was the best choice for him.


    Venturing further into the forest, Gren reflected on the events leading to his current predicament. Despite feeling hopeless, he had a strong will to survive, it propelled him to distance himself from the temple.


    The sound of running water had entered Gren''s ears. Up ahead, a stream trickled down from the mountain. Several stepping stones led to it. Ovee with thirst, Gren approached the stream with caution. He didn''t want to risk falling in. But as he neared the water, an oddity in the air caught his attention.


    ''Are those... sparks?''


    The sight resembled a fireworks disy, illuminating and shimmering in the darkness. The sparks grew until they formed a vast glowing circle right before him. Though unfamiliar, a chilling realization dawned upon Gren.


    ''Is this... No, it can''t be. A portal?''


    Gren whirled around, intending to flee, but several thin tentacles emerged from the portal. They wrapped around his head, face, and legs, lifting him into the air before yanking him inside. As he was pulled in, the portal snapped shut, disappearing as abruptly as it had appeared.

 Chapter 30: How strong are you?

    <h4>Chapter 30: How strong are you?</h4>


    The next day had arrived, and it was an odd experience for the children. Throughout the night, rumors had already spread about Gren''s disappearance. This was because Mr. Kron had returned rtivelyte in the night to inform Raze that his sister was going to be okay.


    It wasn''t a quiet entrance by Mr Kron by any means, and even before that, most of the children were worried since they heard the sounds of screams from outside. Although with them being young they were too scared to venture outside.


    The news had been overheard, and it was then the two twins noticed that Gren was no longer in his room. The word had spread, and the kids were starting to form their own opinions about what had happened.


    "Did you see Raze''s and Safa''s room? It waspletely trashed."


    "Yeah, I even saw blood. Do you think Gren did something?"


    "He had to have done something. Didn''t you hear? Safa''s currently staying in town with the physician. He must have done something and got kicked out."


    "I heard that he ran away. Apparently, the twins have no clue where he''s gone either."


    All the children could do was make guesses, but in their hearts, they felt a slight bit of relief knowing that Gren was gone. There were times when they had seen the way he looked at them.


    If they obtained an ounce of praise when practicing martial arts from Kron, they would feel his wrath in one way or another. Even if it was small things such as name-calling. It was clear that Gren was the only one allowed to shine before.


    At the moment, all the children were sitting down having breakfast together. Mr. Kron, for a change, had decided to make the breakfast, allowing the children to talk and gossip among themselves. But there was one person who didn''t seem to be in the mood, and that was Simyon.


    He lifted the liquid of his soup up in his spoon and then tilted it, allowing it to ssh back down into his bowl.


    "You know, it''s rude to y with your food," Razemented, sitting right next to him. He regretted saying those words as it was a habit. He realized that maybe the same habits didn''t cross through different worlds.


    "Ah, I know, I know. I''m sorry," Simyon replied. It was quite apparent that he wasn''t his usual self, and it was because he had a lot on his mind.


    ''Look at Raze, his sister is with the physician, and he doesn''t seem worried at all. And what was that yesterday? He did all of that, and he''s acting like nothing happened?'' Simyon thought, but there was an even bigger question on his mind.


    ''What even was it that he did? I mean, how was he able to beat Gren and hurt him so badly? I couldn''t see what happened... it was just a feeling I had that if I didn''t stop him back then, something bad would have happened. Crap, what''s worse is that it means that Raze was actually stronger than Gren!''


    ''Does that now make me close to being the weakest in this whole temple? How am I meant to get stronger? How am I meant to even get into the Pagna Academy at this rate? Should I ask Raze? I mean, if he was able to defeat Gren, then he must know something, right? But it just feels so awkward after he scolded me yesterday.''


    In all honesty, Raze didn''t care about what Simyon did the night before. The main thing was that he had gotten his crystals back, and if he had actually killed Gren, then there would have been a lot more problems on his te.


    The reason Raze was being a little quieter than usual toward Simyon was that he was trying to gauge what he knew.


    ''Did he see me use magic yesterday? But then why hasn''t he said anything? Even if he hasn''t said anything to me, he had plenty of chances to talk to Mr. Kron about itst night. Perhaps he didn''t see anything.''


    ''Even if he did see something, he wouldn''t understand what he saw anyway, but it''s still bugging me. He knows what happened to Gren, and yet says nothing. Could it be, is he nning to ckmail me?''


    Both of them looked at each other with the corner of their eye at that moment before quickly looking away from each other.


    Eventually, breakfast had ended, and Mr. Kron had told everyone that they were free to rest for the day. There was no need to do chores. In the meantime, he had invited Raze to meet him in his office.


    "I wanted to talk to you a bit more about your sister, Raze," Mr. Kron said. "I''m sure you''re worried about her, but if there is one thing you don''t have to be frightened about, it''s Grening back and doing her harm.


    "If I see him, I''ll beat that child myself and send him off to the Light faction to deal with him if I have to!"


    Mr. Kron had noticed he had gotten a little carried away and cleared his throat.


    "Anyway, what I wanted to ask was whether you wanted toe to town and see your sister. You wouldn''t be on your own; the two of us can go together. I will ask Simyon to make sure the kids stay in the temple for the time being." Mr. Kron suggested.


    Raze quickly tilted his head down, not because he was upset, but because he needed to hide the smile that had naturally appeared on his face.


    ''This is great!'' Raze thought. ''I was trying to think of a way to head into town to buy some items. If I manage to get my hands on some objects, using the crystals and my dark magic, I can make what I need to return to that portal.''


    ''When I do, I''ll gather even more crystals this time and be a 2-star magician. After that, I can continue from there and return to Alterian, getting rid of all of the Grand Magus!''


    Raze''s n felt so perfect that he wanted to let out hisughter right there and then, but he held it in for fear Mr. Kron would think he was mad.


    "Of course, sir," Raze answered. "Let''s go check on Safa."


    "And let''s get some items." he mumbled.


    -----


    Meanwhile, in his room, Simyon was continuing to mull over several things in his mind.


    ''If I really continue like this, I won''t be anything. I don''t exactly agree with Raze''s view, but I can see his point. If you don''t ask, you don''t get, right?'' Lifting his body up from the bed, Simyon had found new determination. ''I''ll ask him, a way to get stronger, and if he doesn''t want to teach me, I can always just ckmail him with the situation about Gren¡­ it''s perfect!''

 Chapter 31: Light Magic

    <h4>Chapter 31: Light Magic</h4>


    Although it had only been a few days, it felt like a long time since Raze had stepped into a ce as lively as he saw now. He had finally entered the town Rumptum, a small ce with a poption of a few thousand people.


    It was incredibly smallpared to the cities on Alterian that would be filled with millions, but it was nice for a change. What Raze couldn''t get used to, though, was theck of modern technology.


    How things were being pulled by carts and carried by workers, but then there would be a few sights of more advanced work. There was electricity, as lights and certain appliances could be seen running on it.


    However, either the town they were in now had ack of electricity or it was something new; it was hard to tell since most would use oilmps or candles.


    As the two walked through the streets, Raze was keeping an eye out on the several different types of stores. There were specialist stores that sold equipment such as swords, armor, and general weapons.


    Then there were stores that sold food and produce, and stores that sold nearly everything. They were one-stop shops of sorts. Finally, there were the roaming merchants who would have a big carriage behind them and had in ce all the goods they had received from all different ces.


    ''There''s none that seem to be selling beast crystals. I didn''t see anyst time either. If I go to one of the merchants, then they will probably just run off with the crystals like Gren did. I need someone who''s not so squeaky clean that they would tell everyone about my business, and at the same time someone who won''t stab me in the back thinking I''m an easy target. But before that, there''s a bigger problem I have.''


    Raze''s eyes red at Kron, who was by his side. Due to the current situation of him being targeted, no one was meant to leave his side.


    The two had reached the physician''s house. It was a building that matched the style of the rest, with the sloping and upward roofs, giving it that eastern style from his world.


    The building itself wasrger than most of the buildings in the area and was stationed near the Red Brigade n building. It would be where they would get most of their business from since the Pagna warriors were the ones that got injured the most.


    ''I guess it pays to be a doctor in this world. I wonder if my potions will have an effect on the people here as well. If they do, I might be a good tool to make some coin, and with that, I would be able to buy beast crystals without the need to go through the dangerous portals, allowing me to get back to what I was at a quick rate.''


    There were so many ns that Raze wanted to implement, but he was just quite limited by his situation at the moment.


    Entering the physician''s building, there was a singlerge hall, divided by several rooms. They would be blocked off by dividers that were constantly opening and closing as people were running back and forth between them, fetching stuff.


    The smell, it was pungent and was making Raze''s stomach feel queasy, and there was the noise, the sound of people in pain, screaming, and sick. It reminded him a lot of a hospital, a ce that was always close to death.


    An old man in dark grey robes had approached the two. His clothes were tattered, his hair a mess, and there wererge bags under his eyes, as well as blood on his clothes. Suddenly, Raze didn''t think it was such a good job to be a doctor.


    "Thank you for looking after Safa, Crinter," Mr. Kron said.


    Mr. Crinter didn''t say any words, as if he was too tired to even open his mouth. He shook his weak hand, gesturing for the two to follow him over as he finally led them to a room. The door slid open. Laid out on the mat on the ground was Safa. She had been bandaged, her mouth where there was arge cut on the bottom had been stitched up.


    There was also this strange green paste that had been ced all over her wounds, with a pot of it off to the side.


    What was a surprise, or not totally a surprise, was there was another person in the room as well.


    "You two finally made it down," Sonny said with a smile. "When I got word of what happened to Safa, I was worried that someone might have been after the two of you, but it looks like you''repletely fine, Raze."


    "I see, I haven''t had time to inform you of the situation," Mr. Kron said. "But I don''t think it was an attack from the outside. Why don''t the two of us talk on the outside while Raze has some time with his sister."


    Raze knew who the main suspect was. In fact, there was no suspect; he knew who did this. The adults were just going to talk, to try to hide things from the kids that they didn''t really need to hide.


    Sitting down by Safa''s side, the pain in his chest continued. It was bing a normal reaction for the body when he saw his sister, and he was starting to get used to it rather than annoyed at it.


    ''Hey, I got some payback for your sister, so you should calm down a little. Look, it seems like she''s sleeping peacefully,'' Raze thought.


    Looking at the room though, he couldn''t imagine the ce was very sanitary. They had alcohol and boiling hot water so they could disinfect most tools, but the room itself would be hard to disinfect, especially since they didn''t seem to have things such as simple gloves.


    ''She should be fine, but with stitches like that on her lip, she''ll have a scar, and her broken arm wrapped up in a sling will take a few months to heal properly. Since you getting hurt was partly to do with me, it would have been nice if I could heal you. Unfortunately, dark magic has no healing properties.''


    There was one type of magic that would be able to help in this sort of situation, though, and that was light magic. So far, Raze hadn''t been able to get any other attribute of magic.


    If he wanted to do things like create healing potions and heal with his own powers himself, then he would need to do so. The issue was, now that he had a dark core, light magic would be the hardest attribute to raise.


    The easiest way would be to find a beast that had a great affinity with light magic, take its crystal and absorb it whole. After gaining at least some light magic, he could slowly increase it in other ways, but it would still be difficult due to his dark core.


    ''That does make me wonder. The Dark faction had a cultivation technique that allowed me to increase the Darkness attribute. Does that mean the Light faction might have a technique that could also increase my Light attribute?


    ''It would make sense, right? And what about all the other factions and ns? It could be very possible that every one of these ns has a cultivation that would be able to help me increase my magic in every area!


    ''Earth, Light, Dark, Fire, Water are just the basics. I might even be able to obtain the special attributes, Moon, Space, and more. This world truly wants to bless me.''


    Raze soon looked down upon the injured Safa; she still seemed to be asleep. With these thoughts from before, something else popped into his head.


    ''Wait a second, Safa has a sacrificial nature. She sacrificed herself in order to protect those crystals. Doesn''t she have the perfect start for the Light attribute magic herself? What if I taught her how to use magic, and she had a Light magic core? She would be able to gain affinity with light fairly quickly, and she would even be able to create items like magic potions!''


    With an eye half-open, Safa was wondering why her brother was smirking so evilly by her side.

 Chapter 32: A Small Problem

    <h4>Chapter 32: A Small Problem</h4>


    Thinking about the prospect of teaching another person magic was quite interesting to Raze, but as he thought about it more, he realized there wererger problems to consider. While he was the only one who knew his secret, he could control himself. Who knew how others would react if they learned of magic, especially since right now even someone at the top of the initial stage would be able to best him in a fight like Beatrix, and there were plenty above that.


    This also brought up the initial trust factor. If Raze suddenly taught her magic, wouldn''t she ask questions? And if she eventually found out that Raze wasn''t her real brother, there was a chance of betrayal, something he had already experienced too much in his previous life.


    "On top of that, for some reason, the n leader''s words keep hitting me in the head. I have no idea if this body had betrayed his own family or not? If it is the case, then it would have meant the original owner of this body would have wanted Safa dead as well."


    This was a long shot because he wondered why his body would react a certain way when looking at his sister if that was the case. But there was another possibility.


    "Safa survived that day as well. If the n leader''s suspicion is on point, then there is a good chance that day, everyone was meant to die in the family apart from Safa, and there was a chance that she could be the one that plotted to kill her own family."


    For now, he couldn''t do anything rash until he solved those problems. Eventually, Sonny and Kron had returned to the room, both of them with half-hearted smiles. They didn''t know what was the best face to have in this type of situation; not many people did.


    "Raze, there is some business I have with the Red Brigade while I am here," Kron stated. "Sonny will be staying here with your sister. So I wanted to ask if you wished toe with me or stay here until we head back?"


    Standing up from the floor, it looked like Raze had made a decision, but he actually had something else in mind. "Can I explore the town on my own?" Raze asked.


    "But, Raze, we can''t do that, you know that there are people after you?" Sonny said.


    "I know," Raze clenched his fist. "But can''t I make my own decisions? I mean, you guys are going to let me go after a year anyway, right? If I can''t protect myself now, then how is it going to be different in a year''s time?


    "Besides, I want to live and explore my life a bit. Say I turn sixteen, leave the temple, and get stabbed in the back. Or let''s say I stay at the temple, and something like what happened to Safa happens to me, only that I end up dead.


    "So I get to live a few days more but trapped in a temple of all things? Look, I know you guys have done a lot, protecting Safa, but I''m my own person; you don''t need to babysit me."


    Both Kron and Sonny looked at each other; they knew Raze was making sound arguments.


    "You''re right," Kron said. "You can make your own decisions. We can only advise you on your journey. You know, Raze, you sound more and more like a Pagna warrior by the day. We will leave together when the sun starts to set.


    "If you travel in the city, stay in crowded ces, and try to always be within a hundred meters of a n member if possible. They will help you out if need be."


    The convincing was a lot easier than Raze thought, and he was thankful for that. Otherwise, for him to progress, he would have had to consider leaving the temple and trying to find a new ce of shelter.


    After leaving the physician''s ce, Raze walked around outside for a while. He was passing most of the shops, having a peek here and there, but he was mostly trying to check and see if there was anyone following him.


    "It wouldn''t be much of a surprise for them to have put someone on me," Raze thought. "It''s a good way for them to catch their target as well if they needed to, but it seemed like the two of them were too busy involved in their own things to do that." It was good news for Raze.


    Heading all over the ce, Raze had eventually stopped outside a shop with barrels outside. It was filled with all sorts of different equipment, old machinery, sewing kits, and even had weapons here and there.


    People wereing in and out with items anding out with Coin.


    "This is it," Raze said, his hands on his side. "A pawn shop. These are the type of ces that have connections. Since nowhere is selling Beast crystals, it''s most likely an item that not everyone can find a buyer for, but a pawn shop has to have contacts with experts from all over the ce.


    "Not only that, but pawn shop people areplete scum. They''re always trying to undervalue the worth of one''s items and might even im that some items are fake, yet still buy it off you. These are the type of people I need."


    Raze waited until he could see that the shop was empty. Since the town wasn''t full of people in the first ce, the shop would have around one customer or so every hour. Entering through the front door, the shop was even more disorganized on the inside.


    There were helmets hung up on the wall with pieces of armor, jewels ced in cabs and tables on the side. On the other side, was a man who had a pear-shaped body, a small top but arge belly and bottom.


    He had his trousers up fairly high just above his belly button and a long winding mustache. He actually stood out quite a bit among the other people who Raze had seen so far.


    "I don''t deal with time wasters here; if you have no money or nothing of value, then shoo!" the man said.


    Raze wasn''t offended, based on his basic temple clothing and his age. Most people would be considered time wasters. With a smile on his face, he nced back behind him to make sure no one else was inside the shop. Then, pulling out a crystal from his hand, he ced it down on the counter. A clinking noise was made as the crystal hit the ss.


    "Hey, if you damage my shop, you''re paying for it even if I need to use your body!" The man shouted, and his mouth soon opened wide as his eyes sparkled, and his head tilted back.


    "Is that a... a power stone?" The man said in amazement.


    ''Power stone?'' Raze thought. ''In his world, they called them beast crystals, but he supposed it was quite normal for other ces to have different names for these things.''


    "It is," Raze confidently answered. "I''m looking to sell this, and believe me, I know its worth, so don''t try to scam me with this. If you do, my boss will be very upset."


    It would be hard to believe that a non-Pagna warrior and a person so young had gotten their hands on this ''power stone.'' So Raze hade up with a backstory that would hopefully make sure the man didn''t try anything.


    He had brought out a magnifying ss and was looking at the crystal carefully. "Are you sure you know its worth, kid?" The man replied. "If you did, you wouldn''t have brought it to a ce like this, and your ''boss''" The man made bunny ears with his fingers saying this word. "Wouldn''t have sent you here of all ces.


    "In a small town like this, there are only two things you can do. You can have it sent off to an auction, but they will take a percentage of your earnings. Having just one isn''t worth your time. Or you would have to have a connection with the ns to try and sell something like this."


    Now it made sense why no one was publicly selling power crystals. Sonny had exined how the crystals could be used to make Qi pills, so only the Pagna warriors had a use for them, and it was far too small for a town for the rich merchants to look for power crystals here, especially a n that didn''t even own a portal.


    "I''ll tell you what, kid. I know someone who will buy this from you. Let me just give him a call, and he''ll be here in a moment. You don''t mind waiting, do you?" the man asked.


    With no other solution, Raze nodded, and he took the crystal off the counter before the man could take it away. The two looked at each other in the eye for a moment, while the man went out the back.


    ''Wait a moment, call? Do they have phones here? This ce really is a mix of technology, isn''t it? I guess it will be andline-like service, though, rather than a mobile. Probably only a few ces have one; not even Kron has one at the temple.'' Raze thought.


    After waiting a few minutes, the door opened, and arge-headed, bald man had entered. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed the outside of hisrge muscr arms, and he was around six feet tall.


    ''I don''t have a good feeling about this,'' Raze thought.


    As soon as the man had entered, he had closed the door and pushed in a button on the handle. A clicking sound was heard, and arge smile appeared on his face.


    "Kid, why don''t you take this as a free lesson," the pawn shop owner said. "I don''t know where you found that power stone from, but having something so valuable in your hands is just going to make you a target."


    Raze stood there in the center, his fists shaking. ''I thought something like this could happen. It was a variable you always considered, Raze; just take a deep breath.''


    After taking a deep breath, Raze opened his mouth. "Just let me walk back out that door, with the crystals in my hand, and no one has to get hurt."


    Therge man and the shop owner just started tough. Therge man immediately rushed over and grabbed Raze up by the cor, lifting him up in the air.


    "Hand the crystals over now!" he shouted.


    His body sunken, not saying a word, Raze lifted his hand and opened his palm, pointing toward the man''s face.


    His lips were quivering, his body shaking, until he finally opened his mouth. "DON''T TOUCH ME! DARK PULSE!"


    The magic gathered around his hand, and before the man could react, the pulse went out and had gone right through the man''s head, making arge hole. His body fell over backward, dropping Raze onto the ground.


    "What the... you killed him, you killed him, what the!" The owner was looking for a way out of the ce; he started to run out the back, but Raze was already on his feet and had his hand pointed at the owner.


    "Dark Pulse."


    The attack left his hand and went right through the owner''s body and through his heart, dropping him to the floor.


    "Ah, crap!" Raze said, scratching his head. "What do I do now?"

 Chapter 33: Cursed Items (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 33: Cursed Items (Part 1)</h4>


    Out of the dead bodies, a strange dark smoke appeared and made its way toward Raze. It entered through the pores of his skin, connecting with his Dark core inside and lighting up the ring on his finger.


    [Dark Attribute: 18]


    "Well, that''s one way to confirm their death," Raze thought.


    The effect of having a Dark magic core was that certain actions would increase one''s affinity with dark magic, and one of them was taking a life. Having taken two lives, he had an increase of two points, but the expression on Raze''s face didn''t look like he was pleased at all.


    His eyes were fixed on therge man who was lying t on the floor. His head wasn''t bleeding, even though there was a hole through it. It was one of the effects of using Dark Magic.


    "I told myself that I wouldn''t do stuff like this again," Raze said, as he raised both hands to the side of his head. If all his hair wasn''t white already, he was sure some of it would have started to grey due to the stress. "Who am I kidding? Knowing me, it was always going to turn out like this. I just didn''t think it would happen so soon. I guess I need to try and sort something out."


    The first thing Raze did was partially open the outside door and turn the wooden signboard that was hung from "open" to "closed." He then closed the door and locked it, making sure no one could get inside.


    Now he needed to figure out what to do with the bodies. Searching around the area, he looked at the items toe up with some sort of n, and eventually, he found a couple of swords.


    It wasn''t so umon for the general public to carry around weapons, even if they weren''t Pagna warriors, and Raze could use this in his favor.


    The first thing he did was drag the body from behind the counter around to the main floor of the shop. Shortly after, he braced himself for a few moments.


    "People like you guys don''t tend to have families, right, or anyone that loves you? Yeah, I mean, look at their ugly faces. They would be lucky to even bepared to a potato," Raze told himself as he shoved the sword deep into the shop owner''s chest. Now blood did start to pour on the ground.


    Simrly, Raze had to do the same with therge man, but with another weapon. The main issue was he had to stab through a skull, which was a lot harder work than he thought. In fact, with his strength, it was near impossible.


    In the end, the man''s head was unrecognizable, and Raze wasn''t sure if it was better or worse. After creating a few more stab wounds with each other''s weapons, though, he was finally done and covered in sweat, sitting down on the ground away from the crime scene he had created.


    "A disagreement between business partners in the pawn industry, that doesn''t sound too far-fetched. Maybe them two killing each other at the same time is a bit dramatic, but it will have to do," Raze thought.


    "It''s unlikely that they would ever pin the me on me anyway, and the Red Brigade n has been investigating a string of murders, so what''s one more to add to the list? I''m just a weak, fragile boy in their eyes anyway."


    Taking a look at the crime scene one more time, Raze wished he still had his expertise in magic to spice it up a bit, but it would have to do. He was counting on one thing, though.


    "Having touched everything and everyone, my fingerprints are all over the ce. They won''t have anything that will allow them to pin this on me. Heck, even if they did have a fingerprint system, they wouldn''t have mine."


    There were two reasons why Raze hade to the pawn shop. One of them was to sell the crystal, but after selling the crystal, he had nned to buy a few items.


    "Now that there is no shop owner, that just means all the items in here are free, right?" Raze started to look around with this thought in mind.


    In his possession were still four crystals, and there was no longer a need for him to sell them for ie. Right now, he was looking for items that he could enhance with ck magic that would give him the best effect.


    "The trickiest part in all of this is because of my ck magic, every item that I enhance will have a cursed effect."


    In the end, Raze had selected a few items to enhance, and with the shop floor being rtivelyrge, he could do his enhancements right there on the shop floor. The first item he had chosen was a ck robe.


    There weren''t many figures that went around walking in ck robes, at least not Pagna warriors, but they were also sold in quite a few ces. He could understand, since a robe wouldn''t protect one from a sword whereas armor would.


    However, he did remember seeing some of the Pagna warriors in the portal world wearing light clothing as well, and there was also the founder of the Dark faction. The statue that the children were made to clean. He also wore a robe that covered up his face.


    "Maybe that''s why so many robes are for sale but not many people wear them?" Raze thought as he was drawing up the magic circle underneath.


    He remembered a lot of the basic enhancements, and the Dark magic would always make it slightly better than what he had learned. But the one thing he never knew about was what type of curse effect the item would have.


    cing the magic crystal down, with the magic emitting from his hands, it swirled down and activated the circle. The crystal was starting to break down, and the robe started to glow with a faint purple on the outside.


    The crystal hadpletely disappeared, and the robe fell back to the floor.


    "Show me your effects," Raze asked. ck magic whispered out of his mouth, reacting with the robe, and an image started to appear in front of him, written out.


    [A basic Cursed Robe]


    [...]


    [¡­]

 Chapter 34: Cursed Items (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 34: Cursed Items (Part 2)</h4>


    While Raze gazed at the magical robe, he began to reminisce about his days of studying when he had learned about the creation of magical items.


    Creating a magical item was usually a rather intricate process because there were severalponents that needed to be in ce for it to work. Firstly, a magic formation had to be created, and depending on these formations, they would yield different effects on items.


    Moreover, not all items could have the same formations applied to them. In this case, there was a lot of trial and error, and errors were costly because the materials would still be used up.


    Other factors that needed to align were the Star magic of the user and the quality of materials. Since Raze was a 1-star mage, he could only employ 1-star formations, and given he only possessed a basic beast crystal, or as they called it in this world, a basic power stone, it could only be used for 1-star formations.


    So, the mage''s level, knowledge of higher formations, and the quality of the power stone used on the right equipment all had to be there. A significant part of being a skilled and gifted mage was one''s dedication to research and studying, something Raze had done abundantly, maybe even more than usual, as it had propelled him to be a 9-star mage.


    There was even more to creating magical items than this, though, and that was the type of magic used. Although the formations added basic effects from the crystal, the type of magic would slightly alter those effects.


    For instance, if a health potion was created with the same formation and crystal but with light magic in one instance and wind magic in another, the two potions might have different effects. The one with light magic might heal more, while the wind magic potion might restore health and enhance the user''s agility.


    This was precisely why it was essential for mages not to focus solely on one attribute.


    However, Raze only possessed Dark magic, which had its unique effects. The formations he had used would give items the effect as if a tier-2 or maybe even a tier-3 formation had been employed, making the items more potent than others. The downside was that all the items were cursed, and the cursed effect could change each time.


    [Basic Cursed Magic Robe]


    [The magic robe can be concealed within the current user''s clothing and summoned at will.]


    [The magic robe is capable of lowering the user''s visibility (with increased effectiveness at night).]


    [The magic robe can store items in a separate space. The stored items cannot berger than the robe itself, and each item stored will upy a certain amount of storage space.]


    "The third effect, storage, is what I was aiming for. If I''m going to continue gathering power stones, then I need a ce to hide them so that the same thing that happenedst time doesn''t ur again," Raze thought. "The other effects are additional, though. I originally chose a robe because I wanted to conceal my face when encountering more people and sneaking around, but these additional effects mighte in handy."


    Taking a deep breath, it was time to read what the cursed effects were because it was quite possible that they would outweigh the positive effects, making it better to just throw the item away.


    [The robe is bound to the user and cannot be used by others.]


    [Once a week, the item must absorb one Basic Tier power stone.]


    [If no power stone is given, then one item will be taken from the storage at random.]


    [If there are no items, then the robe will destroy itself.]


    Raze scratched his head furiously. Why, out of all the possible effects, did the robe have to have this type of effect at his current stage?


    "Why, out of all things, did it have to be a crystal? If I hadn''t used dark magic, then it wouldn''t have had any of these effects. I guess it''s not too bad; I could just take all the items out once a week and throw a stone in there or something. That should work, right? It depends on where I am and the situation I''m in."


    The good news was that, based on the information provided, the crystal in the robe would require feeding in a week from now.


    Now, three crystals remained that he could use, and he already had an idea of what he wanted to do. Searching around, he found an alchemical bottle with a cork on top. It was clear and see-through. Next, he went to the sink at the back of the shop, which was more of a stic tube embedded in the wall connected to who knew what.


    The flow of water was blocked by a small stic cap that needed to be removed to let the water flow. Raze recognized it from his time at the temple, where they used simr caps to clean dishes.


    After filling up one bottle with water, Raze did the same with another, leaving him with two filled bottles.


    Returning to the magic circle drawn on the ground with the avable chalk in the shop, he adjusted the formation, ced one of the bottles in the center, and activated the circle with magic again. The liquid inside illuminated before turning into a dark blue color, almost purple, indicating that the item had been sessfully created.


    [Cursed Basic Mana Potion]


    [Will restore the person''s mana to its maximum capacity for 1 minute.]


    Reading this, Raze didn''t know whether tough or cry. A normal mana potion would have restored a portion of one''s mana permanently. In this case, the mana restored was the entirety of the user''s mana, but it wouldst for only one minute, rendering the effect short-lived.


    The reason Raze wanted a more basic mana potion was so he could hunt for longer periods in a shorter time frame. For a mage, mana was their lifeline. There were superior potions at higher tiers that could provide unlimited mana use for a certain duration, but it would be a while until he acquired one of those.


    He repeated the process with the second bottle and received the same effect, but it made him wonder as he looked at it.


    "What would happen if a Pagna warrior took one of these? Would it restore their Qi?" Raze pondered. "Their cultivation techniques based on Qi were able to increase the strength of my magic core, so maybe if they took this, it would have a simr effect. In the first ce, Qi and Mana seem to be the same type of energy; the difference lies in how a person uses it."


    The issue was, having used one power stone to create such a potion, Raze didn''t want to give it away for free, especially considering its effects.


    Finally, Raze held thest basic power stone in his hand. "I''ll be keeping you," Raze said with a smile.


    "It looks like I''m going to need more stones to reach the next Star level, and they''re quite useful in this world as well. So I guess I''ll be going back to that ce again," Raze thought.

 Chapter 35: Controlling emotions

    <h4>Chapter 35: Controlling emotions</h4>


    A few days had passed since Raze had visited the town with Safa. Each night, Raze continued to join in the training, which seemed to still focus on perfecting the two-step shift as a group.


    Raze participated, doing his best to increase his stamina. While there were some improvements, they were negligible, almost as if he were unwell. Nevertheless, he continued to cultivate each night, and his Dark attribute continued to grow stronger.


    [Dark attribute: 21]


    He could feel that the Dark attribute was nearing its peak. If he didn''t manage to be a 2-star mage soon, he would hit the cap.


    The good news was that during this time, there were no visitors. No visitors from the Red Brigade n, no visitors from Gren, or anyone else. Being secluded in the mountains, they were away from gossip and rumors, so he had no idea what had happened with that ''incident.'' For now, he would focus on himself.


    There was one surprising thing, though. After a couple of days, Safa had returned to the temple, and she waspletely fine. There were no bandages on her arm, and she had no broken bones. There was now a small scar on her bottom lip, but it was quite remarkable. Raze wondered what the physician had done without any magic to expedite the healing process. He thought that maybe he should have stayed to observe.


    During the day, the group had finished their chores early, leaving them with free time to do as they wished. Most of them were ying games like tag or hopscotch on the ground. Some were simply taking naps.


    As for Simyon, he was walking around outside when he spotted Safa sitting alone under a tree, seemingly reading a book.


    "I''m surprised that someone her age can read," Simyon thought. "I thought she and Raze were from a family with no name. They wouldn''t have been able to afford school. Most do learn the basics at the Pagna Academy due to needing them to read skill books and cultivation manuals. I guess with the way she is, it would make sense if she found some way to read, since she can''t talk."


    While Simyon approached her, he felt a bit sorry for her. Due to her condition, none of the other kids wanted to y with her. The others were much younger, making it challenging tomunicate with someone who couldn''t speak. Gren, the twins, and himself were the only ones around her age.


    "Hey, do you mind if I sit with you?" Simyon asked, tilting his head to catch the name of the book she was reading: ''How to Control Your Emotions.''


    Safa shook her head to indicate that she didn''t mind, and Simyon took a seat beside her, making sure not to encroach on her personal space.


    "You know, I think that book might be better for your brother to read," Simyon suggested.


    Safa responded with a small giggle or two. While she could make simple noises like giggling, an outrightugh was nearly impossible and would sound like huge breaths of air.


    "You know, sometimes, I wish your brother were as approachable as you," Simyon said as he started ying with the mud on the ground.


    Safa looked at him and raised her shoulders while making hand gestures, but Simyon couldn''t understand their meaning.


    "Are you trying to ask why?" Simyon guessed, to which she quickly nodded.


    Before saying anything further, Simyon turned his head to look for Raze. Children were ying outside, but Raze was nowhere in sight.


    "The truth is, Safa, I think your brother''s really strong. And if he is, I wanted to ask him how he got strong. We can see from the training that he''s not as talented as you, so what''s his secret?" Simyon said to himself.


    He hadn''t approached Raze yet and had only observed him during the past few days of training, but nothing stood out.


    "You know, I''m sure your brother would never tell you this, so keep it a secret. But he was actually the one who gave Gren a beating," Simyon confided. "I saw it with my own two eyes. That''s why that bully hasn''te back, and that''s how I know your brother is strong as well."


    Safa''s eyes widened as she heard this, and her heart started to beat slightly faster, with her face turning slightly red. She had always worried whether Raze cared for her and if he would be angry at her for losing those crystals. She had tried her hardest, and she wondered if he had seen that. To hear this, it seemed like she was right about her brother being a kind person.


    "So, how do you think I should approach him?" Simyon asked. "I was thinking of trying to force him to teach me. You know, if he doesn''t teach me, then I''ll tell Mr. Kron what he did to Gren."


    Immediately, Safa started to shake her head violently. She could already imagine how that scene would y out, based on the few instances she had seen a different side of Raze.


    "Haha, you don''t think that''s a good idea either, huh? I had a feeling that might not work," Simyon said.


    Trying to find a way tomunicate, Safa eventually picked up the book she was reading and started to point at certain words. Her index finger lingered on the word until Simyon said it out loud.


    "You," Simyon called out.


    She stopped for a moment and looked at him.


    "I can read, don''t worry, keep going," Simyon said with a smile.


    Eventually, after going through each word this way, Simyon had gathered what Safa was trying to say.


    "So you think I shouldn''t use this in a threatening way, but if I can spin it so it sounds like he owes me a favor for keeping this secret, then he might teach me because he owes me one... I see, I think that could work. I just need to find the right time," Simyon said.


    Later that night, Raze exited his room and turned to look at Safa, who was gazing at him. No words were spoken, as she simply turned away as if she were trying to get some sleep, while Raze closed the door behind him.


    "It seems like she''s learning fairly quickly," Raze smiled to himself.


    Back in the same spot as before, in the forest, Raze drew a magic circle on the ground. He then touched the cloth-like clothing that had been given to him by the temple. It started to change slightly, almost growing out of the shirt he was wearing, and now a full ck robe was on him.


    The long ck robe covered most of his legs, almost touching the floor, and when he pulled up the hood, his face was harder to see than usual, being slightly distorted around his eyes. Only his nose and mouth could be seen clearly; it was one of the robe''s effects.


    Lifting one side of the robe open, Raze reached in and pulled out the power stone, holding it in his hand.


    "It''s been exactly a week since Ist went to this ce. That''s what that person said, toe back in a week."


    Opening a portal to another dimension would be risky, as there was a high chance it could lead to a ce filled with even more dangerous beasts. The beasts from the portal he had opened before were suited to his level, but there was a chance he could run into Beatrix or someone like Beatrix again.


    However, for some reason, the strange man had helped himst time. Just in case something like that happened again, he thought it would be safer as long as the man was present.


    Although meeting them was more of a side goal, Raze just aimed to get more crystals.


    "Let''s hope things go better this time," Raze said as he stepped into the portal.


    At the same time, in another part of the continent, Dame and his small squad were staring at a portal in front of them. "I hope we get to meet him again, the Dark Magus," Dame smiled.

 Chapter 36: An Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 36: An Investigation</h4>


    In the small town that Raze had visited, something had urred after he left. There were visitors who woulde up to the door, see the closed sign, and leave without suspecting anything, with no trouble at all.


    After all, nearly every shop was independently owned. It wasn''t as if there was a big corporation behind the scenes. Although at times, shops did have multiple loans to pay, or in certain cities, they would have to pay a tax fee to those in charge, or even for protection against the n.


    Regardless, that was the reason no one had suspected a thing when the shop was closed. People took days off or had events that required them to be away.


    However, there was a pair of people that approached the door, and regardless of the closed sign, they gave it a knock anyway. A fairly tall man wearing arge brown overcoat and a white shirt underneath approached the door. He used his fingers to twirl his light brown mustache before knocking with his other hand three times.


    "It says it''s closed, Himmy," Charlotte said, pointing to the sign hanging on the door.


    Charlotte was a woman about half the size of the man next to her. Unlike Himmy, she was dressed much more like the locals, with a simple one-piece set of cloth clothing wrapped around her waist with a fabric band to hold it together. The only thing that stood out was her barrier-type hat, which only revealed a sliver of orange-colored hair that reached her shoulders, while her friend''s hair was tucked away under his hat.


    "Do you think I can''t read anymore?" Himmy replied. "We have an appointment, and not once has Han missed it."


    Himmy proceeded to knock louder this time, shaking the wooden door, which creaked as if it might break.


    "You''re going to feel really bad if Han was just taking a sh*t, and now you''ve made him rush to the door," Charlottemented, her expression unchanged.


    The two stood there in silence, with neither of them saying a word for a while, until Himmy had enough.


    "Can you just pick lock the door already so we can see what''s up? It''s clear that he isn''t in the toilet," Himmyined.


    Charlotte did as he asked, reaching into the side of her clothing and pulling out a couple of small tools. It looked like a metal contraption with many different long metal pieces hanging from it.


    Himmy then stood in front of her, using his body to block the view of any onlookers. In particr, he kept an eye on those in red armor, tracking their movements carefully, until a click sound was heard from behind.


    "Ah, man!" Charlotte said. "It literally smells like sh*t in here."


    She was wafting her hand and wanted to turn back, but before she could, Himmy pushed her with his body and closed the door behind him.


    "Hey, don''t trap me in here! Are you trying to kill me with this smell?" Charlotte started pounding her fists on hisrge stomach, but they just bounced off, seemingly doing nothing, not even causing him to flinch.


    "It looks like we know what happened to Han now," Himmy said. "And what that smell is."


    So disgusted by the smell, Charlotte was closing her eyes to stop them from watering, and she had failed to look at the scene properly while trying to get out. Now she could see it for herself: two dead bodies on the floor that were rotting away to the point where a few bugs were starting to eat them. The buildings and houses weren''t the best built, allowing them to get through the cracks here and there.


    "How long do you think they''ve been dead for?" Charlotte asked, still covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve.


    "It''s hard to tell," Himmy replied as he moved closer to the bodies to have a look. "Han didn''t really have any friends or family, so no one came to check up on him."


    "I thought you said you were a police officer. Can''t you just take one look at the scene and figure it out?" Charlotte imitated an explosion with her arms, then quickly covered her nose again.


    "Based on the bodies'' dposition, I would say this had to have happened yesterday. Their muscles are still hardened from rigor mortis. What''s confusing me is the scene itself."


    "If you look at the wounds and the shop, things don''t match up. The two of them are covered in wounds, as if they were both fighting for their lives, and yet the items on the shelves, the countless ornaments all over the ce, have no signs that they''ve fallen off or anything of the sort. To me, it looks more like a staged scene."


    "So you think someone came in here and put them like that. So then why did they kill them?" Charlotte asked.


    Himmy had a smile on his face as he moved behind the counter, looking for other clues.


    "You''re asking the right questions, but there are more questions to be asked than that. What was their goal? No money was taken from the shop, and it doesn''t look like anything was stolen from the shop either."


    "I don''t know, I mean, Han was a d*ck," Charlottemented. "He had a lot of enemies, so there would be a lot of people who wanted to kill him."


    "That''s very true, but remember where we are," Himmy replied, pointing to therge man on the floor. "That man is around 120 kg. It would take a lot for any normal person to topple him down. And remember what I said before about there being no struggle."


    "Someone was able to kill both of them with no struggle. The only people we know capable of that are Pagna warriors. But if we ignore all of the sword wounds on their bodies, there''s no sign of martial art techniques being used on them, apart from a clean hole that goes through the heart and one that goes through the head."


    At a nce, Charlotte didn''t notice it, but now that Himmy had pointed it out and she went in for a closer look, she could see it. But she quickly pulled away before throwing up all over the ce.


    "Are you trying to imply what I think you''re implying?" Charlotte asked.


    "Yes, I am," Himmy replied with arge smile on his face. "I think we might have another otherworlder who has arrived, and I''m a detective, not a police officer."

 Chapter 37 A Gift

    <h4>Chapter 37 A Gift</h4>


    "Dark Pulse!" A dark beam of magic shot out of Raze''s hand and went right through the dog''s head, killing it in one go. As soon as the dog creature fell to the floor, Raze immediately went and started pulling it apart in search of the crystal.


    [Dark Attribute: 23]


    This was Raze''s fifth kill since he had entered the portal, which meant he was now in the position of five power stones. Unlike before, he was no longer gaining one point of the dark attribute for one kill. It had taken two or three. The more points one had, the harder it would be to gain more.


    The good news was that Raze was now able to kill the beasts with a single use of Dark Pulse, and there was no need for him to add the two-step shift to his attacks. With the ring, he was gaining mana back for each kill.


    "Alright, things are looking good," Raze wiped the sweat off the top of his forehead. There was still some physical work involved in getting the crystal out of the body. Looking around, he was currently on therge raised tform that led to the crumbling building.


    The portal, having activated it in the same ce, had taken him to the same ce as before, and he had two options: enter the forest where there were most likely packs of these dog creatures or head up the stairs to the tform with therge wall where he could see beastsing at him more easily.


    The sound of growling was heard from behind, and as Raze turned, he could see a dog creature leap from one of the wooden crates. Its powerful legs crushed the crate beneath it, but Raze wasn''t worried.


    When it was in the air, it was an easier target for Raze. Pointing his hand out, he said the words, "Dark Pulse," and the beam went right through the dog. Stepping to the side, its body sttered limp on the ground.


    ''This is turning out a lot better than before. There''s no mysterious powerful woman attacking me, norge beast just popping out of nowhere. So I can finally grind in peace and get as many crystals as possible. I need to get enough crystals from this trip to be a 2-star mage.''


    The mana gained from killing a beast was just slightly under what he needed to use Dark Pulse, so Raze would have to take frequent breaks once in a while. Not because he ran out of mana but because he wanted enough mana to fight if the situation urred that he would need it for a desperate fight again.


    ''I wish this body was actually capable of performing martial arts to a certain degree. If I managed to be a 1st-rank Pagna warrior, I should be able to take these dogs out with just my fists, right? Then I wouldn''t have to use my mana up and join the Pagna academy where they have more portals. I still have time, though. It will be okay.''


    Continuing his spurts of hunting, Raze had managed to kill 12 beasts, all of the same kind in total, and his Dark attribute had risen to 25. When this happened, the ring started to glow, and a dark mist started to pour out of it as a message was disyed to him.


    [You have reached the maximum limit for Darkness attribute your current Magic Core can handle]


    ''Now, no matter how many creatures I kill or how much I cultivate, it won''t grow, not unless I''m able to upgrade my mana core.''


    It was starting to get a little harder to hunt on the tform outside. There appeared to be no beasts left, so he had decided to head into the building he had met the others in before. It wasn''t that Raze was afraid that he would run into them; it was more so he wanted to finish the important things first, gathering the crystals he needed.


    Inside the building, Raze''s steps echoed as he made each step, the noise bouncing off therge hallway. If he remembered correctly, he had been sted up to the third floor in the building. Finding a crumbly staircase, he started to proceed, with his hand held out in front of him. He needed to have a bit of caution; the only advantage he had over these martial arts experts was distance.


    Reaching the second floor, there was no sign of anybody, and that included dead creatures. As he continued walking through the halls of this floor to head to the next staircase, he soon spotted something on the ground.


    ''A dead beast, the same type that I''ve been killing as well, but its neck has been broken. Looks like there''s a Pagna warrior here after all.''


    Whether it was the same people asst time or not, time would tell.


    "Hey, state where you''re from, and don''te any closer!" A loud voice shouted.


    It was hard to tell from how far or close the words were due to the echo, but Raze slowly turned around and had his hand ced out in front of him. As long as he didn''t conjure his magic, it wouldn''t look threatening.


    ''Wait... don''t I recognize that guy?'' Raze thought, tilting his head to the side like a dog to get a better look. The man on the other side was at least ten meters away.


    "Stop being so on edge, Kirk," Dame said as he walked past with his friends behind him.


    Raze did recognize them; these were the same group of people as before.


    "It looks like you decided toe after all. I thought I might not see you here. I''m right, aren''t I, Dark Magus?"


    With the new effect of his robe that he was wearing and his hood up, one shouldn''t have been able to recognize his facial features. That was why none of them thought this person in front of them was the same as the one they had metst time, except for Dame.


    "It looks like after what happenedst time, you decided to get a new getup. That''s understandable," Dame looked Raze up and down and nodded in appreciation before stretching out his hand and giving a thumbs-up. "I like it, I like it a lot."


    Dame turned around to look at Fixteen, who was by his side, and shifted his fingers to tell him to hurry along. Fixteen went and stood in front of Dame and had something held in his hand, covered in cloth.


    "Do you remember what I saidst time? I wanted to repay you for helping out our team back then. So I brought you a gift."


    Fixteen walked ahead, and then, around halfway between the two, ced it on the ground. Although the group had been next to each other before, both parties were still wary of each other.


    The tension could be felt by both, so it seemed better to do things in this manner. Raze walked forward, his fingers twitching, ready to strike at any moment, and knelt down, pushing the cloth off from the object and noticed the worn leather.


    "A book?"


    "Ah, I suppose it might seem like a strange reward, but trust me, it''s more valuable than you think," Dame exined. "That''s not just any book, but it''s a cultivation book, a book that will be able to open your eyes to the power that we use, the power of martial arts."

 Chapter 38 A bad deal?

    <h4>Chapter 38 A bad deal?</h4>


    The term "cultivation book" made a lot more sense to Raze than Dame probably realized. If someone used that word in his world, they would probably think it meant a book about cultivating crops and bing some type of farmer.


    However, in the world of Pagna, it meant cultivating one''s own inner powers, growing the energy known as Qi from within. Picking it up from the ground, Raze started to flip through the book.


    There were ink drawings of sitting positions and energy circting around the stomach. There was also a detailed exnation of what one was meant to do.


    "You might not understand it fully," Dame started to exin. "We fight with our fists, and those books help us gather the power that''s needed for it. That''s the basis of all our powers. I thought it would be interesting for you to research. You might not understand what''s written in it, but if you want, we can meet up week to week, and I can show you how everything is used in it."


    The writing wasn''t the same as they used on Alterian, but Raze could understand it all due to the current body he was in. As he was looking at the notes, he noticed that it was slightly different from the technique that Kron had tried to teach him and Safa, but there were also some simrities as well.


    ''Wait, Kron did mention that if I were to learn another cultivation technique that could draw in Qi energy, other than that of the Dark faction, that maybe it would work for my body. If I learn this book, will I be able to gather Qi in my dantian and actually learn to utilize martial arts properly?''


    "As long as you haven''t learned anything like this before, everything should work out, and you could be someone that can have the same power in your fist!" Dame gathered energy and punched the air, creating a loud bang that vibrated the ground and ceiling around them.


    ''Why is he exining everything to me like I''m some type of baby?'' Raze thought until it clicked in his head. ''Wait, does he know that I''m not from the world of Pagna? Well, I mean, he must think I''m not from the world of Pagna, when I really am.


    ''Was it when I used magic to clean that wound? Now I''m starting to understand why he''s being so friendly to me. He''s interested. To him, this is almost like a cultural exchange where two people from different worlds share their knowledge. But if you think you''re going to learn magic from me, my trump card, then think again, although I will happily ept this.''


    Raze opened up his robe, holding it to the side, and ced the book inside, sinking it into his robe.


    All those standing opposite watched, blinking multiple times, and started to rub their eyes.


    "Hey, did you see what I just saw?" Carlson asked.


    "Yeah... I mean, that book, it just vanished into his clothing. Wait, is he really not from our world then?" Fixteen shouted.


    Seeing this, Dame was almost unable to contain his excitement as he lifted and startedughing out loud to himself.


    That was when Raze decided to do something interesting. He reached into his robe, and this time, rather than putting something in, he pulled something out instead. It was a bottle filled with dark blue-colored liquid, one of the two mana potions that he owned.


    With a swing of his hand, Raze chucked it to the others. Frightened at what the object could do, the others flinched and pulled away, while Dame caught it with a single hand in midair.


    He held it up, looked at it and shook the bottle; it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.


    "That is a special item from my world," Raze exined. "If you drink it, for one whole minute, all of the energy in your body will be restored, allowing you to fight at full strength."


    Immediately, Dame''s eyes started to light up, and he felt like he was holding onto a pot of gold.


    "Are you serious! This can really do something like that?" Dame asked.


    There were certain pills that could do something simr for Pagna warriors, but they were almost impossible for those at the initial stage to obtain. For someone to just give something like this, they had no idea how much value it was worth in their world.


    "I''ll be honest, I''m not sure it will work on you, but give it a try, and if it''s useful, then the next time we meet, you can give me a reward of equal value," Raze proposed.


    After his incident with attempting to sell the crystal, Raze knew that trying to sell the potion would result in the same thing. In fact, it would be worse because it was something that was unrecognized in the world of Pagna, so as a stranger, his word had no value.


    At the same time, he truthfully didn''t know if the potion would work, so it was nice to have Dame as a test subject.


    ''This Dame guy was someone who was strong enough to go against Beatrix, who made everyone stop on the spot in the street. So it''s clear that he isn''t just a nobody. If I can keep this rtionship up between us two, it could be very beneficial for me.''


    "I guess we should make this meeting a weekly thing then," Dame smiled as he handed the potion over to Fixteen. "Learn that book well for our next meeting, and if you show me some progress, I will be happy to show you a few things, so if you run into people like that woman again, you''ll be able to protect yourself."


    The two of them gave each other a nod before turning around with the new items in their hands, both of them believing they had the upper hand in the deal they had just made.


    Raze held the book firmly and looked at the cover. ''Did he rip the name off the book on purpose before handing it to me? Let''s head back and learn this.''

 Chapter 39 War between two worlds

    <h4>Chapter 39 War between two worlds</h4>


    Beforepletely leaving the portal area, Raze did one more clearance of beasts on his route back and managed to catch another two beasts. These worlds to other dimensions were quite strange.


    As long as one waited a certain amount of time, it was almost as if new creatures would pop up again in the same ce, somewhat simr to those games, but he didn''t have all day to grind in one area.


    There would be people who would start to worry about him, and he didn''t have the right tools to camp all night in another dimension in the first ce. In total, this meant he now had 14 crystals and headed back to his own world with a smile on his face.


    The portal had zapped away, leaving next to nothing behind, and a few momentster, Dame walked down the stairs and was heading down the pathway that led to the forest along with the others.


    "What was that thing he was doing with his finger?" Fixteen asked.


    "Yeah, is that what opened the portal, how is that even possible?" Carlson said, who had run over to where they hadst seen the Dark Magus. He looked on the floor, stretched his hand out in front of him, but was unable to feel anything.


    "It''s clear that wherever he is from, they can enter and leave these dimensions as they wish," Dame said. "The more I learn about this man, the more excited I''m starting to feel."


    "Hey, I mean, if we get really close to him, do you think we could enter the portal with him?" Kirk asked. "I mean, he''s from another world, right? So on the other side of the portal, that''s a world with people that are like him, right? Don''t you think that would be amazing to see?"


    "Or incredibly dangerous," Dame replied instantly. He had thought about the same thing the moment he believed the Dark Magus was from another world. Even in the world of Pagna, ns, factions, and people fought against each other.


    If two groups of people who knew nothing about each other were to meet, he could imagine a grand war ying out. It was just what happened when one was fearful of the other.


    "Don''t try anything stupid like following him; it will break our rtionship, and this is a warning to you all!"


    Dame and his group had returned to the Abyssal Pinnacle, the inverted mountain and the base of the Neverfall n. Descending down the stairs, Dame had passed the first floors and then had entered one of the caves of meditation.


    There were countless numbers ofrge holes in the walls for the members to perform secluded training if need be. When one entered the cave, they were meant to move arge rock to block the entrance.


    This would allow one to know that one of these rooms was being used. Closest to the staircase, there was one cave''s entrance that had been closed, but regardless, Dame moved therge rock out of the way with his strength and entered with his group before closing it again.


    This was because this was Dame''s personal room. At least that''s what he had imed it as. Regardless if someone was inside or not, he would close the entrance so no one entered, and word quickly got around that it was his cave and no one else was to use it.


    Inside the cave, it was not what a typical cave of seclusion should have looked like. There were several beds, a desk in the back with books stacked high, and even a few sparkly items, gems, and so on.


    The cave had been turned into a second home of all things. Dame walked over and sat on the bed, looking at the bottle of blue liquid he had been given.


    "What are you going to do with it?" Fixteen asked. "Are you going to try it out for yourself?"


    "I just think that would be a waste," Dame replied. "I mean, if it really does what he said it does, then can''t we gain some benefit from this? We could even sell it for a lot of coin."


    The other members were already rubbing their hands as they started to imagine what they could buy.


    "So you want to give it to the master?" Fixteen raised an eyebrow.


    "No," Dame answered. "If we did that, then he would be asking all sorts of questions about the Dark Magus, and then we would no longer be able to benefit from all of this. Heck, we might not even be allowed to use the portals anymore."


    "You mean the portals we weren''t allowed to use in the first ce?" Fixteen corrected him.


    "Hey, you know, I heard that the Crimson Crane were in Repton. It''s the closest city to us. Didn''t you say you were close with their leader Alba, couldn''t you go see them?"


    Dame stood up and clicked his fingers. "That''s perfect!"


    The Crimson Crane were a unique n, if one could even call them that. They were small in size, having only a total of eight members. Yet they had power just as strong as the other ns, which proved just how strong they were on an individual scale.


    Another thing that stood out about the Crimson Cranepared to other groups was that they were wanderers. Wanderers were those that cultivated in martial arts that didn''t belong to any of the three factions, so they weren''t seen as a part of the three.


    They were safely able to travel to all three areas, being respected by them all. It also was hard for people to get a hold of them if need be, since they would constantly move from area to area doing mercenary jobs.


    "Alright, let''s head out there fast and see just what we can get for this thing!" Dame held up the bottle. "Let''s see if we can get a big reward for the Dark Magus!"


    As this was happening, Raze had exited from the portal, and instead of heading back to the temple where the eyes of the others were on him, he had decided to head to a more peaceful area.


    He had reached a bed of rocks that led to a stream of running water. It felt like the perfect ce for him to focus and calm his mind.


    "Alright, let''s break through and be a 2-star mage!"

 Chapter 40 Crimson Cane

    <h4>Chapter 40 Crimson Cane</h4>


    It didn''t take long for Dame and his group to reach the city of Repton. Unlike many other ces, there was quite a vibrant nightlife here. The night sky was out, but the street was littered with glowing yellow lights and rednterns.


    The buildings were grand, made of new materials, and next to none of them seemed like they needed any repair work done to them. At the same time, there were elegant ces spread throughoutrge sections of the city, as well as giant pagodas ced in all sorts of different areas.


    Even the streets were filled with the lively, the cheerful, and the drunk. Inside one of the buildings, there was a three-story restaurant. It was filled with customers even at this time of night, most of them drunk after drinking all night.


    However, there were several of those that had been hired from a nearby n to do cleanup work if there were any rowdy customers. On the second floor, a meeting was taking ce.


    Arge low rectangr table was ced between the two, with cushions on the ground. On one side sat Dame, although he didn''t look like his usual self as he was wearing a bright multicolored fox mask on his face. It was made of stic, something that anyone was able to pick up and buy. He was on his own while his men remained on the bottom floor.


    On the other side was a woman with darkened skin and a hint of red pigmentation. It was unusual for a person to have, but it was eye-catching as well. The strange dark-red glow would make people''s heads turn, that was until they noticed who it was, making them turn away immediately.


    This wasn''t because she wasn''t a pleasant sight to look at; it was quite the opposite. Her tight-fitting leather clothing seemed to entuate the curves of her body, and simr to her red-pigmented skin, there was a slight pigment of red in her eyes around the edge, making them look as if they were almost glowing.


    This was Alba, the leader of the Crimson Cranes.


    "I can only think of one reason why you woulde out of your way to look for me," Alba smiled, cing both hands on the table. "You decided to finally ept my offer of joining us."


    Immediately, Dame started to shake his head.


    "You know I could never do that. Look, I even have to wear this mask when I enter this city. There''s no chance I would be able to be with you as much as I want to."


    Alba folded her arms and gave out a big snort, turning her head to the side. She wasn''t interested in anything else he had to say after that answer.


    "I promise, though, this is not a waste of your time." Out from his robe, Dame pulled out the bottle and ced it on the table, then slid it across until it had finally reached her.


    "What you have right there is a liquid that will allow you to regain all of your Qi, no matter what condition you are in, for an entire minute!" Dame said confidently, even though he knew full well there was a chance that it wouldn''t work.


    "Ha, I didn''t realize that you had now be a con artist! Or maybe you are the one that''s being conned and trying to use me."


    "I would never!" Dame quickly shouted back, as if he was offended, even though she had hit the nail on the head.


    "Do you even realize how great of a thing this is if what you said is true? I am a warrior at the Middle stage. Maybe something like this can work on those at the initial stage, but it won''t work on me."


    "And what if it does!" Dame excitedly said. "You said I don''t know its value, but I do, which is why I handed it to you. There are many fights that take ce where one is extremely exhausted, just one slip and the other will lose in battle, but if they were to take this, then they would have all of their Qi back again! This will be something that every person in Pagna will be fighting for, and you will be the first person to have one."


    Alba picked it up and shook it, looking at it for a little while. She believed that Dame had no reason to poison her, but why was he so confident?


    "Who gave you this, or who made it?" she asked.


    "I can''t give you the full details, but it''s a man that goes by the name Dark Magus."


    Alba nearly burst outughing. What type of warrior gave themselves a name like that? Perhaps Dark was a hint, stating that they were from the Dark faction.


    "Alright, let''s go see if this thing works. If it does, you can always get more, right?" Alba smiled.


    The two of them had left the main city and started to travel through thergendmass. They had eventually reached a mountainous area and stood at the foot of the mountain. Alba started to gather up all her strength; the Qi was visible on her body. It was lighting all over like a me trying to burn out. It grewrger andrger in size and was burning fiercely above her head.


    "It never stops to amaze me, just how much Qi you have," Dame said.


    Eventually, the mes started to die down; she didn''t want topletely exhaust herself because she had extreme doubts about this thing.


    "Alright, so all I have to do is drink it?" She asked.


    "Yeah, of course," Dame answered.


    She opened the bottle and started to chug it down.


    "I think anyway, he didn''t really exin everything. I mean it''s liquid, right? What else are you meant to do, rub it on your body?"


    Alba had already drunk all the contents of the bottle, but she was so annoyed at Dame that she crushed it with her hand.


    "You idiot!" She shouted, and turned to look at him. After taking one step, though, she stopped and started to look at both of her hands.


    "What is this... I can feel it, I really can, my dantian, it''s filled with Qi again. Just as much as I had before we got here!" Just in case, Alba started to burn the Qi like she had done previously and was able to produce the same level of Qi from her body.


    ''If our n had these, we would be able toplete the portal we''ve been struggling with for so long!''


    Running over, Alba ced her hands on Dame''s shoulders, with a giant smile on her face.


    "I see you liked the product, huh? I guess you would like me to get more for you?" Dame asked.


    "No," Alba replied. "This Dark Magus person, I want to meet him. I have to have him in our n."

 Chapter 41 A Mage Upgrade

    <h4>Chapter 41 A Mage Upgrade</h4>


    Drawing a formation on the rocks was going to be hard work, so Raze decided to walk closer to the stream of water where the pebbles had turned into a type of sand. Doing everything with the stick, he felt a sense of calmnesse over him.


    "This reminds me of my old life," Raze thought. "I would often have to hide out in the middle of nowhere, away from the eyes of others. The sound of water flowing, it''s quite soothing. With the direction I''m going, it might not be a long time until I''m on the run again."


    The formation had finished. Sitting down inside the magic circle he had drawn, he took out one of the crystals from his robe and activated the magic. The crystals would then slowly dissolve as they entered through Raze''s pores and went into his magic core.


    Once he had finished with one crystal, he would then move on to the next, doing the same thing. It was best to do them one at a time; that way, the core was able to grow bit by bit. Expand it too fast, and it could explode, killing the mage on the spot.


    "There were many dealers in Alterian that would offer special tools to help enhance one''s strength. Some of them would destroy the magic corepletely, killing the mage, while others, although they would get a boost in strength, would then be reliant on the tools."


    "They were worse than cursed items; they would give a slight rise in power, but then arger downfall, making them weaker than they would have been if they never used the tools in the first ce."


    Raze continued to absorb another crystal as memories shed through his head. He had seen a number of people who had been affected by these items, including one that he would have once called a friend.


    "And the one behind the distribution of these tools, Gizin, one of the five Grand Magus. No one would ever have suspected it, and it''s one that no one would believe no matter how hard I tried to get the message out."


    After absorbing the eighth crystal, it was right then Raze could feel it in his chest. The magic core had thumped and expanded slightly in size. The outer shell had hardened inside him and was beginning to crack.


    "Arghh!" His hand gripped the area around his chest, and dark magic started to swirl all around his body. It was erratic, hitting the pebbles nearby, crashing into the water around him.


    A faint purple glow covered his body until his corepletely cracked. It shattered on the inside, and the magic from his body exploded, pushing all of the rocks and the water back.


    Raze was on his knees, gasping for air. When he went to breathe in, he could feel it; the energy felt cooler as it entered his body. His sense of smell cleared up, and just with the touch on his skin he could feel not only the wind but the energy that flowed through it. It was as if the world that was covered in clouded colors had now be a lot clearer.


    "I did it, I did it!" Raze''s smile was nearly reaching his eyes. "I finally became a 2-star mage. The amount of mana I can control has increased; I am no longer limited by the attribute cap, and with more mana, it allows me to cast even more spells!"


    Looking deep within himself, Raze could tell the core was now more reinforced. The magic core worked simrly to fractures in a human bone. Through the crystals, it would chip away with magic, allowing it to regrow ande back stronger. Then when the outer shell finally broke and a new one was in its ce, that''s when one would have reached the next star level.


    "There were multiple ways to do this, but the quickest by far was using the crystals found within the beasts. Now there was an issue I had to face, though."


    "These level 1 power stones, as they call them here, can only increase a mage''s star level to level 2 at most. Now, if I want to go to the next stage, I will need higher-grade power stones. To do that, I could try and open a different portal or explore deeper in the one I already opened. I could also go to another n; if I went with others, it would be safer."


    There was safety in numbers, especially in ces that others had been to before. He was sure ns would have rules for Pagna warriors using the portals they had ess to. The main problem was that Raze used magic to kill beasts, and he wouldn''t be able to use that with others around.


    "I still have six power stones to myself now. Since they''re useless for increasing my mana, I can use them for other things."


    For mages, sometimes it was the number of items that would help one win a battle, not just one''s power. In a way, rare items and enchanted items were one''s power.


    It was time for him to head back to the temple; otherwise, he would never get some sleep. But he was excited for the next morning because that''s when he would have a look and give a go at learning the gift he had been given.


    Looking at the area around him, it was aplete mess with the pebbles and sand having blown everywhere. It was a good thing that no one came out here. Walking back through the forest, Raze headed toward the temple.


    In the same area where Raze was, sparks were urring. They were like little shocks of electricity in the air, appearing for a few seconds before disappearing. Eventually, a small glowing portal had opened up, and small ck tentacles had shot out, wriggling all over in the air, trying to reach for something.


    The portal quickly closed back up, and the tentacles disappeared as well, but the sparks of electricity continued on for a few moments more before stopping.

 Chapter 42 A New Energy

    <h4>Chapter 42 A New Energy</h4>


    Safa had woken up and when she turned her head, as usual, Raze was still in a deep sleep. She pressed her hand on her chest and let out a big sigh of relief. She didn''t know why, but she just felt that maybe one of these days, she would wake up, and he would no longer be by her side.


    When she stood up, she could feel a slight breeze in the air around them. It felt almost fresh, and sniffing it in through her nostrils, it was almost like consuming a strong mint. It had supercharged her for the day.


    Leaving the room, she had done so with a smile on her face and went ahead to join the others.


    "Your brother''s still asleep I see," Kron said. "Well, I suppose his weak body does need more rest than most. As long as you are happy to do his and your work for the upkeep of both of you, then I won''t stop you."


    Safa pumped her fist as she was ready to help out in the kitchen and cleaning. She was trying her best to help out her brother in whatever ways she could. This way, he could sleep in longer than the others.


    When Raze eventually woke up, he could see that Safa had already left.


    "I guess that means they''re not too bothered about me sleeping in; otherwise, Kron would havee and woken me up himself."


    Taking a peek outside of his door, he could hear everyone talking as they were eating breakfast. From the sounds of things, they had just been setting the table. Breakfast would usually take an hour, so he predicted he had an hour before someone would check up on him.


    Sitting back down in his room, Raze activated his robe from his clothing and then pulled out the cultivation manual. He sat cross-legged as he opened the book and started to flick through the pages.


    "I''m not sure why, but every mention of the technique''s name has been scratched or rubbed out throughout the book. I have a feeling that what I''m about to learn might not be something he was meant to give out," Raze thought.


    Instead of being disheartened, though, Raze had arge smile. Since when did he stop himself from learning new things because of that?


    Reading through it, the steps were the same as the Dark essence technique. The main differences, though, were the imagery that one had to have in their head when trying to draw the energy to their dantian.


    This one wanted the person to focus on the cycles. The feeling one gets when new life is born into this world, and the feeling of when life was taken away. The energy that is given when something is born and the energy that is taken when a life is lost.


    "This technique would be hard for most young people who have yet to experience these types of things, but I have seen this cycle firsthand many times, but there is one other thing it notes as well."


    In the manual, there were several times when it noted the importance of the location when using the technique.


    "It works best in a ce where any part of the cycle has urred. So either where a lot of lives havee into this world or where death has been experienced multiple times."


    Just thinking about it, Raze was starting to feel that this technique was incredibly dangerous. Other than a hospital, it was hard for Raze to think of areas where new life woulde into this world.


    However, death was easy toe by, and not only that, it was easy to make. One could use this technique on a battlefield of sorts, or if they really wanted to push it to its limits, they could create a den full of the dead.


    Pushing that thought to the side, it still didn''t discourage Raze to learn the technique; his path was one that was nned to be paved in blood either way.


    Closing his eyes, he started to focus. He started with the steps that Mr. Kron had taught, breathing in through his nose, the energy around them. Raze had be quite good at this since he would do this whenever he got the chance with the Dark essence technique to improve his Dark attribute.


    After the first part was done, it was time for him to picture the imagery in his head. The air that he was taking in now was starting to change. It felt dark, not like that of the Dark essence energy, but heavier in a sense.


    As the energy started to umte in his body, he noticed when it entered his body, unlike the Dark essence, it didn''t go to his mana core; it continued and went down past his belly button. The energy was starting to gather from deep within.


    "Is it working? Is this it? Am I able to gather Qi with this technique?"


    The energy started to grow through Raze''s body, and a ball was forming in his stomach, but something strange started to happen. After a solid ball had been made, somewhat like that of his magic core, the energy started to spread out.


    It was moving about,? all over his body. He could feel it reacting with all of his muscles, cells, and it was almost fighting with himself.


    "ARGH!" Raze grunted with pain.


    The energy was going rampant, it felt like he was being hit from the inside. It wasn''t just his muscles that were taking a beating from this energy, but even his organs. It felt like they were being twisted and pulled inside him, and he was finding it hard to breathe.


    "KuK!" Raze coughed, and blood came shooting out from his mouth. It wasn''t a small amount; as a puddle of it was on the floor, but it wasn''t red. The blood looked almost ck in color.


    The energy continued to run rampant in his body, and that''s when he could feel it was starting to head somewhere dangerous.


    "Is it going for my Mana core? Is it going for my heart!"


    "Shrouded heart!" Raze activated the spell in fear for his life.

 Chapter 43 A New Person

    <h4>Chapter 43 A New Person</h4>


    After the energy had created a solid base in what Raze assumed was his dantian, the energy started to spread throughout his body, and now it felt like it was ripping him from the inside out.


    The dark, almost ck-colored blood was quite the sign to say that he was probably right, and when he could see it going for his heart next, he needed to act fast.


    "Shrouded heart," the skill that used up all his mana to create a shield around his mana core, which was linked to the heart in the first ce. Raze could feel the energy trying to attack it, almost as if it was alive.


    However, the skill Shrouded heart was pushing it away. It continued to hit, and he could feel his whole body shaking.


    "Kuk, Kuk!!" Raze continued to cough, and blood was flung out of his mouth violently. It wasn''t just being coughed out but was being propelled all over the ce.


    ''Am I going to die?''


    ---


    Breakfast had ended for the children, and with them busy putting away the tes and washing up, Kron had decided that he would wake up Raze. Although it was important that he rested, it was also important that he didn''t miss a meal.


    "ARGHH!"


    Turning his head, noise could be heard, and it wasing right from Raze''s room.


    ''Is it an assassin... I thought we were safe in the temple, and with no incidents happening so far, I let my guard down!'' Kron sprinted right to the room and slid the door open, with his fist ready to go up against anything that was inside, but instead, he soon lowered his fist.


    "What in the heavens happened in here," Kron said.


    Simyon, walking by, could see the teacher standing there still; he decided to take a peek into the room, and he almost fell to his knees.


    ''What is all that... is that blood?''


    The entire room was covered in blood. The flooring had stters of the dark substance, the walls from left to right, and even the ceiling was covered in it. It looked as if someone had sttered buckets of paint all over the ce; it was hard to even believe that a person had so much blood in their body.


    However, what Kron''s eyes had been drawn like a ma to was the boy sitting in the center of the room on his own. His body was shivering once in a while; it was shaking, his eyes were sunken, his pupils barely visible, as they looked to be closed. His mouth was open, and he was repeatedly mumbling the same words over and over again.


    "I... will... not die... I... will... not... die."


    ''I''ve never seen such a strong will to live before,'' Kron thought. ''His presence, it is like that of a dangerous beast; even I was too afraid to get close.''


    Snapping out of it, Kron acted quickly as he turned around and could see Simyon.


    "Make sure no one goes into this room; it''s off-limits. In the meantime, I''m going to let Raze take your room."


    Rushing over, Kron lifted Raze, holding him in a cradling position with his two hands, and rushed him to Simyon''s room. He then ced Raze on the bed and shut the door behind him.


    "Raze, can you hear me? Is everything okay? Can you still feel the energy in your body?" Kron asked.


    He could see Raze''s lips moving; he was no longer saying the same words but sounded as if he had said something else. Pressing his head closer, Kron could eventually hear what Raze said.


    "Don''t... touch... me." Raze managed to let out before passing outpletely.


    ---


    Some time had passed, and Raze was able to open his eyes again. The first thing he realized was howfortable he felt as his back was up against something rtively soft and how much closer the ceiling looked.


    ''Wait, why am I lying down, wasn''t I cultivating from that manual before, and then I used shrouded heart... but I''m alive.''


    "You''re awake," Kron said, sitting in a chair that was just by Raze''s side. "You can keep resting for a while, but if I''m correct in my thinking, you won''t feel like you need to."


    Thements confused Raze. He had just been through a torturous session with his own body, and was constantly spewing blood. How could he feel... fine?


    ''I do feel fine, I feel absolutely fine, no, I feel better than fine.''


    When breathing, there didn''t feel like a foot was on top of his chest. His body, it felt more responsive than before, something that he didn''t even think was possible, and even his own bodyposition, the muscles seemed fuller andrger.


    Finally, he could feel it; his Magic core was still there, and in his stomach, there was the basis of Qi.


    "Right now, you might be extremely confused, and you have every right to be," Kron exined. "What your body went through was something simr to a cleanse. It was getting rid of all of the impurities in your body.


    "But it wasn''t a normal cleanse; every muscle in your body, to your very bones, even your organs. It was getting rid of everything that affects our body in day-to-day life, what harms the cells that make up all of our body.


    "That ck blood that spewed out from your body, that was you going through the cleanse. It was ck in color because it was everything bad that your body didn''t need. The only thing was, you had an extremely abnormal amount. I''ve never seen someone have so many impurities in their body before."


    Hearing what Kron was saying, and feeling the effects on his body, he could only believe that what he was saying was true right now.


    "Does this mean I have Qi now, and I can learn martial arts?" Raze asked.


    Kron chuckled.


    "The difference between a regr civilian and a Pagna warrior are the impurities in their body. Now that your body has gotten rid of all of this, it''s now stronger, can move faster, andst longer; you are almost a superhumanpared to them.


    "Raze, what you just went through isn''t just someone who has learned to use Qi. You are now officially a stage 1 Pagna warrior."

 Chapter 44 New Strength

    <h4>Chapter 44 New Strength</h4>


    The two were just in disbelief as they looked at each other over their words, but what Raze had been through was something that only 1st stage Pagna warriors went through. Those at the Red Brigade, just like at the temple, would learn how to use Qi, and when a core was established enough, it would get rid of the impurities from one''s body, allowing them to reach the first stage. This was also the requirement for one to enter the Pagna Academy, and that''s why everyoneing from a n or respectable family trained so hard to reach this stage.


    "I''m at the first stage, you''re saying not only have I learned to use Qi, but I''m beyond even that? How is it possible for me to have skipped so many steps?" Raze asked.


    "The only thing I can think of is the Qi pill I gave you. It perhaps was far more effective than we realized, and as you said, your body was just taking a long time to heal," Kron answered.


    "Another reason is perhaps because of therge amount of impurities in your body. The more impurities in one''s body, the more energy needed to expel it. For you, there was only one option of jumping from one stage to the other because you weren''t able to exert next to no strength, and you weren''t able to slowly get rid of these impurities. So a mass amount of Qi is needed, which is why I gave you the pill."


    There was also something else that Kron didn''t mention. Originally, he thought that Raze couldn''t learn martial arts or make a base for Qi because his body was already filled with Dark or light energy. One would call this a yin or a yang body.


    However, with all the ck blood that was spilt and forced out of his body, he now knew the real reason. It was due to the impurities, but Raze''s case was extremely rare. If a Qi base was able to forcefully be established and rid the body of everything impure, then it would also go for the heart as well.


    In nearly all cases where there was one with a body like Raze''s, they would end up dead, and there were only a few cases where this hadn''t happened. Those people had gone on to be known as Irregrs, disrupting the world of Pagna.


    Little did Raze know that if he hadn''t used the skill Shrouded Heart, he would be dead.


    Raze couldn''t help but continue to move his hand through the air in amazement; it was so easy, feeling next to no resistance at all. When was thest time he could ever do this? In his past life, he always wondered if he would live to the next day, worrying about food on the table.


    When he got older, food wasn''t the problem, but all the self-experiments he had done on his own body had made him live in pain almost every day of his life. Then when transferring to this new body, it wasn''t exactly the best, that was until now.


    ''Damn, you have managed to give me a great gift beyond what you can imagine,'' Raze smiled.


    Kron was still sitting there in disbelief as he looked at Raze; it was only a few days ago that he was talking to Sonny about what to do. If Raze wasn''t able to get into the academy when he turned sixteen, he wouldn''t be able to protect himself, and with the way things were going, it would have been impossible.


    ---


    Later on, Raze was out of his bed and had consumed everything on his te that they gave him for breakfast and lunch. When he met the others, all of them could tell there was a noticeable difference.


    For one, his skin was glowing more vibrant than before, he was no longer slouched when eating, and even his muscles on his body appeared to bulge fullerpared to before. Other than his face, it was hard to tell that the two were the same person.


    There wasn''t a single thing left on Raze''s te, and he was also eating what was left on others'' tes.


    Kron couldn''t help but smile as this was just more proof that his body had essentially evolved, and now it needed fuel to work.


    For the rest of the day, Raze''s task was cleaning up the room that he had ruined with his own blood. He had a bucket and a cloth and was working hard away. However, he didn''t find it hard work at all; if anything, he was enjoying the fact that he could do the task without rest.


    Finally, for the first time since he had joined the temple, he was looking forward to the afternoon training that was to take ce. When they were outside, the twins were in charge of the normal running routine, and Raze went right ahead to the front.


    He kept up with them, continuing to run more and more. Even when they sped up, he didn''t fall behind. When the twins finally stopped, everyone was huffing and panting, and only a small sweat had broken out on Raze.


    ''This is it, this is what it feels like to experience youth again!'' Raze smiled. ''When one transmigrates to a new body, they expect something like this!''


    "What happened to your brother?" Simyon asked. "He''s be a monster overnight; how is it even possible? I mean, was he just hiding everything before? No, his whole body''s changed as well."


    Safa shook her head because she really had no clue either.


    Looking at Raze''s condition, there was clearly a secret behind it all. ''I have to ask him at some point; I just need to find the right time.''


    As they went through the rest of the lesson, it was finally time for them all to hit the measuring pir. Each person hit it well, with many staying on the same score. Safa was in good enough condition to hit it again, and surprisingly, her score had raised to 26!


    She now had the highest score out of all those at the temple, including if Gren was still here as well.


    ''It''s not so much that her Qi has improved but more so she has no hesitation when throwing out her fists. Has she improved since the incident with Gren?''


    It was clear that Safa was a once-in-a-hundred-years talent. Next toe to the pir was Raze. He got in his fighting stance, and there was no need for Kron to inform him what to do next.


    ''Let''s see, let''s see how much I''ve improved!''


    The two-step shift was performed perfectly and was filled with energy. The Qi was raised from his stomach and exploded out of his fist into the pir, until the final numbers had appeared.


    [32]


    "Whoa!" the kids were in awe. It was the first time they had witnessed such a leap. They didn''t even know such improvement was possible. Just like that, the record for the strongest in the temple had been beaten, but Raze''s excitement couldn''t be contained.


    ''This is the strength of my punch now? So just how strong would the Dark Strike be now?''

 Chapter 45 A tide is coming

    <h4>Chapter 45 A tide ising</h4>


    It turned out, despite his new body, Raze was more exhausted than he thought, and that was just in general due to theck of sleep he had been going through thest few nights. From what he had heard from the others, the higher the stage a Pagna warrior was, the less sleep one would need. Hopefully in the future, if he could continue to grow the way he had been doing, then it was something he didn''t have to worry about. After a good night''s sleep, Raze had been called into a meeting with Kron in his office once again.


    "You should be careful calling me in for one-on-ones so often; otherwise, people will think you might be grooming me," Raze joked as he sat down.


    "Grooming?" Kron replied, not understanding the context of it all.


    "The other kids might get jealous," Raze said, trying to go past the joke he had made.


    "Ah, I see, jealousy is natural in all nature," Kron replied. "In fact, I would say when children are jealous, it''s more a form of honesty, but adults get far more jealous than children, and their actions for attempting to deal with such a thing can be far more severe."


    Kron didn''t have to tell Raze twice. He knew how strong of an emotion jealousy was, especially when that emotion was ced within a person who had never been told no in his life; that was a dangerousbination.


    "I have no doubt, after your disy of strength on the pir, that you are a stage 1 warrior now," Kron dered. "And honestly, you are talented to the point that if you stay here, your progress will stagnate. Which is why I wanted to ask you, before attempting for the academy, would you like to join the disciples of the Red Brigade n?"


    Thinking back, Raze remembered when he had walked past. He saw the disciples there and how skilled they were. They were also already learning a lot more than just the two-step shift.


    Joining the n also meant that one would be allowed ess to the skills of the n that could only be taught to n members. It also meant loyalty to that group of people as well.


    ''Although it would be nice to learn more martial arts techniques, the Red Brigade n is small, and it would limit me,'' Raze thought, and a picture of Dame appeared in his head as well as Beatrix. These two had to havee from far greater ns than the Red Brigade.


    ''Through my rtionship with Dame, I have the chance of obtaining better and more powerful skills. Besides, there are more people there that would keep me under greater watch than here.''


    The answer was clear for Raze.


    "I''m sorry, but I don''t wish to join the Red Brigade n," Raze answered. "If I was to join, being the only stage 1 in the temple, then I would have to go by myself, which means my sister wouldn''t be able to join me, and I wish to stay by my sister''s side, wherever she is."


    This answer was an excuse, but a believable one to put across, and judging by Kron''s nod, he seemed to buy it.


    "I understand, but if you ever change your mind, then feel free to speak to me," Kron said.


    Just before he was about to get up, Raze did have a question he wanted to ask. "Sir, is it possible, can I head into town? There is no need for you toe with me, but I would like to explore a bit more. With my body the way it is now, I might even wish to get a job to earn some coin for myself. Things should be fine that I''m now a rank 1 warrior, right?"


    Things certainly wouldn''t be fine, considering the people after him might be higher-ranked than that, but the situation would be the same regardless if he was to leave him for another year, and Kron still remembered the words that Raze had spoken to him before.


    "I have already agreed that I won''t stop you from doing as you wish while you stay here," Kron answered. "You can treat this as your home until you turn 16, and as long as you earn your keep around the temple, I have no objections to what you do."


    Raze bowed down, as he was ready to leave. With the six crystals he had, it was time for him to make a few more items and potions for himself as well. He needed to be ready for his next hunt, now that he was a 2-star mage.


    ''I''m starting to like you a bit, Kron; you have a good nature,'' Raze thought as he left the room. ''Just don''t betray my trust.''


    ---


    At the same time, in the town itself, at the Red Brigade base, a meeting was taking ce in the head Elder''s room.


    The head Elder, Yon, was sitting at his desk, looking at the two neers inside. He had just received a report from the two of them, and it wasn''t the news he had been expecting.


    "Your group, the Alters, was rmended by a dear friend of mine, so I had put my trust in you to find out the root of our problem," Yon said. "However, none of the cases of the dead families have yet to be resolved, and there have been sightings of portals¡­ although no sign of a portal break."


    Therge man stepped forward, bowing down. He moved his overcoat to the side as it dragged on the floor a bit before lifting his head back up, and then gave the side eye to his orange-hairedpanion by his side.


    She bowed down after cing her hands on her beret hat, so it wouldn''t fall down. "I apologize for that. The case is far more tricky than we thought," Himmy answered. "If a portal break did ur, then we would know about it, but we have searched and have found no open portals in the area."


    "As for the other problem, we recently heard that there was a survivor in one of the cases. If we could speak to him about what he knew, then maybe that would help us."

 Chapter 46 100 problems and money is one of them

    <h4>Chapter 46 100 problems and money is one of them</h4>


    Reaching the town was a lot easier this timepared to thest. The long winding staircase that went through the thick forest he had descended with ease, and even now as he walked, looking around, he wasn''t out of breath.


    He was better at observing his surroundings as he would move and weave, avoiding the people next to him, not bumping into them like thest time he had visited the ce. Eventually, Raze had stopped at a building he had been to once before.


    ''One of the major issues I have is the fact that I have these crystals that are like a bar of gold, yet it''s impossible for me to sell on my own. How am I meant to get more items that are needed?''


    The ce he had stopped in front of was the pawn shop, the same pawn shop he had visitedst time. Although it had been a long time since he had visited the ce, there was still the chance that no one had found out about the incident, and if that was the case, there would be no harm in him ''borrowing'' a few items from inside.


    To his surprise, the sign on the front door stated ''open''.


    ''Open? How is that possible? I didn''t hallucinate about what happenedst time, did I?'' Raze thought.


    His curiosity was great, and he wanted to open the door, but considering what had happenedst time, he thought it was best if he left it be. Walking away, he couldn''t help but think about how strange it was.


    ''Was there no investigation? I mean, I can understand if the business was bought out and changed, maybe it was taken over by another family member. Or it could be some type of trap; they do say that criminals always return to the scene of the crime.''


    Inside the shop, working behind the counter, was therge man in the brown overcoat. Himmy had been using it as a base of operations of sorts in the meantime and had gotten permission from the Red Brigade to look after it for now. As for the deaths of the two, they truly did have no family and friends.


    No one missed them, and when old customers returned, stating that the two had run away, everyone was quick to believe that fact.


    Continuing his walk, Raze had entered an open market. There were stalls that were packed tightly together in rows selling a number of different things. One would sell food, another clothing, while being stationed right next to weapons. It was a mix and match of all sorts.


    It was also one of the best ces to get a bargain. ''Maybe I could do some odd jobs for one of the stalls in return for an item or two.''


    Stopping at a jewelery store, Raze was looking at all of the objects that had been made from stones found all across the continent. Jewelery was good for a mage to enchant since they could wear multiple pieces. One had ten fingers but didn''t have ten pairs of trousers to switch in between fights. Of course, there was a limit to how many magical items one could use. Otherwise, one would have mages pierced in every section possible, although he did know a mage with a Prince Albert once.


    Raze looked at the woman behind the counter; she looked fairly old and was covered in her jewelery, most likely ones she had made herself.


    "Feel free to take a look at whatever you want, young man!" The woman said. "I made most of these myself, while some have been traded and shared with, as well."


    What Raze was looking for was a high-quality item. The materials, as well as who crafted it, was what made the quality of the item better. With this, the effect of enchanting an item with cursed magic would increase, and he wouldn''t have to rely on finding a higher-level powerstone.


    The thing was, high-quality items for aesthetic reasons and high-quality items for a mage werepletely different. The easiest way to tell if an item was high quality for a mage was to use magic.


    Raze lifted his hand and hovered it over each item, and as he did, he activated a small amount of magic in his palm, touching the item ever so softly. The item would then vibrate in response; the more it vibrated, the easier it was to enchant into a higher-level item.


    The shopkeeper was keeping a keen eye on Raze, perhaps thinking he would steal and run off with the items. But with how small the amount of magic he used, it would be next to impossible for one to tell what he was doing unless they were a mage.


    Continuing to do this with each item, nearly all of them were of poor quality until he had reached a rounded ck-colored earring. It looked like a ring one would put on their finger, but based on the sharp pointed ends, it clearly was an earring.


    Hitting it with magic, it started to vibrate, even moving the box it was in slightly.


    "How much for the ck earring?" Raze asked.


    "That?" She peeked over her disy. "Are you sure you don''t want any of the other items? That one is quite dull-lookingpared to the rest."


    "I''m sure of it." Raze replied.


    The woman clicked her teeth. It was quite clear that the earring didn''t match the style of the other items, so it wasn''t something she had made, and most likely, it was traded, which was why she was disappointed.


    "The ring goes for 10 coppers, no less, no more, I don''t haggle," the woman said.


    Often at the temple, Kron would teach the younger children how to read, write, and also a few general things about the world. The currency in Pagna mostly relied on coins, and there were three types: copper, silver, and gold. There were some currencies above these, but Kron made it clear that they would never see these in their lifetime, so he didn''t bother with teaching them.


    One hundred coppers were worth 1 silver, and 25 silver equaled 1 gold coin. To put that into perspective, a loaf of bread went between 1 to 2 copper coins, depending on the season or how much bread was produced.


    Although jewelery had a hefty price in his world, he found it hard to believe that there would be those willing to give up ten loaves of bread for an earring when there were plenty of people who looked underfed.


    "And how much for one of these?" Raze pointed at one of the more colorful earrings that were shining with purple decorations.


    "Oh, you have good taste; that is 2 copper coins," she happily said with arge smile.


    It was without a doubt that right now he was getting scammed. Right now, he wanted to grab her face and m it down into the disy, but he had to tone down his anger.


    ''I don''t even have 2 copper coins, never mind 10, so how am I going to do this?'' Raze thought. The best way to word how he would be able to help her; he didn''t want to pull out the power stone again, not unless he was willing to kill the store owner, which was starting to be a possibility in his head.


    "Oh, if that young man isn''t taking the ck earring, I''ll take it for 10 coppers," a soft voice said.


    Turning his head to look at who had just taken his item, he could see a woman who was a head shorter than he was, wearing a beret hat with orange hair.


    "Wait, that''s my item," Raze said. "And no one takes my things."

 Chapter 47 Pagna Wanderer

    <h4>Chapter 47 Pagna Wanderer </h4>


    ''What is with all these people getting on my nerves today,'' Raze thought as he looked at the woman by his side. She hadn''t even turned her head after he said those words and waspletely ignoring him. ''Is everyone in this world like this or what, and I thought Alterian was bad.''


    "Wait, I want that item," Raze called out, but he didn''t know what to do next. He had no coins; all he had were his words, and he wasn''t exactly the best speaker when it came to this situation.


    "Young man, are you going to pay me or what?" The shopkeeper asked.


    "I was hoping... I could maybe do some jobs and work for it," Raze said with a smile on his face.


    She immediately turned to the girl and held out her hand, to which the other person proceeded to hand the coins over, pulling them out from a rather odd purse. It looked like an obese round bird, that when squeezed, its yellow beak would open up.


    After the coins were handed over, the ck earring was now in Charlotte''s possession, in a nice small square-shaped box.


    "Wait!" Raze called out. Now that the earring was in her possession, he could only hope to do to her what he originally nned to do with the shopkeeper. "I need that earring; it''s a present for my sister, and she said that I needed to get that exact one."


    Charlotte proceeded to look at Raze in the face for a few seconds before a smirk appeared.


    "What did you say to me before, no one takes my things?" Charlotte repeated. "Well, it appears that this belongs to me, and no one takes my things!"


    Just as she had finished her sentence, a small kid around eight years old reached out and pulled at her purse that was by her side, snatching it off from her belt and immediately ran through the crowds of people.


    It was clearly one of the beggar children, the same type that Raze had seen when he first had appeared here.


    "My money!" Charlotte shouted, with her hand reaching out, but no one cared. The kid was fast and swift, and even she knew that it would be impossible to catch him. But for Raze, he saw an opportunity.


    "If I get you your purse back, will you give me that earring?" Raze asked.


    Charlotte looked at him with a raised eyebrow. ''Does this idiot really think he can catch a kid like that? If he could do something like that, then he should at least be able to have 10 coppers on him, right?''


    Regardless, she thought that it might be best for her to humor him.


    "Alright fine, just go ahead and..." Raze had already started running after the kid, away from her sight, when she finished herst words. "Try."


    She had seen him running rtively fast, through the crowds of people, avoiding them. It was quite the sight to see, and even Raze was impressed with himself. Where people''s footsteps would be, their bodies, he could predict it all, and he could see the kid continuing to run through the crowd, spinning around, and he was slowly starting to catch up.


    While swiftly avoiding people, Raze could see himself getting closer and closer to the kid; he was nearly there, until someone had walked dead straight ahead of him, crossing his path to go over to the food stall.


    "Move!" Raze shouted; he was running too fast to avoid a collision.


    Hearing the words, the youngster, cloaked in dark red clothing, turned to see the white-haired boy.


    "I said, move out of the way!" Raze shouted as he shoved the young man touching his shoulder and pushed him to the side.


    During the chase, Raze didn''t realize how much adrenaline was running through his body and the fact that he was even powering his steps with a bit of Qi. He had used Qi on the bystander, causing them to be thrown right into the stall.


    The young man had crashed into the food stall, breaking it apart, while liquid from the cooking pots spilled on top of him.


    "ARGHH!" the man screamed in pain from the hot food, and quickly jumped up and down trying to get as much food off of him as quickly as possible.


    "That white-haired b*stard, does he want to die!" The young man shouted. "Who was it? I''ll make sure he gets 10 times the payback for this."


    Filled with anger, steam was almosting out from his ears, but there was one feature that he remembered, and that was the white hair.


    ''Wait a second, white hair? Haven''t I seen him before?''


    After the small incident that Raze was blissfully unaware he had created, he had managed to catch up to the kid, lifting him up by the back of his shirt and snatching the purse out of his hands.


    "Sorry kid, I know you''re only doing this to survive; you''re not at fault," Raze said. He knew the kid would run off as soon as he put him down, for fear that he would hand him over to someone from the n.


    So instead, with one hand, Raze flicked a silver coin in the air; the kid almost on instinct managed to catch it.


    "Take that and feed yourself," Raze said. "And next time, try going after the fat ones. They won''t be able to run after you, and they sure have enough money to feed themselves."


    With those words of wisdom passed along, Raze let go of the kid who immediately ran off.


    Looking behind him, Raze had noticed that there was amotion going on. ''Did I push someone?'' Raze looked at his hand. ''I think I did; it might be best to go the long way round.''


    With this in mind, Raze decided to take a different route on his way back to where hest was. With the purse in his hand, the thought of just taking it with him hade up, but he wanted the earring.


    There weren''t going to be many chances to get an item like that, but money in the future would be easy to get, especially if he found a way to sell the power stones. It didn''t take long for him to find the girl still waiting. Raze waved the bag in the air in front of her with a smug smile on his face.


    "I had no clue that you were a Pagna warrior," Charlotte said. "I''ve never met one that was so poor before."


    "How did you know I was a warrior?" He asked.


    "You can tell just from what you did then. You move far faster than the others; are you with the Red Brigade n then?" She asked while attempting to take her purse back, but Raze pulled away just in time, and held his hand out.


    She quickly knew what he wanted and ced the box with the earring inside in his hand, exchanging items with each other.


    "I''m not with any n," Raze answered, which was the truth.


    "What the, there''s less money in here; did you steal some!" Charlotte shouted.


    "No," Raze answered. "I gave some to that kid so he could eat for the day. You seemed to have enough to fill your stomach and a few more, so why not let that kid not suffer for a moment."


    Charlotte closed her purse and let out a sigh, as she ced it under her hat on the top of her head this time.


    "If I wanted to, I could have just taken the whole thing and left; I have no reason to lie," Raze continued.


    "It''s rare to meet a wanderer, but then again, that might be the reason why you''re so poor. We could use someone like you. If you need some work, then head over to a pawn shop called Rock Cliff," Charlotte said, turning around and heading in apletely different direction from Raze.


    ''Wait, the pawn shop! Isn''t that the same pawn that I¡­ Well, it might be best to avoid herpletely then. But why would she be in the pawn shop? Is she with the other two? Just who is she?'' Raze thought.


    Now that she was gone though, Raze had arge smile on his face, as he flicked a silver coin in the air. ''I''m just charging some tax for my services, that''s all, and you had to be punished a little for taking my item.''

 Chapter 48 Elite Grade Item

    <h4>Chapter 48 Elite Grade Item</h4>


    It didn''t seem like Raze was going to solve his money problems any time soon, but he did have an avenue, as long as his potions worked, or even if they didn''t, he thought that there might be a way for him to utilize Dame.


    Asking for coins up front would be strange since Dame believed he came from another world. So those coins would be useless in his world, but he could still use him to get precious items. Heck, he didn''t even mind if he got him more manuals and taught him more moves now that he had a dantian full of Qi.


    If possible, Raze wanted to get everything he needed done in town today, and he wanted to leave no traces behind. After his encounter with the strange girl with the beret hat, he thought it was better if others didn''t see his face directly. When he was in a quiet and secluded alleyway, he activated the robe and lifted up the hood.


    After he had managed to acquire four bottles that each sold for 1 copper coin each, it left him now with 96 copper coins. Rtively soon after this, he decided that he also needed to buy a purse and had bought one that was purple in color and had a snake pattern on the outside along with a tongue that would pop out.


    It seemed that these specially designed purses were popr. The purse had cost him a further 3 coins, leaving him with 93 coins. With the coins in the purse, he could now ce the whole purse into his robe to store it, and now there would be no incident like what had urred before.


    Raze knew full well that if he was to return to the temple, he would be ridden with chores, which would distract him from what he needed to do. He could continue to do things at night, but one of these days he was bound to get caught, which left him in search of an Inn.


    He wasn''t nning to stay the night, but still had to pay the day fee, which was a total of 8 copper coins, leaving him with 85. He was quickly seeing the money he had taken going down.


    ''Judging by what that girl said before, I wonder how much Pagna warriors get paid, or those that are part of a n?'' Raze thought. ''She did say she was surprised to see that I didn''t even have 10 coins, and considering my body, I guess they do eat a lot as well.''


    Now in the room, Raze was preparing a number of things. First, he had a piece of chalk in his hands. This was something he had taken from the temple, as the children would often draw on the grounds as a way to y with something.


    He ced three crystals on the ground and started to draw a formation around them.


    ''A 2-star mage, that can perform 2-star enchantments and has a good-quality item with a high-grade crystal, can obtain higher-enchanted items, and with my dark magic effect, it could even turn out to be an Elite-grade enchanted item.''


    The enchanted items all had different rankings based on their effects:


    - Common


    - Umon


    - Rare


    - Elite


    - Unique


    - Mythical


    - Legendary


    - God


    The current items Raze had were all at the Umon level, the ring as well as the robe he was wearing. The potions would be borderline Rare, but of course with Dark magic enchanted items, there would always be a curse.


    Saying all of this in his head, there was clearly a problem. He had everything, apart from a higher-grade crystal. Raze had only a level 1 power stone as they called them in the world of Pagna.


    What he needed was a level 2 power stone, and there was a way to do this without fighting a stronger beast.


    A formation could be cast,bining two level 1 stones together. However, a stone would be used in the process. So to create a level 2 stone, one would need three level 1 stones.


    This special formation could only be used to increase the level of a stone by 1 and no higher. On top of that, the higher the level of stone, the less chance there was of the whole thing working.


    So this was something that Raze would only try with the basic level 1 stones he had. Flicking his fingers with his magic, the formation lit up, and all three of the stones started to vibrate and moved colliding into each other.


    A bright glow appeared, and the colored crystal had be slightly more transparent in color, a sign that it was a sess.


    ''That''s good, if it failed, I wasn''t going to try that again. I need 1 stone to feed this robe, and one to head back and meet Dame,'' Raze thought, so he really only had four stones to create items with.


    This wasn''t originally part of his n, but after finding the higher-quality item in the market, it was something that he just had to do. Although he was enjoying his new body and his martial arts, magic was still his trump card in this world and the others.


    Drawing a new formation, this one took a lot more timepared to thest. Formations got moreplicated the higher the tier of enchantment, with some taking even several days to finish.


    This was why there were some mages that only focused on Enchantment, and it was quite rare to have an all-arounder like Raze.


    Finishing the formation off, Raze summoned the box out from his robe and pulled out the earring, cing it on the ground. It was the same as before, and with the level 2 power stone, the new magic ritual was beginning.


    It lit up, and so did the ring in the center. ''Haha, this has to be an Elite-grade item, this¡­ is going to be¡­ great!''


    As the magic lit up, and the crystal''s power was forming with the earring, in the corner of the room, behind Raze, electric sparks were appearing. They wereing and going, and small portals the size of a fist were opening up. Breaking through the portals, a small ck tentacle was leaking through, wriggling about.


    "It''splete!" Raze said, and the magic around the circle had died down. At the same time, the sparks and portals behind him had disappeared.


    "Tell me the effects of this item," Raze asked, and the dark magic moved like a whisper. Soon, the dark magic came back with a text in front of him.


    [An Elite-Grade Cursed ck Earring]


    [A powerful curse has been left on this earring]


    [The effects have been locked by the curse until the owner can fulfill the following requirements.]


    [The earring must be worn by the user, and they must not take off the earring within the full course of 72 hours. During this period, the user must not sleep, eat, or drink. If the user fails toplete the task or does one of the above during this period of time, a curse will be ced.]


    [Failure toplete the task will result in the user losing all of their senses. They will slowly go blind, lose their sense of taste, sense of hearing, and sense of smell.]


    [If a new person is to wear the earring, the 72 hours will restart.]

 Chapter 49 Sealed Items

    <h4>Chapter 49 Sealed Items</h4>


    "Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t!" Raze mumbled to himself, careful not to express his anger too much for the other people who might be staying at the inn. He just couldn''t help himself after seeing the effects of the earring.


    Out of all the possible oues, he was hoping that this type of condition didn''te up, but it was most likely so due to the level of the curse. However, he had managed to create a sealed item.


    Picking it up off the ground, Raze ced it back in its case and closed it while he let out a big deep sigh.


    What Raze had just created was known as a sealed item. In most cases, finding a sealed item might be a joyous asion because when unsealed, the grade of the enchanted item might actually be higher than what it currently was.


    The current grade of the item, an elite item, was more to do with how tough the conditions were to unbreak the seal. The condition wasn''t so much of a problem, but because it was a cursed item, now it meant if a person were to fail in breaking the condition, the user itself would be cursed as well.


    The reason for his frustration was due to him being so conflicted. He had even opened up the case again and was ready to grab the earring and ce it on his ear, stopping a few centimeters away.


    ''If I break the seal, I could end up with a mythical rank item,'' Raze thought to himself.


    The highest three grades of items, mythical, legendary, and god, weren''t usually something someone could just enchant. These items were often ones that were found through the portals in other worlds. There were cases where extremely high-level crystals along with rare treasures were used to create these levels of items.


    To top it off, they would have toe up with their own formations of enchantment, since enchanting at that high of a level, mages would tend to keep those secrets to themselves.


    For this to happen, one would have to find multiple things that aligned and needed to put in the hard work.


    Whereas, just finding the top-graded items through expeditions was more likely, but in some cases were just as dangerous. They tended to be in dimensions that many had lost their lives in.


    Mythical items and above were items that made one almost have god-like powers. Entire corporations, guilds, and countries would fight over them. Which was why one of the Grand Magus who was able to craft mythical and above items was a figure that could do whatever he wished.


    Idore, the Noble One, as they called him. Somewhat the leader of the Grand Magus and the one that put out the hit on his head.


    Just thinking about him, dark magic was swirling around the room, and Raze''s eyes were turning a shade darker, his pupils expanding.


    As an example of how powerful these items could be, the book Raze had found in one of the dimensions, was at the legendary rank, and that was the book that contained the ritual that allowed him to transmigrate into the body he was in now.


    ''There''s also a chance that this could be aplete dud; there is no guarantee, and it could just be an elite-grade item, which is good, but not good enough for the risk,'' Raze thought.


    ''Staying awake for 72 hours is 3 days. It''s not an impossible task but extremely difficult. After the 2nd day of no sleep, one would start to hallucinate. It would be hard to tell a dream from reality. It would be hard to process nearly anything or do basic tasks.


    The idea of trying to fight against one''s natural body to stay awake would be a difficult one without something looming over their head.


    ''To top it off, there are more conditions, no food or water, to make the mind descend into further madness? If I attempted this, how would I even exin to Kron or the others what I was trying to do.


    ''They would immediately send me to the hospital or even knock me out, forcing me to sleep. Lastly, putting myself in this state, I would be incredibly weak, and while I have not experienced any new assassination attempts, being in that state would just put arger target on my back.


    ''I don''t even have to mention why it''s bad if I were to fail in seeding in breaking the seal either.''


    In the end, it was just too much of a big risk to try, at least for now. cing the ring away in the robe, he had also ced the robe away and decided to keep the remaining three power stones. One to feed the robe, the other to head to the other dimension, andstly, one to sell if he ever managed to figure out a way to do that.


    Since Raze was leaving the town, he had ced the robe away, and he felt that he had done what he needed to do here.


    It was a shame that the situation had turned out to be a dud, but Raze had time. He was in a new body, and he had already been improving by leaps and bounds; luck wouldn''t always go the way he wanted.


    The town had multiple exits and paths that led to different areas, through different forests and vastnds that took people to other cities and areas.


    For Raze, he was leaving out of the west exit, which was ced on a slight uphill. This path led through a forest and the temple that was up ahead. Not many people left through the west exit, since they would have to climb up arge mountain to get to the other side.


    They would usually just take the north or south exit that would allow them to bypass the mountain and go wherever it was they needed to be.


    Walking down the path, the town was now around a mile away. The rustling of leaves was heard, and stepping on the path, in front of Raze, was a young boy dressed head to toe in dark red cloth. The only part of his clothing that was a different color was his basic dark brown boots, which went somewhat up his shin. Not many people wore them; in fact, the only people that Raze knew who wore them were those from the n.


    "The fact that you have popped out in front of me means you have some business with me?" Raze asked. "But I do not know you, so why are you standing in my way?"

 Chapter 50 Dark Gift

    <h4>Chapter 50 Dark Gift</h4>


    Raze''s fingers were twitching slightly, and he was wondering if this was a situation where he would need to use his magic.


    The uniform he recognized well because he had seen it before. These were the clothes of the Red Brigade, the ones that were disciples.


    The young man in front of him looked to be the same age as Raze. He was one of the students who were training to enter the Pagna Academy on behalf of the n.


    "I knew you would be here," the kid said. "I remember seeing your white hair before. You''re one of the kids that visited the n base, from the temple, so I knew you would stop here. So are you ready to apologize for what you did?"


    The disciple started to point at himself and showed his stained clothing. The red uniform was stained with an odd brown color that went from his chest down his legs.


    "You want me to apologize because you sh*t yourself?" Raze asked. "Are you crazy?"


    The disciple''s fist was shaking. Being a disciple of the n, everyone treated him well and with respect in the town, and being one of the talented students, even the teachers and elders treated him nicely.


    If he wanted, he could have asked one of them to find the person in question and get them to apologize directly in front of him. This was what being a Pagna warrior meant. Those who were powerful and skillful, showing potential, weren''t just treated as if they were above others; they were above others.


    "I gave you a chance to rectify the situation. My name is Von Cloff!" the disciple dered. "As the Disciple of the Red Brigade n, I will rightfully deal punishment. You, who has attacked a disciple for no reason, and show no remorse, is the same as an attack on the n itself!"


    Raze knew where this was going, and he couldn''t quite believe it, above others just because they were stronger? This world, it was no different than thest one he left. He swung his hand, ready to use his magic, until he had seen Von shift his feet and was directly in front of him.


    Then, with the palm of his hand, Von hit Raze right in the stomach. His body folded inward, and it felt like all of his organs wanted to explode out of his mouth.


    ''He was fast, extremely fast, I couldn''t even react with my magic in time!''


    Raze''s attacks were strong, but what was the point if he couldn''t hit his target? From the single hit, his legs were shaking, and his back was hunched.


    "You can still stand, I guess that just means I have to punish you further!" Von had moved again, too fast for Raze to use his magic, so instead, he had decided to use the two-step shift, but had done so backwards.


    The fist that had been thrown by Von had missed this time.


    "Interesting, so you can use some skills after all. I guess you have a good Qi base; no wonder why you could still stand up, but I am one of the best students!"


    Von proceeded to do the two-step shift, closing the space between the two right after Raze had done it, and he could suddenly feel his whole head being grabbed. Before he knew it, Raze''s head was flung down, and a knee was lifted, hitting him right in the face.


    Raze''s whole body was knocked in the air before it fell to the ground, lying on his back.


    "You''re filth who doesn''t even know the way the world works. A no-name is not the same as us Pagna warriors."


    Von then went ahead and stood on top of both of Raze''s arms. It might have looked like no big deal, but due to using his power of Qi, it felt like a 200kg man was now standing on him; it was impossible for him to lift his hands.


    "Don''t¡­ Don''t touch me!" Raze shouted as he screamed and desperately tried to move his body, wiggling his legs and arms. But Von quickly kicked them behind him, making him stop before cing his feet spread apart on top of his arms again.


    "I could see you were trying something with those hands of yours, too bad you won''t get to try it. Now, someone dirtied my clothes, so don''t you think it''s only fair that I at least do the same to you?"


    Looking down at the struggling Von, he spat right on his face. Not once, but three times he spat again and again, spreading it out on Raze.


    Raze was grinding his teeth, but from the initial hit, he was really hurt. The Qi inside him had been disrupted, and he was finding it hard to focus at all. But in that moment, he did manage to do something. A flicker of darkness surrounded his right hand; he grasped onto something tight, and it didn''t go unnoticed.


    "What''s that?" Von said. "Is there something you''re holding onto? Maybe something you care about?"


    Von lifted his foot and stomped on Raze''s hand, his fingers being crushed by the weight, and out popped a box.


    "What''s this?" Von asked, walking over to the box.


    "Don''t touch that!" Raze shouted, getting up and going after the box, to which Von turned around and kicked him in the chin, sending him back again.


    Razeid there on the ground. It was clear from the fight they had just had that Raze was unable to beat him. He had even thought that even with his magic, it wouldn''t have been possible unless he got a lucky hit in.


    Just as he had been told, even if they were both Rank 1 Pagna warriors, there was a vast difference between the two of them. But there was still an odd smile on his face.


    Bending down, Von picked up the box and opened it up. He could see the ck earring inside. He took the earring out and threw the box to its side.


    "What''s this, it''s just a stupid earring?" Von held it up to the light, but it didn''t look like anything special. "But for you to have held onto it tightly this whole time, it must mean something to you, right?"


    "That''s mine, don''t you dare take it, you damn sh*t box!" Raze shouted again.


    From thements before, it had just reminded Von of the situation that had urred, and his anger was rising even more.


    "Very well, I won''t punish you any more than this." Von smiled. "But I shall be taking your precious earring. As punishment, you will have to live with the fact that every time you see me, you will be unable to do anything about taking it back. I shall wear this well for you."


    Von started to walk back toward the town, not thinking anything about Raze who had his head sunken in his chest.


    His shoulders started to shake, and when Von was finally out of sight, he lifted his head, bursting intoughter.


    "HAHA!" Razeughed.


    Enchanted and sealed items were very special in many ways. For one, people were naturally attracted to them. They would begin to obsess over them due to the leaking power that emitted from the items.


    Those who didn''t practice the use of mana seemed to be even more affected by items, but regardless of that, Raze knew well that Von would take the item based on his personality.


    The thing was, enchanted items'' effects could only appear in front of a mage once they used their magic with the right incantation. However, their effects still worked, just not the way they would normally do.


    Meaning, Von would have no way of telling the effects of the earring.


    "Enjoy your gift, Von."

 Chapter 51 Breaking the seal

    <h4>Chapter 51 Breaking the seal</h4>


    Brushing off the dirt from his clothing, Raze noticed that his body was a bit sore. His arms were hurting the most, from the pain that Von had dealt him by stepping on them, but there were no broken bones.


    The most pain that had been inflicted on him was to his core, the Qi in his body, Raze could feel that it was disrupted from the strike.


    ''Is that something Pagna warriors can do. I guess there might be a way to stabilize this a bit.'' Raze thought.


    While walking on his way back slowly, Raze was breathing in slowly, trying to focus on the main points of the technique that he had learned. He could feel the Qi in his body stabilizing and the energy was spreading out to his muscles making them feel better as well.


    ''This Qi and body of a martial artist is an impressive thing. I wonder if this is how Safa was also able to heal quicker than normal as well.'' Raze touched his nose that was sore. The flesh wounds, these were things that he wouldn''t be able to heal and Kron would ask questions about it.


    ''He might even panic seeing me in this state wondering if someone was sent to attack me. I guess I''ll just have to deal with that.'' Raze started to smile, because he was just imagining what would be happening to the special Von tonight.


    ''I gave you a chance.'' Raze thought. ''I used the robes special effect to summon the earring box out of my robe and held it in my hand. You had a choice, you didn''t have to take the earring out from my hand. You had already punished me, but you decided to go a step further taking something you believed that I cared about, now this is just something that wille back to you.''


    ¡ª¡ª-


    The night sky hade out and Von had returned to the Red Brigade base. The disciples stayed in separate buildings and dormspared to the rest of the teachers. The lower disciples shared rooms together, sleeping in one big hall and training with each other.


    While the higher disciples, such as Von, had been given more attention by the n. They were tutored directly by some of the best Pagna warriors the n had. In turn, they were given a private room to themselves.


    This was natural for nearly all ns; they treated those that were talented better than the others, as they were to reward them in the future, and on top of that, it encouraged others to work harder to get a better life. It was the way of the Pagna warrior.


    At the moment, Von was getting ready for a good night''s rest. He had ced his clothes in themunity wash basket where the lower disciples would clean them in the morning.


    At the moment, he was wearing next to nothing, looking at himself in the mirror in his room.


    ''You did well today.'' Von smiled at himself. ''You are one that is going to change this n. You are the hope of the Red Brigade to reach new heights, you are the chosen one, and anyone that tries to get in your way, is getting in the n''s way.''


    On the desk, the earring was visible in the open box. Picking it up, Von ced it next to his ear, seeing how it looked on him. As he inspected the earring he noticed that it was a little strange, it didn''t really have a small metallic part that pierced into one''s ear, at least one wasn''t visible anyway. Still, a part of it was open, and it was too small to fit on a finger, so he thought the only thing it had to be was an earring.


    ''How do you even put this thing on? Is it even an earring?'' Von lifted it up, and ced it next to his ear. He didn''t have any type of intention to put it on, but when he ced it around his ear he felt a sharp pinch.


    ''Ow! What the, did it just pierce my ear!?'' Von saw a small trickle of blood falling from his earlobe. The pain was sudden but it didn''t hurt anymore, it was just a little sore if he went to touch it.


    Still, he couldn''t help but find it strange, he had never heard of a self piercing earring before, and he couldn''t even remember touching anything on it.


    Fiddling around, running his finger around the earring, Von was trying to find a way to open it, but to no avail. He tugged at the earring a bit, and that didn''t work either.


    "Crap, how do I get this thing off? It''s not getting off!"


    Thest thing Von wanted to do was pull it off and tear his ear lobe leaving a scar on his body. He cared as much about his looks as he did about his skills.


    ''I guess I''m just going to have to find that guy again.'' Von smiled. ''I wanted to show him I was wearing this thing in front of his face anyway. I can''t wait to see the look on his face.''


    With the earring still on, Vonid down in his bed. He looked at the ceiling with his hands behind his head, thinking about his future. It was routine for him, he could already see it, entering the Pagna academy, rising to the top, anding back to the n, being selected as the next master.


    Eventually, his eyes started to close, and he went into a deep slumber.


    At that moment, the earring started to light up, and from it, dark magic started to seep out as a mist. It covered Von''s body from head to toe, making changes in his body that he was unaware of.


    [You have failed to unlock the sealed item]


    [The item has cursed the user]


    [Effects of the curse will now begin.]

 Chapter 52 Losing all sense

    <h4>Chapter 52 Losing all sense</h4>


    The night had passed, and the sun was rising as usual. Rays of light filtered through the partially drawn curtain, casting a gentle glow on Von''s face. Slowly, he started to open his eyes, noticing that his vision was a bit blurry, simr to when one had a few tears in their eyes.


    He rubbed his eyes, hoping it would clear the blurriness, but it persisted. Massaging his tear ducts didn''t help either. Von couldn''t understand why his vision had worsened overnight. As a Stage 1 Pagna warrior, impurities in his body should have been removed, and issues like deteriorating eyesight shouldn''t ur, unless his eyes were damaged or he had been poisoned.


    To his right, the door opened, and he hastily covered his upper body, as he usually slept somewhat bare.


    "Von, you need to get up for morning practice; you''re a bitte!" one of the other disciples called.


    "Alright, already," Von replied. "You could have at least knocked before you came in."


    "I did, I knocked a few times; it''s not my fault you''re deaf," the disciple said before leaving annoyed.


    Von''s vision was only slightly deteriorated; he could still read and see the disciples'' faces clearly up close. However, at a distance, things began to blur. He decided to ignore it for now and headed off to his morning training.


    At the Red Brigade n, students usually started their day with a morning run and unarmed sparring before breakfast. Being a bitte meant that Von had missed the morning routine, and the students were already engaged in sparring.


    They fought using only their fists with no Qi involved for a minute and then switched to new partners. Von and his opponent exchanged hits, blocking and attacking each other. After a minute, they moved on to their next partners. In between rounds, Von was vigorously rubbing his eyes.


    "Are you okay?" his current sparring partner asked.


    Von''s eye-rubbing continued, and he could barely hear something faint. He looked up to see his opponent, but his hearing was muffled, and his vision had deteriorated further. He could only distinguish the general shape of the disciple in front of him, with a few characteristics here and their.


    "Are you okay?" the disciple asked again.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," Von replied with a hoarse voice that came and went as he spoke, as if he had spent the whole night screaming. This, too, was something that shouldn''t have affected a Stage 1 Pagna warrior.


    "I''m sorry; I think I need to go somewhere," Von said, rushing off and leaving the n base. Because of his status as a disciple, he wouldn''t get into too much trouble for leaving, especially if he stated his reason. Which he hadn''t done this time, but it would be no big deal.


    As Von walked through the town, he tried to figure out what had happened to him.


    "My voice, my hearing, and my vision. Why have all of them deteriorated? Was it something to do with that white-haired kid?"


    During their scuffle, although he looked desperate at times, there were also moments where Von could have sworn he saw the other person smiling. It was hard for him to believe, as no one in that situation would have been able to smile.


    "It might have been this strange earring as well. It dide from that kid; maybe he knows something about it," Von thought.


    Right now, he could still see, hear, and speak, but everything was slightly worse than usual. So Von decided to go to the main suspect, the person in question. It would be embarrassing for him to report it to the higher n members if it turned out the kid had nothing to do with it. If things didn''t improve, he would speak to the n about visiting a physician.


    As Von walked through the forest and up the winding stairs, he started to notice that the temple in the distance was getting blurrier, and the world around him was quieting down. It was as if his head were underwater, and his senses were fading.


    Sprinting to the top, Von crossed the temple walls and entered the training courtyard. Most temple kids were outside sweeping leaves when they saw someone from the Red Brigade arrive.


    "Is that a disciple?"


    "Yeah, he''s wearing the clothing; it has to be the disciple."


    "Is he looking for Sir Kron?"


    Many of the young children in the town shared the dream of bing Pagna warriors. However, this aspiration often waned as they grew older and learned about the difficulties and challenges that came with such a path. Still, living in a town with a n nearby, everyone recognized the disciples of the Red Brigade n. However, the one who had just arrived was acting rather peculiar.


    "Maybe I should go see what he wants," Simyon said, starting to walk over. But he stopped in his tracks as Raze stepped in front of him.


    After making an excuse to Kron about taking a tumble andnding on his nose while trying to test his strength, Raze had also insisted on taking a different job that would allow him to be outside in the sunlight. Kron, not thinking much of it, had epted his request, and it had all led to this moment.


    "Hey, are you looking for someone?" Raze asked loudly. "Or are you having trouble seeing them?"


    As Raze shouted these words, Von turned his head, and he could see the white-haired figure before him.


    "Yo..." Von attempted to speak, but his voice came out strained, sounding as if only air were escaping his lips.


    ''What did he do to me, what is it? He knows¡­he definitely knows!''


    "Are you having troubling speaking as well!" Raze asked.


    ''Those words! What was it, was it the earring, I''ll kill him, I''ll kill him!''


    Von''s attempts to scream yielded no words, and his vision deteriorated rapidly. It became a chaotic mesh of colors, and he grew desperate, striking out in front of him, but hitting nothing. The sounds around him faded into nothingness. Falling to his knees, tears streamed down his face, but he couldn''t even feel them. It was then that he realized he might have lost his sense of touch as well.


    Panic consumed him. He reached around the side of his face and felt the earring that was attached. At this point, he no longer cared about potential scarring; he just wanted to get better, to return to the way he was. With a surge of desperation, he ripped the earring from his earlobe and flung it away. He had no idea where itnded, but his condition showed no sign of improvement. Von began mming the ground, causing the tiles beneath him to break.


    Amidst the chaos, one of the temple kids ran inside and brought out Kron. The sight of the red uniform caught Kron''s attention, and he rushed over.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you here? Has something happened?" Kron asked as Von continued to strike blindly, unable to hear or see.


    Korn avoided the hit''s and due to the situation he was left with no choice but to strike at the back of his head knocking him out.


    "I''ll be heading into the town quickly to see what''s going on. I won''t be away for long," Kron said, before hurrying away.


    Meanwhile, Raze stared nkly at the spot where Von had been. He reflected on his actions.


    ''If people knew what I had done, some might think that I was cruel,'' Raze thought, ''but I have been punished by allowing people like you to live more times than I can count. You attacked me over a few words. You didn''t stop at a simple beating; you humiliated me with your spit as well.


    ''And then, when you believed something was precious to me, you took it away. As you continue with your life, never facing consequences for your actions, you wouldgrow up to believe? it was only natural for you to take what you want without thinking about others.''


    "That earring wasn''t precious to me, but in the past, I allowed someone like you to get off with light punishment, and they took away something very precious to me. So I won''t make that mistake again."


    Raze searched the courtyard for the earring, recalling the direction in which Von had thrown it. However, he couldn''t locate it.


    "I was sure it went here. It has to be here, unless... did someone pick it up?" Raze wondered.


    Inside the temple, most of the kids decided to rest while Kron was away. They rxed in their rooms, except for one person in particr who sat on his bed, holding a ck earring in his hand.


    "Why did I pick this up?" Simyon thought, puzzled by his own actions.

 Chapter 53 The Lost Earring

    <h4>Chapter 53 The Lost Earring</h4>


    Seeing the state that Von had acted in, Kron knew something was up. The child was not his responsibility, which was why he had immediately gone to the n base. Von had eventually woken up, and all of the elders were in shock at his actions.


    He wandered about, stumbled over his own legs, and was banging the floor constantly. No matter what they did, they were unable to get through to him. They called out, asked him questions, but none of it was working; there was no response back.


    They had even tried to get him to write what had happened, how he had be this way, but with his sense of touch gone, he couldn''t even hold a brush properly. Eventually, Von was even unable to walk as he was unable to sense his legs.


    This was as much as Kron had witnessed before heading back to the temple. He had told them what he knew, how Von was in this state when he had found him. It was their guess that he had stumbled there after receiving this condition, whatever it was, because they believed he had no reason to be there.


    With no clue as to what was going on, they took Von to the physician, with one of the n members guiding him. At the moment, he wasid out on the bed, his mouth open. They had force-fed him some food, closing and opening his mouth for him.


    It was quite amazing that they still had gotten him to swallow, but for how much longer, it was hard for them to tell.


    "This, I have nevere across a case like this before," the physician said. "I will continue trying what I can, but as of right now, I wouldn''t count on his state changing. He will continue to live, but not in the same way as he did before."


    This news had reached the elders of the Red Brigade n, and a meeting was called between them. As this was a big loss to them all, because it was one of their rising talents.


    In the master''s main hall, chairs had been set up, and six of the elders, including the master Yon, were sitting opposite each other around four meters away in each direction. All of the elders were sitting apart from each other as they would do when having a meeting.


    "I have to ask," one of the other elders spoke up, stroking hisrge beard that dangled to his chest. "Do we perhaps believe that what has happened to Von is the same as the rest of the death-rted incidents that have been urring around town?"


    "I believe this is separate," Yon answered immediately before there could be any such rumors. "This does not fit anything that has happened before, but I can''t say we can rule it out, as at the moment we have no leads."


    "It''s the Demon faction!" one of the elders yelled, jumping out of his seat nearly pushing his chair over. "They have always had ambitions to rule over the entire continent through whatever means are possible to them. They are worse than the Light faction! Taking out our talent before they even have the chance to grow."


    "Calm down, Donaven!" Yon waved his hand, telling him to take a seat. "Although I agree with your views on the Demonic faction, it makes no sense for them to go after a small n like ours. For now, we just have to keep a closer eye on this town, for I fear even worse things are toe."


    ---


    Inside his room, Simyon was continually staring at the earring that was in his hand. There was something fascinating about it. When he saw it on the floor, right by his foot, something had drawn him to it.


    Eventually, he had picked it up, and there was a strange sensation over his body, as if it was informing him he had done the right thing. After giving it a wipe, it was now in his hand, but he had yet to put it on.


    ''This came from that disciple, it looked like he had gone a bit crazy and tore this thing off. It makes me wonder if it''s expensive; maybe I can even sell it for some coin,'' Simyon thought.


    While it was in his hand, he was reluctant to let it go, and continued to twirl it around, looking at every detail of the earring. Yet there seemed to be nothing special about it, but he felt like he was holding onto something like a diamond in his hand.


    Catching himself in this strange state, Simyon ced the ring on his bedside counter, and turned away, looking at his room''s wall. It was only a few momentster that he had turned around and had picked up the earring as well.


    Now sitting up, he held it in his hand and was bringing it ever closer to his ear.


    ''What am I doing? This literally just came off the ear of someone else. It''s pretty disgusting if I put it on like this.''


    Leaving his room, Simyon had traveled to the kitchen, and after giving it a quick rinse with a hose, he lifted it in the air and brought it to his ear again.


    "Now it should be okay, Ouch!" Simyon screamed a little; he had only brought it to his ear, thest thing he had suspected was that it would attach itself to him and pierce him.


    Touching his earlobe, he could feel that the earring was now on him; he tried tugging and pulling, but there was no sess in removing the thing.


    ''I have a bad feeling about this,'' Simyon thought. A little worried, he decided to head toward his room.


    As he was heading out, he bumped into Safa, who looked to be starting cleaning duty in the main hall. Even though Kron wasn''t back yet, she had decided that she would get a head start on some chores.


    She smiled at Simyon, and he smiled back, but then she started to stare at him for a few seconds before pointing to the new essory he had on him.


    "Oh, this, do you like it? Do you think it suits me?" Simyon asked.


    Quite quickly, she shook her head, which just made Simyon a little more depressed since he couldn''t remove this thing.


    "Hey, I''ll have you know that I''m starting a fashion trend. Soon all of the kids at the temple will want to wear an earring like this one."


    Thement had made Safa chuckle a little, and she was soon continuing her duties. In the middle of her cleaning, surprisingly, Raze, who had been outside nearly this whole time, had entered the main hall and started to approach her.


    Her heart started to beat a little faster; it was rare that he woulde up to her first, unless it was a telling off of some sort.


    "Hey, while you''re cleaning, look out for a small ck earring. It''s a small loop type one that looks like a ring," Raze said. "And if you do find it,e to me straight away, and whatever you do, don''t wear it."


    The item was a dangerous one, and as a thank you for obtaining the original owner''s body, he thought the least he could do was warn his sister. But after telling her of such things, Raze could see the look on her face with her mouth slightly ajar.


    "You''ve seen it, haven''t you? Tell me, where is it now!"

 Chapter 54 Survive Three Days

    <h4>Chapter 54 Survive Three Days</h4>


    Safa stood there for a moment and stared back into Raze''s eyes. She was trying to gauge just what he was feeling right now. Based on his reaction, he knew about the earring, so did that mean it belonged to him?


    He did, after all, tell her to give it to him if she was to stumble upon it, and she knew how Raze was about his things. If he was to find out that Simyon had it, then what would Raze do to him?


    Would it be the same as what happened to Gren?


    Safa hadn''t even seen the state of Gren, but she was sweating on behalf of Simyon if Raze was to find out. On the other hand, she started to think, wasn''t this something that Raze would find out sooner orter anyway, and if that was the case, maybe it would be better if Simyon was found out while Safa was there. That way, she could try her best to calm Raze down if need be.


    Pumping her fist and a small nod of her head, she thought this was the right thing to do. It was the least she could do after Simyon had stood up for her and even took a beating on her behalf. He was a good person.


    Safa nodded her head and pointed to her own ear, acknowledging that she knew about the earring. She then used two of her fingers to symbolize walking, with another hand behind.


    For some reason, Raze understood what Safa was asking him; she was telling him to follow her.


    ''So she knows where the ring is?'' Raze followed Safa through the hall, and she was heading to the other side, where some of the kids at the temple stayed. ''This isn''t our room, so does that mean one of the other kids found it after all.''


    Wild thoughts were running through Raze''s head; he needed to prepare for the worst, but there was still a chance. Just because someone found the ring didn''t mean they would wear it.


    A knock was made at the door, but there was no response on the other end. Regardless, Safa had decided to slide the door open and head inside anyway, and Raze had followed. The rooms were small, so it didn''t take long for the two of them to see Simyon lying on his bed, his eyes closed with the earring on his ear.


    "Wake up!" Raze shouted immediately.


    "Huh?" Simyon opened his eyes and was startled to see the two of them in the room and pushed his back up against the wall. "What are you two doing here?"


    "Did you fall asleep?" Raze asked immediately. Ignoring everything else, it was the worst oue possible. Not only had someone found the earring, but they were already wearing it, and if he had fallen asleep, it would have been toote.


    "No, I just shut my eyes? Why are you asking, what are you two doing here?" Simyon said, still a little panicked, but he was starting to calm down. When looking at Safa, he didn''t want to show such a side to himself, so he quickly rposed and pulled himself together.


    "If you really just shut your eyes, then why didn''t you answer before?" Raze asked.


    "I was deep in thought, and does it even matter if I fall asleep or not, this is my room?" Simyon argued back.


    Safa was standing in the middle of the two, she was turning her head back and forth because she thought a fight was going to break out at any second, but that was when Raze had decided to back off and started to bite his thumbnail.


    ''This situation, when I made the ring, I never envisioned this was going to happen, but what do I do now?'' Raze looked at Simyon; he seemed fine, and he couldn''t feel the presence of a curse on his body.


    That still didn''t change another fact, that Simyon had put on the earring. ''It''s no doubt that if Simyon falls asleep, he will suffer a cruel fate, one that is my mistake. Although I have no strong feelings towards him.''


    ''For some reason, he never told Kron about what he saw that day either. It isn''t fair, I should at least give him a chance to fight back.''


    "That earring," Raze pointed. "It''s something that you should have never worn, but now you have done so, we cannot undo what has been done."


    Simyon gulped. He didn''t know what Raze was talking about, but just the serious look on his face, going along with his tone that was telling him the situation was grave, was worrying for him, and ever since he had put on the earring, he had a bad feeling.


    "What I''m about to tell you may sound like some type of fantasy to you, but believe me it is very real. For anyone who wears that earring, they are not to remove it. You are not to sleep for the next 72 hours, nor eat or drink, if you do, a curse will fall on your body, you will go blind, you will go deaf, and lose all of your senses."


    Raze didn''t need to exin about magic; he didn''t need to tell him where the ring came from or how he knew all of this. Because all of that would be pointless if Simyon couldn''t survive.


    "Come on." Simyon nervouslyughed. "Raze, that''s kind of a cruel joke. Come on, man, I''m already worried about this thing. Look, if you want it, I would give it to you, but the damned thing won''te off."


    Raze looked deep into Simyon''s eyes before saying the next words. "It''s not a joke, Simyon. Do you know who had that earring before you? Don''t you remember how that disciple from the Red Brigade n acted?


    "If you do any of the things I mentioned, then you will be the same as him, and there is no cure. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Kron when he returns."


    Safa knew Raze had been doing some strange stuff at night, and somehow he had managed to get his hands on power stones. To her, it didn''t sound like Raze was lying, especially with the warning he had given her as well.


    Looking at Simyon, she just nodded as well.


    Simyon ced both hands at the side of his head and started to curl up into a ball. "But how... it''s just an earring, what is this thing? I thought it was some weird sh*t when it attached to my ear like that. Three days, three days no food or sleep, is that even possible?"


    Simyon was already affected just from learning the task ahead of him; with the way he was acting now, he was bound to fail. For a couple of minutes, he just sunk his head into his legs until he eventually looked up at Raze.


    "Raze, you seem to know a lot about this earring, so I have to ask you. What happens if I seed? Does it just mean that I won''t be affected and can take off the earring, or is there a chance that I might be strong... like you?"


    This response was surprising to Raze. Was this a little bit of hope? Was this what Simyon needed to be able to get through this? For him, things had just gotten interesting, and a smile appeared.


    "If you seed, you''ll have power out of this world."

 Chapter 55 A Reason to be strong

    <h4>Chapter 55 A Reason to be strong</h4>


    Initially, there was a lot of shocks going through Simyon''s system. The horror of the task and the reality of what might happen to him if he were to fail. The hardest part of the task was not knowing truly how difficult it would be.


    It wasn''t as if Simyon had attempted to stay awake for three days; as for the other conditions, he had experienced them before, it had been a long time, but thebination of all those things would have surely been different.


    One good thing was, for now, he hadn''t asked a lot of questions. Eventually, Kron had returned, and when he did, he had asked the children a few questions about what they had seen.


    He didn''t go into detail with his questioning because the kids were all giving him roughly the same answers. They hadn''t seen much because he had only been at the temple for a few minutes and didn''t say a single word.


    Eventually, nighttime hade, and Safa and Raze had agreed to take it in turns to look over Simyon. Raze would stay in his room the first night, making sure that he didn''t sleep, hitting him whenever he felt drowsy or talking to him.


    Safa would take over the second night, and Raze would look over him for the final night, which would be the hardest. All of this was to give him the best chances of survival.


    As for food and drink, they had a n for that as well. They would inform Kron that Simyon wasn''t feeling well, and that they would bring his drink and food to his room. Either Safa or Raze would then gobble it up, preferably away from Simyon.


    When in a hungered state, the worst thing was having it shoved in your face when you could do nothing about it, and so the first evening hade, and Raze was standing up against the wall with his eyes closed while Simyon was sat up on his bed.


    The two of them had stayed silent for a couple of hours now, and Simyon couldn''t take it. "Hey, I''m just going to start rambling on, if I don''t do anything, then I think I''m going to doze off before I know it. That''s alright, yeah?"


    Raze opened his eyes and gave a slight nod; he clearly wasn''t a person of many words. "You know, when I first heard what this earring might do to me, I thought, why me, why is my luck so bad?" Simyon asked.


    "I came from a town, only a little smaller than this one, maybe you would call it a vige more than a town. It was a ce where everyone knew each other, and out of all the ces possible, a portal break happened right there in my vige.


    "Horrid monsters came out, killing everyone left, right, and center. It wasn''t something that happened in an instant either. The adults tried to fight back, but they were no match, and me and my sister... we hid. The two of us hid from the monsters with no food and no water for a few days.


    "At first, the pain was unbearable, but eventually, I got used to it. It''s strange, the pangs woulde and go, intense but the feeling would go away. Even now, it''s almost impossible to remember the pain."


    Simyon then ced his hand not on his stomach, but on his heart instead. "But, there is a pain that I can''t forget. My sister, she had given me all our food, all of the water we had at the beginning, and eventually, she passed away, and the pain of losing her has never gone away. So, now you might understand why I have a go at you, now and then, for not looking after your sister, but I''m d you secretly care." Simyon chuckled.


    Raze didn''tment on anything that Simyon said, but he made sure to listen to his story well, because it reminded him a bit about his past. Back then, if there was someone who had listened to him, someone who had guided him, would he have taken a different path and never have be the Dark Magus?


    ''But there''s arge difference in our stories,'' Raze thought. ''Simyon''s anger can be directed towards the beast that killed his family, while mine is towards other humans.''


    "I know a part of your story from before," Raze said. "But how did you end up surviving, was it because of Kron?"


    Simyon shook his head. "I told you I wanted to be a Pagna warrior because one saved me, but it wasn''t Kron. It wasn''t even someone from the Dark faction, actually. There''s this n called the Crimson Crane. They''re probably the biggest and most famous wandering n there is."


    "Wandering n?" It was the first time Raze had heard of something like this.


    "It''s what it sounds like, it''s a n that doesn''t belong to any of the three major factions and roams through thends. At the time, a man named Tilon had killed all the beasts from the portal break and then found me. That''s why I want to be a Pagna warrior, no, not a Pagna warrior.


    "I just want to be strong, so I can stop these portal breaks before they make more people like me. So I don''t care how I get that power, if this earring can grant it, then I''ll fight through this and survive."


    The words Simyon had said, ''I don''t care how I get power,'' were the same words that Raze had repeated through his head a few times, and hearing it, inside, he was rooting for the kid.


    ''Just don''t end up like me, otherwise, you''ll live a sh*t life like I did.''


    The first night was rtively easy for both of them. Raze was used to ack of sleep due to him going out during the night anyway, and Pagna warriors didn''t need as much sleep either.


    For Simyon, he just felt a little hungry once in a while; the worst feeling for now was the first, as his lips were drying up a little, but they all knew that the first day would be the easiest.


    The two siblings went through their n, with next to no trouble at all. They informed Kron that Simyon was feeling sick, and when he went to check on him, it certainly seemed that way.


    Simyon had managed to stop Kron from taking him to the physician, saying that he would get better in a few days just with some rest, and if he wasn''t better after five days, then they should take him to the physician. It was quite surprising how slick Simyon could be with his words.


    Things went by quite quickly, and Raze was also surprised by the determination of Simyon; he hade in a few times and could see nail marks in the palm of his hand. While the two of them were away, he must have been close to dozing off but had tried to inflict pain on himself in order to stay awake.


    Now, it was the second night which hade, and this was where things were starting to worsen. Safa couldn''t speak, so she tried tomunicate with books, pointing to the words, but it was hard for Simyon to focus. His head was banging with pain, and his stomach felt like it was trying to eat itself, as his muscles tensed up hard. When he tried to look at the words, he was reading them but they weren''t registering in his head, as if he knew what he was saying but didn''t understand the words.


    "I don''t understand, okay!!" Simyon shouted, as another wave of the hunger pangs came over him.


    "I''m sorry, Safa, it''s not you, you know it''s just everything I''m going through. Please, whatever I do, if I snap at you, shout at you, forget all of it, it isn''t me," Simyon said.


    Rather than speaking, Safa decided to go with another technique for the rest of the night, and it was pping Simyon''s leg every time it looked like he was dozing off. At first, the ps started off small, but they gotrger andrger until his leg was raw red.


    "Ah!!" Simyon screamed but held it in, trying not to wake up the others. Tears started to fall down his face, not because of the pain, but because of everything he was going through; he felt like he was going mad. All he wanted to do was sleep; why couldn''t he just rest his brain for a moment!


    The second day had finallye to an end, and Safa was thankful that she didn''t have to go through the third night with Simyon because she had no clue how she was going to help him get through it. Seeing everything, she began to tear up but made sure that Simyon wasn''t there to see her tears.


    While the two were away, they had to trust that Simyon could get through it for a couple of hours on his own. The children were busy having breakfast when they heard a loud horn noise from the outside.


    "Isn''t that the Red Brigade n''s signal?" Kron mumbled to himself as he stood up and ventured outside.


    In the courtyard, he could see not just a single member of the Red Brigade but it looked like a full squad of six, one of them including Sonny.


    "I, Rapsen, squad leader of the second division, am here on orders of the Red Brigade n, to collect Raze, on suspicion of harming a Disciple of the n!"

 Chapter 56 Locked Up

    <h4>Chapter 56 Locked Up</h4>


    The kids at the temple watched as they saw the Red Brigade n enter the temple and ce Raze in metal cuffs. These cuffs were made of a thick, heavy, ck material, unlike the ones used on Alterian.


    These cuffs were made of a special material that not even those at the peak of the Initial stage could break out of. It was something Raze had nevere across, and he wasn''t even sure if his magic would do the trick.


    Escorted by two Pagna warriors on either side, they led him down the stairs while Kron stood by Safa''s side for support, not saying a word.


    Before they had put Raze in cuffs, they had given him a brief exnation as to why they had done so, because he was suspected of harming a disciple. Sinceing here, there were a few people that Raze had done harm to: the Pagna warrior that tried to kill him, the pawn shop owners, Gren, andst but not least, Von, the disciple of the Red Brigade n.


    ''I wonder how they managed to suspect me?'' Raze thought, as he followed the others and eventually left the templepletely. ''He shouldn''t have been able to speak, and if he lost all of his senses, he wouldn''t have been able to hear their questions or write?


    ''Could it be, does the world of Pagna have something that can heal the sealed curses? Something that not even the 9-star mages of Alterian couldplete?''


    During the walk through the forest and through the town, not a single word was said to Raze, and he reciprocated by staying silent. In this type of situation, it wouldn''t be surprising for a kid to remain quiet.


    There were many looks from the onlookers, but there wasn''t too much shock, as this was something that urred once in a while. The n was employed on behalf of the local kingdom, so it was their job to uphold justice. Other than other Pagna warriors, one couldn''t really go against them in the first ce. So they would bring them in and hold them before carting them off to the main city to be locked up.


    Eventually, Raze had entered the base, but he wasn''t taken to the main buildings or the buildings at the side. Instead, he was taken to an area behind the main building, a crude, worn-down building at the back. A few guards stood outside the building, and upon heading inside, it was quite obvious what the ce was: a holding cell. Passing by the other cells, he could see what looked like drunks and a few disgruntled older men, but no one that appeared dangerous.


    It just made it clear, that the town and the n itself wasn''t a dangerous ce.


    With the cuffs still on, Raze had been ced in a small room where he couldn''t even lie down. At most, he would have been able to stretch his arms and touch all sides of the walls, but due to the cuffs, he could only move his arms up and down. With that, the other n members left him be.


    ''Are they just going to lock me up and keep me here?'' Raze thought. ''No trial, no exnation of what happened, or how they even found out it was me! I mean, I am guilty, but where''s the evidence?''


    Although Raze was unable to break the locks, he could still use his magic through his hands. If he wanted to, he could st away the weakened walls, but he wondered where that would leave him.


    ''I guess if the situation goes from bad to worse, I could always escape to that other world and meet up with Dame. If the item did him well, he could protect me for a while,'' Raze thought.


    After around an hour or so, footsteps were heard down the hallway, and eventually, they had stopped right in front of Raze''s cell.


    "How are you doing in there?" Sonny asked. "That was a stupid question to ask, I guess you''re worried sick and have no clue what''s going on."


    Based on how Sonny was acting and the fact that he hade in on his own, Raze realized that this wasn''t on orders, and maybe he would be able to get some information from him.


    "You''re right, I have no idea what''s happening right now. Why did they say I hurt a disciple? It''s not even something I''m capable of?" Raze said.


    Sonny looked to his left and then ced both hands on the bars as he went in closer. "The situation isn''t looking the best right now," Sonny whispered. "You know the n was already suspicious of you because you managed to survive back then, Yon told you that, and honestly, you were never cleared of being a suspect.


    "As for the disciple that was injured... The physician was able to get some information out of him. The kid, he can''t speak, he can''t hear, and he can''t see, but I heard he can still cultivate Qi inside to a certain degree.


    "The physician tried to help him restore some of his functions through Qi. It must have powered through his body and allowed him for a moment to get back some of his senses. The disciple did two things; he mumbled ''white hair,'' and also wrote down the words ''white hair'' as well.


    "They tried the same trick again, but it only seemed to work once. Now, just because you have white hair doesn''t mean they outright think it''s you, but you''re high up on the list due to the other incident as well, and other than the old ones, there aren''t really many with white hair."


    In some ways, hearing this news was a bit of relief. Since they hadn''t figured out a way to cure Von, it meant that the me couldn''t 100 percent be pinned on him. The n was unsure about punishing someone who was just a kid.


    "The n, right now, they''re waiting on some experts toe and interrogate you."


    An eyebrow was raised; what kind of experts could confirm the truth? Was that even possible? If it was a mage, they could perhaps cast a spell that looked into one''s memories or forced them to reveal the truth. But based on what Raze knew about the Pagna, they weren''t capable of such things.


    A click, followed by a creak, was heard. The Red Brigade members hade in, and they weren''t alone. Along with them were the two experts. Sonny had run out of time; he wanted to ask Raze if it was him or learn something. If he did find out something, what would he have done? That he didn''t even know himself.


    The Red Brigade members lined up in front of the cell, and lifting his head, Raze could see the experts by their side.


    "It''s you?" The woman said.


    The voice was a familiar one, and out of all that he thought he would see, he never thought he woulde across the woman from the market, Charlotte, and standing by her side was herrge friend, Himmy.


    "It''s nice to meet you," Himmy winked.

 Chapter 57 A Special Type of Interrogation

    <h4>Chapter 57 A Special Type of Interrogation</h4>


    It was thest night for Simyon, and originally, Raze was meant to cover it. He had been taken away in the morning, and there was no sign of himing back anytime soon.


    The children had even asked Mr. Kron about what had happened to Raze, but he gaveckluster answers such as, "They just wanted to speak with him." Maybe due to Safa living a life without speaking, she had be quite versed in reading facial expressions, and she could tell Kron was lying.


    Many of the children could too, as they had heard what the Red Brigade squad had said when they first arrived.


    During the night, Safa had snuck into Simyon''s room. With Raze not being there, it was her turn to take over, and with not having slept much the night before, she was pretty exhausted as well. But all of those feelings nearly disappeared in an instant.


    Simyon was constantly pping the side of his face, which had swollen up a bit from him repeatedly hitting himself. There were scratches on the side as well, as he had dug his nails into different parts of his skin in a way to keep himself awake in any way possible.


    "Someone... help me," Simyon mumbled. "Please... Raze... is that you... Raze?"


    Simyon hadn''t even turned his head, and even if he did, Safa was unsure if Simyon would recognize it was her instead of Raze. Immediately, she started to tear up.


    What was she meant to do in this situation? How was she meant to help? The person that Simyon was calling for, wasn''t even here, and Simyon had no clue what had even happened to him now. If she did anything to inform him that Raze had gone somewhere, would his hope be lost?


    Moving closer, Safa eventually climbed on the bed. She could see Simyon was still pping his face, his eyes were fluttering in and out. It almost looked like he was having a seizure while awake. When she sat by his side, she went to grab his hand.


    "No! No!" Simyon shouted. "I need to stay awake!"


    With his other hand, he started to dig his nails into Safa now, drawing blood, but she didn''t shout and kept the pain in. If this was a way to help Simyon get through this, then she would.


    Inside the cell, Raze was looking at the orange-haired girl with the beret hat on her head. She had stood out to him in the market stall that day, so she was easily recognizable, and therge man in the brown overcoat stood next to her.


    "These two, they must be the two experts that were called in, but they aren''t dressed like members of the Red Brigade. I remember, the girl was even asking about me helping her out."


    "I thought we might meet again, but I never expected it to be in a situation like this. I thought it was too good to be true for there to just be a wandering Pagna warrior in a town like this," she sighed.


    The way Charlotte was talking made it sound as if they had already decided that he was guilty, which he was, but it still frustrated Raze to no end.


    "Who are you guys?" Raze asked, wondering what it was that they could do that the others couldn''t.


    "My name is Himmy, and this is my assistant Charlotte," Himmy introduced the two of them as if they were in some type of formal meeting, even cing his hand out. "We are part of an organization that works with several ns across the continent."


    One of the Red Brigade members cleared his throat, interrupting them, clearly trying to inform them that this matter wasn''t so important. Himmy gave a nce back, and shook his head a little.


    "You guys understand nothing about trying to get the truth out of people, but very well," Himmy straightened his stance. "The important thing is, we will be the ones that will be running this interrogation. So we shall get to know each other very well."


    Letting Raze out of his cell with two standing by his side and one behind, they walked over to the main base. Therge man was humming along as he stepped one foot in front of the other. The way he acted, it was almost as if the situation had urred a hundred times, and this was just something that he was doing again, going through the motions.


    After entering the main base, they walked to one of therge rooms that Raze had been in before. It was the room that belonged to Head Elder Yon. As they walked in, he was present with his back facing away from them.


    "Raze," Yon called out, saying his name in a tone the same way a father would who was disappointed in his own son. "I was hoping that things wouldn''t havee to this honestly, but too many coincidences have urred that don''t stack up.


    "Truth be told, these two were going to visit you at the temple, to question you about the day your family died. You see, they have their ways of getting the results that we need. Anyway, with what has happened to Von and him iming it was done by someone with white hair, we couldn''t let you escape before learning the truth."


    Yon finally turned around and walked toward the exit, just before he passed Raze he stopped and looked him directly in the eye.


    "For your sake, I hope it''s not you, Raze," Yon said.


    The whole situation, it felt like d¨¦j¨¤ vu to Raze before. Having been ced on trial, the truth of a certain situation was trying toe to light, and in the process, a world of lies had been unraveled, and all of the me had been pinned on Raze.


    ''How ironic, maybe this is what I deserve, but I wonder, why did the Elder leave the room? Wouldn''t he want to hear what happened from me himself?''


    Not only that, but there wasn''t a single guard in the room. Instead, Charlotte just led Raze to the center before taking a couple of steps away.


    "Aren''t you afraid?" Raze asked.


    "Afraid?" Charlotte chuckled. "Why would I be afraid of a nobody like you?"


    "I''m a Pagna warrior, and only you two are left in this room, with such a dangerous criminal. I''m surprised they would allow such things to happen," Raze continued to say.


    He was trying to evaluate the situation. If he took these two out, he could quickly use one of the crystals to teleport and open a portal to the other dimension.


    "They left at our request," Himmy answered. "What we do isn''t allowed to be seen by anyone, but don''t worry, you won''t remember what happened to you, whether you''re guilty or not. Honestly, I don''t like doing things this way, but I guess things are just so much easier when you have a helping hand."


    Himmy nodded towards Charlotte, who raised both of her hands up, pointing them straight at Raze, and her eyes started to glow slightly white, while her hair slipped out from her hat and started to float about in the air.


    ''This... There''s no doubt about it, they''re using Magic! And in this world!''

 Chapter 58 You do magic?

    <h4>Chapter 58 You do magic?</h4>


    A nine-star mage was the pinnacle of being a mage; they had the power to change and shape nations, and in a way, it sounded a lot like the deity Pagna warriors. With Raze having been one himself, he knew immediately what this was.


    ''This is... she''s using magic, there''s no doubt about this''" Raze thought. ''But I thought magic didn''t exist in this world? I''m certain it doesn''t, yet she is using it right here and now. Wait, let''s try to think about this.''


    ''Before they had sent the rest of the n members out, was it because they didn''t want them to see what was going to happen? So that means there''s a chance that, just like me, these guys are keeping it a secret.''


    ''I should have known, if there was a way for me toe to this world, then it meant there''s a good chance for others to do so as well!''


    Now knowing what the situation was, Raze was trying to figure out how to use this information to get out of the pickle he was now in. When mages were fighting against others, it was knowledge and experience that allowed one to win the fight.


    ''The girl, she''s using light magic, and using a skill that allows her to find out the truth,'' Raze realized. ''That means she has to be nning to look into my memories!''


    If she saw what happened, then everything would be clear, but what Raze was unsure about was just how much of his memories she would see. Would she see the memories of the body that he was in at the moment? If that was the case, he didn''t mind so much, but if she was able to see memories beyond that, the memories of the life Raze lived while he was the Dark Magus, there was no chance that she would let him live.


    ''I can still use magic myself, but if she''s a light magic user, it will be very hard to best her with my dark magic.''


    It was bad for a mage to just learn one element because one attribute could best another. Dark Magic was strong against Lightning, while Lightning was strong against Light, while Light was strong against Dark.


    ''There''s also that other man to consider as well, if he''s in the room, he can most likely use magic as well. I''m not confident I could beat these two, especially with all the other Pagna warriors as well. There''s only one way I can get out of this.''


    Taking in a big slow breath, Raze had to be ready, he had to be ready for the next oue because he wasn''t sure that this would work.


    "Wait!" Raze shouted. "Are you guys, are you from Alterian?"


    Immediately, the glow around Charlotte''s eyes started to fade. She had yet to use her spell, but her hands were already going down to her side, with her mouth wide open, she could only say a few words. "No way."


    "Hahaha, this is splendid!" Himmy said, with a voice and a face full of joy. "It looks like we''ve managed to solve one of our problems, and they havee right to us."


    "Wait, that means you guys are really from Alterian as well. So that really is magic that she was using?" Raze asked.


    All of the words that Raze was saying were putting two big smiles on his interrogators'' faces, and it looked like he had managed to get out of a tense situation, at least for now.


    "This isn''t the best situation for us to meet, but it looks like we have no choice. The truth is we have been looking for you," Himmy exined, and he gestured with his hand for them toe forward. He raised his eyebrows towards the door, making Raze even more sure that this was a secret that was not meant to be heard by the ears of others.


    Stepping a few steps closer, now each of them were only a couple of meters away from each other. Raze still didn''t want to get too close because he had cuffs on and was at a disadvantage. Just because someone was from the same world as him, it didn''t make them friends automatically.


    Yet, he couldn''t help but feel a strange stare from Charlotte''s eyes.


    "What do you mean you were looking for me, how did you know I was here?" Raze asked.


    The book he had used, as far as he knew, was the only one in existence. No mages had discovered a sign of human life, but maybe that was because they had no way to return.


    "First, before I answer your question I want to make something clear," Himmy stated. "Everything we are to tell you is to be kept a secret. This is for you and the sake of Pagna itself. Trust me, if word ever gets out about us, then not only will our organization be after you but probably the whole of Pagna."


    Raze never had any intention of telling anyone about his magic. After all, it was his advantage over the other warriors that existed in this world, or at least that''s what he thought anyway.


    "First, I''ll answer your question. What you just saw Charlotte use was indeed magic, and it is something that is not used in this world. Ites from the world of Alterian."


    "Are you a mage as well?" Charlotte asked with big, wide eyes. "You have to be, right? You''re not just from Alterian, you have to be a mage to realize that I was using magic!"


    It was clear that Charlotte was overly excited to be meeting someone like her, but why was her reaction so differentpared to Himmy''s? Maybe it just wasn''t an everyday urrence that they would meet someone from the same world.


    "As for me, I''m not a mage, I''m a detective," Himmy said, as he reached into his brown overcoat and pulled out a wallet that folded out, showing a badge with an ID number. It was something that Raze had never seen before.


    The badge or wallet didn''t help Raze at all either, as they were things he had never seen before.


    "I can see the confusion on your face. That''s right, you two may be from Alterian, but I''m from a different world altogether."

 Chapter 59 Other Worlders

    59 Other Worlders


    Himmy couldn''t have made it any clearer; he was from a different world, not the world of Pagna, not the world of Alterian, but another one altogether where in his life he was a detective.


    ''Of course, if I was from Alterian, and this is the world of Pagna, then there will always be the chance for people to be from different ces. That should have never escaped the realm of possibilities. Just because such cases never happened on Alterian, didn''t mean that they wouldn''t happen here.''


    Himmy was looking closely at Raze''s facial reactions. He noticed that rather than speak straight away, when something would usually shock others, Raze would stay silent and be deep in thought. These were the observations that he would have done countless times before. He was a creature of many habits.


    "How, how did you guys arrive in this world, and what are you doing here?" Raze asked. There was a chance that maybe Charlotte had discovered something simr to Raze, but then what about Himmy? From his statements, his world wasn''t a world of magic.


    "We call ourselves otherworlders, and there is more than just me and Charlotte," Himmy exined. "There is a whole organization of us, which is called Alter. You should do well to remember that name." Himmy pointed to the top of his head.


    "The group is filled with those that aren''t originally from Pagna, some worlds full of technology of great advancements, some from a world of darkness, and others from a world of magic. We may be from different ces, but we all arrived in the same way. Pulled into a strange portal that brought us here, just like you."


    Right now, Raze was doing everything he could not to raise his eyebrow or pull a confused face. It was especially hard, because the way Himmy was talking was as if he was all-knowing and confident, but that wasn''t how Raze had arrived here.


    ''They were pulled, so right now, they are in the same bodies as they were before. But in my case, it was a transmigration.''


    "There are two main goals of the Alter organization," Himmy disyed using two of his fingers, and with his other hand, he had them shaped like a V ced close to his lips. He took a deep breath in, and then blew arge one out while curling his lips into the shape of an O. It was one of the strangest things Raze had ever seen. Little did he know this was one of Himmy''s habits he was unable to just forget.


    "The first is to gather the otherworlders. As they are brought into this world, they will be full of shock and also know things that those of Pagna do not. Depending on who they are, they could bring great problems for this world.


    "But I''ll be honest, most of the time that doesn''t happen. Although those from Pagna speak the samenguage, the writing they use, the numbers among other things are greatly different, and so is the culture.


    "Before we from Alter can even reach them, they usually end up being killed or executed by a Pagna warrior or n. The amount of times I have heard the words ''You are courting death'' are too many to count."


    Having transmigrated into a body that was from Pagna, Raze didn''t have this problem. Yet still, he hade close to meeting his end, in the current situation he was in.


    "The people that we look out for most though, are those from Alterian," Himmy continued. "This is because they have the greatest effect on this world. I''m sure you might have already heard about the portals that open up to other dimensions and the portal breaks?"


    Raze nodded. On Alterian, portals could be opened but they closed up as well, unlike that on Pagna, and a portal break was unheard of. The portals that were here were clearly different.


    "The portals seem to strongly react to Mana and Magic," Charlotte exined. "Small uses of magic are fine here and there, but if arge amount is used up at once, a portal will open nearby. It''s not always because of us that portals open up, but we have to be careful since it can greatly affect those that are here."


    "Is it only Pagna?" Raze asked. "What if magic is used in the portals in the other dimensions?"


    "That seems to have no effect," Charlotte replied. "It''s only in Pagna. It''s one of the main reasons we try to track down any otherworlder and inform them of what is happening. Otherwise, we could be the cause of the copse of a whole civilization before we know it."


    These people, Raze, didn''t quite understand their actions. Why were they going so far out of their way to help the people of Pagna, and help the otherworlders? Was there any benefit to them? Or were they just trying to be good people?


    With the people Raze knew, perhaps the gathering of otherworlders, there was another goal behind it.


    "Didn''t you say before that you knew I was here, there has been no portal break here, so what made you think that?" Raze asked.


    Before answering, Himmy did the same action as he did before with his hand, making the shape of the V and blowing out.


    "We had suspicions that there might be one, but in truth, the reason why we are here is rted to another matter. It is due to the second goal of the Alter," Himmy exined and then motioned as if throwing something on the floor and twisting it with his foot.


    He started to walk over to Raze, and his overbearing size became quite apparent. He stayed one meter away while looking Raze right in the eye.


    "Before I tell you the second goal of us Alter, I need you to answer me honestly. Are you the one behind the murders going on in this town, and are you the one that did harm to that disciple?" Himmy asked.


    Mass release day! and new mass release goals below!


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 Chapter 60 A 6 Star Mage

    60 A 6 Star Mage


    So far, Raze and the mysterious two had a simr connection. They had a reason to talk to him, but did they have a reason to keep him alive? Did they need to stick their neck out to save him?


    Perhaps that was the reason why they were even asking such a question, and depending on how he answered, it would depend on how they would deal with him as well.


    ''In these types of situations, usually the best types of lies are ones sprinkled with a bit of truth,'' Raze thought. ''For now, it''s best that they don''t know that I transmigrated here rather than being brought over like them. I can''t just trust people.''


    "The two matters are unrted," Raze exined. "Just like you, I was brought here into this world, but it was quite recent, and when I came here, I found myself in a household full of the dead. I had no choice but to pretend that I was a part of their family."


    Himmy stood close, observing everything, the movement of Raze''s hands, the way he stood, and the tone of his voice when he spoke.


    "Iter learned that there have been several family deaths in this town, and since I was the only survivor, they have been suspecting me. As for what happened to the disciple, that was a fault of his own.


    "I recently obtained an earring. It turns out that it was a sealed item. The disciple had stolen it from me. My guess is that he must have failed in breaking the seal, and now it''s cursed him."


    The change across Himmy''s face changed drastically as his eyes opened wide and he turned to Charlotte.


    "I think he''s telling the truth," Charlotte said. "The item he''s talking about, I could tell it was special as well, but I didn''t have time to check it out properly to think it was a sealed item."


    Himmy didn''t say whether he believed Raze or not; instead, he was stroking the stubble on his beard several times.


    "I don''t believe youpletely," Himmy said. "But, it is my job to be suspicious of people."


    Raze''s fingers were twitching. Was this a situation that he would need to fight out of? But then why would the detective tell him he didn''t believe him?


    "However, I don''t think you are the cause of the deaths that have been taking ce, and Charlotte is vouching for you, so whatever you are lying about, it''s not one of those things," Himmy exined.


    ''This detective is a lot better than he looks!'' Raze thought.


    "The reason we are here is because of the constant deaths that have been taking ce in this town, which is rted to the second goal of the Alter. Our group is far and wide; we have people in every part of the faction across the continent in a number of different positions, and this is all for the safety of Pagna.


    "Our group obtains and locks away items that are powerful enough to change the world. Just like how we otherworlderse into this world from time to time, it seems that strange items that are capable of doing things that are unimaginablee into this world as well.


    "Our organization considers us protectors of these items. For if even a single person was to get their hands on them, it would be able to change the world. They are just as highly regarded as the deities in this world.


    "However, a lot of these items seem to alsoe from the other dimensions that open up in this world. We believe that the dimensions are linked to human civilizations that no longer exist."


    "That lost their battles to the beasts, but in their worlds, there are still things that carry great power. In the past, one from the Demon faction was able to obtain one of these items, and they had literally turned into a Demon on Pagna itself.


    "It had taken the two other factions to team up together to get rid of it.


    "Do you know the item grading system of Mages?" Charlotte asked.


    "Yes, Common, Umon, Rare, Elite, Unique, Mythical, Legendary, God-tier items," Raze replied.


    "Correct, these items that we gather are considered Mythical and above."


    This gave Raze a bigger idea of the full picture, and he wondered just how many of these items they might have had or were protecting.


    ''Is it possible they could have something that even I could use? With these, I could even topple the Grand Magus Idor!''


    "Alterians have to be carefully monitored because of our ability to create items as well," Charlotte exined. "The reason why we were here is because due to the strange way the deaths are urring, we believe it might be the cause of another item. We didn''t quite expect to run into an otherworlder, but thought there was a chance."


    "Now with all this information," Himmy said with a smile. "I have to ask you, will you formally be part of the Alter?"


    Charlotte had ced both of her hands together, as if she was almost begging.


    "If you join, we can learn a lot about each other, and you''re less likely to die!" Charlotte said. "And on top of that, the leader of Alter is an Alterian as well! You won''t believe it, but back on Alterian, he was a 6-star mage!


    "Can you believe it, we are practically working with a superstar and one of the strongest mages in existence! We can really count on him. Oh, I forgot to ask, What is your star rank?"


    6 stars were certainly something to be amazed at. There were around only a hundred of them back on Alterian. With his skills and power, he would certainly have been able to set up an organization like so.


    So then, if Raze got his power back, just what would he be capable of?


    "I''m only a 2-star mage," Raze answered.


    "Still, that''s amazing for your age. What are you, 16? And not only that, you''re a Pagna warrior. You said you''ve only been here a short time, and that''s impressive considering some of the others never even be a warrior. Trust me, this will be good for the both of us," Charlotte continued to bber on.


    "So, what''s your answer?" Himmy asked again.


    Mass release day! and new mass release goals below!


    450 Golden ticket''s = 1 extra chapter


    2000 stones = 1 extra chapter


    Castel gift = 1 Extra chapter

 Chapter 61 Alter Group

    <h4>Chapter 61 Alter Group</h4>


    Although the question had been asked, Raze felt like he was in a situation where he was forced to give only one answer. What would they do if he said no? After telling him all of this, they wouldn''t just let him go, and they had a card they could use against him, given the situation he was in right now.


    "What tasks will I be given?" Raze asked. "I''m sure I won''t be very helpful; I''m just a kid."


    "Our group is one that works behind the scenes," Himmy answered. "Because of Charlotte''s powers and my investigation skills, we are on the investigation team and get sent all over the continent.


    "You will first start as a low-ranking field agent. You won''t have ess to a lot of information, but your duties will be small. Once a month, we will ask you for a report, and you are to report any unusual activities that could be rted to our line of work. If somethinges up in the area you are in, then you might get called to help us out now and again."


    The terms didn''t sound too bad. As a field agent, he could still continue to grow his strength. The leader of the whole Alter group was a 6-star, so eventually, Raze would outgrow him in power, and when the time was right, he could ask for information on how to return to Alterian.


    "I have ns to join the Pagna academy," Raze exined. "If I was to be an agent, would this conflict with any of those duties? What if I be a high position in the world of Pagna?"


    Himmy started tough. "You are thinking too small, my friend. We already have those who are in high positions, and our organization is already linked up with many ns throughout the continent. The only exception would be the Demonic faction.


    "They are a troublesome group who have a tendency to use whatever they find to raise their power and have tried multiple times to take over the entire continent. It''s true what they say, you know, history repeats itself, so if you can, I would stay clear of them."


    From the sound of things, the demon faction gave most groups trouble. This just made him want to visit such a ce more, and he put a mental note down that they were definitely against Alter''s influence on this world. If he ever needed a ce to avert from their eyes, this was the ce to head to.


    "The Pagna academy is no trouble at all. Bing a warrior, showing off your strength and rising to the top, we don''t care; just answer to our call when we need you. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that the Pagna academy is a great ce for you since you will be meeting so many new faces."


    "So I have free reign to do as I wish, only needing to report to you if I suspect one of these world-changing items or meet an Otherworlder that knows nothing about the Alter organization. Heeding to your call when you need me. Other than that, I can do as I wish?" Raze asked, trying to rify the situation.


    "Yes, there is a simple rule to follow though," Charlotte nodded. "The use of magic is not forbidden, but someone finding it out is. This includes enchanting items yourself."


    Raze kept his head down and was smirking. He had already broken their rules, but it didn''t matter. He would continue to do trades with the Pagna warriors, under the guise that he was the Dark Magus from another world. No one would suspect someone as young as Raze to be a 5-star Enchanter, as well as a 9-star mage. If items started to appear in the world of Pagna that didn''t belong, they would just suspect it was someone else. Thinking of this, it reminded him of something.


    Stretching out both of his hands in front of him, there was a flicker of aura in the air. For a split second, magic swirled around his hand. Charlotte watched closely but was unable to tell what type of magic it was.


    "Are you able to buy this off me?" Raze opened the palm of his hand, revealing a powerstone.


    "It appears you have been quite busy already," Himmy imed. "We can purchase these level 1 powerstones from you, at around 10 silver coins, but those in Alter won''t always be in a situation where they can buy these off you. If you join the academy, it won''t seem so strange for you to have crystals, and you will be able to sell them at will."


    A lot of Raze''s problems were being solved with meeting these people. The extreme measures that he had nned in his head, he wouldn''t have to go through with them after all.


    "Last question then," Raze smiled. "If I join your organization, I assume you will help me out of this situation?"


    "Of course," Himmy smiled. "We look out for our own, and the more helpful you are and give back, the more we are willing to help you when you are in a tough situation of your own. Just never betray Alter, and you''ll be fine."


    From the constant looks that Himmy was giving Raze and the emphasis he would put on certain words, it felt like his mind was being read, and yet there was no sense of magic.


    ''He must have been a pretty good detective in his world,'' Raze thought. ''In a lot of ways, he''s far more dangerous than the mage by his side.''


    "Okay," Raze said, lifting his hands up. "I will join the Alter organization and follow your rules."


    In reality, the restraints that Alter put on him were just things he wouldn''t have been able to do whether he joined them or not. If they were as big as they said they were, then it would have only been a matter of time.


    "You''ve made the right choice. Now let''s get you out of here."

 Chapter 62 Bad Luck

    <h4>Chapter 62 Bad Luck</h4>


    Since the main room in the Red Brigade base was being used, the rest of the elders had gathered in one of the dining rooms. They were sitting at a round table with tea in front of each of them, but it had hardly been touched as the conversations hadn''t died down since the interrogation had started.


    "I don''t understand why we are wasting our time!" Elder Targress said. His whole face was shaking as he mmed the table in the same spot over and over again. "There are no other white-haired ones among the n, nor among anyone of significance. Only those with no names! We should just get rid of them all, including the kid! It''s too high of a risk for that to happen to the rest of our disciples! Especially if they are from the Demonic faction!"


    Elder Targress had been the most vocal about getting rid of Raze without a second thought, and he had every reason to be, since he was Von''s father. With his position in mind, he tried to state points that didn''t make him seem so biased in the situation, even though everyone at the table knew this fact.


    "With us having greater power than the normal folk in this town, we have a responsibility not to act so brazen," Elder Yon replied. "If we go killing people due to one suspect, out of fear for what might happen to us, then we willpletely lose the trust of the people, and the situation could turn very sour fast for us."


    Some of the elders nodded in agreement, while the others just turned their heads, cing both hands on the cup in front of them, sipping their tea while mumbling under their breath.


    "Can I ask Elder Yon, why are you putting so much trust into these Alters?" Elder Nimpard asked. "Are we to just blindly trust the oue of their result without running our own investigation? These people are strangers to us."


    "Strangers to you, but not to those in the Dark faction," Yon answered. "Many in the Dark faction, including ns much bigger than us, use them. If they can trust them, why can''t we?"


    As if to end their conversation, the door was slid open as a n member entered the room. He ced both of his hands together, bowing down.


    "The Interrogators say they are ready to see you and deliver the result!"


    All six of the Elders got up from their seats and started to make their way to the main interrogation room. By their side, there were also six warriors, one of them including Sonny in the group.


    As they stepped into the main hall, they could see Raze standing still, cuffed, with two standing by his side.


    "We have heard that you have managed toe up with a result?" Yon asked.


    "Yes," Hilly replied. "You will be d to know that the young boy here is innocent. He was simply a bystander in his family''s death, in fact, a survivor who has been through a lot. As for your disciple, there could be many reasons as to who it was. Another person with white hair, one trying to frame this young man perhaps? But what has happened to your disciple is impossible for this young person to do. We can confirm with certainty, and I will happily put my balls on the line, that this young man is innocent!"


    "Balls?" Elder Yon replied, finding the phrasing a bit strange to the point where it made his face blush a little.


    "What is this!" Targress stepped up, walking in front of the others. "How can we just believe what they say just like that? Tell me, how did you manage toe to the conclusion that he''s innocent? Where''s the proof?"


    "Our methods are not allowed to be exposed," Charlotte answered, trying to calm down the situation. They had been in a simr scenario before, and it was best that they all cooled their heads.


    "Targress, I told you before we must respect the oue," Elder Yon stated. "Young Raze, I apologize for suspecting you, and I hope we can leave this matter behind us."


    "Stupid fools," Himmy said under his breath. "If you want proof of his innocence, then where is the proof of his crimes?"


    Targress was shaking all over, his heart beating rapidly at this moment as well.


    "No!" Targress proimed loudly. "We can''t ept your ruling, and we can''t ept your timidness anymore. With this, I ask for a vote of no confidence in the current head Elder. Those who are in agreement, raise their hand."


    Raze was unsure what was going on, but judging by the look on the other n members'' faces, this wasn''t good news at all.


    Soon after, four of the elders raised their hands.


    "What is the meaning of this? How could you all go against me over a matter like this!" Yon eximed, shocked and sweat running down the side of his face.


    "You put the people before the n," one of the elders mentioned. "In order for us to be a n of significance, we need to focus on the world of Pagna warriors, not the general public. You have long be satisfied with our current position, and you no longer have ambition to rise."


    "And what''s wrong with that?" Yon replied. "Do we not live happy lives?"


    Judging by the expressions and the votes, next to none of them were in agreement with him.


    "You can''t do this!" Yon imed. "In order to have a vote of no confidence, all previous head Elders that are still alive must also be present."


    Immediately, a smile appeared on Targress''s face.


    "Ah yes, just as you said, all previous head Elders that are alive must be present, but I''m sure he will soon be very dead."


    ---


    At the temple, having reached the top of the staircase, a squad of fifteen Red Brigade n members had arrived, swords by their side. They were here on orders and were ready to do what needed to be done.


    ---


    Back in the room, the n members were wondering what was taking ce.


    "It looks like there is a new head Elder. Restrain Elder Yon for the time being, unless you want to be banished from the n."


    Drawing their swords, one of them was pointed right under Elder Yon''s neck.


    "Are you the bringer of bad luck or something, kid?" Himmy asked. "I mean, betrayal for the head position is amon thing, but why did it have to happen while we were here?"


    With the n members now doing as he asked, Elder Targress had a smile on his face as he stepped forward and looked at Raze.


    "And you, the one who harmed my son!" Targress shifted his feet and crossed the distance of five meters in a moment, lifting Raze up by the scruff of his clothes. Raze had almost forgotten these old men, they were also Pagna warriors.


    "I will make you go through a hell that''s far worse than what he''s going through!" Targress smiled, but he noticed that even while lifted off the ground, with his feet dangling, Raze lifted his cuffed hands and pointed them toward his stomach, cing them on his skin.


    "You think you can do something in a situation like this? I can tell your heart''s beating fast, kid, you''re scared out of your boots." Targress was clearly enjoying this.


    "Is this a situation where I have permission?" Raze asked, softly.


    It was surprising for Himmy; a small smirk appeared across his face.


    "I don''t see how else we''re going to get out of this situation."


    With both palms pressed against his stomach, dark aura started to float around his hands.


    "Dual Dark Pulse!" Raze shouted.


    A ripple of dark aura went off, and the strike had hit Targress right in the stomach. His feet lifted off the ground, and he was chucked across the room, falling on his back and lying on the floor, while Razended on his feet.


    "That was... it was... Dark magic!" Charlotte said.

 Chapter 63 Combining spells

    <h4>Chapter 63 Combining spells</h4>


    The Red Brigade n had no trouble breaking through the front gate. With a swipe of their swords, the wooden panel on the other side was sliced, and immediately, the group went to enter. They weren''t here on official business, so there was no need for them to alert the others of their presence.


    This Red Brigade group, in particr, was a group of fifteen, all of them adults, meaning that they had already experienced life in the Pagna Academy. Still, most of them had stayed at being Stage 1 Pagna warriors, but were at the top end.


    While the leaders in charge of the attack were Stage 2 Pagna warriors. Entering the courtyard, they immediately started to rush forward and were heading straight for the main temple.


    "Huh, what are you doing here?" One of the kids pointed with their hand, and without slowing down, with a swipe of the sword, the hand was sliced right off.


    "ARGHHH!" The kid screamed at the top of its lungs, looking at its hand. The child was just curious as it stared at the n membersing towards them. The members that they had seen multiple times visit them before. So they just thought it was no different.


    "All the children here are no names at the temple!" The n member shouted. "No one must know what we did here today, so there is no harm in getting rid of them!"


    Lifting the sword, the n member was ready to thrust it right through the child until a foot came out and hit the man right in the head. He was sent flying back, crashing into the temple wall, with arge foot indent in his skull, killing him on the spot.


    "Why are you trying to harm the children!" Kron had burst out of his office room the moment he heard the cries, and seeing blood, his heart was racing at what was in front of him.


    "Why are members of the Red Brigade n attacking this temple? Don''t you know who I am?" Kron stated.


    The members had started to draw their weapons and formed a formation around Kron, circling him.


    "It''s because of who you are, we are doing this!" The n member shouted.


    With everything happening, the children couldn''t help but slide their doors open to see what was going on, and to see weapons drawn at their teacher, they had no clue how to react.


    "All of you get out of here, run through the forest, head to the town where people can see you!" Kron shouted.


    Immediately one of the children closest to the door had attempted to do just that, but as they did, a n member stood in their path, ready to swing their sword.


    Seeing this, Kron stomped his foot down, and a crack went across the floorboards with power, exploding right where the n member was, causing his feet to fall, and his sword to miss.


    Safa had opened the door as well, and immediately turned her head. To look at Simyon. His eyelids were incredibly heavy, with him constantly mumbling under his breath. He was in no state to leave this ce.


    Looking outside, she didn''t know why this had to happen now of all times, because there was only one more hour to go. One more hour until the seal was undone, but what were they going to do now?


    ---


    Inside the Red Brigade n, the elders along with the other members were looking at Targress who was on the ground, his clothes had been burnt away revealing his skin, he had been blown away in a single strike.


    "Was that a type of palm strike?" One of the elders thought.


    "He must have arge amount of Qi to do something like this, doesn''t this confirm it, he really is someone who''s been sent from the Demonic faction, we must eliminate him!"


    Based on his own powers, Raze knew that Elder Targress was still alive. He hadn''t gained any mana from using his spell. All of the elders were higher-stage Pagna warriors than the rest, so it was somewhat to be expected.


    Taking this opportunity while they were distracted, Elder Yon lifted both of his hands filled with Qi, and broke right through the two swords. He then grabbed onto the heads of the two n members by his side and threw them into the wall.


    The exit was blocked, so the only way to clear himself from being surrounded was to jump up high in the air and head towards Raze and the others. It looked like he was almost floating before hended by their side, and he wasn''t the only one that was there; Sonny had decided to join the group, drawing his sword as well.


    "I''m sorry, Raze, I had no idea something like this was going to happen," Sonny said. "This was not the type of n I joined, I don''t know why they are doing this."


    Now wasn''t the time to talk about it, though, as the enemy wasing towards them. The n members rushed forward, and Charlotte was the first to make a move.


    Her eyes glowing, she moved her palm in a circr motion.


    "Wind Twister!" Charlotte called out, and from the palm of her hand, nearly the entire group had been pushed back, with some of them even being lifted up in the air.


    However, the elders were able to withstand the wind and continued to charge forward, while the men that had fallen from the initial attack had gotten back up.


    Lifting his hands up, Raze used his own magic.


    "Dark Pulse!" a beam shot out from his hand, but the elder was able to jump to the side, avoiding the attack. A straight telegraphed attack like so could easily be avoided by them, and his chained hands weren''t making things easier.


    "Do you have the fire attribute?" Raze asked Charlotte.


    "I do, but it''s my weakest attribute. I can''t produce a spell on the same scale as before; the most I can do is an ember!"


    Ember was a 1-star fire magic spell, which would be useless against these. Based on what Raze saw, her light magic and wind magic would be at the 3-star level.


    "That''s fine, use the skill Gust first, and then Ember; it will have the same effect!" Raze shouted out. From the look on Charlotte''s face, she wasn''t so sure. Why was a 2-star mage giving her advice in the first ce? Nheless, in the desperate situation, she decided to give it a go. In her right hand, the tier 2 wind spell, Gust.


    A strong wind was summoned, and had hit the Elder at the front, doing next to nothing. Then with Ember, a small orange me had been produced. When the two touched, it had produced a strong me, like that of a methrower, that went directly into the face of the elder, burning his body to a crisp until he eventually fell on the floor and copsed. One of the Elders had been killed.


    ''It worked... it really worked!'' Charlotte thought. Combining spells like so, she had tried in the past, but she had tried using Wind Twister instead. The power of her wind attribute would be too much and overpower the mes, burning them out.


    ''How could a 2-star mage, and one so young, know stuff like this?''


    Seeing the dead elder on the ground, Raze smiled. He may not yet have his skills back, but all of the knowledge he had from being a 9-star mage could still help him even now.

 Chapter 64 Power From Another World

    <h4>Chapter 64 Power From Another World</h4>


    The sensation that Charlotte could feel on her hands was lingering for a moment. The power ofbining two spells was something that she had never sessfully experienced before. Of course, in her studies, she had tried mixing one or two attributes, but due to the different strengths in the core, it was an extremely difficult thing to do.


    On top of that,bining spells at times could be very dangerous for the user. Someone always had to be the guinea pig in a particr situation, but since there were only other mages avable, no one wanted to do it.


    This fact had left theck ofbination spells among mages, and those that were sessful in finding out a few here and there were extremely petty. Having gone through the risks, they were unwilling to share their knowledge; after all, knowledge was also power among mages.


    Although not all were like this, some mages did share what they had learned through the academy, but all of this was why Charlotte was shocked. How did Raze know that thebination of spells would work?


    How did he even know about fire spells as well as 2-star wind spells? As a 2-star mage and at his age, he would still be focusing on his main attribute and learning the spell formations for those, yet he had directed her like an expert.


    "Yon!" Raze shouted out. "Get these cuffs off me if you want us all to live!"


    What Raze had done was unprecedented in the world of Pagna; he had shouted at an Elder and one of even higher ranking than him, but now was not the situation to worry about that. From underneath his robe, he had pulled out the key.


    After seeing the strange sorcery that Charlotte had produced, the rest, even the elders, were a bit reluctant to move forward.


    "Damn you, how dare you do this to the n!" Elder Targress shouted as he was finally getting up from the floor. He lifted his arm, pointing to Raze with it shaking. "You are a no name. You have no value in this world. You don''t do anything to help it progress forward."


    "Instead, you are just a leech that uses up the resources of us that need to grow. So how could you even think to do something like this?"


    The key had been inserted, and with a twist, the heavy locks fell off to the ground. Raze was rubbing his inner wrists due to the cuffs being too tight and started to walk forward, ahead of the others.


    Even Charlotte, with her skills and the help they were getting, wasn''t so confident, yet Raze was showing no fear as he took steps in front of them all.


    "You''re right, I am nothing, so you have no reason to be afraid of me," Raze said, lifting his hand up and pointing it toward the elders. "So then tell me, why are you all so scared? Dark Pulse!" Raze shouted.


    Immediately, the elders moved and flinched, jumping from their position, but nothing hade out of Raze''s hands, nothing had hit the ground, and seeing their act, he couldn''t help butugh.


    "Hahaha!" Razeughed. "And you guys are meant to be these all-respectful elders, yet you were going to kill me. Well, take this respect and shove it up your arse!"


    "Dark pulse," Raze said silently under his breath. The words were spoken just to link with the formation and image in one''s head, allowing them to produce the skills they needed to use immediately.


    This time a beam did shoot out, but the elders were still able to avoid it and came right at them. Going head to head, though, Yon jumped forward, and his fist shed with one of the elder''s legs, sending a shockwave out in the room.


    Sonny was fighting with two of the n members who were using their swords. They were hasty in their attacks, so he could avoid them, moving back here and there, but he was finding it hard to strike.


    However, Charlotte saw an opening and twisted her hand. "Wind slice!" A line of magic came out, hitting the member right in the stomach, cutting through his robes and touching his skin, lifting him up in the air and sending him crashing into the wall.


    "We have to get out of here, and quickly!" Yon shouted. "The ex-leader that they are after, it''s Kron. It means they will have sent others to the temple. He''s not as strong as he used to be."


    Hearing these words, an image of the floor soaked in blood came into Raze''s mind. Of him returning, and on the floor, everyone soaked in blood, their limbs having been torn apart, and a voice sounded in his head.


    "You forced me to do this, Raze. I didn''t want to y my hand, but you had to get involved."


    At the back of the room, a man in a robe, covered with his eyes shining off the moonlight.


    Shaking his head, he could see Targressing right at him. Raze lifted one of his hands out while shifting his feet back slightly.


    "Dark Pulse!"


    The attack left the palm of his hand and struck the floor. Targress had leapt to the side, avoiding the attack and came right at Raze, but he was unfazed by this, and instead, the Dark Mage had a smile on his face.


    His feet moved forward, powered by the Qi in his body, the two-step shift, and then swinging out his hand, it went to meet Targress dead on. Dark magic was swirling around his knuckles.


    "Dark strike!"


    The fist collided, hitting knuckle on knuckle with Targress. The elder was able to block the attack on time, but only by moving his own fist that was still in motion. When the fist hit, a pulse of Dark magic came out, amplifying his strike, which sent Targress skidding across the floor once more.


    "Did he just... use his Pagna skills andbine them with magic? The level of magic, it was clearly at the 2-star stage, yet amplifying it with a hit... I don''t think I know any mages that have been able to do such a thing sinceing to Pagna," Charlotte thought.


    There was a reason for that as well, that Charlotte was unaware of, but Raze was not. He had a special body that was differentpared to everyone else because his body was one from Pagna.


    However, despite the boosted strength in the attack, Elder Targress was a stage 3 Pagna warrior, and he wouldn''t go down so easily.


    "You two," Himmy had spoken for the first time and started to walk forward, his heavy feet plodding across the floor. "Charlotte, Raze, get to the temple and rescue those kids. I would hate to have blood on our hands of those unrted to all of this."


    Looking back, Sonny was wondering if therge man was like Raze and the girl; maybe he knew some sorcery as well.


    "Wait, but if them two go, will we be able to handle this on our own?" Sonny asked; the numbers weren''t on their side at all.


    Out of anger, Targress had gotten up again and started running forward.


    Himmy went and opened up hisrge brown overcoat, reaching inside and following it, a loud bang was heard. It was just one noise that filled the entire room and stopped everyone in their steps.


    Now Targress was no longer moving, as he had a small hole in his head. His body swayed to the side, copsing on the ground.


    In Himmy''s hand, he held a small object that many had never seen before. A small amount of smoke came out from the tip due to the heat that had been produced. What Himmy had was something that was not from this world.


    Reaching into the other side of his overcoat, he pulled out the same object and was now holding them both out, pointing them toward the n members. "I''ll be fine," Himmy answered, holding two guns in his hands.

 Chapter 65 A New Weapon

    <h4>Chapter 65 A New Weapon</h4>


    The loud bang in the room hade from an instrument that the warriors of Pagna had never seen before. They looked on the ground at Targress, and unlike the times before when they were hit with sorcery from Raze, he wasn''t getting up this time. The blood pouring from his head showed that quite clearly.


    The powers of Qi made a person superhuman, and when they reached close to the pinnacle of the initial stage, they would be able to block regr swords with their bodies. However, none of the elders had reached such a stage, which made the technology of something like a gun a deadly weapon.


    "It''s quite difficult to get ammo in this world, so please, don''t make me waste too much?" Himmy asked.


    One of the other elders took a step, trying to move, and instantly Himmy moved, firing out another shot. The loud bang urred, but unlike with Raze''s magic, they were unable to move fast enough. The bullet went right through the side of the elder''s head, causing him to fall straight to the floor.


    Witnessing people die so easily in front of their very eyes was a very frightening thing for them. Not a single member wanted to move after that. They didn''t quite understand what was happening, just that while whatever therge man was holding was pointed at them, their lives were at risk.


    Listening to the words of Himmy, Charlotte burst into action as she ran towards the center of the room. Everyone was frozen out of fear, but she still needed to be careful. The one thing mages hadpared to Pagna warriors was the ability to use their magic at a distance.


    Seeing this, Himmy caught on quickly. "You two, it''s best if you close your eyes."


    These people clearly knew more than them. Elder Yon was starting to understand that the Alter group was able to do things beyond what they could understand, so if they wanted to live or get out of the situation, it was best for them to just listen.


    Charlotte lifted one of her hands in the air, and her eyes started to glow slightly white.


    ''I see what she''s trying to do now,'' Raze closed his eyes as well. It was a move that was extremely effective that was used by many inbat.


    "Illuminate!" Out from the palm of Charlotte''s hand, a bright white light shined, covering the entire room. Those who still had their eyes open were blinded and even felt a great stinging sensation.


    "Open!" Charlotte shouted, the signal that it was now okay for the rest of them to do so.


    When they did, they could see that many of the n members were rolling about on the floor. The elders were squinting down hard, and even when they opened their eyes, they could only see grey blurs through their vision.


    Running out of the room, they quickly went down the hallway. "Head towards the back exit; there will be fewer of them," Raze ordered.


    As they took a turn, they could see more n members with weapons in their handsing towards them, four in total.


    "Can you deal with two of them? I''ll take care of the others," Charlotte asked.


    "Not unless you want me to kill them," Raze answered honestly in the heat of the moment. His mana was already running low. He needed it if he was going to continue to fight at the temple. With the way his enchanted ring worked as well, he needed to kill to be able to regain a small amount of mana back. At the same time, he wasn''t confident enough in just the two-step shift skill that he knew. It hadn''t been long since he had be a Pagna warrior, so he had nothing else he could use.


    "Do you think I have unlimited mana or something? I can''t do this by myself!" Charlotte shouted as she started to swirl both of her hands. "Wind twister!" She shouted, and tworge whirlwinds came out of her hands, knocking right into the stomachs of the front two.


    It had banged one into the other, which allowed the two to get past without the need to use any more skills.


    Eventually, the two managed to go out the back, where there was just a wall they needed to get over. With a jump and using the power of the wind, Charlotte had reached the top of the wall.


    For Raze, he gathered the Qi that he had in his body and used the muscles to leap up, just reaching the top of the wall with his hand. He then pulled himself up to the wall.


    "It looks like being a Pagna warrior has its uses. I''m getting a little jealous," she said.


    It was time for the two of them to head to the temple and to do so as quickly as they could. Looking at the sky though, Raze could see the sun was starting to set.


    ''Wait a moment, the time. I was in that cell for an entire night, and now it''s already heading towards evening? Which means it should be any moment now.''


    Back at the temple, Kron had been putting up a tough fight. He was huffing and panting, but his clothes were covered in marks while his skin had been shed with the sword all over. His blood was dripping, and he was getting weaker by the second.


    Formations were extremely powerful things, and used in the right way, they would allow lower-ranked Pagna warriors to take on those who were higher ranked.


    ''The kids, most of them got away, right?'' Kron had also been fighting desperately, pushing himself while the kids were able to get out of their room and escape.


    "This old man, he won''t fall!" the n member shouted annoyed. Now that there were no children for them to use, he knew it was going to be hard to take the ex-leader down.


    "Check the rooms, see if there are any of those runts left!" the squad leader shouted.


    Those at the side quickly went swinging the door open. Kron went to move, but he was met with a sword thrust at him from the front and the side, stopping his movements.


    The n member was opening door by door, looking inside to see if there was anyone, and when he swung one door open, his eyesid on two who were in the room.


    "I found some!" the man shouted.


    Immediately, he went to grab Safa, who was standing in front of her, but she leaned back in time and struck with arge kick to the side of his leg. It was a solid hit, but there was next to no power.


    "What is this kid even saying?" The n member said, as he moved in closer. There was a chill in the air as he got closer; something wasn''t quite right.


    "I... I... I..." Simyon continued to mumble, repeating again and again. "I... I... I."


    At that moment, the ring on his ear started to glow slightly.


    [The requirements for breaking the seal have been achieved.]


    [The seal is now breaking.]

 Chapter 66 Item Unsealed

    <h4>Chapter 66 Item Unsealed</h4>


    Simyon''s mind had already gone past the breaking point; he felt like his head was melting, and even in front of him, he could only see an area of colors moving. He could hear the words and somewhat tell someone had entered, but how far they were or even where he was?


    He wasn''t sure if he had already died, but he just knew one thing: he had to stay awake. No matter what, he needed to make sure that his eyes stayed open; otherwise, everything he was going through now would be for nothing.


    Memories flooded into his mind of when he was with his sister. The feeling he felt at the time, where he thought death was around every corner. The feeling he had right now.


    That was when a voice could be heard in his head. ''Simyon... I promise you, no matter what, you are going to get out of this, you are going to survive!''


    The image in front of him, of his sister being attacked, and the final words she said to him ringing in his head over and over. ''Live, Simyon, you have to live!''


    A rush of power entered into Simyon''s body, and the mushy image he could see in front of him started to disappear. He was gaining nearly all of the senses he had around him; he was bing aware of what was happening.


    This was the power of the seal breaking. Having endured three days of torture, the item''s power was flowing through Simyon, giving him a burst of energy.


    ''Wait... why is there a Red Brigade member in here?'' Simyon thought.


    To the right, he could see Safa, getting up off the ground. She looked hurt, and the n member''s sword was already drawn. After getting up from a daze, Safa could see the man approaching Simyon, and she ran forward, tackling him around the waist.


    "What are you doing, you little b*stard, get off me!" the n member shouted, and with his sword raised in the air, he swung it down.


    "NO!" Simyon screamed at the top of his lungs and darted forward from his position. He held out his arm to block the attack. He still wasn''t quite sure what was going on, whether this was just another illusion he was seeing, the same as the one he had been going through in his head with his sister.


    ''I can''t let the same thing happen again, not this time!''


    The strong thoughts allowed Simyon to be willing to sacrifice anything, and his arm had been given up in the process. The n member only needed one of the kids to distract the ex-leader, so it didn''t matter if one of them went, so he swung with full force.


    As it hit Simyon''s arm, though, a loud ng was heard, the same sound when metal struck against metal. The sword was pushed down, but it wouldn''t go through Simyon''s arm.


    "What the, am I still dreaming, why isn''t it cutting through my arm?" Simyon said.


    "You, are you a Pagna warrior with the steel body? But you''re just a kid!" The n member, furious, decided to shift his stance and threw a punch, hitting Simyon right in the gut. It was a powerful blow with Qi embedded into it.


    A heavy clunk was felt, and the knuckles of the n member were sore. Seeing the opportunity, Safa jumped in the air, kicking her leg off the wall and punched the n member right in the face.


    Seeing the n member stumble, that''s when Simyon thought that this might be his only chance. He rushed forward and went to perform what Kron had taught him: the two-step shift with a punch right at the end.


    His footwork was still a little clumsy, his fist didn''t go through the most direct path, but when it hit the man in the side of his ribs, a crack could be heard as the bones were breaking.


    The man knelt over, allowing for Simyon to raise both hands and bash them on the top of the n member, sending him to the floor. He wasn''t moving, either passed out or dead, but he wasn''t sure, and the only sounds in the room that were left were of him and Safa huffing and panting.


    After a few moments, Simyon looked at both of his hands. The bottom part of it was stained with blood from his hit on the top of the man''s skull.


    ''How did I do that, and how did I stop the attack from the sword? It should havepletely gone through my arm? None of this is making sense?'' Simyon started to think about what the man said. Was he a Pagna warrior who had cultivated in the steel body arts?


    But he had never done such a thing, and he hadn''t even finished producing a solid core. He wasn''t a Pagna warrior, yet he and Safa were able to beat the man.


    ''The earring!'' Simyon raised his hand, stroking the bottom part of it. ''Raze said, if I managed tost the whole time, then I would be able to obtain power outside of this world!''


    [Mythical Rank Item: ck Steel Earring] [Status: Unsealed]


    [This earring can only be worn by the user who unsealed the item, otherwise the item will be treated as a normal earring]


    [Effects: The user is able to create a ''Common'' Steel Body]


    [The strength of the steel body is Evolvable]


    [The Steel Body''s attributes can be changed and influenced temporarily by different attributes of magic that are ced into the earring]


    Simyon had no clue about the effects of the earring, since magic was needed for one to be able to see what was taking ce, but he had obtained a Mythical Grade Item. Something that Raze had never done in the past, a feat that had an almost legendary status.


    An item that if Alter found out about it, they would do anything to seal it away so it could never be used again.


    Because Simyon hadn''t be a Pagna warrior, but was using an item that contained the power of magic.

 Chapter 67 The Worst In Pagna

    <h4>Chapter 67 The Worst In Pagna</h4>


    Mr Kron had noticed that one of the room''s door had remained shut. It was likely that one of the temple kids was still in there. As he saw one of the n members, all he could do now was hope that they would be okay, while trying to best the situation he was in as well.


    ''Before I can help others, I need to focus on myself as well!'' Kron decided to make a break for it, heading toward one side of the formation.


    Three of the n members dashed forward with swords in their hands and stabbed right into his forearms, but Kron didn''t slow down and instead he continued and pushed forward.


    With the swords impaled into his body, he grunted through the pain and pushed, his muscles were strong and the Qi fueling them stopped them from pushing inside him further and hurting his vitals.


    The arms of the attackers were twisting as he continued to push forward, they had no choice to let go. Kron burst through the doors and leapt down the staircase,nding into the courtyard.


    Blood was dripping from his wounds, and when he went to stand up, he had already stumbled to the side a few times.


    ''My Qi is running out, and my body is breaking. I was never able to break through to the fourth stage. If I had done so, then maybe the situation I am in now would have been better. I knew there was a chance a day like this mighte, and yet, I put the thought in the back of my mind, giving up on the Pagna lifestyle, but it''s true what they say, you can never leave Pagna.''


    Turning around, Kron had braced himself, he could see the n members running down the stairs confidently. However he could see that not far behind them, running through the doors, were two kids from the temple.


    ''That''s Simyon and Safa, the two of them are alive? How did they make it? There''s no n members behind them¡­ is it possible, did they manage to beat them somehow?''


    Seeing this, a smile appeared on Kron''s face. He had somewhat given up and yet here the children were defying the impossible, he was a little ashamed of himself.


    Setting himself up in a fighting stance again, Kron was ready.


    ''I will take down as many as I can, so the children can survive.''


    The n member at the front had leapt up in the air, the sword ready to strike, until a sh of wind had hit the person, sending them back to where they came from. The n members immediately stopped, and as they did, Simyon jumped in the air from behind and swung both of his hands, hitting another one on the back of the head.


    A heavy blow, as if one was struck with a blunt weapon made of metal. Simyon didn''t quite know what had happened, but he knew his hits, and his body itself, were reinforced with great strength.


    The n member turned to his side, and could see Safa, he went to strike but Simyon dived in the way wholeheartedly, stopping the hit with his chest. Safa then came in shifting from the side and punched several times, with Simyon delivering a blow.


    With the two of them, they made quite the good team. Safa was skilled, one of the best at the temple, but she hadn''tpletely formed her Dantian core, so her hits were weak, even if partially filled with Qi.


    Kron was unsure of what was happening, but he needed to act as well. He avoided a strike from the sword, moving his head, and delivered a heavy punch in the face of his own. While behind him several more wind strikes came and hit the other n members.


    They were hit directly, to them it felt like an invisible force had struck them and it was a powerful one as well. By his side, Kron could see an orange haired girl swinging her arms. He could only assume it was her doing.


    Eventually, only one n member remained.


    "Crap¡­ crap¡­ everyone was taken out, I have to go back to the base!" The n member had given up and started to run toward the entrance. As he went toward the open doors, he saw someone walking through. A white haired boy.


    ''That''s one of the temple kids!''


    "Get out of my way!" the n member shouted, drawing his sword.


    Raze lifted his head, looking straight forward, and stopped in his tracks.


    "You were the ones that brought this on yourselves, you were the ones that decided to act, not me. So you deserve this."


    The dark magic swirled around Raze''s fist, then as the man rushed forward, Raze shifted forward.


    "Dark Strike!" His fistnded right in the man''s face, twisting his head inward. It was a powerful hit full of Qi, and then the pulse of dark magic. It broke his teeth, shattering them apart while ripping the skin off, sending him right back to where he was and onto the floor.


    [Darkness attribute: 25 >>> 28]


    ''Oh, that gave me more than I would get when killing beasts or the other humans from before. Could it be that different stage Pagna warriors also contribute more to the Darkness power as well?''


    It was a theory, and only one he could test out in a certain way.


    Continuing forward, Raze was looking at the scene, and he could see Simyon standing right next to his sister. His eyes sunken, but with a smile on his face, he seemed to be happy, whatever the oue was.


    "It looks like we might have jumped the gun, rushing here a little bit."


    Having passed some of the children and seeing what state they were in Charlotte had used her wind magic to increase the speed of her steps, getting there before Raze, but even she was surprised with how many had been dealt with.


    "This¡­ is going to be a real pain to clean up." Charlotte scratched the back of her head, and took off her hat for a second. She was sweating underneath, it had been a long time since she had to work so hard in a case like this.


    When she went to put her hat back on, her eyesid on something that made her heart sink deep into her stomach. Her eyes opened wide as she held out her hand.


    "GET AWAY!" Charlotte screamed at the top of her lungs toward Simyon and Safa.


    Behind the two of them, several sparks were going off, and a portal had opened up behind them. It was one of the worst things that could ur in the world of Pagna, it was a portal break.

 Chapter 68 Portal Break

    <h4>Chapter 68 Portal Break</h4>


    All eyes were fixed on the portal that now stood in the center of the courtyard. It hovered slightly above the ground while emitting a strange humming sound, and sparks in the air continued to flicker around it.


    "This is exactly the same as the portals I''ve opened, but why has one of theme here, and now of all times?" Raze began to ponder, recalling the memories of what Himmy and Charlotte had told him.


    The portals seemed to be drawn to strong forms of magic, one of the reasons they refrained from using magic extensively in the world of Pagna. Perhaps it was abination of Raze''s spells and Charlotte''s abilities, or another idea crossed his mind.


    When the earring was unsealed, depending on its level, it released powerful magic as well. With all these factorsbined, a portal had opened, and it was what Raze had learned as a "portal break." Not a temporary portal that would disappear, but one that permanently remained open, allowing creatures to pass through.


    "This isn''t good!" Kron looked nervous, beads of sweat trickling down his face, more than when he had faced the Red Brigade n members. "Currently, the n is in a severely weakened state. I''m not in the best condition either. If a break were to happen now, there would be no one to protect the people; they''ll all die."


    It was true; Raze had no idea how many n members would survive after Himmy was through with them. They also had no clue about the level of creatures that could emerge from the portal.


    Simyon had taken a few steps back, along with Safa, while Charlotte sprang into action.


    "Raze, help me! I can close the portal, but it''s going to take some time to draw the formation!" With almost no fear, Charlotte slid on her knees across the floor, stopping just beneath the portal. From her hat, she pulled out a piece of chalk and quickly started working. "I need you to make sure that nothing kills me, alright? Just stop whatever is going toe from the other side."


    Although Raze was usually reluctant to help in these situations, he didn''t have much choice. If a portal break urred, the creatures might even overpower him. Currently, closing the portal seemed to be the least troublesome option.


    Approaching the portal cautiously, Raze made sure to keep a couple of meters of distance. Getting too close risked it pulling him in and causing harm before he could even react.


    Drawing the magic circle progressed smoothly, but they knew it wouldn''tst. Thin ck tentacles, several of them, emerged and immediately reached for the nearest target. Seeing this, Raze reacted instinctively.


    "Dark Pulse!" A dark pulse shot out from his hand, hitting the tentacles and causing them to retreat momentarily.


    However, following the tentacles, a deformed ck hand pushed through. It wasrge and covered in a strange ck material resembling moss.


    "Dark Pulse!"


    Another attack was unleashed, targeting the arm. Some pieces broke off and fell to the floor, making it flinch back. But the arm remained intact, and visibly, a head began to emerge, revealing what was trying to break through.


    "Damn it!" Simyon eximed, his mouth nearly touching the floor. "Is that Gren? But why does he look like that?"


    The creature attempting to break through the other side of the portal bore a striking resemnce to Gren: size, facial structure, and overall shape.


    Except for half of his face, which was covered in the same ck coral-like moss. It extended diagonally downward, covering half of his face. On the moss-covered side, his eye glowed red.


    "Gren, he''s turned into a Hybrid," Kron muttered, biting his lower lip.


    Hybrids were humans who had been transformed by the creatures residing on the other side of the portals. No one knew precisely how it happened, as there had been no eyewitnesses to the transformation. What was known was that it always urred in the dimensions outside of Pagna. These individuals lost their sanity, behaving like beasts, yet they possessed great power due to retaining their original Pagna bodies while gaining the abilities of the creatures within them. Hybrids were exceedingly dangerous.


    "I thought I might never see you again, that I had missed my chance back then, but it looks like you managed to return, and now I can finish the job."


    "Dark Pulse, Dark Pulse!"


    Two sessive Dark Pulses were unleashed. The Hybrid Gren moved its arm to block the attacks from reaching its head. The shots were powerful, pushing it back partially into the portal several times. Almost its entire body had been thrust back when the second attack struck.


    "What''s taking so long?" Raze asked. If he had drawn the magic circle himself, it would have beenpleted by now. Besides, two more attacks were his limit. Judging by how the Hybrid Gren had reacted, two Dark Pulses wouldn''t suffice; they needed to close the portal.


    "I...I...I need more mana!" Charlotte shouted. "I don''t have enough mana to close this portal."


    Stretching out his hand, dark magic flickered, and a bottle appeared. He immediately threw it to her while simultaneouslyunching another Dark Pulse at the Hybrid, keeping it at bay.


    "Drink it, and close the damn portal!" Razemanded.


    Judging by the color of the liquid, she could only assume it was one thing. Twisting the lid open, she gulped it down.


    ''I hope this mana potion gives me enough mana.''


    She could feel the potion''s effects coursing through her body, re-energizing her. All the power she had controlled before had returned, not just a portion of it, but all of it.


    ''This can''t be. What potion is this that can restore all my mana in one go? Why would he have something like this? Did he acquire it from someone, or did he create it himself?''


    Her curiosity would have to wait. cing both hands on the ground, she activated her mana, causing the magic circle to light up. It formed a barrier around the portal itself, emitting a white glow until the portal was no longer visible.


    Gradually, the barrier began to fade, as did the magic, and with its disappearance, the portal was gone.


    "Did that woman just stop a portal break?" Kron said in disbelief. "I didn''t even know that was possible."


    The good news was that the portal break had been averted, and everyone could finally exhale. They were all emotionally and physically exhausted, almost copsing on the floor. Still, they managed to stay upright and observed their surroundings.


    It had indeed been a tumultuous day for all of them.


    Charlotte, satisfied with the oue and certain that the portal wouldn''t return, turned to Raze, who stood there like a statue.


    "Raze, about that potion, where did you¡ª"


    p, p, p.


    The sound of pping echoed from behind, and as they turned around, they saw Elder Yon, Sonny, and Himmy entering through the gates.


    "You guys did a great job; it must have been quite tough," Himmymended. "But it''s not over yet. We now need to deal with the aftermath and fulfil our duty."


    Hearing these words, Raze was unsure of whaty ahead. From what he had learned, the world of magic was meant to be kept a secret, and there were witnesses all around¡ªwitnesses who were still alive.

 Chapter 69 An old man

    <h4>Chapter 69 An old man</h4>


    The Alter group was arge organization consisting of people from different worlds who now resided in the world of Pagna. This secretive group operated behind the scenes, manipting events while storing away items they deemed world-changing.


    Raze had believed that, after a recent event, the Alter group wouldn''t allow any survivors. However, the situation had turned out better than he could have imagined. Everyone who had witnessed the event, or at least the use of powers, had been gathered in the Red Brigade''s main room: Sonny, Safa, Simyon, Kron, and Elder Yon. Those who had seen such events unfold and weren''t in that room had already perished.


    Raze was surprised by how forgiving the Alter group seemed, sparing the lives of those who had witnessed the events. They were informed that they would now be part of the Alter organization, with no choice in the matter. Each of them would be field agents, simr to Raze but with even less ess to information about Alter, including the fact that it wasposed of otherworlders. Charlotte had exined to Raze that having eyes and ears everywhere was advantageous, and situations like this arose now and again.


    After the meeting, the others were sent back to their base. The Red Brigade n needed to reorganize, and the others needed time to recover. Simyon, in particr, had been sleeping the whole time and had yet to wake up. He had copsed shortly after Himmy had arrived in the courtyard.


    Raze, however, was called into another room where Charlotte wished to speak to him privately. She had a warning regarding the others bing field agents for Alter.


    "If you continue to stay around these people, and if they ever leak a word about what they saw or magic to others, and Alter finds out about it, then you will be given the order," Charlotte exined.


    There was no need for Raze to ask what the order was; he knew it meant he would have to get rid of them. What surprised him, though, was Charlotte keeping a secret about the sealed earring. He had heard Himmy ask for it, and he was sure she would have seen it on Simyon at the time. Maybe not with all themotion going on, but when Himmy asked where the sealed ring was, and asked Charlotte as well, they both stated that they didn''t know. Raze was tempted to ask, but in the end, he didn''t have to.


    "You really saved us a lot of trouble back there," Charlotte said, with a big grin on her face, and she had both hands behind her back, which made Raze a little nervous.


    "Honestly, you''re a great mage, one that''s clearly talented, and I think it would be good if I stayed in contact with you. I think it''s best if we stay close and work together. Even in Alter, things aren''tpletely safe, so it''s good to make our own allies outside of it."


    With an organization the size of Alter, it was a given that they would have problems, especially with those tempted to steal items from them. So he understood, especially since he was one of them.


    Moving her hands from behind her back, she handed him a light green-colored crystal. It was thicker than the yellow-colored ones Raze had before. The moment the crystal touched his skin, he knew exactly what it was.


    "That''s a level 2 power stone," Charlotte exined. "It''s up to you how you want to use it. Get someone to grind it into a Qi pill and use it to advance your core and cultivation. Or use it to increase the magic in your core, or you can even sell it."


    "If you want my advice, it''s always best not to rely too much on one attribute as a mage, and based on the color, you should be able to tell."


    Raze did know; it was not just a level 2 power stone but a wind attribute one as well. If he were to consume this into his mana core, he would finally be able to produce wind spells just like Charlotte could. The attribute points would start low, but it was a start and meant he could use other spells besides dark magic and perhaps stop creating cursed items.


    "There''s no such thing as a free lunch," Raze said.


    "Just take it. I already told you, I owe you for the mana potion you gave me earlier, and this is to build our rtionship. I know you''re going to be a special mage, and I want you to remember that I was part of that process."


    It did make Raze wonder if maybe this was the reason why she had kept the earring a secret.


    "We''ll be leaving this town; we have orders to work on something else. We''ve been here a while, and haven''t really solved anything, so they want us back. Anyway, it''s up to you what you do next. I think you''ll benefit a lot from the academy, and if you don''t join, don''t worry; when we need you, we''ll be able to find you."


    Raze had sessfully obtained a crystal out of the situation. He wouldn''t absorb it just yet because he wanted to head back to Safa and Simyon first to see the results of the earring. Meanwhile, Charlotte had gone off to join Himmy, and the two of them were leaving the ce in arge carriage.


    "You seem to be quite interested in that mage. Was there something odd about him?" Himmy asked.


    Charlotte didn''t say anything for a while; she was staring out of the carriage, looking at the trees passing by.


    "You know I''m one of the newest Alters from Alterian," Charlottemented. "Well, you see, that mage used Dark Magic. Honestly, it''s not an attribute that many have, and that includes me. But you see, back on Alterian when I was there, there was a very dangerous mage that used Dark Magic, someone who went by the name Dark Magus."


    Just thinking about it, all the hairs on her body stood up tall.


    "And you think this kid could be the Dark Magus?" Himmy asked.


    "Ha!" Charlotteughed. "That''s impossible. The Dark Magus would be an old man, and if someone like him dide into this world, I''m not sure anyone could stop him from doing what he wanted."

 Chapter 70 Welcome To The Family

    <h4>Chapter 70 Wee To The Family</h4>


    After the significant events of yesterday, Raze thought it was best for him not to travel to other dimensions, especially since he had seen what happened to Gren. Havingpletely used his mana up as well and given away his only potion, at the moment, he needed to recover anyway.


    However, Raze still wasn''t stagnant and doing nothing. He had earned some coin from selling the crystals to Himmy before they had left, and now having connections with the Red Brigade n, he knew if he was to sell them to Elder Yon, he could still get coin for it as well. Since they knew he had connections to the Alter group, he could now do things he couldn''t do before without the others asking questions.


    Before there was next to nothing that Raze could do, and now he felt rtively free in his options, but there were a few things he needed to do beforehand.


    At the moment, Raze, Safa, and Simyon were in the kitchen of the temple of all things. They were still currently standing there, and they wanted to have a conversation away from the ears of all the others.


    "This is quite a great ce, huh?" Simyon said. "To think, this is the ce where I started my sweet friendship with the two of you."


    Raze decided not toment and instead held out his hand.


    Taking the earring off, Simyon rubbed the edge of it, and it snapped open. He then passed it over to Raze to have a look at. Before, when the earring was sealed, it was impossible to take it off this way no matter what he did. One could only forcefully take it off like Von, but now that the item was unsealed, it could be taken on and off, but as they would soon find out, Simyon was the only one that could use its effects.


    "Give me information on this item," Raze whispered, with lingering ck magicing out of his mouth.


    It was quite the sight for Simyon and Safa to see. It hadn''t been long since they had seen him perform things that were out of this world. They still hadn''t been given an exnation for how it all worked, but after listening to the ones from Alter, it was something maybe they shouldn''t ask about. It was up to Raze if he wanted to tell them more, and he was hoping through this, that he would learn more.


    The text of information appeared right in front of Raze, and after seeing all of the effects including the grade of the item, the fact it was a mythical item, he couldn''t stop smiling.


    ''Hahaha, Alter has no idea what they just left in my hands. Although this earring can only work with Simyon now. I''m sure they would have taken it away if they found out about its capabilities. It makes me wonder if at Alter they still have some sealed items as well.''


    "So is it good, what can this earring do? I mean the fact that I had a body that was as strong as a sword, and as heavy as a rock is already good, but is there anything else?" Simyon asked.


    "Your earring, it is certainly special, and you would do well to never let anyone know about its powers or how you obtained them. Otherwise, there will be those after it," Raze exined.


    "As for the owner of the earring itself, it states that it can give you a steel body. At the moment, your body is at something called themon stage, but it is something that can evolve. As for how it would evolve, I can think of a few things.


    "Either it would need crystals that contain the metal attribute, or perhaps, there might be a cultivation technique that can help you gain natural energy as well."


    Raze was basing these facts on the knowledge he already had about magical items and how cultivating dark magic increased the power in his core, so he assumed that it could do the same thing. The world of Pagna was full of cultivation techniques, so he was betting there would be one rted to the metal attribute.


    "Wow, so it really is like the steel body refinement technique," Simyon said. "Yet, I haven''t cultivated or had to go through any of the special training that they have gone through, and there might be easy ways to increase its strength. This whole thing, it feels a bit like a cheat."


    "There is a bit more to it as well," Raze continued. "Depending on the different attributes of magic that are induced with the earring, then there is a chance for you to be able to do other things and have other effects as well."


    "Magic?" Simyon replied.


    Magic was something that was known in the world of Pagna but not in the same way. It referred to when a person would use tricks to fool someone, but it was quite clear that Raze wasn''t referring to this.


    "You saw what me and that young girl could do from before, that''s what magic is. People can use a number of different powers with different attributes, just like how the earring has given you the power of steel. For now, though, it''s best that you don''t learn more about it. Just take the earring as a blessing."


    After finishing his exnation, Raze handed the earring back. It was useless in his hands, although he probably could have found some way to reveal the earring and try to be its new owner, the whole thing didn''t seem worth it, and he had somewhat imagined what Simyon had been through to obtain the earring.


    Simyon had done no bad to him, and with everything he had been through, he surely deserved the earring.


    Holding it, Simyon held the earring tight, clenching it in his fist, and then he went down on one knee, facing right at Raze.


    "Raze, I don''t think you understand how much you have changed my life," Simyon said. "I never thought that I would have the strength to be a Pagna warrior, never even thought of besting them, and now all of this has happened."


    "I really think, with this, I can be what I nevertheless thought I wished. I truly thank you, which is why, right here, and right now, I swear my loyalty to both you and Safa. The two of you who were there for me, during the whole time. Whatever you need me to do, whatever the cost, I will always do as you ask."


    Simyon lowered his head, looking down right to the floor. It showed his sincerity in this entire situation, and Raze was quite taken aback by it all.


    ''The whole time I was at Alterian, was there ever a time when someone swore their loyalty to me like this? Perhaps there was one person, one who had never betrayed me. Maybe they are like her, both of them seem honest people.''


    Naturally, seeing Simyon in such a position, Raze ced the whole palm of his hand on top of Simyon''s head. It didn''t feel odd or strange, despite the two of them being close in age, nor was it something Simyon had ever seen before, but he went along with it.


    "With the life I have lived, it has be quite hard for me to trust others, but when I told you about the earring, you were the one who put your trust in me. Despite knowing what I had done, for some reason, you had also decided to keep things to yourself."


    "Safa also has shown her loyalty as she protected what was mine at the cost of her life. Back then, I had given her the choice to ept a family name, and now I am giving the choice to you as well."


    "Do you, Simyon, ept the family name Cromwell? To ept the name, it means we will protect those that bear this name, look out for each other, and never betray the family name. As long as you can ept this name, then I will ept your loyalty to me."


    There was a burning fire building up in Simyon''s belly he had never felt before, he had no clue why Raze''s words sounded so powerful. They didn''t sound weak, nor like random words spilled by a kid who knew nothing about the world.


    Perhaps if Simyon was to follow this person, he would continue to achieve great things, even more than what he had already achieved.


    "I ept!" Simyon said, lifting his head.


    "Then, wee to the family, Simyon Cromwell." Raze smiled.

 Chapter 71 Breaking through

    <h4>Chapter 71 Breaking through</h4>


    The three Cromwells, as they now had designated their own family name to themselves, had been called over to meet with the head Elder Yon of the Red Brigade.


    The order of things within the n had returned to normal rtively quickly. It helped when the opposing leaders were now dead. Really, there was only Yon left to run the ce, and a few of the higher-ranked n members now needed to step up to the te.


    For Raze, though, this was just one of the new connections that he had made. The meeting was short, and the reason for the meeting itself was because he had a gift for them all.


    "In a way, I could say that the three of you are the saviors of the Red Brigade n, so it''s only right that I give you all gifts," Yon dered. He had heard what Safa and Simyon had done, defeating a few of the Pagna n members.


    Although they hadn''t done much in the grand scheme of things, Yon still wanted to reward them for what they had been through, and he couldn''t select all of the kids at the temple.


    Sonny had walked over to the three of them and presented a small red box. Raze had seen this before, and he had an idea of what was inside.


    "Please open them; these are my gifts to you."


    When Simyon opened up the box, his eyes lit up as if he was looking at gold. There was a small little orb-shaped yellow-colored pill on the inside; it was a Qi pill.


    "These pills are usually only given to our most talented pupils. We aren''t like other ns that are able to give all our students Qi refining pills. However, we do have some resources, and I would say each one of you is deserving of this."


    Raze had obtained one of these before from Kron, but at the time he hadn''t used it himself. His warrior skills and Qi hade in handy, but it wasn''t at the stage where he could effectively use it solely. If it wasn''t for his use of magic, then his opponents would have been extremely difficult to deal with.


    ording to Alter, with the use of magic practically forbidden in Pagna, unless he wanted another portal break to happen, he would have to start increasing his Qi.


    Returning back to the temple with the gifts in hand, each of them wasted no time absorbing the pill. Safa and Simyon had gone for guidance while Raze had decided to absorb it in the room on his own.


    He had already experienced absorbing crystals, and thought that this would be somewhat the same, only that he had to focus on the energy going into his dantian instead.


    It didn''t take long, and after the pill was absorbed, his muscles and cells felt alive, vibrating with energy.


    ''It wasn''t enough to make me a second-stage warrior, but I can feel that my general Qi and entire body have increased. While the others are still busy, I might as well get on with absorbing this as well.''


    In Raze''s hand was the level 2 power stone that contained the wind attribute. Finally, he was able to use magic other than Dark, and he was quite proficient in the wind attribute as well.


    Closing his eyes, he got to work, and just like with the other crystals, the energy was being absorbed into his magic core that was surrounding his heart. He could feel the energy gathering inside, and the flicker of his core changing slightly.


    ''It''s been absorbed, and I can tell I can now use wind magic as well, but unlike with the dark attribute, I have no way to actually measure my level of increase. It would be good if I could just use some type of measuring ring. Not one that needs to give me anything but just one that would show me the same information as the current ring I have.''


    If Raze was to take a guess, he would guess that his Wind Attribute was currently sitting around 5 points. The magic produced using this would be weak even if it was a tier 2 spell.


    A knock was heard on the door, and sliding on in was Simyon. There was a giant grin on his face as he entered. His skin seemed to be glowing brighter than usual, but there was a strange smelling off from his body. Lastly, a small amount of blood on the front of his clothes.


    Simyon flexed his bicep muscle toward Raze.


    "I absorbed that Qi refining pill, and you won''t believe it, but I finally established my Qi dantian. Which means I''m a level 1 Pagna warrior!" Simyon said as he kept on looking at his body. "Ah, and it''s not just me as well, your sister, man, she managed to reach the first stage as well!"


    It just went to show how effective it was for a n to have these pills, and perhaps how quickly other more affluent andrger ns could progress their disciples with these items as well.


    "Oh, by the way, I think Kron wanted to meet us three."


    This time, the three of them entered the main hall. Kron was sitting down with his legs crossed, and there were three cushionsid out for them to use. As Raze was heading to his seat, he noticed that Safa had a small amount of blood on her shirt as well.


    "I have called you three here because I wanted to ask you a question. Do all of you n to join the Pagna Academy?"


    Safa looked at her brother, while Simyon looked toward Raze. He had pretty much already decided, especially now he was a 1st stage Pagna warrior, but he had already promised to be a follower of Raze. So wherever he would go, Simyon would follow him.


    "I do n to go, as I believe that is the area where I will progress the most," Raze answered, knowing that the others were waiting for him.


    "I see; I thought that would be the case. What I want to inform you all is that for you, children who bear no name, it will be the toughest," Kron exined. "Those who usually are Pagna warriors are children with high connections to merchants or members of ns.


    "There will be those withrge backings that stay there, including those from the biggest ns in the Dark faction. It is a cruel ce that will show you just how cruel the Pagna world is. A ce where those that have higher power and positions are able to abuse their way through.


    "It is part of the reason why I wished to leave the Pagna world. For you children who have no name, you will experience the toughest lives. With this information, do you still wish to go to the academy?"


    Without hesitation, Safa and Simyon nodded. It was the first time Raze had found out that she too wanted to go to the academy, and soon Raze followed by nodding.


    "I can''t change your mind. The reason why I bring this up is due to mine and Yon''s connections and the fact that you have all reached the first stage. We have been able to make a special exception, and you are all able to join the next assessment that is to take ce in the next two days, regardless of your age.


    "Raze, I know you are incredibly strong and have powers I do not understand. It will be up to you to protect these two, but as you go, I have one final warning: don''t try to make too many enemies."


    The next stage was set for the three as they were to join the assessment stage of joining the Pagna Academy.

 Chapter 72 Flowing Force

    <h4>Chapter 72 Flowing Force</h4>


    The sky was covered in a red hue, and the air was heavy, leaving a slight tingling sensation on one''s skin. For those who weren''t Pagna warriors, it would feel more like a sunburn, leaving one incredibly itchy.


    The ce also had ack of oxygen, giving the same effect as a person when they were in a high ce. Because of these things, it wasn''t usually a ce where one would venture. It was a ce that only Pagna warriors went to, and not even the usual Pagna warriors.


    This was another dimension; it was not the world of Pagna, and it was filled with deadly beasts. Standing in the center was a man cloaked in fish-scaled, dark blue colored armor, holding onto two swords that curved upward. On the edge of the sword, it was jagged and white, while the main part of the de was a dark blue, giving it the appearance of a giant shark tooth.


    Dashing towards his side was a beast that was asrge as a car. It had dark red eyes and spikes running down its spine. It shook the ground as its feet hit the floor.


    Gunther held onto the two swords in his hand, and when the beast was right by his side, he swung both of the swords. Droplets of water appeared from the swing that was made, and in turn, therge beast had been killed.


    "You guys are not the ones I want!"


    Spinning around, Gunther swung his sword again, shing another beast, and it fell to the floor, joining the rest of the field of dead beasts that were on the ground.


    "Why won''t youe out!" Gunther yelled, huffing and panting.


    Gunther was a member of the Flowing Force n, one of the big five ns of the Dark faction, and he himself wasn''t a nobody either. He was next in line to be the headmaster, ahead of his three brothers.


    He was a Pagna warrior that had gone past the initial stage and was now at the middle stage, a 7th Rank Pagna warrior, and one of the most skilled in the Dark faction. However, it had been over several years since he had reached the 7th stage, and he had yet to progress.


    He was in one of the highest-ranked portals that his n owned, and he would continue to hunt any moment he had, but the level of crystals he gained, it was useless to his development and were no longer helping him.


    "I don''t understand, all of the other portals, if I was to kill beasts this much, then usually a muchrger one would appear. The dimension boss, but it hasn''t appeared once? Does it just not think I''m strong enough? Or is there really not one in this dimension?"


    There were a lot of rules and regtions that were set up by the ns when hunting in other dimensions. The ns, for one, would give them ranks based on their danger. Initial, Middle, and Deity.


    The rankings were the same as the different stages of the Pagna warrior as well, and it was in concordance as to why. It was set up that way because it was believed that those portals were suited for those ranks.


    This was why deviation from those delineations was incredibly risky because there wererge gaps in strength between Pagna warriors, ranks, and stages.


    In Gunther''s case, he was in a low-level Initial stage dimension that had been checked by others beforehand.


    Another thing that would ur in portals was a dimension boss appearing. They named it so because there was one way to close a portal, and it seemed it was to defeat this dimension boss.


    However, most ns would try and avoid defeating the dimension boss as they wished to continue gathering crystals from those lower. Only if the n had an abundance of portals, or felt there was more to gain from killing the dungeon boss would they allow it.


    In Gunther''s case, he believed the crystals from the dungeon boss could be turned into a Qi refining pill that would allow him to grow to the next stage, but for some reason, no matter what Gunther would do, the boss just wouldn''t arrive.


    "If I can''t get to the dimension boss, then I guess I''m just going to have to try and get permission from one of the other ns to use a higher dimension portal. But I would have to give them something in return. If I could get better equipment, or get some Qi pills that could help me advance.


    "The alchemists haven''te up with any new creations other than some buff pills that gain temporary strength. If only they could have some breakthroughs."


    With nothing else left to do, it was time for him to leave the area. In his hand, Gunther held a light blue stone.


    It looked simr to that of the power stones, but this was a return stone. It was something that if crushed would return one to the ce of their origin. It would be an item that was rare for some, but for someone of his status and position, they were easy toe by.


    Rather than heading and finding the portal exit, the stone was crushed, and his body was starting to light up. The next moment, he had disappeared.


    "We greet the young master!"


    A group of men, covered in dark blue cloth, bowed down. They were in a wooden floor dojo room, and the portal was behind Gunther.


    "Sir, we have some important information to give you." One of the men standing at the front stated. "Firstly, the Academy master has contacted you, asking for your attendance at the next assessment."


    "Oh?" Gunther raised an eyebrow. "This can be the opportunity I was looking for."


    "As for the second matter, there has been a bounty ced out, for anyone with information on a particr individual. It was sent by the Crimson Crane."


    "The Crimson Crane, who annoyed them that they would put a bounty out for them." Gunther asked.


    "It''s a person named the Dark Magus."

 Chapter 73 The Great Search

    <h4>Chapter 73 The Great Search</h4>


    In the world of Pagna, a sessful business could be determined by the grandeur of a building and its size. Therger it was, the more customers it could cater to. A building in a ce that could be filled with people would require a lot ofnd, but more importantly, high-value locations were targeted, meaning a lot of money needed to be spent on protection from other ns.


    In one city, there was a five-tiered restaurant. It was grand in size and luxurious on the inside, resembling a giant pagoda. It was filled with customers even on weekdays, which was a challenging feat.


    On the third floor, a private room had been rented out. Alba took arge swig from a jug, mmed it back on the table, and wiped her mouth.


    Her captivating, slightly red-pigmented, eyes shone brightly even as she drank. Being one of the most popr Pagna warriors, along with her buxom figure, made her attract a legion of die-hard fans.


    Many had tried to join the Crimson Crane with the sole intention of meeting her, but the Crimson Crane remained a small, formidable unit focused on strength, rather than arge n with many followers.


    "If your fans saw you like this, I''m sure many of them would die of heartbreak," Damemented, swiping his hand through his hair to ensure it looked neat.


    The two individuals seemed not to care much about each other and were absorbed in their own activities.


    "Do you think I care about that?" Alba replied. "The only thing I care about is you telling me where this Dark Magus is. I''ve been trying to locate him everywhere, but it''s been impossible."


    Internally, Dame smirked. He knew that Alba would never be able to meet the Dark Magus because he wasn''t from the world of Pagna. For now, she served as a profitable extra ie source.


    "So, how many bottles do you need from him?" Dame asked. "I am soon to meet him again, but I can''t guarantee he will be able to deliver either."


    "I already told you!" Alba lifted the drink, downing it again. It wasn''t the lightest beverage the restaurant had to offer, and she had already gone through three bottles during their initial conversation. "I don''t just want the strange things this guy makes. I want him to join our n. If he were to join the Crimson Crane, then we would be an unstoppable force. Even the empire would be afraid of us. Someone as skilled as him would surely be willing to join if I could make him the offer. Did you pass on that I wanted him to join?"


    Dame contemted his options. Should he keep the Dark Magus''s talents for himself? The potions created by the Dark Magus were impressive, but there were other alchemists in the world capable of creating more potent and versatile Qi pills. The type of potions created would only benefit a subset of Pagna warriors. Even with a hundred of these potions, an initial-tier warrior would not be able to contend with a warrior one stage above.


    "How could I have done that when we haven''t even met yet? Anyway, I''ll put you down for ten more potions just in case. This man is a secretive person," Dame lied. He wondered whether it was possible for the Dark Magus to return to his world. Perhaps, he could learn the methods firsthand.


    "You are truly useless," Alba said. "That''s why I decided to take matters into my own hands."


    Dame''s heart started to beat louder upon hearing this. "What do you mean? What did you do?"


    This was one of the reasons why Dame disliked contacting Alba so much. Although they had gone through various adventures together at the Pagna academy, he remembered the trouble they had faced because of her unruly behavior.


    In the first ce, she couldn''t be controlled, which was why she had formed her own n outside of the main factions.


    Shaking the bottle in her hands to gauge how much liquid remained, Alba took onest swig and grabbed another.


    "I decided to put a public bounty on him," Alba announced. "Anyone who knows anything or can provide information about the Dark Magus will receive a level 5 power stone."


    Dame''s eyes widened at the generous reward. It was clear that Alba valued this person immensely. A crystal of this level, those that were struggling to advance to the next stage would kill for an item like so. It wouldn''t just be the individual''s themselves but many of the n''s would be willing to kill just to get their hands on something like that.


    However, the most worrying part was Alba''s extensivework of connections.


    Alba had done numerous favors for almost every faction and had influential contacts. People in high ces that would do well to get her favour. If an announcement went out, it wouldn''t take long for everyone to know about the Dark Magus.


    With the high reward, it would also pique their interest even if they weren''t friends of Alba, but just because it was something that she wanted.


    "Come on, you didn''t have to do that. Don''t you trust me?" Dame asked.


    Alba responded, "Why do you think I''m doing this in the first ce? It''s because I don''t trust you. Right now, all members of the Crimson Crane have spread out across each faction looking for him, but they have found nothing. So, it makes me wonder how someone like you was able to encounter this person when none of my people have. Which is why, even if you do bring me information on the Dark Magus, you won''t receive a reward; clearly, you''re hiding something."


    Finishing herst drink, Alba stood up and adjusted her clothing, especially her top where her ample breasts had almost burst out.


    "Anyway, I''m sure someone will find the Dark Magus very soon," she stated. "Until then, tell the Dark Magus that I''m willing to buy anything he produces, at whatever cost."

 Chapter 74 The New Name

    <h4>Chapter 74 The New Name</h4>


    A couple of days had passed since Kron had mentioned the others joining the next assessment for Pagna Academy. They had one every year, meant for those who had turned sixteen.


    However, technically, anyone who was already a Stage 1 Pagna warrior could apply, especially those with a rmendation, and that rmendation hade from Elder Yon and Kron.


    Either one of them seemed to have a connection to the academy, but judging by their words, it was also clear that the help would only go so far. They were on their own from there.


    Right now, the three of them were traveling via a carriage, heading to the Pagna Academy. Sitting in the back, both Safa and Simyon were reading books in their hands, and as they went over arge bump, Simyon nearly went flying out of the carriage along with the book.


    "Man, this stuff, how are we meant to learn it just from reading? We don''t even have time to practice any of this stuff?" Simyonined. "I mean, I''m grateful that the Red Brigade n was willing to share their skill books with us even though we aren''t members, but aren''t we at a big disadvantage?"


    Raze knew why Simyon believed this. Even the Red Brigade n members had been learning a wide variety of skills to be used with their cultivation powers. Although they were all 1st stage Pagna warriors, the only skill they all knew was the two-step shift, while others knew a wide range of skills they could use. Hence, they were clearly at a disadvantage in this whole thing.


    "Ah man, I can see it already, we''ll be treated asughingstocks, the no-names, with no skills, no talent, and no love."


    Thestment raised an eyebrow from Safa. She felt like the matters were unrted.


    "Hey," Raze said. "We do have a name, remember it."


    "Sorry," Simyon replied. He knew that Raze was serious about the name thing from before, but it was hard to change habits. Nearly their whole life, they had been told that they were practically nothing. "Hey, are you going to try to learn any of these techniques in here by any chance?"


    Raze had a flick through the books, and he had actually tested one of the skills, but whenbining the Qi energy he had obtained in his body and the Red n skills, it didn''t feel as if it was at its full potential. It was somewhat like casting a wind-type magic spell using dark magic. In some cases, it could work, but the effectiveness or the design of the spell to be used wasn''t for that purpose, causing it to be less than subpar.


    ''Is this what Kron talked about? How different Qi energy can be used to profit from all types of martial arts, but skills were designed with a specific type of Qi energy in mind? So if the type of Qi energy I have isn''t dark, then what is it?''


    Raze had managed to do some research. There were multiple Qi gathering techniques, not just those that belonged to the Dark, Light, and Demonic factions. There were also what were known as neutral techniques. However, even within the factions, there were cultivation techniques that could cross borders, allowing effectiveness in maybe light and dark skills, but the number of skills avable for these were next to none. At the same time, with the Light faction and Dark faction feeling as if they were pr opposites, there would be many who would attack the other just for using skills or energy that were simr.


    "Light fighting dark, what type of childish thing is this?" Raze said out loud without thinking about it. "I don''t want to waste my time on techniques that aren''t the best for me. I would suggest for both of you to do the same as well. Simyon, you have a strong body, so try to find skills that would bring out this more. Safa, we don''t know if you will be skilled in the bow, the de, the spear, or your hands. I would figure this out first before you try to learn skills."


    Simyon was biting his tongue; he wanted to ask something but was stopping himself from doing so. Instead, he decided to ce his head down and continue to read the book. Although he had no time to practice, at least he could visualize.


    "Go on," Raze said. "What did you want to ask?"


    "You could tell?" Simyon replied.


    "Well, with all the sighing, and opening your mouth, closing it, and looking away, I think I would have to have been blind not to know."


    Closing the book, Simyon wanted to make it clear that he thought this was quite important.


    "I will only ask this once, and then I''ll never bother you again after this, I promise," Simyon asked. "About Mag-"


    "No," Raze replied straight away. "The more you know, the more you will want to learn and then rely on it. It will be harder for you to improve as a warrior, and besides, it is a dangerous thing. I would rather you not get involved in any of that. Just think about it, if you knew how to use both, then you would have to study both as well, and you''re having much trouble just studying this as it is."


    "NEIGHHH!"


    The sound of the horses screaming was followed by the carriageing to a sudden stop. The three of them jolted, nearly falling on top of each other.


    "What the, are we here?" Simyon asked.


    Safa was shaking her head. The journey was a long one, and although they had been traveling for a while now, they still had a few hours before they would reach their destination.


    Peeking out the window, she could see that they were still in the middle of the forest.


    This was when Simyon decided to stick his head out of the window; he could see their driver running right past the window as if he was trying to break a world record. Something had startled him.

 Chapter 75 An Easy Target

    <h4>Chapter 75 An Easy Target</h4>


    Seeing the driver of the carriage set off like that, a wave of concern filled all three of them. Opening the door, the three of them exited, and it was quite clear why the driver had run off like he had just moments ago.


    "How, how do we keep on getting ourselves into these types of situations!" Simyonmented.


    Blocking their path in front of the carriage and horses were six rough-looking men. They were in tattered clothing that only covered their manly chests and only a little part of their legs.


    The men looked like those who barely bathed, and they had several missing teeth as they grinned widely with their weapons in hand. Setting eyes on them, Simyon knew immediately that these were bandits.


    Bandits were amon group of people in the world of Pagna. They didn''t live in the viges, towns, or cities because they were ouws. Instead, they would set up camps in the deserts, forests, and various otherndscapes across the continent. They would target all those traveling along the paths between the cities and viges, hoping to earn a pretty penny or at least take their goods.


    It was because of them that several people would have to hire respectable warriors for their journeys. Which they had none.


    "I knew it, my n was perfect!" Therge-bellied, six-foot man said. His facial hair covered the entire lower half of his face, making him look more like a bear than a human.


    "With the assessment taking ce today, there are plenty of those who would have to take this path. Those rich nobles and n members wouldn''t dare send their precious children away without giving them some coin, so hand them over."


    Simyon pped his head into the palm of his hand and was constantly shaking it. "We''re poor orphans; we''re not the ones you want!" Simyon shouted. "Do you think if he had any money, our driver would just run off like that?"


    The bandits looked at each other, but they didn''t believe them.


    The thing was, what Simyon had said wasn''t actually true. Raze had quite a bit of the payment left from what he received from Alter, and he had also received coin from selling one of the power stones.


    "Haha, that''s what everyone says!" The bandit dered. "And if we can''t get anything from you, we can kill you and at least take the horses."


    Two bandits went toward the horses but stopped in their tracks when Raze turned his head and red at them.


    "I paid for these horses, which means at this point in time, they belong to me," Raze dered. "I don''t feel like taking the horses either, so I don''t grant you permission to do so."


    The gaze Raze gave them prated the back of their minds, and they were reluctant to take another step further. It was then that Simyon thought that maybe they could get out of this situation without needing to fight.


    That was until a bandit drew his curved de from the side and went ahead to strike Raze. Immediately, Raze moved to the side, cing both hands on Simyon''s shoulders, and then lifted his body and ced it in the path of the sword.


    Simyon raised his hands instinctively, and a loud ng was heard as the sword was stopped by Simyon''s body.


    "What the¡­ how is my sword not getting through!" The bandit shouted.


    "Ah, what the... Is this how you treat what you call a family? You shoved me in front of dangerous things!" Simyon shouted. Tears were almost running down his cheeks. He was already frightened by the situation as it was, and then he was thrown right in front of a sword. No matter how strong his body was, he couldn''t get used to it and didn''t quite like the feeling of being a human shield either.


    Not wasting the opportunity, Safa struck with a punch, hitting the side of the bandit''s ribs, and a loud crack was heard as he was thrown off to the side.


    ''She''s good; she knows when to take advantage of the situation and is quick to act in response as well. Safa was already one of the very best at the temple, and she hadn''t even been there a long time. And now that she was like this, her speed and power were at another level, a level that these bandits couldn''t handle.''


    "You should think about the situation with a clear mind," Raze said. "If these guys were any decent, then they would have joined a n themselves in the first ce. Bandits are just those who failed to make it anywhere in life. Besides, you said that you wanted to train, right? Well, here is your chance."


    There was a slight shock factor with the bandits seeing one of their allies going down. The truth was, this was the first group the bandits hade across which they believed was an easy target.


    The Bandit leader was worried that his n was going to fail, seeing those that came through here were littered with guards, and then he saw an opportunity right in front of him. With six of them, he was sure he could take on warriors who had yet to experience the real world.


    "Get them, get them all at once. If you go one at a time, it will give them a chance to act!" The leader shouted.


    One of the bandits swung the sword to the side. Simyon, now a little more aware of the situation, swung his arm toward the sword, adding the power of Qi in his swing. With the power of Qi and his steel body, when the two collided, the sword was snapped in half.


    Following up with a punch to the stomach, the bandit fell to the floor on his knees.


    ''Wait, he fell with one punch; should it really be this easy?'' Simyon thought.


    The two of them had been through a life or death situation, with the added effects of the earring and the fact that Safa had gotten rid of her hesitation. Slowly, the two were realizing that they were strong and what it meant to be a Pagna warrior.


    The leader had charged forward in a panic, not believing that his n had failed, and seeing how two of them were fairly skilled, he had gone toward the one person who had yet to do anything.


    "I''ll kill you and take all your money to hire new men!" The bandit eximed.


    "Why does this always happen?" Raze thought. The other two weren''t the only ones who had grown in strength. Raze had absorbed the Qi pill as well, having already established a dantian core; he was at the peak of the first stage.


    Shifting forward with his Qi, he moved in quicker, and when he struck with his hand, he had activated his wind magic, activating a spell.


    "Silent strike!"


    Raze had already gone past his opponent, his hand covered in the wind. Out from the bandit''s neck, blood started to spurt out.


    "I am not as kind as the others. If you try to take my life, then you should be prepared to lose yours."


    [Dark Attribute 28>>>> 29]


    [Wind Attribute 5 >>> 6]

 Chapter 76 We have arrived!

    <h4>Chapter 76 We have arrived!</h4>


    The wind attribute, out of all the attributes of magic, was the most coveted by mages. This was due to how easy it was to raise its attribute power, at least at the beginning. The way to increase its power was from repetitive use.


    The more a mage used wind spells and powers, the higher the attribute points would rise. As the points rose more, one would have to count surely in order to use the spells more and more to increase them.


    So although it was quick to grow at the start, the progress did slow down drastically as time went on. For Raze, it wasn''t something he could do in his current situation.


    If he was to spam his skills, using them one after the other, he would have no mana, and he was still in a dangerous situation. He still was no closer to the truth as to why his family had been killed back then, and the possibilities of assassins being on his back.


    On top of that, since he had a dark core, his wind attribute points could never rise above that of his dark attribute. At the moment, he had no ring to gauge exactly if his powers had risen in numbers, but he could feel within his core his power was rising.


    Looking up, Raze was surprised that he didn''t need to do much. After the two realised that they had some strength, the rest of the bandits were now rolling about on the floor, with a few broken bones here and there.


    "Since our driver has run off, one of you figure out how to ride or steer the horses." Raze asked.


    "Huh? Why us, what makes you think we can ride a horse if you can''t." Simyon replied.


    "Because they no longer exist." Raze replied back and stopped himself there. He realised that he might have said something that would seem absurd to others, even for him.


    Safa was the one who had epted the task, as she went up to the horses and immediately started to stroke its face by the side. They seemed to be quick to ept her.


    Seeing how that situation had been dealt with. Raze went to deal with the other situations. He ced his hand out, looking at the men rolling about on the ground below.


    "Wind strike." Raze said.


    A small gust of wind pushed out from Raze''s hand, and when it pressed against the neck of the man on the ground, it had cut through the skin making arge cut. The attack wasn''t deep enough to go right through, but it was enough to send him to his death.


    After one had passed, Raze walked over to another bandit, and ced his hand out again. With the mana regain effect it wasn''t a problem since he wasn''t using much mana either.


    "What are you doing Raze!" Simyon shouted. "They''ve already been taken care of. These guys, they can''t even fight back, there''s no reason to kill them!"


    Before attacking, Raze lifted his head looking at Simyon again.


    "Are you still going to do this afterst time?" Raze said. "I told you before, that if we let these people go, they will only return to do more damage to us. You should know what these people are like based on how they acted now."


    "I know¡­ but taking a life, don''t these people have a family that cares about them? Don''t you feel bad for those that will miss them when they are dead?" Simyon asked.


    "And what about what they have done?" Raze replied. "Do you think they felt bad when they killed others? When they stole their money. Do you think they would have felt bad when they took our lives as well?"


    "You have to think, if we didn''t stop them, or take them out, think about how many more people they would hurt. And think, if we don''t get rid of them now, there would be more than just us that are hurt by them."


    Simyon was finding his own emotions conflicted. It wasn''t because he thought what Raze was saying was wrong, but it was more so that he found doing all of this too easy.


    "Simyon." Raze called out, while he held out his hand. "You promised your loyalty to me. I won''t ever force you or Safa to do things you don''t wish to do. I''m not that type of person, but I don''t want you to get in the way of me doing things the way I do them."


    "There is always a reason for my actions. I will protect those I promised to protect including you two, and if that means I have to be a viin in everyone else''s eyes, including you two, then so be it.


    "Wind strike." The attack left Raze''s hands and struck another one of the bandits.


    Leaving it to Raze, after that conversation Simyon didn''t know why, but he almost felt sorry for Raze, that he had to carry all of it on his shoulders.


    Simyon waited inside the carriage and after everything was done, Raze had entered. With using his wind powers, and havingpleted the condition for the Darkness attribute he had seen another increase.


    [Darkness attribute: 29 >>> 30]


    [Wind attribute: 6 >>>> 7]


    The carriage was off, with Safa at the reins. The ride was just as smooth as with the professional driver, it was quite amazing that someone was able to control animals so well, especially one who would have never interacted with them.


    The more Raze was hanging around Safa, the more he thought she suited the qualities of the light attribute, but just as had said to Simyon before, he believed that it was true for her as well and she needed to choose her own way.


    The ride was mostly silent between Raze and Simyon in the back, the whole situation felt a little awkward after their talk. That was until finally, they hade to another stop again.


    "Don''t tell me its bandits again!" Simyon said, shoving his head out of the window, but it wasn''t bandits at all. Instead he could see arge wall and a gate, surrounded on its own ind of sorts, and an evenrger building that towered over the gates.


    "It''s the Pagna Academy!"

 Chapter 77 A Bounty?

    <h4>Chapter 77 A Bounty?</h4>


    The carriage had stopped in its tracks even though it had yet to meet its destination, and there was a good reason why. Not even Raze could me the horses for not wishing to move any further because there was a strange feeling about the entire ce.


    The carriage had been traveling somewhat up a mountain for a while and eventually came upon level ground. The green and forest-like area that was around them before had disappeared, and now the ground was a hardened ck, made out of some type of rock.


    When the three descended from the carriage, the horses lifted up their front legs and quickly turned around, running off with the carriage heading back in the direction they hade from.


    "Well, if that''s not a warning that we shouldn''t be here, then I don''t know what is," Simyon said. "Maybe it''s the fact that this ce looks even creepier than Raze''s face at times."


    Simyon had turned around and could see the nk stare Raze was giving with thatment, and now he honestly wasn''t so sure what was creepier.


    The Pagna Academy was ced on what looked like arge piece of floating rock at first nce, but that was clearly impossible. It did make one wonder how the academy hade to be, though.


    Thend that they were on continued, and it looked like a type of bridge was heading to the center piece ofnd. On either side of this bridge, it looked like there was nothing but a thick fog. A drop down, it felt like he would never be able to get back up.


    This was true on either side, and even when looking down, it was almost impossible to see where the bottom ended. Simr to the strange bridge in front of them, there were also four more bridges, each connected to the mainrge piece in the middle.


    The ind was not small by any means, and the word ind was quite urate to call it. Even from the front, it was impossible to see just how far back the ce went. Arge wall covered several buildings, with one in particr that was stationed on top of a type of hill that stood out. It looked to be more than just an academy and included nearly an entire living area.


    "At least we know we''re in the right ce," Simyon said, as he looked at people walking past on foot, in and out of therge bridges. It was wide enough to fit at least six carriages at the same time, and one side was being used to filter people in, and the other to filter people out.


    There were also small bases that were built around the area, almost like small viges. From the looks of things, people would park their carriages there and then walk, perhaps to stop what was happening to them.


    As the three of them were still taking in the giant sight in front of their eyes in amazement, they were seeing many people walking right past them in different colored clothing and cloth, with an emblem on their clothes as well.


    It wasn''t just one way either. Several n members and Pagna warriors wereing back out, returning from where they hade from as well.


    ''From the look of things, I guess only those who are to attend the academy cane with them, so they''re sending back the rest of the members. That makes things a little easier.''


    As Raze walked forward, the other two quickly picked up their pace and followed him. Just walking past the other warriors, immediately Raze knew that he wouldn''t be a match for them.


    What Kron had said, about the world being a small ce, about the Red Brigade n being next to nothing, he could tell he was right.


    ''This world is more dangerous than I thought. There are many Pagna warriors who are at a strength far greater than that of the head Elder Yon. If I want to survive in this world, I need to regain my strength quicker.''


    Heading at the gate, there were several guards who wore nothing but in ck clothing with no symbol on their uniform. From what Kron had mentioned, this was because it was a ce where multiple ns sent some of their members to work.


    In the first ce, the Pagna academy was a project that was supported by all the ns in the Dark faction. A way topete with the other factions. The in uniform was to try and make the whole thing as unbiased as possible, but that would be next to impossible.


    Set up at the front gate was a table of sorts. A man who was writing everyone''s name in ink. Those taking part in the assessment were to register themselves and their guardians were sent away.


    It was time for them to take part in the academy assessment, but while lining up behind all the other students, there was something on his mind, something he hadn''t informed the others about.


    After defeating the bandits, Raze had decided that the dead no longer needed their items, and the items they had were taken from others in the first ce. Taking their items, he had stored them in his robe; he left most of the junk.


    While going through everything, though, he had found a letter. A scroll would be more urate. Upon looking at the scroll the bandits held, the information was quite fascinating.


    [A request from the Crimson Crane]


    [Any information on the person named the Dark Magus will be rewarded]


    [Those with important information that will lead to the finding of the Dark Magus will receive a level 5 power stone.]


    [Do NOT harm this person and inform a member of the Crimson Crane as soon as possible]


    ''A bounty has been put on the Dark Magus? I wonder how word has gotten around so quickly, and for a change, someone who uses that name doesn''t want me dead.

 Chapter 78 The Dark Faction Academy

    <h4>Chapter 78 The Dark Faction Academy</h4>


    The three had entered through therge front gates of the academy with ease. After giving their names, it was confirmed that they were on the list of participants. They were told to just walk up ahead and enter the academy; if they followed the long stream of people, they would know where to go from there.


    After passing the gates, it had be quite clear that it was a lot more than just an academy. The ce was just asrge as a small city, and it operated as one as well. There were streets of living areas, shops, and even an auction hall.


    There were workers who worked within the academy, more than just the teachers. There were servants who would work on cleaning the ce, cooking the food, and more.


    They and their families needed a ce to live. At the same time, because of the students, the ce would have frequent visitors from family members, and many of the students had strong connections and those with a lot of money.


    Which was why it made a lot of sense for people to set up shop here and run a business. The Pagna Academy had its own stable economy that worked out well.


    Still, it wasn''t an area that anyone could juste and live in. All of those in the academy had to go through extensive checks with arge amount of information gathered on them. One was sure that such a ce would be filled with attempted spies from the other factions, maybe even from within the ns, as one would want to aid their student as much as possible.


    In a way, how well students did in the academy was a reflection of how strong a n was, at least of how strong it would be in the future.


    Finally, they had reached therge academy in question. There was another wall within the first one, and it surrounded the biggest building that could be seen in the area.


    Up close, one would realize that it was a collection of buildings,rge pagodas with several tiers and floors. Wide areas with extensive courtyards and open spaces for one to do whatever it was they wished.


    As they approached the actual academy gates, there was a man stationed at the front. One would mention their name, and after doing so, they had been given a badge. In Raze''s case, he had obtained number 123, along with Safa having 121 and Simyon having 120.


    "I hope these aren''t our ranks of strength or something," Simyonmented.


    "They''re not," the man behind the deskmented. "It''s just a number to assign you so the examiners have an easier time differentiating between all of you. Although you might have been a big shot in your n or back home, they won''t have a clue who you are here."


    Although the numbers might not have meant anything, when talking to them, Raze noticed that he wasn''t looking at their eyes; instead, it appeared as if he was looking at the badges they had on. If it wasn''t the numbers, then it had to be something else, and that''s when Raze realized it was the color.


    The three badges that they held were ck with white writing on the inside. The others were a range of different colors, but next to no one had their color. Before they could even ask about it, the group had been ushered into the main floor room.


    Even after passing the front gates for a mile long and wide, they could only see stone tiles on the floor. It was a giant courtyard that was several timesrger than that of the one they had at the temple.


    The ce was also filled with all of the students who would be taking part in the assessment, and there were at least a thousand of them in the courtyard.


    "Wow, just think about it, what we''re seeing right now is only the students taking the assessment and not the ones that are in the academy itself," Simyon said, amazed, staring at everything with hisrge eyes.


    "Yeah, you''re right. It looks like we have a lot ofpetition if we want to stand out," another student who wasn''t standing too far from them said. When he turned his head, he looked at Simyon and then immediately looked at his badge. After that, he quickly turned away and went through the crowd of people trying to get away.


    Simyon lifted up his arms and started to sniff under them. "Do I smell or something? You would tell me if I smelled, right Safa? I mean, hold your nose or show some type of sign."


    Safa started to shake her head as she disagreed with thement. Raze had noticed something going on for a while now, as they were catching the gazes of others and whispers.


    "Hey, are there really no names here? Is this like a first?"


    "Nah, there are always a few no names that enter. They either failpletely at the assessment stage or if they get through, they just be a ve to one of the ns anyway."


    "Why would they even waste their timeing to a ce like this? They''re just going to be a distraction for others. Coming here with no name is going to be worse than hell for them here."


    What Kron had informed them of was true. It would be extremely difficult for them in the academy, but if they did manage to get through it all, they would surelye out as different people.


    A mile up ahead on therge building, three men started to walk out from the side and onto the second-floor tform. The students were brought closer to the stage looking up.


    A fourth man came out with a pointed hat and mainly ck-colored cloth with a white stripe that went around the edge.


    "Everyone, be quiet!" The man shouted. It echoed and pierced nearly all of the students'' ears.


    They felt like the inside of their organs were being shaken and felt sick immediately. The voice had been projected with the power of Qi, and their bodies were responding as if they were attacked.


    "What I have with you right here are the three most important people during your time here at the academy!" The man dered.


    "On our right, the man from the Flowing Force n, one of the five great ns of the Dark faction, Gunther!"


    The man wore dark blue-colored armor and had a pair of dual-curved des with shark teeth on his back. His arms were folded, and Gunther didn''t exactly look pleased to be there.


    "On the right side, we have another great master, from the Lethal Bite n! Pincer!"


    The man on the right also had his arms folded but had a strange metal contraption that blocked the bottom half of his face and nose, only revealing the top of his head along with his long-wrapped-up ponytail.


    "Finally, we have the principal of the Dark Faction Academy, the head elder of the Erupting Fist n, and at the top of the Middle stage rank, the one known as the closest to reaching the deity rank in the Dark faction, Murkel Dockthron!"


    Among all of those in the crowd, Murkel looked down, and his eyes happened to lock onto Raze; the two of them didn''t look away from each other.


    ''This person¡­ he reminds me of the Grand Magus. I don''t like it,'' Raze thought.

 Chapter 79 Looking deep inside

    <h4>Chapter 79 Looking deep inside</h4>


    The strong leader, Murkel Dockthron, stood there with a frightening presence as he watched over everyone. He had locked eyes with Raze for a few moments but then quickly went to scan each and every one of them.


    His dark brown eyes looked almost ck, which suited the rest of the attire he was wearing. He wore cloth that was made out of a silk material that moved with him as he turned his body.


    It was in a glistening ck that had shades of white that seemed to glitter as if he was wearing a robe from space. His long hair, like most of the elders, was tied up in a knot, with the rest of it falling down his back.


    "I wee all of those that have taken part in the assessment this year!" Murkel spoke. He didn''t shout yet; with his Qi amplifying his words, it had the same effect as the person who had spoken before him. Only the tone of his voice was far lower, giving them an uneasy feeling.


    Arge amount of pressure was felt on top of their heads, and many of them wanted to fall to their knees because of this.


    "The assessment is to evaluate whether or not you have the ability to not just enter the Pagna world but to be useful to the Dark faction in its struggle fighting off against the Light and Demonic factions!" Murkel continued.


    "Our arts have been passed down for generations, through various andrge numbers of ns, and now all of you have gathered to show that you have what it takes.


    "When you join the academy and disy your skills, you are disying the future of your n, which is why we have this assessment, to help us curate those that will do well for us."


    Murkel lifted his hands and looked toward one of them with his palm open. "If you are sessful and show your talent, you shall receive rewards that will help you on your journey: ess to portals, to Qi pills, and techniques that have been stored, even those by ns that have been lost. On the other hand."


    Murkel looked to the other hand on the other side. "If we judge that you are not fit to join us, you will be left to struggle in this world while others progress above you; the rest is up to you to decide."


    The words were sinking in for all of the students. Many of them were confident, since they had the backing of their families to support them; they had been told that they were the rising stars in their families and had eventually reached this point.


    Now they were starting to feel the real pressure, all except for those with no names. Some continued to re at the three of them. They felt envious that they didn''t have to go through the same thing that they did. It was only causing the hatred that they held in their hearts to grow a little more.


    Taking a step back, Murkel walked off to the side. It appeared that the matter of looking over the students as they went through their assessment wasn''t so important to him, at least not important enough for him to stay.


    Instead, one of the other two that had arrived on the tform with him stood forward, Gunther.


    "There are three parts to the assessment before you are able to join the Pagna Academy. How you perform in all of them will value your position in the academy. However, for the first assessment that I am in charge of, if you do not pass this, it is an instant fail!"


    Nervous looks were exchanged among the students in the courtyard.


    "What, just from one assessment? That''s not really fair; you were the ones that epted our family donations! You guys are also the ones that epted our invites, and then you turn us away just like that?"


    "The first assessment!" Gunther yelled through all of the talking. He really didn''t have the patience for all of this, after having been ckmailed and dragged here pretty much against his will.


    "The first assessment will be ensuring every single one of you is a 1st stage Pagna warrior. I will not ept anyone who is close to a breakthrough or has a strong foundation but has not fully formed their dantian; that is all."


    Without anything left to say, Gunther leaped from the balcony andnded on the ground lightly. It was strange, as a fall from that height needed some way to break its impact. Yet he hadnded so softly.


    ''I wonder what stage this person is at; if he was standing next to the leader, then shouldn''t he be quite strong?'' Raze thought.


    Immediately, without wasting time, Gunther went to the first student and ced his hand on his back. He closed his eyes, and after around a second, he shouted. "Pass!"


    Going onto the next student, he did the same, shouting out the words "pass" again and again, that was until he had reached the eighth student. "Fail!"


    "What, but I can use Qi!" The studentined. "I canpletely control the Qi used in my fists and hands."


    "Did you listen to what I had even said?" Gunther replied. "I said that you had to have formed your dantian fully. That was the only requirement, no more, no less."


    Reaching out, Gunther had grabbed the top of the student''s ear and started to pull, making it turn instantly red.


    "If you aren''t going to use these things, should I just pull them off?"


    "No, please!" The student begged, to which Gunther let go and went on to the next student.


    Unexpectedly, the students were hearing more fails than they thought. Everyone knew one had to be a 1-star Pagna warrior before entering, but had they always been this strict with checking? It was the first that they had ever heard of such a thing.


    Around 1 in 10 students would be told that they had failed, and some were from recognizable ns as well.


    As they continued down the line, eventually it reached Simyon at 120.


    "Pass!"


    "Ah, thank the heavens!" Simyon said. "I thought maybe my nervousness would affect me."


    "Pass!" Gunther stated again for Safa, and now it was for him to finally reach Raze as well.


    ''What technique is this person using?'' Raze thought. ''Is it the same as what Kron used? If it is, then he shouldn''t be able to detect anything so strange. He won''t be able to find my magic core.''


    With this thought in mind, Raze took a confident deep breath and allowed Gunther to press against his back. He blew out, because the sense of touch was an ufortable feeling for him, but when he was prepared for it, he could stand it.


    He had done this before with Kron as well when he had ced his hand on his back. Usually, breathing or focus on something else worked, so as he took a deep breath out, he also closed his eyes


    When Raze stopped his breathing, he looked up and could see Gunther staring back at him.


    "You, what the heck are you doing here?" Gunther asked.

 Chapter 80 Why Him?

    <h4>Chapter 80 Why Him?</h4>


    At the first step, it appeared as if there was now a giant hurdle, as Gunther one of the examiners, and a warrior at the middle stage, had apparently made a great discovery.


    Kron was a skilled Pagna warrior, skilled enough to hold the position of a n head, albeit in a smaller n. However, he was unable to sense the magic core within Raze. Their had been multiple chances for him to. His core had already been formed when he was even teaching them Qi. It was all of this which had given Raze a false sense of confidence.


    ''If this instructor has discovered I have a magic core, then doesn''t this mean that they''re like me?" Raze thought. ''Is he another mage from Alterian?''


    Even sensing a magic core within someone wasn''t something every Alterian could do, only mages. If this person was like Raze, they had managed to attain a high position and be a skillful warrior while retaining their magic, essentially what he himself was trying to achieve.


    At this point and time, Raze was unaware that this was something that was close to impossible for a normal Other worlder.


    "It seems you aren''t willing to answer my question," Gunther said, pulling away. "You stay here and do not move. I''ll continue and finish this assessment, and then when Ie back, we can have a little talk."


    Gunther walked off to the next person and didn''t look back at Raze. He mumbled something under his breath as he walked, making it hard for Raze to hear. "I can''t believe they''re using kids so young in all of this."


    The assessment continued with Gunther doing the same to all the students, shouting out "pass" or "fail." The results came at the same rate as before. However, it was evident that one student received no result at all, and many eyes turned to him to understand what was happening.


    ''This situation might not be all bad,'' Raze thought. ''If he is an Otherworlder, then Alter would have already reached out to him and given him a high position. If that''s the case, as long as I inform him I''m from the same group, things will go well. He might even be able to aid me during my time here.''


    Despite this thought, there was a concern. Why didn''t Gunther just do something like that? Instead, he could have simply shouted "pass" and dealt with the situationter.


    After assessing all the students present in the courtyard, Gunther walked to the front of the main building and stood there with his hands at his sides. His facial expression still made him appear bored as he yed with his fingernails and didn''t even bother to look the students in the eyes.


    "Those of you who have failed may now leave Pagna Academy. You can try again next year, but if I were you guys, I wouldn''t bother. If, in all this time, you were unable to fully break through to the first stage, even with the help of your ns and money, it simply means that the life of a Pagna warrior is not for you.


    "I''m telling you this now; this is your chance to get out. If you continue with your skill level, there''s no going back, and there will be nothing but death waiting for you in the future."


    Nodding, Simyon thought that Gunther''s words were quite well thought out. For a teacher who didn''t seem to care, he was now saying some caring words. Of course, the students didn''t perceive it that way.


    "What is this crap!" a student yelled. "Being a Pagna warrior is about more than just one''s Qi base. I didn''t even get to show my skills, what I can do, or my potential."


    "Yeah, and he and I are from the same n!" Another student pointed. "I''ve beaten him in sparring every single time, yet he is allowed through while I''m not just because of this stupid test!"


    A vein appeared on Gunther''s head as he was beginning to lose his patience. ''What has happened to these kids, to the Dark Faction! They should all know who I am, and outside, they would bow down as I walked. Yet here, just because these spoiled brats haven''t gotten their way, the decision they wanted, they''re questioning my judgment?''


    "If you want toin about it, then take it up with Pincer; I''ve said my part."


    A crowd of disgruntled students immediately formed around Pincer, while Gunther made his way over to Raze.


    "The rest of you, prepare yourselves for the next part of the assessment; remember, there are three stages, and that''s just off this initial part."


    The students started talking to each other, discussing past test events and sharing information to increase their chances. Five students stood apart from the others, each wearing a white badge with a ck number from 1 to 5. Three were male, and two were female. They were the top disciples from the five major ns of the Dark Faction.


    One of the disciples, named Mada, had short, dark, spiky blue hair. He kept an eye on Gunther as he approached the student named Raze.


    ''That badge, that''s surely a no-name," Mada thought. "Why would my brother be bothering with someone with no name when he didn''t even look at me once?''


    "Hey, what''s up with your brother?" Another one of the five disciples, Ricktor, asked. He was the tallest of the disciples, a head taller than the rest, and looked the most mature. He stood up straight and tall, exuding an elegant aura that made him appear more feminine than masculine. "Do you know that no-name, or what? I''m surprised to even see a few of them here."


    Mada wasn''t sure. His brother, being the next nned head, was allowed to act in his own way. The two of them had a distant rtionship, but many had treated him with respect. Even the other disciples didn''t want to get on his bad side, as they knew his brother was one of the teachers and had joined as a high official at the academy.


    "The only no-names we have in our families are servantsm maids or ves. He probably just noticed something, that''s all."


    Before Gunther approached, since Simyon and Safa had already passed, Raze had given them the signal to try and stay away from him, as things could get a little dangerous.


    "Now, are you going to tell me what you''re doing here, or is it something I''m going to have to force out of you?" Gunther asked, reaching out his arm.


    Instinctively, Raze took a step back, not wanting to be touched, but he knew that was probably a bad move.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t know what you mean. I joined the academy because I wish to enter it, to be a Pagna warrior and make use of the resources that you have here," Raze answered. It was the honest truth, and if Gunther worked for Pagna, maybe that would satisfy him.


    Gunther started scratching the side of his head rather vigorously, though. "Are you seriously ying stupid right now?" Gunther asked. "Do you seriously not know? You''re a no-name...aren''t you? Wait, so then it could be possible. Who taught you to cultivate? Someone must have if you already have your Dantian formed."


    Raze was taken aback. The question wasn''t about his magic core; it was about his Dantian instead. If that was the case, then what was so strange about it?


    "Wait, I didn''t cultivate my core with the Dark Essence Cultivation Technique like Safa and Simyon. Could it be possible? Can he discern the energy within me?"


    Raze found himself gripped by uncertainty. He didn''t even know the nature of the energy within him, and worrisome thoughts raced through his mind. While he had attempted the cultivation technique, he remained oblivious to the faction it belonged to.


    What if it originated from the Light faction? Would they suspect him of being a spy? Was that why Gunther''s behavior had taken such a suspicious turn? The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into ce. However, Raze realized there was one way to throw Gunther off his trail.


    Given his obscure status, he had a usible excuse.


    "I stumbled upon an old book," Raze replied cautiously. "I''m affiliated with a temple, part of an orphanage group. During an exploration, I came across this book and began experimenting with the techniques it contained. Is there something wrong with the cultivation I''ve been using?"


    Gunther began to tap his upper lip in contemtion. Originally, he had suspected Raze of being a spy, but spies operated far more cautiously than this. They would have been aware that someone within the academy could discern the energy used. Spies were extensively trained to employ their skills while concealing their true faction affiliation, utilizing Dark Faction energy.


    This situation didn''t fit the profile of a spy. Raze could have detected the energy reading during the testing and left at any point, but he hadn''t.


    "Kid," Gunther began slowly, "You have no inkling, do you? The bewilderment on your face says it all. The energy within you and the cultivation technique you employed, it''s from the Demonic faction."

 Chapter 81 An Uneven Split

    <h4>Chapter 81 An Uneven Split</h4>


    The words "Demonic Faction" were heard, and memories of the words rushed through Raze''s head. It was a word that hade up a few times already. He started to think about all of the times they were mentioned, and his memories of them weren''t good at all.


    The Demonic Faction was one of three major factions in the world of Pagna, along with the Light Faction and Dark Faction. Yet, every time they had been brought up in one way or another, it was never in a good light.


    One would say that the hatred for the Demonic Faction was even strongerpared to the Light Faction, but that wasn''t the case at all; it was more so that they had a greater fear of them.


    In the past, the Demonic Faction hade close to controlling the entire continent, and the Light and Dark Factions had no choice but to team up together to try to get rid of the threat.


    It wasn''t just the Pagna warriors; even the Alter group had considered the Demonic Faction difficult, so much so that they hardly had anyone from their group in their territory. Raze had considered it a good hiding ce if things went bad in the future.


    ''If I have demonic energy, then does that mean that Dame person is from the Demonic Faction? He was the one who gave me the book after all. He also got into a scuffle with that woman from the Light Faction as well, so he''s clearly not a part of their group.''


    Dame had no reason to tell Raze he was from the Demonic Faction because he believed Raze was from another world where they didn''t have such things, so Raze found it hard to me him. But because of it, he was now in a rather difficult situation.


    ''Now that they know I have demonic energy, does it mean that all of them will go against me? I won''t be able to survive this.''


    "Don''t look so nervous," Gunther said. "Judging from your reaction, you genuinely don''t seem like you''re from the Demonic Faction, or you''re just a good actor. Either way, only time will tell.


    "But I should warn you. For me, I don''t care that you cultivate the demonic energy in your body. Some people believe the techniques you use, the energy you have, or where you are born determines whether or not you are a member of a faction.


    "For me, it''s what values you believe in. Each faction believes in a certain set of values and believes that is the perfect ideal of a Pagna warrior, and for me, it''s the same. I don''t care what energy you use as long as your values are the same as ours. That is what makes you a true member of the Dark Faction. However, not everyone thinks this way. If people find out about the energy you have cultivated, then you will be an instant enemy here.


    "While you are in the Dark Faction''s academy, you should use only Dark Faction skills. As long as you do this, and no one checks your energy like I did just now, then you will do fine."


    Judging from Gunther''s words, it looked like Raze was going to have nothing to worry about, especially since he only knew one Martial Arts skill at the moment and two Cultivation techniques.


    Seeing how Raze was deep in thought, Gunther made his decision. "You pass!" He shouted and walked off with his back away from him.


    The other students who were busy talking had been interrupted by the words, and they were quite stunned. No one understood what was taking ce or what had happened.


    "No way, all three of the No-names managed to pass?" A student whispered.


    "How were they even able to cultivate up to the first stage?"


    "Do they have connections or something?"


    "Connections? Don''t be stupid, they''re no-names, so why would anyone let them in?"


    Mada, watching his brother walk away, was curious about what was said between the two. Because he noticed, as Gunther walked away, he had a slight smile on his face. Something that he had never seen.


    ''Who the heck are you?'' Mada clenched his fist.


    Letting out a big sigh, Gunther was thinking about the troubles that were lying ahead. There was still more to go before he could act freely, but he was promised a reward for helping out at the academy, so that he would do.


    ''I have no time for all this assessment stuff. I''ll let the leader worry about whether he is a spy or not. I just need to find out who this Dark Magus person is and get that reward from the Crimson Crane.''


    This was his main goal in all of this.


    "So, you actually managed to make it into the big leagues," Simyon said, walking over. "I was worried for a sec that we would have to do the next part without you."


    When saying those words, Safa had stepped in a bit closer to the three; her eyes were staring over her shoulder. She felt the energying off those around getting to her. It was clear that they weren''t happy about them passing.


    While Raze was having a conversation with Gunther, something had urred with the disqualified students and Pincer. One student had argued so much back that they had been hit and knocked out. After that, the others no longer said anything and epted their defeat.


    They walked past the courtyard, but all of their stares were at the three No-names. Their thoughts all being quite simr.


    How could they have made it through? Was the academy saying that they were worth less than No-names? They were better than them, and yet they were the ones leaving. Since they were unable to do anything against the examiners, it looked like they wanted to take out their anger on them.


    However, Pincer''s deep res stopped them from having any such thoughts. Not unless they wanted to be knocked out again.


    "Alright!" Pincer pped both of his hands together, and a loud ng went through the air. A shockwave could visibly be seen spreading through the area around him and caught the attention of everyone immediately.


    Hisrge muscr hands that were twice the size of normal seemed to not be for show.


    "We will now go straight into the next part of the assessment where I will be taking watch," Pincer stated. "I want all students to stand on one side of the courtyard; when you hear your number being called, I want you to move over to the other side, understood!"


    The students nodded, and numbers started to be called one after another, and it was quite nerve-wracking for them all. They had just got past one part, but there was still more toe.


    As numbers were being called out, eventually, the students realized something. For one, on one side, numbers 1 to 5 had been called. All of the top n members and their disciples were ced on one side, but it wasn''t just them.


    Names that had been spread beforeing to the academy, as well as students who hade from what was considered the strongest ns, had gone to the other side.


    "Hey, why is the teacher splitting us up like this?"


    "It must be to make the assessment a bit fairer. Maybe we will have to go against each other in the next assessment, and if we were to do that with those monsters, we wouldn''t stand a chance."


    Safa looked at Raze; she didn''t like the sound of that. Being in the same group, they might have to go against each other. If that were to happen, then what would they do? Could they not all join the academy together?


    "Alright, that should do now, there is a nice even split between the two groups," Pincer smiled to himself proudly. "Now, to your left and right, the people beside you will be your teammates for the next assessment, and the two groups will be going up against each other!"


    The two groups didn''t know what the next assessment was yet, but wasn''t this clearly unfair? Was the teacher just trying to get rid of arge number of students? Hearing this, a lot of them almost felt like the result was already decided, even though they didn''t know what the assessment was going to be.


    For Simyon and Safa, the two of them were just pleased that they didn''t have to go with Raze.


    "Hey, as long as we have you on our side, we''ll pass this, right?" Simyon said.


    "I never nned to fail this assessment, no matter who I''m up against," Raze dered with determination. He looked up ahead and stared right at the five main disciples of the five top ns, his opponents for the next assessment.

 Chapter 82 The Second Assessment

    <h4>Chapter 82 The Second Assessment</h4>


    Teaching staff apart from the academy had appeared. They were dressed in dark purple clothing and hadrge hats on their heads that covered most of their hair and stood a couple of feet high.


    For Raze, it was something that looked quite ridiculous, but at least it made them easy to spot around the ce, and he knew who to hide from when doing certain things.


    The staff members had pulled out tworge crates that were filled with just stones. They were grey stones that were mostly round in shape, looking almost like pebbles. There seemed to be nothing special about them at all.


    No power was emitting from these stones, nor did they have any magicing off them at all. After bringing in the stones, the teachers also rushed with arge piece of chalk and started to run down the center making a line.


    After running down the center of the courtyard, they continued down the side and eventually had built a giant rectangle shape split into two halves around the 900 students or so.


    Afterwards, the crate of stones was ced in the center, with one of them on either side of the two halves.


    In Pincer''s'' hand, he held one of the pebble stones and was constantly throwing it up and down as he went on to exin the details of the second assessment.


    "The pebbles in the center are the only weapons you can use in this battle, and it will be against each other," Pincer exined. "First, let me exin the ways of failing the assessment. First, anyone who steps outside of the white line on their half is eliminated. Second, if you decide to forfeit.


    "Andstly, if you are no longer able to move."


    The details of what the students had to actually do yet were unclear, but they felt a strange ominous feeling at thest sentence. Gunther, who was silently watching everything, was shaking his head.


    ''You cruel man, Pincer. Are you just trying to get rid of as many students as possible at this stage?'' Gunther thought.


    "The pebbles are able to be thrown at your opponents on the other side. You are allowed to hit your fellow students and aim for anywhere you like apart from the head. A simple throw of the stone might not do much to hurt your opponents, but adding Qi into your throw."


    Pincer chucked the pebble down on the ground. A loud bang followed, and the stone had beenpletely destroyed, but left in its ce was a deep hole in the ground. If someone was hit by something like that, they would be killed.


    "If the time runs out you pass, and if you fail to hit one person you will also fail. You don''t have to eliminate them, but at leastnd a hit. Remembernding a hit is not eliminating them, only if they are no longer able to move or forfeit."


    The hands of several students were starting to shake, at least on one side of the courtyard. After hearing the rules, didn''t they favor one side more so than the others? Having put all the talented students and the strongest together, it wouldn''t be a fair match up, it would have been fairer to mix the students equally.


    The students wanted to say something, but they knew that Pincer would perhaps just disqualify them for doing so.


    "The assessment begins now!" Pincer shouted.


    Those that were on Raze''s side, many of them hesitated. Going to rush for one of the stones meant you were closer to the others and your opponents, giving you more of a chance of getting hit.


    However, on the other side, the students had rushed forward, and leading the charge was one of the disciples from the five top ns, Ricktor. He swooped down, picking up a pebble, and it left his hand wlessly.


    It cut through the wind, and the pebble had hit one of the students'' legs. Powered with Qi, it had immediately broken, causing the student to fall to the ground. Before they knew it, following Ricktor''s lead, several stones were flying all over the ce, hitting the students in their arms, legs, and more.


    Not every hit would break a bone in one''s body. Some would just leaverge cuts or bruises on their body. In anger and desperation, they picked the fallen stones back up and started to throw them with all their strength back.


    The stones were constantly raining back and forth across the field.


    There were those that were carefully avoiding them all.


    A stone hade hurtling toward Mada, and with his hand, he moved it in an S shape like flowing water and struck the stone to the side, causing him next to no harm.


    ''Where are you, no name?'' Mada looked with his eyes. ''Don''t tell me you''ve been knocked out already.''


    So far the three no names had yet to be hit. They were doing a good job avoiding the stones. They hardly strayed from their position, and whenever one woulde towards them, they would all use the two-step shift method, to just move enough to avoid the stones.


    ''Oh, they have been taught well,'' Gunther noticed. ''The two-step shift isn''t the fanciest of moves, but in this situation one doesn''t need to be fancy. It also uses up a small amount of energy. Rather than giving in to the fear of their opponent and the task ahead of them, they have calmly analyzed the situation.''


    The no names were doing better than many of those that hade from fighting ns. It was a shame but it was what the high-intensity assessment was meant to do.


    "Hey, is it just me, or do I have a feeling that more rocks are being concentrated our way?" Simyonmented, as he continued to avoid all of the strikes.


    It certainly did seem that way. It wasn''t like that at first, but students were getting eliminated rather quickly, and it was mostly due to the five n members. When a student forfeited out of pain or due to them no longer being able to move, the teachers came into the area.


    It was quite an amazing sight to see, as they were able to avoid all of the stones being chucked back and forth, carry the students, and pull them out of the area, all without being hit and had made it look so effortless as well.


    As more were disappearing, though, the no names had be more of a target. They were wondering why hadn''t they been eliminated yet. Even the movements they used, they were so simple. Which was starting to cause more frustration, and more pebbles were targeted their way.


    "It''s okay," Raze said. "The hard part is over. As more people are eliminated there is more space to move about, and it''s easier to see the rocksing. But because of all these stones, we''re finding it hard to find an opportunity to strike."


    If they knelt down to throw one of the stones they would be hit. Although a hit didn''t mean elimination, with everyone throwing a full force stone with Qi, it could do quite a bit of damage.


    Raze just wanted to wait for the perfect time for when everyone would tire out, and then it was their chance.


    What he didn''t expect, though, was from behind something was stirring as well. One of the students had picked up a stone.


    ''Look at them, what the heck are they even doing here, and now they''re trying to show off with a basic two-step shift! None of them belong here, and are just getting in our way!


    From behind, a student hurled one of the stones with as much strength as possible. The three were focusing so hard on avoiding the stones ahead they had failed to notice what was behind them.


    As the stonended right on one of them, a loud nk was heard for a moment, and the stone fell to the floor.


    Looking behind him, Simyon looked at the stone. "Did someone on my own team just throw a stone at me?"


    Simyon was in disbelief; he couldn''t believe his own teammate attacked him. Surely that had to be against the rules. The stone hadnded on the back of his leg and fell to the floor, but Simyon hadn''t flinched, and the student was in as much disbelief as Simyon was.


    Whereas for Raze, he had a smile on his face.


    "The answer was with us this entire time. Come on, metal boy, it''s time for our attack!"

 Chapter 83 You Went too Far

    <h4>Chapter 83 You Went too Far</h4>


    With the effect of the Mythical-grade Earring, Simyon had a level 1 metal body. Nearly all of the students, although Pagna warriors, they were a stage 1 Pagna warrior. With Qi infused through them, they wouldn''t be able to harm Simyon''s body.


    The others wouldn''t know this, so it was time for them to use him as a human shield. "Simyon, block all the hits and head forward!" Raze shouted.


    Having caught the gist of what Raze was nning, he listened and did as asked.


    "You don''t have to tell me twice, as I said, I''ll do as you say!"


    Like a bull, Simyon charged forward, and Safa and Raze followed behind in almost a straight line.


    Seeing another studenting directly toward them, the other students, of course, had decided to target him. Throwing the rocks, they bounced off his body even if infused with Qi, doing next to no damage at all and not slowing him down.


    When they were close enough to the centre line, Raze and Safa rolled to the side and picked up a rock. Nearly at the exact same time, they threw their rocks at two of the students closest. It was infused with Qi and hit the student on the knee. It jolted his leg forward, and he fell to the floor.


    It was the same for the person that Safa had hit as well.


    "And now it''s my turn!" Simyon said, picking up a rock. Rather than throwing it at another student, Simyon decided to y it safe and threw a stone at the person who was already on the ground, hitting him as he wasing back up.


    "Alright, retreat!" Simyon stated.


    The three only had to hit a student, which meant they had now passed, as long as they could survive until the assessment was over.


    "That damn kid, he wasn''t the only one that was special," Gunther smiled. "How are these no-names surprising me more and more? The other two, they didn''t have any demonic Qi inside them. Yet it''s clear they know each other. The teamwork and trust they put into each other, it''s like those that have been through life and death with each other."


    Moving back, it was time for the three to get out of there and just hide behind the other students. As they were retreating though, a stone came out faster and more powerful than the others.


    Simyon was happy to block it with his body, but when it hit him in his stomach, it had hit deep, causing his eyes to bulge out slightly, the air from his stomach to pop out. He couldn''t breathe and knelt over, nearly causing the other two to trip.


    "Oh, you''re still standing, now that hurt my pride a little," Ricktor said with another stone in his hand.


    Originally, the main disciples were too busy dealing with the others, taking out as many as they could, but the act of the three with no-name had managed to catch their eye.


    "Unfortunately for you guys. You are not allowed to reach our ce!"


    Standing next to Ricktor were the other five n disciples. Ricktor, Mada, Cherry, Lisa, and Ossep. They had stayed close to each other, having apetition of sorts, seeing how many they could take out. But after seeing Simyon''s act, a suggestion hade up.


    "Hey, why don''t we go ahead and see who can take out the three no-names first?" Ossep suggested. "The one who takes out the most wins."


    "I guess that will make this boring game a little more interesting," Cherry imed, her slender fingers on her hip.


    Simyon had recovered, but the situation wasn''t looking good for them. The students that were close to them until this point had stepped away. Everyone could tell that they had be their targets.


    All five of them hurled the rocks at the same time, all of them powered with Qi. They flew swiftly in the air, and immediately Simyon lifted his arms up and his body, blocking them from the other two.


    "ARGHH!" Simyon screamed as the rocks hit him all over. His metal body was too weak for the amount of power they were using.


    "What are you doing, idiot, protect yourself!" Raze shouted at him.


    "Hey, don''t you remember what I said?" Simyon ced his hands on his legs and got up again. "I owe you my life, I owe everything to you, it''s because of you that I''m even here in the first ce. So shut up, and let me do what I want!"


    A rock went whizzing past Simyon''s face and arms and produced arge cut, drawing blood. The tactic of the disciples had changed a bit; if they couldn''t take them down, then they just had to injure them to the point where they could give up.


    Arge rock hit Safa in the stomach again, and as she knelt down, several of the rocks went past. They were now throwing more than one at a time. Safa tried to move out of the way but was hit on the shoulder, and heard a loud crack in her arm.


    "Ahs." She tried to scream, but no noise wasing out.


    "What the hell!" Cherry pointed. "That girl, she didn''t scream. Can she not scream, is she a mute?"


    It wasn''t just Safa though, Raze had struggled as well. He went to move and avoided one stone but another had hit his forearm. It hadn''t broken it, but it was now throbbing with pain.


    "It would be easier if you all just decided to give up; otherwise, this is going to be very painful for you." Mada threw another rock, and the rest followed.


    They had continued to go through the air, with the three of them avoiding them, trying their best, but they got hit, the pain increasing and spreading throughout their body in more areas.


    Not all of them hit their bodies, as many had narrowly passed them, causingrge cuts on their body. Blood was dripping from all three of them, but each of them refused to yield.


    "Hey!" Gunther called out. "Don''t you think you should end the assessment? The others aren''t even throwing stones at each other anymore and are just watching this spectacle. Haven''t they proven enough?"


    "Since when did you be so soft?" Pincer replied. "You know if those three pass and get through, they will be treated much worse than this. If they can''t get through this much, then it''s best that they stop here."


    Another round of stones was thrown, and it had hit the three, as it did, it sent them to the floor, but they had nearly been too hurt to even scream in pain anymore, too tired. Yet still, slowly each one of them got off the ground. Safa had even slipped back down, falling onto the floor.


    She pushed herself up and looked ahead, looking at her brother''s back.


    "What''s with your eyes!" Mada shouted. "What the heck do you think you''re staring at! You are no-names. You are at the bottom, and your duty is to serve us, so why are you looking at us with those eyes!"


    Raze had his head held slightly down, yet his eyes were looking straight ahead at the five of them.


    ''I can''t help but chuckle, this scene, this whole thing, it feels incredibly familiar to me. Ah, now I know, these five, they remind me of the Grand Magus.''


    Thinking this, a burning energy was running through Raze''s body, and he lifted his hand, pointing at the three.


    "The image of every single one of you is burned into my mind!" Raze said. "I won''t forget what you guys did to us today, singling us out, and hey." Raze said, as he raised his weak hand, covered in cuts, blood dripping down his forearm. He then lifted his middle finger right up toward them.


    "We have a name, you dumb f*cks! We are the Cromwells!"


    The other students on both sides looked at each other. The Cromwells? Was it a name they had heard before? They hadn''t heard of such a n, a merchant, or anyone that went by that name. It sounded strange and unusual by their standards as well.


    A no-name giving themselves a name," Mada said, turning to look at Gunther for a few moments before he turned to look back at the three. "How pathetic!"


    The single rock was hurled at the group. With how many times they had been hit, it was too painful for them to move. For thest few, they had just been taking the hits right on, but before the rock had even reached them, Safa stumbled again, barely ablea to stand.


    Out of all of them, she had been most affected by the hits and looked the weakest, and Mada had sensed this. If he was just to get rid of one of them, then wouldn''t they all fall.


    The path of the rock was clear, and it was heading right for Safa''s chest. There were only rules against hitting the head.


    Raze lifted his hand, but it was short of being able to block the rock.


    "Wind, guide it to me." Raze whispered.


    The rock, as if being pulled by an invisible force, changed direction in the air. It curved around andnded straight in Raze''s hand, catching the Qi-powered rock with no problem at all.


    "You went too far."

 Chapter 84 The Low Class

    <h4>Chapter 84 The Low ss</h4>


    Until a moment ago, all of the students were focused on the little game the disciples had set up. They were mesmerized by what they were seeing since the three no-names hadn''t given up yet, but not mesmerized in a good way.


    They had seen a number of students from ns get hit and have wounds on their bodies far less severe than the ones on the no-names that had already given up. It was unbelievable to them all.


    In the society of Pagna, no-names were at the bottom of a caste system. They were only given the most basic of jobs. Their families were too poor to send their children to school, too weak to afford food to grow their strength. Because of this, no-names never broke the cycle and always remained at the bottom of the system.


    They could only do small jobs to help others, leaving everyone to think of them as lesser people. It had been drilled into their heads so much that even the no-names believed it themselves.


    They were just meant to give their lives to those who made the world go round.


    This was why it was already a big shock to see no-names taking the assessment in the first ce, and now to witness them putting up a fight, it wasn''t encouraging to them, it was sickening.


    The annoying bugs should have stayed down, and they deserved to get what was happening to them. For each time they stood up, it made the others feel lesser themselves. How could these lesser, dirty humans try to one-up them?


    They all wanted to watch them fail, and fail miserably because if they passed, then it would mean a no-name was equal to them. However, all of these thoughts almost immediately disappeared from their heads for a moment when they had witnessed what Raze had just done.


    "Hey, am I imagining things or did that rock move mid-air and go right towards his hands."


    "No, you''re not crazy. I saw it as well."


    "Hey, hey, that''s not the crazy part," another student said. "Are you forgetting who threw it? It was Mada, one of the leading disciples from the Flowing Force n. He threw the thing with Qi, and he was able to catch it like it was nothing."


    Both Pincer and Gunther had been watching the thing carefully, and Gunther himself was thinking of intervening. With the amount of force thest throw had, it wouldn''t be so surprising when it hit that girl''s chest that it could have killed her.


    However, the academy didn''t have to worry about these things, at least not with a no-name because there would be no one who could reallyin about their death.


    ''Was it some type of palm suction technique?'' Gunther thought. ''The stone, it moved as if it was maized toward his hand. It has to be a technique of some sort. There are many techniques from various different ns. If that child was able to pick up a demonic cultivation technique, then something like this wouldn''t be out of the realm of possibilities.''


    With the stone in his hand, Raze opened his fingers, allowing the stone to drop onto the floor. He wanted to throw it back with all of his might, but he was already injured and too tired for that.


    These n members had more stamina and strength than them. They were either already stage 2 warriors or close to it.


    Huffing and panting, trying to gather their breath back, Safa and Simyon had seen what Raze had done, and they had a feeling they knew exactly what it was that he was using right now.


    "What is this, you think just because you got lucky you can stand there like that?" Mada''s face was turning red. He was getting embarrassed. How could he have failed to take down the no-names, and most of all, his brother was watching him.


    Picking up another one of the stones, he hurled it through the air again at full force. It went on the same path as before, it wasn''t going for Raze or Simyon but instead it was going for Safa.


    "Wind guide it to me," Raze whispered again.


    It was a magic spell, one based on the new wind attribute he had gained. Since the object was fairly light, it could easily be influenced by a small amount of wind magic. Then before the stone would end up in his palm, the wind magic would create a small burst, slowing it down before it eventually went right into his hand again.


    Raze opened his fingers, and the stone dropped to the floor.


    There were audible gasps as they saw this. Since he had done the same thing twice in a row, it was clear it wasn''t a fluke.


    "Haha! So interesting," Ricktor imed. "What an interesting technique this one has learned. I would have loved to have just let you go by, but the threat that you made against us before, I will have to take it as a serious one."


    Kneeling down, Ricktor had picked up a stone from the ground and was ready to throw it until a loud bang interrupted him. It was the same bang from before, and they could see that Pincer had his two hands together, having finished his p.


    "The assessment is over, all of those that have yet to be eliminated, you have passed and are now able to head to the third part of the assessment!" Pincer dered.


    As if it was a signal, immediately Safa and Simyon had copsed onto the ground. However, Raze stayed on his feet and didn''t look away from the five disciples.


    "What a disgusting monster," Ricktor said, dropping the stone and walking away.


    With the assessment being a rtively tough one, there were many that had sustained injuries. Those that didn''t need to be healed were free to take a break and be treated to food and drink in the hall.


    While the others, they had headed to arge hall where a team of physicians were making quick work of looking after all of the others. They were using a blend of nts, herbs, alchemy-made pills, as well as activating the Qi in their bodies through a touch of their own.


    In the corner, it was Raze''s turn to be looked at, but before the young man could get to him, a hand grabbed his fist.


    "It''s okay, I will deal with them. I know how to do this stuff," Gunther said.


    The physician went away, leaving the medicine on the ground, and went to deal with Simyon and Safa.


    Meanwhile, Gunther just handed over the bowl of a strange liquid paste to him, to apply it to himself.


    "I thought I would help you out. I didn''t want your secret to be revealed," Gunther winked. "You also seemed like the type that didn''t like to be touched too much."


    It was quite amazing to Raze how a person could tell so much from a look. Gunther was skilled in more ways than just his power and tools.


    "Anyway, I came over to tell you something anyway. You should drop out of the next assessment."

 Chapter 85 The Third Assessment

    <h4>Chapter 85 The Third Assessment</h4>


    Once again, Gunther had approached Raze, and this wasn''t going unnoticed by all of the other students who were being treated in the room.


    "Hey, does that no-name really have connections?"


    "Maybe he''s an unwanted son, an illegitimate child of a n head and a concubine. That stuff happens all the time, right? Then hees back to exact his revenge on all his brothers, but there is a kind brother looking out for him."


    "What type of crap are you spouting? Go take your fantasy crap elsewhere. Clearly, he just thinks he has some talent, so he''s talking to him."


    It was true, Gunther had approached Raze because he thought he was a skillful student, but due to him being a no-name, he knew that this wasn''t a blessing in this situation, but it was actually worse off for him.


    "If we''ve gotten this far, why do you want us to drop out?" Raze asked. "Is it because of what happened during this assessment, or do you have your own motive?"


    Letting out a big sigh, Gunther turned to look around. He then passed over a few more medicine pills that had been given and handed them over. Raze was applying the green substance onto his cuts.


    His arm would sting for a few moments, but he only let out a small grunt before continuing elsewhere, while there were literal sounds of screamsing from others.


    "You don''t need to put on the tough guy act with me," Gunther smiled. "Look, we told you at the beginning that the assessments were just to evaluate you. With the second assessment over, everyone has already passed; the third assessment is just to determine what groups to put you in."


    "Then shouldn''t I still try my best? Better groups will have ess to better resources, correct?" Raze asked.


    Gunther wasn''t wrong about this kid; he had seen it before, the certain look he would have in his eyes, the look of wanting more power no matter what it took. Raze wasn''t the only one.


    People in the entire continent went through crazy events and things, which gave them all determination to get stronger. What separated people was just how strong this determination was.


    "You should know resources are useless if you''re dead, right?" Gunther replied back. "Look, I shouldn''t really be telling you this, but you seem to be a smart one, so I''ll give you the details of the next event.


    "It''s a hunting ground," Gunther exined. "Behind the academy, there is arge forest. Small beasts known as hop bunnies will be released, and it''s the students'' jobs to get as many Power stones from the beasts as possible.


    "In a way, this whole event is just a way for students to flex or give themselves a ranking amongst each other. As really it will be just the disciples of the five main nspeting against each other, but did you notice why it will be a problem."


    Thinking about it for a while, Raze had managed toe to a conclusion based on the carefully selected words.


    "Because the task is to gather power stones, not to kill the beasts," Raze answered.


    "I knew you were a smart one. If I could, I would make you my own disciple right now, but my arts won''t be the best for you," Gunther continued. "The fact that the assessment is to gather stones means it encourages the others to take stones from others, and that will be by force if necessary.


    "You and your friends already stand out a lot, and the main n disciples aren''t going to like that. Now, it seems like they have a little grudge against you, so the best thing for all of you to do is just not gather any stones and avoid any more attention."


    With his warning given, Gunther felt like he had done the deed he needed to do and started to head off to set up the next steps.


    ''Argh crap, I was meant to ask what that technique he used earlier was with the stone. That was pretty cool. I was going to ask him if he had ever heard about the Dark Magus as well. Oh well, I guess I can just save that for next time we meet,'' Gunther thought.


    The advice given by Gunther seemed genuine, but Raze felt like he was still too naive. He was looking at the others from his point of view and how he would act, but people were different in the world.


    There wasn''t ck or white; there were multiple shades of grey in between. Raze knew that even if he didn''t gather any power stones, they would still target him, and not just him but the others as well.


    ''Now, I need to figure out how to deal with it.''


    Mada, while walking around the hallways of the academy, had passed by and heard a few interesting things. Some of the students had only minor wounds and after they had been looked at, they were heading to the canteen for some food before the next assessment.


    "Why do you think he went to see him?"


    "How am I meant to know? Maybe they''re secret lovers or something."


    The other student punched his shoulder. "Hey, if they catch you saying that stuff about an examiner, then you''re dead. Still, it is strange that a no-name is receiving so much attention."


    "Hey!" Mada called out. "What are you guys talking about?"


    The two students nced at each other; they knew who Mada was and thought that he might have overheard what he said. No, it was quite clear he had, and now they were fearing the worst and were preparing for a beating.


    "We''re sorry!" the students bowed down. "We were just joking around. We saw Gunther and the no-name from before, the one that caught your¡ª I mean, the white-haired one talking to each other."


    Mada immediately started to clench his fist hard until his knuckles were turning white.


    ''Why does he care about a no-name so much? He''s never looked at me with the same expression, much less acknowledged I even exist, yet he''s paying so much attention to him. Alright then, Gunther, let''s see how you react when I get rid of him.''

 Chapter 86 You Make Me Hard

    <h4>Chapter 86 You Make Me Hard</h4>


    The academy had some of the top physicians and an abundance of supplies that they could use to speed up the recovery process. They were even more equipped than some of the top ns but not the very best.


    This was all due to the investment by all of the ns in the Dark Faction, in the first ce; they needed to see a return on their investment.


    One student had healed quicker than others, as it turned out his injuries weren''t as severe as they looked. That was Simyon, and he only had one answer to that: the reason had to be due to the earring that made his body a little specialpared to others.


    "What is this ce!" Simyon''s eyes were wide as he walked into the toilet. He never thought he would have this type of reaction to seeing a ce where waste was disposed of, but he was over the moon because he hadn''t seen something so luxurious.


    "There are these holes where people can wash their hands and collect the water. Where does the water even go? And the toilets, it''s not just a hole in the ground but something you can sit on as well? I wonder, are you meant to stand on the seat or what, but wouldn''t that break it?"


    Entering the toilet, Simyon decided to sit with his back facing the door, cing his two legs in front of him and using the top of the toilet next to his face like a little shelf.


    "I have no idea if this is right or wrong? How are you meant to use this thing?" It was quite the head-scratcher, but he had onlye in for a short visit. After doing what needed to be done, he proceeded to wash his hands, and when he looked up, he was surprised to see that someone else was in the toilets with him.


    Quickly, Simyon ced his head down and continued to rub his hands, avoiding eye contact.


    "If you continue to rub your hands so fast like that, then the skin is going toe off them," Ricktor said.


    The tall student with a feminine face, Ricktor, was someone who had caught the attention of everyone, and his name was one that all the students would remember. That was because he was one of the disciples of the five major ns.


    Not only that, but he belonged to the Erupting Fist n, the n with the n head that was the closest to reaching the deity stage and also the one that was the principal of the Dark Faction academy.


    "Thanks for that," Simyon nervously said and tried to walk out of the toilets as quickly as he could, until Ricktor sat up on the washing stations and looked directly at Simyon, somewhat blocking his path.


    Simyon could forcibly move around him, but he had a feeling that if he did that, it wouldn''t be the best of ideas.


    "I saw you out there, you have quite the strong body. You are impressive, a lot more than the others. I can''t believe it myself; I can''t believe you''re really a no-name," Ricktor imed.


    "Imagine how strong you would be if you were to join a n, and what a coincidence that I have taken a liking to you, and I am part of a strong n with a high position."


    In the past, Simyon would have done anything to bite at the chance of joining a n, even the Red Brigade, and now he was getting the chance to join the Erupting Fist. People would have done anything to get this opportunity.


    However, with what had happened to them in the second assessment, a bad taste was left in Simyon''s mouth, and besides, he had made a promise already.


    "It would be an honor to join a n like yours, but I''m afraid a no name like me would ruin the reputation of your n. I believe I will try my best to progress in the academy as I have done so far," Simyon answered politely, trying not to make it sound like an outright rejection.


    "Oh, but you can join. I am here to make you an offer. In the next assessment, we will be going through the grounds forest. Take the white-haired boy North West, and if you do that, then I will be happy to put in a good word for you," Ricktor suggested.


    Simyon thought this was the case, and it was one of the reasons why he was trying to avoid a conversation.


    ''Can this guy not get the hint that I just turned him down? Or has he never been turned down before?'' Simyon looked at Ricktor''s face, and with a face like that, he imagined that might have been the case. Men and women would both be drawn to a person looking like they had been dropped from the heavens.


    "Why, why are you going after Raze?" Simyon asked.


    Laughter followed after the question had been asked. "I think you have it all wrong, young one. I am not going after your friend Raze; I am going after you," Ricktor jumped off from the washing area and walked close to Simyon, looking down at him with arge smile.


    "You see, there aren''t many things that excite me, but seeing people ced in a predicament, where they feel they have no choice but to betray those that they thought were close to them, well that just makes me feel ecstatic."


    Standing so close, Simyon was sure of it, that around his waist, he could feel something poking him.


    ''What the heck is wrong with this guy, is he aroused right now!'' Simyon went to move away, but immediately had been grabbed by Ricktor.


    It was a firm grip on his wrist, and it felt hot to the touch. Simyon felt like his skin was burning slightly.


    "I know you no-names would do anything to join a n like mine. You''re lucky my requirement is just a simple betrayal and not something else. Do the task and get rewarded; I''ll even give you a few Qi pills.


    "However, if you fail, I might just go ahead and ask that girl that seems close to him instead."


    Ricktor let go and exited the toilets. The moment he did, Simyon felt like he could breathe again. Looking at his arm, he could see a mark had been left behind, the skin had gone a little redder through his dark-toned arm.


    "Crap, now I feel like crap. If that was Safa, I bet she would have fought back at the mention of her brother, yet here I am saying I''m loyal and didn''t do a thing."


    Returning from the toilet to the others, Simyon was trying to cover up the marking on his arm. He was ying with his sleeves a bit when he joined the others and noticed that many of the students around them looked as if they had made a recovery.


    ''Should I tell Raze what just happened? But then¡­what about Safa, what will happen to her if they start to target her, what do I do?''


    "Is something wrong?" Raze asked.


    With the students having recovered, they were then escorted to the area where the third part of the assessment would take ce. All three hundred students that had made it were brought to the edge of the academy city at the very back, leading into the dark forest.


    The night sky hade out, as it had been hours since their first assessment. The moonlight lit up the faces of them all as Pincer and Gunther stood at the front.


    "Alright, everyone, it''s time for the third part of the assessment to begin," Pincer imed.


    Looking around him, Simyon had caught the eye of Ricktor again. He slightly nodded his head.


    ''Crap, what do I do!'' Simyon thought.

 Chapter 87 I’m The One Who Hunts

    <h4>Chapter 87 I''m The One Who Hunts</h4>


    Before the third assessment was to begin, the rules were exined to all of them. It was just as Gunther had said before. The students were to go on a hunt. Inside, there were blue bunny beasts.


    These were small creatures that looked like bunnies but had blue fur along with red eyes. They were more agile than a standard bunny and had quite a bite. The blue-furred bunnies were raised at the academy as a way for them to farm level 1 power stones.


    This was effective because bunnies reproduced a lot, and they were one of the least dangerous beasts in terms of strength. The time limit was until the sun rose, so they had an extremelyrge amount of time. It was to allow the group to n and strategize properly.


    "I will remind you all again," Pincer had his arms behind his back, and hisrge chest pushed forward as he spoke. "There are no rules in how you get these power stones. Steal,y traps, or even team up against each other. The only rule is you are not to kill your fellow students.


    "For those who bring back power stones, and arge number of them, you will be rewarded by the academy greatly. We are an academy that helps focus on those who are talented to grow and reach the skies, so show us how talented you are."


    Many of the students who had been in the weaker group from thest assessment weren''t too pleased about the events. Although their bodies had been healed, it was really only the severe wounds. They were still sore, still bruised and injured.


    While the other side had suffered next to no injuries. Although they wouldn''t necessarily be going against each other like in thest assessment, they felt like it was a little unfair.


    "What are you all waiting for, go!" Pincer shouted, and with a p, it was the signal that the assessment had started.


    Several of the students ran straight into the forest, including the five main n disciples, with Ricktor turning his head, looking back, and making eye contact with Simyon.


    Not all of them had headed straight into the forest, though. Some of the students were talking to each other, trying to see who would team up with them to give them a better chance against the stronger students, and one of those groups was Raze''s.


    Safa started to make signals with her hands as she pointed toward Raze. It looked like she was suggesting some traps the three of them could use to catch some of the bunnies, but Raze shook his head.


    "No, we don''t need to do any of that," Raze replied. "Because we''re not going to be hunting anything; we''re just going to stay here until the assessment is over. There''s no need for us to get any crystals."


    The words were said rtively loudly, and it was then that Gunther and Pincer had headed back into the academy. Therge gate doors that they hade out of had now been locked from the other side. There was no way back into the academy other than scaling the walls or through the doors.


    "Wait, seriously!" Simyon said, tapping his foot on the ground at a rtively fast rate. "Are we not going to hunt? Won''t we get kicked out of the academy?"


    "We won''t," Raze answered. "And besides, we can just stay here and then beat up the guys thate at the end. I bet a lot of people are going to do that; if we do that, then we will be safe."


    Raze didn''t want to reveal the inside information he had, that everyone had already passed. It hadn''t been mentioned, but from the looks of things, other students already knew that as well. Still, in a position where they were hated by everyone, it was best not to let things spill.


    "But if we do that, will we get the most crystals? Don''t you want to beat those guys because of what they''ve done to us? I''m sure with your head, you could do something that will help us win this," Simyon shouted, as if he was agitated by Raze.


    "Fine," Raze said. "If you feel that strongly about it, then why don''t you lead the way?"


    An unnerving smile appeared on Raze''s face, one that made Simyon wonder who was more frightening, Ricktor or him.


    Turning around, Simyon headed into the forest, and the two followed him. As he did, he made sure to head Northwest.


    The group had continued forward for a while, and they had passed a few of the blue-furred bunnies. As soon as their feet touched arge leaf or made some noise, the bunnies would run away.


    It didn''t matter, though, because Simyon hadn''t slowed down and started to run forward. The others continued until three studentsnded right in front of them. Raze stopped in his tracks immediately, and two more students arrived behind them. It didn''t take long to figure out who they were; it was the five major n disciples.


    "It''s nice to meet you again," Ricktor said with a smile. "I bet you thought we wouldn''t waste time with you because you''re a no-name, but you see, you insulted us all with your crude finger from before.


    "That look in your eyes from before, it looked like you wanted to kill us, so here''s your chance, why don''t you do something." Ricktor raised both of his hands by his side.


    He was gloating, and he was sure that Raze wouldn''t try something so daft.


    "Oh, and before I forget, thank you for bringing him here." Ricktor threw over a red small stone. Simyon caught it and could see it was a power stone. "You and the girl have done splendidly. The two of you may go, and I''ll give you a call when I need you again."


    Safa immediately turned to Simyon; she was about to give him an earful or at least whatever noise she could make out of her mouth, that was until Raze hit her hard at the back of her neck, causing her to pass out.


    Simyon caught her before she hit the floor and started to walk out of the area. He had walked past both Mada and Ricktor, and neither of them had done anything. He gave onest look at Raze before he started to run off.


    "How does it feel to be betrayed by one of your friends!" Ricktor asked. "I bet he was someone who you thought was like family to you, right? And look at what happened. You know all it took was a small, simple promise for him to join our n. He traded you for that; that''s how worthless your no-name life is."


    Ricktor wasughing, and as he was, he would readjust his belt that was close to his waist. He was unable to keep the excitement that was rising in his body.


    While Simyon was walking back, he couldn''t help but worry. ''Raze, you have a n, right? A n to get out of that situation?'' Simyon thought.


    Memories had shed in his head from before the event. When Simyon had returned from the toilet, he had decided to tell Raze everything that had happened, and the answer he had given back was surprising.


    "Do it," Raze said. "Do what he said, work for them and pretend he has you


    under control."


    "But Raze, it''s a trap; even if it''s just one of the disciples, they''ll take you out," Simyon said.


    "True, but can''t you tell by the way they are acting? They are targeting me regardless, and if you try to fight back, they''ll target you as well. If you y along, you two won''t be their target, and you''ll get something out of it. Trust me, even if you didn''t do this, they would just find some way anyway."


    Running back from the way they came, Simyon couldn''t help but worry. Even if he had strange powers, how was he meant to take on all five of them on his own at once?


    ¡ª¡ª


    "Come on, do something!" Ricktor shouted out again.


    In response, Raze looked up at the sky, and then around the area they were in. "I have no chance if I was to fight all five of you, not even if I gave it everything I have," Raze said to himself. "But, do you know what happens when a person uses arge amount of magic... a disaster. All of you are acting like some third rate viin, hunting down your pray, but you have no idea. I''m the one who hunts. "

 Chapter 88 No Evidence

    <h4>Chapter 88 No Evidence</h4>


    Being part of the Alter group, Raze had been told that there was a specific rule that was designated for those from Alterian. While in the world of Pagna, one wasn''t supposed to use magic. The reason for that rule was because of portals.


    Portals linked to other dimensions were attracted to the magic used, so as long as Raze used enough magic, then he could summon a portal and create a portal outbreak.


    ''If I summon a portal now, I have no clue what type of dimension will open up. Beasts mighte out that are even too hard for me to handle,'' Raze thought. ''On top of that, Alter wille and investigate. When they find out that I was here, no doubt I will be ced as number one on their list, and then the whole crap with the Red Brigade n will happen all over again.''


    Despite all of this, he had no choice. Would the disciples just give him a simple beating, or would they cripple him and make sure he could never go against them again? It was too much of a risk. The dark magic started to swirl around his arms, ready to explode.


    "Wait!" Mada shouted.


    The reaction from the other disciples was one of confusion, which made Raze quickly cancel his magic. At times it was best to also be patient and to wait and see what would unfold.


    Mada turned his back towards Raze and looked straight ahead at Ricktor. "Just this once, I ask you to let me deal with this. I need to do this."


    Ricktor looked down at Mada, bowing to him. He liked this feeling. "It would be nice to have the Flowing Force n owe me a favor. Fine, I shall let you y with this one, as I have another toy that I am far more interested in."


    Clicking his fingers, Ricktor disappeared from the ce along with the other four. Although they were all from separate ns, in the past, all five would frequently visit each other. They knew each other well, but what they didn''t know was each other''s strength.


    They had never gone against each other, but they listened to the words of Ricktor more than any, due to his position in the Dark Faction n. Being the closest to the Deity rank, he was somewhat thought of as the leader of the Dark Faction.


    ''Hahaha, what is this, is this a stroke of luck for me?'' Raze thought. ''With my life, I thought I had no such thing. I guess since transmigrating, luck has favored me a few times. If it''s just one, then I can deal with it.''


    Raze had almost immediately regretted those thoughts. Mada had moved from his position over five meters in an instant, but not only that, it looked as if his feet had just glided across the floor.


    Raze was unable to witness him lifting his legs, which made the whole thing look like an illusion. Before he could prepare any magic, a heavy blow hadnded right in his stomach.


    His feet were lifted off the ground, and he went flying through the air. Raze felt like his insides were about toe out, and food had already left his mouth, dribbling over his clothing as he finallynded a distance away.


    ''That hit... are these disciples stronger than the Red Brigade Elders?'' Raze looked around, getting up from his position, but he was unable to see where Mada was.


    "You are nothing special. I don''t understand why my brother spent so much attention on you." Mada stated.


    Raze was gathering the magic in his hands again, but before he knew it, arge, heavy kick, it was giving the imagery as if it was flowing through water, bashed into Raze''s side. Once again, he was sent flying through the forest, tumbling until hended on the ground.


    ''I''ve made a big mistake,'' Raze thought as he spat out blood from his mouth onto the ground. ''I thought as long as I had distance between us, that I would be able to use my magic to finish him off, but why am I struggling to see him so much? How can there be so much of a difference between these guys and the Red Brigade n?''


    In a way, Raze was lucky to have transmigrated into the town he had. It was a small ce with a n that had next to no significance. Since he had been introduced to the world of Pagna warriors through them, he could only use them as a guide.


    Sure, he had met Dame and Beatrix, but they were imed to be at the very pinnacle, at the top. There was Yon as well, but if Raze had used magic, maybe he would have been able to do something. Right now, though, he feltpletely helpless.


    As Raze got up off the ground, he noticed theck of trees that were around him. Looking back, there was just the ground and a cliff that descended into nothing but mist, simr to that which surrounded the entire academy.


    "Why?" Mada said, appearing in front of Raze and walking slowly toward him. "Why would he acknowledge someone like you, talk to you, when he has never even bothered to say a single word to me?"


    "F*ck me!" Raze said, as he held his stomach. "Is this what this is about? You''re attacking me because you''re f*cking jealous, and of all things, your brother. If you want to tell him you love him, then go tell him, don''t drag me into your incest bullsh*t!"


    Why did it always feel like to Raze that he was put in these difficult situations? When he had nothing, he was forced to do others'' bidding against his own will. When he had something, it was taken away from him.


    When he had power, he was chased by those who feared him.


    "I''m telling you this now," Raze said, as he looked up at Mada with the same eyes he had done before when the rest of the disciples were there. A sharp look that pierced through one''s soul. "If you don''t kill me, you''re going to regret it for the rest of your life."


    "I already nned to," Mada answered. "I need to see the reaction on my brother''s face when you''re gone."


    Raze lifted his hand up in that moment, the dark magic gathered around his palm. "Dark pulse!" Raze shouted.


    The beam of energy shot out, but moving to the side, Mada had avoided itpletely, only letting it burn his hair. Shifting forward like he had done before, he side-kicked Raze right in the stomach, lifting him off the floor.


    Raze could feel his body in free fall, and eventually, the edge of the cliff, with Mada looking down at him was all he could see until he could see nothing but the mist covering his sight.


    Mada looked down and couldn''t hear a loud thud, which suggested it was a long way to the bottom.


    ''He won''t be able to survive that, and there will be no evidence of my doing,'' Mada said as he turned around.


    When he did, he started to walk back through the forest, and that''s when his eyesid upon a tree. There was arge hole in it, not just through one tree, but it went through three trees until it stopped.


    ''This... was it his doing? Was it that strange attack he pulled at the end? What was that? Was it projectile Qi? No, that would be impossible; only a deity rank can do something like that. So what is this?'' Mada thought.

 Chapter 89 A Bad Memory

    <h4>Chapter 89 A Bad Memory</h4>


    ?


    The edge of the cliff that Raze was able to see had long gone out of his sight, and now it felt like he was endlessly falling down. How deep was he falling off the edge? Surely even if a Pagna warrior were to fall down here, they too would perish.


    ''Why would they have such a cliff in the academy? Do they want students to die? It seems like my experience here might end up being worse than at the mage''s academy!''


    shes of imagery appeared in Raze''s mind. Surrounded in arge courtroom, surrounded by other mages. His own self standing on trial with cuffs around his wrists, then finally the image of Ibarin covered in fake tears, one of the five Grand Magus, and the current head of the Mage Academy.


    ''No, the situation back then was far worse than this, this I can handle.''


    Calming himself as he fell, Raze started to gather magic. Over his right hand, swirls of dark purple were weaving in and out, flowing like water. Then over his left arm, the same thing was happening, but it wasn''t dark in color; it was clear and almost invisible because Raze was using wind magic as well.


    "Dark pulse!" Raze shouted, and from his hand, the pulse of magic moved the mist out of the way, but it soon moved back, covering it again. After a few seconds, though, he could hear a slight banging sound.


    ''Not yet... I need to time this right.''


    "Dark pulse!" Raze called out again, and the attack went through the mist. This time the bang was heard much sooner than before, and when there were only a couple of seconds left.


    "Dark pulse, and the push of wind!" Raze shouted.


    The ground was only around a meter off the floor from where he was, but the Dark pulse exploded into the floor, and the wind pushed out of his hand, going against the ground. For a moment, the power of the forces had pushed energy back in the other direction, slowing him down immensely, but the momentum of the fall was still too much topletely stop it.


    Raze''s body mmed onto the floor, and he bounced across the ground. After hitting the floor a few times, his arm smashed against something hard. A cracking sound followed with a short burst of immense pain that quickly faded away due to the adrenaline that was running through his body, but it was clear to Raze that he had broken his arm.


    ''Well... at least I''m alive... for now.'' Raze''s eyelids were slowly closing, flickering, but even if they were open anyway, all he could see was a thick mist around him until they eventually closed.


    The images that shed in Raze''s mind before had turned into reality. He looked down at his arms and could see they were covered in strange cuffs. They were metallic at the top but then connected by some type of blue energy beam across them.


    His hands, they were wrinkledpared to what he was used to, and when he looked up, he could see himself in arge courtroom. He was standing in the center, and as he looked up, surrounding him, sitting in stands high above, were hundreds of mages.


    "Raze Cromwell, a verdict has been made!" One of the older mages in white and blue robes with arge mallet in his hand was sitting at the stand. "You have been struck of your title as professor, and your crimes have been added to your record. With this, it will be difficult for you to obtain any job dealing with magic ever again.


    "That is, if you are able to survive a life sentence of 25 years in affinity prison. An appeal cannot be made."


    The dreaded feeling of the whole world of Raze''s having crashed down after spending so long to build it up; he was reliving that moment again. It all felt so very real to him. Back then, though, he was too shocked to say anything, but this time he could.


    "No!" Raze shouted back. "It wasn''t me. I was tricked; it was all Ibran''s doing! Run an investigation; you''ll find out the truth!"


    The image was frozen in ce; none of them were moving, and just as quickly as he had entered the memory, it smashed like ss breaking apart into tiny little pieces.


    Slowly opening his eyes, Raze could see the mist again.


    ''Crap, I guess this part wasn''t a dream, but the other part was. Well, I would rather be here than there. Thanks for that, brain, for reminding me, why I''m putting myself through all of this.''


    With an attempt to move his arm, a shooting pain ran up his entire body. He was sore all over, but reaching and grabbing his arm, applying a bit of pressure, he could move up a bit and was sat up. Standing was still going to be a mammoth of a task, but at least he was no longer on the floor.


    Thankfully, he had survived therge fall by using what magic he had. If his wind attribute was strong enough, then he could have perhaps floated down peacefully, but instead, he had no choice but to try and guess where the bottom was and summon as much power in the other direction to lessen his fall.


    "Crap!" Raze shouted, letting out a bit of his anger. "Why, when I''m in a situation like this, does this body start thinking about whether or not she''s going to be okay?"


    The image that was appearing in Raze''s mind now was of the current sister''s body, Safa. He thought after protecting her a few times and keeping her by his side, this strangepulsion the body had would go away.


    It somewhat had done, but now that they were apart, there was a tugging feeling in his chest, a feeling he didn''t like at all.


    ''I know, we still haven''t solved the situation with the assassins or found out why our family was killed, so they could still be going after her. But we''re in the Academy; things should be okay, and I think we should be worrying about ourselves for now.''


    Eventually, Raze stood on his two feet. He had no clue what direction to go in, so he decided to just wander through the mist until he found something.


    ''That fight, the disciples, they are stronger than I thought. They have techniques they can use beyond that of other ns. Even if they are a lower stage Pagna warrior, the stages just refer to energy or Qi. But not the amount of skills used.


    ''I guess there''s a bigger rtion between star mages and the Pagna warrior stages as well. The statement that it''s impossible for a warrior at a higher stage could ever lose to a lower stage isn''t true; it only makes sense for those that are in the same n.


    ''If I want to solve this situation, then before going back to the academy, I need to be stronger than those guys. Right now, there are three ways I can increase my strength. Increase my power as a Pagna warrior, increase my magic core, or use enchanted items.''


    Abination of these things would be best and would allow for rapid growth for Raze. Eventually, wandering through the mist, Raze had bumped into a solid object. As he pressed his hand against it, he could feel jagged rocks.


    ''Is this the cliff? I guess if I walk across it, I should eventuallye to see something.'' Raze did just that, with his hand touching the rocky cliffside, he continued to walk through the mist, that was until his hand slipped, feeling nothing.


    As he looked to his right where his hand had felt in, he noticed it was arge hole, a giant entrance, and an area where the mist wasn''t heading inside for some reason.


    ''Is this some type of cave entrance? I am exhausted, and rest for a bit wouldn''t be such a bad idea. If things don''t work out, I always have another n anyway.'' Raze thought to himself.


    Walking into the cave, there were parts of the wall that were lit up, with small strange glowing green bugs. They looked more like worms as they wiggled but allowed for Raze to see where he was going.


    Thankfully, if he was going to sleep inside, none of the bugs seemed to be on the floor. Looking at the wall with the wiggling bugs, though, he noticed something; it was writing that was engraved on the wall.


    "Oh, so I guess someone else was down here as well. Probably another student that they kicked off the cliff and managed to survive," Raze said, as the idea didn''t seem too far-fetched. When he looked at the writing closer, he noticed that he could read it, but a realization had hit him.


    "Wait... this isn''t Pagna writing; the writing on the wall, it''s Alterian writing!"

 Chapter 90 Walking The Same Path!

    <h4>Chapter 90 Walking The Same Path!</h4>


    For a moment, Raze felt like a fool, for he was too focused on the glowing bugs rather than the writing on the wall, but he did feel like he could forgive himself a little. The writing was carved into the rock, and there was a reason why he had failed to notice the writing on the wall.


    Having transmigrated into a new body, Raze already knew how to speak and read the Pagnanguage. He had been doing so instinctively with everything he saw, including the cultivation books that had been given to him.


    He hadn''t been reading the words and then tranting them in his head; he just knew what they were. Yet it had been so long since he had seen the Alteriannguage that, at first, it looked just like random scribbles.


    Taking a step back, he noticed that they were letters, and he could see that entire passages had been carved out onto the wall. It made him think for a moment if he was on Alterian, but he knew that was foolish.


    "How long has this been on here?" Raze grazed his finger along the indentation. He noticed that the words were a simr width to his own index finger. This, along with the rounded edges of the words, made him believe that such a thing was done with a finger.


    "I can''t believe it, here in the Dark Faction at the bottom of some cavern, there is Alterian writing. Even if other students were sent down here, they wouldn''t be able to decipher this, nor could the Pagna warriors," Raze said.


    It wasn''tpletely out of the realm of possibility; after all, Raze had met other Alterians in Pagna. It was just with how worn the writing looked, it felt like this had been left behind in another era.


    Raze decided to continue to follow the writing until he hade to the end of the cave. It wasn''t very deep, but it was quite spacious toward the end, asrge as a wealthy man''s bedroom.


    Looking at the writing all over, Raze was trying to find a starting point, and at the very bottom, toward the center, it looked like he had found it.


    [I havee to the realization that I might perish down here. I have done a lot sinceing to this world, and since I know what I have done might not be recorded down in books, I have decided to at least make a log of what I have done down here.]


    The writing at times was hard for Raze to make out since a lot of it was faded. At times he would have to trace his finger to figure out what letter was meant to be there. Due to the age of when it was written, some of the passages werepletely illegible.


    [This world was a dangerous one when I joined, and I have seen no signs of others like me. I decided to forget my old ways as a mage and became a Pagna warrior... I found people I cared about, that I wanted to protect¡­]


    [We decided to form a group and named it the Dark Faction. They designated me as their leader.]


    Raze had gone over thest piece of text a few times with his finger, tracing it over and over again to make sure he had read it right, but he was certain that there were no mistakes.


    ''The creation of the Dark Faction was created by an Alterian? It wasn''t originally a Pagna warrior. Wait, but how far back does this go, then? Surely, the Dark Faction must have existed for thousands of years. Have people been going to this world since back then?''


    Thinking about the Dark Faction leader, Raze started to remember the statue that Kron had in his temple. It had a man in robes, just like what mages wore. It was something Raze had always found strange since it wasn''t the regr clothing of those from Pagna.


    He had seen it everywhere, even on the streets. It was bing more likely that the words written in the cave weren''t just some ramblings of a mad mage.


    [It seems they have found me and found out what I really am... Portals have started to open up. Is this their doing, or is it just a crazy coincidence? I need to do more investigating, but I''m afraid it will put a target on my back...]


    The words ''What I really am'' Raze could guess they were referring to him being a mage, but who was looking for him? Was it Alter? Did such a group exist back then, or was it some other type of group?


    What Raze was more concerned about was the fact that he was worried about them. The leader of the entire Dark Faction, and possibly one of the strongest at the time in Pagna. Another thing was the link to portals.


    Raze already knew that portal openings were linked to magic, so how did the first onese to be? Was it also an Alterian''s doing? Or was it something that had just happened?


    Reading on, Raze was hoping he could find more, but there wasn''t much information apart from thest few logs written toward the entrance of the cave.


    [They have infiltrated the Dark Faction, the group that I built up with my dear friends. Now I can''t trust any of them. This is the only ce left, the only ce I can hide that they don''t know about.]


    Raze''s heart started to beat a little stronger; he could feel the worry through the words written, even if the writing was a little shaky. It was a sign that he was truly afraid, a person who had lost everything.


    [The magic that I abandoned is now the only hope I have left. Where their eyes don''t see me. I never thought I would have to rely on those crazy people, but it''s the only choice that I have. There I will be safe.]


    Finally, Raze had reached thest legible passage. [I have created a formation toe back to this ce. When I have what I need, I will return and take back what is rightfully mine.]


    The words resonated well with Raze; he was starting to have a good impression of this Dark Faction leader, even though he had never met him before. By its side, he noticed something else that didn''t really clickpared to before.


    Because of the words written, the grooves in the wall, they weren''t just random. As he followed them along with his finger, it was as Raze expected.


    ''This is a magic circle, and not just that, by the formation, it''s a portal. Judging by what was written, this is a portal for him to return to this very cave. I don''t know much about the Dark Faction history.


    ''I never bothered to learn much about it since I was focused on my own goals. So I have no clue what is written in the history books about the Dark Faction leader, did he evere back and aplish what he needed to do.''


    There was a lot of meaning hidden behind all the words, and Raze wanted to take them seriously because right now, he was in the same situation, and it felt like he was following in that person''s footsteps, even to the point where he had fallen in the cave.


    With the formation, Raze ran over it with his finger, and this time he was paying attention with every stroke of his finger. As a mage, over the years, remembering formations got a little simpler to remember.


    It was somewhat like a musician learning a new song. Over time, one would learn what chords were used and how they were repeated in song structures. Just like how one could then learn songs a lot quicker, it was the same with the magic formation.


    After around thirty minutes of repeating the same thing over and over, Raze had gotten the formation memorized.


    ''This is a formation to return to this cave, not that there is anything left in here that I need, but it will be handy to have if there is the need to hide somewhere in the future.''


    Raze still had his cloak, and he still had two power stones. One was for the robe itself, and the other was to return to the location where Dame would be.


    He always thought it would be a good ce to hide if need be.


    Looking around in the cave further, Raze was double-checking to see if there was anything else he had missed, but he had gone through all of the walls. That''s when some of the glowing worms that were on the side of the walls and ceiling had dropped down.


    Moving to the side, Raze had easily avoided them, but he could now see that the ground had lit up.


    ''Is this?'' Moving his foot, he could feel an indent in the ground too. ''Wait a second!''


    Raze swung his arm in the air, activating his wing magic briefly, causing several of the worms to fall on the ground. Now that it was lit up, his suspicions were true.


    ''There''s another formation on the ground; it''s different from the one on the wall, but it''s another teleporter formation.''


    The words from the passage appeared in Raze''s head.


    [I never thought I would have to rely on those crazy people, but it''s the only choice that I have. There I will be safe.]


    Just where did this portal lead to, and what was Raze to do?

 Chapter 91 Where is Raze?

    <h4>Chapter 91 Where is Raze?</h4>


    Simyon had run back through the forest with Safa on his back. He had seen a couple of Hop Bunnies running through the forest and heard the sounds of other students trying to fight the beasts, but he had decided to ignore them all.


    There were even those that seemed to be fighting against each other already, attempting to steal the power stones from each other.


    "I just can''t see it, I just can''t see how Raze will beat those guys on their own!" Simyon thought. ying in his head were each of the disciples going after him, Raze using his strange magic but failing at every corner.


    It just wasn''t possible, even with his powers. He had the chance to help out but had decided not to. It was all because Raze was the one that had given him the order. He thought there was no reason for both of them to get hurt.


    Even with the two of them, it wouldn''t have changed the situation anyway. So the best thing to do was to do as the disciples said and betray them, that way at least they got the rewards.


    While having this thought in his mind, Simyon opened his hand. There were two power stones that had been given to him by Ricktor in turn for helping him out, for turning Raze in. Right now, they felt so dirty, and he wanted to just chuck them away, but that would have been a waste.


    "I have to listen to Raze, I promised I would do as he said, and right now, I need to protect Safa as well."


    The two of them had eventually made it back to the Starting Zone and were standing in front of therge doors. There was no one else around, there was still plenty of time until the assessment was to end.


    Looking into the forest, Simyon was just hoping that he would see Raze pop out of it, with the usual sucky look on his face, or with an insult, but no such thing had happened.


    Safa''s eyes started to open, and as soon as she was conscious she shot right up like a bamboo shoot. Twisting and turning her head, she was only looking for one thing. Her eyes started to tear up as she ran towards Simyon, who had grabbed her by the wrist before she could hit him.


    "I know, I know, I''m sorry!" Simyon said. "I wanted to stay and help him as well. I didn''t want to leave him, but Raze told me to go, he told me to look after you as well, Safa. He did that for our sake, so if we were to go back, or try to fight against them, then it would all be in vain. Let''s just wait and see, I''m sure he''s okay."


    Safa continued to sulk and fell to her knees; she was losing energy inside her. Simyon, seeing her like this, felt like they perhaps both felt the same way, that they were incredibly weak and powerless in this situation.


    They had felt this way before, but at least they had managed to do something when Kron was in trouble, but here they were able to do nothing.


    The two of them waited and waited; hours passed, and there was no sign of Raze. What had urred was students returning. Some of them were standing a few meters away, near the entrance, and others still clearly inside the forest.


    It was like Raze had mentioned; they were waiting to ambush those that had already collected arge number of Power stones.


    What soon had urred were fights that were breaking out, and even fights at the starting area as well, yet for some reason, not a single person had decided to mess with them two.


    "Is it because they don''t think we have any power stones, so there''s no point fighting us? Or is this the main n disciples'' doing?"


    Simyon had yet to see them arrive, and a misty grey was appearing over the forest; the sun was soon to rise.


    Eventually, the fighting had stopped between students. There were even those that had made deals to give some of their crystals rather than take a beating against each other and fight.


    Finally, the five main disciples had arrived, and they had done so together. However, there was no sign of Raze with them. Safa stood up and immediately went toward them, but Simyon quickly grabbed her hand.


    "Hold it in," Simyon said. "Please hold it in; right now, we''re not strong enough. I know¡­ you want to get revenge, but now is not the time. I promise you, I will protect you and help you in any way I can to get what you want!"


    In order to stop Safa from making any loud noises, Simyon had to hold her head to his chest; he did so firmly. It was the only thing he could do for her, hoping that if she at least didn''t look at them, her anger would be calmed.


    When the five disciples walked past, Ricktor gave a smile to him, and it was then that even Simyon couldn''t take it anymore.


    "What happened to him? What did you do? Where is he?" Simyon asked.


    The other main disciples continued to move closer to the door, while Mada stopped. "That white-haired kid, turns out he was nothing special after all."


    Walking away, Simyon bit his bottom lip so hard that he had pierced it with his tooth, and blood was starting to drip down his chin.


    The door opened as the sun rose in the air, and Pincer and Gunther hade out. The sight they could see in front of them was an expected one. Many of the students were injured, but not so much that they couldn''t walk.


    Pagna warriors were skilled enough to tell after a few exchanges who would win a fight, so they would quickly give up the crystals. Which was why all of the students were able to head back toward the entrance. That was all apart from one.


    Gunther was scanning the area; he could see Simyon and Safa, but where was the white-haired student, where was Raze?


    "Hey!" Gunther asked, approaching both Simyon and Safa. "The other one, did he note back with you."


    Simyon shook his head. "No¡­ he got lost on the way."


    It wasn''t a smart move for Simyon to tell the examiners it was the main disciples'' doing. It might have sounded as if he was trying to get them in trouble, making it harder for their lives to continue at the academy.


    "Pincer, I''m going to look for someone!" Gunther shouted. "You start to collect the crystals!"


    Pincer did as asked, while Gunther rushed into the forest. After all the crystals were tallied up, the students were told to head inside where they would be told where they were staying and where they could finally rest.


    The result of today''s events would be revealedter. Mada took one look back into the forest, imagining his brother searching all over the ce, for a no-name.


    "Truly pathetic, he has no right to be the next n head."


    Gunther looked everywhere he could in the forest; he truly searched up and down, through all the fighting areas, but he was unable to find anything.


    "Was it the main disciples'' doing? Did they decide to get rid of him? If it was them, even if the academy had found out it was their doing, then they wouldn''t punish them much since he was a no-name," Gunther thought.


    "Maybe it was the best for him to have gone. With that Qi circting in his body, there''s a chance he could have turned crazy at any point," Gunther thought, as he decided to return.


    Following along with the other students being helped by the staff, Simyon continued to walk, following them through the halls, and he noticed that he had caught the eye of Ricktor a few times. Every time they did make eye contact, he would deliver a strange smile to him.


    "I thought as much¡­ now that I have done as he asked, he won''t let me go, he hasn''t finished his fun with me."


    Instinctively, Simyon went ahead and rubbed the bottom of his earring, and he remembered thest thing Raze had done before the assessment had started,


    Raze had ced his hand on the earring, and a strange darkness had surrounded his hands, entering the earring.


    "This time, if someone messes with you, they will be in for quite the surprise," Raze said.

 Chapter 92 Another Dimension

    <h4>Chapter 92 Another Dimension</h4>


    Raze had decided to sit down on the hard, cold surface of the cavern floor, right where the magic circle had been drawn. He thought that maybe if he did this, he could picture himself more in the shoes of the Dark Faction leader.


    ''The magic circle most likely opens up a portal to thend of the crazies the Dark Faction leader was talking about. I still have no idea whether or not he was able to return or not either, so there is a chance that the ce is an extremely dangerous one,'' Raze thought.


    His legs were crossed, his eyes were closed, and he was in a meditative state. His wounds were still quite bad on his body, and although he had the body of a Pagna warrior, it wasn''t something that would just heal unless given a long period of time.


    ''With my body in this state, if this is a portal to a dangerous dimension with strong beasts, then I''ll be in a lot of trouble. I''m someone who has taken many risks in my life, and although I feel like I should follow where the Dark Faction leader went, there is a much safer option.''


    Pushing off with his two legs, Raze kicked off the ground and, without using his arms, got up from the floor. It was something he never imagined he could do as a mage or in his old body. With his broken arm, he would have been far more doomed beforepared to now.


    ''I guess that''s decided. If I stay here, then nothing will change. I have to do something about my body first, and then find ways to improve my strength.''


    Raze moved from the circle that was underneath him, and just ahead, he was trying to find his own space to draw a circle of his own.


    He looked back at the inscriptions on the walls. It was clear that they were all done with a finger, something that Raze couldn''t do as a stage 1 Pagna warrior.


    It made him wonder if perhaps he would be able to do something like this at some point. It was clear the Dark Faction leader was skilled at being a warrior, and it made Raze wonder what his skills were like as a mage as well.


    Since he was unable to do the same thing, he needed to improvise. Off the wall, Raze picked up one of the glowing worms. It wriggled in his fingers; it was fat and juicy in size. cing it on the floor, he crushed its body against the ground quickly to ensure it didn''t suffer a slow death and began to draw his magic circle.


    ''My life is at stake, and who knows what will be happening to others. I can''t be worrying about the deaths of some bugs.''


    It took more than one bug, as the green fluorescent liquid that woulde out of it was small in amount. Eventually, the magic circle wasplete.


    ''I have two crystals on me, one for getting there,'' Raze thought, looking at the other circle that had been written on the cave wall, ''and if that works, one for getting back here as well.''


    cing the power stone on the ground, Raze activated the magic circle, and the portal opened up. Taking a confident step in, Raze appeared on the other side, in a dimension of darkness. The portal then snapped shut behind him, leaving him in the dimension.


    ''I''m in a different areapared tost time.''


    The Dark mage was in unfamiliar territory, but he did have some idea of where he was. To his left and right, there were multiple square-shaped buildings. Most of them had been damaged with rubble falling from the top or side. They even had doors, but again, they were broken down orpletely destroyed.


    What it looked like he was on was a very wide street that was between the two rows of houses. These streets could be seen every so often between the houses. Trying to make a note of the area, he also noticed that there was a well behind him. Far ahead in front, though, there was arge, thick wall.


    It had been torn down in multiple ces, but what was amazing about it was how far it stretched along all of the houses. This was the familiar ce Raze had noticed from before, the city he had seen on the other side of the building he was in with Dame.


    ''I used the same formation that I didst time, but because I drew it in a different ce, it''s taken me to a different location. Which is why I''m a bit skeptical about that circle in the cave.''


    The magic circle in the cave had the makings of a teleportation circle, but there were markings that Raze himself didn''t understand, small numbers that were written.


    It was a first for Raze. He had hoped that those small numbers meant that he would be sent to the same spot no matter where he was. Either way, he had chosen to travel to this dimension, the one where he had met Dame because he knew the level of beasts was low. It was a good ce for him to get some crystals.


    The first thing Raze had decided to do was get out of the open street. He had never been on this side of the wall, where the city was. There was a chance there could be more groups of beasts or beasts he had never encountered before.


    The first thing he did was decide to enter one of the houses. Here he could see the usual furniture spread out, old toys that were rusted and broken apart.


    ''These dimensions, sometimes they are a world full of nothing but sand, and at other times, it''s as if an entire civilization once lived here. Yet we have never found signs of the original inhabitants'' life. I guess Pagna would be a first, but no one on Alterian knows about that.


    ''Why is Pagna so different? The question interests me, but I can''t look into it so much; I need to focus on my own doings. There is one thing that is different about me and the Dark Faction leader.


    ''He had decided to make a life and settle down in Pagna. He was more concerned about taking what he had made in Pagna, whereas I have no intention of that.''


    Raze went through the broken rubble of one of the doors and crossed over into the other house where the wall had broken down as well. In the corner, he could see red glowing eyes, and without hesitation, he pointed his one good arm outward.


    "Dark Pulse!"


    The attack left his hand and a small whimper followed before a thud. The mist went into his body, and going over, Raze could see that it was the same dog creatures as before. Before taking out the crystal from its body, Raze decided to check the rest of the house. Thest thing he wanted was for a beast to jump out at him while he was hesitating.


    When he went up the stairs, he saw two more, and he turned from one to the other using Dark Pulse on them again. They were easily dealt with. After checking the area a second time, Raze took the crystals out of the three beasts, and now he had three level 1 power stones to work with.


    ''Before when I went to this dimension, I had a time limit of how long I could be here. I only had enough crystals to do what I needed, but this time I can do everything I need to.''


    With the blood of the beasts, Raze drew out a magic circle and ced down a crystal along with the bottle. He activated it with his magic and decided to use his dark magic for what he wanted this time. The liquid filled the bottle, but rather than light blue, it came out red instead.


    "That''s okay," Raze thought. He picked up the bottle and, opening the lid, started to gulp it down. "With this body, I don''t just have to rely on my magic."


    Raze ced the bottle down again, along with another power stone on the ground. He could feel it working, as a tingling sensation was sent around his body. Some of the aches and pains were disappearing, but his arm was still in somewhat bad condition.


    This was followed by his mana being somewhat drained. He could have made a normal potion, but Raze wanted his body back in the old shape it was.


    "I have a lot more things I need to make, so I''m going to need a lot more crystals. It''s time for me to hunt."

 Chapter 93 A New Type Of Potion

    <h4>Chapter 93 A New Type Of Potion</h4>


    A healing potion wasn''t on the list of things that Raze was nning to create first. This was because, for a mage, they were rtively quite useless. Mages didn''t have strong bodies; instead, they used magic to fortify themselves or create defensive barriers, counters, and many more.


    If an attack from a mage managed to get through, it would mean the end for them in battle. Hence, potions weren''t directly used on mages, but were something that existed for the general public.


    In this case, though, a potion was extremely helpful. A Pagna warrior suffered from internal and external wounds, and they were able to withstand their fair share of punishment. It made Raze think; simr to how when mages fought they would constantly consume mana potions to aid them, a Pagna warrior could consume health potions in the middle of battle.


    The basic one that Raze had created wouldn''t be of much use; even now, he had to consume several to get back to his original state, but stronger ones would be ideal.


    For Raze, who was both a Pagna warrior and a mage, it would do well for him to keep both. The cursed effect of the healing potion didn''t matter much to Raze either, since he could create a regr mana potion afterward.


    Now that he had the wind attribute, he could use magic other than that of Dark magic to create potions.


    [An Umon Mana potion has been created]


    [A small amount of mana has been replenished]


    [Casting speed of spells will be increased for the next 5 seconds]


    Since the mana potion was created with Wind magic, it didn''t restore as much mana as one created with dark magic, but it had a nice effect.


    ''The casting speed doesn''t matter much for basic spells like Dark pulse, but for the higher-tier spells that require more mana, it wille in handy.''


    For now, Raze would continue to go through the ruined city and collect beast crystals. Every other building there seemed to have 1 or 2 of the dog beasts, and the most he woulde across was four.


    He repeated the process of making the mana potions and the healing potions until his whole body was back to what it once was. His broken arm had healed, and his whole body felt refreshed. He even jumped up and down and threw a few punches in the air.


    Having used up his crystals, Raze continued his strategy of going through the houses. It seemed to help him not get surrounded or ambushed. He saw one of the dog beasts growling at him, and immediately it leaped towards him. Rather than using the Dark pulse as he normally would do, the air was swirling around his hand.


    "Silent strike!" Raze whispered, as he performed the two-step shift. He had gathered the Qi in his body, but rather than a fist, he had his fingers together pointed outward. He swung it across the dog''s neck, and it sliced it open.


    ''Even with skills like Silent strike, if I utilize it with Qi, it makes it stronger.''


    With the next set of beasts that Raze hunted, he had used mainly Silent strike along with a few other Wind attribute skills. He did his best to only use wind attribute magic unless he was put in a dangerous situation.


    With the effect of the Dark Magic ring, Raze was gaining back his mana with each kill, and since Silent strike used up nothing, he could seemingly go on forever. In the end, he ended up with sixteen level 1 power stones before he decided to take a break.


    He was inside one of the homes he had just recently cleared again, checking what he had in his robe. Now that he was in another dimension, he was wearing his robe freely, since here, if anyone spotted him, he wanted to be known as the Dark Magus.


    The reason Raze had been using the wind magic to fight against the beasts was that he wanted to improve its attribute. When he could, he wished to enchant another ring with wind magic. It wouldn''t be cursed, so there would be no downside, but it would allow him to keep better track of the ring.


    ''Since I didn''t really prepareing to this ce, I only prepared four bottles.'' Raze was thinking about the best thing to do. The healing potions weren''t effective enough to use on the go, so in battle, it would be practically useless. So instead, Raze had decided to create a couple more mana potions.


    [1 Umon Wind-based Mana Potion]


    [2 Umon Cursed Mana Potions]


    With the stage he was at now, the Cursed potions were more effective if he got into trouble. However, he was sure that with a potion with that powerful of an effect, it was something that perhaps couldn''t be used consecutively one after another, not that it was something one would want to do unless they wanted to suffer from Mana poisoning.


    With thest bottle on the ground, Raze had decided to create an entirely new magic formation. He wanted a new type of potion, and when the spell was finally cast, it was filled with green liquid.


    [Amon Buff potion has been created]


    [Increase the user''s speed slightly for 10 seconds]


    ''This is something that Dark magic is unable to produce, aplete buff potion for the user. Or at least not one that has been discovered yet, although I would hate to think what the downsides would be.''


    With the potions created, he had stored them inside his robe. It was time for him to continue hunting once again. He could increase his wind attribute, and although level 1 stones were pretty much not useful to him any longer, he could always sell them for a pretty penny.


    Exiting out of the house, Raze had entered onto the wide street, the road that led up to therge wall. He had been getting closer to it bit by bit. If he didn''t want to use the formation he had seen in the cave, he could always go to the ce he was at before and use the formation he did know.


    It would send him back to the temple, but at least it was a sure way for him to return. There would be a few questions he suspected for him if he did that though.


    "Hey!" A voice shouted out, and it sounded as if it was from above. "This isn''t our meeting day; what are you doing here on your own? You should be careful; otherwise, you might get taken out like the first time we met."


    When Raze looked up, he could see a group of people on top of one of the houses. It wasn''t just any group of people; it was Dame along with his small squad.


    ''This might not be a bad time to meet actually.'' Raze thought. ''I need to know whether or not he''s from the demonic faction and what does that even mean? Just what kind of cultivation technique did I learn, and whether or not it would bring him trouble?''

 Chapter 94 Dimension Events

    <h4>Chapter 94 Dimension Events</h4>


    Dame was part of the Neverfall n, and the n had a certain set of rules, especially when it came to portal use, as other dimensions were not only dangerous ces but also valuable resources.


    The main issue with portals, though, was that they were ced all over the continent. They didn''t know where the portals would open up, and when they did, they would permanently stay open in a certain location.


    Which was why portals that opened up near a n base were a blessing. It was easier for them to protect it from other users. If it wasn''t a valuable portal and was far away, it didn''t make sense for ns to focus a lot of manpower on such a thing.


    There were other reasons for keeping restricting the number of ns down to a minimum, and that was because portals could be cleared as well. It was a strange phenomenon that they didn''t quite understand, but certain events could ur inside a dimension, and once those events passed, the portal would close as well.


    In most cases, they would attempt to keep the portals open since they supplied the world of Pagna with special power stones that could be converted into Qi pills, and in some cases, there would be rare nts that could be used by alchemists as well.


    Because of this, Dame and his small group of followers, friends, a group of people that were hard to describe even if you asked about them himself, would journey out of the Neverfall base and head to the border of the continent.


    They were traveling through a barren wastnd where the ground beneath them was a dark orange, almost ck. Strangely up ahead, there was a mountain, where half of it on one side was covered with snow while the other, covered in the same dark surface they were walking on.


    Although walking wasn''t quite the right word, they were takingrge steps, and with each step, it looked like they were gliding across thend. They weren''t running, but they were covering several meters of distance with just a single step, and none of them looked tired either.


    "Dame, I thought you said you were going to stop using this portal; we are already on the bad side of the Light faction, and I don''t think your father can keep sticking up for you!" Fixteen said annoyed.


    "Oh,e on!" Dame replied back. "Do you really think they care about this portal so much? If they did, they would have ced some guards on the outside. The fact that they haven''t and abandoned it is proof that it''s free to use!"


    Kirk was shaking his head. "But isn''t that why we got in trouble, because Beatrix was in the portal? It is technically owned by the Light Faction after all."


    "And are we fighting against them?" Dame replied. "We are just collecting power stones that otherwise would have never been collected. We have been in this portal how many times, and we''ve onlye across her once, so it''s no big deal, and besides, we need to look after this portal because it''s our only connection with him, with the Dark Magus."


    Dame and his group had been visiting the portal to collect power stones. They would then sell them on the ck market for coin, and with the coin, they would spend it all on booze, food, drink, and he had be well known as a frequent visitor of the several brothels around the ce.


    It was safe to say that Dame had a bad reputation in the Neverfall n. He continued to visit the portal, obtaining low-level power stones, but he also would make sure to arrive on a certain day. Today wasn''t one of those days.


    When they had arrived at the top of the mountain, the portal could be seen halfway down the other side of the mountain. It was in a tricky ce to begin with, and there was even a blizzard that was taking ce.


    After observing that there was no one present around the area, nor could they see any footsteps in the snow, they rushed over and entered the portal one by one.


    Coming out on the other side, the group was in a dark,rge hallway. They were at the very top floor of therge wall that separated the two sides. One side led into a dark forest, and on the other side was the city.


    Immediately, Dame and his group entered the city, and they started to search around, looking for beasts. They knew the ce was no trouble for them; it was part of the reason why they came here, because it was meant to be easy, unless they ran into someone.


    As they searched through buildings, they started to witness a few things, though.


    "Holy crap!" Carlson said as he knelt over and pulled out a dagger by his side. He was right by one of the dog beasts and started to carve at it immediately. He was searching to see its center, and he could see that the power stone had already been removed.


    "I guess that someone else is here after all," Kirk said, wiping the sweat from his bald head. Although he was a Pagna warrior, he was a rtively unfit one with arge belly.


    Fixteen immediately went to look at Dame when they noticed that it wasn''t just one dead beast but there were several.


    "Ohe on!" Dameined. "Just because there are dead beasts here doesn''t mean that it''s going to be Beatrix; it could be wanderers who stumbled upon the portal, or it could just be some low-level Light faction members. We can just stay out of their sight if we see them."


    Fixteen didn''t like the careless answer from Dame, but he felt like he was right. They were all skilled Pagna warriors; it made no sense for them to be here either, let alone Light faction members. Beatrix was simply a one-off.


    As the group continued to explore, they wereing across more and more of the dead beasts. All of them seemed to be killed in the same way, a strike right by their neck as well. It was clear it was a one-sided fight.


    "Are these strikes done by a sword? Does that mean Beatrix is really here?" Carlson said nervously.


    "No, it won''t be her," Dame answered. "She is a treasure of the Light faction. Unlike me, these power stones are not even worth her taking her time to carve out of the beasts. Not only that, but with how many dead beasts are in the area, there''s a chance that if they keep killing them like this, the dimension boss will be summoned again likest time."


    The dimension boss was one of the events that could ur in a portal. It was a beast that was abnormally strongpared to those within the portal, and arge group would be used to subjugate it.


    Once defeated, the portal would close up. This was why n members were strict with those who entered the portals.


    Carlson was shaking, and he started to feel a phantom pain in his leg as he went to grab it.


    One of the times they had entered before, the dimension boss had been summoned, and Carlson had been on the receiving end.


    "Hey, I think I just found our culprit," Dame said, standing on the rooftop and seeing a young man in dark robes.

 Chapter 95 Where Is My Reward?

    <h4>Chapter 95 Where Is My Reward?</h4>


    Having met Dame and his group twice already, Raze wasn''t so afraid of them, but he still stood on the side of caution. Unlike the past, he didn''t activate his magic, ready to use it at a moment''s notice.


    Besides, who would call out to their opponent if they were nning to attack them anyway?


    ''I guess that woman from the Light faction would do that. I wonder if all of those from the Light faction are just as strange?''


    Dame and the rest had jumped down from the rooftops, and they had a smile on their faces. He was quite pleased to see the Dark Magus because now he knew who the mysterious person behind the beast killings was. They had less reason to worry about running into those from the Light faction now.


    "It isn''t our time to meet, so I have to be honest, I''m quite surprised to see you here," Dame said.


    "Do I have to have your permission to be here?" Raze immediately replied.


    "No, you are quite right, but I thought that you might be worried about running into a few problems like the time before. Anyway, a meeting with you is always a pleasure. Is there anything specific that you are looking for in here? Perhaps me and my group can help?" Dame offered.


    It had been a long time, an incredibly long time, since Raze had worked with another group. Although he had Safa and Simyon by his side, he imagined them as just add-ons that were following him.


    However, Raze was actually hoping to meet Dame because he had quite a few questions he wanted to ask him.


    "I actually wanted to ask you something," Raze said as he made a fist, gathering his Qi from his dantian, and then threw it out. It looked like a strong blow, but there were no ripples in the air, nor was there a loud bang, somewhat showing what stage he was at.


    "Oh!" Dame pped his hands together in surprise. "It looks like the gift I gave youst time actually managed to help you. I''ll be honest; I''m actually surprised you were able to learn this, and so fast!"


    The others were quite concerned seeing this as well. How could they teach an outsider their arts?


    "I assume you want to build a rtionship with me," Raze stated. "And I have grown quite interested in these arts. So I wanted to ask about this power, where does ite from, what type of power is it in your world, and is there more to it?"


    A smile appeared on Dame''s face as he went on to exin to Raze about the power of Qi. He had pretty much told the Dark Magus what he already knew: about how there were different stages, a dantian, and Qi.


    He also went on to exin how the source of one''s Qi was different depending on what cultivation technique people used. Some of them were better at drawing energy than others, and in the conversation, Raze had found the answer he was looking for.


    "The power that you have cultivated is from the Demonic faction, so you now have demonic Qi running through your body. You are able to learn whatever skills you wish in terms of martial arts.


    "But ns from the Demonic faction have perfected their skills to be used with demonic Qi best."


    Raze was quite happy that Dame had chosen not to hide this fact, but it could have been just because he assumed Raze was from another world. Either way, he would use this to get all the information he needed.


    "So, if I have demonic Qi in my body, is there anything I should worry about?" Raze asked.


    Dame chuckled. "I guess the name demonic does make it sound a tad dangerous, doesn''t it, but as you can see, all of us are friendly people." Dame then let out a sigh. "If you were from our world, you would have to worry about the other factions.


    "They have a grudge against us due to what happened in the past. You see, demonic Qi is specialpared to the others for two reasons. The first is the fact that the demonic Qi cultivation technique allows the user to grow the quickest. What may take ten years for other factions, our members can do in 1 year.


    "However, the demonic Qi, if not properly regted, can turn one into literal demons. The color of one''s skin will change, their eyes turning into solid ck. I''m sure you felt it when you cultivated; the cycle of life and death allows us to connect with them.


    "If one doesn''t have a strong mind, which needs to be built up, it will take over one''s body. Unfortunately, a long time ago, our n leader had be a demon and had nearly gotten rid of all of the factions, including our own, but I don''t think it''s anything you have to worry about."


    After hearing the story, Raze now didn''t know what to think of Dame. He had nonchntly handed him such a book without exining any of the details to him.


    Perhaps, due to his past experiences, he didn''t feel as affected by cultivating this way, but if it was another, it could have driven them to go mad.


    He also believed that the other factions had a right to be worried about the Qi if it was dangerous, but it somehow suited him well. A Qi cultivation technique that others deemed too dangerous, just like his dark magic as well.


    "Ah, that reminds me, while I have you, the potion that you gave mest time. The effects were splendid, and I actually have a client that would like to purchase more of it from you. Is that possible?" Dame asked, rubbing his hands. He was already imagining the riches he would receive from Alba.


    Creating potions wasn''t a difficult task for Raze, and since they were all made with level 1 power stones, these were the basic of basic potions. So he saw no problem, as he would keep the better stuff for himself. Perhaps he could even ask for higher-level power stones for doing such a thing for Dame.


    "I can create more for you, but I would need to gather more materials, and I am in a bit of a tricky situation back where I am, in terms of getting them. Besides, if it worked, don''t you owe me a reward?" Raze asked.


    The book from before had helped him out leaps and bounds, and perhaps Dame could teach him more, teach him enough to protect himself from the other disciples.


    Dame had his finger on his chin, tapping it several times until he snapped his fingers.


    "Ah, I have an idea. Unfortunately, as you said, I don''t have a reward for you since this was an unexpected meeting. However, maybe I have a solution that could solve your material problem and my gift."


    Hearing Dame speak, Fixteen''s heart was starting to thump faster.


    ''No, he isn''t going to, don''t tell me he is... he wouldn''t be that crazy, right?''


    "Why don''t youe back with us,e back to our world of Pagna?" Dame asked.

 Chapter 96 Enter, The Demonic Territory

    <h4>Chapter 96 Enter, The Demonic Territory</h4>


    Fixteen felt that the fact they were already keeping arge secret, that they had met someone from another world, a human with strange powers, was already a significant risk. The Elders at the n, if they had found out what Dame was doing, would have enough reason to punish him for treason, since he had withheld world-changing event information from them.


    ''But I know that Dame is just a fool!'' Fixteen pped the top of his head. ''All that damn young master thinks of is ways to earn more money. He just wants to earn enough so he can be free from the n''s restraints and do his own thing.''


    Which was why inviting the very thing they were trying to hide over to their world seemed like an extremely bad idea in his head.


    ''Go with him, to the world of Pagna? Dame doesn''t know I''m from the world of Pagna, but if he is asking me toe with him, then wouldn''t that mean taking me to the Demonic Faction territory?'' Raze thought.


    ''It is a ce that I thought I should visit at some point, since it''s away from the eyes of Alter... if I''m there, maybe I can do what I need to do.''


    "Okay," Raze answered. "Let''s see this world of yours."


    Dame''s eyes had almost be gold coins. If he could utilize Raze and his special power well, he could make a fortune, and for now, he would hold off introducing him to Alba. He was sure that if the Dark Magus became an even bigger deal, she would raise the bounty on his head, and when the time was right, he would receive the reward.


    Currently, the rest of the group led the Dark Magus and Dame out of the ce. With excitement, they didn''t even care about hunting any more beasts, except for Raze.


    The moment he spotted one of the beasts, he would break off from the others. Rather than using his wind magic, though, he stuck to his dark magic to not show his Pagna skills too much. Arge hole would be made right through the beast''s head, and all that was left was to gather the crystals.


    Since Raze was doing all of the work getting the Crystals in the first ce, no one said anything to him about taking them.


    "Are power stones also useful in your world?" Dame asked.


    "Yes," Raze replied. "The stones are what allow us to make the potions and also make strong items."


    "Oh really?" Dame said, sounding a bit surprised. "So does that mean you could make a sword that could shoot out dark beams like what you just did now?"


    "The level of stuff I can make would depend on the Mage''s power, as well as the power stones that can be used. So it wouldn''t bepletely impossible," Raze exined.


    He continued to defeat beast after beast, collecting the crystal. Raze had a lot that he wanted to do before he even thought about returning to the academy, and the others in Dame''s group were bing a little concerned. Especially Carlson, who was touching his leg again as it ached.


    Reaching the wall, the group started to go through the halls and up the stairs. It was quite the journey since the staircase would be located on either end of the long hallway, so if one went up one end, they would then have to walk across to the next.


    Finally, they reached the very top floor, and across the hall, Raze could see the portal.


    "That''s interesting, is this how you get out?" Raze asked.


    "Oh, is how you enter into this dimension different from how we got in? I thought it would be the case, but I wasn''tpletely sure. For us, there is only one way to enter into this dimension. For some reason, a portal will open up somewhere in our world.


    "When we enter into that portal, we always end up in the same ce. People can return back through the same portal that they entered from. Or another way to return is by something called a return stone.


    "It will take you back from where you originally entered when crushed, but they are quite expensive, and I have no idea what would happen to you if you were to use one."


    Almost immediately, a question hade to Raze''s mind, and he had asked it without a second thought. "Then how do Portal breaks happen?"


    Raze wanted to kick himself. He was so used to the world of Pagna and being around other warriors that he had naturally asked the question he was curious about, but they didn''t have portal breaks in Alterian, and if they did, wouldn''t it have been something he would have known about?


    "It looks like your world hasn''t solved that mystery yet either, huh?" Dame said. "Beasts, for some reason, are unable to go through the portal, and they can only do so when a portal breaks open. There is an exception to that; Hybrids cane out at times as well. As for why, who knows."


    The group continued heading forward, and as they were approaching the portal, another beast dog appeared. Quickly, Raze had used his Dark Pulse skill on it and killed the beast instantly.


    He rushed over to extract the crystal from its body, as he had been doing. "I hope you know not to show your strange powers when you''re in our world," Fixteen stated.


    "Of course," Raze replied, obtaining the crystal. Magic used in other dimensions didn''t open more portals, at least ording to Alter, so there was no problem with that. It was only in Pagna that he had to be careful.


    When standing up, Raze nearly fell on his backside, as the whole ground was shaking. Several of the loose rocks that were part of the wall fell off to the side. A loud rumbling noise was heard in the distance as well.


    "What was that?" Raze asked.


    "That is our cue to get out of here," Fixteen said as he rushed forward. He knew they had dealt with far too many beasts.


    All of them jumped through quickly with Dame at the very back. "Come on, don''t be shy, let''s go!" Dame shouted.


    Raze jumped through, following the others, and soon Dame had followed just after.


    As the group exited from the portal, they found themselvesnding in the snow. It was clear to Raze that this wasn''t any ce he was familiar with at all. He was unable to see anything he recognized.


    "Hey, you have Qi, right? So you''re going to have to try and keep up with us as best you can. Thest thing we want to do is leave you behind if we''re getting chased," Fixteen said.


    "Chased?" Raze asked.


    "Hey, Dame!" Kirk shouted, interrupting the two. "Take a look at the snow."


    In the soft white snow that was still falling, they could see that there were a group of footsteps leading from the bottom of the mountain towards the portal. Since the imprints were still visible, it meant it was fairly recent.


    "The dimension boss, it was just summoned," Kirk said.


    "If we enter now, we will just get in more trouble," Dame said. "They''re not from the Demonic faction. Besides, we have an important guest to look after. Let''s go!"


    Raze followed along as the Pagna warriors ran off. They were fast, and he imagined they were moving slower just because of him. Still, Raze couldn''t help but wonder, just what were they talking about, and what was he about to see in the Demonic faction.

 Chapter 97 Light Faction Fury!

    <h4>Chapter 97 Light Faction Fury!</h4>


    The group, plus an extra guest, was now descending on the other side of the mountain. Raze was looking at the dark orange ground, a stark difference from the snowy area they had juste from.


    "The whole area, it looks demonic itself. I wonder if that has something to do with their name. Even the Dark faction is a ce that is just full of regrnd, well apart from the Academy," Raze thought.


    He was keeping up with the others, but he could tell that they were holding back. Raze was physically running, and he struggled to find stable footing, especially downhill. He was trying his best to follow the path they had created. When the others traveled, though, they were taking single steps to leap all the way down, almost as if they were floating on air.


    It was the first time Raze had been around all high-level skill Pagna warriors and it was quite the experience.


    One of the dead giveaways that they were holding back was that Kirk, who was at the back of the group, other than Raze at the very back, would turn his head once in a while and wait. Then, when Raze was close enough, he would set off again. At the front of the group, Fixteen and Dame were quite a bit ahead of the others.


    "You know, there''s a good chance we will get med for what is about to happen in that portal," Fixteen said.


    "I know, but the circumstances were just unlucky for them," Dame replied. "If we stayed, we would have gotten in trouble, and even if we helped, we might not have been able to defeat the Dimension boss."


    "Yes, but if the Light faction group gets eliminated, or if it gets reported back what happened in there, since they had seen you, they will me this whole thing on us, giving them an excuse to attack."


    "Then we will just have to deal with that situation when ites to it. For the future, the Dark Magus is more important," Dame answered.


    Based on the footsteps in the snow, Fixteen knew that a group of Light faction warriors had entered the portal. Since it was a low-level portal, most likely the group that had entered were low-level as well. They would have entered with the aim of taking out a few beasts and then, before they had taken out too many and summoned the Dimension boss, they would have left. There was usually a time frame of how many deaths of beasts within a certain amount of time had to ur in order to summon the Dimension boss. This number was different for each portal, but if this was one of the ways to activate the Dimension boss, the n in charge would have made note of it.


    What they wouldn''t have expected was for a group to have entered before them and left just after summoning the Dimension boss. Considering how they hadn''t seen the Light Faction members on their way back to the portal, it meant that they had to have been somewhere in the city already, in the middle of the chaos.


    Inside the portal, that very thing was urring, and Fixteen''s fears were right. A group of six from the Light faction had entered. All of them were wearing white clothing with bands wrapped around their waists and swords by their sides. The group was covered in dust and filth, while one was severely injured, with a strange green liquid having hit his arm. The skin had fallen off, and he had no choice but to slice his own arm off, while tying it up with part of his clothing. Two of them had already perished.


    "How could this have happened, we only killed four beasts!" one of the warriors shouted.


    "We should have gone back the moment we saw the other dead beasts, we should have known something was up!"


    "This is not our fault, men!" one of the older warriors shouted with a lightly bearded face. His name was Jallen, and he was in charge of looking after the group. "These things don''t happen by ident, it''s quite clear that someone has entered without permission, but we must focus, and survive!"


    After shouting those words, they could feel the rumbling sensation in the ground below. Quickly, Jallen leaped away, jumping onto one of the building rooftops. However, the other three were too slow. Breaking out of the ground, arge green serpent burst through, opening its mouth wide. It swallowed the men whole. The only saving grace was that their lives would end quickly, as they were dissolved in the special acid the serpent had in its body. It wasn''t like the typical serpent where their bodies would slowly be digested.


    "I tried my best to look after them... but now I have failed. The only thing I can do now is head back and report this matter," Jallen thought.


    The beast would be too strong for him to handle, and it would burrow itself back into the ground again, as it had done so far. This was the only chance Jallen had. He sprinted, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, hoping that it would be harder for the beast to track him.


    "ording to the information obtained by the other members, the Dimension boss won''t touch the wall or go past it. If I reach there, I can make it in time!" Jallen had run with everything he had.


    When he was close to the wall, he leaped up through the air. From the ground beneath, he could see it rumbling, and breaking through the ground momentster was the serpent again, with its mouth wide open.


    "Crescent moon strike!" Jallen shouted out as his sword lit up, and he swung it through the air. Qi emitted from his strike and hit the serpent''s mouth, causing it to flinch and close. Meanwhile, Jallen had made it onto the wall. He was huffing and panting, and when he looked down, he could see the beast retreating back into the ground, burrowing itself. He felt the vibrations lessen, signaling that the beast had gotten away.


    "I must report this as soon as I can."


    Jallen had exited out of the portal, and immediately he descended down the mountain. Perhaps he should have rested, but he didn''t. The thought of those who had died in front of him stayed fresh in his mind. He needed to do this, to avenge them in any way possible.


    He did whatever he could to get to the n base as quickly as he could, and when he eventually arrived, he reported everything.


    The news of what had urred in the portal had spread, and it had reached the ears of a certain individual. It was none other than Beatrix Highborn from the Dawnde n.


    Immediately she burst into the dojo-styled room where an older woman with ash grey hair sat on top of a chair. Beatrix bowed down on one knee with her hands in front of her.


    "Master, I have no doubt that what happened at the mountainside portal today urred because of the Demonic faction using our portal as they pleased. Please let me take revenge on the Demonic faction by leading the attack myself," Beatrix requested.

 Chapter 98 The Demonic City

    <h4>Chapter 98 The Demonic City</h4>


    Raze continued to follow the group through thends. After descending the mountain, he thought that traversing the t surfacend would be easier, but it was clear that the others had taken their movement to another level. They were able to move even faster than before.


    ''I''ve only just be a Pagna warrior in this world. Do you expect me to keep up with all of you just like that?'' Raze thought, as he huffed and panted. His current situation reminded him a lot of his training with Kron when he had first arrived.


    Thankfully, the scenery around them had changed as well, and it wasn''t all barren wastnds. There were fields with soil but with strange-colored nts, and even the forests had leaves present, although many of them were oddly shaped or mostly fallen on the ground, littering the forest floor to the point where one couldn''t see the real floor underneath.


    Eventually, arge city of lights appeared on the horizon, and Raze slowed his pace to take in the sight. They were on higher ground on a hilltop, allowing them to see the entire city in its glory.


    The night sky was out, so the city was lit up withnterns. They hung off buildings, lighting up the streets. The pagodas were covered with them, as were therger buildings.


    Unlike the town Raze was in, several of the buildings here had more than one floor. The rooftops were still nted and curved out, like the town he hade from, and all of the buildings were colored in a simr dull grey with several areas of red. All the glowingnterns were red as well, giving the entire city a bright hue.


    "It''s quite beautiful, isn''t it?" Dame continued to look at the city with a small smile on his face. He had one leg up on arge rock as he stared out into the distance. "This is the city of Repton. It''s at the center of the Demonic faction, so it''s a busy ce with a lot of trade. It even has thergest auction in the faction. For the time being, this will be quite a nice ce for you to stay, don''t you think?"


    The group continued forward and entered the city with no problems. Raze was still twisting and turning his head, trying to take in everything he could see. Despite it being night, the streets were busy and full of people. The streets were a lot wider, and people were still eating outside.


    Restaurants and inns were filled with people eating and drinking. As they continued to walk, Raze passed several market stalls as well.


    These were better set up than the ones he had seen in the town. They weren''t crooked and nting. These stalls were straight with a roof on top, and nearly every stall even had a name que on the outside. Even the items they were presenting were disyed in a far better order.


    "Alright, just let me know what you need to make ten of those potions that you madest time. I''ll cover the material costs, and if there is anything else you want, as long as it''s within reason, I''ll get it for you as well," Dame said.


    Raze already felt like it was the right thing to havee here. He didn''t even have to pay for anything, and he could buy even more stuff than before. First, Raze bought several more bottles. Kirk was carrying around arge case on his back that was wrapped around his body with some rope.


    Whatever Raze pointed at, the items would then be filled into the crate. Twenty bottles in total had been ced inside, ten for the order from Dame and ten for him to do what he wanted with.


    As they continued looking around, Raze didn''t stop there. He picked up a standard ring that had been requested to enhance his magic. It was fine because he had in mind what he wanted to make. He continued going from stall to stall, doing the little trick he had done before. He was looking for items that would react well to magic.


    "If I can find something like that earringst time, then maybe I can get an item that''s just as good as Simyon. I''ll have to use my dark magic, and the item will either be cursed or sealed, but it will be worth it! And I''ve got plenty of crystals to try to make a higher-tier crystal with!"


    Eventually, his little trick worked on one of the stalls. Of all things the magic had reacted to, it was a statue of a simple man in old farmer''s clothes made out of stone.


    "These items are a bit more difficult since they can''t be worn on one''s body, but they still have their uses," Raze thought.


    "Are you sure you want this?" Dame asked, lifting the statue. It was so cheap, costing less than a single silver coin. "I can get you much better souvenirs if that''s what you''re looking for."


    "It''s okay; I just want this one," Raze replied.


    Dame looked at the items that had been bought so far, and he felt they were extremely odd. He understood the bottles, but the ring and the statue? What use were these?


    Stopping at another stall, Raze was surprised to see such things sold out in the open. They were Qi pills, the same type of pills that Kron had given him.


    "Ah, these things will be useless for you. Since you''re already a Stage 1 Pagna warrior, it won''t do much if you were to eat it. It only has ten years of Qi inside. It''s good for restoring part of your Qi, but in terms of increasing your Qi in your dantian, it wouldn''t have any effect. You would at least need a pill that has 50 years of Qi."


    It was good to learn about the different Qi pills and how they affected him now that he was already a warrior, but he never had the intention of eating the pill.


    "I''ll take one," Raze said.


    With all the items bought, it was time for them to rest for the night. Dame entered a rtively small and quiet inn on the outskirts of the city. He was looking out for the Dark Magus since he didn''t want him to be caught, especially by Alba, who visited the ce rather frequently.


    A room had been rented out for Raze, and although it was nicer than his room at the temple, it was still rtively small and barren of objects. But it had a bed, toilet, and facilities for cleaning oneself, so he couldn''t reallyin.


    "Alright, I have to head back to my n with the others. I''ll be back tomorrow afternoon to collect the items, and I''ll be giving you your reward for all of this. I promise you won''t be disappointed," Dame said before leaving the room.


    Left on his own, Raze didn''t n to sleep just yet, with excitement coursing through his veins.


    "Alright!" Raze said, heading to the crate that had been left behind. "It''s time to enchant some items so I can get strong enough that not even the academy principal can stop me."

 Chapter 99 The Marking Of DM

    <h4>Chapter 99 The Marking Of DM</h4>


    All in all, after the countless number of beasts that Raze had hunted before the others had arrived, as well as those he had hunted while with Dame and his group, he now had a total of twenty-six power stones.


    The first thing he did was feed a stone to his robe, bringing his number down to 25. That way, he didn''t have to worry about it randomly taking one item. With therge number of stones he had at the moment, he didn''t mind sparing one.


    "Alright, so now it''s time for the second task." Bringing out a piece of chalk, Raze started to draw the magic circle on the ground, and then he carefully ced the bought ring on the floor. It was a green jade ring. The color was specifically chosen so he could differentiate which ring did what. After all, the cursed ck ring had an unwee effect if taken off.


    Activating the magic circle with his Wind attribute magic, it lit up, and the ring glowed for a few seconds before returning to its original state. Raze didn''t need to ask what the ring did; he knew what enchantment circle he had used. Kneeling down, he picked up the ring and ced it on one of his fingers.


    "I remember a number of different enchantments, and I can always experiment with my enchantments if the item has a high affinity with magic, but it would be helpful if I had ess to certain recipes for different enchantments. I wonder if Alter has any; the leader is a 6-star mage, after all."


    Now with the rings on his fingers, Raze could actually gauge his different types of magic growing.


    - [Wind attribute: 11]


    - [Dark attribute: 29]


    "Oh, it increased more than I thought. I guess repeatedly using wind magic to kill those beasts came in handy after all."


    Onto the next part, Raze had redrawn the magic circle and had ced down the Qi pill that had been bought, along with the crystal. Magic circles were almost a set of instructions for what to do with the items, and then the crystal was the energy that was used to allow the spell of the circle to work in the first ce.


    Right now, after activating the spell, the pill had broken and was destroyed, but it started to turn into a small mist and formed words in front of Raze, just like when he would ask for the effects of items.


    - [Wheat]


    - [Water]


    - [Oil]


    - [Salt]


    - [Egg]


    - [Level 1 power stone]


    - [Silverstone flower seed]


    "I see, so these are the ingredients that are used to make a Qi pill. I guess they then condense all of the ingredients with a furnace, but I will only need the outeryer. So I can forget about the power stone and the flower seed being a part of the Qi pill itself."


    With this information at hand, Raze wasted no time leaving the inn and heading back out to the market. He was now on a quest to buy the following items. Even though Dame wasn''t with him, he still had coins from selling the previous power stone to Alter. The ingredients, since they weren''t anything special, weren''t hard for him toe by after buying them. After buying the ingredients, it was then time for him to quickly return to his room.


    cing the ingredients on the floor, Raze had ced the power stone down as well, but there was no bottle. That was because he was trying to create something else other than bottles.


    "There''s just one more touch I want to add to this magic formation." Inside the magic circle, two letters were written: ''DM''.


    Activating the formation with dark magic, all of the ingredients lifted into the air. They then started to turn into nothing but energy particles as they shed together and began to condense down. There was a slight sh of light, and when it disappeared, in its ce was a dark blue colored Qi pill, with two letters engraved on it: DM.


    Picking up the small Qi pill, Raze ced it into the palm of his hand. He looked at his handiwork and the engraving, which had a slight purple tint to it.


    "I like this, I like it a lot. It looks like it worked," Raze thought. "This Qi pill has the exact same effect as the cursed mana potion. If I n to sell items in this ce, then I need something that is more familiar to them. The potion bottles would be a hard ask, but the pills, I can already imagine them spreading. With the marking, they will know it''s my product. The ''D'' and ''M'' are embedded and a part of the pill itself, so with a magnifying ss, someone would be able to tell if someone just carved the letters on a pill. Letting them know the difference between a real and a fake."


    When creating items and products for the mass market, one had to think about the future as well, and Raze was thinking quite a few steps ahead. With the potions in the form of Qi pills, it would be harder for Alter to detect as well, and they would think it was a product of alchemy rather than magic. Starting in the demonic faction, it would take a while for these to spread out as well.


    Raze went on to create nine more of the dark blue colored pills, allowing him toplete the order that Dame had ced. After that, he still had 13 crystals as well.


    "Before, I would have just sold the rest of the crystals for coins. After all, buying materials and items will be quite important for the future," Raze thought. "But there''s a way I can make even more money."


    For now, Raze would leave the enchanting of the statue forter. He wanted a higher-level power stone, although he could do the same as he had done before for the earring, there was a chance he could burn through quite a number of crystals since it wasn''t always a sessbining crystals.


    After Raze continued to enchant several items and create Qi pills, he eventually decided to get some sleep. It wasn''t long after that a knock was heard on his door.


    "Dark Magus, it''s me, Dame. I have arrived!" A voice was heard through the door.


    Raze opened his eyes and could see rays of light hitting him. He had fallen asleep with his clothes on and hadn''t even drawn the curtains, yet he still hadn''t woken up due to the sun. He was exhausted.


    "It''s been a long time since I pulled an all-nighter like that. It''s quite exciting just getting into the state of flow when working."


    Getting up, Raze made sure his hood was up, covering his face, as he went to the door, undoing the locks. Opening it up, Dame was there, but this time it was just him on his own.


    "I''m happy to see you slept quite well," Dame said, shutting the door behind him. "I think you''re going to like the gifts I bought you. Your special drink was a big hit, so I think I should equally reward you with something nice as well."

 Chapter 100 Master The World

    <h4>Chapter 100 Master The World</h4>


    Inside the inn, other than the bed, there was a desk and a single chair. As if the ce were his own home, Dame pulled the table away from the wall and ced it toward the bed.


    This way Raze could stay on the bed, and Dame could use the seat and the table between the two. Soon after, with arge grin on his face, he went into his robe and ced two books out right in front of him.


    "Ta-da!" Dame said, pleased with himself. "What I have for you right here are two skill books that belong to my n. Just to let you know, they aren''t just any skill books. These books are usually reserved for only n members.


    "Which means, only those within the n know how to use these skills. On top of that, I would say that our n is the strongest n in the entire Demonic Faction, and that the Demonic faction is the strongest faction. So if you think about it, I''m giving you two of the strongest skills!"


    Hearing Dame speak, Raze was reminded of those damned spaceship salesmen. They wouldn''t stop talking about the features of this and that. Then when one went to buy the thing, they would be bombarded with a load of extras.


    It felt almost as if Dame was just trying too hard to say how precious these skills are.


    "I can tell from the look on your face that you don''t believe me," Dame continued and pushed the books forward. Just like before, some of the content of the books was scratched. Not only that, but the books didn''t look old. They looked new, and even the ink was rtively new.


    "Did you hand-copy these?" Raze asked.


    Dame winked. "That just goes to show you how precious these skill books are. Honestly, your special drink you made turned out to be great for a certain client of mine, that''s why I ordered ten more from you. So I brought you two of the books that were of equivalent value, no, you could say even more. One for the first drink, and the second for the new order."


    Rather than wondering whether or not Dame was trying to pull a fast one on him, he thought he could really only tell after reading the contents of the book. Opening it up, he flicked through the first one''s pages.


    "Can you understand it okay?" Dame asked, peeking over, trying to gauge Raze''s reaction.


    Before answering, Raze looked at the second book. He had skimmed through them enough to gather what the two skill books were.


    "It''s a foot technique, and a sword technique?" Raze questioned, his tone dropping off slightly toward the end.


    "You seem a bit disappointed," Dame said, sitting back down. "Afterpleting your core, the next important step is foot techniques. They are the basis of nearly all martial arts.


    "That foot technique is known as the Ten Descending Steps. With each step, there is more power that is ced into it, and each strike grows stronger. You can pull off most skills along with the steps, and the further you get through using the steps, the more powerful your strike will be.


    "It''s a foot technique that grows with the user as a Pagna warrior. Even I only know six of the ten steps!"


    Raze still didn''t know if it was a sales pitch or not, but his words were working.


    "If I was to use this skill, would people know that it''s a skill from your n or the Demonic Faction, same with this other skill?" Raze asked.


    "At the moment, I doubt it," Dame exined. "You see, our n members haven''t fought against anyone for years, and there aren''t many that know these skills. It''s the same with any ns.


    "Unless it''s someone of age that has gone against the Demonic faction, I doubt they would know what either of these are."


    In short, it meant although he could use these skills in front of students, it was likely that the academy principal and perhaps the examiners would know of these skills.


    ''Well, it''s not like it''s illegal to use other faction''s skills, just frowned upon within factions,'' Raze thought. ''A no-name like me using skills belonging to the Demonic faction shouldn''t sound so surprising.''


    "This next book, it''s a sword skill, but I''ve never used a sword in my life?" Raze questioned.


    "And had you ever really thrown a fist before?" Dame asked. He knew the answer after seeing Raze throw a fist with Qi from before. "Swords, spears, staffs, des, gauntlets, and yada yada yada. They are frequently used in the world of Pagna, and the sword is the mostmon and for good reason.


    "It is one of the easiest to learn, but also one of the hardest to master. If mastered, you will be able to rule the world... some say. Just like with the steps, I have chosen a skill that will grow with you. Although not as impressive, there are three formations to the sword skill.


    "However,bine it with the steps, and you will have a number of differentbinations that you can use that your opponent won''t be able to handle."


    Raze wasn''t just thinking that, if hebined it with his magic as well, possibly, he would be one of the strongest magic swordsmen that existed. He couldn''t wait to give it all a try.


    "And how many formations do you know of the sword technique?" Raze asked.


    "Me!" Dame pointed to himself. "I don''t use swords; swords are for wise people, and I''m not very wise, so I prefer to just use my fists."


    Once again, Raze was getting an odd feeling that he might just be getting scammed, but for him, even simple techniques might be able to create something extremely powerful, just like his Dark Strike.


    "I have something to show you as well," Raze said. He held out his hand and soon dropped onto the table one by one the dark blue-colored Qi pills, and they were ten in total. Seeing them, Dame tilted his head. He had never seen such colored Qi pills before, and he noticed the marking on them.


    "This is the order that you asked for. I decided to make it in a style that is more suitable to this world''s taste," Raze exined. "They''re smaller and morepact as well, but they have the same effect."


    Picking it up off the table, sparkles wereing out of Dame''s eyes.


    "This right here, is this your marking, is this so you know that it''s your creation?"


    Dame seemed to catch on quickly.


    "There''s more than just that," Raze said as he dropped three more Qi pills, each one of them a slightly different color, all with the DM marking on them. "All of these pills here each have a different effect that would be beneficial for a Pagna warrior.


    "So what do you think, do you think these will sell, or do well here."


    Raze hadn''t even exined what each of the pills did, but Dame''s imagination was already running wild, which was why he hade to the decision right there and then, as he blurted out his next words. "I want to go into business with you! And I want to spread the name of you and your product. So everyone wille to us in order to get the Dark Magus'' products!"

 Chapter 101 A Call For Battle!

    <h4>Chapter 101 A Call For Battle!</h4>


    If Dame didn''t make the suggestion, then Raze was going to anyway, so he was happy to see one of them had brought it up. It was why he had gone ahead and showed his new product to the other. He had purposely not told the effects either, as the mystery of what they could do was quitepelling to a person.


    "I see you think that they would sell well here then. I am quite pleased," Raze said. "If you want my items and wish to be my business partner, then don''t you think we should agree on some terms?"


    When Raze had firste to Pagna and discovered he could still get his hands on power stones, he had been wanting to do something like this from day one. Acquiring wealth in Pagna would make him a powerful figure.


    If he was able to build up his own merchantpany, he would have his ownwork of sorts, and in turn, he could gather information as well as items. With money, one could buy anything, and it would be his quickest route into growing stronger and finding a way back to Alterian.


    However, his first attempt at just selling a power stone had ended in failure and the death of two people. He thenter found out that Alter forbade things like this, which was why he needed a middleman.


    "I''m surprised you agreed so fast, was this your intention all along?" Dame rubbed his hands. "I will pay for the costs of all the items that you need. That includes power stones. In turn for doing this, we would be the sole seller of items belonging to the Dark Magus.


    "The problem I have honestly is what to give you. I was going to suggest to split the profits 30/70 on your end. I know without you, this deal doesn''t exist, but I''m also one of the few people you can trust with your secret of the fact that you are from another world, and for our work with clients and putting fees upfront, we deserve something. But won''t coins be useless to you?"


    Raze shook his head.


    "Payment in coins will be fine. I like to be in control, and if I have coins, I can then do what I wish with them. Whether I want to buy higher-tier power stones or not will bepletely up to me. There is just one thing I would like to add.


    "If people ask who made these pills, you can inform them that it was by me, the Dark Magus."


    The name Dark Magus was just an alias in the first ce, but the more people chased after the name Dark Magus, the more Raze Cromwell could move about, and he was hoping to attract the right kind of attention by doing this.


    "Then it''s a deal!" Dame said, putting his hand out.


    Raze looked at it for a moment and just shook his head, to which Dame justughed and ced it back.


    "Words are good enough. We will continue our weekly meetups, and you bring whatever it is you wish for us to sell. At the same time, I will bring you the coin that has been earned," Dame exined.


    It was a shame that the only ce the two could really meet was through the dimension owned by the Light Faction, but it was the only thing they could do right now.


    "Ah, you can bring me whatever supplies you want today or tomorrow. I don''t n on leaving so soon. I wish to learn part of the Skill Books before going back," Raze said.


    He meant it as well; he couldn''t head back to the academy and have the same thing happen again. He wanted to change the special status he had obtained, and at least learn skills to defend himself before that.


    Before Dame could answer, there was a knock at the door again.


    "Dame, are you there?" The voice called.


    "Is that you, Fixteen?"


    Hearing the response, Fixteen opened the door. It was still unlocked from when Dame had entered.


    "I''m sorry to interrupt you, but I have an important message; your father would like to meet with you," Fixteen exined.


    It was a rarity being called by his father, and if it was a summons like this, it usually meant that rather than a meeting between son and father, it was more of a meeting between disciple and n master.


    "I''m sorry to cut our meeting short, but I''ll be back with what we need as soon as possible," Dame said, giving a respectful bow and leaving the room.


    When the door shut, Raze could only think of one thing.


    "He seemed nervous; are he and his father on bad terms?"


    Heading back to the Neverfall n base, to the Abyssal Pinnacle, Dame had descended down therge spiraling staircase, going deeper and deeper until he had reached almost the bottom floor.


    There was an extreme heat that was unbearable for most, and the Pagna warriors, the disciples on the first floor, wouldn''t even be able to withstand the heat that flowed down here.


    Pushing tworge double doors, Dame had entered a room where the first thing one saw was arge path. It went straight ahead to a circr area, where he could see a man sitting down cross-legged with arge wide back filled with scars as he bore no shirt. This was the leader of the Neverfall n, Belil Narfous.


    As Dame entered, the doors closed behind him, and he knelt down onto the ground.


    "Reports havee in," Belil said, his voice bouncing off the walls,ing from every direction. If a regr person stayed in the room, they would have gone mad with just a single word. One had to really focus as they listened to the words.


    "That the Light Faction is invading and nning a small attack," Belil continued. "It doesn''t appear as if it will just be a small scuffle either, as there are reports that Beatrix Highborn from the Dawnde n will be leading the assault."


    Dame''s heart was starting to beat uncontrobly after hearing those words.


    "She ising with a force of fifty strong, and I would like you to deal with the matter, my fourth son. Take the first-floor disciples, fifty of them, and deal with the situation."


    "Me!" Dame shouted back. "But... Beatrix is the hope of the Light Faction, I already lost to her during the martial arts gathering. I''m sure she won''t being with just any members of the Light Faction either. If I head out there with those from the first floor, it will practically be a suicide mission."


    The floor on the ground started to shake after hearing Dame''s words, and he couldn''t help but gulp.


    "Did you think I did not know that you are the one that caused this problem in the first ce for us! It is your duty to fix it! Feel free to take those that you call your friends, but if you fail this task, then you won''t be allowed back in the n, and I will personally rip off those useless limbs of yours."


    There was no more debating the matter; Dame knew that, so he stood up instead and bowed down again.


    "As you wish, Master."


    The moment Dame turned around, he started to grind his teeth as he pushed the door open, leaving the room. When the doors closed behind him, he could finally let out a big breath.


    ''Crap, is this how he wants me gone, how he wants to kick me out of the n? I stand no chance against Beatrix with an army so weak. It will be impossible for me to win.''


    At that moment, a certain name had popped up in his head.


    ''The Dark Magus, could I ask him for help?''

 Chapter 102 Pulling Strings

    <h4>Chapter 102 Pulling Strings</h4>


    Gunther had searched the grounds up and down. He hadbed through the forest, but there was no luck, and no sign of Raze anywhere. In the end, he had to give up. Pincer, as well as the other students, didn''t seem to be so concerned, but regardless, he had decided to tell the other two who were somewhat stuck to the white-haired boy like glue.


    Because of it, it was quite a tough night for Safa and Simyon to sleep. They had been shown to their rooms, which were just onerge public building with several floors, each with doors leading to individual rooms.


    The rooms themselves were even more basic than what they had at the temple, with only a single mattress on the floor, a pillow, and a bedsheet. It was a ce designed so they would have no distractions.


    Just before going to sleep, Simyon called out to Safa by her door.


    "Hey, don''t worry too much about Raze. I know that teacher said he couldn''t find him, but in my eyes, that''s a good thing. It means that they couldn''t find Raze''s body, which doesn''t mean he''s dead."


    Although this was true, the edge of the forest was aplete cliffside. No one knew how far down it went, and the area was covered with fog. The examiners nor those of the Dark faction even explored the ce.


    In many ways, if a death did happen, it was the perfect ce to hide one as well. Still, Safa was thankful for this and nodded as the two went to get some rest.


    The next day arrived, and the sound of a loud gong vibrated through the halls, immediately alerting everyone. Students quickly rushed out of their rooms, opening the doors, wondering where the loud sound wasing from.


    "ALL NEW STUDENTS ARE TO APPEAR IN THE COURTYARD!" a voice shouted. "Those who aren''t there in the next five minutes will be kicked out."


    Immediately, there was a rush from the students as they quickly got fully dressed and started to rush out of the rooms. The hallways weren''t thergest, and the students were squashed up against the walls, pushing against each other.


    "Safa!" Simyon called out as he tried to look for her among the chaos. "Safa!"


    Other students had bumped into Simyon, but as they did, one of them fell back down to the floor.


    "What the... did I hit a rock or something?" The student saw that it was the no-name from before. Kissing his teeth, he got up and hurried outside.


    That''s when Simyon could see Safa was struggling. She was being pushed up against the wall with no regard whatsoever.


    "Safa!" Simyon shouted as he rushed forward. His shoulders hit several of the other students but knocked them away as he did. Then, when he met with Safa, he grabbed her hand. "Just stay behind me!"


    Pushing through, Simyon managed to bulldoze his way through the crowd of people with his strong body, and Safa stayed behind him. Although her brother wasn''t here at the moment, it looked like there was still someone that she could rely on.


    The students were now out in the courtyard, some of them tardy with their clothing. A couple hadn''t even worn anything on the top half of their bodies at all; they hade out in such a rush.


    That''s when they could see Pincer out in front, and along with him, several other older males dressed in dark purple uniforms and a headband above their heads. There were three of them in total.


    However, the headbands that they wore werepletely different colorspared to the rest. From the right side, there was a dark blue; in the center, a yellow headband; and at the very end, a red headband.


    In front of them, there was a tableid out, and multiple headbands wereid out on the table.


    "In front of you all are the teachers of this academy!" Pincer shouted. "They will be the ones that will pay special attention as they focus on you first years. As you may know, the academy is a two-year course!


    "After today, you will join up with your second-year students. If you look off into the distance, you will notice that on the que of buildings, there is a stripe of paint with the same colors you see in front of you."


    The students looked off into the distance, and they could see it was true. Arge building to the left only had a red stripe of paint next to its sign just above the door. Another yellow, and thest blue.


    On top of that, there was the main building that contained the cafeteria, the library, among other things, and this had all three colors on the signs.


    "This is important. Based on what headband you are assigned today, you will have ess to these different buildings. A student that is caught in the building that does not correspond to the same color without permission will be severely punished. Now please wait for your number to be called by the following teacher."


    Gunther had exined to Raze before that those who got through the second stage were already in the academy, and the third stage was to determine just their ranking, and this is what he meant by that.


    It was clear that they were nning to split the groups ording to strength. It was amon thing to do in regr schools as well. It allowed the talented to learn quicker as they could progress with advanced teaching, while the lower students that needed help could have more time to be guided and not feel lost.


    Although some might have thought it was a way to create a divide and caste, it was for the benefit of the entire academy as a whole. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have just kicked out the other students in the first ce.


    The first numbers to be called were the five main disciples, and they had been called by the teacher with the red headband. They had collected the most power stones, so it was quite clear that those with the red headbands would be considered the best students.


    A few names were called out, and in total, there were only fifteen students with a red headband on their heads. All of the students were from the top ns in the Dark faction. There were a couple of outliers that people hadn''t seen before, but with the rough look on their faces and eyes, they looked just as menacing as others.


    Next, the teacher with the yellow headband started to call out names. Based on what they had seen so far, Simyon was waiting for their numbers to be called. After all, many students had given 0 power stones, but due to Ricktor, the two of them had handed in one power stone each.


    However, as the names went on and on, and a total of around a hundred more numbers were called, theirs wasn''t one of them.


    ''Sh*t!'' Simyon clenched his fist hard. ''Why did I get my hopes up? Did I really think that we would get treated fairly in this ce? Kron already warned us about something like this happening.''


    Just as expected, the blue teacher called out around a hundred more names, and Safa and Simyon were on that list.


    "If you feel self-conscious about the color on your headband, then train and work hard on improving yourself!" Pincer shouted. "There will be assessments that regrly ur; at the time, any color headband can challenge another, and if you win or lose, the two of you are to exchange headbands.


    "Do not becent with your position, because there will always be someone after it!"


    After Pincer''s announcements, the students followed their teachers into their respective buildings, where they would go on to learn more about what they would be doing at the academy and how things would work.


    When all of the students eventually disappeared, Gunther appeared by Pincer''s side.


    "What is going on?" Gunther asked.


    "What do you mean, you have eyeballs, don''t you? The students are going to start their first day," Pincer replied.


    "Not that," Gunther replied. "I''m talking about the two no-name students. They handed in one power stone each, so shouldn''t they at least be in the yellow group?"


    "Oh, that... yes, I did find that a bit strange, but it''s not our call," Pincer exined. "The results were passed onto the administrator, and someone insisted they were in the blue group."


    Gunther didn''t push Pincer anymore on the matter because it genuinely felt like he didn''t know the reason for it. The academy had no-names before. Although it was rare, there had been the odd asion, but the academy didn''t discriminate.


    If they did well on the assessment, they would be ced in the appropriate group. Which was why even those that had survived during the second assessment, against the overwhelming power of the main disciples, were ced in the yellow group regardless if they got a power stone or not.


    ''If anything, because they are no-names, they should be caring about them even less. So why would someone have paid so much attention to the two of them that they ced them in the blue group? More so than that, who has that much power in the academy to do that?''

 Chapter 103 The Red Hand

    <h4>Chapter 103 The Red Hand</h4>


    With Dame''s disappearance, Raze was now waiting for him to return with either the materials or at least the money to buy the materials. While they were getting a few things, he would be on the lookout again for items that had an affinity for magic.


    This was one of the reasons why Raze had decided not to enchant the statue he had found. If he received somepensation for his work, he could use a level 2 power stone to enchant the statue, giving it a greater effect.


    Still, Raze wasn''t just going to sit down and do nothing; there was a reason for him being here in the first ce, and that was to increase his strength. He was ready to start his daily routine, and he had been using the Dark essence cultivation technique to increase his dark magic attribute.


    As he sat on the floor cross-legged, he was ready, that was until a thought came into his head.


    ''Wait, in the Academy, I won''t be able to rely on my magic so much, especially if the eyes of the others are on me. It would be better for me to focus on my Pagna warrior skills.


    ''If that''s the case, then I should be focusing on the Demonic faction cultivation technique instead. The cycle of life and death.''


    The cultivation technique was one that was best to be used in an area where many lives started or many ended. In theory, Raze believed that surely the faction that had created the technique was best to be used in its own territory, so he thought, what better time than to give it a go now.


    Sitting down, Raze thought back to the contents of the book. Due to all his training with magic, he was quite a quick learner because magic was far moreplex than the cultivation techniques he had learned so far. It was easy for him to remember the important points and to go through the motions. With his eyes closed, he instantly was able to concentrate. He could feel all of the lives that had been born in the surrounding areas. Imagining all of the births in the rooms, the happiness around, it was quite arge amount as Raze could feel the energy entering his Dantian and pushing it to grow stronger than before.


    ''There''s so much energy here, with all of this, will I be able to be a second-stage warrior, and one so soon?''


    However, with the cultivation technique, one wasn''t just meant to think of the first part of the cycle; they needed to gather energy from both parts. And when it went to the cycle of death, something strange started to ur.


    ''What is all of this¡­ this noise?''


    The sound of distant screams was going off all around him. They weren''t regr screams but ones as if a person was in pain.


    The energy was now rapidly entering his stomach, and it felt almost overwhelming, his stomach felt like it was ready to burst, and arge amount of pain was felt in his head. With his eyes closed, the imagery he had in his head, what he had imagined, it was starting to feel real. The vague images that were almost like a dream were bing solid. For a moment, he thought he might have transmigrated again to another world. He could feel the heat on his skin, the sounds around him, and even what was below.


    His body was on a battlefield. He was higher uppared to everyone else, able to overlook everything, but as for where he was, he was sitting on a hill, but this one was made from a pile of the dead.


    The field was full of broken swords and weapons on the ground, the dead bodies had fresh wounds, and the smell of iron was thick.


    ''What is all of this? Is this the demonic faction before it was built? Is this all of the lives that had been lost in the past?'' Raze thought.


    The energy was still pouring into him, and he felt like he needed to put it to a stop, to try and put this whole thing to a stop. He was in too deep in this trance-like state. As he closed his eyes again, he tried to break out of it.


    He then felt something brush against his cheek, gliding across it ever so slightly. The touch, it was cold.


    Opening his eyes, Raze was taking a look at what it was, thinking he would see the room or break out of the imagery he was imagining at the moment. To catch someone touching him in the real room. Instead, he could see the imagery that was in his head as if he was actually there.


    Reaching out from the gap of the soaking dead bodies, a long stretched-out arm was visible. It was pale and thin, almost only bone, but there was visible skin. Its entire hand was dyed in red blood, leaving traces of it on Raze''s face. It had appeared from the ground and was gently stroking him constantly.


    ''Oh¡­ you have a stronger desire than even him¡­ I like you.'' The voice whispered.


    Raze wanted to move, he wanted to grab the cold hand from his face, but it wasn''t working.


    ''Why do you have so much anger inside you, and why have you seen so many lives! Oh, I really like you.'' The voice was a sinister whisper that made one''s hairs on the back of their neck stand up straight.


    ''I guess, I will take you then, and help you get what I want!''


    Out of nowhere, from the air, a second bloody hand appeared and went to stroke the other side of Raze''s face, but before it could, Raze had lifted his right armpletely covered in ck magic.


    "I don''t like it when people touch me, and that includes some damn spirit who hasn''t even washed its hands!" Shoving the hand and flinging it to the side, Raze gathered the magic in the palm of his hand again.


    "Dark pulse!" The beam of energy fired right through the hand and the pile of bodies, and the whole world that was around him started to shatter. It was breaking apart and disappearing, but the voice had onest word to say.


    "Oh¡­ I really like you now." It whispered.


    Blinking a few times, Raze could see that he was back in the room, in the Inn again, but there had been a big change because in the floorboards underneath, a giant hole had been ripped through to the restaurant below.


    "AHHHH!"


    "Am I still hearing those screams?" Raze thought.


    It wasn''t the screams in his mind, though; it was the screams from below. The Dark pulse strike had gone through the floor and had hit below. It had hit a person that was enjoying a drink. A hole was now in the top of his head, as hey there dead on the table.


    "Ah, Sh*t," Raze said to himself as he went to touch the cheek that still felt slightly cold from earlier.


    Slowly he pulled his hands away and looked at his fingers, which were faintly covered in red.

 Chapter 104 A Big Cost

    <h4>Chapter 104 A Big Cost</h4>


    For a moment, Raze was taken aback by what was on his fingers because there was no doubt in his mind: the consistency he had felt before, it was blood. He was in his room, all on his own; he hadn''t left it, but he was unsure if anyone had entered, yet there was blood on his cheek.


    ''Was that illusion I saw while I was cultivating not really an illusion?'' Raze started to wonder. ''No one could havee inside; the door was locked, and it would be crazy to think someone would just enter and ce blood on my face. So, what was that?''


    Continued screams were heard from down below, and by now, a group of men in various kinds of clothing with swords and weapons at their hips had surrounded the dead man on the table.


    "This must have been done by a Pagna warrior."


    "But why would they just kill an ordinary civilian out of the blue? The man was just enjoying a drink; he didn''t offend anyone or bump into others."


    "Maybe he messed with the wrong person and bore a grudge?"


    The people below were having a deep discussion until one of them looked up and could see the hooded figure looking down at them.


    "It must have been him; that uniform isn''t from any of the ns I recognize."


    "Me either; we should bring him in before he causes more chaos in the city!"


    The men seemed to agree; despite their different clothing and n affiliations, they were ready to act together. They were strangers who had been enjoying a drink and staying at the same inn today, but seeing someone causing a disturbance in their territory made them act.


    The men jumped on top of the table, and with a push, managed to jump through the hole that was created. It was a bit small, so the man swung his sword, slicing it apart before hended inside the room.


    Raze took a step back and soon saw four more men enter the room, drawing their swords.


    "It would be best if you came with us peacefully and let one of the ns deal with you."


    Raze was conflicted as he moved back, unsure of what to do in this situation.


    ''I did kill a stranger I had no rtion to, but in the situation I am in, I can''t get caught.'' Raze thought. ''Do I attempt to run away? No, with their skills, they all seem to be beyond a first-stage Pagna warrior. They would catch me in an instant.''


    Fighting back didn''t seem like much of an option for Raze either. He would lose, just as he had done before, and it would attract the attention of other Pagna warriors in the entire city.


    "Wait!" A voice shouted as the door was mmed open, crashing into the wall. In his long, robe-like clothes, Dame had entered the room, with a fierce look on his face. "All of you, leave him be. I willpensate the family greatly for what has happened today, and I will punish the man appropriately."


    At first, it looked as if the other warriors weren''t going to care about what this interrupter had said, but when they took a second look at him, they started to notice who he was.


    "Isn''t that Dame Narfous?" one of them whispered.


    "If the Neverfall n is involved in this, then it is best we leave it up to them."


    Each of the men then bowed down at that moment. "We will leave this to the young master!"


    As easily as that, they lifted their heads and disappeared back down to the restaurant. Down below, Dame and his group were actually clearing up what had happened and were even discussing with the owner of the ce how to make up for all the mess.


    The way they handled everything so smoothly made it seem like it wasn''t the first time they had gotten into trouble before.


    The matter was quickly resolved, but to avoid attracting too much attention, Dame had booked another inn a few streets down for Raze to set up shop in. They didn''t talk much while all of this was going on; it seemed as if both individuals had a lot on their minds. But when they were finally checked in, it gave both of them time to talk again.


    Instead of in the room, this time they were in a corner of the downstairs restaurant and had ordered a couple of drinks.


    "Hey, don''t worry about what happened back there," Dame said as he took a swig of his drink while Raze''s remained untouched. "These things happen all the time here; it''s not a problem. You''re lucky that the one who got hit was a no-name."


    "No-name?" Raze replied; he had heard this mentioned before.


    "Oh, right, you probably don''t know¡ª"


    "How much?" Raze interrupted. "How much coin did you give to that family, to the no-name? What was the cost of his life in this world?"


    Dame could see the mood was getting a little serious, which wasn''t a good sign for him.


    "Ten gold coins; it will be enough for him and his family to live happily. Look, this might not make sense to you, or it might not be the right thing to say, but his life was worth a lot less than ten coins. Even if he worked his entire lifetime, he would have never been able to amass that much wealth.


    "In fact, if you offered a total of twenty silvers, his family would have willingly sold him to work for another n. The divide in this world between those that matter and everyone else¡ªwell, no-names are essentially just animals. As I said, whether it''s right or wrong is a different story, but I just wanted to ease your worries a bit."


    Raze had killed people before; he didn''t have a problem with that. But it was always to move forward toward his goal. Killing an innocent bystander who was just in the wrong ce at the wrong time didn''t sit well with him.


    ''She was just at the wrong ce, at the wrong time,'' a voice yed in Raze''s head, a memory from the past.


    "What''s with the blood on your face anyway? Shouldn''t you have washed that off? It''s dried a bit now as well," Dame asked. "I mean, it''s a good look if you don''t want anyone to mess with you."


    "The blood?" Raze touched his cheek again. "That''s right, the cultivation technique you taught me. The cycle of life and death. When performing it, are there any side effects, like seeing illusions and such, or does it summon anything?"


    The subject made Dame a bit uneasy as he turned to look left and right.


    "Side effects; it''s what I told you somewhat before. If you''re not careful with the technique, it can drive you to go mad and turn you into a literal Demon. Some of them, before turning into one, see many illusions; it''s one of the side effects before turning. Don''t tell me¡ª"


    "No," Raze answered. "I was just curious."


    Dame took a big swig and gave Raze the side-eye. It was hard to read his facial expression with the hood covering his eyes, so he didn''t know if he was lying or not.


    ''That was not an illusion,'' Raze thought. ''I wonder, though, if only illusions are part of the cultivation technique''s bad effects, that might not even be something rted to the demonic faction. There is something strange surrounding this boy''s original body in the first ce. Could it be rted to that, or maybe even the mysterious transmigration book I used?''


    The spells and items that could be obtained through these dimensions that gave one god-like powers, perhaps there was a reason why Alter was trying their best to stop people from using them.


    "Actually, I came here to talk to you because I need your help," Dame asked. "Do you remember that woman who attacked you in that dimension from before? Well, it turns out that she has a bit of a grudge and is trying to attack the Demonic faction."


    Raze''s eyebrows were raised; an attack, wasn''t this a big deal? But everyone seemed so calm about the matter, apart from Dame, who was tense for the first time. Even his fingers were constantly tapping the table.


    "I''ve been asked to lead an attack to defend the Demonic faction on my own. Well, not on my own, but they have practically sent me on a suicide mission. Beatrix is one of the strongest in the Light faction, and they are sending me with no support. If I go out there with no kind of help, I will die."


    "Which is why I''m asking, is there any way you can help me, help me win this battle?"


    For the first time since the conversation began, Raze picked up the alcoholic drink in front of him. His body was a bit too young to handle it, but it had been a long time since he treated himself to the bitter and cold taste.


    Taking down nearly half the drink in one go, he mmed it on the table. The image of the dead man and the blood on his face shed through his mind.


    "Nothing has changed; everything is still the same." These words were something Raze had repeated to himself many times as he did unthinkable things as the Dark Magus. It was sometimes the only thing that kept him going, and he was using them now to flush out the memories.


    "I can help you, and I can help you defeat Beatrix, but it''s going to cost you."

 Chapter 105 A True Curse

    <h4>Chapter 105 A True Curse</h4>


    After hearing Dame''s plea, Raze was quick to answer. After all, he didn''t want his newfound business partner to disappear just like that. A lot of time and effort were put into this rtionship, and he wasn''t so sure he could work with someone like Dame again.


    He certainly was a unique character. Not only that, but Raze noticed something from before. When he was in trouble, the other members in their Demonic faction seemed to have recognized him and put a halt to their attack rather quickly.


    Raze knew Dame was quite strong to hold off Beatrix, but it seemed he had power with the people as well, which was a good sign of his business moving forward in the future.


    "A high cost, huh?" Dame nervouslyughed. "I know we just agreed to go into business together, but it looks like your first customer in all of this is going to be me. I was thinking if we used those pills you handed me before, that if I gave it to the people fighting alongside me, they would have a chance.


    "But even then, I need something that can help me beat Beatrix, is there anything you have that can do that?"


    Although the Cursed mana pill was strong and could restore his Qi, in Dame''s mind, the difference was toorge. Because with every strike, she would overpower him, and skillfully as well.


    She would cut off his head before he even had a chance to use all of his Qi in the first ce. Dame was hoping for something more, or maybe even for Raze himself to join the battle.


    However, he had no idea that Raze had no intention to join the battlefield that would put him at risk for no reason.


    "You helped me out of the situation from before," Raze said. "I don''t like owing favors, so I will make the pills for those that will travel with you for free. You, of course, will supply me with all the materials I need. I hope you can afford it."


    The sides of Dame''s mouth started to rise; he knew Raze was a tricky person and was surprised to hear such a good deal woulde of it.


    ''Making so many pills at once, it will require a lot of stones, and I will have to use a few mana potions myself. The main thing I will have to be careful to avoid is mana sickness if my body takes in too many potions.''


    "As for the second favor, a way to help you defeat Beatrix, I think there might be something. I can''t guarantee how it would work, but there might be quite a bit you have to sacrifice to win the battle."


    At this point, Dame didn''t care; he would take anything over his father ripping his own arms off.


    "Of course, just let me know."


    "First," Raze said. "I would like to go to a ce where you have high-quality items, they can be weapons or armaments, anything of the kind, and I would like to select one item from there. Second, I would then like two level 2 power stones."


    A great pain had struck Dame right in the heart. He had a rtively small fortune being the n leader''s son, but it wasn''t infinite. This whole battle was going to cost him everything he had.


    A level 2 power stone would have been easier for him to just get from some beast, but with restrictions on portals and time not on his side, he would have to use his funds to buy them.


    "For yourself, I need you to bring a weapon of your choice and a level 2 power stone," Raze stated.


    With him being a 2-star Mage, he could only do enchantments at the second level, so a higher-level stone would be useless.


    "What are we waiting for!" Dame stood up and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. "Let''s go!"


    Dame had decided to keep up his end of the bargain first before even getting anything off Raze. Two Level two power stones had been given to him; one of them had the Earth attribute, while the other had no attribute.


    It was a shame that they both didn''t have an attribute, but Raze decided not to make much of a fuss in the first ce because he could see that Dame had tried his best to haggle on the prices, and he could assume that he would be quite low on funds.


    The next ce, rather than a market stall, the two of them had visited the inside of a shop. It looked a bit like the pawn shop that Raze had visited before on the inside, just that it was more focused on weapons rather than tools.


    "Alright, you can pick whatever you want that''s in this room," Dame said, standing blocking the way to a door that led to another room. He assumed that the more expensive items were in the other room.


    It was okay because Raze wasn''t looking for a weapon; he was just looking for something that had a high affinity with magic. Hovering his hand over the items, magic flowed out of his hands, hitting them one by one.


    ''Oh, this is a first; nearly everything in here is reacting to the magic. I guess these items are quite a bit better.''


    Surprisingly, though, the item that reacted the most and vibrated the strongest was, of all things, a mask. There were several metallic masks that were ced in a barrel. They were made of pure metal with only small slits for one''s eyes to see through.


    "Oh, those are working masks... they''re quite useless for a Pagna warrior but popr among workers who do hardbor all day since it protects the face," Dame exined.


    "And not the eyes?" Raze replied back, thinking it was quite the poor design. Poor or not, it had the strongest reaction. "I''ll just take this."


    Hearing those words, it was at that point that Dame felt like Raze was a saint. Was he being considerate because he knew how much money he needed to spend, that he had bought the cheapest thing in the shop? More and more, he was seeing him in a new light.


    With that done, the two of them had returned to the inn, where they could see Fixteen waiting for them in the room. He was carrying something under his arm wrapped in an old cloth.


    "The most important thing is helping me beat Beatrix, so I thought we could deal with that first," Dame said, and looked at Fixteen.


    Out on the table, he ced the item wrapped in cloth and unraveled it, revealing a pair of ck gauntlets and a level 2 power stone. The gauntlets looked impressive. They weren''trge, like some; these were rtively small, almost the perfect fit over Dame''s hands.


    It made them look not too bulky when ced on him. The fingers were pointed like ws, and it had a strange pattern on it that would make it look like they were scales.


    "Alright," Raze said as he sat down. Unlike the times before, he didn''t immediately start drawing the magic circle because he had to think about what type of enchantment to do.


    He had already decided that he would use dark magic. With this, the level of Enchantment would be higher, giving it the effects of a rare or elite item! If he used wind magic, it would only be an umon rarity item. Although, there was also always the chance of it bing a sealed item, which, when unsealed, would act like a lottery as to what type of item it would be.


    Why Raze was thinking was because he was looking through his memory for what type of enchantment to put on the gauntlets. Just like his items before, even with Dark Magic, there was always the aim of enchantment that Raze was going for.


    With the cloak, he wanted the storage ability; with the dark ring, he wanted the tracking ability to sense his dark magic. When an item was sealed, though, nearly everything went out the window, and it didn''t really matter what enchantment Raze had cast.


    With weapon enchantments, things worked rather differently as well. Mages, in the first ce, didn''t use many weapons apart from a select few, such as battle mages or magic swordsmen.


    Raze wasn''t one of these two, so he didn''t know many weapon enchantments, nor had he memorized recipes for them.


    ''Oh wait, wouldn''t that work? Although it''s a pretty basic Enchantment, it might be quite useful for a Pagna warrior,'' Raze thought.


    With the onlookers there, he proceeded to go ahead and draw the circle. He didn''t mind the other two watching him because he knew they would have no idea what he was doing. On top of that, this formation, since it was a tier-2 enchantment, would take a rather long time for him to draw.


    Around forty or so minutester, he was done. Raze came over and ced the gauntlets on the ground, along with the crystal.


    "Alright, here it goes," Raze said as he emitted ck magic from his hands, and it hit the magic circle.


    The two, Fixteen and Dame, couldn''t help but stare in amazement at what was happening. They didn''t understand it, but the ground was lighting up from just a few drawings, and the crystal was disappearing.


    Finally, when the crystal had disappeared, the gauntlets were the only thing left on the ground.


    "Did it work¡­is it good enough?" Dame asked.


    "Show me your effects," Raze whispered, and the ck magic started to fill the air.


    [Elite Grade Cursed Morin Gauntlets]


    It was a good sign already, with the gauntlets being at the Elite grade level, and it wasn''t a sealed item.


    [Skill: Qi st] [This skill allows the user to st Qi out from their fists]


    This was the effect that Raze was going for. A user that could only use their fists was at a disadvantage at range, but with this, anyone could be more versatile. This enchantment was a simple one that allowed one to use their mana in a ball attack, but for Pagna warriors, it was surely something impressive.


    Now, though, with it being an elite item, it would have a couple of greater effects.


    [Skill: Homing] [All Qi sts will home towards the selected target] [The target must be marked by physically scratching the intended target with the gauntlets. Multiple targets cannot be selected]


    [Skill: Hidden] [The gauntlets can be hidden by the user when worn. It will show the natural skin and clothing unless being used inbat]


    The extra effects were great, but now it was time for the downside.


    [Curse] [If the user performs sexual activities, all effects of the gauntlets will be lost.]


    ''This one¡­is truly a curse.''

 Chapter 106 Changing The World

    <h4>Chapter 106 Changing The World</h4>


    When using Dark magic to enchant items, it would allow the item to be enchanted one to two levels above the original enchantment that had been used. It was what made Dark magic so great, but it was a gamble, and perhaps that gamble was what made the nature of the magic rtively addicting as well.


    The gamble was what type of curse would be ced on the item itself. The types of curses ranged as well. It wasn''t always something that would affect the body but could be conditions like the one that had been ced on the gauntlets.


    One item to use could take away one''s ability to talk; perhaps an incredibly strong item would take away a sense every time you used it. The sealed curse was also quite the ordeal that the one Simyon had to go through in order to get his item. No one could predict what type of curses would be ced on the item.


    Raze proceeded to tell Dame about the effects; he informed him about the good news first, telling him what it could do, and he was filled with excitement.


    "This is perfect, I''ve never heard of weapons doing such a thing before. This is almost like a sacred item!" Dame said, eager to put the gauntlets on and try them straight away.


    Due to the effects the item gave, he knew that it wouldn''t just be something that would be useful for him now, but also in the future as he grew stronger as a Pagna warrior. Surely, the stronger Qi he had inside him, the stronger sts he could produce and many more of them as well. It was best that he didn''t tell anyone about these skills; otherwise, nearly everyone, even his own n, would attempt to get their hands on them.


    "Wait!" Raze said, his hand held out over the items, stopping Dame from touching them. "You remember what I said before, about there being a great cost."


    Dame paused for a second. ''Is he saying that he''s going to charge me more? I already gave him what he asked for, but I guess what I have received in return is something more than I imagined, so it''s only fair that I give him more.''


    "Just tell me what you want," Dame said, he just wanted to put the gauntlets on now.


    "If you wear these gauntlets, they will curse you," Raze exined. "The curse... although you will obtain the powers I told you about before, it states if you ever perform sexual activities again, all of the powers you gained will be lost."


    Dame stopped dead in his tracks at that moment; the bottom of his jaw was left hanging wide open. Suddenly, the treasured item that was in front of him didn''t seem to be so treasured anymore.


    "Were you sent by my father or something?" Dame eventually asked.


    "Pardon?" Raze said, confused.


    "Clearly, he wasn''t sent by your father," Fixteenmented. "But I can see why you would think that. You see, Dark Magus, this man here is well known as an incredible yboy because of this. His father, no, his whole family tends to not look at him in the best light.


    "There have been many that have tried to correct his ways in the past, but they eventually gave up. So forgive him for speaking his mind."


    Now that he had heard Fixteen say these words, he knew how ridiculous it was to think such a thing. He was sure Fixteen was there to say such words in case he was to offend him.


    "Forgive me," Dame said, bowing down. "But is what you said true? I mean, how can it be, how could an item even know if I was to perform sexual activities or not? And does it count for a kiss, a hug, and like, a little bit of golden sh-"


    "Erm!" Fixteen cleared his throat rather loudly to stop Dame from saying any more. It was clear he was still in a shocked state.


    "I''m serious," Raze answered. "I wouldn''t lie about such a thing, and although you are free to test it out, if you activate the curse, then the weapon will never work the same way again. Even if I were to do the same enchantment, the effects might be lesser than this one."


    Dame was battling inside, his desire to win this battle or his desire to be free to do as he wished and please himself.


    "I guess, the worst case is I will just have to control myself until after the battle with Beatrix."


    Dame walked past and picked up the gauntlets; with determination, he ced them on both of his hands, and he could feel a state of zening over him.


    "I hear those from the Light faction do this quite frequently, so if they can do this, then so can I," Dame said.


    Fixteen, looking at this brave sight, was just shaking his head. ''Can that foolish man really not control himself for just a couple of days? He is acting like he has be some type of ancient monk.''


    Dame and Fixteen had left to purchase the supplies that were needed to ask for the pills and soon had returned to the Dark Magus. The first thing Raze had done was take a mana potion, as the enchantment had taken quite a lot out of him.


    After that, Dame stated he couldn''t stay long. He wanted to practice out his new weapon and its uses so he could use it well against Beatrix. He would then be back for the pills tomorrow, where he would meet with his small army of men to take on Beatrix.


    When they had returned, Raze got to work making enchantment after enchantment. He had only been given 55 power stones. So he had decided to make 50 pills for the 50 men that were meant to be going to battle along with Dame. The other five would be used for potions for himself, to restore his mana to make enchantments. He made a mix of different pills but mainly stuck to the Cursed umon Mana potions.


    When finally done, Raze almost copsed on his bed, lying down.


    "Finally, I''m done!" Raze said. "I''m exhausted, and even my head is starting to have quite the mental toll on it. What came as a surprise is, this body can consume more mana potions than I thought without suffering from mana sickness. I wonder if my body continues to grow, and I reach higher stages, it will be less of a problem for me."


    With all the pills, Raze had ced them in a bottle all together and then ced the bottle in his robe. It was much easier to carry the Qi pillspared to potion bottles.


    "It''s a shame that enchanting doesn''t increase attribute points, no matter how many times it''s done. This is asborious as factory work."


    Putting the pills to the side, Raze had decided to get some shut-eye. When the next day arrived, he was fully restored. Dame had said that he would most likelye in the evening to give Raze time to make the pills, unaware that he would be done fairly quickly.


    "Since I''m doing the same enchantment over and over, there''s no need to change the magic circle," Raze thought. "I guess I have time to learn the gifts Dame gave me. I can''t just get rich and have influence; I need to have power as well."


    That same day, training in one of the many caves in the Neverfall n. Dame had the gauntlets on. The whole cave had grown in size, nearly double what it was before, and it was all because of the new weapons that were on his hands.


    "That Dark Magus, at first I thought with him, I could change the world, but I think he might have the power to change this world on his own," Dame said out loud.


    "I guess that means you like the weapons," Fixteen said. "The Dark Magus seems to be a good person."


    "You think?" Dame replied. "The look in his eyes at times, I don''t think he is exactly a good person. I mean did you forget he sted that man''s head?"


    Fixteen''s cheeks went a little red.


    "He is a person that cares for himself first, just like most Pagna warriors. Which I don''t think is a bad thing, but think about it. If he''s willing to give away weapons as powerful as this, then what weapons does he have that he isn''t willing to give away? Whatever we do, we should probably never get on his bad side."


    "But doesn''t the Crimson Cane want him? Are you willing to go up against Alba?" Fixteen asked.


    At that moment, Dame felt defeated; he had no chance to go up against her and their n, at least not with his own power.


    "Well, we will just have to see how long we can keep those two apart for."

 Chapter 107 Descending Steps

    Chapter 107 Descending Steps


    Leaving the inn, Raze had decided to exit the city. He wanted an area to practice where others wouldn''t see him, nor could they get hurt by what he would do. He didn''t want the same thing that had urredst time.


    Walking through the city, the Demonic faction was an interesting ce. There were fights that were breaking out on the street, and some would just watch. There would always be someone of a high level nearby that would interfere, stopping it before it got too serious.


    For a Demonic Faction, there seemed to be quite a lot of people who were just. On the outside, it perhaps looked like a less connectedmunitypared to the town from the Dark Faction he was in.


    But on closer inspection, it looked as if everyone in the Demonic faction was more closely connected.


    "I wonder though, there has to be a reason why Alter had trouble infiltrating this ce. Is it because of the ns around here?"


    While focused on the people, Raze had walked right past a bulletin board. It had several wanted posters nailed to it, as well as many requests for strong warriors to help out here and there.


    On one poster though, it was looking for a particr person. [Looking for information on the Dark Magus]


    After exiting out of the gates, he looked around the area, and decided to climb up high.


    It felt like he was ascending a hill, but there was hardly any greenery around and instead just a pile of rocks. As he looked around though, he had entered a type of grove of the hill, and now he was in a wide emptynd, that was covered from all sides and the eyes of others.


    Stretching his hand out, the first book appeared in his hand. "What was this called, the ten descending steps, right?"


    Raze flicked through the book, and started to break down each of the movements. For the first step, there was a lot of exnation.


    "So it seems like the right amount of Qi needs to be ced in each step, and the reason why all of the movements are difficult is that each of the steps requires an exact amount of Qi to be used. One has to remember the movements, and then focus on the right amount of Qi that is ced in each of them. The flowing of the descending steps, and the right amount of Qi worked like a jigsaw, allowing them tobine together making the next step stronger than thest."


    "Right!" Raze said, pushing the book away and propping it up against a rock. He had it open on the illustration of the first step. "This doesn''t seem so hard."


    Focusing, Raze got in a fighting stance, and copied the illustration in the book, he lifted up his right foot and stomped down on the ground. This was the first step of the ten, and required the most amount of Qi.


    The Qi needed to be focused, from the dantian, and flow through the body and expand out right as the foot hit the ground. Bashing it against the floor as follows, Qi bursted out the sides, and a foot imprint was left on the ground.


    When he moved his foot, he could see the imprint clearly there. "I guess, was that it... did I do it?"


    Raze could see nothing wrong with what he had done, so he had to havepleted the right step, right? But was it meant to be so easy?


    Using his wind magic, Raze flicked to the next page. The second step was a flick with the back foot to dash forward. Dame had exined that each step could be used individually or together orbined with other skills. This time though, where the Qi needed to be gathered and in which part of the body were different, but the instructions were clear in the book and Raze followed along.


    "And a flick of the back foot!" Raze shouted, his toes pushed against the ground and he was chucked around five meters forward in the air. Immediately he could see how effective this would be. This move covered a lot more distance than the two-step shift did, but it had an issue that one could only move directly forward.


    ''Wait, did I just do the second step again? Didn''t Dame say this was hard? He said it was really hard, right? I must have done something wrong, but everything felt right.''


    Just to make sure, Raze did the step again, he powered with his Qi and flicked the back of his foot, and he dashed over doing the second descending step, covering the same distance back.


    ording to the book, a failure would result in one tripping over oneself, due to the uneven Qi distribution in one''s body. When achieving the movement and the right amount of Qi, the movement should be what Raze had produced.


    ''I guess I did manage to do it then,'' Raze said, scratching his head.


    After going through the first movement a few times, and then the second movement, all doubt in his mind that he had been doing the moves wrong was erased because they were working as the book had described.


    The first move was used to reinforce one''s stance, and if an enemy was unprepared, the st of Qi outward could unbnce the opponent. While they were unbnced, that''s when the second move was toe in.


    ''Maybe this is where the hard partes in,'' Raze thought. ''Combining the moves together. The Qi from each move needs to flow, so the Qi that was moved into one foot needs to flow back into the dantian, and then out the foot again, and I have to use the right amount as I have been doing.''


    Raze had intense focus, and he took a deep breath out. He then mmed his foot on the ground perfectly, the foot imprint was left as Qi sted out. Then moving it in his body, he flicked his back leg, and he could feel it, the power from the first movement was being added to the second. As he flicked his back foot, almost twice the amount of power was used in the move, sending him across even faster.


    Standing there for a moment, Raze felt a satisfying feelinging all over his body. As everything was connected, there was a tingling sensation. He knew he had gotten it right.


    "I did it, Ibined the two movements. At this rate, I might be able to learn all ten of the descending steps, and learn tobine them all. But if it''s this easy, is it really such an impressive skill? Dame said he could only do 6 of the steps... Did I get scammed?"


    Raze hadn''t been scammed at all. Dame was truthful when talking about the Ten Descending Steps. What Raze didn''t know was that his years of experience in finally controlling magic, to do such enchantments, to do various spells, and abination of spells, was also able to be transferred into controlling Qi.


    Qi and Mana shared many simrities, in some ways a Deity Ranked Pagna warrior''s control over Qi was just as fine as a 9-star mage. Because of this, what would take others many years to learn, Raze was learning in a matter of hours.

 Chapter 108 The Library Of Skills

    Chapter 108 The Library Of Skills


    At the academy, students were settling into their new facilities. Both Safa and Simyon were in the Dark Blue Headband group. As stated by the academy, they were to wear it at all times or at least have it on them while around the academy.


    Of course, there were some exceptions, such as when they would go to clean themselves and when sleeping at night. The dorm they were in was fairlyrge in size and was nice inside, considering it was the lowest-colored headband group.


    There were two floors, with arge open area in the middle. Here, there were sofas and tables, but there didn''t seem to be anything worth doing in the area. If anything, it just seemed more like a ce for them to mingle when they were allowed to rest.


    The rooms were then dotted around in a rectangr shape, with hallways going along the center, with more rooms branching off. From top to bottom, the ce would look a bit like a maze.


    What was important to note was that the first-year students were on the first floor, while the second-year students were on the second floor. The instructor had called for a meeting for the first-year students and told them all to gather in the main hall.


    The hundred students had lined up with their headbands on and stood straight. They looked up as they could see the second-year students staring at them from the balcony. Quite a few of the second years were smirking, while some of them had eyes that looked like they were ready to quit, to just get out of this ce.


    "We instructors will regrly instruct you and help you with your progress as you grow as a Pagna warrior. At times, we will call you for assessments. Whether that''s training, tasks, or entering another dimension.


    "However, a lot of the time, you will be expected to self-study and progress on your own. Which brings me to your first task! We will be visiting the academy''s library; here, you will select one technique book of your choosing.


    "Remember to stick to the areas that are marked with the same headband. After selecting a skill book of your choice, you will have one month to memorize and learn the skill. Make note, I did not say to perfect the skill.


    "Every month, you will be able to enter the library again and select a new skill book. That is 12 Dark Faction skill books a year. You may think the skills of your n are superior to what you find inside, but I assure you that there is no broadening of your knowledge, and who knows what you will find."


    Simyon was pumping his fist; he was determined. He wanted to grow stronger, and he was finally getting to be what he wanted to be a Pagna warrior. Since he came from no n, this was really the only way he could learn skills, so he was ready to give it everything he had.


    "Before you go," two more instructors came from the side, pulling crates into the main room. They were filled with sacks, and as they opened up the sacks, the eyes of the students started to sparkle at what they could see.


    "It''s Qi pills, and look how many they have!" the students couldn''t help but speak out. Their ns would have given most of them Qi pills already, but perhaps one every 6 months or so to help with their development, but here they were seeing them as if they were candy.


    "As you are part of the Blue Headband group, each student is entitled to two pills each week. This is morepared to the Yellow Headband group and the Red Headband. I''m sure you know by now that you guys are considered the weakest.


    "Which is why, being in this group, we will help you grow as much as we can. These 10-year Qi pills are useless on those that are already on the second stage, or close to it anyway. So it''s much better in your hands; use this wisely."


    The students came up one by one and grabbed the Qi pills. When Safa went up, she noticed that there was another boy by her side. He had red spiky hair and ced the band on its side. What was most notable, though, was the eye patch on his left eye.


    When he and Safa looked at each other, he winked.


    "If you didn''t know that was a wink, not a blink. It''s hard to tell with the one eye," Liam joked.


    After getting his crystals, he walked up to Safa and then flicked one of the balls in the air. Almost instinctively, Safa caught it.


    "That one is for you, prettydy. I hope your brother doesn''t mind," Liam said, looking at Simyon, whose face was turning a little red.


    "I''m sorry, bro, I don''t like sausages, otherwise, I would have given you one as well," Liam said as he turned away and walked back to the others.


    Simyon was somewhat just standing there in disbelief; he wasn''t quite sure what had just happened.


    "He doesn''t like sausages, what does that even mean?" Rushing forward, he stood on Safa''s side with his body blocking the way of who Simyon would now deem as the perv, Liam.


    The students were off, and there was no time to use the Qi pills yet. Instead, they were being directed to the library. They were following in a single line, walking around the giant courtyard.


    There were multiplerge buildings, and it was hard to think that they all were rted to the academy in some way. As they were walking, they could see the other headband instructors, and following behind them were their students as well.


    Everyone somewhat nced at each other; that was until they had finally reached the library. It was arge round building like a pagoda but was incredibly wide, to the point they could just see the edge.


    There were five floors as well, so it wasn''t as high, but still impressive.


    "All students have 1 hour to select a skill book of their choice. The books that you are able to look through the shelves are colored with the same color as your headbands. There are other instructors inside, so if you are caught looking at other books that don''t respond to your color, you will be punished.


    "You might think that this isn''t fair, but skills are separated for a reason. This is to help in your own development. Some require more Qi, some require advanced Qi control, and so on. If you think you have been wronged, then challenge a different colored headband student at the assessment."


    entering, he now knew that was impossible.


    With that said, the doors to the library were opened, and immediately everyone rushed inside. At first, Simyon had nned to stay by Safa''s side, especially with a perv on the loose, but after entering, he now knew that was impossible.


    On the first floor alone, there had to be at least 10,000 books, maybe even more. It was impossible for them to go through each and every book in an hour to see what''s best for them. So the only thing they could do was split up.


    "We''re in the academy, so things should be okay. Just wait for me when the hour''s up at the entrance, okay?" Simyon said, to which Safa nodded.


    With the two of them split up, Simyon went around in search of a book that would help him. He remembered Raze''s advice, that he would need a technique that was rted to a metal element. Whatever that was.


    The only thing Simyon could really go by as he searched was the name of the skill books on the spine. He could see some other pupils had already picked up a few books and were reading through them to see if they matched.


    ''I guess they have no clue what type of book they''re going for, but I have some idea of what I want,'' Simyon thought.


    He scanned walking side by side, searching for what he needed. So focused, he soon realized he had bumped into another student.


    "Oh, sorry?" Simyon said. He noticed from before that his body was harder than others, so when he knocked into others, they would usually fall over, but this student hadn''t done so.


    "It''s okay, I don''t mind if it''s you," Ricktor said with a smile, his tall self overlooking him.


    Simyon''s heart started to thump louder as a mix of emotions wereing over him from seeing this person.


    "I was actually looking for you," Ricktor said with a smile. "You did a good jobst time, which is why I wanted to give you another task. You see, I heard that the Blue Headbands get two Qi pills each.


    "But we only get one, which isn''t really fair, is it? So I was wondering if you could convince the other Blue Headbands to hand over their Qi pills to us. If you can''t, I won''t be very happy, and I might need to do something else to cheer me up."


    Ricktor said as he started to touch the bottom of his crotch.


    ''What is wrong with this guy!''

 Chapter 109 Don’t Die!

    <h4>Chapter 109 Don''t Die!</h4>


    From morning till midday, Raze had been practicing the 10 Descending Steps. Although he had only reached the fourth step, he noticed that the other steps were getting a bit moreplicated for him to learn.


    He was covered in sweat, and even his back was drenched; his Qi was starting to run out, so he felt like it was best to put a stop to learning the steps for now.


    ''I can perform three of the steps in one motion together, and I can perform four of the steps on their own,'' Raze thought as he looked at the scene around him.


    There were several footprints all over the area, imprinted in the stone. The area was even sunken in more as Raze had destroyed a fewyers of rock already. The whole area was perhaps five inches lower down than it was before.


    ''I thought I might get to learn all ten steps, but at the rate this is going, it might take me a week or even longer,'' Raze thought.


    While resting, he felt like he needed a way to gather back his Qi. He could have taken one of the pills, but that was part of his promise to give to Dame, and he didn''t want to go back on his word.


    Looking up at the position of the sun, he could see it was about midday, so he still had a few more hours before he needed to meet with Dame. Sitting down with his legs crossed on top of a rock, he thought out.


    ''Should I try the cultivation of life and death again?''


    Immediately, the hairs on the back of Raze''s neck as well as on his arms stood up strong. It was a reaction from his body at just the thought of going back there.


    ''I thought I had seen everything, nothing that I could be afraid of. I even faced countless high-level beasts and have been on the brink of death many times, so why does that hand, that voice scare me? It sounded like a woman''s.''


    Shaking his head, Raze decided it was best not to try that again. Even though he was away from the city. Although he had managed to attack it, or maybe he didn''t even, it didn''t seem hurt either.


    ''I guess until I learn how to defeat a ghost, I shouldn''t try to cultivate, at least not in the Demonic Faction.''


    Instead, Raze decided to use the Dark Essence Technique, which increased his magic core rather than his Dantian. It was better than doing nothing. After resting for about an hour, he was now able to at least do something.


    Standing up, rather than going through the ten steps again, Raze had switched books, and this time, he wanted to go through the sword formations. But he realized he had made one fatal mistake.


    "I don''t have a sword," Raze said to himself. "I guess step one in learning sword techniques should be to have a sword."


    Raze tapped his index finger on the bottom of his chin until eventually, another image came to him¡ªit was of the battle mages.


    Getting in a stance, Raze held both his hands out and imagined that there was a sword in his hand. He held it at the bottom of the hilt, then his magic started to swirl around his hand.


    As he lifted both hands above his head and swung it down, a sh of wind came out, but it had done nothing, apart from blowing some of the leaves in the area.


    ''I guess I don''t have enough wind attribute or mana to fully condense a sword out of wind magic. Still, it does make me wonder. If I had a sword and learned the techniques, couldn''t I add wind magic to my attacks? Would that make it even more powerfulpared to before.''


    Thinking aboutbining his magic along with the Pagna martial arts reminded Raze of the Dark Faction''s founder. He wondered if he had ever done such a thing, which was why he rose to the position he was, or was Raze a first for it all.


    Either way, since Raze had no sword, he would have to practice properly another day.


    After heading back, it wasn''t long until Raze had met Dame again and had passed on all the pills in a bottle. Dame looked at it in admiration, holding it up.


    "Thank you for this; I''m confident that I''ll win this battle no matter what," Dame said.


    "When do you head out?" Raze asked.


    "Tomorrow," Dame replied in a serious tone as he threw the bottle over to Fixteen. "I meet those that will be going with me tonight. The Light Faction being who they are, iming to be honorable people, have politely set a date for our little battle."


    Hearing this reminded Raze of his first meeting with Beatrix, who had called out her name before they fought. The Light Faction members certainly did seem to have an odd righteous culture about them.


    "With all the help you have provided us, though, I''m sure we might not fail, maybe," Dame''s confidence was wavering, and he had every right to be, since it was Beatrix Highborn they were talking about. An uneasy feeling was felt in his stomach.


    "Pagna battles don''tst long, so you''ll hear back from us in a couple of days," Dame said, waving away.


    "Yeah, and if you don''t, we''ll be dead," Fixteenmented, to which received a hard p on the back of his head.


    "Don''t jinx us."


    Seeing the two of them head off, a thought did ur to Raze. ''Should I follow them and head to the fight tomorrow? I could stay a far distance and support him if needed. It would also be good to see a fight between two high-level Pagna warriors?''


    The risks, though, were still incredibly high, so before he would be able to even make his decision, Raze pulled out the warrior statue and the metal mask he had obtained, along with the level 2 power stones.


    "It''s time I make some strong items for myself," Raze smiled.

 Chapter 110 The crafter Dark Magus

    <h4>Chapter 110 The crafter Dark Magus</h4>


    Having sessfully collected the pills, Dame still couldn''t shake off the feeling of unease. He had every reason to be uneasy because a tough battley ahead. His father had essentially sent him on a suicide mission, and nobody expected him to survive this ordeal.


    Now, he was about to meet the individuals who had reluctantly agreed to join him. On the highest floor of the Neverfall n base, where the lowest-ranked warriors of the n resided, fifty of them had gathered in a dark cavern. Strange ss orbs powered by light were attached to the walls, providing self-sufficient illumination since using fire in such an area was rtively dangerous.


    Dame stood before them all, apanied by Fixteen, Carlson, and Kirk¡ªthree individuals who stuck by him despite his reputation as the troublesome young master. When Dame looked into the eyes of those in front of him, he could sense their skepticism and frustration, even though they held back their words.


    "I know what you are all thinking," Dame spoke aloud, breaking the tension in the air. "All of you are wondering why it was me who got chosen and why I''m here with you. If it were one of my brothers, maybe we''d have a better chance, or you''d have more confidence."


    "At this moment, I have to admit that no one believes in us. But I''m telling you all now, you may know me as a fool, a yboy, or whatever, but one thing is for sure¡ªI don''t n to die, and neither should you."


    With a nod to Fixteen, he handed out the pills one by one, going from person to person. For his own group, each of them would be using the Umon Cursed Mana Pills originally intended for the Crimson Crane and their group. Given the dire situation, he decided to use half of them and make up excuses for the rest.


    "The Qi Pills I''ve given you aren''t your average Qi Pills!" Dame proimed. "If you look at the markings on them, you''ll see they''ve been created by none other than the Dark Magus."


    The n members examined the Qi Pills, noting the imprints on them. It was quite remarkable because the markings were not merely scratched in but an integral part of the pill, something they had never seen before. The color of the pills matched as well.


    But what truly puzzled them was the name. "Wait, Dark Magus? I''ve heard that name before. Isn''t that who the Crimson Crane n is looking for?"


    "Yeah, I saw the poster too. Aren''t they offering a level 5 power stone for information about that person?"


    "Wait, what? They''re offering such a huge reward? Does that mean this person is a big deal or something? Then what are these pills?"


    A sly smirk appeared on Dame''s face. This was part of his n. Alba had already put up posters and spread information to search for the Dark Magus, so his name had somewhat be known. However, they still didn''t know why.


    Right now, Dame was also thinking about the future. These pills were effective, and if they used them in battle and they were the reason for their survival, then these warriors would likely be loyal customers in the future.


    They would do everything they could to obtain the products of the Dark Magus. "The differently colored pills have different effects. The Blue pills will restore your Qi, the Red pills your vitality, and the Green ones increase your speed. In the uing battle, all of you should use them wisely. All of us will be needed for this battleing up, and I have used everything I could to obtain these from the Dark Magus."


    "As I said before, I don''t n to die."


    Now Dame could see the change in the people''s expressions. There was hope in their eyes that the situation could turn around. Now all that remained was to proceed with the actual battle tomorrow. He had done everything he could.


    ---


    Back in his room, Raze had finally decided on an enchantment to cast on the warrior statue. It had been a headache for him, trying to find an enchantment that would be worthwhile for an item he couldn''t carry with him into battle. It wasn''t as if he could use the statue as a weapon.


    So, instead, he opted for something that could enhance strength in a certain area. He ced the regr level 2 power stone on the ground along with the enchantment.


    "Honestly, I thought about turning this into a 20-year Qi Pill and advancing my Dantian to see if it would bring me to the second stage. Or perhaps using it to increase the strength of my magic core and get closer to bing a 3-star mage. But items are more useful, especially with Dark magic giving them a chance to be high-tier items."


    Activating his Dark Magic, Raze infused the statue with energy. The item floated in the air momentarily as the energy surged through it, then it gently floated back down.


    "Show me the effects," Raze said, and slowly, the information began to appear in front of his eyes.


    [A Sealed Cursed Warrior Statue]


    "A sealed item! Did I just manage to hit the jackpot again?"


    Now that it was a sealed item, his enchantment would have no effect, and the item''s power could be anything. But sealed items were likely to be of an even higher grade.


    "To break the seal, the item requires the drop of blood from five different people, not including your own. Those whose blood has been used will lose a part of themselves that will never be returned."


    "Lose a part of themselves... Does the item have to be so vague? Anyway, considering it''s a cursed item, it won''t be good to use it on my allies. But wait a second, aren''t there five disciples I need to return the favor to? Ah, yes, I think I''ve already found my sacrifices." Raze smiled.


    Satisfied with the results, he put the item away. However, he decided not to risk it with the second power stone, which was of the earth element. Instead of absorbing it into his magic core to gain Earth magic, he used it to create an enchantment that would work well for him in his current situation.


    He drew the magic circle and ced the mask with the enchantment. This time, he used regr magic rather than dark magic. The mask had been created.


    [An Umon Face Change Mask]


    [Allows the user to change their own face into another]


    [The mask must be ced on Person A''s face first, then when the mask is ced on Person B, it will change Person B''s face to Person A''s face. The mask can only be used to store one person''s face, but it is not bound to a single user]


    There were higher tier mask''s that could be used multiple times, and change into many different faces. These types of masks often caused difficulty and was something Raze had used to cause mass confusion in Alterian. For now though, this would have to do.


    "Since it''s an umon item, its effects are limited, but this is perfect. Now with this, I guess I can watch the battle a bit more up close. But before that, I should learn some sword skills."

 Chapter 111 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 111 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 1)</h4>


    Word had already spread throughout the Demonic Faction about the impending attack. The Demonic Faction was at the center of many disputes involving the Dark Faction and Light Faction.


    Frequent scuffles erupted here, especially along the borders, yet they never escted into full-scale wars, and there were a few reasons for this. Firstly, a justified reason was required for an attack.


    This was because, in a way, through taxes, protection fees, and other means, the general popce funded the ns to fight in the first ce. The general public needed to be on their side when a scuffle urred because thest thing they wanted was a fight within their ranks as well.


    The other reason was to avoid involving the empire and surrounding kingdoms. Although they had agreed to stay out of Pagna affairs, if one faction acted in a way that frightened them, they would intervene with theirrge armies and weaponry.


    The reason why the attack was significant this time was because Beatrix Highborn, a renowned name throughout the continent, was taking part in it, making it the first of its kind.


    In Repton, people on the streets were already discussing what was about to happen that day.


    "Isn''t this going to be an embarrassment for the Demonic Faction? They sent out Dame Narfous. It''s going to be aplete loss, and what if it turns into a war because of how weak they think we are?"


    "That won''t happen," another bystander said. "Rumors have it that the son was the reason for this fight happening in the first ce. That''s why the Neverfall n is dealing with the matter and not one of the others. They are, in a way, quelling the anger of the Light Faction by sending him off for an execution. The real people we need to feel sorry for are those who are going along with him."


    One of the other reasons for why word had already spread throughout the entire city of Repton was because many of the Neverfall n members'' families lived in the city. Although they weren''t the n in charge of the city, the Neverfall n only allowed Pagna warriors to stay there.


    It was a ce strictly for practicing martial arts and Pagna-rted discussions, focusing solely on strength.


    At the moment, many of the members were stopping by the city to talk to their family members just before heading into battle. After saying their goodbyes, the n''s men started to walk through the city, heading for one of the exits.


    Here, Dame was waiting for them with his small gang.


    "Alright, everyone, we''re off!" Dame shouted, and immediately he started to run down the path at a casual pace, followed by the others.


    The running would serve as a little warm-up for them before the big battle. As the group rushed down the path, not long after, another group set off after them, dressed in dark blue clothing, swords at their sides. A young man with an unremarkable face and rtively short ck hair, which was typical for those in the Demonic faction.


    The uniform he wore was the same as those who had just set off. In the morning, Raze was searching for a sword to use, going around the marketce, looking not to spend too much money, and honestly, he didn''t know much about swords to begin with.


    While he was in the marketce, he heard the sounds of sobs and crying. A young warrior was saying goodbye to his grandmother, who was loudly cursing Dame''s name and expressing her reluctance for him to go off to battle.


    At that point, Raze saw an opportunity, offering to take his ce. All he needed was for him to lend his clothes and close his eyes for a few moments. Most wouldn''t trust a stranger in this particr situation.


    But for the young warrior, it was a way out of a fight they were sure to lose. The scene with his grandmother allowed him to think clearly; he didn''t want to lose his life when he knew someone would be saddened by his loss.


    Following from behind, it didn''t take long for Raze to catch up with the group, but for now, he would remain at the back.


    "From what I can tell, most of these warriors are at the 1st stage, and some at the 2nd stage. I still have no idea what stage Dame and his friends are at, but it must mean that at least the enemy is around simr strength, right? If that''s the case, I should be okay staying at the back.


    If things look tough, I''ll take the Green Qi pill and get out of the area as soon as I can, but I have a feeling Dame will shock everyone with his new weapons," Raze smiled. "Let''s see how effective items from Alterian are in this world."


    As they continued to run, it didn''t take long for them to see the battlefield up ahead. It was in the same area that Raze had passed throughst time, a wastnd covered in dark orange-colored rocks on the floor, with arge mountain ahead where snow could be seen falling on one side.


    It was where the battle was to take ce, but now, on the hard-colored ground at the base of the mountain, they could see arge group of fifty men and women in white-colored clothing, each with a sword at their side.


    Standing in front of them all was none other than the woman Raze had met once before, Beatrix Highborn. Her sword was still sheathed but her hand was on its hilt, ready for anything.


    "I see someone in the Demonic Faction has a level head," Beatrix shouted out.


    "It''s a shame we can''t say the same for you," Fixteen said, as he and the people behind him stopped dead. Both groups stared straight ahead at each other, tense, expecting something to happen at any moment.


    "You have instigated this attack against the Demonic Faction!" Fixteen shouted. "We have no choice but to protect ourselves, so whatever happens today, no one will say it''s our fault."


    Beatrix let out a loudugh.


    "I guess the Demonic Faction isn''t full of idiots, but the ones in front of me are. I saw all of your faces that time in a portal belonging to the Light Faction. That was already enough reason for us to attack.


    "But you had to go and continue to enter, summoning the Dimension boss, causing the death of an entire squad. They were just beginners, yet now they won''t live to see another day because of your selfish desire to use the Dimension portal behind us!"


    "Wait a moment," Raze thought, overhearing everything that had urred. "Dimension boss, I heard about that when learning about the portals. That shaking form before we left, could it be, was this due to me? Is this fight happening now, actually because of me?"


    Beatrix then drew her sword, and so did those from her n. In response, those of the Neverfall n did the same.


    "We, from the Dawnde n, will avenge those who lost their lives, and we will make sure to deal with those responsible!" Beatrix announced, and the Dawnde n members from behind immediately started to rush forward.


    The Neverfall n, trying not to show fear, ran forward as well, along with Fixteen and the others. Lastly, both Dame and Beatrix were running straight ahead, ready for a sh.


    "This is... this is a real battle in the Pagna world," Raze thought, looking at the scene unfolding before his eyes.

 Chapter 112 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 112 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 2)</h4>


    The fight was quick to start as the Pagna warriors were fast on their feet, and the sound of shing swords was instant. They roared like a thunderstorm. Large swings from each other''s weapons were bashing into each other.


    Two of the warriors'' swords shed as they used techniques from their ns that they had tried to perfect, the moves that they had practiced over and over again. Some were using fist techniques; others were using a wide range of weapons.


    A member of the Dawnde n swung their glowing sword above their head, but a Pagna warrior was able to shift to the side using his footwork and went right in for the attack, only to be blocked by another sword from a n member.


    Everything was moving fast as the warriors continued to sh and use up their Qi in their attacks.


    "This ispletely different from a battle between mages; it''s hard for me to even keep up," Raze thought as he stayed near the back.


    He was just on the edge, not having thrown out an attack but always moving around the edge of the battlefield, attempting to avoid the conflict as much as possible and staying on the side of the Neverfall n.


    "Their teamwork when fighting together is impressive. Everyone is covering each other, and although blood has been spilt, the groups are both skillful to the point where no one has died yet."


    What he was also observing was the might of Beatrix, a Pagna warrior at the peak of the initial stage, a stage 6 warrior.


    Dame''s group were all focusing on her. All of them using a range of fist techniques, Kirk, Fixteen, and Carlson had gone in at the same time, with Qi-powered techniques, but with a single sweeping motion of her glowing sword, she had hit all of their hands and deflected them away.


    A wave of energy had followed her strike; the Qi within it had pushed them back, but one person had gotten through, and that was Dame. As he nted his feet into the ground, he closed the distance instantly, almost disappearing from where he was.


    He reappeared right by Beatrix''s side, throwing out a fist, but she too held up the sword by the side of her head, blocking the strike. The sword started to light up, and the energy shed outward, pushing Dame across the ground.


    "It seems you haven''t really gotten any better since the tournament. Even with the help of your friends, there is no chance that you can beat me!" Beatrix rushed forward, and she could see Dame''s friends getting up off the ground.


    Swinging her sword in their direction, the strike itself looked to have extended from her sword. The sh appeared, and all of them had to quickly move out of the way to avoid it.


    When they did, it had hit some of the warriors behind them, leavingrge bloody wounds on their bodies.


    It wasn''t quite projectile Qi; this was an attack of the Dawnde n who could strike in such a way with Qi that it would create a sharp wind current, hurting the user as if the de had hit itself.


    When Beatrix got close again, she then thrust the sword forward, and this time lifting both hands, Dame had blocked the attack but was pushed back across the ground once again.


    "I wonder why he isn''t using the effects of the gauntlets. Is he waiting for something?" Raze thought.


    It certainly did appear that way. Because Dame and his friends were being more defensive in their attacks, meanwhile, the rest of the n members were striking with everything they had.


    In truth, the majority of the warriors that Beatrix had brought were better skilled than those they were going against, but the Demonic Faction was fighting rather widely. The fighting continued between the two groups for a while until Fixteen raised his hand in the air.


    In that moment, nearly all of the Demonic Faction members took a step back, creating distance between those they were fighting against.


    "What is this? I guess I must have missed the briefing," Raze thought. He soon understood though because in the hands of every member in the n, they had a Qi pill.


    Instantly, every one of them gulped it down, and they could feel their bodies reacting to the pills almost instantly. Feeling the change in their bodies, they went back to attack.


    Those that were sore and injured felt some of their wounds healing, allowing them to fight better. Some suddenly got slightly faster in their attacks, shing their enemies down with the increase in their speed.


    While others, they swung their swords like they had just regained all their Qi back, overpowering their opponent. In that instant, the whole battlefield had changed; it was bing extremely one-sided.


    "What just happened? How could so much have changed, what even were those pills?" Beatrix thought; she couldn''t quite understand, but it was clear that there was a sudden change. "You and your damn Demonic Faction and your crafty ways!"


    The pills were extremely effective, but there was also something else going on. There was a cebo effect. The words spoken of how great they were, and the energy they felt when taking the pills, were giving the Demonic Faction confidence. Something that they didn''t have much of at the start of the fight.


    They somewhat believed Dame''s words, but how were they meant to trust that these pills would be so effective without having taken them before?


    Beatrix dashed to the side to help a fellow n member, to stop one from being killed right in front of her. As she took a step through, from the side, she could see a ball of energy heading right for her.


    She had no choice but to stop and sh down with her sword, cutting through the explosive Qi energy. She was looking at where it hade from, whether there was someone close to her or not, but she could only see Dame with his fist out, around ten or so meters away.


    "How did you strike me from that far? But that''s impossible!" Beatrix shouted. "Your n has no such technique, and projectile Qi can only be achieved at the Deity stage, which you are not."


    "Oh, really?" Dame smiled.


    He rushed in again, and then when he was close, he disappeared. When he reappeared, he was still around five meters away from Beatrix. He threw out two quick fists, sending out two fists of Qi heading right for Beatrix.


    She struck at them both, but right after, Dame was already right by her side. With a fist, he struck her directly in her side, sending her across the floor. She tumbled a few times before she eventually stood up from the ground and touched her side.


    ''Crap!'' Beatrix took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. ''Fist techniques are some of the strongest techniques out there in terms of power... but one loses their reachpared to a sword. But now he can fire out Qi from his fists.''


    ''Just how... how is he able to do this?'' Beatrix was left confused. A fight that was meant to be a sure win for her was suddenly proving incredibly difficult.


    "With that hit as well, you''re locked on now," Dame softly said to himself. "Oh, Dark Magus, I wish you were here in person to see how effective your new weapon is."

 Chapter 113 The Strong Young Warrior

    <h4>Chapter 113 The Strong Young Warrior</h4>


    Dame had been waiting for this moment, for the group to face the Light Faction with everything they had without the help of the items around them. It made the situation quite clear; if they had never had the Dark Magus items to begin with, they would have already lost this fight.


    However, the main reason why Dame hade up with this strategy, or more rightly, Fixteen had, was because of the homing effect the gauntlets had. In order to use them, Dame needed tond a perfect hit on his target first.


    Although the two of them were the same Pagna warrior rank, Beatrix was just far too skillful for him tond a hit normally. Even with the external Qi punches, it would be something difficult for him.


    Which was why they had to use the tactic of surprise. The Light Faction was worried about every single member of their faction, and Beatrix was no different. Seeing her people suddenly being overwhelmed, she would lose focus, and that was the time to hit her with everything they had.


    "Now, let''s see if this thing really works!" Dame ran forward, and then when he was close, he threw out a fist to the side.


    Beatrix was confused by this; she saw the Qi leave his gauntlets up in the air and then swing around. It wasing straight for her. Making a quick judgement, she decided to dash forward and head toward Dame; she wasn''t going to run away.


    "All I need to do is time it perfectly so I can deal with both of you!" As she got close to Dame, she jumped up in the air and spun her body; her sword broke through the Qi st, and before shended, still swinging her sword, it shed into the ck gauntlets, swinging Dame''s fists to the side.


    Quickly, he retreated back and threw out a couple more fists toward her. ''She''s incredibly skillful and can adapt to the situation extremely fast. No wonder she''s known as the hope of the Light Faction.''


    Now that Dame had used the power of his gauntlets, Fixteen, Carlson, and Kirk were now helping out the others, since the effect of the pills would only work for so long in the first ce.


    However, they were all stage 4 Pagna warriors. The main issue was Beatrix, which usually meant that all of them would be needed to keep her busy, but since Dame was able to at least hold her off, they could help out in the rest of the battle.


    One of the Light Faction members thrust his sword into Kirk''srge round belly. The sword was swallowed whole and then when extended out, it pushed the warrior back. Fixteen had leapt in the air, punching the person straight in the head, sending him to the ground so he couldn''t get back again.


    Carlson had managed to alsoe in time as he went and axe-kicked a sword down from above. When the sword and his heel shed, the sword had broken in half.


    This was therge difference between stages in Pagna warriors that was hard for them to ovee with skill alone. The three of them were doing quick work as they took out warrior after warrior, but that''s when they could see something happening off at the back.


    The fighting had been going on for a while now, so it had spread, and that meant there were warriors all over the ce, and they had reached the back.


    Two of the more skilled Light Faction warriors had shed down two of the Dark Faction members, cutting across their waist and kicking them to the side, and now they had set their eyes on a person who had been at the back this entire time.


    "You, you are a shame even to your own n!" The Light Faction member shouted.


    "We have been watching as you have been running around avoiding confrontation while your fellow teammates fall. You are scum that doesn''t even deserve to be called a warrior."


    The person in question that they were talking about, and that they were pointing to, was Raze.


    ''I thought they would have finished this whole thing up already, but it looks like Pagna warrior fights go on a lot longer than mage battles due to their strong bodies and skillful techniques!''


    Fixteen could see what was about to happen. "Crap, that young one won''t stand a chance dealing with two of them on his own; we have to help!"


    But the three were far away. They had been looking around the area to help those that most needed it, and this young warrior certainly needed help. The three of them charged ahead, trying to get to the young one.


    ''I just hope he can hold them long enough for us to get there in time.''


    The young one, seeing the two of them approach, instead of running away or retreating, had gotten into a stance. He then lifted his front foot up and mmed it onto the ground.


    The moment he did, arge amount of Qi was disced in front of him. For a moment, the two Light Faction warriors felt uneasy as they felt the wave touch them and disced their next step.


    ''Wait¡­ that can''t be, is that the?''


    Before Fixteen could finish his thought, the second step was cast. Pushing off, flowing smoothly into the second step, the Qi from the first had flowed perfectly, and the warrior had burst through the air with his sword.


    He shed it with his strength and power, cutting right through the other''s de and right at the neck of the other warrior without hesitation. Blood spurted out before the Light Faction body fell to the floor.


    The movements weren''t over yet though, not stopping, the warrior then proceeded with the third step, pushing both legs together and went ahead to thrust right into the other Light Faction member''s stomach.


    He had managed to block the strike with his sword, but a crack had been made.


    ''There''s no doubt about it!'' Fixteen thought, watching it all. ''That''s the Descending Steps, and he just used three of them in one motion.''


    ''Ah crap!'' Raze thought as he saw his sword had been stopped. ''I thought I could get them both by surprise. These steps worked out better than I thought, but because I don''t know how to use a sword, my actions might seem obvious. Oh well, it doesn''t matter.''


    Raze then lifted his foot again, reproducing the first step, as the wave of Qi urately disrupted the warrior. Raze went to use the two-step shift and punched the guy in the stomach before following up with swinging the sword to the back of his head.


    The two Light Faction warriors who were at the same stage as Raze were dealt with without him even being harmed. This achievement was a great one, but to Raze, he simply thought those that he had fought against had to be weak.


    Fixteen had stopped just short of the young warrior in disbelief. ''We had a warrior on the first floor that was this skillful? Someone who could perform three of the descending steps in session. Is that even possible? The fastest in the n''s history was Dame, and he had learned three of the steps by the time he was a 3rd stage warrior... Is he really a first-floor warrior?''

 Chapter 114 The end of the battle

    <h4>Chapter 114 The end of the battle</h4>


    After killing the Pagna warriors, a dark mist that only Raze could see rose from their bodies and entered into Raze''s magic core. Soon after, his ring had activated as well.


    [Dark Attribute: 31]


    ''I see, so these Pagna warriors increase the Darkness attribute a lot more than those dog beasts did. Regardless, I''m happy with the results of the new steps. If Ibine the steps I learned with the swordsmanship, I can get results at the academy now.''


    Seeing how effective the steps were here, if he was to learn the rest, Raze could see himself winning, even if he didn''t use his magic. But he always had that as a backup. He still probably couldn''t take on all five of the main disciples at once, but with the other examiners watching and them being actually in the academy, it was unlikely a task that he would have to do.


    ''Before I head back, though, I''ll try to learn the rest of the ten steps,'' Raze thought to himself.


    Fixteen was still left in disbelief at the young warrior. All those from the first floor were 1st stage warriors. For first stage warriors, the descending steps were practically useless.


    That was because the step wasn''t so effective on its own. The skill could disrupt low-level warriors but would do next to nothing against those strong. Even if it did work against low-level warriors, without the second step, by the time a warrior reacted, they would have recovered in time to act.


    In a way, of all the footworks out there, the first step of the descending steps was useless because it didn''t move the person forward. It didn''t do what footwork was designed to do.


    Yet right in front of Fixteen, there was a warrior that could not just do one, but three of the steps.


    ''We need to keep that one alive. It would be handy if he joined our group and became a part of our power and loyal to us, rather than that of the Neverfall n,'' Fixteen thought.


    Dame was still fighting against Beatrix, and he realized something during his fight. Even with the gauntlets he had obtained from the Dark Magus, he was unable to win the battle, so he decided to opt for another tactic instead.


    He kept his distance away and continued to throw out punches that would home toward Beatrix no matter what. The only option she had was to sh and attack through the Qi strikesing at her.


    ''He''s attacking rapidly, but he knows this isn''t effective, so what''s his n? If he continues on like this, won''t he run out of Qi?''


    Her train of thought was right. Dame''s Qi wasn''t strong enough to do damage, and using it like so, he was running out fast. But he did have an ace up his sleeve.


    Pulling out one of the pills, Dame went ahead and swallowed it whole. In that instant, he could feel his power returning to him, and he started to swing his arms in a flurry, sending all sorts of strikes toward Beatrix.


    They flew in the air, and Beatrix blocked each one. As they hit her, she was being pushed back through the field.


    ''What is this? How does he have so much Qi? He hasn''t reached the middle stages, so this should be impossible! It has to be that weird pill again, what is it that he took, just like the others.''


    While looking at the others, she noticed that quite a few of the Light faction had died.


    ''This wasn''t how it was meant to be. The losses weren''t this heavy, and with these strange pills, I have no idea what other tricks he''ll have.''


    Beatrix didn''t want to do it, but she was afraid, afraid that as the fight went on, she would suffer more losses. She bit her lip as she made the decision.


    "Retreat!" Beatrix shouted. "Everyone retreat now, this is an order!"


    It didn''t take long for them to listen as they jumped back away from those they were fighting with. They continued to do so, and Beatrix pointed her sword at anyone that was to attempt to follow.


    "Don''t think this is the end, Dame!" Beatrix said. "I will be back to take your head!"


    With those words, she was off, and not a single member of the Demonic Faction gave chase, and it was for a good reason. All of them were exhausted; the effects of the pills had actually worn off a long time ago, and they were just fighting on willpower alone.


    If it wasn''t for the help of Dame''s friends, maybe all of them would have been eliminated, and it wasn''t just the whole group; it was Dame as well. He had exhausted his Qi, and the effect of the pill had worn off.


    He looked behind him at the field, and he could see dead warriors on the floor. In total, around fifteen men had died, leaving thirty-five of them alive. It was perhaps more than they had expected, but it felt a little strange for Dame to think that this was a result.


    "Hey, we did it," Kirk said, cing his hand on Dame''s shoulder.


    "You''re right," Dame answered. "But our victory today wouldn''t have been achievable if it wasn''t for the Dark Magus. I''m starting to feel like our debt with him is piling up already, and we haven''t even gone into business yet."


    "Hey, didn''t you pay him back already?" Kirk punched his shoulder.


    "Everyone, we shall carry the dead back with us and make sure they have a proper burial!" Dame shouted. "Those that died today will celebrate with us as we return victorious!"


    The other warriors, hearing Dame''s strong words, couldn''t help but cheer loudly into the open air above.


    The warriors got to work as they wrapped the dead, not just those from their faction but for the others as well. This was to make sure they wouldn''t get picked or eaten by other beasts, and so the Light faction could collect their own men for burial as well.


    "Ah, Dame!" Fixteen said as he quickly came over. "I wanted to talk to you about something. There''s a talented warrior in this group; we should speak to him¡­"


    Fixteen''s voice started to trail off because as he looked around, he was unable to find the young warrior.


    "Where did he go? Did he run away?" Fixteen scratched his head. "Why would he do that?"


    As Raze was making his way back to the city, he took off the mask from his face, and it started to revert back to what it once was. Dark magic had then covered his body, and the robe was ced back on him while the uniform was ced inside the robe.


    ''The clothing from the n can only just fit in here, but it mighte in use in the future,'' Raze thought.


    ''Either way, the skills have proven useful. With just the two-step shift before, I wouldn''t have been able to beat those Pagna warriors. They may be weaker than the main disciples, but the gap between us won''t be so big anymore.''


    ''After learning a bit more from the skill books, it''ll be time I head back to the academy.''

 Chapter 115 Magic and Martial arts a dangerous combo

    <h4>Chapter 115 Magic and Martial arts a dangerousbo</h4>


    The small group that had gone out early in the morning was returning through the gates of Repton, much to the shock and surprise of the people. They could see that Dame was left intact. His clothes were a little torn, but there were no serious injuries.


    Not only that, but he hade back with other Pagna warriors with smiles on their faces. Nearly everyone whoid eyes on them had to stop for a moment as they took a second look.


    "Hey, they''re back. Did they not run into the Light Faction?" A bystander asked.


    "Of course, they did. Can''t you see the others? They''ve been hurt, and they are even carrying the dead who died. Be respectful."


    "The dead? But if they really did run into Beatrix, then why are so many of them still alive?"


    It didn''t take long for the news to spread of what had really urred. After all, many bystanders had asked the warriors, and they happily replied that they had won against the Light Faction.


    It was an achievement for them. To be able to protect the Demonic Faction and show their strength, so they said these words proudly.


    "But how did you manage to beat Beatrix Highborn? How is that possible?" A bystander asked.


    Two of the warriors looked at each other. "That was because of Dame, of course. He is more reliable than the rumors tell."


    The general public was starting to see him in a new light, but one of the other warriors corrected him.


    "It wasn''t just Dame; it was thanks to those Qi pills we had earlier as well. They were really effective." The warrior said. "I think he said they were made by that Dark Magus person."


    "Ah, you''re right, they were amazing. I''ve never heard of him before, though."


    The news of Dame being able to go head to head was more widespread throughout the city than the news of the Dark Magus, but details did start to appear here and there. Even some members of the Crimson Cane who were still in the city of Repton had heard of the news.


    A man dressed in all ck, a mask across his face, and two daggers by his side had overheard the conversation about the battle against the Light Faction. He was just casually sitting outside, enjoying his meal outside one of the many establishments.


    ''The Dark Magus had supported Dame and his group then. It seems that the rtionship between the two might not be on the surface level but rather much deeper. If he managed to support them, doesn''t that mean the Dark Magus is in this city? I should inform Alba about this as soon as possible.''


    Rather than heading straight to the Neverfall n, Dame and his group had decided that it was best for them to head to a restaurant for some drinks and food. It was well-deserved, and he would be sure to make the n pay for this. Surely even his father would reward him and the others of the n for the upset victory. The group was busy drinking away, and Dame had his arm around one of his teammates'' shoulders.


    "Hey, young master!" One of the young warriors called out, red-faced. "We''ve earned it. Do you think we should head to the brothel for a bit of fun? I heard that it feels different after one has been to battle with their life on the line."


    Dame started to smirk right away, and his face was turning red as he already imagined how much fun he would have. Usually, he would mess around whenever he got the chance, but to actually reward himself after so much hard work for the first time, he was already imagining how satisfying it would all feel.


    "Wait!" Dame pped the top of his forehead and looked at his hands. Even right now, the gauntlets they were on, but due to the skill, they were being hidden or kept away. "I...I can''t."


    In the end, the times were extremely helpful, and Dame could already imagine how much stronger they would get as he increased as a Pagna warrior. If he could hold out for one day, then he should be able to hold out for several more; it was just doing the same thing over and over again.


    Kirk, who had heard the wordse out of the young master''s mouth, had nearly dropped his drink.


    "Young master, he''s finally matured." Kirk nearly shed a tear.


    A short while after, Fixteen had entered the establishment. He looked around, and it didn''t take him long to discover where exactly he needed to go. All he had to do was follow the noise.


    It seemed the warriors had also gotten some of the locals to join in on their shenanigans. Pushing through, Fixteen eventually got to Dame and knelt down, whispering in his ear.


    "I went to the Dark Magus'' room, but it appears as if he''s not there." Fixteen informed. "It doesn''t look like he''s left either, as he hasn''t checked out and paid the fee for another night at the ce."


    There was something else that Fixteen didn''t say either. He had tried to look into the young warrior he had seen before, but when he had met with him, the news that he had learned of what had happened disturbed him a little.


    ''Was it the young master''s father? He might have sent a high-tier warrior to help him without him knowing about it. To turn the tide of the fight if something went wrong? That''s the most likely answer right now.''


    "I have another message for you; it appears your father wishes to meet you, and now." Fixteen stated.


    Almost immediately, the smile had disappeared right from Dame''s face. He had almost sobered up in an instant and stood up from his seat. The others were having far too good of a time to even notice as the two of them went away.


    After returning back from the little battle, Raze had entered his room, took a little break before heading out again. He didn''t want to waste any time, as he wanted to learn more of the sword skills.


    Exiting out of the city, he had gone to the same spot as he had done before. He had been practicing the sword formations for a while now and had managed to learn two of them. He perfected the forms first; this took the longest time.


    Then with the forms but in the right amount of Qi. Then finally, he added the two things together and was striking a ratherrge rock in front of him. Doing the move correctly, Raze had managed to make a groove in the rock.


    It was clearly a powerful strike, but it made him think.


    "Maybe it will work now that I know one of the formations?" Raze thought.


    Holding the sword with both hands above his head, Raze focused. Magic started to swirl around his arm, and then coated over the sword. It had a simr appearance to when one would use sword Qi, but this wasn''t sword Qi.


    It was wind magic added onto the sword.


    "The devil''s first formation, blood fall!" Raze said to himself as he took a step forward and swung down.


    The moment the Qi went through his body and the strike, it had magnified the force of the wind magic as well, making it grow in size and color. It shed right into the rock.


    Now looking at it, Raze''s sword hadn''t just made a simple groove; it had cut right through it and stopped around halfway.


    ''The magic on the sword, it got stronger when Qi was added to the formation. I didn''t even use any more mana; it was the Qi that supplied the magic making it an even stronger attack... magic and Qi working together like this is a lot more effective than I thought.''


    Raze smiled, looking at his hand, and clenched his fist. He took the sword out of the rock and got into the same stance again.


    He then held the sword up above his head, and magic started to swirl around his hand and swirl around the sword, but it wasn''t wind magic; this time, it was Dark magic.


    "Magic and martial artsbining together, they work in harmony. Just what type of cheat is this!" Raze smiled as he swung his sword down.

 Chapter 116 Teleport Back

    <h4>Chapter 116 Teleport Back</h4>


    Dame was back at the n base again, on one of the lowest floors in the room filled with intense heat and a path leading directly to the n head, his father. Just like before, he was seated on his own in the same position, facing away, while Dame sat on top of his feet and calves.


    "I assume you have an idea of why I called you here," the n Master stated. "You have done a good job. If I''m honest, you managed toplete a task I never expected you toplete."


    Dame felt like if it were anyone else, maybe they would have taken this as an insult, and in a way, it was. But he was fine with it, as long as he could keep his father off his back and stop using him as a sacrificialmb, as he had done before.


    "It appears that I was wrong. I thought that you might not be suited for the next position as n head. But after your performance, being able to perform miracles, I am considering you for the position again. There is a good chance that you may be able to do something for the n after all."


    It was aplete change of heart for the n Master. Clenching his fist, Dame wasn''t happy with the result. If he was going to be considered for the head, that would mean he would need to be involved in more tasks surrounding the n as well.


    When in reality, he wanted nothing to do with the n. But how could one of the n leader''s sons just up and leave? It would be an embarrassment to the family, and he would rather have his son die in war than leave on his own free will.


    "I have also heard that you have managed to acquire quite the talented alchemist, this Dark Magus person," the n leader said. "You have a gift for attracting certain people to you, I will give you that. I just hope you don''t upset this person. Bring them in close to you and wee them into the n if you can.


    "You may go, and expect to hear from me soon."


    Walking away and out of the room, Dame was hoping that he wouldn''t.


    The next day, Dame had trouble sleeping, thinking about what his father had said, but he tried to ignore that as he looked forward to the future and everything else he needed to do.


    One of them was a meeting he had scheduled with Alba. It was at the same ce as before, right outside the three-tiered red restaurant. Dame had met with Fixteen and entered the building.


    They headed to the private room where Alba was already waiting, and she had another person with her, with a ck mask covering his face, standing at the back of the room on her side.


    "Don''t mind Jax!" Alba said. "He''s just here to keep mepany, and he gave me some interesting news saying that people have been talking about the Dark Magus, about my Dark Magus," she winked.


    Sitting down, Fixteen ced the bottle of pills on the table. It was hardly full because there were only six pills left, since each of them had taken a pill during the battle.


    "Yes, we had met up with him recently. He had brought the pills you asked for and had even prepared some for me. I''m sure you heard about my sess on the battlefield," Dame answered.


    He had learned from Fixteen that word had somewhat spread through the city about the pills from Dark Magus, which was the aim in the first ce. So he knew what was on Alba''s mind.


    "I have no further information on him, other than the fact that we will continue to meet up exclusively once in a while."


    After that, Dame didn''t really stay for chit-chat like he usually would have done. Neither did he have a drink; he stood up and bowed as if he was already ready to go.


    "Hey, wait, what is this? I asked for ten pills, and you''re just going to leave like this?" Alba asked. "I wanted to talk more about this guy."


    "I''m sorry," Dame said. "I have important matters to deal with now, and we might have to meet less often now."


    The serious look on Dame''s face made it so Alba wouldn''t press anymore. It was a face she had hardly seen on the young man, so she would take the six pills and leave it at that.


    "I want ten more of these things," Alba shouted. "And the four that you took yourself. I''ll deliver the money to the usual ce."


    There was a reason why Dame had decided to leave early, and that was because he wanted to meet with the Dark Magus again. Having missed him yesterday, he had somewhat felt like he might not see him for a while again.


    ''Although he said he would try to learn the skills for a while before he went, he will soon realize that those skills will take years to learn, and decide to head back. So I should try to grow my rtionship with him more.''


    Heading to the inn, a knock was given on the door, and he and Fixteen were called in. When they entered, they could see the young man in a robe, starting to draw something on the floor.


    "Are you making something else?" Dame asked. "Did we interrupt you?"


    "Actually," Raze said as he stood up and dusted the excess chalk off his hands. "I had decided to head back and just finished."


    For some reason, Dame felt a little saddened about his new partner leaving so soon. Perhaps it was because working with him was arge distraction from everything else he had to deal with.


    "It''s a shame you have to go so soon, but I knew that you would need to leave sooner orter. At least we can say goodbye here," Dame said. "And I have to say, thank you for everything you have done to help."


    For Raze, he didn''t feel saddened by his leaving; instead, he felt more determined and confident. He had now learned five of the ten descending steps and how to connect four of them together. He had also learned three formation of the sword techniques, which would be enough to get him through the Academy.


    "We will meet again. Although we might have to find a new meeting spot, for now, let''s just try to meet in the same ce," Raze said.


    Raze had drawn the magic formation he had formed in his head, which was written by the former Dark Faction leader. He assumed it was what would send one back to the cave. He was confident but wasn''t a hundred percent sure. However, going to the portal the same way he hade would be rather risky.


    Using some of the gold coins, Raze had purchased some regr power stones and ced one on the ground. Activating his magic, the circle lit up, and right above, a dimension had opened in front of them.


    "He really can just open up a dimension from anywhere; these guys must be way ahead of what we can do," Dame said out loud, and Fixteen couldn''t keep his eyes off the portal either.


    "I will see you all," Raze said, stepping through.


    Stepping through the portal, Raze was zapped in and zapped out. When hended on the cold ground and could feel the chilly air, he felt like he was in the right ce. Looking ahead, he could see the entrance of the cave and the mist that covered the entire area


    .


    "It looks like it worked, and I''m back after all," Raze said to himself.


    "Oh, so this is the world that you''re from, it looks different to what I expected."


    Hearing a familiar voice, Raze''s heart sank. He slowly turned his head around to see the handsome young man with curious eyes looking around the area.


    "Dame¡­"

 Chapter 117 Let Me Join You?

    <h4>Chapter 117 Let Me Join You?</h4>


    Raze stared at the man in front of him for a while, hoping that eventually, he would disappear into the mist, and it would all just be a figment of his imagination. Instead, the man known as Dame Narfous, one of the sons of the top ns in the Demonic Faction, was there right in front of him.


    ''The portal stays open for a few seconds after I enter it, but I never thought he would follow me,'' Raze thought. ''From my interactions with him, sure, he had a bit of a wild side, but he seemed like a sensible person. Why would he take such a big risk and even hop into the portal?''


    ''Who knew the dangers of the world I was going to. If I really was heading back to Alterian, there is a good chance that he could be trapped there, and can martial arts really stand up to magic.''


    Just thinking about the whole situation was tiring for Raze, and he eventually ced his hand on the top of his head.


    "Sorry to jump on you like this," Dame said. "I brought you to my world, and you learned a lot. I guess you could say curiosity got the better of me after I saw what you could do, so I wanted to do the same."


    Dame started to look around and ced his hand on the wall. He could see the carvings and the writings in the cave, yet he didn''t understand a single word of it, which brewed even more excitement inside him.


    ''What do I even do?'' Raze thought. ''Once we leave this cave, he will quickly learn that it''s not the world of Alterian. That is if we can even get out of here somehow. I can''t subdue him; this man is a high-stage Pagna warrior. Even with all my skills, I would be at aplete loss.''


    With everything said and done, Raze couldn''t even stop Dame from following him if he wanted to. So he felt like the only choice he had was toe clean. Using the effect of his robe, he started to put it away.


    There was no longer any need for him to keep his face hidden either, especially now he was back in the world of Pagna. Not that he had ever left.


    "You aren''t going to like what you are about to hear," Raze stated. "But I promise I had no intentions of tricking you, and I fully was nning tomit to our deal regardless."


    Now, Dame really was raising an eyebrow. He was even looking past Raze into the mist. A world filled with those like Raze; he just imagined it would look quite different to this.


    "When you asked if I am from another world, you are correct; I am not from the world of Pagna," Raze said with a deep breath. "However, where we are now and where I have been for a while now is still the world of Pagna."


    "Huh?"


    "Not ''huh,'' the world of Pagna," Raze continued. "Right now, we have returned to where I was before I met you in the Demonic Faction. We are in the Dark Faction right now."


    There was silence from Dame for a few moments. The Dark Faction? They had entered a dimension portal and had traveled from the Demonic Faction to the Dark Faction.


    "I''m in enemy territory!" Dame shouted. "No, that can''t be. I mean, what the heck are you even doing here? Are you making deals with them as well? Have you been two-timing me?"


    Raze shook his head, trying to figure out a way to exin his situation. Usually, Dame would have been beyond furious about this, but just like how Raze was cautious of Dame''s strength, he was cautious of Raze as well, since there were many things he could do. He was afraid that he might be incredibly powerful.


    "It''s a long story¡­"


    Raze went on to tell a grand lie. He told a tale of how he had entered a dimension portal in his world one day and had ended up in the world of Pagna, not just anywhere but in the Dark Faction. He didn''t mention the fact that he was part of Alter now, and there were groups of other people that had alsoe into this world, but he did state that he currently knew no way back to Alterian, which was his home. Yet, when making dimensions and trying to go back, he had entered the dimension the two of them had met.


    "I see... you have been in quite the tricky situation yourself, I see," Dame said. "Honestly, I can''t even me or be angry with you for what you did. You were just trying to better your position."


    "Hey, I guess it''s a good thing that you met me in the end. So I understand that you were in the Dark Faction for a while, so where exactly is here? Where are we?"


    "The Dark Faction''s Pagna Academy."


    Dame let out a loud "Da!" sound from his mouth. It was so unbelievable, not only in enemy territory but in their academy, it was quite the problem.


    "I guess you''ve been learning your martial arts. If I had known, I would have never given you the Demonic cultivation technique. It could cause some problems for you," Dame said. "The biggest issue is my face. I''m not the most popr man from the Demonic Faction, and I''m sure there will be those that recognize me here."


    Thinking of that, Raze did have a solution.


    "I could send you back; I can open up a portal from before. It will take us to the other dimension, and you can find the portal leading to the Demonic faction."


    Dame shook his head.


    "I''ll be honest; right now, I don''t want to go back. There are some things going on with me as well," Dame stated. "Don''t worry; I''m not saying to go back on our deal. Fixteen was dealing with all those matters anyway, and when it''s our meeting time, I''ll make sure to talk to him."


    "But I kinda wonder if I can use this as an excuse to get away from the Demonic Faction."


    "I don''t care" Raze said.


    The reply came as quite a shock to Dame, who looked at him in disbelief.


    "I mean, I don''t care about your family troubles; I can only care about what troubles you''ll bring me. I''m guessing you were nning on tagging along with me. If you follow me with that face of yours, then everyone will make me a target."


    "Well, isn''t there something you can do with your special powers?" Dame asked.


    Raze wanted to deny there was something he could do, but he paused and hesitated.


    "I guess that means there is something, huh? Come on, help me out. Think about it; if I join you in the academy, I can help out as well. I can protect you from any bullies. I''m a 6th stage Pagna warrior. I''m probably on the same level as the top teachers at the academy.


    "Of course, I would y dumb and tone down my skills here and there."


    Thinking about it, having an ally in the academy as strong as Dame by his side might be arge plus after all. And no doubt Dame would be loyal to him. It was his only way out of the ce without causing trouble.


    "Alright, but you owe me another level 2 power stone when we get back," Raze said, and a mask appeared in his hand.


    "If you wear this, it will give you the appearance of apletely different person."


    "Seriously?" Dame said, taking the mask and holding it up to his face. Slowly, its maic force was pulling it toward him. After lighting up, all of Dame''s features hadpletely changed. He now looked like the young warrior whom Raze had taken up as a disguise.


    ''This shouldn''t be a problem; only Fixteen and the others saw what I looked like on the battlefield. Dame was too busy fighting.''


    "Did it work?"


    Raze nodded and started to walk out into the mist.


    "Now we have two other problems we need to solve. What to say about who you are and what happened to us, and how do we get out of here."


    Dame looked up.


    "Did you fall from up there? Then the answer''s easy. I''ll climb us up. Come on; it''s been a long time since I joined an Academy. This is getting a little exciting."

 Chapter 118 The Last Five Steps

    <h4>Chapter 118 The Last Five Steps</h4>


    A surprising meeting had urred for Simyon in the library. After saying what he wanted to say, Ricktor had quickly gone off, leaving him on his own. Simyon just stayed there in ce for a while, staring straight ahead.


    Several students passed him, even turning their heads around, trying to look at the books that he was blocking. In any other situation, the others would have wondered or asked if something was wrong. In this case, they were too focused on trying to find the right skill book for themselves.


    ''Is this how life is going to be for me in the academy now?'' Simyon thought to himself. ''First at the temple, I was made a target by Gren, but I managed to stay out of his way, and now it''s Ricktor. Is this just my fate? Am I not able to escape this?''


    What if Simyon said no? What if he refused to do the young master''s bidding? What would happen then? Images shed in his mind of the possibilities. Ricktor was certainly a strange one.


    What was even worse was the fact that he had threatened Safa as well, not just him. ''If all I need to do is be the bad guy in front of the others, then I guess I can do that. But Raze, I can''t help but wonder, if you were here, what would you do? Is that why you''re not here now, did you attempt to fight back?''


    A lot of time had been wasted over the internal dilemma that Simyon was facing, and he was on the search again through the library. Students were already exiting, having chosen their books.


    In many cases, there was only one skill book, so there was also the chance that another could have taken the book that they were aiming for. In the end, he had finally picked a book, exiting out of the library doors.


    He was one of thest few out as the doors were closed behind him. With the book held in his hand, he was huffing and panting. The students were talking amongst each other, asking what type of books they had chosen.


    Meanwhile, Simyon rushed over to Safa before a certain eyepatch boy woulde over.


    Safa pointed at her book and then pointed at Simyon''s. "You want to know what I got?" Simyon lifted the book up.


    "It''s a refining book, it has methods of how one can improve strength from within. I thought it would suit me well," Simyon said. He wasn''t sure if the book was rted to a metal element in any way, but he didn''t have much time to look at the book properly.


    Safa started to tilt her head; she noticed that his hand was blocking some words that were somewhat dusty on the corner. As she went to gently move his fingers, she started to gasp, staring at the book with her eyes wide open.


    "What''s wrong?" Simyon asked as he turned the book around; he had almost dropped it to the ground. "Strongest refining methods for weapons! What, why is a book like this even in there? I thought they were only Martial Arts-based, not cksmith books."


    Simyon had felt like he had chosen a dud. At least for now, he could always choose another book the next month. When he thought his luck was on the up, it felt like it was heavily going on the down.


    "What did you pick?" Simyon asked. To which Safa held up her book for him to see.


    "The Eight Shift Spear Technique?" Simyon ced his finger on his bottom lip. "But, I''ve never seen you fight with a spear, can you even use one? Why would you choose something you''ve never used before?"


    Safa''s eyes started to shift around the open space until they finallynded on the Blue headband teacher. The older-looking man with a rough beard, but what he did have was a spear on his back.


    ''Safa always seems to make the most interesting of choices. Since our current teacher is a spear user, he will be more inclined to mentor her closely and would be able to give the best tips.''


    ''While for others, they would be able to learn general guidance. To be honest, for someone like her, who is pretty much a nk canvas, it''s not so much of a bad idea.''


    Looking at the headband teacher, he could see that the other teachers had gathered around, and the three of them were having a little talk with each other.


    "Do you think the pointed head ns see any talented scruff among all of these?" One of the teachers stated. "I hear if new talent isn''t found soon, your n might cease to exist."


    "We have students," Lee, the blue headband teacher replied. "Even though the number of students the n has currently is not the same as it was in the past, there are still plenty of talented ones."


    "Didn''t only 2 of your students pass, and aren''t they in my group?" The yellow headband teacher imed. "Once they start learning from me, they might even try to leave and join our n. I think you should start looking for some worthy members to join your n, but good luck with that out of the blue group."


    The Pagna Academy was also a ce for one to make connections with other ns. At times, the students woulde out deciding to leave and join with others or find martial arts more suited to their taste.


    Many would also head back to their n to learn more. For the teachers, the lessons were a way to show them how great they were and prompt strength in their n, but the blue headband teacher Lee had been struggling.


    It was hard because the best way to show their skills were effective was through teaching their students and showing them that they could beat the other colors that were above them, but that was a tall task.


    "Everyone, let''s head back!" Lee shouted, and let out a big sigh afterwards.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Looking up, Raze was trying to see the top of the cliff, but there was no chance. The fog was too thick, and he remembered well from when he had fallen just how long it took him to reach the bottom.


    "I told you, there''s only one solution, now climb on my back." Dame gestured behind his knees and facing away.


    Raze really didn''t want to. One, he was relying on another''s power, and the second reason was the fact that he would have to touch someone else.


    ''I''m touching him; he''s not touching me.'' Raze thought as he took a deep breath and jumped on.


    Holding his legs giving him somewhat of a piggyback, Dame leapt up and kicked off the cliff; he continued to run along the side of the cliff as if it was vertical and t ground.


    "Admit it, you''re quite impressed," Dame said as he continued to run and the wind blowing their hair and clothes. "You know Middle-stage warriors; they can even control Qi in their foot to the point where it''s almost like they''re flying.


    "But of course, Middle-stage warriors are extremely rare. Even in an entire city, there might not be a single middle-stage warrior."


    It made Raze think just how rare Deity-stage warriors were then, and it went to show just how powerful the academy principal was if he was the closest to reaching that stage.


    The running had taken even longer than Dame had thought, but he didn''t tire, and he could see the thing up ahead. Giving it onest push, they had made it over and onto the other side.


    They had made it onnd. Looking to his right, Raze could see the area where he had fallen off from.


    "What kind of academy builds this stuff in such a dangerous ce!" Dame shouted, brushing his hands.


    Ignoring it, Raze started to walk back through the forest toward the academy. While they walked, Dame continued to ask questions about what happened, and the gist of the story was told.


    "So these main disciples of the main ns are the ones that caused you so much trouble?" Dame said. "Man, I guess since you can''t use your magic, and could only fight with your skills, you ended up going down that cliff. They probably think you''re dead right now.


    "You know, if you wanted to, I could introduce you to the Demonic Academy; you could go under the Neverfall n, and this stuff wouldn''t happen."


    Although Dame said this, he was starting to think about the time when he was at the academy. He would have been one of these young masters from the main ns of the Demonic Faction.


    ''Did I ever treat someone like crap like that? It really bugs me that I''m not really sure.''


    "It''s okay; I''ll deal with the current situation myself, and there''s no need for you to step in," Raze replied.


    "Stubborn," Dame replied. "Look, it seems like you want to beat them at their own game; you want to best them in martial arts. But I don''t think that''s going to be possible.


    "You see those skills I gave you, although they''re strong, they''re not suited for beginners. They will take years to learn and be effective. It''s more of a foundation to build on. Hey, I know, there should be a library; I can show you what the best skills are that you can use. I can be like your super cheat!"


    One of the words had caught Raze''s attention in the conversation. "Years to learn?" Raze repeated. "Will thest five steps really take years to learn?"


    "HAHA!" Dameughed. "Yeah right, like you really learned five steps. If you did, then you would have no trouble taking care of any student at this academy."

 Chapter 119 Give me the pills

    <h4>Chapter 119 Give me the pills</h4>


    After receiving their skill books from the academy, it was time for all of them to engage in a bit of self-learning. It was free time for the students to do as they wished, but in theory, it was meant to be used for learning the new skill books they had obtained.


    There was a private courtyard at the back of the living area for the Blue headbands. It wasrger than the others because the Blue headbands usually had arger group of people.


    The courtyard was filled with various things: basic swords lined up on racks, dummies made of cloth and sand scattered around the area, and evenrge totems with poles sticking out of them.


    The idea was to strike one part while blocking another. The harder you hit one part of the totem, the faster it would spin around, increasing the chance of getting hit. All of this was for the students to use.


    Right now, all of them were practicing, except for Simyon, who sat cross-legged, staring at the book on the floor.


    "What am I even supposed to do?" Simyon said to himself. "I''ve gone through this thing from top to bottom, and it really is a book for weapon refining. A material must be able to withstand arge amount of heat. Then the weapon must be strengthened through different processes over and over, being ced in a mold and repeating the process with other minerals to get stronger and stronger."


    Leaning back, he lifted his head into the sky and thought about his luck. "Maybe I could just observe the others and see if there''s a skill that suits me. I tried to choose something that suited my body, but learning any skill should be fine, right?"


    In other areas, Safa was diligently reading the book she had obtained. While others had immediately started following formations and trying to imitate the images or perform the steps, Safa was carefully reading the book from front to back.


    Finally, when she was ready and had memorized what she needed, she left the book open on the first page and headed to the weapon rack, grabbing a spear.


    Teacher Lee, who was observing all of the students, noticed this because she was the only one who had picked up a spear.


    "She''s... she''s one of the No-names. I was told that she had done quite well in the assessment from Gunther. I wonder why he spoke so highly of the No-name."


    In turn, this caused Teacher Lee to nce to the side from time to time. He saw that she was practicing the first formation of her spear technique, a thrust.


    She took things slowly, focusing on where she needed to ce her hands on the spear. She adjusted it to her own size and the weapon itself, changing her positioning until the bnce was perfect.


    This was one of the tips written in the book - that copying the images directly might not yield the same results. Since everyone''s body was different in terms of weight and size, the way to use the technique would vary.


    "This is already a good sign. She is a diligent person who misses no steps. I don''t think I''ve ever seen someone follow a book so diligently."


    With all of this, Teacher Lee started to walk over and saw her practicing a thrust. She threw it out strongly, but the pole at the end was vibrating and wavering a little.


    "The strength in your muscles is a little weak at the moment," Teacher Leemented. "You can increase your physical strength through training, or you can try to supplement it with Qi. But you have to make sure to use the perfect amount so your strike is straight and clear."


    Safa nodded and repeated the steps again, thrusting her fist forward. She did it again and again, and Teacher Lee found it hard to contain hisrge smile.


    "She''s great, she''s more than great. And if she''s a No-name, she can have affiliations with any n... but because she''s a No-name, anyone will be able to snatch her up if they want. She has no protection. If she loses at the next assessment, then her confidence will be shattered before she even bes a capable warrior... But this might be the chance I''ve been looking for."


    Teacher Lee continued to watch the students, paying particr attention to Safa and offering her tips in more detailpared to the rest, until free time was just about over.


    "Alright, students, now is the best time for you guys to absorb your Qi pills that I have given you. When your body is exhausted of Qi, it will allow you to absorb things a lot easier. Since you have two pills, one will be used to restore your Qi energy, and the remainder will be used to try and break down your Qi core and refine it so you can get closer to breaking through to the next stage."


    Teacher Lee was supposed to oversee the others as they did this, but when he looked behind them, on the rooftop of the main building, he saw a man standing there in a ck uniform with two tied-up ponytails that went down to his waist.


    He hadn''t appeared at the opening ceremony. He was mainly in charge of the second-year students.


    "The vice principal Amir? What is he doing here?" When Teacher Lee made eye contact, there was a slight nod, as if he had something to inform them.


    Leaving the students be, he thought they would be fine for a few moments, not that he needed to do anything anyway. Leaving the rest to their own devices, everyone pulled out their Qi pills, ready to cultivate.


    At that point, Simyon, who had been doing next to nothing, jumped up and went over to the student closest to him, grabbing his hand that held the Qi pill.


    "Stop!" Simyon said. "Everyone, your Qi pills, I need you to give them to me. It''s an order on behalf of someone you really don''t want to mess with."


    "What the heck, why is a No-name grabbing onto me like he''s some hotshot!" The student tried to twist Simyon''s arm, but it did nothing. Even the skin on his arm was difficult to move.


    "Do you really think I would be doing this on my own, being a No-name?" Simyon asked. "You guys should think about it. Unless I was confident that the person who asked me to do this couldn''t deal with you guys, then I wouldn''t be asking this in the first ce. If you want to risk it, though, then be my guest."


    There was a worry in the back of all the students'' minds that they wouldn''t like to admit, but they had heard what had happened to the other No-name. They heard that the main disciples had made him their target, and now he had disappeared.


    In their minds, it was clear that the main disciples had dealt with him. So if they didn''tply, what would happen to them? It felt like Simyon was doing their bidding. So even if caught, it would be his own downfall.


    Reluctantly, the students handed over the pills. Life felt unfair to all of them at that moment as Simyon went from student to student until he reached Liam with the eye patch.


    "I''m sorry, man, but I''m all out. I gave it all to the pretty girls in the academy, and there are a lot of pretty girls," Liammented.


    "I saw you gave one to Safa; you should still have one. Please, you know I''m not doing it for myself. Just hand it over so we both don''t get in trouble," Simyon asked.


    "Hey, if you want a small ball so badly, then you can suck on mine," Liammented. "But you ain''t getting any other round-shaped objects other than that, and if the other guy wants to do something, he can suck on them too."


    Tensing his fist while the teacher was away, Simyon thought about hitting the guy in front of him and forcing him to give up the pill.


    "That would be a good excuse. I mean, this perv was talking to Safa; I need to keep him away."


    "No way!" a student shouted, turning his head toward the courtyard gate that separated the dark blue headband living area from the rest of the academy grounds. He was pointing, and his hand was shaking. "That''s... that''s the other No-name. He''s here. I mean, he''s alive. That white-haired guy''s alive!"

 Chapter 120 Return To The Acadmey

    <h4>Chapter 120 Return To The Acadmey</h4>


    Both Raze and Dame had reached therge double doors that led into the academy from the back. It had been a long time since Raze felt this way, but he could tell he was a little nervous.


    The palms of his hands were a little sweaty, and his heart was beating slightly louder than it usually would. The main reason was the conversation he had with Dame just before the two of them arrived.


    The two needed to be on the same wavelength to get their story straight. If there was anyone as sharp as Himmy, it would mean a lot of trouble for both of them. However, when asked about it, Dame casually replied, "It''s okay, I''ll deal with it."


    Taking a deep breath, Raze stepped forward and pushed at the door. It was a little heavy. In fact, he realized that the floor was very heavy, but he seemed to remember Gunther and Pincer opening it with ease. It had only budged slightly, and Raze was using all his strength.


    "Here, let me help a bit," Dame said as he ced his hands above Raze''s and pushed. The door felt as light as a feather and moved to open. It was a reminder of the difference between the two of them.


    "Hey, stop! Who are you two?" Immediately, one of the several guards working for the academy had noticed the door opening.


    Entering inside, Dame raised his hands, and Raze decided to do the same as he entered.


    "I am a student here!" Raze shouted to them. "Would you please call Gunther and tell him that the students from thest assessment are here?"


    The guards exchanged side-eye nces as if they were deciding what to do. As they contemted it further, it would have been impossible for anyone to enter through the back entrance.


    The cliff went off into a valley of mist that seemed to stretch endlessly until it reached some mountains. Eventually, one of the guards in a higher position nodded slightly and gestured with his hand. The other guard went off to find Gunther.


    Raze had specifically asked for Gunther because he thought, based on their few interactions, he was the least likely to try and cover things up. Raze could already imagine a disaster happening - someone from the main ns attempting to conceal the misdeeds of the disciples and finish the job they couldn''t. There was also something interesting said between him and Mada during their final confrontation, the fact that they were brothers, and one was extremely jealous of the other.


    A short whileter, Gunther arrived. Originally, he seemed quite displeased, wearing his usual frowning face with folded arms. He was somewhat kicking the floor as he walked, like a child who had just been scolded.


    When his eyes caught sight of the white-haired boy, his eyes almost lit up, and he rushed over to Raze, causing dust to stir up underneath his feet. Almost immediately, Raze took a step back as Gunther inspected him from head to toe.


    "Judging by that reaction, it really is you, but I searched everywhere for you. How are you..."


    "Alive?" Raze said. His eyes shifted to the other guards who were listening in to their conversation. As if he understood what Raze was getting at, Gunther decided to change his tone.


    "Why don''t we talk somewhere else? We can head to the main building," Gunther suggested. "And maybe we can talk a bit about your new friend who''s with you as well."


    Judging by the reaction and everything Gunther was doing, Raze felt like he had made the right call so far.


    The two passed several other buildings, including the other living areas, and avoided the other students. They needed to get back into the academy first. They continued until they reached the main building, an incredibly wide structure with three tiers and dark blue tiles hinting at gold ents. It was the most luxurious-looking building in the areapared to the rest.


    Heading inside, more guards saw them, but upon seeing Gunther, they ignored him until they eventually reached a small room. It wasrge but incredibly empty, with just a desk inside.


    "This is my private office that they have given me," Gunther exined. "But I don''t n to stay at the academy for long, so I didn''t move anything in here. I would tell the two of you to take a seat, but as you can see, I have no chairs."


    Gunther sat in the only chair on the other side of the table. Both Raze and Dame moved closer inward.


    "Alright, Raze, you have to tell me, how in Pagna are you still alive? How are you here, and what happened to you?" Gunther asked.


    Raze had thought about what to say in his head, considering all the possibilities of how things worked out. In the end, he made a choice; his matters were his own to deal with.


    "I fell off the cliff edge," Raze answered. "I was chasing after one of the hop bunnies, and it was injured. It leaped off the cliff, and I reached out to grab it, but I lost my footing and fell down. I don''t know how, but I managed to survive the fall with few injuries. Down there is where I met him, Pink."


    Dame immediately turned his head and tapped Raze''s shin with his leg. Of course, they couldn''t use his real name, but Pink? What kind of name was that? It was all due to Raze''s annoyance at theck of nninging into this. If Raze was the one doing all the talking, he would give a nickname of whatever he wanted.


    "Pink was in the mist as well. He had been living and surviving there for a while. The area is impossible to see even a meter ahead, but Pink had managed to find sources of water and food through the mist and shared them. When we were both well, we decided to venture up the cliff, no matter how long it took."


    Raze was hoping for a few things. Based on the state of the cave and the words written by the previous Dark Faction leader, the current Dark Faction knew next to nothing about what resided on the other side of the cliff. They didn''t know how deep it was or whether there was a way up or not. Nor would they bother to check if their ims were true or not.


    "So, if you were down there, does that mean you were a student as well, from a previous assessment, Pink?" Gunther asked.


    Dame nodded his head in response, still not quite used to the new nickname that had been given to him.


    "That''s correct, although trouble had urred, and I was unable to take the assessment. I had actually fallen into the cliff side before the first assessment even began. So, I was unable to make my presence known. But I am thest and only disciple of the Noctis n."


    Instantly, Gunther froze. It was a bigger reaction than when he had seen the return of Raze.


    ''What is this Noctis n, and did he sayst disciple? What kind of lie did he just tell!''


    "Are you able to perform the Noctis n''s techniques?" Gunther asked.


    "I am... but don''t worry, I don''t n to use those skills unless absolutely necessary. I just wish to get through the academy," Dame answered.


    Gunther was constantly nodding, as if he agreed that this was the right choice. But it just led Raze to have many more questions about Dame. How did he know about a n in the Dark Faction that no one would have questions about?


    Why did he have to be careful about it as well? And was that really enough to convince Gunther? Raze knew he wasx, but to be thisx... was this a man who truly didn''t care about his job?


    "Alright," Gunther said, pping his hands. "I''ve decided that the two of you will join the academy. I''m sure everyone will be surprised by both of youing here, but Raze, I do have a bit of a warning for you. I looked into your background a bit. I felt bad about what happened and was wondering if I could help out your family in any way," Gunther exined.


    "I found out about your family''s death. I''m sorry about that. When prying though, I found out in your town there were several deaths that were taking ce. I should tell you that you aren''t the first this has happened to. I heard a case next to the city of mine where the same thing was taking ce."


    "I just wanted to inform you that those who didn''t die or managed to escape like you, in the end, they ended up dead no matter where they were."


    Raze had heard in his town there were no survivors, and it was the reason why he had been made into a prime suspect in the case. The deaths were also the reason why Alter had headed to the town in the first ce.


    Now he was hearing that this matter had happened in other ces.


    ''Is there really a link to the original body and these deaths? If there was a way to talk to him, it would be great, or maybe even the sister might know something''


    "In the academy, I would say you were in one of the safest ces, but perhaps not. A particr person is... I don''t know what they''re doing. For you and the other No-names that came in, they are either looking out for you or trying to get you. So be careful of everyone you meet in the academy."


    Standing up, Gunther seemed to be done with the conversation.


    "Alright, let''s get ready for your return to the Academy."


    Return, it was a word Raze felt like he had heard a little too much recently.

 Chapter 121 Pick Who’s Strongest

    <h4>Chapter 121 Pick Who''s Strongest</h4>


    Gunther had begun making preparations for the return of the two. There was some paperwork and a note that would need to be sent to the higher-ups, and it didn''t take long to get approval, especially given Gunther''s position.


    Essentially, they just needed a stamp for everything to work out, and no one would really check the documents, or so he thought. The news of the return of the no-name had managed to reach those above. Information waspiled, and a note was sent out to the Blue Headband teacher to await their arrival.


    "Alright, so it looks like I''ve done everything I can," Gunther said, smiling. The three of them had already left the main base and were walking across therge courtyard.


    "I do have some bad news for you," Gunther exined. "Due to what has urred, both of you have entered the academy as if you had recovered zero power stones, so the two of you will be admitted to the Dark Blue Headband group."


    Gunther pointed as they came in sight of therge gate, a massive archway with a que on top and a stripe of dark blue on the board.


    "If you hade a bit sooner, then you would have been able to enter the library as well, but for now, it has been closed, and you will have to enter next month. This does mean that you''ll be a bit behind the other students."


    Just as he was finishing up his conversation, he could see that Teacher Lee, the head of the Blue Headband teachers, was already making his way over to where they were.


    With that, he gave the two a wave and headed back to the main base of the academy. "I wish you two good luck; I will be keeping an eye on you."


    The two waited while they watched Lee walking towards them. "Ah, it''s a shame we can''t enter the library," Damemented. "I was going to help you pick the best book that would have allowed you to beat down anyone who got in your way."


    "Sure," Raze replied. If there was such a book, surely others would have picked it already, but maybe there was some truth to Dame''s words since he was practically an expertpared to the rest of the students.


    "Hey, don''t be too down; I can still teach you some neutral techniques myself," Dame stated. "You don''t need a library when you have a library right by your side."


    Teacher Lee reached the two students. He had been informed a little of what he was to do beforehand by the Vincent principal, about how two new students would be joining them.


    "The two of you will be under my care," Teacher Lee stated. "I have heard you have been through a lot to get here, but the hardships will not end there. If you need a shoulder to lean on, as long as I see you trying your hardest, then I will be that shoulder to lean on. Please follow me."


    Both Dame and Raze gave a small bow as they followed the teacher across the main courtyard. They soon entered under therge arch above them and onto the smaller courtyard where all the students were resting and ready to take their Qi pills.


    There seemed to be a bit ofmotion before they arrived, but as soon as they entered, all the attention turned to them.


    "That''s... that''s that white-haired kid, it''s the no-name, he''s still alive!"


    "It''s been a few days; I thought he would have been dead by now?"


    Raze and Dame continued to walk in, and more students were mumbling about him.


    "Who''s the tall one next to him as well? He wasn''t at the assessment, but he''s been given a blue headband. Does that mean he''s in our group?"


    "Hey, wait, does this mean the main disciples did nothing? They really didn''t kill him."


    Dame couldn''t help butugh. Although the students were whispering, they were talking so loudly that the two of them could hear every word that wasing out of their mouths.


    While walking over, Simyon and Safa, they both froze in ce as they looked at Raze.


    "Hey... I knew it, I knew you were alive. I totally didn''t think you were dead, or that your body was eaten by bunnies!" Simyon said.


    Liam noticed that Simyon had ced his handful of Qi pills behind his back.


    "Is he ashamed to show this other no-name what he''s done? He must think highly of them, but he is just a leader of a no-name group."


    Safa ran over with tears in her eyes, but when she got a meter away, she stopped and started to hug the air, as if she was holding onto Raze. It was clear she was imitating a hug but wasn''t touching him at all. This was because she was amodating to Raze, who she knew didn''t like to be touched.


    "Is this your girlfriend? Why is she so strange?" Dame asked.


    At that moment, Raze realized that he hadn''te up with an excuse for who she was. Dame already knew he was from another world, but if he found out his sister wasn''t as well, then he would need to exin a bit more, how he was currently in a body that wasn''t even his either.


    "Girlfriend? Of course not," Simyon said, following from behind. "That''s his sister!"


    Almost immediately, Dame turned to look at Raze with wide eyes, trying to figure out the situation. Raze just shook his head slightly, hoping that his words of ''Not now'' would somehow transmit into Dame''s mind.


    "And who the heck are you? Why are you with Raze?" Simyon asked.


    For some reason, seeing how casual Dame was talking to Raze and standing close to him by his side annoyed Simyon.


    "Me? I''m... I''m... I''m Pink," Dame answered, reluctantly sticking to the story he had told before.


    "Pink... suddenly I feel better."


    "What is that supposed to even mean?" Dame shouted back.


    Interrupting their little scuffle, there was a loud p in the air that vibrated and itched everyone''s earlobes. Nearly everyone turned to see Teacher Lee.


    "Alright, listen up, everyone. There is something important that I need to inform you all, something that you need to decide among yourselves," Teacher Lee said. "Firstly, there are no guards on the grounds of the campus at night, sometimes even during the day."


    "As stated before, your first assignment is just to learn the skill books that you have selected from the library. However, there is one more thing, something different that the Blue Headbands need to deal withpared to the other groups."


    Teacher Lee looked at all their faces, imagining what was going to happen next.


    "Compared to the Yellow Headband group and the Red Headband group, the Blue Headbands have far more members than them. At the end of the month assessment, students are able to challenge the other colors in exchange for exchanging headbands."


    "However, due to the sheer number of you, not everyone will be able to send out a challenge. This is why among yourselves, you need to decide which twenty of you will be taking part in the assessment."


    "With that news, I will leave you be, and remember, I won''t be watching, but killing each other is forbidden in the academy."


    With those words said, Teacher Lee left the ce and left the students to their own devices. As soon as they saw he was quite a distance away, nearly everyone was shifting, looking at each other.


    They were wondering if the person by their side would make a move or not.


    "Only twenty can get through; are they basically asking us to determine who is the strongest among all of us?"


    "So they want us to fight each other, like right now, or wait, or what. I don''t quite understand."


    No one quite knew what to do. Nor did they know what was the best strategy, should they wait until they learned more skills, or get a head start. There was also the tactic of fear. If one of them was willing to take a fight now, wouldn''t it show how strong they were as well.


    This was especially true for one of the students. If he fought against someone today he could perhaps avoid other fights and continue to grow as others feared him.


    "You!!" The Blue Headband student shouted. "New guy, you weak piece of crap, I''m going to show everyone that I''m the best!"


    The student was already running and had jumped up in the air.


    Dame pointed at himself. "Me?"

 Chapter 122 Death, Stares and Glares

    <h4>Chapter 122 Death, Stares and res</h4>


    A brazen student was trying to jump the gun. In the situation they were currently in, it would either work out really well for them or really badly. Sessfully beating another would somewhat signify that they were in the upper half.


    The student was trying to y mind games with the other.


    ''While the rest of you are ying with sticks, I''ll be ying with trees!'' the student smugly said to himself.


    His target was none other than the new student who had just arrived. Being new, wearing the Blue headband, and the fact that he wasunching a surprise attack, he knew he had the upper hand in this situation. In fact, the student was confident that anyone with a Blue headband in this situation right now would suffer a defeat.


    Getting close, he leapt into the air, his body tilted, and all of his Qi focused on his leg for a head kick.


    ''I''ll knock him out in a single hit!''


    Dame was shocked. He was incredibly surprised because something like this had never happened to him before. Everyone in the Demonic Faction knew who he was, even when he was at the academy himself before, due to him being a young master, no one would even darey a finger on him.


    Closing in, Dame moved his head to the side, causing the kick topletely miss his head. Then, with an open palm, he swung his own hand. Itnded right on the side of the student''s face, making a loud bang noise.


    It was a p, a p that echoed throughout the entire area. It was one of those moments where everyone watching felt like they could feel the sting through the student.


    Immediately, he fell to the side, his head hitting the ground with the rest of his body. His eyes had rolled back in his head as he passed out, lying there on the ground.


    Dame stood there, looking at his own hand.


    ''Crap, did I just hit him too hard?'' Dame thought.


    "Did he just p that student and make him pass out?"


    "I guess we can''t just judge people''s strength. This fighting is going to be hard."


    Rather than being shocked by Dame''s strength, nearly all of the students were more concerned about what they should do next. What was the best choice in terms of determining the order of strength among them?


    If anything, nearly all of the students were disheartened after seeing one of them get knocked out so easily. It was embarrassing, and thest thing they wanted was to be embarrassed in front of the others.


    "I guess we''ll just find other ways to challenge each other, or we''ll challenge each other in secret or something."


    Many thought that this was the best choice, and they began to head back to their rooms. Just before they did, though, Liam, the boy with the eyepatch, approached the group.


    "You should be careful of this one; he''ll betray you all in a heartbeat," Liam imed. "If you stick with him, you''ll make enemies with the whole academy, for sure."


    Liam walked off, leaving Simyon with nothing to say in response. He wanted to argue and say it wasn''t true, but right now, it did feel like that. Due to his association with him, everyone in the Blue headband group would hate him, while the others would be at risk.


    "Don''t worry about him," Raze said. "Remember what I said: you are part of the Cromwell family now. I trust you, for now, at least."


    Raze walked and headed inside the building along with the rest, with Dame at the back of the group.


    "Wait a moment, does that mean you do trust him or you don''t? Don''t confuse the poor kid," Dame shouted.


    Entering the inside of the academy, rooms had been sorted out for both Raze and Dame already. It seemed like they wanted to keep the no-names close as two people were moved into different rooms, allowing the two to be next to Simyon and Safa.


    Some of the students headed straight into their rooms, either resting up for the night, continuing their studies, or even absorbing the Qi pills that they still had. Simyon hadn''t gotten the chance to collect the Qi pills from the rest of the ss.


    Meanwhile, their group had decided to stay in the lobby, as there was a lot of talking and catching up for them to do. While in there, the other students passing by would re.


    They would look at Raze and Dame for a few seconds, but most of the stares were directed at Simyon, as if they were trying to pierce him with their eyes.


    There were also some rumors being spread around as well.


    "I wonder what n that guy is from?"


    "Can you stop making a big deal? That kick was telegraphed so much I think a sloth would have been able to avoid it."


    "Really, you really think you could?"


    "Really."


    "Alright, but surely he has to be from a n, right? Unless you''re saying he''s a no-name. That would be four no-names, and he didn''t even get through the assessment."


    A lot of the students had the same question on their minds. Just from one disy, it was hard to tell how skilled Dame was. Yet, all of them were too scared to ask, and he seemed to be sticking to the White-Haired no-name quite a bit.


    "So what happened back in the assessment? Was it the main ns'' disciples?" Simyon whispered.


    Raze nodded. "You should have guessed. All of them had yed a part in trying to take me out, but the main one causing trouble among them all was Mada. I managed to find Pink here and got out of the situation alright, but don''t worry; I n to sort the situation out myself."


    Simyon wanted to ask more, but gathered that if Raze had decided to give that much information, then for now, that was all he was going to get.


    "What about you? Why is everyone trying to kill you with their stares? What happened?"


    Simyon was still debating whether to say something or not. He looked at Safa, who didn''t quite understand what had happened either. She looked almost disconnected from him, with her eyes drooping slightly.


    In the end, he held out his hand and dropped around eight qi pills onto the table.


    "All of the Blue headband students received two ten-year Qi pills each in order to help them catch up in terms of Qipared to the others. Ricktor, one of the main disciples, met with me and asked me to gather the pills on his behalf.


    "I didn''t want to, but at the same time, I had no clue what to do. If I turned him down, I feel like he would have continued to target me, and after he had already gotten rid of you, I didn''t want him to do the same to Safa.


    "I promised not just to protect you and give you my life, but Safa as well."


    What they needed to do, though, was figure out what to do from here.


    "Hey, this is perfect, right?" Dame said with a smile. "Why don''t you just continue collecting pills on behalf of that Ricktor guy and take them for yourself? The fact that they gave you pills means that they believe what you said and are scared of you!"


    "What? Then I''m worse than him, and even if I did do that, Ricktor would find out and attack us!" Simyon replied back.


    "I thought you said you knew the Da¡ª I mean, Raze, very well," Dame corrected himself. "Do you think he''d give any of those crystals to Ricktor? When those disciples find out he''s alive, will they just idly let him stand by?"


    "Right now, you have a great opportunity for all of you to grow. The world of Pagna is unfair. Surely you should have seen that by now. It''s your job to do what you can to make it fair."


    Simyon knew Dame was right. With Raze''s return, he most likely would be the main disciples'' target again, and he wouldn''t do the others'' bidding. So what would they do now?


    The pills taken from the other students were handed to Raze, four of them in total. Dame didn''t need them; they wouldn''t do anything for him, so all the pills he would receive from then on he would just hand to Raze.


    With the daying to an end and not really knowing what to expect for tomorrow, they had all decided to head to their rooms.


    ''I wonder if the same enchantment that works on Power Stones would work on Qi pills as well?'' Raze thought. ''If I were to take two ten-year pills and use the power of another pill, would I be able to create a twenty-year pill?''


    ''It could be what I need to break through to be a second-stage warrior. The chances are low, but with a surplus of Qi pills, I might as well give it a go, especially if ten-year Qi pills aren''t going to do anything for me.''


    Raze didn''t feel bad in the slightest that he was using the Qi pills from others. It was clearly a system that the academy allowed, and in this world, everyone yed by the same rules.


    If they were strong or cunning enough, they would do the same thing. He needed to y the cards he had.


    Heading into the room, Raze noticed that something had been left on his bed. Picking it up, he saw it was a piece of paper with a message written on it.


    ''Come to the back of the sleeping quarters today. This is in your best interest.''


    At the bottom of the letter, there was one more thing that was signed off.


    [Alter]

 Chapter 123 A Monster is Born

    <h4>Chapter 123 A Monster is Born</h4>


    Raze turned the piece of paper over to see if there was anything else written on it, but he found nothing. The only thing he noticed was that the paper seemed fairly new, and it was written in Pagna.


    ''When did they have the time to put a letter like this in my room?'' Raze thought. ''I only just joined the academy, and we were outside for around thirty minutes after being shown our room.''


    ''Which means the only ones that would even know this is my room are the students that were with me or the teachers in this academy. It doesn''t really narrow down the suspects, other than the ones that would be in the other academies.''


    Although it did concern him when the letter was put, there was also the question of why it was put. The letter stated that it was someone from Alter, an organization with two purposes.


    To gather those who didn''t belong in the other world and to store and protect items that could be used against the world. The thing was, not all of those in Alter were otherworlders. They also had field agents, which technically Safa and Simyon were a part of as well.


    ''They did state that Alter had eyes everywhere, including that in the academy. Does that mean they saw everything, including me falling down the cliffside? No, that''s impossible. No one knew about that matter, and they only chose to contact me now.''


    ''Still, they would at least know the context of what happened. But then why call me for a meeting? Do they wish to meet me and discuss what I''ve done? Or is it because they have a mission to give me?''


    It was debatable what Raze should do. Although he had agreed to work for them, he had already done many things against their rules under the name Dark Magus.


    Other than the brief meeting with Himmy, he still had yet to understand therge scope of the organization and just how powerful it was either. For some reason, thinking of this, a thought entered his head that made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.


    ''That message from the Dark Faction leader. They have even infiltrated the Dark Faction now... the Dark Faction didn''t trust whoever these guys were, and he might very well be talking about Alter.''


    In all honesty, Raze didn''t want to look into Alter too much. He was much more concerned about his growth in terms of strength. Get strong and head back to Alterian somehow to defeat the Supreme Magus.


    Once he made them suffer through the same things he had done, he didn''t care what would happen to him after. With how things were going, if Alter really did run things behind the scenes, he might need to do more research into what exactly had happened to the previous Dark Faction leader.


    Taking a step out the front door, Raze had ended up back in the main hall and could see other students rxing in the area, talking. No one he particrly recognized. They gave him a stare or two and then went to whispering so he wouldn''t be able to hear them.


    ''Should I inform Dame about this? If it gets dangerous, then he could have my back covered as well. He has more reason to keep me alive than not at the moment.''


    Raze also still had the pills on him. He hadn''t had time to go through what he had nned inbining the pills. However, now that there were eyes on him, if he did such a thing, then it could get him in even more trouble.


    ''It''s best not to exin more to Dame either for now. It seems like he is also keeping a bunch of secrets. What''s with people these days?'' Raze sighed as he exited the academy.


    The night moon was out, and it looked to be rather round and glowing. It reminded Raze of Alterian. During this time, there would be festivals taking ce, where mages woulde together and put on a night show for the children in the air.


    He had snuck away from home when he was younger and had witnessed the spectacles more than once. It was what originally made him wish to be a mage, hoping he could do something simr by putting smiles on other people''s faces.


    ''What a naive kid I was when I was younger,'' Raze thought. ''Magic being used for events like that is useless.''


    Heading around the back, Raze was anticipating who he would see, who would be waiting for him. Turning the corner, he could see someone, a young student with the blue headband on his head, allowing his spiky hair to be on show, with an eye patch covering one eye.


    "Oh?" Liam said as he got up off the wall. "Fancy meeting you here."


    "Yes," Raze replied. "But I did already inform you that I would be at the academy."


    "Inform me?" Liam replied with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, I guess, but everyone thought you were dead."


    The two stood looking at each other in silence for a while, until they both asked their questions at the same time.


    "What''s your rtion to Alter?"


    "You''re Safa''s brother, right?"


    Something was strange. Why would a student ask him whether or not Safa was rted to him, Raze thought. Was this due to another matter, was it something to do with the past?


    "Alter? Like the thing you put stuff on. I have no idea what you''re talking about," Liam replied.


    "Are you ying stupid?" Raze replied. "Aren''t you the one that called me here with that letter?"


    "Called you here? I was just rxing here until you showed up," Liam replied.


    Raze still wasn''t sure. Was he actually ying stupid? Was this some type of test that Alter set up? Or was it true, was he already here? Maybe whoever had written that letter didn''t expect there to be another student here and had decided to abandon their original n.


    "Anyway, so I''m right, correct? You''re Safa''s brother?" Liam asked again.


    Raze didn''t care for this and was much more concerned about who had written the letter. He wanted to turn away, but the pang in his chest when his sister was mentioned was hitting at him again, causing him to stay put, and eventually ask the question.


    "What do you want with my sister?" Raze asked.


    A smile appeared on Liam''s face when he said this. "I am quite the gentleman, you see. I wouldn''t just pursue ady without the permission of those around her. It seems I have already ruffled a few feathers of those around her, and I wouldn''t want to do the same."


    "So you ask me for permission. I am not in control of her life just because I''m family," Raze replied.


    "Ah, yes, but there are quite a few of those that are quite doting on their family members, and sometimes their words and actions don''t mix, which is why I propose something."


    "We need to decide a pecking order anyway. Soon the students will be challenging each other to duels in private. So we might as well get our fight out of the way, but let''s do so with a condition. If I win, then you don''t get in the way of my pursuit of Safa. I have your blessing, if you will."


    "If you lose, then, well, you need to keep the ones causing me trouble away."


    Raze wasn''t particrly interested in the deal itself, but he thought this might be a chance. He had learned a few skills, and he needed to see how they would match up against those of the main disciples.


    With that, Raze reached for the sword he had around his waist and drew it. He knew he needed to be careful because there was a good chance that Alter was watching him even now, or the person in front of him was from Alter.


    This wasn''t a fight to the death, so he wouldn''t be using his magic in this fight.


    "Oh, I see you''ve decided to ept my deal. I think I should let you know," Liam stated. "I''m quite strong. By my predictions, I''ll be ending up in first ce on that list."


    Raze smiled when he heard these words and didn''t say anything. He just held his sword firmly as the two of them stood ten meters apart from each other. The shuffling of Liam''s feet could be seen, and he soon rushed forward.


    Raze started to remember the conversation he had with Dame back in the forest. If he had mastered six of the ten descending steps, then it meant he would be the strongest in the academy.


    The words at the time, they felt like it was a joke, but what if they were true? Was Dame really not joking? Was there something unique to Raze that somehow made it so he could be stronger than others?


    Thinking this, he had asked at the time whether it was true or not, and Dame had replied, "It''s true. The only people who have mastered the ten steps have all been able to reach the middle stages. I wasn''t lying when I said I gave you a valuable skill. I just thought you would have more time to learn it in your world, rather than needing it straight away like this."


    "If you were able to mix the ten descending steps with the Devil''s Sword Formation, I think you would be able to beat warriors that were even two stages above you. But as I said, that''s impossible. Someone with that great of Qi control would be a higher stage warrior."


    These were Dame''s words, the words of a stage 6 Pagna warrior.


    "You should be thankful," Raze smiled, lifting his feet, and then mming it down into the ground. The whole area shook, and the Qi had hit Liam, causing him to have an uneasy feeling. When he took his next step, it felt as if he was going to fall over.


    "Because you''re the first person who gets to witness and experience my new strength!" Raze said, lifting the sword above his head.

 Chapter 124 The Main Clans Act!

    <h4>Chapter 124 The Main ns Act!</h4>


    When fighting against the Light faction, Raze was able to test out his footwork, but hecked skills in the sword department at the time. Dame had always stated that footwork was just the basis of martial arts.


    It was designed to be used with other techniques. After having performed the first step against Liam, it was time for the second descending step. It flung Raze forward as he flicked his foot, and at the same time, the sword was held above his head with both hands.


    The power drawing from the second step was mixing in and flowing through his body.


    "The Devils waterfall, 1st formation!" Raze whispered to himself. Calling out the magic spells was somewhat essential for mages to form the magic circle in their mind, but for Raze, it had be a habit to whisper the name of the technique being used as he envisioned his body going through the motions.


    He swung down the sword from above with the might of his Qi added to it.


    Liam raised his sword, but an immense amount of strength and Qi had hit him. It pushed his feet and legs into the ground, and he had no choice but to grit his teeth. He could see part of his sword starting to crack.


    "The Qi... it''s internally entered my body! Just what type of strike is this!" Liam''s body was reacting as the taste of iron filled his mouth.


    Lifting the sword again, Raze now had it by his side, as if he had stuck it back in his sheath.


    ''This isn''t enough; he managed to block it?'' Raze thought to himself. ''I guess I need to do more.''


    "4th descending step, away with the wind," Raze whispered, and his body moved from left to right, flowing outward. The fourth step was an evasive move and a handy one, as it was hard for a person to predict where they were going to be.


    The idea was to let their body flow like a leaf falling in the wind.


    "Alright, let''s see you survive this. The fifth step, along with the second formation..." Raze didn''t finish his sentence there.


    Because he could see that Liam was already on the floor; his knees were already weak from the first attack, and no matter how hard he tried to fight it, he had eventually copsed onto the floor. His teeth were dyed a little red, blood from his own body.


    "You... you''re a damned monster... were you hiding your strength," Liam grunted.


    Raze walked up knowing it was the end of the fight. "A deal is a deal; if you know nothing about Alter, then leave me and Safa alone."


    Raze continued to walk past while looking around to see if he could see anyone nearby, but there seemed to be no one. He would just have to meet the mysterious member from Alterter.


    Entering his room, Raze continued to search the entire area. There was only a small square letterbox window in his room. It wasn''trge enough for anyone to ideally peep through. Just in case though, Raze had torn part of his bedsheet with his bare hands.


    He then covered the small little opening and pushed the cloth with his fingers. He carefully made sure the right amount of Qi was in his fingertips to make a small indent through the concrete.


    Doing this for all four corners and sticking the cloth further in, it now would hang in ce.


    ''Controlling my Qi to the smaller parts of my body is getting easier,'' Raze thought. ''I can''t stabilize it to the point where I can write on the wall like that old man, but making a hole like this without sting a holepletely shows I''ve made improvement.''


    He had to thank the instructions of the book for that. The next step now was the Qi pills themselves. A magic circle was drawn out on the ground, and all three pills were ced on the floor.


    "It''s a bit risky using it in the academy, but if a portal break does happen here, it''s the one ce where they should be able to handle the situation, right?" Raze thought.


    Regardless, it was a problem for them to solve if it dide to that.


    Going through the process the first time, Raze was hopeful, but as the ingredients lit up and the glow faded away, it all crumbled to the ground. Thebination of the Qi pills into a 20-year one had failed.


    ''I can try one more time. I might as well since the Qi pills are useless to me as a 10-year one,'' Raze thought.


    With the remaining pills he had been given by Simyon, who had taken them from the others, he would try again, and if need be, he would wait a few days, and he could try again.


    Right now there was nothing to lose, so he attempted to try it again. The pills started to light up again.


    ''Come on... I don''t want to risk it by doing this every day, so just work, you stupid dumb pills,'' Raze shouted in his mind.


    Not long after, a single pill fell to the ground. It looked just like it did before, yellow in color, but it was almost more radiant as he stared at it.


    ''So this is it, huh? A 20-year Qi pill. I guess it''s time to cultivate it as well and try to break through to the second stage.''


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The next morning, the students were up as soon as the sun rose. They exited their rooms, and some of them started to do some morning training, running around practicing their moves and so on.


    Nearly all of the students were used to some sort of routine that they had done in their n before. However, there was something different this time. For one, they noticed a few more blue headband teachers that were in the area.


    Teacher Lee wasn''t there, but it did seem like they were watching the students carefully. This caused them to work a bit harder to show off their skills.


    On top of that, there were also a few students who had some injuries on them here and there. It was clear they had gotten into fights away from the eyes of others.


    When Raze got out of his room, he felt refreshed; he was stretching and was surprised to see in the courtyard, where there were those who would practice their skills, Dame was already out and was talking with Simyon.


    "Wait, are you serious?" Simyon said. "Are you saying this book actually might be useful for me?"


    "There''s a chance, but you would have to practice certain arts and have a body with the foundation for one," Dame exined. "In the past, there was a n that focused on refining the body. They broke down their bodies, refining it again and again, just like a weapon.


    "In turn, they had the strongest bodies Pagna''s had evere across. There''s not many that practice it anymore because just having a strong body isn''t necessarily shy.


    "But if we alter some of the things in the book that you received, as long as you have the right type of body for it, you could very well use this to your advantage."


    Simyon was in disbelief. He had lost all hope when he had selected a weapon refining technique book. However, with the earring, he had a body that others didn''t have. So maybe he could do just as the ns in the past did.


    It was worth a shot.


    "You know what, you''re not so bad after all," Simyon said with a smile.


    As Raze walked over and was ready to butt into the conversation the others were having, one of the teachers pped their hands using Qi. It was the usual loud echo that told the students that they all needed to pay attention to what was happening next.


    "Everyone is to head to the banquet hall, where you will proceed to eat breakfast," the teacher announced.


    In response to this, Simyon gulped down. The banquet hall, it was an area where all colored headbands would meet.


    Walking toward the banquet hall, Simyon hadn''t seen any of the main disciples but could see some of the other colored headbands. It came as no surprise that many were pointing and talking about the return of a particr white-haired student.


    "What the heck, he''s here, how is that possible?"


    "Does that mean the teachers found him? But I thought the n members dealt with him."


    "Maybe that wasn''t the case; maybe he actually got lost or something."


    Many students didn''t actually notice the addition of Dame. There were around 300 or so of them after all, and they wouldn''t remember every face. It was just that Raze stood out due to his hair, and the fact that he was a no-name who had gone quite far in one of the assessments.


    When entering the banquet hall, the group could see that the main disciples were already seated, with their food in front of them. The entrance of Raze had immediately caught the eyes of the others.


    Immediately, Mada had dropped his chopsticks onto the floor. "That freaking ant!" Mada said under his breath. "How did he manage to survive... just what is going on."


    The other n members were also surprised, but they couldn''t help but just smile andugh at the situation.


    "Now this is very interesting," Ricktor said, as he could feel the energy below his waist starting to rise.


    Trying to ignore all of their whispers and the rumors that they had heard before when they met with the others, they managed to get their food from the buffet line. They then sat on a long table that could fit around thirty students each. There were benches, so the students needed to sit together. Dame and Simyon sat on one side with Simyon on the edge of the bench, while Raze sat on the other with Safa by his side as well.


    They were all ready to dig in, but soon, they could hear the sound of footstepsing toward them.


    Liam had been staring over at Raze for a while now, and he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    ''Now this¡­is going to be really, really interesting.'' Liam smiled, feeling a slight pain in his arms still.


    The other students that were about to sit on the same bench had quickly chosen to sit elsewhere, all due to the personing toward them.


    "It''s nice to see you again, it''s nice to see the trio back together, right Simyon?" Ricktor said. "I believe you have some gifts for me, right?"


    Simyon''s heart was racing as he looked at the open palm of Ricktor. The words were spoken so casually and in front of everyone, as if he knew there were no consequences for his actions.


    In the end, Simyon had plucked up the courage and eventually spoke out. "I... I don''t have anything for you. I have nothing to give you," Simyon said.


    The smirk on Ricktor''s face had gottenrger, to the point where his eyes couldn''t be seen and they just looked like upside-down moon crescents.


    "And... why''s that?" Ricktor asked, putting an emphasis at the end of his sentence and cing his hand on the edge of the table.


    "Because, he gave your gift to me," Raze answered.

 Chapter 125 The Dark Faction, is Us!

    <h4>Chapter 125 The Dark Faction, is Us!</h4>


    ''Who was it, who was it that spoke those words?'' Ricktor thought, his teeth clenched. On the side of his head, a vein was starting to bulge and pulse slightly. All of this hidden under a smile.


    ''It was him, again.'' Tensing his fist, Rictor''s knuckles started to go white. His eyes were locked onto Raze''s, and he didn''t look away for a moment.


    Being in this situation, Simyon''s heart started to beat louder. ''How can I calm this situation down? There''s no way, right? Raze was always going to do as he wanted, and I really don''t have the pills.''


    "No!" Simyon eventually yelled. "Raze had nothing to do with this. I was the one who took the pills for myself. I used them to try to get ahead so I could have an advantage in the uing assessment."


    The students in the dining hall had fallen silent. Almost everyone was able to hear what was being said, and although Simyon had made this im, none of the students believed it for a moment.


    They could just tell by the situation, as one was intimidated by the other. They could tell all of this was Ricktor''s doing, so what had actually happened to the pills?


    "Hahah!" Ricktor chuckled. "We all know that you aren''t brave enough to disobey me. We can all tell, from the rebellious voice and the look in his eyes, it was this white-haired no-name right here."


    "Hey!" Raze called out. "I have a name, and it''s Raze Cromwell. I was the one who took your pills, so tell me, what exactly do you n to do about it then?"


    Raze could see the eyes of the teachers in the room looking around at the situation. It was a mix of teachers with different colored headbands, but still no Teacher Lee. They hadn''t intervened yet, which made Raze unsure if they would interfere or not if something did happen.


    Raze was more confident that he could catch him by surprise in this situation.


    Finally, though, Ricktor had broken eye contact, and he started to walk away. He wasn''t walking back toward his own table, but instead, he walked to one of the other students on the same table and ced out an open hand.


    "You should have been given two more Qi pills this morning; hand them over," Ricktor said.


    "What?" the boy answered. "I''m so...so...sorry, you want my-"


    "Hand them over now," Ricktor asked again, changing the tone of his voice to be more aggressive. Almost immediately, the Qi pills were ced in his hand. Ricktor then went up to the next student, and this time, he didn''t even need to say anything; the Qi pills were handed over.


    Eventually, it looked like students were already getting the pills out of their pockets and cing them on the table. Ricktor stopped at this point and just started tough.


    "Are you seeing this?" Ricktor gestured toward the table. "Did you really think that I needed you to do this work for me? I was always doing it for your benefit because I liked you, Simyon."


    "I thought you had potential. For doing such a simple task like collecting these pills on my behalf, you were able to reap some rewards yourself by using my name. It''s very simple, right? Yet for some reason, as soon as your no-name friend returns, you decided to rebel."


    The next person Ricktor had gone to was Safa, and instantly Raze had reacted. He jumped from his seat and was going around to get to Ricktor. But standing in his way was Mada, who threw out a kick right towards Raze''s face. At the same time, Raze shifted backward, almost sliding across the ground, avoiding the hit.


    ''He dodged my kick in that situation?'' Mada thought. ''But he couldn''t do something like thisst time.''


    It wasn''t just Mada who had reacted from the Main ns, though. Lisa, Ossep, and Sherry all rushed over, ready to pounce on the no-name for going against them.


    Sherry was the fastest of the group, and she reached out, until a te came flying and hit her right on her wrist. It smashed on impact and caused her arm to swing out.


    The others stopped as they saw a tall student standing in front of the group.


    "I was going to let Raze handle everything on his own, but I can''t do that if you guys get involved. This is his business, so stay out of it," Dame warned.


    Sherry was still holding onto her wrist; it was throbbing with pain.


    ''I didn''t even see the te get thrown, and he urately hit it while I was moving. Was it just luck, or is this someone special?'' In the end, Sherry saw the Dark Blue Headbands and thought it was silly for her to even think otherwise.


    "I will back down," Ricktor said, stepping away as a way to calm down the tension in the room. He walked out to an area between where the food was being served and the rest of the dining tables before turning around and looking at all of the students.


    "But you should know that this little rebellion of yours is useless. Do you think others haven''t tried?" Ricktor started to speak. "The five main ns have been the same for thest 100 years. All of the ns know this for a fact."


    "All of the ns and students here, it''s all just to serve under us, and everyone knows it. Did you see the teachers getting involved? No, because I am from one of the five main ns, the ones you serve under."


    "Look at all of you wearing blue headbands. Is a single one of you from a notable n? Did you think your weakness was a coincidence? You were born to be under us; you were born to be under our ns."


    "So when I tell you to do a job, you better do it." Ricktor looked at Simyon while saying those words. "When I tell you to go on your knees, you do it. Otherwise, your n, your whole family, everything might no longer exist anymore."


    Ricktor seemed to be done with his speech as he walked back to eat with the others, but the expressions of those wearing blue headbands were filled with fury. Their hands were shaking; every cell in their bodies was shaking as adrenaline rushed through them.


    Pagna warriors had great respect for their ns that raised them, treated them well, showered them with discipline, and taught them how to live in their world. Some of them had nothing until they had been picked up by their n and turned into a Pagna warrior, so it felt like they owed them a lot.


    The words from Ricktor felt like he had trampled over all their hard work, as if he had spat in their n''s faces.


    One of them was shaking so furiously he stood up from his seat. "The assessment!" The student shouted, huffing and panting.


    When looking at who it was, they could see it was the kid with the eyepatch, Liam. "You say that everyone here is from a worthless n, that we were born weaker than you, lesser than you, so if we manage to beat you in the uing assessment, doesn''t that discredit everything you said? I''ll beat one of you Red headbands and take it for myself!"


    Simyon had a disliking for the Perv Liam, but at this moment, along with many of the other Blue headband students, they thought he was pretty brave because he spoke up and said what they all wished to say.


    Ricktor made a fist and held it up in the air. "Do you know how many Red headband students have lost their headbands in the history of the academy?" Ricktor pushed up his fist higher. "Zero, not a single person has ever taken these Red headbands from us. You won''t change anything."


    The rest of the breakfast continued like normal, and the students split ways afterward. All of the different-colored headband groups found it even harder to look at each other afterward.


    They were all meant to be from the same faction, but this was the Dark Faction; it wasn''t the Light Faction where they believed in unity or fairness.


    When it came time for them all to train, the students had mixed reactions. Some felt like the training was somewhat pointless, as if it was impossible to change their fate, while others were fired up with anger.


    "ARGHH!" Liam screamed as he continued to stab his sword at a hay puppet. He stabbed right below on the puppet, on the man''s jewels over and over again. "Arghh, that damned d*ck. I''ll slice his balls off and feed them to pigs so he can''t have any children."


    Liam continued to stab the same spot again and again, hitting it perfectly. If there was one thing the others learned, it was to not get on Liam''s bad side, because they knew where he would aim.


    For Simyon and the others, they practiced their techniques, and Dame had decided to start to show Raze a few different moves he could use.


    When nightfall came, and the students were asleep, at the top of the Blue headband quarters'' gate, they had a visitor jump up, looking at the base.


    ''That damned ant!'' Mada thought. ''He embarrassed me again, and in front of all those people. The other disciples are already ming me for not getting rid of him the first time! I have no idea how he survived that fall, but I won''t fail again. This time, I will kill you!''

 Chapter 126 Raze’s Assassination

    <h4>Chapter 126 Raze''s Assassination</h4>


    There was a reason for the recent absence of Teacher Lee. There had been a few troubles at the n. There weremunication devices that could be used at the academy, and Lee was currently using one of them.


    A square device that looked a bit like a small box was ced in front of him. Coming out of the top, there was an oval-shaped object attached. Pressing one button would y noise, and pressing the other would record.


    This was what would be used to speak with each other, so there were gaps between responses at times. But if the two were on the device at the same time, they could continuously press the buttons and wait to hear and listen to each other''s messages.


    Lee pressed the button to his left side, and a message yed.


    "I wish I could send you a message harbouring good news, but I''m afraid the situation is quite difficult for our n at the moment," The voice said. "There have been no registrations of new students. At the same time, work has trickled down to next to nothing. The Lethal Bite n has taken up nearly all of the work."


    Just listening to the voice of the current elder, it pained Teacher Lee greatly. The situation at the Pointed Head n was in rough shape before Lee left. He had done so hoping that he could somewhat showcase the talents of his n and convince some students to move over.


    As for the reason for the current situation of the n, it was all due to the Lethal Bite n. Another Dark Faction n, but not just any n, it was one of the five main ns that made up the Dark Faction.


    Most of the issues stemmed from these two ns operating in the same city. Withrger cities, it was quitemon for there to be more than one n. They would have their own territories that they covered. Due to the nature of Pagna warriors being quitepetitive, they would often do something to the other n to stop them from growing, thus keeping the bnce.


    However, at some point during the n''s history, the Pointed Head n fell while the Lethal Bite n rose, bing one of the five major ns. This meant that the Pointed Head n no longer stood a chance. Year after year, the situation was worsening, and they were at the breaking point.


    "I''m afraid if we don''t see any results this year, our n might no longer exist."


    The message ended there, with nothing else further being said on the situation.


    "These messages keep getting shorter and shorter every time," Lee''s head was sunk into his chest. He felt like the messages were simr to the time they had, which was also getting shorter.


    Standing up from his seat, he pressed the button on the right side.


    "I will... try my best," Teacher Lee answered and walked away.


    If he wanted to do something, he needed to do something now. Going through the vast amount of hallways in the main building, Teacher Lee was heading to a particr ce. He eventually stopped just outside a grated door that was painted ck. Inside the grain of wood was a white sheet of paper allowing one to see shadows as they moved.


    "I told you toe see me if you had troubles. I didn''t expect to see you so fast," The voice said from the other side. "You maye in."


    Sliding the door, Lee stepped in and bowed down. He then took a seat, sitting on top of his knees as he looked straight ahead at a man surrounded by several candlelights. The candles were ced onrge ck sticks in a circle formation, and in the center was the one known as the Vice Principal Amir.


    "Has the reappearance of the no-name given you any trouble?" Amir asked.


    "No, sir. The Blue headbands appear to be doing fine. Unfortunately, I havee here on a personal matter," Lee paused for a few seconds, waiting to hear a reply. But since none came, he continued.


    "My n is in need of help. The Lethal Bite n has taken over all of the work in our city. They have used force in some cases with a long-time partner of ours. The only thing that was keeping us going was the funding we received from our students'' parents, and even now, that has stopped."


    "Allegedly," Amir replied. "You do know that saying such things without any proof can cause you a great deal of trouble."


    Lee, of course, knew that, but it was prettymon knowledge. There were merchants that owed great debts that had been paid with blood to the Pointed Head n, and yet they suddenly broke off contracts with an apology stating there was nothing they could do. It was quite obvious, but who could stand up to a main n other than another main n.


    "I will help you with your situation, but ites with a condition." Amir lifted up one finger and blew out one of the candles to the side. "Your students, the Blue headbands. In the uing assessments, they are to show vast improvement. You see, for this event, I n to invite along some guests. I won''t divulge the details, but this will be your chance to save your n."


    Lee was trying to think of the possibilities, but if these guests were the children''s parents or something along those lines, then as long as he could pull this off, there was a chance that he could pull it all together.


    ---


    That same night, it was 3 in the morning. All of the lights were out in the entire academy, and only the moonlight was what was left lighting up the area.


    ''I waited for this time, I waited until no one would dare to be awake, all so I could get to you,'' Mada thought.


    His footsteps were silent as he walked across the outside of the building. The first thing he needed to do was locate what room Raze was even in. He couldn''t just slide each door open.


    ''You keep making a fool out of me, and I can tell, if I don''t get rid of you, you''ll just continue to haunt me! I know I can already beat you in a fight.''


    When having this thought, he remembered the scene at the dining hall again. How Raze had avoided the kick. When his foot passed his face, he could see Raze''s eyes carefully tracking it.


    ''Since I know I can beat you... I know I can.'' Mada repeated to himself. ''I will just kill you.''


    Jumping up, Mada grabbed onto the small ledge of the letterbox window each student would have. With a single arm, he would pull himself up and peek inside the room. It would be hard to see on the inside for a normal person, but Pagna warriors weren''t normal people.


    At each stage, their senses were incredibly heightened, and Mada was proudly a stage 2 warrior. With his eyes, he could make out the faces and quickly moved onto the next.


    He jumped up, checking room after room until eventually, he hade across a room where the letterbox-sized window opening was blocked. Using his other hand, he carefully gathered Qi and sliced through the cloth until he could see.


    ''It''s him! That''s definitely him, but why would he have his window blocked out like this?'' Mada thought.


    Ignoring it, Mada had counted how many rooms he had gone past because now he needed to do the hard part. Swiftly entering the base, Mada carefully treaded on the floorboards and finally found the right room.


    He lifted up the mask to cover his face, just in case he would get caught. He was fully disguised in just ck clothing with no emblem of sorts.


    Sliding the door ever so gently, he closed the door behind him and could see Raze right there.


    ''Hahaha finally,'' Mada thought to himself. Reaching behind, he pulled out a dagger and started to inch closer and closer.


    Now up close, he noticed something, though. Raze''s lips¡ªthey were quivering, and his body, he was covered in sweat. His bed sheets were a shade darker.


    ''Is he sick?'' Mada shook his head. ''I can''t care about that. I have to get rid of him; I have to get rid of him now!''


    Sprinting in, Mada was aiming right for the neck. He was still a meter away when he felt something grab onto his wrist firmly. It was a tight grip.


    ''What the... what stopped me?''


    Looking at the wrist, Mada could see long slender fingers that werepletely covered in blood. Droplets were dripping onto the wooden floor.


    "He''s... Mine..." A voice gently whispered, sending a chill into his ear and shivers through his whole body.

 Chapter 127 I will choose your fate.

    <h4>Chapter 127 I will choose your fate.</h4>


    The bloodied hand that was holding onto Mada''s wrist looked as if it hade out of some type of nightmare. Its forearm was twice as long as a normal arm. Slowly, fear was creeping in.


    His heart was racing and it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat and onto the cold floor.


    Mada was trying to move his head, to look at who was touching him, or what was touching him. A strong stench had entered his nose, nearly causing him to throw up on the spot.


    It felt like he was in a room full of rotting corpses. When he eventually looked at where therge arm wasing from, at the end of it, just a fog of mist was floating in the air.


    "This thing, it has to be some type of monster, a beast from another dimension, but one that can speak! I''ve never heard of such a thing before," thought Mada.


    Mada tried to pull away, but as he did, the grip around his wrist had gotten tighter. Him, a stage 2 Pagna warrior, was losing in the battle of strength?


    All thoughts of getting rid of his target had escaped from his head at that point. Now he just wanted to do whatever he could to escape. Taking in a deep breath, Mada remembered one of the Flowing Force n''s techniques.


    It was a way to make one''s body flexible like that of water, rather than rigid with one''s bones. Taking in a breath, he performed the technique, and his arm slipped out. Almost instantly, the bloody hand went for him.


    Jumping back, the hand had missed swiping him, and his back had hit the door. Looking, the hand no longer tried to reach him.


    Instead, it just waved a long, dangling, grey-skinned finger in the air, like an adult scolding a child. Without turning his back, Mada reached for the door and pulled it open. He left the room without closing the door and just ran.


    He ran and ran without looking back, out of the Blue headband courtyard and back to his room. He was pretty sure that night he wouldn''t be getting any sleep.


    ---


    The next day, when students woke up, a few had walked past an open door. Immediately, a strong smell hit their noses, and they had no choice but to cover their mouths as they did so.


    "Freaking hell, did someone crap their pants or something?" the students said.


    When they turned to look at whose room it was, they could see that it belonged to the white-haired no-name.


    "I guess these guys don''t clean themselves after they go to the toilet or bathe at all."


    Eventually, themotion had reached the ears of Dame, Simyon, and Safa, who were already up. Dame decided to go check it out. As he ran and entered the room, he covered his mouth as well.


    "Raze, get up...get up, youzy bum!" Dame shouted, as he had to force himself to step into the room.


    Slowly, Raze was opening his eyes. As he did, he too was hit with the disgusting smell. Then he could see the state around him. When he pressed on the thin mattress on the floor, his hand was soaked.


    The water that hade off wasn''t clean either; it had a mucky ck tint to it.


    "Well, I''ll have to say congrattions are in order," Dame said.


    "What do you mean?" Raze asked.


    "All of this. Don''t you remember the first time you became a stage 1 Pagna warrior? Did you throw up some blood?"


    The memory hit Raze; he hadn''t just thrown up some blood; he had thrown up a lot of it.


    "Well, this is the same thing again; your body is getting rid of even more impurities deep within. You''ve be a second-stage warrior," Dame exined.


    Raze was a bit confused, but as he focused, he could feel it was true. His dantian felt stronger, as if there was a secondyer coating it now. But how was this possible? Raze had absorbed the 20-year Qi pill, and although it seemed to have an effect, it wasn''t enough for him to break through.


    Another way was through cultivating energy through the techniques, but Raze had achieved this feat in his sleep, so just what was going on?


    "Please just clean yourself before I throw you into a river, and hurry," Dame shouted.


    The smell was sickening to Raze himself, so he quickly got up and rushed off to the washing facilities. With that done, Dame was ready to head out of the room until he noticed something on the ground.


    "Blood? This isn''t Raze''s blood, is it? It''s too far from his mattress, and the way it''s dropped down. Did something happenst night?" Dame thought.


    After cleaning himself up, Raze went to join the others outside. Everyone went ahead and gathered the two Qi pills for the day. Some were unsure what to do, though. Were they meant to keep the Qi pills for Ricktor when he asked for them, or were they just to take them?


    Liam didn''t care and started to cultivate the pills even before they went for breakfast. He wasn''t going to give the other person any chance of taking them. Dame had handed his pills to Raze since he didn''t need them.


    As they headed outside, they were surprised to see that Teacher Lee had returned, and he was standing at the gate with an announcement to make.


    "I have a message for you all," Lee shouted. "The pecking order will no longer be decided by you, the individual students. Instead, I will be working closely with our fellow teachers of the Blue headband and run several assessments to see who is the best among you all.


    "And who out of all of you has the most chance of taking down a yellow headband owner or even a red headband one," Lee imed.


    Seeing the look in his eyes, Raze noticed that a big change had urred. He could see that Lee was serious about this matter for some reason.


    "Learn your skills, cultivate your power, and follow your teachers'' instructions. That is all."


    With that said, it was time for the students to head to the dining hall again, but on the way there, Lee had gone straight up to a certain student, a single ck-haired girl.


    "Safa, I have decided to learn your name. If you ept me, I will be your personal instructor in guiding you on how to use the spear. If you show me the same determination and effort as you did the day before, then I am sure you will be able to join the yellow headbands," Lee imed. "Do you ept my offer?"


    There was no hesitation as Safa nodded repeatedly and gave a small bow. This brought a smile to the man''s face.


    "Very well, then after you finish, you shall stay with me in the teachers'' dorms, and I will personally look over your development. It will be tough taking you away from your friends, but I promise you will be rewarded for it."


    Safa looked at Raze for a moment, somewhat regretting her decision because she would be away from him. Seeing this, he knew she wanted him to say something.


    "Just go," Raze said. "Live your own life, don''t base your decisions around me."


    Thinking about it, someone had once done that before in Raze''s life, and it didn''t end well for them either.


    At breakfast, there was something noticeable that had urred, and that was that the five main disciples of the main ns weren''t currently there. No one quite knew what was going on, but a meeting had been called.


    Currently, they were in the Vice Principal''s room, all of them sitting side by side on their knees close to each other.


    "You all know about the assessment taking ce, but this time it will be differentpared to before," Amir exined. "This time, I will be inviting the heads to watch the assessment from each of the main ns."


    The five disciples looked at each other nervously. Why was there even a need to do such a thing? It wasn''t the martial arts event but just the first assessment of the month for them.


    For many, it would seem like a waste of time.


    "I have already asked, and your masters have epted; the principal has been made aware of this as well," Amir exined. "The reason why I have called you here, though, is to pass on a message from him."


    "No matter what, the five main ns must never lose their position. Don''t embarrass yourselves."


    The words struck each of them strongly as they heard this. Losing would have already been a big embarrassment, but to lose in front of their masters? It was clear; they wanted the five main disciples not just to win but to have an overwhelming victory to show the rest of the Dark Faction why they were the five main ns and why they needed to stay in their ce.


    "Do you understand?"


    "Yes, sir!" the students called out, however, there was one who hadn''t answered the call.


    "I said, do you understand?" Amir asked again.


    "Yes, sir!" they called out again, all but one.


    "Mada, is something wrong?" Amir asked.


    "Ah, no, sir. I willplete the task. Yes, sir!" Mada called out.


    After experiencing what he had gone through trying to get to Raze, maybe there was someone they needed to worry about after all.

 Chapter 128 Run, Run, Run

    <h4>Chapter 128 Run, Run, Run</h4>


    Returning from their breakfast, the students were rtively pleased for two reasons. One, they didn''t need to hand over their Qi pills due to the main n disciples not being there, and two, they were filled with energy at the prospect of being selected for the uing assessment.


    Fighting against each other, they felt it was a hard task, and it would take away from their development as they were focusing on who was the best overall. Now, with those watching them, they could show off their skills in other ways.


    While they were walking back, Safa had gone off with the teacher, Lee. From now on, presumably until the end of the month, they would do one-on-one training. It was a privilege that students wouldn''t get in the academy, so she was a lucky one.


    There was a sad wave goodbye from Safa at the courtyard of the Blue headbands, but Raze didn''t wave back.


    "Aren''t you going to wave to your cute sister?" Dame asked. He still didn''t know what the deal was between the two of them. Was she adopted, someone he just called his sister, or was she like Raze, a person from another world?


    It didn''t seem like an important matter for now.


    "You better hope that teacher isn''t a creepy old man; she would have been safer with me," Liammented, his arms stretched behind his head.


    "Don''t say stuff like that," Razemented. "Unless you want your other eye poked out."


    Walking away, Raze could feel his heart beating, and for a moment, Dame had caught the corner of Raze''s eye. They were slightly bloodshot and opened wide.


    ''What happened? He was fine before. Was it thatment about his sister?'' Dame thought.


    There were still a lot of mysteries surrounding the Dark Magus, and the more he found out about him, the more he wanted to know.


    There were two Blue headband teachers in the courtyard. They had arge bound notebook in their hands along with an ink pen. They were watching the students carefully, and while observing, they were jotting notes down here and there.


    Everyone had caught on quickly; since Teacher Lee wouldn''t be observing them, these two teachers were the ones that they needed to impress in order to get on that list. While everyone was working, Raze and Dame were sitting on the concrete steps leading up to the living quarters.


    They were watching Simyon in front of them carrying a giant pot of water that was used for bathing. He set it up and ced some coal stones underneath, along with small pieces of wood for easy lighting.


    This was because Simyon was going to adjust the weapon refining techniques to his own body. Doing the same thing a sword needed, but with his own body.


    "It might be hard with everything going on to go back, you know," Razemented while not looking away from Simyon. It was quite entertaining seeing him work away. He had lit the fire, and the bottom of therge pot was starting to heat up.


    When it reached close to the boiling point, that''s when he would hop in.


    "Don''t worry, I''m having fun here, so you don''t have to worry about that," Dame answered. "I understand the situation is difficult at the moment. You don''t have to give me the promised goods. I mean, we''re both being watched like a hawk at the moment, so it would be hard for even me to leave. Fixteen has a good head on his shoulders, and my father likes him, so everything will be okay... I think."


    Originally, Raze was going to return weekly to the other dimension in order to build up his wealth. It would help him when he was out of the academy, but with the current assessment tasks and the troubles he had been facing, it was best for him to stay put for now.


    "So, if you want to be at the top of that pecking order and face those five disciples for revenge, I should teach you a few things, right? After all, you have no skill book, and if you start to show off those Demonic Faction techniques, questions are going to start to rise."


    Watching Simyon get into the boiling pot with his clothes off and baking in it, Raze thought he should do something as well as he stood up.


    "I''ll be happy to take you up on your offer, but first, I want to see a few things," Raze said, and with that, he was off. He was off running of all things.


    Raze started to jog around therge courtyard and was doing so inrge squares. There were a few students doing this as they were building up a foundation, and it looked like Raze had gone to join them.


    It just seemed a bit random to suddenly start to run, but as he was doing this, Dame noticed that there was quite a big smile on his face. He wondered, why did he look so happy just running?


    The answer was fairly simple; for the longest time, it was hard for Raze''s body to do such a thing, and now he had be a second-stage warrior, he could feel his whole body thriving with energy and strength.


    He wanted to enjoy using his powerful body as he continued to run again and again. Raze didn''t stop. There were those that had stopped and others that joined in, and as he continued to run as minutes turned into hours, the students couldn''t help but stare at him once in a while.


    "What the... he''s still going. Why is he just running, of all things?"


    "Maybe it''s because he doesn''t know any techniques. I heard that they weren''t able to go into the library."


    "I see, so I guess he''s just trying to build up his foundation strength, but he would need to do more than just running around the ce," the studentmented.


    What the students said was true, but Raze didn''t care about that; he just wished to run for as long as his body would let him. His heart beating, his legs feeling tired yet still full of power. This was an addictive feeling that he didn''t want to let go of at this moment.


    "I have to admit, I don''t think I could do something like that," the students said.


    While Raze was busy running, Dame had picked up the book that was on the floor in front of Simyon. He had gotten out of the boiling hot pot and was drying himself, looking at what the next best thing for him to do was, because he wasn''t really sure if it was effective or not.


    "Alright, I''ve decided, I''ll help you out," Dame said. "I''ll read this book ande up with some things to make you stronger instead."


    As Raze continued to run around, the teachers looked at him and were shaking their heads.


    ''What a useless thing to do, as expected of a no-name,'' the teacher thought, making a note down by his name. ''This person will clearly amount to nothing.''


    When lunch came around, the students were told to stop practicing and head to the dining hall again. This time when they entered, the main disciples were present. However, they didn''t really look over at the Blue headbands, well, apart from one.


    The meal went off with next to no problems, unlike the time before, but for Simyon, Dame, and Raze, they had scarfed down their food and were already heading out the door to train some more.


    "Damn it!" Liam said, lifting his food tray up, the pieces of food sliding down and into his mouth. "I''m not going to let them get ahead of me."


    He soon ran off after them as well.


    The students continued to eat, and it wasn''t long after that, someone had sat at their table. Someone that made each of them feel uneasy.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not here to take your pills," Mada said. "I have a job for you, one that would benefit us all. I need you to take care of Raze, at least try to, and report back to me everything you find out."


    "Attack him during the day, poison his food, call him names and get him angry, or even attack him at night. Do whatever you can to deal with him before the assessment, and if you can''t, at least tell me what that guy is." Mada''s heart was racing, with thoughts of what had happened that night.

 Chapter 129 A Bloody Mess

    <h4>Chapter 129 A Bloody Mess</h4>


    As soon as the group returned from lunch, it came as a surprise, or not really as a surprise, that they had witnessed Raze running around the arena once again. It wasn''t just his stamina that was impressive, but his mental fortitude to do the same task over and over again.


    Some of the students, a group of five who had been stopped by Mada before they left the hall, were quite nervous as they entered the courtyard.


    "So what should we do?" one of them asked.


    "Well, Mada said we just have to deal with him before the assessment, right?" another replied. "So let''s just get this over with the straightforward way."


    The group nodded in agreement; they knew what they needed to do, but they were uncertain about how to do it in the first ce.


    For a while, everyone continued their training, and there were some questionable screamsing from part of the courtyard.


    Whack! A ringing loud noise vibrated through the air.


    "ARGHH!" It was followed by a scream, but Simyon tried his best to hold it in. His skin was red and sore all over.


    "We need to refine every part of your body, and the body grows stronger as it''s broken down and repaired again," Dame exined as he pulled his hand back and pped Simyon right on the back, creating another echoing sound throughout the ce.


    "I said I would help you, so I''m going to do my best!"


    The other students found it hard to look, and the teachers who were witnessing such a thing thought the actions were barbaric. Even if the practice was effective for building up endurance, how would getting good at being hit allow one to win a battle?


    They shook their heads again as they gave another marking down below.


    While Raze continued to run, one of the students had decided to join in. He kept up with Raze since he wasn''t sprinting at a fast pace but made sure to stay behind him for a while.


    "Stop him from getting to the assessment; there are more ways than just to beat him!" the student was inching closer, and then, just when he was close enough, he dashed forward and reached out with his hand.


    He pulled on the piece of fabric on Raze, tugging around his neck. Immediately, Raze stopped in his tracks and pivoted around, staring at the person in front of him.


    "It was an ident, bro!" The student said, but when he looked in front of him, he could see Raze with his fist already right next to his face.


    It mmed right down on his nose. A cracking sound was heard, and blood spilled from his nose as he almost did aplete backflip in the air beforending on the ground.


    "What is going on!" one of the teachers shouted as he came rushing over. "There is no reason to fight anymore. Teacher Lee already stated that your position will be assessed by us. So fighting among each other is pointless."


    "Then tell that to him who pulled on me," Raze replied.


    The teacher looked at the student rubbing his nose and looked at Raze, who had no marks on him. To him, it was clear who had been the aggressor out of the two.


    "Do you think this whole courtyard belongs to you? You think no one else is allowed to run by your side? You should be thankful that someone like you is even allowed in the academy in the first ce."


    "Someone like me, huh?" Raze said. "Right, someone who doesn''t give a damn about what you say." Raze lifted his hand and flicked his fingers out, gesturing for him to go away. "You''ve ruined the good mood I was in."


    The assessor named Tod, who had been watching everything, couldn''t believe how a student could act in such a way and how one could talk to a teacher like that as well.


    Taking out the book, the teacher proceeded to mark it with several X marks.


    Walking back, Raze had gone straight past both Simyon and Dame, who were now dipping their hands in heated sand over and over. The skin on Simyon''s hands was now raw and red.


    "You should be careful, you know," Dame said. "If that teacher doesn''t take a liking to you, then he might not rmend you for the top spots. You''ll have to do well from now on."


    Raze didn''t reply, though, and he just continued to walk. As he did, his hand was trembling slightly.


    ''It''s quite clear he doesn''t like to be touched, and the words that were spoken to him about his sister. Did something happen to him in the past, something that happened in his world?'' Dame thought.


    Rather than continue with the training, Raze had decided to head back into his room and rest up for the rest of the day to get his mind off things. Everyone continued their training, but a short while after, a group of four students had decided to call it a day as well.


    They too had entered back into the main living quarters. It didn''t seem like a big deal. Some would enter, take a nap, and thene back out to train more. Everyone had their own routine they abided by.


    These students, though, were the ones working for Mada, and they saw no better opportunity than now for them to act. As they went inside, they looked around. Seeing no one in the area, they slid the door open and could see their target lying on the bed.


    "What are you all ying at?" Raze asked.


    "We''re here to teach you why you shouldn''t stay in the academy!" the student rushed over, throwing out a fist.


    Responding, Raze had jumped out of his bed and moved his head to the side, throwing out his own fist, hitting the student back in the face.


    "I''m not in a good mood right now," Raze answered. Grabbing the student''s hand before he could fall back down, he pulled the student forward again and mmed his fist into his face a second time.


    Some time had passed, and it looked like Simyon had taken all the punishment he could handle for the day. So, calling it quits, the two of them had decided to head inside.


    "Hey, should we check on Raze? He seemed a bit out of it," Dame said. He could still remember vividly twice now the look he had.


    During the first meeting they had, at times Dame felt like he needed to tread eggshells around him. Thankfully, there had been no problems between the two.


    Simyon hadn''t noticed since he was so focused on his own task. He felt a little bad for not noticing if Raze was having trouble or not. He gave a slight nod, and the two were off heading towards his room.


    As they walked over, the first sign they could see wasn''t good; blood was dripping from under the door.


    The two of them rushed over, worried that something might have happened while they were away, someone might have gone after Raze, but they soon realized as they stepped by the doorway, Raze wasn''t the person they needed to worry about.

 Chapter 130 Cleaning up the mess

    <h4>Chapter 130 Cleaning up the mess</h4>


    Looking at the blood on the floor, the two of them immediately ran over, and when they stood outside the door, they stopped in their tracks at the sight in front of them. Raze was standing there, his hands and clothes bloody, with stters on his face.


    In the room itself, four students, blood pouring out of nearly every hole in their bodies,id there in awkward positions on the ground, on the bed, and one with its head still smashed against the wall.


    ''Did these students try to pull a sneak attack on him?'' Dame thought. ''With him now being a Stage 2 warrior, they stood no chance.''


    It was true, it was hard to call it a fight. Raze had a better feeling of sense, even his brain processing power was faster. He was taking in the path of where they were going to hit and was able to avoid their strikes.


    Not only were these Stage 1 Pagna warriors, but they were all from lesser ns. The techniques they learned were abysmal, and most likely they would find better techniques in the academy''s library.


    "Crap, crap, crap!" Simyon said as he looked around to see if there were any other students in the area. He quickly knelt down to one of the students who were on the floor and lifted his head. He could feel that he was still breathing, wheezing even.


    Dame did the same to one of the other students, pulling him by his hair and taking his face out from the wall.


    "They''re not dead," Dame replied. "But I''m not sure they can survive with the state they''re in at the moment. I know you didn''t kill them, but the academy isn''t going to take this lightly."


    Raze looked at his hands, where the blood was starting to dry on them. It was mostly on his knuckles than anything else. Images shed of his hands soaked in blood. The scenery around him had changed.


    He was in a dark alleyway, rain was heavily falling on him, but the blood still wasn''t washing off from his hands.


    "Raze!" Dame called out.


    The image shed back, and Raze was back in the same room again, and now looking at the students in the room, he could see the state they were in.


    ''I was only meant to give them a small beating but I didn''t stop.''


    "It looks like you''re finally back to us," Dame said. "Maybe we can solve this situation, do you think you can create those red Qi pills from before? I think that will be good enough to return their condition.


    If their condition is good, even if they go toin, you can''t get in trouble."


    Technically, it should be possible. A ten-year Qi pill was created with a power stone in the first ce, so why couldn''t they just use another Qi pill as the source of power? It might even create a more powerful potion.


    "Simyon, you get more pills from the other students; they''re already scared of you, so it should be easy. Raze, you can use my room, and I''ll stop anyone else from entering," Dame ordered.


    Simyon didn''t like the n, not at all, since he had to do something he disliked, but he needed to help Raze however he could and rushed out to try and find other students.


    "Raze, I know you might not want to help them, but if you get kicked out of the academy, how are you going toplete your revenge? Wasn''t there a reason you came here in the first ce?" Dame asked.


    It was true; Raze wanted to get back at the five disciples, but more so improve his martial arts and use the portals that were ced at the academy to gather more crystals, allowing him to get back to being the 9-star mage he was in the past.


    "And what are you going to do about your sister and friends? If you get kicked out, how are they going to survive in this ce, even if you don''t see them as your friends, they''re now your responsibility."


    In order to get Dame to stop talking, Raze was walking out of the room, and heading down to Dame''s, but before he left, he had a fewst words.


    "You know, for someone who''s in the demonic faction, your thoughts aren''t very demonic."


    Dame smiled at the response, as he went toy the four students down on the floor.


    Simyon had gone to the other students; he was nervous but as he approached them, he reluctantly asked for their pills.


    "Damn, is Ricktor asking you to gather them again?" One of the students moaned. "That guy, what he said in the dining hall really got on my nerves."


    "Hey, but we have to listen right, otherwise, who knows what''s going to happen to us. He seems to have a screw or two loose in the first ce."


    Surprisingly, because they thought Simyon was collecting on behalf of Ricktor, students gave their pills up. Some had already used them, and some had only used one, but he only needed a few anyway.


    Returning to the others, Simyon had given the pills to Raze, who shut the door. With the door shut, Raze was ready to use his magic. He didn''t want to do too much because of fear of what it could cause at the academy, but the situation was what it was.


    ''I didn''t cause any scene at the Demonic faction, so it should be okay here as well.''


    A short whileter, Raze had returned with four red Qi pills in his hands. It was a sess, and the pills were slightly more powerful than thest lot he had made, which was a good thing because the condition of the students was in a bad state.


    Dame took the pills and pushed them into the mouths of each of them one by one. He then grabbed a ss of water and poured it down. The reflex forced the students to gulp, swallowing the pills.


    Each one of them swallowed them fine, and after a few moments, they were able to open their eyes fully. The markings on their bodies were disappearing, and the pain they felt all over was disappearing.


    When they got up though, the first person they could see was Raze.


    "Please, don''t kill us!" The students said.


    "Hey!" Dame said, pping one of them right across the face. "Don''t say those things. This guy here just saved your life. We gave up our Qi pills to restore your energy; you''re lucky he didn''t continue beating you when he did."


    The students were unsure of what Dame was saying because they could hardly remember the events fully. They just remembered attacking Raze, losing in a fight, and suffering from a lot of pain after that.


    They were even unaware of how bad their condition was.


    "You guys were the ones that had started the attack, so you guys better scram before we report this to the teachers."


    "Huh?" One of the students was confused and was looking at the others.


    "I said get out of here," Dame shouted again.


    Getting up off the floor, they scurried out of the room, and as they did, they tried their best to avoid getting as close as possible to Raze.


    "That''s crisis over, right?" Simyon said. "They won''t go and tell the teacher what happened."


    "I doubt it," Dame replied. "They''re in good condition now, so it


    wouldn''t make sense to, and the fear is still in their bodies. Although they can''t quite remember what happened, their bodies can. Right now, they''re probably more scared of Raze."


    What Dame said seemed to be true. As there was no report that had been made to the teachers, the room had been cleaned up by all three, and the dent in the wall was patched up with a piece of paper hanging on top of it.


    It wasn''t as if the teachers came and inspected their rooms anyway, and idents did happen when one was practicing. With that small event over and passed, the three were getting ready to sleep, but before that, Raze called out to him.


    "Wait," Raze said. "First, thank you for helping me out today."


    "Hey, don''t worry about it. You know, you making the special gauntlets of mine saved my life. So I owe you a lot," Dame answered.


    "Ah, right," Raze replied. "You do."


    For a second, Dame thought he could see a smirk on Raze''s face. It was quite crazy, the amount of emotions this kid went through. At times, it was quite worrying for Dame.


    "Since you owe me a lot of favors, I wanted to ask for one more before you go to sleep," Raze said. "I''m going to cultivate the life and death technique again, and I wanted to ask if you could watch over me."

 Chapter 131 The Final Test

    <h4>Chapter 131 The Final Test</h4>


    Simyon had already left Raze''s room at this point. He had gone through a tough day with all the beating he had received from Dame, and he was mentally at a breaking point after sorting out the issue that had urred with Raze.


    Now it was just Dame and Raze in the room together when he had popped the question.


    "I''m going to cultivate the Life and Death technique again, and I wanted to ask if you could watch over me," Raze asked.


    Ever since he had attempted to cultivate using this technique in the Demonic faction, Raze hadn''t touched it since. For one, a person had been killed thest time he had performed it, and there was an uneasy feeling about everything he had seen at the time.


    "You want me to watch over you while you cultivate. You''re already at the second stage; you should have the hang of it, unless you''re worried about going mad and crazy," Damemented as if it was no big deal, even though it was a very real possibility.


    "Yes," Raze answered honestly. "Thest time something strange urred, so I would like you to just look over me again and be ready for anything."


    The words sounded so dramatic from Raze as he got into a seating position. So much so that even Dame was feeling tense. He stood by the door and carefully waited as Raze went ahead and did his thing.


    Closing his eyes, he went through each of the steps in his mind as he started to forge imagery.


    ''Will that red-blooded hande again?'' Raze thought.


    First, Raze started with the cycle of life, trying to sense all the energy from those who were born in the area. In this specific area, where the academy stood, there didn''t seem to be much, but he could still draw some power into his dantian.


    Once he was done with that, the hard part came in, the second half of the cultivation technique: death. In the academy, one would suspect there not to be many deaths, but it also depended on the history of the ce, what had happened here over the course of time.


    The sound of painful screams whispered into Raze''s mind, and it wasn''t just him who was being affected either. Dame could feel the whole room get slightly cooler, quite noticeable, as if a cube of ice was on his skin.


    ''What is this?'' Dame thought. ''I''ve never heard of this happening when someone is cultivating before. A rush of energy, voices in one''s head and screams, but to affect the environment around them? Is this because of the magic he uses?''


    The room hadn''t gotten any colder, but Dame felt like he was suddenly being watched. His sixth sense as a warrior was activating, and he had a heavy feeling that something in the room was looking at him.


    Getting off from the wall, Dame proceeded to walk around in a circle, twisting and turning his head, trying to find something in the room. He couldn''t see anything, but the chilling feeling of being watched persisted.


    "Who''s there?" Dame asked. He started to fortify the Qi in his body, externally glowing with power.


    There was no response, no answer, and Raze was still sitting in the middle of the floor. Around an hour had passed, and the feeling still hadn''t left Dame. Finally, Raze opened his eyes again; he had stopped, and the chilling feeling had left the room, along with the sensation of being watched.


    "What''s wrong, did you see something?" Raze asked, noticing that Dame''s body was tensed up.


    "Was I supposed to see something?" Dame asked.


    Unlike before, Raze wasn''t brought into another world of imagery. He could only hear the screams and the energy of those who had passed away around him. There was no voice this time either, leading him to believe that everything had worked out, until he saw the look on Dame''s face.


    "Just sometimes, strange images pop into my head when I use the technique. I thought it would happen this time, but nothing seemed to happen."


    Dame had his finger on his chin, he remembered Raze saying something strange like thisst time as well. He himself wasn''t the right person to get to the bottom of this; a person who might know was his father, which was a hard person for him to talk to.


    "Don''t cultivate the demonic energy unless I''m with you next time," Dame said. "I think you might be onto something; it''s pretty dangerous."


    The conversation was left there, with Raze being none the wiser about his situation. If Dame felt something, then it certainly was dangerous.


    As the days went by, each individual continued their training. Dame was helping not only Simyon but was also helping Raze as he showed him some neutral techniques that he could use.


    Once in a while, the teachers would ask the students to perform some of the skills they were working on, and that included Raze.


    He had shown what Dame had taught him, a fist technique called Boulder Smash. It was basic, but in certain situations, it could be used well, and a fist technique was always handy to have if one were to lose their weapon.


    When demonstrating it, although Raze had done it perfectly, the teacher Tod just shook his head.


    "A skilled enemy would just sh your arm off before you could even use your fist," Todmented and put another X by Raze''s name.


    Days were passing by rather quickly, and the students no longer gave Raze any trouble. It was simple; they were more afraid of him than they were of Mada, so why would they do his bidding?


    The group hadn''t seen Safa either since she had been taken away, neither had Teacher Lee, so they continued to work as hard as they could. Then finally, there was only one week left until the big day.


    Before the fight against the other students would take ce, the two teachers had decided to give the blue headband students one more assessment.


    For this assessment, the blue headband students were taken to the back of the academy, the forest where the Hop bunnies would live. It was an area that they knew well since it was part of the assessment that they had taken when joining the academy.


    "You have all worked hard!" Tod announced. "You have trained to reach the position you are in now, and in order to defeat the yellow headbands."


    There was no mention of the red headbands; perhaps the teachers thought that was a crazy goal, which angered Liam a little, who had also been working equally hard. But he didn''t just want to take out a yellow headband; he wanted a red one.


    "This will be the final test that will decide which 20 get through to the next stage of the assessment. You have 1 hour to hunt and bring back as many power stones as possible. A warning to you all," Tod said, looking at Raze. "Don''t get lost again."


    Finally, it was a test where the teachers could have no bias, Raze thought. He needed to do well because he had ns, ns to fill his special statue with the blood of the main five disciples.

 Chapter 132 A Filthy Cheat

    <h4>Chapter 132 A Filthy Cheat</h4>


    The students had a few moments to prepare themselves before the assessment started. Thankfully, this time the assessment wouldn''t involve the other students with other colored headbands, so it was unlikely that anyone here would give them any trouble.


    "Hey, so what are we going to do? Are we going to team up likest time or what?" Simyon asked.


    "I''m sorry," Raze replied. "The teachers have something against me, so I need to do well on this assessment. You are strong, but in this assessment, I need to give it everything I have."


    Simyon couldn''t really argue against that. For thest month, he had been doing a strange set of training techniques designed to make his body stronger. Honestly, he wasn''t sure if it was working or if he was getting used to the suffering.


    Other than the two-step shift, though, Simyon didn''t know many techniques that would allow him to help in catching the Hop Bunnies.


    "Alright, begin!" Tod shouted, and the students rushed off, including Raze, leaving only Simyon and Dame at the starting block along with the rest.


    "Alright, do you have some type of n that we can work together on?" Simyon asked.


    "Me? If I were to join in on this assessment, it wouldn''t really be fair," Damemented.


    Simyon didn''t really understand what he meant by this. To him, he thought Dame was someone who had just stumbled upon Raze. He had been fed the same story as the teachers, so Simyon knew no better.


    It was odd, though, now that he thought about it. This person seemed to know a lot about techniques, was always calm in high-tension situations, and was rtivelyx about everything. What gave this person confidence in the first ce?


    "Anyway, so the best thing I can do is stay out of people''s way," Dame said as he walked into the forest. "Why don''t you rub some honey juice on your body and attract the bunnies? If they''re sucking on you, you could at least beat them a few times, right?"


    Left dumbfounded, Simyon found himself on his own, but he didn''t want to fall behind. He hadn''t done all that training for nothing. He, too, wanted to take part in the uing assessment between students. So he ran forward and started to take his top off, taking Dame''s advice quite literally as he looked for something sweet to put on himself.


    Inside the forest, Raze wasted no time. His sharp senses allowed him to feel the general area where a Hop Bunny would be. Then he could tell where one was moving to and managed to hop side to side. After that, when it was in his sight, he would use the second descending step to rush and push it forward. In an instant, he would close the distance between him and the bunny. At the same time, he would make a small sh with his bare hand across its back and use a little bit of his wind magic to sharpen it to the point that it was like a sword. It would hit the Hop Bunny and cut deep enough to kill it in one hit.


    "This small amount of magic shouldn''t affect the world. The portal had only opened upst time because of the earring reaching the unique stage. So it should be fine."


    After killing the Hop Bunny, Raze, with next to no hesitation, had pulled out the crystal from its body. He was able to guide his fingers with ease using the wind magic to push away the flesh as well and cut away any fiddly bits. What would take approximately a minute or so to obtain the crystal, Raze was doing it in seconds. He was taking this assessment quite seriously, and students were noticing it.


    A couple of students had been following a Hop Bunny for a while when they were noticed. It started to run away, and they went after it. The two of them were catching up when they felt arge gust of wind pass them. They closed their eyes just for a moment, protecting them from the wind, and when they opened them, they could see the white-haired no-name holding the Hop Bunny in his hands. He had pulled out the crystal right in front of their eyes.


    "Heavenly crap!" one student said in disbelief. "How did he manage to get past us so fast?"


    "Not only that, he managed to kill that Hop Bunny so quickly as well," the other boymented.


    Seeing this, they were stunned into amazement. This wasn''t something someone could simply do with luck. It was clear that this no-name was quite skillful.


    For a while now, the students had been keeping an eye on Raze. They had seen him running almost every day, practicing simple skills, and seeing his determination had set a small spark in them all. The only thing he wascking in was actual skill, but what if he wasn''t? What if that actually wasn''t the case? Then, could he be the hope that they were looking for? The Blue headbands wanted to prove what the five main ns said was wrong. They actually didn''t care who was the one to do it. They all just desperately wanted someone to prove them wrong. The main issue was, did they want it to be a no-name, of all people?


    Raze quickly moved on, dropping the beast on the ground, and continued his hunt through the forest. Many more students were able to witness his skill as he took out bunny after bunny. In the end, the hour wasing up, and he had managed to obtain a total of twenty-four crystals altogether.


    "This should be enough," Raze thought, huffing and panting. He was a little hot as well. "I think all that running might have conditioned me better as well, but using my Qi constantly is still quite tiring. I hope after this little test, we get to keep the crystals as well because I could use them to make some Qi potions as well," Raze thought to himself.


    The students heard the loud horn-like sound indicating it was the end of the test. They started to head back, and while they did, many of them were talking about what they had seen. How Raze, the white-haired student, had killed the beasts so quickly right in front of their eyes. It was whispered among the students because as soon as they saw the teachers, they straightened up.


    "Alright, please disy the number of crystals you have managed to obtain to us all," Tod shouted.


    Coming out of the forest a little sticky from some type of honey was none other than Simyon. He had several small little red bite marks on his body. It wasn''t from the Hop Bunnies but instead from the many bugs in the forest. Seeing this, Dame was trying to hold in hisughter. He felt a little bad because he didn''t expect the young one to take his suggestion so seriously. So he moved on over to him.


    "So, did you manage to catch any?" Dame asked.


    "Your n was a dud," Simyon replied, gritting his teeth. He was about to say more until he felt Dame pass something into his hands.


    When opening them, he could see that there were three power stones present. "What the¡­"


    "I already told you, I don''t need to take part in the uing assessment, so these are on the house for you," Dame whispered.


    Tod and the other teacher came around inspecting students and their crystals. The Hop Bunnies were fast, so most students could only get one or two crystals, with the odd few getting more. One of the highest-scoring students was Liam, who had obtained a total of eight crystals.


    "Whoa, he got eight, that''s really good!"


    "I have seen him working hard every day; he''s even been perfecting that technique," another whispered.


    Liam''s determination had continued after that day. He didn''t give up, and equally just like the others, seeing how Raze was doing, he too had pushed himself further. It was also his chance to make up for his loss in fighting for him toe out on top in this test.


    "Alright, Raze," Tod said. "It looks like you didn''t get lost this time, so why don''t you go ahead and show me how many crystals you managed to gather."


    Taking the pouch that was on his side, Raze opened it up. "You can count them; there are around twenty-four inside."


    "TWENTY-FOUR!" one of the students closest shouted. Many of them gasped as well at the sheer number. They were imagining how hard, how fast one had to be to get 24 crystals in an hour. Was it even possible to get a higher number?


    Quickly, Tod snatched the bag out of Raze''s hand and started to count the crystals one by one. It was true; there were twenty-four crystals inside, but how was it possible? This number, in this amount of time, maybe even a teacher wouldn''t be able to achieve such a thing. The more he thought about it, the more impossible he thought it was.


    "You are really scum," Tod said as he smiled. "I can''t believe it; you stole these crystals from your fellow students, didn''t you? I thought it was strange; I thought the number of crystals the others had was a little low."


    "Now it makes sense; you took the power stones and thought you could get away with it. Did you really think you could fool the eyes of me?"


    Hearing this, Raze started to tense his fists, both of them that were down by his side. The other students had seen Raze get the crystals by himself. They knew that this wasn''t true, but would they speak up for him? Surely, one of the others would say something.


    Running in their minds was the thought, if one of the others spoke up, then they would too. However, no one did, not a single person spoke up, leaving it so no one said a thing.


    Simyon wanted to say something, but it was clear that they wouldn''t take his word.


    "Ha, I will be taking these crystals... and good luck in getting picked. Trash like you should just leave the academy," Tod said as he marked another X by Raze''s name and ced the pouch on his side.


    Simyon was in disbelief, but Dame thought it was to be expected. In a way with Raze trying too hard, he had just shown something that was too unachievable. Which did make him wonder.


    ''How did Raze manage to catch so many. With the techniques I showed him and being a 2 star Pagan warrior, he shouldn''t have been able to get that many. Could I even get that many crystals without destroying the ce?''


    Tod was about to walk off, heading to the next student until he heard something.


    "No!" Raze shouted, his head down, and his fists still tensed. "I don''t care if you have something against me, but those crystals are mine, and no one takes things from me that are mine!"

 Chapter 133 The Final 20

    <h4>Chapter 133 The Final 20</h4>


    The teacher Tod had stopped in his tracks. He could hear the slight vibration in Raze''s voice, one that would only appear when one was truly angry.


    Immediately, Tod turned around, his eyes bulging as he looked at Raze. "These items are yours? You think this is deserved by someone like you, a no-name who shouldn''t even be in the academy in the first ce?"


    Tod started to walk back toward Raze, and seeing this, Dame didn''t think it was a good idea, and neither did Simyon. The two of them were on the move, shifting from the line and heading toward where Raze was.


    "Even if I''m a no-name, so what? What if I was to beat those n members that you grovel at their feet for just for a chance to wipe their backside?"


    "I would much rather live doing what I wanted as a no-name than live a life like yours."


    Instantly, Tod moved his hand and swung it, pping Raze right across the face. His cheek had turned bright red at that moment. The attack was fast.


    Unlike the other students'' attacks that he could still follow and see, this one wasn''t the same. Gritting his teeth, Raze had enough.


    ''I hate people like this, I hate it. They are blind, they''re in the same position as me, but because they can''t get out of their situation, they take it out on those that they even believe are lower than them. People like this shouldn''t exist!''


    A flicker of dark magic started to travel around Raze''s finger.


    ''One hit, that''s all I want, just one hit!''


    When Raze went to move his hand, he felt a strong grasp around his wrist, followed by a whisper into his ear.


    "It''s not worth it, trust me. When the time is right, you can prove to everyone here. Prove him wrong through your achievements and not your actions. If you killed him, then he wouldn''t even be able to see what you will achieve." Dame whispered.


    Flinging Dame''s hand off his wrist, Raze took in a deep breath. With that, rather than staying there with everyone present, he had decided just to walk off. He pushed open the heavy double doors and headed back to his room.


    Walking away from a situation rather than acting, at times, was the harder thing to do. Thankfully, Dame did have a way with words that would calm Raze down. In anything, he knew the right way to talk to him.


    Thankfully, unlike a stroppy teenager who would just think their way was the right way, Dame realized that he was easier to reason with than expected, as long as you pushed him in the right direction and made him see the overall picture.


    Tod and the other teacher continued to count the power stones the others had received, somewhat ignoring what had happened. While the others were waiting for everything to be counted up, Liam had gone to therge double doors.


    He then pressed it hard with his strength, and he managed to nudge it only slightly open before stopping it and allowing it to close.


    ''I thought so, this door is freaking heavy; the teachers are the ones that make this thing look easy to open. And Raze just went through the door with no trouble right now. Is he really so far ahead of the rest of us?'' Liam thought.


    For the rest of the day, the students were rtively silent. Self-training continued, but Raze wasn''t seen out on the courtyard running. It was the first time this had happened.


    It was odd; some of them never really noticed his presence before or thought that they didn''t really look at him, yet without him just there working hard, their motivation for working hard had disappeared.


    This was true even for Liam, who half-heartedly shoved his sword through the straw puppet right in the crotch again.


    "I just can''t get into it," Liam said to himself, looking at the sky. "Crap, why do I feel like such crap? Is it because I didn''t say anything back then? I mean, even if I did say something, what would it have changed? The teacher seems to have had a thing for him since day one."


    It wasn''t the time for them to be thinking about this, not now, not when they were so close to the big event.


    The during next few days, things had returned back to normal. The teachers were out in the courtyard making markings in their books. Raze was outside again, but he seemed to stay close to Simyon and Dame more and had stopped his running around the field.


    "Hey, are you alright Raze?" Simyon asked.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," Raze replied. "Things will all work out in the end. I have time to do what I need to do."


    "Do you want to get a paddle and hit Simyon?" Dame asked. "It''s part of his training, and it''s pretty fun."


    Raze didn''t say anything and just went ahead to pick up the paddle from the ground.


    "What... please Raze go easy on me, please," Simyon said, lifting his hands up. "Oh well, I promised that I would do whatever you asked of me, and if this makes you feel better, then go ahead."


    Raze was ready to swing the paddle, but before he did, he had a few words to say.


    "Simyon, when you feel you''re in trouble, then firmly push on your earring. It will work out well for you," Raze said, and swung the paddle before Simyon could say anything else.


    The days continued on, and finally, Safa had returned along with Teacher Lee. It was the final day, the day before the event was to take ce. Before the announcement was made, Safa had joined the others in the main room.


    She had done her fake air hug once again when seeing Raze, which made everyone look at her with an odd look, but she didn''t care; she wanted to express her feelings.


    "Did you manage to learn a lot?" Raze asked.


    Safa nodded her head and had a big smile on her face.


    "That''s good; if you take part in the assessment, you shouldn''t go out without a fight," Raze stated.


    He was still debating internally whether or not he should teach her Light Magic or if it was possible. For some reason, though, in the back of his head, he trusted Simyon more than he did Safa, even after everything he had done for her.


    Whenever this feeling would arise at the back of his mind, his chest would ache. Raze thought this was a sign from the original body. It was clear that the original body trusted her and didn''t like the fact that Raze didn''t fully trust her.


    ''Since it would be her core magic, there''s no need to find a light attribute crystal as well. I wonder what Alter would think about this, about me teaching someone,'' Raze thought.


    All of the students had eventually been called to the courtyard, and it was time for the announcements to be made. Teacher Lee had received the results from Tod and the other assessor.


    He had gone through everything, and now the final twenty to take part had been decided.


    "I want you to remember that you twenty are the hope. The hope that things can change, that you can improve and bring glory to your n within the Dark Faction, as well as out of it!"


    Opening the book, Lee proceeded to call the following names.


    "Safa Cromwell!"


    This was a given since Lee had been teaching her personally. When the two were together, Safa had also made it clear to Lee that she had a family name, and she brought over a book and pointed to the letters to exin her name.


    It was a long process, but something she absolutely wanted and what she felt was necessary.


    "Liam Parma!"


    This was a name that also didn''t surprise the others because Liam was excelling at everythingpared to the rest. From there, the names continued to get called one after the other, and as it got closer to the final five, the students were starting to talk among themselves, in whispers.


    "Hey, is Raze going to get selected?"


    "He has to, right? I mean, although all he did was run, he has more stamina than everyone else."


    "He''s also quite good with his techniques even though they''re basic."


    "He''s probably got the most chance of winning a fight against a yellow band, right?"


    These were all said in whispers, though, and it hadn''t reached Teacher Lee. He had continued to call out the names, and had finally reached thest name.


    "Simyon."


    Hearing thest name, Simyon wasn''t pleased, and instead, he turned to look at Raze to see how he reacted to all of this. Safa was greatly confused as she looked at her brother. She had no clue what had gone on while they were away either.


    "You knew this would happen, right?" Dame said. "You''re not disappointed."


    "I am a little," Raze replied. "But as you said, I expected this much at least. Don''t worry, I''ll find another way to get back at the main disciples. Heck, if you can, Safa, Simyon, you two are just going to have to do it for me."


    It wasn''t just the three of them that were shocked, but it was also the other students, but just like thest time, they didn''t know what to say. If they spoke up, would they then be treated as an outcast?


    If Raze took someone else''s ce, would the rest of the group hate them for speaking up, and what about that student in particr that would be swapped out?


    Little did they know, all of those that had been selected, in that moment, would have also given up their ce for Raze to take part.


    The next day had arrived, and it was time for the grand event.

 Chapter 134 The Main Clan’s Arrive!

    <h4>Chapter 134 The Main n''s Arrive!</h4>


    It was finally the day of the big event. A month had passed, and by now, all of the students should have learned the skill to its fullest capability in this amount of time. It was the first assessment that would be given to first-year students.


    The first event was for them all to showcase the new skills they had learned in a friendly bout. In a way, it was also designed to show that the Blue headband students still had a gap to close, and for the Yellow and Red headband students to know someone was always on their back ready to rece them.


    However, this time the event had more weight than it ever did, and the students had no idea of what was toe.


    Arge stage had been built out of solid reinforced concrete. It was ced outside of the main courtyard that separated all of the buildings. It was also ced right in front of the main building of the academy where the teachers resided.


    The stage was slightly elevated off the floor and around forty meters by forty meters in size, giving them all enough room to use a number of foot techniques and show everything they had. The reinforced concrete was able to withstand hits from at least a stage 3 Pagna warrior.


    At the sides of the stage, there were stands built with a few seats in between. This covered three sides of the area and were colored Dark Blue, Yellow, and Red. On the final side, which was closest to the academy building, there were several seats out and about, possibly around thirty or so. Many hadrge umbres that would be used to block the sun, giving them a sense of shade. Two men stood away from the seats, and that was Gunther and Pincer.


    ''I can''t believe it''s been an entire month, and I''ve still received no news about anything to do with the Dark Magus. The other teachers know nothing!'' Guntherined. ''At least the reward still hasn''t been taken down. It should mean no one knows anything about him yet. Oh well, at least today shouldn''t be boring. I wonder how he''s doing and if I''ll get to see him perform today.''


    Pincer grabbed onto arge gray horn. It had short fur on the outside, and the white color gave it the impression that it was made of some type of bone. cing both lips on the end, he puffed his cheeks and blew hard, letting off the signal that it was time to begin the event.


    A few momentster, the sound of marching filled the entire ce. One foot was ced after the other, as Lee, Tod, and the other Blue headband teachers walked in, their students in rows behind them, following them neatly. At the same time, the Yellow headband students, around seventy or so in number, hade out, doing the same, being led by their teachers to their stand, and finally, there were the Red headband students.


    When reaching the stands, everyone carefully lined up, turned, and took their seats. In front of the stands for the Blue headbands and the Yellow headbands, there were separate seats ced out in front closer to the stage. As for the Red headbands, since there were only twenty students in the first ce, there was no such thing.


    "Oh, it looks like the white-haired kid didn''t make the cut. What a shame. I would have loved to have seen you teach him a lesson, Mada," Ricktormented.


    "Yeah," Mada replied, and noticed that his heart was at ease. Was he afraid to go up against Raze? Was he thankful that he didn''t need to do such a thing? It wasn''t just him, though. Sherry also noticed that the tall student wasn''t taking part either, the one that had stopped her with the te.


    "Will all students please wee the Principal Murkal Dockthron, the Vice Principal Amir Huthell, and the headmasters of the five major ns belonging to the Dark Faction!"


    Walking out through the academy doors were the principal and the vice principal, and following not too far behind them were the five leaders. Just their appearance alone as they walked together gave arge, intimidating feeling. Even though the area wasrge and vast, they felt like they were being pinned down by giant wild beasts. Just looking at them was giving everyone the shivers.


    "What is going on right now? Why are the five n heads here?"


    "This isn''t a big event; they don''t usuallye, right? So why have theye this time?"


    It wasn''t just them, though. Soon, even more figures hade out from the academy, dressed in extravagant clothes. They were surrounded by powerful guards by their side as well.


    Teacher Lee had recognized them instantly. ''These are all prominent figures across the entire Dark Faction continent. Merchant heads, mercenary group leaders, and there are even some government officials among them as well.''


    Teacher Lee had made eye contact with Principal Amir. It was clear his request had been granted. If he was able to show results in front of all of these, then it would provide great results.


    "It''s a good thing I wasn''t fighting after all," Damemented.


    "What do you mean?" Raze asked.


    "Some of those n heads, I''ve fought them before, and they know exactly what I look like. They would have been able to sniff me out from the beginning," Dame exined. "Who would have thought that they would be bringing such important people."


    Raze was looking at each of the n heads individually. This party was his target, those that he had to ovee in this world if he wanted to be someone of significance.


    For those taking part in the event, the presence of all of these onlookers was making them more nervous.


    "They''re all going to be watching¡­" Simyon said. "All of these people are going to be watching my embarrassing talent!"


    Simyon ced his head nearly on his knees; he was so embarrassed imagining the fighting already, and he thought maybe it would have been better if someone else were selected instead.


    "I just hope those n heads don''t hold a grudge when I kick their precious sons and daughters to the ground right in front of them," Liam said confidently.


    It wasn''t just the Blue headbands that were nervous, though; the five main disciples were as well. They didn''t even dare look in the way of their n heads because, in a lot of their cases, they weren''t just the n heads, but these were their rtives, their grandparents, direct parents, aunts, or uncles.


    "It''s been a long time since the five of us were together like this. It''s a shame we don''t get to meet up more often!" An older man with a scruffy beard and arge belly said.


    The man was Gavin Rocksbored, and he was head of the Moon Shield n. Their n was well known for being ced on the border between them and the Light Faction and had never once failed in defending an attack.


    "Please, I would much rather keep our meeting to a minimum; I am very busy." A woman with dark purple hair and next to no wrinkles on her face, looking the youngest of the group said.


    She was Feebie Dines, the head of the Lethal Bite n.


    "I should thank you all foring," Amir said with a polite bow. "I know all of you have extremely busy schedules, but don''t you think it''s good to keep an eye on the future generation of our ns, especially with the troubles that have been urring."


    "He is right," Crine said, the leader of the Flowing Force n. He was the only one there that had rtively short hair on his head. Not only that, he wore the least amount of clothing, showing off his muscr shoulders to the others.


    "I heard that the Light Faction had a scuffle with the Demonic Factiontely, and it didn''t end well," Crine continued.


    "Ah yes, I heard that as well," Samantha Whishheart said. Leader of the Tulip Falls n. She had an incredible amount of fur clothing on her body, making her appear several timesrger than she actually was. Even sitting in her chair, she looked somewhat like a giant pr bear sitting down.


    "It''se as quite a surprise since I also heard that Beatrix was sent."


    "No way!" Gavin nearly jumped out of his seat. "Beatrix was defeated. Does this mean that the Demonic Faction has been gathering their strength? If they have talents that are capable of beating her."


    Quite quickly, Murkel cleared his throat, interrupting the talking of the other leaders.


    "We are not here to talk about these matters; today we are here for the students, so please keep your attention on them."


    The others listened to Murkel and sat back in their seats, ready for the event to begin. Peeking over, though, Crine had noticed something. All of the seats were filled with guests. Amir had done well to get the correct number; after all, he had been in charge of inviting them all, yet there were two seats that were empty.


    Just as he thought this, he could hear the sound of footsteps from behind.


    "Sorry I''m a bitte; the young one had to take a big log in the toilet," a male''s voice said.


    When turning around, they could see arge man with a brown trench coat walking, and by his side, a short, orange-haired girl with a beret hat.


    From the stands, Raze had instantly spotted the two.


    "What are they doing here?"

 Chapter 135 The 1st Match

    <h4>Chapter 135 The 1st Match</h4>


    The man in therge brown trenchcoat and the woman with orange hair tucked underneath her beret hat, the two of them were people that Raze would never forget.


    Himmy and Charlotte. The two of them were what was known as otherworlders, just like Raze. They didn''t originate from Pagna, and they were also in therge organization known as Alter.


    "What are the two of them doing here at this event? Why would theye to such a thing in the first ce?" Raze thought.


    Both of them sat down in their seats and took a nce around the ce. They were greeted by Amir and offered something to drink.


    While one of the guards served them, Charlotte continued to look around until she spotted Raze up in the stands.


    Immediately, she went and tugged on the sleeve of Himmy.


    "Look what I found," Charlotte said, raising her eyebrows in the direction of a certain individual.


    Gazing up, Himmy spotted Raze as well.


    "I see he made it into the academy all okay then. It''s a shame that we won''t be seeing him take part though," Himmy replied.


    The two talked in hushed voices, making sure those around them wouldn''t hear. They also kept getting odd looks from the other main n leaders, but they knew who they were or at least what group they came from, as Alter was an organization that many in high positions knew about, a group of people that were not quite a n but could be hired for distinct services.


    Raze continued to stare out of the corner of his eye at the two of them. He didn''t want Dame to catch on that he knew them either.


    That would open up another can of worms of questions for him.


    ''That''s right, they told me that Alter is everywhere, and I got that letter in my room. Someone from Alter was already at the academy.''


    ''I still haven''t figured out who that letter was from, and since that day, no one has tried to visit me or given me another one. But it does mean that Alter already knows that I''m here.''


    Still, Raze couldn''t figure out why the two of them were there. They could have sent anyone from the group. Did Himmy and Charlotte specifically request toe to the academy?


    Or was it just because they were already in the area? And why would the Principal of the Dark Faction Academy invite them?


    These were honestly questions that Raze would perhaps never get an answer to. He didn''t even know how high their positions were in the Alter group, since he, along with the others, were just considered field agents.


    He was just told that someone would contact him if they ever needed his help.


    "I''m a little worried, though. If they see Simyon fight, they might realize his strengthes from the item. Although it''s unlikely since it looks more like a martial arts technique."


    Now that everyone was present, Pincer had jumped from his position and entered the center stage.


    "I will now exin how the event will take ce. The Blue Headband students must pick any opponent from the Yellow stand apart from those that are in the selective seats.


    "If they wish, they may also choose someone from the Red Headband group."


    Some of the merchants and those in the crowd chuckled as they heard this. Although it was the first time for the leaders to be invited, quite a few of them had witnessed the events before that.


    "After all of the Blue Headbands have taken part, we will invite the Yellow Headbands in the seats to go against the Red Headbands," Pincer exined.


    The Yellow Headbands in the seats were the top of the Yellow Headbands. The event was done this way so the strongest could go up against the Red Headbands at full force.


    As for why there were no restrictions on the Blue Headbands taking on those in the Red, it was because of the skill gap believed to exist between the groups. A Red Headband user should at least be skillful enough to take on a Blue Headband and a Yellow.


    If anything, if a Blue Headband owner did challenge a Red Headband owner, it would be seen like a warm-up.


    "Will the firstpetitor please stand!" Pincer shouted.


    Out of the Blue Headband owners, the first one to stand up straight in his seat was none other than Liam.


    Before selecting his opponent, though, he looked down the line where Safa and Simyon were seated together.


    "Please, watch me carefully!" Liam said, and lifting both of his hands up, he made a heart shape right toward Safa.


    Nearly all of the Blue Headband owners were shaking their heads at this point. They were embarrassed to be part of the same group. While the othersughed.


    "As for my opponent, I select the young master from the Erupting Fist n!" Liam dered.


    Theughter had instantly stopped there. If this was a joke, it certainly wasn''t a funny one.


    "Did he just say from the Erupting Fist n? Does this young one have a death wish!" Gavin said, pping hisrge belly.


    Not only had Liam selected someone from the Red Headbands, which was a surprise, but he had selected what most presumed was the strongest first-year in the entire academy and perhaps the strongest in the entire academy.


    "I will prove what you said that day right here and now is a lie!"


    Standing up, Ricktor had a smile on his face. He was casual about the whole thing, and the two started to make their way to the tform.


    The Blue Headbands were nervous, and so was Teacher Lee.


    "ording to the assessment sheets given to me by the other teachers, Liam was the student with the highest score!" Lee thought. "Why did he have to go and challenge Ricktor of all people? If he had challenged a Yellow Headband, he had a good chance of winning."


    Many of the students had the same thought; many knew that Liam was the most skilled out of all of them. So if he lost, it would be a big hit to all of their confidence.


    "You can do it!" Dame shouted, his hands cupped around his mouth. "Use your killer move and take out his balls, even if you lose!"


    While everyone else was afraid to say something, Dame took this opportunity to cheer on the fellow disciples he had worked side by side with. Soon after, the rest started to cheer him on as well.


    "Show him that we aren''t from some weak ns!"


    "We can change our position, Liam, take him out!"


    The onlookers found the whole thing quite interesting; it was the first time they had seen the Blue Headband group so rowdy before.


    "Do you think this will be an interesting match?" one of the merchants asked.


    "Hmm, Ricktor is meant to be considered a prodigy even within his own n. Honestly, it''s hard to see thissting more than two hits. Unless he wants it tost that long."


    "Haha!" Guntherughed, overhearing the two of them speak. "You are probably right, but I don''t know why, but I have a good feeling about the Blue Headbands. Things feel different about them."


    "For some reason, I just feel like we might see something amazing today."


    Ricktor stood in the middle and pulled out his sword. For this event, the two of them would be using wooden swords for fear of killing the other student. It also allowed them to use the full strength of their techniques.


    "I''m a bit upset that you have chosen me; your disgusting eyepatch is not to my liking." Ricktormented.


    Liam went and pulled out his sword and pointed it as well.


    "Do you think I care about what you like and don''t like? Why don''t you just stick your horny chicken under some rock!" Liam retorted.


    "From what I heard, you are one of the strongest from the Blue Headbands, so let''s see what you got," Ricktor replied.


    Immediately, Liam charged forward, and when he got close, his sword was high up in the air.


    "The Elephant''s Strike!" Liam shouted and swung it down in a smooth motion. His sword was swinging in such a way that it was hard to predict where it would go.


    "He''s managed to learn the skill perfectly!" Lee was surprised at what he could see. "The Elephant''s Strike is also perfect to add to one''s own n skills or additional skills as well as a follow-up, even if the first strike doesn''t hit."


    Despite the strange sword path, Ricktor was able to avoid it. He was moving with the sword as if he was following its very direction, staying just an inch or so away.


    "The Jewel''s Thrust!" Liam thrust his sword down below at the end of his Elephant''s Strike. It had perfect timing, and even the n heads were impressed by what they were seeing.


    "For a Blue Headband owner to perform this well, it seems the talent of the students has gone up this year," Samanthamented.


    The thrust had missed again, but Liam didn''t give up as he went back to performing the Elephant Strike again.


    As they watched, the students were getting excited as the sword was swinging next to Ricktor. It felt like it was only a matter of time until a strike wouldnd.


    "He could really win at this rate!" one of the studentsmented.


    "Don''t be an idiot," Dame said. "Does his face look like someone who''s losing?"


    Looking at Ricktor, he had a smile the entire time.


    Another thrust was performed by Liam, and he jumped back, avoiding the attack again, and cleared the distance between the two.


    "It''s a good thing you No-names aren''t taking part in this fight. Because, I will now show you what would have happened to you if you did!" Ricktor said, raising his sword in the air.

 Chapter 136 The Blue Head Band’s Hope

    <h4>Chapter 136 The Blue Head Band''s Hope</h4>


    Ricktor lifted his sword up in the air, pointing toward the sky. It became a focal point as everyone''s eyes looked at it, but it just remained there up in the air. He didn''t swing it down nor did he move.


    As for his eyes, he was looking straight ahead at Raze. He didn''t break eye contact and just continued to look ahead.


    Murkel Dockthron, the principal, had taken note of his grandson''s actions.


    ''Why is he looking at the white-haired kid? Did something happen between the two of them?''


    With the position Murkel was in, he was more the principal in name only. He had an entire n to run, which meant he would only be called or informed when there were big decisions to be made.


    He was unaware of what had happened to Raze, nor did he really know of his existence until now.


    "What are you doing!" Liam shouted in anger. "Fight me, I said fight me!"


    Liam charged forward and swung his sword out to the side. Moving quicker, Ricktor swung his sword down and hit Liam right on the shoulder before he could even fully swing his sword.


    "ARGHH!" Liam shouted in pain.


    The sword was lifted in the air again, and Ricktor swung down, hitting the other side of his shoulder.


    The pain shot through his entire body, and Liam was unable to even stand; he was falling to his knees, but before he could, Ricktor hit him right in the chin, keeping his body up with the strike.


    When Liam''s body was falling again, Ricktor proceeded to hit just under his armpits, keeping him up again, and did this a few times so he was unable to fall to the ground.


    "This is¡­ this is just cruel," Damemented.


    Honestly, Raze couldn''t agree more. Why were there people that unted and abused their power over others?


    Was the thrilling feeling that they got, did it mean that much to them?


    Eventually, Ricktor had stopped, and Liam fell to the floor. He was still conscious, his muscles bruised, his bones perhaps already partly broken.


    Yet, he still reached for his sword.


    ''I trained¡­ I trained so hard. I did everything I could for this day. Are you better than me, because you trained harder than me! Are you stronger than me because of things you''ve been through?''


    As Liam turned around, Ricktor stepped on his chest.


    "I told you already," Ricktor said smiling. "I was born in this position, and you were born in your position. You can''t change those facts; you can''t ovee it with hard work."


    "All of you are here for us."


    With the bottom of his foot, Ricktor then went and kicked Liam. His body was lifted in the air, and he was heading right for those in the Blue headband group.


    The first to react, though, was Safa. She rushed out of her seat and caught Liam''s body. He was heavy, though, and the kick was strong.


    She slid across the floor until Simyon had joined in and grabbed onto Liam as well. When he grabbed onto the body, the three of them stopped.


    Liam looked to see who was holding onto him, and he could see the big beautiful round eyes.


    "Oh Safa, if I knew all I needed to do was take a beating for you to hold me like this. I would have dly taken a hundred beatings." Liam smiled.


    Hearing this, Simyon then pulled Liam''s body away from Safa and dragged him along, taking him to the teachers.


    "This pervert seems to have something wrong with his head; he needs to get checked," Simyon said, leaving him be.


    Now with Liam by the side of the students, they could see how much damage and pain he was in. He was trying his best to hide it, but parts of his body had already swollen up due to the fractures inside.


    "It''s a shame; that young man with the Blue headband actually showed some promise with his skills. If he had taken on a Yellow headband owner, then maybe he would have had a chance," one of the onlookersmented.


    "Arrogance and knowing one''s strength are also part of being a Pagna warrior. It just goes to show that he thought too much of himself, and a warrior like that will be hard to grow."


    After seeing the results of the first match, Teacher Lee was getting nervous. He looked over at Amir, who shook his head.


    ''I have brought all of these prominent people,'' Amir thought. ''You will have to show a lot more than that. I need a reason to tell the Lethal Bite n to back down and to show these merchants that you are capable.''


    Although Teacher Lee couldn''t hear Amir, he knew exactly what he was thinking, and his fists were tensed harder than ever.


    ''ording to the evaluation, he was our best student, and he couldn''t evennd a scratch on the Red headband. The only way we can show our strength is by winning more matches.


    With that, the next Blue headband student stood up and dered his opponent, naming one of the students from the Yellow headband group.


    The fight had started between the two of them, and there were only a few shes before the Blue headband student had ended in defeat.


    The next match took ce, and the next, and again and again, they all would lose their match in simr fashion.


    All of the Blue headband students were gripping their clothes, frustrated at what was happening because they could see it.


    They could see the Yellow headbands, the Red headbands, and those watching, all of themughing at the results that were taking ce.


    The harder they tried, the more amusing it was to the others; eventually, the students had suffered ten losses in a row.


    "What is this!" Lee shouted at Tod and the other assessor. "Are these really the best students out of them all? They are getting destroyed out there."


    Tod gulped. "We did as you asked and assessed them based on all the tests you provided us. These are the results. I''m sorry, Teacher Lee, but the students are just not strong enough."


    Usually, Teacher Lee wouldn''t react like this, but he was desperate for a win. Desperate for anything to turn the tide, but now he had next to no hope.


    This wasn''t giving him a good reputation; he could tell from the merchants and others. This was ruining his reputationpletely. If he could, he would stop the fights right there and then, allowing just the Yellow headbands and Red headbands to continue.


    There was still his own pupil, but evaluating the skills he had seen, she would most likely lose as well.


    If that were to happen, then he felt like his world woulde crashing down at that moment.


    Not too far by the teacher''s side, though, was Liam, who had been lying down, and he had heard everything.


    He had also seen the results of all the matches so far, and he had had enough. Lifting his body off the ground, he grunted in pain before shouting.


    "No!" Liam said, and the students turned as they heard his words. "There is someone¡­ there is someone in our group who''s strong and can beat them!"


    Teacher Lee was wondering what the student meant. He was the strongest out of the Blue headbands, so how could there be someone else?


    "Please, we''re getting destroyed out there."


    This whole thing is embarrassing and so frustrating. I can see the way they look at us. The way they treat us¡­ and I just want someone to shut them up!" Liam shouted.


    His voice was on the verge of breaking; his frustrated cries were felt by the students sitting in the stands as well.


    "You have to let him take part; you have to let him fight; you have to let Raze fight!" Liam shouted.


    Liam still remembered when he had challenged him that day. His overwhelming defeat. He knew he was strong, but he didn''t want to admit that a no-name could best him.


    However, was the way they were treating him, not the same way they were being treated by the higher headband users as well?


    Being put in the situation they were in now, he knew how Raze and the other No-names must have felt.


    From that day, Liam treated Raze differently, but he was embarrassed by his actions. He couldn''t even look him in the eye. So how could he ask him to fight for them?


    This strong sense of guilt within Liam was growing. It grew even stronger when he didn''t speak up during the Power Stone gathering assessment.


    He deserved a ce on the seats to go up against them, much more than anyone else.


    "Please¡­let him fight.." Liam asked once again.


    Teacher Lee looked at the assessment book given to him and tried to search for the name Raze. As he did, though, he could see that he had been given the lowest score out of the two hundred headband users.


    ''This kid, is he just trying to get his friend a chance to fight? I can''t risk it; there are still ten more students left to fight. Letting the weakest pupil fight, is he just trying to make me into a biggerughing stock.''


    "Callum, please stand and select your opponent," Teacher Lee called out.


    Callum stood up from his seat, his whole body shaking. He looked at Liam, and then looked back up at every corner of the stands.


    "Teacher Lee¡­I agree with Liam, please let Raze fight."

 Chapter 137 Let Him Fight!

    <h4>Chapter 137 Let Him Fight!</h4>


    The student stood up straight, his body shaking slightly with an unnerving look on his face. Instead of calling out for his next opponent, he had made a request to his teacher.


    "Teacher Lee... I agree with Liam, please let Raze fight."


    It took a lot for the student to say these words because he was conflicted as well. If Raze fought and won, if a no-name won, what would that mean?


    Would it mean that they were less than a no-name? That those born in the lowest caste system were better than them?


    Perhaps, but it meant something more than that to the students. Because they were fighting to prove that the position of the n could change. That the position and ce of a person weren''t predetermined.


    If anything, a victory through Raze, a no-name, was an even greater achievement in proving this, but what they needed was a victory at all costs.


    The memories of Raze running every day, of him hunting the hop bunnies, were all fresh in their minds. He was their hope for a victory.


    Seeing the student speak, Lee pped the top of his forehead and shook it.


    "What has gotten into you students? Do you really want the worst student to go out there and fight on your behalf?" Lee asked.


    The student didn''t say anything, somewhat stating his answer.


    ''The student they are talking about is also a no-name,'' Lee noted, looking at the top corner of the stand.


    ''No-name, will have been from no n. They would have had next to no chance to learn any advanced skills or receive Qi pills to have grown a strong foundation.''


    ''He is also one of the students that arrivedte, so they weren''t even able to obtain a skill book from the library. Sure, the girl I took in was also a no-name, but I could see her talent.''


    ''It''s not usual for talents like this toe across once in 100,000. So, is the student just afraid of going out there and embarrassing themselves in front of the others?''


    Teacher Lee started to think about what Liam had said as well. He had already lost his fight and had the same thing, so maybe there was some truth to it after all.


    In the end, the teacher turned his head to look at the two teachers that had taken the assessment.


    "These results that you gave me, are they absolutely correct?" Teacher Lee asked.


    "Yes!" Tod answered as he wiped his hands on his legs. "The student performed basic fist skills and did nothing but run during the month. He was one of the worst-performing students."


    Tod''s voice had wavered slightly because in the back of his mind, he was worried about something.


    ''That kid, he didn''t get all of those power stones on his own, did he? No, that''s impossible; he must have stolen them. Not even the main disciples would have been capable of such a thing.''


    From up above, Raze could see that there was somemotion going on. A lot of the students were wondering because a student had stood up from his seat but had yet to dere an opponent of any kind.


    They were also too far to hear anything that was being said either.


    "Callum, select your opponent," Teacher Lee said.


    The moment he said that, sighs were let out everywhere, includinging from Liam. In the end, they would take the teacher''s word over the kids.


    ''If I send out the worst student, I would be aughing stock; I can''t do it.''


    Reluctantly, Callum called out one of the students from the Yellow headband group. He stood there in the center of the stage and tried his best.


    Using the skills he had learned, he swung the sword well, but he was just a little too slow in movement. Not only that, but the skills the Yellow headband owner disyed were beyond that of the Blue headband.


    Using his sword, he had knocked it out of the student''s hand and hit the Blue Headband user right across the face, knocking Callum out and sending him to the floor.


    "Hahaha!" The Yellow headband ownerughed. "Come on, now you guys are embarrassing the Dark Faction as a whole. If they are weak ns like you protecting us... well, let''s just say when wares, I wouldn''t want you protecting my back."


    With the defeat, a few students went and took Callum off the tform. After that, the next student stood up and dered his opponent.


    Once again, five more students had lost from the Blue headband group, leaving only four left, including Simyon and Safa.


    When the next student stood up, he was already pleading.


    "Please, sir, please let Raze take my ce!" The student said, gritting his teeth. "I want to take part, I want to show my skills, but more so than that."


    "I want us Blue headbands to at least get a win!" The student cried out. "We''ve all been training hard side by side this entire time. We know our strength, so please!"


    Once again, there was another pleading from the students, and just as Lee was opening his mouth to decline him, he heard the others speaking up.


    "Please, sir, please let Raze fight!" The students asked.


    These were the front row of the group. Not just those taking part, but the other students in the crowd.


    "We need to win, let Raze fight on our behalf!"


    "Please, sir, they keepughing at us and cursing our ns; let him fight!"


    There was an overwhelming response, and it wasing from all the other students. When had Teacher Lee ever seen something like this, and it was for a no-name, no less?


    Rxing his tense fist, Teacher Lee looked up to the sky to make his decision and let out a big breath.


    "If that is the wish of my students, then how am I meant to go against it? Very well, I will let Raze fight," Teacher Lee stated.


    It was a risk he was taking, but with only four students left and how many straight losses their group had gone through without putting up much of a fight, he would take the gamble, but he wasn''t hoping for much.


    "Raze Cromwell!" Teacher Lee shouted with a booming voice. "Please take the position of Helix Fan since he is not feeling well or up to the task."


    A big smile came across the students'' faces when they heard this, and Helix started to grab his stomach as he rushed off and away.


    "Arghh, my stomach!" Helix said, with a smirk as he went away to the side.


    "Wait... me, he wants me to take part?" Raze pointed a finger at himself.


    "That''s what he said," Dame replied. "It looks like you''re going to get your revenge after all. Go on and show them what you''ve got; go get your revenge."


    Raze stood up, a bit dumbfounded as he wasn''t expecting to be called, but Dame was right; this was his chance.


    As Raze walked down from the stage, the Principal and those from Alter started to take notice.


    "Oh... what a very interesting development," Himmy said.

 Chapter 138 I Choose you!

    <h4>Chapter 138 I Choose you!</h4>


    Principal Murkel would not usually take notice of Raze, a student from the Blue headband group, but he had noticed that his grandson was looking at him in a strange way.


    If it was a student from any of the other groups, he would have perhaps ignored it, but from the lowest headband users? Although sometimes there were those that would rise from Yellow to Red, and on asion from Blue to Yellow, it was a rare urrence.


    What had never happened was a Blue headband rising all the way up to Red. Even if they were to achieve a Yellow headband, that would be their limit. Which was why it was quite interesting to Murkel.


    ''He wasn''t even taking part in the assessment. He wasn''t one of the chosen twenty, and now Teacher Lee decides to put him in the roster of fighters? This is quite confusing,'' Murkel thought and decided to turn to his most trusted aide by his side.


    "Amir, what n is that white-haired child from?" Murkel asked.


    "The white-haired boy." Amir saw that Raze had made it through the crowd of students, and he also recognized the expression on the faces of those that he had gone past. They had smiles and were pumping their fists.


    It was an odd action because they would do it only when he passed, as if they didn''t want him to see that they were cheering for him.


    "He is a no-name." Amir answered. "He resided in a town that belonged to the Red Brigade n, a third-rate n at best."


    Murkel didn''t say anything yet, nor did he react; instead, he just went to stroke the back of his hair that he wrapped around the front. Amir could tell though, he was thinking; anyone would find this odd.


    "A no-name is actually getting selected to take part?" Samantha held up her fan covering her mouth, making it hard for anyone close to read her expression. "No wonder he wasn''t part of the original line-up. I guess we should just wait and see the Yellow headband matches after this." She sighed, and the rest of the leaders felt the same way.


    They were tired of seeing one-sided matches one after the other because now there was no more excitement for them to witness. They could already predict the results of how the rest of the matches would go.


    Over to the left side of the Principal, Charlotte was giggling away as she stomped her foot rtively fast on the ground.


    "Hey, we''re going to see him fight!" Charlotte said, giggling to herself. "I''m so excited."


    "Are you bi-pr or something?" Himmy asked. "You never seem to act this way when we''re on the job, or watching another agent."


    "Hey!" Charlotte replied. "You know he''s special, right? He''s not only from Alterian, but he''s also able to use Qi as well. Aren''t you curious how skilled he is as a warrior?"


    Charlotte was actually curious about Raze in more ways than one. She had constantly thought back to that day. Raze somehow knew how to makebination spells perfectly. He also had created a powerful potion as well. This she had kept a secret to herself. But knowing this, she naturally wanted to stay close to him and try to find out what else he knew and gain his knowledge.


    "Alright, fine." Himmy said, fiddling with his fingers even though there was nothing in his hand. "But try not to make it obvious that we actually know him."


    Charlotte stopped tapping her feet away, but there was still arge smile on her face.


    On the Red headband side, Raze had be quite the talk as well. "It looks like you got your wish." Ossep said, his arms folded straight. He was one of the five main disciples, from the Moon Shield n, with a shiny bald head. "The kid is taking part after all, so who do you think he''s going to go after?"


    "Haha, well now we get to humiliate him in person." Sherry chuckled, covering her mouth slightly. "It''s quite obvious that he''s either going to choose Mada or Ricktor. He seems to have a grudge against those two the most."


    "You''re right, are you ready to give us a show Mada?" Lisa asked as she turned to him. When she did she was a bit taken back by what she could see.


    Mada had both of his hands together; he was kneeling over slightly, and his skin looked a little pale.


    "Are you not feeling well?" Lisa asked.


    "I am fine." Mada replied, even though he himself knew he was certainly not fine. The moment he saw Raze, pictures shed in his head of what had happened that night. The chill he felt all over his body returned.


    ''Am I scared? But it''s not of Raze, it''s of whatever that monster was that was protecting him. If he picks me¡­ then what do I do? What is going to happen to me if I fight him properly?''


    Mada was panicking slightly because he knew he was the most likely to be picked as well, and finally, it was time.


    After getting to his seat, Raze was asked to stand. "Please, select your opponent." Lee asked.


    ''I hope you aren''t silly and pick someone from the Red headbands. There is no need, as long as the remaining students win their fights, it will show that I am somewhat capable.'' Lee thought.


    Looking at the students, Raze was thinking quite hard; he didn''t give an immediate answer.


    ''I wonder what he''s thinking.'' Dame thought. ''I thought I had gotten to know the Dark Magus quite well, but during the time at the academy, he has shown some interesting sides.''


    Dame thought back, there were times where it looked like Raze wasn''t paying attention to the students around him that were training, but he did. Even when running, he would carefully not get in the way of others.


    At times, he would even move the other training equipment back in ce, even if it was something he never used.


    On the outside, Raze appeared dark and non-caring. Dame had seen this when the students had attacked him and the death at the inn back in the Demonic Faction. It was almost as if this type of act was second nature to him.


    Yet it was clear he also had a caring side to him. It was almost as if something had happened that had turned him this way. To have a hard darker outer shell, but it''s hard to hide one''s true self.


    ''You heard the other''s frustration; you feel the same pain as them as well, don''t you.'' Dame smiled to himself. ''So knowing you, you will try and find a way to deal with all five of the disciples right here.''


    "I choose him!" Raze shouted as he pointed at a Yellow headband owner in the crowd.


    There was a sigh of relief from Lee, but it wasn''t over yet.


    "Go on Raze, go show them what we can do!" The students behind shouted.


    "Kick his arse!"


    Liam didn''t say anything because he was quite surprised by his choice. ''Crap, so after all I did to help him get up there, he''s not even going to take on a Red headband owner? I thought for sure he would have gone for one of those main disciple snobs.''


    The Yellow headband owner had descended onto the tform and stood a few meters away from Raze.


    "Ites as no surprise that trash will support trash." The Yellow headband student said. "Somehow a no-name has managed to get the support of his entire group, how sweet."


    "That''s right." Raze said, smiling to himself, as he put the sword away by his side rather than drawing it out. "I am from no n; I was one that was born with no name, so I am a person that is deserving of no position in this world."


    Raze stretched out his hands wide at that point.


    Charlotte recognized this, and her eyes were bulging because she had seen a pose like this before.


    ''No, it can''t be; is he about to cast a spell, right in front of all of these people? He would be crazy to do that?'' Her heart was racing as she was wondering whether to inform Himmy or not. Here there were far too many witnesses, which would make it a huge problem for them to clear up.


    ''I remember those words.'' Raze thought. ''Those same words were said to me when I was a mage, that I wasn''t able to rise¡­ yet I had done so back then¡­ and now I just need to do the same again.''


    The Yellow headband user charged in with his sword. He was crouching down slightly like a tiger.


    "Oh, the tiger''s strike! Well, he''s starting off with full force from the get-go." Ossepmented. "I guess that means this match is over."


    The student pounced forward with his Qi and force, aiming straight for Raze. Immediately moving his feet, he had timed it perfectly, performing the two-step shift to the side, avoiding the thrust.


    "Grit your teeth!" Raze said, and he performed the two-step shift again, throwing out his fist. He didn''t hold back with his Qi, using his Second Stage powers, with his full might, hended a blow square on the student''s face.


    His face squashed inward, the sound of his nose cracking was felt, and his body went flying with a stream of blooding out from his nose and mouth as he fell on the floor. His body bounced off the ground, and hey there still, unmoving and unconscious.


    Blood dripped from Raze''s fist as he looked up and stared directly into the eyes of the five disciples.

 Chapter 139 The Turning Tide

    <h4>Chapter 139 The Turning Tide</h4>


    The Yellow headband student was lying on the floor, unconscious. His consciousness had left his body, and he almost looked as if he had died. A few momentster, his body started to twitch, and it appeared that the student had regained consciousness.


    What was clear to everyone, however, was that he had been knocked out. Not only that, but it had been done with a single hit.


    "Hey, am I seeing things?" one of the Blue headband students said, sitting right next to Liam, who was now well enough to get back onto one of the seats.


    "I knew he was strong, but I honestly had no idea he was this strong," Liammented. "I don''t think even anyone in the Yellow headband group could knock out one of their own in a single hit."


    It took a moment for everyone to take it in, until eventually the whole Blue headband group cheered at Raze''s victory.


    "YEAHHHH!" they cheered together.


    "Yes, you white-haired freak, you monster, you ghost of a thing!"


    "Ah man, if only I wasn''t straight, I would be running up there and giving him the biggest kiss of my life!"


    It was unusual for Pagan warriors to act this way, for students to act this way, especially with those who were watching; they would always act in a dignified manner. Yet, the students had been going through a wide range of emotions, emotions that the youngsters found it quite hard to control themselves. So the moment they realized Raze had managed to turn the tide, to aplish what they wanted, they couldn''t help but let out a cheer.


    "What a bunch of wild animals," Samanthamented, one of the head leaders of the five ns. "They have one simple win, and you would have thought they had won some type of war."


    Gavin started to chuckle, his belly moving up and down. "You have to admit, it certainly was impressive. He had used the two-step maneuver perfectly and shifted his weight at the perfect time. It was textbook! No wonder the other student was unable to react."


    Murkel continued to y with his hair, but Amir could see that there was a slight smile on his face as well.


    ''Now I have an idea why you might be interested in him, but we still haven''t seen enough.''


    It wasn''t just them; Charlotte had almost let out a scream of joy when she saw Raze''s victory, but she had quickly been kicked on the shin of her leg, and she let out a scream of pain instead at the time.


    Himmy had been watching her carefully.


    "Hey, someone won, it''s normal to be happy," Charlotte said, rubbing her shin. She was more thankful that Raze didn''t use magic, but what it meant was he was improving as a Pagan warrior as well. She was sure, based on the time he had been here, he couldn''t have been a Pagan warrior for long, so he was quite the quick learner.


    ''I guess the world wanted him to be more of a martial artist rather than a magician,'' Charlotte thought, considering what Star Mage Raze was.


    Back at the Blue headband''s area, they could see Raze walking back to the stage. The student on the ground had no clue what was going on; he was still confused until his teachers came to pick him up, and the looks on their faces weren''t pleased at all.


    Simrly to how Teacher Lee would get praised if his students performed well, the other teachers would be scolded for their performance as well.


    For Teacher Lee, his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head, and he was frozen in ce.


    "He actually won, and convincingly as well," Teacher Lee said. "Why didn''t he go in earlier?"


    Thinking about this, Teacher Lee thought that Raze''s win could have been a boost to the rest of the students'' momentum. It greatly affected how one would fight. After all the losses, even he could see how the Blue headband fighters hold back in their strikes.


    Thinking about it more, Lee knew the answer.


    "You!" Lee snapped at Tod by his side, who took a step back, flinching.


    "You said he was the worst-performing student in the ss!" Lee shouted but in hushed tones so the others couldn''t hear. "You gave him the lowest marking of the lot! How could you be so blind and do such a thing!"


    If there was no one looking, Lee would have given him a few beatings right there and then, but it wasn''t the time.


    "I just handed in the results ording to the assessments!" Tod replied. "He tricked us all by pretending he was weak. I''m sure he nned all of this, just so he could surprise everyone like he did now!"


    "I didn''t trick anyone," Raze overheard their conversation and went to sit back in his seat. "Let me ask you, on thest assessment, how many crystals did I getpared to everyone else?"


    "Huh?" Tod raised an eyebrow. "But you stole them from the other students!"


    "But he didn''t," Liam replied. "Not a single one of us imed that he did. You just said he did, and at the time, it didn''t really feel like we could speak up."


    Teacher Lee gave anotherrge stare at Tod, to the point he lifted up the scorebook to avert his eyes.


    On the other side, the five disciples had seen it all.


    "Did you see that stare he gave us?" Ricktor said. "That was very exciting." He hugged himself tight with both of his arms, and his face was flushing a little red.


    "Well, in the end, he chickened out and chose the easy option," Sherry said. "He didn''t fight any of us and just beat up a useless Yellow headband. I don''t really think that proves much, right?"


    The disciples seemed to agree. To them, it wasn''t a stain on their performance but more on the Yellow headbands, so it meant nothing.


    "You''re right," Ossepmented. "The ant has just beaten up the beetle, but both of them are still bugs."


    Sitting back down in the seats, Teacher Lee had decided that he wanted to keep up the momentum, so he had chosen Safa to stand up next in the order queue. She too had chosen one of the Yellow headband students and went to the stage.


    "Hey, you better not embarrass us," the Yellow headband teacher said to the student, and the two of them got on stage.


    Most of the students held practice wooden swords, but Safa was one of the few who held onto a wooden spear.


    "A miracle happened before, but it won''t happen again!" the student shouted as he rushed forward.


    Safa stood her ground with the spear, and then when she was ready, she thrust it forward. The student was able to avoid the strike and trieding in closer, but several thrusts were made with the spear pushing him back each time.


    He tried to strike the spear away, but it was pulled back, and when he went in for another attack, it was thrust forward again.


    ''Damn it, no matter what I try to do, I can''t get in at all!'' the student thought. ''What is this?''


    The student tried to move faster, but Safa still stayed in her position, thrusting the sword again and again. The match went on for quite a while; ten minutes had passed of this repeating.


    What was amazing, though, was Safa''s concentration and the fact that she hadn''t moved from her position at all. Not only that, but she didn''t seem to be tiring while the Yellow headband user was.


    Frustrated, the Yellow headband owner tried to charge in, forcing his way in. At that moment, just like Raze, she had used the two-step shift and thrust the spear. It hit him right in the chest, a single Qi-filled strike that was incredibly painful.


    His body was lifted in the air, and he fell over backward, holding onto his chest. The pain was great, to the point he felt a bit of blooding out from his mouth. He didn''t get up for a few moments, and by then, Safa was there with the spear pointed right at his neck.


    "Yes!" Teacher Lee screamed. "She did it, she really did it. She did everything perfectly, just the way she was meant to!"


    The group was somewhat even more stunned than when they had seen Raze win. Because that was now two sessive wins in a row for the Blue headbands. A miracle could happen once in a while, but for them to happen one after the other just like that.


    For those watching, they would think that it wasn''t just the students, but it had to be some involvement from the teachers as well.


    "Ah, I recognize the technique that was used. That was from the Pointed Head n, was it not?" one of the merchants said. "Ah yes, they are quite skillful, but I thought they had been producing subpar warriors these days. Not enough to protect us from bandits, but that doesn''t seem to be the case."


    Everything was working out for Teacher Lee; he just needed a little bit more, and everything would be okay.


    As Safa returned to her seat, Simyon had lots of praise for her, but he was nervous because he would either be up soon or he would be next. That was when Raze said something to him, though.


    The momentum was on their side, and there was an excitement in the air that wasing from those watching. They had just witnessed two great miracles one after the other, and now it was the perfect time to act.


    "Don''t worry," Raze said to the nervous Simyon. "I''m not going to let those Main n disciples get away with this, with everyone watching, the stage has not been set."


    Raising his hand, Raze stood up at that moment, and without talking to Teacher Lee, he started to make his way onto the stage.


    "I¡­ have a proposal to make."

 Chapter 140 A Warm up

    <h4>Chapter 140 A Warm up</h4>


    The timing of Raze standing up was a bit odd to everyone watching. For one, there should have been still two more matches to go for the Blue headband wearers. Simyon, along with one of the other students, had yet topete.


    After that, the selected Yellow headband users would fight next against pretty much the rest of the headband users. That was the main event, while everything else was the warm-up.


    However, Raze wasn''t going to let this momentum shift. Right now, the miracles that had been achieved by the Blue headband group were fresh in all of their minds, and they were more inclined to listen.


    "I...have a proposal," Raze said out loud as he walked forward past the teacher and onto the tform. For those watching, it felt like quite a shock to see a student acting this way.


    The way he had stepped onto the tform, it was as if he owned it, but Raze carefully turned away from the students and faced the crowd as he gave a small, polite bow.


    "Please hear me out," Raze said after lifting his head.


    No one hade out to stop Raze, despite how much Teacher Lee wanted to tackle him out of the area. This was his golden goose, and discourse between the two would seem a little strange.


    Raze looked directly into the eye of the principal and saw a slight nod; he knew this was his chance, his only chance.


    "Thank you," Raze cleared his throat and held out his hand toward the two hundred students on the side. "We are all from the Dark faction and are from multiple ns across the continent. Although we might not be the majority of strength that leads the faction, our ns do cover the majority of thend. With it, it means that we work with the majority of the people in our territory. Today, with our blue headbands representing our ns, we wanted to prove something. That we can y a bigger role, that by working hard, we can show our importance to all of you. Do you believe we have shown you this today?" Raze asked.


    The merchants started to talk amongst themselves, as well as the n heads. The merchants were the ones who would work closely with the other ns, so in their eyes, if they had those who were more capable, it would be better for them. Besides, the higher ns always charged more, but for them, it was seen as worth the price since they were guaranteed a level of protection. But for merchants, money was king. If there waspetition and more choice, their costs would be lowered.


    However, they had alle to an agreement. Just two members besting those in the Yellow group didn''t mean much in their eyes.


    "Just the two of us winning against the Yellow headband users doesn''t mean much, right?" Raze said seemingly reading their minds. "We haven''t even fought against the selected students. Which is why I have a suggestion, where we Blue headbands have a chance to redeem ourselves for what has happened, prove our skills, and of course entertain you," Raze bowed down again.


    Dame couldn''t help but smile as he saw what Raze was doing; he never thought he had this sly side to him.


    ''He''s set up an image in their head, given them a reason for his actions, and all while they were in a good mood. I bet a lot of them were saddened by the fact they had only seen a taste of Raze''s skills, and right now, all of them were curious about wanting to see more.''


    "We understand," Amir, the vice principal, shouted out. "What is your suggestion?"


    Raze looked over for a moment at the Five-man disciples sitting in the red seats, and they caught it, arge smile that was on his face. All they could do as they sat there was wonder just what was it that he had nned.


    "I suggest a group match," Raze asked. "A team of us that will go up against the Red headbands. But not just any of the Red headbands¡ªthe Five Main Disciples of the five great ns belonging to the Dark faction."


    Immediately, there were gasps and whispers among the guests and the students themselves. Even the Blue headbands felt uneasy about what he was suggesting.


    "A group of five!" Teacher Lee nearly choked on the air. "But most of the capable students are already injured, and why did he have to pick the main disciples?"


    For the disciples themselves, there was anger spread across their faces. They were almost disgusted by the suggestion. Why should they even waste their time fighting against people like them?


    "I believe by going up against the best the academy has to offer, we will be able to disy our strength to you the best as well," Raze exined. "I am not a fool; I know there is arge difference between our two groups. I think this will serve as a great warm-up for those that are called the best, just before you can enjoy your fight between the Red and Yellow headband students."


    At first, those at the side thought it would be a clear ughter fest. The main disciples would win regardless. But if it was just as a warm-up and was an extra fight that they could watch, then they would be happy to get more entertainment. The seed of curiosity was also strong in them all. Just like when one would y the lottery, they knew the chances of sess were low, yet the excitement of the chance of something happening, and a dream excited them.


    Murkle didn''t make a decision straight away; instead, he was looking at the guests and seeing their reaction. Some thought it would be a waste of time, while others were looking forward to the match. Even if it was a waste of time, it would only dy them by a few moments at most.


    "I would really like to see what happens," Himmy said out loud in a deep voice, but he was just looking at Charlotte as he spoke.


    She raised an eyebrow, wondering what on earth he was doing. To which she eventually saw him wink.


    ''If the boy wants to fight that badly, then I''m sure he has something amazing to show us,'' Himmy thought.


    "Ah, yes!" Charlotte said out loud, rtively robotic. She was a horrible actor. "I quite like seeing the sword swinging and the fist punching, and the... the jumping and stuff."


    Overhearing the two on the left, Murkel had made his decision.


    "I ept your proposal. At the very least, the Five Main Disciples should be able to best the Blue headbands and fight against the other students. Please, select who you wish to fight with you."


    Raze looked at his group, and many were turning their eyes away from him, wishing not to be selected. The first name to be called hade as a surprise to them all.


    "Liam," Raze said.


    "Wait, what!" Liam shouted, holding the side of his ribs. "I''ve only just recovered, and I''m half-dead. I already fought against one of the Red headbands; why do I have to fight against them again? What in the balls is this?"


    Ignoring his angry words, Raze continued.


    "I select Simyon as well."


    Nervous, Simyon stood up from his seat and started to walk over. He had somewhat expected this. When he finally reached Raze and stood by his side, he stood there helplessly with his hands tucked into his armpits.


    "I hope you know what you''re doing," Simyon whispered.


    Seeing how Raze was continuing to call out names, Liam eventually stood up. He reluctantly walked over, feeling like there was no choice.


    "Safa Cromwell," Raze asked.


    She didn''t hesitate as she ran over, a smile on her face, happy that her brother was relying on her. She had trained hard, so she wouldn''t hold him back.


    "Andstly, I pick you," Raze pointed right up to the corner. "Pink!"


    "Huh!" Dame stood up. "Me?" He pointed to himself once again, feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    With that, the five had been selected to go against the Five Main Disciples. Raze turned his head, looking at the disciples getting up from their seats.


    ''I have no intention of this actually just being a simple warm-up. I''m going to make each one of them spill blood right on this stage.''

 Chapter 141 Five Vs Five

    <h4>Chapter 141 Five Vs Five</h4>


    The three teachers from the Blue headband were as nervous as anything as they saw their students make their way to the stage. Liam had been cultivating a Qi pill to regain his energy and help his body heal the wounds at a quicker rate, but there was no doubt that he was still injured.


    To Teacher Lee, the whole proposal was something that just made no sense to him. ''Why would he pick Liam, and who was that other student, Pink?''


    Looking through the assessment book again, he could see that although Pink wasn''t at the bottom of the list of students, he was in the middle and closer to the bottom half than the top half of the students they had.


    ''I can''t fully trust the results Tod has given me, but if he''s around the center, then I can''t just fully say that the assessment waspletely wrong either.''


    Teacher Lee was trying to find a positive out of the current situation, but all he could think about were the negatives. This was because of the difference in levels. Although Raze had managed to beat a Yellow headband user, there was a difference between those at the top of the Yellow headbands.


    Then there was another gap between the Yellow and Red headbands, and finally, thergest gap that existed in this academy was the gap between the Red headbands and the main disciples.


    "I hope our rtives don''t finish this match too quickly," Gavin said as he took another big swig of an alcoholic jar. He was enjoying the tension in the air and everything that had urred so far.


    "Are you really entertained by such childish fights?" Feebie asked. "We won''t even see our disciples perform half-decent skills with this lot. I think this might even be a little too cruel."


    The five main disciples had set up, with most of them holding onto wooden swords by their side as they stood on the main stage. They were spread apart from each other about a meter apart, and Ricktor was in the middle.


    All of them had a rxed stance, almost as if it was annoying that they had been called up. Some of them were looking at their nails or off into the distance. Only Ricktor was looking straight into Raze''s eyes, and Mada was looking down at the floor.


    "If looks could kill, huh?" Dame said, standing next to Raze. He then leaned in to whisper while covering his hand so the others were unable to see.


    ''So what do you want me to do? I don''t think your n was to have me take them out. I mean, I could do that for you if you really wanted to, but it would cost you quite a bit,'' Dame whispered.


    ''No, don''t take them out,'' Raze replied. ''But just do whatever you can to stop the others from getting involved in my fight... and wait for me.''


    Dame was hoping for this answer.


    ''So he really does n to deal with them all on his own. Alright, I can do that for him... but these guys, they aren''t going to be as easy as you think. I wonder what I should ask for in return when he asks for my help,'' Dame thought.


    "The match!" Pincer shouted. "Will now begin!"


    The fight had started almost instantly, with a lot of them hesitating and the main disciples not even moving forward. But the only one to rush straight in was Raze.


    "Crap, we have to follow him; there''s no way he can win if all of them take him apart!" Simyon said, rushing to protect him, and the rest followed.


    Raze continued forward and he was going for the disciple right at the very end. This was Ossep, the bald-headed disciple from the Moon Shield n, and he also had a wooden shield as his choice of weapon attached to his arm.


    When close enough, Raze went in, and he did the two-step shift, throwing out his fist. Lifting the shield up, the attack was blocked.


    "You won''t get us with the move you used before; you''ll have to use something different!" Ossep said, but he could feel his arm that held up the shield was a little numb.


    ''The attack is stronger than I thought... is that really the Qi of someone who''s a stage 1 warrior.''


    Turning to the others were the rest of Raze''s group, and almost immediately, Lisa from the Lethal Bite n, with a smile on her face, had appeared right in front of him.


    "Did I just hear you say win?" Lisaughed. "I can''t believe you would think of such a foolish thing in a ce like this!"


    A fist went right up toward Simyon''s head, and he lifted both arms to protect himself, but it was a feint, and a strong powerful punch had hit him in the stomach as well. The power caused Simyon to slide across the ground and he knocked into Liam.


    As soon as he was hit, he was knocked back onto the ground.


    "F*ck me!" Liam said. "You piece ofrd, why do you weigh so much!"


    With his fist tensed by his side, Simyon lifted his head, seemingly fine from the punch.


    "Ow... that... hurt." Simyon let out some air from his body. It was true it did hurt, but the hit wasn''t enough to take him down.


    ''Huh, what is going on?'' Lisa thought as she looked at her fist. Her knuckles were a little red from impact. For a level 1 warrior''s body, it should only be a little harder than flesh, and she shouldn''t have felt such an impact.


    It was almost as if she had directly hit a shield of sorts.


    ''My attack, it should be enough to have taken down a Blue headband student, no, not just a Blue headband student, a Yellow one as well. What is going on?''


    Simyon smiled, all of the abuse he had suffered in thest month, getting hit day by day by Dame, it was paying off. His body had grown in strength, and a strong body was perfect for the item''s effect on his ear.


    "I''ll just hit you again until you fall!" Lisa shouted as she charged forward. Throwing out a fist, it hit Simyon again, who had ced his shoulder in the way of the punch, and right at that moment, Liam came down swinging his sword.


    Lisa was able to react by pulling her body back; the strike had missed, but it was incredibly close.


    "Haha, this will work; you be the shield, and I''ll be the sword, let''s do this!" Liam said.


    Lisa couldn''t help but grunt and was wondering what the others were even doing.


    On the stage, Safa was using her spear skills the same way she had before, stabbing against Mada, causing him to stay back. He hadn''t been hit, but he was unable to get closer. This wasn''t because of his skill but because his mind wasn''t in the right ce.


    ''She''s that no-name''s sister, right?'' Mada thought; his skin was still crawling all over the moment he thought of this. ''If I hurt her, if I try to attack her, will that bloody hande for me as well.''


    Full of strange thoughts, Mada was unable to even focus to find a way to get in. He was performing subpar, and it was just enough for Safa to use her skills.


    Lastly, there was Dame; he held the wooden sword in his hand, and the moment Ricktor tried to strike with his techniques, Dame would perform a basic strike. He pivoted forward and attacked just before the skill would be performed, stopping it on the spot.


    Right after, Sherry would attack with her sword from the side, but he was able to avoid the strike by hitting it away. What Dame was doing, none of it looked fancy. He was careful to use basic skills; he just used them at the right time to diminish the skills of the main disciples before they could reach the peak of their power with their skills.


    "There''s two of them going against that student, and the main disciples are unable to handle him!" One of the merchants noticed.


    "Come on, they must be taking it easy on him. He hasn''t even performed any skills yet." Anothermented.


    "Still, I thought the white-haired kid was one to watch out for, but it looks like there are multiple talented ones in the group after all. The teacher must have done well to raise them. This has be quite the match after all."


    While most of the onlookers found it entertaining, the same couldn''t be said for the leaders of the five main ns. All of them were frustrated.


    Feebie was clenching her hands and biting her bottom lip as she watched everything going on.


    ''Just what is happening right now? Lisa, she used the full strength of her Qi, but that student just won''t fall, and how is it that a single person can hold off two of the main disciples... this is...''


    All of the leaders were thinking the same thing. They had no clue what they were seeing in front of their eyes, how all of this was possible, yet they were unable to make a scene in front of the others because how could they admit that their most talented were struggling against these nobodies.


    Nearly all eyes were focused on Dame as he held back Ricktor and Sherry at the same time. They were so focused that they hadn''t even witnessed what had happened in the back.


    "ARGHHH!" A loud scream shouted.


    When they saw who it was, they could see Ossep, with blood from his mouth and arge cut on his arm. The next moment, he had fallen right in front of Raze.


    In his hand was the small statue, with his back facing away from the others. He quickly covered it and ced it away.


    "Now, onto the next," Raze said, turning around with blood on his wooden sword and walking towards the rest.

 Chapter 142 The one I want

    <h4>Chapter 142 The one I want</h4>


    There were too many shocking things happening on the stage at once, and most of the fights urring closest to the guests and the main ns'' disciples were Dame''s, along with the others.


    At the very back, this was where Raze was going against Ossep, the main disciple of the Moon Shield n. The Yellow headband students could witness what was going on the most.


    After the first attack had been blocked, Raze didn''t stop as he continued for a while. Ossep, being skilled, was able to continuously block them all, and he was waiting for the right time, for an opening. There would eventually be one, he would eventually tire, right?


    ''All I need to do is just get one hit on him, and this fight will be over!''


    The sword was then lifted into the air, above his head, and that was when Ossep saw his chance. With the Qi gathered in his fist, he went for a strike. Right at that moment, Raze lifted his foot, and mmed it to the ground with his Qi outward.


    The Yellow students sitting at the front could feel the power of the Qi. This was the first descending step. The uneasy Qi had disrupted the flow of his strike, and it had given Raze just enough time to strike with full force.


    ''I need to cut the skin, so it''s not too bad if I use just a little bit of my magic here right? After all, you guys were the ones who almost killed me in that forest!'' Raze thought.


    Wind magic had gathered around the edge of his sword ever so slightly. He knew that Charlotte was watching and she was perhaps the only one who would figure out he had used his magic.


    However, he had carefully selected his position at the start of this fight for this very reason.


    Ossep had braced himself as he took the strike from the wooden sword. What he didn''t expect was for it to be just as sharp as an actual sword. It ripped right through his skin, creating a big cut and causing quite a bit of pain.


    ''It¡­ it cut me¡­ he managed to cut me?'' Ossep was filled with confusion at that moment. Startled by the cut. Startled by the strength of his opponent, he had panicked, and before he knew it, a two-step punch with the shift of his feet, it had gone right towards the chest of Ossep.


    A crack was heard, as part of the bones protecting the chest broke. Blood filled Ossep''s mouth slightly, and eventually he had fallen onto the ground.


    With one hand, Raze had summoned the statue, carefully blocking it with the sword, and smearing part of the blood on the statue. In one smooth motion he had ced it away as well.


    The only onlookers, the only ones that had seen Ossep''s defeat, were the Yellow headband students and teachers that were closest.


    One of the students was shaking slightly. ''What was that feeling, that power that came off from his foot. What was that technique, and how much Qi does this guy have?''


    "Did you see he cut him, he cut him with the blunt wooden sword. What sword technique was that he used."


    "Hey are you guys forgetting something? That''s a Blue headband student right there. He managed to just beat one of the main disciples, in around a minute. What the heck just happened!"


    The realization was hitting everyone at this point. Even the main leader of the Moon Shield n, Gavin, had stood up from his seat, and he started to inch forward.


    "Am I¡­ dreaming or something? This has to be some type of trick right? Ossep couldn''t have been defeated, he''ll get up¡­ he''ll get up."


    "Oh, even before I forget." Raze said as he turned around, and kicked Ossep''s body until it slid and fell off the stage. "That''s one down."


    One of the rules of the event, was if a student went out of bounds, that it would also count as a loss, and now it meant that Ossep was unable to make it back in the fight.


    ''You should be thankful that''s all you get. All of you were willing to leave me for dead back there. If I was a student with no magic powers. I would have truly died falling off that cliff. I''m not naive enough to think that none of you had a clue what Mada was doing.'' Raze thought, turning back around.


    With one down, he now had to focus on another.


    Teacher Lee stood there with his mouth open wide, while the Blue headband students couldn''t help but cheer in amazement at what they were seeing. Because it wasn''t just Raze that was doing well, but all of them were performing their best, and it looked like they were putting up a fight.


    Before, they thought that the main disciples were going easy on them, but after seeing Raze win his fight, was that the case? Some thought that perhaps, it was just luck. His opponent had underestimated Raze, and in doing so had left a lot of openings.


    If that was the case, then they would still take it, because in the real world it wasn''t an excuse to take it easy on your opponent. So they knew the main disciples wouldn''t be able to use that as an excuse.


    Dame had continued to use what he would consider his sloppy sword skills against both Sherry and Ricktor, but something had happened. When Dame went to do the same trick as he had done before, interrupting the skill at the right time, Ricktor had avoided the strike and he quickly used his sword skills from the right side.


    "The defining swipe!" Ricktor whispered to himself, his sword going right for the side of Dame''s head.


    Before it reached though, he lifted his hand and knocked it away, jumping back a few times.


    ''Damn it, I can''t believe I had to use my hand-to-hand skills against a stage 3 warrior.''


    Dame was not a swordsman, he always preferred fighting with his fists, but he thought hiszy skills with the sword would have been enough to take on these guys, so he was quite surprised by the result.


    "If that was a real sword your hand would have been sliced off and your head sliced in half." Ricktor said with a smile.


    "And if this was a real fight I would have punched you to the moon." Dame sighed, as he was finding it quite hard to hold back.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Safa was continuing to fight against the puzzled Mada, and Teacher Lee was quite impressed with her relentless skills. Due to her opponent she was able to show a number of different techniques.


    One of them in particr, she had thrusted her spear forward, and then in a swirling motion she spun it around in circles towards Mada.


    He jumped back, flipping himself several times avoiding the spear, and just then he had nearly jumped off the edge. He saw the spearing towards him again and with nowhere to run he had no choice as he grabbed the spear.


    He held it firmly in his hand. Safa was trying to pull, push or move it to the side but it just wasn''t budging.


    ''What was I thinking, right now, not just Gunther, but our father is watching us as well.'' Mada thought to himself. ''I can''t look pathetic in front of them! I would rather die!''


    Lifting his leg up, it flowed like a wave and crashed right into the spear breaking it in half. Safa, she was confused with what to do, as she saw Madaing right for her. When he was close, he threw a Qi filled kick.


    She braced herself, and felt a tug right on her back. She was pulled away, and the kick had hit nothing but the air. She was confused, she hadn''t moved herself yet she was watching the kick go by.


    Right after that, she felt a strong force again pushing her, she stumbled and fell right off the side and was out of the arena. Turning around she could see Raze was there with his palm out.


    "Do you remember what I said to you?" Raze asked as he looked at Mada right in the eye, who was hesitant to attack and had jumped back. "I am the one who hunts, and I''m going to be taking out every single one of you, especially you!"

 Chapter 143 Never Back Down!

    <h4>Chapter 143 Never Back Down!</h4>


    A battle with Lisa, from the Lethal Bite n, was continuing on. She thought it was going to be an incredibly easy fight, but it was actually proving extremely difficult for her.


    Unlike the others, her n didn''t focus on using a sword, and her skills were more rted to the fist. That''s why she was getting frustrated. Perhaps to the others watching on the side, they thought she was taking it easy, but she had been hitting Simyon with full force all over his body.


    His back, his thigh, his shoulders, his chest¡ªshe had even hit his head a couple of times, and yet no matter what, this person wouldn''t fall. However, the damage could be seen umting. Simyon''s face was starting to swell slightly, and he could feel his body sore all over.


    "Why are you just standing there? You aren''t even fighting properly, so just give up!" Lisa shouted. She wasn''t losing the fight by any means. She had yet to get hit, despite Liam doing all the attacking; it was easy for her to avoid. The whole situation was embarrassing. How could she not take down a Blue headband with several hits?


    "This is a chance for me as well!" Lisa thought as she went in again. Simyon had hunkered down and, focusing her Qi, she threw a punch from below, like an uppercut. The fist broke through, pushing Simyon''s arms to the side and hitting him right in the head. It flung backward, small pieces of blooding from his lips. He wobbled for a bit but continued standing. Seeing this, Lisa wanted to follow up and charged in again.


    "With Ossep being taken out, this is a chance for me to solidify that the Lethal Bite n''s position is even higher than that of the Moon Shield!" Lisa thought.


    When she got close, Liam seemed to havee out right behind her, swinging his sword in a seemingly random motion, performing the elephant strike again. It was unpredictable as to where the strike was going tond, but Lisa was too fast and managed to jump back and avoid the strike.


    ''Crap, the same thing keeps happening again and again,'' Lisa thought. ''I know that the Blue headband kid won''t go down with one hit, but I can''t follow up with more strikes since this one keeps getting in the way.''


    There were other thoughts in her mind, thinking if only this was a fair fight, or if she just went up against one of them instead of two, but these things would have been ridiculous to think of before she had started the match.


    "Can you stop missing already?" Simyon said, his mouth sounding as if it was full of nuts, but it was just due to it being cut up and swollen. Each time he had been hit in the face, his teeth would cut the inside of his mouth.


    "Do you think I''m trying to miss?" Liam shouted back. "My body is hurting each time I swing this damn sword. If you want, I can just let her beat you up and be done with this fight."


    Huffing and panting, Liam was trying to desperately fight through his pain to attack. He would have given up if it was his own fight, but seeing Simyon bearing through all of the attacks, getting hurt even worse than when he fought Ricktor, he felt like he needed to help however he could.


    Liam continued to strike and was following up with another attack of the sword, and that''s when Lisa realized that he had gone a little too far away from Simyon.


    "If I can''t take you out together, then I''ll just have to take you out one by one!" Lisa grabbed onto the wooden sword. In a real situation, she wouldn''t have been able to do this, and it hade as a surprise to Liam. She then yanked on it, pulling with her strength, and with a fist, she hit Liam right in the face. His body spun in the air, flipping until he crashed on the floor. He wasn''t quite sure if he would be able to fight again.


    "That damn B*tch, that was quite cheap," Liam mumbled, blood oozing from him. Frustrated, he threw the sword behind him, hoping to hit Lisa in any way possible, but it just skidded across the floor as she was already heading toward Simyon.


    When Lisa was close this time, Simyon had some time to see hering at him, and he decided to use the two-step shift. He shifted forward and threw out a punch but hadpletely missed.


    ''Ah, that''s right. I might be able to take the hit, but what an idiot am I to think that I would be able tond something on a Red headband!'' Simyon thought in those moments as he saw the fist hit him right in the face.


    His head swung back, but Simyon stayed strong on his feet. This time, Lisa was able to follow up and struck him in the stomach; she hit him on the side, and she continued to deliver blow after blow. Loud bangs were heard through the arena with each hit. It was causing the other students to squint as they imagined they could feel Simyon''s pain, yet somehow he was still standing.


    "Does he have to keep standing? Why does he keep standing?" one of the Blue headband students said.


    "I mean, it''s clear he''s lost this fight. There''s no way he can win by just standing there, so why is he still standing?"


    "Well, if he keeps her busy, it gives time for the others to fight, right? So he is doing something, and I hate to say it, but I think it''s kinda cool." The student said thest line quietly to himself, but many of them had the same feeling.


    With each hit, they could still see Simyon standing, and while he was taking multiple hits, there was a slight smile that appeared on his face.


    ''I took a beating for thest month, every day, from Pink. He had big hands, and his hits were hard,'' Simyon thought. ''That''s all I did, and when I wanted to give up, he continued to hit me, pushing me past my limit.''


    "Why!" Lisa shouted as she threw another punch, hitting Simyon right on his chin. His head lifted back, but he quickly threw it down and stared right at Lisa. "Why won''t you fall!"


    Simyon let out a little chuckle as he remembered something, something Raze had said, and maybe this was the right time for him to use it.


    "You know, for some reason, you''re a lot less scarier than him," Simyonmented. Thinking about this, the image in his head was Pink hitting him. While Simyon could feel that Lisa was hitting him with all her might, it felt like Pink had never done so once.


    Frustrated, Lisa charged up the Qi in both of her fists and ced them by her waist. Her knuckles were sore from everything so far, the skin slightly grazed.


    "I''m going to end this!" Lisa shouted, throwing her fists out. Simyon lifted his hand and ced it right by his dark earring, rubbing the bottom of it. ''You told me when there''s trouble, to use this,'' Simyon thought, and a flicker of dark magic surrounded the earring.

 Chapter 144 Mythical Item Power

    <h4>Chapter 144 Mythical Item Power</h4>


    There was a special trait to the earring, other than that of the natural hardening effect. Over the course of the month, Simyon could feel somewhat his strength increasing, the outside of his body bing stronger.


    However, he didn''t feel like there was any type of breakthrough. There was no sudden difference, or extreme increase in strength when using the powers of the earring. Right now, he had been using the powers of the earring, and yet Lisa was able to damage him beyond what his armour could protect him from.


    Still, Raze had mentioned something to Simyon. That is, if he was in trouble, he should rub the bottom of the earring. Simyon had no clue what it would do, but Raze did.


    The Mythical grade item, on top of being an item that could evolve the user''s body strength, also had another effect. If certain magic was used on the earring, it would gain an additional effect that could be stored.


    ''I hope you weren''t lying about this, Raze,'' Simyon thought to himself, rubbing the bottom of the earring. A flicker of ck magic ignited, too small for those who were far away or for Lisa to even notice.


    [Rebound has been activated for the next two seconds]


    Simyon didn''t know what the skill or the effect of the item could do, all he could do now was hope.


    Lisa threw out both of her fists at full strength, and had done so, twisting both of her hands. Right before she hit Simyon, she opened her fists and now had her fingers pointed like that of ws.


    Her fingers had dug into Simyon''s skin. It was shallow but it had been done. The next moment, she twisted it and all of the power of her Qi strike went right into Simyon.


    ''Wait, what''s going on?'' Lisa thought. She should have seen Simyon sting through the air, sent off the stage. She had used nearly all of her Qi in that strike. She didn''t want this embarrassment to go on any further, and now it had done nothing.


    Soon, in her very own hands, right where she had struck, she could feel a gathering of energy. Before she knew it, she was the one that had been sted away. Her hands detached from Simyon''s body and she was flung in the air,nding on the ground, her arms shaking.


    As Simyon looked at her on the floor, he was confused as to what had just happened himself, but he had no time for confusion. His eyesight was turning blurry, and he fell to one knee, catching himself.


    ''I guess the earring really did do something. You saved me again, Raze; somehow. You are one heck of a guy,'' Simyon thought before passing out on the ground.


    Having added the dark magic to the earring, Raze could see the skill rebound being used. In that small moment, all of the damage that the user received would be rebounded back to the attacker.


    There were issues such as when the skill could be used and if they could survive the initial strike. After all, Simyon''s skin was still exposed, and if a real sword was used, it still would have gone through his body.


    On top of that, once the skill was used, the Dark magic would disappear, and Dark magic would have to be ced in the earring again. Still, it was a powerful skill that suited the rank of a Mythical item.


    "What was the art that boy used? I''ve never seen anything like it before," the onlookers discussed among themselves. Feebie didn''t say anything; she was too stunned to see her niece in the condition she was in.


    She could slowly see Lisa getting up off the floor, which was a good sign, but far too much embarrassment had already been done.


    "It seems the kid has used some type of body strengthening art and used a type of rebound technique," Murkelmented. "These children, all of them, are above the norm, and I''m not just talking about their skills.


    "You can see it on their faces, can''t you? The difference between them and those from our ns."


    The n leaders watched the fights going on; they had been observing carefully but had no idea what the principal was talking about.


    "All of them have a stronger desire than our own disciples. Whether it''s to please someone, to protect someone, to prove something¡­ or even a goal that is beyond that of what is seen right here.


    "If we look at the state of our students and of the others without having seen the fight, you would still have guessed that there was a clear winner, but there is a great difference between the two, in their desperation."


    Both Mada and Raze had their wooden swords drawn out. So far, Mada hadn''t used his weapon even when he was going up against Safa, but it showed just how serious he was taking the opponent right in front of him.


    ''Foot of the water stride!'' Mada had decided to use. He jumped from side to side, and quickly he was heading to Raze in a zigzag pattern.


    The jumps in between each step, they were changing in size, making it hard for even Raze to guess where he was going to be. Dashing forward, Raze ced his sword to his side, blocking the attack, but he was unable to kill any of the momentum.


    He had used the two-step shift to move to the side, yet the attack had still hit him, and hard as well. His whole body tumbled to the ground. He quickly got up, and with a sidekick, Mada had hit him right in the chest.


    It sent him skidding across the floor. When Raze eventually stopped, he coughed a couple of times, holding onto the damaged area.


    ''He''s a lot faster and better than when he was going up against Safa, and it looks like he''s taking him a lot more seriously than thest disciple,'' Raze thought.


    Behind him, he could see that Dame was fully going against the two disciples as well. He had given up on the sword and was blocking both of their attacks with his hand techniques, with one student giving him more troublepared to the other.


    After deflecting two of their attacks, Dame jumped back, and now he was somewhat back-to-back against Raze as well.


    "I told you that this wouldn''t be as easy as you thought. Do you want a hand, and need me to deal with this all?" Dame asked.


    At this point, Raze could see that Lisa was getting up off the ground as well; both Liam and Simyon looked as if they could no longer continue to fight. So it would mean that he would have to go up against two of the main disciples just like Dame was doing now.


    If Dame did use his skills, wouldn''t that make him stand out, and for the others to ask a lot of questions? If that was going to happen anyway, then it would be a lot more satisfying for Raze to do it himself.


    "If I did something right now, do you think you would have the power to stop everyone here from attacking us?" Raze asked as he pulled up both of his sleeves on his uniform. It was clear, to Dame, he wasn''t just talking about the disciples, but everyone watching them as well.

 Chapter 145 Winning at all costs

    <h4>Chapter 145 Winning at all costs</h4>


    Dame made sure he had heard Raze''s words right when he had asked the question and he was trying to figure out what he was implying. Some might have thought he just meant whether or not Dame could take on the others all by himself.


    Being three stages above all of them, Dame would have no trouble if he were to use his full strength, but that would raise eyebrows and would put him in a difficult situation. Yet, if he just narrowly beat them all, it would still somewhat have the same effect, putting him in trouble.


    Yet, the way Raze spoke, he wasn''t asking for Dame''s help in that way.


    ''It''s just as I thought, that guy he''s adamant to fulfill his task on his own, no matter what. He''s going to take out these guys on his own, with his own strength and he isn''t going to care how he''s going to do it.''


    The first thing that came to Dame''s mind was the Dark Magus'' strange power. Perhaps he was going to use strong powerful items that he had created, or special Qi pills to strengthen himself and defeat them all.


    The question that had been asked then, was whether or not Dame could protect him from all of those around him. From all of the onlookers, the principal as well as the five disciple leaders.


    ''Most of them I could probably hold off, I still have the gauntlets he gave me as well, but the principal will be a tricky one and with all of them at the same time. Maybe, I could hold them all off just long enough for Raze to create a portal¡­but even then.''


    "You''re asking me to do something crazy you know!" Dame said as he swung his arm, and knocked Sherry''s arm that was wielding the sword away. Right behind her following up was Ricktor, who was bing quicker and quicker on the attack.


    Dame had to ce both of his hands together, and swirled his Qi around defusing the power of the attack before it reached his hands and grabbed the tip of the sword quickly throwing that to one side as well.


    "But I guess I was crazy as well for following you in here, so we should at least stick together for now. You do whatever it is you want to do."


    Having his answer, Raze had shifted away from Dame and now was looking at Mada in the second half of the fighting arena floor. There were a few marks on the ground from the fighting, but what he needed to do was finish this fight fast, before Lisa could recover and join in on the fight.


    Raze could see Madaing in the same way as he had done before, jumping from side to side heading straight for him.


    ''I was a little worried about doing this because of what Dame and Gunther said, but in this situation, we will just have to deal with the consequences after, and who knows? Maybe those guys will step in and help me out!''


    Mada had dashed right at Raze, and at the right time, he performed the next skill.


    ''The third descending step!'' Raze thought in his head, as the image of the book appeared.


    Right then and there the Qi had gathered in his legs and he jumped in the air backwards performing a type of back flip. The swipe from Mada''s sword hadpletely missed, and he was only able to react slightly in time to seeing a foot almost hit his face.


    He leant back and the strike missed, but following up from the foot was Raze''s sword. Mada went to avoid that as well leaning back further.


    ''I was only just able to avoid that. What is this, is it a technique? I''ve never seen someone spin backwards so fast?'' Mada thought.


    It was quite clear some type of technique had been used because the rotation that had been usedpared to a regr back flip wasn''t normal.


    Carefully having avoided the sword though, Mada felt a stinging pain right across his face. Touching it with his finger he could see a bit of red.


    ''Blood¡­ did he cut me?''


    Mada had a single cut, right down the center of his face drawn like a line. It was fairly shallow but enough to draw blood and cause the warrior difort.


    ''But I avoided the strike, how did he cut me?'' Mada thought. ''And with a blunt wooden sword.''


    The moment Raze hadnded, what went best with the third descending step was none other than the fourth descending step. As soon as hended on the ground with both feet, the continuous Qi flowed and exploded. The floor tiles underneath his feet slightly broke, and Raze came right at Mada like a rocket.


    Before Mada could even do anything else, Raze had shed his sword right against the chest of Mada, and a long cut across his body appeared, blood spattering across the ground and in the air.


    "Ah!" Mada groaned as he moved backward, using his hand on his wound with the blood soaking through it. Unlike thest cut, this one was fairly deep. Shocked by what was happening, Mada had somewhat stumbled.


    Watching from the side, Charlotte''s eyes had bulged open, and Himmy had noticed that she had gone rather quiet, even though the one she was rooting for was winning.


    ''I wasn''t so sure of it before, but I''m sure of it now. Raze¡­ he''s using wind magic on his sword, to make it just as sharp as a real sword. That''s how he''s cutting all of the students. Is he trying to make our job difficult? What if there was another Alterian among those that are here?'' Charlotte thought.


    In terms of magic though, Raze wasn''t done yet. He had gotten the blood he needed off the sword, and oddly, with his free hand, he then proceeded to rip his upper shirt off, revealing his pale but well-toned body.


    With the upper half of his uniform, he then threw it in the air between him and Mada.


    ''At this angle, the n leaders won''t be able to see clearly.'' Raze then used the second descending step.


    The Qi sted off the back of his foot, causing him to leap forward and cover the distance between the two quickly. With his fist ready, the clothing had wrapped around his fist.


    "This is for trying to kill me, you f*ck!" Raze shouted.


    Underneath his shirt, where his arm was covered, dark magic started to swirl around. It was activating. Along with the Qi of the second step, right now, a devastating power was growing.


    Mada managed to swing his sword in time.


    ''Flowing strike!'' Producing an attack of his own.


    The moment the fist and the sword hit though, the sword snapped in half, and the fist had hit Mada right in the stomach.


    Mada''s eyes looked as if they were about to bulge out of his head, and immediately all the air and blood hade out of his mouth. Before he knew it, he was flying through the air. He had gone right past Ricktor and Sherry and continued back, until he had fallen and crashed right off the stage,nding right at the n leaders'' feet.


    They looked down at the bloodied and injured Mada, who still was unable to breathe properly from the strike, and Raze, who had his fist held out, and a hole through his shirt that had covered his attack.


    At that moment, a thought had entered Murkel''s head.


    ''This kid¡­ is dangerous!''

 Chapter 146 Finishing The Job

    <h4>Chapter 146 Finishing The Job</h4>


    The entire watching area at the side where the n leaders were had fallen silent. They were looking down at the injured Mada and could see the severity of his wounds now that he was up close.


    None had reacted immediately towards him because they never expected something like this to happen. A hit that was strong enough to send a person flying from where they were on the tform, all the way to where they were.


    It should have been something that was only possible for a stage three, maybe even higher, Pagna warrior. But for one to be at an academy and at this age? It was impossible, impossible for them to not have heard about it, and even more impossible for the person to have appeared from a no-name background with no n at all.


    "Kek! Kek!" Mada eventually coughed a couple of times, specks of blooding out andnding on the floor. That had broken the silence and led to Crine, the current head of the flowing force, to get out of his seat.


    Immediately, he raised his hand and started to gather his Qi, cing it on Mada''s body. Controlling the Qi from himself and slowly trickling it into Mada''s body, he could affect it to help the body heal at a better and faster rate.


    Although Crine had to be careful about using too much of his Qi, since Mada was only a stage 2 warrior, too much would cause more problems than help. It was something that only higher stage Pagna warriors with finer Qi control could do.


    "This is a disaster," Gavin said. "What is going on? Just who is that child? He can''t be normal. He has not just taken out one of the main disciples but two, and did you see what he had just done?


    "We must stop this match immediately!"


    At first, the beating of Ossep could be attributed to the fact that he underestimated Raze''s strength. He had underestimated him. Still, this was an excuse more than anything because the Pagna warriors should have been prepared, and even if taken by surprise, it wasn''t as if anyone could defeat them.


    Now it was clear; the attack used and the way another one of the main disciples had been defeated was no coincidence; the student was strong.


    "I agree," Feebie said, standing up and moving her fan to the side. "We need to bring that student in for questioning and find out who he really is!"


    Since Crine was taking care of the student, she had decided to move forward, but before she could take even more steps, a certain individual got in her way.


    "Do you really think that''s a good idea?" Gunther asked. "Trust me, my n was the one who was humiliated right now. I want to go out there as well, but everyone is watching. Merchants, entrepreneurs, government officials, and more have been invited to this event.


    "Do you want to show how, because our disciples are defeated, we panic and gang up on them, using extreme force? Rumors will spread, and it will start to cause internal conflict among the Dark Faction. If the other factions find out this is happening as well, they will call us weak."


    "If that kid really wanted to hide something, do you think he would willingly show us this disy right in front of us, right now?"


    The n leaders were shaking with anger, as they knew Gunther was right, but they were still hesitating on what to do, especially Feebie, as she feared that the next main disciple that would be taken out was none other than her own.


    On the stage, Raze had readjusted his torn shirt so the hole that he had made through it was unable to be seen. He then took the blood from the sword and wiped it on his hand. As he readjusted the shirt away from the eyes of others, he ced Mada''s blood on the statue.


    ''That''s two out of the five, and from the look of it, the others aren''t going to get involved either,'' Raze said, as he turned, he could see that Lisa had gotten up on her feet.


    Her arms were badly damaged, and the strength of just her standing looked weakerpared to before.


    ''The strength of the Dark Strike was stronger with the second step whenpared with the two-step shift,'' Raze thought to himself. ''Honestly, even I didn''t expect it to work out that well. Thankfully he''s alive; otherwise, those leaders might not be holding themselves back.


    ''Since I''ve angered them quite a bit, I''ll deal with you quickly as well.'' Raze started to make his way toward Lisa, who had recovered just in time to see what he had done to Mada.


    ''Crap, how strong is this person? With the state I''m in, I can''t win against him,'' Lisa thought as she started to shuffle backward. Without realizing it, she was moving further and further away.


    "Hey, am I seeing things?" The Blue headband student said. "Or is one of the main disciples backing away from him."


    "Well, she was already injured from Liam and Simyon, and Raze, I guess he''s just as strong as the main disciples as well, so it makes sense."


    A miracle, a miracle was happening right in front of their eyes, and the Blue headband students didn''t want it to stop. How many times when they had gone into the canteen had their ns been disrespected, their hard work not acknowledged?


    Some had even gotten into fights and been told that they would never achieve anything, and here, not just Raze, but the others had proven them very wrong.


    Just then, Lisa was ready to jump off the stage. Seeing this, Raze used the second step and headed right toward her; he grabbed the scruff of her uniform and chucked her back on the ground.


    "What is he doing!" Feebie shouted, standing up from her seat. "She was going to forfeit by going out of the arena, and he''s thrown her back in. That damned!"


    Rushing forward, the Vice Principal Amir was now the one who had stepped out in front of her.


    "I''m afraid that I agree with Gunther. I will not allow anyone other than the students to step on that tform, out of respect for the Academy and the students."


    If it was just one going against her, then Feebie would have tried to push forward, but both Gunther and Amir were incredibly powerful, with Gunther even being close to reaching the middle stages. With this, she was unable to do anything, and it was toote anyway.


    "AHH!" Lisa screamed as a cut had been made across her hand, the blood on the sword.


    "What are you doing? I already was going to quit; why are you hurting me?" She shouted.


    "Do you think you are going through as much pain as Simyon did just before you?" Raze asked. "If he had told you to stop, would you have done so?"


    While speaking with his uniform covering his other hand, Raze was fiddling about, doing the same trick, putting the blood of the third on the statue.


    "Don''t take advantage of others," Raze said as he picked up her arm. His strength was able to hold onto her body, and due to her weakened state, she had done next to nothing to fight back.


    With a fling of his arm, he had thrown her just off the stage,nding on the ground. Turning around, now Raze looked toward Sherry and Ricktor, who both were fighting against Dame still.


    Having somewhat recovered, Liam and Simyon were opening their eyes, and they could see Raze''s bare back as he walked off towards thest two disciples.


    "I guess I never stood a chance, huh?" Liam smiled to himself. "Well, you''ve gotten this far, so you might as well go ahead and finish the job."

 Chapter 147 The Devil’s Strike

    <h4>Chapter 147 The Devil''s Strike</h4>


    The Yellow headband students, along with the rest of the Red headband students, had mostly fallen silent. There were a few whispers here and there, but the talking and shock that had urred one after the other had led them to their current state.


    They were extremely focused, looking at Raze. They were watching him carefully, and in their minds, they were thinking one of two things. Could they have done the same as Raze had done? Could they have dealt with the Main disciples as well as he had? They watched the skills he had used; his Qi was certainly strong, beyond that of a stage 1 Pagna warrior, but at the same time, it didn''t feel as if it was any stronger than that.


    The skills just felt almost as if they were well-controlled. There was only one instance that had shocked them to believe Raze might be above that of a stage 2 Pagna warrior, and that was the strike that had been used on Mada. Due to him being a stage 2 warrior, his level of Qi should have been the same as most others, and such damage shouldn''t have urred.


    All of this led them to wonder a second question: could they beat Raze in a match, and adding to that, could anyone?


    Right now, there were only two of the main disciples left. Dame had been ncing behind him every so often, looking at the results, and he was quite surprised.


    ''He managed to learn some of the descending steps. I think I saw the third step and the fourth used as well, and I don''t think I''m wrong; he used them together.''


    Dame looked at the hard ground that was meant to withstand a level of strong attacks and could see one of the tiles broken.


    ''That would suggest he did use them together. One of the biggest advantages of the descending steps is the fact that with each move, the Qi builds up on each other, rather than just dissipating.


    ''At the same time, it''s the move''s biggest downfall since individually the steps are weaker than most others out there. Due to theplex nature, not many try to even learn such a thing. Has he secretly been learning all of the steps thisst month? He''s an incredibly fast learner if he has.''


    Hitting the strikes away from Ricktor consistently, Dame could feel his arms getting a bit sore. He wasn''t imagining it, but he could tell that this person in front of him, he too was improving as the fight went on.


    ''From the looks of things, the Dark Faction has its rising genius as well!''


    Seeing this, Dame then jumped up and kicked Sherry right on her back, and had done it in a way so she would stumble right across towards Raze.


    ''Pink is quite talented as well,'' Gunther thought. ''I can tell why he''s holding back though; if he''s from the Noctis n and it was to get out, it would cause an even bigger panic than what''s happened so far, and we''ve had enough surprises for today.''


    When Sherry eventually found her footing, she could see the white-haired no-name in front of her. She had been so focused fighting against Dame that she was unaware of just what had been going on. She had seen Mada getting knocked away, but had no idea that it was the doing of the single white-haired no-name.


    "What''s happened to everyone?" Sherry asked. "What type of stupid trick did you use to do all of this? Did you make a deal with the devil?"


    It was hard for her to believe, hard for her toprehend everything that had happened. For Samantha, who was watching her dear disciple act like this, a thought was running through her head.


    ''No¡­ don''t do it, just stay away from that student, just quit right now!'' Samantha was biting her lip. She couldn''t shout out these words in front of everyone while they were watching.


    "You are a no-name, and I''m going to show you your ce! You should have nevere back to the academy!" She shouted, her sword pointing right at him.


    Holding onto his sword tightly, Raze smiled as he heard this, then lifted his sword right back up, pointing it at her.


    "You know, originally I just wanted to get back at you five for what you did to me at the assessment," Raze said. "For knocking me off that cliff. I bet you all thought nothing of it and that you would never see me again."


    Raze had spoken loudly this time and had done so so all of them could hear. The students started to mumble now.


    They thought it was strange; they could see the five disciples working together, and when Raze didn''te back, they had assumed something had happened.


    Now it had just confirmed their thoughts.


    Gunther, who was standing away, turned to look at his brother, who was now sitting up, still receiving treatment from Crine.


    "Is that true, is it true that you knocked him off that cliff?" Gunther asked.


    Mada didn''t say anything; instead, he just averted his gaze, looking away, which had pretty much given him his answer anyway.


    "But I have an even bigger reason to hate you guys," Raze continued. "What I''vee to hate more is the way this whole academy is run and the way everyone is treated.


    "It''s impossible to rise; your position is made the day you are born in this world. I''ve heard of all of those things before. It didn''t stop me back then, and it won''t stop me now."


    Raze then swung his sword to the side, and it was pointed right at where the Blue Headband students were sitting.


    "I am a no-name!" Raze shouted. "I havee from no n and was born this way. I was ced in this world in a position even less than you!"


    As Raze shouted these words, images shed in his head. Of the days he was hungry, of the days he would be beaten up as a child, and the things he would have to do just to eat and survive the next day. He wasn''t talking about this life, where his magic helped him, but about his past life.


    "In this world, I am expected to never even step foot in this academy! Which means for all of you, from this day on, after witnessing what I will do, none of you will have an excuse.


    "If you lose your arms in a fight, then train and use your legs; if you lose your legs, then bite them with your teeth. Do everything you can to change your fate!"


    Sherry had enough of listening to Raze''s words, so she decided to charge forward. Her Qi was channeling into her sword, and she wasing in fast.


    Raze, seeing this, lifted the sword above his head and held it with both of his hands.


    The attention of his strong speech had made it so all eyes were on him, even Ricktor and Dame were somewhat no longer fighting as they took a peek.


    ''The way he''s using the sword, don''t tell me he''s going to use that!'' Dame thought.


    "Don''t me what''s around you; don''t me the situation you are in!" Raze continued.


    Sherry swung her sword from the side, and instead of one, it looked as if it had split into five, all heading for Raze.


    ''The Devil''s first formation. Blood River!'' Raze swung the sword down, and his Qi looked to spark a little red as it cut through the air.


    It had hit Sherry''s sword, which she tried to lift above her head somewhat blocking the attack, but her legs immediately crumbled, and she fell crashing onto her knees.


    ''This attack, it''s so heavy, it''s so strong¡­ just what is this, I''ve never felt this type of Qi before.''


    She could feel the Qi not only in the sword but around it as well, and it was making her whole body tingle.


    The sword broke under the power into several pieces, and the wooden sword struck down her left side. She felt her bones cracking first, and then looked to her right, where she could see the wooden sword stuck in her skin in her upper right shoulder.


    Raze then pulled the sword and kicked her right in the chest onto the ground. From the pain and wound itself, it had appeared as if she had passed out, as she was no longer moving, or no longer willing to move.


    "What you do is the biggest factor in your life. The only person that you can control is you. So do something about it, just like I''m going to now." Raze said as he walked over, looking at thest disciple.


    Meanwhile, one of the main n leaders stood up, as he had realised something with thatst move he had seen.


    "That technique," Gavin said. "It belongs to the Demonic faction!"

 Chapter 148 The Last Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 148 The Last Disciple</h4>


    Most of the students and even many of the teachers weren''t old enough to remember thest time they had gone to war with those from the Demonic Faction.


    There would be scuffles between groups now and then, and at the martial arts tournament, they would witness some of the techniques used by the Demonic Faction.


    It was why Dame thought that even if Raze was to use some skills from the Demonic Faction, he would be fine. Especially the Descending Steps that so few individuals chose to practice.


    However, the Devil''s Sword formations. This was different; it was quite a popr skill among the higher-ups in the Demonic Faction.


    Not only that, but the event that Dame thought would be on a smaller scale had many eyes watching them, including the leaders of the main n. Those that had fought and studied the Demonic Faction well.


    ''That idiot!'' Gunther pped the top of his head. ''Didn''t I already warn him about having Demonic energy? Although having the energy is not too much of a red g, but using one of their skills as well.


    ''There is no doubt that they now have every reason to bring you in.''


    "Are you sure?" Murkel asked. "Are youpletely sure that the technique that was used is from the Demonic Faction?"


    Gavin hesitated for a moment as he looked. He knew how big of a im this would be. It wasn''t a small matter when it came to mingling with other Factions.


    "I have no doubt that is a skill from the Demonic Faction, but I am not iming that the student is from the Demonic Faction," Gavin stated.


    "If that student is from the Demonic Faction, shouldn''t we pull him out of this event right now? It could be dangerous for every one of our students!" Feebie imed.


    She was worried about Sherry after seeing what had happened to her. She was holding onto her shoulder tightly, and while Raze had moved away from her, she had started to roll so she could eventually get off the stage.


    "The fact that none of the students have been injured to the point they are in critical condition or dead. Doesn''t that go to show something as well?" Gunther imed.


    In the end, the decision would lie with the principal, and he still seemed calm about the whole thing. "The event will continue," Murkel stated. "Don''t you think it would be pretty interesting to witness, to see which is stronger, the techniques of the Dark Faction, or that of the Demonic Faction."


    Dame looked at what was happening, and he could see now that the only ones capable of fighting were Ricktor and Raze, and now it was time for him to exit out of this finale.


    Ricktor had thrust his sword with strong force, focusing his Qi into his weapon. Trying to grab it, Dame had faked a miss, slowing down ever so slightly.


    The tip of the sword, along with his Qi, had sessfully struck Dame. It condensed into the end and erupted, making somewhat of a small explosion as it sent Dame into the air and bouncing off the ground.


    He had hit the floor a few times andnded on his back. Hey still on the ground, doing nothing.


    ''Man, I should be an actor and work in one of those shows!'' Dame thought. ''Now that I have done this though, it is all down to you Raze. You need to be careful as well; this guy is skillful; I''ve never seen anyone like him.''


    Raze had finished getting blood on the statue, making it four now in total. After cing it away, he had thrown his uniform onto the ground; it was too torn up in the first ce.


    "I acknowledge your strength to be thest one standing here," Ricktor said. "I can tell that you are indeed a stage 2 Pagna warrior; that is quite the achievement for a no-name."


    Ricktor started to pat his leg, making the same sound as one would when pping.


    "You see, you might have been able to beat all of the others, but there is a big difference between me and them. Not only am I more skilled, but I am a stage 3 Pagna warrior."


    Mumbles among the watchers started. They couldn''t believe it. A first-year reaching the third stage. Many didn''t even reach this after leaving the academy.


    Wasn''t he already as good as some of the teachers then? Maybe not the examiners like Gunther, but certainly he would be at the same level as the red headband teacher.


    "The difference between the two of us is toorge," Ricktor said and moved from his position.


    It looked almost like there was an after-image of him, and right after, he was already right where Raze was. A thrust of the sword.


    An immense power was created, and the scene of arge amount of heat was seening off from Ricktor. It was visible to all of those in the area.


    "A visible Qi after-image skill!" Gavin mumbled in disbelief. "He really is a genius. I can''t believe the Erupting Fist n has such a talent."


    The sword had stabbed Raze, and he was sent exploding back just like Dame. His body was bouncing off the floor several times; the attack was monstrous, and a burning sensation could be felt on his stomach.


    Raze continued to bounce on the ground, and it looked like he was going to bounce all the way until he fell off the other end of the stage.


    That was until they could see two figures standing up.


    "You''re not losing like this, not until you get a hit on that guy!" Liam shouted.


    "I don''t want to keep thinking about that creep and his strange fetishes, so Raze, get rid of him!" Simyon shouted.


    The two of them ran forward and jumped, hitting Raze back with their shoulders, but the force and momentum of his body had also pushed the two of them off of the stage, and now no matter what they did, they weren''t allowed toe back on again.


    Raze was still on the stage; he pushed himself up with his arm and could feel the burning sensation around his stomach. Looking down, there was a stabbing wound, and blood was dripping onto his trousers.


    ''That guy,'' Dame thought, keeping one eye slightly open so he could still witness the fight. ''I feel like he''s gotten stronger and better from fighting me! This isn''t looking good; he needs to use an item or his powers if he wants to win this fight. He can''t win with his martial arts on his own.''


    Having gotten up off the ground, Raze held the sword firmly in his hand and looked straight at Ricktor. To his left, a couple of meters away, Dame was lying on the floor still.


    "Do you remember a conversation we had a while ago?" Raze asked. "You said if I knew how to use all of the Descending Steps, that I would be able to take out even the main disciples?"


    Dame was wondering why now of all times was Raze talking about such a thing, but it wasn''t all the steps; it was only six of them.


    "Is that still true for him?" Raze asked.


    Ricktor was stronger than what Dame thought any of the main disciples would be like, but he was confident in the Descending Steps. He knew their strength well.


    Moving his arm slightly, he managed to lift up a thumb so Raze could see it.


    "Then, I have nothing to worry about," Raze said as he walked over, the images of the book in his head.

 Chapter 149 The Descending Demonic Steps

    <h4>Chapter 149 The Descending Demonic Steps</h4>


    "Do you think he can win?" were the words that came out of Liam''s mouth.


    Both Simyon and Liam had been knocked away from the fighting tform and were now watching from the outside. What they didn''t realize was just where they hadnded.


    "Of course, he can''t win," one of the yellow headband wearers replied. He was sitting in his seat, arms folded, not taking his eyes away from the match ahead.


    They were the ones who were meant to go up against the red headband wearers, but with what had urred today, what had happened, they weren''t even sure if they would be able to fight at all.


    "I''m telling you now, Ricktor is not just the grandson of the Principal here; he''s also a genius," the yellow owner continued. "He''s a Stage 3 Pagna warrior, the highest the academy has ever had as a third-year."


    Many of the yellow headband owners were nodding their heads in agreement.


    "And I bet all of you losers would have said the same thing about him going up against the others as well," Liammented. "He is definitely going to win because he''s got a cute sister that he needs to protect."


    Immediately, a heavy foot hit Liam''s side, causing him to scream in pain. It had hit his already sore and broken-down body.


    "Why did you kick me?" Liam shouted.


    "Because you''re an idiot," Simyon replied. "But you''re right about one thing, for some reason, I don''t think Raze is going to lose. Do you remember what he said earlier? I think we are all going to witness something today, and we should all watch carefully."


    There were things that Raze could do that were out of this world.


    "Yeah, right. Ricktor is able to perform visual Qi. Do you even know how impressive that is?" the student asked.


    Both Liam and Simyon looked at each other because they really didn''t, leaving the yellow owner to let out a big sigh.


    "When you perform your techniques or the skills you learn, the books usually give an image in one''s head that they need to remember. For example, your Elephant strike, you are to imagine your attack like that of an elephant''s trunk.


    "If a person is skillful enough with their Qi, when using the techniques, it will form an image in the real world. What we saw with hisst attack, we could see the image of heating off from his body, produced by the Qi used by his technique. Sometimes, not even higher-stage Pagna warriors can do this.


    "This is something that can only be done when one haspletely mastered the technique that is taught to them."


    Both Simyon and Liam never knew of such a thing because they had never even seen it. That''s how rare it was. Of course, those like the main five n heads would be able to do such things.


    But for those in the blue headband groups, their n leaders would have never been capable of performing such a thing.


    The invited guests, the teachers, the n head disciples, Dame, all of them were watching carefully at what was about to happen. Ricktor had already gotten off the first move, delivering a decisive blow.


    "Since you managed to survive thest attack, then I''ll go ahead and show you something that you will never be able to achieve, just to show you how much of a difference there is between us!" Ricktor shouted.


    Swinging his sword and swinging his fist in a figure of eight together, intense heat was starting toe off from his body again. The heat flowed fiercely around him, as if a volcano had erupted.


    His wooden sword, the tip of it was now glowing red with power as well. This was visual Qi being used, and it was one of the Erupting Fist n''s powerful techniques. It wasn''t a single skill per se, but a technique that would empower every single strike of his.


    With the red-glowing wooden sword, Ricktor dragged the tip along the floor and left a deep ck line in the tiles. The sword had cut right through it.


    "Hey, if the kid gets attacked like that, he''ll be killed!" Gunther said.


    "The students are able to quit anytime they wish," Murkelmented. "I believe my grandson has shown him his power, to allow him the chance to quit. If he wishes to continue, then that is down to him."


    Raze stopped right in the middle of the stage; he no longer moved forward, and he didn''t say anything as he just held the sword in his hand, with both of them carefully. It didn''t look like he was about to perform any type of technique at all.


    "Fine, you made your choice!" Ricktor shouted as he charged forward, a trail of his visual Qi could be seen as a red aura was left in the air where he moved. The sword was in his hand, and he was ready.


    At that moment, Raze lifted up his foot.


    ''The first descending step!''


    His foot mmed onto the ground, and the Qi from it dispersed outward. It hit Ricktor but did next to nothing to slow him down. Right after mming his foot, though, Raze proceeded with the second step, kicking off.


    It was faster than the time before as the Qi flowed in from the first to the second step.


    ''The second formation, the Devil''s stinger!''


    Combined with the second formation, a strange spark of energy flicked out from the air, slowly covering the sword slightly. The tip of the sword crashed right into the side of Ricktor''s, and the two powers collided in the air.


    "What is this...his power is actually able to match up to Ricktor''s!" Gavin shouted. "Is that even possible?"


    Dame was no longer pretending to watch as he had lifted up his upper body, looking at the sight.


    ''He used the second formation with the second step wlessly...it has so much power, and he managed tobine the steps.''


    However, Raze wasn''t done there. The third descending step was produced, as he flipped back in the air, and his foot kicked Ricktor right in the chin. With the added Qi from the first two steps, it was too fast for him to react.


    Whennding on the ground, Raze used the fourth descending step right after, kicking off with both his feet. Therge amount of Qi had broken several of the tiles where his feet were, and they flew back behind him.


    The sword was shoved forward, hitting Ricktor right in the stomach; he was unable to block in time.


    ''The fifth descending step!'' Raze then kicked off from one foot and shed right across, hitting Ricktor on his body. A loud thud came from around him, and Ricktor felt as if there was arge weight right on top of his body.


    ''The sixth descending step!'' Raze did the same but from the other side; he kicked from the side, going in a single path. The Qi exploded to his right, and even from where the red headband wearers were, they could feel the massive amount of Qi.


    Raze swung the sword again, hitting him on the other side, and arge line of Qi was visible in the air after crashing into Ricktor. Blood spewed out of his mouth, and the red energy he had around him, his visual Qi, was starting to fade.


    Instead, something sinister was bing visible in the air. An image was forming right above Raze''s head.


    ''6 of the descending steps, and he''s managed to perfectly let them flow one into the other!'' Dame couldn''t believe his eyes. ''He was able to reach the pinnacle of the steps that I was able to reach.''


    Little did he know, Raze had no n to just stop there.


    "He''s going to lose," The principal said.


    "What, are you saying your grandson has some type of backup n?" Gavin asked.


    "No, Ricktor is the one who''s going to lose," the principalmented.


    He could feel the Qi building up with each of the steps and the destruction on the floor, and there was still more toe.


    ''The seventh descending step!''


    Raze jumped up in the air, with such force that it was shaking the entire ce. Now in the air, visual Qi was starting to form around him. It looked almost like tworge eyes had been made by his side, but the way they were positioned made them look like wings.


    ''The eighth descending step!''


    Raze started to spin his body in the air, and did so rapidly that a tornado of Qi had been created; he continued to go straight down.


    Ricktor, not giving up, seeing all of this, he lifted his sword, and his Qi was erupting.


    ''The first Devil''s formation!''


    With the added spin, Raze swung the sword down with both of his hands. A wave of dark red appeared in visual Qi with the strike almost looking like that of blood; it was so thick.


    It smothered all of the power that Ricktor had produced, and the attack came crashing down. As it hit Ricktor, the tiles on the floor were pushed to the side.


    Ricktor''s body was seen flying in the air, blood spilling from his mouth, his body incredibly damaged, and before he fell back down to the floor, he had thoughts running through his head.


    ''What was that power... is that really what a 2-stage Pagna warrior should be capable of? And why does my whole body feel like it wants to crawl out of my skin.'' Ricktor thought, andstly, when he hit the ground and his eyes were turning to ck, he realized.


    ''I... I... I''ve lost.''

 Chapter 150 The Rising Star Of The Dark Faction

    <h4>Chapter 150 The Rising Star Of The Dark Faction</h4>


    Performing eight steps in a row, including one of the Devil''s Sword formations, the attack was beyond anything a stage 2 Pagna warrior should have been able to produce.


    Raze was in the center, stood in a crater of the mess he had created. His hand was shaking, his muscles felt like they were tearing apart.


    At that moment, he was extremely focused, carefully controlling the Qi, remembering the formations and the instructions in the book to thest letter.


    With circle formations and spells, he needed to do the same thing. Remember the shape, the runes, and ce the image in his head. Then use the right amount of mana to produce the spell.


    What he had aplished as a 9-star mage was being transferred over to him using Qi in his skills, which was why he could create textbook copies of what he had learned.


    Looking around, he was trying to see where Ricktor was. He could see that he had flown to the edge of the arena; it didn''t look like he was getting up any time soon.


    Looking at the sword, Raze could see there were some traces of blood. Slowly he reached out and grabbed the tip of it with his hand, but he could see that his eyesight was turning slightly blurry.


    ''Crap, I''m exhausted¡­ I''ve never pushed myself this far before. Is this what it feels like to deplete one''s Qipletely?''


    Weakened, Raze could feel his legs giving out, so he turned around, and could see Dame just standing there staring at him. He looked stunned, frozen like an ice sculpture, and that was because he was.


    ''Eight of the descending steps, not just six of them, but a stage 2 Pagna warrior was able to perform eight of the steps? This level of Qi control should be something that''s only possible at the upper middle stages.


    ''If people like me and Ricktor are considered geniuses, then what does that make him?''


    "Hey!" Raze called out, as his body started to fall to the ground. "Make sure I wake up alive."


    Immediately after Raze had fallen straight onto the ground, and Dame was the only one left standing there.


    "Hey, he beat Ricktor. He clearly beat Ricktor, right? We all saw it! The Blue headbands, they''re the only ones left standing. Does that mean we won!"


    "We did, we won, we won!"


    The Blue headband students started to cheer in victory for Raze and the others. Even though they hadn''t done anything, in their root to cheer for their fellow students, it felt as if it was something that they had done together.


    They couldn''t help but cheer, and it wasn''t just them. The ones sitting by the side, the invited guests, all hadrge smiles on their faces as they turned to talk with each other.


    "I can''t believe it, that student was able to best even a stage 3 Pagna warrior, does that mean he was even higher?"


    "I guess he was a student that slipped through. It''s clear he''s not deserving of a Blue headband."


    "You did hear what he stated, that he was a no name. Either way, it looks like the Dark Faction has a star in the making."


    "A new star, maybe the Dark Faction will eventually have someone that canpete with Beatrix from the Light Faction. We will not becking in stars; we must support the Academy as much as we can."


    Principal Murkel, hearing thements from the others, thought that the results weren''tckluster. In the end, having such a fight, they felt more confidence in sending more funding to the academy, which was a good thing.


    However, their words of praise weren''t just for the white-haired student as they started to talk about the others as well.


    "All of the Blue headbands seemed to have performed well. If it was just one or two, we could put it off to coincidence, but they all put up a fight. It seems that in the month they must have been trained well."


    "I agree, who was their teacher again, it was Mr. Lee, correct? I recognized the spear skills that the girl from before used as well. I guess the rumors weren''t true, and their n is still strong."


    Teacher Lee was still amazed by everything he had seen. He thought he was dreaming and had to pinch the side of his leg several times to the point where his skin had turned purple.


    But it was all true. He turned his head, looking at the Vice-Principal who had caught his eye, and Amir just nodded.


    ''A promise is a promise, I will speak to the Lethal Bite n about their practices, and you have gained the confidence of the general public. It puts me in a good condition after what has happened today.'' Amir thought.


    From his right, a loud grunt was hearding from Feebie.


    "So, now that Demonic Faction member has even bested your Grandson. Yet they are unaware of the Demonic techniques he has used and now they are all calling him the star of the Dark Faction.


    "By allowing him to fight, you have now created this own mess of a situation for yourself."


    "You are right," Murkel replied, standing up from his seat. He ced his hands behind his back and started to take long strides towards the fighting tform.


    "If we were to do anything to the student now, all of these witnesses would no longer put their trust in us, and we can''t just go ahead and im he is from the Demonic Faction; otherwise, other questions will arise. So we will deal with it as a private matter."


    Murkel then jumped from his position,nding on the stage. As he did, he could see the other student who was still standing, shifting quite close to Raze who was on the floor.


    The two of them made eye contact for a bit, not saying anything.


    ''Why of all people did he have toe out? The closest person to joining the Divine stage¡­ this is going to be hard,'' Dame thought.


    "The event hase to an end. The fighting tform has been damaged and needs time to repair, and after a spectacr disy from our students, I think it''s only right to end it there. The winner is none other than Raze! The new hope and star of the Dark Faction!"


    Right after shouting those words, the Blue headband wearers screamed in cheers that shook the entire ce. While the main n leaders were confused.


    Why would the principal do such a thing?


    Sitting in their seats, having watched everything, Himmy had turned to his colleague.


    "I want you to be honest with me, in that fight just then, taking down that student, did he use any magic?" Himmy asked.


    Charlotte was watching carefully, and although magic had been used during the fights before, when Raze had fought against just Ricktor, he had used purely Pagna warrior skills only.


    "He didn''t," Charlotte answered. "That guy, he just used warrior skills. He''s really something, right?"


    Himmy had to agree. "You''re right; I believe he won''t just be a simple student in this academy. I think we need to start thinking about his position a bit more. Having him just as a field agent in Alter would be a waste.


    "Let''s talk to him and see how he feels about a promotion of sorts."

 Chapter 151 White Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 151 White Dragon</h4>


    Just as the principal had stated, after the fight between Ricktor and Raze, the event had been called off. The Yellow headband wearers, along with the other Red headband wearers, were told that there would be another time where they were able to show their skills.


    Those that were invited were fine with this. They had heard the rumors that the most talented student of them all was Ricktor Dockthron, and it was proven for a moment when they had seen he was a stage 3 Pagna warrior; they just never expected to see a talent above that.


    Whatever they would witness after it would just dull their excitement and takeaway from what they had seen, so the visitors were happy to leave. As they went back to their towns and homes, they weren''t quiet about the events either.


    Word had quickly spread about the no-name that had managed to best the top student, and a nickname for him was given among the people. The White Dragon of the Dark Faction.


    Nicknames were often given to strong and talented individuals as it allowed for their name to be spread far and wide, even outside of their faction and into others. Since they only had a name to go by, the image of the said person would build in their heads.


    Inside the main building of the academy, in a private room, Ricktor was lying on the floor wrapped in several bandages with pots of different herbs by his side. He had been fed a number of things to get him back on his feet and recovering as quickly as possible, but ording to the physician, his body had small fractures in nearly every part, and it would take a while until he was back up and running.


    "I lost," Ricktor said out loud, and he immediately started tough after it. "Ow!" He screamed, reaching below. "I need to be careful; even if my chicken gets excited, it hurts. Oh, I wonder what will happen now."


    ---


    Slowly, Raze was starting to open his eyes. His sight was blurry for a few seconds, and he noticed that he was staring at a rtively dark ceiling above him. Seeing the sight, a few words came out of his mouth.


    "Well, at least this time, no one is strangling me to death," Raze said, and before he knew it, a pair of big eyes blocked the light from above, and tears were streaming down her face, falling onto his.


    "Hey Safa, not too close; he''s still going to be hurt," Simyon said as he gently held her shoulder and pulled her away.


    Raze wanted to raise his hand to wipe away the tears that hadnded on his face, but just moving slightly caused a great shock to his muscles. He had suffered from mana sickness before, and had been sted by a few spells here and there, but had never suffered quite like this.


    Eventually, though, his hand did move, but he just had to bear through the pain as he wiped his face.


    "You know, if you just let people do that for you, it would be much easier," a voice to his side said.


    Turning his eyes rather than his head, he noticed that the one speaking was Dame.


    Raze was in a room as well that was used for the treatment of others. He was lying on a thin mattress, but in his room, his mattress wasn''t the only one, as there were four moreid out by the side.


    Each of them had pots of herbs and such that had been mashed, making some type of green paste. Inside the room were Liam, Safa, Simyon, and Dame. All of those that had taken part in the group fight during the event.


    Simyon and Liam looked the worst, being wrapped in most of the bandages over their body. Raze had his fair share, but it was directed around his stomach where the wound was made. Most of the damage his body was feeling was actually from the use of his own powers.


    "Wait, the sword!" Raze called out, looking fairly panicked. "Where is the wooden sword?"


    "Don''t worry," Dame replied as he pointed with his head to the wooden sword leaning up against part of the wall. "I thought you might have wanted to keep it as a souvenir to show your battle, so I kept it for you."


    It was a stroke of luck for sure, as Raze let out a sigh of relief. During the fight, he had been gathering the blood of the main disciples and cing it on the statue one by one. He had gathered four during the fight and had managed to make Ricktor spill blood as well.


    He was sure there would be some left on the sword, but before he could ce it on the statue, he had passed out.


    ''The blood, it''s dried up on the sword, but if I mix it with some water and ce it on the statue, it should still work, right?'' Raze thought. ''Either way, even if it doesn''t, I can always get the blood of someone else; it''s not too much of a big deal.''


    What was a big deal was what was to happen to them next. Speaking to Dame and the others, it appeared that they had been getting treatment for thest two days. Nearly all of them had woken up yesterday, with Raze waking up today.


    They had tried to ask questions, wondering why they were being kept here, but the physicians that were treating them didn''t know anything.


    ''I wonder, are they keeping us here because of the techniques I used? They might have noticed they were from the Demonic Faction.''


    "Damn it!" Liam said, his body shaking. "I''m so scared; are they going to get rid of us just because you beat up all of their disciples? I didn''t think the Dark Faction would do such a thing, but maybe their rtives are plotting revenge or something."


    The door to the room had slid open at that moment, and entering the room was none other than the Vice-Principal, Amir.


    "Don''t be so foolish; we at the academy would never allow such a thing," Amir imed. "Although treatment between our ns may seem a bit rough at times, you have to remember that we are all part of the same Faction; we would never do such a thing."


    Raze didn''t bring up the fact that they had tried to kill him during the assessment, which was what had started this whole thing in the first ce.


    "We wanted to wait until all of you were healed up to give you the news together," Amir stated. "Due to your performance at the event today, it is clear that every single one of you carries something special that the Dark Faction needs, which is why we havee to the decision to promote all of you to Red headband users."


    Liam went to grab his chest, as it started to hurt.


    "Is this the pain of love¡­ no, I mean, the pain, it''s shooting down my chest, am I having a heart attack?"


    All of them were quite stunned by the results. Perhaps a promotion to the Yellow headbands and maybe Raze to the Red, but why all of them to the Red headbands?


    Not saying anything, Simyon was going to take it. The Red headbands had better ess to certain areas in the academy, and that included the library of skills, which they should be able to go in soon to obtain a new skill.


    "The academy is taking a week break. Students are free to leave to visit their homes, visit their rtives, or just continue to rest in the academy. After which, you will receive your Red headbands. You will visit the library of skills, and your next assessment will be exined then."


    The next assessment would be different from the first, which was simply just learning a skill. Hearing this, Raze was hoping they would finally have ess to the school''s teleporters, which would allow them to see beasts, and in turn, he could increase his magical powers even further.


    "With this, you may all leave the room," Amir said, as he slid the door open, but on the other side of the door, there were also two people waiting. "Ah yes, Raze, it appears that these two wish to speak to you as well."


    Amir stepped to the side and allowed arge man with a brown trench coat and a woman with orange hair and a beret hat to enter.


    ''It''s them, the two from Alter. I thought when I saw them they would want to see me. I wonder¡­ what this is all about?'' Raze thought.


    "Please, if the rest of you could give them some privacy," Amir exined.


    All of them started to leave the room one by one, but Dame stood there for a while, looking at the two strangers. He made eye contact, and as he walked away, he moved his head still looking at them.


    ''These people, they don''t look like Pagna warriors, yet the Vice-Principal treated them with respect. Who are these people, and what do they want with Raze?''


    Just by the fact that Raze didn''t exactly look too concerned, Dame didn''t think that he would need his help, but it still made him wonder. As Himmy pped his trench coat, that''s when Dame noticed something small by his side. It was ced in a leatherpartment and had somewhat of a wooden handle and was made of a type of metal, but it didn''t look like it would be effective as a sword or anything like that. So why would one keep it on them?


    ''Where have I seen that before?''

 Chapter 152 Using Bate

    <h4>Chapter 152 Using Bate</h4>


    The four of them had left the room, and there were more guards that belonged to the academy escorting them. It seemed like they were staying by their side to make sure that they left the main building of the academy and didn''t wander anywhere else.


    When they finally exited the building and were on therge courtyard, the whole ce felt quieter than usual. There was next to no talking, and the sound of the wind could be heard cutting through the air.


    "I guess it''s true there is a break going on. Did most people decide to go home?" Simyon asked. "Well, I guess until the break is over, we''re still Blue headbands, so we should just head back to the sleeping quarters and stay there."


    Just as Simyon was about to turn and make his way through, he crashed his head into something solid. Usually, it was others who would crash into him and feel like they had walked into a wall, but now it was his turn.


    "Pink?" Simyon said, rubbing his head.


    "Hey, those two people that are meeting with Raze right now, who are they? How does he know them? You''ve been with him for a while, right?" Dame asked.


    He would have asked the sister, but since she wasn''t really able to speak, he thought he would ask someone else who would be able to get answers more clearly.


    "Oh, that. I''ve never really seen them before. Maybe they were impressed by Raze''s skills and want to ask him about how he learned his skills and such," Simyon smiled and was about to head toward the sleeping quarters.


    That was until he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Immediately, Dame started to dig his fingers into the wound that was created, causing Simyon to scream out in pain.


    "Arghh!" Simyon yelled. He wanted to curl up and fall onto the floor, but Dame''s grip was so strong that he was being lifted into the air.


    ''Ah crap, I knew there was something up with this guy that Raze met. He seems nice, but the entire time, he''s scared me even more than those damn disciple leaders! Is he going to kill me?'' Simyon thought.


    Immediately seeing this, Safa had gone to strike, but before she could, Dame had lifted up his foot and mmed it onto the ground. A wave of Qi went out and had practically pushed Safa backwards, causing her to fall on the ground and her backside to skid across the floor.


    ''Freaking hell!'' Liam thought seeing it. ''Isn''t that¡­ isn''t that the same move that Raze used as well, with the stomp, but look how strong it was. How much Qi does this guy have, and what is going on? I thought we were all friends and on the same side.''


    Simyon continued to scream in pain, and as he did, he decided to say at least something. Otherwise, he was afraid this person would go for Safa next, and while Raze was injured, he couldn''t do much either.


    "They''re from Alter!" Simyon answered. "That''s all I know. They''re a group that visited us once before from Alter, and they are here as well."


    Having gotten an answer, Dame let go of Simyon, dropping him to the floor.


    "Who is Alter?" Dame asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Wait, what?" Liam said, surprised. "You don''t know who Alter is? Even I know who they are."


    It was strange, even Simyon thought so. This person, although he didn''t know his background, was someone who was strong and from the Dark Faction. Surely their n would have known about Alter. They were an organization nearly all the top ns knew about in the Dark Faction. So why didn''t Pink know about them?


    ---


    Back inside the room, Himmy and Charlotte had both greeted Raze with a polite little bow toward him.


    "It hasn''t been too long since west saw you, kid," Himmymented. "You managed to put on quite the show for us. I have to admit it was quite entertaining."


    "Yeah! You managed to catch onto this Pagna stuff really well. Everyone is calling you the star of the Dark Faction. You could actually really be something!" Charlotte said with a smile.


    Raze wasn''t ttered by thements at all. Instead, he had an extremely uninterested look on his face. He desperately wanted to unlock the seal on the soldier statue, but just likest time, if it was a high-level item, there was a good chance that it would unlock a portal. If that was the case, he would rather do it when these guys weren''t here.


    "So why have you visited? Does Alter have a task for me?" Raze asked.


    "No, don''t be silly," Charlotte said, waving her hand about like it was a stupid question to ask. "We had a job that was not too far from here, and I remembered you said you were going to join the Pagna Academy, so I wanted to see your progress here, that''s all, and see if you had any problems settling into this new world. It can be hard after all, especially learning thenguage and words."


    Raze didn''t reply straight away because he thought of something that happened during his time at the academy that was strange. If they weren''t here to give him a job and were just here to see him, then what about that time?


    "Would you happen to know if Alter tried to contact me?" Raze asked.


    "Contact you?" Himmy replied. "That shouldn''t be the case. I haven''t been informed of us needing any field agents in the academy itself. Usually, only then, a squad leader like myself would make contact, asking for the field agent''s help. Or, as I said before, if you felt there was the need to report something, you could try to seek us out in certain ways. Come to think of it, I didn''t even tell you how."


    Himmy started tough, but Raze felt like it was noughing matter.


    "So are you saying that it''s impossible for someone to know that I was in Alter, other than you two?" Raze asked.


    "Well, not impossible," Himmy replied. "But other field agents wouldn''t know about you. As far as I know, there isn''t anyone that is squad leader level in the academy. Although if someone was even above me, then I wouldn''t know either, and they possibly would know."


    Although that could be the reason behind the letter, Raze just didn''t feel like it was the case. Why leave a letter to meet up, and then never make contact again? The person was clearly trying to hide their identity from him, and would a person in such a high position do that?


    "I see. Well, is there anything else you need from me?" Raze asked, leaving it at that. He didn''t want Alter to get involved and wanted them to leave as soon as possible.


    "No, that''s it," Himmy replied.


    Shortly after Raze had left the room, when he did, Charlotte had immediately turned around.


    "I thought you were going to ask him to be promoted from a field agent to an official member?" Charlotte asked.


    "Couldn''t you tell?" Himmy replied. "Someone knows about him here, and there''s a good chance that it isn''t Alter... maybe we should have told him about that group.


    Maybe we should stay in the academy for a few days. Who knows, the kid might be good bait."

 Chapter 153 A Broken Promise

    <h4>Chapter 153 A Broken Promise</h4>


    A small altercation had urred just outside the main academy, and after Dame was somewhat satisfied with his answer but wanted to find out more, the group had moved to the living quarters.


    It was even quieter once they had entered the inside. There were next to no students that had stayed in the academy. Nearly all of them had decided to head home, as they didn''t exactly know when the next break would ur.


    However, oddly, there were still the same number of teachers guarding the ce. As they walked through the courtyard to get to the building, they had even passed by Tod and the other assessors, which came as quite a surprise.


    "I thought Teacher Lee would have eaten him alive after what he had done," Liammented. "I guess he was in a happy mood after the results."


    "I wouldn''t be worried so much about what Teacher Lee would do," Simyonmented. "I''m seriously more worried about Raze."


    That day when everyone had fought in the event, they had learned the truth of what the five main disciples had attempted to do. For those who heard this, it sounded like a revenge story.


    Raze had shown some strength in the initial school assessment but not at the same level he had shown that day. So, in the students'' minds, they had been building up a story of their own.


    How he had worked hard and had pushed through every barrier possible, all in an attempt to take down the main five, and he had aplished it. Simyon was sure that all of the students, when heading back, would be telling their parents and ns what they had seen.


    "Raze, you really are going to be one popr guy," Simyon thought.


    When they entered the inside, due to theck of people, they thought there was no need for them to head inside their rooms, and instead, they sat out in the main room that was out in the open. There was quite a bit of dust that covered the sofas and chairs.


    It had only been a couple of days, but the area looked untouched.


    "So, are you going to exin to me what this Alter group is?" Dame said as he sat down, his fingers intertwined with each other. It was one of the very few times they had seen him being so serious.


    Simyon was hesitating about what to say. Since he was technically a field agent of Alter, was he even allowed to say anything? But then again, what if ''Pink'' was to kill him over this type of information? It certainly felt like there was a chance before.


    "Alter is a group that any respectable n should know," Liam said. "It''s a surprise that you don''t know it, to be honest. They''re not a n but some could say maybe an odd job group. Many of the ns contact them for multiple reasons.


    "Information gathering for one, and sometimes when they haverge issues that would be difficult for Pagna warriors to solve. It''s hard to exin, but essentially, a request can be sent, and it seems like they can almost do anything. So they''re well-respected among all of the ns."


    Dame was now scratching his chin with the information he had just learned because he had never heard of such a group. But then again, the Demonic Faction was more segregatedpared to the other factions to the outside world.


    In fact, Dame didn''t know much about what was happening outside of the martial arts tournaments, which was why he wanted to leave in the first ce. He always admired Alba and her Crimson Crane group.


    "Do they operate outside of the Dark Faction, or does theirwork spread wider than that, and are they strong?" Dame asked.


    "That''s a question that''s hard to answer," Liam replied. "They seem to have a connection with everyone, to the point that if anyone was to upset them, there would be many ns that are willing to help them out.


    "As far as I know, though, they do also operate outside of the Dark Faction and work with the Light Faction as well. I''m not sure about the Demonic Faction, but they are quite the neutral group.


    "I heard that at times during n disagreements, whererge-scale battles are taking ce, they choose not to take sides and will even cut offmunication until everything is resolved."


    The group of Alter was getting more and more interesting to Dame by the moment. He was sure he would have heard of such a group in the Demonic Faction before. In fact, Dame was quite sure that he had even seen the same item that the man from earlier was carrying.


    ''Has this group already tried to get into the Demonic Faction? Are they attempting to do something?''


    Inside Dame''s mind, he was conflicted. He didn''t care much about the Demonic Faction, but then again he did. He felt like he had some responsibility to the faction that brought him up, and that his friends and family were a part of.


    If something was happening, then he should at least make his father aware of it.


    "So I understand somewhat about this mysterious group, but then why are they speaking to Raze, what is his link to them?" Dame asked.


    There was a slight fear running through the back of Dame''s mind. What if meeting the Dark Magus wasn''t a coincidence after all? What if, just like many other groups, they were trying to take down the Demonic Faction from within?


    Dame had let him in with open arms, without knowing much about him because he believed Raze was from another world, but it turned out the two of them were from the same world.


    Once again, Safa and Simyon, based on their reactions as they averted their eyes, they knew something, but they weren''t keen to speak on it.


    "Stop pressuring them," a voice said as he walked over. "If you want to know something, you can always ask me."


    The white-haired student, who was also slowly gaining the name the White Dragon, had entered the room. He had managed to catch the tail end of the conversation.


    "Raze," Dame said as he stood up from his seat. "I like you... as a person a lot, and I''m not one to back down on our deals."


    Before he spoke more, the smiling faces of Kirk, Carlson, and Fixteen had entered his mind, the time he spent with them and their families growing up. At the same time, he also thought about the Dark Magus handing him the win in the special battle.


    It was possible that with what he was about to say, he might break the rtionship between the two, and it might have seemed like a small matter to most, but he couldn''t get it out of his head. The group Alter may have sounded nice to others, but it sounded dangerous to him.


    Especially a group that was trying not to make its presence known to the Demonic Faction.


    "I need to know what your rtionship is with Alter, otherwise I''m afraid we might not be able to work together anymore," Dame asked.

 Chapter 154 Wake Up!

    <h4>Chapter 154 Wake Up!</h4>


    It took a lot for Dame to say those words. Usually, he was free and willy-nilly about the way he spoke, and he would just say what came to mind. He didn''t care who he offended, even if it was other n heads.


    The only person he was careful with was his own father and the Dark Magus. Maybe it went to show how much he respected this person, or how much he feared him.


    "What are you so tense for?" Raze replied. "You don''t have to get so serious about it. Why don''t we head to my room, and we can talk for a bit."


    Hearing this, hearing that this was Raze''s reaction, the tension left from Dame''s body, and he felt a bit silly for thinking that Raze would react a certain way. As the two of them walked off, Simyon and Safa decided that they should head to their rooms as well, and seeing everyone leave one by one, Liam was on his own.


    "Wait, aren''t I involved in this!" Liam shouted. "We fought as a team, we''re all one, we''re together and all that stuff. I want to know why Alter spoke to him as well, damn it! Listen to me!"


    Yet they all ignored Liam as they continued on and entered their rooms. It was just Raze and Dame now together. They didn''t start speaking straight away, as it appeared Dame was waiting for Raze to start, and as for the Dark Magus himself, he was wondering how he should phrase the whole thing.


    Although he was part of Alter, he also never felt like he was actually a part of their group. He had always nned to use them either as a way to get back or to take the powerful items that they kept locked away.


    If anything, what he didn''t want was for Dame to get involved because he was his trusty business partner. The one that would allow him to spread his items throughout the world and start to gain his own influence.


    "You might not be happy with what you hear," Raze started off. "But I honestly don''t know much about Alter myself. I told you that I only recently came to this world, and that is true. The thing is when I did, the group Alter was investigating a bunch of mysterious deaths surrounding the area I was in.


    "And they hade to suspect me. In the end, I managed to clear their suspicions and helped them out when they were in a tricky situation. After that, they invited me to join their group as a field agent."


    "I work for them, but honestly, they tell me to do nothing, and I felt like I somewhat had no choice but to ept this type of thing. The two that I met today, they were the ones I met back before. They were in the area and came to see me."


    Dame would usually say he was a good reader of character. When people lied, they tended to get more anxious; their lips would twitch, they would touch their face quite a bit, and their actions and words didn''t match.


    Yet with Raze, he was so confident when he was speaking it was hard for him to see any of that.


    "I see, so you''re only a field agent and don''t know much about them. Then I only have a few questions to ask you. Why did they meet you today, what did they want to talk about? What do you n to do in Alter, and do they know about the Dark Magus?"


    Raze smiled when he heard these questions; he was actually happy that Dame was asking these things. When he met him, he thought that he was quite shallow, and Fixteen was the one that had the brain, but it turned out that Dame was no fool himself.


    "Today they said they just wanted to meet me; it seemed like they did want to say something, but their mind was distracted by something else," Raze answered. "As for Alter, I n to just use their informationwork, as well as other things, but I will make this clear; they do not know anything about the Dark Magus."


    "And I would like to keep it that way. The Dark Magus, I want it to be something that even they fear."


    Raze wanted the same infamy that he had on Alterian, where no one other than the Supreme Magus would dare to go up against him.


    "Thank you for answering everything. With your answers, I think the two of us can still go into business, and we will do well," Dame said with a smile. "Oh, and I have to ask, how many of the descending steps do you know, and how were you able to learn them so fast?"


    Hearing this, Raze thought there was no harm in answering his question. "It''s my magic," Raze said as he lifted his hand, and Dark magic started to swirl around his forearm until it condensed into a dark ball, smooth and not flickering, resembling a solid object. "Learning spells, controlling the mana in the air and in your core. All of it is far moreplex than controlling Qi. So to me, controlling Qi is like second nature.


    "The ten descending steps don''t require one to have arge amount of Qi, but one just to have great control over it."


    Dame was satisfied with the answer because it was all still due to Raze''s hard work in the end, as a magician.


    "If there are a lot of mages like you in Alterian, then Pagna would be screwed if we were to fight them."


    "Don''t worry," Raze replied. "I''m one of a kind."


    The group didn''t do much for the rest of the day. They were all still a bit sore and hurt, including Raze. He did think about going back to the Dimension to gather more beast crystals.


    But since there was a chance of meeting up with the Light Faction, he thought it was best to wait until he was at least fully healed. He also wanted to ask what Dame wanted to do concerning that.


    In the end, a day of rest was what was needed. The night sky went down, and the bright light from the moon shone down on the empty sleeping quarters. Raze was tucked in his quilt with the mattress on the floor.


    He was sleeping away blissfully. His body still exhausted from the constant use of Qi. A deep slumber with nothing disturbing him, that was until he could feel a dense fog in his mind.


    The image was growing; there was fog all around. Soon, he could hear several whispers entering his head. His body soon found itself in the thick fog. He tried to turn left and right, locating where the sound was, but it was nowhere to be seen.


    ''This feeling... it''s the same as when I use the life and death cultivation technique.''


    There was a chill all over, and soon arge stench had hit his nose as well, it was foul, it was the stench of the dead.


    Finally, the sound of the whispers became louder.


    ''I can''t protect you... I can''t protect you... from this... wake up!... WAKE UP!''


    The voice screamed in his head, and Raze''s eyes blurred open, and immediately, he could see a figure in the corner of his room.

 Chapter 155 A weapon like you

    155 A weapon like you


    Hearing the voice in his head, Raze felt like he was forcefully awakened, almost pulled out of a trance. His body was immediately alert to the sounds and the space around him. It didn''t take long for him to lock eyes and see what was in his room.


    Its figure was human-shaped, right up against the corner of the wall, dressed in all ck clothing. It was hard to see exactly what the clothing was like due to there being no light, apart from what little entered the room through the letterbox-styled window.


    ''An intruder, how did he manage to get in? And get in without making a sound that would wake me?'' Raze thought.


    Either way, it was clear that an intruder wasn''t good news. No one woulde in the middle of the night to wish one good luck and a happy journey. What was odd, though, was the man''s hand hovering by his side, his fingers twitching as it inched slowly closer.


    ''What is he trying to do? Why does this feel like a type of standoff?'' Raze thought in his head.


    A memory had returned to him. Back at the mage academy, they would often y these types of games where the two of them would stand at either end of a room, not speaking, waiting for the other to react and then casting a spell. The first one to cast a spell would be the victor.


    ''I don''t know why I''m remembering such things at a time like this... and in those situations, I would always lose.''


    The distance was too far for him to use his Pagna skills as well, so magic was his best bet. When it came to speed, wind magic was faster than Dark Magic.


    The man suddenly reached out to his side and pulled out a small metal object. Raze didn''t get a clear view of it, but he decided to roll to the side.


    "A small gust!" Raze shouted as he rolled.


    The man moved the object facing Raze and pulled on a small metal part on the object. A muffled, slightly high-pitched sound came out, and immediately Raze felt a great pain in his shoulder.


    "Gah!" Raze grunted, feeling his blood pouring from him.


    The wind magic had still left his hand, though, and it had hit the man, banging him right against the wall. The man pointed the object toward Raze again and started to fire at him repeatedly.


    Raze moved to the side using the two-step shift. He had avoided most of whatever it was trying to hit him, when he had been caught right in the foot. The object went right through him like nothing. His special body of a Stage 2 Pagna warrior was nothing when it came to whatever this was.


    "Screw you, Dark Pulse!" Raze shouted out.


    Jumping out of the way, the Dark Pulse had missed, but it hit the wall, breaking it apart immediately. The sound of the destruction quickly caught the attention of others.


    It would be hard for anyone not to be woken up by that sound.


    The man looked panicked, twisting and turning his head, unsure about what to do. Now, with the light from the outside shining on him, Raze could see that he was in odd clothing. Clothing he had never seen before. It didn''t look like it was from Pagna, nor Alterian either. It was rtively thick and had several pockets all over the ce. Not only that, but the man''s face was covered in dark paint to keep his presencepletely hidden.


    What Raze could see now, though, was the object that he was using. It was metal with a handle and a long barrel at the end, attached to it was another round cylinder object.


    "What''s going on?" Dame asked as he exited his room. Soon the others followed,ing out one by one.


    However, there were a couple of people that were closest and were there before anyone. Bursting out of the room next door, arge figure could be seen rolling on the ground. When he got to the side of the hallway, he held up an object simr to the attacker''s and pointed it right at the man in ck.


    "Stay right where you are and don''t move, or I will shoot!" Himmy shouted to the man.


    Just behind Himmy, standing by the doorway where they hade from was Charlotte. She had both of her hands held out, as if she was ready to act at any time.


    Seeing as there was no way out, the man felt like he had no choice. He pulled a round object off his belt and quickly detached a small pin as he dropped it to the ground.


    Immediately, Himmy''s eyes widened. "Everyone, get out of here, run!" Himmy shouted.


    A few seconds passed, and soon after, arge explosion went off in the room. Dust and smoke were all over the ce. More of the hallway walls had been broken, and fragmented pieces of sharp objects could be seen all over the walls.


    When the smoke finally settled, there was no sign of the man in ck, and there was none of his blood on the ground either, meaning there was a good chance he had gotten away.


    "Is everyone okay?" Charlotte asked quickly. She had used part of her magic that wouldn''t seem so obvious to blow the smoke away. It looked like everyone was unhurt, as their warning hade in time.


    That was apart from Raze, who had two bullet wounds in his body. He wasn''t severely injured, but he had been shot twice. His body was covered in dust, and everyone soon turned to look at him. They could see him bleeding, a strange sight for someone who had just toppled the very best in the school.


    ''With his foot and shoulder bleeding, Raze was more concerned with what just happened. ''Who was that, why were they after my life, and why the heck did he have a weapon that was just like Himmy''s?''


    Mass release goals for next week!


    500 Golden tickets = 1 Extra CHapter


    2200 Power stoens = 1 Extra Chapter 1 Castle gift and above = 1 Extra Chapter


    JKSManga

 Chapter 156 Savior or Marking

    156 Savior or Marking


    The loud explosion that had just urred had caused even the teachers to be alert to what was going on. They had quickly rushed to the scene and were quite surprised to see that the special guests were there with them.


    The teachers had cleared the students, moving them into another room on the other side. The good news was that since most students had gone home, there weren''t many problems and plenty of spare rooms.


    It would take a while for repairs to be done as well. What was interesting was the fact that the two from Alter had told the teachers that they would look after Raze. Not only that, but if they had any problems with it, they could report to Amir.


    Trusting them, currently, the ones in one of the other rooms in the sleeping quarters were Himmy, Charlotte, and Raze, who was lying t on the bed.


    "ARGHH!" Raze groaned in pain.


    He could feel something moving inside of his body, being dragged out. Charlotte was above him with both of her hands hovering above his arm. She slowly lifted them up, and as she did, the bullet that was inside could be seen in the air as well.


    Slowly cing her hands to the side, the bullet was dropped onto the wooden floorboards, ced next to the second bullet that had entered Raze.


    There was sweat dripping down the side of Charlotte''s face; she was concentrating extremely hard and started to rub her hands together. When she did, the palms of her hands looked to be slightly whiter in color.


    She moved closer to Raze, hovering above.


    "It''s okay, Raze. It''s going to feel a lot better, alright," Charlotte said in a soft, soothing voice.


    As she got closer with her other hand, Raze suddenly grabbed onto her wrist.


    "Raze... I''m not going to hurt you," Charlotte said again, squinting somewhat in pain. She could hear that Himmy was shuffling his feet behind, ready to get up and do something.


    "Raze, just trust me. I''m just going to use some Light magic; it''s a simple spell that you should know well, right? The cleansing spell. It''s just going to be used to make sure that you don''t get any type of infection."


    It was hard for Raze to trust anyone, let alone these mysterious people from Alter, but for some reason, Charlotte''s voice was very soothing to him. Not only that, but she had decided to keep certain things a secret.


    Slowly, he started to let go and let her do the work. Once she had finished with the Light magic, she started to carefully wrap the wounds. Each time she had to touch Raze, she asked if it was okay.


    She could feel that he was still on edge, and it was understandable considering he had just nearly been killed. When everything was done, she could breathe a sigh of relief. She tilted her head back andid down on the ground next to Raze.


    "Ah! That was tiring... using so many different types of magic really is hard," Charlottemented.


    Charlotte was the only one that was speaking, and she was talking out loud. If she didn''t, she just felt like the tension in the room was too high. Because no one was saying anything to each other, as if they were waiting for the other one to speak.


    "So?" Raze said first, eventually breaking the silence. "Are you two going to exin what happened? Who that man was, or what?"


    "And what makes you think we know that man?" Himmy asked. He was sitting down in a small wooden stool that was far too small for hisrge frame. His voice made it sound like he was intimidating, but the sight really didn''t match up.


    "The fact that you two came bursting from the room next door, and that you still stayed at the academy," Raze exined. "I think it''s reasonable to say that you expected this to happen, that you thought someone woulde after me, so it''s best that you exin yourself."


    Originally, Raze thought that it could have been anyone after his life. Perhaps one of the five main disciples or the assassins that were after him and his sister for still being alive after leaving their town.


    However, seeing the two here confirmed they knew more, and the fact that both of them used the same weapon as well. It was clear that they knew a lot more.


    "I thought I was part of the organization?" Raze continued. "Don''t I have the right to know why people are after my life?"


    Himmy finally stood up from his seat and stretched a bit, because he knew this was going to be quite the talk to have.


    "You''re right; you do deserve to know," Himmy said as he reached out and did the strange gesture he always did, creating a V with his fingers and taking in a deep breath next to his mouth before pulling away and blowing out.


    "What I want to know as well, though, is how are you still alive? How are you able to keep escaping death? That''s twice now that you''ve been able to escape death. Admittedly, it was our fault; I didn''t expect them to send him, but from what I know, this man never fails, and he had failed against you. What makes you so special?"


    There was a lot to unpack from Himmy''s words, but Raze did start to think about the question. The fog that was in his head, in his dream. The strange chill around his body, and finally, the voice.


    If the voice hadn''t spoken to him at that time, then would he have still been alive even now? The bullets had ripped through his skin, and a single shot to his head would have killed him.


    He was saved by that voice, and it had hit him why the voice sounded familiar.


    "It was the same voice, from that woman... the one with the bloodied hands... she was the one that saved me."


    Mass release goals for next week!


    500 Golden tickets = 1 Extra CHapter


    2200 Power stoens = 1 Extra Chapter 1 Castle gift and above = 1 Extra Chapter


    JKSManga

 Chapter 157 A Familiar Item

    Chapter 157 A Familiar Item


    A chill went down Raze''s spine each time he thought about that moment. The cold hand that touched his face seemed like an illusion, yet based on the blood that it left behind like some type of dirty marking, it was quite clear that it wasn''t.


    ''But why would that thing even think about saving me? And what did it mean that it couldn''t protect me? Was it because of the bullet?'' Raze thought.


    He couldn''t ponder on the matter for too long because Himmy was waiting for an answer, and the longer he would take, the more suspicious he would get.


    "I''m not weak, you know," Raze finally answered. "And at the same time, it''s not like I came out of the situation unscathed. I was hit twice; if I was any slower, then I wouldn''t be speaking right now."


    "I would like to keep it that way, so it would be nice if you exined to me why someone hade and tried to kill me."


    Charlotte looked back at Himmy, her face resembling that of a puppy dog. It was clear what her answer was; she seemed to be more fond of those from Alterian. Shaking his head, Himmy decided to sit back down.


    "I agree," Himmy said. "I wasn''t trying to be difficult on purpose, but the reason why I can''t tell you is because it''s ssified information. Do you remember what I said before, about how only so much information is given out to those in Alter based on their ranking? There are things that I know that even Charlotte doesn''t know. I am a squad leader or a captain, while she is a sub-leader or the vice captain."


    Charlotte gave a little smile when she had heard those words.


    "I''m also the fastest-rising member of Alter? The old man always forgets to add that, but due to my hard work and skills, I was promoted fairly quickly."


    "I still don''t understand, based on the number of times you go to the toilet," Himmy casuallymented. Before Charlotte could evenin, he started to talk again, stopping her verbal assault from even starting.


    "This might not seem fair, but even though you are involved, we cannot tell you why unless you are promoted, of course."


    "Promoted?" Raze replied.


    He had thought about rising through the Alter ranks. The higher he was, the closer he would get to wherever those items were stored, and the more information he had. But it also meant he woulde across higher-ranked mages who could blow his cover if they knew about him.


    "Actually, that''s what we were going to ask you before," Himmy exined. "Based on your skills, we are sure that you will achieve a high position in the academy and even when you leave the academy. Not just in terms of strength but connections; we are sure that you will be someone important to us."


    "It was just, after you told us about that letter, we decided to wait and see, and as you thought, we had used you as bait."


    An instant reaction had urred right after hearing that. Raze clenched his fist. Even these two, they were just ying with his life. What if the attacker had gone for Simyon or Safa? If that was the case, then they perhaps wouldn''t be alive. Holding back his anger, Raze knew what the right thing to do was, though.


    "Is that offer still on the table?" Raze asked.


    "Just ept, and I''ll let you know all you need to know," Himmy smiled.


    It didn''t take long for Raze to think about it.


    "I ept then; now can you tell me who that man was? Was he another otherworlder?"


    "Yes," Himmy answered. "I''m sure you have probably guessed by now, but he was most likely the one who had left you the letter from before. As for his goal, it might be as simple as getting rid of you."


    "But why?" Raze asked.


    "Although he is an otherworlder like us, he does not belong to Alter like us. That man that attacked youes from the same world as me; he uses the same weapons and maybe even more."


    "Just like Alter, they have people from all sorts of different worlds, including that of Alterian. The group of people is known as the Bonum Society. You should know that if there are those trying to protect the world, there are also those trying to destroy it."


    "This goes true for the Bonum Society as well. I heard that our leader of Alter and the leader of Bonum used to be friends at one point, working together in Pagna. That was until they managed to get their hands on a god-level item, the Gold Globe."


    "We don''t know what its powers were, but apparently enough for them to turn on Alter. As for the Golden Globe itself, at the moment, no one knows where it is. That is one of the missions that is currently ongoing within Alter."


    "Usually, members of Bonum go after higher-ranked members of Alter to try and gather information, to see what we have on the Golden Globe. But it isn''t rare for them to just go after anyone in Alter based on their deep hatred for us, and I suspect that''s why they went after you."


    Another group of otherworlders was a scary thing to worry about, especially when Raze had no clue about all of their powers. Even weapons such as guns were rtively a scary thing.


    Thinking about this, Raze was quite concerned for a couple of reasons. One of them was still how did they know he was an Alter agent, and if he had gotten the letter from that far back, then didn''t that mean a member of the Bonum Society was in the academy?


    Lastly, it made him remember the message written by the Dark Founder in the cave.


    "Originally, when he said they had infiltrated the Dark Faction, I thought he might have been talking about Alter, but now it might possibly be this Bonum group as well."


    Rummaging through his pocket, Himmy threw something toward Raze. It was small in size, around the same size as a badge. Catching it, he looked at what was in his hands.


    "That is proof that you are now not just a field agent, but a squad member of Alter. It''s a device that will allow you tomunicate with other members nearby. It does have a certain range, kind of like a radio? Wait... do you even know what a radio is? Either way, it will light up if it senses another Alter member nearby. Although they could be undercover, in which case you can just power the device off yourself as well by pressing the button on the bottom."


    After saying those words, Himmy was expecting a reply, but instead, he was just met with silence, and he could see Raze stood there still as a statue, looking at the device.


    "I... I know what this is!" Raze thought, his eyes bulging as he looked at the design. It was white in color with arge capital ''I'' on the front that was a faint blue. "It''s amunicator, an item from Alterian, and a creation of Idore the Noble, one of the Supreme Magus."

 Chapter 158 A real smile

    Chapter 158 A real smile


    The device in his hand, Raze recognized it in an instant. Because it was amunicator, which wasn''t just any item but one that was used among the mages in his world.


    It had the same design and the same markings as products made by Idore, one of the Supreme Magus who had great power in creating items of the highest caliber. Themunicator was one of the lower-tier products but well-distributed because it had an additional effect.


    The range of the item could be increased with one''s mana. It could also be set to only react with the same type of device. Essentially, multiple organizations could havemunicators and be in the same room, but they would only react with each other.


    When mages made guilds, it was a good way for them to know who was on their side. This included when one would work as a double agent and spy. At times, mages had guild wars between each other.


    There were multiple times where there were those acting as double agents, and having amunicator was not only a good tool for talking to others but confirming who was on your side and not. It also had the added bonus of being unhackable, unlike a phone.


    It wouldn''t run out of power as long as one had magic ability. Looking at the back of this one, it seemed to have been adjusted slightly. There was a gradient-like panel made of a strange material Raze hadn''t seen before.


    He imagined it was what was used to power it if magic couldn''t be used. Despite all of this, this wasn''t the question he had on his mind. It was, what was the device doing here, and why did Alter have them?


    "Did you say all of those in Alter have these?" Raze asked.


    "All apart from the field agents. Is something wrong?" Himmy asked.


    "Ah, you must recognize it, right?" Charlotte said with a smile. "These were quite the thing back on Alterian as well. It''s amazing that we''re able to have them here. I was quite surprised when I saw them as well."


    "How is it even possible?" Raze asked. "Does that mean that there''s a way back to Alterian?"


    "No," Himmy replied instantly. He didn''t even want Charlotte to entertain the idea, which was why Himmy had decided to reply instead. "We do not know the origins of these items, but otherworlders have worked together to adapt the current version. I''m sure you have noticed that there are some slight changes.


    "But I want to make one thing clear to you, Raze. Many of those whoe to this world, all of us hope to go back. There are those of us who have family left behind, friends, or even enemies. But during the whole existence of Alter, no one has ever found a way to go back."


    Raze stayed quiet after Himmy''s words, and although what he said was true, Raze was finding that hard to believe. For one, he was a squad leader, and ording to Himmy himself, there were those with higher positions, so who was he to rule out that there was a way back, but they just hadn''t informed him about it?


    Seeing themunicator in his hand, he could think of three things. The items were imported in, either a portal or a way to connect to the other world. Another factor is there is a mage who is able to create themunicators based on a simr style of Idore.


    Lastly, themunicators and Idore himself have something inmon. Maybe he is evening into this world. Clenching his fist, he held themunicator in his hand firmly. Seeing this just made him realize that he was moving in the right direction and was moving ever so closer to his goal.


    "I''m afraid that we have to leave; the world is getting pretty hectic, and we''re getting called all over the ce, but I have something for you," Charlotte said as she lifted her beret off her head, her orange bright hair dangled onto the ground.


    It was the first time Raze had seen her like this, and instantly it almost brightened the room. Her hair was so orange it felt like one might get a burn from touching it. Reaching into the open head of her hat, she then pulled out something, and it was a book.


    "Oh? So that magical hat is actually a magical item as well. It''s quite a nice hiding space, a bit better than my robe." Raze thought.


    The book was in pristine condition. It was hardbound and had a hardcover on it, unlike the worn and old manuals the Pagna warriors used.


    Taking the book and opening it up, Raze knew what it was instantly.


    "A spell guidebook?" Raze repeated back.


    "Not just any spell guidebook!" Charlotte smiled. "But one that is based on the teachings of wind magic. I noticed that you used some wind spells before, so I thought it coulde in handy. Although magic is forbidden in Pagna unless under extreme circumstances, the same can''t be said if you go to the other dimensions."


    "So it would be good for you to learn."


    Raze knew most wind spells already due to his past life using wind elemental magic, but he appreciated the gesture and wouldn''t decline it. Before saying anything, though, he closed it and looked at the name of the author, which had the name ''Jake Dove'' written on the front.


    Almost immediately, Charlotte noticed something, a big smile that spread across Raze''s face.


    "Thank you for giving this to me; I really appreciate it," Raze said, his words seemingly quite genuine.


    Both Charlotte and Himmy were quite stunned; it was the first time the two of them saw him smile, and it wasn''t one that was filled with ecstasy or joy at beating someone like at the event. This felt warm.


    Seeing the smile, Charlotte''s face started to blush a little red, her face heating up. With his smile, it was the first time she was able to see his looks.


    "You should smile more; it suits you," Charlotte said. "Anyway, we''ll be off now. We''re quite busy as it is, and we used our break toe here. We doubt they will make a move again so soon, but just be careful."


    "We will pop around and meet again."


    With that, the two of them waved goodbye, and those from Alter had left. Raze had learned arge amount of information that was avable to him, and he had a goal in sight. When Alter would call him for a mission, he needed to impress, and if he did, he would be able to move up in ranks.


    However, that wasn''t the only way. Alter appreciated those with high positions as well, which was why he had been offered to be a squad member as well.


    "I almost died though from those in the Bonum Society. What I need to do is continue getting stronger, so that doesn''t happen again. I can''t just worry about the threats from the Pagna Society, and I know just the thing."


    Dark magic filled Raze''s hand, and the statue had appeared.


    "Let''s unseal this thing."

 Chapter 159 Back to where we met

    Chapter 159 Back to where we met


    Raze still had the bloody sword from the fight, and the dried blood was still on the de even after a couple of days. Some of it had ked off, and he was hoping that if he wetted it a bit and applied it to the statue, it would be fine.


    The main issue was that the moment he did this, the seal would be broken. Thest time that had happened with Simyon''s earring, it had caused a portal break, and what was known as a hybrid hade out of it, nearly destroying the whole town.


    The other issue was the fact that Alter was here. If that happened, they would put two and two together, not even giving Raze enough time to do what he needed to get rid of the evidence. Now that they were gone, he could get to work.


    Taking the sword with him, he ced it around his waist, tugging it under the cloth band. He wore his uniform over his wounded body, and it was only then that he realized that he had been half-naked in front of Charlotte the whole time.


    "No wonder she blushed," Raze thought to himself. "I guess this is the type of body that attracts women. It''s been a long time since my old prune self, that I didn''t even notice."


    Leaving the room, it looked like the academy was quick to start on construction work. Since they were Pagna warriors, it was getting done at a fast rate as well. They didn''t tire and seemed to somewhat even enjoy it.


    Looking around, he was trying to find the others. Usually, when he left rooms, they woulde hurling towards him, and he was ready this time, but there was no one. Instead, his eye had caught someone else.


    ''Actually, maybe this isn''t so bad,'' Raze thought.


    Inside the sleeping quarters, Raze walked across from one side to the other, where he could see one teacher who was observing everything. As he got closer, the two of them had almost made eye contact, but almost immediately the other had turned away.


    "Hey, it''s been a while, hasn''t it, Teacher D*ckhead," Raze said. "Ah, sorry, I mean Teacher Tod. You know, it''s quite easy to get those two mixed up."


    Immediately, the previous assessor, now just a teacher for the Blue headbands, turned to look at Raze. It looked as if he was trying to hide his anger, but he was doing a bad job of keeping it in.


    The vein at the side of his head was bulging, and his lips were quivering even if they were closed.


    "Due to my past mistake, I will allow that to pass," Tod stated.


    "Oh, and you think that makes us even?" Raze asked and held out his hand. "I believe, during one of the assessments, the students were able to keep the power stones that they had retrieved. Now that you acknowledge that those power stones are mine, hand them over."


    Nearly all of Tod''s body was shaking, making a rattling noise on the floorboards beneath. Never had a teacher been treated this way in his entire duration at the academy. He himself was a stage three Pagna warrior.


    Because of this, the students respected him greatly. It was then that he remembered the fact that Ricktor was also a stage three Pagna warrior, and not only that, but Raze had managed to defeat him.


    Ricktor wasn''t just any stage 3 Pagna warrior; he was one of the strongest of them as well, which meant that this brat in front of him was even stronger than that. It was almost impossible to acknowledge, but he bit his lip and held his tongue.


    "Yes, Mr. White Dragon," Tod said as he went off to gather the crystals for his fellow student, leaving Raze a little confused.


    ''White Dragon, why did he call me that? Is it because of my hair? That name''s kinda ridiculous.'' Raze said as he patiently waited.


    A little whileter, Tod had returned with a bag full of crystals. Opening it up, Raze checked that they were all there. Now with these crystals, he could use them for all sorts of things, such as potions and more.


    "Thanks for this, Teacher Tod," Raze said, holding the bag up, then he stopped and turned around. "Sorry, I meant Teacher D*ckhead."


    Heading outside, Raze soon knew the reason why the others weren''t inside; it was because they were outside, all of them practicing. But there was one more person who seemed to be training, and that was Liam.


    Liam and Simyon were both using wooden swords as they went at it. It was odd because Raze had the impression that the two didn''t like each other, and that was true.


    Moments ago, it was actually Liam who had asked Safa to train with him due to her great skills. She was getting up and had epted. She wanted to continue growing her skills, and seeing this, that''s when Simyon had interjected and decided to help him train instead.


    When they saw Raze, they had the same reaction as always as all of them rushed over and went to check if he was all right. He demonstrated that he was fine by his movements. He actually felt better since his main soreness was from the muscles on his body from his fight with Ricktor.


    Once again, though, Raze had asked to just speak to Dame, as the two of them walked off and looked to be heading out of the main academy.


    "Those two, they sure do talk a lot. I thought you and him were meant to be best friends," Liammented.


    "Hey, just because we''re friends doesn''t mean I need to follow him everywhere I go!" Simyon shouted back, but it did make him worry a little; did Raze just not trust him for some reason?


    "It seems you keep getting into more and more trouble as the day goes by," Damemented, wondering what on earth had happenedst night.


    "You''re right, which is why I wanted to talk to you. I was thinking, how about we head back to that cave?" Raze asked.

 Chapter 160 Unsealing the Statue

    Chapter 160 Unsealing the Statue


    When Raze had first mentioned the word "cave," Dame thought he meant if he wanted to go back to the Demonic Faction. They did have a week break, and he had to admit he was somewhat curious about what was going on there now that he was away.


    However, Raze had quickly cleared up the misunderstanding, exining that there was a different reason why he wanted the two of them to head there, and why he wanted Dame with him and not the others.


    Right now, the two had snuck past and had entered the assessment ground they were in before. It wasn''t hard to do, especially with Dame''s help. He could clear areas and scale sections of the academy much higher than what was capable for others. He would just either have to pull or carry Raze while doing so. Even though Raze didn''t like this, he knew when he had no choice in the matter to do such a thing. Now walking through the dense jungle-like forest, they had reached the edge, where when looking down, they could see nothing but a deep fog.


    "This really brings back memories for me, huh? I never thought I would be back here so soon, but here we go?" Dame said as he bent his knees slightly.


    "Wait, are you going to jump?" Raze asked. "Do you remember how high up we had to climbst time?"


    "And¡­ what''s the problem?" Dame replied back. "You know the higher stage one is, the stronger their body is. Something like this isn''t a problem at all. Wait until I reach the middle stages, and the Divine stages can even fly."


    "And have you seen any of these Divine stages? I have heard a lot about them but never seen them," Raze replied back.


    "That''s because, well, they are Divine, like Divine beings. Just how the Pagna warriors don''t care about no-names, the Divine beings don''t care about the lesser beings like us. You would have to do something seriously wrong to get on their bad side."


    Once again, it looked like Raze would have to reluctantly get on Dame''s back and head on the way down. He was lucky the first time that he had gotten out of his situation with just a few small injuries here and there. He didn''t want to try it again.


    Bracing himself again, Dame jumped down. The wind ruffled their hair and clothing as they zoomed down towards the bottom, and a few momentster, they crashed into the floor. Surprisingly, there was no loud bang, and underneath his feet, the floor looked to be intact.


    Raze quickly got off, and could see that Dame waspletely fine as well.


    "Impressive, right? This is the type of thing you can do when you learn to control your Qi well. In fact, you probably could do this fairly easily. The only issue is that you need arger amount of Qi for the impact, and then you just calcte how much to use to create an equal force."


    Once again, Dame was showing how he wasn''t just all brawn, but he had smarts as well. In fact, it appeared that to be a talented Pagna warrior; one had to have a brain as well. Otherwise, they would never really be able to progress to the next stage.


    The two walked toward the cave, and once they reached it, Raze started to walk through the mist straight ahead. He did so, one foot after the other, and when his foot hit the ground, he would twist and turn it, trying to break it a little. He was making a pathway. After going around two hundred meters away from the cave entrance, Raze had eventually stopped.


    "Alright, so you just need me to be ready for anything, right?" Dame asked. Banging his hands together, suddenly appearing on them were the ck-colored gauntlets. There was no holding back for what was toe for him.


    "Right, just be ready for anything," Raze said as he summoned the statue with his hand and ced it on the floor. He then got the wooden sword out as well as a bottle of water, ready to do its thing.


    The reason why Raze had chosen such a ce to do this was just in case of a portal break. If a portal break were to ur, then what better ce than to keep it hidden away from the main academy. With Dame, he should be able to deal with the threats and neutralize it, unless a Divine-level portal had appeared. From hisst visit down here, he knew that no one at the academy came to this location.


    "It''s quite amazing, I can''t believe that these portals they open up because they are attracted to your magic," Dame said out loud. "Although it would make sense, with your power, you can even open up portals to begin with. Wait a second¡­ you don''t think that the portals opening up all over Pagna have something to do with an Alterian like you, do you?"


    It was quite annoying having Damement in the background, but he was just going through the same motions that Raze had done when he had found all of this out.


    Once the blood had somewhat been liquefied, it was faint in color, and there was hardly any of it at all. Still, Raze walked up to the statue and pressed his finger right on top of its head, and momentster, he could see it starting to light up.


    The statue began to lift off the ground from an invisible type of force, and at the same time, in the air just behind it, several sparks were going off. Small little portals were opening up and closing, until arge one started to open.


    Immediately, Raze rushed forward; he could see the light on the statue start to fade, and he grabbed it before it hit the ground. He quickly retreated back at that moment, as he saw it in front of him.


    ''Crap, I thought this would happen, it''s a portal break!'' Raze said to himself.

 Chapter 161 Fighting Statue

    Chapter 161 Fighting Statue


    The three of them continued to stare into the fog for a while, still rubbing their eyes at what they could see. Why would anyone jump down into the endless pit of fog was beyond them.


    Both Liam and Simyon had the same thought, wondering what reason they could have had to end their lives as they continued to stare down. That was when Simyon could feel someone tugging on his shirt, and it was none other than Safa.


    She then pped her head toward the two of them.


    "I''m sorry Safa, but I don''t think there''s anything we can do to bring your brother back. Maybe someone threatened him to do this, that''s why all that stuff was happening yesterday?" Simyon said.


    pping her head again, she took out the spear that was on her back, and started to write on the ground for both of them to see. She wrote inrge letters.


    "Don''t you think there''s anything strange about Pink?" Simyon read out loud.


    The two of them thought about it for a while, and Simyon had thought that Pink was strange for a long time, but it was Liam who had gotten to the answer first.


    "Ah crap, yeah!" Liam said. "He was jumping all over the ce, and he was doing it with such ease as well. There''s no way that guy is just a stage 1 Pagna warrior!"


    "Wait, you''re right?" Liam said. "He was also fighting against two of the main disciples on his own, and he had done so perfectly right up to thest point. When Raze was ready to fight¡­ does that mean he''s actually been hiding his strength?"


    "Who knows?" Liam shrugged his shoulders. "But he must be confident; Raze wouldn''t just climb onto his back and jump down. He had to be confident that he would survive the fall, maybe he''s really a stage 3 or 4 Pagna warrior or something."


    It was a relief for them all. Now that they had figured out that it was unlikely that Raze and Pink had fallen to their deaths, they still had another problem. How exactly were the three of them going to follow them down there, and was it even possible?


    ---


    Down below, Raze had the statue in his hand. It seemed like it had sessfully been unsealed, but he didn''t even have time to check out what it could do; that was because a portal had opened right in front of him.


    "Dame, get ready!" Raze said, as he was starting to gather magic around his arms, but he noticed that Dame wasn''t by his side.


    Instead, he was still standing far away. "What are you doing, it''s a portal break!" Raze asked.


    To these words, Dame wasn''t panicked at all. He wasn''t reacting the same way as Charlotte or Mr. Kron was at the time they had seen the other portal. Why was he so rxed? Was it because he was a strong warrior?


    "That''s not a portal break," Dame replied as he walked forward. "Can''t you see, the color, it''s light blue and quite clear, and if it was a break, monsters would be pouring all over the ce right now."


    Putting his hands down slowly, Raze realized it was true. No beasts wereing out of the portal; there was nothing. Its power was just spinning around, seemingly doing nothing.


    "Portal breaks are different colors, and the sparks that you see, they should continuously spiral all over the ce. What you have right here, my friend, is just a normal portal," Dame said, and he had one of thergest smiles on his face.


    "A normal portal?"


    Raze remembered that normal portals could be entered as one wished, and there would be an exit that took one elsewhere when entered. They were rare and great resources that ns fought over all the time. The academy had a few themselves, and this portal would have also been considered the academy''s, that was if they knew about it.


    "So it really is just a normal portal¡­ Can you tell what level it is?" Raze asked.


    "Not really," Dame said as he looked at it and reached his hand out slightly as if he was about to touch it. "Honestly, the only way to find out is to head inside. Anyway, how was your thing, was it a sess?"


    Due to the shocking revtion of having opened up a portal to another dimension and not a dreaded portal break, Raze had nearly forgotten about the time. cing it down on the floor, Raze then cast his dark magic on it.


    "Show me your effects," Raze whispered.


    The dark magic started to float back out of the statue as it had written some words to him.


    [Mythical ranked item]


    [Fighting soldier]


    [Using magic to activate the statue, it will grow into a human-sized figure. The statue will follow simplemands from its owner.]


    [If the statue is destroyed, it will reform into the smaller statue and will need 24 hours before it can be used again.]


    [The statue warrior''s strength is based on the blood used to unseal the item]


    ''This¡­ crap.'' Was Raze''s first thought.


    Not because the item was bad, it was certainly good. He had managed to obtain a mythical item which was exactly what he was aiming for but it was because of thest line. If he had known, he would have used Dame''s blood, or kept the statue using blood of even stronger talents.


    The reason he hadn''t done was just in case it would have a bad effect on the blood he used, but it did make him wonder. Would this mean that this statue was even stronger than all five of the disciples? If that was the case then it certainly would be a strong fighting force.


    His sulk had turned into a smile.


    "I see the item must be good then if it''s made you smile, so how about it, what do you think about heading into this portal and seeing what it has?" Dame suggested.

 Chapter 162 Another Dimension

    Chapter 162 Another Dimension


    Having figured out that Raze was down below was not the same as figuring out why or how he got there. So the three of them were now stumped with what to do. Liam had gone to pick up a rock and threw it off the cliff.


    They knew what he was doing, so they waited and waited until they could hear some sort of sound, but they heard nothing back.


    "Now I''m not sure if they''re alive or not," Liam stated.


    "That was a small rock; why don''t you pick a bigger rock? Just because you have a big head, it looks like you have a small brain," Simyon stated.


    "Oh yeah, then maybe I should just throw you down there; you''re just as heavy as a rock, right? You''ll make some loud noise. Or maybe we can ride you down there, and your hard body will break our fall!"


    The two seemed to be at each other''s throats, and they were rtively close to fighting. Safa didn''t break up the fight and instead was just trying to figure out a way down, that was until she saw someonee out from the forest.


    "Who do you think''s not alive?" The voice asked.


    ---


    Entering a portal on his own like so, Raze wouldn''t dare. It was just too risky; he much would rather head through the portals that the Academy already had and were aware of the ranking.


    The thing was right now he had Dame by his side. Dame, a powerful Pagna warrior at the peak of the initial stage, and with the items Raze had given him, he was even stronger than that.


    If he entered with Dame, then everything should be okay. If it was dangerous, then they could at least find the exit.


    ''No wait, the portal inscription from before!'' Raze thought to himself. ''Isn''t it okay for me now to enter any portal? As long as I am able to survive the initial entering, then I can always return to this point, thanks to the magic circle that was left behind by the Dark Faction founder.''


    It was a revtion that Raze hadn''t really figured out till now, but it should work. He had more than enough power stones now to do such a thing. Heading inside to get more would be a bonus for him, and it would allow him to gather crystal to increase his magical strength as well.


    "Let''s do it, but let''s err on the side of caution first. I''m still a little injured," Raze exined. He started to bring out his power stones and some of the ingredients he had; he was going to create some pills for this journey.


    "I need to be prepared for anything, and I need to get my strength up as well," Raze said to himself.


    "Oh?" Dame said, peaking over at what Raze was doing. "Do you mind making a couple for me? You never know, I might need them as well."


    Raze went ahead, creating a few Qi pills. He had created one of each color: Red, Blue, and Green, and had done so twice. So he had six pills in total. He then had done the same and handed them to Dame, who had six pills as well.


    There were still plenty of crystals in his possession after all, and once going through the portal, they were hoping that there would be even more for them to gather. Raze was actually hoping to see some high-level beasts on the other side. With Dame, he couldn''t waste this opportunity.


    "Alright, you ready?" Dame asked. "Then let''s go."


    Dame was the first to step into the portal, and following right behind him was Raze. The two went inside, and unlike the portals Raze had been in before, this one didn''t close up.


    A few moments after the two had headed inside, several voices could be heard through the mist.


    "Hey, hey now everyone stick close together; we don''t want to get lost," Liam said, his voice shaky. "Especially you, Safa; you can grab me wherever you want, and I mean wherever you want."


    "Do you really have to be such a perv in a situation like this!" Simyon shouted.


    The two of them were both holding onto Safa and were doing so on either side. Going through the thick fog, they realized that they were unable to see anything. But Safa had eventually found a type of path in the ground.


    She soon started to follow it with her feet, and as she did, the others continued to follow her. They noticed that it looked like imprinted footprints. Right now, though, they weren''t even sure they were in the right ce as the others.


    "Ah man, this is scary, I think I''m hearing voices in my balls, I mean head," Liam said, almost on the verge of tears.


    "Did you lose brain cellsing down here?" Simyon replied. "How could you get balls mixed up with your head."


    Eventually, the three of them had reached the end of the trail, and now right ahead, they could see it. Therge circr object that was directly in front of them, floating about.


    "Is that a portal!" Simyon called out. "What''s one doing out here in the Academy; do they even know about it?"


    "No, they don''t," a voice said from behind. Appearing through the fog was none other than Gunther, one of the original examiners and the friendly soul that had helped the three get down into this ce.


    "Why did you guys just go ahead and run off like that; I almost lost you through all this fog," Gunther imed. "Anyway, do you really think the two of them went in there?"


    Safa tugged on Gunther''s shirt, and then pointed to the footprints below. It certainly did seem like an adult-sized footprint, but if it was Raze, how did they even know the portal was down here?


    Looking back at the others, Gunther started to smile. "Hey, so who''s up for a little adventure?"

 Chapter 163 A New Element

    Chapter 163 A New Element


    After entering the portal, almost immediately Raze felt a shiver through his whole body. It wasn''t because his sixth sense was acting up or due to some food he might have eaten the previous day. It was because of the environment they were instantly in.


    His feet felt heavy, and almost immediately, the cloth on his legs was wet. As he looked down, he could see a sea of white, and it was continuing to fall from the sky.


    "Freaking hell, it''s cold," Dame said as he stepped out of the portal and into the white snow. The snow was continuing to fall, but there was no hard wind, so it wasn''t a blizzard of sorts.


    Not being able to handle the cold as much anymore, Raze summoned his ck robe, cing it over him, but it did little to help him. When he turned to look at Dame, although he had stated he was cold, he didn''t look it. There was no shiver at all, and even when he breathed, his breath wasn''t showing in the air like Raze''s.


    "Why aren''t you cold?" Raze asked, wishing right now that he had the fire attribute in his magic core. At least he could have kept himself a little heated.


    "I told you before, this is the body of a stage six Pagna warrior, do you really think it would get cold?" Dame replied.


    Looking around them, Dame was trying to get an idea of their surroundings. He could see tall trees that went up high in the sky. They were covered in snow, showing little greenery on the outside of them.


    They also were on what appeared to be a slope. If he were to guess, he would have said that they were on a mountain of sorts. The thing was it wasn''t just the mountain that was snowy; all the area around them was covered as well.


    "I''ll give you some good news: our portal is in the same ce we came in," Dame said. "So all we have to do is go back in here if we want to go back, and it will bring us back to where we entered from."


    "Sometimes the portal is in a different ce from where we entered, but it being here means we can just remember where it is. The bad news is the whole area is covered in snow, so you''re going to be a little cold."


    After making a mark on some nearby trees and taking in the surroundings to remember where they were, the two of them decided to descend down the mountain. Going down was easier than going up. Although the argument could have been made that if they needed to run away, then running downhill would have been better.


    There were no beasts in sight as they continued to head down through the thick snow, that was until they could see something moving under the snow. A mound was being left as it hurriedly came toward them from beneath.


    "Brace yourselves and get ready!" Dame said.


    Even if Dame saw the beast, he would have no clue what strength it was at until he fought it himself. The snow continued to move, and when it got close enough to them, it burst its head up from the ground.


    A long body could be seen spiraling up, white in color, nearly matching the snowpletely. Attached to the long body was a head with red-colored eyes andrge fangs. It opened up its mouth, revealing a small split tongue and a hissing sound. It looked almost like a cobra, but it was giant in size, as it was half the height of the trees next to it.


    It opened its mouth again, this time firing something out of it. One light blue liquid spit had gone towards Dame, and turning its head, it spat another one at Raze. The two of them were able to use their footwork to jump out of the snow, avoiding the hit.


    When the spit hit the snow, they could see it hadpletely frozen over. The topyer of it was now just ice.


    ''Damn, it''s a lot harder to move in the snow. Foot techniques will be hard to perform, or I just have to know that I''ll just be at around 70 percent because of the snow.''


    Dame didn''t appear to like fighting in the snow any more than Raze did, but thankfully, due to his gauntlets, he was able to fight from arge distance. He was ready to throw out a Qi punch when he heard Raze call out to him.


    "Wait, let me take this one on. If I have trouble, then you can assist me," Raze asked.


    Backing down, Dame saw no harm in that. From the speed of the attack, he could avoid its hit all day. He still didn''t know what its physical strength was like, but the snake beast seemed to not want to move. It just had its upper half on show, moving left to right, firing out its spit everywhere.


    Another round of the light blue spit was fired out, and this time when Raze moved, he took out his wooden sword.


    ''In this situation, a wooden sword is useless, but it''s the best I can do right now!''


    Raze gathered his Qi, and also around it, he had gathered his wind magic as well.


    "Wind strike!" Raze shouted.


    Wind strike was a spell that Raze actually could use without his sword and just the palm of his hand, but he had learned that using such skills with other techniques and Qi made both the magic and the strike stronger.


    Out from his sword, a line of wind came out, and it hit the snake, causing a small cut. Raze continued to swing his sword, saying the words "Wind strike" each time, as it helped picture the spell formation in his mind.


    The strikes went through the air rtively fast, and each time they hit the snake, a new wound would be made. It didn''t look like Raze was struggling at all; he would continue to move, avoiding the attack, and continue performing his small wind strikes here and there.


    ''The moves he''s producing, it looks like another Pagna skill, but I can tell that it''s not the same. It''s almost like projectile Qi, but it''s far weaker in power. I wonder what he''s doing though, is this all the strength he has?


    ''No, Pagna skills would be more than enough to finish off the beast, so then why is he doing this.''


    Of course, Dame had no idea, only Raze knew what he was doing. Judging from the fact that the beast wasn''t dead after several hits meant it had to be something of a somewhat higher tier, but this was perfect.


    [Wind attribute 11 >>> 14]


    In the world of Pagna, Raze was unable to use his magic freely, but in the dimensions, he could. So this was his chance. While he was here, he was going to increase his magic skills to the fullest.


    The requirement for wind magic to increase in attribute was simple: to use spells more and more often.


    Raze then held the wooden sword with both hands above his head. He performed the second step in the snow, pushing him forward, and swung the sword down, performing the first formation, the Blood River, with it. Hestly added a Wind Strike.


    Out from his sword came arge line, a streak of wind but it was glowing slightly red. It hit the snake beast right in the center of the head, making a deep cut reaching its brain. The attack didn''t get to slice through it, but it had done significant damage.


    ''That... worked out well,'' Raze thought as the dark mist raised from its body and started to enter his body.


    ''Rather than remembering three different steps, I should remember a name for that move so it''s easier to use.'' Raze thought, just like he had done with the Dark Pulse and his punch, calling it Dark Strike. ''Blood Swipe? Nah, that''s too obvious. Crimson sh sounds better.''


    Picturing it in his head, Raze had put three of the moves together. The second Descending Step, the 1st Devil''s sword formation, and the Wind Strike, all of these would create the move, the Crimson sh.


    Heading on over to the dead beast''s body, Raze started to search for the crystal. When he eventually found it lodged in the head, he pulled it out.


    ''It''s as I thought, it''s a level 2 power stone! And not just that, it has the ice attribute as well. It looks like I''m going to unlock some ice magic now as well,'' Raze smiled to himself.

 Chapter 164 Extract Everything

    164 Extract Everything


    A level 2 power stone was something hard toe by. Raze hadn''t even seen it at the normal markets, so he assumed that it was something that was mostly either given to the second-year students at the Pagna Academy or something that you could only get at an Auction house or something simr.


    He still wasn''t very well-versed in the World of Pagna, so he could only base it on the things he saw. Either way, he was delighted. Not only had he obtained a level 2 power stone, but achieving it wasn''t too much of a hard task. The beast he had defeated using abination of his magic and Pagna skills produced a devastating blow.


    "I''m going to be busy for a bit!" Raze shouted out. "Just protect me, or stop anything from getting close to me if you see it."


    Raze didn''t give time for Dame to reply, and immediately he had run back up the mountain and was now hiding behind a tree. Since the snow was still thick, he used his finger to draw circles in the snow. His finger quickly turned red and was getting numb, but he didn''t care. The excitement, along with the adrenaline, was too much for him, and shortly after, he had finished drawing the circle.


    "What is he up to?" Dame said to himself as he made his way back up. It didn''t seem like there would be any beastsing after them, but if they were to head further down, it might be a different story.


    Having looked at the dead beast that was on the ground before, the image of what Raze had done just moments before had shed in his head. The attack was strong, strong enough to take out a level 2 beast like that.


    ''Raze, I''m starting to wonder, do you have any idea how strong you are?'' Dame thought to himself. ''You were able to take out a head disciple that was at the third stage, and you had done so using your skills as a Pagna warrior and now with your magic.


    ''But when youbine your magic and skills together, you''re able to create something out of this world. Even though you are a Stage 2 warrior, I would think you could take on a Stage 4 at the moment.''


    What Raze was currently doing was absorbing the level 2 power stone. He was adding its strength to his power core because it had the attribute of Ice. After absorbing the crystal, it meant now on top of Wind and Dark, he would also be able to use ice as well.


    Taking in one deep breath, the remains of the crystal energy had disappeared, and they had been added to his magic core.


    ''It''s a sess!'' Raze said as he stood up from his position from the tree. He immediately noticed that his body didn''t feel as cold as it did before. It was proof that it had worked.


    ''It''s a shame I can''t tell how strong the attribute is. I''ll have to create another ring? I wonder, do I even have enough fingers to have rings for all the elements!'' Raze thought. ''Either way, now that I have the ice attribute, I can increase its affinity.''


    When walking back to Dame, Raze started to ponder. Ice was one of the types of magic that Raze didn''t have much knowledge of. So much so that he didn''t even know what one was meant to do to naturally increase its affinity, other than to absorb more ice-rted power stones. That''s when another idea had popped into his head as he came across Dame.


    "Ah, did the crystal go? I thought that you would have wanted to create an item with it, or a Qi pill. What did you even use it for?" Dame asked.


    "I used it for my magic," Raze said as he swiped his hand through the falling snow, and it started to freeze over. As it got heavy, it fell into the snow right after. "I can''t always use power stones for items; I need to bnce myself so I''m not so reliant on one or the other. Speaking of, do you know any Pagna techniques that could rte to the ice element in any way?"


    Dame started to scratch the side of his chin as he was trying to work out if he did or not.


    "I can''t say I do honestly, but we should be heading to the library soon, so honestly, we should know by then," Dame exined. "But why do you need a cultivation technique?"


    The cultivation techniques of this world were also able to strengthen Raze''s core as long as it matched the affinity he was trying to train.


    "It just helps with gathering a specific type of energy sometimes," Raze exined.


    "Ah, I see now," Dame said as he walked over, and the two of them were next to therge snake-type dead beast that they had killed. "You need the crystal because it gives you ice-type powers for your magic, but what about the body?"


    "The body?" Raze asked.


    "The body," Dame replied and ced his hand on one side of the creature''s head. "You see, a lot of power is in the power stones inside them, but there is also lingering power in their bodies as well. If you take the power from the bodies to increase your magic, you keep the level 2 power stones for yourself?"


    It was in Dame''s best interest to get Raze as many crystals as he could because he would be buying and selling them as well, but they needed crystals to do such things.


    Closing his eyes, Dame looked as if he was focusing on something. That''s when all the veins on his left arm started to show. They were bulging as if he had next to no skin on his body.


    Flowing from the beast, the energy was running through his veins and inside him. It only took ten seconds or so, but Dame was done, and he was hoping it had managed to make some type of impression.


    "What I used was an extraction technique belonging to the Demonic Faction. That body still had plenty of energy, and it''s useful to take it right after one kills," Dame exined.


    Watching carefully, Raze could feel the energy moving from the dead beast into Dame. It was no joke; the issue was, the mages didn''t have an ability like that at all.


    "Why don''t you teach me this extraction skill of yours?" Raze asked, and he had done so in a somewhat polite way, which wasn''t like him.


    "As much as I would love to, I can''t," Dame replied. "This isn''t my skill; this is the Demonic Faction skill. Honestly, I''m not sure if you showed those skills like you did in front of the Dark Faction, that my Demonic faction would act the same way."


    Raze felt like it was toote for him to go back on what he had just heard; he needed that skill because he knew how well he could use it now and in the future.


    "If you teach me how to use that skill, then I''ll make you another item, and who knows how strong that will be this time," Raze said.


    Hearing the words "another item," and from the Dark Magus no less, it was an offer that Dame couldn''t refuse.


    "Another item, huh? I guess as long as you keep it a secret, it will be okay. Let''s teach you the extraction technique."


    Mass release goals go!


    500 Golden tickets = 1 Extra Chapter


    2500 Power stoens = 1 Extra Chapter


    1 Caslte gift and above = 1 Extra Chapter

 Chapter 165 Stronger than Before

    Chapter 165 Stronger than Before


    The extraction technique wasn''t just a technique that one n knew in the Demonic Faction; it was actually a technique that was known among the top ns in the faction, and it was due to this technique that the faction''s name had somewhate from.


    It was a trade secret among the top ns, and yet here Dame was giving it away with ease. That was all because he couldn''t say no to having one of Dark Magus'' items. The Qi pills he had made were a game-changer for any n.


    However, the items that he would enchant, that the others had yet to get their hands on, were like owning an entire gold mine. If Raze was willing to make him an item of the same quality or higher, he would happily teach him any of the Demonic Faction secrets.


    In a way, Raze liked this about Dame because his loyalty was by his own values, rather than what a group of people told him to do.


    "I''ve already extracted the energy out of this beast, so we can''t tell you if it will work or not, but I can teach you the feeling of it," Dame exined. "You already know how to cultivate using the circle of life and death, so it should help you with this as well.


    "The same feeling as when one is cultivating needs to be used, but the energy from within when cultivating, rather than going to your dantian, needs to head to the palm of your hand instead.


    "When you have this feeling ready, you touch the object which you wish to use the extraction technique on, and this is where things get a bit difficult. The cultivation technique you need to use needs to be directed to what you are touching.


    "You are using the same cultivation technique but drawing the energy from what''s on your palm. Then you draw that into your dantian, and that is the extraction technique."


    Raze was listening carefully, and he was also imagining the movements in his head. He could cultivate with the life and death technique quite well. cing it into his palm, it actually seemed like it would be no problem at all.


    ''I wonder if I can adjust the technique, if the energy has a certain trait like these beasts with the ice attribute, I should be able to attract the energy into my core, thus increasing my affinity with certain magic, right?'' Raze thought.


    That wasn''t the only thought in his head, though, because thinking about this technique and flowing the energy through his hand, he had another idea.


    "Based on what you''re saying, wouldn''t this technique also be used on the living?" Raze asked.


    faded as he gazed off into the distance, as if he was thinking about something. "The Demonic Faction is called demonic because of what you just said.


    "You catch on quick," Dame said, as he managed to perform a half-smile, but it quickly faded as he gazed off into the distance, as if he was thinking about something. "The Demonic Faction is called demonic because of what you just said.


    "This technique is honestly useless in the hands of most to be used in battle. Think about it, you would have to hold onto your opponent and stay in contact with them. Do you think they aren''t going to fight back?"


    "Honestly as well, most can''t use the technique well enough to draw out arge amount of energy so fast. However, that is not true for all. There are those that can use it very well. Those that have done in the past, draw out the energy for others like you say, but taking a life all for the sake of growing stronger, that''s what brought on the name of the Demonic Faction.


    "The Light Faction, who train diligently, like martial arts in some way is to get into the heavens above. While the Dark Faction train to fight in a way that they believe winning is the only thing that matters. As for the Demonic Faction, getting stronger off the lives of others, well, it doesn''t sit too well, does it? If you want my advice, even if you end up being extremely skillful at using the Extraction Technique, don''t use it on humans, don''t be a demon."


    The words from Dame had hit Raze more than he would know. Although Raze wouldn''t willingly take lives unless he couldn''t afford not to, he had already killed others for the sake of his goal. Even the way he had gotten here. Many would have already called him a demon.


    Since they needed to find a new beast, the two of them continued to head down the mountain. Just like before, they could see something rumbling through the snow. Raze gave Dame a look as to tell him not to do anything.


    Just likest time, Raze continued to use wind strikes with his sword one after the other. The condition of increasing the affinity with Wind magic was to use spells more and more. Making it the quickest to grow but also the hardest to max out at the same time. It was tough as well because being a 2-star mage also meant Raze didn''t have a lot of Mana.


    ''I really need to gather a lot more normal power stones so I can make normal Mana pills. Because the umon mana pill is only good for emergency situations,'' Raze thought.


    With it, Raze had decided to test out one more thing. He had tested out his strength of the sword technique with his magic, now he wanted to test out his Dark Pulse.


    Jumping back, it looked like the snake beast was heavily injured. It opened its mouth, letting out the light blue substance. As it went right towards Raze, he had timed the second descending step perfectly, so he would avoid the attack darting forward through the snow. He then threw his hand out at the same time.


    "Dark Pulse!" Raze shouted.


    When thrusting out his hand, he had used Qi to throw out his fist. The step to the punch had done the same as it would have done with the sword. It increased the power of his magic as well.


    The pulse released from the Dark Pulse was nearly twice asrge as that which came out from his hand, and it shot out like a solid beam going right through the beast''s head. Arge hole around the size of a thick tree branch had been made, and the beast fell to the side dead.


    As soon as the beast had died, the strange mist went into Raze. Thankfully, with the ring, he also got part of his Mana back as well. When his body absorbed the energy, he also could feel his Dark Core getting stronger.


    [Dark attribute: 31 >>> 32] [Wind attribute: 16 >>> 18]


    ''My magic powers are already increasing from this; it was a good idea toe here after all.''


    Raze went ahead to the body, in order to retrieve the crystal. As he did, Dame couldn''t help but watch Raze. He was looking at what he had done carefully just now.


    ''That attack, he''s mixing his martial arts with his magic, isn''t he? If I''m not wrong. I think his magic is getting stronger with those techniques. That attack from before that he just performed. It would have been enough to kill the Level 2 beast in one hit. So why did he bother to use all those small attacks from before?''


    The world of magic was interesting to Dame, but he knew the Dark Magus wouldn''t teach him; it was his trump card after all. For now, he would just have to make do with the items he had obtained.


    After receiving the crystal, it was time for Raze to get to work. Dame had jumped from his position,nding in the snow now not too far from Raze. He could see him closing his eyes and focusing to see how he was getting on.


    To his surprise, or not to his surprise now, he seemed to be using the technique well. Dame could see the veins showing on the palm of his hand. They were bulging as it looked like energy was entering into him.


    For Raze, it was incredibly easy; it was just as Dame had exined, and he was thankful for the clear exnation. Now, though, he just needed to redirect the energy to his core. He had moved it sessfully, and when it finally entered his core, Raze was more than delighted. Finally, all of the energy was absorbed, and he let go with his hand, only after a couple of seconds.


    ''The energy, it worked, because the beast had the ice attribute, I could feel the ice affinity getting stronger!''


    Raze now could decide to either absorb the level 2 crystals and continue increasing his ice affinity, or he could use it to create more items, and for now, he had decided to keep it for thetter.


    ''With each beast I kill, I gain affinity with Wind Magic for using the spells, Dark Magic for killing the beast, and now Ice Magic for using the extraction technique as well, and I can even use the stones.''


    This reminded Raze of the old times when he would have to constantly hunt in the dimensions to increase his growth. It took him years to eventually be a 9-star mage, but with the additional help of him being a Pagna warrior, he was growing at a much faster rate.


    "Let''s continue the hunt," Raze said. "I''m going toe back stronger than before. If they thought the Dark Magus was something they had to worry about, they have no idea."


    ----


    Up the slope around the halfway point of therge mountain where the portal was ced, it was flickering slightly. After a few flickers more, a group of people bunched up together, four in total, had jumped right through,nding in the snow.


    Gunther immediately got up, looking at the site around him, and the three students lifted their heads, covered in snow.


    "Are we really here?" Simyon said. "Did we really go to another dimension?"

 Chapter 166 A Freezing Situation

    Chapter 166 A Freezing Situation


    A constant chattering sound was going off, like a beetle making a type of mating call. However, the sound wasn''t due to any beetle; it was all because of three young students who couldn''t help but tter their teeth together.


    They were all huddled up close to one another as they moved through the snow, slowly one step at a time.


    "Come on, it isn''t that bad, will you guys stop exaggerating?" Gunther asked.


    "Wha-wha- what type of teacher are you?" Simyon eventually said, stuttering a few times due to the cold. "You forced us in here, you practically pushed us, and now you don''t look after us."


    "My balls!" Liam shouted out. "I think they''re going inside my stomach... it''s too cold, I want to have kids! Don''t do this to me!"


    Unlike the other two boys, Safa wasn''tining about the situation. Not that she could vocally if she wanted to. Instead, she was taking deep breaths and trying to focus her Qi.


    She noticed that activating it ever so slightly through her body was warming it up. She needed to be careful because using too much would eventually make her feel more exhausted, and if that were the case, she wouldn''t have enough to fight either. Right now, they were in a dangerous ce.


    "Hey!" Gunther shouted back. "I''m doing the right thing, aren''t I? I''m here with you, and with me, you guys won''t have any problems; you don''t have to worry about that. Besides, the next assessment was going to be portal exploration anyway, so you''re just getting a head start!"


    Since Gunther was a higher-staged warrior, he couldn''t feel the cold, and with all three of the students being 1st-stage warriors, they could bear it only a little more than that of a regr human.


    It wasn''t as if there were no snowy areas back on Pagna, but they at least would have prepared if they knew about it beforehand.


    "Fine, look, you all need to do the same as the girl is doing. Activate the Qi, a trickle amount throughout your whole body. Think about how you activate your Qi when you use your skills or perform a hit of some sort; that same feeling needs to be spread around your body but ever so gently, and then you''ll be able to stand the cold a bit more."


    The students, hearing his words and wanting to do anything to battle the cold, had instantly tried what he had said, and due to the desperate situation they were in, they were more focused than they would have been.


    Gunther hadn''t told them this from the get-go because part of the portal exploration assessment that they would do next month was to adapt to the situation they were in. Dimension portals led to all sorts of different environments.


    They wanted the students to figure out solutions for themselves, but he just pitied them too much.


    ''The girl is good, the two boys could take a leaf from her book,'' Gunther smiled.


    Once the boys were able to stop hanging onto Safa, the three of them could move a lot easier. Although it was more difficult for them. As they walked, it didn''t take long for them to find tracks of other people.


    "There, it looks like two footprints!" Liam shouted. "That must be Raze and Pink; the two of them had to havee in here."


    "Ah, to be young," Gunther smiled. "I remembered all the reckless things I did as well. If I were in their situation, I perhaps would have done the same."


    Gunther wondered if this ce was the route of Raze''s strength. When he had been knocked down by the other disciples, if he had found this portal to this world. He had trained and grown stronger before returning.


    It made sense not to talk about the portal, so he could use it again for himself. However, this theory had quickly proven to be wrong, as soon as they had discovered something grand in the snow.


    "Ah!" Liam shouted and jumped backwards. Distracted by everything around him, he had nearly walked right into it, the dead body of a beast.


    "Its head, it''s been split in half, but how, neither of them had a sword, right? They just have the wooden training swords, how then could they make this deep of a cut?" Simyon asked.


    That wasn''t the question Gunther thought of though. He looked at the long body of the beast. From its size and the hard scales on its body, he couldn''t imagine this being a simple level 1 beast. This at least had to be a level 2.


    "With Raze''s strength, a level 2 wouldn''t be too much trouble. Especially if he has Pink by his side as well. But the kids do have a point. How was this possible with no sword?" Gunther kept thinking back to the event.


    Raze was able to make cuts on the other students. Everyone assumed that it was the techniques he had used, was it the same again here?


    Going around the beast, Gunther stuck closer to the children. Having brought them here, thest thing he wanted to do was get them hurt, but perhaps they could still get some experience out of all of this. With the three of them, he hoped they could use their skills tobat against a level 2 beast.


    When continuing down the mountain though, they didn''te across other beasts; instead, they had juste across more dead beast corpses. This one had arge hole in its head but had the same type of cuts all over its body.


    "What type of move could even do this?" Gunther was now the one wondering.


    They didn''t spend much time examining the beast as they had seen it before, but the sight in front of them didn''t change. They saw beast after beast, the same snake type killed.


    They were walking through, and the bodies were getting more frequent, as they came across more closer together.


    "Is all of this really the result of just two people, two students? A level 2 should still give them some trouble. I have to be ready for anything we meet. It might not be the students that are in here after all," Gunther thought.


    Thankfully, he had taken his trusty des on his back and had his armor on underneath his uniform. This was because Gunther was always ready for an attack at any time.


    Continuing to walk, they finally could hear something. The sound of grunting off in the distance. The screeches and squeals of what sounded like a beast. Thend was starting to level out, and the snow wasn''t as thick as before either.


    "Do you think that''s them?" Liam asked.


    Gunther decided to run ahead.


    "You three keep up and stay close, be ready for anything," Gunther said, and he was doing his best to hide his smile.


    Another teacher perhaps would have run back or thought of the children first, but Gunther didn''t even want to be a teacher. He was doing a favor for his n. Before this, he had entered portal after portal, all with the idea of getting stronger.


    Thinking about who might be ahead, it was getting him excited. Through the snow, they could see a strange setup not too far in the distance.


    It looked like a remote outpost had been built. There were strange wooden spikes that had been set up, making a type of wall. Several towers were built behind the wall, the other dimensions. In most of them, they had these; it was just they never found some of them destroyed while others were left standing.


    It wasn''t strange to see structures like these, structures that looked more human in the other dimensions. In most of them, they had these; it was just they never found any life that was like that of a human.


    As they got closer to the outpost, they went past even more of the giant dead snakes. These looked different from the others. They had been killed more cleanly, with fewer hits.


    The sound of fighting was growing louder as they got closer, and Gunther wanted to pick up his pace but hadn''t done due to the children behind him. Then when they finally entered the outpost, they could see what was happening.


    The barracks wererge, and deep in the center, fighting was taking ce. There were two that were battling against arge number of the beasts. There were now six of them and moreing from another direction toward them.


    Jumping up in the air, one had ck gauntlets and threw out a fist, hitting the beast in the head. Half of its head exploded on the spot, killing it. As for the other, they recognized straight away.


    "That''s Raze, it''s him!" Liam said. "They both are here, and it looks like they''re in trouble."


    Doing the two-step shift, Raze shed his sword vertically; he had used the second formation of the Devil''s strike along with his wing power. Having created a deep cut, he had hurt it badly but it wasn''t dead.


    That''s when, from his right side, another of the snakes came right at him, trying to eat him up in a bite, but cing his hand out, Raze had started to gather his dark magic, and with a sword in one hand and his palm open facing the other, he said two words.


    "Dark pulse!"


    The attack sted right into the snake''s mouth. It wasn''t enough to kill it since he hadn''t used any of his martial arts with it, but it veered the attack off course, causing it to fall and skid its head across the ground.


    Meanwhile, the unknown onlookers had seen everything.


    "What was that dark beam that had juste out of his hand?" Gunther said, his body trembling; he was ecstatic.

 Chapter 167 The Noctis Clan

    167 The Noctis n


    Raze and both Dame had continued to go down the mountain slope, and as they did, they noticed that the number of beasts that wereing towards them was increasing. Because of this, Raze had to change his tactic with how he dealt with the beasts. For one, he started to use more of his Qi like skills. He fought them with his sword, and added the wind magic at the end while getting closer and attacking them more physically. Fighting this way allowed him to use less mana, and he had perfected it in such a way, where he would gain enough mana from killing the beast back to what he used. This would allow him to carry on hunting without taking a break.


    In turn, it allowed him to increase his wind affinity along with all his other attributes. From time to time, two beasts woulde towards him and fighting the way Raze was fighting, he needed a little help. Dame would hold them off for as long as he needed to, and then when Raze was done, allowed him to fight as well. Dame was getting more and more curious as to why Raze was fighting the way he was fighting, especially when he had skills that could kill the beast in one go. ''It might have something to do with the energy he uses. Maybe it''s just like martial arts with more skills taking up more Qi, and he''s conserving his energy.'' What was soon bing apparent though, was just how much energy Raze had in terms of Qi and mana. Because as he looked to continue going on, he hadn''t even consumed any of the pills that he had brought with him.


    Yet, he was constantly able to use magic, little did he know it was all because of the items that were created. If Dame did know, then his love for these powerful items that had saved him once, would continue to grow,


    Finally they had reached the end of the slope of the mountain and as they walked ahead they could see a strange outpost. "It''s just like all the other dimensions." Razemented. "They seem to have traces of an advanced civilization, or at least a society of some sort, but there''s no life. Is it the same for all the dimensions in Pagna?"


    While he was here, and since Dame was learning more about him everyday, he should learn more about the world of Pagna as well. There was something odd about it all, about the entire thing.


    "I guess it''s the same in your world of Alterian." Dame replied. "What you say is true. Nearly every dimension that leads to either a world is just filled with beasts, or one that has castles, buildings, and structures but no sign of life other than the beasts themselves." "You are honestly the first I have heard of a person from another dimension. Which was why I was excited to get to know you."


    It was clear that he wasn''t the first, since there was a whole group of those in Alter, but Raze felt like he knew who might have been the first and someone who was more like himpared to the other otherworlders. Although this still wasn''t confirmed either. The otherworlders hade here from some type of portal of sorts, while Raze had transmigrated into a new body altogether. He had used an item. One that was most likely even above the Mythical grade in order to get him here, and it was an item that was discovered in one of these worlds.


    "I know you''re from the Demonic Faction, but I was wondering, do you know much about the Dark Faction''s founder?" Raze asked.


    Dame turned his head, trying to have a look at Raze''s expression. In a sense the question didn''t make much sense, why would Raze care about someone who had died long ago, when he was from another world, and why specifically this person.


    "I know of him, but I do not know him." Dame replied back. "It''s an interesting question that you ask though. Do you remember what n I said I was part of when we first joined the academy."


    Raze did remember, because he was surprised at the reaction of Gunther at the time as well. "The Noctis n?" Raze replied. "Correct, you see the reason why I knew that would catch their attention, is because the Noctis n, is the n that the Dark Faction''s founder had created himself. There were of course ns before his, but before the Dark Faction existed as a whole, he was from this n." Raze was still struggling to know what exactly was the big deal, so what if he was from the same n as the founder, why did that matter? But then it hit him. Why hadn''t he heard of the n before? The five main ns that currently made up the Dark Faction. The Noctis n wasn''t one of them. "I know what your thinking." Dame replied. "The answer is the Noctis n doesn''t exist anymore. That''s why I knew I would be able to get away with it. There isn''t a single person that can confirm or deny that I am a member." Dame was smiling to himself as he casually walked through the snow, his hands behind his head. "But doesn''t that mean that there is no one that can prove you''re a member as well, why would Gunther believe you?" Raze asked. "I''m not sure he did, but it would be risky for anyone to make a lie like that." Dame replied. "Besides, I actually know a few skills of the Noctis n. Do you remember him also stating not to show the skills?"


    "The old leaders will perhaps remember what the skills look like, but none of them will be able to perform them, apart from doing a poor imitation. From what I know, there are also no records of the Noctis'' n''s skills that they used, at least in the Dark Faction." "Yet for some reason, there are the skill books in the Demonic Faction. Due to the skills themselves being from the Dark Faction, no one really in the Demonic Faction learned them. Remember how specific energy is best suited for certain skills." "So even if you learned it, it wouldn''t be ideal for you, but maybe for one of your friends who have the Dark Qi in their bodies." Dame said. "For me though, I was bored and started to learn a few of the skills in there. So I was ready to demonstrate them if need be, and what better proof is that." Things were slowly starting to piece together in Raze''s head, he had an idea as to why the techniques had ended up in the Demonic Faction. He remembered the writing on the cave wall, that he had decided to go to that mad ce where the eyes of those chasing him didn''t exist. Mad, could also be what some considered those from the Demonic Faction to be. ''Dame doesn''t seem to know more about the Dark Faction founder, but it''s clear that he was there hence why his skills were there. If I got to someone older or a higher up figure in the Demonic Faction, they might know.'' ''I would be interested to know if the society or Alter were the ones that chased out the Dark Faction founder.'' Raze thought. When reaching the barracks, the ground was rumbling underneath their feet. Through the snow they could seerge mounds moving towards them. It was clear that rather than just one or two beasts, there were now groups going after them. "You might need my help with this one." Dame said. "I might, but don''t go on them too hard, I still need to improve myself, and all the crystals are mine." Raze said. "Fine, as long as you give me a discount on the items when we sell them!" Dame shouted, charging in. The two of them fought against therge snakes one after the other, and Raze had no choice but to use his magic as well as his sword skills. It was the first time he was utilizing both of them in battle, and not long after that was when the others hade. They had arrived, and Gunther along with Liam, who had no clue what magic was, had witnessed it clearly for the first time.


    Mass release goals!


    900 golden ticket''s = 1 Extra Chapter


    2500 Power stoens = 1 Extra chapter


    1 Castle gift and above = 1 Extra chapter

 Chapter 168 One too many

    Chapter 168 One too many


    From the looks of things, the snakes seemed to be using the outpost as some type of nest. They wereing from all over therge base, and were intertwined around many of the objects. One of therge snakes had swirled its body around a tower wrapping around it. From there it was opening its mouth and firing out ice sts towards them. Seeing this, Dame was quite happy to throw his fists a couple of times in the air, when doing so, Qi sts woulde out of his fist and hit the ice sts dead on. It exploded the attack causing small shards to be sent outward all over the ground but didn''t touch the two of them at all. "Haha, I really missed using these, I only got to use them once, and it''s been a while. If I can''t use my chicken, then I need to at least use the thing that''s causing my chick to be out of action!" Dame said. The outpost was ced next to a small hill that led to a cave, and from the looks of things, more and more snakes were crawling out from the hole as they got rid of them. With his magic and sword skills, at most Raze was finding that he could deal with three of the snakes at once, but he had to have an immense amount of concentration. He had to avoid their spit attacks and their bites. Using his sword to attack one head on, and then use his spells to fend off one or two of them. Thanks to Dame, and him being able to see this, he would keep the rest of them busy only allowing one to slip past him once Raze had dealt with one of them. It was a good thing that he was on this trip as well. Raze jumped up, and struck the head of one of the snakes before it would open its mouth. While in the air, two snakes went ahead to bite him. With his hand, Raze fired out the Dark Pulse at one hitting it in the mouth. Then just before the other struck him, he used the eighth descending step to spin his body. While doing this he added his wind magic to his sword. When the snake went to bite him, his wind magic was cutting the snake''s mouth to bits. Finally, Razended on the ground, and then with two hands out, both of them facing the side snakes, he fired out the Dark Pulse again, finishing them off. It was a shy disy to say the least but slowly Raze was getting the hang of it, his heart was beating fast and the rush of energy was returning to him. ''I''m starting to remember what it was Iike when I had to fight in those dimensions. Back then I had to fight on my own, and most of the time I would have to employ an aggro technique. ''


    ''Hitting one of the beasts and leading them away to then st them with my magic from the distance, but this has given me a chance to excel in my skills. Tobine my Pagna warriors strengths along with my magic.'' It was a powerful feeling that Raze was experiencing right now. At the entrance of the barrack''s, Gunther, Simyon, Safa and Liam had caught it all. They were witnessing everything that was happening right now, and they couldn''t believe their eyes. They were seeing the spells being used, the swordsman ship, and even Pink taking out therge snakes as if they were nothing but balloons, one by one. "Who are these two people really, and what is that strange beam stuffing out of his hands!" Liam said out loud. It was quite clear that ''Pink'' was not a normal student, and Raze was using powers they had never seen before. "Come on, you two know him right, and you''re rted to him, what''s that strange power that he''s using?" Liam asked again. "I¡­ I want it.. I want to use it as well."


    Simyon didn''t know what to say, he knew that Raze magic was meant to be a secret and now everyone was here to view it, but even he was starstruck by what he was seeing. He had seen some of Raze''s magic before but not it being used like this. ''Raze just how strong have you gotten, or was this something you could always do?'' "Did you know about this?" Gunther asked, his hand was still shaking. "Did you know that your friend could do this?" Simyon didn''t answer, and was looking at Safa, at least she had an excuse as to why she couldn''t answer, so these awkward situations seemed like they would always have to fall into his hands. "Don''t worry your silence is an answer. It seems you special friend has a lot of secrets." Gunther started to chuckle to himself. "They should all just count the lives lucky that they ran into me. I''m not too bothered about who you are or what powers you use." "As long as they let me in on their little secrets." Gunther winked. It was lucky for them, and SImyon did feel that way. Gunther certainly seemed to be the best person to catch them in that act. "Are you sure you''re rted to Mada?" Liam asked. "The two of you are just so different, maybe it''s because one of you came from the left ball and the other from the right?" "Seriously man?" Simyon asked. "What is it with you and balls, do you have some type of fetish?" "Hey, I''m just speaking my truth." Liam replied.


    Rather than getting involved, the group continued to watch the amazing spectacle mainly focusing on Raze because the colours and powers they were seeing him do, it was truly magical and was drawing them in. With their eyes fixed ahead of them though, they were unaware of therge bulge moving through the snow heading towards them from behind.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Thanks to the tag team performance from Dame and Raze, both of them were having no trouble. For Dame in the first ce, this level of dimension was something he could take on with ease. It was somewhat unfair of him to be here which is why he was happy to take a back seat as well, and soon the number of snakes that wereing out were starting to lessen. There was still the snake that had wrapped itself around the tower, and around four more that were surrounding them. ''The numbers have reduced by quite a bit, in total have we taken out around fifty or so?'' Dame thought. ''That''s quite a high number, and it means a lot of crystals as well. This is our own little gold mine, and is much better than the dimension the Light Faction had, it would be nice to keep this.''


    "If that''s the case I better warn him. Hey!" Dame shouted out. "Try not to kill any more beasts and just injure them so they can''t attack us!" "Huh!" Raze said performing the two step shift he avoided a bite and the snake crashed into the snow behind him, throwing it in the air. He swung his sword at the same time, hitting it by its side. "If we take out any more of these guys, I''m a little worried that the dungeon boss mighte out!" Dame shouted. It was at that moment, that at the entrance of the barracks one of the snakes had appeared from the snow. "CRAAPP!" Liam shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was so loud that both Dame and Raze turned to have a look. "Simyon, and Safa, what are them two doing here?"


    ''That''s the teacher as well, that can''t be good.'' Dame thought. The moment therge snake appeared though, Gunther pulled out his sword and swung it up. The vision of water appeared, it was visual Qi. It looked like a wave had split into two, and so had the snake. It was killed with a single swing, the blood falling and dying the snow beneath them. As soon as he had killed the snake though, the whole ground started to rumble. Immediately the other snakes that were near Dame and Raze scurried away, and even the one in the tower moved away. The rumbling sound was growingrger and wasing from the cave entrance. "What is that?" Raze asked. Crashing through the cave hole, arge scale body had appeared, but it wasn''t just from one of the holes, several more had crashed and cracked through the hill. In total three giant holes had been made in the hill, and at the end of them were threerge heads all of them slightly different in colour. They were around four times bigger than that of the snakes they had been fighting, they were towering in the air, swaying left to right. The shadow cast by the three of them nearly covered the entire outpost they were in. And soon, all six of their eyes, two from each head of the giant snakes, looked down at those below. "It''s¡­ the dungeon boss." Dame muttered.

 Chapter 169 Dimension Boss

    Chapter 169 Dimension Boss


    The dimensional boss wasrge in size and looked quite simr to the snake beasts they had been fighting against. The bodies of each one were the same color, but it was their heads that had a slightly different shade.


    Therge head in the center was slightly light blue in color, which faded into the skin of the rest of the beast. The one on the left was slightly light green, and finally, thest one was slightly red in color.


    Since its long body went back into the strange hill-type cave, they were unsure if these were three individual beings. Where was the rest of its body? Or was it one type ofrge being with three heads?


    "A dimension boss, we have to get out of here!" Liam shouted and turned around, running back the way they came.


    He took one step forward, and as if reacting to his step, the green-headed giant snake opened its mouth, and green spit went out straight from its mouth. Gunther quickly pulled him by his shirt back to where he was, and the spit hadnded in the snow.


    Right in front of them, the snow hadpletely melted, as well as part of the ground. The spit substance was different from the snakes they had been dealing with so far.


    "Is it some type of acid? If that hit you, I think you would have melted away," Gunthermented.


    Looking at it, Liam was inclined to agree.


    The reason for Liam running was because he had heard a lot about dimension bosses, but this was the first time he had evere across one. In fact, it was even his first time in another dimension.


    Not all dimensions had a dimension boss in them, but the majority did, and they seemed to be awakened when enough beasts in a dimension had been killed. When groups assessed dimensions, this was one of the first things they would do.


    They would enter, kill as many beasts as they could until the dimension boss was summoned. Afterward, they would leave the dimension for a certain period of time, making note of that number.


    Most of the time, this would be done by a fairlyrge group, arge squad belonging to the n. Because dimensions were great resources for them, they wouldn''t want to take out the dimension boss.


    Because when one did, that''s when the portal would close up. This wasn''t the only way; sometimes when certain items were found, or strange events urred in the dimensions, they would close up after beingpleted.


    For instance, a horde of beastsing out of nowhere swarming those within. If they survived and left, it was unlikely that the dimension would still be there.


    The reason for this happening, and the link between a dimensions'' bosses and the portals closing up, was still unknown, but they had to deal with the facts and work around them.


    One of these facts was that dimension bosses, in most cases, would be two levels higher than the beasts found in them.


    At the moment, the level of beasts found in the current dimension was level 2. They had yet to see anything higher, so the dimension boss that was in front of them would be considered a level 4 beast, at least that''s what they had hoped.


    Looking at it, Gunther and Dame, with their experience, were quite good at evaluating the beast, and they felt like they would have ced it at that level, where they were still able to deal with the beast themselves.


    All three of the heads were eyeing up the entire group, and they started to open their mouths up right at them.


    "It doesn''t look like this one is going to let us go away nicely," Gunthermented.


    "It''s a real shame; this would have been a really good goldmine for us," Damemented. Secretly he thought it might be for the best to get rid of the portal, especially now Gunther had discovered it because if they needed to keep this whole thing a secret, at the moment they would only have to deal with one person.


    After opening up their heads, out from the snakes'' mouths, three different-colored spits had shot out right towards them.


    When Raze went to lift his hand up, he saw two blurs run right past him. It was both Gunther and Dame. They jumped up and matched up towards the colored spit by their side.


    Seeing this, the two of them looked at each other.


    ''Oh, he''s fast; have I dealt with him before?'' Dame thought.


    ''As I thought, this person isn''t a normal student at all. That stuff from the Noctis n must have been a lie.'' Gunther smiled back.


    As the two approached the spit, Gunther pulled out his sword and shed through it, turning it into nothing. His water visual Qi had consumed the attack; it was the same for the other side. Throwing out a fist, it exploded out like sparks, looking like fireworks in the sky, but this was also part of Dame''s visual Qi as well.


    When turning around, though, they could see one other attack that they hadn''t gotten rid of. The light blue spit that was heading right toward Raze.


    "Wait," Dame called out. "He can deal with it; he''s not so weak."


    Raze ced his hand out in front of him, and before the spit hit, he activated his Dark Gunther readied his other sword, ready to attack it from where he was.


    "Wait," Dame called out. "He can deal with it; he''s not so weak."


    Raze ced his hand out in front of him, and before the spit hit, he activated his Dark magic swirling around his hand.


    "Dark Pulse!"


    The Dark magic extended out, but when the beam hit the spit, it had turned it into a giant ice shard. The beam was growing in size and freezing over due to the spit, and now it wasing at them like a giant iceberg.


    "I... wasn''t expecting this," Raze said, but he held the sword in both of his hands, took a stance, and at the right time, dashed forward.


    "Crimson sh!" Raze said to himself as he swung down the sword, adding the power of his wind magic. The attack erged and had a faint red glow due to the Devil''s formation being used. It was abination of visual Qi being used with actual magic and his footwork, and Raze had learned that it was one of his strongest physical attacks.


    Even though it was a wooden sword, thanks to the wind magic, it was extremely sharp. With the strike, it cut through the iceberg, splitting it into two parts.


    "Watch out!" Simyon shouted from behind. He took a firm stance standing in front of Safa.


    Part of the iceberg had hit him, and Simyon was skidding backward. Safa didn''t leave his side or jump out of the way, though. Instead, she pushed against his back, trying to add to his strength.


    The other half had gone toward Liam, and reacting to it fast, he had rolled on the ground. It went over his body just by the skin of his teeth and crashed behind.


    "Are you trying to kill us? We''re your teammates!" Liam shouted out.


    On the other side, therge iceberg had been ced on the floor by Simyon. It was too heavy for him to carry with his strength, but he had just managed to stop it. Thankfully, it didn''t have the effect of the spit, so none of his body was frozen, but he was somewhat worn by the initial hit.


    "Raze, you need to be careful; Safa could have gotten hurt."


    Raze turned around and smiled. "But she didn''t. It looks like you two have learned to look after yourselves, and Liam is not so bad when he thinks his life is on the line. Either way, I''m thankful you guys can at least live because I want to take that thing down."


    Raze was reliving his old life; he remembered the times when he would fight such dangerous beasts, all for the sake of getting stronger, all for the sake of surpassing the Supreme Magus, and yet here he was doing it again.


    Both Gunther and Dame hadnded back on the ground, but instead of going toward the Dimension boss, they both jumped back.


    "All right," Gunther said, sticking one of his swords in the ground. "I have decided that this will be a good assessment for you students. Work together to get rid of the Dimension boss; your reward, well, you can keep whatever it gives you."


    "Wait, does that mean you aren''t going to help us?" Liam shouted. "But that thing is too strong for us. It''s useless."


    "No, it''s not useless; you have a trump card that you can use anyway," Gunther said, looking at Raze.


    He was truthful in his words; he did think it would be a good experience for them all. But at the same time, he was interested in just how much Raze could do with his powers. He had witnessed his strength as a warrior, butbined, his strength was that of around a stage 3 or maybe even a stage 4 warrior.


    Hearing this, Safa moved next to her brother; she only had the wooden spear with her, and seeing this, that''s when Gunther decided to do something. With his other sword, he straightened his hand across his weapon. In doing so, it started to lengthen.


    It was still dark blue in color and had strange teeth-like structures, but it had turned into a spear. Throwing it, Safa raised her hand and caught it. Just from touching it, she was surprised to see how light it was.


    "What''s with this favoritism?" Liam shouted. "What am I meant to do, wink at him to death!"


    The group had no time to argue as the snakes were gearing up for another attack.


    Meanwhile, at the back, both Dame and Gunther had their arms folded, waiting to see what would happen.


    "So tell me then," Gunther said. "Who are you really?"

 Chapter 170 Utilizing It All

    Chapter 170 Utilizing It All


    The four of them taking on such arge beast in front of them, it seemed like an impossible task for most of them. For Raze, though, he seemed unfazed; he had taken on bigger and more frightening beasts in his lifetime.


    Sure, he was much weaker nowpared to back then, but he was unfazed, unlike the others in front of him.


    The threerge giant snakeheads had fired out the spit from their mouths again, and seeing how hisst attack was frozen, Raze had decided to move to the side instead and, in doing so, he had used his Dark Pulse this time on the green substance.


    "Using Dark Pulse against the strange ice spit is useless, so let''s see what it does with this!"


    The results were different as the green spit was sttered in all sorts of different directions. It had exploded but not in a good way. Droplets of the green substance had gone everywhere, and where itnded in the snow, it melted instantly.


    ''So using the attack against this one is bad as well, is there anything I can do?'' Raze thought.


    The red-colored spit was heading toward the others, and they were quite unsure about what to do, or what its effects would be.


    "Hey, why don''t you block it with your super strong body, that''s what you''re good at, right?" Liam said, trying to push the back of Simyon, but he was as solid as arge boulder and wasn''t budging at all.


    "Hey, if I get hit by that, I''m not sure my skin can withstand such a thing!" Simyon shouted back.


    Maybe if his body was at a higher level, but he still just had amon metal body, despite all the training he had done.


    Surprisingly though, it wasn''t them two that charged forward but it was Safa instead. She rushed, and at the right time, she thrust out her spear at the spit attack and started to swirl it in a circle. The spit had turned into mes that were spiralling around the spear.


    Suddenly, rather than the mes looking like an attack of the snake''s, it looked like it was part of Safa''s attack. After controlling the mes, she thrust the spear forward; the attack left the spear like a tornado hitting the side of the snake''s head.


    It flinched to the side slightly and had markings on its face. Not a serious wound but a wound.


    "Whoa, she''s good, she''s really good!" Liam said. "I mean, I know she had been learning directly from Teacher Lee, but I guess she didn''t really get the chance to show all her skills at that event."


    With the spear in her hand, Safa was quite impressed herself. The technique she had learned was indeed one from Teacher Lee, but when redirecting and throwing the strike back, it felt almost stronger than the spit that had attacked her.


    Little did she know, that was due to the item in her hands.


    ''That strange shape-shifting sword, it doesn''t seem to be like an ordinary weapon,'' Raze noticed. He was keeping an eye on how the others were doing and seemed to have his eye on one person more than the other. ''It has the power to generate more strength than normal. Is it at the unique or elite level?


    ''Although no one knows how to enchant weapons, just like the book I found in the other dimensions. I guess there are weapons that Pagna warriors have found to utilize themselves, but it can''t be higher than the Unique level; otherwise, Alter would have taken it away.


    ''Which means, a lot of what Safa just did was due to her own strength. Due to my aplishments at the event, she was somewhat overshadowed," Raze thought. "Either way, what she just did has given me an idea of how to beat this thing!''


    Raze had swung his sword, unleashing a wind sh; it had hit therge snake but appeared to do nothing. He continued to keep an eye on one of them, and it was the green-colored one. The moment it opened its mouth, Raze, with his hand ready, had fired out a Dark Pulse.


    It had hit the spit, and immediately it exploded; as it did, it went everywhere, including on the body of the snake. As it hit it, the hard scales started to melt away, and blood was pouring from part of its body. The attack didn''t do a massive amount of damage, but Raze was just testing something out for the bigger n he had in mind.


    Watching at the back, both Dame and Gunther were still standing around five meters apart from each other side on. Neither of them looked at each other and instead were looking at the students. Both Simyon and Liam were avoiding the spit attacks.


    Although it looked like a simple task, they came out close to the same speed as bullets. The two of them looked to aimlessly be running around, but they were keeping a close eye on the snake''s head for when the right time to move was.


    All of them were showing great talent.


    "Why do you ask a question you don''t want to know the answer to?" Dame replied.


    "Oh, that''s brave of you to assume that," Gunther replied. "I am curious about who you are, for you to answer like that. If I were to know the answer, would that mean me and you would be enemies."


    "I just wish to stay in the academy and cause no trouble, nothing less, nothing more, just as I have been doing now," Dame stated.


    "I suppose if that is all you will be doing, and it''s going to be staying that way, then I can allow it," Gunthermented. "But if that dayes, it will be nice to know if I am stronger than you or not."


    A mutual agreement seemed to have been made between the two, and Dame liked that. He was starting to like this Gunther a lot, and was making him think that maybe these Dark Faction guys weren''t so bad after all.


    On the field, Raze was making his way to the others, and he decided to use whatever he could to take this beast down, so he gave quick instructions to them all.


    "Safa, be ready to redirect the attack of that fire-spitting one when I say so. Hold onto its attack as long as you can. Simyon, brace yourself, and Liam, distract the green one as much as you can!" Raze shouted.


    The others, hearing the straightforward orders, snapped into listening mode. They weren''t sure why but they trusted him as if they knew he already knew best. Even Liam, who was practically bait, was running around.


    The fire-spitting snake had spat out its spit, and Safa did the same asst time, twirling it around her spear but had been doing so for longer.


    When the ice spit was going toward them, Simyon had braced himself like he had been doing but he was worried for what was about toe. That was until he could see lingering ck magic moving up and into his earring.


    "Activate your earring now!" Raze shouted.


    Simyon had rubbed the bottom of his earring, remembering what it had done to Liza at the event; it had rebounded her attack. But would it work against an attack like this, or would he be something frozen?


    "Face the red one!" Raze shouted.


    Simyon shifted his body, and the ice spit had touched his skin. Itnded on him but didn''t turn him


    to ice. The effect of the earring was taking ce, and soon the attack had bounced off him, heading straight for the fire snake.


    It crashed into its body, freezing it over.


    "Now!" Raze shouted.


    Safa knew what she needed to do, and she had readied her attack going straight for the body of the now frozen snake. At the same time, Raze had jumped up and thrust both of his hands together.


    "Dark Pulse!"


    The mes had crashed into the bottom part of the snake''s body, while Raze''s Dark Pulse smashed through the ice of the snake, snapping its head into tiny little pieces that dropped onto the floor. With its head gone, blood as well as mes wereing apart from the body.


    It sprawled, hitting the ice snake and started to burn the head of it. They had managed to kill two birds with one stone,pleting the task which was more than Raze could ask for, but now how would they deal with thest one.


    Liam was still running away from the spit constantly, and their attacks weren''t strong enough. They had only defeated the other two snakes by using their own attacks against them. Unless they could use the same trick again as they had done with Simyon.


    "Don''t worry, there is one more thing in my arsenal. If you guys have seen me use my magic, then what''s one more thing!" Raze smiled.


    Jumping from the ground right past Liam, he saw something grey in color. It was almost just as fast as Dame and Gunther were.


    "Is that a living statue?" Liam asked.


    It was made out of stone, and even the sword in its hand was made of stone. When in the air, it spun its body and swung the sword; the image of eruptions wasing from the background.


    "Is that¡­ visual Qi, and isn''t that the Erupting Fist n''s technique? It looks the same as from Ricktro, but somehow it''s even stronger!"


    When the sword struck the top of the head of the snake, it mmed right onto the ground, blood pouring out from the top of its head.


    Landing right next to the head of the dimensional boss was none other than the mythical Soldier Statue, that had the blood and skills of all five of the major ns, and not just that, but thebined power of all the master disciples.


    ''This soldier, does that belong to Raze as well?'' Gunther thought. ''Strange powers, incredibly strong in Pagna skills, and now something like this. With all of this going for you, people will be wanting you from all over, just like the Crimson Crane with the Dark Magus..wait a second¡­''

 Chapter 171 Aftermath of the Dimension

    Chapter 171 Aftermath of the Dimension


    The stone-made warrior was the full size of a human, and he also wielded a curved sword rather than a straight one like most Pagna warriors would often use. In the carvings of the stone warrior, there was also old scale-like armor on their body.


    They weren''t exactly dressed the way a Pagna warrior would today, who often wore light clothing. There were only a few like Gunther who wore a full set of armor. It seemed to be moremon with those that were higher ranked since the weight of the armor would affect them less as their strength increased. Not that Raze had seen many middle-staged warriors in the first ce.


    Since the stone warrior was an item that belonged to Raze and had inflicted thest hit, a dark essence was lifting from the three heads at once. It hadn''t urred when one of the snake heads had been defeated but only when all three were.


    Just as Raze had thought, there was a good chance that all three of the heads were connected to a single body.


    As the dark essence rose, it went all towards Raze. This was something that only he could see, and the others around him were unable to witness. Finally, as he absorbed it all, his rings lit up, giving him more information about his strength.


    [Dark attribute: 34 >>> 40]


    [Wind attribute: 20 >>> 24]


    Since the start of his fighting, going against all the other beasts, he had been using his wind magic constantly, allowing it to majorly increase in strength, and it was the same for his Dark magic as well, as he absorbed essence after essence.


    The statue warrior had soon jumped from its position, covering around twenty meters in distance, andnded right in front of Raze. It made the others startled as they felt the powerful Qiing off from its footsteps.


    Holding out his hand, the dark magic started to escape the statue, and as it entered back into Raze, it had turned small in shape again. Picking it up, he had ced it away.


    "That''s quite the handy thing you got there," Dame said, approaching the others along with Gunther by his side. "I guess you really do keep the best things for yourself. Just how strong is that statue?"


    "You control that thing?" Gunther said with a smile that was nearly stretching up to his ears. "What I want to know is, why does it know the Erupting Fist n''s techniques?"


    It was the first time Raze had used the statue himself, and he was quite surprised by its strength. He thought that it might just be as strong as Ricktor, but judging from the one attack, its power was even stronger, which was just making him regret not using the blood of those like Dame as well.


    ''Could it be possible that itbined the power of all five of the disciples?'' Raze thought. ''Then would it be maybe around the strength of a fourth-stage warrior? That''s quite the strong ally to have.''


    At that moment, Raze also thought about a few other uses he could use it for. It was more than just a tool that would help fight by his side, but he could also use it to train as well.


    "It learns from the blood of others," Raze answered and already turned away from the other two.


    "Seriously, just, how¡­ how can you have things that are so strong?" Gunther asked.


    For this, Raze had only one answer for him. "Items¡­ strong items that can only be made or obtained by a certain someone."


    Rather than being shocked by the fact that Gunther was here with the others for some reason, Raze instead was extremely focused on other things.


    While the others were thanking their lucky stars that they had just survived a fight with the dimension boss, Raze had gone ahead and was trying to look for the crystal instead.


    A level 4 power stone would do wonders, and he was wondering just what type of attribute it would hold since the snake heads were able to produce all sorts of attacks. Searching the other two heads, Raze was unable to find the crystal.


    That was until he dug a bit deeper into the head of the Ice Snake. Arge blue glowing crystal, slightly clearerpared to the others, was held in his hand.


    "I was a bit disappointed, I thought it might have three of these things or have a different attribute, but it''s just ice after all," Raze said, returning to the others with the crystal in his hand.


    Now he had an even bigger decision to make. Was it best to try and enchant an item? If he did, it would be a waste since he was unable to perform high-tier enchantments as a 2-star mage. Unless he gambled with the Dark Magic enchantment, but that didn''t always produce the best results. So the best thing to do was to use the crystal to increase the strength of his magic core, and he was sure that it would allow him to be a three-star mage.


    "Wait a second!" Liam shouted, pointing toward Raze. "You''re not thinking that crystal belongs solely to you, right? We all yed our part; you can''t just use it how you wish! We need to get some of it as well, and hey, we know your secret now! We know why you''re so freakishly strong because you use these weird spells and items or whatever!"


    Simyon gave a big stare toward Liam, as if he was trying to kill them with his eyes. However, he was doing this for his part. He remembered at one point and time; he had also tried to ckmail Raze, but Safa had warned him not to.


    Thankfully though, with the crystal in his hand, Raze seemed to be in a happy mood.


    "You''re correct, all of you did your part in this, and you are all keeping a great secret of mine, so I shall reward each of you," Raze said.


    "I promise that I will give each of you something that won''t disappoint you in the future; in turn, I will be taking this crystal myself," Raze stated.


    Liam wanted to shout some more, but Simyon had quickly gotten behind him and ced his hand over his mouth.


    "Just take it," Simyon whispered. "And besides, you saw how strong these items he has, right? You know my strong, heavy body, and me reflecting that attack before, that was because of Raze''s items as well so it''s not a bad deal."


    The cat was out of the bag, and Raze''s magic powers had been revealed to all, but since there were only two more that knew about himpared to before, the secret could still be kept to the minimum.


    The important thing was for Alter not to find out just what was going on, and he wanted to keep his other identity of Dark Magus an even bigger secret to the rest.


    "So what happens now?" Simyon asked. "Since the Dimension Boss is defeated doesn''t that mean that the portal has disappeared?"


    "The portal will still be present, at least the one we had entered from in this dimension," Gunther answered. "The one on the other side will havepletely disappeared. Once we exit, there will be no way to return."


    "So¡­ should we head back?" Liam asked, having calmed down. He was actually looking forward to what item he could get from Raze. Maybe he too could shoot strangesers from his hand or have a giant bearpanion or something like that. He was smirking just thinking about it.


    "No," Dame replied. "This is the perfect chance. With the Dimension boss gone, this is the opportunity for us to explore this world freely. This is the best time to get your hands on items, maybe even techniques that aren''t even in the world of Pagna, and I know just the ce to look."


    Dame was eyeing up the cave the Dimension boss hade out from. Its body was still blocking the way, but he was sure that there would be something there. There had to be, Dimension Bosses often were protecting something, and he wanted to find out what.


    "You guys can go on and explore; let me know what you find," Raze said as he started to find a spot that was clear of blood and markings in the snow.


    "What¡­ are you going to do?" Simyon asked.


    "I need to use this power stone in my way," Raze replied. "It will take some time. Since the Dimension Boss is defeated, you won''t have to worry about running into anything, and besides, I''m sure Dame is stronger than anything you guys will meet."


    "Dame!" Simyon said, turning his head.


    "Ah, are you quite surprised that my name isn''t as ridiculous as Pink? You can me that one on your friend, after all."


    The group started to head towards the cave. Dame seemed to be quite excited as he walked off, but Safa had turned around, looking at her brother, and that''s when Gunther stopped.


    "Don''t worry, I will stay and look after your brother. You should explore with the other man. I am sure that you will learn some interesting things about dimensions; it will be beneficial for both of you."


    Safa trusted Gunther quite a bit. Unlike the two boys, she had understood how big of a secret he was keeping and how much he was risking his position by doing everything he had done for them already.


    Nodding, she then gave a few hand signals which Gunther didn''t understand but just nodded anyway.


    When Gunther walked back to Raze, he could see he was drawing a magic circle. In order for Raze to be a 3-star mage, he needed to absorb the crystal, but if he did and made a breakthrough, he was worried, worried that he would then open up another portal.


    So the best thing to do was to absorb the crystals that he needed to right here. Raze had noticed Gunther standing by his side.


    He gave him a quick side nce but continued on with what he was doing. If this person was going to do something, he would have done it long ago. Raze also knew that the assessor had done too much for himpared to a regr teacher at the academy, but he just had no clue why either.


    Once the magic circle wasplete, Raze was in the center and sat down, along with the crystal, ready to make a breakthrough, but just moments before, Gunther opened his mouth.


    "I want to ask you an important question," Gunther licked his lips. "Do you know anything about the Dark Magus?" Gunther asked.


    Almost immediately, the Dark Magic started to spill out from Raze''s body. It covered both of his arms and spiraled behind him. When he turned to look at Gunther, his eyes were filled with Darkness as well.


    "How¡­ do you know that name?" Raze asked.

 Chapter 172 Dark Magus Bounty

    Chapter 172 Dark Magus Bounty


    For a while now, Gunther had been on the search for the Dark Magus. It was all due to the reward offered by the Crimson Crane, a powerful n of wanderers that belonged to no faction. The reward was a high-level power stone, one that Gunther hoped could push him into the middle stages. This was why he was doing everything he could to find the Dark Magus.


    During his spare time, he would ask those who came and went by the academy, talk to merchants, and read the newspapers spread around the local towns. Yet, he had heard nothing about this person.


    This begged the question: why was the Crimson Crane, such a well-respected n, looking for a person that no one knew about? It was a request seemingly out of nowhere. The person was clearly unknown but had to be special at the same time.


    That''s why, when he saw Raze using his strange powers and then using the strange orb as well, it came to his mind that this person fit the bill. They were special in ways that were unknown, and he was a face that no one recognized.


    Which was why Gunther decided to pop the question, but what he didn''t expect was a simple question to rock Raze in such a way.


    The magic was surrounding Raze as he looked at Gunther. One of his weapons was still with Safa right now, and he was calcting his chances of winning a fight. With his magic, it was his trump card, especially with its unpredictability. However, he had no clue just how strong Gunther was.


    ''I need to calm down; starting a fight in this situation isn''t good,'' Raze thought, but he was also on the defensive. ''How was he able to link me to the Dark Magus, though? The only person that should know that name is Dame.


    ''There should be no way for someone to link it back to the student Raze Cromwell! Is he working with someone from Alterian? Does he know about magic, or maybe he''s even from the Bonum society?''


    Things had been strange for Raze recently, especially with the attempted assassination. He still didn''t know why they were after him or who at the academy was working for them, and it possibly could have been Gunther who was close and by his side this entire time.


    "Hey, what''s with the reaction?" Gunther said, taking a step back. He wanted to make it clear he wasn''t here to fight. After all, the person in front of him could very well be his reward. Judging by his reaction as well, he had hit the nail on the head.


    Raze knew that his reaction had already given Gunther the answer he was looking for, but he needed to be prepared for a fight. It could have easily been the other way round.


    "How do you know about the Dark Magus?" Raze asked, also lowering his hand. It didn''t seem like there would be a fight, so this was the best for both of them.


    "You mean you don''t know?" Gunther replied. "There are posters up looking for you in nearly every city. The Dark Magus has got a bounty on his head."


    Hearing this, it had clicked for Raze. He remembered a while agoing across a bounty for the Dark Magus. On top of that, he had already been spreading his name in the Demonic Faction, even marking the Qi pills that he would make. He just thought that it would be longer before his name spread outside of the Demonic Faction. Or to the point someone could link the two.


    "Are there any images of me, or did you figure it out based on what you had seen so far?" Raze asked, wondering if the bounty''s had been updated.


    "There are no images of you, honestly not even a description, which is why it was so hard to find any information. So I guess that means you are the Dark Magus, then?" Gunther asked.


    Hearing this, Raze didn''t give a reply. Since Gunther knew who he was, it wouldn''t matter now; he just needed to make sure that no one else would link these things together. He needed a way to keep him quiet.


    "I don''t think I have to tell you that it''s a secret," Raze said. "In order for your secrecy, I will gift you something in the future."


    Eventually, Raze wanted to spread enchanted items throughout the world of Pagna one way or another, and in his mind, he was somewhat making a repeat customer list. It was somewhat like giving someone a sample so they woulde back for more, and he was using this as a tool for their silence for now.


    At the same time, Gunther wouldn''t do anything bad to Raze because he wanted him on his good side. He now needed to get close to him, so he could hand him over to the Crimson Crane and get his reward.


    The magic circle was activated, and now the crystal was slowly being absorbed into Raze''s magic core. He could feel the strong energy flowing through him, and it was only a matter of time now until he would be a 3-star mage.


    ---


    Dame, along with the others, had entered the cave, and just like they had thought, it wasn''t just a simple cave. Lighting crystals had been ced inside the walls making tunnels, and even the flooring was paved inside. It was clear that it was being used for something. As for how they had gotten inside, Dame had pulled the body of the snake out. He had grabbed its head and ripped it from the rest of its body. When they entered the cave, he then tore through its skin. The three heads were connected to one body that was blocking an even bigger opening to the cavern. It was quite the disgusting sight to see, and seeing how easily Dame had dealt with everything reminded them that he wasn''t just a normal student like the rest of them.


    They continued to walk down the long hallway, trying to see if they could spot something.


    "So is there usually something really special in these things?" Liam asked.


    "Not always," Dame replied. "Even if something is found, sometimes we just take it back with us but have no clue what it does. But it''s ces like this that often trigger the dimension boss.


    "Like if you think about it, doesn''t that three-headed snake now seem like some type of guard since it was protecting this ce?" Dame asked.


    The others were inclined to agree, but based on the flooring, the smell, and everything else, it seemed like the area had been empty for years. Just what type of thing was it protecting?


    As they continued down the pathway, eventually, they hade across arge cavern opening. It was justrge in size like a dome shape, but there was nothing inside; it waspletely empty. However, in front of them, they could see that there were two pathways that led to two different ways.


    "Alright, which one of you two is luckier than the other?" Dame asked.


    The boys were unsure how to answer that, so they both ced their hands on Safa''s shoulder, making her make the decision. Immediately, Simyon tried to knock Liam''s hand off, but he lifted it up before he could touch him.


    "Haha, too slow!" Liam said. "Too slow."


    Seeing how the decisiony with her, she had chosen the path on the right. She knew otherwise they would just stay there


    forever. It was simr to the time when one would be with their friends asking what one would like to do. Everyone would say they were up for anything and just end up going in circles with nothing getting done. Safa hated that type of stuff, so she had chosen quickly.


    Since Dame wanted to protect the others, he had decided to go ahead with Safa, and everyone followed.


    ''A split in the path... I''m a little worried about this,'' Dame thought. ''Let''s stick together and not do anything stupid like splitting up. Since that Gunther guy is with Raze, they should be alright as well.''


    ---


    Outside energy was swirling around Raze, and the air was getting even chillier than before. Even Gunther, who wasn''t feeling the cold until this point, could feel the cold as well.


    ''This energy, what is this power? It feels like a type of Qi, and it looks like visual Qi, but it''s clearly not. Is he absorbing all the power directly from the power stone, just like a Qi pill?'' Gunther thought.


    As the energy-absorbing was reaching its final stages, Raze was lifted off the ground slightly. Thest bits of the power stone were gone, and Raze saw anotheryer added onto his core. sting out from around him, a pulse of mana energy expanded out. It had hit Gunther, just like a wave of Qi, but he had managed to protect himself.


    For Raze, he had fallen back into the snow; the cold was affecting his body a lot less now. When he stood up, there was a glow around him.


    ''I did it; I''m a 3-star mage now, and I can tell the ice attribute increased by quite a bit. It was the right decision after all,'' Raze thought to himself.


    "Come on, let''s head into that cave and see if we can find something," Raze said. He was beaming with power, and he wanted to use it almost instantly.


    The two of them walked toward the cave, and as they did, they were unaware of a certain individual. In one of the towers at the very top, a man stood watching them.


    ''That mage was the one that defeated the Dimension Boss, and he did so only being a 2-star mage, and now he''s just broken through to a 3-star. He''s strong for his level; he might just be the one,'' the man thought

 Chapter 173 The Uninvited Guest

    Chapter 173 The Uninvited Guest


    Both Gunther and Raze were now walking side by side as they entered the cave. They noticed the destroyed part of the dimension boss, blood oozing from above, still dripping on the ground. The body itself was starting to shrivel up and dpose rtively quickly, as they did once the crystal had been removed. But Raze also noticed something else: how Dame had left the energy inside the beast all alone.


    ''He''s quite the supportive one in my growth. Either that, or absorbing the energy of this wouldn''t do much for him anyway.''


    Technically, the two were inside the main body of the beast, and Raze was able to touch his hand against the wall. It was mostly strong muscle fibers, so his hand squished in, and then he started the absorbing process.


    ''Isn''t that the extraction technique that the Demonic Faction uses?'' Gunther noticed. He had his fair share of fights around the ce, and the extraction technique was quite famous.


    ''The fact that he has demonic energy as well? Is this person really from the Demonic Faction? There are so many questions I want to ask, but he has a snappy side,'' Gunther thought, as he started to think back to moments ago.


    It wasn''t just then, but during the event when Raze was fighting against the five main disciples, he could see it as well. There were just moments where emotions wouldpletely consume him from head to toe.


    However, he did seem to have somewhat of a calm head on him, as he would calm himself down before acting.


    The energy had been absorbed, and Raze could feel stronger than before. His Ice attribute had grown rapidly in strength, and if he were to take a guess, it was just as strong as his wind attribute, which he had for a while now.


    Unfortunately, Raze didn''t know too many ice spells. He knew the basic ones that a 1-star mage would know, but none at the three-star level. He thought a type of book simr to the one that Charlotte had given him for wind magic would have been extremely helpful.


    After absorbing the energy, the two of them continued forward and headed inside, leaving Raze to think.


    ''I''ve finally made it to a three-star mage, which means I can do stronger enchantments on weapons,'' Raze thought. ''I won''t have to rely on the luck of the Dark Magic, but even if I do use Dark magic, the effects of producing a higher-level item increase.


    ''Combining my Qi and magic spells has worked out good for me so far; maybe I should think about trying to increase my Pagna stage as well. After all, even Ricktor is at stage 3.''


    Raze gave a quick nce at Gunther, trying to wonder what stage he was at. Based on his actions, he felt like he was strong. He also had heard the others talking about him in the academy; he was extremely close to reaching the middle stages, which might even put him stronger than Dame.


    "Hey," Gunther called out. "It looks like there''s a split. I don''t think it''s a good idea for us to split up. We have no clue what''s inside here."


    "With the Dimension Boss taken out, will there be anything stronger though?" Raze asked.


    "I wouldn''t rule it out," Gunther replied. "The Dimension Boss'' powers seem to be linked more so to the portal, but there have been times when other events in a dimension have been activated."


    "Then how did you know what we defeated was the Dimension Boss if there could be other events?" Raze asked.


    All of these things were quite new and strange to Raze because it didn''t work the same way as portals did on Alterian.


    "Honestly, it''s more of a general feeling," Gunther answered. "The Dimension Boss appeared because we had killed so many beasts; that''s onemon sign, and the level of the beast that appeared was what one would expect; it''s not just some other beast. If we do discover something stronger in this world, you could say that it''s more linked to another event."


    "Anyway, because of this, I suggest we pick a path that we both can head down together."


    Looking at both of them, Raze couldn''t see which was better just from looking, so he activated part of his magic. He was hoping, just like with items, the magic would lead him to a path that was more suitable for him.


    Eventually, the Dark Magic started to linger, and as it did, it moved over to the left side.


    "So I guess that means we should take the left path?" Gunther said, as he could see the Dark Magic moving as well.


    "Not just yet," Raze replied as he wanted to see something else as well. Raising his hand again, he started to activate part of his new ice magic. The air was freezing slightly, and small particles like snow were appearing in the air like a mist.


    Slowly, it started to move, and this time, rather than heading toward the left side, it had gone to the right side instead.


    "Now... I''m really confused," Gunther said, scratching his head.


    It wasn''t as if they could only choose one path; they could alwayse back and head into the other, but what if an event did ur that stopped them from doing so? Thinking this way, Raze felt like he needed to make a choice.


    "In this new life, Dark Magic is what has guided me so far, so I will allow it to choose my fate," Raze said as he took a step forward and started to walk toward the left part.


    "Wait... what does that even mean?" Gunther asked as he went on to follow Raze.


    They walked down the stone path and had been doing so for around five minutes, seeing nothing in sight, that was until the tunnel looked toe to an end once more. The area was rtively bright up ahead.


    When taking a step, they had entered a rtivelyrge dome-like room. It was grand in size, a ce that could fit around a thousand people or so. In the center of the room, there was a beaming light from above that also flowed in fresh air.


    Looking up, it looked as if the whole was connected to the outside, to the very top of the structure they were in.


    "What is all of this stuff? I wonder what was here before?" Gunther said as he looked around the room. What he had noticed was there were several markings on the wall, not just on the wall, but also all around them, including on the floor, where a rtivelyrge circle had been drawn with markings that Gunther had never seen before.


    Raze had quickly gone to read the markings and looked at what was on the floor; he had seen it all too many times before, and as he continued to read, his mouth was moving along with the words.


    "This is... it''s a summoning spell," Raze said. "A spell that''s made to summon creatures."


    "Wait, what? Do you mean those snakes, or like a magic voodoo spell that summoned the Dimension Boss? That''s impossible; no one can summon monsters and beasts," Gunther said.


    As soon as he finished his sentence, the sound of pping was heard echoing in the room. The two turned toward the entrance, and immediately, they could see a figure starting to walk in.


    "As expected, I thought a mage like you would have figured it out," the mysterious voice said, as the man stepped into the light.

 Chapter 174 The Man From Another World

    Chapter 174 The Man From Another World


    A voice was heard echoing in the dome-shaped hall where Raze and Gunther were in. It was fairly deep in sound, yet soothing to one''s ears at the same time. One thing was clear to both of them, and that was the fact that it was a voice they didn''t recognize.


    Instantly, Gunther readied his single de in front of him, and Raze had activated the dark magic as it swirled around his hands because there was a certain word that had been used when the man had spoken; he had said the word "Mage."


    ''The word mage isn''t even something that Gunther or Dame use because it''s not something they have here. They might use the word magic for a person who performs things such as tricks and such, and a trickster, but they don''t use the word mage!'' Raze thought.


    Stepping forward out of the dark hallway, the man''s face came into view as the light hit it. From the face, a lone man close to his thirties with a stern look almost like he was frowning towards them.


    The person''s hair was short in length, spiked up, styled slicked back a bit, but what stood out the most was the strange glow that woulde off the man''s eyes. It was a tint of red, but it wasn''t natural light.


    It felt almost as if light was emitting from the person''s eyes themselves, and it was the same for the rest of him.


    "You... you''re not a Pagna warrior, are you?" Raze asked instantly.


    The man stood in front of both Gunther and Raze; neither of them had ever seen such a sight before. It wasn''t something from Pagna.


    The man was covered head to toe in a single-styled suit that looked to have been made of precious metals. It wasn''t armor that was thick and crafted into individual pieces. It was almost a hard outer exoskeleton made from metal.


    It had the same structure just as any human, but all over the strange suit that this person would wear, there were severalrge glowing beams of red light all in different sizes.


    Tworge ones came out from the shoulders, a red-colored glow from the wrist and all of the joints. There were also lines of glowing red energy connecting the suit together in parts.


    The only part the suit didn''t cover was the neck as it clearly showed the head, but it seemed to go up around the back of the neck and around the side of the person''s face just covering the bottom of their jaw.


    This wasn''t just someone who clearly wasn''t from Pagna; Raze had never seen someone look like this who was an Alterian either.


    "You mages are always so smart," the man said. "Let me introduce myself. I am Zon Grain, and I have been looking for a talented mage like yourself to help me with a situation I''m in."


    Gunther was unsure what to do, and it seemed like Raze was as well.


    In all of the dimensions that they had entered, human life didn''t exist. From what they had seen of this world, it seemed to be the same as well. The portal had also just been recently opened by Raze and was in a spot that was almost impossible to find, so no one should have been able to go in after them, so just who was this person?


    "The fact that you are here with someone like him means that you havee from the world of Pagna!" Zon grinned. "This is perfect; you meet all of the criteria that I have been looking for.


    "Nowe with me and help me stop the Alterians."


    ''Stop them?'' Raze was still confused with thoughts, and he wasn''t sure what this person was saying. Due to him being slightly on edge, it was hard for him to process the information.


    He knew that this person was from another world, but was he from the same world as Himmy, or was it apletely different world altogether?


    The man took steps forward toward Raze, seemingly as if nothing could stop him, and seeing this, Gunther was the first one to react.


    "The tide is the first to strike!" Gunther hade out fast by his side, leaving droplets of water in the air.


    Raze was hardly able to see him. He had his sword in the air, and as he swung it, it looked like he was cutting through waves with his sword.


    It was visual Qi, but Raze had never witnessed something so beautiful before. The sword was glowing with power as Gunther wasn''t holding back.


    ''I have no idea who you are, but it seems you want to take the Dark Magus away from me; I won''t let you take my prize!'' Gunther thought.


    Moving his fingers slightly, the red energy started to light up around Zon. He swung his arm out, and a loud-sounding bang was heard.


    A shockwave shook the room, and the visual water Qi expanded out, even making Raze''s face look slightly cool. When Raze looked to see what happened, he could see that Gunther''s sword had been stopped.


    Now, in Zon''s hand, was what looked like a sword, but one that had been made from a strange type of pure energy. It had shed right against Gunther''s.


    While Gunther was grunting, trying to push with all his might and Qi, Zon just steadily held the sword in his hand.


    "Oh, you are quite the strong one as well," Zon stated. "Unfortunately, you have no idea who you just met!"


    Raze had only just blinked, and at super speed, Zon''s hand had hit Gunther right in the stomach. He went flying and crashing right into the wall.


    The rocks from the outside had fallen on Gunther, as blood came out of his mouth, and the armor he wore on his body was slightly damaged.


    ''What he just used, it didn''t seem like energy like a mage''s or Qi. He has to be from some other type of world. A world full of technology that enhances a person''s powers. Is it all from that suit? But then, what does he want with a mage, why does he want to go against the Alterians?'' Raze thought.


    Seeing a stage 6 Pagna warrior get defeated in the flick of a hand, Raze had no idea how strong this person was, and he wasn''t sure using his magic was the best idea.


    With all the thoughts left in his mind, he asked one question.


    "Are you with Alter?" Raze asked.


    Right after, Zon had stopped proceeding forward.


    "It is¡­ too early for you," Zon said. "I see that you have yet to learn the secrets of this world. I''m quite surprised. When you are ready, I wille meet you again."


    Before Raze could say anything, just like the punch that had quickly been delivered, he had disappeared from his sight.


    "Who was that guy, and what is going on!" Raze thought.


    The others had taken the right path; they had simrly entered arge dome-like room. But rather than writings that were all over the walls, instead, they had found a podium, and on the podium, there was a light-colored hardbound book.


    When opening it, none of them were able to read it, but just in case, Safa had decided to carry it with her, seeing as she thought it might be important or something they could use.


    "I guess we should have taken the left path," Dame said.


    "Man, I can''t believe this is a dud!" Liamined. "I thought this might be my chance to get something cool, maybe like a cool eye to rece my missing one."


    Liam pulled his eye patch up slightly and pinged it back down.


    Right then, it was only Dame that noticed it, but he could hear somethinging from the hallway they had entered from. He quickly looked to his right but only saw a blur.


    He moved his head as the blur had moved around the room.


    ''What is that, how fast is this person, are they at the middle stages? No, is it possibly a divine one?'' Dame thought.


    He still was unable to see anything, and before he knew it, whatever had entered had quickly left.


    "Ow!" Liam said. "Did a bug just bite me?"


    Liam started to rub the back of his head, but he could feel nothing.


    Heading right out of the cave back to the snow, Zon looked back at the cave entrance.


    "I will seek you out when the time is right... grow stronger, mage," Zon said.

 Chapter 175 Something left to do

    Chapter 175 Something left to do


    Raze continued to stare at the hallway where the mysterious man known as Zon had left from. Nothing was there, and it didn''t seem like something would turn up, but as he continued to look, images were appearing in his head.


    ''I couldn''t do anything, even though I finally became a three-star mage,'' Raze thought to himself.


    The images that were ying in his head were if he had acted. If he had thrown out a Dark pulse, he could see the man avoiding the attack, and before he could even react with his Pagna warrior techniques, the red sword would have been thrust right through his stomach.


    Raze tried to y the scene again. Trying to use his wind powers, then trying what limited amount of ice powers he could use as well. This continued, but every time, the result seemed like it would end up the same.


    That''s when Raze decided to do one more thing; in his head, he started to imagine himself back with the strength he used to have as a nine-star Magus. All of the abilities he had, the preparation, it was only then that Raze could actually picture himself somewhat winning.


    ''He''s that strong, just who was that guy? I''ve never seen anyone like him before?'' Raze thought. ''Not only that, but it was clear that he knew about Mages and Alterian as well. It didn''t seem like he saw them in the best light, but just what did he want with me?''


    The whole thing was giving Raze a headache because not just the mysterious man but even the cave they were in. The wording on the wall and the magic circle below, all of it was a magic spell for a summoner-type mage.


    It was a rare ss of mage, but during Raze''s time as a professor, he had read enough research books to know what the spells looked like. If he had to take a guess, the dimension boss beast they took down was summoned in this very room.


    ''Does Alterian have a lot more to do with everything going on than I first realized? Just how many secrets are those Supreme Magi hiding?'' Raze clenched his fist. ''That man reacted strangely to the Alter group as well, and it''s not the first time this has happened.''


    Taking a deep breath, Raze soon realized that he didn''t need to get involved in all of theplicated matters that surrounded everything. Instead, he just needed to focus on his original goal.


    ''I need to just continue getting stronger, get my strength back so things like that can''t happen again.''


    The sound of groaning could be hearding from his right side. Eventually, a few rocks started to tumble as Gunther was starting to move.


    Walking over, Gunther looked to be quite badly hurt. The single hit had broken through his naturally strong body, and the Qi he had used to defend himself, but he was still alive and was moving slowly.


    "Take this," Raze said as he threw over a red-colored pill.


    Moving his hand, and breaking through the pain, Gunther had caught it. He looked at the Qi pill and could see there was a small marking of DM on the pill.


    Gunther had decided to trust the strange student in this situation and took the pill. "What''s wrong, you don''t want to get close to me, and pull me out of this mess?" Gunther asked.


    However, Gunther soon noticed after taking the pill, a burst of Qi felt like it had entered his body. No, it wasn''t that, but more so the cells in his body were activating and focusing on healing his body.


    It wasn''t aplete heal, it was actually quite a small amount; perhaps he had recovered only five percent of his injuries, but with how hurt he was, it was quite arge improvement.


    ''I''m starting to see why the Crimson Crane is after this person more and more,'' Gunther thought as he stood up still holding onto his stomach. His armor hadpletely been ripped through, but the armor hadn''t gone through his skin. Gunther wasn''t sure if he had imagined it or not, but it almost felt like the man had pulled back his punch just before so it wouldn''t do major damage. Or at least more damage than what was already done.


    "So who was he, was he a friend?" Gunther asked.


    "Not a friend, and no one that I know of," Raze answered, already walking off. He wanted to head and meet up with the others. His pace quickened a little.


    Gunther was able to follow not far behind; he was just in no condition to fight anymore.


    As they headed back through the tunnel at which they hade from, they had eventually entered the open cavern that split into two halves. When they were here, they could see the others as well.


    "Crap, what happened to you!" Liam said, pointing at the hurt Gunther. There was some dry blood on top of his armor, so it was quite rming to the kids.


    "Was there someone that attacked you?" Dame asked. He had felt like something was in the room with them from before, and now he felt like this was confirmation.


    "Yes," Raze replied. "We have no clue why he was here, or what he wanted, but he just attacked Gunther out of nowhere. Did you guys see anyone?"


    "No," Simyon shook his head. "We didn''t see anything; the only thing we managed to get our hands on was a book."


    Safa was carrying the book with both hands, and when Raze looked at her, she stretched it out so he could get a better view. Seeing it, his eyes started to light up.


    ''Now I know why the ice magic had reacted to the other path.'' Raze walked over and didn''t even have to do anything because Safa had willingly given it to him.


    After turning a few pages, Raze''s confirmation was true. "This will do me well; thank you," Raze said.


    What Raze had in his hands was a spellbook, but not just any spellbook, but one that focused on ice spells. The type of spells he needed to go with his new attribute.


    This little trip had allowed him to gain more than he had imagined. With his dark magic, the book disappeared.


    "Since none of you can read the book, I assume there is no need for me to share anything with you guys?" Raze asked.


    He could see the look on Liam''s face when Raze had taken the book, but since Raze had a point, he felt like he couldn''t exactly say anything.


    With the incident that had urred with Gunther, the group decided it was best for them to leave the ce. They had no clue when the attacker was going to go after them again.


    Dame was actually the one that had strongly suggested this. Whatever had taken care of Gunther, if it was the same thing that he had seen, then Dame wouldn''t stand much of a chance against that person either.


    They got more than they wished from this ce and it was time for them to leave. Simyon and Liam gave Gunther a shoulder, helping him along, while the rest continued back where they hade from.


    They had eventually reached the portal in the same location from before.


    "I never want toe back to one of these ces again," Liammented, rubbing the back of his neck, which was still a little sore. "At least, not any time soon. Maybe when we have to go with the entire academy?"


    The others were exhausted, a lot of the adrenaline had already left their bodies after meeting the dimension boss; they were more than ready to head back.


    Each one of them stepped back through the portal, and Raze, taking one more look behind him, had stepped through the portal as well.


    With a zip and a zap, each one of them found themselves back in the thick fog, only there was a difference this time. There was no longer any portal. From the deep foot imprints in the ground that Raze had made, they knew they were back and in the right ce.


    "Alright, time for us to head to the academy," Simyon said, "and I can eventually get some rest."


    The group stayed close to each other so they could see one another in the fog; they also needed Dame to help them climb back up. But that''s when Safa was starting to panic; she was twisting and turning her head.


    Simyon was the first to notice this.


    "Wait, where''s Raze?" Simyon asked.


    "You guys go ahead," Raze''s voice traveled through the fog. "There''s something I still need to do."

 Chapter 176 Portal To The Land Of The Mad

    Chapter 176 Portal To The Land Of The Mad


    The group was left perplexed because it seemed like Raze''s absence waspletely out of the blue for them. For a moment, none of them moved, thinking that they might see Raze. Safa was even trying to shout, calling out for him, but with just a few grunts, the noise didn''t travel far.


    Not wishing for Safa to strain anymore, Simyon shouted on her behalf.


    "Raze!" Simyon yelled. "Raze!" He shouted out again, but there was no response at all.


    "Maybe we should do as he said," Dame said, trying to break the awkward silence. "I believe Raze is a person that thinks before he speaks, and he stated that we should go ahead, which means that he will definitely meet us back at the academy."


    This wasn''t just words spoken to give confidence to the others; this was the honest truth. Dame knew that Raze still had a lot to do, and besides, without him, what was he meant to do? He would then be stuck here, trying to figure a way out of the whole situation.


    ''I don''t know what happened to you and Gunther back there, but it had to be big enough to startle you, right?'' Dame thought.


    After some time had passed and the others had climbed the cliffside edge, Raze started to make his move; he had a destination in mind. He continued to move until he had finally been brought right back to the cave.


    The cave that had the writing from the founder of the Dark Faction.


    "It looks like I''m back here again, and I''m going to have to borrow some of your spells."


    When he was in the other dimension, Raze had realized something traveling with Dame. After learning the extraction technique, he hade to know the reason why everyone referred to the Demonic Faction as Crazy, Demons, or those that were Mad.


    They were nicknames all given to the Demonic Faction, and it was the same for the Dark Faction leader.


    ''If I''m right, then the spell formation that is written is one that leads to the Demonic Faction,'' Raze thought as he had drawn the circle and traced it from memory with chalk.


    He always kept some on him in his special Dark Magus robe just in case. Activating it, he now wore the robe over his clothing and pulled his hood to cover himself.


    ''I realized something important while traveling to the other dimension. I thought when I moved to a new world I had run away from all my troubles. I was nning to get stronger and then find any way I could to get back, and get my payback.


    ''But it seems like the trouble of the Supreme Magus went even beyond that of Alterian. This world is not a safe ce for me. With the attempted assassinations, Alter, and the society, I need to have a safe ce to go to.''


    Raze lifted his hand, and the dark magic seeped into the circle; it started to light up and a portal had opened right in front of him. Ready for anything, Raze took a step through, and he immediately reappeared, surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, he appeared to be in another cave.


    "The amount of caves I''ve been in recently. Does everyone think these things make great secretirs?" Raze said to himself.


    Looking around, there looked to be nothing of significance. All he could see was a simple magic spell on one part of the wall. As he walked forward, Raze lifted his hand; he didn''t activate any magic and instead just moved his hand right through the wall.


    "An illusionary spell, I guess he wanted to keep this ce a secret, even though there''s nothing here." Raze took a steppletely through with the rest of his body.


    When he did, he could see the hard-colored ground, the few barren trees that were in the area, but not just that, not too far off in the distance, there was a city. It wasn''t just any city; it was one that he had been to before.


    ''It looks like I was right. This means that we no longer have to risk going through the dimension that the Light Faction owns, that is if it even still exists. I now have a direct path that will take me back to the Demonic Faction.


    ''It looks like the business of the Dark Magus will be able to grow quicker now. Which is good because I need to obtain more power. I can''t rely on groups like the Dark Faction or that of Alter. I don''t think I would be able to do the same as the Dark Faction founder and create my own group, but having my resources and influence can be done.''


    Heading back inside, Raze only wanted to confirm that this did indeed lead to the Demonic Faction. He now could use the return spell to head back to the cave as well and then return to the academy.


    He didn''t draw the return circle straight away, though; instead, Raze had something else nned. In total, he had 53 Level 2 power stones. It was an almighty amount.


    ''Some of these I will use to create better Qi pills. I also would like to create better items for myself as well; I need an Ice attribute ring, which would be nice. But there''s something else I need to do before that.''


    While here, Raze would get to work. He didn''t think this amount of magic would cause a problem, but just in case, he had drawn the return magic circle ahead of time. So if another portal did open up and it was a portal break, he could just hop on over back to where he was.


    ''It will leave the Demonic Faction in a bit of a mess, but that is their problem to deal with.'' Raze thought.


    ---


    Back at the academy, the group had returned. The night sky was now out, as an entire day had passed, but the academy was still as quiet as ever due to the break everyone was currently on.


    "Everyone, I want to have a meeting with you all the next day. I think it''s safe to say, though, that what happened today, and everything you saw, is our little secret," Gunther said, giving them a wink as he awkwardly walked off, still in pain with each step that he had taken.


    "It really is a good thing that he''s nothing like his brother," Liammented. "Otherwise, he would be going straight to those n elders, and then they would be right up our balls, trying to sniff out where we had been. Can you imagine we just closed a valuable portal the academy could have used?"


    "Maybe that''s why he isn''t telling them," Simyon stated. "The portal being closed, they will me it on him as well."


    Dame wasn''t so sure; he felt like there was perhaps a different reason why. Little did he know he was right. The main reason for Gunther now helping the group and keeping everything a secret was the price from the Crimson Crane.


    Returning back to the Blue headband sleeping quarters, they realized that due to everything that happened, they wouldn''t be here for much longer, and soon they would be heading to the Red headbands. Where the main disciples that surely held arge grudge against them currently were as well.


    "Ah man, there''s just too much to worry about, I''m going to get some sleep," Simyon said, heading back into the room.


    Liam agreed and couldn''t help but continue rubbing the back of his neck from that bug bite he had received.


    "Hey," Simyon said, turning around, noticing that one person wasn''t heading inside. "You know just because you wait for him, doesn''t mean he''ll return any quicker."


    Although it was only the back of Safa''s head, Simyon could see that she nodded. She had sat down by the bottom step and was just staring outward.


    ''Man, how the heck did you get a sister to be so nice to you? What the heck did you manage to do in your past life,'' Simyon thought, as he went ahead inside.


    When Dame had reached his bedroom, he didn''t go to sleep straight away and instead just sat on the edge of his bed.


    "What is happening?" Dame thought as he thought back to the events of today. "Originally, when I learned of the Dark Magus, I thought I could use him to progress myself, but every time I see him.


    "Every time he does something I don''t expect, I feel like I''m being swept up by the aura around him, and he''s the one dragging me along with him."


    The serious look on Dame''s face soon turned into a smile though.


    "Maybe it''s not so much of a bad thing. I guess I''ll see where all of this goes, for a little while longer."


    Time continued to go past, and soon the sun was starting to rise. Safa had eventually sumbed to her tiredness, falling asleep with her head tilted to her side.


    "What are you doing?"


    The voice startled her awake, and when she looked up, she could see the scruffy white hair.


    "If you stay out here all night, then you''ll get sick. Then, I''m going to have to make another pill, and I''m already tired," Razemented.


    Opening the door, Simyon was rubbing his eyes as he was going to check up on Safa. He was meaning to check on her every night but due to his exhaustion, he had fallen straight asleep as well.


    "Raze, you''re back!" Simyon shouted. "You really came back."


    "Why do you sound so surprised?" Raze replied. "I said I would be back, didn''t I? And why don''t you head inside and call the eyepatch one. I''vee back with the gifts I promised."


    That day when Raze had returned, a big change was starting to ur for them all. Entering that portal had changed each and every involved person''s lives more than they could have ever imagined.

 Chapter 177 Special Qi pills

    Chapter 177 Special Qi pills


    Raze had been rtively busy in the Demonic Faction, and he hadn''t left the cave where he had originally teleported. He wasn''t sitting idly by twiddling his thumbs, as he had a purpose for staying in the cave. Because of this, it had taken a bit longer than he initially realized before he left.


    Thankfully, being a Stage 2 Pagna warrior, he needed less sleep than he usually would have. So he could still function somewhat properly after he left. There were no issues in terms of a portal break, so he decided to head back through the teleporter to the Pagna Academy. Stepping through, he had returned.


    ''This fog is quite annoying,'' Raze thought as soon as he arrived, he activated part of his wind magic around his body. With the wind, he was constantly pushing out, creating what was somewhat of a barrier.


    The fog around him moved, and now he could see at least two meters ahead.


    ''It makes me wonder, just how thick this fog is. I haven''t even explored the entire area because I don''t know where it goes. Humans tend to walk in circles when they don''t know where they''re going. Even if they think they are heading in a straight line.


    ''It''s quite possible that there might be other things down here as well. I guess when my wind affinity increases, then I''ll be able to clear most of the fog in this area and explore a bit more.''


    Raze wasn''t expecting to find anything, but then again, he originally wasn''t expecting to find anything when he had found the cave.


    ''Now, I have to figure out how to scale this thing without the others. I assume Dame just carried everyone up. He was able to use the smallest surface area to just boost himself and only from kicking. I guess I could try and give it a go.''


    At the time when Raze had been carried up by Dame, he was watching him very carefully. Although he didn''t have as much Qi as Dame, he was thinking that he could rece the Qi with something else, and that something else being Mana.


    Taking a deep breath, Raze ran up and jumped in the air. His foot was ready to kick off one of the rocks. When his foot made contact, he exploded it with Qi, just like he would when performing the descending steps. At the same time, he added additional strength with his wind magic surrounding his leg.


    It wasn''t much of a boost, although he had a lot of Manapared to before, now being a 3-star mage. With his wind affinity at 24 points, it would be simr to a 1-star mage who specialized in wind magic.


    When kicking off, Raze had quite the boost but then realized that he had nowhere to ce his foot to scale up.


    With the added wind, he had at least made it ten meters in height, and falling back down would hurt somewhat.


    Thinking fast, Raze started to form a chilly mist in his hand.


    "The formation of ice."


    It was the only Ice spell Raze would know, and usually, he would think the skill was useless. The Ice magic had solidified into a stubby, pointed spike in his hand. Holding it firmly, he used his Qi to shove it right into the wall of rock in front of him.


    When the ice hit, shards of it were breaking off, but reinforcing it with more of his mana, he was keeping its solid form, finally lodging it in. Now, still holding onto the ice, Raze was hanging on the cliffside with one arm stretched out.


    When looking down below, all he could see was the thick fog, unable to guess where the bottom was, and when looking up, it was the same. He couldn''t see the peak of the cliff.


    ''I guess I have a long way to go still. This is going to be a bit more difficult than I thought, but it''s not like I haven''t gotten out of tougher situations.''


    ------


    By the time Raze had arrived at the blue headband living quarters, the sun had fully risen, and before he took further steps in, he stopped. The sun was shining, hitting on a single woman who was sitting there waiting at the bottom of the steps. Her head was tilted partly on her shoulder and her eyes were closed.


    ''Did she stay here all night waiting for me?'' Raze thought.


    Memories filled Raze''s head. When he would reach his apartment door, opening it up, back then, there was a person who would wait for him as well, with a smile on her face. A lump could be felt filling up in his throat, one that he had chosen to swallow down.


    ''How long has it been¡­ how long since someone waited for me like this? I can''t believe, with all my anger, I almost forgot about us.''


    "What are you doing?" Raze said as he walked closer toward Safa.


    The voice startled her awake, and when she looked up, she could see the scruffy white hair.


    "If you stay out here all night, then you''ll get sick. Then, I''m going to have to make another pill, and I''m already tired," Razemented.


    A short while after his return, the others hade out of their rooms, and now everyone was in the main centre hall where students would usually gather. Since they were still the only students present, the whole ce was empty.


    It made sense for the no-names and Dame, who wasn''t really a student, but not for Liam, and Simyon was still curious why he hadn''t gone back to his family or n like the others, but it just felt a bit awkward to ask. Especially since whenever they would talk, Liam tended to say something a bit on the pervy side or mention something about his balls, which just made Simyon want to punch him in the face more.


    "I am here to fulfill my promise to you all," Raze said as he stood up from his seat, and in front of each one of them, he ced down a yellow-colored pill. Immediately, as Raze pulled his hand away, everyone''s eyes were glued to the pills.


    This was because there was some type of radiant energy glowing from the pill itself. They could feel Qi powering from what was right in front of them. Immediately, Liam went to pick it up to check, and as he held it up, he could see the small marking of DM written on it.


    "What is this? This looks like the Qi pills that we get from the academy, but it seems to have so much energy inside it!" Liam said in amazement.


    Looking at them, they all felt the same way.


    "Wait, wait, before I get excited, I need to remind myself, what you took was a level 4 power stone. Do you think a simple Qi pill is the equivalent of that?" Liam asked.


    "A simple Qi pill," Dame chuckled, who hadn''t said anything until now. "That isn''t a simple Qi pill. Although it might not be at the same strength as a level 4 power stone, what you have in front of you is equivalent to a level 3 power stone, that is, a 30-year Qi pill."


    Liam''s single eye almost popped out of its socket when he heard those words. Qi pills tended to go up in 10-year equivalents.


    A 10-year Qi pill, the same as if a person used a simple cultivation technique for ten years and gathered the energy, a 20-year pill, and now they had a 30-year pill in their hands.


    "I think it''s fair to say since he has given each of you a 30-year pill, that is fair since it would be impossible to split a level 4 power stone," Dame wanted to say more than this because a 30-year pill shouldn''t have even been possible.


    Dame was there with Raze every step of the way. They had only gone against level 2 Beasts, so the most that Raze should have been able to produce was a 20-year Qi pill. He imagined that this was only possible because it was the Dark Magus''s doing.


    Dame was right as well.


    Now that Raze was a 3-star mage, he could use the magic circle on the level 2 power stones to create a level 3 power stone. The process would take three level 2 power stones all together and wouldn''t guarantee to work, but Raze had 50 stones to y with.


    After repeating the process a few times and a couple of failures with all three of them, Raze still had over 30 stones left and had in turn, created three 30-year Qi pills.


    "There''s one more thing for all of you that you don''t realize either," Dame continued. "With how the three of you currently are, if you take and absorb those pills now, you will have a breakthrough. All of you will be second-stage warriors, the same level as the other Red Headband users."

 Chapter 178 Breakthrough to the Next Stage!

    Chapter 178 Breakthrough to the Next Stage!


    A ten-year Qi pill wouldn''t do much for the students in terms of breaking through to the next stage. All of them knew that they either needed a mass amount of Qi at once to break the dantian, creating a stronger one, or discover some type of breakthrough within.


    That breakthrough coulde in a number of different ways: enlightenment, a clearance in the mind, even through a tough battle. The issue was that this breakthrough was different for each individual and often harder to achieve as they moved up the stages. This was the issue Gunther, Dame, and Beatrix would experience. One might try to force a breakthrough, like Gunther, by fighting whoever he could whenever he got the chance, but it didn''t seem to be working.


    Which was why he had opted for another method, doing so with an infusion of strong Qi. At times this wouldn''t work either, especially if the body wascking, but Gunther believed he was ready, which was why he was trying so hard to get the item that was on offer from the Crimson Crane. For the younger ones that were still at the first stage, this would certainly be enough.


    "We can be on the same level as the Red Headband students, you mean the main disciples, right?" Liam asked. "As far as I''m aware, not even all the Red Headband students are at the second stage."


    "That is correct," Dame answered. "Those of you around your age would have to fight through thick and thin to get something like this, before a warrior at a higher stage would gobble them up. Even in your ns, due to the preciousness of items like these, they are more likely to sell them to higher ns or give them to warriors that have already progressed, bringing them closer to the next stage. It is unheard of for a stage 1 warrior to get their hands on these."


    Dame didn''t need to say any more. Liam was already sold the moment he learned he could advance to the next stage, and it wasn''t just him; even Simyon was thankful. There were many at the Red Brigade who had gone through the Pagna Academy and, even after finishing, were still at the first stage. Now Simyon wasn''t just going to be someone at the basic level but a warrior that would be respected.


    It didn''t take long for the three of them to ept their gifts and head outside to the open courtyard. All three of them instantly decided to absorb the power of the pill as they would consume it and control the energy from within.


    Stepping outside on the wooden floorboards of the sleeping quarters, both Raze and Dame stood next to each other as they looked at the three of them absorbing the pills.


    "Remember that you also promised to make me something," Damemented. "I will be waiting to see what type of item you''re able to craft for me, Dark Magus."


    Hearing the name said this way, Raze thought it wasn''t so bad. He had heard the name spoken as if it was some curse in the past. People would scream when they heard the Dark Magus had entered a certain ce and area. However, now, as a person who was good at enchanting powerful items, it had a nicer ring to it.


    "I want your help with something else, and I''m hoping you will do this one for free," Raze said.


    "Oh, what is it?" Dame replied back.


    "I want to reach the third stage, be a Stage 3 Pagna warrior," Raze answered.


    Dame wanted to ask what the sudden interest in getting stronger quicker was, but he felt like he already knew the answer after seeing Gunther. He had met a man that he felt like even he couldn''t beat, so it was normal to feel this way. What was interesting though was that he had opted for the path of a Pagna warrior.


    Was his bag of tricks of items and such not enough?


    "You will hit a bottleneck at the third stage," Dame answered. "It''s the same as when you hit the 6th stage. You can use pills to boost the strength of your Qi up to a limit, but something needs to crack or break inside. You need to have a breakthrough. Whether that''s through your fighting techniques or something else, maybe even just going through a desperate situation. Just do what you can to make sure you''re at your peak. Get your body, your skills, everything up to the best they can be, and I think you''ll be more likely to hit that breakthrough."


    This answer wasn''t one that pleased Raze, and the word "breakthrough" was something that was also well-known among mages but used in a different sense.


    ''A breakthrough for a mage is a state that they can obtain. They break the magic core surrounding their heart for a moment, and their whole body is overwhelmed with a mass amount of power.


    It''s a strong form, and every breakthrough is different depending on the type of magic core that one has. However, the way to obtain a breakthrough is also different. What has been noted down in research is that breakthroughs are somewhat rted to how to increase affinity with certain types of magic.


    Once a mage has experienced a breakthrough, they can harness that feeling and learn how to use a breakthrough at will, but using a breakthrough, the aftermath is a loss of all control of mana for a temporary amount of time.


    ''It makes me wonder. If a Pagna warrior learned to use a breakthrough, wouldn''t it be less of a problem?'' Raze started to think.


    ''If after using a breakthrough, they didn''t finish off one''s opponent, then they would still have their Qi and skills to rely on. It would somewhat get rid of the downside of a breakthrough.''


    After thinking about this a little more, Raze chuckled because there was one problem. There were no records of a mage that had learned Dark Magic achieving a breakthrough. No one knew what the conditions were or how one would activate it. It also meant that no one knew what type of powers a mage with a Dark core would produce. In his head, that would be a harder task than breaking through to the third stage.


    ''I guess I have a n.'' Raze looked down at the palm of his hand, and the statue warrior had appeared. With this, he could do as Dame had asked. He could train to the point where he was ready to reach the next stage, and who knew, maybe fighting against the statue would be what allowed him to break through.


    "Speaking of all of this, I think the three have advanced."


    A strange ck muck hade off from the bodies of the three on the courtyard floor. Their clothes were drenched in a strange substance, and a small trickle of blood hade out from Safa''s mouth, but she quickly wiped it away and had arge smile.


    This was because all of them were now Stage 2 Pagna warriors.


    "There was one more thing I wanted to ask you, what do you think about going back to the Demonic Faction with me?" Raze asked. "And, what about bringing them with us?"

 Chapter 179 The Calm before the Storm

    Chapter 179 The Calm before the Storm


    After achieving a breakthrough, the first thing the group had decided to do was to visit the bathhouse. Their clothespletely stank, as did the rest of their bodies. This was quite normal, as with each breakthrough, the body would get rid of greater amounts of impurities.


    After the smell had been dealt with, all three of them wasted no time using the tools in therge courtyard to begin their training. They eyed up the straw dolls, the wooden weapons, and the countless pirs that would also record one''s strength.


    The pirs were always a good way for them to test just how much they had improved. All of them were beaming with energy, ready to test their new bodies.


    "I can now stab twice as fast!" Liam said as he thrust his sword toward the chicken area of the straw doll. When in anger, he often aimed for this spot, buttely, he had be so angry it had be somewhat instinct for him.


    Still, he was amazed. It wasn''t just an increase in Qi, but his body was better than ever, as he didn''t tire after attacking the same spot over and over.


    It was the same for the other two, but there was something else Simyon was somewhat aware of but not quite. When he had punched the pir, he had done so using next to no strength, no Qi, nothing. The number 25 hade up in the past. When he did the same thing again, the number that came up this time was 35.


    ''Wait, even if I add no Qi, why is the difference so high?'' Simyon started to think. He knew one''s body got stronger after a breakthrough, but with no Qi to increase by this much, was that right?


    In order to test this out, he had used Safa''s score as an example, but she had only risen by a few points, not by ten.


    "Can''t you tell?" Dame said,ing over, and raising his hand, he swung it, hitting Simyon right on the back.


    "Ow¡­ ow¡­ ow." Simyon had flinched, hunching his back, but soon stopped as he realized something. "Wait, it doesn''t hurt, it was light, did you hit me like you used to before."


    "You still can''t tell now? Along with you increasing to the second stage, it looks like your body has also been refined into something else. All the training you had done before has paid off," Dame exined.


    Dame was right on the mark; the effect of the earring had increased, and now Simyon no longer just had amon metal body, but he had an umon metal body. This confirmed one thing, that there were ways to increase the strength of his body.


    ''So was Dame right, that if I use weapon refining skills and books, I can continue to increase my body strength?''


    This was somewhat disheartening for Simyon; he had always imagined himself fighting against beasts and monsters, not just standing there and taking the hits from them.


    As the three were getting used to their new bodies, one of the Blue headband teachers, Tod, had walked in. He looked at everyone in the courtyard before asking his question.


    "Where is Raze?" Tod asked.


    "He is..." Simyon looked at Safa. "He is a bit busy at the moment¡­ we don''t know where he is."


    "Alright, I have done my duty either way," Tod sighed, shaking his head. "Gunther has called for you all to meet him at the main base."


    Not even waiting for a response, Tod had just left, leaving the others alone.


    "Man, that guy really has a stick up his arse ever since Raze showed him, huh," Liam replied. "You would think that he would have treated us better. I guess some people never change."


    ---


    The group entered the main building and were in one of the many offices that were ced around. When inside, the other teachers and members would constantly whisper as they saw them. It reminded them that they had be quite the name, and little did the teachers know that they would have even more in surprise for them as they had all advanced to the next stage.


    Entering the office, all four of them stood straight as they looked at a fully healed Gunther. However, he wasn''t wearing his armor like he would before, and instead was wearing robes like most Pagna warriors. Still attached to his back was a leather strap that held his two swords, one of which he had reverted back into a sword after letting Safa borrow it for a while.


    "Wait a second, where''s Raze, did he note back yet?" Gunther asked.


    "He did, but didn''t he tell you, he''s in the middle of training, in the forest grounds," Simyon replied.


    The forest grounds was an area located at the back of the academy. It was an area where beasts had been taken from one of the portal outbreaks, a very low-level 1 beast, the hop bunny. Here the beasts would reproduce, and it wouldn''t just be a farm for them to have an area with power stones; it was also an area that was used for assessments. Currently, Raze was using it as his own little yground.


    In the middle of the forest, Raze''s face was beaten, bruised, and blood was pouring out of his mouth. He looked at the palm of his hand where he had a red Qi pill.


    "I don''t have many of these left," Raze said as he gulped it down in one go. "You are much harder than any of the disciples."


    Right in front of Raze was none other than the special item he had created, the mythical statue. In the forest, Raze was taking it on, fighting against it, and he was doing so just using his powers of a Pagna warrior, rather than using his magic as well. He had attempted the descending steps, as well as using his de swordsmanship, but it was useless, and the statue had a counter to almost everything.


    "I can feel it, as long as I''m able to beat you, I will reach the next stage!" Raze said as he charged in again with his wooden sword.


    With Raze not being there, Gunther was wondering just how much impact his words would have, so he decided to keep it short and sweet.


    "What has urred between all of us, as I said before, will be our little secret," Gunther imed with a smile. "As long as this happens, then none of us will get in trouble. We can continue our time at the academy as we all have been doing. So that is all I have to say, and this will be thest that we speak on the matter."


    Gunther flung his hand as if to shoo them away. It was clear that the actual person he wanted to speak to wasn''t with them. As they turned around, Gunther did want to call out to one person.


    "Liam, do you mind staying here? I want to have a word with you," Gunther asked.


    Liam was confused why just him, and the others didn''t seem to care as they had already left the room. Not just that, but they had continued walking away, down the hallway, not waiting for him at all, and headed back to the blue headband living quarters.


    That was when Dame had turned around to the two of them before heading inside.


    "Actually, now that it''s just the two of you, I have something important to ask you," Dame stated. "How would you feel if you were toe with me and Raze, to where I''m from?"


    It was a sudden question to ask, and one Simyon hadn''t really thought about, but it did beg the question.


    "Wait, where are you from?" Simyon asked.

 Chapter 180 Catching A Fly

    Chapter 180 Catching A Fly


    Liam''s heart raced as he stood before Gunther, feeling a mix of anxiety and confusion. During his whole time with the others, he had already felt somewhat distantpared to the rest. He hadn''t cared much, after all, he hadn''te to the academy to make friends.


    However, naturally, as time went on, and it was only him and them, and fighting with the others together during the event, he did feel like there was some connection between them. The fact that he had even entered the portal with them to the other dimension made it seem like fate had something in store for him and Safa.


    ''It''s almost like fate that me and Safa are meant to be together,'' Liam let out a big sigh, feeling heartbroken that now he had been singled out by Gunther of all people. "Why¡­ why do you have to speak to me... I know I''m handsome, but I''m sorry, sir, I don''t swing that way."


    "Liam!" Gunther shouted for the third time. He had been calling Liam''s name for a while now, but there was no response. "What are you even thinking in that small brain of yours?"


    Shaking his head, Liam decided that since it was already toote, he might as well listen to what the teacher had to say, although he felt it was hard to call Gunther a teacher because he was the strangest teacher he had evere across.


    "Liam, me and you are different," Gunther said as he ced both of his fingers off to the side. He swiveled his chair slightly to the side so only half of his face was showing. "We aren''t like the others, you see. I''m talking about those that went into the Dimension together."


    It felt strange; the same thoughts that Liam was having not too long ago were now being brought up by the teacher himself, and it was hitting him just a bit harder.


    "Those three, they have a connection. It''s clear that they knew each other even before they entered the academy, but now me and you have a connection together. Since we both share a secret, right?" Gunther said, turning around and smiling at Liam.


    "What I want you to do is stick with them no matter where they go. Stay on them like a fly following around a piece of crap!"


    "So¡­ I''m the fly?" Liam said.


    "Be the best fly there is out there!" Gunther shouted back, standing from his seat and mming the desk. "This is for your sake, no, this is for both of our sakes. We need to know what they are doing at all times, alright?"


    Liam was taken aback; he didn''t know what to say and was somewhat frozen.


    "Alright!" Gunther shouted again since he hadn''t responded.


    "Ah, yes, sir!" Liam said, bowing down. It seemed like that was his cue to leave, and so he did. He would stick to them like a fly. That''s what he was good at.


    While Liam was running down the hallway, heading back to the assessment area, he couldn''t help but continue to rub the back of his neck.


    Meanwhile, Gunther let out a big sigh and sat back down in his seat.


    "Alright, at least that''s dealt with now. I have to make sure that the Dark Magus doesn''t stay out of my sight; I need to know where he is at all times."


    ---


    Standing outside in the courtyard, Simyon had just asked Dame a question that made it feel like time had stopped around him. He didn''t know why, but he was expecting the answer to be quite frightening.


    "Ah, where I''m from, I guess both of you don''t know yet," Dame answered with a smile. "I''m from the Demonic Faction."


    "Oh, just the Demonic Faction," Simyon let out a sigh of relief, but he quickly caught his breath again. "Wait, did you say the Demonic Faction... in here, inside the Dark Faction''s academy?"


    Simyon''s heart started to beat four times faster as thoughts started to go through his head. What if they were caught with this person? Would the whole Dark Faction go after him, and then, would they also go after anyone who kept in contact with him?


    Maybe they would be treated as those working with the Demonic Faction just for being near him.


    "Deep breaths, deep breaths," Dame said. "I know what you''re thinking, but honestly, I''m pretty sure that teacher already knows where I''m from, or at least has a good idea. Remember what he said, as long as no problems arise, then we will be fine."


    "No problems" was a tall order, Simyon thought. They had already been suffering with problem after problem since they had arrived here. In his head, it was only a matter of time before they would get caught.


    "As I said before, Raze wanted to invite you to head to the Demonic Faction with me. Of course, with the n to return, we will just be away while everyone is on break, and inform them that we are heading back to our families and respective ns."


    Simyon was still trying to take in the new piece of information that he had learned, and only bits and pieces were really going into his head.


    "Listen carefully to what I have to say," Dame said again, and he looked at Safa this time. She seemed to be calmer having learned this information.


    Seeing how Dame was serious with his words, she pulled on Simyon''s shirt, getting his attention, and then went to hold his hand. For some reason, the moment Simyon held onto Safa''s hand, he felt a whole sense of calmnesse over him, which was followed by the flushing of the upper cheeks.


    "Raze asked me to tell you guys this, and he is inviting you because he''s actually looking out for you guys," Dame exined. "You knowtely, he has been a target of an assassination, and from what I know, you guys had troubles even before that."


    "If he were to leave here, he''s worried that the two of you will end up being a target if they can''t go after him. So he would rather have youe along to the Demonic Faction where he thinks you''ll be safer."


    "It''s up to you guys what you want to do, but we will be heading out tonight," Dame stated, as he was ready to walk away, giving them time to have their answer.


    "We''ll go," Simyon answered instantly. "I know what Safa''s answer is already, so I''m sorry for speaking on her behalf. As for my answer, I already said that I would go wherever Raze went."


    Dame smiled hearing this. Raze had managed to gather his own group of loyal people. They reminded him a lot of his group of friends in the Neverfall n as well.


    ---


    The leave of absence letters were handed in to Tod, who didn''t seem to care, nor was he surprised. They knew that due to the teachers''ziness, it would be a while before their notices would be passed on, meaning it would give them time before Gunther could do anything.


    After that, they had all left the building and headed to the back of the academy where the forest would be. This was where they were to meet Raze, who was already waiting for them.


    Traveling with Dame, they had gotten through everything with ease, and a short whileter, they had eventually reached the cliffside. Here, Raze was waiting.


    He hadn''t gone down the cliff to the cave, as he didn''t want others to see it, and there was no need to. He could just draw the magic circle wherever he wished, since the magic circles created by the Dark Faction leader had set coordinates for where they were to appear.


    It was something Raze was unable to do because he hadn''t mapped out the world of Pagna, and the coordinates to head back to Altieran werepletely skewed and different. He found that out the first time he had opened a portal.


    "It''s good to see everyone. I think it will be safer if we''re all together," Raze imed. "Now... let''s head out."


    Raze activated his dark magic, and as he did, the portal started to open up. When it shed glowing, the sound of the bushes moving was heard behind them.


    Immediately, Dame rushed into the bushes to see if they had been followed or if it was possibly another assassin. A few momentster, he returned, holding onto a certain boy that they were all familiar with.


    "What do you want to do with him then?" Dame asked, holding Liam''s shoulders.

 Chapter 181 Spread Dark Magus!

    Chapter 181 Spread Dark Magus!


    Having heard the group leave in the middle of the night, Liam feltpelled to follow them, remembering Gunther''s words to stick to them like a fly. It didn''t take him long to figure out where they were going since it was a destination that the others had been to a few times. There was nowhere else to go other than the hunting forest and back down to the area of fog. The real question was why, and that''s what led Liam to discover their exact location.


    He hadn''t done this just because Gunther asked; he was genuinely curious about what they were doing.


    "What should we do with him? He''s seen you open the portal," Dame asked.


    Soon after, the portal actually closed right up. That was because the energy from the level 1 power stone had been used already. The portals Raze opened weren''t like those of others. They weren''t permanent. Seeing this, it left Liam witnessing something that he wasn''t supposed to see.


    His teeth were chattering slightly, and the grip from Dame alone felt too strong. He had tried to shove and move slightly, but the pressure had increased on his shoulders, making it clear that he wasn''t allowed to leave.


    "I''m sorry!" Liam said. His single eye was watering up, and he had ced both hands together, shaking them continuously. "I know I shouldn''t have followed you guys, but I wanted to see what you were doing."


    "I thought we were a team, you know! We defeated the five disciples together, and we got through that mess with the dimension boss. You need the whole group; otherwise, it just doesn''t work!"


    Of all the things to say, this was Liam''s plea, not to save his life but to be a part of the group; otherwise, it just didn''t feel right. He had no clue what he had just done. If Liam weren''t someone who had already known part of Raze''s secret and owed him one, he would have had to end his life to keep his secret a secret. Yet, Raze could tell from the look in the others'' eyes that they pitied him slightly.


    "Look, I''ll do whatever you guys want. I''ll keep my mouth shut. I''m one of you guys now. If you go down, then I go down as well, and why the heck would I want to get myself in trouble," Liam continued to try and convince the others.


    "Come on, man, I''m begging you here, Raze! Haven''t I helped you guys out a lot,e o-"


    "OKAY!" Raze eventually blurted out. "Please just stop speaking. We will let youe with us. Did you leave a note with one of the teachers exining your absence?"


    Liam hadn''t done so since he wasn''t so sure what was going on, but he thought if the others had left and he had done as well, then surely Gunther would know what had happened ande up with an excuse.


    "It will be okay," Liam answered honestly, a little worried that a certain tick might show that he was lying.


    Raze produced another power stone in his hand and dropped it to the ground. Almost like a show, at the same time, Raze''s dark magic started to leave his hands and went down to the magic circle. The crystal had hit the floor at the same time as the magic, and the circle lit up, producing the portal again.


    "Alright, let''s try this one more time, shall we? Let''s go," Raze said as he walked through first.


    The others weren''t too far behind, and Dame and Liam were thest two to enter. Once everyone was through, it was left for a few more seconds until eventually, the portal closed up.


    Entering a portal, Liam was fearing the worst, preparing himself for another risky battle as he fought against beasts. But he was now a stage two warrior; if he had gotten through it before, he could get through it again.


    When he opened his eyes, though, he felt the atmosphere hardly felt any different. It was slightly more humidpared to before, but that was all. When opening his eyes, he noticed that they were in a dimly lit cave.


    "Come on, let''s not waste too much time," Raze said as he walked forward, and everyone witnessed his body warp right through a wall.


    It was a dead end, an area full of rocks, yet Raze had walked through it, and now none of them were able to see him. Everyone was confused and worried.


    Looking at the wall, there was no way to tell if it was real or fake. That was until the person who had the most trust in Raze out of them all, Safa, decided to walk ahead. Her footsteps were confident, but when approaching the wall, she had closed her eyes. In doing so, she had walked right through.


    Seeing now two people go to the other side, it started to give the others more confidence, and they started to head through one by one.


    Going onto the other side, they soon realized that they were still in the cave, but just in another part, a part where they could see a clear exit, and Raze was already at the very end.


    "I brought you guys along so you wouldn''t get hurt," Razemented. "But it doesn''t mean that I have to wait for you; if you slow me down, then I''ll leave you behind."


    Walking forward onto the hard, dark orange ground, which was ck in some areas, Raze started to walk ahead. The others followed, jumping out and looking around.


    They couldn''t see much apart from a few trees that looked to mostly be on theirst legs, as if rain hadn''t fallen in the area for years. However, there was something that had caught all of their eyes.


    It was sorge, built up in the middle like a giant tower, and even though the night sky was out, it was lit up like a giantntern. Their eyes were glued to the sight like a moth to a me.


    "Why does this look so familiar?" Liam said. "I''m sure I''ve seen something like this in a painting or something?"


    "Is that the city of Repton?" Simyon asked. "I guess we really are in the Demonic Faction after all."


    The city of Repton was quite well-known because it was one of the biggest cities that belonged to the Demonic Faction. Immediately after hearing these words, Liam realized and it clicked in his head.


    "Repton, the Demonic Faction! Wait, this is the Demonic Faction, I thought we had gone to another dimension; what are we doing in the Demonic Faction!" Liam shouted.


    Liam''s fear was palpable because there were many stories told to the Dark Faction about the Demonic Faction. Nearly no one, especially younger children, had been to the Demonic Faction, so they only knew about them through tales.


    Immediately, Liam started to think that this might be even more dangerous than if he had entered a dimension with beasts.


    "What''s wrong, are you regrettinging with us now after all that talk about sticking together?" Simyon said. "Where''s your balls as you would say." "Let''s get a move on," Raze said, and Dame, now in his ownfort zone, had ced his hand on his face, taking off the mask. His hands dropped down by his side, and all of the others were stunned by what they could see.


    "He''s... quite handsome," Simyon ended up blurting out loud.


    There had been so many surprises; the fact that Dame was using something to hide his face wasn''t so much of a surprisepared to the rest of the things they had been through. Knowing he was from the Demonic Faction, it made sense, but it started to make Simyon think.


    ''Wait, but why the mask? Is he someone that people might recognize? I guess with his strength, that would make sense, and with us going back to the Demonic Faction. Just how did Raze meet these people, and how is he able to do all of these things?''


    Raze and Dame walked side by side, taking the lead. Dame was looking forward to meeting his friends. He had left them all without saying a word, and he hadn''t exactly been in contact with them either. One, he wasn''t looking forward to was his father and how he would react to his disappearance. But for Raze, he had another goal.


    "Let''s start the business of the Dark Magus while we are here. We''ll spread the name out and see if anyone takes the bait."

 Chapter 182 Outsiders

    Chapter 182 Outsiders


    The group had entered the city of Repton and were walking through one of the many streets that were filled with hanging rednterns and glowing lights. The sound ofughter and chatter filled the air.


    However, there was a certain group of people that stood out among all of those there. The usual three were huddled close together: Safa, Simyon, and Liam, while Raze and Dame were walking in front of them not too far ahead.


    "Look at them," Liam whispered. "We''re surrounded by those from the Demonic Faction, those that absorb the energy from others. I hear that they even eat humans."


    "Well, no one would want to eat you anyway, so you''re safe," Simyon replied back, but he was whispering as well. It was clear that he was a little scared of the people around them as well.


    "Can you guys rx a bit? You''re making us stand out," Dame replied. "The people here are just like those from any other faction. There are those that don''t belong to any n, yet the Pagna warriors live side by side with them just fine."


    "I''m sure you will see that we are not as bloodthirsty as people say."


    The thing was, out of all those present, the one that was actually catching the most attention was Dame himself. As soon as other warriors saw him, they started to whisper.


    He had gained quite the reputation after taking down Beatrix in thest fight. Judging from their words and what they could hear, no one knew that he had been missing. As for the words they were saying, they were quite uplifting.


    "It''s Dame from the Neverfall n. Everyone is saying that he''s changed ever since the battle with Beatrix."


    "Ah, yes, I heard that too. He no longer visits the brothels. Is that why we haven''t seen him in the city for a while now? Perhaps he has been secretly training so he can be called on his next assignment."


    "Wait, do you think that''s why he''s returned? Perhaps it''s due to the recent troubles."


    Hearing thest line had caused Dame to react slightly. Raze could see the gesture in his hands.


    Eventually, the group had entered an inn, and thankfully, it wasn''t one where Raze had caused troublest time. With his hooded figure, he shouldn''t attract any attention anyway.


    After paying for the room for them, the group sat down at a nearby table. Dame didn''t order any drinks for himself but had ordered for the others.


    "I won''t be staying long with the rest of you," Dame exined. "As you said, we need to get to work, and the academy is only closed for a short amount of time. I will be meeting with Fixteen, as he will be the one spearheading our coboration and sorting things out with our buyers while we are away.


    "I want to set up a more permanent point of contact with him," Dame exined. "I assume that you will be buying products and looking for items?"


    Raze nodded.


    "I n to make a few items for myself but also wish to create a few new products that maybe some others will be happy with." Raze answered. With the level 2 power stones, he could create items with an even greater healing effect and buff.


    He also had the ice attribute now that he could use to create a new special type of pill. As well.


    "If you''re looking for items like you didst time, then the better ones will be at the auction house. You can also sell a couple of the level 2 power stones there and buy items in bulk. At the moment, we have no base to store items and produce something that we will need to solve eventually.


    "Let''s just make a batch of products and see how much profit we can make. After that, we can focus on setting up more of a permanent base. If you head to the auction house, ask for a man named Andy. He has a few scars on top of his head, so he will be pretty easy to spot."


    Raze nodded and didn''t say much. He could tell by Dame''s fidgeting demeanor even when talking that Dame was in a rush to get out of there, so he left, but he had a few words to say to the rest of the group.


    "Have a good time, enjoy whatever you wish in this ce, just try not to get into trouble, at least don''t cause such a big mess. My name can only help you guys out so much, and I''m not sure how useful my name is right now."


    With that, Dame had left all four of them on their own in one of thergest cities that belonged to the Demonic Faction.


    "So what are we going to do, just stay at the inn during these five days,y low, and then head back to the academy?" Simyon asked.


    "That sounds kind of boring?" Liam replied. "Didn''t you hear what he said? Everyone here is normal, and no one even knows that we''re from the Dark Faction, so we can just take this as a little trip to a city. I''ve never even been to a city this big."


    Raze soon stood up from his seat. Even though it was nighttime, he had been to Repton before, and it was truly a city that never slept, so he was sure that he could still get to work straight away.


    "Are you heading to the auction house right now?" Simyon asked.


    Raze nodded.


    "It''s best if I go alone. I''ll be buying and selling quite a few things. There might be those that catch on to who I am, and if they see you who aren''t disguised around with me, then they could target you as well.


    "I brought you here just so that you would be safe, but you do not need to get involved with my doings."


    With those words said, Raze was now the second one to leave the others on their own, and they saw him head out the door without even looking back.


    "Man!" Liam said out loud. "I thought that I was the only one he treated like crap, but it looks like he doesn''t think much of you guys either. He just left you like that. I thought you were his close friends and sister? But he still wants to act all solo like that."


    "We know," Simyon said. "I guess we just have to be more useful to him."


    In the end, the students'' curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to walk around and explore the city. The more they saw, the more at ease they were. No longer were they heading around so stiffly.


    As they walked through, their bellies were growling with hunger, and they soon realized that there was arge problem.


    "Hey... do you have any money at all?" Liam asked.


    Both Safa and Simyon shook their heads. They were in a city with so many things to do and try, but none of them had any money at all.


    "Everyone gather around, gather around!" A voice shouted at the crossing point of the many streets.


    The crossings were more openpared to the other areas, as people had to walk through and past. In the center, sometimes there were stalls set up to catch people''s eyes, or even demonstrations. They had seen a few performances of singing, as well as ys, and this time there seemed to be another show going on.


    The three of them had been stopping by, watching the shows here and there, so they went ahead to watch the next one. At least it would distract them from the hunger they were feeling.


    "We are the special students from the Demonic Faction''s Pagna Academy, and today we have a challenge for you all!"


    There were a group of five male students in total. All of them dressed in dark red clothing with the same shade of it a slightly darker red. They looked around the same age as Simyon and the others as well.


    "Right here with us today, we have our hope, our star student Mantis! Also known as the ck Tiger, the one who is said to be even stronger than the White Dragon of the Dark Faction!"


    "White Dragon of the Dark Faction?" Liam replied. "Who has a nickname like that?"


    The students were unaware of the name that had been spreading through thends after the event, and were unaware of what they were about to get involved in as well.

 Chapter 183 Have you heard of him?

    Chapter 183 Have you heard of him?


    It wasn''t hard for Dame to meet up with Fixteen now that he had appeared in Repton. Or, more precisely, it wasn''t hard for Fixteen to find him.


    Dame knew the news of his return would quickly spread. He could feel the intense looks in everyone''s eyes. However, they weren''t the same as before, the ones that looked at him as a useless fool.


    Either way, it didn''t matter; he didn''t care about his reputation, good or bad. He just knew that his return would be informed, and with it, he headed to amon ce where he and his friends would meet up regrly.


    It was the three-tiered restaurant, where Dame would do all of his meetings with his guests. The ce wasn''t too busy tonight since it was quitete. The only ones that were still inside had one too many drinks.


    There were some that were a bit more clued in; mercenaries, bandits, other n members just enjoying their time in the corner here and there. And then there was Dame, who patiently sat on his own at a square table where there were four benches one on each side.


    He had made his order, and it didn''t take long for him to see Fixteen, Carlson, and Kirk walking through the door. They looked the same as ever, and scanning the room, Kirk was the first to notice Dame.


    "He''s right over there, he''s right there just like you said he would be!" Kirk pointed and went to run ahead with a smile on his face, but Carlson had quickly pulled him back.


    "Hey, don''t you remember what we said?" Carlson whispered. "That we were going to ghost him for a bit, just like he did us. I mean, who just ups and leaves like that and doesn''t tell us anything."


    Fixteen hadn''t told the other two what had really happened, but since he was in the room, he had seen it himself. He had seen Dame rush through the portal before it had even closed.


    Honestly, he wasn''t sure how long he would be gone for in that other world of his, but he felt like Dame needed some punishment for making them worry.


    The three of them walked over, and when they did, they all sat down on the same bench, one opposite to Dame. None of them looked him in the eye as they turned their heads away.


    "I know you guys are upset with me, but either way, I''m happy to see you all, and happy to see that all of you are fine. I don''t know what I would have done if you were punished because of me, or sent off to fight in some crappy battle somewhere," Dame said.


    "You''re an idiot," Fixteen replied. "You can go off, but you should at least do so with a n first. Otherwise, we might not be so lucky next time."


    Dame smiled and ordered a few drinks for everyone. As they started to settle in, Dame did all the talking, asking them questions here and there about their general lives and talking about the past.


    There was no mention of where he was or what he had been doing. His friends weren''t like that; they weren''t nosy and knew he would speak up if he felt the need. In the end, it was Dame that asked the first question.


    "How is my father?" Dame asked.


    At this point, both Kirk and Carlson were already too drunk to do anything. Fixteen, who didn''t drink alcohol, was level-headed, and he somewhat knew these questions were going toe up.


    "There are bigger issues at hand than you for him, so you are in the clear. But it''s safe to say that I don''t think you will be first in line to be the head of the n anytime soon," Fixteen smiled.


    "I was never nning on bing the head," Dame replied. "I want to carve my own path, and I''ll be honest with you. I have a feeling that with the Dark Magus, I might be able to do it. I think I might even be able to create something even bigger than the Neverfall n."


    Due to how Dame acted with the n, many might think that he had next to no ambition. But those that knew the real Dame, they knew it was different; he had no ambition to do anything regarding the Neverfall n.


    "I heard some rumors around, and you said my father was struggling. Do you know what that''s with?" Dame asked.


    "It''s the Light Faction," Fixteen answered. "Your victory against them, I guess, didn''t rub too well, so they have been aggressive on the border. Honestly, your father was looking for you so you could earn more credit with the Demonic Faction, but since you weren''t here, you can guess what he had to do."


    Fixteen didn''t need to say anything; it meant the task had gone to one of his other siblings, one of his brothers or even his sister.


    "Speaking of the Dark Magus, Alba has stayed in Repton for quite a while," Fixteen started to change the subject. "It seems like she hasn''t been able to get any leads on the Dark Magus, so she''s returned to the one ce where she knows she can get one."


    "She has been on my back quite a bit, and not just on who this Dark Magus person is, but on getting some more product as well."


    Dame started to rub his hands as he heard this, and looking down, he was hiding the smile on his face.


    "Tell her toe and meet me in a couple of days. I''m sure she will be surprised, and make sure she brings quite a bit of coin with her. If not coin, then at least high-value items. I''m sure she won''t be disappointed."


    Hearing this, Fixteen''s eyes started to widen. "Does that mean you returned with the Dark Magus? But then... you couldn''t havee through the portal, how did you make it here?"


    "What happened to the portal?" Dame asked.


    "That was one of the disputes, so Beatrix went in and defeated the Dimension Boss inside. The portal no longer exists. So does the Dark Magus have some way to get here as well?"


    When Fixteen heard himself saying those words out loud, he realized how frightening they were. An individual that could mass travel individuals to different areas. It was something that every Faction would fight for, as it could change the tide of wars.


    "He is here, but keep it a secret, of course."


    The group continued to catch up and enjoy their time together, and as they continued to talk, Fixteen wanted to bring up one more rumor that he had heard.


    "Ah, have you heard of this talk of this new rising star from the Dark Faction?" Fixteen asked.


    "Rising Star?" Dame replied, raising his eyebrow. Fixteen had no idea he was currently in the Dark Faction, but since he was limited to the academy, he didn''t hear much news or information.


    "Yes, apparently, he''s still a student at the Pagna Academy. They say he''s a superstar, the next big thing toe from the Dark Faction. Of course, these things are often exaggerated, but they are calling him the White Dragon. Have you heard of him?"

 Chapter 184 The Black Tiger

    Chapter 184 The ck Tiger


    Mantis, the ck tiger, was a student who attended the Demonic Faction Pagna Academy. In total, there were three of these academies, one for each Faction. Just like the Dark Faction academy, they too were on a break and were paying a visit to their respective ns.


    As for Mantis, the other students weren''t lying about who he was. He was the top student at the academy and he stood out like a sore thumb, particrly with his style. He had crazy ck hair parted to his right side.


    What was shocking was how he would wear his robes. He tended to have only one arm in one sleeve, while the other half was tied around his waist, showing half of his upper body. On his chest, there was arge scratch, and strangely rather than red like a regr scar, it was ck in color. This was how Mantis had gotten the nickname the ck Tiger.


    "Today, in order to demonstrate his skills, we wish to issue a challenge to you all!" The student at the front was doing all the talking; he wore a pair of spectacles which were rare to see, especially on a Pagna warrior, which made them think it was more of a fashion statement. His name was Rod.


    While Mantis was sitting on a chair, the other students had cloths covering several different items around them, waiting to reveal what they were to the crowd.


    "We are here to prove to you that Mantis is truly one of the best students and a star in the making!" Rod shouted.


    The crowd was already drawn in; it seemed like he was quite the speaker, as his artiction and tone were perfect. The crowd was already getting bigger by the moment.


    "Right here, we have a series of challenges that you can take part in against Mantis!" Rod continued to exin, and the cloth was taken off some of the items behind them.


    "The first one is a measuring pir. Test your strength against the star, and see if you can best his power!" Rod then pointed to Mantis himself.


    "The second challenge, try to hit Mantis in any way possible; he won''t strike back but only avoid your hits! Thirdly, see if your reaction time is even quicker than Mantis!"


    The third item was a strange contraption. It was arge wooden block that looked almost like a pir, but on top of the pir, there were three buttons. The light would turn red, and one would have to hit them as quickly as possible.


    There were two of theserge wooden blocks side by side with each other.


    The color would appear a total of twenty-five times, and one was to see who was able to hit the 25 blocks before the other, as another button would light up red only after one had been hit.


    "Lastly, if you don''t feel confident in any of these, then feel free to suggest any way you think you can prove your might against Mantis! If you do manage to beat him, the prize is one silver, as for giving it a go, it will cost a total of just 10 coppers!"


    The proposition seemed entertaining for most there. They had a chance to multiply their ie tenfold, and if they didn''t, at least they got to try something. Even more so, they would get the de of saying they had beaten the ck Tiger.


    The clever design by Rod also allowed people to take part who weren''t Pagna warriors by providing a wide range of challenges. Because of this, many had immediately put their hands up.


    The first person that was selected was a female. She looked like a worker from one of the restaurants, and as for the game she had selected, it was none other than the strange box game.


    "Excellent choice!" Rod eximed.


    Standing up from his seat, Mantis went over and stood by one of the boxes, and so did the woman. They waited, and when both were ready, the match had begun. Both of them started to hit the buttons one after the other.


    The woman seemed to be doing well, and she could hear the sound of her opponent next to her. She had just gone past the twenty-mark, at twenty-three she thought she was nearly there, and that''s when the buttons had stopped, and a loud buzz noise resounded.


    "Ahhh, so close!" Rod said.


    Mantis looked over to the woman. "You did well; maybe if you tried again, you might beat me," Mantis imed.


    The woman went back, and after her loss, there were still plenty who wanted to take part. ''Haha, this is excellent, these fools!'' Rod thought. ''Do they really think she was close? Mantis had slowed down on purpose to give you the chance of feeling like you could win. Come on, more of you, more of youe up and y!''


    The games continued, one after the other. A few had been selecting the box game, but after so many losses, they were beginning to lose hope. That''s when a Pagna warrior had stepped up, but rather than selecting the box game, he had chosen another.


    "I challenge you to the measuring pir!" The man wasrge and bulky in size, around three times the size of the students.


    As he made his way to the measuring pir, Rod and Mantis nced at each other and gave a slight nod.


    It was the man''s turn first. He shrugged his shoulders and rxed his hand, and then when he was ready, he swung his fist out wide, which looked more like a p. It crashed into the pir and shook the ground slightly before it absorbed the energy inwards.


    The number that was left marked on the pir disyed 62!


    A smile on his face, the Pagna warrior was proud as he flexed his muscles.


    Two people in particr had been watching this whole thing from the crowd. A tall woman stood out at the front; she had dark skin pigmentation and slightly red glowing eyes. She wasn''t alone; there was a man standing by her side. He had blonde hair that was swept and tied back, while wearing a mask that covered the upper half of his face. These two who stood here were members of the Crimson Crane.


    "This whole thing is quite a sweet trick for them to earn a bit of money," Albamented.


    "I know what you mean; no respected Pagna warrior will go up against mere students to best them, especially to just earn a single silver coin," Cronker replied.


    "You are correct, but if they''re smart, that person will lose," Alba replied.


    Getting ready, Mantis also rolled his shoulders slightly, then dashed in, throwing his hand out, crashing it into the pir. The energy was absorbing in, and finally, the number 45 was marked in.


    "I win!" Therge man said, iming his 1 silver coin from the others.


    "Ah, well, you can''t win them all," Rod stated. "It''s to be expected in such a strong city that there will be those who can best our student. Is there anyone else who wishes to continue to take part?"


    Cronker was a little confused by what he had just seen. "How did you know he was going to lose, and why did he lose on purpose?" Cronker asked.


    "It''s simple, so more people will keep ying," Alba answered. "Just as you said, they don''t have to worry about anyone with half decent skill taking part. Because it would just be petty of us. However, what would happen if the student were to best every single one of them at all of the games that they disyed?"


    "They would be disheartened."


    "Exactly!" Alba said with a smile. "In the first ce, in nearly all of the games, that kid has carefully been winning just by a small margin, and he had bested thirty people, earning them 3 silver coins.


    "It was a good time for him to lose, and give hope to more of the participants, and they still make 2 coins worth of profit. With this loss, they''re sure to lure more people in."


    Liam was rummaging around in his pants, and eventually, he had pulled out a small bag, and emptying it, there were a few copper coins inside.


    "He got 45... I can get more than 45; I can beat him and win the silver coin!" Liam said with excitement.


    "Wait, you had money this whole time; I thought you said you didn''t bring anything?" Simyon asked.


    "I''m not made of money," Liam replied. "Look, I only have twenty copper coins in total. At best, this would be enough just to feed me.


    "Did you think I would just be a jerk and eat food in front of thedy when I can''t even buy it for her? Of course not, so with this, I''m going to win this event, and I''m going to buy all of us food.


    "Actually, you can beg me to buy you some food. Since this is my money at the end of the day."


    Simyon gritted his teeth. He wanted to yell at him but felt like it would do nothing in this situation, and besides, with a score of 45, even Simyon was quite confident that he could win.


    "I want to take part next!" Liam shouted, and pushed himself forward, then ced the coins into the collecting pot. "I challenge you to the measuring pir!"


    This time Mantis and Rod looked at each other again, and there was arge smile on their faces.


    "See!" Alba said. "What did I tell you, another sucker was drawn into their trick."


    -------

 Chapter 185 The Auction house

    Chapter 185 The Auction house


    The auction house was on the outskirts of the city, luckily as if Dame knew what Raze was nning to do, the inn that they were currently staying at was also not located in the centre but a little on the outskirts as well.


    However, the shape and design of the city oddly started to change the closer Raze got to the auction house. Theck ofrge giant buildings had lessened and there was a one mile long road that went to the very end of the singlerge building.


    The auction house was made up of two tiers with its nted roof tops that curved upward and with colours in red. It had the same type of architecture as anywhere else in the city but looked to be made of slightly more expensive materials.


    Even therge pirs looked as if they were made of a type of marble or red coloured Jade rather than concrete.


    What was interesting though, was that on the long mile strip on each of the sides there were countless numbers of merchants that had set up stalls. Listening in, Raze had figured out that they were doing business deals with one another.


    Some of them had products on hand, samples, and others had arge stack of products one could buy there and then. The people that would head to the auction house weren''t just those that lived in the city but came from out of the city as well.


    Which was why the merchants took this opportunity to try and get as much business as possible.


    ''I was going to buy some of the basic materials in the marketce, but I might actually get a better deal here.'' Raze thought to himself. ''I n to make arge amount of Qi pills in the future. So I should be treated like one of these merchants or government officials as well.''


    There was a problem though, and that was funds. Although Dame said he would handle most of the funds, at the moment he wasn''t here. Raze liked to solve issues himself as well, having control of the situation, so he thought to himself that he would just pay for things himself somehow and then charge Dame for itter.


    ''I will just have to send him an invoice, if they have those things in this world?''


    There were two reasons now for attending the auction house: one to sell a couple of power stones, and the second to buy a few items that would be good for enhancing.


    Passing all of the merchants, Raze was now at the front of the auction and he could see that they were busy setting up. The workers weren''t dressed like the Pagna warriors. They wore thick coatings of materials to cover themselves from the heat.


    They stood out from the regr folk due to their extravagant clothing. What Raze also noticed though were the guards, they were Pagna warriors, and could be seen by a band that would be wrapped around the muscr sleeveless arm.


    There were workers set up that were evaluating items and buying them for the auction ce, and the guards would then be seen escorting the items into the house itself.


    ''I wonder if the auction house is owned by a n, or if it''s government owned and they just hire the n for protection work?''


    Thinking of this, Raze also felt like it would be best for him to not try and upset anyone, just in case there was a n behind it. If he remembered correctly, the Neverfall n that Dame was from, although strong, was not from or in charge of Repton.


    When looking at the evaluators, there were quite a few people lined up, waiting to show their items, Raze was looking through the crowd.


    ''If I remember correctly, Dame told me to look for the bald headed man with scars on top of his head¡­ found him!'' Raze said, as he joined up, and waited patiently in the line.


    It moved along and had done so fairly quickly and finally it was his time to approach the man. Raze walked up to the desk where he would show what items he had.


    Immediately, the bald headed man was peeking, trying to get a look at Raze''s face trying to see underneath his hood.


    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen you before, Next!" The man shouted immediately.


    "Wait!" Raze said. "I''m here because I wish to sell a few power stones, and seek entry into the auction."


    "You think that we would ept items from someone who hides his face?" The man replied. "Besides, not just anyone can enter the auction house. For people like you, if you wish to sell items of low value then just head to the marketce."


    Raze was getting a little frustrated with the situation already, but he knew the man had a point, so he took a deep breath. And then pulled out the level two power stone from his side, making it look like he had gotten it from the pocket of sorts.


    "I wish to sell ten level 2 power stones, and gain entry into the auction, Dame was the one that sent me here." Raze stated.


    The bald headed man''s eyes were glued onto the power stone. A level 2 power stone certainly wasn''t something that was rare. They saw things like this quite a bit, but they were popr items to buy, and 10 wasn''t exactly a small number either.


    What interested him the most though was the name that had been used.


    "Nice try, do you know how many peoplee here a day iming they know Dame Narfous?"


    The man turned away, his arms folded, but his eyes couldn''t stop staring at the power stone, and he couldn''t help but wonder, if this hooded figure really had ten. Just in case, he thought he would try something.


    "Look, I''m in a good mood today. Entry into the auction house I can let you in for the cost of five power stones, as for the other five level 2 power stones, we can give you the best t rate of 5 silver for the remaining five."


    ''Five silver!'' Raze screamed in his head. ''Am I getting scammed right now? Before Alter had bought the level 1 power stone for ten silver so a level 2 power stone should be a lot more valuable.''


    Before even agreeing to speak to the man further, Raze thought he could at least try and get a better price for the merchants from the side, and then juste in for the auction to buy some items.


    "I''m sorry, but I think I will hold on to the crystals, and will be back to enter the auction at ater time." Raze politely said.


    At that moment, there was blood rushing to the man''s head.


    ''This brat, I was just about to get a gold mine off him! And sell those crystals myself. If he knew how much they were worth, then why did he y me like that.''


    "You think I''m going to let you in after wasting my time! I don''t do this for free you know, I get at least one level 2 power stone for my services, you can''t just walk away!" The man shouted.


    Raze had turned around ignoring the situation, he would just have to try another time, or trulye back with Dame when the time was right. Turning his back, he was ready to walk.


    "Are you freaking ignoring me!" The man shouted again and grabbed Raze''s wrist right where he was holding the level two power stone.


    Immediately Raze turned his head, looking right at the man.


    "Don''t¡­ touch¡­ me." Raze said, grinding his teeth.

 Chapter 186 Stepping up

    Chapter 186 Stepping up


    The touch on his wrist, Raze could see it, he could feel the ws on his hands rubbing against his skin. It was being held onto tightly, as if someone was trying to pull him, to not let him go, and to go against his wishes, to go against what Raze wanted to do.


    ''I don''t want to do it... I don''t want to do it!'' Raze repeated in his head several times. ''Let go of me, don''t touch me, don''t touch me!'' These words were being repeated in Raze''s head over and over.


    However, he subconsciously still knew in his mind that he wasn''t to act here in front of all of these people. There were even those that were behind him; there were too many witnesses to the whole thing.


    Still, his mind was switching between his conscious thought and the sensation of his skin being touched by another again. When looking at his face as well, the man''s face, it was smiling.


    All of this mix of emotions and thoughts had caused something to react in Raze. It was a subconscious feeling, and although he didn''t know what was happening, the man on the other end certainly could feel it.


    "Ahh, what is this, what are you doing?" The man''s facial expression had changed; he could see the veins on his arms bulging. To him, it felt almost as if all of his blood that was in his body was rushing to his fingertips right where he was touching the other person.


    "What are you doing to me?!" The man shouted and tried to pull away, but as he did, Raze quickly grabbed onto his hand.


    "You... still need to pay," Raze said, his head down, his voice a little quiet. The meaning of the word "pay," it was hard to tell what was meant by that. "You touched me... so pay."


    The strange flow of power was stilling out of the bald-headed man, and he wasn''t sure if he was imagining it or not, but it almost felt like his muscles were shrinking. He tried pulling away one more time; it wasn''t working until a hand came swinging down between the two.


    It touched both of them, and as it did, like a force, it pushed their hands away without damaging either of them. It was a force of Qi, and with it, Raze had somewhat snapped out of what he was doing.


    He looked at his own hand for a few seconds before turning to the situation in front of him. The man who had interrupted their fight, he had long hair and quite a small frame. Not only that, but there were streaks of the color green in it.


    What stood out most was perhaps his paleplexion with pigments of darkened ck. For one, his fingertips werepletely ck, and so were a few darkened areas of skin under his eyes.


    It was quite the strange look for a human, but his clothing was like that of a Pagna warrior, colored in dark green.


    "Come on, ve, you know what you were trying to do; all of us regrs here know what you were trying to do. You kinda deserved what you got, so let''s just leave this one, okay?" The man asked.


    It was clear that the bald-headed auctioneer wanted to say more, but he was still far more concerned with what had happened to his body.


    "As for you, strange hooded man, sorry for getting involved; that was rude of me," the man stated with a smile. "If you wish to head into the auction house, you can alwayse with me since it was my mistake."


    Raze looked at the man, and he couldn''t sense any hint of dishonesty from him. He also had a bright smile despite the bags under his eyes. It just felt weird to Raze. Could it be possible that there was a man who was willing to do that just from interrupting their little scuffle?


    In Raze''s head, he was screaming that this was a scam.


    Behind the smile, Raze was somewhat right; the man was thinking something because he had noticed what Raze had done.


    ''What he used, it was the extraction technique of the Demonic Faction, and he had used it at an incredible rate. If he had held onto that man for a minute or so, would he have been dead? This person is clearly quite skilled; just who is he?'' The man thought.


    The bald-headed man continued to walk away, feeling a little weak in his footsteps.


    ''What happened to me, I still don''t understand. At least Reno came and saved me in time. I guess I should thank the Crimson Crane at some point.''


    Meanwhile, in the city, Liam had been loosening up his shoulders, ready for his chance at winning an entire Silver coin. He had paid his fee and was swinging his arm like a windmill.


    The other students couldn''t help butugh as they saw him.


    "Alright, let''s do this!" Liam had loosened his hand and was swinging it low slightly; he was letting it sway like an elephant''s trunk. The others had seen this before because it was the skill he had used at the event.


    Dashing forward, he ced the Qi in his fist, swung it around, and straightened it out, crashing right into the middle. The power was strongly concentrated, and the number was starting to rise.


    "Oh, that kid, he''s a lot better than I thought, maybe things will start to get interesting," Alba smiled.


    The number had finally stopped, and on the pir, the number 92 had appeared.


    "Whoa, look at that, look who''s paying for your dinner!" Liam jumped in joy, as if he had already won.


    There was murmuring among the crowd because they too thought he had already won. His score was even better than the other Pagna warrior gentlemen who had tried before, and he had already lost, so the result seemed in as day.


    However, there was a concerned look on Rod''s and Mantis'' faces now.


    ''Crap, I never expected a kid our age to get such a high score; otherwise, I would have picked a few others. If Mantis loses this one now, then we will lose another entire Silver coin, leaving us only one silver coin profit between us.''


    In the first ce, the students were doing this as a way to make money, so it was clear that Mantis couldn''t lose this.


    "You look the same age as me, but I don''t recognize you from the academy?" Mantis said as he walked past and positioned himself in front of the pir.


    "Ah yeah, I just look older; I''m going to the academy next year," Liam lied.


    "I see, so I''m your senior then, well, I guess as a senior, I should show you something then," Mantis imed. "Before, the man had just ced Qi in his fist, so I decided to do the same whenpeting against him. I want to be fair, you see. I saw you used some type of technique, so then, I shall do the same."


    Mantis started to crouch down slightly, lowering his back, his chest getting closer to the floor; then he put both of his hands to the side. The Qi activated in him, and in an instant, his feet shifted across the ground.


    Visual Qi was activated, showing a line of ck aura in his tracks, twisting his fist, Mantis mmed it right into the center of the pir. The force expanded outward, wide with a few sparks before it started to condense in.


    Finally, the number had appeared on the pir, showing 150.


    "Whoa... I guess he really is the star student at the Pagna academy!" The crowd started to say in amazement.


    They also felt like there was a clear exnation he had given in order to make the contest fair. So the people weren''t so put off about still trying, and even more so, some wanted to just brag if they managed to beat him.


    "That kid is really strong," Cronker said. "Those basic measuring pirs only go up to 150, so there''s a chance that his attack is even stronger than before. I guess he is skillful enough to win and choose when to lose his battles."


    Alba was nodding her head up and down and could see Liam falling down on his knees. She didn''t know why, but she was kind of rooting for the eye-patch kid.


    "If we invited someone like him into the Crimson Crane, I''m sure he would be valuable to us in the future," Cronker added.


    "You''re right, maybe he would be valuable to us, but that''s in the future, and right now, we need to grow. Otherwise, the ns will soon surpass us. Day by day, there are also more dangerous portals opening up."


    "Our group is getting asked to close a few of them just because of how dangerous they are, and thest thing I would want is to lose one of you guys. He can try joining when he''s ready, but I''m looking for something else," Alba said.


    In defeat, Liam had to drag his feet walking back to the others. Usually, Simyon would have said something, but he couldn''t due to how saddened Liam even looked.


    "I''m sorry, guys, I really thought that I could win. I guess I just looked like an idiot." Liam pulled his hair, trying to cover up his one eye, but they both could see a tear falling down it.


    When he tried to move further forward, Safa blocked his path and she held out her hand.


    Liam looked at it for a second, confused, then she shoved her hand again. Eventually, she almost reached down into his pants since it seemed like he wasn''t getting the message.


    "Ah, alright, I understand... you want the money, right?" Liam said as he pulled out hisst ten copper coins and handed them over.


    Safa then walked straight past Liam and onto the field.


    "Wait... Safa, you aren''t... you are!" Simyon shouted as he saw her standing in front of Mantis.

 Chapter 187 A New Challenge

    Chapter 187 A New Challenge


    With everything that had happened at the auction so far, and with him yet to have even stepped foot in the room itself, Raze felt that it might be best for him to leave. After Dame was done with his meeting, he would just have toe with him so there would be no more problems. Or if Dame was busy, he could at least try again the next day. Today, his mood had been soured, and he knew he was more likely to be angered if he did go to the auction. So, turning around, he was ready to head out of the ce.


    "Hey, wait!" Reno shouted, the man who had interrupted his little scuffle. "Weren''t you going to head inside the auction or buy something?"


    Raze ignored the man shouting and continued on.


    "If you decide toe to the auction, then be here at midday tomorrow. I''ll be here, and my offer will still stand. You''ll be able to get inside with me," Reno shouted. When he saw the hooded man continue downward, he couldn''t help but smile at himself.


    "Another tragedy averted. Alba should be giving me medals for this stuff. If only she wouldn''t stop obsessing over the Dark Magus," Reno said to himself. "I guess it would make sense for an alchemist to arrive at the auction to buy some ingredients, but I''m tired, Alba. We haven''t found him now; what makes you think we''ll find himter?"


    While continuing to walk, Raze couldn''t help but look at his own hand. He was thinking back to what had happened before.


    ''In my haste of anger, did I activate the extraction technique?'' Raze already knew the answer; he could feel it inside. The Qi had grownpared to what it was before. It didn''t feel like some temporary energy either. It was a condensed form of when he would use the cycle of life and death.


    ''This is the Demonic Faction''s technique... the one Dame told me not to use on other people,'' Raze thought. ''The feeling is quite addictive. I remember that he also stated that a person could go mad and start to hallucinate just from using the cultivating technique. I wonder if it''s the same for this as well?''


    Trying to forget about it, Raze thought it was best he head back to the others for now, wherever they were.


    ---


    The crowd was surprised to see, of all the people there, a small young girl step up. Not only that, but she had walked over to Mantis, who was now sitting back down in his seat.


    ''Crap, she''s already out there. What am I meant to do? I can''t just walk out. I mean, I guess it won''t be so bad. It''s not like she''s going to get hurt, right? And we''re not causing any trouble,'' Simyon reasoned with himself. They were just doing what the whole event was set up for.


    After looking at Mantis, Safa then went and ced the 10 copper coins into the metal pot, making a small ng noise. She had done this before anyone else could decide to take part, and then she walked up to Mantis, who was in the chair himself.


    "Oh, is she taking the hitting challenge?" one of those in the crowd called out. They were quite surprised at this because it was the least-picked event so far from the contestants. Only a couple of Pagna warriors had decided to try, and both of them had lost.


    Although it did look like they hade close to hitting Mantis, it had already be clear to the public that regr people would be unable to best him. Still, there were a lot of Pagna warriors in the crowd.


    "Alright, are you sure, youngdy?" Rod asked. "You have a total of two minutes, and if you are able to touch him, then you win."


    Safa nodded her head as she got into position and assumed a fighting stance.


    "Why is she doing this?" Liam asked. "Is she really that hungry?"


    Simyon kicked Liam on the shin after hearing him say that.


    "Do you really think she would be like that? It''s because of you, you idiot."


    "Me?" Liam pointed at himself.


    "I think I can understand because when we saw you return, we understood how you felt. With us finally bing second-stage Pagna warriors, we felt like we had achieved something, and yet here we are... failing again. It almost feels like we''re destined to fail... but then the speech Raze made that day, it still ys in my head.


    "We can change that, right? We have to at least try, and I think that''s what Safa''s doing now."


    There was already one talented young student out of the group, but for a second one to appear, what were the chances? And Mantis was, of course, confident in his skills. Stepping up, he was in a rxed stance, but he was rtively close as well.


    "Begin!" Rod shouted.


    Safa walked forward slowly, still in her fighting stance. She didn''t rush or charge in and continued to almost shuffle forward on the ground. Right when she was in distance, she did the two-step shift and threw out a fist. Immediately leaning to the side, Mantis had avoided the strike.


    ''Crap, she''s fast!'' Mantis thought, and he didn''t have much time to think after, as he needed to avoid the next hits that wereing right after. He took a step back and then kicked off to the side, avoiding them.


    But Safa didn''t give up; she was chasing him down, following him every step of the way and thrusting her fist like they were a spear, trying to jab them at Mantis. Still, despite the fast movements, Mantis was avoiding the hits each time, using his speed and staying on his toes.


    "Wow, this is amazing, it''s like we''re watching some type of show."


    "Yeah, look how fast they both are."


    "Still, that girl can''t touch him; I guess it''s impossible. Maybe these guys were just ying us this entire time."


    Rod stood on the edge, could hear the crowd speaking, and this is what he feared. What were they meant to do? With Mantis showing his true skills less and less people were willing to participate.


    However, they couldn''t lose this early either... This was something that was out of his calctions.


    ''A minute has passed, and the sweat ising down the side of Safa''s face, but she hasn''t slowed down. For your age, and not tiring using so many foot movements, you must be a second-stage warrior. That''s really impressive,'' Mantis imed. ''But you''ll never be able to hit me.''


    Safa felt like she could see a way, as she thrust her fist forward, but every single time, with the flow, Mantis would lean back, and then finally...


    "Time!" Rod called out.


    Safa was huffing and panting, and she felt like copsing on the floor, but she didn''t as she wiped her sweat away.


    "WHOO!" Simyon shouted, pping, and so did Liam as well.


    "You were amazing!" Liam shouted. "If there were ten seconds more, you would have got him, no, 1 second more!"


    Of course, Liam didn''t think this, but he wanted to say whatever he could to cheer her up in the current situation. After all, she tried because of him.


    Walking back, Safa was still tired, dragging her feet, but soon, the others in the crowd started to cheer her on as well, stating that she had done a great job. When the cheers started to die down, Rod was back to his speech again.


    "Alright, that was quite the show. Is there anyone else up for taking on the ck Tiger?"


    The people in the crowd started to look at each other, but most of them were unsure now. What could they do after seeing that? They couldn''t beat him at the measuring pir, not after that, so that left the reaction game. But even then, now it just felt like him nearly losing before was all so fake.


    ''Damn it, that was not how this was supposed to go!'' Rod thought to himself.


    "What do we do?" Mantis asked as he walked over and whispered.


    "It''s those two from before, because of them, everything''s ruined. It looks like we might need to wrap it up," Rod replied.


    Thinking about how their event had to end so soon, the vein popping at the side of Rod''s head, he thought he should give at least a goodbye present to those that caused the problem in the first ce.


    "Don''t one of you two want to try again?" Rod asked. "Both of you were very close, and remember, Mantis has been using his strength, so he should be tiring out. If not one of you two, how about your friend?"


    Both Safa and Liam looked at Simyon, and that''s when it clicked in his head.


    "Hey, wait a second, I think you could actually win at something?"


    "Huh, me?" Simyon said. "There''s no way I could get a higher score at the measuring pir, and Safa is faster than me. My reaction speed sucks as well."


    "Not at any of those!" Liam imed. "They said we could make our own events, and what are you better at than anything else? Taking hits."


    Without consulting Simyon any further, Liam walked forward.


    "You said he''s the strongest, right, the star of the Demonic Faction? Well, how about three hits! Our friend here will take three hits from The ck Tiger, and if he''s still standing, we win."


    "What!" Simyon shouted.


    ''Why the F*ck would you say three and not one!'' Simyon screamed in his head.


    Although he did think he was good at taking hits and this could work, he didn''t want to go through the pain. However, he could still see Safa covered in sweat, and the imagery of Liam crying from before.


    Did he not want to achieve something as well?


    Rod turned back to look at Mantis upon hearing this suggestion, and arge smile was on his face. What better way to finish off the day and get their frustration out of them.


    "Very well, we ept," Rod said.


    "There is a problem though," Simyon replied, stepping forward. "We don''t have any money to take part."


    There was an awkward silence. Although Rod wanted to punish this group of kids, he did have his own principles. He couldn''t just let them participate for free. That wouldn''t have been fair to all the customers from before. It looked like they would have to end the event there after all.


    "I''ll pay for him," a female voice said. As she stepped forward, she flicked a coin up. Immediately, Rod caught it and looked at it. His eyes bulged out of his head as he could see it was a silver coin.


    "If that kid wins, add that to his reward, and if The ck Tiger wins, well, you can keep it. But I want to see what that kid can do." Alba said.

 Chapter 188 3 Strikes!

    Chapter 188 3 Strikes!


    For a second, Simyon thought he had found his way out of the current situation. He was of two minds. Of course, he wanted to win, it would be good to prove himself in front of all these people, and also to get some payback for what had happened to the others.


    It was a chance to prove to himself how much he had grown and whether his hard work had been worth it.


    However, all of that came at a cost, and that cost was getting hit by someone who was likely very strong.


    ''Man, I''m not too sure about this. That ck Tiger guy, he''s seriously giving me some Ricktor vibes.'' Simyon thought he could even see arge smile on his face like he was about to enjoy what was about to happen next.


    ''Why, why are strong people all strange weirdos or freaks? Well, at least this one doesn''t seem like he''s going after me.'' Simyon walked over, feeling like his fate was decided, and turned to look over at the mysterious person who had paid for him to take part.


    Who was she, what interest did she have in the whole thing, or did she simply think she was doing him a favor because he wanted to take part?


    That question many people knew the answer to already. They immediately recognized who it was, as there weren''t many that would have dark red pigmented skin, at least not one that would stand out as a beauty like her.


    "That''s Alba, right from the Crimson Crane?"


    "Yeah, I think you''re right, I heard that she had been staying in the city for a while, quite a few people have seen her here and there."


    "It''s not just her, I''ve seen other members from the Crimson Crane as well. I wonder if they have some deal going on with the Demonic Faction."


    "Maybe, but you have to remember they are wanderers, so they can go wherever they want. I doubt that they will cause any trouble while they are here."


    The whispers and mumblings were caught by Safa and Simyon. They too had heard of the Crimson Crane. They were the biggest wandering n. There was a debate on whether they were the strongest n in existence because the other ns were so muchrger in numberpared to them, that and the wanderers would hardly get into scuffles with any of the ns from other factions to maintain their neutral position.


    "Man, I can''t believe our luck, now we''ll have two silver coins, we can go for a big feast after this!" Liam said.


    Safa couldn''t help but smile at thement. Because the way Liam was speaking, it made it sound as if Simyon had already won. He had great confidence in him, and she felt somewhat guilty for not believing as much in Simyon as Liam did.


    But it was all because she had gone against him for two solid minutes. This ck Tiger''s strength was one that was either equal to Ricktor''s or even greater.


    In order to make it more of a show, Simyon stood where the chair once was that had been moved out of the way. He then faced the crowd, spread his feet out wide, bent his knees slightly, and ced both of his fists by his waist.


    "Alright, bring it!" Simyon said.


    While Mantis was getting ready, Rod walked over and whispered in his ear.


    "Remember, these guys ruined everything for us. We won''t have enough now. We''ll have to stop after this, so do whatever you want."


    Mantis nodded, and then he got into the same stance as he did before hitting the pir. He crouched down, his hand wasn''t like that of a fist but opened up like a w, almost touching the floor.


    "Here I go!" Mantis shouted.


    He kicked off with his Qi, but unlike before there was no visible Qi in his steps behind him. It was the same when throwing out his fist; there was no visible Qi, but he still increased the power of his Qi and mmed it right into the center of Simyon''s stomach.


    A loud shockwave went off, blowing the hair of those that were standing near. Simyon''s feet had shifted around a meter on the ground.


    ''This guy, he''s the same age or younger than me. I can''t use my full strength, otherwise he could die.''


    There was an ache in his hand that Mantis noticed. It hurt, it didn''t feel like he had hit flesh, but almost like punching arge solid rock. Now that he looked at the person in front of him, he also noticed that he should have fallen over or gone flying in the air, but instead, he was still standing in ce.


    "ARGHHHH!" Simyon roared out loud in the air, letting out all of the pain he could feel. His stomach muscles were throbbing, and with each throb, pain would be sent through his whole body.


    ''What a hit!'' Simyon thought. ''If I hadn''t reached the umon metal body, I would have been taken out by that. Damn, this hurts more than anything Dame has ever done to me before.''


    The crowd was impressed, and they started to cheer on Simyon, seeing this. What they thought was going to be a simple one and done, now looked like it was going to take a bit more than that.


    "I thought as much," Alba said, her smilerger than before. "All three of those kids that were together. They are very interesting, a lot more interesting than those from the Pagna Academy.


    "They feel fresh, yet somehow, they have this special air about them." She was d that her bet paid off, but the real question was, what was going to happen now.


    Simyon resumed his stance, walking back to where he was before, and ced his hands by his side again.


    "Three hits right, so I guess I got two more?" Mantis said, his hand shaking.


    ''Maybe I went too easy on him. I''m the ck Tiger, I''m the hope of the Demonic Faction and the Academy. I can''t let this nobody stand in my way.'' He thought.


    Getting in the tiger stance once more.


    ''I still don''t want to kill him, but let''s see you stand after this.''


    Mantis didn''t say anything else, and this time when he rushed forward the same way as before, the visual Qi could be seening off his foot. A ze of ck energy across the ground.


    When throwing out his hand though, there was none, and he twisted his fist like before hitting Simyon in the stomach. His body skidded across the ground, and he had gone back around three meters, twice the amount he didst time.


    His face looked like it was boiling red as he held in his breath, his legs were shaking and finally, he opened his mouth.


    "PFT!" Out from it, specks of blood went out and onto the floor. The throbbing pain was even more intense than before, and through his clothes, where the fingers had hit him, blood could be seen soaking through.


    "So you made it through my second hit, huh?" Mantis said as he got back in position, getting ready to strike again. He couldn''t believe it, even adults wouldn''t be standing up. What was going on?


    Wasting no time, he was ready to go again, and when Simyon moved back to his spot, his legs were like shaking water. Rather than cheering on from the crowd, instead seeing this there was concern for him.


    "Hey¡­ hey, he''s not going to go for a third hit, is he?" Liam said. "He can barely stand?"


    Safa also didn''t have a face that showed she was happy with what Simyon was deciding to do.


    As Simyon walked across the ground, he started to remember certain memories.


    ''I wanted to be a Pagna warrior, right? I was the one that decided this. Back then, when I got this strong body, I thanked Raze and decided to be loyal to him, but what have I done to help him?''


    ''All I''m able to do so far is be a meat shield. Yet, here I am, getting taken out by another Pagna student. This isn''t an adult, or some dimensional boss. It''s a student just like me, so I''ll take this hit.'' Simyon wiped his mouth with his sleeve.


    As he was getting into position, he started to think of something. Earlier he remembered that they were talking about something, they had mentioned a certain name, and it made him think.


    Why would students be talking about being stronger than someone from the Dark Faction? There was a particr idea that floated in his head.


    "Hey, this White Dragon you talked about being stronger than?" Simyon answered. "It isn''t someone who happens to be from the Dark Pagna academy, right?"


    Hearing this, Liam started to shake, as he had figured it out too.


    ''No, it can''t be.''


    "Ha, so you have heard the rumors too!" Rod shouted. "We all know that the Dark Faction is weaker than the Demonic Faction. They are far too tame in their methods. The rumors of the White Dragon are exaggerated, and the ck Tiger will show it at the next martial arts gathering!"


    Safa, and both Liam knew exactly who they were talking about now. With the white hair and what he had done, it made sense for rumors to have spread around.


    "You said you were stronger than the White Dragon?" Smiling, Simyon revealed his bloody teeth. "I''m sure whoever he is, he could kick your arse! Bring it on!"

 Chapter 189 Still Standing

    Chapter 189 Still Standing


    When Simyon eventually made it back to the same spot asst time, his wobbling legs started to steady. He straightened them out and ced both of his hands by his side, determined to give it another go.


    The audience members were worried because of his condition and the blood that came out of his mouth. An internal wound was noughing matter. Sure, Pagna warriors had stronger bodies. However, at the lower stage, they were still closer to being human than some type of martial arts god.


    If he was badly injured and didn''t receive treatment, then there was a good chance it could mean death for the warrior.


    "Wait, maybe he''s going to use that!" Liam said. "The same thing that he used against one of the main disciples back then."


    What Liam was referring to was the bounce-back effect that his earring had. Allowing him to reflect the damage that he would receive back to the attacker. It was perfect in this situation. Although he had no idea if hurting the opponent that they might disregard the contest, but it was better than him losing his life.


    Hearing this, Safa was looking into Simyon''s eyes, and she was shaking her head. She had noticed something, every time Simyon did use the skill, he would touch his earring, but his hand was nowhere near the earring, and she had a bad feeling about the whole situation.


    She was right as well.


    Simyon couldn''t use the effect of the earring because it needed to store Dark Magic. Raze hadn''t stored Dark Magic in the earring so there was no such effect at the moment.


    Not only that but Safa was paying attention to Mantis as well.


    "I would lose? You think someone like me would lose to the White Dragon from the Dark Faction?"


    Mantis'' hand was shaking, and that''s when he switched, rather than his left hand, he lifted his right hand into the air. The Qi was starting to rise in his body and the marking on his chest, it started to turn a shade darker, almost turningpletely ck on his skin.


    "Hey, that kid isn''t messing around anymore, and the other one is nearly dead." Cronker said, "is everyone really going to watch and let this happen?"


    "Did you forget where we are, we''re in the Demonic Faction. Firstly, there''s the general rule of the regr public not getting involved in the Pagna warrior''s business and this is Pagna warrior business." Alba exined.


    "In the Demonic Faction, deaths happen all the time due to scuffles and it''s down to the ns to solve what happens between them. They should all know the consequences of what they''re doing, it''s just the Pagna way."


    "You might be right," Cronker said. "But it was because of your money that you started this bet!"


    Raising her hands, Alba started to push her eyebrows together, massaging them in circles.


    "You''re right, which is why I''m having a hard time deciding what to do."


    Both Liam and Safa were wondering what to do themselves, because they never thought that Simyon would be that stubborn. He didn''t seem to even want to do such a thing in the first ce, so why was he still up there?


    Simyon''s mind felt like he was in a different ce, as memories were resurfacing for him again. The time he was with his sister, running away from the beasts from the portal break. At the time, she had pushed him away, and the beast had got her instead.


    He remembered seeing her struggling, her dying face, and her telling him to run, but what if back then he was able to stand, to take the beast''s hit head-on.


    ''I won''t run away.'' Simyon thought to himself, shifting his feet, but his eyelids droopy, and more blooding from his mouth.


    That was it, seeing how Simyon''s condition was, Safa couldn''t take it anymore as she pushed through the crowd onto the stage.


    "Safa, what are you doing?" Liam called out, chasing after her.


    Rod was the first to notice themotion as he could hear the footsteps from behind.


    "Hey, what are you doing, this was your deal that you made, you were the one that said three hits, and your friend hasn''t given up yet!" Rod shouted.


    Safa didn''t care though, as she continued to charge forward.


    "Stop her!" Rod called out.


    The students went to grab her, but at the right time, she had slipped past them. Liam was close behind her, wanting to help, but now the students that she had gone past had ced their attention on him instead.


    One went to throw out a punch that he managed to avoid, but the other hit him right across the face. He didn''t fall but before he knew it they had grabbed his legs and pinned him to the ground.


    "Just stay out of it!" The students said.


    Lifting his head, Liam was taking a look at what was still going on. He could see that Mantis had finished getting ready, and had gotten into his tiger stance once again. Not only that, but Safa was continuing forward.


    "You are not getting in the way!" Rod said.


    Safa did the two-step shift again at the right time, but tracking her Rod had followed and grabbed her by her clothing, he lifted her up in the air and mmed her onto the ground on her back.


    "You guys may be skillful, but you''re forgetting all of us are top students from the Demonic Pagna academy. Mantis isn''t the only one who''s skilled, and you''re not stopping this!"


    Safa tried to scream because she could see it, Mantis had jumped off from his position, the visual Qi leaving his feet, and now it was covering his right hand as well. As he threw it forward, w marks, a trail of ck were left from his hand, and it crashed right into Simyon''s stomach.


    Mantis'' fingertips had gone through his skin, into his muscle, they were being soaked with blood and the impact of the Qi hit Simyon like a shockwave. Momentster, arge chunk of blood poured out from his mouth.


    Slowly, Mantis pulled his hand out, and could see Simyon looking up at him.


    "I¡­ I did it¡­" Simyon said. "I didn''t¡­ run¡­ away."


    Right after saying those words, his legs had given in, and Simyon fell straight to the floor.


    "You Bastards!" Liam shouted as he wiggled his body, trying to get free from the floor. "You killed him, you freaking killed him over some stupid game, and for what, one or two silvers! Is that all a life is worth to you!"


    Safa had gotten up off the floor, and Rod no longer stopped her as she rushed to Simyon''s side.


    Mantis, on the other hand, stood up standing above him.


    "Did what?" Mantis stated. "All you did was prove that I am stronger than you. You shouldn''t have said that I was weaker than the White Dragon."


    The sound of low soft sobs were heard from Safa. It sounded like a choking pain because Safa was unable to make full noise. Yet she was unable to contain her feelings, as she shook Simyon''s body violently.


    Everyone looking at the scene was stunned into silence, and they felt like they were unable to move. Although it might have been a scene that happened in the Demonic Faction every now and again, never had they seen so much emotion involved.


    In the middle of the silence, footsteps could soon be heard among the crying.


    Mantis, who was ready to pack it up and call it a day, looked up and could see someone emerge from the crowd. Pushing past the others and standing there.


    "What¡­ happened here?" The hooded man asked, with a small part of his white hair showing underneath.


    ****


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 Chapter 190 The Cromwell Family

    Chapter 190 The Cromwell Family


    Heading back from the auction, Raze was attempting to calm down. He knew he was in a sour mood and it was best not to act on his emotion. It was something that he had problems dealing with his whole life.


    Certain situations, scenarios that he would go through would remind him of his childhood, remind him of his past life. At times he didn''t mind this, because it was what drove him to continue forward, but when it was unwanted the emotions would get too strong for him to deal with, and this was the best situation.


    Heading back, Raze was going to stay in the inn and call it a night, but he had been walking around aimlessly not really knowing where he was heading for a while, he had just been staring forward, and that''s when he could see that quite arge crowd had gathered just up ahead in the crossing of streets.


    Walking ahead, Raze could then hear a mighty loud yell. A scream that sounded familiar and shook his core slightly. He continued to walk forward not knowing what he would see.


    ''Would they be out here, but why would there be a crowd around them?'' Raze thought, his pace quickening as he hurried.


    Once again, just like other times, images were shing through his head, and instead of a past scene ying, it was one that he had imagined up. The image of those that he had recently gathered around him dead.


    Safa lying on the floor covered in blood, Liam, Dame, Simyon all of them having been scorched by some type of magical power, and Raze''s own hands covered in blood.


    ''This is not real.'' Raze thought to himself as he continued walking forward. ''Stop imagining things with your stupid mind.''


    It was a certain realization that was starting to dwell on him. It was the fact that he didn''t want the same thing to happen again. Those that were close to him, Raze didn''t want them to go like that.


    Finally, he had reached the back of the crowd, and he slowly pushed his way through, until he had reached the front. He walked forward slowly, his footsteps light, as he stared at the entire scene in front of him.


    "What¡­happened here?" Raze asked.


    His eyes were glued to Safa, who was crying, and Simyon, who had blooding out from his mouth and onto the floor.


    Slowly Raze was taking one step forward at a time. Getting closer and closer to the others.


    "Does¡­he know them?" Alba said, seeing the way the person was moving, it was clear that he was in a state of shock.


    His eyes were glued to Simyon on the floor and the blood, the scene in front of him shing back and forth to the image he had not too long ago.


    "Hey!" One of the students that were standing close to Liam, took his foot off his chest, while the other still had him pinned down. There was another that was eyeing up Raze from the side as he walked closer as well. "No one is to get involved, we won this match fair and square, and everyone is a witness he could have stopped at any time."


    Raze''s head was still locked onto Simyon, he was kneeled over, his skin pale, it looked almost like he couldn''t breathe, and Safa, couldn''t stop her tears. She hadn''t even noticed that something else was going on, that was until Raze spoke a few words.


    "Do you know who you guys harmed?" Raze asked.


    "Who?" The student asked. "We are all students fromrge ns in the Demonic Faction, and you think you''re someone special. Someone who doesn''t even dare show his face! If you were someone important you would take down that stupid hood."


    Raze took another step forward, and then for his next step, he raised his foot up higher than he had done before.


    "These people, are from the Cromwell family, they are from my family!" Raze mmed his foot on the ground, and out from it, a strong Qi exploded out. The first descending step was used, and it immediately made those that were close by uneasy.


    ''Such powerful Qi, I could even feel it from here,'' Alba thought to herself. ''But it doesn''t seem like arge amount. How can he emit such strength from just a step?''


    Right after the first step, immediately Raze performed the second descending step. The added Qi propelled him forward and before the student could react, Raze had already grabbed his face.


    With his Qi, Raze then threw his face down into the ground, but he didn''t just use his Qi.


    "Push of the wind," Raze whispered through his clenched teeth.


    The student''s body and entire head struck the ground, breaking the floor beneath it, and his head bounced after hitting the floor.


    Immediately, the others came right at him, forgetting about Liam. As they went to strike, Raze had performed the third step, jumping backward. Their attacks hadpletely missed, hitting nothing but


    the air.


    The fourth descending step activated, where Raze kicked off from both of his feet. When reaching his opponent, he swung his arm to the side.


    ''Silent strike.''


    His fingers were closed together and using his wind powers, he caused arge cut right against the other student''s chest, blood sttered out, going over Raze''s clothes but he didn''t slow down.


    Doing onto the fifth step, he jumped to the side, and immediately grabbed onto the other student''s arm. Due to all of the steps being performed one after the other, the Qi continued to build up. Raze had also just drained the energy from the man before.


    His power, was much more like that of a third-stage Pagna warrior right now, rather than that of a second-stage warrior.


    He lifted his hand up, and with no hesitation swung it down, hitting right on the elbow. A loud crack was heard as the arm was broken in half. Raze pulled the broken hand and then punched the man in the face, letting go, and allowing his body to be lifted in the air and thrown to the floor.


    It was only then, that for that moment, had Raze stopped his continuous attack, because there was no longer anyone close to him. Rod was sweating buckets as he took a step back.


    ''Who is this guy¡­he just took out three of the top students at the academy like they were nothing! Are these three really from a respectable n..but I''ve never even heard of the Cromwell family before,'' Rod thought.


    He knew in his mind after seeing what had happened, that he had no chance of winning, even though he was slightly stronger than the others.


    Liam, had gotten up off the floor, and was looking at the trail of wounded that Raze had left behind him.


    ''This guy¡­how can he keep getting stronger?'' Liam thought. ''All I know, is right now, I''m d he''s on our side.''


    The crowd was stunned in silence as they saw what happened. It was a cruel disy of power that usually they would only see if a Pagna warrior offended a n head. It was unexpected after seeing the strength of the others being used as well.


    Not only that, but those in the crowd, some of them were five-stage, and four-stage Pagna warriors, and they had noticed what the hooded person had used.


    "That was the ten descending steps, and he was able to produce five of them in a row, is this a higher stage warrior?"


    "If that''s the case, then isn''t his punishment too cruel?"


    Cronker and Alba were thinking along the same lines.


    "If he''s a stage five warrior, then aren''t those kids doomed?" Cronker asked. "I thought higher warriors would see this as a kid''s scuffle. A simple beating would do, but not like this. Wouldn''t a n be looked down upon just for bullying."


    "I don''t think he is a stage five warrior," Alba replied. "From the first step, although it was ferocious, the amount of Qi, it was close to a stage three warrior at best."


    "But then, how could he perform the five steps? Aren''t years and years needed to perfect the Qi control?" Cornker asked.


    Alba had arge smile on her face because that was exactly what was needed. The person in front of them could very well be a genius, a one-of-a-kind, but the real question was, which one was the bigger genius.


    The mysterious hooded guest, or the ck Tiger.


    "You''ve hurt my friends," Mantis said as he walked over, allowing Rod to move out of the way. He tensed his fist, gathering the energy in his hand again. "I¡­can''t just let you go. Otherwise, what type of person would that make me?"


    Safa was now aware of what was happening and Raze looked at her for a moment, he could see her eyes were swollen.


    "You, hurt my family," Raze said as he stretched out his hand. In it, he had a blue Qi pill, as well as a green-colored one as well. He then lifted his head as he ced the two Qi pills into his mouth. The effects of both of the pills had entered and energized his body.


    He was surging with power he didn''t have before, his Qi and Mana had been restored on top of it. The green-colored pill, it was a buff pill that was made with the wind attribute magic, giving him an increased amount of speed.


    "I won''t let that happen again¡­and I''ll get rid of anyone, who touches them so, it can never happen."

 Chapter 191 A Change Of Feelings

    Chapter 191 A Change Of Feelings


    Everyone felt like arge spectacle was about to take ce, one that they would only witness at a type of martial arts tournament. Although the figure in the hood had overwhelmed all those who went against him so far, they couldn''t count out the ck Tiger just yet.


    They vividly remembered the score he had got on the pir, as well as his strong strikes he had used against the other kid. In reality, the general public didn''t know just how strong of a will and body Simyon had, which was why they might have downyed his achievements a little, but the ck Tiger was plenty strong and that was why despite him seeing someone perform the ten descending steps he still wasn''t fazed.


    Mantis got in a crouching stance as he powered his Qi in his body. For Raze, he was at a slight disadvantage. The techniques he knew were sword techniques, but he hadn''t brought his wooden training sword.


    He was hoping he would have brought a real one today, so instead, he would just have to use his hand and secretly add the wind attribute to it when he could. Lifting up his feet, Raze was ready again.


    "I have no idea who you are, but you''re an idiot to go up against me!" Mantis'' hand was starting to spark, as his visual Qi had activated even in his hand, and it was starting to form an image over his back.


    Right in front of the two''s eyes, in the center of the two of them, something hade from above, or rather the correct term would be someone hade from above. Theynded in the center with the back of their clothing floating.


    Seeing this, some wondered what kind of fool would get in the middle of these two, but instantly when they saw who it was, both Raze and Mantis had ced their Qi away, and the hostile air they had around them was starting to disappear.


    "Hey, do things really have to go this far?" Dame said. "You kids were doing a friendly event, but from the looks of things, you took it a little too far. I don''t think someone from the Splitting Fang n would go so far against someone who''s the same age as them."


    Mantis scowled when he heard Dame''s words. The same age, was he referring to the kid who he had hit before that was behind him, or the hooded person in front of him. Now that he took a look, his frame was a little smallerpared to a full-grown adult.


    However, it was hard to tell without fully seeing his face.


    ''If that person is the same age as me? There''s someone as skilled as him, that doesn''t go to the academy?''


    It didn''t quite make sense to Mantis, but he needed to take Dame''s words seriously. Of course, Mantis knew who Dame was, everyone did who was there. Not only was Dame a senior, but he was a senior of one of the biggest ns in the Demonic Faction and was practically a hero to them all at the moment.


    From the few words he spoke, it was clear that he didn''t want the fight to continue on.


    ncing behind his shoulder, Dame looked at Raze.


    ''It looked like I just made it in time. Although it would have been interesting to see which is the stronger out of these two. If either of them got hurt, I don''t know what position I could take, and not now, not with everything going on.


    "I think you should go help your friend," Dame said, directed toward Raze. "And, as for the rest of you, go home. Let''s not open the gates of death today."


    Not saying anything else, Mantis went to pack up the things with his friends and was ready to walk away, but he had a fewst words.


    "For what I did to your friends, and what you did to mine, we shall call this even," Mantis dered. "But if anything is to happen that will cause us two to fight again, I promise you won''t act the same way you did today, and who knows, by then not even Dame will be able to help you."


    It was a bold im to make, stating that the ck Tiger would be someone even stronger and bigger than Dame, but with the path he was going so far, that might very well be the case.


    When Raze reached Simyon on the ground, the first thing he did was hand over a Red Pill to Safa. Instinctively she knew what to do with it and fed Simyon it straight away. With the situationing to an end, the crowd around started to disperse and, with no doubt, the name of the ck Tiger and what had happened today would start to spread.


    It did well to improve his condition as the color wasing back to him, but it seemed like the wounds were quite serious and would need a lot more than a pill.


    "I will take him to a physician," Dame said as he picked him up and didn''t say much else, walking away.


    Dame was doing all of this because he didn''t want to make it obvious that he had a rtionship with the hooded person and that he was just acting out due to him being a good Samaritan.


    Raze understood his intentions, it made sense to him, what he didn''t know was Dame was being even more carefulpared to before, because there was a certain person in the crowd.


    "Come on," Raze said. "Let''s head back to the Inn and rest up, it''s been a tiring day."


    Raze, Liam, and Safa were headed back to the Inn while Dame was heading in apletely different direction to get Simyon seen. While this was happening, Alba looked at the two groups of people and her head was shifting between the two.


    "What''s wrong?" Cronker asked.


    "Those kids, they''re really interesting. I want to know what n they belong to," Alba answered. "But at the same time, Dame is here. I heard he was back, but I thought that might have been a rumor. Who knows when we''ll see him again. I need to ask him about the Dark Magus and buying more product."


    She felt like she needed to make a decision, and in the end, it was clear what the obvious one was to make, as she went ahead to follow where Dame was going, in the hopes of catching him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When the group had finally returned to the Inn, everyone sat down in separate areas. Liam jumped on his bed, while Safa sat on her chair, still rubbing her eyes and clearly concerned about everything.


    While Raze was still standing.


    "So, what happened?" Raze asked. "Why were you guys fighting?"


    "Ah, well¡­" Liam said, a little nervous, but in the end, he decided to tell the truth.


    Liam had exined the whole ordeal, not cutting anything out. He even admitted it was his idea to take part first, hoping to buy food for them all. In the end, they all took up challenges and Simyon was a bit stubborn with everything happening.


    They had tried to stop him, and the result was what it was in the end.


    "I can understand where you were alling from," Raze said.


    The feeling that they had felt, he had felt it in the past many times before as well. The reaction of them wanting to protect one of their own, it was the same as he felt.


    More than anything from this, Raze realized something great, and that was the feelings he had over the group. Originally, he had kept a distance from Simyon and Safa, trusting no one. As time went on and he spent more and more time with them, even giving both of them the name of Cromwell, he hadn''t just given them his family name but treated the two like it as well.


    He could tell himself by his reactions to everything. Of course, this wasn''t the same for Liam, but he also wasn''t hurt in all of the mess.


    Because of his previous thoughts and how he had felt, he hadn''t put the most effort he could have done into protecting them. So focused on what he had lost in the past, he didn''t realize he now had things he wanted to protect in this life as well.


    Moving toward Safa, Raze stopped just short in front of her, with a question on his mind.


    "Do you want to learn magic?"

 Chapter 192 Power Of Magic

    Chapter 192 Power Of Magic


    Magic¡ªit was something that Raze originally thought he was the only one who knew about in the World of Pagna, and so he believed it was his trump card. He would use his knowledge to get ahead of others and create items that would help him along the way.


    He soon found out, due to the organization Alter, that this wasn''t the case, but he still had an advantage. He wasn''t just any mage; he was the Dark Magus, a nine-star mage. Something that could only be counted on one hand; so few had achieved such a feat.


    Still, it was something he needed to build from the ground up in his new body, and due to his infamy, it was something he still needed to keep secret from the rest of the mages in Pagna.


    At least, keeping everyone thinking that the Pagna warrior Raze Cromwell and the Dark Magus were two separate people.


    The thought of teaching others his knowledge didn''t cross his mind for a few reasons. One, although he was a wind mage in his previous life, he had focused on learning Dark Magic, and his methods for growing stronger were at times too much for others to handle or not something that everyone could do.


    At the same time, there was a sense of trust. Safa had been with this body from the beginning. What would she do if she ever found out that he was not her real brother? What if she really was the one behind the deaths of the others?


    But slowly over time, Raze had noticed the small gestures she had made. The small things she had already done to help him, despite the way he had treated her. There was no doubt in his mind that if there was any type of magic that suited her, it was Light Magic.


    She was in some ways the pr opposite of him, and maybe that also was one of the reasons he pushed her away.


    When he had thought about teaching her, that was when he realized that he somewhat cared for her. Maybe it was his body, maybe it was him, or she had won him over with her manners, but he knew that he did care for her now.


    It showed at the event when he pushed her out of the ring, and his heart pained every time he saw her in trouble. Which was why he didn''t want to teach her magic.


    It was another secret for her to keep. If she let it spread, it would also affect him, and Alter would be after her. Making her learn magic was putting a target on her back as well.


    As time went on, though, he realized that the world of Pagna was more dangerous than he originally thought. Raze wouldn''t always be there, especially since he needed to focus on himself.


    There was a solution to it all, though, something that would not only help them but benefit him as well, which is why he had asked Safa the question, the first person he had decided to trust fully sinceing to the world of Pagna.


    "I''m asking you as well as I don''t wish to force you, do you want to learn magic?" Raze asked.


    Safa stared at Raze as she sat in the seat; she looked up at his face, and her eyes started to twinkle. Before he knew it, tears were rolling down her cheek, leaving watermarks on her trousers.


    Eventually, though, she did nod her head, and that''s when Raze realized it was tears of joy from him asking. He soon saw a smile peek through the tears, and the same strange feeling he had in his heart was felt again whenever he saw that she was upset, but she wasn''t upset this time.


    ''Now I know why my heart aches; you remind me so much of her,'' Raze smiled and looked at the ground for a few moments as well. ''You were also a mage that specialized in the Light attribute as well.''


    Breaking away from the ground, Raze looked at Safa again. "Learning magic will not be easy, so I need you to work hard."


    Raze was thinking of all the ways he could teach Safa. He was pretty sure that she had already done numerous things that would draw her towards Light magic, but making a magic core for someone who knew nothing about magic would certainly be difficult.


    A beast crystal that had the Light attribute, or a nt that drew in light energy itself would be a big bonus. The best way might be if Raze unlocked the Light attribute himself. Although he wouldn''t be able to grow it much, it would allow him to help Safa control the magic in her.


    "Hey Raze, can I learn magic as well?" Liam asked.


    He had been following Raze for a while now, and had seen him do crazy things, including opening portals on his own. It was clear he was a very special person, and he had figured out fairly quickly what this magic was.


    "No," Raze answered immediately. "Magic is not something to be taken lightly. And with it, you would be required to keep more secrets than you know. Do you really think you can keep it a secret?"


    "Of course!" Liam answered.


    "To the point that even if you were threatened, your whole family annihted if you ever said a word to anyone?" Raze asked again.


    These threats couldn''t be used on Safa because the two of them were the only family she had.


    "Ermm¡­like my whole family?" Liam repeated the question, his voice a little shaky, knowing full well that it would be a hard thing for him to do.


    "Although I might not be able to teach you magic, I am happy that you are keeping this whole thing a secret," Raze said. "I will be happy to make you an item that will aid you in your journey as a Pagna warrior."


    From asking a simple question, Liam had gotten a lot more than he imagined. He didn''t want to say anything in case Raze had changed his mind, and as he went to lie on his bed, he started to think.


    ''Raze is really bipr, huh?'' Liam started to think of the Raze he met when he was beaten, the Raze at the event, and the Raze just moments ago who crushed students'' arms and shed them across their chests without a second thought.


    The one right now was a nice, calm, collected, cool-headed individual, and at other times, it felt like he was looking at a monster.


    What did a person have to go through to have such a flip-flop of emotions? It did make him wonder.


    Knocking at the door, Dame had done two knocks and then three knocks in a row. It was a special signal they hade up with, so they knew it was him as the door opened. When it did open, he was not alone, and a bandaged man hade through the door with him, being carried on his shoulder.


    It was Simyon, his eyes were open, and he was awake, which was a good sign, and he quickly was brought over to the bed.


    "Don''t worry, Simyon exined everything that happened; it seems like things were inevitable, and it was partly my fault," Dame stated. "I should have given you some coin to use in this world. It had justpletely slipped my mind."


    Safa and Liam had quickly gone to look at Simyon, to see if he was okay and were having a few words with him, while Dame decided to walk over to Raze.


    "What about you, did the auction house go okay?" Dame asked.


    Raze didn''t exactly say anything and just looked at his hand. He had almost forgotten about that incident due to what had happened right after. It might not have been the best thing to inform Dame of what had urred.


    "There were a few problems, and I wasn''t able to enter today, but I should be fine tomorrow," Raze thought about the man he had met who had offered him a ticket inside.


    "Well, just in case, I bought you some coin for you to buy the supplies you need," Dame handed over a small coin bag that looked like a fat pink pig. Raze opened it up and could see a gold coin as well as a few silvers.


    "That should be enough to cover you for supplies. If you can, I need some of those pills of yours fairly quickly. I have an order in already."


    Raze nodded; even if he couldn''t get into the auction house, at least he could buy the materials needed from the merchants on the side.


    "I woulde with you to make sure you have entrance into the auction house, but something hase up. This time when I say don''t get into any trouble, I mean it," Dame said, raising his voice so the others could hear. "I won''t be in the city this time; I need to head back to my n."


    There was a part inside Raze that wanted to ask Dame what was up. After all, he had helped him out greatly, and they were partners. However, if Dame needed help badly, then he could ask.


    And Raze had his own share of problems as well. With that, Dame had hurriedly left the ce and left the three to their own devices again.


    Now, Raze knew what he needed to do. He would be returning to the auction house to buy his materials and look for some items for the whole group, including himself. He then walked up to Safa, who was by Simyon.


    "Let''s fix your voice as well," Raze stated.

 Chapter 193 Who Are You looking for?

    Chapter 193 Who Are You looking for?


    Knowing that Simyon would make a full recovery, along with the fact that they wouldn''t get in trouble due to the events that had taken ce, all of them were able to get some well-deserved rest.


    Simyon, who was unable to turn on his sides due to his pain, was sleeping on his back and snoring quite a bit, while the others were fast asleep, all apart from Raze. He was resting, but ever since the night of the attack, he hadn''t had the best sleep.


    Closing his eyes and cultivating at night would be enough to re-energize him, though, and resting his brain slightly would help him. However, he would cultivate with the Dark Essence technique, not the cycle of life and death technique.


    While in the Demonic Faction, that was a big no for him. He didn''t want the same to happen, especially not while the others were in the room. He would only attempt such a thing if Dame or someone on his level, whom he could trust, was with him.


    ''It''s a shame that Dame won''t be staying with us, or I would have liked to have found out what that was from before. It didn''t seem to activate when in the Dark Faction, but I''m not too sure about ying with fire either.''


    Trying to forget about it, eventually, Raze did go into a full slumber; he just didn''t know when. When he woke up, the rays of light were touching his face, creating a nice sensation of heat.


    Opening his eyes, it came as no surprise that the other three were still fast asleep. ''They must have been exhausted after yesterday,'' Raze thought.


    Nheless, he decided to get up and used his magic to activate his robe, cing the hood over his head. He wasn''t the only one who wore a robe in Repton, so he didn''t feel as if the events of yesterday would affect him too much.


    But he did still need to travel to the auction house alone, just so no one could link things together if they did. When heading to the door, he looked back at the three.


    ''They won''t get in trouble again. No one in this city should go against Dame''s orders, so those students won''t do anything. They have money now, and after yesterday, I doubt they would do something so dangerous,'' Raze thought. ''Besides, I am a person of my word, and I need to get to making product and find a way of helping Safa.''


    A short journeyter, and Raze found himself down the long street that led to the auction house. Even early in the morning, the markets were set up with merchants shouting advertising the fresh or new products that they had gotten in.


    It made him wonder if they ever went to sleep or how early they got here to set up. Raze started by going to each store and asked for the basics¡ªthe materials he needed to make the pills.


    He already had the crystals he needed; he was just going for the base materials. He would ask certain questions such as how much quantity he needed to buy before they gave him a discount, whether they would give him a bigger discount for being a repeat customer, and if they would give him more discount if he bought more product from one person.


    He had quite the business head on him. Even though he knew he could already make a profit, he also wanted to create future rtionships that he could expand on. He also needed to pick someone that could expand with him.


    The one thing he didn''t want was not being able to sell his product if he had supply issues. It wouldn''t be a problem now with only 30 or so level 2 power stones and a few level 1 power stones, but it could be in the future.


    Eventually, Raze found the perfect person. It was a young chap running the stall, which surprised Raze. His hair was blonde, and he had blue eyes and a red fancy hat with a golden feather inside.


    "Thank you for buying so much from us!" The man said with joy. "We do need a deposit before we send items to you, since you have ordered so much we will need to prepare. Are you sure it''s okay to send this all to an Inn though?"


    There was no base of operations for the group, so for now, Raze would just need to send the crates of items there.


    "I''m fine with paying a deposit, but would you mind then if I took some of the product with me now?" Raze asked, as he had been running low due to all the other pills he had made when they had entered the dimensional portal.


    "That''s fine with us; please give us a few moments while we prepare," the man stated.


    Waiting, Raze soon sensed a presence next to him, and at a nce, he recognized who it was.


    "Oh, that''s interesting," Renomented. "I see, so are you an alchemist then? Are you going to use those ingredients to create Qi pills?"


    Reno was the man that Raze had met at the auction before. It was soon to be at the time he had asked the two to meet, so he should have expected him to be here. In fact, Raze was nning to make do with his offer and get inside the auction house.


    "I guess you could say that. Are you one as well?" Raze asked as he looked at his ck fingertips.


    "I don''t quite dabble in Qi pills as such, but I also create things. I''m a certain type of alchemist," Reno answered. "I hope you know what you''re doing and not hopping onto the fad like everyone else."


    "Fad?" Raze replied.


    "Yes, you see, a certain name has been going around certain alchemists, the name Dark Magus, who marks his items with his trademark DM."


    "Ah, yes, I''ve heard of them," the merchantmented from behind the counter. "In fact, we have had a few fakes try to pass us already, but luckily we had gotten our hands on a real one so we know what to look out for."


    "Yes, his red Qi pills interest me in particr since they have the strength to allow Qi into the body and activate the healing cells. It''s quite amazing, and I''m trying to find the secret ingredient," Reno continued.


    Raze actually felt a little bad hearing this because the secret ingredient was his magic spells, which Reno would never be able to figure out.


    "I think I am getting there; I havebined a few pills with a couple of healing nts, but their effects seem to not be strong enough."


    "There are nts that have healing attributes?" Raze asked.


    "You don''t know; I guess you are a beginner," Reno replied, shaking his head a little disappointed. "And here I thought the two of us could share our knowledge to help each other out. Otherwise, we will all be shoved out of the market by this DM person."


    The reason why Raze was interested was that the healing nts, depending on how much energy or power they contained, might just be the thing he needed to activate his or Safa''s magic, allowing him to heal her voice and for her to do more in the future.


    Looking behind him, Raze waited until the merchant turned around, as he was making the final preparations, putting the ingredients into the sack, and he moved in closer to Reno.


    "These nts, do you think you can tell me where to find them?" Raze asked in a low voice.


    Reno couldn''t help but smile. "You really know nothing about us alchemists, despite buying so many ingredients, I guess I was wrong about you after all. I guess you are just a strong martial artist."


    It was normal for Reno to think this after he had seen the skills the person had used yesterday. Reno also had a careful eye and watched the hooded man''s demeanor from before, which was why he knew it was the same person again.


    Using the extract technique so well, he had to be someone well-versed in martial arts and was just on an errand for someone else.


    "I tell you now, the ingredients, as well as where one obtains their ingredients, is a secret that an alchemist will keep with them, along with the recipe and technique. Sure, these things may be passed down within a n, but I wouldn''t tell a stranger who I have only just met and have decided to help out myself."


    Moving his hand slightly, that''s when Raze pulled something out and opened up his palm, revealing a single red Qi pill.


    "You have been doing research into these pills, correct? I happen to have one on me myself. I am researching into them as well. If you help me out, then this can be yours as well."


    This was the start of a business rtionship Raze would have with Reno, who was a member of the Crimson Crane. Raze, who was unaware that the person in front of him was looking for him, and Reno, who was unaware that he was the person he was looking for.


    -----


    When Dame said he had something important to do, he wasn''t lying. It was because the news of his return had reached his father, and after learning of what Fixteen had to say, he had decided to return to his n base.


    Heading down to the bottom floor, Dame had returned to the hot fiery room and was now on his knees.


    "I''m sure you have heard the news," Belil, the n master, said.


    "I have," Dame replied.


    "That''s right, the Light Faction has carried out stronger attackspared to before, sending out even a middle-staged warrior. Your sister had been sent to deal with the problem, and it seems she has been captured by the Light Faction."

 Chapter 194 Return To The Auction!

    Chapter 194 Return To The Auction!


    Lifting up a curved bottle with arge lip, Alba took a big swig of the drink, gulping it down before mming it onto the ground and wiping her mouth.


    "I swear, it''s easier to find a divine beast than it is to find this Dark Magus!" Sheined.


    Sitting at the table, Alba was at the usual restaurant, but rather than it being the evening and full of people who were winding down for the day, instead, it was the morning, and she was just getting started.


    Sitting opposite her, there was the blonde man with his hair swept back, wearing a mask named Cronker. Next to him was arger warrior, who wore all ck clothing and also had a hooded mask that only revealed the eyes; this man was Tilon.


    Both of them weren''t dressed like conventional Pagna warriors, but that didn''t matter because the two of them were from the Crimson Crane.


    "I thought the two of you met up with Dame and had some sort of n?" Tilon asked as he looked at the other two empty bottles of drink at the side of the table. He was tempted to tell her to stop, but he remembered how that had gone thest time.


    "We did," Alba said, wiping her mouth again. "We followed him as he took that child to see a physician. While he was there, I thought it would be the perfect time to talk, but he stated that he wasn''t in the mood."


    "Wasn''t in the mood to talk to you, the great Alba!" Tilon started to shake his fist, and it looked like he was ready to stand up and start a fight. That was until Cronker pulled him back down to the ground.


    "Calm down, surely you must have heard what happened?" Cronker stated. "He must have heard about the recent battle that his sister went through. Although he might not care about what his other family members do or those in his n, he is still heavily rted to the n and the Demonic Faction."


    "Right," Alba said. "It wouldn''t be surprising if he was asked to go and solve the issue."


    "Solve the issue? Is that even possible?" Cronker said. "His sister, if I remember correctly, isn''t she a Middle Stage Pagna warrior like yourself."


    Immediately, Alba stared right back at Cronker and looked him directly in the eyes.


    "Of course, I don''t mean that she is as strong as you, but although Dame had beaten Beatrix, she was still an Initial Stage Pagna warrior. The two of them were at the same level, but if he was tasked to take care of her, it would be impossible."


    Of course, Alba thought the same thing, and no one thought that Dame would be sent out to clean up the situation. Most likely one of his older brothers would be sent to deal with the job, but she had an inkling.


    "I bet many thought that Dame wouldn''t have been able to best Beatrix as well, and said exactly what you just said," Alba stated. "But he managed to pull a miracle, and I heard a lot of it had to do with this Dark Magus person; maybe he''s expecting some type of miracle again."


    The three of them continued to drink away as they nned for the future of what to do, and the conversation eventually went onto the rest of the Crimson Crane.


    "Anyway, we can''t keep looking for the Dark Magus forever, no matter how important he is," Cronker exined. "The rest of the members will be meeting up in Repton; once we have the next set of Qi pills from Dame, we''ll head to the Initial Stage portal."


    Tilon nodded. "Most of the others have already arrived. That reminds me, wasn''t Reno meant to join us? Where is he?"


    ------


    Reno was holding onto the pill that the mysterious hooded man had just given him. He looked at the engraving carefully. He had been trying to get his hands on one of these, but they had turned out to be incredibly rare.


    For one, nearly all of the warriors that had gone out with Dame had mostly already used them in battle. So the rumors of their effects and what they could do were all from word of mouth. There wasn''t any product after that, other than fakes iming to do the same thing.


    ''I could really do with this, if I break it down and it''s a real one, then I could find out the secret ingredients,'' Reno thought to himself. Even if it was a fake, it was somewhat too good of a deal to let up.


    "Very well," Reno said with a smile. "You have a deal, but before that, why don''t we do what you came here for? Let''s go have a look at the items in the auction."


    "Wait, now?" Raze replied, as he had been handed over the sack of ingredients from the merchant. The details were already recorded so he was free to go. The only thing was Raze couldn''t exactly make the sack of ingredients disappear while Reno was keeping an eye on him.


    "Isn''t there still time before the auction begins?"


    Reno couldn''t help but smile to himself. "Yes, you''re right, but I have a few special privileges you see. I can look at a few of the items before they are up for grabs to the general public. I can offer a price, and the Auctioneer can decide to ept or decline the price. Since they do this thing day in and day out, they have a good idea of what certain objects will fetch."


    This worked out well for Raze, since he no longer needed to sell his level 2 power stones, and had gotten a good deal with the rest of the ingredients. Now he could use the rest of the money on the items. With fewer eyes, it was better for him as well.


    Walking ahead with Reno, it was just like he said, he was able to walk through the doors of the auction house with no trouble at all, and quite a few of the workers there were smiling at him and giving him greetings.


    It was clear that Raze wasn''t walking with just anyone, most likely someone who belonged high up in the Demonic Faction, so it was best for him to not cause trouble while by his side.


    After asking to see the items, Raze and Reno walked through therge buildings, where there were a number of seats with wooden paddles and numbers at the end of them. The seats were empty at the moment, and they were walking down the center of the area.


    As they continued, the two had walked onto the stage where the items would usually be disyed to the others as well as the auctioneer calling the shots. They had met up with the auctioneer, who was a rtively skinny old man that had a ss piece on the outside of a single eye.


    Again, he had greeted Reno with great respect as he gave a bow down. "It''s nice to see you again, Reno, and I see you brought a friend this time," the auctioneer said.


    "Ah yes, he seems to be interested in the Alchemy business but wishes to look at everything you have today. I hope we can look at the objects firsthand, and you can give us a fair price."


    "Of course, we owe your group a lot after all."


    Agreeing, the group was allowed behind the curtain where the items were being lined up. It was full of all sorts of equipment and a variety of things as well. For Raze, looking at this, he knew he was looking at a gold mine.


    "The items we have here aren''t the type of things that you would find in pawn shops," the auctioneer said proudly as he could tell by the taken-back expression of Raze that he was quite impressed. "We take in only those things that are highly sought after, by Pagna warriors, governors, alchemists, and even wealthy families. We are proud to say we have something for everyone. There are even items here that have been brought back from other dimensions."


    This really did bring a big smile to the face of Raze because he couldn''t wait to see what kind of gold mine he would see.


    The two allowed Raze to take a look, and he went from one end and was making his way down to the other.


    Leaving Reno and the auctioneer to chat, "By the way, I wanted to ask, I didn''t see ve today doing examinations. I wanted to ask if he was okay."


    ve was the guard who had a confrontation with the hooded man, and Reno wanted to know if he had been worried after the altercation he had with Raze. He was fully expecting that something else would happen today at the door as well, but they had gotten in fairly smoothly.


    "Oh?" The auctioneer rubbed the side of his head. "I guess you wouldn''t know, we got a report that ve is dead."

 Chapter 195 Random Items?

    Chapter 195 Random Items?


    "Sorry, did you just say ve is dead?" Reno repeated, but he had done so, hushing his voice slightly. Thankfully, the hooded man was starting from one end of the hall of items and seemed to be going through them slowly.


    "Correct, he had decided to go home early from his shiftst night. Because of that, we had someone check up on him to see if he was okay," the Auctioneer exined. "It was quite a shuffle when we found him."


    Reno looked at Raze again. He still remembered the tail end of the scene he had seen and what he had done. The fact that ve had died the day after seemed too much to just be a coincidence.


    ''The hooded man, he did seem to be a little on edge. It''s quite possible that he decided to finish the job with the anger still in his body,'' Reno thought. ''Am I helping a very dangerous person? Or was it really a coincidence?''


    There was another thought that had gone through his mind, and it was the extraction technique, but he had never heard of someone using the technique and being affected either. The amount of energy drawn from a person hadn''t affected him greatly. Feeling ill was natural, as the Qi had been taken out of one, but for them to die after, there had never been a case of it.


    "His body, do you know what the scene was like? Were there any wounds? Did it look like a murder or was it a natural death?" Reno continued to ask.


    The auctioneer shook his head. "I apologize, but I really don''t know the finer details at this moment."


    Reno understood and decided to stop the questions there, but he would be keeping a closer eye on the hooded man. It was hard to tell who he was¡ªwas he a Demonic Faction Pagna master, or was he an alchemist in training? It was hard to say.


    Looking at the items, Raze was doing one of two things. Since there were some items that would be from other dimensions, he was looking to see if any of them already were enchanted with magical power or any power at all.


    He didn''t have high hopes because he was sure anything of value would be tracked down and taken by Alter, but they were in the Demonic Faction where their influence was at its weakest. Still, he imagined that although they had no people here, they would still do quite a lot to make sure powerful Mythical and above items weren''t retrieved here.


    The second thing Raze was doing was using his magic power, a trickle of it out in the open, and seeing what items would react to it. So far he had found a couple of things that were already enchanted, having been brought from other worlds. But they were fairlymon items. They had basic effects, some that didn''t even rte tobat, such as having a better taste or lesser resistance to pain for a few moments. On top of that, themon items were one-use type things.


    To some people, he was sure it would seem amazing and magical, especially since most on Pagna wouldn''t even know how to use them. But Raze could enchant better items himself. So instead, he decided to focus on those that would react to magic instead, and he hade across a few jewelry pieces that would react. One of them was a round brown-colored bracelet around the neck. There were then a pair of golden earrings that were shaped like a cross with a flower-like design on them. Two small ck gloves, that didn''t really look like gloves since they had next to no ce to use your fingers.


    Reno could see him struggling with what they were and ced them over his hand, showing that they covered the wrist and the knuckles.


    "They were used for training back in the day," Reno exined. "In the past, quite a few people tried to strengthen their bodies in ways other than Qi. These gloves were a way to protect the skin as they would punch sand to create micro-fractures in the body. The idea was the bones would grow back stronger and stronger. They are more of an antique now more than anything, a thing of the past."


    Either way, Raze didn''t care, they reacted to magic, and he could create something good out of them. Thankfully, he had also found another ring, this one ck in color as well, and he was hoping he could use it to see his ice attribute.


    Those were the best items that had reacted to magic there, leaving Raze a little disappointed, but if he had found something really special, then he wouldn''t have wanted to enchant it with a level 2 power stone anyway and would have wanted a higher-level power stone, so he thought that this was enough.


    "I would like to purchase these," Raze asked. "What''s the price?"


    Both Reno and the auctioneer had looked at each other. The items that were selected were close to the beginning of the lineup. In an auction, they often saved the best untilst, so the items that were at the front would be sold for the lowest amount.


    The auctioneer was hoping for a big spender, but it didn''t seem like it would be this way.


    "Since you are a friend of Reno, I can sell you the items for 1 silver coin each," the auctioneer said.


    Raze quickly opened up his pouch and handed the money. The gold coin had already been used up to mostly buy the supplies in the first ce, but he still had enough left over. Worst case, he would just have to pay with some power stones.


    As the items were packed up, in a sack for Raze to take, Reno took a look at them one more time, and he was trying to figure out a pattern, but no matter how hard he tried when looking at them, he felt that all of them were just... random.


    Raze didn''t stop his search there as he moved on to the next section, and now he was onto the weapons.


    ''I don''t mind if there are no weapons that are magical here,'' Raze thought. ''I just need a real sword to use inbat, especially if I had to go to other dimensions or get attacked in the middle of the night. Along with my wind magic, the results of using such a thing will be quite good.''


    The biggest issue was, Raze knew nothing about swords. He didn''t know what was a good one or a bad one. Still, he used his magic as he went through them all that were in a barrel. None of the swords reacted until his magic started to move to one in particr. It wasn''t ced in a fancy disy or cab like the others. Instead, it was mixed in with five different swords that were ced leaned up on a type of stand. All of the swords were together, slightly curved and damaged. When the Dark magic hit one of the swords in the center, it started to vibrate, and a mist started toe back at Raze.


    ''An¡­ enchanted sword?''


    [Rare ss Ghost de]

 Chapter 196 White Flower

    Chapter 196 White Flower


    In Alterian, enchanted items went by a ranking list, and from what he knew, the Alter group used the same ranking list. One of their goals was to seal away items that were too dangerous for the world of Pagna, sorting them into Mythical, Legendary, and God ranks. What Raze had managed to find was a weapon at the Rare level. Underneath that, there were Umon and Common level items.


    "I was expecting to just find a decent sword, but I''ve managed to find an enchanted one," Raze said as he picked the sword up by the grip handle. It had an interesting swirling design, giving it a simr texture to when one would hold a rope.


    Lifting it, the sword was lighter than he imagined in his hand, but at the same time, it was a little worn in certain areas, especially by the sword guard, which was practically nonexistent, having broken off in most ces.


    Then there was the curve of the de. It wasn''t straight like the swords he would use in training, but at the same time, it wasn''t thick like the other curved swords he had seen.


    "Those weapons are more of a decorative item," Reno said as he came over. "A lot of the items here seem to have been raided from an old manor or maybe from a long-lost dimension. You can tell by the size of the steel, though, that a few swings against a regr sword, and it would break. One would have to reinforce it with Qi for it to stand a chance. I''m afraid it looks like it''s quite dull as well; if sharpened, it might break in the process."


    Raze was taking note of what Reno was saying. He seemed to be quite knowledgeable in more areas than one, but would it matter to him? If he used his wind magic, couldn''t he make it sharper? And using magic in the first ce would give it a type of barrier.


    Instead, Raze was focused on what he had seen through his dark magic when picking up the sword.


    [When using skills with the Demonic Sword, the strength of the sword will ignite, making it stronger. The sword has a low chance of pulsating, creating a stronger strike and passing through the defenses of the enemy.]


    "As long as demonic energy is used? So does that mean only those with demonic Qi can bring out its strength? Surely they would have tested this sword and found that out? Regardless, they wouldn''t have known about the chance of bypassing others'' defenses. It''s hard to know what it means unless we see it in practice, but I assume that''s where it gets its name, Ghost de from," Raze thought.


    "Can I get this one?" Raze asked.


    Raising his eyebrow, Reno was once again confused. The items were so random to him, and if he was a martial artist, what could he do with a decorative sword? Was he possibly redesigning his house or something, or a collector of some sorts?


    "Ah, that item, it is part of the collection," the auctioneer said. "Alone, they didn''t seem to hold much value, which is why we ced them together. That would be five silvers altogether."


    At the moment, Raze had used up nearly all of his money already. Five silvers were a little out of his choice, so with a sigh, he felt like he had no choice. He reached into the sleeve of his robe as if he was going to grab something.


    Activating his magic away from the eyes of the others, he pulled out what made everyone step back just for a moment, although for Reno, it wasn''t too impressive as he realized what it was.


    "A level 2 power stone?" Reno eximed.


    "Yes, I don''t have the coin on me, so will this be okay for payment?"


    The auctioneer had already snatched it out of his hand.


    "Certainly, sir!"


    Raze proceeded to go over to the swords, and with them, he decided to ce two of them on his back, strapping them into his robe. As for the others, he would have to get themter, since he was unable to carry everything with him.


    "Maybe I should try a low enchantment on all of the swords; they could stille in handy after all," Raze thought to himself. That was the reason for him taking two swords on him as well. Just like how one with multiple types of magic was strong, surely it should be the same for someone with multiple swords as well. If he enchanted each of them, he was already imagining the variety of strength he could use.


    With that, Raze was done looking at the items. As they were leaving, he informed the auctioneer where to send the rest of the swords to and gave them the inn''s address along with the other equipment.


    He just hoped that when they were delivered, one of the others would have stayed. It was quite annoying to live in a time where mobile devices weren''t avable to everyone. There weremunication devices, but not ones that people could carry with them, apart from the few devices that Alter had and had given him.


    Leaving the auction house, Raze thought it was time for Reno to follow through with his part of the deal, to inform him where he got these herbs or medicinal nts from. With that, he had decided to take him somewhere.


    Not too far from the auction house, there was arge warehouse-style building. It was quite weakly built on the outside, but many of those that looked like Reno were walking in and out. They had ck fingers and hadrge bags under their eyes. Some of them looked malnourished as well, and once in a while, just standing outside of the building, Raze would hear a bang or two.


    "What is this ce?" Raze asked.


    "It''s a working ce of sorts. Alchemy can be quite a dangerous thing sometimes, the mixing of ingredients or testing of pills. So they prefer it to be done in ces like this. The walls are reinforced, and one can rent basic rooms that give ess to what one needs to create things."


    Heading into the building, it was set up quite simrly to the sleeping quarters that were at the academy. The difference was there were far fewer rooms and looked to be a lot more space between each of the doors.


    Turning the key, he headed inside, and Raze was right; the room was around 5 times bigger. Immediately wafting into his nose was the smell of strong herbs. It was very pungent, not a bad smell, but a mixture of strong smells that was already giving him a slight headache.


    Looking inside, Raze could see a number of equipment, including several nts that surrounded the area.


    "The nts that you are looking for, they are over there," Reno stated as he pointed to the side.


    Raze wasted no time as he rushed over and looked at the flowers. They were small in size and white in color. A single stem branched out into a single bud. Cupping the flower, Raze was trying to see just how much magic energy the flower had. Just like with items, he ced a trickle amount of his magic energy, using dark energy. If the nt had a significant amount of Light energy, it should dissipate the dark energy before it even touched it.


    As Raze looked carefully, he could see a small amount of the energy dissipate, but the dark energy eventually touched the flower.


    Before it would destroy it, Raze quickly retracted the energy back inside.


    He looked at the rest of the flowers. ''It does contain some light energy, so I can see why cing them in the pill process would give healing effects, but this is just not enough to activate a magic core, I need something stronger.''


    "It seems you are disappointed," Reno noticed, as Razer had rushed into the room to look at the nts, but soon his whole demeanor had changed.


    "These nts, where did you find them?" Raze asked.


    "Ah¡­ well, they''re actually here in the Demonic Faction. Although the territory is a little difficult to get to," Reno exined. "You see, there was a portal break at one point not too far away, and the beasts that broke out still exist close to the area. They were unable to get rid of them all. However, the beasts have also never really strayed from the area, hence why no one has really tried to deal with the problem. The portal break was mostly dealt with, so the ce was left be."


    "And are there stronger nts than this one? As in ones that would have a greater healing effect if used?"


    "There is, but¡­" Reno didn''t know what to say because the truth was he wanted to delve deeper into the area as well to retrieve stronger nts, but there was an issue. ''The area, it''s where the Light Faction and Demonic Faction shed recently. It seems like the fighting has stopped, and the area is clear, but it''s still a dangerous ce to go on my own, and Alba is too busy trying to use all our resources trying to find the Dark Magus¡­ Maybe... he''s a martial arts master right of the Demonic Faction? He should be either in the middle stage or close to the peak of the initial stage. Then with him, it might be okay.''


    "We can head there if you would like, but I would like toe with you," Reno asked, with a smile.


    ''If we run into anyone from the Light Faction, then I''ll just let him deal with it,'' Reno thought.

 Chapter 197 An uninvited whisper

    Chapter 197 An uninvited whisper


    Exploring the Demonic Faction, the wastnd, and the other ns with the vast cities and more didn''t seem to be the safest thing, but Raze was confident in the new person he had met for a few reasons.


    When they were heading around the city, and at the Auction house, he could see that many respected him and acknowledged him. This gave the impression to Raze that he must be with someone rtively important in the Demonic Faction.


    He also had a good head on his shoulders, so if venturing outside was dangerous, then he wouldn''t have suggested it unless he was confident that he could deal with the situations that would arise.


    Surprisingly, Reno actually was thinking along simr lines. Seeing someone use the extraction technique at such a fast rate made him think he was with a master of sorts, at least when it came to martial arts. With a strong person like him by his side, then they would be able to avoid whatever trouble came their way.


    Despite all of this, the two of them did agree on something, and that was they would need to prepare before they head out. Reno wanted to create a few things before leaving the next day, and it was the same with Raze. He would finish creating the items andpleting the quota that Dame asked of him. It wouldn''t take him long, mostly the rest of the day, and then he would be free to continue to do as he wished.


    Before leaving, though, Raze noticed that Reno was preparing a few things.


    "Are you making Qi pills?" Raze asked.


    "Yes," Reno replied. "I assume you know the process. If not, then you are wee to watch me. If you''re watching me, I won''t experiment but instead just make a standard pill."


    Reno was quite a messy alchemist as things were all over the ce, but Raze decided to watch everything carefully. As he watched the man act, it reminded him a lot of the days when he would watch wizards create potions as well.


    He kept a keen eye on everything, willing to learn. First, the basic ingredients, the same as what Raze would use, were set up to the side. Oddly, they were mixed up together in a mixing bowl, and it looked more like he was about to cook rather than create Qi pills.


    However, off to the side, the crystal was attached to almost a boiling pot filled with liquid. It looked like water, but judging from the heat, it couldn''t be, since water''s boiling point was 100 degrees. Judging from the heat that could be seen above it and theck of steam, the liquid was heated far hotter than that. The power stone was then ced in the liquid, and Raze understood that it was to melt it down.


    After the liquid would be ced in another contraption, and a funnel. Then glowing liquid would be separated from the water into two separate bowls. It looked like a lot of work so far, but he was still intrigued. After the liquids had been separated, the power stone liquid was added to a metal mixing bowl. After that, the several nts that were around the ce started to be crushed and cut up, forming them into even more liquid. Slowly, measurements were being made, and that was being added into the metal mixing bowl.


    "When creating pills, it''s all about the bnce," Reno stated. "If you don''t have bnce, then it won''t form correctly with the power stone. If you use a stronger power stone, then you need the right bnce of other materials. Sometimes if I add one type of nt that has a certain effect, then I need to add another to counterbnce it. Which is why alchemy is such aplicated process in all of this, but of course, I have perfected certain techniques."


    After adding the right amount of nt juice, Reno went to get the original mixing bowl and threw it all in. After that, he waited for it to cool down, and then, like little small dough balls, he started to use a type of grinder. The mixed content would be ced, and then with two hands, he would mainly grind out backward and forwards until he had ten small-shaped Qi pills.


    "Oh, there are ten of these?" Raze said.


    "Yes, these are 1-year Qi pills, so they wouldn''t be worth much, but they still will be able to do something. As long as you have the right amount of ingredients, though, and know the measurements, you could easily make ten, ten Qi pills."


    Watching Reno carefully, it wasn''t a waste of time, as it had given Raze an idea and a way to make his enchantments a lot quicker. Still, there were quite a few things he wanted to create for himself as well.


    ------


    Back at the inn, the trio had woken up to find that Raze was no longer in the room. They knew what he had nned to do as he had already told them that they weren''t toe with him, so there was no shock there. However, after yesterday''s events and with Simyon''s body being injured, they decided that it wasn''t the best idea for them to venture outside.


    Heading down, the inn also served food, so the three of them ate their breakfast, and once they were done, they headed back up to their room again. They didn''t dare venture outside; they were just a little scared.


    "I told you the Demonic Faction wasn''t a good ce," Liam said, looking out the window.


    "That had nothing to do with the Demonic Faction," Simyonined. "The reason why I''m wrapped in bandages and stuck in this bed is because you were the one who made a stupid deal! Why didn''t you just say one hit! If you said one hit, I would have taken it and survived."


    "Wait, are you ming me?" Liam said, turning around. "You keep talking about one hit, like you''ve got one ball. You were the one who could have quit after one hit! So why were you so stubborn taking the hits?"


    Safa sighed as the two of them had been arguing constantly. For her, she felt like they were both to me, and they should be thankful that Raze and Dame had showed up when they had done.


    Thankfully, a knock at the door had distracted them, and Safa had gone to answer it. When she had done, they soon realized that there was arge number of deliveries that had been sent to the room.


    When knocking, the men, per Raze''s instructions, had used the secret knock, so they could only guess that the items they were bringing in were either from Dame or Raze.


    Soon after, they had quickly left.


    "What even is all this stuff?" Liam asked.


    "You better not touch it with your stinky ball hands," Simyonmented.


    With thatment made, Liam decided not to care about the crates and instead went back onto his bed.


    Safa didn''t really look at what was in the crates either, since it wasn''t her business, so she too decided to go on her bed like the rest of them. As they were there, though, she didn''t just do nothing.


    Instead, she propped her back against the headboard and took a sitting position with her legs crossed, and she started the Dark Essence technique. She remembered all of the steps, and was slowly taking in deep breaths bit by bit. She had her eyes closed, allowing her to focus more, drawing in


    the energy around her.


    "Ahhhh!" Safa breathed out slowly through her mouth.


    "Your¡­."


    Opening a single eye, Safa looked around. She could see nothing in front of her. She turned her head to see Simyon lying on his back fast asleep and Liam facing toward the window.


    She closed her eyes again and continued to breathe out again. That''s when she could feel something, no not feel, hear something a little clearer.


    "Not¡­ ready."


    A soft whisper was heard going in her left ear, and a soft breath that vibrated through her body and the back of her neck.


    Immediately, Safa opened her eyes and she could feel her heart race slightly. She looked to both of the boys again, wondering if they were ying some type of joke on her.


    This time, when she readied herself, she wasn''t quite sure what to do. She was almost worried to go into cultivating again, but she pushed through. When her heart settled down, she closed her eyes again.


    A sh of a red woman''s face appeared, all bloody.


    "Hello!" the voice screamed defining her ears.

 Chapter 198 The Cold Shiver

    Chapter 198 The Cold Shiver


    The sharp, shooting pain in Simyon''s body was starting to dull down a bit. He was thankful to the earring and its powers for having protected him; otherwise, if he didn''t have the umon metal body, he already imagined Mantis''s hand going right through his stomach that time.


    Unfortunately for him, each time he closed his eyes and opened them, getting a few minutes of sleep, the picture would appear in his head. He would wake up covered in sweat as he stared at the ceiling.


    "Damn it, why do I keep running into troublesome people? First, it was Ricktor from the Dark Academy, and now that ck Tiger guy from the Demonic Academy."


    Having experienced a hit from the ck Tiger, Simyon would have to safely say that he felt like the Demonic Academy student was stronger, but it was hard to say since he hadn''t directly fought with Ricktor.


    He had just watched as Raze took him apart, and who knew what they were doing now. After that defeat, it was unlikely that they would just stop without attempting to get stronger. Even for Simyon himself, it was afterrge events like that, one would have a breakthrough and would be able to grow.


    Lifting up his sore arm, Simyon reached out toward the ceiling. "I hope this body heals quicker. I need to try and do something... I thought it would be bad just to be a human shield that''s good at getting hit, but it looks like I can''t even do that."


    A shiver started to go through Simyon''s body, and it wasn''t a shiver of pain. He noticed that it was feeling quite chilly in the room.


    "Liam, did you leave the window open or something?" Simyon asked, turning to his side.


    "No, I did not, unless you think I can open the window with my eyeball," Liam turned around.


    When they both turned, they nearly sat upright at what they were seeing. Safa in the middle, her whole body was shaking. The bed frame looked like it was moving; her trembles were so bad. She was still in a meditative position, but her eyes were firmly shut.


    "Liam, check to see if she''s okay!" Simyon shouted, holding his side. "Safa, Safa, open your eyes!"


    Liam did as Simyon said and rushed over, jumping on the bed. He scooted forward until he was opposite her and reached out his hands but stopped slightly.


    "Hey, is it okay to touch her?" Liam asked.


    "Just get her to wake up; this never stopped you before, why are you being all gentlemanly now!" Simyon shouted as he eventually had gotten up off the bed and was slowly making his way over.


    Grabbing Safa by the shoulders through her clothing, instantly, Liam noticed something. Her skin, it was cold to the touch. Not just not warm like a regr body, but it seemed to actually produce a cold chill from her skin. Even through the cloth, it felt like he was touching an ice cube of sorts.


    "Hey Safa, wake up!" Liam ignored the coldness for now and started to shake her. "Wake up, you''re still there, right?"


    He shook her and shook her, but her whole body was still shaking, her lips; they were now quivering as well.


    Simyoning over had grabbed Safa''s hand and held it steady. Now he could feel the chill that wasing off from her body.


    "What is this? Is she really sick, no, the whole room is cold, this is clearly not normal." Simyon was panicking. What should they do, what could they do.


    "Hit her!" Simyon eventually said.


    "What do you mean hit her? She''s already in pain or in a trance or something, and if I hit her, do you think she or Raze would ever forgive me? I''m not having her crazy brother hunt me for the rest of my life," Liam shouted back.


    "Just hit her, it might snap her out of it."


    "Then you hit her!" Liam replied back.


    "I''m weak right now," Simyon then went to gather Qi in his hand, just a small amount, and opened his hand ready to p her, but the Qi was disappearing; the pain running through his body was making it hard for him to even focus.


    "Ah, screw it!" Liam said as he swung his hand and pped Safa across the face. It was a good hit, and her cheeks turned red for less than a second before turning pale again. It seemed to have no reaction at all.


    "Why are you guys always so noisy?" A voice said from behind, with a creak from the door.


    The two boys turned their heads, wondering who had just entered the room. If it was someone they knew, they should have heard a knock. The thing was, the person had knocked; it was just that they were in too much of a panic to even hear what had happened.


    When they saw who it was, another shroud of terror entered their bodies. Their hearts felt like they were going to stop as the hooded teenager took off his hood.


    "Raze... there''s... there''s something up with Safa," Simyon called out.


    Immediately, Raze closed the door behind him and threw one of the sacks he had brought with him onto the floor. Both Liam and Simyon got out of the way as Raze went ahead to take a look at what was going on.


    "What happened to her?" Raze asked; he hesitated for a moment as he was about to touch her, but since he was the one initiating the touch, there was no problem as he reassured himself and grabbed her hand, and then ced another one on her cheek, realizing she waspletely cold.


    "We don''t know; she was just sitting here in a meditative state like this, and then she started to shake, no one entered or anything," Simyon exined.


    ''The cold air, this isn''t some type of magic, is it? But the energy that''s flowing out of her body, is it hers?''


    Raze was truly unsure what to do; even with his magic, did he have anything that could expel this? While in the middle of these thoughts, he could see something appearing on the top of her forehead.


    It was a single line being drawn down, liquid, but it wasn''t just any type of liquid, due to the color of it and how it was spreading, it looked like blood.


    ''Wait, cold air... the appearance of blood out of nowhere. Haven''t I experienced this before as well?''


    Raze remembered when he was in the demonic faction what had happened to him. He had thought it was due to the life and death cultivation technique, but what if it wasn''t? What if whatever he had seen, those bloody hands weren''t just something he could see, it was Safa as well.


    "Before this, was she cultivating?" Raze asked.


    "I think so," Liam answered. "I saw her, and she was in the same pose she always was in, but cultivating can''t do this, right?"


    Cultivating, the Dark Essence technique Raze didn''t think could do this, but was it because they were in the demonic faction? Was this strange red-cold-blooded demon creature something that was with the original body and Safa? Almost like a curse.


    "Get away," Raze said, as dark magic started to surround his body.


    The two boys thought that Raze was talking to them, so they moved further away, but he wasn''t.


    "Don''t touch her!" Raze shouted as his dark magic ignited from his body.

 Chapter 199 Marked

    Chapter 199 Marked


    The magic was extending out of Raze''s body, and it wasn''t being constricted to one ce. He wasn''t trying to control it into one area, nor was he activating a spell of some sort; instead, he was just letting it seep out from his body.


    It was growing in size and darkening the room around them. Slowly, it was creeping its way toward Liam and Simyon, who were off by the side. As they felt it touch them, a whole series of feelings were starting to ovee them.


    The area was bing more silent; their sense of feeling, touch, it was disappearing. But that''s when Simyon noticed something as he waved his hand through it.


    "It''s not cold," Simyon thought to himself. "The magic, it''s getting rid of the cold. Will it also get rid of what''s taking control of Safa?"


    Since Raze was unable to see what it was that was doing this to her, he was trying to fight back in his own way, but he wasn''t sure if it would work. If it didn''t, he had two more ns.


    One was to use the Cultivation technique of life and death himself. If his guesses from before were right, maybe he could attract whatever it was that had gotten a hold on her and pull it toward him.


    If that didn''t work, then perhaps the extraction technique, since the energy he could currently feel didn''t seem to belong to Safa either. However, as Raze held onto her, he could feel his magic was working.


    "She''s starting to shake less, and her lips, they''re not moving anymore either."


    It wasn''t just those things, but the general color was returning to her face. The blood mark was still visible on her head, but it had stopped, now just looking like a small line had been drawn.


    Just in case, Raze continued to use his Dark magic, the magic that was known for its destructive powers, for a while. That was until he could see Safa slowly open her eyes. As she had done so, slowly, Raze started to retract back his magic.


    He was trying to see if whatever it was that had a grasp on her would return. Both Simyon and Liam could feel the sensationsing back around them. They could feel like they were able to breathe, and something wasn''t right at their throats. When they moved their hands through the air, they also noticed that the chill had disappeared.


    Finally, Safa had fully opened her eyes, and she could directly see her brother staring right at her in the face. How long had it been for her since she was able to see the features of her brother like this? She actually thought she might be dreaming, that was until he let go of her cheek and her wrist and leaned back a bit away from her.


    "You only need to nod or shake your head," Raze said. "You might be shocked about what just happened, but were you cultivating just before this?"


    Safa immediately nodded.


    "Did you hear a voice, a woman''s voice?" Raze asked again.


    To which Safa nodded.


    Raze couldn''t ask in detail about what Safa saw, not unless he had a book or some type of writing tool. But with one more question, he was sure he knew what was most likely to have happened.


    "Did you see, blood... a bloody body part, a bloody figure, anything?" Raze asked.


    To which Safa''s whole body reacted as the hairs all over her body stood up, and she nodded her head.


    ''That blooded hand woman,'' Raze''s eyebrows furrowed inward. ''Who is she, and why is she targeting me and Safa? Is it really something to do with our past lives, maybe the death of our parents as well?''


    ''No, that was done by a human. I can''t rule out the possibility that I might have attached myself to something in the Demonic Faction, and now it''s after those around me? But when I used the technique in the Dark Faction, nothing happened.''


    It was confusing for Raze, and he didn''t have any idea how to figure out a solution for it all, so he could only do one thing.


    "All of you, especially you Safa. While you are here, none of you are to use any cultivation techniques. Practice your martial arts, y games with each other, or whatever, but don''t use any cultivation techniques while you are here, got it?"


    The three nodded in synchronization, and Raze hoped it would be the end of it. As far as he knew, summoning the blooded woman was linked to cultivating, so as long as they didn''t do that, they would be fine.


    "So, are you going to say what happened, or?" Liam asked as he saw Raze seemingly just ignore the whole matter and head over to the crates to look at what had been delivered.


    "I don''t like to give answers to things I don''t know much about. Right now, I just know that she was affected by cultivating, so you guys shouldn''t either," Raze answered with a smile on his face.


    With all the ingredients here, he could get to work. With the remaining amount of money, he had bought level 1 power stones.


    He would then use those power stones to create the three and possibly a fourth different pill now that he had another attribute.


    After that, he would use the level 2 power stones to enhance the strength of the items he had gotten. Lastly, after that, he would create higher-tier Qi pills simr to the level 1 power stones, keeping some for himself in dangerous situations and selling the rest.


    He had a n in sight, and he needed to get to work.


    "Don''t worry, I will be in here for a while now with the rest of you. Just to note, if you see any signs of a portal break happening, you should let me know," Raze instructed the others.


    Liam was extremely confused, wondering how Raze could be so calm in this situation. Didn''t his sister just escape death? Or did he already figure out that there was nothing to do about it, so he had moved on?


    It looked like Simyon and Safa had taken Raze''s words, and after what they had been through, the two of them had just returned to their bed to rest and sleep for the rest of the evening.


    "Are they not scared about what he just said either, about a portal break opening?" Liam mumbled to himself.


    Maybe the others didn''t believe Raze or trust him, but after seeing what he could do and all the crazy things happening, Liam decided to stay awake and keep watch, because thest thing he wanted was a portal break to happen while he was sleeping.


    With a piece of chalk on the open floor space, Raze was drawing not one but multiple circles. He then moved the crates so they were easy to gather ingredients from. After drawing one circle, he soon drew another one on top of it.


    Then, he ced the level 1 power stones in the circle as well.


    "When watching Reno, it made me realize something, a way to create and mass-produce stones at once. Since I''m a three-star mage, I have enough mana to do this now."


    Raze ced his hands together, ready to activate, until there was another knock on the door.


    Opening the door, Raze noticed a strangely well-clothed man, and they were in the same type of uniform as the ones he had seen outside the auction.


    "I havee to make a delivery," the man said as he handed over arge, long object wrapped in a red velvet-like cloth.


    Handing it over, the man quickly left the room without saying much. Raze then closed the door and untied the red cloth, revealing three more swords on the ground.


    "With this and the other items I obtained, I wonder what exactly I will be able to make out of all of this," Raze smiled.

 Chapter 200 The Strong Crimson Crane

    Chapter 200 The Strong Crimson Crane


    A big event had urred for a particr group, and it was something only they knew about. Alba was currently at one of her favorite establishments in Repton, which she had named "The Big Red."


    It was a three-tieredrge restaurant where guests would regrly be filled with drinking, joy, ying games, and more. Before, she would have already been treated as a VIP guest, but due to her visiting more and more, and always ordering quite arge amount of alcohol, she had be an even bigger VIP guest.


    A private room had been rented out, withrge sliding doors on either side and a long rectangr table in the room already filled with drinks and snacks ready for them all.


    Currently, Alba was sitting cross-legged with a smile on her face. "How long has it been?" She said, lifting her drink up in the air. "How long has it been since all of us have been here together just like this!"


    Alba wasn''t alone at the table; it was filled with people. In fact, there were eight of them all together, each lifting up their drinks around the table with her.


    "To the Crimson Crane, reunited atst!" Tilon shouted.


    The rest cheered in response, and each one of them took a swig. The joyous asion that was to be celebrated today was that all members of the Crimson Crane n, all eight of them, all of the Wanderers, had regathered once again.


    "So, does this mean we have finally given up the search for the Dark Magus, since none of us was able to find any information about him?" Tilon asked.


    Tilon was dressed in all ck clothing, and on his back at all times was arge knight''s shield. It was wide at the top and then narrowed down towards the bottom. If a person were to bend down and huddle themselves, they would be able to cover 90 percent of their body behind the shield.


    "Not given up, but at least put on hold," Cronker replied. A blonde man with swept-back hair and blue eyes, but one that always had a mask covering his face. Even now as he ate snacks, he would grab something quickly and shove it underneath his mask before anyone could see what it was that he was doing. As for his weapon of choice, it was two daggers as he specialized in assassination techniques.


    "Come on! We don''t have to worry about that Dark Magus guy!" A short young-looking girl who perhaps looked to be a teenager at best shouted out. Her name was Froma. Her bright red cheeks stood out, along with the bow that was carried on her back, which was as big as her. She specialized in a rare type of martial arts surrounding fighting with bow techniques, which wasn''t poprized in the world of Pagna, but many government officials used the bow as a weapon. Since the Crimson Crane were differentpared to other ns and when fightingrge-scale battles, they would fight together, many of their specialized techniques worked well together.


    "We don''t have to worry about him because we have Reno! Like why are we trying to get another Alchemist when we have Reno right here!" Lilly said, pulling him in close to her. She then started to sniff away as she noticed a strong smelling off from his clothes and quickly pushed Reno away.


    "But... I''m not an alchemist," Reno said. "At least, not one that deals in the same type of arts as the others."


    Around the table, the rest of the Crimson Crane were currently present, but they were a bit quieterpared to the rest. There was a spear user named Lilly, who sat up right with a straight face and even as she took a drink, she would gently ce it back on the table. She had long dark brown hair and had a strong presence as she ignored everything that was going on around her.


    Next to Lilly, who had a simr presence to her, was her brother, Kizer, who was a longsword user. He equally sat up right, like Lilly, but wore a lot of armor on his body, unlike most Pagna warriors. On top of that, he had arge x-shaped scar on his chin, giving him somewhat a wild-like appearance with his messy hair.


    Lastly, out of the eight, there was Elvlin, who was lying on the floor, fast asleep while holding onto his ive. Compared to the rest of the Crimson Crane, he had a small body frame, but even with the small frame, he was able to wield something that was even bigger than he was.


    Including Alba, all eight of these made up the Crimson Crane.


    "Ah, Alba!" Reno mentioned. "I know you said that we would head off after receiving the items from Dame, but I was wondering tomorrow, is it okay if I head off to the Howling Ruins? There are some nts that I would like to get from there."


    "Howling Ruins. Isn''t that on the east border?" Alba replied. "I heard that the Light Faction and Demonic Faction recently had arge-scale fight there. It could be quite dangerous."


    "It should be okay," Reno replied. "I will have some... help with me, and besides, what better time than after arge-scale fight. Doesn''t that mean there will be fewer people there than usual? Even the Demonic Faction has pulled back from there."


    Alba thought about it for a while. Reno was strong, in fact, all of those in the Crimson Crane were strong. Because every single one of them was a middle-stage Pagna warrior. Individually, they had the strength to take out small ns. Together they were even stronger, which was why they were such a well-known group and known as the strongest wanderer group.


    "I see, then it should be fine. I guess we''ll be staying here a couple more days anyway," Alba stated.


    There was a knock at the door, and sliding it open, a woman bowed down. "Ma''am, another one of your guests has arrived."


    Coming from the side and stepping into the room was the tall, handsome young man.


    "Well, if it isn''t the Hero of the Demonic Faction, it''s nice to see you again, Dame. I guess you have time to talk now."


    Dame nodded, but he didn''t sit down with the others; instead, he stayed around three meters away from them, and when the door was shut behind them, he went on his knees and ced his head on the floor.


    Suddenly, the happy mood had turned into silence as they saw what Dame was doing.


    "I am here to make a request!" Dame stated. "The Demonic Faction, no, not the Demonic Faction. I am requesting the help of the Crimson Crane to help me get back my sister."


    The few mumblings of sound hadpletely stopped once they had heard what he wanted to ask.


    "Dame, we have been friends for a long time, and you must know that we are a neutral group. We can''t get involved in matters between two factions," Alba answered.


    Dame thought this would be the case, so raising his head, he was ready to give them an offer they can''t refuse.


    "If you help me with my request, then I will introduce you to the Dark Magus."

 Chapter 201 Rare Grade Pills

    Chapter 201 Rare Grade Pills


    While Safa and Simyon were busy resting, Liam was watching Raze with amazement. He was focused as he looked at the magic circles and the strange runes and symbols that were drawn.


    Of course, he didn''t understand any of it, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t make sense of what the symbols would mean even if he saw them repeated over and over again. To him, it might as well have been anguage from another world.


    His eyes continued to be glued as he saw, out of the ingredients, several Qi pills had been created.


    Out of the group of the level 1 power stones, Raze had created ten Red Pills, ten Blue Pills, and ten Green Pills. All of these were made with basic magic rather than Dark magic, so their effects weren''t as strong, but at the same time, there were no downsides.


    After that, he had created ten more Umon Blue Pills, still using the level one power stones. This time he had used Dark Magic. This item was his big seller because it allowed a person to restore all of their mana or Qi for up to a minute, and it only required a level 1 power stone.


    Due to the new technique he had used, he was able to create all of these things at an incredible speed.


    "The umon blue cursed pill, I''ll keep one for myself," Raze thought. "It can be extremely helpful if the situation needs it."


    Once in a while, Raze would look at Liam to see if there was a change in his reaction, but he just continued to stare at Raze as if he was watching a TV show. He was thankful because it meant there were no sudden portal openings.


    "It seems like the main issues ur when I reach a new star level or when a powerful item is created," Raze contemted.


    Raze looked at the sack in the corner, along with his swords that had been propped up. There was the Red ne, the pair of golden earrings, and a pair of ck gloves.


    "It might be best to wait until we''re in another dimension to enchant those, on top of the four swords."


    Thinking about this, Raze wanted to use the level 2 power stones as well. So he ced aside 7 level 2 power stones to be used for enchanting in the future. Maybe he didn''t even have to wait until they were in another dimension but just not here in the inn of all ces.


    This left him with 20 level 2 power stones left. With these, Raze went ahead and started to create specialized Qi pills.


    He had created a Red, Blue, and Green one like he had before, and their effects were just even more powerfulpared to thest, with no additional effects. But he also wanted to test his new type of magic, so he went ahead and created another pill with his Ice attribute.


    When the pill was made, it had a light blue appearance with the marking of DM on it.


    [Upon taking the pill, the user is resistant to the outside energy of others for 1 minute]


    "From the test that I have done before, the cursed magic at the higher levels tends to have arge drawback in terms of Mana. If I created a red pill that had greater healing, it would take arge amount of mana of the user."


    "Now that I''m using my magic more in fights, this isn''t worthwhile to me. Besides, the effects are minimal in terms of healing without using light magic."


    Thinking this, Raze had created two different types of pills using his Dark Magic, and in doing so, he had created a Rare Light blue pill.


    It had the same effect as the other blue pill, but as he suspected, the drawback was the amount of mana it would take when consuming the pill. In turn, he would be resistant to other energies for 5 minutes.


    Then Raze made another blue Qi pill, and it was the same, instead of one minute of restoring all of the user''s mana, it was three minutes instead.


    "I guess this is better, but it isn''t an unlimited amount of mana use; it only restores the user''s mana so I could still run out in those three minutes. Either way, for now, it''s better to just make more regr Qi pills and have the same effect."


    Keeping one of each type of pill, Raze would use it on himself if need be. This was always his n in case he met with someone that was difficult to deal with. Then with the rest, he continued to make the pills, and finally, he was done.


    Looking out of the window, the dark sky was out, but it hadn''t gone past midnight yet.


    "I finished quicker than I thought I would have done," Raze smiled to himself.


    "It''s amazing," Liammented. "You made so many Qi pills in such a short amount of time, and I can tell a lot of them have the same amount of energy as a 20-year Qi pill. This is all just so amazing, man. You''re going to be filthy rich with this!"


    With a smile that was exactly what Raze was hoping for, he decided to get some sleep along with the others as he felt a bit exhausted.


    When the morning sun rose, he stretched and readied several bags for the others. In one, it was all the pills that were to be delivered to Dame. In the other, Raze had decided to take the special items with him and ced them in his special robe.


    He didn''t tell the others where he was going, but before leaving, he looked at Safa. He would have left without a second thought before, but with yesterday''s events, he wanted to make sure she was alright.


    "Everyone, remember what I said, none of you practice cultivating," Raze stated and he was off to meet up with Reno.


    Around an hour or soter, Simyon, who was now moving a lot betterpared to before, along with the others, had gone downstairs to eat again.


    "So did Raze say where he was going to go?" Simyon asked.


    "No, he just left and told me to hand this sack to Dame when I see him," Liam answered.


    "Wait, he''s not with Dame, then I wonder what he''s doing."


    After finishing their meal, the three decided to head back to the Inn again, just to get a little more rest before possibly heading outside. If they couldn''t train, then they could at least go exploring. But that''s when they heard a knock at the door, and it was the special knock that they hade up with.


    "I guess Raze came back quite fast," Simyon said as he went to open the door, but it wasn''t Raze at the door.


    "Ah, Simyon, you look to be moving better," Dame said, heading inside. "Where''s Raze?"


    "Wait, you don''t know where he''s gone either?" Simyon asked. "Well, he did make all the items that you wanted, though."


    "I think those are our items," a female voice said from behind, and Alba soon entered the room. "So what''s going on, has your Dark Magus friend gone missing?"

 Chapter 202 Strong Or Weak?

    Chapter 202 Strong Or Weak?


    Raze had headed to the alchemist warehouse where he had met Reno, and just outside, he could see the man waiting for him. He looked the same as ever, withrge ck circles under his eyes and fingertips still dirty.


    After seeing him working away that time, Raze understood why, and his fingers were proof of his hard work. These types of people, those that especially dedicated themselves to a field of research, he didn''t dislike them.


    "Didn''t you say the ce was dangerous and there could be beasts?" Raze asked.


    He had noticed theck of weaponry on him. Most Pagna warriors used sword skills, but there were a few of those that used different types of martial arts. From just appearance alone, Raze didn''t think Reno was a martial artist that used his fists.


    Yet all Reno had on him was a strappedrge basket on his back. That was used for gathering herbs.


    "We should only fight if necessary," Reno answered with a smile. "Besides, the strong beasts have already been dealt with from the portal break. The only thing we need to worry about are low-level beasts."


    The two of them walked through the city and headed out of the east gate. The demonic faction mostly had ck and dark orange hard ground like a desert that never saw water. Yet nts did still grow on the wastnd.


    It made Raze wonder just where he was going to go or be. After all, this was the ce the Dark Faction Founder had fled to. Although Repton was the closest city, he could have gone anywhere in the Demonic Faction.


    Raze remembered Dame mentioned that his techniques could be found at his n, and if that was the case, then it meant the Dark Faction founder was likely to have visited the Neverfall n as well.


    "Alright, I''ll direct you, and you can set the pace. We''re in no rush, though, but it would be good if we could get there ande back in the same day," Reno said.


    Raze had to agree; the whole group needed to get back before the Academy started again, and he was still a little worried about what could ur with Safa.


    Raze ran, using a pace that wasfortable for him. He was able to cover around five meters with a single push of his leg, but it wasn''t enough.


    "I''m at the second stage, and even with Qi pills, I''m not sure if I''m going to be able to break through to the third stage. It''s just like Dame said; I''m going to need some type of breakthrough. But I wonder if nts and herbs can be used, just like crystals as well?"


    While thinking this, Reno continued to follow from behind with a thought in his mind.


    "I know I said that we weren''t in a rush, but he is moving quite slow. I guess he likes to take it easy."


    Following Reno''s instructions, they had soon gone through a forest of dead trees. There were no leaves on the branches. What they noticed was therge amount of destruction that was around it as well.


    Some of the trees had fallen over, and it didn''t look natural, as the trunks had been broken. It wasn''t just one or two ces, though; it was many.


    "Was this because of the beasts in the area?" Raze asked.


    "I''m not sure," Reno replied. "This is the first time that I''m collecting the nts myself. What they told me was that they were next to some ruins, so we should see it soon."


    It wasn''t just some ruins; they could see it as clear as day. There wererge giant stone pirs across the floor, some still standing and others crumbled intorge rocks.


    The area was vast andrge in size, and the pieces of ruins seemed to have been there for a long time. As there were nts and vines that were already growing up on the rocks. What stood out the most was that there was a giant pyramid structure, and unlike the rest of the ruins on the ground, it was in pretty good condition.


    One of therge pirs next to them, Raze was cing his hand on the greenery attached to the pir.


    "That''s strange; I wonder why the nts only grow on parts of the ruin, yet the rest of the ce is a wastnd," Raze said.


    "Yep, that''s what the gatherers said." Reno answered. "We need to search near the pirs that seem to have their own Qi energy. It''s giving life to the things close to it."


    Reno searched the pir, and right on the bottom, he could see the head of a small bud with a single white flower. It was what they were looking for. Digging underneath it along with its roots and soil, Reno ced it into the basket on his back.


    "Don''t worry, I will give you half of these for keeping mepany," Reno said. "Besides, we want something better than this, right? Something a lot more powerful."


    The two continued to search, and they were only able to find the same type of flower with a single white head on top. They had gathered around ten of them so far. The good news was, they were still on the very outskirts of the ruins, so there was a good chance that they could find something better the further in they headed.


    On top of that, they hadn''t seen any beasts at all. That was until Raze had spotted something on one pir. It had sshes of the color red on it.


    ''That''s blood,'' Raze noticed immediately, and on the ground, he could see the body of a beast. It was around the same size as a dog but was round in size with spiky bristles on its back. Judging from the wounds as well, it looked like they had been killed quite recently.


    It was clear to Raze what that meant, that they weren''t alone at these ruins.


    "Hey, it looks like we have two wanderers from the Demonic Faction!" A man shouted.


    Looking up at the noise, Raze could see one of them jumping right from the pir, and another had gone after Reno, but he needed to focus on protecting himself first.


    The man in a light-colored white uniform held a sword as he jumped down right toward Raze and gathered his Qi in the weapon.


    Reacting fast, Raze swung his sword from the bottom.


    ''The third devil''s formation!'' Raze thought in his head, and he added his wind magic to the sword as well.


    He didn''t have time to think and had pulled out his non-ghost sword, which was in his sheath to his side rather than on his back. As he swung out, and the two swords shed, Raze could feel an intense amount of Qi energy that caused his knees to bend slightly.


    ''This person... they''re strong, I didn''t expect that!'' Raze thought.


    Luckily, with the wind magic, he was able to push himself away, and he slid back along with his opponent.


    Reno had already dealt with his opponent and had turned around.


    "Damn it, you must have gotten the hard one!" Reno said, as he dashed forward turning into almost a blur for Raze. Immediately, his hands had grabbed the Light Faction warrior''s head, and all Raze could see was the warrior starting to foam at the mouth before Reno let go, dropping him onto the floor.


    "Wait a moment, he was just as weak as the other guy, he didn''t stop my attack at all?" Reno said. If that was the case, then how did the mysterious hooded martial arts master struggle.


    "Hey, you don''t mind telling me what stage you''re at, do you?" Reno asked.


    At this moment, Raze thought there was no harm, since Reno was clearly someone on his side.


    "I''m a stage 2 Pagna warrior," Raze answered.


    "Hey look, it''s the Demonic Faction!" More voices shouted from the side, as more of the Light Faction wereing over and spotting the two due to themotion that had urred.


    There were now around six of them or so.


    "Did you say a second stage, you''re an initial stage warrior!" Reno shouted, shaking his head.


    Reno had clearly made a big mistake, and right now, they were both in a very dangerous ce. Even the Light Faction warriors that had just attacked them were at the third stage.


    ''We might just be in some trouble here,'' Reno thought.

 Chapter 203 Light Faction Trouble

    Chapter 203 Light Faction Trouble


    Out from the ruins, multiple men dressed in the same white clothing hade out. They were appearing behind the pirs in the distance,ing from around the corner and even emerging from sections of therge pyramid.


    There were several holes along eachrge step of the pyramid that would allow one to enter, and more and more people were starting to pour out. By the time they wereing towards them, there were already around thirty or so.


    Immediately, Reno rushed to the side.


    ''I need to try to get rid of them as silently as possible,'' Reno thought, as he avoided the sword strike of one man and then shoved his fingers into the mouth of another.


    As he did so, the man started almost immediately foaming at the mouth before falling to the floor.


    Still, he had to pull back, as he jumped and stayed by the hooded man''s side. He could see two men approaching him, and with a stepping motion of his fist and then swinging it out, a wave of dark green physical Qi went out, hitting several of the other men.


    As it did, they weren''t swept off their feet, but instead, something came over them that made them almost instantly fall to the floor.


    ''This man, he''s able to take out those that are just as strong as Ricktor in a couple of sweeping motions and single hits! He really is impressive,'' Raze thought.


    He was starting to understand why many were respecting him around the city and had treated him with respect. He was most likely a high-ranking n member or maybe even a master.


    Still, Raze was now dealing with two warriors himself who had swung their swords towards him. He managed to use the descending steps to just move out of the way and strike against the swords, but he was finding it hard to get a good hit on them, only deflecting their attacks and pushing them back.


    Reno was keeping an eye on him because now that he knew his true strength, he felt like he needed to protect him, since it was his fault that they were in this situation in the first ce.


    ''Damn, I thought he was a martial arts master, but he was only at the second stage!'' Reno thought as he continued to avoid the sword strikes and even caught two of them with his hands, then swirled them around and thrust them so they stabbed their own users in the stomach.


    ''This guy, he didn''t even know much about Alchemist, so I just thought he was someone who concentrated on martial arts. But I guess that''s not the case either; he''s just an ordinary warrior, and I took him to a ce like this!''


    What was worrying Reno was that even though they were defeating more from the Light Faction, it would cause one or two problems. He was a member of the Crimson Crane, a neutral group that wasn''t meant to get involved in others'' affairs. If he took out too many from the Light Faction, they could very well ruin their status as a neutral group.


    The second issue was that, judging by the techniques this man was also clearly from the Demonic Faction. His original n was that if they were to be spotted by someone, the two of them would just run away. But how could they? Now he realized why he was running so slowly before as well. It was because he was running at the normal speed for a second-stage Pagna warrior. His original n of them ditching would be impossible; they would catch up in a heartbeat.


    Even now, the hooded man was struggling with two third-stage Pagna warriors on his own.


    Due to the panic in the situation, Reno was oblivious to the fact that what Raze was doing was actually very impressive. Since he was only a stage 2 warrior, how was he dealing with two at the same time?


    ''If I get to the top, I might be able to use that ability to shroud a field over the rest. It will make them sick, and then I can get out of here. I just have to get to the top of that Pyramid.''


    "Hey, stay close to me and stay behind me; otherwise, you might start to feel a bit ill!" Reno shouted.


    Seeing how strong Reno was, Raze listened to him carefully, knowing they were in a tight bind. He did as he was told, staying behind him and looking at his back.


    Once he was ready, they were on the move, and as Reno charged forward, there was a glowing green color emanating from his fingertips.


    ''It''s that visual Qi, but just on the outside of his body?'' Raze noticed. ''It''s the first time I''ve seen such a thing. To be honest, it almost acts the same way as magic. The Qi looks to have some type of special trait as well.''


    With every person that wasing close to the two of them, Reno would waft his hand next to their face or touch their skin. In doing so, they almost fell ill, foamed at the mouth, or just outright fell to the ground in an instant.


    From the look of their bodies, it looked like they were poisoned.


    ''That''s it, is that why he told me to stay behind him? Does his Qi have some type of special poison trait?'' Raze thought.


    For a poison to have that much effect, the Qi had to be incredibly strong, but more so, it had to work in the way it did. Raze imagined that the poison Qi would have to be in his body as well. He couldn''t imagine the trouble and the things he must have gone through. His body might even be in pain right now.


    Staying behind, they continued to head to the top, and Reno''s n was ready. When they got to the top, he would use a technique that allowed him to cover his Poison Qi in the whole area. With it, the two of them could then escape. As they were on thest few steps, Reno jumped up, and Raze followed. He then turned around while in the air, pulled Raze to the side, and threw him onto the top of the Pyramid.


    Meanwhile, he struck the air, leaving arge mass of green visual Qi that hit all of their pursuers and made them fall to the floor. When Renonded, he could see that Raze had a softnding and was on top of therge tform, but he soon froze as he saw what was at the top.


    "Am I imagining things, or is that guy bad news?" Reno said.


    Standing on top of the pir was a man with white-colored hair to go with his light-colored robes. They were more elegant than any of the others they had met so far, and even the man looked more like he was in his fifties with his facial hair.


    Right next to him, though, on the ground, tied up and being held down by several metal chains and balls, was a woman dressed all in ck. She had several cuts all over her, was covered in blood, and judging by her body, it looked like she hadn''t slept in a few days.


    It looked like she was lucky to be alive or was being kept just on the edge for some reason.


    "Oh, have a couple of heroese to save you? I thought someone would have taken the bait! I guess it''s time the Light Faction got rid of the Demonic Faction!" The man stated.


    Just from looking at him, Reno already knew he was bad news because the man in front of them was a middle-stage warrior.

 Chapter 204 Fighting To Survive

    Chapter 204 Fighting To Survive


    The older man who stood on top of the pyramid wasn''t just anyone from the Light Faction. Reno had noticed the clothing he was wearing, the light color with the golden trim around it.


    This man was known as Nabi Highborn and was one of the ten elders belonging to the Dawnde n, the same n that Beatrix hade from.


    After Beatrix''s loss to the Demonic Faction, the Light Faction could do one of two things: ept the loss and decide to stay low for a while. However, what would that mean for the Light Faction? That they were weaker than the Demonic Faction? Not only that, but from within the Light Faction, the Dawnde n was being pressured, and some were beginning to think that they had grown weak being next to the border of the Demonic Faction.


    Essentially, it meant some of those in the Light Faction felt like the Dawnde n didn''t deserve to be in the top three ns of the Faction.


    Because of this, and with all the pressure internally, not only did the Light Faction decide to react to the Demonic Faction, but they had decided to do it in a big way so they wouldn''t dare to even try to act back.


    This was why the Dawnde n had sent one of the Elders belonging to their n. Nabi wasn''t just a powerful person from the Light Faction; he was extremely powerful and one of the strongest there was.


    The Demonic Faction thought it was enough when they sent out Rayna, a middle-staged warrior, one that was possibly in line to be the next leader of the Neverfall n, to protect themselves. But they were wrong, and this was the result.


    Thinking all of this, underneath Reno''s eye, it was starting to twitch. He was trying to get his brain to work, to figure out what the best thing to do was now that his n had been overturned.


    ''I originally wanted toe up here so I could cast a wide-range Qi attack with my poison Qi as it fell on those chasing us. Then I thought we could just scram out of here, but now that he''s here, he''ll stop me before I even cast such an attack.


    ''And if I cast using so much Qi, then how will I even be able to fight him?''


    Taking a peek behind him, Reno could see that most of the warriors were staying on the pyramid waiting for them to drop down or stopping them from escaping.


    "This is a seriously bad situation!" Reno thought as he stretched out his hands, and visual Qi was seen coating both of them in a light green fluorescent color.


    At the same time, two of the Light Faction Pagna warriors from below had jumped up and were surrounding Raze again.


    ''I am sorry, my new friend,'' Reno thought in his head. ''But I cannot help you; you will have to deal with them both on your own.''


    Reno didn''t hesitate as he charged in, and when he was within range, he swung his hand in the air, leaving arge veil of green mist to fire out toward Nabi. The Light Faction Elder drew out his sword, and it started to glow with power.


    He then struck from below, and the green visual Qi disappeared right at that moment.


    "Having already lost to us once, I would have thought they would have sent a few that were stronger than this!"


    Nabi charged in with his sword, ready to strike from above. His Qi power extended beyond his sword, making it longer, and when he struck it down, Reno was able to dodge it by the skin of his teeth.


    He slipped to the side, and arge line that reached the very edge of the pyramid appeared on the floor. He pushed forward, spun his body, aiming for a direct hit.


    Using his sword, Nabi blocked the strike again, but the visual green Qi continued toe off from his fist and was heading towards the Elder. However, before it could touch him, the Elder''s clothes were now glowing in a bright white, and all of the visual Qi had dispersed.


    ''Crap, my Qi isn''t strong enough. He must be quite the high-level middle stage warrior, at least higher than me! This isn''t enough on my own!'' Reno thought.


    Raze was struggling as he fought against two opponents at once, using the Descending Steps, but it was his first time fighting more than one person who was this strong. Because of it, he wasn''t able to strengthen the steps by using them consecutively one after the other.


    The steps were weak on their own. Raze struck one, shing right against the sword, and as he did, he could see the othering from his back. He had no choice but to cover his hand in his Wind Magic; as he did this, he swung it out, and it shed against the other sword.


    "Huh, is this guy''s Qi is this strong to stop my sword? That''s impossible; it doesn''t really make any sense!" The Light Faction warrior thought.


    "A push of the wind!" Raze said as he used his magic and pushed the warrior away. It skidded him across the ground but wasn''t enough to do damage to him. Jumping back, Raze decided he had no choice.


    "If I don''t do something, then none of us will live!" Raze said.


    -----


    In a struggle, with Reno''s fist shing against Nabi''s, Reno was trying to draw power from somewhere, but he wasn''t much of a fighter. If his poison wouldn''t work, then what could he do? He didn''t have the best techniques.


    In his struggle, he could see Nabi''s sword shed right across his chest, faster than he could see, and a cut was made, spilling out blood from his body. It fell to the floor, it was slightly ck in color, not the bright red it usually would be.


    "A poison user, of course, only someone as sick from the Demonic Faction would use such a thing!" Nabi charged in again, swinging the sword from above, and it was too fast for Reno to deal with. He ced both hands above his head and activated all of the Qi he possibly could to stop the sword from cutting him.


    As he had done that, though, a foot kicked him right in the stomach, sending him skidding across the ground. It was clear to Reno that he was outmatched, and he wasn''t sure if he could do this alone.


    He was continuing to go, nearly falling off the edge, that was until he felt something solid grab onto him and stop him.


    "Thank you," Reno said, but his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw it was arge stone statue of all things.


    When looking at the hooded figure, he could see that both of the attackers who were fighting him just moments ago had been defeated. One was shed apart, with the other next to a destroyed part of the ground.


    "Use this!" Raze said as he threw over a pill.


    Reno had caught it and looked at the pill. It was green in color, and not only that, it had the marking of DM on it.

 Chapter 205 Not Dying Today

    Chapter 205 Not Dying Today


    While Raze was in the middle of fighting against the two warriors, he had thought about using more of his magic skills. Using magic along with the Demonic techniques allowed it to be more effective, but things like Dark Pulse would surely take them by surprise.


    When thinking about magic, though, it made him think about something else that he could use. Something that took little magic to activate and would be incredibly strong. In a situation like he was in, did he care about Alter''s rules? Of course not.


    If he was dead anyway, then what use would it be to follow Alter''s rules to survive? After pushing the two away, one with his swordsmanship and the other with his wind magic, Raze had the time to summon his statue. With it in his hand, he used Dark magic, and dropping it to the ground, it started to grow.


    "What is that, did he just summon a statue?" one of the Light Faction warriors said. They were clearly confused, and they were even more startled when they saw it moving.


    It charged forward toward one of them, and in doing so, it swung its sword from above. It hit the Light Faction warrior, whose knees nearly buckled. Drawing the sword away, it acted again and mmed its heavy fist on top of its head, sending it to the ground.


    This distraction finally gave Raze a chance to use four of the Descending Steps in session as he went right at the third warrior and swung his sword. With the added strength of the buildt-up of Qi, the Devil''s swordsmanship strike, and Raze''s wind magic, it managed to break through, shattering the sword and cutting him right across the chest.


    "As I thought, the statue is incredibly strong," Raze thought, looking at it. "It has the blood of all five of the disciples. Ricktor was a third-stage warrior while the rest were at the second stage. With all of thembined together, that statue might be a stage 4 or 5 Pagna warrior, and it has the techniques from all the ns, making it extremely versatile."


    With Raze having sessfully defeated the two who were dealing with him, he managed to catch the tail end of the fight between two middle-stage warriors. Just from a nce, he knew that his getting directly involved was a bad idea, but looking down at the two injured Light Faction warriors something did cross his mind.


    What he was even more surprised about, though, was therge difference between the two. It looked as if Reno was unable to do anything at all.


    When Reno was struck back, the statue had caught him, and since Raze needed his ally''s help, he did what he could in throwing him a pill.


    "DM... these are the Dark Magus'' pills that Alba was trying to find. This one looks different from the one that he gave me before. Why does he have so many of these pills? Nothing is making sense."


    Regardless, Reno decided to take the pill right there and then. In doing so, he felt an instant rise in his energy, and not just that, but something else was changing in him as well. He moved forward, his footsteps, everything about him, was moving slightly fasterpared to before.


    When Nabi went to swing the sword down, Reno thrust both of his fists forward in an open palm. Some of his Qi had restored thanks to the pill, but it wasn''t the only effect. His techniques that would require more Qi, he was able to use them faster than before.


    Jumping quickly from the side, Reno delivered a punch, and rather than blocking it with the sword like Nabi had done this entire time, he avoided it by moving his head to the side instead.


    ''How can a person improve so muchpared to before? He wasn''t hiding his strength, was he? What is going on?'' Nabi thought.


    Nheless, he was able to shift to the side and thrust his sword right at Reno. Gathering his Qi to the sword strike, he blocked the attack, and was sent skidding to the side. The powerful Qi still delivered a strong blow, causing him to cough out blood.


    "I can move my Qi and my techniques a lot quicker thanks to that pill. The effect of it was more than I thought as well. This Dark Magus person is amazing, but I don''t think it will be enough."


    Reno just needed a few moments to recover as he could see that Nabi wasing after him. But thankfully, a particr person, or thing, stood in his way, as it struck with his fists, a destructive explosive force came out.


    Nabi swung his sword in an upward motion, like the curve of the moon, and created a wall of Qi, blocking the strike.


    "A doll?" Nabi strangely thought, looking at the stone statue.


    However, the doll wouldn''t be strong enough to defeat him, which was why he was ready to strike again. That was until a strong force could be felting from behind. The back of his neck was tingling.


    Turning, he could see three lines of strikes heading his way tearing up the ground.


    Nabi swung his sword to deflect all three of them.


    As he did, the energy dispersed into the air, but powerful shockwaves went off one after the other, when his sword shed against the strikes. When he looked in the direction of where the attack hade from, he could see it was from the strange hooded man.


    Raze was standing there, and he had drawn his ghost sword from his back. The weapon was now slightly glowing red after using his moves.


    "This sword... it really does draw more power when Demonic Qi is being used in it."


    The moment Raze tried to use a Demonic technique along with the ghost de, he could feel it being reinforced with a strange power. The sword itself started to glow slightly red as well.


    However, as for the reason why he had taken a while to attack, that was because he had decided to do everything he could to give them the chance to win the fight.


    On the ground next to Raze, there were two shriveled-up bodies that werepletely dried up like prunes.


    "Don''t tell me, did he use the extraction technique on those from the Light Faction?" Reno noticed.


    That was exactly what Raze had done. This was a life and death situation, and he could tell with the force of the strikes the Light Faction members were using that they had attempted to kill him. So he needed to gather as much power as he could in this situation.


    After drawing their energy, he could feel his Qi rising. With the extra power received from the Light Faction warriors, the new ghost de, along with using his magic, Raze was able to producerge wind strikes full of power.


    "I''m seriouslypletely confused with this guy," Reno thought. "I thought he was an alchemist, but he knows nothing about alchemy. I thought he was a martial artist, and then he says he''s only a stage 2 Pagna warrior.


    "So how, how is he able to produce something like Qi strikes out of his body? Is he actually a master martial artist?"


    There was something else as well. When using the extraction technique on the Light Faction members, when they had finally passed, Raze had received quite the increase in a certain attribute.


    [Dark attribute: 40 >>>> 50]


    Although Wind magic was useful for attacking from far away and sharpening one''s sword, the most destructive type of magic and the one Raze was most powerful in was Dark magic.


    Soon, the ghost de started to change, as Dark magic surrounded the outside of the weapon, giving it a faint dark glow.


    "I¡­ won''t die here." Raze said.


    Using the opportunity, Reno quickly jumped away again and this time moved closer to the hooded figure and so did the statue next to him.


    ''These guy his attack''s aren''t strong but there''s something about him.'' Reno thought.


    From his side, he could see Raze move and quickly he had thrown out a red pill. Catching it, he could see the marking of DM again and this time he took it in immediately.


    ''With this many pill''s I think I''ve figured out who you are?'' Reno inwardly smiled.


    At that moment, Raze pulled out another green Qi pill and consumed it himself, confirming Reno''s suspicions.


    ''You are him! you are the Dark Magus!''

 Chapter 206 Too Strong

    Chapter 206 Too Strong


    Everything was making sense to Reno, and at the same time, nothing was making sense. The pills that were incredibly rare to get one''s hands on, a mysterious person turning up at the auction who was strong and weak at the same time. The pills that had even greater effects than the rumors; because of this, he could only imagine that this person was the Dark Magus.


    "Now that I''m 80 percent sure of who this person is, I definitely can''t run away," Reno thought to himself. "If I did, then Alba would kill me if she found out what I did, and rather than getting killed by her, I would rather fight, trying my best to take out this person in front of me."


    With the red pill, Reno had healed up and gained more Qi again, and he decided to charge in once more at a fast speed. The only thing was he wasn''t alone this time. The stone statue that was by his side had charged in as well at the same time.


    "A bunch of you teaming up on a single old man?" Nabi smiled. "As expected of those that belong to Factions like the Demonic and Dark, none of you have any honor at all."


    Hearing the old man''s voice and the sound of fighting and energies spewing out, Rayna was starting to open her weak eyes. Her whole body was in pain from all over, and her limbs felt heavy.


    There was a special type of metal that had been created to makerge balls and chains to keep her down. If she was at full strength, she at least would have been able to move, but in the state she was in now, it was close to impossible.


    "Who is it that''se here, did the Neverfall n actually send someone after I failed?" Rayna said, as if she was surprised.


    When she looked at the two that were helping her out, though, she didn''t recognize any of them.


    "I thought as much; father isn''t like that. I guess these two strangers just stumbled upon this situation. Maybe my luck hasn''t run out."


    Closing her eyes, Rayna started to focus. She hadn''t given up, and she wasn''t going to just let the current situation put her out. With the state she was in, could she really do anything? As she looked around the area, she could feel something giving her a little bit of energy.


    Towards the edge of the tform, there was a white flower, and on the top of the head, it had strangely sprouted out, creating five heads. For a while now, she had felt a soothing sensationing from the nt.


    "I don''t know what that thing is, but maybe it can help me," she thought.


    ---


    The statue and Reno charged in one after the other, and it was starting to use one of the explosive fist techniques as it threw out its hands towards the middle-staged warrior.


    Nabi was charging up a palm strike as he moved his hand in a circr motion, but seeing this, it was then that Reno decided to act. His entire arm glowed green as he swung it down.


    "The Snake''s bite!"


    Reno''s hand wasn''t shaped like a fist, but instead, he had his thumb and two fingers pointed like a pair of fangs ready to bite down right on the Light Faction Leader''s arm. It struck, pinching hard and pulled the hand away so the palm strike Qi struck out, going into the air and hitting nothing.


    The statue then sessfullynded a hit right on the chest of Nabi, who jolted back a little, but he pushed forward with his foot as this happened.


    "This whole disy is pathetic! Do you guys have any idea who I am?" Nabi swirled his arm and swung Reno off, throwing him to the ground. Right after, Nabi swung the sword, and when it hit the statue, it sliced right through him.


    "This guy''s power, it''s almost as if he''s been toying with us!" Reno thought. "He has to be a high-stage middle-stage warrior."


    Slicing the sword again, parts of the statue wereing off bit by bit, and finally, the power of the strike was put into the tip of his sword as he thrust it forward. At that moment, it had broken into several pieces, turning into next to nothing. But there was a certain individual right behind him.


    "The fourth descending step!" Raze kicked off with both of his feet, his sword covered in his ck magic. He rose the weapon from above and used the first formation of the Devil''s strike.


    "The Dark Devil''s waterfall!" The Dark magicpletely surrounded the sword and came crashing down.


    Just in time, Nabi was able to swing his sword up and block the strike. As the two energies shed, his feet broke several of the pyramid''s bricks beneath him, creating a small crater below.


    The strike was extremely strong at that moment, and Reno couldn''t believe it.


    "Is this really something that only a second-stage Pagna warrior is capable of?"


    Right now, Raze had the power of the drained Light Faction members, he had used his Descending Step skills up to the fourth step, and mixed his strongest type of magic with his sword formation. On top of that, he had the ghost de in his hand that got stronger with Demonic energy, as well as the speed pill giving him just that small edge.


    It certainly wasn''t a strike that a simple two-star Pagna warrior could produce.


    As the two energies shed, Nabi was carefully looking at what was surrounding Raze''s sword as it flickered slightly, and his eyes opened wide.


    "Oh, to find someone like you in a ce like this, I guess you are a very, very unlucky person!" Nabi lifted his hand and quickly used a palm strike, hitting Raze right in the stomach.


    It was too fast for him to react, and he slid across the ground. Blood came spitting out from his mouth, and he was sure he was going to fall off the edge. He had no choice but to use his wind magic as he stayed on, saving himself, but the pain was still there as he knelt over.


    Nabi walked over to Reno and swung the sword a couple of times. Reno had blocked them using his Qi so it didn''t cut him, but then Nabi used a thrust attack. Reno had blocked it with his Qi, but it was still destructive, as he felt it enter him and blood pour out of his mouth too.


    Momentster, Reno had ended up right next to Raze, rolling and falling on the ground.


    The statue had been defeated, and Raze had used the pills he thought were effective, he had waited for the perfect time using most of his mana along with his Qi, yet the two of them still weren''t able to defeat him.


    "The effects of the pill, I think they''re wearing off... I''m sorry, my friend," Reno said. "I don''t think I can continue much longer."


    Nabi had enough of ying these games, with both of them injured, it was time for him to slice off both of their heads. As he dashed forward, a Qi-filled arrow hade right at him. He swung his sword, trying to cut the arrow in half, but it stayed mid-air for a moment before eventually being deflected and causing arge crash in the ground below.


    "That was no normal arrow, who''s there?" Nabi shouted.


    "Who?" A voice replied. "It''s the ones that are going to bring you down."


    Raze turned to look, and he could see a group of eight people standing there on the pyramid edge. They were all dressed in different shades of clothes and armor. They didn''t look like your typical Pagna warriors.


    As he looked further, he was trying to see if he recognized any of them, but he was unable to.


    Below them, though, all of the Light Faction members that were blocking their path of escape had been defeated, and with ease, because the group that had arrived wasn''t just anyone.


    "I think this might be the first time in a long time I''m happy to see you appear out of the blue," Reno joked.


    "You two rest up," Alba said as she walked forward, pulling out two medium-sized red swords from her waist and holding them in her hands. "We, the Crimson Crane, will take care of this!"

 Chapter 207 The Crimson Crane Attack

    Chapter 207 The Crimson Crane Attack


    One of the most well-known ns across the three continents had arrived. Their name stretched far and wide, not just because of their power but also due to their unique setup. They were so well-known that even someone like Raze, who had only been there a short while, knew their name.


    "The Crimson Crane, what are all of them doing here?" Raze thought. "Are they here to save that girl?"


    It wasn''t just Raze who had recognized them. Nabi noticed the distinctive features of Alba, the current n head of the Crimson Crane, with her dark pigmented red skin, a feature only found in a certain region.


    "The Crimson Crane? And not just a few members, but all of you havee here to stop me, what an honor!" Nabi started to chuckle as he loosely moved his sword about through the air. "I thought your status was wanderers and to never get involved in affairs that dealt with the other factions."


    Alba looked toward Reno and walked over to him, seeing some blood on his clothes.


    "It seems you have hurt one of our members pretty badly. I would say that is reason enough to take you down. Crimson Crane, do whatever you can to take out this man!"


    The n members all spread out immediately as they positioned themselves to sh against the middle-staged warrior.


    Immediately, Froma, the small red-cheeked girl, rolled to the side and pulled out her bow, which looked like it had been carved from arge beast''s tusks. She ced an arrow inside and pulled it one after the other as she got several more arrows from her quiver. All of them were powered with Qi.


    Nabi, using his sword, struck each of them, and having hit one of the arrows before, he knew how strong they were, so he had to put a bit more strength into it. Hitting the arrows, some crashed on the ground, breaking the tiles underneath, while others were hit off the tform.


    Taking this opportunity, the small man Elvlin, who held a giant ive, jumped up in the sky and swung it down right on top of Nabi.


    The Elder from the Light Faction used his sword to protect himself from the attack, but just like before, his legs were pushed into the ground as it started to break slightly beneath him.


    From the side, Kizer, holding onto the long sword, and Lilly, the spear user, both of them came at the same time toward the old man.


    "All of you are at the middle stage, no wonder your n has made a name for yourselves, but your name is not due to your strength, but it is due to your uniqueness. You are nothingpared to us Elders of the Dawnde n!"


    Kicking off from his foot, Nabi started to spin, and he deflected the ive of Elvlin, pushing him to the side. He continued to spin his body, and he had hit the long sword of Kizer, as well as the spear of Lilly, crushing them both to the ground.


    Immediately, with his other hand free, he had somehow managed to get behind Elvin and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him down to the ground. With his sword, he was getting ready to stab it down again, but Alba hade forward, swinging one sword after the other of her dual des.


    Nabi was on the retreat as he saw lines of red visual Qiing at him, but he was blocking each of the strikes.


    ''Her swordsmanship is unique, and she is aiming for spots that are awkward for me to defend.''


    Still, Nabi was keeping up with all of the hits one after the other. He certainly lived up to his reputation, and judging by the fact that he could fend off all of the Crimson Crane, it meant he had to be quite a high middle-staged warrior.


    While he continued to defend attack after attack, he had failed to notice the presence at his side. A blonde man with a ck mask hade out with a dagger coated in Qi.


    With no choice, Nabi reacted, lifting his hand, and the dagger had gone right through it, even though it was coated in Qi, for the first time, Nabi was bleeding from a flesh wound.


    "All of you at once is certainly annoying!" Nabi pulled his hand out and then circled his hand in two motions, firing out two Palm sts at Cronker, hitting him in the stomach. He then jumped in the air, trying to reposition himself, but while in the air, several arrows were on him again. With a wide swing and his Qi, he managed to hit the arrows and had done so in a way so they were deflected right back toward the group.


    Each of them was left using their techniques to defend themselves, and during that time, Nabi had kicked the air. He had done so using his Qi as something to push against, giving him something that made it look like he was somewhat flying.


    Now he was heading down, and he was heading right towards someone. "Let''s get rid of you one by one!" Nabi started to gather the Qi at the tip of his sword. As for the person he was aiming for, it looked like he was going after both Raze and Reno, who were both resting.


    ''Crap, I thought with all the others that they would have been able to keep him down, but this old man doesn''t just have strong Qi, he''s freakin'' incredibly skillful!''


    However, luckily for them, there was still one member that hadn''t shown themselves yet. He had jumped in front of the two and pulled out hisrge ck shield from his back. He stood behind it firmly, then right when the sword was about to thrust forward, he shifted his foot and bashed right into the tip of the de.


    Arge amount of Qi exploded from both ends, and shockwaves were sent off, blowing wind in all directions. Even Rayna was struggling as she had managed to make her way closer to the nt.


    ''The Crimson Crane?'' She thought. ''What are they doing here? Why would theye here and fight against the Light Faction? This makes no sense. Did my father pay them? Or is it something else.''


    After having his skill blocked, Nabi continued to swing his sword several times, but Tilon with his shield continued to move it and block all of the iing attacks.


    That''s when another attack was thrown at Raze, and the sword wasn''t next to him, but the Qi strike left his sword, creating a line of aura that was sent his way.


    Reno, seeing this, had no choice, as he went in front of him, bashing both of his fists together and taking a deep breath, he blew out his Qi, making a visual green cloud of smoke. It hit the attack and started to slow it down, but it was still able to continue to push through. That was until Kizer had jumped down with his long Sword and swung at the visual strike, breaking it into particles.


    "What are you doing Reno!" Kizer said. "Are you an idiot? Why would you throw yourself in front of a stranger like that?"


    Although Reno and this stranger might havee together, Kizer wasn''t shy. It was clear that this person was weak and had been holding him back during the fight. In the world of Pagna, especially when they were going against a tough opponent like so, they had no time to worry about others.


    "He''s right!" Alba said as she jumped back. She had just been shing head to head with Nabi, trying to at least wear him out, and now all of the others were having a go fighting at him. No matter how hard they were pushing, though, he was able to defend from it all and get in a few attacks of his own. If he didn''t tire out, then it would slowlye to their loss, and although it looked like the fight was quite even, as soon as they lost one person, it would quickly go downhill.


    "What are you doing? Forget about this guy. Hey, you, just scram out of this ce," Alba shouted.


    Reno wasn''t so sure that was the right thing to do. He wasn''t sure if he was imagining it or not, but it almost looked like Nabi was targeting the hooded figure for some reason.


    ''Did something happen in that interaction?'' Reno thought.


    Listening to them, Raze thought now, without the others, it was a good time for him to go, and as he turned around to move away, a sword strike came right towards him. Reno had pulled his shirt, bringing him back just in the nick of time, again allowing the strike to continue on and go off the pyramid.


    ''I was right, that damned Light Faction Elder, he''s aiming for him for some reason. Could it be, does he know as well?'' Reno decided then and there that there was only one thing he could do.


    "Alba, we have to protect him," Reno said. "This man right here, he''s the one that we''ve been looking for, he''s the Dark Magus!"


    Reno shouted thest words loud and clear so the others could hear what he had said, and they turned their heads slightly to look at the hooded man.


    "This person¡­ he''s the Dark Magus?" Alba asked, and soon she smiled because this just changed everything. At the same time, though, she wasn''t the only one surprised by those words, because Nabi, the Light Faction Elder, had heard them as well.


    ''He''s the Dark Magus¡­ no, that can''t be, that''s impossible, it can''t be him,'' Nabi thought.

 Chapter 208 Im Built Different

    Chapter 208 I''m Built Different


    After learning of the special and unique pills that the Dark Magus was able to make, Alba had an obsession with finding this person. She already envisioned that with him by their side, they would be able to go beyond what they currently already were.


    She had big things nned for the Crimson Crane, to be a worldwide force that could be utilized at will, with the aim of mainly protecting the people. It''s why they were wanderers and helped out in cases adhering to any faction, and it was also why they focused more on getting rid of dangerous portals than the affairs between factions and governments.


    However, she had received no luck. Time after time, there were no signs of this Dark Magus, and finally, when Dame was going to introduce him to them, he was nowhere to be seen.


    It was leaving her to think that perhaps the world didn''t want her to meet up with him. But what hade as a surprise to her was the children she had seen. The ones that were in the room were the ones that had caught her eye that day.


    Was it a coincidence that Dame had brought her to these people? But there was one person missing¡ªthe hooded figure. At the time, she didn''t put her finger on it, as her mind was filled with many things, but the hooded figure they were looking for, the one that was there that day, was he the Dark Magus?


    The hooded figure with them as well, she thought it was just a stranger. She had only gone out here because she wanted to uphold her part of the deal. The Dark Magus and Dame were close, so it should have been someone she could meet anytime.


    Meanwhile, his sister''s situation, with her being injured, who knew how long she would be alive, or if she was alive at all.


    Which was why the two of them had split up. Dame and the kids had gone to search for the Dark Magus and where he might be around the city, while Alba had gone off to the job intended.


    "Alright, new n!" Alba said. "Tilon, stay by the Dark Magus'' side no matter the cost, and as for the rest of you, consume the green pills!"


    Immediately, all of the members of the Crimson Crane took out the green pills with the marking of DM on them. Raze noticed them straight away; they were the Qi pills that he had created. These pills were the ones he had made with the level 1 power stones, so they wouldn''t have an effect for arge amount of time, but still, it would be helpful to them all.


    "Let''s show the Dark Magus what we can do, especially when he''s the one helping us!"


    After taking the pills, everyone got to work again. The first one to strike was Elvlin; with his small frame, he swung the ive, hitting the sword. He was moving just a little faster, giving him a little more power, knocking his sword more to the side.


    Seeing this, Froma was timing her shots perfectly, and the arrows themselves were even moving through the air faster. They had crashed into Nabi''s side, hitting his ribs. His Qi was protecting him from them piercing his body, but it was a big blow, and it wasn''t thest of the blows.


    Cronker hade from the back, aiming for the legs, he shed towards the back of them, creating cuts near his achilles. Trying to slow him down. The de didn''t get through, but he was able to attack it more than once before going through to the other side.


    Right after, Lilly with her spear thrust in the middle; the timing seemed odd to Nabi as he went to block it, but that''s when therge sword from Kizer had hit the sword away, and Lilly thrust right into the stomach of Nabi. She lifted him in the air and stabbed at his body several times, one after the other, blood was starting to pour out of his mouth at this point.


    "Give me a boost, Cronker!" Alba shouted, as she jumped, and Cronker went on his back, he then kicked both feet of Alba, sending her up.


    Lilly stopped attacking for a moment, allowing Alba to strike again while he was in the air. She swung both of her des in an X shape, andnded on the floor. Her visual Qi looked to have made petals as therge marking was left, and blood soaked Nabi''s clothes as he was falling to the floor.


    He could tell the rest were below him, and each of them was waiting for him. So he had no choice as he gathered his Qi and started to spin his body. The Qi and strikes were flying off his body in all directions like that of a tornado. Strikes wereing out everywhere, and the group needed to deflect them one by one. Thankfully, Tilon was still with Raze and Reno and was deflecting all of the hits.


    As hended on the ground, arge wave of Qi pushed out, making sure that no one got close to him, but when hended for a second, he stumbled, and specks of blood were spat out of his mouth.


    "Haha, typical, the great Crimson Crane¡­ needs to use their entire n to take me on, and you even have the help of some enchanted items, I see." Nabi was smiling, his teeth soaked in blood.


    The Crimson Crane''s effect of the pills would be wearing off soon, and they had already used up quite a bit of Qi. They needed to finish this now that he was injured.


    All of them charged in at once again from all different angles. Rayna, who had been watching it all, some might have thought that she would have been hopeful in this situation, but she wasn''t.


    Having mustered up a bit of her strength from the strange nt that she was now next to, she managed to shout out a few words.


    "No, get away from him!" Rayna screamed.


    She knew what wasing. During her fight with Nabi, he had used it as well. Something that she had never seen before, something she had no clue how to react to.


    Nabi raised his hand, and from the corner of his eye, he looked at Raze with arge smile.


    ''Just what is he¡­ nning on doing?'' Raze thought.


    With his hand in the air, right at his fingertips, a few sparks started to appear. Soon after, it began to trickle down his entire arm. A strange blue trickle that was sparking off in all different directions.


    The others thought that this was just a type of visual Qi, a new technique by the Dawn de n they had never seen before, but they were wrong, they were very wrong.


    "Who cares if I get in trouble. Paralyzing shock!" Nabi called out and mmed his hand open on the ground.


    At the same time, the strange blue substance that was shooting all over the ce spread right out on the ground, followed by a thunderous roar. The strike on the floor nearly deafened them all, and immediately, all of the Crimson Crane was hit by this attack.


    It ran across the floor, hitting their bodies, causing them to freeze up. Almost immediately, they all fell to the floor on their knees, dropping their weapons by their sides.


    Alba was trying to pick up her weapon, but a tingling pain was being felt throughout her whole body.


    "What is this?" Alba said to herself. "What type of technique can do something like this? Shouldn''t only a Divine being be capable of this? Are you a Divine being?"


    "No," Nabi answered. "I''m not a Divine being, I''m a mage."


    The words, it was something that Alba didn''t understand. What even was a mage, and why wouldn''t her body listen to her?


    She looked around at her fellow allies. ''Come on, just one of you, one of you¡­ resist this!''


    As she thought about her own people from the Crimson Crane, a realization had hit her. What about the Dark Magus? If it was affecting them this badly, then surely he would be hurt as well.


    She managed to slowly turn her head, twitching it, as the sparks continued to try to snap it back.


    "Huh?" Alba said in surprise. "How, how is he the only one standing and not affected by this."


    Everyone had been affected by the lightning; all of them were down on their knees, all apart from Raze, as he stood there staring right at Nabi.


    Rayna couldn''t believe her eyes as she blinked a few times. It was a skill, even her as a middle-stage warrior couldn''t resist this strange power.


    ''Who¡­ is that guy?'' Rayna thought.

 Chapter 209 Magic Vs Magic

    Chapter 209 Magic Vs Magic


    When Nabi had lifted his hand up, there was an instinctual reaction from Raze. He had seen this type of movement many times before in his past life, more than he could count. In the world of Pagna, he thought that he would never experience it, at least not here. So for a moment, he thought he might have been wrong.


    His experience as a teacher, he had seen those start the spell the same way. This was a spell linked to those with the Lightning attribute. To draw more power, they often had to lift their hands in the sky.


    They could still use lightning-type magic without it, but if it was a long-ranged attack and they needed to store lightning quicker, raising their hand was the ideal way, and just before Nabi had cast his magic, he had said the words of the spell.


    It had confirmed it for Raze, and in that split second, he had reacted. Pulling out the new pill he had created, the light blue Qi pill with the ice magic, he had flicked it right into his mouth and swallowed it down.


    A cool sensation was felt all over his skin, power radiating from his body.


    Nabi ced his hand on the floor, and the lightning went out, hitting everyone in the area, including Raze himself. The lightning still struck him, hurting him slightly, but the effects of the spell, causing a paralysis effect, were worn off by the effect of the pill.


    That was why Raze was still standing there in front of everyone, why Raze was unaffected by the magic, because he knew what wasing.


    ''That spell, it wasn''t one that was directed at hurting but paralysis. It''s quite easy to avoid if one casts magic in the area around them at the same time, or if one can jump away from the ground at a high enough distance. But the Pagna warriors would have known nothing about it,'' Raze thought.


    ''I took an umon Qi pill, which means for the next three minutes I''ll be unaffected by his effects.'' Raze thought to himself, but there was an even more pressing thought on top of all of this. ''What is a mage doing here? Is he part of Alter? Someone in the Light Faction, they said that they had people everywhere, right?


    ''So it''s quite possible? Then what happens in this situation. Do I reveal who I am?''


    Raze remembered something; at the moment, he still had the device that had been given to him. If he was from Alter, it should have activated when someone else was close. Yet it hadn''t done so. Of course, Himmy did also state that those from Alter would be able to deactivate the device itself, but one thing was clear, now Nabi would know that Raze was a mage as well, so he needed to see what was going to happen.


    "As I thought, you were a mage," Nabi smiled as he looked at all of the Crimson Crane still hurt and affected by what had happened. Even Rayna had been hit from behind, sending her straight to the ground again.


    "You also seem to be one good with enchantments. You have already learned how to utilize them and make them into the form of Qi pills in this world. That is very impressive; you certainly must have a lot of knowledge," Nabi said, impressed, cing his sword away in his sheath by his side and even pped his hands a few times. While doing so, small sparks came off.


    "You should be careful, though. If Alter gets word that you have been selling these pills, they will be after you. Not that it matters because you''re going to die right here!" Nabi stretched out his hand, and the sparks charged up from his shoulder.


    "Lighting Strike!" Nabi shouted out. The magic twirled around his hand as if it was charging from the shoulder and went right out from his hand, striking forward.


    The others watching this happen couldn''t believe their eyes. This wasn''t a type of visual Qi; there was no buildup of Qi through movements to create an image, and the properties of the attack, they were real; they could feel it themselves. Just what type of pure power was this?


    However, it wasn''t as if Raze was doing nothing as he saw this. At the same time, ck magic had been building up around his arm as well, and throwing it forward at the same time, Raze said the magic words.


    "Dark Pulse!"


    A dark beam shot out from his hands, and it struck against the lightning. As they both hit, the two magic energies were colliding against each other. That was until eventually one of the powers won out, and the dark beam continued forward.


    Nabi had no choice but to move out of the way as the beam continued onward into the distance.


    "What!" Nabi said. "You, and me, we are both 3-star mages; my lightning shouldn''t have lost out to yours!"


    Raze smiled as he heard all of this.


    "Your right, you could tell from my mana, and I could tell from yours that we are both 3-star mages, but have you lived in Pagna for so long that you forgot the basics?" Raze asked. "Dark magic is strong against lightning!"


    Shoving both of his hands forward, Raze used the Dark Pulse twice.


    "Dark Pulse!"


    It came out of both hands and fast; Nabi had no choice but to lift both of his hands up, and as he did, a wall of lightning appeared.


    "Wall of Lightning!" Nabi said.


    The lightning barrier was created, and the dark energy was shing against it. It was hard, and now Nabi had to put even more effort as he ced more of his Mana into his lightning. He had to, otherwise, it wouldn''t be enough to defend from the attack.


    Eventually, the dark magic had stopped, but Nabi looked worn out just from the two attacks.


    "You may be a strong mage, but you are nothingpared to my Pagna skills!" Nabi stated. "I''ll use my magic to take out the Pagna warriors, and my techniques to bring you down."


    Seeing this, Raze had another pill in his mouth again; it was the green pill, a level 2 one that he bit down, taking another bite.


    ''He''s right; his Pagna skills are beyond what I can handle, so all I can do is use everything I have!''


    His wind magic was faster than his dark magic, so Raze quickly changed and pulled out his sword; he then swung it down, creating shes all aimed at Nabi.


    However, Nabi was able to deflect all of the attacks even with the shes, as he swung his sword, breaking right through them.


    ''Crap, he''s a middle-stage warrior; even with my Pagna skills and magic, it''s not enough!'' Raze thought.


    Seeing the desperation, Raze decided to do one more thing; he used the fourth descending step, pushing off with both feet, and then with his right hand, he used Dark Strike. A strong, powerful pulse shot out from Raze''s hand, and as it did, it crashed right into Nabi.


    He held the sword carefully as the attack hit, but it soon started to light up with Qi. The power continued to strike against his sword, but Nabi swung it, and the energy was deflected off to the side and in the air, doing nothing to harm him.


    "You¡­ you''re able to use both Pagna skills and magic at the same time?" Nabi said out loud. His eyes were wider than usual as well. "It''s amplifying your sword techniques; that''s why your strike from before had so much power, and it can also amplify your magic, but how is that possible?


    "How are you able to use both at the same time? Are you really from Alterian?"


    Ignoring the words of the man, Raze continued to swing his sword while moving and firing out the Dark Pulse. He wasn''t holding back, using his mana, but still, Nabi, even in his confused state, was able to use his sword to block all of the attacks, adding Qi to it.


    He deflected them all, hitting the energies off, and it looked like Raze was eventually running out of not Qi energy, but he had run out of mana.


    "The weakness of all mages," Nabi stated. "It is why a higher star Mage almost always wins fights because one will run out of mana before the other. I have to admit you are really a mysterious person. I would love to find out how you are able to use both Qi and mana at the same time. However, I''m not interested enough to leave you alive."


    Nabi then chuckled to himself as he thought back to a moment where he was slightly worried before.


    "I can''t believe for a moment I thought you were him; I thought you were the Dark Magus. If you were, then I would already be dead."


    With those words, it was clear to Raze that this man was from Alterian, and he was there during the time when Raze''s name as the Dark Magus was already widely known. However, with how strong his warrior skills were, how long had he been in Pagna for?


    He wanted to know more, but with his mana gone and seeing no way to win this fight, it wasn''t his time to think about that.


    "Don''t worry, we can be the ones that do it for you!" Alba said as she and the rest of the Crimson Crane had taken out another pill. The blue Qi pill, the original cursed Mana pill. Each of the members had eaten them while Raze was fighting, and all of the Qi they had used in the fight had been restored.


    Giving them enough power to fight through the lightning and stand up again.


    "Let''s go for round 2 this time," Alba smiled.


    "Crimson Crane!" Raze shouted out. "Keep him busy for one minute¡­ and we will win this fight."


    Raze had an idea, an idea that would turn this fight around.

 Chapter 210 Taking A Risk

    Chapter 210 Taking A Risk


    Alba and the rest of the Crimson Crane were able to get the pills from Dame beforehand, the pills which had been made by the Dark Magus. In doing so, the pills had been split among all of the members.


    After all, the n regrly split apart, because at times, they would be sent out individually to help others in different areas. Who knew when they would need one of these pills to help them in an emergency situation.


    This certainly felt like an emergency situation for all of them right now. However, they knew these pills were ast resort. They would restore the Qi fully as if they had never fought for each of them, but it would onlyst a minute.


    It was designed to be used in dangerous dungeons when fighting against beasts because if the pill ever hit and reached the wider market, then this would be knowledge to all, and then Nabi would know exactly what to do.


    "That pill''s got a time limit, so don''t rely on it too much," Raze reminded them.


    "You said you have an idea on how to finish this guy, right? Well, don''t worry; I don''t n on needing it!" Alba said as she charged forward, both of her swords glowing with Qi energy again.


    She struck as hard as she could with the swords, her visual Qi showing a red stream behind her. She was once again attacking in the awkward spots while Nabi was deflecting them all. He then strengthened his sword with arge amount of Qi and swung it forward, pushing her back.


    It didn''t hurt Alba but had created distance between the two. Nabi then used footwork to charge back, avoiding all of the othersing toward him, finally staying still for a few moments, and the lightning magic was starting to gather around his arm again.


    "You are really an annoying one," Nabi said. "Lighting Strike."


    Out from his hand, a bolt of lightning came out and struck Forma right on her arm. It scorched her arm badly, causing her to drop her bow and arrow. Her Qi was strong, though, so the injury wasn''t too bad, but she was slowly running out of time.


    Rayna was just recovering from thest lightning shock, and she was slowly looking at the fight going off again.


    ''Not even the entire Crimson Crane can take him on? It looks like we hugely underestimated the Light Faction,'' Rayna thought. ''But I''ve noticed, whenever he uses that strange lightning power of his, he has to stay still. He can''t use footwork techniques, and unlike that other guy, it seems like he can''t even use sword techniques and lightning strikes at the same time.''


    Rayna was somewhat right with her observations, but it wasn''t that Nabi wasn''t able to use his sword or move while using magic; it was while controlling mana, he was unable to utilize Qi at the same time. He could swing his sword while creating a lightning bolt, but he couldn''tbine it with a technique, nor could he add Qi to his strikes like the hooded man.


    Thinking about this, she started to wonder just what the hooded man was doing. She thought that now the rest of the Crimson Crane were back on their feet, that he would help them out with their fight.


    Instead, he seemed to be at the back, and kneeling down on the floor.


    ''What is he up to?''


    Right now, this was all part of Raze''s n. Using the non-ghost de on his back, he had ced it down on the ground. Then reaching into his robe, he had brought out a piece of chalk.


    Quickly, in the middle of the fighting, Raze started to draw on the ground a magic circle. Tilon, with hisrge shield, along with Reno, were still next to him, and they were wondering if the hooded man had gone mad. He was drawing shapes, strange symbols, and more, but they realized that what they had seen today, what they had seen people were capable of, it would be silly of them to dismiss strange drawings on the floor.


    ''I had an inkling that someday I would have to fight a mage,'' Raze thought. ''But I thought that would be me going up against Alter when I stole all their items from them. However, I didn''t expect to go up against one while I was only a 3-star mage!


    ''Right now, I have to rely on these people to help me, and they will have to rely on me. While I myself may be weak, the only thing I can do is rely on an enchantment!''


    Finishing his thought, Raze lifted the chalk off the ground, and then summoned a level 2 power stone. He ced it on the ground and then hesitated for a moment before activating his magic.


    He looked up at the fight that was continuing. Due to the Qi being restored, the Crimson Crane actually had the upper hand. Cronker had caused several cuts as he came in and out of the shadows, attacking with his dagger. Kizer with his long sword seemed to be tiring Nabi, as his Qi had to be running out in all of this. Lilly was quick to follow Nabi every time he tried to pull away, as they didn''t want to give him time to use his magic.


    ''These guys aren''t just strong middle-stage warriors, but I can tell that they actually work really well together as well, but they won''t be able to defeat him in time¡­ if we want to win this fight, then we''re just going to have to take risks!''


    Raze was debating one of two things, to ce the enchantment that he had nned on the sword, using his new ice attribute. The enchantment was one of the new ones he had read from the book that he had received from the dimension. He was a quick learner, and learning a formation to him now was simr to remembering a sentence. However, using the skills would be a different story.


    The issue was, using the ice attribute magic, and the enchantment would only be at level 2. Would it be strong enough to take out a high-ranking middle-stage warrior? It was unlikely.


    So the only choice he had was to risk it with a Dark magic enchantment. He would still use one of the Ice enchantment formations, but activate it with his Dark magic, giving it a greater effect but at the same time cursing the item. Depending on the curse, it might very well make the item itself useless.


    He made his decision as Dark magic swept out of his body, and the sword started to light up. The power stone was used, and soon the sword dropped to the ground.


    "There''s no time to check; we don''t have much time!" Raze said as he picked up the sword. "Strike him with this!"


    Raze shouted, and the Crimson Crane members turned around; when they did, they could see what looked like a regr sword flying through the air. Before it even went to the ground like a sh appearing next to it, Cronker, the blonde-headed man with the mask over his face, had caught it.


    "I will use this well, Dark Magus!" Cronker said, drawing the cursed sword, and heading straight for Nabi.


    Hearing the name mentioned again, Nabi''s upper eyelid started to twitch.


    "He is not the Dark Magus!!"

 Chapter 211 Failed Item

    Chapter 211 Failed Item


    DMR Chapter 210:


    Due to the severity of the situation, Raze had no choice but to do two things. First, he needed to enchant the weapon with Dark Magic. Doing so meant that the enchantment he had ced on it had the chance of making the weapon even rarer than before.


    However, he couldn''t have too high hopes. For one, the weapon didn''t react well to his magic when it was being used, and he only used a level 2 stone. This meant he had no choice but to ce a 2-star enchantment on the weapon. He was thankful that the weapon hadn''t broken due to its quality and affinity with magic. The one thing he was thankful for in this situation was the fact that the weapon wasn''t sealed. He knew this because the weapon gave off a slightly different energy after the enchantment was done. However, he had no time to see what the curse was.


    Now that he had thrown it over, and Cronker had it in his hands, the effect of the weapon would all be down to him. Curses could have various drawbacks, such as depleting one''s Mana or Qi after use, or moreplicated curses like the one Dame had received. There were even more severe curses, such as causing the user to suffer the same amount of damage they inflicted or losing one of their senses with each use.


    Raze couldn''t know what kind of curse the weapon carried, and he felt a bit guilty about handing a weapon over to someone without letting them choose whether to use it or not.


    ''I''m sure he will understand,'' Raze thought. ''This is a matter of life or death. Whatever the curse is, it will be better than death!''


    The rest of the Crimson Crane continued their attacks one after the other, fighting more fiercely than before. They knew time was running low as the power of the Qi pill they were using would soone to an end.


    This was proving even more difficult for Nabi to deal with than he thought, even with his magic. Just like before, Cronker appeared from Nabi''s blind spot, as if he hade out of the shadows.


    "I will trust in you, Dark Magus!" Cronker swung the sword, hitting Nabi right on his side. As the sword hit the elder''s body, it appeared to do nothing, not even cut his skin. This was worse than Cronker''s own weapon that he had used so far. It was to be expected, a poor weapon against a Middle stage warrior who could coat his body in Qi. If a poor sword like this could deal with him, then he might as well not call himself a middle-stage warrior.


    Raising his eye, Cronker soon noticed something. Right where he struck, an ice patch had appeared on Nabi''s clothing. Not only that, but it was quickly starting to spread around the area, growing in size all over his body.


    "What is this? What type of enchantment did you do?" Nabi shouted. The ice had quickly spread down to the bottom of his legs, and he needed to stop it fast. He decided to ce his Qi away and would use his magic in some way to get rid of the effect. The only thing was, Nabi was going against not just one strong fighter, but in front of him, he had eight middle-staged warriors who weren''t going to give him the chance.


    "This is over!" Alba dered, as she attacked with all her strength, shing him right on the neck. Blood was drawn, but the de hadn''t pierced right through. Soon, one after the other, all of the others attacked with their weapons piercing right through the elder. Arge sword stuck in his side, a spear stabbed through his stomach, an arrow even pierced him right in the eye. From all the wounds on his body, blood was starting to fill his mouth, and the Elder was hardly able to breathe or talk.


    "Damn it... I never... I never..." The Elder spoke. "I never expected... to meet a mage here of all ces..." Nabi''s vision was fading; he knew it was the end of his life. With few words left to say, he whispered, "I failed you..."


    "No!" Raze said, as he quickly ran over. The others, seeing this, quickly pulled their weapons out from Nabi''s body, and the Elder fell to the floor, blood soaking the ground.


    They could feel all of the energy drain from their bodies. The effects of the pill had worn off. Not only that, but the weapon that Cronker had been holding started to crack and eventually broke into several pieces, no longer existing. It was the curse of the weapon. Cronker had lucked out; the curse was that the weapon would be destroyed after it had been used once on a person. It still had the strong enchantment that Raze had put on it, but the weapon would be gone.


    For most, it would be considered a failed item, since all of the resources created and put into the weapon were now gone, but for all of them, this failed item had saved their lives.


    Almost all of them had dropped to the ground, and doing so, Raze hade over, looking at Nabi''s body. He had turned it over to get a good look at his face. He looked at the eyes, looked at the features and everything down to thest strand of hair.


    "I don''t recognize this person, but they clearly knew the name Dark Magus," Raze thought. He soon started to search the man, trying to see if he had the item that Alter had given him, but he was unable to find anything. He was thankful slightly because that was one less thing to worry about, but it made him wonder.


    "How was there a mage in such a high position in the Light Faction? He had improved his skills beyond belief. What was his goal, and why wasn''t he part of Alter? Did they simply not know about him, had he managed to stay in hiding for so long?"


    There were so many questions Raze wanted to ask, such as when did hee over, were there more mages in the Light Faction, and was there a way to return to Alterian? But the Elder was dead, and there was nothing he could do now.


    Alba and the others continued to look at the hooded figure. They were unable to see his face, but she was sure of it, that this was the same person from before. The same one that was with the other three and was about to go head-to-head with the Pagna student. She knew she had a good feeling about him.


    "He is beyond what I imagined. He can create such strong pills, and his power is great for support. I don''t even know what he did to that weapon that he gave Cronker as well. No matter what... I have to have him... I have to!"


    Unlike Dame, she didn''t care about where he was from or what the Dark Magus could possibly do; she was much more focused on her own goals and having the Dark Magus on her team.


    While Raze was holding the man in his arms, there was no mist that came from his body. Although Raze yed a part in killing him, he was not the one who took his life, so he didn''t obtain any Dark essence from the kill.


    "This mage, he used the lightning attribute," Raze thought. "When I absorbed the energy from the beasts in the Dimension, I didn''t unlock the ice attribute. But after unlocking the ice attribute, I was able to increase its strength. However, unlike those beasts that just had a small amount of energy, this man, he could have a lot more."


    Thinking this, Raze wasted no time as he ced both hands on the mage. Soon, the veins on his hands started to show, and they were pumping the energy from one into the other.


    "He''s... he''s using the Extraction technique on the dead?" Reno noticed. "But I thought that wasn''t possible on humans?"


    This was something that Raze was unaware of. Beasts contained crystals, and because of that, there was lingering energy in their bodies. But it wasn''t the same for humans. They had live energy, Qi energy, and this energy disappeared with their life.


    However, Raze could certainly feel somethinging out from the Elder, as he was starting to absorb his core. He could feel it rising in him, feel the energy adding from one to the other. As the others watched, they could feel the humidity in the air slightly change, and soon they could see sparks appearing all over him. Some of them were blue in color, while others were orange.


    "What is going on? Is it a portal break?" Alba thought, trying to muster her strength but failing.


    Rayna, who was closest, managed to catch a glimpse, just underneath the hood she could see it, she could see the hooded man''s eyes start to glow a slight tinge of blue.


    Finally, a spark and ayer were added onto Raze''s magic core.


    "I did it!" Raze thought to himself. "I unlocked the lightning attribute."


    Soon, though, the smiles had changed, as Raze suddenly felt all of the muscles in his body contract, and extreme pain shot through his body.


    "ARGHHH!" Raze screamed. Rayna, looking and seeing the energy from his body, she could tell what this was straight away.


    "He''s breaking through... he''s breaking through to the next stage!"

 Chapter 212 A Strong Bond

    Chapter 212 A Strong Bond


    The muscles all over Raze''s body were contracting extremely lightly. It felt like someone had grabbed him like a towel and was now twisting, trying to get everything they could out of him.


    Equally, he was sweating like a drenched towel as well, as he could see droplets of sweat falling off him and onto the ground. All of them were slightly ck in color,ing off from his body.


    The pain was too much, and it felt almost like he couldn''t breathe.


    ''All of this is too much¡­ can my body actually handle something like this! Am I dying right now?'' Raze was trying to think through in his mind if there was anything he could do to make it easier.


    "Hey, what is happening to him?" Reno asked the others as they hade over, but Alba ced her hand in front of them, informing them not to get any closer.


    "Can''t you see the ck droplets of sweat, more impurities areing out of his body," Alba exined. "He''s going through a breakthrough."


    "A breakthrough?" Kizer said as he leaned on his long sword. "But is it meant to be this painful? What stage is he breaking through anyway?"


    That''s when Reno remembered, when they were traveling together, he had asked him. He didn''t believe it at first, but everything he saw of the person proved that fact. Other than his powerful, strange powers, it was clear.


    "He was a second-stage warrior," Reno replied. "He''s breaking through to the third stage."


    "Are you kidding me?" Tilon said as he walked over, cing the shield on his back. He had recovered most of his energy now. "He was able to do that much against a middle-stage warrior. If he''s a second-stage warrior, then he must be the strongest second-stage warrior in existence."


    Hearing all of this, it just made Alba smile even more. She was already imagining how much stronger he would be now that he was at the third stage.


    "Can you¡­ can you help me?" A voice called out.


    When they looked up, they could see that it was Rayna. One of the top members of the Neverfall n, and the reason why they hade here in the first ce.


    "Right," Alba nervouslyughed and clicked her fingers. With the exciting news of finding the Dark Magus, she had almost forgotten about the original reason as to why they had evene here in the first ce.


    Quickly, Cronker and Lilly came over. They started to lift their weapons and bash away at the chains. They had hit it several times, and even then, they were hard to break. They were made to keep Pagna warriors in ce, after all.


    A couple of techniquester, and the chains had finally snapped at the wrists. When free, Rayna wasted no time as she got up and headed away from the others.


    "No thank you?" Lilly asked.


    Not saying a word, Rayna went to the edge of the pyramid; she had her eyes locked on one thing. Quickly, she knelt to the ground and then plucked something carefully out. Soon she ran right past the others again and headed straight to the hooded man who was knelt over.


    ''I can''t believe all of them are just standing there while he''s in pain,'' Rayna thought.


    With the flower in her hand, she went next to Raze, and carefully she went and reached out for his hand. Raze was in so much pain that he wasn''t even in control of his body, yet for some reason, the moment he touched her hand, he started to feel slightly better.


    Soon after, she had ced the five-headed flower into the palm of his hand to hold, and the muscle cramps that were appearing all over his body were starting to fade away.


    ''This flower?'' Raze noticed it. It was the same type of flower that he had been looking for with Reno, but strangely, this one had five flower bud heads sprouting out from one stem, and the effect of its healing powers he could feel it working instantly.


    Since his body was in less pain, Raze was finally able to get in the sitting position. ck sweat was still running down his body, and a couple of times, a few of the other members of the Crimson Crane tried to get a sneak peek look at his face, but due to the effect of the robe, up to his nose, it was all dark and disfigured no matter how hard one tried.


    They could just see a tinge of white hair from time to time. Finally, the pain had stopped all over, and Raze could feel it, his dantian having grown even stronger than before.


    ''I did it!'' Raze inwardly smiled. ''I managed to break through to the third stage. It was a struggle and it took not just a big event, but for me to even use the extraction technique on a middle-stage warrior.''


    As usual, Raze could feel his new body was incredibly powerful, and clenching his fist, he could feel the great new force he had. Now with his three-star magic, stage three warrior, and his enchanted items, Raze was sure he was a force to be reckoned with.


    ''But it''s still not enough. It''s clear if the Crimson Crane weren''t here today, then I would have lost my life, lost my second chance. I can''t have this happen again.''


    Seeing Raze smiling and standing up, Rayna had gotten up off the floor as well so she could take a good look at him. She too wanted to see his face but was unable to.


    "Thank you," Rayna said. "Thank you foring to save me. I know what you might say, that it was a coincidence that you came here, or a chance, but it doesn''t change the fact. If you weren''t here today, then they would have never been able to best the Light Faction Elder. As a token of my appreciation, if there is anything you want or need, I am happy toply."


    Raze looked at the girl in front of him. She was quite the beauty even with the markings all over her. She had this fierce look in her eyes like a cat; even injured, she seemed quite intimidating. Still, he had a good impression of her since she had helped him when he was in pain.


    While waiting for Raze''s response, Rayna''s heart was beating several times faster than it should have done. She was truly prepared to ept anything that this person wanted, even if it was marriage.


    ''It''s normal, right? If he marries me, it''s his chance into the powerful Neverfall n; he will have ess to great wealth and techniques. It''s the greatest prize one can give!'' She thought. ''At the same time, what happened today, the Light Faction, they will not forgive him or the Crimson Crane.


    ''They will most likely try to hunt him down as news gets out.'' Rayna had seen that behind her on her side of the Pyramid, there were a couple of Light Faction members that were still alive. When the situation started to look bad, they quickly left the area. No doubt news of what happened would spread quickly.


    ''If he is part of our family, then I will be able to protect him.''


    Raze lifted his hand up and looked at the flower in his hand.


    "This flower, is it okay if I keep it?" Raze asked.


    "Ah, the flower, of course you can," Rayna replied.


    "Thank you," Raze said, and with that, the flower went into his robe, disappearing from his sight. While Rayna was left a little confused.


    Raze didn''t even know who she was, so he didn''t even know what she could ask of her. It wasn''t that he was letting her off; if he knew of her status, he would have at least asked for some technique books or some gold. Instead, he was just focused on the flower for now, the main reason why he hade here.


    Turning around, it felt like it had been a long, tiring day for Raze, and meeting the mage, it brought up memories for him, not good ones either.


    Just as Raze was ready to head back, Alba, along with the rest of the eight Crimson Crane members, stood in his way.


    "Dark Magus!" Alba shouted in a loud, booming voice. "Today we fought together side by side as allies! Without your help, without your pills and your strange powers, we would have lost our lives.


    "Now, there exists a bond between us that will always be there!"


    When speaking, Alba was quite upbeat, and the smile had never left her face.


    "We are the legendary Crimson Crane, and after today''s events, you leave me no choice. I wish to invite you to officially join the n as a member!"

 Chapter 213 Who is the Dark Magus?

    Chapter 213 Who is the Dark Magus?


    Although Raze and Reno had originally gone out with the purpose of obtaining a special flower that was more powerful than those he used in his own creations, he didn''t bat an eyelid when Raze had taken possibly the most powerful flower and said nothing.


    Reno had assumed that Raze didn''t care for the other flowers they had gathered so far. It seemed like there was an objective on his mind. In the first ce, they were also only searching for the flowers to create a pill as good as the Dark Magus, but now they had found the Dark Magus himself.


    Rushing off, Raze had headed in a different direction from the Crimson Crane members. They had made their offer, and in response, Raze had given a simple reply.


    "I''ll think about it."


    This was his answer, and for them, this was good enough for now. With their connection to Dame and him now owing them one, she was sure that she would be able to find the Dark Magus when she needed him.


    On the way back, Raze was thinking about the advantages of joining a group like the Crimson Crane.


    ''As a no name, the body that I arrived in has no rtion to any n,'' Raze thought. ''It wouldn''t disrupt my status in the Dark Faction academy either, since to the world, Raze Cromwell and the Dark Magus are two different people.''


    ''So the Dark Magus is free to join whoever he wished, but I nned to start my own merchant group selling Qi pills, not to join a n.''


    It was a difficult choice, and the main reason was the level of trust. He was sure that the n had their own reasons for inviting him on board, but when push came to shove, how could he trust them?


    He didn''t even know much about the n apart from the fact that they were wanderers and were quite well known. One thing for sure was that they had managed to prove their strength in that fight as well.


    ''The Dark Magus is most likely to be a known name soon, either already, or when we start selling the pills. At that point, those in Alter will be after the Dark Magus. Judging from the fight with the Light Faction Elder, I might not be strong enough to deal with them if theye after me.''


    "But I can always go off the radar andy low in the academy in the meantime."


    There was one more thing Raze was worried about now, though, and that was those around him.


    Entering the city of Repton, it didn''t take long for Raze to return, and when he entered the room, Liam, Safa, and Simyon were all there waiting for him. They looked surprised to see him and happy at the same time.


    "Raze, where did you go?! Do you know who''s looking for you, the people from the Crimson Crane!" Simyon said. "I don''t know what you did, but they said they were looking for this Dark Magus person and... and..."


    "It''s okay," Raze said as he went to sit down. "I met up with them, and as for the Dark Magus person, I guess by what you just said, you figured it out, they were looking for me."


    The others were wondering why the legendary n would havee looking for him. They all turned to each other, and they were somewhat waiting for Raze to be the one to speak up, but he said nothing.


    ''Them learning about today... will it do them any good?'' Raze thought.


    After lying down just for a few moments, Raze lifted his head up.


    "Where''s Dame? I thought he would havee looking for me as well."


    "Oh, Dame," Liam said, looking out the window as if he was trying to see if he could spot him. "He actually left a short while before you returned. Some guy called Fixteen hade for him. He said not to go back without him, though, and that he would return."


    Going to the corner, Raze pulled out the items that he had gotten before. The red ne, the pair of golden earrings, and the ck gloves.


    ''These guys, they''ve been with me for a while now,'' Raze thought. ''They even came to the Demonic Faction and caused so much trouble, but they have gotten quite involved in mine and Dame''s business.''


    The first thing Raze did was ce the ring on the floor and started to draw away. Based on the amount of magic that had already been used during Raze and Nabi''s fight, he thought enchanting an item wouldn''t be enough to open a portal.


    It was only because thest two items were at the mythical level, the statue, and the earring that Simyon had, that a portal had opened up.


    ''First, I need to create a ring for my Ice attribute. If I manage to get a stage three crystal and a well enough-made weapon, then maybe I can get a ring that will disy all of the attributes.''


    For now, though, Raze just created the ice attribute ring. It had done him well in the fight, so he wanted to increase its affinity if possible. When all ingredients were used up, Raze ced it on his hand, and he could finally have an idea of his strength.


    [Dark attribute: 50]


    [Wind attribute: 24]


    [Ice attribute: 18]


    Looking at them, he couldn''t help but chuckle.


    ''In the past, it took so much for me to increase my Dark attribute. I guess having a Dark core really does help.''


    Soon after, Raze ced another item on the ground, and then he looked up at the three. He pointed to the beds, somewhat telling them to sit down, as if he was a teacher in front of a ss of school children.


    "None of you have magic like me, and because of it, I have been able to protect myself," Raze exined. "Since you know about me and are involved around me, it is likely that trouble will follow you."


    "As trouble has followed me for my entire life. It is a byproduct of my luck. Since it is not entirely your fault that you might get into trouble, I have decided to increase your strength in the quickest way possible, and that is by making both you, Liam, and you, Simyon, items that you can use.


    "I don''t think I have to tell you that these items should be kept a secret and only be used if your life depends on it. As for you, Safa, I told you before, I think the best thing would be to teach you magic directly."


    Both Simyon and Liam both nearly sulked upon hearing that. After seeing the things Raze could do, they too wanted to learn magic. Why was Raze so against teaching them, and why was he willing to teach Safa so much?


    From his sleeve, Raze pulled out the five-headed white flower. Originally, he was going to get the light attribute for himself, but since his Dark Attribute was already so strong, he would have needed something a lot more powerful than this to activate it in his core.


    Still, it would be enough to help Safa, and then she would have to try to use her own powers to heal her throat so she could speak again.


    "Before you ept these items, though, I need to tell you all something," Raze said. "The reason why trouble follows me everywhere and the reason why I am known as the Dark Magus.


    "If you ept everything I am about to tell you, then I will continue to help you."


    Raze looked deep into all of their eyes. He was thinking again, was he making a mistake? He had trusted people in the past. He had been betrayed once, but honestly, he didn''t care about the betrayal in his past too much.


    Because there was another time, just like what he was doing now, where he had epted people into his life, epted people to help him, to stand by his side even when he was the Dark Magus, but he had lost them all.


    Was he just repeating the past again? Was hemitting to the path of sorrow once more? When his eyesid on Safa, they stayed still for a moment.


    "Safa... I am not your brother."

 Chapter 214 Family Bond

    Chapter 214 Family Bond


    There was a reason why Dame had left Safa and the others at their location, and it was because ahead of time, Cronker had rushed ahead and met up with Dame, informing him that the request he had made waspleted.


    They had sessfully saved Rayna, his sister. Honestly, when Dame had given the task to the Crimson Crane, he had great confidence in them. Even if it was an opponent his stronger sister couldn''t beat, the Crimson Crane were full of strong individuals. Each one of them was stronger than him. Although with the gauntlets that he had received from Raze, he was sure he could give one a run for their money. Regardless, they had set up a secret meeting spot for them to talk in.


    The warehouse used for alchemists hadpletely been rented out. The main room now was just filled with scrap, broken equipment, and destroyed benches and metal. It was the leftovers from multiple experiments that would go on. While he was waiting there with Cronker for the others to arrive, he heard the full story of what had happened.


    "You met Ra¡ªI mean the Dark Magus?" Dame almost shouted so loud that those outside could hear.


    "Correct," Cronker smiled. "We can see why you wanted to keep him a secret. He really helped us out back there. I''ll be honest, if it wasn''t for the weapon he had handed me back then, then I''m not too sure how the fight would have turned out."


    Dame was grinding his teeth slightly. He would be lying if he didn''t say he wasn''t annoyed. Dame had to do a lot, he had to go through a lot to get a weapon made for himself, and it had such a bad effect that he couldn''t even be himself anymore. Yet, Cronker had one made for free. Cronker hadn''t gone into detail about the battle, so Dame waspletely unaware that the weapon that had been made for him hadpletely broken, and Cronker wanted to keep it that way.


    Seeing Dame depressed, it put a smile on Cronker''s face. "Wait, but then does this mean our deal isn''t valid?" Dame asked. "It was still because of me you got to meet the Dark Magus."


    At that moment, the metal door was slid open, letting in creases of light, and two people could be seen entering.


    "As you asked, this is the one that hired us to save you," Alba said standing there, and she gave Rayna a little nudge.


    Rayna didn''t look too pleased as she looked back slightly annoyed, but soon went in and walked forward, as she could see who it was.


    "Dame... you were the one that asked the Crimson Crane for help!" Rayna was beyond surprised.


    Although they were family, the Neverfall n was anything but a normal family. She didn''t expect any of her family members to help her, even her dad.


    "I... I did," Dame said. "And I think we should head back to the Neverfall n together."


    She understood, giving a slight nod, and as Dame went to walk by her side, he looked at Alba on the way, who mouthed the words. ''You owe me one.''


    He knew he had a lot to talk about with her, but even before that, the one that they had a lot to talk with, was his father.


    Exiting from the building, the brother and sister walked in silence for a while. They had headed out of the city of Repton and now were continuing to head toward the Neverfall n base, and eventually, Rayna couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Tell me, what exactly was your n, why did you save me?" Rayna asked.


    "n, what do you mean n, and shouldn''t you be thanking me for helping you out?" Dame replied back.


    "Why would you rescue me with no value to your own? Are you going to ask a favor from me, are you going to ask me to step down for the position of head of the family, because I won''t do it!" Raynained.


    Dame pped the top of his head, and he started to shake it violently. He was wondering why he had done such a thing himself in the first ce. He somewhat knew that this was going to be the reaction and what he would get out of it.


    "Look, our father was the one that asked me to help you," Dame replied. "He said that you had lost a fight against the Light Faction. Since I had produced a miracle before when going up against Beatrix, he thought I could produce a miracle again."


    Hearing this, Rayna gulped somewhat. It made no sense to her for him to send out Dame, who wasn''t even a middle stage warrior. Why would he be able toplete a task that she couldn''t? If he wanted the job done, then one of the older brothers would have made more sense. If anything, it felt like he wanted to send Dame off on a death sentence again, and as for her, perhaps their father had given up on her due to the failure she had made. This thought had made her sulk a bit.


    "I know what you''re thinking," Dame replied. "And honestly, I feel the same way. I knew I had no chance at winning, and honestly, I thought, maybe the best thing to do was to run away, but there was one detail that father told me in all of it. It was the fact that you were alive. Knowing that you were alive, I thought I would do what I could to help you. I''m close with Alba, you see, so now I do owe them a favor and a very big one."


    Rayna felt awkward; she couldn''t even remember thest time the two of them had a full conversation or had been together like this. Her cheeks turned a shade redder as she turned away.


    "Why, though, you could have left me," Rayna asked again.


    Looking up ahead, Dame could tell they were close to the n base, and memories started to surface in his head.


    "When we were younger, both of my brothers, they used to tease me a lot," Dame started to exin. "I still remember, there was one time, where you stuck up for me, and you looked after me, treating my wounds. I guess I did it because of that."


    "Huh?" Rayna stopped in her tracks. "That must have been when we were still kids. Do you have a screw loose? You risked your life just for that?"


    "Yep, yep, as I expected, keep talking crap about the one that saved you, yeah?" Dame said as he continued walking.


    She soon realized that he was right. If his words were true, Dame being the youngest sibling seemed to have this innocence about him.


    ''Is it because he knows that there is no chance for him to be the next head? Did he not see us as rivals like all of the others?'' Rayna thought. ''When we were younger, things were so much simpler back then.''


    As the two continued to walk, and the awkwardness between the two started to disappear, another question had popped up in her head.


    "Well thank you, thank you for asking the Crimson Crane for their help," Rayna said. "But what about that Dark Magus guy, did you ask him for help as well?"


    Dame was starting to wonder just how much the Dark Magus had done for his sister to talk about him as well.


    "That guy is really powerful. The Crimson Crane invited him to join their n," she said.


    "They did what!" Dame turned around. "Wait, that can''t be! I''m the one working with him. I invited him first; he can''t ept their offer."


    To Dame, an offer between him and the Crimson Crane was night and day in terms of what a person should ept. Because he was just an individual, he had no n backing him whatsoever.


    "Oh, you invited him, well, you don''t have to worry because I''m going to offer him an even bigger proposal," Rayna said. "I''m going to offer him my hand in marriage."


    At that moment, Dame''s jaw almost dropped to the floor. "What did you say?"


    "I''m going to offer for him to marry me. If he does that, then he will be part of the Neverfall n, and if that happens and father finds out how great he is, he might even get his own territory and all sorts of benefits, don''t you think it''s a good idea? Hey, you would be his brother-inw!"

 Chapter 215 Learning the Truth

    Chapter 215 Learning the Truth


    Dame was continuously shaking his head the more he talked to his sister. He hadn''t talked like this with her in a long time. In fact, just like her, he couldn''t even remember thest time the two of them had a conversation.


    But he couldn''t help but think, was his sister always this forward and strange, or was it something new that he just never knew about? How could someone talk about marriage so easily?


    Little did Dame know with his messing around in certain establishments, life for a woman in Pagna was a lot more difficult than it waspared to a male, especially one in a high position from a well-respected n.


    When a woman from a higher n was to marry in another n, it would improve rtionships, but typically the woman was the one who would join the other n. Her father had actually already given her a couple of suggestions to strengthen their rtionships with other ns.


    However, if she was to do this, it also meant that she would have no hope of bing the head of the Neverfall n. It wasn''t impossible, but if she could find someone that had great strength and wasn''t rted to other ns in any way, then she could marry someone that her father would approve of and technically have a status even lower than hers. On her part, she thought the Dark Magus fit all of the requirements that she was looking for.


    Not only that, but for some reason, every time she thought about him, her heart started to flutter slightly.


    ''Crap, I don''t even know what this person looks like. I guess I''m just feeling this way because I think of him as my savior. These feelings, they will eventually pass,'' Rayna said to herself, taking a deep breath.


    She needed to be ready because she and Dame were about to meet with their father. They were sure the news of her having survived had reached his ears, and a lot of questions were going to be asked.


    That''s when Dame let out a big sigh. ''Should I tell her the guy that she wants to marry is around 16?'' He thought. ''Well, she herself is in her younger twenties, so I guess she could wait a few years. I wonder why it feels slightly strange when I saw his age?''


    Still, the Dark Magus was a secret that Dame wanted to keep, and depending on how this meeting went, he was wondering what the best option would be for them both.


    ---


    Back at the Inn, Raze had returned not too long ago. He had created a new ring for himself that would allow him to see the ice attribute. He could now urately gauge the strength of his powers.


    His n now was to make items for the others, as well as teach Safa Light Magic. With Light Magic, there were many different types of advantages they could have as a group, and Raze knew it would be a big help by his side.


    As he wished to delve deeper into helping them, and them helping him back, he decided to reveal to them all one truth about him.


    "Safa... I am not your brother," Raze said.


    Out of all those there, Liam''s mouth was left wide open. He felt like a divine being had dropped out of the sky in front of him. Perhaps he was watching some life y in the square, where the twist was to be revealed, and now, he was expecting Safa to react back.


    ''What is she going to say, what is she going to do!'' Liam screamed in his head. ''Come on, ask him some questions, ask him what he means by that!''


    It was then that he came to the realization that it wasn''t possible for Safa to say anything. When he went to look at her face, he could see that both of her eyes welled up with tears.


    "I am sorry for tricking you, I truly am," Raze exined, and it was the softest Simyon had ever heard his voice before. It felt like there was a lot of weight behind those words.


    "This power I have, I exined it to you all as magic," Raze started to exin. "It allows me to create things like your items, open portals, among other things. Its uses are far and wide.


    "For myself, I used it to give me a second life. I used it in a world that is different from this one where Magic existed. When using it, I took on the already dead body of your brother, Raze, who happens to share the same name as me."


    Raze wasn''t so sure that the Raze''s body he had taken over was actually dead when he entered, but there was one thing he was sure about: if it wasn''t dead, then whoever had tried to kill him, for sure would have seeded.


    He also, for some reason, didn''t want Safa to think that it was because of him that his brother had died.


    "I''m sure you noticed it, right? The change in me after that day?" Raze asked.


    All eyes were on her, and none of the two by her side were even letting out a whisper. They could just see the tears consistently filling her eyes. She lifted up her hands, wiping away her tears, and nodded her head, looking at Raze.


    "This body, it felt like it had a duty that it wanted to protect you, but it was me that pushed you away, so don''t me your brother," Raze continued. "In my world, I was known as the Dark Magus, and I n to carry that name here. It seems that there are those that are like me here as well, that havee from my world."


    Raze knew that it would be hard for all of them to take in, but with everything they had already seen, everything they had already experienced, it would now be a lot easier to eptpared to before.


    "Wait, so what happened to your old body?" Liam asked. "If you''re here, are there two of you, or is your old body dead?"


    "I would presume dead," Raze replied. "But I have no way to get back to Alterian, and as I have entered this new body, all of my magic powers disappeared. I am slowly regaining back the power I had."


    Liam gulped for a second as he heard that. To him, magic and the powers Raze had shown were already impressive enough. Just how far could this magic go, and was it stronger than the very best of Pagna warriors?


    "Then, the other you... how old are you?" Liam couldn''t help but ask.


    To which Simyon wanted to punch his shoulder since he was asking some sensitive questions.


    "I was around the age of 76 when I transmigrated here," Raze answered.


    "Damn!" Liam blurted out. "That''s old; you''re a wrinkly nut sack!"


    Immediately, both Safa and Raze stared at Liam. They could see Raze''s eye twitching slightly, and an aura surrounding him.


    "I mean, you don''t act that old; I would have never guessed," Liamughed nervously.


    "And how do you expect an old man to act?" Raze replied. "Adults have just experienced more than that of children, so they tend to make fewer mistakes. But adults still do make mistakes; they still do the stupid things of others.


    "Imagine if you were an old man, having entered a young body? Do you suddenly start talking like some ancient prophet? This isn''t a story you see in ys or read in books."


    This caused all three of them to chuckle a little, but they soon returned to the issue at hand. Raze didn''t want to exin more about his old life, not to them, because this life, although a little rocky at the start, was a little different from the one he had before.


    As the room fell into silence again, Safa had started to cry; her shoulders were shaking. It was tough on her; she always put on a brave face, and Simyon remembered that she was always trying to help Raze no matter what.


    The bond they had as brother and sister, Simyon felt like that was real between the two of them, and now to know it wasn''t true. Maybe this was a fear that Safa had all along, but she had just been keeping it in.


    "So I will tell you all now, knowing about magic, using these items, it is possible that it can put you all in danger, and knowing me as well. Do you still wish to receive these items and learn magic?"


    Simyon was the first to answer with no hesitation.


    "Hey, I was already in too deep a while ago, and I said I would follow you wherever you go."


    "Hey!" Liam shouted back. "I said that as well. Remember at the portal, I said that I would keep everything with me to my grave, and in order to not die, as you say, won''t having these itemse in handy more?"


    Two of the three seemed to have epted the news rather well, a lot better than Raze originally thought. Now, though, it was down to thest one.


    If Safa refused and wished to live her life learning the spear and heading back to the vige, she had every right to. After all, she now had no rtion to Raze, no reason to help him anymore.


    However, despite everything she had learned, she had nodded her head up and down.


    "Very well, let me teach you magic," Raze smiled.

 Chapter 216 A Pagna Body, An Alterian Body

    Chapter 216 A Pagna Body, An Alterian Body


    On the Pagna, thend wasrge and vast in the different parts of the continents. The areas of the Light Faction, Dark Faction, Demonic Faction, and even the unknown fourth continent were all different.


    Even within them, thendmass was extremely different as well. There wererge soaring mountain tops, areas filled with green ins, and other areas filled with purple or dark-colored nts.


    There were areas that had even been changed as portal breaks had urred. At times, a portal break was so strong that the ns in the local area had been wiped out. With the beasts having entered the world, part of thendmass had changed to amodate them.


    There was an even stranger urrence that had urred, and that was thend itself. There was a reason why people in their heads thought of three continents rather than four, and it wasn''t because each continent was mostly dominated by a faction.


    It was because at one point, all of the continents had been split by a sea of water. However, the fourth continent was much further awaypared to the rest. Despite this, thendmass on the continents had continued to grow.


    The eruptions, earthquakes, the sea levels lowering, were also revealing morendmass, and these three separate continents were turning out to be more linked than they had originally thought.


    In a way, the newnds were new territory, and not only were the Pagna warriors involved in disputes over who owned what or whichnd, but the local governments, kingdoms, and empires were as well.


    To the people, it felt like they were in the middle of constant battles and wars, whether they were with the Pagna or not, at least those on the border. In the center of all this, as the sea level lowered, arge mountain''s canyon had been discovered.


    It was strange because before, not even the tips of the mountains could be seen, and now arge giant canyon in the middle of the mountains that littered the fields could be seen. If one were to stand at the tip, they weren''t even able to see the bottom of where one started.


    Without any sort of guidance, if a person was to be dropped in the middle, they might never be able to find a way out or an exit.


    In thisbyrinth of mountains and tall canyons, there was arge round object that looked somewhat like a giant mushroom from above. Apart from the fact that it was covered in greenery, nt vines, and more.


    Inside thisrge canyon of nts and trees, two individuals were walking through it. One wearing arge brown trench coat, and the other in simpler clothing but wearing a beret hat that covered her orange hair.


    "Ah, my feet hurt. Can Alter give us some standard uniforms that make us feel like we''re walking on air?" Charlotteined.


    "Ah yes, more things for us to lose or get found out and cover up!" Himmymented back, as he looked down in his hand. He had a device that reminded him of apass that he had from his world.


    Rather than pointing toward north, south, east, and west, thispass was still round, but had a glowing arrow that lit up on the device and would charge by the sun, although Himmy couldn''t see anything like a sr panel that he knew of on the device.


    Either way, the main difference was, this specialpass given to them by Alter, it pointed only in one direction, and it would always lead them to a particr ce.


    "Come on, when was thest time you heard of one of the agents getting in trouble for something like that?" Charlotte asked as she continued to trek over arge rooting from one of the trees.


    She could barely get her foot over it, and when lifting the second half of her foot, her toes just hit the edge. Her front half tilted forward, but before she face nted the ground, Himmy had managed to catch her, holding her steady with just one hand, and holding her forehead.


    "Erghh, you can let go, you know," Charlotte replied back, feeling a little pathetic that her whole body weight could be held up by just one hand.


    After bncing herself, Himmy let go, and he continued straight ahead. They had just exited out of the deep forest, and now they were in between an area with four giant mountains. They weren''t wide in size, and the center of them was quite hollow as the middle had an opening, but that wasn''t what he was looking at.


    He was looking at therge mushroom-like object that stemmed from the ground and connected to these fourrge mountains. Leading up to it, there was almost the appearance of fresh-cut green grass.


    "To answer your question, how would we know?" Himmy replied. "We haven''t had an update from Alter, only been told to go here and there. To be honest, I was getting a bit sick and tired of being sent everywhere, and I''m low on funds and ammo."


    "Ah right, you used most of it in that town with the Red Brigade." Charlottemented. "Well, you will be able to stock up more this time, and hopefully you won''t be able to use it."


    Walking across the fresh grass, Charlotte was getting a little nervous because soon she would have to keep a seal on her lips, careful about what she had spoken. Speaking about the past reminded her of something she needed to ask now.


    "About the kid, are you going to tell them about him?" Charlotte asked.


    "What, that I made him into a full squad member. That''s up to my discretion as squad leader anyway. I''ll just go ahead and send a report."


    Charlotte was a little nervous because that wasn''t what she was getting at; it was something else.


    "Not that, that there is an otherworlder that can use both Pagna skills and magic at the same time," Charlotte said, almost looking over her shoulder. She couldn''t shake off a strange feeling, like there were a pair of invisible eyes on her.


    "Ah, now I understand," Himmy replied. "Like you said, otherworlders whoe here. Nearly all of them struggle to learn Pagna martial arts, as they are unable to create Qi in their body. It was the same for both me and you when we arrived here.


    "However, some from Alterian had seeded in learning the Pagna martial arts."


    "Well, a fake version of it," Charlottemented.


    "Right." Himmy tapped the side of his head. "Remind me why you call it fake again."


    "Because those that do learn can''t gather Qi in their dantian," Charlotte exined. "Mages use Mana to produce their spells, and the Pagna skills require Qi in the dantian. In order for a mage to learn skills, though, they can use their mana to supplement their dantian instead of Qi.


    "Although we call it fake, it''s still very effective since just like other warriors, the dantian can still grow stronger, allowing for more mana to be put into it. And since it''s just the gathering of Mana in a certain ce, one doesn''t even need to be a high mage to fill their dantian.


    "In fact, some lower star mages might even have more sess as a warrior because they can just constantly fill in their dantian with Mana rather than Qi, allowing them to produce almost an unlimited amount of skills."


    Himmy felt like it was a shame that his world didn''t seem to have anything spectacr like that of magic and martial arts, but sometimes he was thankful. If he was more useful in fighting, he thought that would just give them more reason to send him on dangerous missions.


    "Right, so mages that chose to change into the arts of Pagna are actually even more powerful than Pagna warriors, and they can even still use spells."


    "Correct," Charlotte said. "But there is one thing, because the Qi being used is technically mana and is being put into the dantian. A mage is unable to use Qi techniques and magic at the same time.


    "Think of it as a ball of energy that they control, for techniques it either has to be in the stomach, for magic it needs to be outside of the body or in the magic core, the heart. Yet somehow, Raze was able to use Qi and Magic at the same time."


    "Then can I ask you something?" Himmy said. "I understand your point about those from Atlerian not being able to form Qi in their body. It might be because their bodies are just different, or the timing of things, but what about the other way round?


    "Can a Pagna warrior learn magic then?" Himmy asked.


    "I¡­ read some of the reports," Charlotte answered. "They tried a couple of times. Although things like enchanted items and creations are fine for a Pagna warrior to use, when trying to teach a Pagna warrior magic, their Qi ended up exploding and killing the user. So they decided to stop running tests due to ack of volunteers."


    It was a scary thought to have, and no wonder no warriorined about learning magic if that was the result.


    Himmy thought about the question he asked from before for a while, and eventually, they had reached the giant mushroom-like structure. In front of them, there seemed to be nothing, that was until he ced thepass-like device in the center.


    Steam started to appear from the center, and part of the giant structure started to split apart.


    "For now, let''s keep it to ourselves. We might be making a big deal out of this for no reason," Himmy said. "Let''s keep quiet anyway; we''re here now, we''re back at Alter."

 Chapter 217 The Home Of Alter

    Chapter 217 The Home Of Alter


    The smal round device that had been input by Himmy lit up, and he had to pull it out before the doors would slide open. Not every member of Alter got one of these devices; it was practically a key to the base of the Alter group. However, members were able to enter along with their squad leader or if it was known beforehand. There were also several cameras that were hidden on the giant mushroom-looking building, allowing them to see what was outside.


    Both of them stepped into the metal rectangr room that was in front of them. Himmy''s heavy footsteps echoed slightly as they headed on inside. Then the door closed as soon as the two entered.


    What the two of them were currently in was an elevator, and it even had buttons of the many floors on the side. In total, there were eight floors that went up, and there were eight floors that went down below the current floor they were on, which counted as 0.


    "Oh, they changed the color of the bottom three floors," Charlotte noticed, as there was a slight purple glow around the buttonspared to the light blue buttons above it.


    Using the same key to open the elevator door, Himmy then pressed it again against the number 3, and soon the elevator was on the move.


    "Are they trying to highlight the forbidden floors or something?" Himmymented and somewhat chuckled at the purple design.


    The floors above were where those in Alter would report. They would file reports, meet up with fellow Alter members, and also discuss issues with higher-ranking officials. At the base of Alter, there were those known as the Programmers.


    Not because they had knowledge in high tech or made anything with their minds, but because they were individuals in charge of the whole program at Alter. They would coordinate and inform all of the squads across the continent on what to do, what the best use of their time was, and if there was a need for more than one squad on a task.


    These programmers were on various floors, but they lived at the Alter base and were based on the seventh floor. Their role was considered quite important in the grand scheme of things and allowed everything to work like clockwork. The programmers were free to go to any floor, including that of floor 8, but only when they were summoned to. This was because they worked with almost all departments in the building, which they needed to.


    Even the 6th department, known as the Deleters. These were a group of powerful Otherworlders, some would say even the strongest Alter had, and their main goal and purpose were to get rid of evidence and traces of otherworlders existing, and they would use any means necessary.


    The other floors had others that belonged to Alter as well, but the main floors that Himmy and Charlotte knew about were the first three. The first floor was a simple gathering area. Those belonging to Alter could rest here and prepare for their journey. There was a number of supplies for them to take with them. It was also an area for those to talk to each other. After all, Alter felt that it would be better for agents working for them to know each other. It would allow them to work on goals together even more than before.


    On the second floor, there were several training rooms. These rooms allowed people to fight against each other, test out their skills, or learn what was best. After all, working in the field they were in, in the world they were in, they all knew they were bound to get in scuffles here and there.


    As for all of the floors below that of floor Zero, where they had entered from, those were the storage rooms. Each floor represented the rank of items avable. If they got permission, they were able to take items sometimes for use, especially those from floors -1 to -5. However, the floors below that, no one was allowed to use the items that were ced there. They were the items that were mythical and above. The restricted floors had the colored buttons that Charlotte had noticed before, and they were protected by those known as the Encrypters. A mysterious group of people.


    Himmy had gotten off, and the door opened,nding on the third floor. They were hit with a wave of noise of people talking all over almost immediately. There was a lot of chatter along with people dressed in all sorts of clothing. Most of them were dressed in thin clothes like those of the normal people in Pagnar, while there were others that had more fashionable taste.


    On this floor alone, at the moment, there were around three hundred or so people, and that wasn''t all of the agents Alter had. There would be those on the other floors and those that were still outside working.


    Heading forward, there were mostlyrge round tables where squads were sending in their reports. They would talk into a digital interface that was in front of them. It would record their report, and then they would have to wait until they were called to the front. Here they would queue up and speak to one of the Programmers and be informed about what they were to do next.


    This wasn''t always what happened, based on the information the programmers would constantly receive on the go. They would sometimes ask another agent that was currently out to go and report to the person in the field.


    This time, the two of them had been called back. Himmy spoke into the device around the table, saying everything he could about the deaths that they had discovered and everything else that had been going on. They then stood around waiting until eventually they had been called over by a programmer.


    Stepping up, they were met with a metal desk that had a built-in screen on the bottom, facing towards the programmer. As for the programmers themselves, they looked human, mostly, but they wore a strange gold mask on their face, with a simple P marked on them. There weren''t even any slits on the mask for eyes or a mouth and nose.


    "Your report states that you still have found no lead on the deaths that are urring. There has also been no link as to why these are happening," the programmer said as he moved his hands around all across the floor. "This is still quite an important matter to us, but none of the other agents have found anything either. There is one good thing; the rates of death seem to have slowed down recently.


    "In the meantime, I don''t want you topletely disregard this mission, but I will give you another task. You will stay in the Dark Faction so you can continue to investigate thest task."


    There were ten programmers seated behind their desks, each giving out missions. Some small, looking for basic items, and othersrger. In order to keep up their funds, they also ran services for the other ns and governors. It was what they needed to do to stay afloat and how the name Alter had spread through the area.


    As information was getting passed all over, of news of what was toe, things wereing in, and the reports would get sent up. At the higher floors where programmers were allowed to be, there were three head programmers who would pass on the information to the leader of Alter.


    On the eighth floor, arge clock was heard clicking as the head programmer entered a dark room. One could hear the sway of the giant clock hand as it cut through the air at the back of the room.


    "Sir, there has been some urgent information I thought you would like to know about, that has urred in the Light Faction," the head programmer stated. "We have news that one of the Eld


    ers of the Dawnde n, they had been defeated in a battle against the Demonic Faction."


    The head programmer continued to stare ahead in the darkness looking at the giant hand swinging. He could only see once in a while a flicker of a person that stood there.


    "The report states that one of the people responsible for his death calls himself the Dark Magus."


    Suddenly, as soon as the name had been said, the giant ticking hand had stopped. And it had done so mid-swing up to the side.


    "The Dark Magus¡­ someone used a name like that? That''s impossible. I was told that he had died. Bring me all the details; I need to confirm this for myself. Otherwise, it looks like I''ll need to head back to Alterian."

 Chapter 218 A New Student

    Chapter 218 A New Student


    Originally, Raze was going to create the items for the others first, but he was still slightly worried that a portal break would ur, and due to the state that Safa was currently in, having just gotten over her emotional burden, Raze thought that it would be a good distraction for her.


    After all, she could practice a few things to learn with Light magic to keep her mind off things. Since Raze wouldn''t be learning Light magic himself, it was important that she learned to use magic well so she could eventually even heal her voice.


    "There are a few things that you should know about magic. In total, there are ten different attributes," Raze started to exin, keeping eye contact with Safa to make sure she was listening.


    Simyon and both Liam were listening intensely as well, even though they weren''t learning magic, they thought who knew what they were going to go up against in the future, so it was good information for them to have.


    "Water, Ice, Fire, Earth, Wind, Floral, Lightning, Metal, Dark, andstly Light magic. The knowledge of these elements varies as the amount of study and time put into each element differs."


    "Who knows, in the future, mages might even discover a new element. However, from the current list of elements, there are those that work better against others and worse, so you will need to keep this in mind." Raze tapped the side of his head with his index finger.


    Exining this to Safa and having the other two boys gawking their eyes in his direction reminded him of the days when he was a professor.


    "Light Magic is strong against Dark Magic, but it is weak against Metal. As for other elements, there is a neutral effect. Of course, this doesn''t mean just because one is using Dark magic and the other is using Light, the Light user will always win."


    "In the first ce, Mages know more than one type of magic tobat this, and if they specialize in things, they are sure to know how to try and counter their match up. If anything, I would say the best way to gain experience and grow as a mage is to go up against your weakness and try to figure out ways to best them using only that type of magic!"


    Raze cleared his throat as he caught himself getting a little too excited. There wouldn''t be many mages for them to fight in the first ce.


    "Just keep this in mind. As for Light magic itself, it is one of the oldest forms of magic and one that mages know most about." Raze then turned away to mumble under his breath. "Unlike Dark magic."


    Turning to face Safa again, he brought out the five white-headed nt and handed it over, gently cing it in her hands. She cupped it, and instantly could feel a soothing energying from the nt.


    "Because of this, Light magic is perhaps one of the most diversified types of magic out there. Its main use is for healing, but if concentrated in certain areas such as the eyes, it allows one to see things that others can''t see. Some say Light magic is the closest magic there is to god, and it must have been something that was handed down to us by them."


    "However, it also means it''s one of the hardest to gain affinity with, but we will leave that forter."


    Raze started to draw a magic circle on the floor again, getting Safa ready to step in. There was a reason he didn''t want to talk about raising one''s affinity with magic; he was hiding something from them.


    ''Wind magic requires the constant use of spells to raise its affinity. Dark magic grows on death¡­ if I was to exin all the affinities to her, I''m sure they would ask about how I increase my Dark magic. They would quickly understand why it became a taboo magic to learn.''


    Raze then gestured for Safa to sit in the circle, and she turned so her back was facing away from Raze, and she was now looking towards the beds where the other two were still present.


    ''When making a magic core, especially the first one, the magic circle should be enough to draw mana from around you like I had done when I first got here. However, Safa has never controlled magic before.''


    ''The magic formation will help her, and the nt should allow her to head toward creating a Light magic core and increase her affinity from the get-go. I''m sure she will be fine. Sometimes people will go out of their way to make sure they will get the magic core that they need.''


    ''For Light magic itself, it''s selflessness, and she has shown an abundance of it. Even without the nt, I''m sure she would make a light core, but the nt will be enough to raise her strength to the point she can actually use light magic, and I''m worried about something else as well.''


    Raze was tense for a moment and was ready to ce his hand on her back. He wanted to do the same as Kron and try to guide her mana to her core around her heart.


    ''I was fine when creating the core myself¡­ it should be fine, right.''


    "I don''t want you to fight against what I''m going to do; allow it to flow, and then when you think you have an idea of what I''m doing, go along with it," Raze exined.


    It was now or never, and so he decided to begin. The magic activated from his body, and the magic circle lit up. The others in the room felt like something was attempting to pull them forward.


    It wasn''t the wind, as their hair wasn''t moving, and it wasn''t a type of Qi energy, it was something different altogether. Soon after, Safa''s body started to light up, and from the look on her face, she looked unpleasant.


    The energy wasing through her skin from the outside, and it felt unnatural. The feeling of worms trying to get through under her skin and from all over.


    But she remembered what Raze said, to not try and fight it, and to just go along with it, so that''s exactly what she did. The energy continued to flow, and when it was inside her body, she could feel Raze directing it.


    ''Controlling Mana inside a body is harder than controlling mana outside, but I can somewhat do it!'' Raze thought to himself.


    He was continuing to guide the magic, and soon around Safa''s heart a core was starting to be made. Layers andyers of magic were building up on the outside, forming a sphere. Magic was continuing to flow, but as it condensed more and more, Raze was having a harder time controlling it.


    "Safa, you need to do your part now. I can''t control Light magic that well, but this mana in your own body, you need to make it yours, you need to tell it what to do!"


    Safa was a quick learner, even when learning Qi she had gotten the grasp of it at an extremely fast rate, and unaware herself, she thought Raze was still the one controlling the magic, but it wasn''t, it was her.


    The magic was continuing to form the sphere bit by bit. Thanks to the nt ced at the head of the magic circle, she was forming an even purer Light magic circle. She was taking in mana and gaining great affinity with Light magic.


    Raze was right as well, her nature.


    It was already that of Light magic, and he was sure that if Safa was a mage from the get-go on Alterian, or a student of his, she would be ssed as a prodigy, and expected to be one of the strongest in Light magic.


    Just as the magic circle was starting to form, though, Safa felt a pain in her stomach. It was the Qi in her body. It was moving, shaking, uncontrobly.


    "Wait," Raze said out loud.


    The others were worried as they could see the pained look on her face. "The Qi, why is it moving like that? I can''t stop it!"


    Bursting out, breaking from the dantian, the Qi moved in the body, and it went straight towards the heart. The magic core hadn''t finished forming yet, and the Qi struck right in the center of the heart.


    At the same time, Safa''s entire body copsed, her head hitting the floor in front of her, her heart no longer beating.

 Chapter 219 Fixing The Heart

    Chapter 219 Fixing The Heart


    When Safa fell to the floor, for a moment it felt like Raze was watching it in slow motion. He saw the muscles rx in her body, as if out of control, swaying against the wind, and heard the sound of a thud as her face mmed then slid on the ground.


    He stood there, watching her, his eyes wide open, not knowing what to do.


    ''Why did that happen? Why did the Qi suddenly move like that, and why would it strike the heart?'' Raze thought. ''That¡­ didn''t happen with me. Wait, but I never had a dantian or a Qi core. I had gotten a magic core first; could that be the reason.''


    The sound was drawn out around him as Raze was stuck in his thoughts, and before he even reacted, both Simyon and Liam had jumped off their beds. It felt like he was watching a movie, as if he wasn''t really present at the moment.


    He could see Simyon pressing his head up against her chest, while Liam ced his hand under her nose after turning her over to see if she was breathing.


    "Raze¡­ Raze¡­ RAZE!" Simyon yelled at the top of his lungs.


    Thest call had snapped Raze out of it, out of the movie he was watching. He felt as if he was going from bystander to living in the moment now.


    "Safa, we can''t hear her heartbeat, and she''s not even moving. What happened? What happened to her? What did you do?" Simyon screamed.


    These words, the experience of people shouting at Raze, he had heard it before, and almost trying to turn away from the situation, he looked onto the floor.


    ''But I was fine¡­ where did this all go wrong?'' He thought.


    While staring at the ground, Raze noticed something: the five-headed flower. Only one of its heads had disappeared, having broken down into particles. Even now, there was a slight glow around it.


    ''There''s no one to stop me this time. I can try and do something.''


    Raze tensed his fist, his eyes narrowing as he went into full focus. He bent down, picking up the flower, and quickly rushed to Safa''s side, cing his hand on top of her chest.


    For a moment, Liam was wondering if Raze was trying to finish some type of hit job or whether or not he had made a mistake. But since they had no clue what was going on, he was also the only one who could resolve it.


    As Raze closed his eyes, he could sense the magic that was inside her. It was still floating around her heart, condensed. Her heart itself was still in good condition, but a few of the vessels had been torn.


    Raze ced the flower on top of her chest and then ced his hand on it as well. He was focusing, trying to feel the light magic. He was trying to imagine reaching out and influencing all of the light magic that was in Safa''s body.


    ''I can''t produce any light magic of my own, but I can try and control what is in the nt and already in her body.''


    Raze was moving about, controlling as much of it as he could, but there was another issue: what spell was he to use? He taught magic, but in this situation, what exactly was the best spell for him?


    He was thinking, but his brain wasn''t working. Light magic spells were something that he had only really studied, so he didn''t have the best memory of them.


    ''Think of a word, a trigger, something to use.''


    While thinking desperately for an answer, an image of a woman appeared in front of his closed vision, and a voice whispered out.


    ''Complete Restore.''


    The voice was soft and gentle, but it reminded Raze of the magic circle formation he needed in his head as he said the words.


    "Complete Restore!" he shouted, pouring in all of his magic to move the Light magic. The nt started to disintegrate, and as it did, it started to add to the Light magic that was already around the core.


    Before he knew it, the core had beplete, creating a perfect circle around her heart. Soon it lit up, and the damage that had been done from the Qi was restoring parts of the damaged heart from the Qi.


    This time, it didn''t seem like the Qi from the dantian was doing anything either. Perhaps because the person wasn''t even alive at this point for its body to reject the magic circle.


    The heart was going back to full condition, and the glow started to fade. Raze could tell now that the magic core, the Light core, had beenpleted. The spell was a sess, so as he lifted his hands, he was wondering why.


    "Why¡­ why didn''t that work," Raze mumbled to himself.


    "What do you mean didn''t work?" Simyon said, cing his head down to her chest. It was true; he still couldn''t hear her heartbeat. At the same time, she still wasn''t breathing.


    "The pills, what about the pills you have, can''t you use them?" Liam shouted, remembering that they had been used to help Simyon before. Surely, it could do the same in this situation.


    "No," Raze answered. "Her body, it''s already healed to full condition. There''s no longer anything wrong with it. There''s nothing to heal, but for some reason her heart''s not beating."


    The two were left silenced by Raze''s words; they couldn''t quite understand. How could Safa have beenpletely fine one moment, and now had ended up like this? Was there really nothing that they could do?


    ''Hahahaha!'' A shrieking female voice, not the same as before, echoed in his head. He wasn''t sure if he had heard this voice before or not, or if it was his subconscious tormenting him for having made this mistake.


    ''Hahaha, you avoided death too many times, I tried to protect you all, but look what you went and did.'' The voice said, ying in Raze''s mind.


    "Shut up!" Raze called out. "Shut up! Shut up!"


    The voice continued tough, with Safa''s body still lying on the ground.

 Chapter 220 God Eyes

    Chapter 220 God Eyes


    Theughter continued to echo in Raze''s mind, but the words that hade out of his mouth could be heard by all. Seeing what happened to Safa, both Liam and Simyon felt like he was a bit heartless in his reaction, only reacting at the tail end, and now he was shouting words.


    "Shut up!" Raze shouted again. "Are you taunting me because I couldn''t save the people back then? Do you think the same thing is going to happen again?"


    Thinking about it, Raze remembered reading a few medical books. What some mages had done in certain situations. He knelt down on his knees, spread on either side of her, and then lifted both of his hands.


    Soon, his eyes started to glow a light blue, and then, running up and down his arm, his magic activated, but it wasn''t a type of magic the others could see before. Coming off from his clothing were small blue sparks that were going off in different directions.


    "Hey, hey, hey!" Liam said, holding onto Simyon. "Is he trying to make sure she''s dead or something? Why is he using some strange lightning powers?"


    The currents were running up and down his arm, and then he ced it on her chest. The electric pulsated from his hand, shocking Safa''s body, concentrated towards the chest, towards her heart.


    Her body lifted around an inch off the ground, but there was still nothing.


    ''I remember reading medical studies. There were those who were able to use their lightning ability to reset the rhythm of the heart if it was abnormal. In rare cases, though, if a person''s heart has stopped, chestpressions are the best thing. With the power of the lightning pulse, andpressing at the same time, I will make her heart beat again!''


    Raze left both of his hands right on her chest, and the lightning started to pulse into a steady rhythm. The shocks weren''t as big as the one from before, but Raze was making his own rhythm to match that of a natural heartbeat.


    He had to be careful, use too much magic and it would just damage her heart again. "You have to live, you have to! I didn''t give you the name Cromwell so you could die!" Raze said, and Safa''s fingers began to twitch.


    Raze did one more shock, and then he stopped, as he could hear it, and feel it through her body, it was pulsating again. It was slowly getting into a rhythm, and it came back strong. Opening her eyes, and mouth, arge gasp of air was let into her body, and she started to breathe in and out several times.


    Slowly, Raze got off from her, he was covered in sweat over his head as he looked at her and wiped his chin.


    ''You''re notughing now, are you,'' Raze thought to himself.


    The two boys had tears of joy as they called out Safa''s name, and almost grabbed her, but they realized that she probably needed some space and time, since she had somewhate back from the dead.


    Looking at Safa, Raze was somewhat worried that she would just copse again at any moment, but she seemed to be going strong, and just before he let go, he made sure that everything was in order.


    ''Safa... was incredibly lucky,'' Raze thought. ''I didn''t realize that her Qi would react like that, to a magic circle being made around her heart. Is it some type of self-defense mechanism that Qi has? For it to attack the user?''


    ''I''m not too sure if this is something that will happen to everyone who has both. The fact that I was able to learn both might be the order of things, but regardless, those who have Qi already can''t learn magic.''


    ''It only worked out for Safa because she was actually dead. With her body dead, her Qi wasn''t activating to defend herself. So the magic circle around her heart could form with no interference, and then the fact she was making a light magic core as well. It allowed me to use it to heal her heart.''


    ''If it was any other type of magic, then her heart wouldn''t have healed either. Thankfully, I did everything I could to keep her alive.''


    Slowly getting up off the ground, Safa sat gently on the bed. If there was one thing that hade out of this, it was the fact that the guys weren''t in a rush to learn magic anytime soon after what had happened.


    When she finally looked to have regained a bit of color, Raze walked over to her.


    "We had quite a little scare there, but everything is okay now," Raze replied. "It was a sess; you managed to learn Light magic."


    "Are you sure it''s okay?" Simyon asked. "Like if she uses magic, the same thing is not going to happen?"


    "It shouldn''t," Raze answered. "It was just during the process of making what we call a magic core. It''s simr to when you make in the dantian to get to the first stage. For some reason, the two seemed to disturb each other, but now she should be just like me."


    "Let me know when you''re ready to try."


    Just as Raze was about to turn away, Safa reached out and grabbed his hand. She started to nod several times. She was telling him that she was ready now.


    "You just came back from thend of the dead, and you already want to do this... very well," Raze answered. "The energy you felt that was inside you, you should be able to remember that feeling. You need to link it up with the energy outside the world of the same type."


    "Unlike Qi, whiches from within, mana is the energy controlled on the outside. You can only control so much energy before your mana core is unable to handle any more and will need rest to regenerate.


    "What I want you to do is focus on the same energy you felt inside you and capture that energy outside."


    The process of what was actually happening and how to control it were two different things, but either way, it was just to help one grasp the concept of using magic, and from the look of things, Safa was grasping it quickly as she felt a glow in her fingers.


    She also felt her core reacting as well.


    "I won''t teach you any spells for now. We don''t want to oveplicate things, but there is a step before even learning spells. The gathering of different affinities of magic. You need to gather certain amounts and in the right areas to use spells.


    "For now, what I want you to try and do is gather the magic and direct it towards your eyes."


    Breathing in slowly, Safa was doing the same thing again. She took in a deep breath, and soon the glow was appearing around her eyes, and not just that, but the color of her eyes was changing slightly. The outside of the iris, it was turning into a pale, almost white color.


    Soon, she could see a number of different things. She could see the light energy in the air, strands being attracted to her. She could also see different colors on the two boys, but then her eyesnded right on Raze, and her whole hand was starting to shake.


    "The color of your eyes... you... you have received god eyes," Raze said. He noticed her lips quivering, and even her eyes shaking. If she had god eyes, he realized what she must have been seeing right now.


    Safa could see dark energy that waspletely surrounding Raze, it was all over him, surrounding the entire side of the room. It was floating about like a spaceless void, and not just that, but the energy felt extremely angry, full of emotion.


    Slowly, it was starting to move, and as it did, it was destroying everything around it, the space, the light magic, and every type of energy she could see.


    ''The god eyes allow the user to see mana in a more pure form. Right now, she can see all of the deaths that I have caused in order to increase my Dark magic attribute.''


    Raze had a pretty good idea about what she was seeing right now, but his imagination was wrong, because Safa couldn''t just see the lives he had taken in this life, but in his past one as well. Almost a giant shadow was forming over his back.


    "Don''t look into it too much," Razemented. "Or you''ll be consumed by it."


    Out from the shadow, as Raze spoke, almost a giant hand with deadly ws was reaching out at her. Whatever this was, it clearly didn''t like her.

 Chapter 221 Death Flag

    Chapter 221 Death g


    The dark shadow was consuming her and all the energy around her. For some reason, she was unable to take her eyes off it, and yet, it felt like the shadow was drawn to her as well.


    Not just Raze, but a pair of invisible eyes were heading toward her. It was the first time since she had met the new Raze that she truly felt scared of him.


    "Stop now!" Raze said again, still seeing her bottom lip quivering.


    Safa did as he intended and gave a hard blink. When she opened them again, the magic she was controlling dispersed back into the air. The image in front of her was gone, and the sixth sense she could feel from before was no longer tingling with fear.


    "You have been granted a gift," Raze stated. "Not everyone who practices light magic will get what we call God Eyes. This is one of the many reasons why people think light magic is the closest to god''s power due to the benefits people are able to achieve.


    "For yourself, you are able to more vividly see the flow of energy around you. It will allow you to cast spells quicker and know the flow of magic before it''s even used. You will even be able to tell the magic core of others before they use any magic at all."


    Safa now understood why she could see Raze''s magic but wondered if he knew it radiated that much from him as well.


    For Raze, as he was exining out loud, he realized something. The God Eyes might have been quite the gift for him and his group. Because now they could tell who knew magic and who didn''t. It would allow them to see their core, but the main issue was, it was hard for Safa to speak freely, and Raze had promised her that he would help her fix her voice.


    "About your voice. Depending on how you lost it, there is a chance that it cane back," Raze started to exin while pointing to his own throat. "If this was the way you were born, then unfortunately, there is nothing you can do, but if it was due to some damage, then we will be able to do something about it."


    Hearing this, Safa''s facial expression had changed into a huge smile, which made him think that it was most likely thetter.


    "Since you''re already used to gathering magic with your eyes, I want you to continue doing the same. Activate your God Eyes, but don''t push yourself. If you feel strain or headaches, then stop. That''s your body naturally telling you it''s reached its limit. The same if you start to feel exhausted and tired," Raze continued.


    "With God Eyes activated, I then want you to continue moving magic about, try to use the God Eyes to your advantage, and flow the magic towards the area in your throat. This will get you used to controlling magic. When you can control enough, I will teach you a spell, and hopefully, it will be the end of your mute days."


    Hearing this, even the boys listening at the back were quite excited. "Hey, I bet she''s going to sound like some type of goddess! I mean, she''s even got that strange power, God Eyes, so she must have the voice of a god, right?" Liam said, getting excited and nudging the side of Simyon.


    "Hey, she can''t speak, she''s not deaf; she can hear everything you''re saying," Simyon replied, but he was a little red-faced as well, as he too was imagining what it would be like to hear Safa speak.


    It didn''t seem like the others had things to do, same with Raze, who wasn''t up for exploring so much aftering back from what he hade back from. At the moment, he was just waiting for Dame.


    He still had no idea what to do with Crimson Crane''s offer and wanted to speak to Dame a bit more.


    So they were all intently watching Safa; she soon closed her eyes, and when they opened, the color of her iris had changed again. The first thing that had managed to catch her attention again was the darkness surrounding Raze.


    Thankfully, he was standing further away this time, and was close to the other side of the wall, but she did notice something, and it was while she had this power active the shadow was creeping toward her.


    It was almost as if the power that surrounded Raze was conscious of her. Because only when she had activated her God Eyes was it creeping towards her, and the shadow was forming into shapes she recognized as well.


    She was even wondering if it was her mind that was ying tricks on her. While looking at Raze, though, she soon noticed something else.


    Although it was hard to see his figure while using the God Eyes due to all the darkness around him, she could see a slight outline, and that''s when she could see strange shades of red energy as well.


    They were condensed in an area, they were swirling around, and slowly the outline of the condensed energy was bing clearer to her. The energy looked almost human in shape, but it was behind Raze.


    As she focused even more, she could see there was onerge dangling arm that reached over Raze''s left shoulder, it was reaching down towards his waist. Then the other hand, it was raised up in the air.


    Finally, there was a head, no, a face that was right by Raze, just floating. She was unable to see any details such as eyes or anything like that. When she saw this, a thought had crossed her mind because she had seen it too while she was cultivating, that time, it looked like the same bloody woman.


    At that moment, she was starting to wonder why there were so many things trying to kill her, or trying to kill her and her brother.

 Chapter 222 Following in the foot steps of a stranger

    Chapter 222 Following in the foot steps of a stranger


    Safa started to shake her head, and shepletely stopped using her magic powers altogether. It was an amazing feeling, controlling this newfound energy, and the energy itself was pleasant for her to touch.


    However, there were just too many things that she would see while using God Eyes that she didn''t like, and it wasn''t the easiest thing for her to exin to the others either. Instead, when Raze asked her to use her magic again, she just shook her head.


    For the rest of the day, the group stayed together, and rather than using God Eyes, Safa would use her magic on her fingertips whenever she could and used it around her throat. She even had started to try to move the light magic over to Simyon and Liam, who both felt calmer when her magic coated them.


    She didn''t dare use it on Raze after what she had seen. That night had been a trying night for them all, and even Raze had decided to finally get a good rest, leaving a few thoughts in his head.


    ''Alter, The Bonum Society, Dark Faction, Light Faction, Demonic Faction, and even the Crimson Crane. There are quite a lot of groups that control this world, and I''m sure I haven''t even met them all yet.


    ''Ah right, there was that other guy as well, from the other world. He called himself Zon; he said I didn''t quite understand what was going on, and I almost forgot, the bloodied hand when cultivating.


    ''I wonder, is it all linked to Alterian in some way? These dimensions, everything that''s opening up. When I was a mage in Alterian, I was so focused on my own world because it was falling apart every day, and I tried my best to keep it up and going.


    ''I failed in the past, but this time, I was able to save someone.'' Raze turned his head to look at Safa, who was fast asleep in her bed. Everyone was, and Liam was even snoring quite loudly.


    ''With so many groups of people, as I continue on my path to revenge, a lot more are going to get involved, and it''s going to be a lot more bloody. Right now, while no one knows the truth of my past or my goal, things haven''t been too bad, but there will be a turning point. Especially if I don''t want the same thing to happen. Don''t worry, no matter how peaceful this life gets, I will never forget. I will get those from Alterian.''


    These were Raze''sst thoughts that filled his head as he finally went to sleep. Having fallen into a deep slumber, it had passed morning and was close to noon, yet none of them had moved out of their beds as if a spell had been cast on them.


    It was a first for all of them. Due to them being Stage 2 Pagna warriors and Raze a Stage 3, even less sleep was needed, but all of them during this short trip to the Demonic Faction had gone through a lot. Now there were only a few days left until they had to return to the Academy.


    Eventually, the sound of knocking at the door was what had woken them up. Simyon, closest to the door, lifted his head and was rubbing his eyes, while Raze was the quickest to lift himself up. He had almost jumped out of his bed, ready for whatever was to happen next.


    He quickly looked out the window before turning to the door again. ''It''s already thiste. How did we sleep for so long and so much?'' Raze thought. On top of that, he felt oddly refreshed, more so than usual, with the Qi in his body brimming with energy. This wasn''t the first time when he had slept he had woken up feeling better.


    The knock was heard again, and the second time they heard it, everyone let their guards down slightly, as they recognized the pattern. Simyon went to open the door, and none other than Dame could be seen walking through.


    "What happened in here?" Dame asked. "You guys all look half-dead, and the atmosphere, did someone die in here?"


    Awkward faces were being pulled by all of those in the room, and for a moment, Dame thought someone might have actually died because he remembered at one point, that was exactly what he had to cover up.


    For a moment, Dame only wanted to talk to Raze. The others were willing, as they knew they had important business, and since they had naturally missed breakfast, they were hungrier than usual and headed downstairs to grab a bite to eat.


    Meanwhile, Dame had pulled up one of the chairs next to one of the desks in the room and also took out another for Raze.


    "I think you might want to sit down for this because I have quite a serious thing to talk to you about," Dame said.


    Raze did as asked and really didn''t know what to expect, as there were so many possibilities to talk about.


    "First, I think I should inform you that the name Dark Magus has already spread, and by that, I mean not only here in the Demonic Faction but perhaps the whole of the Dark Faction as well as the Light Faction already know, and it''s not because we''ve been shifting those pills that you made," Dame exined.


    In fact, he hadn''t even had a chance to shift any pills due to the problem that had arisen because of it all.


    "The word of an elder getting defeated, it''s been pretty big news all over. It''s not something that happens every day, and for some reason, rather than the Crimson Crane getting the me, the only name that is getting passed around is the Dark Magus; they think you are solely responsible for the elder''s death."


    Raze was slightly taken aback by this, and he bit his bottom lip, getting the me for things that weren''t entirely his fault. It wasn''t the first time this had happened either. People were twisting things. He was starting to think that maybe the fact that he had learned Dark Magic he had been cursed as well.


    "I see, but if anything, this should still do good in terms of the business side of things," Raze replied.


    "I''m not too sure," Dame replied. "The Light Faction will do anything they can to try and get revenge for this elder. They will target the merchants or those that sell our product to try and find out the real identity of yourself."


    "But I don''t think we should give up on the empire that we nned to build. Which is why I think it might not be a bad idea for both of us to join the Crimson Crane," Dame stated.


    Now Raze understood why Dame had given the first bit of information. His line of thinking wasn''t wrong. If he joined the n, they would have some protection, especially since the Crimson Crane were neutral as well. They would suffer some setbacks from the Light Faction, but it was better to just be the enemy of one group rather than the target of several.


    "With them covering us, we will be able to continue as intended. I also had received an invitation from them a long time ago, but because of my ties with my n, it has been difficult, but I know now after everything that''s happened that this is the right thing to do."


    "The Crimson Crane is also different from other ns; although we will have their backing and name, we are still free to do as we wish in terms of individuals. We will only have toply when Alba really needs our support."


    "She might also ask you to make a few items for the entire n, but we could still continue our business this way."


    From the way Dame was speaking, Raze could tell he was enthusiastic, and he had already made the decision; it was more so him trying to convince Raze.


    "I''ve been thinking about epting their offer myself," Raze replied. "I was actually going to ask your advice on the matter, but I can see where you lie. I still need a little more time, and we only have a few days here."


    "If you do n to leave, then I want to do one thing before you abandon your n."


    Dame raised an eyebrow, surprised that Raze wanted something from him.


    "I want to go to the Neverfall n Base."


    Dame''s eyeballs nearly popped out of his head. If there was one ce he didn''t want to take Raze, it was back there, where his sister as well as his father were both looking for the Dark Magus in question.


    "Why do you want to go there? Is there not something I can just get for you?"


    Raze shook his head. "It''s something that only I will be able to see."


    If Raze remembered correctly, he remembered that Dame said that he had books rted to the martial arts that the Dark Faction Founder had left behind. From what Raze knew, just like him, the Dark Faction Founder was from Alter. He was someone who knew magic and martial arts.


    It was still unclear if he hade over the same way as Raze in a new body, but what he was looking for was things that he had left behind. His notes had done him well, and it was clear that from what he had seen so far, the Dark Faction Founder was also a 9-star mage. If he had left something at the Neverfall n, it would be written in Alterian, and Raze was probably one of the few people who could make use of it.

 Chapter 223 Enter the Demonic Clan

    Chapter 223 Enter the Demonic n


    Despite Dame''s reluctance to take the Dark Magus to the Neverfall n, in the end, he had given in. It appeared that Raze was quite persistent and had his own reasons for visiting. Dame was relieved that he hadn''t cut all ties with his n just beforeing here, like he had nned to; otherwise, it would have been a disaster if they wereing back.


    Currently, the two of them, leaving the others behind, were walking through the vast wastnd. Thest thing they wanted to do was look after the others, and in a way, staying inside the city was one of the safest things for them, as long as they stayed out of trouble.


    ''I was nning on leaving them and nevering back to the n, but I guess heading there one more time to say goodbye isn''t too much of a big deal,'' Dame thought.


    "Ah, I worked out a few things for when we join the Crimson Crane. It will continue the same as before; Fixteen will be our contact person. He can either meet us in the city or meet us in the cave we came out of before," Dame exined. "Fixteen has already been working on selling channels, and he will make sure that people know the Crimson Crane is backing the Dark Magus.


    "But we won''t make it clear that you are a member just yet."


    From the way Dame was talking, it was as if they had already agreed to join the Crimson Crane, but with everything he was saying, Raze still had no reason to disagree. It would all work out.


    It was thanks to Reno as well, a member of the Crimson Crane, that he hade up with his mass-production technique.


    "If I''m part of the n, won''t I also be able to get some rewards from the n''s achievements?" Raze asked.


    "That''s the good thing about it," Dame replied. "The Crimson Crane is small, and they mainly focus on clearing out the portals. So they get their hands on high-level power stones all the time. I''m sure they would be happy to give you these power stones that suit your needs in return for something else. You now have ess to the power of a n, without going through all that crap with n leaders."


    Raze had been making note of the way Dame talked from time to time. It was quite clear that he wasn''t in favor of ns so much, or at least the old structured ns like most of the Pagna warrior ns were like.


    Up ahead, after walking or more like gliding across thend withrge strides that took them several meters ahead, they had reached their destination. It was hard for Raze to fathom because right now it looked like he was just looking at arge built-up wall.


    Many cities and buildings had walls as protection or to keep others out, but this was different because no buildings could be seen higher than the wall, and in the first ce, the wall wasn''t very high up. However, it was incrediblyrge, to the point where from where Raze was, he was unable to see just how big the wall went around.


    "This is the Neverfall n''s base of operations, known as the Abyssal''s Pinnacle. The easiest way to think of it is like an inverted mountain, and it''s just asrge as one as well. Rumors say that the base was made from when a Demon fell from the skies, thus creating the birth of the Demonic Faction.


    "But don''t worry, the only demons you will see inside all look like humans."


    "I will have to agree with you there," Razemented. "But isn''t that worse? At least monsters wear their appearance on the outside, but humans, they are the scariest demons since you don''t know what they''re thinking."


    Dame couldn''t help butugh at that, but it wasn''t because what Raze said was funny, but because there was a truth to what he said. It was augh out of irony.


    "Before we enter, I think it might be best that you use this." Dame handed over the ck mask. It was a familiar item to Raze because it was the mask that he had created and given to Dame.


    It was the mask that he had used as well before to change his appearance on the battlefield once.


    "That cloak is starting to be a symbol, and people might realize who you are or try to get a peek at you. So I think it''s better if we just head in as a member of the n," Dame exined.


    Raze understood and put on the mask, and soon his face changed into a typical Pagna warrior, with in ck hair and next to no standout features. The mask, in the first ce, could only store one face, and not multiple ones since it wasn''t too much of a rare item.


    "But isn''t this the face of one of your n''s disciples? It will cause some troubles, right?" Raze asked.


    "Don''t worry, I asked for my friends to go ahead of us and make sure that doesn''t happen. The main ce you want to head to is the library, right? It''s going to be a little hard to get in there, since n members, depending on what rank they are in the n, can enter at certain times.


    "I do have special privilegespared to others, but I just need to make sure things are all clear."


    There was another thing that Dame wanted to do himself before taking Raze to the library because after he got what he wanted, he wanted to head out of the ce as soon as possible.


    "Also, stay clear of a girl called Rayna. She''s the one you saved that time. She won''t recognize you with the mask, but I don''t even want you speaking to her."


    With those strange conditions set, Raze nodded. He was in Dame''s territory now, so he would respect their rules, but with the two of them being split apart for a while, he would have to make sure his acting was top-notch.


    They had approached therge wall that was slightly sloped, and Raze could see several indented footsteps on it. There was no entrance for them to enter from. Instead, those from the n were expected to just scale the wall.


    The two of them did just that, running up the side of the mountain top, and then when they reached the top, Raze could feel an incredibly strong heating from below. It had hit him straight in the face.


    The sound of grunting, shing, and sword bashing was heard from the area as well, and even for Raze, he could feel a tingle at the back of his neck. He stared deep into the abyss, which had giant chains that hung down from the sides of the wall, twirling down, and on those chains, there were entrances like caves.


    It was a strange sight to see, along with the spiraling staircase that would branch off into entire floors where n members lived. Raze had never seen anything like this, even in all of the Demonic Faction.


    ''Is this where the Dark Faction founder was hiding, and just why would he put something in a ce like this?''

 Chapter 224 The Neverfall Base

    Chapter 224 The Neverfall Base


    Entering the n base seemed easy enough. Once they reached the top of the wall, all they needed to do was jump down onto the tform underneath. Here, there was arge base that encircled the entire giant hole, and now Raze was starting to get an idea in terms of scale of the entire thing.


    It was bigger than he even imagined. Just on the rim of the hole entrance, there could be an entire city set up; it went around that far. There were just members of the n casually talking, and to get from one side to the other, they were using the giant chains as types of bridges.


    Even on individual links, Raze could see two n members casually talking away. It was bizarre, to say the least, the strangest thing so far that made him feel like he was in apletely different world altogether.


    "Is there new security?" Raze asked.


    "There is, but not on the upper floors," Dame exined. "Essentially, in this area, nearly anyone can just walk around and talk to each other. If they use one of the chain links to go to the lower floors, then someone will need to recognize you.


    "As for visitors, they usually register over there, and someone wille and get them." Dame had pointed to a hole in the side of the wall, something that looked to be at least 400 meters away.


    Only just could Raze see a sign above it, and he could read the words "visitors center."


    "The current person that you are disguised as is only allowed on the upper levels. This area is called the spiraling descent. It''s where most of the n members sleep, as well as train."


    "The staircase will only take you so far, and then you will have to use the other chain links to allow you to go further. That''s where the higher-ranked individuals are. The Chains of Binding. In this area, some of the chains are hollowed out to allow people to train.


    "While other parts of the chain links are even used as prisons and more. Going across the chains will lead you to an area called the Demon Ponds. It''s an area filled with strange red liquid that seems to have Qi energy inside it.


    "Many of the higher-ranked individuals cultivate there using the Life and Death technique, but only those at the middle stage are allowed to visit this area. Not even I am allowed to cultivate there. The rumors state if you do, you''ll end up going mad."


    From the description, it sounded like the area was filled with pockets of blood-filled craters. Hearing this reminded Raze a lot of the bloody woman that was haunting him and Safa.


    "Finally, past that, is what you are looking for, which is the Abyssal library. It''s a vast cavern that is filled with ancient scrolls along with tombs. These are where the n''s techniques are kept as well.


    "Once in a while, students are granted ess to the below area, so there is a way that allows you to bypass the Chains of Binding and Demon Ponds. I just have to find it. So, in the meantime, just stay here."


    Dame ordered as he went away and started to run off, heading along one of therge chain links.


    Looking at the area though, Raze had no intention of staying put.


    "Although the library is where the skill was kept, other information leading to what the Dark Faction leader did might not just be in the library. It could be spread all over this ce, and might even be hidden.


    "I won''t explore the forbidden areas; that will get this person''s face in trouble. I will just explore the areas covering the spiraling descent." Walking down the staircase, Raze noticed that every once in a while there was a tformed-off area.


    Here, there would allow one entrance into certain ces. He had stumbled upon what looked like a kitchen, but he doubted there would be anything left there. If he really couldn''t find anything or fancied a bit to eat, he woulde back.


    It did make him wonder if the chefs were also n members and fighters here. Since this was a n base, nearly all of those he met would be n members, due to the location, he couldn''t imagine many visitors being here either. There were no cities or towns nearby; it was as if the n was in the middle of a desert.


    As he continued on, he soon found a carved-out cavern full of Qi energy. He could feel the power somewhat drawing him in. Another thing he noticed was how the intensity of the heat increased the further he would go down as well.


    Instead of continuing down further, he decided to investigate, and was following the energy. Here he could see several hallways that split off into different areas, and there were students who were all sitting down in a meditative state.


    While Raze continued to walk, he was taking a small peek into the others'' rooms, trying not to disturb anyone.


    "Alterian writing could be on the walls of any of these rooms, just like they were in the cave. I still have no idea what he was doing here, or whether or not the Dark Faction founder was on friendly terms with the Demonic Faction.


    "Otherwise, it could be something I could ask the leader. The leader is Dame''s father, but from the way he speaks about him, he isn''t exactly on good terms with him either," Raze thought.


    When Raze went to peek in one room, one of the young students had opened a single one of his eyes; he then looked at Raze, but Raze quickly turned away, trying not to catch any attention.


    "Calum! Are you back from that secret assignment already?" The n member called out.


    Raze bit his bottom lip. Of course, there was a chance of this happening, since he carried the face of a n member, there would be those that recognized him. As soon as he started to speak, they would immediately know what was up.


    "It didn''t go so well; I''m not in the best moods, just leave me alone for today." Raze waved his hand, still looking away from the man.


    It was a short, simple answer that shouldn''t lead to any more questions. Raze was even quite proud of himself for that one.


    "I understand, don''t worry about it, but we do need to get ready soon," the man said.


    ''Get ready, get ready for what?'' Raze wanted to ask.


    Right after, a loud gong was heard, and it vibrated the entire area. The floor was shaking, and another loud bang vibrated again. All of the lower-ranked n members soon got out of their meditative state, as they started to move.


    "Come on, we don''t want to bete!" The n member said. "I heard that there is a special guesting to see us. It''s the beauty of the Neverfall n, Rayna Narfous!"


    Raze had been in the Neverfall n for around fifteen minutes, searching maybe twenty minutes tops, and he was already about to meet one of the dreaded people that Dame wanted him to have nothing to do with.

 Chapter 225 Learning steps?

    Chapter 225 Learning steps?


    Following the loud gong, Raze could see the other low-ranking n memberse out from their small rooms of meditation. They did a few stretches here and there before they were all heading down one hallway into another area.


    Raze was debating whether he should turn now before he got swept up into something that wouldnd him in trouble, but there was already a crowd of people behind him heading his way. He was a little afraid of being touched by not just one person, but multiple, as there appeared to be no way out now. Not only that, but there was now a witness by his side.


    "Come on Callum, I know you''re feeling down, but this won''t hurt you; you can always take it easy today," the young man said.


    ''The issue is I don''t even know what I''m taking it easy on!'' Raze said in his mind but took a deep breath and decided to go with the path of least resistance. He followed the strangers whose names he didn''t even know.


    It was clear that these two were friends, so he would just have to keep his mouth shut and continue ying the silent treatment for now.


    Eventually, the hallway led to an opening. Up ahead, glowing objects could be seen, but it wasn''t linked to the outside. The hallway they were walking hade to an end, and the n members were jumping off into something below.


    Students jumped off the end of the hallway one by one, and Raze followed suit as hended and started to look around him.


    It was arge oval room, still covered in the dark red-colored rock that most of the n base was made of. It was quiterge in size, like an area that fighting mages would fight in. What was a little strange was the ground. It was made out of hard metal and had strange patterns and designs ced all over it. The flooring was toorge for Raze to even make out if it meant something, and the designs were inconsistent.


    In the current arena, there were fifty n members, all of them low-ranked individuals. They had spread out, all facing toward one man who had a mallet and a giant ck-colored gong up against the back of the wall.


    The man himself was dressed in dark red clothing and looked to be around ten years older than everyone else here.


    However, the n members seemed to be unfocused as they turned and twisted their heads, clearly looking for someone else.


    "The young madam is currently not present," the instructor at the front said in a loud voice that bounced off the walls. There was a hint of anger that they cared more about her than him.


    "However, what you heard today is true. She has returned and will be making rounds around the n. So today you best be at your very best, so you don''t make me look bad," the instructor stated.


    "Today, we will be teaching you all something that is a bit of a controversy within not just the Neverfall n, but the Demonic Faction entirely, and that is the ten descending steps!"


    An eyebrow was raised from Raze. Out of all the techniques for them to go over, it was one he already knew. At least he could have learned something from his snooping around, but now that didn''t seem to be the case either.


    From the looks on the other n members'' faces, they were dissatisfied with the lesson.


    "Why do we have to learn that technique, sir!" one of the members asked. "Isn''t it a redundant technique, especially for us low rankers? Aren''t other footwork techniques a lot better?"


    "This is where the controversy lies!" the instructor said with a smile. "Everyone knows the ten descending steps; each of the individual steps on their own is not the best footwork technique. There are plenty of other steps that would draw more power into your attacks.


    "However, the ten steps are one of the few techniques that build on top of each other. It grows as you use them in a sequential way, and it bes a force that is unstoppable. You''re correct in thinking, right now your Qi control won''t allow you to learn all ten steps or connect them together.


    "It might never be, as it takes years of experience and talent at the same time. However, this will be your building block. Learn the first step for now, practice it, if youplete it, great, move on to the second step and try to connect them.


    "If you can do these two things, then you will have a great foundation for learning the other steps in the future as your Qi control gets better. It''s also a great exercise for practicing your Qi control for other techniques."


    The instructor started off with a demonstration and mmed his foot down. Those that stood at the front could feel their bodies a little disturbed and the feeling of uneasiness.


    After experiencing a wide range of different warriors, at a guess, Raze would guess that this person was a stage 4 warrior. Most of those around him were either 1st stage or second stage warriors.


    After the demonstration was over, it was time for the students to try it out, and they all gave it their wholeheartedly best. They were trying to give each other pointers while correcting their forms and more.


    If a member was really struggling, the instructor would give out bigger pointers to them. For Raze, he was half-heartedly raising his hand and mming it on the ground.


    ''I can''t stand out in a time like this, and I already know how to do this,'' Raze thought. ''The best thing to do is to not get noticed, and if that happens, then when the lesson is over, I can go back to my exploring.''


    The practice had gone on for around thirty minutes, and during it all, Raze had caught the instructor glimpsing his way.


    ''Has he noticed something? Does he recognize this student, or is it something else again? I''m getting a bit paranoid, and I wonder if Dame is going all around the ce looking for me.''


    It wasn''t Raze''s imagination; the instructor was looking at Raze, and each time, something was growing inside of him, until he eventually screamed.


    "STOP!" the instructor shouted. "Everyone line up."


    They did as they were told. The instructor then walked over, looking into the eyes of each of the students and finally walked right over to none other than Raze himself.


    "You,e out to the front now!" the instructor demanded.


    Pulling him out, he allowed him to turn and face the students.


    "Do you think the descending steps is a useless technique?" The instructor asked.


    "No, sir!" Raze answered. "I think the technique is brilliant, just as you exined before, sir."


    "Oh really," the instructor picked up the mallet and mmed it into the gong again, making everyone flinch for a moment.


    "Then why do you think you can do the technique half-heartedly!" The instructor shouted. "You are to demonstrate the technique right here in front of everybody.


    "If there is a single mistake, I will be sending you straight to the n head, for him to kick you out of the entire n!"


    What Raze had done was a bigger offence than he realized. Everyone was working extremely hard, even if they were messing it up, the ns weren''t like the Pagana academies; they were even more fierce.


    In the first ce, to join a top n, they needed to show hard work and talent. Then even when in, they had to continue


    to prove themselves. Entering a n and bing a stronger Pagana warrior was their life for them, and in the eyes of the instructor, Raze had spat on that by working half-heartedly.


    ''Not a single mistake?'' Raze thought. ''I... I can''t get sent to the head n; otherwise, it will cause more problems for Dame and me.''


    Little did Raze know, this was more or less an empty threat from the instructor, in order to inspire Raze to do his best.


    Raze shifted his feet apart and got into a fighting stance. To the instructor''s surprise, it looked good, and not just that, there was a change in his eyes. Raze gathered the Qi how he was supposed to, the image of the manual appeared in his head, and just like the many times before, he lifted up his foot and mmed it into the ground.


    The sound echoed louder than any of the other students, and those close to the front felt their legs slightly shaking from the power of the Qi that had been used.


    The instructor''s mouth was left wide open as he stared at the student.


    ''That was... that was... textbook perfect! Was he not doing it properly because he already knew how to learn the descending step? I have never noticed this n member stand out before.''


    Before the instructor could say anything though, the sound of pping was heard. The heads of the members turned, but the pping wasn''ting from one of them. They noticed it wasing from the hallway where they had entered from.


    Slightly above where they were stood in the hallway, they could see a woman with ck hair pping away.


    "That was perfect; it looks like we have quite the talented student on our hands," Rayanmented as she jumped down. She wasn''t alone, though, and soon two more jumped down with her.


    "Ah, sir Mac!" Rayna said. "I hope you don''t mind us interrupting. We have Mantis and Rod from the Splitting Fang with us; they would like to watch today''s training if that''s okay."


    "Mantis?" Raze mumbled as he looked at the individual and noticed it was the one known as the ck tiger.

 Chapter 226 Outdated Clan

    Chapter 226 Outdated n


    It wasmon for those from other ns in the Demonic Faction to visit each other. After all, they were all under onerger group and working together. It was a chance for them to exchange knowledge and see the workings of other ns.


    At the same time, it was a way for them to staypetitive against each other. After all, at one point in time, the ns weren''t under the banner of the Demonic Faction and were constantly battling against each other.


    It wasn''t until a change urred, and a set few individuals were able to unite under each other.


    Today, the Neverfall n had a respected visitor; it was a couple of students from the Pagana Academy, and not just any students, one of them was the infamous ck Tiger, the current rising star in the academy.


    Because the academy was a ce where all of the ns sent their students, nearly every person knew who the ck Tiger was. It was even why not just anybody was giving a tour to the two from the Splitting Fang n, but Rayna, the young miss of the Neverfall n, was giving them a tour around the ce.


    Of course, Rayna was far more powerful of a warriorpared to that of the ck Tiger; she was three to four academy years ahead of Mantis, so it was to be expected. Which is why she was showing them the current low-ranking individuals'' training.


    Inside the arena, it was a mixed group. Some of them had already finished the academy but were still low-ranked within the n. Others were currently attending the academy but since it was their break, they were busy training.


    Andstly, there were those who hadn''t even entered the academy yet.


    "Of course, you are all free to watch!" The instructor Mac said with arge smile. "Students, continue as you were doing before, and if you think you have aplished the first step, let me know, and I will happily demonstrate the second step to you. If you are still unsure, then try tobine techniques that you already know along with the first step."


    The instructor left Raze to go off with the others to continue their training around the ce. Before entering, it was only Rayna who had witnessed what Raze had done, while Mantis and Rod had entered in after.


    All of them were watching the performance of the n members, and even Rayna had to admit, it appearedckluster. It wasn''t that the training was bad, but there was no one that stood out.


    "It appears you are teaching them the descending steps today; that is quite the difficult technique," Raynamented.


    "You are right, and most won''t be able to use its full potential," Mac replied. "But I believe that if there are a few that can learn it to its best, it is one of the strongest skills out there. Besides, if they manage to master its Qi control, then when they use other techniques, there will not be wasted energy allowing them to fight for longer!"


    When Mac spoke these words, he pumped his fists, proud of his teaching techniques. He had been the teacher for the lower-ranked n members for a while now, and he is proud to have even taught Rayna and Dame when the two were younger.


    "Oh, this is surprising," Rod said as he pushed the sses up on his face. "In the Splitting Fang n, we have deemed the descending steps as an outdated technique."


    Mac wanted to shout out how absurd he thought that was, but he bit his bottom lip as these were their guests.


    "Do you mind exining how so?" Mac politely asked.


    "Well, the technique is only viable if one has the control of a middle stage warrior. Even then, they are only able to learn four steps or so. When one gets to the middle stage, though, four steps are not even enough to outperform the techniques at the middle stage.


    "If you want to practice just Qi control, there are better ways, rather than learning a foot technique that they will never use. If we look at the probability of sess versus failure, there are a lot more that never reach its potential. So the n works on teaching more refined techniques than this, and use more modern ways for Qi control."


    There was a lot of sense in what Rod spoke. Mac''s way was somewhat killing two birds with one stone. He always saw it as if they never ended up learning the descending steps properly; at least they had Qi control.


    While also gambling that there would be someone who would master the technique, creating a prodigy.


    "A gamble," Mantis said. "There is next to no one that has been able to perform the descending steps perfectly for years. When was thest time the Demonic Faction even produced someone at the deity level?


    "All the Neverfall n is doing is gambling on having an outstanding person who is able to learn these steps. It''s no wonder that there weren''t any outstanding students from the n at the academy."


    Mac''s fist was shaking violently. The words spoken out, they weren''t just remarks made towards those in the n, but he felt like they were towards him as well. He was the one that taught the students before they went off to the academy.


    However, it was true, this time at the Pagana academy, there were no stars like that of Dame and Rayna when they two went, or the other two brothers as well.


    Despite all of this, the anger in Mac continued to rise, to the point where he couldn''t hold his tongue anymore, and it turned into a smile.


    "Don''t be like that," Mac stated. "Just because members of the Splitting Fang n can''t produce any talented individuals, or harness the power of the Descending Steps, there is no need for you to sully the name of such a great technique."


    Both Mantis and Rod looked at each other and nearlyughed. Without saying anything, Mantis started to walk forward toward the center of the stage. The other students saw this and started to split away from him, wondering what he was about to do.


    "The Descending Steps, your perfect outdated technique. You think that we simply think it''s too hard to perform?" Mantis asked. "I''ve been watching all of these so far, and not a single one of them is able to even perform the step correctly.


    "I haven''t studied the steps in detail myself, but I''m pretty sure it goes something like this." Mantis raised his foot, he gathered the right amount of Qi, and then mmed it into the ground, with the power going out toward the others.


    Rayna and Mac could feel it; this was a perfect demonstration of the first descending step.


    "As you can see, I performed it better than anyone here, and I don''t even care for it," Mantis said. "As I said, this technique is a gamble, as you are hoping for a talented student to show itself, but it seems the Neverfall n no longer has any talented individuals."


    The other n members were furious. They all felt hurt by what they had just seen. A person who didn''t care for their teachings was able to perform the technique even better than them.


    It was shameful to all of them who were working hard, yet none of them could ignore the fact that he could perform the step better than him.


    The instructor and Rayna didn''t know what to say, and Rayna felt quite bad for the lower-ranked members. This would certainly dishearten them, which she didn''t want to do.


    "Hey Callum, was your step better than his?" A voice asked out in the middle of the silence.


    The other students soon turned around to look at who had just spoken, and they could see the person named ''Callum'' along with another n member. They soon remembered just moments ago, that there was another one, another person that had performed the step not too long ago, and it looked almost identical to the one they had seen Mantis perform.


    "Ah, that''s right!" Mac clicked his fingers. "You said before that we had no talented students, well then, you, Callum, perform the first step just like you did before, and make sure there are no mistakes."


    Raze inwardly was shaking his head as the scene was ying out. ''I was meant to not stand out¡­ so why is everything I''m getting involved in, is making me stand out more!''

 Chapter 227 Are you better than him?

    Chapter 227 Are you better than him?


    There was a reason as to why Dame was taking longer than usual just to find the secret path to the library, and it was all because he had headed to a different ce instead. He was heading to the n''s vault.


    With his privilege of being a young master, he was able to practically go wherever he wished, and that included the vault. It all belonged to his family currently anyway. At least, the less restricted levels.


    ''If I''m going to leave this ce, then I might as well go ahead and take whatever it is that I can get. We need to help our business after all, and it can''t count as stealing if it belongs to my family already, right?'' Dame thought.


    ------


    What were the options that Raze could do in this situation? He had attempted to stay at the back of the group in order to stay out of trouble and not be seen while all of this was happening. Who cared about what the n had to prove.


    Raze didn''t care at all because he wasn''t a part of it, but there was no way for him to escape either. What would happen if he just t outright rejected the offer that had been made? Would that just get him into more trouble?


    ''I guess the only thing I can do is just show them what I did before. It''s just a friendlypetition, so no one should make a big deal out of this,'' Raze thought as he walked forward. When he did, the man from behind started to cheer.


    "Go on, Callum! Woo, show him what the Neverfall n''s got!"


    Raze was starting to think that this person was far more obnoxious than even Liam, which he didn''t think was possible. What was even stranger was the fact that no one seemed to care how this n member could suddenly produce the descending steps so perfectly.


    Instead, now, almost everyone was rooting for him as he walked to the front. He could hear cheers and see the faces of expectation from the others.


    ''I guess this is quite the change from the usual,'' Raze thought to himself.


    There weren''t many times where he had people cheering him on to do something in his life, but sinceing to Pagna, this was now the second time after thest event with the red headband wearers.


    When Raze got close, he stopped, and both Rayna and Mantis were looking at him directly, while Mac was tapping his feet away, clearly nervous about what was to happen. It was quite possible that thest demonstration was aplete fluke.


    This close, Raze was wondering if Rayna or Mantis would notice anything. After all, he had met both of them before.


    ''Wait, why is she here?'' Raze started to think. ''Is this the woman they were waiting for? I never knew she went to this n, and the others called her young miss. I guess the Light Faction had captured quite the important person.''


    Raze got in the same stance asst time and readied himself, just like before. He looked at Mantis, who he didn''t remember much about, apart from the fact that he had caused quite a heavy blow on Simyon that caused him to kneel over.


    With this thought in mind, he lifted his foot, gathered the right amount of Qi, and perfectly mmed it down, dispersing it out towards the others.


    Arge smile was on Mac''s face. "Perfect, that is textbook quality!" Mac started to cheer. "As you can see, there are students that can learn the difficult technique and can benefit from it greatly."


    When looking over at those from the Splitting Fang n, they didn''t seem to be as pleased as Mac thought.


    "As you said, he performed it perfectly, but so did I, and I don''t even care for this technique," Mantismented. "This doesn''t change anything, and in fact..."


    Mantis then jumped up and into the center, standing right next to Raze. Quickly he whispered.


    "Watch and see, this is something you can''t do," Mantismented.


    He lifted up his foot, mming it on the ground, producing the first step, and then right after that, he used the second descending step, charging right off from his position. He not only had performed both steps but Mantis hadbined them together, creating arger surge of Qi.


    "I wouldn''t even call myself talented in terms of using the Descending Steps, yet I can do this. I know its limitations, which is why I know how useless it is."


    Mac couldn''t believe it; Mantis knew not just one but two of the steps already. Now he was starting to doubt himself. It was clear that Mantis knew more about the steps than the average n member in order to be able to perform it.


    Or it was just that he was that talented. As he said before, the level of Qi control, it was just too much for Initial Stage warriors, and even then, the impact and greatness of the skill wouldn''t show until someone knew how tobine around six steps or higher.


    By then, everyone was already in higher stages, being able to perform all sorts of different types of techniques. He had only shown them the first step; it was impossible for them to up Mantis, and even if someone performed the same thing, then it wouldn''t amount to much.


    There was a smug look on both Rod and Mantis'' faces as he went to return to his friend''s side. When walking past Raze, he looked at his face with a half-smile, the corner of his cheek raising toward his eye.


    Yet Raze had no reaction at all to what he had done, unlike the others behind him.


    "Crap, man... that guy''s even younger than me, and he can already do that," one of the n membersmented from behind.


    "Are the only talents in the Neverfall n rted to the n head? Is there no one else that can rise?"


    Although no one could say the Neverfall n was weak due to its master and their descendants, the quality of the n and pride didn''t just rely on the few on the top. They had to have confidence to frequently produce strong Pagna warriors.


    It would allow them to take pride in being in a n among those that were the greatest, but they were unable to make that im this year.


    Suddenly, while everyone else was feeling down, Rayna started to walk forward. Everyone wondered if she was now going to show off some of the skills on her own, but instead, she stopped just short of Raze.


    "You... you can do more than what you showed us, right?" Rayna asked.


    Raze was a bit taken aback from what was happening. What had he done for her to suggest this? Why was she even asking these questions?


    "I''m going to take your silence as a yes. I want you to show him, show him something he can''t do. Show him the strength of the Neverfall n. If you do, I will reward you with an item from our vault," Rayna suggested.


    This had caused Raze''s ears to shift slightly. A vault full of treasures belonging to one of the top ns in the Demonic Faction, a ce where Alter couldn''t even reach. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why the Dark Faction founder hade here.


    Maybe there would be something of use inside that not even the Neverfall n knew of. ''Something that I can do that he won''t be able to do. Well, we are learning the Descending Steps; I guess I could show that.''


    Raze was debating, wondering if it was easier to just leave the matter be, but he had somehow already caught the attention of Rayna. Apparently, he wasn''t doing a good job of keeping low.


    "All right, but you better take me to the vault and let me choose," Raze said as he walked over to the center of the room.


    ''I wasn''t nning on showing him up, but the guy was big-headed and annoying in the first ce, and I guess I never got the chance to pay him back for what he did to Simyon,'' Raze thought, as he got into a stance again, ready to show everyone the power of the Descending Steps.

 Chapter 228 Something you cant do

    Chapter 228 Something you can''t do


    If Raze was going to take part in this performance, then the best thing he could do was shut it down before it started. He didn''t want it to go back and forth between the two, with one trying to up each other.


    If he really needed to show something that the other couldn''t do, then he could just show magic, but that was a silly option and not something he could actually consider. No, instead, Dame would do the same as what Mantis had done.


    He had shown everyone here that those from his n saw the Descending Steps as a useless technique that couldn''t actually be utilized well. While at the same time, still being able to perform it better than those learning.


    ''Very well, this should be enough,'' Raze smirked as he lifted up his foot in the same stance as before.


    ''Wait,'' Mac thought, raising his eyebrow. ''Is he just going to perform the Descending Steps? But I''ve only shown these guys the first step. I thought he might have picked something different to learn when he was at the academy or gotten an art he had been practicing on the outside, but if he is just going to show this, then it will mean nothing.''


    His foot mmed on the ground, and the Qi dispersed out, hitting the group of four that were watching him; it was just as strong as before. After that, Raze then proceeded with a kick of his back foot, and he dashed forward, when he did so, he had appeared just short right of Mantis.


    ''The second step, there was someone among these guys that could produce the second step?'' Mantis thought. Not only that, when he looked at the man straight in the eyes, there was an uneasy feeling flowing through his body. It was a feeling that he had felt before. One that he didn''t get often.


    At that moment, everyone thought the movement was going to end; he had produced two of the Descending Steps. They thought it might have been possible since he was able to copy that of what Mantis did, but that was when Raze jumped back, doing a flip, his leg kicked up, and he jumped backward.


    The Qi continued to build up, and this could be seen right when hended on the ground. Like a small stone being thrown into a pond, there was a ripple effect with his Qi as well, spreading out.


    ''The third step?'' Mantis grunted seeing this. ''I can produce the third step as well; I can link them up, but I have to admit when Ind, it''s unstable, the Qi build-up breaks apart there, yet here it''s so calm and steady.''


    The thing was, it wasn''t the end. ''Show him something he can''t do, well then one more step should be enough!''


    Raze kicked off with both of his feet, charging right ahead. It felt like a torpedo was being shot at them, but just before it hit them, Raze skidded across the ground, cing his foot down and stopped.


    As his movement stopped, the wave of Qi energy carried on forward, blowing the hair of all of them wildly. They could feel the power; it was far stronger than the Qi that had been used in the first step.


    For the first time, the students were able to witness the amazement of the Descending Steps, the added effect of the build-up of Qi.


    ''This is what someone can do when they use the Descending Steps properly?'' Mantis thought, even he was amazed. He imagined if an attacking skill was used at the end of the fourth step, it was nearly as strong as his tiger formation.


    ''Not only that, but the steps continued, and he was already imagining what steps even further than that could do.''


    Right on cue, in the middle of the silence, the sound of pping was heard once more, and it was from the same person as before.


    "Excellent work, you really, really showed us the spirit and strength of the Neverfall n," Rayna said with arge smile on her face.


    The other low-ranked n members as well as the teacher Mac, were proud of ''Callum'' for achieving what he had done. It was even more precious because it came from a lower-ranked n member.


    Mantis, despite seeing everything though, he wasn''t filled with rage; if anything, he was filled slightly with awe at the footstep technique. He had never seen it being performed so well in front of him, and he could already tell its power.


    "One student was sessful, but it''s still an outdated technique regardless," Rod stated.


    Wanting to finish things on a good note, Mac thought it was good for them to put a stop to the training there.


    "Alright, everyone, rest up for the rest of the day, keeping what you saw in your heads. I hope Callum''s performance has inspired you," Mac ordered.


    Before leaving, Mantis walked up to Raze and stopped around a meter away from him, and he had a few words to say.


    "Your footwork is great; I hope in the future we can work together and be good rivals within our ns."


    The response was surprising. Raze expected him to swear at him, to state that foot techniques were useless and how things would have been different if it was a fight, but instead, the young master seemed to be respectful.


    After walking away for a short while, it looked like Rayna and the two guests that had arrived with her were speaking, and momentster, the two of them had decided to jump up on the ledge and appeared to be leaving on their own.


    Raze had jumped up with the others as well; he was trying to walk ahead of them because he could tell many were trying to speak with him, trying to find out how he knew about the Descending Steps.


    However, just as the others had called out to him, Rayna somehow passed all of the students and was now by his side.


    "I have a good eye for people, don''t I? I could tell from your reactions and the Qi in your body. You weren''t that impressed with his Descending Steps technique. I thought you might have had something else up your sleeve, not knowing the Descending Steps yourself."


    There was more to it than that, which Rayna wasn''t letting on, and it was the fact that she, for a second, saw an afterimage of someone else she had recently seen doing the same thing. At the top of the pyramid, she had seen everything the Dark Magus had done, and just like that, she thought that there might be more to this student as well.


    "Anyway, let''s not waste any time; a promise is a promise, so let''s go get that item of yours."


    Raze and Rayna had left the room, and they started to head down the spiraling staircase, leaving all of the other members behind to talk about what they had seen. There wasrge excitement, but eventually, the question came to their minds. Was Callum always that strong? When did he get so good, and when did he get the time to learn the technique?


    They would just have to ask these questions when they saw him again.


    After going down a few steps, Rayna seemed to be looking up at the chains that ran across from side to side likerge swaying bridges. Finally, she hade across one. She then leapt up and asked Raze to follow her.


    They continued to walk down towards a specificrge hanging chain until she stopped in the center.


    "All right, we''re going to take a bit of a shortcut," Rayna stated, and she soon jumped down.


    The heat was getting more intense as they ventured deeper below, and when looking down, the ground was filled with dust, to the point where Raze could hardly make out if there was a chain or the ground underneath.


    ''This feels just like when I fell off that cliffside again. Why does everything in this world have to be so deep?'' Raze thought.


    Regardless, he doubted that Rayna would be jumping to her death so soon, so he decided to follow, leaping off the same point as she did.


    The dust filled and stung his eyes, and he was holding back using his magic to clear the way. Eventually, his feetnded on therge chain links the same size as a house, and it rattled slightly.


    "Nice, you made it; I was worried I would have to fish your body from the bottom," Rayna said as she continued to walk down the chain. "That was just a joke, just a joke."


    The two continued to walk, and eventually found another tform and a cave leading to arge cavern-like system.


    Raze was continuing to follow Rayna, trying to remember theplex system, but it was quite difficult, and eventually, they hade to arge wall full of special cogwheels on the side, and two men in Pagna uniforms were standing below.


    "This is the Neverfall n''s Vault. The treasures gained from other dimensions in explorations, from our fights among others, our own exploration, and even from other ns and our history, is all in here."


    "As I said, feel free to take an item of your choice. There will be some things I can''t just let you take, but I think you''ve earned this much. I believe that those in our n who do well should be rewarded!"


    Raze stared at the door, and for some reason, he had a good feeling that if there was anywhere other than the library where he would find information about the Dark Faction leader, it would be here.

 Chapter 229 Neverfalls Treasure

    Chapter 229 Neverfall''s Treasure


    The guards surrounding the n''s treasury seemed to recognize Rayna immediately. Still, despite this, as they bowed down their heads to greet her, she had pulled out a small wooden amulet from underneath her clothing.


    Holding it clearly for the two guards to see, they nodded their heads, and both of them began to open the door by turning a set of gears by their side in a certainbination. It was almost like a passcode of sorts, something that even Raze was unable to keep track of, especially since their bodies were covering up what they were doing most of the time.


    "Don''t try ande in here on your own," Rayna said. "I have the n emblem. The perks of being the master''s daughter. Those that are part of the council have one as well, and they can hand one out to guests from time to time."


    Putting away the emblem, Raze noticed the design on it. He could see that it looked as if arge fist was falling from the sky, heading towards the ground. It reminded him a little of the story that Dame had told, how the creation of the base had been made in the first ce.


    ''It can''t just be an emblem that they rely on. Surely, someone would be able to forge such a thing if they got their hands on one, so how were they able to tell if it was real or not?''


    With a touch, maybe Raze would have noticed something he couldn''t with his eyes, but it wasn''t an important matter. The gears had clicked, and with it, the doors were slowly opening outward.


    A cold breeze followed out of the room; a breath of fresh air that was wee in the heat the two of them were in.


    "What are you waiting for?" Rayna said, taking the first step forward.


    Walking inside, Raze followed, and right after, a creaking sound was heard. The two men that had opened the door were now closing it behind them as well. It felt like they were being locked in a prison, and with the darkness in the room, he had little idea how big the area was.


    The doors clicked together, and the cogwheels were heard turning again. As soon as they finished, lights started to turn on from above. Several red lights were glowing down on the area below them, and now Raze could see everything.


    "It''s big... it''s a lot bigger than I thought," Razemented.


    Big would have been an understatement. The ce was littered with shelves and different sections cordoned off that hadrger items on disy. Right now, it felt like Raze was in one of those supermarkets that they had on Alterian; there were so many items.


    "Well, as I said before, this does contain all of the Neverfall n''s history, and unlike many other ns that moved to public areas or closer to the main cities, we have always stayed in the same ce.


    "This is only the tip of what you can see as well," Rayna proudly said, both hands on her hips. "If you look over there, there are even more sections, but you can only get into the higher section as long as you are with the n head."


    What Rayna pointed at was a smaller singr round door, with a circle hole in the center. The door looked to have been made of metal with different engravings, but to enter the door, one would have to use something or some sort of key.


    ''I guess if one really wanted to take something from there, they could just break the walls by the side. If that was to happen, it would alert everyone in the n, and being this low, it would be a hard task to get all the way to the top without being discovered.''


    Rayna allowed Raze to look through the aisles of items himself. She thought that he might have gone to therger areas or headed off searching for a weapon of some sort. Instead, he was looking at strange items, most of those that had been brought from other dimensions or those from the past that looked more like antiques than anything else.


    This time, Raze wasn''t looking for an item that reacted well to magic; he was sure there would be plenty. Inside here, he was looking for something to do with Alterian, and in turn, it might have been rted to the Dark Faction leader as well.


    Looking around, Raze thought that it was unlikely he would find anything. He thought somewhat of arge ce with so many items; there would at least be one thing, that was until he hade across a small little square device. It was around the same size as a pack of cards, just as thick as one as well.


    Looking at it, Raze''s eyes had widened incredibly. He went and picked it up. It was rtively heavy as it was made solid. The device was in, it didn''t look to have anything fancy on it, like a block of metal, but at the front, there was something that Raze had recognized.


    There was an engraving of a circle with several symbols on the outside as well. ''It looks like I managed to hit the jackpot after all.''


    The device in front of Raze was a recording device of sorts, and it was from Alterian. One would essentially use the device as a diary to document things. Instead of words, things woulde out from the top in an information screen. This allowed the device to show images and y small snippets of video. It was all up to the original owner on how they would want to use it. The main thing was whether or not the device was locked.


    One could imprint the device with magic and a magic seal, or they could leave it open if it was meant to be left behind as a message of some sort.


    "That thing seems to have taken your interest," Rayna said from behind. She was looking carefully at the time that was in his hand, but no matter how hard she looked, she just couldn''t see why it was so special.


    "Is it okay to take this?" Raze asked.


    There was a slight huming from Rayna as she looked at it. Trying to observe it from underneath and the sides.


    "I can''t say yes for sure. I thought you would have gone for something simpler like a weapon of sorts, but this, it might be something that''s really important to the family, so I will have to check with my father if you want to take that, just in case. Why don''t you keep looking and see if there is a backup you can find?"


    Raze nodded and ced the device back; it was only the two of them in the ce, and it looked untouched before, so it wasn''t as if someone was going to take it. The two of them split up again, as Rayna was enjoying looking around at the items herself.


    As Raze continued to search and went down one aisle, he could see a figure standing at the other end, tall, handsome, and in the Pagna uniform. He nearly blurted out his name immediately after he saw him but then saw a finger raised toward his lips.


    ''What is Dame doing inside here? I thought he was meant to be looking for a way to get me into the library, so why is he in the vault of treasures?''


    Gesturing with his hand, Dame was trying to tell Raze toe toward him, which he did. Walking over, he couldn''t help but shake his head and was thankful that Rayna was somewhere else for the time being.


    "I could hear you speaking on the other side," Dame whispered. "What are you doing here, and with my sister?"


    "Wait, that one, that is your sister?" Raze repeated back.


    Right now, Dame was just thankful that Raze was wearing the disguise, so she had no idea who he was.


    "Anyway, we don''t have time to worry about that," Dame said as he pulled out a sack by his side. He opened it up and showed that there were a number of high-power stone crystals in the sack.


    Hundreds of them that they could use. The bulk of them were level 2 and level 1 power stones, though, but still, there had to be around five hundred in the bag.


    "I doubt my father will even let you take any item in here," Dame answered. "And it''s the same for me, but there''s a problem, you see. They close the door on you here, and then search you before you leave to make sure you haven''t taken anything of importance.


    "Every item that is taken out of the vault is recorded by the guards, but I''ve seen you do your strange thing, right? With these crystals and that item you wanted earlier, are you able to hide them?"


    "I can," Raze answered. "But I''m wondering if you''re telling me to do what I think you''re telling me to do. Are you telling me to steal from the Neverfall n?"


    Coming from one of the young masters of the Neverfall n, it didn''t sound like the best of ideas, but then again, what else could he do? He needed that item.

 Chapter 230 Steal from the Vault

    Chapter 230 Steal from the Vault


    When entering the Neverfall n, Raze had already contemted that he might need to steal what he needed from the n itself. After all, ns were secretive about what they kept with them, especially when it came to things such as techniques.


    However, what Raze didn''t expect was for Dame to be the one to suggest it. It felt almost like he wasn''t even a part of this n.


    "Hey, you can do it, right?" Dame asked. "We need these crystals to kick start our business. After I leave the Neverfall n, I won''t be able to have ess to their finances, and if we want to keep this business separate and away from the Crimson Crane, we have to finance it ourselves."


    Dame did make a good point, and if Raze ced it in his robe, then it meant that there would be no chance of the others finding them. Taking the sack from Dame, Raze didn''t say anything butplied as the sack disappeared.


    Next was the more important item, and Raze wasted no time as he went back into the same aisle. He then took the item off the shelf and quickly used his powers to take it away, and right on cue, a voice was heard.


    "Dame?" Rayna shouted out and started to stride quickly towards them. Dame, seeing this, started to walk towards her as well.


    "What a surprise to see you here!" Dame said with a smile. "We don''t meet each other in the n or talk for how long, and now it''s like we''re practically meeting each other every day."


    Looking behind Dame, Rayna was checking up on ''Callum'' to see if he was okay. It was odd to her that the two of them were next to each other.


    "Wait, what are you even doing in the vault? What do you need from here?" Rayna asked.


    "Ah, you know, for helping you out in your trouble you were in earlier, Father said I coulde in here and grab something that I wanted to use. I''ve been in here a while now because I didn''t really know if there was anything I wanted, and that''s when I happened to meet this guy."


    "Yes, Master Dame," Raze bowed respectfully. Dame was already a popr figure outside of the n, so it was obvious that he would be well-known inside the n as well.


    "Actually, now that you are here, I think I heard Fixteen say he wanted to talk to you about something. He''s up on the first floor; I think it might have been a message from one of our brothers," Dame said.


    Almost immediately, Rayna''s face had gone pale hearing about this. If one of her other brothers had called her, then she shouldn''t waste their time too much.


    "I''m sorry, Callum, but it appears that I have to go. We can choose your item another time," Rayna exined.


    "It''s okay, I can look after this one if you want," Dame said. "It''s not too big a deal; I was just going to rx around the ce anyway."


    A smile appeared on Rayna''s face as if to thank him, and she certainly was pleased that her brother was here to help. She never realized how kind he was. With that, she was quick to leave as she headed to the door; it opened for a moment and then quickly closed behind her.


    "You lied, didn''t you?" Raze asked.


    "I had to; if she had checked where the item was from before and noticed you had taken it, she would have taken your head no matter what favor she owed you," Dame exined but then started to think.


    Maybe if he had mentioned Raze''s real identity, she would have kept it hidden as long as she got what she wanted from the offer. Either way, he shook his head.


    "Come on, you wanted to head to the library, right? We''re quite close from here; we shouldn''t take anything else from here; otherwise, the next person whoes in will be able to pin it on us quite easily," Dame exined.


    The two of them walked toward the exit of the doors. Before they reached them, Raze had one thing on his mind, though.


    "Your brothers, why did she react like that when you said their name?" Raze asked.


    Dame turned around, and he didn''t have the usual cheeky smile on his face. "If you ever met them, you would know, and if you ever got on their bad side, then I''m afraid even I wouldn''t be able to get in their way. I know you have already made an enemy out of the Light Faction with what you''ve done as the Dark Magus, but Raze, my warning to you is, never make an enemy out of the Demonic Faction."


    "Remember our talk about demons from before in human skin; well, there are plenty of them in the Demonic Faction."


    Family disputes were always a difficult thing, Raze would know, since he didn''t get on with the only family he had, which was his father. Someone who he had to part with in the end and would happily have done it over and over again.


    Not all families were good, and when a person is born in this world, who their family is and who they are rted to was one thing a person was unable to change.


    Exiting out from the door, both Raze and Dame were checked. Their clothes were heavily frisked, to the point where a certain manhood was touched several times quite hard, to see if they had even hidden anything down there.


    With the way they were checking, Raze was just thankful they didn''t go through a certain hole to check for something.


    After the checks were done, it was time for them to head to the library. Although Raze had already gotten something out of this visit, who knew what else he could obtain?


    ---


    Rayna was rushing rtively quickly up therge giant chains, and she leapt from one to the other to quickly scale the abyss. It was quicker than taking the stairs. She soon had reached the very top, where several people wouldmute.


    Rushing around, she soon could see Fixteen with the others; they were casually chatting away, and as she approached them, they quickly stood up and showed their respect.


    "I heard from Dame that one of my brothers has asked to meet me," Rayna asked.


    The others nced at each other with odd looks. They hadn''t heard of such a thing. Even more so, they were wondering what to say back because they were worried Dame might have told her sister such a thing for a specific reason.


    However, Rayna was quick to catch on.


    "He didn''t actually call me, did he?" Rayna said, the color returning to her face, but thinking about this, why did Dame ask her to leave the vault?


    ''No, it can''t be, can it?''


    Rayna, with a weird sensation, quickly rushed down to the vault. Going down was slightly quicker than going in. She did the same thing as before, passing through the doors and headed inside.


    ''If he wanted me out of the vault, then that means he took something he didn''t want me to see! He wanted to get rid of me so he could do something.''


    She searched and searched and had headed to one of the corners of the room. It was where supplies for the crystals would be ced, somewhat an emergency stack in case they needed to be used for something.


    "Arge amount of them, they''re gone! Was this his doing? What is Dame even doing, taking so much?" Rayna couldn''t understand it, but since it was just crystals, she was thinking of letting it go.


    Even if she told her father about something like this, she imagined that he would let it go as well. When she was walking away, she soon walked past the aisle where she had seen Dame.


    ''Wait, why was Dame and Callum talking to each other? When I went to approach them, he was the one that came towards me. I thought his actions were strange, but then again, I don''t really know him that well?'' she thought.


    Needing to check her hunch, she walked down the aisle and looked at all of the items, and that''s when she noticed, the small metal block, it was gone.

 Chapter 231 The Abyssal Library

    Chapter 231 The Abyssal Library


    Getting to the area known as the Abyssal Library was easier than Raze had thought. This was because the guards were actually stationed in two areas. One was between the staircases that split the areas.


    The other was on therge hanging chains that acted as shortcuts between individual rooms. However, Raze and Rayna had already taken an additional shortcut when heading to the Vault.


    This allowed them to bypass nearly all of the guarded areas anyway, and it was actually part of the shortcut that Dame originally knew in getting to the library; he had just forgotten about the perfect jumping point, and it wasn''t something one wanted to guess because then they would head right to the bottom floor.


    Not that Dame wouldn''t survive a fall from that far, being at the stage he was, but more so, the bottom floor was reserved for the master and Elders, and they were only meant to be present when being called.


    It would be a difficult thing to exin and couldn''t be excused with a simple "I slipped," not at the level someone like Dame was at.


    In taking this shortcut, they had entered therge cavern that was filled with rows of martial arts techniques. It wasrger than even the treasury they were in before. In terms of people, there were only around twenty or so, since the higher-ranked martial artists were allowed toe in here whenever they wished.


    However, the lower-ranked ones could onlye at set intervals, somewhat simr to the Pagna Academy.


    This was because there were so many techniques. Different techniques suited different people. On top of that, there were some techniques that were too hard to learn and needed one to establish a foundation in another technique beforehand.


    There were only a few with knowledge of the vast amount of techniques to help the lower-ranked n members, which was why they woulde down with an instructor.


    "There are so many books and techniques here; do you know all of them or what they do?" Raze asked. "I mean, I would expect this type of thing from an academy, but from just one single n, isn''t it too much?"


    "You''re actually somewhat right," Dame replied. "You see, a lot of techniques in here are neutral techniques that work well with any type of Qi. Other than that, what you see here could be considered failures."


    "Failures?" Raze replied, confused. If they were failures, then why let others study them? Unless the word meant something different in the Pagna world.


    "Martial arts from ns, they have an absolute martial arts that they teach most of their members. What ns will often do is go through a demonstration. This is when a member of the n has learned another art or tried to advance the current art.


    "It''s a fight of sorts, and in the end, one art bests the other. The art that manages to best all the other artses out as the n''s art that they teach most of their pupils. For us, it''s the Abyssal Fist Art.


    "But you see, in this library, you will find arts made from the Neverfall n that tried to deviate, maybe creating a sword art of some kind or creating another variation of fist art.


    "Masters and Elders that have tried toe up with a more supreme art than theplete art. For a while now, nothing has bested the Abyssal Fist Art, and my father continued to advance it further as he knows there are others trying to create better variations of the art. So this room is filled with those variations as well as different arts rted to it.


    "They''re not all necessarily weak, but they just weren''t able to best the Abyssal Fist Art, which is why they are deemed failures."


    It was quite interesting to learn that ns did this, their way of learning and keeping the failures was more scientific than he imagined. The mages went through simr methods but just did so less through duels and such.


    "I see, you don''t throw them away, as there might be another member that resonates with another art that deviated from the current one, and there is a chance that he can advance it even further," Raze replied.


    "Exactly. Take my sister, for example; she is strong and knows the Abyssal Fist Art, but she finds it more natural to use a sword. In the library, she found a sword art that deviated from the Abyssal Fist. She has learned everything in it and is currently trying to progress the art even further so it can even top the current art.


    "If she does, then she will have every right to be the n head."


    The two arts that Raze had learned, the Descending Steps, was an art belonging to the Whole Demonic Faction. There was no origin of that and was rarely used due to its difficulty. As for the second art, the Three Devils Formation, that was something that was taken from here as well.


    However, Raze did remember that he stated it wasn''t the best technique, so it was most likely just a neutral technique.


    While talking, the two of them were heading up and down aisles, with Raze picking out books. Each time he did, Dame would exin a bit about each book.


    What fascinated him was he knew about nearly every technique that was in here. It would have been impossible for someone who wasn''t studious. On the outside, he was a rxed and chilled-out person, but was that really the case?


    Was there a side to Dame that he didn''t even show others?


    "What are you looking for, are you trying to find a new sword skill?" Dame asked nervously. "I could point you in the right direction. In my opinion, it would be the same sword skill that my sister learned, but if you started to use the Neverfall n''s skills back in the Dark Faction, people would really start to ask questions."


    Hearing Dame exin this, something had clicked in Raze''s head at that moment. "Wait, didn''t you say you found the Noctis n''s skill in here? The Martial arts that belonged to the Dark Faction Founder. Do you mind showing me where you got it from?"


    Dame had no issue with this, and he started to head to a different section of the library. It wasn''t an area where skills were disyed, but insteadrge scrolls. There wererge scrolls that were hung up on the wall, and by their side, holes in the wall filled with rolled-up scrolls as well.


    "I was bored and started to look at these scrolls, and one day, when I went close to one of these scrolls I noticed something." Dame then lifted one of the hanging scrolls from the wall, and behind it, there was a square space. It wasn''t very deep, and inside there were two books.


    "I honestly didn''t quite know what it was at first, but when I pulled out the book..."


    Dame pulled out the worn old ck book that had the words written in Pagna, "Noctis n Sword Techniques."


    Handing it over, Raze started to flip through the pages. Even though it was in Pagna, he understood it, and he could see some of the diagrams. Although his knowledge was limited, as there seemed to be things in here he didn''t quite understand.


    "It''s written strangely, right? Kind of like a kid tried to write it," Dame said, looking at Raze''s expression. However, that wasn''t why he had his strange expression.


    Not noticing it, Raze took another look at the book, and he noticed, thenguage was written in a broken way. The words, when describing the techniques, were missing many connective words. It was almost as if a person from a foreignnd had written the book.


    "I did my best to learn the techniques, but honestly, I''m not even sure they''re right. It did feel slightly weird as well, but in the first ce, it''s a technique made for the Dark Faction, so I assumed it''s because I was using Demonic Qi it didn''t feel right. Not that anyone would know if I was doing it right or not anyway." Dame chuckled.


    Because all of the Noctis n members were dead, that was why he was semi-confident in showing the skills if need be.


    "Honestly, I think if you need to, you can just take that book. I''m not sure why it was ced here, and I might be the only one that knows about it. People hardlye to look at the scrolls. This is more of a collection thing that one of the Elders has a hobby about," Dame exined.


    Raze was thankful, but also a little disappointed. He thought there would be more that the Dark Faction Founder would have left behind. He just had to hope that there would be more on the device he had taken before.


    "Oh wait, if you''re taking that, you might as well take the second book that was there as well." Dame lifted the scroll and took the book. This one was hard-bound and was just as worn as the first book.


    "Although, it seems to just be a bunch of scribbles in there, so I don''t know how much use it would be."


    When the book was ced in Raze''s hands, the text was written as clear as day on the front. He could read it even easier than thest book because this book wasn''t written in Pagna, but it was Alterian writing, and it had a different title.


    [Dark Edge Magic Sword Arts]

 Chapter 232 A second book

    Chapter 232 A second book


    Looking at just the cover alone, Raze was frozen in ce. Dame was looking directly at him and could tell that he waspletely absorbed in the book. Even if he tried to speak to him now, his words wouldn''t get through.


    ''So was that book not just a bunch of random scribbles?'' Dame thought. ''I guess he understands it. Does that mean that this is something from his world? But why would the two books be together then? Just like me now, how I''m with Raze, did the Dark Faction Founder discover someone else with magic as well?''


    Although Dame was thinking along the right lines, it wasn''t quite right, as Raze would discover as he dived into the book.


    Inspecting the title of the book, it waspletely different. Making it out to be a different book full of techniques, and Raze imagined inside there would be techniques rted to Magic Swordsmanship.


    ''In Alterian, there were a few guilds that practiced Magic Swordsmanship. They would use enchanted items that gave them greater power with the sword. Is this a book containing magic spells rted to that? From Alterian, was he a magic swordsman?'' Raze thought.


    Although Raze had to admit, the skills that magic swordsmen would produce with their enchanted swords were nothingpared to even the basics of Pagna skills that he had seen. They focused more on increasing the power output or fighting with magic at close range rather than skill using the weapon itself.


    What was throwing off Raze a bit though was the fact that the word Dark was used. ''Was the Dark Faction Founder also a Dark Mage? I doubt that though. Nearly all of those that used Dark Magic were criminals, including myself.''


    ''From the magic circles I''ve seen him create, he had to have been a well-known figure in the magic world, and a well-known figure and Dark Magic don''t go hand in hand, unless it''s a criminal like myself.''


    He wouldn''t know either way until he opened the book, and unable to wait until they were outside, Raze started to flick through it, and instantly he realized something.


    Summoning the other book to his hand, he checked the contents of the book side by side, and that''s when he realized the contents of the book were the same. They weren''t exactly identical, but it was clear that they were meant to be the same thing.


    ''This isn''t a different martial art book; it''s the same thing. They''re both teaching the same swordsmanship.''


    As Raze tried to read the few lines of text that exined the techniques, he noticed a drastic difference in the text. While the book written in Pagna was like a bad trantion, the book written in Alterian was perfect.


    It exined it fluently while also adding additional details.


    ''No wonder Dame felt like the techniques were iplete; it''s because this is just simply a bad trantion. He was lucky that he managed to learn something from this.''


    As he started to think deeper, it made him wonder, why was it a bad trantion? Raze, having transmigrated into the body of a Pagna human, was able to understand and read thenguage with ease.


    At the same time, he kept all of his Alterian knowledge. He did remember stating that those from Alter needed to learn thenguage. So did it mean the Dark Faction founder wasn''t like him, and he hade over like the others?


    Not only that, but why write a tranted book in the first ce unless he wanted to pass on the arts.


    Interested, Raze started to skim through the techniques as he was learning the difference. He turned page after page, and Dame just watched him. His eyes were like a madman who was possessed.


    After reading the contents of the book for a while, Raze noticed a couple of things that changed his opinion of the whole book entirely.


    ''This book, it''s a book that is teaching a Pagna style of swordsmanship, not a Magic style swordsmanship. So my initial guess was wrong. As for the use of the word Dark, it''s because it uses the Dark Qi that was developed by the Dark Faction.


    ''Since he was the founder, it does make me wonder if he came up with the Dark Essence technique as well. All of the descriptions in the tranted book have tried its best to teach those just the swordsmanship.


    ''My guess is, this is what was passed down to those in the n before they had been wiped out.''


    There was more to it though, a lot more, because on the front of the word, there was the word magic, and there was a magic aspect to it.


    ''There''s a second half of the book that was never tranted. After the person learns all of the Dark Edge Sword''s art belonging to the Noctis n, the second half is learning how to utilize magic into those sword art skills.


    ''Not only that, but it appears based on the description in the second half. This sword art was never designed to purely be a sword art but was one that was designed to be used with magic.''


    There were some issues though. For one, the book was iplete. Inside the book, the Dark Edge Magic Sword arts had eight formations. The second half only focused on infusing three with magic.


    There was some theory on how the basis of the sword art was meant to use magic in some way with the other techniques, but without studying it in detail, Raze couldn''t figure it out.


    In fact, the sword arts themselves seemed beyond what Raze could figure out because nearly all of the sword skills were at a higher level than what he was capable of. Perhaps he would need Dame''s help in order to learn these skills andplete it in the end.


    Closing the book, Dame knew he didn''t have enough time to figure it all out there and then, but he imagined that this was quite a big gift.


    ''It''s been a long time since I''ve had a mentor, but I guess I should call you my mentor from now on.''


    This man from Alterian was on the same journey as he was, and had gone through many dangers. It wasmon sense to use the trials and errors of another one''s work to build on.


    That was exactly what Raze nned to do.


    Closing the books, Raze used his dark magic, cing them in his hidden robe. He had gotten what he hade for.


    "You have quite the smile on your face; I think that''s the first time," Dame stated.


    "It was a good reason toe here. Maybe in the future, I could talk to your father to ask more about the Dark Faction Leader."


    This made Dame think he was on the right track with his guessing. It was always strange; why were the Dark Faction Founder''s techniques here?


    "I guess that might be a question to ask another time, maybe when you''re confident enough he can''t kill you for saying something wrong," Dame replied.


    "Yeah, there are too many people trying to kill me already."


    The two were ready to set off and took a turn to head back down the main alleyway, and that''s when a certain individual was already right in front of them.


    "You two!" Rayna said, her fist tensed and a vein popping at the side of her head. "You''re in trouble."

 Chapter 233 A Tough Spot

    Chapter 233 A Tough Spot


    From a single look at Rayna''s face, Dame knew there was trouble. From the firm steps she took to therge vein that would show on the side of her forehead. Since her hair was brushed back and ced in a ponytail, it was really visible on her.


    The fact that she was here in the library of all ces and walking toward them meant she had been looking for them. Dame was trying to do the calctions in his head as to what the possible reasons could be.


    ''Did she figure out I lied from Fixteen? I thought you were meant to be the smart one of our little group. Couldn''t you have thought of something to buy more time?''


    What Dame didn''t realize was that Rayna had caught on to more than he originally thought because she wasn''t just annoyed that he had lied to her about one of their brothers, but it was that she had figured out they had stolen from the vault.


    She looked over her shoulder, seeing that no one was close, she stood there looking Dame right in the eyes.


    "You two, what are you nning, why did you take crystals from the vault?" Rayna asked. "There better be a good answer for this, and especially you. I already informed you that I would speak to my father about the other item, and you took it anyway."


    "You''vepletely ruined my trust in you. For going against a higher n member and using my trust like that, I want you taken out of the n!"


    In Rayna''s eyes, she had every right to be angry. She felt like she had been taken advantage of by a lower-ranked n member. Just when she was doing them a favor. It didn''t matter how talented they were.


    If they were to act like this, then they had no loyalty to the n, and who knew what they would do in the future.


    "Wait!" Dame said, getting in the way of the two of them. "Don''t take it out on him; I can exin, just let me speak to him first. Look, we won''t run away, we can''t, you would catch us, right?"


    Right now, Dame was hoping to appeal to Rayna''s good side. She seemed to still be acting with somewhat of a level head, and she imagined it was just because it was him. If she wanted to, she could have reported this straight to one of the elders or their father, but instead, she had gone looking for them.


    Dame and Raze pulled back a bit, heading closer to the area of scrolls, while Rayna was tapping her feet away, blowing hot air. She didn''t even know why she was letting the two of them speak, just giving them time toe up with an excuse.


    ''Dame, I swear if you weren''t my brother who had saved my life with your request, I would have turned you upside down and chopped you limb from limb already. What crazy things are you nning to do!'' Rayna thought.


    "It looks like we''ve been caught," Raze whispered. "But you thought this was going to happen, so you had a n, right?"


    "No," Dame replied instantly. "I thought that we wouldn''t get caught; remember I was just going to take you to the library and then head back out of the n, never nning to go back. I thought they would find out a week or soter."


    "Honestly, right now, I don''t know if it''s our saving grace that Rayna found out, or if it''s the worst case."


    "What do you mean?" Raze asked.


    From the interactions he had, Rayna wasn''t a bad person, or at least wasn''t bad towards Dame, and the two of them had a stable enough rtionship for her to even allow them this chance to talk to each other.


    "Because if it was someone else, I could just silence them to keep the secret," Dame exined.


    These words that were used, silence, Raze didn''t know if this was a technique that Pagna warriors knew or not, but if it wasn''t, he was pretty sure Dame meant kill. It came as a surprise that Dame would be willing to kill one of his own n members, but it might have just shown how important it was that others didn''t learn of what was to happen.


    "Because it''s Rayna, though, she''s a high-ranking middle-stage warrior. We would need the help of the whole Crimson Crane again to take her down, so the two of us doing such a thing is out of the question."


    Hearing this, now Raze was understanding that they were in a trickier situation than he first realized. They couldn''t run away, and any attempt made would be difficult. They were in the deepestyers of the Abyss; trying to rise to the top would be one of the hardest challenges ever.


    ''I guess there is one thing I can do,'' Raze thought. ''If Dame can hold off Rayna long enough, I can use the crystals to open up another portal or create the portal to head back to the cave at the academy. If I did that, I would just have to get the others at another time.''


    With that looking to be their only solution, Raze was about to suggest it until Dame had spoken up.


    "I have an idea, something that I''m pretty sure will work!" Dame had an unnerving smile on his face.


    "How sure are you of this n of yours?" Raze asked.


    "I''m 90 percent sure... no, I take that back, 80 percent?" Dame then looked at Rayna, who seemed to be getting impatient with the vein on the side of her head growingrger. "Maybe 70 percent."


    "Just what n of yours keeps getting lower by the moment!" Raze whispered in an angered hushed voice.


    What he wanted to know was if it was better than his n. How strong of a warrior was she whenpared to Dame? To draw aplicated circle, it would at least take him two minutes at a rush, maybe even longer. What were the chances of Dame holding her back for that long?


    And if they did it his way, would the Neverfall n be their enemy?


    As if he could read his thoughts, Dame answered. "If this works, at least we won''t be an enemy of the Demonic Faction, remember what I said, it''s the one thing we should never do."


    With this, Raze decided that he would put his trust in Dame, but not without having some sort of backup n. Because in the past, whenever he would put his trust in people, it would never work out.


    Breaking from each other, the two of them started to walk over and approached Rayna.


    "Finally, did you two discuss long enough toe up with some halfme excuse?" Rayna asked. "Because I really don''t think there is any good reason for the two of you to have stolen from the vault."


    "But there is, my dear sister," Dame started off in a soft voice, and almost like a movie, looked from the ground and then up, staring directly into her eyes. "It''s because I n to leave the Neverfall n... this is what I believe I deserve as my parting gift, and in doing so, I want to help this person by my side."


    "This person is deserving of being helped, and I think you would agree because he is the Dark Magus!"

 Chapter 234 Leaving The Neverfall Clan

    Chapter 234 Leaving The Neverfall n


    Out of all the suggestions or ns that Dame would havee up with, one of thest ones would be to reveal who Raze really was¡ªthe fact that he was the Dark Magus. Although he was wearing the disguise mask, and there was no way to discern his real face, it still came as a shock.


    ''What in Alterian are you doing!'' Raze shouted internally. ''What difference would it make if she were to find out I''m the Dark Magus? Are you trying to leverage the debt that she owes me?''


    It seemed like an incredibly risky move because, in Raze''s head, he was only there when Rayna was saved, but the Crimson Crane were the ones who had done most of the work.


    Little did he know that she felt differently. In her eyes, the Crimson Crane and her had only survived because of the Dark Magus. On top of that, there was another reason. Dame was basing this whole thing on thest conversation they had.


    "This guy?" Rayna said, taken aback, and pointing at the body. She then ced her hand on her chin and started to inspect the person up and down. When her gazended on his face, she began to scrutinize the finer details.


    "This¡­ isn''t what I imagined at all? And he was a member of our n this whole time?" Rayna asked.


    It just didn''t fit with her imagination because the things she had seen the Dark Magus do were out of this world. If he was always right under her fingertips, wouldn''t she have noticed something at least?


    "This isn''t what he looks like; he''s just disguised as one of our n members, one of the many things he can do," Dame said proudly, as if he was the one able to do such a thing in the first ce.


    She started to look at ''Callum'' closer, and her imagination was running wild. It was hard to believe that he was wearing some type of mask, yet it would exin everything. Right there and then, she wanted to lunge forward and snap it off.


    If she did, it wouldn''t do the two of them any favors.


    "And you''re serious; you''re not ying some type of joke on me?" Rayna asked again.


    Seeing the change in demeanor, Raze noticed that it was working. Nearly all of the anger was gone from before for some reason, so he decided to seize the opportunity.


    "I apologize," Raze stated, and gave a small bow. "I didn''t mean to trick you. I originally asked Dame to help me get inside your n so I could study a few things. I truly wish to cause no trouble, and we were on our way to leave this ce just now."


    Hearing Raze talk, and him talking in such a way, Rayna could feel her cheeks starting to heat up slightly. She turned away just in case something was obviously seen on her face.


    "It''s okay; it''s understandable. Our n isn''t the best to strangers," Rayna said, tucking some stray hair behind her ears. She then shook her head slightly as she looked back at Dame.


    "Wait, so what you said before as well, about leaving the n, is it true?" Rayna asked. "Are you nning to leave and join the Dark Magus?"


    With the situation diffused and his sister''s reaction, Dame felt like she was a person they could rely on, especially in this situation. So he decided that the best way to get out, with a kind person like her, was to tell the truth.


    "That''s correct. Do you remember what happened to the Dark Magus? He was invited to join the Crimson Crane. I n to leave with him and join them. The seat for master of the n, it is not a position I deserve nor one I want."


    "So I decided to take a few things with me and see if the Dark Magus needed anything as well."


    If anyone understood how Dame felt, it would be Rayna, who experienced a simr upbringing. She understood why if there was a chance to leave, why he would take it, especially as the fourth and youngest child.


    There was practically no future, and it felt like twice now their father had sent him on a mission to his death.


    "I see," Rayna said, continuing to stare at the Dark Magus, and strange thoughts were beginning to run through her head.


    ''What if he came here to see me! It could be possible; after rescuing me, the Dark Magus wanted to see me again. Even when we were at the event, he could have just disyed a poor representation of the ten descending steps, but he tried his very best; was that to get my attention as well?''


    Clearing her voice and clearing her thoughts, she looked straight ahead at the two of them.


    "Well then, if that''s the case, then I never met the person named Callum, nor did I see any of my brothers today," Rayna said. "And I am just speaking my voice out loudly right now, but I wish you both good luck."


    It was a change of pace for Raze, who had met cruel Pagna warriors ever since he had gotten here. Right now, he had met someone who was changing his views. Someone who was far stronger than the two of them, yet didn''t see themselves as above and knew how to return a favor.


    Hearing this, Raze felt like good needed to be rewarded with good, so he had a few words to say himself.


    "If you ever need help in the future or a special item to increase your strength, then find the Dark Magus, and I shall make one for you for free."


    Rayna smiled at that, and both Dame and Raze were ready to leave. But before they shot off somewhere, Rayna grabbed Dame''s hand and leaned in to whisper.


    "Did you tell him about my proposal as well, about getting married?" Rayna whispered.


    "Now''s not the time for that," Dame whispered back. "But I will definitely nt it in his head. If need be, it would be good to bring the Dark Magus and the Neverfall n closer together."


    His sister gave him a thumbs-up along with a wink, and he did the same back.


    After leaving the library, the two were able to climb up the chains, but getting higher up to the next chain needed more strength. Raze reluctantly needed to jump up on the back of Dame, while he jumped in the air, making it to the next giant hanging chain.


    From there, the two of them were able to make it right to the top. Dame wanted to say goodbye to his friends, but he would still stay in contact with them. He had left a special note for them in the room that they would hang around in; he was sure they would y a big part in all of this in the future.


    Finally reaching the top, they had exited from the Abyssal''s crest wall and were back onnd, heading back to the city of Repton.


    While they were running for a while, Raze was relieved to find that everything had worked out in the end, and even more so, he summoned the strange metallic block in his hand and was looking at it.


    "I was meaning to ask you, what is that thing?" Dame asked as he continued to run.


    "This, this is an item from my world," Raze exined. "You can think of it as a diary, and I''m going to find out what is written inside it."

 Chapter 235 Building up the Team

    Chapter 235 Building up the Team


    With only a couple of days left until the group needed to return to the Pagna Academy, Raze felt like there was still a lot that he needed to do in terms of getting things together in the Demonic Faction.


    One of those things was producing the pills that he and Dame would now sell, using part of the Crimson Crane name to help them.


    This was the first call to action for Raze, no matter how much he wanted to check out the new device he had received. So, he headed back to the Inn where the others were staying, and for a moment, they were surprised when they saw Raze with a different face.


    "Huh, what, who did you bring with you, what happened to Raze?" Liam asked.


    "Oh, right?" Raze said, closing the door behind him and reaching towards his face. A slight glow appeared as he took off the mask and handed it back to Dame. "You''re going to need this for when we head back to the academy."


    Dame looked at it for a few moments before deciding to put it on there and then. His facial structure soon started to change, and now, although having the same appearance that Raze had moments ago, it looked slightly different due to the differences in height and body structure.


    The person they were looking at was more known to the students as Pink.


    "You never know, as soon as the n finds out that I''ve abandoned them, they might send people out looking for me."


    "Wow, these magic items, they sure are special, huh?" Liammented. "It would be quite amazing if we had some too."


    The way Liam talked, it was almost in a sarcastic voice. He remembered that Raze had promised he would make the others some items, but he had been somewhat sidetracked with everything going on, and helping out Safa with using her Light Magic powers.


    Thankfully, at a nce, Safa seemed to be doing well, and Raze could even see a faint glow around her neck. It seemed she had been practicing the gathering of Mana quite a bit while they were away.


    A little more, and Raze could teach her a simple spell for her to use. In doing so, it wouldn''t be long until she was able to speak again.


    "Ah yes, don''t worry, I am someone of my word. In fact, now we have plenty of crystals to use for this." Raze reached out his hand, and a filled sack appeared.


    It was the crystals that had been taken from the Neverfall n base. Now that Dame was with them, Raze felt like it was less of a risk if a portal break was to ur from making high-grade items. It wasn''t as if they needed to defeat the creatures that came out of the portal, but more so to get a chance to escape before anything urred to them.


    The first thing Raze did was gather a bunch of level 2 power stones and tried tobine them to make level three power stones. As usual, a couple of times the process had failed; it was the risk with the power stones in the first ce. Finally, though, three level 3 power stones had been made after creating quite a few failures.


    "That''s quite the amazing power in itself. Just through the use of magic, you can create higher-grade power stones; you''re just a money-making machine, aren''t you?" Damemented.


    "Although it''s fine to do at this stage, as the use of power stones gets higher, it''s not the best thing to do," Raze exined. "Could you imagine using three level 5 power stones and losing them all, to not even get a level 6 power stone?"


    Immediately, Dame could feel the pain. How could someone even attempt to do such a thing? Maybe those that had an addiction to gambling would give it a go, but those stones would be a big plus to most ns.


    Once the stones were done, Razeid out the items he had received from the Auction that had a good affinity with magic.


    There was a red ne, a pair of golden egg-shaped earrings, and a pair of ck gloves as well.


    ''I''m a 3-star mage currently, who knows his fair share of 3-star enchantments. I also currently have four different types of magic. Dark, Wind, Ice, and Lightning. The strength of the attribute doesn''t matter when making enchantments.


    ''However, a mage would need a type of attribute to make certain types of enchantments. With the level 3 power stones, the item''s grade will be at the Rare or Elite level, unless I use Dark Magic, but I feel like that will be too much of a risk, and the enchantment sometimes will be random in the first ce.


    ''What would be best is to use an enchantment that would suit and help out all three of them when needed.''


    It took a while for Raze to think of something, and in the end, he even opened up the special book he had received, the book which included ice spells inside; it also contained a few enchantments as well.


    After giving it a read, Raze got to work as he created the items and enchanted them one by one. First, he had enchanted the red ne with the crystals; after that, the pair of golden earrings, andstly, having referenced the book of spells, he drew a circle and enchanted the pair of ck gloves.


    After seeing the effects of each of the items, Raze was quite pleased with the results, as everything went well; now he just needed to hand the items over to each person.


    "For Safa, I give you this red ne," Raze stated, and then moved onto Liam. "For you, the pair of earrings."


    Liam took them in his hand; they felt no different from regr earrings, and he wasn''t so sure they were able to do something, but that''s when another thought came to his mind.


    "Hey, hey, wait a second. I don''t even have my ears pierced!" Liam shouted. "And, am I meant to wear theserge dangly things at all times!"


    "I''ll happily take them off from you, well if I didn''t already have one of my ears taken already," Simyon stated.


    Hearing this, Liam pulled the earrings away. He couldn''t wear them now, but he would have to after getting his ears pierced. The design of having tworge eggs on his ears didn''t sit well with him, leaving him to let out a big sigh.


    "Eye patch kid, golden egg boy, perv, the man with the big balls. I can just imagine all the nicknames people will give me with these," Liam sighed.


    "Hey, I think thatst nickname you gave yourself, no one calls you big balls. Maybe the red-headed idiot," Simyonmented.


    "And for you, Simyon, the pair of gloves," Raze handed them over and moved back to his position.


    "All of these items are now enchanted with magic and will allow you to do incredible things. But when using them, for some of you, it will be obvious that it is not part of your Pagna martial arts. So you need to use them with caution."


    Raze went on to tell all three of them what the items could do, and after hearing that, no one was disappointed with the results. Instead, they were trying to think of ways they could utilize them and strengthen their martial arts even further.


    "Hey, won''t it be a good idea if we were to use these items before getting in a fight?" Simyon suggested. "That way, we can really use them to their fullest if we need to, rather than trying to figure it out."


    Raze did agree; the issue was others seeing them.


    "I know an area where they can go," Dame answered. "An area that will be away from the eyes of others, and besides, it wouldn''t be training if they didn''t have an opponent to go against. I''ll do that while you create the rest of the supplies needed. Remember, we need supplies for ourselves, the Crimson Crane, and then equipment to sell."


    Raze wasn''t worried about that. With his new technique, he could mass-produce Qi pills as long as he had all the relevant materials, and he did, so it wouldn''t take a long time like before.


    But this did give him the opportunity.


    "I think it''s a great idea," Raze said.


    While the others were away, Raze wanted to head back to the cave where they had first appeared, and he would look into the metal block that once belonged to the Dark Faction founder.

 Chapter 236 Message From A Mage

    Chapter 236 Message From A Mage


    Having checked up on the others and knowing that they would be okay under the guidance of Dame, Raze could finally move on his own in peace. What he was to deal with now was his own business, his own problems that were rted to Alter.


    The pills could wait, since this was something that was far more important for him to experience. What Raze needed to be careful of, though, was if there was anyone around him, or anyone that would interrupt what he was about to do.


    He had walked out of the city of Repton, checking behind him a few times here and there, trying to see if anyone was following him. He noticed no footsteps and imagined it would be hard with the vast wastnd in between for anyone to hide.


    ''Now that I''ve met a Pagna warrior that is also a mage, I need to be careful who hears and learns about what,'' Raze thought.


    There was the perfect ce, an area that was away from the eyes of all the others, and that was the cave. A fewrge built-up t rocks that built half of what looked like a mountain were up ahead.


    Climbing up, Raze could hardly see the city in the distance, but judging by the formations he could see, it was the same area as before. As he searched, he soon found the fake rock formation that covered the hole.


    Just like before, he took a step through with confidence. The wall wrapped slightly, shaking like ake of water. After passing through, it steadied, making it impossible to tell there was a cave entrance with the naked eye from outside.


    The cavern was quite spacious, more so than Raze remembered. Thest time he was here, he had arrived with all the others, so it felt a bit more cramped. There was ample room to do a number of spells if need be, and he was already imagining that the Dark Faction Founder had used it as a base to test a few of his skills.


    He could see some crude formations in the rocks here and there that looked unnatural. In fact, even the cavern itself seemed unnatural and man-made.


    ''I''m also working off the presumption that the Dark Faction Founder is dead, but he could still be alive as well, especially if he managed to reach the Divine warrior stage,'' Raze thought.


    Either way, he was sure he would find out soon. In the center of the cavern Raze ced the metal block on the floor. This didn''t need a magic circle to open; instead, it just needed the faintest bit of magic. Yet there was arger issue at hand.


    That was whether or not the device was locked. Raze wasn''t joking when he said the metal block was more like a diary. It was a unique diary that could be used in many ways. Notes, videos, audio recordings, and so on could be ced.


    Equally, it meant the diary could be locked, and it could be locked in many ways. Only reacting to a certain type of magic, only reacting to magic being used in a certain way, or being left open for anyone to ess as long as they knew how to turn it on, which was through the use of magic.


    ''I''m hoping it will just work with the use of magic to turn it on; otherwise, it''s going to be a series of trial and error.''


    It would even be harder than trying to guess a 4-digit pin number lock. However, there were ways to narrow down the uses, and from the use of other spells, one could narrow down the ways of unlocking the device.


    ''If this thing was left at the Demonic Faction base and not taken with him, I''m going to assume he wanted it to be found. No ordinary Pagna warrior could open this anyway. So why leave it behind?''


    With this thought in his mind, Raze activated his Dark magic as he pressed both of his hands together. A small mist appeared and flowed directly to the metal block. As it touched it, the center of the device lit up, showing arge letter I.


    For now, Raze was ignoring the marking and ignoring the anger that it would usually cause to rise in him; finally, that''s when a voice was heard ying.


    "How many years will it be until someone finds this?" A voice yed out.


    It was a sess! There was no lock on the device, and as Raze had expected, it was ced as a way intended for someone to find it.


    "I can''t divulge as much as I wish because this may very well fall into the hands of those who I am not very fond of, and if they have found this, well, F*Ck you."


    Raze couldn''t help but smirk at thement; he seemed to be liking this person whoever they were, as he still wasn''t sure if it was the Dark Faction founder or not.


    "In my hopes of this not falling into the wrong hands, I have traveled to the Demonic Faction, an area full of strong Pagna warriors that seem to have the least amount of influence from our world."


    "I''m not sure how much the person who finds this knows or not, but I am clearly talking about the world of Alterian."


    This had fitted in so far with what Raze had read in the cave walls; more and more likely he felt like this was a message passed on from the Dark Faction Founder.


    "When I came to this world, I was at a loss, but the people of Pagna treated me well, and I only wished to protect them as best as I could. But it seems the Mages, as well as the Otherworlders who have entered, do not care for the people the same way as I do.


    "The line between good and bad is thinning by the day, and I do not know who to trust. Currently, in my possession, I hold the god-tier item, the As Orb. It seems like everyone is after it, and once again, if those that have hunted me down like a dog are listening to this, then I hope you get eaten alive by a horde of flesh-eating bugs!"


    A god-tier item was the highest-ranking item known in the magic world. ording to Alter, they were items that had great influence on the world itself. That was how much power they held.


    It made Raze wonder why the Dark Faction Founder had such an item to begin with, but with such a thing, he could understand why Alter would be after him, if what they stated was true.


    He imagined that Alter already had a few God-tier items that were sealed away.


    "If you thought I was going to reveal the location of the item, then you are a fool. If you really want it, then you will just have to find me, and to do so, you will need to use any tools you can.


    "However, there is a reason why I have left this message, because I am afraid that I am not enough. No, I know that I am not enough, and so I need help, and maybe my help will help you as well."


    "I never wished to return to the magic world of Alterian, but due to the situation and the troubles, I have had to try to find a way. They seem to already know a way how, but if you, stranger, are following in my footsteps and are on the same path as me, then maybe you will need this as well, a way back to Alterian."

 Chapter 237 A Way Back home?

    Chapter 237 A Way Back home?


    Raze had spent a short time in Pagna in the grand scheme of things, but based on what he had seen so far, he wondered if there was a way back to Alterian. From what Himmy had reported to him, no one had found a way.


    In fact, Raze thought this might really be the case since even the Dark Faction Founder had stayed, but based on what he knew of the person, it was more so that he had fallen in love with the current world of Pagna, that he didn''t wish to leave and head back to Alterian.


    Finding a way back was part of Raze''ster goal. He imagined that if anyone knew a way back it would be the leader of Alter, or some type of item that would allow them to.


    After all, a portal had an entrance and an exit, so if people were warping into the world of Pagna there had to be a way back.


    The reason why Raze wasn''t particrly looking for a way just yet was because of his strength. The other world was one that had the Grand Magus, those that he had cursed to death.


    If he was to raise his strength in Alterian, they would attempt to shut him down before he even reached that position. So Raze would get stronger and build his way up in Pagna until he was either just as strong as before, or even stronger.


    ''There are even more problems than that.'' Raze lifted his hand and made a strong fist. ''If I leave Pagna, right now I have no way of returning either. I''ll have the same problem. Although I still remember the transmigration spell, I don''t think it''s something that''s going to work more than once.''


    Regardless, just listening to the message didn''t mean he would get transported to Pagna, so he thought it was best that he continued to listen to the message anyway. After gathering his thoughts, he poured a bit of his magic into the device again to get it started.


    "The world of Pagna is a vast one, and through it I was able to advance my own magical techniques. There are many things that the martial artist and mages share with each other. One of the things I learned was to be in a state of Zen, and separating one''s mind from their body.


    "This is a technique that is usually only achievable when a martial arts warrior is at the Divine level. However, when learning of this, it made me wonder if there was a way to do it as a mage."


    "If I managed to achieve this, then I would be able to explore arger scope without revealing myself, and it will allow me to continue staying in hiding. In the end, I was sessful, or at least somewhat sessful."


    Just hearing the man talk on the other side, Raze was gaining respect for him as a researcher himself by the second. Although he tried to give up on the world of magic, it felt like no matter what he couldn''t let it go.


    There were those that built on top of others'' research, there were those that simply just learned it, but toe up with their own creations, pushing them to levels that others hadn''t achieved, those were very few.


    Raze considered himself part of the few, but this was only due to his desperate situation and his need to learn more about the Dark Magic that people knew very little about.


    "You see, when creating an astral projection of myself, I found that I was back in Alterian. Instead of being out of my body in Pagna, I had returned to Alterian. For the one listening, I know it might not be what you were hoping for, but it''s up to you how you wish to use this information, so I shall leave some important bits for you."


    "In the rest of the recording, I shall provide the magical circle and the technique to create an astral projection that will send you back to Alterian. There are some important things to note.


    "Your body will appear as if it''s normal with a slight glow of energy. This energy is your magic energy pouring from your body. As soon as you run out of mana, you will end up returning to your body in Pagna, and I don''t think I have to warn you that all of your mana would be depleted."


    So far, it sounded interesting, but how much Mana would it take to do such a thing? As a three-star mage, Raze couldn''t imagine him being able to keep up a form that literally took him to another world for long.


    "While in the astral form, spells will work from your body, but bear in mind this uses up mana, lessening your time in Alterian. At the same time, if your body is hit, although you won''t be hurt, it will take mana to reform as well. So you won''t be as strong as you are currently.


    "On top of that, your real body will stay in the same ce as when you use this spell. You will be in an extremely vulnerable state, so make sure no one is around you when using this skill, or multiple people are around you who you can trust, but as you might find, it''s hard to trust people."


    All of the information was everything Raze had needed. He was learning of the experimental procedures without having to do them himself, which was all good news to have, but it made him worry even more that at the moment he wouldn''t have long to spend in Alterian.


    ''What would I even do by going back to Alterian anyway? How would I be able to look into what the Grand Magus are doing, or would I be able to find the link between Pagna and Alterian?''


    It seemed incredibly difficult to do even with this technique, and it wasn''t as if there was anyone he knew who he could meet.


    "There is one more thing about this, and that''s when using the technique, it will bring you to a ce where you have a link with something. Try to focus on something that will link the current you into the world of Alterian, but also try not to appear and scare people or they may think you''re a ghost."


    "It''s your thing anyway, if you want to be a ghost and scare people with this knowledge, then go ahead, and once again, if it''s you guys who are following me listening to this, F*ck you."


    A link was something that Razecked, and he was starting to wonder if this was something that he even could do. All of his links of family and positions he didn''t have; they had been destroyed, killed, nearly everything he cared about.


    There was only his vault of stored crystals and items that he had left behind, in the hopes of a new life he was going to use them, but was this the type of strong link he was asking about?


    "This is the end of my message, as I said I''m not expecting much toe out of this, or for the person to find this to do anything, but there are times where you must try everything, and for me, this is one of those times."


    "To all who are listening to this, if you wish to find a clue for the God Tier item, the As Orb, then find it in Alterian!"

 Chapter 238 The Founder

    Chapter 238 The Founder


    The voice not hade to an end from the magical device. There seemed to be nothing else left on there in terms of sounds or voices.No clues as to who it actually came from or who had left all of the information.


    Although Raze did have a pretty good idea, as he had been led to this ce becuase of a particr person in the first ce.


    From the voice message there were a few things that interested him, and he thought back to thest line that was spoken, talking about the ''As orb.''


    ''This god-tier item, it''s nothing I''ve heard of before. It was either an item before my time as a mage, or one that came from another dimension. It fell into the hands of the founder from the sounds of it, and all the messages he was leaving in case someone else found him, was it Alter that was after him?


    ''I can see why Alter would be after him for having a god-tier item, but why would the founder keep the item. Did he not trust Alter to look after it?''


    After a bit more thinking, Raze remembered that the Bonum Society, they were after an item as well. There was a chance that it could be the same item that the two were looking for.


    ''It''s quite difficult because it''s also hard to tell how much time has passed since the founder of the Dark faction. Was it a few hundred years? It would seem to be the case to affiliate all the ns under one banner.


    ''It''s not something that could be done overnight. Maybe the founder was able to keep it a secret to the end. Both the Bonum Society and Alter both think one of the other has the item and are at each other''s throats looking for it.'' Raze thought, but he was truly grasping at thin threads here, and he knew that.


    There was just too muchcking information.


    ''If that is the case, then the founder might have the item himself, or it''s in the hiding ce if he''s still alive. I might be the first person toe across the message as well. What I need to do is find out what the item even does.


    ''I could ask Dame? If he doesn''t know anything, then I could also try asking Alter, even Himmy about it. I could just make up something about hearing it in passing.''


    There was more than that which Raze had to find out though, and that was about the Founder himself. He figured that someone at the academy should know finer details about who he was and what he did.


    The history of Pagna was bing more important as time went on, as there seemed to be connections that were stemming back a few hundred years between the two worlds.


    With the message having ended, inputting Raze''s magic a little more, the device did something different this time. From the top, a glowing light disyed and a projection had hit the cavern wall.


    Glowing in a bright white light, there was writing, as well as the drawing of a magic formation. Instantly Raze knew what it was. The Founder wasn''t lying; it was details about how to use the spell Astral projection.


    The way for Raze to travel back to Alterian.


    ''This man was a great mage.'' Raze thought as he studied the circle and the technique. The first part was instructions. From the way it read, it was like that of a cultivation technique.


    The closing of the eyes, the sensing of an energy form within. Then there was an added part with the magic, and the instructions of the circle.


    The mage inside Raze wanted to meet this person and talk to him. Yet, it was something he hardly got the chance to do in the past, was talk with other mages about the research he had founded.


    ''Whatever the power was of the As Orb, why didn''t he use it himself?'' Raze started to wonder. ''Or did he know its uses and deem it as too dangerous? ording to him, the next clue was in Alterian.''


    Raze was debating with himself back and forth on whether he should try out the astral projection spell. Heading back to Alterian, it wasn''t something he expected so soon. Yet, it would only be a temporary visit.


    With such a small visit, what could he aplish?


    ''I could try and find out a clue about the As orb? To do that, I would have to find out about the founder. Based on his skills he would have had to have been a 9-star mage. There haven''t been many 9-star mages in the history of Alterian.


    ''If we narrow it down to those that had sudden disappearances, I should be able to find out who he was. I can''t find out that information in Pagna, but I should be able to find it on Alterian.''


    The more Raze thought about it, the less risky it sounded. While in the cave, he wouldn''t fear death so much. While in this form in Alterian, the only thing it took up was Mana, so even if he was hit or someone attempted to kill him, it wouldn''t do much either.


    There were practically no risks in going to Alterian right now for a look; well, there was one. That the spell that was being used was aplete lie, and it wouldn''t lead one to Alterian.


    From what Raze could tell from the magic circle, the astral projection spell should work normally. So why did it send one back to Alterian.


    ''I guess, my curiosity has gotten the better of me. I want to see what Alterian is like, now that they have considered the Dark Magus¡­dead.''


    Walking up to the wall, Raze started to note down all of the techniques and the magic form. He then began to draw the magic circle on the cave floor. After copying what was up ahead, it was now just down to him toplete the rest.


    ''Alterian, I wonder what I''ll find out¡­should I look into the Grand Magus''s lives, or will that just make me want to act. Originally I wanted to spread the name of Dark Magus again, just so I could have a look at their faces. To grow fear into them¡­but is it the best thing to do?''


    Shaking his head, Raze started to focus; he had already decided and who knew, maybe he could onlyst a couple of minutes at most in the other world.


    Focusing, Raze concentrated on his breathing. As he took a deep breath through his nose, he breathed out through his mouth, and allowed a linger of his magic to touch the ground. The magic circle started to activate.


    Raze continued to breathe, and the magic circle seemed to be reacting with his breathing, each time the magic woulde out.


    "I have to feel the separation of mana, from my body and heart. To take it out, but not just that, I have to think


    of a connection. Something back on Alterian that will link me to that world." Raze started to think hard.


    He was trying to think of the items, but nothing solid wasing to his mind, and it didn''t feel like it was working; what else would link him to the world of Alterian. He didn''t want to just end up anyway.


    While in the middle of a deep thought, his Magic core started to activate. The Darkness was burning a bright purple, and the air all around him and in the cave started to swirl around.


    Raze had found a connection to Alterian, and it was through his Dark Magic.

 Chapter 239 The World of Mages

    Chapter 239 The World of Mages


    While going through the new spell technique, Raze was concentrating hard, trying to find a type of connection, but he was unable to. Whenever he tried to focus on something that was still present in Alterian, he could never get a clear image, no matter how hard he tried to focus.


    That was until something strange had urred. His mana core, the Dark mana core he had made around his heart, was reacting. The Dark Magic was reaching out, and the whole area was surrounded in darkness.


    ---


    Alterian was a world where it felt like no one ever slept. There were constant lights powered by beast crystals and electricity all over thend. Large skyscraper buildings with digital adverts everywhere one could see.


    It was a world full of technology, some powered by its own devices while others powered by magic. Thebination had allowed for advancements beyond what technology alone was capable of.


    Heavy,rge vehicles with no wings were able to fly due to enchantments. Buildings were reinforced with magic, and areas were cordoned off with powerful forcefields and more.


    The Alterian world was run by local governments in each of the countries, but this was more to control the general public, as everyone knew that the real world was run by the mages.


    The mages had the most power, and governments would fight to obtain any contracts they could with those that were at a high star level. The number of powerful mages determined a country''s strength.


    Modern explosions and missiles were useless when it came to the best of mages. Missiles could be redirected and turned on the attacker. The power of explosions teleported. Shields to block the sts and bullets.


    Although everyone was able to learn magic, not everyone could learn it at the level of the top mages.


    Because of their power, the mages were almost treated as a separate society, free to follow their own rules when it came to following a country''s order. They made their own guilds, growing the power of even more mages.


    They would increase their strength by gaining ess to portals in other dimensions, increasing their wealth as well.


    It was impossible for the government to keep up with the growth of all the guilds and to keep them under control. There weren''t enough willing to fight on the side of justice for no benefit at all.


    Which was what had led to the creation of the Grand Magus. Mages that were above even those that were the very best.


    The Grand Magus belonged to no guilds, but were individuals with the great power of a 9-star mage, that had positions that influenced the world. These projects, and the positions they held, were supported by the government, and in turn, they would be allowed to use their power.


    Idore theoble, crafted and enchanted items for the whole of Alterian, bettering their lives, at the same time, he had created items just for the government armies to use against difficult mages.


    Gizin was in charge of medical magic, making special potions that nearly every guild needed to help the wounded, or helped with curses that would befall those in the world.


    Ibrain was the head of the Mage academies. In charge and focused on all of the academies in every country, making sure of their righteous growth.


    Trubin worked closest with the government, getting rid of the troublesome mages that were rising, as well as groups that would try to change the status quo.


    Then there was Enaxx, a role model to the society, the face of the Grand Magus, making public appearances, and making speeches for the general public, who werergely in support of the Grand Magus and their schemes.


    These five were bright, and since the system had been set up with the Grand Magus, their businesses, their name, and fame all prospered, and so did their control along with the government. Everything was perfect.


    In the city of Alterian where the bright lights shined, down below in the deep underground, where the sewage system flowed, there were remnants of what was like a city.


    The water and sewage would drain in therge tunnels but like a river wouldn''t rise above the tforms set onnd. Here there were houses that were made from the scraps that were thrown away from above.


    A whole structure looking like that of a vige. Bridges that went across the dirty brown river and went over to the other side. Here many people lived; they had frail bodies, next to skin and bones.


    Patches covered their bodies as they walked and constantly itched. Many of them sitting on the street, holding onto a bright blue glowing liquid pen. They opened up their mouths, sucking the liquid out of the pen, and for a moment, they had relief all over and could forget about everything that was around them.


    Walking through the streets was a robed figure. They ignored everything they went past; they had seen it time and time again. Eventually, they reached arger underground building.


    It was tall and had a spire, a ce where many would usually gather, yet there was no one here. Walking forward, the hooded figure stretched their leg over half of the broken door and headed inside.


    Up ahead, they could see another that was dressed like them. They stood on the ground next to broken wooden panels and ss from above.


    "I was worried for a moment that something happened to you," a male''s voice was heard from the other side that was waiting.


    "I had to make sure that I wasn''t being followed, my position is quite difficult," a female voice was heard from the other, as they approached the man but stayed around a meter away.


    Usually, if two people were wearing robes, one would be able to still see the face of the other, but due to the enchanted robes they wore, when lifting their heads and talking, their voices were muddled and their faces were covered with a type of ck smoke.


    "Although we have lost a few before, it will not be the same for me," the female stated.


    "I see, well, may the Dark Magus protect you and cleanse this world," the man replied, and with it, the female replied the same back. "May the Dark Magus protect you and cleanse this world."


    "Very well, we shall begin the meeting and update each other on what is oc¡ª¡ª" The man had stopped speaking there for a moment, as he felt something strange.


    A tingling sensation was felt over his body. The woman was going to ask if he was okay, but soon she felt the same thing as well. Before they knew it, both of them were releasing their magic, and it was covering their bodies.


    It wasn''t just any magic though; it was Dark Magic which surrounded both of their bodies.


    "What is¡­ happening to us?" The woman struggled to say. "Did someone poison me?"


    The man was willing to think the same, that was until right in front of them, something was starting to form. Arge ck ball of magic was starting to spread out and from it, soon they could see a full human body suddenly appear.


    Its body had a faint glow around it, and they could feel the manaing from the intruder that had interrupted them.


    ''Where¡­ am I?'' Raze thought as he looked around.

 Chapter 240 We are in the same boat

    Chapter 240 We are in the same boat


    Raze felt the energy within himself freeing from his body, and he soon found his mind traveling with that energy. The area around him was dark, ck, and he was unable to see anything at all.


    The energy then started to form, and slowly Raze was able to see around him. One of the first senses that came to him was his hearing.


    "What is that, is it a specter of some kind?"


    "A ghost, are you talking about a ghost, it might be something from one of the other mages. Are you sure you weren''t followed? Whatever the case, we have to be ready!"


    Both of the hooded figures stood close to each other, readying their magic. Darkness started to swirl around their hands, and they pointed it right at the figure that was starting to form.


    They soon saw a hooded man, his face covered by dark shadows simr to theirs, but part of his white hair was starting to show through.


    Still trying to get his bearings, Raze still wasn''t really aware of what was in front of him and started to look at the dark, dimly lit ce around him.


    ''Where am I?'' Raze thought. ''This ce feels a bit familiar, but it also doesn''t feel like the Alterian I knew, at least not what I knew before going to Pagna.''


    It took a while, but finally, Raze was gathering his senses. He felt present yet at the same time slightly distant. It almost felt like he was in a dream, but he was aware of everything and was clearly in full control of his body.


    Just as exined, he could feel the mana burning by the moment, with just him being there, and that''s when he could see the two in front of him.


    "Mages!" Raze called out, surprised to see such people in a long time, but not just that, what was even stranger was the type of magic they were using. "You''re using Dark Magic as well?"


    Dark Magic was forbidden in Alterian, anyone who learned it was chased, hunted down, and executed. Raze imagined even more so after his misdoings with the magic. The only ones that knew how to use the magic were those that were already living a life where death was wee.


    Or those that needed it for a purpose and would hide the fact that they knew this type of magic to the grave.


    "He saw us using our Dark Magic; we have no choice, get rid of him!" The man shouted.


    In the current form Raze was in, mana was oozing from his body. Currently, many would be able to guess that he was at the 3-star level. Although there was a bit of panic in their voices, he could see that they had not calmed down, suggesting that they were at a higher level. When the man lifted up his arm, magic circles started to glow and form in the air, dark in color. It looked like quite the big spell was about to be cast.


    ''That was definitely above the three-star stage, and in Dark Magic as well. I haven''t been away long, but I had never heard of users at this level, then again I was on the run a lot my whole life.''


    Raze wasn''t worried about dying since he knew an attack on his body would mean nothing, but it would use arge amount of his mana. Aftering here, he didn''t want to disappear straight away. Who knew if he would be able to make a new link or connection again, or if he did make it again, that he would end up in a ce that was practically void of people.


    ''Seeing how the two of them use Dark Magic, this should work.''


    Gathering his own Dark Magic around his hand, he soon pointed it toward the ground but not toward the two of them, but to the side instead.


    "Dark Pulse!" Raze called out, and a beam of energy crashed into the ground, knocking up mostly dirt into the area.


    The two covered their eyes, and the female hooded figure was readying to attack.


    "No wait!" The man called out behind her. "Did you not see what that person just used? It was Dark Magic, Dark Magic! That means he''s one of us."


    The dust started to settle, and Raze stood still; he didn''t gather his magic for another attack, and he had attacked to the side to try and show the two that he meant no harm.


    If they both were learning Dark Magic, and he was really in Alterian, they couldn''t have been in the best of situations.


    "But... I''ve never seen this type of body before; mana is practically oozing out of him. He looks and feels a lot more like a ghost to me," the female exined.


    The two of them stayed silent, and so did Raze for a bit. He was intending to show them that he truly meant no harm, and eventually, the man decided to speak up.


    "I don''t know how you found out about our meeting ce, but you are a person who practices Dark Magic, correct?" The man asked.


    "That is correct," Raze spoke. When speaking, his voice was a little on the quiet end. It was clear, and the others could understand him, but thest thing it sounded like was natural.


    This current form that Raze was in, it wasn''t one that he could just walk around and explore in, even if he had arge amount of mana.


    "What I am currently right now is a little difficult to exin," Raze stated, not wanting to reveal too much from the get-go. He was also trying to judge just how much time he had left before his body disappeared.


    He could feel that the Dark pulse from before had taken quite a bit of energy out of him.


    "Is this Alterian? Are you two mages that practice Dark Magic as well?" Raze asked.


    The two looked at each other, confused by the questions. If someone knew about the meeting ce, then they assumed they would know about them. Why would someone ask if this was Alterian when it was an obvious answer?


    "It looks like you need some guidance, Dark Spirit," the man called Raze.


    Raze didn''t think it was such a bad name, and since he had the appearance and his body was more like that of a spirit that could use Dark Magic.


    "This is Alterian; you are correct... Are you not from here? Are you not a mage yourself? Is this perhaps some puppet that you are controlling from afar to meet us?"


    They had a lot of questions, and Raze could tell that this could go on for a long time. But while in this position, he needed to get the information he needed as quickly as possible.


    "Dark Magic is forbidden in Alterian," Raze said, as if he was scolding his pupils. "Learning it will mean you will be chased down and hunted by the respective guilds. Why would you learn such a thing? Who are you?"


    Since the man was willing to answer Raze''s questions so far, he thought he would be now, and equally because the man had seen this ''Dark Spirit'' use Dark Magic, he felt like there was a sense of trust.


    "Of course you would know that, but it appears you do not know about our group. We are a group of Dark Magic users, a group who follows in the path of the Dark Magus!"


    It seemed that Raze might have just figured out his ''connection'' with these people.

 Chapter 241 A Dark Spirit

    Chapter 241 A Dark Spirit


    Although Dark Magic was forbidden, there were always going to be those who learned it. In most cases, they were criminals. Since it wasn''t a widely researched magic and a forbidden one, when fighting against other mages, they tended to find it a little more difficult.


    But just because two people learned Dark Magic didn''t mean that there would be a sudden connection, other than the fact that the two of them had be instant criminals. However, seeing these two mages in front of Raze mention the words "Dark Magus," now he had some idea of what their connection was.


    ''Their connection is the Dark Magic and me... I can''t believe it. These people, they really follow me?'' Raze wasrgely confused.


    It was strange in itself hearing two people say these words in front of him, without them realizing that he was the one they were talking about, but the whole thing hade as a shock.


    During his time in Alterian, he never knew he had followers. He had never heard of anything like this, a group of people that worshipped him. He had heard of copycats from time to time, those doing the same as the Dark Magus, trying to follow in his footsteps of going against the current state of the system and the Grand Magus, but none of those that raised their banner, and fought under the idea of the Dark Magus.


    ''Was it just something that I had never noticed before? When I fought as the Dark Magus, it truly did feel like the whole world was going against me. The news reports, public opinion, I couldn''t live an ordinary life no matter where I went.''


    In the middle of deep thought, the man in the hooded figure continued to talk.


    "It does not matter if that is not the reason why you learned Dark Magic. Everyone has their reasons just like the Dark Magus did as well," the man said in a cheerful voice.


    Raze had heard this type of voice before. There were several religions, guild recruitment centers, and cults that would use this tone. This type of voice that would reach out to those in need.


    "We can help look after each other, and work together to better the lives of all, just like the Dark Magus did!"


    Under the shadow, Raze could tell there was a deep smile. He still couldn''t get used to the way they were speaking about him, especially since it was wrong.


    ''Is that why they follow me, because they thought I was doing what I did for a righteous reason? To better the lives of everyone?'' Raze looked beyond some of the broken ss windows, and the smell that entered his nose.


    He knew where they were now, the underground living areas. It was simr to the ce where Raze had grown up, but he hadn''t returned in a long time... he never wanted to return to these ces.


    ''I never had such a righteous goal like helping the people around me. I just wanted to get my revenge. I am a more selfish person than you think,'' Raze thought to himself.


    "Please, tell us what you are, who you are! There is no need for you to give personal details. All of us followers keep our real identity in the real world a secret, but we work together and bring information to each other to help."


    "There must be a reason why you decided to learn Dark magic?" the man asked.


    Hearing this, shes of old memories came back to Raze. He remembered the point when he had decided to delve into Dark Magic as well. It was when he had been kicked out of the Mage Academy and ced in prison, all due to the work of one of the Grand Magus.


    However, that wasn''t important. What was important was how he could use the current situation to his advantage.


    "The name Dark Magus, I know it well," Raze spoke, and the two lifted their heads slightly taken aback by it.


    "I believe that there is a reason why we met today because I am exactly what you call me, a Dark spirit, a creation of the Dark Magus!" Raze proimed.


    He had to bring out his inner role-ying for this, and his face was getting redder by the second, but he had no choice. Right now, he felt like he might just be dealing with crazy people. People who were worshipping him, who had never met him, so he needed to act just as crazy as them.


    "Haha!" the woman started to burst outughing. "Do you really expect us to believe that? Why would you be here in front of us, and why would you arrive now of all times."


    "That I do not know," Raze stated. "But I believe it''s because he wishes for me toplete his will. I believe it is the same for you, correct? The job is still not done, and I believe you know the current state of the Dark Magus, correct?"


    Theughter quickly stopped, and it appeared as if the mood had gone somber. Raze expected as much. After the Dark Magus''s death, the celebratory news would have spread all over. To the world, it was something for them to celebrate as he was a menace to them all. In fact, that might have been the reason for cults like this popping up, those that wished to carry on using the strong name of the Dark Magus.


    "Yes... he is dead, and you have appeared, but just because you know Dark Magic doesn''t mean you are a creation of the Dark Magus," the man said.


    It would have been easier if Raze said he was the Dark Magus, but he had no proof of that himself. For one, he was no longer a 9-star mage, so he didn''t even have the power to back it up, nor did he have the same appearance as before, even for those that did know what he looked like.


    "We don''t know if he''s dead or not either!" the woman shouted. "Just because they televised it, there is no proof, the Dark Magus might still be out there!"


    In a lot of ways, the woman was right.


    "I was by the Dark Magus'' side. My creation is due to the things he needed to do still, the things he needed to learn. If you can help me, then you will be helping him as well."


    "No!" The woman shouted. "I can''t just take it, that someone we have just met, something that doesn''t even seem human is rted to the Dark Magus. If you were really by his side the entire time, then you should know everything about him, correct?"


    This might have been the route and path of questioning he needed. Who else but the Dark Magus himself would know more about him?


    "That I should," Raze answered.


    "Great, then you better answer everything you can, and not slip up for even a second!" the woman was almost shouting.


    "What was the first incident in Alterian that spread the Dark Magus'' name?" She asked, with a smug smile. The woman was a self-proimed super fan of the Dark Magus, having followed every single event he was involved in.


    She was confident that she knew more than any person in the world.

 Chapter 242 I know everything about him

    Chapter 242 I know everything about him


    The first question was asked by the female Dark Magic user, and Raze could imagine the smug look she had under her robes'' face. Her body stood with confidence, and her finger stayed straight as she pointed out and used the other.


    "The first incident of the Dark Magus was when I was in the temporary holding cell after the incident at the academy. That was when I became the Dark Magus, but that wasn''t when people knew me or knew my name or started to call me the Dark Magus, it was that incident."


    "The Dark Magus attacked the Central Academy. That was when people first learned of his powers. In that incident, a number of professors died, and students had fallen as well. It was the first disy ever of a 9-star mage using Dark Magic, thus he received his name."


    The reason behind the attack was obvious after learning a new type of magic. Raze had returned to get his revenge on the current principal, the person who had betrayed him, a person who he once thought was his friend. The principal had used the power of the teachers, and some students had gotten caught in the crossfire.


    "Fine, I guess that was an obvious one to start with. That event was publicized everywhere, so of course, there would be those that remembered," the woman replied, thinking of a harder question. "What was the first incident involved with the Dark Magus?"


    Although the two questions seemed the same, they were quite different. What was the incident that spread the Dark Magus''s name, and what was the first incident that involved him?


    ''There''s a bigger issue in this; it''s how much does she know? While practicing my Dark Magic, there were many mages that I had to fight against. That I killed in the shadows that never came to light.''


    "The first obvious important incident was the attack on the pharmaceuticalpany belonging to Gizin, one of the Grand Magus. No one was left alive, including the workers inside. At the time, they had no clue that it was the Dark Magus''s work untilter when multiple stories started toe out."


    When Raze took a pause, it almost looked like the woman was about to jump and say something until Raze continued.


    "But... the first incident was actually a murder of a Pharma employee belonging to the same factory. It was reported as random, butter assumed that the Dark Magus bore some type of grudge against thepany, and he was the cause of the first death."


    The woman''s hands were shaking because she thought she had him there. It was a small report that no one cared about because time had already passed when they had linked the case. Who cared about one death when there were hundreds that urred?


    She knew that if he knew about this, he had to either be a superfan or his words of being a Dark spirit rted to the Dark Magus were true. That was until something popped into her head.


    "What happened to the town of Electra, the incident the Dark Magus was involved in?" She asked.


    This seemed like quite a simple one. Even the hooded man was confused because it was perhaps one of the most popr incidents of the Dark Magus known in existence.


    Raze thought about it for a moment but then answered away from what he could remember.


    "The Magic guild, Cromber, was eliminated by the Dark Magus. In response, the world was in a panic, and in that town, Enaxx, one of the Grand Magus, had arrived. The two had a devastating fight that caused the death of many of the town''s citizens. The aftermath of the fight caused Enaxx to have a deficiency in a certain area, and to be nicknamed ''one ball,'' but there was no victor in the fight, only death."


    Every time Raze spoke about the Dark Magus, he never failed to forget about all the deaths that happened along the way. Quite a few innocent people had gotten mixed up in this grand battle.


    At that time, his emotions were even stronger than they were now. Why, after everything he had done for the world of Alterian, everything he had created, the research he had done to create magic to help the lives of others, had the world betrayed him? It wasn''t the world, but the Grand Magus who were in charge. The good people like Raze suffered because of them, and Raze was going to put a stop to it. Stop his own suffering because he didn''t deserve it, to hold all the pain with nothing happening to them.


    A death to the people around them, that was far more painless than what he had to deal with.


    "No!" The woman surprisingly shouted. "I''m not asking what the news reports stated or what people think happened; I''m asking for the truth. You''re right, the Cromber Guild was eliminated by the Dark Magus, but you must know why. If you were truly someone close to the Dark Magus, or by his side, then you would know the reason why."


    The words of the woman had brought up memories in his head. A man with blonde hair and a big smile on his face. Raze in a small room with him, as the two of them were getting ready.


    "I''ll help you, Raze, or should I say Dark Magus," the blonde man said with a chuckle. "What you''re doing, it''s changing this ce."


    Momentster, and more memories shed, moving to a different scene altogether. Raze was now holding onto the same blonde man, his bodypletely different, in contrast to what it was before. He was almost skin and bones, his face was sunken in, and he had scabs all over. In his body, there were several needles all over the ce.


    "It was the Cromber Guild; please help them," the man said, with hisst words.


    Raze hade back to where he was, his hand by the side of his head for a moment.


    "The Cromber Guild... they had the whole town of Electra under a type of magical drug. One that would make you feel stronger in the moment, but zap away your powers after. Losing one''s magical power made them desperate, willing to do whatever the guild asked. The people there, they had gone mad... so the Dark Magus got rid of them all."


    The woman no longer had a tensed fist, as it fell by her side, and she stood there in amazement.


    "You''re right... you''re right," she replied, her voice shaky. Now she knew it; this person had to be telling the truth.


    However, Raze was left wondering how, how did this woman know about the truth behind his attack? In fact, in nearly all of the Dark Magus'' televised and newsworthy events, there was a reason for them all.


    "I have one question," the hooded man said in the back. "It seems we have confirmed who you are, so I want to ask, who are the enemies of the Dark Magus?"


    "To the world?" Raze replied. "They might have said Enaxx. He was the government''s figurehead, the pretty poster boy. They lived to televise that it was the Dark Magus against him, but that''s not true at all. The Dark Magus'' enemy is every single one of the Grand Magus, all five of them."


    Hearing that response, the hooded man couldn''t help but start pping in joy.


    "Excellent! Excellent!" he shouted as his voice echoed through the halls like a madman, followed by a string ofughter.


    ''Out of the two of them, he might be one that I need to worry about a bit more,'' Raze thought to himself.


    At that moment, the hooded man stepped forward and got down on one knee, his fist in the ground. Seeing this, the woman had decided to do the same.


    "You said that you are a creation of the Dark Magus, and there is a reason for you being here. We are a group that was created all because of the Dark Magus, so we will help you in any way possible. What is it that you need us to do?"


    Although the man was speaking for both of them, the woman seemed to have no objections.


    Raze''s n had worked, and now it was how exactly he would use these followers, to help his overall goal of taking down the Grand Magus.


    "Tell me, does this groups of you dark magic users have a name?"


    "No we do not, as we a group that operates in the shadow''s we didn''t think it was needed."


    "A group with no name, is a group with no power." Raze answered, "And we need power, to take down the Grand Magus, let''s mark today as the creation of the force that will take down the Grand Magus, the creation of the Dark Guild."

 Chapter 243 The Dark Spirit speaks

    Chapter 243 The Dark Spirit speaks


    In the past, Raze had tried to do everything by himself. In the end, he had ended up failing. When the hooded woman had asked her questions, it made Raze think back to why he had ultimately failed in taking the Grand Magus down.


    There were five of them, and although he had gotten into battles several times before with them, he had never fully been the victor going head to head. That was because they were more than just 9-star mages. They hadrge groups and corporations that backed them up. They had their pockets in nearly every business in Alterian. This was what had given Raze the idea in the first ce to create a group in Pagna by selling the Qi pills that he had received.


    He needed a group of his own to control, and since he was unable to step into Alterian himself, he needed others to do it for him.


    "Create a Dark Guild!" The hooded man lifted his head with excitement in his voice. "A guild for magic users that specialize in Dark Magic. It will be a ce where we can study and share knowledge with each other, and continue your goal!"


    It felt like Raze had them right where he wanted them, in his pocket. A cult that was already naturally following him, this was a great start.


    "Can I ask, how many of you are in your current group?" Raze asked.


    The man stood up next to the woman, and the two looked at each other before he replied by lifting his hand, holding two fingers up.


    "Right now, it''s just us two," he stated. "There used to be more of us, but they have either been hunted down or captured. As you should know as well, those that know Dark Magic won''t exactly share it with the others, but I am sure there are more out there."


    Hearing this made Raze wonder if there were more followers of him and more people that used Dark Magic. If the next time he used this astral projection, if he could link with them. If he did, then he could inform them of everything and then recruit them into the Dark Guild.


    He was sure those that knew Dark Magic would feel safer in a group. They all had the same stakes as well, since Dark Magic was a taboo from the Alterian world order.


    "I see, well, this will be the start of our Dark Guild. We shall meet once a week, at the same time as today. So make sure that there are no eyes around you. We can discuss and update each other on the news then," Raze stated.


    Thinking back to what he had heard from the message box, Raze knew he could use his magic skills, so it made him wonder if he could use some powers from his enchanted items as well.


    Before he knew it, he had two blue Qi pills in his hand. They were the umon ones that restored one''s mana for a minute. He soon chucked them over, and the two caught them in their hands.


    They looked at the small pills and could see the DM marked on it, having a good idea what it stood for but no idea what the pills did.


    "Those are mana potions; they will restore your mana for a full minute. Use it in an emergency measure. I am handing these to you as gifts for joining the Guild and will be willing to give members more in order to increase their power.


    "Of course, don''t think about selling it or allowing others to use it. You two are the only ones I have handed these items that were created by the Dark Magus. So I will know if they fall into others'' hands."


    Just hearing they were made by the Dark Magus, the two of them were treating it as if they had a piece of gold in their hand. They didn''t want to even consume it if their life depended on it.


    "Thank you for the gift!" the man stated. "So what is it that you would like us to do?"


    When the question was asked, Raze could feel his body weakening, and the energy surrounding him going away. He had used up too much magic, and his body had stayed here for too long. The others could notice the weakness in the magic as well.


    "In our next meeting, I wish for you to find out what you can about the Grand Magus. Give me full details of the current state of Alterian!" Raze ordered. "On top of that, if you can do research into any 9-star mages in the history of Alterian.


    "Bring me a list and information if you can. Of those that either suddenly passed away or perhaps had gone missing and never found!"


    The two nodded at these orders; they seemed simple enough. They couldn''t understand why he asked about the second half, but this was a Dark Spirit that knew everything about what the great Dark Magus was thinking and nning.


    ''I should find the Dark Faction Founder. He probably wanted me to do this as well. If I find him, then it will lead to clues regarding the As Orb, and just him in general,'' Raze thought to himself.


    "We shallplete the tasks, Dark Spirit!" The man said with confidence. "We will also look to bring more into the Dark Guild; not to worry, this is a glorious day."


    The woman felt that as well; she felt a closer connection to the Dark Magus, a person to her who was her hero.


    "The next time we meet, I shall teach you a few things about Dark Magic in return for your help. Although I might not be so strong myself at the moment, my power will continue to grow, and I have the knowledge of the Dark Magus.


    "The Dark Guild will be a force that will topple the Grand Magus!" Raze said, as his bodypletely started to fade; it was going away and soon turned into nothing.


    ck smoke just dissipated into the air, and when the two looked at the same area as before, both of them were unable to see anything.


    Immediately the hooded man grabbed the woman by the shoulders.


    "See, I told you it would work out; I told you that the Dark Magus had been watching our actions, and now he is rewarding us from beyond!"


    The woman looked at the position from before and nodded.


    "This is our chance."


    ---


    Back in the cave, Raze had opened his eyes and was covered in sweat; he was huffing and panting and almost copsed right there and then on the floor. All of his mana had been depleted; he had used it till the veryst moment.


    Thankfully, he could feel a soothing energy now spreading around him, and it was the Qi from his dantian.


    ''Being both a Pagna warrior and a Mage sure is versatile,'' Raze thought, and had arge smile on his face.


    ''I''m in Alter, The Dark Guild, the Dark Faction, the Demonic Faction. I''m starting to have my own eyes in every area. The only ces I know next to nothing about are the Light Faction and the Bonum Society.''


    ''I guess the best thing to do is the next step, head to the Crimson Crane and join them, and head back to the academy.''


    ---


    Meanwhile, at the academy, Gunther had the wanted poster in his hand, with the words "Dark Magus" written on it. He tore it up with both of his hands, ripping it up into smaller and smaller pieces.


    ''What is this? How could the reward be canceled just like that! And where are those damned kids!'' Gunther yelled inwardly, sitting right back in his seat. ''When those kidse back, they''re going to be Red Headband users, and the eyes of the top ns are going to be all over them.''


    ''For their sake, it might be best if they nevere back.''

 Chapter 244 The first of the Dark Guild

    Chapter 244 The first of the Dark Guild


    Initially, when the hooded man hade to the meeting and only saw one person turn up, he was feeling a little disheartened. Every time they had these meetings, it seemed to be a result of bad news, one after the other, rather than good news.


    However, today seemed like a turning point, and the grin on his face couldn''t stop forming on his mouth. Before leaving the crooked building that they were in, the man turned to the woman.


    "It seems the Dark Spirit has given us two tasks. In my position, it would be easier for me to look into the Grand Magus and try to figure out if there are any strange reported movements," the man stated. "Is that okay with you? Will you be okay trying to find out the information about the old mages?"


    The woman thought about it for a while.


    "That should be fine." It was better than fine; if anything, it was ideal for her.


    One of the rules of the group was not to reveal each other''s real identities. Although when recruiting people, some might have seen their faces, they still knew what their role was in the outside society. Instead, they would share information while trying toplete small tasks with each other one step at a time, depending on the task, they would split it to who would suit it best. It worked as a type of volunteer system.


    In this case, there were two main jobs given by the Dark Spirit, and the man had somewhat decided for them.


    Splitting up, the two went their separate ways. The woman headed right, and the man headed left. Since they were in the underground living areas, there were plenty of ways for them to head to the surface.


    The hooded man walked through the children ying around in ragged clothing, muck on their faces. The areas were filled with people coughing. He then lifted himself up with wind magic on top of one of the houses until he found adder. It was made out of rusted metal. He slowly climbed it up as he headed to the manhole cover that was above him.


    "Whenever I visit this ce, it just makes me angrier," the man mumbled to himself.


    The people who lived underground had no choice really. If they rose up to the surface, then there would be guilds and government workers that would be asked to clean the streets. The world of Alterian was one by appearance, one that had no beggars. Because they were forced to move. They had to get out of the cities.


    They could go to the masses ofnd with no infrastructure built, but unless they knew how to grow their own crops, they could do nothing. There were no jobs for them out there, no one that would willingly feed them unless they could contribute to society in some way. So the only choice they had, and the only way they could stay in the city, was to live under it.


    At least here, they could live off the scraps that would fall from above. Once in a while, there would be those that would evene from above, making certain requests to those below. Maybe asking them to get rid of someone, tomit a crime on their behalf, or things even worse and darker. To put it shortly, living under the city, they were able to at least continue living off the scraps from those above, but it was away from the eyes of others, out of sight, as if they didn''t even exist.


    Eventually, the man pushed the manhole off, and he appeared in an alleyway down a street. The lights from the tall buildings above shined on his face, and quickly he soon cast the robe away. It disappeared into a ck void that was in his hand, and now he was wearing a ck uniform with patches of red on his clothing underneath. He had short spiky ck hair that showed underneath his rounded hat. He was a man that looked to be in his mid-20s, closer to his 30s. Slowly, he raised his hands, touching the corner of his mouth.


    ''I really need to get rid of this smile.''


    Waiting a few moments, he waited for his smile to drop before he walked into the streets, blending in with all the rest. It was currently evening time, so the glowing neon lights were shining brightly, yet the streets were filled with those shopping or eating on the side.


    The man continued to walk until he had reached arge square of buildings with ss at the front. As he took a step through the front door, a strange greenser light went across his body.


    "Hey, Chief Harvey, what time do you call this?" A man called out, reading a digital device in the air. He was sitting at a desk seemingly doing nothing, it was the reception. He too wore the same uniform as the man named Harvey.


    "Something came up on the way here; I thought it would help us in a way. I''m not quite sure how helpful it will be," Harvey replied.


    "Ah, is it the case with that mass murder that''s been on the loose recently? I thought once the Dark Magus was dealt with there would be fewer incidents, but we seem to be as busy as ever," the man sighed.


    Right now, Harvey was in a police station. A group of mages that worked for the local governments and also were quite well-connected with the local guilds. This was because from time to time, they would have to work with the local guilds in different areas to deal with situations that got out of hand. There were stillrge criminal cases that would appear from time to time. With his position, especially as chief of this particr station, he thought he would be able to look into the Grand Magus and their doings far easier.


    That was until the small little badge lit up on both Harvey''s and the man behind the desk''s chest. Harvey pressed it, and a screen popped out in front of him, showing him the report that was taking ce.


    "It looks like a seller has been found," Harvey said. "I''m in a good mood today; you can stay here. I''ll deal with it."


    As quickly as Harvey had entered the police station, he had quickly left as well. He followed the directions of the badge, which showed him those that were on the chase of the Mage.


    A seller was someone that sold illegal magical products, mostly enhancing magic items with bad side effects. It didn''t take long for the chief to meet up with two members of his team that had chased the man into an office building. Thankfully, everyone had already gone home as it was the end of the day shift, but still, it was a building, so fighting inside with magic would be quite troublesome.


    Not only that, but Harvey could see one of the officers holding his arm; there was arge wound on it, and it was cut.


    "A 3-star mage, sir¡­he has wind magic, so I would be careful," the officer stated.


    "Don''t worry, you guys just stay here; we don''t know what can happen," Harvey replied. "Just catch him if he escapes."


    Entering the office building, Harvey was alone. He had gone up the floors until he had reached the floor where he wasst witnessed. There were a number of stalls and electronic devices that had been set up, including crystals. The ss spread out on the back into the open areas.


    Slowly, Harvey walked through the stalls, that was until one of them went flying right into him.


    Immediately, he reacted as he ducked below and the stall went flying over his head.


    "Just let me go!" The mage on the run shouted as he swung his arm, throwing out a wind slice.


    When it went through the air, with his own hand covered in Ice, Harvey swung it at the wind slice, breaking it apart allowing the attack to do nothing.


    "ARGH!" The man shouted and was ready to swing his arm again; that was when something grabbed him.


    "Dark Puppet," Harvey whispered as he went in closer. The man was confused; his hand was firmly grasped by something, and it wasn''t just one but the other, and soon his legs as well. His whole body was lifted into the air. When the man looked down, he could see a pool of Dark Magic below him had stretched out, creating arms that were holding onto him.


    "You¡­ you''re using Dark Magic, a police chief is using Dark Magic! I can''t believe it!" The man said,ughing even though he had been caught. "Wait until the others hear about this! Do you think you will go unpunished if you bring me in?"


    "Huh?" Harvey said, approaching the man, Dark Magic swirling around his arm. "Do you think I''m an idiot like you? If I showed you something that you weren''t meant to see, then what do you think that means?"


    Panic started to set in the man''s eyes; his heart started to race as he was beginning to get an idea of what he meant.


    "Today is a good day, and on behalf of the Dark Magus, I ept your life. Dark Lance!" Harvey stated as out of his hand argence made of Dark Magic had pierced several ces in the man.


    With him being held still, blood soaked his clothing, and he was killed on the spot.


    "Today is a good day, and I can''t wait to see what type of new powers I will learn from the Dark Spirit! Everything is for the sake of the Dark Magus."

 Chapter 245 The Second Of The Dark Guild

    Chapter 245 The Second Of The Dark Guild


    Separating from the other robed figure, the woman had exited from the underground facilities as well. She was rushing and turning a blind eye to the things around her.


    It was more upsetting than she realized every time she came to this ce, and a lot of it was because the scenes reminded her of her own hometown, which she had grown up in as well.


    ''The surface is not much of a better ce for you people. It needs to be fixed before youe up there,'' she thought.


    Exiting from the underground sewage system, she didn''t take off her robe immediately. In the alleyway she resided in, she was looking at the wall by her sides. She was skimming it with her hand until eventually running her fingers, she felt a slight edge. Then sticking her hand onto it, somewhat like glue, she pulled, and arge b of the wall came off. Taking off her robe, she soon ced it in the slot on the street, then lifted therge b and ced it back.


    As for the clothes she was wearing underneath the dark-colored robe, she had a light blue dress on underneath. On top, a small zer that reached just down to her ribcage that was light in color.


    The woman in question had short brown hair that only came down to around her ears. It equally went all around somewhat like a bowl was on top of her head. For most, it might have looked like quite a ridiculous haircut yet somehow it suited her. Maybe it was just because the rest of her facial features were that outstanding that it felt like any type of haircut would suit her. She had a rtively young-looking face, one that was clear and many would assume full of innocence.


    Thest thing one would expect from a baby face like hers was them to be a user of Dark Magic, but she had her reasons.


    The woman''s name was Kelly. She was currently heading to one of the transport stations, where a flying train would take one to several destinations, and she was looking for one in particr.


    She soon got on arge square device that had multiple seats on board. Paying her fees, she sat by the window and just stared out as it lifted into the sky. She could see all the lights from below, the people enjoying themselves, and some even putting on magic shows, firing off fancy disys that looked like fireworks.


    ''It''s been a long time since I thought about the past,'' Kelly thought to herself. ''That Dark Spirit, is it even possible? I''ve never heard of Dark Magic being able to create a summon before, or a puppet that could be used with its user so far away.


    ''But then again, the details of Dark Magic haven''t been greatly researched either. But it makes me wonder if that really was a Dark Spirit, the details he exined, weren''t they too vivid.''


    Kelly was taken back to that moment; she was younger back then when the Dark Magus had attacked her town, but there were more details than what the Dark Spirit let on.


    The Guild at the time, they weren''t only forcing the town to do their work in creating illegal drug-misused items, but they were also forcing the workers to take them as well. They had gotten the entire town addicted, forcing them to do their bidding. There would be those that tried to fight back to try to stop them, but the guild would force it upon the others.


    They had the whole town as their customers, and Kelly saw it firsthand. She had only lived with her mother at the time, but her mother was one of those addicted to the magical drugs that were handed out.


    She had tried to break the cycle; Kelly had tried to help her, but the guild hade around to their house and forced her. They had even tried to leave the town a couple of times, but nothing was working. In the end, things spiraled worse; her mother could no longer speak clearly, she had be more than just a regr user but to the point where she was no longer able to even work. When that happened they kicked her to the curb.


    Her mother had tried to steal some product from the guild, and they ended up killing her. Kelly at the time was only a 2-star mage, and even then, what could she have done to take on an entire guild, it would have been impossible, but that was when one person hade and done it, it was the Dark Magus.


    The news report had stated that the Dark Magus had killed the citizens as well as the guild. At first, the Dark Magus was just killing guild members, then the guild imed anyone who helped get rid of him would be offered more product.


    The Dark Magus simply killed those who got in his way. When the guild finally disappeared, Kelly was able to pack her things and leave the town. To her, the Dark Magus was her savior, which was why she had gone down the path she had done at the time.


    Learning Dark Magic, learning everything she could about the Dark Magus. The news reports, everything that the media started to spin, she knew it was all lies.


    Her trust in the world disappeared, and she felt like the only truth for her was the Dark Magus. If she could help him even a little, then that was good enough for her.


    The flying vehicle was slowing down as it wasing to the stop; it was thest stop. When she stood up, there were a couple of other boys and girls wearing simr clothing to her.


    It was a pride for them to wear the uniform.


    "Last stop, Central Mage Academy," the speaker shouted.


    ''At the Mage''s Academy, I''m sure I''ll find what you''re looking for, and I''ll help you achieve your goal.''

 Chapter 246 Power Of Light Magic

    Chapter 246 Power Of Light Magic


    The days wereing closer and closer to the time they had to leave, and with it alling to an end, there were just a couple of things left before they needed to leave the Demonic Continent.


    With everything going on, Raze just felt like the longer they stayed here, the more likely they were to get in trouble. At least for Dame, he himself was pretty much fine as the name of the Dark Magus had spread, but not to the point where there were multiple obsessive people like Alba and her group looking for him.


    Back at the Inn, Raze had noticed that Safa now had managed to control mana to an eptable degree. She could move it around and ce it where she wished on her body.


    Now all he needed to do was show her a couple of spells. In doing so, what he had done was ripped a page out of a notebook that he had taken from the inn they were staying at, then grabbing a piece of graphite rock, he started to draw what looked like amon magic circle.


    After finishing drawing, he held it for Safa to see.


    "All magic spellse from the basis of magic circles with runic writing," Raze exined. "Think of the magic circles as instructions for what it needs to do with your mana. It directs it into one ce, takes the properties of the mana, and extracts them in a certain way."


    "However, just like cooking, even if you have the same measurements, if you have the wrong ingredients what wille out will be wrong. Which is why specific magic circles need to be used for specific spells," Raze exined.


    "Now, when casting a spell, you need to make the image of the magic circle as clearly as you can in your head. As time goes on, there will be arge number of spells that you are unable to remember."


    "This is why we use keywords. Restating the word as you remember the circle, it will be second nature for when you say certain phrases that the magic circle will appear in your head, allowing you to cast the spell."


    "The keyword can be up to yourself, but there is a sort of respect among mages. The one who creates the spell will bestow a name on it. Other mages then will use that keyword with the spell, not changing it."


    "It''s only right for the one that put in their hard work and research into advancing the use of magic for their word to be used."


    Safa continued to nod along as Raze exined everything to her. She was quite amazed with it all, and it was the first time she had heard her ''brother'' speak of his world in such a way. She was learning about another culture, and for once, Raze seemed to be proud. When speaking about somethinging from his world, which was strange.


    "This skill is known as Restore. It needs light magic to work and is one of the most basic Light magic spells out there. The reason for its poprity is because the strength of the spell increases as does the mana of the user. So it''s a spell that can be used by a 1-star mage all the way up to a 9-star mage, which is quite unique. As with times, certain spells only work with a degree of mana and are pretty much useless as you continue to rise up the ranks."


    What Raze had essentially done was give Safa homework because the best way for a person to memorize the pattern was to draw it over and over again.


    This is what Safa was currently doing on multiple sheets of paper. She would copy the pattern a few times, trying to do as much as she could by memory on the next one. Then when she could finally draw the whole magic circle by memory, that would mean she could picture it in her head.


    After that, it was repeating the words and connecting the words with the image.


    "Man, that seems really hard!" Liammented. "So if you don''t have a good memory, it''s pretty much impossible to be a good mage that uses magic, huh?"


    "You still want to be a mage, after seeing what nearly happened to her?" Simyonmented.


    "I mean, she turned out to be okay in the end, right? So maybe us two would be fine as well. I''m thinking of learning something cool like fire magic or something."


    "And with your brain, you probably would only ever know one spell, just stick to the enchanted items Raze gave you," Simyon replied.


    Staying with Raze and the lessons he would give Safa, the group was learning several words rted to the magic world. They were remembering them well because they were just as fascinated with it as they were with the world of Pagna.


    While they continued to watch Safa struggling to remember the circle, Raze had a few words for her.


    "When you''ve learned the spell, gather the mana around your throat, use the restore spell on it. Use it a few times a day; it might take a while because you have a low amount of magic, but continuous use of the spell restore will likely restore your voice back to normal."


    Safa nodded frantically as she continued to draw the circles, and she had quite a good memory, allowing her to get closer and closer to learning the spell. As Raze thought, she wasn''t just talented in martial arts; as with most talented people, they were better than the average person at nearly anything.


    Still, the others had their uses, and could specialize in certain areas to be useful. A few momentster, the familiar knock came at the door. This time, Dame had let himself in as he pushed forward.


    "Alright Raze, it''s time for you to turn into the Dark Magus, it''s our meeting with the Crimson Crane," Dame stated.


    With a flicker of Dark Magic, the robe covered Raze''s body.


    It was time for him to get a lot more out of this deal than they would.

 Chapter 247 I want to be Leader

    Chapter 247 I want to be Leader


    The meeting was taking ce in what had be the Crimson Crane''s frequent meeting ce. One of therge restaurants in the city of Repton, on the second floor a private room had been made, and here there was Alba, who was sitting by the side of Reno.


    Meanwhile, on the opposite side, there was Dame along with the Dark Magus wearing his robe.


    "I hope you understand the Dark Magus'' position, with the things he''s able to do, we need to keep his identity a secret, even from those that are in the same group as us," Dame exined, gesturing a hand.


    Alba was in a good mood since the meeting was set up, and just where they were, she had already gone through tworge bottles of alcohol.


    "That is fine with me, as long as the Dark Magus is willing to join us and support, then that is all good. I do have some issues though," Alba said, cing her drink back on the table. "I''ve heard of the business that the two of you are nning to start, and the fact that you are looking at selling these special Qi pills that you created, is that something we can stop you from doing?"


    The Qi pills would do them great; they were effective in the battle against the Light Faction Elder, and she already had an idea of the effects they would have when being used in other dimensions.


    For her, the main issue was that this was the advantage the n had over others. This was a way for people to propel them to the top, for the local governments, kingdoms, and other factions to rely on them even more, boosting their position.


    "I know what you are worried about," Raze said. "However, I wish for myself to create awork. There are only so many things you can do with brute strength. But the pills, for one, are something that only I can create.


    "Since I will be supplying them, I can equally take them away. There is power as more people rely on our products. At the same time, coin is another thing that can be used to influence people all over, especially the kingdoms who are more inclined to coin than they are to fighting, as well as the general public who aren''t even involved in Pagna affairs."


    Alba thought that the Dark Magus was naive. Although he had strange powers, his voice made him sound young, and he was a stage 3 warrior. Yet his foresight was looking far ahead; this person had the power to change the world. She was d she did everything she could to get this person on her side.


    "You have to understand, though, allowing you to join our n is making an enemy of the Light Faction since they have dered you their target. On top of that, there will be multiple groups after you as well."


    "If we bring you in, and you are selling products to others, even if we get them for free, what''s the value in that for us? Joining the Crimson Crane is no small matter."


    This was what Raze had predicted as well, and that''s when he gestured by looking at Dame to ce his hands on the table. Soon, they started to change as they were covered in ck armor.


    "Making Qi pills is not the only thing I can do," Raze exined. "I am also able to enchant weapons."


    "These gauntlets, their power has not only increased but has the skill to hide them, it also allows me to produce projectile Qi from my hands," Dame exined. "This is how I was able to beat Beatrix."


    Immediately, Alba''s eyes lit up; she had stopped drinking for a moment. Projectile Qi was something only high-level middle stage warriors or Divine stage warriors could produce. Yet an item made that possible?


    "Do you remember the sword that was used to defeat the Light Faction Leader at the end? That was also an enchanted item of mine," Raze exined. "These special items I will make for the Crimson n only, and I shall make an item for each member."


    Even Reno had turned to Alba''s side; both of them were excited, imagining the increased strength the n would have with such items. But Alba had to keep herself calm because suddenly the tides had turned, because now the deal she felt was one-sided.


    "What... do you want for this?" Alba asked.


    "I am a member of your n by doing this. I want to show with this gesture that I am a true member of this n. Which is why I ask for one thing. To take the position of leader once!" Raze stated.


    Even Dame was surprised by Raze''s request. Taking the position of leader? He was wondering if he knew what he was saying. Sure, the Crimson Crane was unorthodox, but he was still speaking to the head of a very powerful n.


    "That''s a hard ask."


    "My items are very powerful, and this is also a condition for me joining," Raze stated. "Let me put it in simpler terms. A one-time gesture is what I ask for. If anything urs, or anything that I need doing or help with, one time I can ask the Crimson Crane to gather and help me, no matter what or who it''s up against."


    Hearing this request, all of those around the table were just trying to imagine what the Dark Magus was nning for, who he was expected to go against.


    "I see, well then." Alba reached down her clothing dress, from the top right underneath her breasts. The cloth slid down, and for a moment, they thought they would be seeing two melons, but she quickly lifted her shirt back up as she ced a crystal on the table.


    "This was the reward for finding the Dark Magus, and in the end, you havee to me. So this is the level 5 power stone. I have already taken down the request. Think of it as a freebie for joining the Crimson Crane.


    "In the meantime, we will hunt for more crystals to allow you to enchant some items for us the next time we meet. Dame already exined that you guys will be away for a while."


    "As a point of contact, one member of the Crimson Crane will stay in Repton city, and whenever we need you or you need us, we can make contact through them."


    Raze took the level five power stone from the table, and with that, Alba stood up.


    "I hereby state that the two of you are now members of the Crimson Crane, so grab a drink with your new family!" Alba cheered.


    Dame did the same, along with the others, while Raze was hesitant as he grabbed the drink in front of him.


    ''New family... I hate that word,'' Raze thought to himself, as he lifted up the drink anyway. Him and Dame now had be new members of the Crimson Crane, and with it, it was the end of their little journey in the Demonic Faction.


    ''It''s time for us to head back to the academy; let''s find out about the Dark Faction Founder.''

 Chapter 248 Blood Will Be Spilt

    Chapter 248 Blood Will Be Spilt


    The group had journeyed out of Repton city, and were heading back toward the cave, and it had been quite an eventful week, more so than they had originally expected.


    "You know what, the Demonic Faction wasn''t so bad in the end." Liam replied. "I wonder why they call them demons and those that would kill just from a re."


    "Well, we did stay inside after that one incident." Simyon replied. "So it is hard to say what the rest of the Demonic Faction is like. Also we didn''t really get involved in Pagna affairs. Still, as you said things seemed to just be the same as they were in the Dark Faction."


    The small event had stuck in their heads though. The students they had lost to in a battle of strength were also from the other Pagna academy. To them it seemed like there was quite a gap in strength.


    Liam had even found himself overturned by just what he deemed the side characters. They didn''t even stand out and they were able to best him. He took some pride that he was the strongest Blue Headband wearer, and being promoted to the Red Headbands when they got back, he knew there would be toughpetition all around.


    "A lot did happen." Raze mumbled to himself as they had reached the cave entrance. "There is a goal to look forward to, and a lot I need to do."


    In particr Raze had obtained the skill book full of the Noctis n''s techniques. He would have to learn the Pagna swordsmanship first and then try to add the magic stepster on.


    Magic wasn''t the only way for him to get stronger quickly.


    Dame was already wearing the transformation mask, and all of them were ready to head back. Raze was ready as he started to draw the magic circle on the ground, and the portal opened up for them to return.


    They ended up returning to the mist-covered cave and with the help of Dame they were able to bypass all of the guards while also heading back to the front of the academy. They were in the thick jungle bushes that led to the single bridge-like pathway that went out to the academy.


    As they stepped out onto the path, all of them gave a good stretch.


    "Ah, this brings back memories." Simyonmented. "But I don''t know whether to be more nervous or less nervous. We aren''t attending the assessment anymore, but joining the Red headbands and meeting all those main disciples again."


    A shiver ran through Simyon''s entire body, just imagining seeing Ricktor again had him shook. They wondered if they would act any different this time after Raze''s beating, after all Raze was certainly to be treated differently, he was known as the White Dragon, the rising star of the Dark Faction!


    Taking a deep breath they had entered the Academy.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    "What do you guys think you''re doing!" Gunther shouted.


    The moment all of them had returned to the front of the academy, it hade as a surprise that Gunther was in therge courtyard pacing back and forth waiting for them.


    It made them wonder how long he must have been doing it for. Or perhaps because it was thest day, he thought they had to return. Immediately he called for a meeting for them all to enter his office, and now all five of them stood there.


    "I''ve bent my back over to protect you guys, to keep your secret, and then you go off disappearing without telling me anything. I had no clue what happened to you." Gunther said, but there was something else he was more upset about.


    He went and pulled out arge scroll that looked to have been stuck together with some type of green beetle juice parts. He lifted the scroll and they could see that it was the reward for the Dark Magus.


    "The reward was cancelled, does this have anything to do with you being away?" Gunther asked.


    Both Dame and Raze just looked at each other, which had already given the answer Gunther was expecting. Somewhat defeated with the tension rising high in his body he then dropped his body back down in his seat.


    "Now that the reward is gone, is there any reason for me to even be in the academy?" Gunther had only joined to gain favour with the principal and to search for the Dark Magus, with the reward gone, he would rather spend his time going into dimensions trying to break through to the next stage.


    Liam was twiddling his fingers trying to avoid eye contact with Gunther. After all, he had been given the role to look over the Dark Magus and report back if there was anything he found strange.


    Yet he had been taken along in the end, and there was next to nothing he could do about it. Having gone with the others though, he didn''t feel as left out as he had feltpared to before.


    Standing up, Gunther looked out of his window that was on the second floor, it looked out onto the courtyard where they could see a number of students returning. All of those that were here before.


    As he looked at them, there was a slight pain in his heart.


    "Honestly, I''m not meant to tell you guys this, but I think it might be best if you left the academy."


    "Leave!" Simyon shouted. "Wait, how can we just leave, and why would an examiner be telling us that. Is it because you think we''re useless, we''re not useless at all, we''re much stronger than you think!"


    "Stop being so loud." Gunther shouted back. "I don''t want any part in what is about to happen. The only reason why I''m thinking of staying is because I hope with my presence here I can help as many of you guys as possible.


    "The Dark Faction has been put in a difficult situation, and in turn the Academy has decided to take some drastic measures. I can tell that a lot of blood will be spilt in this academy."

 Chapter 249 Trouble in the world of Pagna

    Chapter 249 Trouble in the world of Pagna


    A couple of days before the students were set to return, a meeting had been called between the fiverge ns of the Dark Faction. These five ns were the ones that supported the academy the most with their funds and equally because they were the most powerful, they had the most say in the Faction.


    There was no faction leader, but since the Erupting Fist n was the most powerful n, and the head of the n, Murkel, was also the principal of the academy, many people saw him as the de facto faction leader.


    Still, despite this, it wasn''t as if the n leaders regrly met up, nor did they often have meetings with each other. They were far too worried about increasing the strength of their own ns or even having internal fights to stop one another from rising up and taking their positions.


    At the same time, they had to keep up the appearance of being strong to the others because even the lower ns in the Dark Faction would constantly be fighting, looking for a chance to be part of the main five.


    Strangely, Murkel had called for a meeting between the five main ns, and the n leaders had turned up at the academy. Inside the main building, they had gathered in arge room, sitting inrge seats that were spread apart from each other.


    Crine from the Flowing Force n was present, Samantha from the Tulip Falls n, Feebie from the Lethal Bite n, Gavin from the Moon Shield n, and of course, there was Murkel himself from the Erupting Fist n.


    There was one person who was standing rather than sitting, and that was Amir Huthell, a man who, although belonged to the Dark Faction, didn''t belong to any n. He considered himself a Wanderer.


    The other factions liked that there was someone who seemed neutral in the academy itself, outside of the big five, and his position remained neutral. If there was something he didn''t like, Amir wasn''t afraid to speak up on behalf of the lesser ns.


    In a way, many of the lesser ns saw Amir as their representative in many situations.


    "I''m sure you all won''t be surprised as to the reason why I have called a summons today, before the students havee back," Murkel asked, his eyes wandering around the room.


    Some were nodding, while others looked quite confused by the whole thing.


    "Is it an incident rted to the academy?" Gavin asked. "I know of arge incident that would require us to meet up as the Dark Faction, but not in terms of an academy basis."


    "Ah, are you talking about the recent portal opening?" Samantha interjected.


    "Correct," Murkel stated before anyone else could get more words in. "You should all know by now that there has been a portal that has opened up, one that is presumed to be at the middle stage level, perhaps it might even be divine, yet no one has had a chance to fully explore, and that''s because of what has been going on so far."


    "The battles," Crine said. "I heard that the position of the portal, it''s almost perfectly on the border of all three territories. So there have already been numerous fights over it, with neither side being a victor."


    At times there were no set lines on a map that would im past a certain ce was one territory or the other. The closest thing they had to that were the cities themselves. So when a portal would open up in between two cities, then how were they to decide who owned the portal?


    This was when ns closest would battle it out, and the issue was, it was the portal opening up in the center of the three territories. Not only was the level of the portal good for them, but the positioning of future attacks and information gathering was great as well.


    They could easily send people over to investigate the portal, allowing them quick ess into the others'' territories to see what they were doing. It was no wonder there had already been so many fights over such a thing.


    "As you said before, there is a reason why I have called you to the academy; it''s because they have now be involved as well," Murkel exined. "An agreement has been made between the three factions."


    "In order for there to be little bloodshed, they wish to use the martial arts tournament to decide who should receive the portal. Because of this, the martial arts tournament will be brought forward and will ur in the next two months."


    The leaders turned to look at each other, hearing this. Usually, the martial arts tournament was to take ce close to the end of the school year.


    "This is a chance not only to gain a lot in this battle of territory but also to show the others that we are superior to them. That our future generation of warriors will outmatch theirs."


    "However, from what I have seen, I don''t think we have a chance at winning. The Light Faction is full of talented students who have pure blood passed down to them. Meanwhile, the Demonic Faction is sure to go through methods beyond anything we can imagine to get the strongest pupils possible."


    "So what are you suggesting?" Feebie asked. "Do you want us to train our descendants directly to give them a chance?"


    "That won''t work," Amirmented. "When rtiones into y, it seems that our sleeves are too soft, and at the same time, we are blinded by the talent we see. Although they might be the best here,pared to the other continents, it might be a different matter altogether."


    "This is why I have decided on the next assessment, where all students will take part. I have already asked permission from the other ns, and due to the nature of what has happened, they have epted."


    "We have no choice but to push the students further than we ever have had to, by making them take part in a Kodoku assessment."


    The color drained from the other n members'' faces, as they weren''t too sure, as they could very well lose their own disciples in all of this.

 Chapter 250 The second Assessment

    Chapter 250 The second Assessment


    The next day after returning, as they were told before, Raze and his group were transported and promoted to the Red Headband group. Although they knew about it beforehand, it was news to the rest of the groups.


    The Blue Headband users watched them give their final goodbyes to their teachers. Raze even gave a little wink toward teacher Tod, who had caused a few problems for him while he was there.


    The Blue Headband students were delighted that those from the group, those no-names, were getting appreciation, as it started to give them a bit of hope as well.


    "They really did it, those no-names, all of them are Red Headbands now. I thought they would have at least gone to Yellow first."


    "What else was the academy meant to do? They beat the best of the Red Headband users. If they didn''t get promoted to Red, then what would that even mean? It just wouldn''t make any sense. This is the only thing they could do."


    "Yeah, but can you really say it''s because of all the others, or was the only reason they won due to the White Dragon?"


    Another thing that had happened while they were away was the spread of the name White Dragon. As the students went back home to their ns to rx and spend time with their families, they learned of the tale of the assessment being spread across the Dark Faction, and further as well. Little by little, Raze and his group were learning of the name as they would hear it in passing.


    After saying their goodbyes, Safa got onest talk with the head of the Blue Headbands, Teacher Lee.


    "The spear techniques that I have taught you may very well surpass anything you find in the skills library. However, even if there are no skills worthy of your learning, it is still important to study others'' skills. As you do, it will allow you to know how other attacks work and in turn allows you to create a counter.


    "Perhaps studying a sword technique will allow you to show the difference between the sword and spear."


    Hearing all of this, Safa tried to open her mouth, and although a few noises came out, they were nothing close to words. She wanted to say thank you, but instead all she could do was bow down.


    When the others arrived at the Red Headbands'' ce, they noticed how grand it waspared to theirs. The space wasn''t cramped, and it was the same as their outside courtyard.


    The equipment they were using to train was well kept and wasn''t heavily worn either. As for the inside, even the rooms were several timesrger.


    "Man, talk about wanting to treat everyone fairly, what even is this!" Liamined. Although he quickly realized that he was now the one on the receiving end of all of these goods.


    The group headed over to the head of the Red Headbands, who stood waiting in the center of the main building. Quite a few of the students had gathered to see what was going on, and to their surprise, they saw a bunch of no-names entering the ce.


    "This is sickening; soon they''re going to let ants achieve those things."


    "Hey, but if they''re strong, should we really care? I mean, they deserve the Red Headbands, right?"


    In the eyes of many of the Red Headband users, those who had no name were lesser humans. It felt like they were watching a pig receive an award. Sure, some pigs were stronger than humans, but they still stunk of crap, ate crap, and were there to be eaten.


    Seeing the no-names enter the ce that was sacred to them, they felt like they were seeing the same thing now, awards being handed to those who were just meant to be servants. Who cared if they could do things better than them?


    Surprisingly, the main disciples just watched from afar, from the doors of their rooms, and didn''t have much to say at all.


    "You are now officially Red Headband users!" Igon, the Red Headband teacher, said. He was a man who seemed quite stern, someone who said few words and had a scruffy appearance, with a rough beard and long hair.


    However, one knew he had to be strong, since he was the head teacher in charge of the rest of the Red Headband users. It was safe to assume that he would be stronger than the rest of the head disciples.


    "Don''t let this get to your heads! Although some of you, I believe, are deserving of this position, others will have to prove themselves." When Igon said these words, he was specifically looking at Liam.


    "Me?" Liam said, pointing at himself. "Remember, we don''t offer Qi pills. You are to get stronger on your own feet. There are always those that are at the back of your heels, so you need to continually stay at the top." Igon continued.


    After tying the headbands around the top of their heads, that was all the teacher had said. Now they were standing around looking at all of the eyes that were locked on them.


    "You would think after Raze taught them a lesson with their strongest, they would be less hostile, but I guess it''s hard to change a society that has been the same way for a long time," Damemented.


    Simyon was looking over his shoulder, and quickly turned away because he could tell that Ricktor was looking at him.


    "They''ve all gotten quite a bit stronger in theing week," Dame continued. "Their families must have spent and gone through a lot after you beat them, but I guess they have no clue how much stronger you''ve gotten."


    Around an hourter, after everyone had settled in, the teacher Igon had called all of them out to the courtyard.


    "Alright, everyone, since it is the second month at the academy, this means that all students are allowed to enter the library again! I advise you all to choose your skill wisely; this is important because you will need it for our next assessment, and it could be the difference between life and death!"

 Chapter 251 Whos The Stupid One?

    Chapter 251 Who''s The Stupid One?


    The first month''s assessment for the students was to focus on learning one of the skills that they could obtain from the library. It was a simple task that would allow them to settle in with those who were around them.


    At the end of the month, students then took part in a battle where colored headband users would participate. Here was when students were meant to show the difference in strength.


    Some would feel as if they could never catch up and choose their ce, while others would try to strive to close the gap. Hopefully, it would also kick the other students into gear who felt like their positions could be taken at any moment.


    The only thing was, the event didn''t go as nned, and there was a giant spanner that had been thrown in.


    Regardless, the school stayed with their system, allowing the students to have a break, and when they returned, they would go onto their second assessment, which once again wouldst an entire month for them all. But before that, just like the first time, they were to head to the library, and here they could choose a new skill to learn.


    "This is so exciting!" Simyon said as he stared at the tower-like structure. The library was full of many floors filled with books and techniques from all over. This was important for those like them, those with no name who weren''t able to learn strong techniques.


    "Now that we''re Red Headbands, we''ll be able to have ess to even higher-grade books to learn," Simyon said, cing both his hands together and almost letting out a silent scream. He was also wearing the enchanted gloves.


    Since they were thin and looked very normal, no one said anything, and it was the same as the rest of the times the other two were wearing them as well. These items just looked like essories to the rest.


    "You lucked outst time when you picked that weapon refining skill," Damemented. "I''ll help you out when we''re inside; I think I can find something that will suit you a bit more, especially now that we have ess to the whole library."


    Simyon had an idea of what he was going to get, Safa had an idea of what she wanted, the only ones that were left were Liam and Raze. For a moment, Liam looked up at Raze, but he quickly decided to say nothing.


    The students were soon let into the library, and just like before, everyone had entered, including those from the other headbands. What they noticed was the ess area for the Red Headband users was mostly on another floor.


    The reason why they hadn''t run into many Red Headband usersst time was because of this. It was only due to Ricktor seeking out Simyon that the two of them ran into each other.


    When reaching the second floor, Dame and Simyon soon went off to try and find what they were looking for, Safa had gone to inspect the sword techniques just like Teacher Lee had informed her, leaving Raze and Liam on their own.


    "If only there was a technique that could help my eye grow back, huh?" Liammented, trying to crack a joke between the two, but he saw Raze just walk off into another section of the library without saying a word.


    ''Crap, crap, crap, I have no clue what to do or where to go. Why isn''t anyone helping me out?''


    Naturally, Liam just happened to find himself following Raze, and he saw him looking at the books but not picking up nearly any of them. It made him wonder what was going through his mind.


    Yet he couldn''t pay too much attention to Raze; he had to think about himself.


    ''I also use sword techniques, but sword techniques themselves aren''t valuable on their own. I could go for a cultivation technique that increases the mind.''


    ''These are good in the future when I go up against stronger stage Pagna warriors whose visual Qi can even affect one mentally or change and distort the ce around them. Or I could try and go for a type of foot technique.''


    Thinking back, Liam was trying to think about what he could do that would help him not experience the same thing that he had against the Demonic students. Meanwhile, he was being distracted, looking at Raze once in a while.


    ''At the moment, I already have the Noctis skill book. There was more than one technique in that book,pared to these single techniques. There''s already a lot for me to learn; I don''t know much about any techniques, so I don''t even know what is strong or what is weak.''


    ''But it does make me wonder, what if I use magic on these books? Will the ones that arepatible with magic shake? That wouldn''t make much sense since it would be based more on the book rather than the technique itself, so it wouldn''t work, at least I think that''s the case.''


    Raze thought he might as well give it a try and reached out for one of the books.


    "Hey!" a student called over; there were two of them approaching Raze by his side. They had just shouted before he had reached the book. Like an annoying fly, Raze turned his head to look over at them.


    "Are you guys not even going to respect your elders?"


    Looking at the Red Headband users, Raze wondered what he meant by elders, and Liam, who was close by, could tell. These were the second-year students.


    "What, you''re not even going to say hello or greet us. You didn''t evene to see us when you entered the Red Headband group. Just because you defeated the Main Disciples, you think you''re hot shit now?" the other called out.


    Raze shook his head; he was tired of this. He thought defeating the Main Disciples would have put an end to all of this.


    ''Was I too nice? Is that why they are trying to take advantage of me? It''s the same as when I was on Alterian, andtely, I have been thinking about my past more and more.''


    Raze''s whole body was tensing up just thinking about the magic world.


    "You know, I''m starting to think that the Main Disciples weren''t even all that. Everyone was just scared of their strength, but no one had even fought them. Then they get beaten by these no-names; it''s clear that they were just weak."


    The best thing to do in this situation to calm his anger down was to ignore them. That was often the advice people gave. These people just wanted attention, so if he ignored them, it would be okay, right?


    With that, Raze went ahead to pick the book. From the top, he used his index finger to pull it out.


    "Hey!" the student grabbed Raze by the wrist. "I''m talking to you, you stupid fucker."


    In that moment, with the anger building up already, and the added anger of being touched, Raze immediately moved his other hand.


    ''You won''t learn, will you? You people won''t learn unless you realize there are consequences for your actions!''


    Liam could barely see the move, but the next moment, all he could hear was a cry out in pain.


    "AHHHHHHH!" The scream echoed throughout the entire room.


    Raze had two bloody fingers, and the student had blood dripping from one of his eyeballs. Before the other one could react as well, Raze had grabbed the top of his head and was tensing it hard.


    "If I squeeze any harder, you will die," Raze said. "And all of it was because you wouldn''t let me pick my book in peace. Who is the stupid one now?"

 Chapter 252 A Forbidden Request

    Chapter 252 A Forbidden Request


    Everything had happened so fast that Liam was unable to act; he couldn''t even process what had urred. However, he could see it, he could even feel it in his own eye. One of the second-year Red Headband students had their eye poked out by Raze.


    Not only that, but now the other one was being held by the top of his head. He wondered why the student wasn''t even fighting back; if anything, his hands had dropped by his side, as if he was losing all power in his body.


    ''Crap, there it is again, that strange look that I''ve seen him have in his eye from time to time. It just feels like sometimes he randomly snaps, and now is not a good time in front of these students. What''s going to happen if he kills them?''


    Looking left and right, Liam was trying to see if there was anyone else close by who could help. In particr, he would have really liked it if Safa or Simyon were around.


    ''Without them or Dame, am I the one that''s meant to stop him?'' Liam thought.


    Something strange was happening to the following student; although Raze wasn''t gripping any harder, his skin was starting to shrivel up slightly. Liam knew it was now or never.


    "Raze, stop!" Liam shouted. "If you stop now, we can me it on the fact that they attacked you first. Everyone in the academy knows that people have a grudge towards you. We can just say it''s self-defense, but if you kill them, it might be too far!"


    He was hoping his words would at least reason with Raze, but he wasn''t sure if it would get through. He knew that at times, even himself, when he was in a fit of anger, it would be hard to stabilize until he unleashed all of it.


    Yet, eventually, Raze let go of the student, who dropped to the floor. His body flopped almost lifeless, and even the color in his eyes was hardly there.


    For a moment, Raze looked at his hand. ''I used the Extraction technique; I could feel it. The same thing that happened at the auction, it happened now as well. When I''m angry, it''s almost as if I can''t control it,'' Raze thought to himself.


    "My eye, my eye!" The other Red Headband student continued to scream.


    It didn''t take long until those who were close by had rushed over, and they could see the sight. They could see the damage and the evidence on Raze''s fingers. Liam wasn''t too sure with the way the situation was ying out if he could really get through this.


    It only took a short timeter that Safa, Dame, and Simyon had arrived.


    "What... what happened?" Simyon asked. "What did Raze do?"


    "It''splicated. Those guys were talking crap to Raze, and then he just attacked them," Liam exined. "They just touched him, and he snapped."


    "Ah, that''s not good," Simyon pped the top of his forehead.


    "I know it''s not good. Do you think I''m an idiot?"


    "No, I mean, if they touched him, of course, he would do that. One of Raze''s rules, that even Safa stays by and is really strict with, is to not get touched. It''s no wonder that happened."


    Thinking back, Liam did notice it; Raze, even when Dame went to grab him or help him climb certain areas, was reluctant to touch anyone.


    In the middle of themotion, all of the students soon felt arge gust of air, andnding in the middle of the library itself was a short old man with a hunched back, wearing grey cloth. He had small slits for eyes to the point where one couldn''t even see his pupils.


    This old man was Jiyo; he was one of the elders of the Pagna Academy, a mystery to most of the students and even the other n leaders as they had no clue what n he was from or his history.


    No doubt there were some who knew about his presence, and judging by his entrance, it was clear that he was a master of some sort as well.


    "Everyone, clear this ce immediately!" Jiyo ordered. "Someone take those two to the physician to be seen. Whoever takes them will be allowed 30 extra minutes in the library. As for you, white-haired boy, follow me."


    The old man didn''t even check if Raze was following him or not and instead just jumped down to the first floor.


    Surprisingly, Raze, not saying a word to the others, had decided to jump down shortly after as well. To the students, they felt like Jiyo had assessed the situation quite quickly.


    In a lot of cases, it wasn''t who started the mess, but the one that ended up more hurt would be the innocent figure with the other getting punishment. Liam just hoped that it didn''t turn out like that in this case.


    "Is he going to be okay? Is he going to be kicked out of the academy?" Liam asked.


    "Ah, don''t worry about it," Dame replied. "It''s only an eye. You have one missing, and you''re okay. Besides, Raze is too important to them now. His name is known far and wide, and he''s the strongest student in this entire academy."


    "His importance and status are practically at the same level as the main disciples. If you had found that the main disciples had done something like this, do you think they would have gotten punishment? So don''t worry about it."


    The rest of the students, trying to focus on their tasks, searched for the books they needed, and after retrieving them, they all left to return to the base at which they hade from.


    Meanwhile, Raze was kept in a storage room at the back. The old man Jiyo had stated he was waiting for a decision to be made by the principal and the others as to what to do with him.


    When sitting in the chair, Raze looked around at the old scrolls rolled up. ''If they were secret techniques, then shouldn''t they be on the outside? If they''re not, then what are they?''


    The door was heard creaking open, and the old man coughed a few times, blowing the dust in the back room all over the ce.


    "It seems the Principal thinks you are quite valuable. He practically ignored the situation, and instead, they have stated that you can have any book that you like in the library," Jiyo answered. "For them to treat you like that, you must be skillful."


    Jiyo was ready to leave, and at that moment, Raze stood up and went to look at one of the scrolls. When he read it, he soon noticed that the one he had read, it was a passage, almost written from a different time period.


    "What is in this ce?" Raze asked.


    "This?" Jiyo replied, turning his head. "This won''t interest you meatheads who just care about fighting all the time. There are no techniques here, just useless ramblings of the past."


    "The past?"


    Hearing these words, an idea came to Raze''s head. Jiyo was essentially the librarian of this ce, but it was filled with more than just techniques. So there was a chance.


    "I don''t need a technique book," Raze said. "Instead, do you have any books or information about the Dark Faction Founder?"

 Chapter 253 Are you really really old?

    Chapter 253 Are you really really old?


    In hindsight, Raze figured that it might have been a stupid question to ask. After all, he felt like news about the Dark Faction Founder would be something that was taught to most. If there were statues of him in Kron''s ce, then surely it should have beenmon knowledge.


    With quick thinking on his feet, Raze dide up with an answer though.


    "I am a nobody," Raze stated. "And I only recently got involved in the world of Pagna. Before that, I was just an ordinary citizen. The academy doesn''t seem to teach about the Dark Faction''s Founders."


    Seeing all of the old scrolls in the room and how old some of them appeared to be, Raze thought this might be his chance, a chance for him to learn about the founder and gather information that couldn''t typically be found.


    Immediately, Jiyo waved his hand in response as if it was a useless question to ask.


    "As you said, the Dark Faction Founder, learning about him is basic information. You don''t need to waste a request like this. Just go pick up a book and ask your headband teacher for info on the Dark Faction Founder."


    Raze could have just let the old man go there, but he felt there was something about him. The reaction he had when Raze asked the question surprised him beyond a typical response or if he was to ask a normal question.


    There had to be a reason behind it. Maybe Raze felt like because he was an older man and a master, he had lived in Pagna and in the Dark Faction for a long time. Who knew he might have even been there when the whole thing had started.


    "Please," Raze stopped him once more. "I''m asking, is there something that you might know, that might not be the typical information that the others know? Even if it''s a rumor of some sort."


    Although this line of questioning might have put him in the old man''s suspicious books, this was just too good of an opportunity to let up.


    "Do you think I would know something just because I''m old? I can tell what you''re thinking, and I should beat your backside for even just thinking of such a thing," the old man tutted.


    "The Dark Faction Founder, you don''t even know the basics yet you are looking into him, what are kids wasting time on these days," Jiyoined, but he went on anyway. "The Faction leader was a legend among the Dark ns.


    "You see, the Dark ns existed before anyway, but they weren''t exactly one entire unit or a faction like they are today. The ns shared a simrity in the fact that they used Dark Qi energy to cultivate.


    "Who came up with this method is the more interesting thing, but that is something that remains a mystery. Regardless, the ns did not work together, and each of them acted for selfish gain.


    "Another reason why they were called Dark ns even if they didn''t cultivate Dark energy was because of their nature. Dark ns had no issues with throwing sand in their opponent''s eyes before striking.


    "Cursing in the middle of matches or stealing from the dead. They had fewer morals and grew up differentlypared to those from the Light Faction, and that is still true to this day, that was until the leader, Bofan Kilik had entered the scene."


    Just from hearing the name of the Dark Faction Founder, Raze still had no clue about this person. He had never heard about a mage that went by this name, but it simply could have been a name change when he had entered this world. Especially if he knew otherworlders would be here.


    "Bofan did something that no person was ever able to do before. He defeated every n master of the Dark ns, and in doing so, he had pulled them in as his followers. People say he had a strange maic pull, a charm that could draw people in after defeating them.


    "It must have been true because a hundred yearster and the Dark Faction is still a thing today."


    Now Raze had a timeframe to work with, a hundred years wasn''t a long time for a faction to exist, but the Dark ns did exist before that. One thing, though, was that it was a mage that was before his time, before he was even born.


    "He protected the n members from the troubles of the other Factions, and the loyalty to him grew, or so he thought. He started to im that he was betrayed by one of the ns. There wasn''t much said after that as he soon had pretty much disappeared.


    "There was no recorded death, but it was assumed that this betrayer had killed him. The thing is, no one knows which n had betrayed him. All of the ns that exist now are still under the Dark Faction banner, other than his own n he had created, the Noctis n."


    Gathering from everything that Jiyo said, Raze gathered that this was basic information, something that he could have just gotten from anyone, but he was happy to have it.


    The next time he went back to Altieran, he could at least give the others a name if they weren''t doing so well in their search.


    "And there is nothing else that you know, something that isn''t known to the public? If it was a hundred years ago. Wouldn''t you have still been alive?"


    Raze assumed this man was a master, and Pagan warriors, when reaching the divine level, were practically immortal; it was one of the reasons it was called the Divine stage in the first ce. The old man might have not been at the Divine level, but he was clearly a middle-stage warrior.


    "I have already told you more than the public knows," Jiyo stated. "That is, instead of the skill book as you requested. But if you want to know more, then you will need to be in a position where you can force the information from me, because it''s ssified from students like you."


    Raze nearly jolted forward at the revtion that there was more information. He was right to suspect the old man.


    "What position, what position would I have to be to learn more about the Dark Faction Founder?" Raze asked.


    The old man started to break out intoughter as he walked away. "You would have to be the Dark Faction leader, be the principal of this school." The man continued tough as he opened the door to the library, allowing Raze to let himself out.

 Chapter 254 Tension In The Air

    Chapter 254 Tension In The Air


    When the students had returned to their dorms, rather than focusing on reading the new literature they had in their hands, many of them were talking about what had taken ce. They had to because it wasn''t an everyday urrence that happened.


    "Did you see one of the students? He was as white as a ghost."


    "Yeah, do you think it''s true about what they said, about him using demonic techniques."


    "Ah, I heard about it as well, my n master was talking about it."


    "Wait, if he''s using demonic techniques, is that what he used on the student? How is he even in the academy still? Even if he''s strong, they can''t put that much hope onto him."


    "Well, he might have been raised in the Dark Faction but just learned a demonic cultivation technique," another student added in. "He is a no-name after all; he could have just picked up some books from a merchant. You know they just sell anything, and a no-name wouldn''t know any better."


    It wasn''t just the regr students either, though. Simr to the other dorms, the Red Headband wearers were split into two floors. One for the second and one for the first-year students, but there were only around twenty first year Red Headband students and around fifteen of the second years.


    Usually, the second years would stillin about the first years if they tried to go up a level or talk to them. After all, the second years felt like they had earned their ce going through everything they had done already.


    However, there was a difference this yearpared tost year, and that was the main disciples. Due to the ns they came from, the upbringing they had, the main disciples were stronger than the second years, even though they were younger and hade to the academyter.


    Which was why, wherever they were, no oneined, and the main disciples were on the second floor, looking down at the rest of the students idly chatting away.


    "I heard that crazy bastard took out a student''s eye," Lisamented, one of the main disciples of the Lethal Bite n. "I''m not too surprised after what he had done at the academy. I guess you were right; you told us to stay away from him because you knew this was going to happen, right Ricktor?"


    "Yeah, right!" Sherry from the Tulip nmented. "Ricktor just said that because he didn''t want anyone taking his prey. That guy is just going crazy with power now that he beat us; he probably thought he wouldn''t get punished for any of this."


    "I don''t think he will get punished for this," Mada added. "We should stop looking at him as a no-name, and as another Red Headband wearer because that''s what he is. If there was a scuffle and they ended up dying, the academy would take the loss.


    "Death in the academy has happened before, and it''s not an issue for the academy itself; the main problem is what happens outside of the academy because of it, what happens to a student, the n leaders can get involved.


    "That''s the main reason why no one touches us, not because they''re scared of our strength; they''re scared of our families."


    The others were a little irritated by Mada''s words; it almost sounded like he was calling them all weak. Ever since the event, Mada had been acting differently, and they didn''t like it one bit.


    "I am more interested in the assessment," Ossep asked. "Ricktor, did you receive any information from your father about this event? It''s strange that the teacher would say words like that. It sounded like some type of hint."


    Ricktor was leaning over the balcony, and he was looking down at Simyon and his group. He could see them talking and rxing, settling in nicely. For those that were in a new environment with people far stronger around them, they seemed to be taking it easy.


    The main cause of the worries they had now all seemed to just be with Raze. ''Have you been training just as hard as I have, my friend?'' Ricktor smiled looking at Simyon.


    "To answer your question, I have no clue," Ricktor answered, turning around and leaning against the railing with his arms spread wide apart. "My father isn''t like that; he would never tell me anything that would give us an advantage in our current situation.


    "However, if the training I went through is anything to go by, and what the teacher said, I have a feeling we might have to be careful about everyone."


    With the reminder of the day, students continued to try and grasp the new books they had taken out of the library. Eventually, Raze had returned with no book in hand, and they assumed that this was part of the punishment that he had to face.


    Either way, he was back like most predicted. This time when he entered, no one dared to say a word to him, for fear they would be on the receiving end for what had happenedst time.


    The students were able to grasp the books quicker than before. They needed less time to break down what the words meant in the book, and soon, they were ready to start practicing. That was when Igon had stepped out into the main room.


    He looked outside and could see that the sun had just finished setting. Which was the perfect time.


    "All of the students that are gathered here, it is time for the next assessment to begin. There will be no exnations to you all. The only thing that you will be allowed to bring with you is anything that is on your body, and the book that you have taken from the library.


    "When everyone is ready, we will head off to where we need to be!"


    It was time for the second assessment to begin, and the emotions were mixed between students. Some of them were excited for the next task, some were trying to guess what it would be.


    While others were nervous, they had noticed the signs the whole way; they could feel the tension in the air and the uneasy look they had on their faces.

 Chapter 255 Drastic Measures

    Chapter 255 Drastic Measures


    The mixed atmosphere continued as the students had gathered their newly acquired technique books and then met outside in the courtyard. They waited for the others, and on top of that, the students were all being checked to see if they had anything on them.


    Some of the students had a few items such as snacks and books meant for entertainment that had been taken from them. When it came to searching Raze, he had quickly opened up his uniform to show he had nothing on him. He was bare for a few moments but would rather strip in front of all the others than be touched.


    "The more things I see that guy do, the crazier I think he is!" Lisa mumbled. "Did we lose our match to a madman?"


    While the other students were getting searched, Dame let out a small whisper to Raze, who was standing by his side.


    "Did you notice, all of the other sleeping quarters of the other students are dead silent?" Dame whispered.


    Raze looked over, and it was more than dead silent. It looked like it had been abandoned. Although the dark night sky hade out, the sun had only set around thirty minutes ago. It was strange for not a single soul to be outside.


    If Raze was to take a guess, they had already moved, to wherever they were about to go, before them.


    ''Are all of the headbands going to be involved in this next assessment? I heard the academy has portals; could they be taking us to another dimension together?'' His mind was starting to wonder, but he felt like it was too early for that, and what was the reason for doing it at night.''


    Following the teacher, the twenty or so students walked outside of the academy and headed back down the path where they had first arrived. They soon entered the heavy, thick jungle-like trees and walked across a path. The grass had already been trodden on, and nts physically moved to the side, but it appeared as if it was done recently. A short whileter, they found themselves on a separaterge, open ground.


    It looked quite strange as the area had no grass growing around it. It was as if the area was perfectly man-made. It was fairlyrge as well; the space looked like it could fill up around 1000 students if need be.


    Either way, they lined up, and the three Red Headband teachers stood in front of them.


    "This assessment willst a total of one month. In that amount of time, you need to be the strongest you can be, the very best you can be. You have to, in order to survive, and if you ever want to see the sunlight again."


    The students were confused by thatst line and started to look at each other. At that very moment, Igon lifted his foot and mmed it into the ground. The floor shook before it opened up wide. The entire area below them had dropped, disappearing.


    Now all of the students were falling through into a dark abyss. Just moments after stomping his foot, the teachers had jumped back to the side, havingnded on the safend. Soon after, the flooring that had disappeared underneath them had covered back up, giving it the same appearance as before, somewhat blending in with everything around it.


    "You know our orders," Igon said. "We are to leave this ce; don''t think too much about it."


    The three teachers were off, only imagining what would happen next.


    The students felt like they were falling down for a while, but what was worse was the fact that they were unable to see anything below them. They were in free fall for some time, and the screaming wasn''t helping as it echoed all over the ce.


    "Are they freaking trying to kill us? What is going on!" Liam screamed. "I''m still a virgin, a cool virgin, but still a virgin!"


    Right after saying those words, Liam and the rest felt themselves hit the floor and bounce slightly. Now there were just multiple groans of pain. The fall wasn''t far enough to kill any of the students, and some of them were able tond fine, while others were rubbing themselves due to the roughnding. As they got up off the ground, they started to bump into each other. The students wereining, but they couldn''t help themselves.


    "Safa, stay close to me!" Simyon yelled out and grabbed onto a hand.


    "Hey, that''s my hand!" Liam shouted back. "I''m already holding onto Safa''s hand."


    "Actually, you''re holding onto me; I grabbed Safa while we were falling," Dame answered.


    "What... what... what about Raze?" Liam asked in a shaky voice, remembering that he didn''t like to be grabbed. But if they didn''t want to lose each other, then they needed to hold onto each other to know their position.


    "Don''t worry, I know where Safa is as long as she is doing something," Raze hinted, not wanting to use the word magic, but if she gathered it on her finger and ced it in her pocket, he would be able to feel the flow of mana and follow it.


    The first thing their group and a load of others did was explore. As they walked in the darkness, they continued to bump into each other. Even Raze had crashed into people a few times, but he had to bite his tongue. Eventually, though, their eyes were adjusting, and they could see a little better.


    From the bearings, they could tell they were in arge room the same shape and size as the square above. Across the wall, though, there were several hallways that seemed to lead into different ces. Due to the discoveries of the students, they found one area, a ce with separate rooms and flickers of an orange glowing light. These rooms had a glowing crystal embedded into the wall. They were quite small, justrge enough for a person to stretch and touch the walls on either side, but they were the perfect amount for the number of students that were there.


    However, stepping out of the room led into a dark hallway, which wasn''t too narrow; around five people could fit through it side by side at the same time. The hallway would loop around, and they would either be in therge dark room that they started in or branch off into multiple other dark hallways. But there was another area that was discovered.


    This was arge space, almost as big as the courtyard at the academy. There could be a whole small town in the area, and the cavern wall stretched up high. Like the smaller rooms, there were several crystals running up the walls, giving a faint orange light for them all to see.


    It was the onlyrge room where they could see, but they were unable to find anything else. No exit, no other tunnels, and no other walls. Noticing this, Dame pulled the others to the side while they continued to explore.


    "This is not good," Dame said. "I think I''ve figured out what this assessment is, and I want to be wrong, but my gut is telling me otherwise, but not even the Demonic Faction does this anymore. They''re crazy if they''re going this far."

 Chapter 256 Dark Edge Sword Arts

    Chapter 256 Dark Edge Sword Arts


    Dame seemed to have figured out what this assessment was, and judging by his reaction, it wasn''t something that they should look forward to. However, he also seemed to quickly change his tune as he turned to look at the others with a smile.


    "Or it could be somethingpletely different," Dame rubbed the back of his head. "There''s no need to make a mountain out of a bug hill or whatever the saying is. If I spoke my mind, it might just cause you guys to panic for no reason and the others. If it is what I think it is, it''s best to keep silent about it until we figure it out, since there''s nothing we can do anyway."


    This irked the other''s but it wasn''t as if they could force him to give the information over, no matter how much their curiosity wanted them to know.


    After finishing hisst sentence, Dame actually looked toward Raze because there maybe was one person that could change the oue of the entire assessment with their powers, but that was if he chose to.


    ''For some reason, I think that might be a tall ask.'' Dame thought.


    The students observed therge empty room, wondering if they could find anything. Some of them even tried to use their skills and Qi to scale the side of the walls, reaching the top, but they had just touched the ceiling. When tapping above an echo was heard through the whole room. They quickly realized that the substance wasn''t dirt either; it was made of a hard alloy. Most likely a material that students of their caliber were unable to break. Not that any of the students wanted to attempt it in the first ce, worried that they would feel the wrath of those that were waiting on the outside.


    The instructors and teachers had to be watching them from somewhere, at least that''s what they hoped anyway.


    After the students had finished exploring and finding out there was nothing but the three areas and a bunch of hallways, they were nowing to the conclusion of what the area was even set up for them to do.


    Since there were twenty rooms for the students, they decided to enter the small lit-up rooms that were stacked side by side each other in rows.


    "So, do you think these are seclusion rooms then?" one of the students asked.


    "Most likely, they put us down here in a ce with no distractions so we could solely focus on our martial arts. The center ring must be a ce for us to practice against each other or foot techniques or something," another one suggested.


    Many hade to the same conclusion, and so most of them started to enter the cube-like rooms and began to practice their martial arts or study their technique books just like they would do from the outside.


    This was quite amon practice among academies and ns. When a warrior was at a high stage sometimes they would chose to go into seclusion themselves just to try and break through to the next stage. This became less likely as time went on and the introduction of power stones.


    Just before Raze had entered his room, he could see the faint light shine from one of the others onto a student''s face, and he witnessed a student with an eye patch, and it wasn''t Liam.


    ''The two students from the library are in here as well,'' Raze thought as he entered the small room. Rather than get straight to studying his book, he was looking at his surroundings, still trying to figure out just what this assessment was about. Why hadn''t even the teachers said anything either?


    ''From the inside, the light only goes out of the room so far that the floor is dimly lit. Unless someone was standing right outside the door, it would be impossible to see them.''


    In the rooms next to Raze, there were the others. Everyone was split apart due to the small size of the rooms, and with everything the way it was set up, he couldn''t help but think that all of it was on purpose.


    Regardless, rather than wasting time, Raze took out the book using his swift Dark Magic and ced it on the floor.


    ''The Dark Edge sword arts. I need to focus on learning the sword formations first and then use them with magicter. There are eight formations in general, and he only figured out how to add three with magic, what a strange guy,'' Raze thought.


    Once again, out from his back, Raze had brought out his ghost sword. One of the five swords he had obtained from the auction. Now four swords since one of them was destroyed in the fight against the White Faction Elder.


    ''The swords came in handy when going up against the Light Faction founder. None of them reacted to magic well, so I could only put a low-level enchantment on it, but I could put an enchantment on each of the swords to amplify its use.


    ''Then in certain situations use the ones I need the best.''


    While down below ground, Raze thought of risking it, but in a confined space like so, if a portal break was to happen, what would happen to the students? Or maybe, they would all just think it was part of the assessment, so in a way, it was the perfect time.


    ''After what happened before, I need to start caring about myself more, but until I find out what this whole thing is about, I''ll be cautious.''


    Raze started to read the Dark Edge Sword arts. Reading the book in Alterian, it was music to his ears, and even the instruction of the swordsmanship itself was simple and easy for him to understand.


    ''The first sword Formation, Shadow bind formation. All of the formations they seem to hint at making the de almost invisible to the human eye. Almost like an invisible strike, and it''s best used in the shadows or darkness itself.


    ''Which is why it''s called the Dark Edge Sword arts. As for the first technique, it seems like it''s something that can be used to entangle or immobilize opponents.


    ''The Qi around the sword almost reaches out, wrapping around its opponent as strikes are made in the air. When adding magic to the formation, the magic is to envelop the sword, in wispy tendrils of magic, almost wrapping around the de. The properties of the magic added to the strike will strengthen the effect of the binding on the opponent.''


    Essentially, the skill from what Raze was reading had two names. The first, Shadow bind formation, if just used normally, if used with magic, the Magic Shadow Bind Strike. Due to the de being almost invisible, the opponent wouldn''t even know what hit them.


    ''These are the techniques left behind by the founder... they seem quite powerful.''


    One by one, Raze read out all of the sword techniques'' names, trying to get an idea of what he needed to learn. Just like with the three formations of the Devil''s strike and the ten descending steps.


    - Shadow Bind Formation


    - Eclipse Strike Formation


    - Nightmare Veil Formation


    - Void Pulse Formation


    - Phantom Edge Formation


    - Dusk Wing Formation


    - Abyssal Chant Formation


    - Eternal Night Formation


    ''I wonder how long it will take me to learn all eight and just how strong this swordsmanship is.''

 Chapter 257 The True Assessment

    Chapter 257 The True Assessment


    Everyone seemed to be upied with working on their new skills. It felt just like they were back at their own training quarters, just that now the area of training was more intimate.


    Some would choose to learn their techniques in the session rooms, and after some time, they would ask others to help them with their techniques; they would then head to therge, lit-up empty space and practice together there.


    However, there were a few that still hadn''t made a move, and one of these groups was the main disciples who were in therge, lit-up space but were towards the very back of the room, observing everything that was taking ce.


    "Ricktor, you don''t think that this is all the assessment is going to be, do you?" Mada asked.


    Ricktor turned around and smiled. "Do you see me jumping the gun like everyone else?" Ricktor replied. "I have nothing to learn, at least nothing from the Pagna library since all my skills are betterpared to the others, but if I were you guys, I think it''s best you conserve your energy."


    They were simple words, but the other disciples had a feeling that Ricktor might have just figured this whole thing out, and it wasn''t much longer until everyone else would have as well.


    An entire day had passed, and the students continued to do as they did before. Only they weren''t as positive as they were the first time; a few of them were starting to lose focus on the goal and task.


    They couldn''t quite put their finger on it, as they had been in these types of situations before, so they wondered what it was. And that was when three more days had passed without any incident happening, and that was the issue.


    Three days had passed, and nothing had happened. Amotion was starting to brew up, and in therge, lit-up area that they had been using for training, someone was starting to make a scene, and all of the students had gathered due to the noise.


    "Does no one find this strange?" one of the students asked, as he held one hand on his belly and licked his lips. "It''s been three days already, and we haven''t had any contact with the other teachers or from the academy, at all; it''s as if they''ve just abandoned us down here."


    "Don''t be crazy!" one of the other students called out. "The main disciples are still with us as well; it''s not as if just one or two of us have been sent here for punishment. It would be impossible that they forgot about us."


    "Maybe something happened above?"


    "In these three days, I highly doubt that."


    "Crap, the guy does have a point, though; what are they doing? I''m starting to get seriously thirsty and hungry."


    Due to many of their training methods with their ns and them being Pagna warriors, their bodies weren''t like that of regr humans. If they could cultivate, it allowed them to get energy in a different way than that of food and circte it around their body.


    However, this was more of a thing that would buy time; they were still human in the end, unlike Divine beings, so they needed water and food to survive. Now that the third day had passed with no such thing, some of the students were starting to feel the effects.


    They weren''t in such a bad state now, but it was why they were asking questions because they were wondering just what was even going on.


    "What if this is part of the assessment?" one of the female students said, her hands shaking above her lip. "It''s not crazy, right? What if part of it is to see how we do with no food and water."


    "And what benefit would that even have?" another called out. "With no food and water, we''ll be unable to concentrate. It would be harder for us to even learn about the skills we picked up. Nothing good woulde of it."


    The arguing was continuing among the students, and it felt as if tensions were high, probably due to the fear that was settling in. Through it all, one of the students started tough.


    "Hahahaha!" The student touched his white-colored eye patch, where the corner of it was soaked a little red from blood. It was one of the two second-year students that were with them.


    "Wait, that''s right; if they''re second-year students, they would have gone through this assessment before, right? So maybe they know something; hey, tell us what this is!" one of the studentsined.


    It was strange in the first ce that a couple of second-year students had even been picked to join the assessment with them, which wasn''t the norm.


    "We never did such a thing like this before," the second-year student said, and he started to walk over while looking over at Raze, who was just standing with his arms folded. "I just think that the situation we''re in right now, it''s the perfect opportunity for us to get rid of some people, don''t you think."


    It was in that moment, thanks to thements from the second-year student, that Raze might have just figured out what this whole assessment was about. The uneasy feeling, the setup of the whole ce, and why they had left them for several days without food and water.


    The uneasiness didn''t go away, but with others unable to figure out what was going on, students started to split off into groups, while some had left on their own, not wanting to be next to anyone.


    There were those that had entered their session room; training again, and Raze was one of these people. Some time had passed, perhaps another day, but it was hard for them to keep track of time since they were in the darkness all the time.


    Those that were training in the small rooms would leave to allow themselves to stretch as they headed into another area, and as one of the students did this, he would pass the rows of rooms and spotted something on the ground.


    "AGHHH! Quickly, quicklye help!" The student shouted.


    Argemotion was urring, and the students naturally had gathered at therge, lit-up area as well. It was the only ce where they felt safe since they were able to see each other clearly.


    As all of the students gathered, they soon saw a group of three, pulling something along, and into the center of the room, they soon moved away, and as they did, they could see a body, with their chestpletely crushed. As for the body in question, the student had a white eye patch on his eye.


    There were next to no mark''s on his body apart from arge dent around the chest. There was no puncture but blood dripped from the student''s mouth from his clothes.


    "He''s... he''s dead," the student said. "There''s no sign of Qi, no sign of breath or heart beat. There''s no way of bringing him back."


    Based on the condition of the student, it was clear he wasn''t killed by a beast, and with only students around them it had to be one of them.


    At the very back with the other disciples, Ricktor had a small smirk on his face. "It looks like someone has figured out what this assessment is really all about."

 Chapter 258 Who’s The Killer

    Chapter 258 Who¡¯s The Killer


    It didn''t take much inspection from the students that were present to figure out who was lying on the floor. It was clearly one of the two second-year students. With the state he was in and the ones in the room, questions quickly entered their minds as they started to think who could have done this.


    "What do we do?" a student asked.


    "We can''t even report this to the teachers; I mean, there''s no one around us. Was something like this meant to happen?"


    "Who would even do something like this when we''re in a tense situation as it is?"


    The second second-year student walked up to what was considered his friend and looked at the person on the floor. His shoulders were shaking as if he was in pain, sulking.


    "Isn''t it obvious who did this? It had to be that damned White Dragon!" The student pointed behind him, his finger directly at Raze. "You all saw what happened yesterday. Oper stated that he would deal with this guy, so he decided to deal with him before he got the chance. He probably attacked him in the dark in the middle of the hallway and then ced him in his room."


    The connections added up, and for a lot of the students, they thought Raze was the number one suspect as well. No one else had a reason for taking out the second-year student.


    The main reason they suspected Raze, though, was because it was a second-year student. These weren''t just any students but Red Headband students, the best of the best and those that had an entire year at the academy.


    The only ones they could imagine that could take out a student somewhat silently would be either the main disciples or the White Dragon, who had bested even them.


    "Hey, hey, hey, does that mean we are here with a murderer, like a literal murderer, and he''s a no-name? He probably has a grudge against all of us n members." The students werementing and whispering among each other.


    "Isn''t it dangerous to just let him wander around in here while we are all here? He could go after us next."


    "It has to be him; I heard he poked the guy''s eye out without a second thought. If the librarian didn''t turn up, then the student would have been dead; he was just finishing the job, and now he could go after us as well."


    Simyon, Liam, and Dame could see what was happening, and they didn''t like it one bit. All of them went to stand in front of Raze, including Safa, creating a type of shield around him.


    "Quit jumping to conclusions!" Simyon shouted out. "It could have been anyone who did that to him. He was an arsehole; do you know how many people he could have angered that we didn''t see?"


    "Yeah, where''s your evidence, huh? Raze is friends with one-eyed people, so he would never do something like that to someone with one eye." Liam''s voice was shaken; he was panicking a bit and didn''t know what he was saying. It was hardly making any sense at all.


    Despite the pleas of Liam and Simyon, it wasn''t enough to convince them. They still had worried eyes looking at Raze, and they felt cornered; when people felt concerned, they sometimes did extremely irrational things.


    ''What a clever situation someone has spun,'' Dame thought. ''They saw a way for them to target Raze. They probably knew there was no chance they could go against him in a one-to-one fight. So they found a way to turn everyone against him, and they had done it by acting first.


    ''Someone did this having already figured out the truth behind this assessment.''


    It was hard to predict who, though; most likely, it was one of the five main disciples, but would they act against Raze again? Nearly everyone was a suspect since they were all talented students.


    "We should lock him up, keep watch over him for what he''s done!"


    "Yeah, even if he isn''t really the one, he should understand, right? If we just keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn''t do stuff like this again."


    Simyon and Liam were practically baring their teeth at the others, trying to force them to take a step back, but that''s when Raze walked through and past the two of them.


    "It''s okay," Raze said. "There''s no need for you toe to my defense because I don''t care what these people think. You think I''ll listen to what you say? If anyone wants toe for me, thene for me, and we''ll see what happens."


    With that, Raze walked off, and he headed through the dark tunnels before anyone else; he was the only one disappearing into the shadows.


    Tensing his fist, he continued to walk until he was back in the otherrge room, the entrance from which they fell down. This one had no light source and was pitch ck, though.


    ''It happened again, just like at the academy; everyone turned on me, not even giving me a chance to speak up. At the time, I allowed things to go through to follow the process, thinking things would work out, but they didn''t.''


    Raze then pulled out something from his hand, while also summoning one of the four swords he had. Before, he hadn''t enchanted the weapons for fear something would happen, but now he knew, after figuring out the real reason behind his assessment, he might very well need them.


    ''I know this time that I need to act and prepare myself.'' Raze was ready to enchant the rest of his weapons.


    Dame left the room, the five main disciples left the room as they all slowly started to figure it out.


    This assessment was the Kodoku assessment. In a tropical Kodoku, poisonous insects would all be ced in a jar, letting them kill each other until only one survived, leaving only the very strongest and the most deadly poison.


    In this case, the students were the insects.


    ''If they think I''m the killer and have decided it as fact already, then I might as well get on with it.''


    The sword had lit up from the ground; the enchantment wasplete. Picking it up, the sword was sparking, lighting up the dark area Raze was in slightly, revealing his face and his sharp white hair.

 Chapter 259 Stuck with everyone

    Chapter 259 Stuck with everyone


    Raze had continued his enchantments in the dark,rge space. It was an area that not many would venture into, one because they werepletely blinded, and the fear of going into the unknown was difficult for them.


    After witnessing one of the students murdered, they would now be even less likely to venture inside. Without being able to see, it was a ce where students wouldn''t bothering anyway.


    Still, Raze was careful to listen out to hear if anyone wasing in his direction. Due to the shape and size of the room, the moment someone stepped in, their steps would have echoed, unless they had some type of technique that would silence their footsteps.


    In the end, Raze had finished enchanting all three of the remaining des from the auction, and he was holding one in his hand that had be incredibly light after the enchantment; it was practically weightless.


    "With the three swords, I used a basic 1-star enchantment along with a level one power stone. Since there was arge risk the weapon would break if I went any higher due to their affinity with magic," Raze exined to himself. He swung the sword in the air, and as he did, the strike itself was silent.


    The sword he had in his hand was enchanted with a wind magic enchantment. The two effects that were added to the sword were its weightlessness and the fact that it was silent in its swings. There was no noise like a sword would normally make when cutting through the air, somewhat perfect for the situation he was in at the moment.


    "With the other two swords, I have enchanted one with ice and the other with lightning attribute. Leaving the Ghost de alone. The swordsmanship techniques I am currently learning involve one-sword style techniques, and it''s the same with the Devil''s formations I know as well. I have tried utilizing two swords, but the distribution of Qi didn''t feel right, and I am by no means a master who can figure out how to create my own techniques. So I will just have to switch out the swords for the current situation, and in this case, I will keep the sword with the wind enchantment while I am down here for now."


    At this very moment, he had switched to his lightning de. When he input his own magic into the sword, there would be a small blue spark that would travel across the de. The current on the sword wasn''t strong enough to do much in a fight, but in this particr situation, he could use it to light up and explore the dark area he was in. It took up less magic than using it without the sword since it worked as an amplifier, and now he had a giant sharp glow stick.


    Holding it up, he could see around a meter in all directions from where the sword was showing.


    "This is bringing me memories back of the mist; why do the academies have so many ces that are like this?" Raze pondered.


    Searching the room, Raze was trying to find if there was anything that was missed. After all, the other rooms were lit up, while this one in particr was kept in the dark, and there had to be a reason for it. Perhaps there was an exit of sorts, a storage ce for food or water, or maybe even a way for the teachers to enter if needed. He continued to search, mainly using the sword right up against the walls. Certain areas of the walls were a little damperpared to the others, but there was nothing noteworthy. It really felt like just arge empty, dark room.


    "So then why would they have something like this here?" Raze mumbled to himself.


    "To give a perfect ce to hide some dead bodies," a voice said from behind.


    Raze immediately swung his sword behind him, startled by the voice. As the lightning illuminated the area, he soon saw a familiar face.


    "Are you trying to create a beacon of light to let people know where you are? I thought you had already figured this whole thing out; the Darkness can be your advantage and disadvantage," Dame stated.


    One of the few people who would know arge number of foot techniques was Dame, and, of course, he wouldn''t be afraid to walk around in this ce all on his own.


    "I did figure it out, and your hints of not telling us made me realize it as well," Raze answered as he used his magic to quickly change his sword back to the wind-enchanted one. The room was covered in pitch ck once again.


    "But it''s hard for me to believe that they wouldn''t give some advantage to the main disciples. I thought maybe there would be a secret storage room full of food and water, allowing for them to get aheadpared to the others," Raze exined.


    "It''sments like those that make me realize that you''re not from Pagna," Damemented. "Sure, there are a few families willing to support their disciples, but that''s only if they feel that it will do well for the sake of the n in the future. With something like this, maybe many of the ns are thinking if they did die, then that was how far they would get.


    "In Pagna, what even matters above the bloodline is the n itself. The main disciples are treated well not because they are rted but because they are strong."


    He somewhat was starting to understand the thought of the Pagna warriors and why they might be even crueler to no-names that belonged to no n at all. Even now, if Raze didn''t join the Crimson Crane, he would be part of no n.


    "Does this mean that even with Simyon and Safa being red headbands, they will continue to be discriminated against in this ce?" Raze thought.


    "Anyway, I dide here for a reason," Dame chuckled and rubbed his belly. "I''ve seen you put stuff and make stuff out of thin air with your robe and magic stuff; do you happen to have any food?"


    In the darkness, Dame had no clue what face Raze was pulling, but through the air, he felt like it was one of disappointment.


    "I actually do, but it''s more so raw ingredients with magic; I could whip up some things together that would make a type of dough that would be edible. I also have some water stored in bottles for emergencies. However, I don''t have much. It wasn''t as if I expected toe down here in the first ce. Since I don''t have much, don''t you think it''s better for me to give it to the others when they''re struggling rather than a warrior that can obtain arge amount of nutrients through cultivation?"


    Dame didn''t say anything, but he supposed that in this case, as the adult of the group, he was quite right.


    "What if the others get seriously ill from this?" Dame asked. "The willpower of the students could be quite strong; this might go on for a while, you know. The longer this goes on, the weaker everyone will get.


    "Can''t you create a portal and get out of this ce?"


    "I can," Raze answered. "However, the issue is getting back. Right now, I can open portals to other dimensions, but it''s unknown what the dimensions will be like. If I created a dimension here, I could enter and leave, but who knows what''s on the


    other side. The other option is to head back to the academy cave or head to the Demonic faction. With those, it would be hard to re-enter this ce without causing suspicion."


    "I see," Dame said. "So I guess the best thing would be to open a dimension to another ce like the one the Light faction owned. Then I guess you could head to the Demonic faction, obtain some supplies, open a portal back to that dimension, and then open a portal back here?"


    It was a convoluted way of doing things, but it certainly would work. The biggest risk being what type of portal Raze opened. He could always go back to the ce where he met Dame as there was a low level of risk. He had heard that the Light faction had defeated the dimension boss, getting rid of the portal in hopes of calming tensions between the two factions, which made him wonder what the state of the ce would be after the dimension boss was defeated. Would there be no beasts? Would life still be alive on the?


    "So, if you can do that, you know you could save a lot of people. You could bring food for everyone," Dame exined.


    "Do you think if they were in my situation that they would do the same for me?" Raze replied. "I think you already know the answer; they would use every advantage they have, and they already are treating me like the enemy.


    "If I helped out all of the others, it would also mean that, in a way, I would be going against the academy. Since it would be going against the whole idea of this assessment in the first ce."


    "Does that sound like such a bad thing?" Dame asked. "To me, it feels like the academy has lost the plot. Going through with this will mean a lot of deaths of the students. It''s crazy how the adults can go this far, making a decision as if it was nothing.


    "I don''t know what your ns are for the future and in this academy, but maybe having some of the students on your side won''t be such a bad thing."


    Raze started to walk through the dark area, heading back to the hallways he remembered. He was heading back to the seclusion rooms.


    "Before I think of any of that, I want to find out the one that tried to frame me and pay him back. After all, there is a quicker way to end this assessment, rather than all of us starving."

 Chapter 260 The Important Number

    Chapter 260 The Important Number


    Somewhat trying to ignore everything that was going on, Raze had stayed in his seclusion room, and while there, he continued to study the Noctis n''s skills. There was a lot for him to learn, and while the rest were scared, he wasn''t going to waste his time.


    "There''s an easy way to speed up this assessment, but who knows what the criteria are for them to bring this to an end. Will the teachers open up when a month has gone past and those who have survived pass? Or is it even more cruel than that? The possibility could be that they are waiting for a single person. If that''s the case, then it''s impossible for the assessment to end, and I''ll have to start thinking of other ways," Raze thought to himself.


    What he did notice while he was in his room were the number of people that would pass by. It wasn''t like before when students would just be heading to their own seclusion rooms for training. It was quite clear based on the faces Raze noticed as well. There were only a few rooms that went past his, that people would have to go past to walk past his room. Yet he had seen so many faces.


    "They''re keeping an eye on me, and it seems like they''re taking it in turns. They''re just wasting too much energy on all of this," Raze chuckled to himself.


    Most of the students had decided to gather in the lit-up training arena as it had been called by others. There were three sections: the Dark room, where they hadnded, the seclusion rooms, and the training arena. These three ces were linked by dark hallways, but one would have to go past the seclusion rooms to enter the Dark room, not that anyone weren''t there in the first ce.


    Simyon, Liam, and Safa would gather in the training room with the others. Although there was a bit of contempt thrown their way, it wasn''t in the same way as they felt toward Raze, and they were using this to gather information.


    "Hey, you''ve got to tell me, man, how are you okay with all of this?" Liam said, hunched over and crouching down. It eased the hunger slightly doing this.


    Meanwhile, Safa just had her eyes closed most of the time, gathering more energy into her body. Whenever there was a chance, she would cultivate. There were a few that were doing this, including the main disciples.


    "Oh, I guess I just don''t get as hungry as muchpared to others," Simyon replied, remembering back to when he had first received the ck earring. What he had gone through back then was far worse. He wasn''t even strong enough to be considered a Pagna warrior, and he had to go through the same thing they were going through now. On top of that, he was unable to sleep. That still seemed like an issue for a lot of people here; they were on edge, and since they knew that Raze wasn''t the cause of death, there was a killer among them that they needed to worry about.


    "Well, the way I see it, we have nothing to worry about," Liam said. "If the killer is Raze, then at least he''s on our side, right? And if it''s not, well, then we know that he isn''t someone to worry about, at least for us."


    "Hey, Raze wouldn''t do that?" Simyon replied back.


    "Really?" Liam replied. "You''ve known him longer than me; are you saying that there are times where you haven''t seen him snap? I saw the look on his face. If I didn''t do anything, I think the second-year student would have been dead a lot sooner."


    Simyon wanted to defend his friend; he wanted to say more, but he couldn''t because he remembered an incident at the temple as well, and he thought the same way. That was when Liam felt a hard p at the back of his head, and it hade from none other than Safa. Even though Raze wasn''t her real brother, she still had this family and sister bond that she still couldn''t shake off.


    "Hey, don''t get me wrong; I''m not saying it''s a bad thing," Liam rubbed the back of his head. "I''m just stating the truth. Heck, do you think our n leaders have clean hands? And as Pagan warriors, we are expected to get our hands bloody; Raze is just a few steps ahead of us, I see it as no problem."


    Another day had gone past, and once again, there was no sign of food or water being delivered to the group. At this point, students were cultivating for longer periods of time to get what their bodies needed to at least still function. However, very few were able to focus just on training.


    Standing at the back in the training arena were still the group of disciples.


    "So, spill the beans, Ricktor!" Lisa said, her arms folded. Even the main disciples were starting to feel the effects of this whole thing slightly. "How do we get this assessment to end?"


    There was a reason why Ricktor had kept silent so far; he was trying to figure out who the other student was that was behind everything that was urring. He thought eventually they would make their move, and he was trying to see who it would be, and he didn''t leave his fellow main disciples off the suspect list.


    "I suppose I do have some information," Ricktor stated. "I believe this whole thing is urring because of the martial arts tournament."


    "Martial arts tournament? But isn''t that at the end of the year?" Mada replied.


    "No," Ricktor answered. "It has been brought forward and will ur in the next two months. So think of it this way: the ns feel they are in a desperate situation. They don''t think much of us students anyway. So they set up a rather cruel assessment to select those students. So let me ask you a question: do you know how many contenders are selected for the martial arts tournament from the academy?"


    "Eight," Lisa answered. "It''s always been eight students."


    The look on the other disciples'' faces widened as they came to the realization. This was the number¡ªthe number of students that needed to remain for the assessment to end.

 Chapter 261 Not standing by

    Chapter 261 Not standing by


    As the days went by, students were finding it harder to deal with their hunger pangs and thirst. With this urrence, there were more arguments happening among them over the simplest things.


    Not that it took much to set them off in the first ce. However, in a way, their anger directed towards Raze was what had managed to keep them together. But they were beginning to notice something else that was just rubbing them the wrong way.


    A couple of students were seated on the ground with their backs against the wall in the training area. They weren''t cultivating, but instead, they were trying minimal movements with their bodies feeling weak. Meanwhile, they could see someone else standing there, no more than just standing there, but he was still actually training among the others.


    It was Simyon and Liam. Simyon was using some hand-to-handbat techniques as he brushed away a wooden sword that Liam had with him. Although many of the students'' food supplies had been stripped, their training equipment was still with them.


    It was why many had jumped to the conclusion that the peculiar design of this ce was for them to train.


    Since the training arena was the only ce with light andrge enough, it was the only ce Liam and Simyon could train.


    "Juggling arts!" Liam shouted as he somewhat threw his sword in the air, then struck away both of Simyon''s arms from an attack, spun his body, and grabbed the sword to strike him from behind.


    It had jolted Simyon forward slightly, but the hit seemed to have done nothing to him.


    "Crap, why do you keep hitting me at the back of the head?" Simyon shouted, as he turned around, rubbing a sore spot that was beginning to grow.


    "Hey, it''s a new fighting style and technique I''m trying, alright? I can''t control where I hit you. It just happens to be the only ce I can strike. Besides, shouldn''t you try and do something other than just be good at getting hit all the time?" Liam argued back, and started to hold his stomach slightly as he was getting an onset of pangs.


    It was quite strange. At first, the feeling of hunger was strong, but as time went on, one would get used to it. However, just once in a while, for a minute or so, people would go through a sharp pain which was unbearable for some.


    However, it was this very sight that was unpleasant for the others watching.


    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen that guy in pain."


    "Yeah, you''re right. You''re talking about that Simyon guy, right? Even the way he moves, it''s been the same since he got here. Why isn''t it affecting him?"


    "Hey, but he''s really close to Raze, right? And Raze is fine as well. You''re not thinking what I''m thinking, right? I mean, look at their whole group; all of them are bearing with this thing easier than the others. It must mean they have some food!"


    It was the conclusion many of them hade to, and although it was true that Raze had some things one could eat, he hadn''t shared this with the others or given them anything.


    Safa was able to cultivate well, ignoring hunger for the most part. Simyon felt like what he was going through now was nothingpared to what he had done in the past. Then there was Liam.


    He was struggling just like the other students, but seeing how well Simyon was dealing with everything, he didn''t want to show it. He was putting on a brave face because the one thing he didn''t want to happen was to be the weak point in the group.


    Little did he know he was actually very skillful; even those watching his disy now were amazed by how fast he had grasped the new technique and how fluid his movements were.


    It wasn''t as if Simyon was slow; it was just that Liam had talent. Enough to say that if it wasn''t for Raze, he would have been the best of the Blue Headband students and naturally would have been promoted to Yellow.


    "I think you''re right. They have to be getting food from somewhere. I think we just need to find out where and how."


    Time continued to pass, and as usual, most of the students spent time eyeing each other in the open area. That was until something disrupted them once again. The sound of arge, heavy object being dragged across the floor started to echo from the walkway.


    The students turned to look at what it was, until they could see a familiar sight: another student being dragged by a group of three toward the center of the room. Just like before, the student had a caved-in chest, blood pouring out from his mouth, and he was lifeless.


    It wasn''t a second-year student this time, nor was it one of the disciples, but that made the whole thing even scarier for them.


    "It''s happened again."


    "Another student died, and did no one see anything?"


    "You would think that there would at least be some noise."


    "Hey hey, do you think it is what I think it is, right now, Raze isn''t here."


    "Yeah, you''re right. Raze is always away from us, and the students go to the Seclusion room from time to time. Don''t tell me, it has to be him, it has to, right!"


    The words were being twisted and turned rather quickly, and Simyon and the others felt like there was almost nothing they could do to change the current situation.


    Seeing this, rather than having them all talk behind his back, Simyon ran ahead to get Raze, and a few momentster, he returned with Raze by his side as well.


    All of themotion and the speaking had turned into silence as they saw Raze.


    Raze looked at the dead body on the ground again, not even recognizing the student very well. He didn''t care about many of the Red Headband wearers, and he couldn''t remember this one in particr either.


    "Are you not going to say anything?" a student called out.


    "What do you want me to say?" Raze replied. "Why don''t you just ce him in the seclusion room with one of the others? I don''t know this person, so don''t say you''re going to make me do it."


    Almost annoyed by the whole thing, Raze was ready to turn around, that was until a student stepped up.


    "Are you trying to act stupid!" the student called out. "We all know it''s you. We know you don''t like us! You know we don''t like you as well! You''re the only one that goes off on their own and could do something like this!"


    At that moment, rather than stopping in his tracks and heading back, Raze turned around to look at the person who was shouting at him. He then started to move forward, taking steps. His pace quickened toward the student, but he decided to stand his ground.


    The others supported him; the others felt the same way. He wasn''t on the wrong side.


    That''s when he heard next to nothing. It waspletely silent as the sword was drawn out, and it struck right across, cutting signally across his chest. Blood filled the air, and before he knew it, he could see Raze grab his head and throw it, mming it into the ground.


    The sword had been sheathed back, and Raze stood there looking at the others.


    "Is there anyone else that wants to use me of these killings? Because if so, then I might as well get on with it."


    Before anyone else could say or do anything, they saw Raze dragging the student''s body with him, down the hallway into the darkness, even leaving Simyon and Liam wondering just what Raze was nning to do with the body.

 Chapter 262 A Secret Voice

    Chapter 262 A Secret Voice


    The group of students were left stunned once again. All of them could feel their blood boiling moments ago. They were ready to jump on Raze the second he acted; they were ready to help the other red student as they battled.


    In their heads, they already imagined what they were going to do. In the middle of the confrontation, they imagined that they would jump in, and with multiple of them, or all of them, they could take on Raze.


    Yet, they were unable to act when the moment hade. Raze had drawn his sword, and they almost didn''t see him strike. They were unable to hear anything, and the swing had no resistance. As it struck the student, they all feared that if they tried to act, they would be taken in the same way.


    The next action was even more bizarre for them. Because they saw Raze in the middle of everyone currently present, dragging the student away across the floor, taking him into the darkness.


    "Hey, hey," one of the students asked, pointing toward the dark hall, his fingertip shaking in the air. "Is no one going to stop him? I mean, the student isn''t dead, but if someone takes him away like that, then he''ll end up like the others."


    A lot of them there thought the same thing. The issue was, no one was willing to go and stop Raze. No one was willing to go against him, and those who could, the main disciples, were just leaning up against the wall, practically doing nothing.


    "So that confirms it then, right, that he was the one doing the killings in the end?" Sherrymented.


    "Does it?" Mada replied. "I''m not saying that I don''t think he''s capable of killing people, because he certainly is, but let''s think about this a bit more. So far, this killer has been killing people in secret.


    "And now, Raze decides to attack right out in the open after hiding all this time. I think he made it clear that he is not one to act in the dark. If anything, that was a message."


    "And what type of message is that?" Lisa asked, thinking that was a pretty weird message to leave if it was one.


    That was when Ricktor stepped forward.


    "For anyone that wants to use him of being the killer, this is the result, and to send a message to the real killer that he isn''t just going to do nothing and stand by. What I''m more interested in is the fact that after telling you guys about this assessment being based around the martial arts tournament, and there only being eight people, that someone decided to act.


    "It could be a coincidence, of course, but the fewer people there are, the quicker we get out of this ce, and I''m sure more and more will be able to figure this out. I can feel the tension rising in this ce, and any second now, it''s going to turn into a bloodbath. People will soon start to choose their sides."


    ---


    Raze continued to drag the cut-up student across the floor. He went past the seclusion rooms into the dark space and threw him by the head. The student felt his body tumble, hurt and bruised.


    He wasing to from the shock of the attack, but now he was surrounded inplete darkness. He was unable to see Raze or hear where he wasing from.


    "Please, please don''t kill me! I don''t want to die," the student pleaded.


    "Your tune certainly changed," Raze said as he took steps around the area. He had observed and had a good idea of just howrge the meeting space was since he spent so much time in it.


    So even if he couldn''t see, he had a bearing of where he was in the room and how close or far away from the walls he counted they were. While walking, his voice was bouncing off the walls, and the direction of sounds wasing from all over.


    "I just didn''t want to get hurt. I was scared, and I thought it would be best if we dealt with the problem before it became a bigger problem. But you don''t have to do this."


    "Oh, but I really do," Raze said. "Because I''m going to use you to find the real killer."


    The situation continued for a while with things dying down. They felt like they weren''t going to see anything crazy anytime soon, as they hadn''t even seen Raze return.


    "Do you think we should check up on him?" Liam asked.


    "Hey, do you really think he''s having trouble? Look what he did!" Damemented. "He managed to silence everyone. People aren''t even publicly saying he''s the killer anymore. They''re probably scared he''s going to appear behind them and sh their neck or something."


    That certainly was true, and this time, unlike the times before, it didn''t seem like an attack out of anger but more so one that was calcted in a way, as if he knew what type of reaction he would get.


    With that, the rest of the group decided to head to the seclusion rooms, but it wasn''t just them this time; the main disciples had broken off and decided to head inside as well.


    The main disciples had picked seclusion rooms close together. The rooms weren''t marked in any way for whose room was whose, but when they first started using them as cultivation and treatment areas, others wouldn''t use a certain area if they had seen someone else using it. Thus, the rooms had be each other''s.


    It was why they had also ced the dead bodies back in the seclusion rooms where they would train, so they were out of the way, out of sight from the others.


    In the main disciple room, they were all in a meditative state, gathering energy around them, and that''s when a voice was heard through the walls.


    "Your update was one that I didn''t expect. I thought there would have been a chance to get rid of him by now," a voice whispered through the walls.


    "He is still strong. He doesn''t seem to be affected by theck of food at all."


    "Well, you better act fast!" the voice whispered back. "There are only so many spaces for the martial arts tournament. Just because you are a main disciple doesn''t mean your position is guaranteed.


    "You know, there are others, not just the White Dragon, that can take your position. If you lose your ce, the n will be affected. I hope next time, I hear an update with some good news."


    "Very well... I will do as you say and act now."

 Chapter 263 A planned asualt

    Chapter 263 A nned asualt


    After Raze had entered the Dark space, dragging the student along with him, he hadn''t returned. The students thought another day had passed, yet not a single person was willing to go to the other side, to traverse the darkness and rid themselves of what they felt was a murderer ready to eliminate them all.


    Simyon was with Liam in the fighting area, while Safa was in her seclusion room. She would often switch between practicing her spear skills and her magic, so she liked the seclusion room because it was away from the eyes of the others.


    She wouldn''t attempt anything shy because she didn''t want to get noticed, but the light magic allowed her to feel better despite the thirst and hunger they were experiencing.


    A group of three red-headed band users were walking around the arena. They were heading toward the hallway, presumably going to the seclusion room, as no one would go further.


    Before they reached the hallway, they stopped and turned to look at Liam and Simyon, who were sprawled with their legs stretched out across the floor.


    "You guys make me sick," the red-headed band wearer stated. "Your friend just killed someone, not just anyone, but another n member and dragged them off into that ce, yet you two can show your faces here."


    "Yeah, just go into the dark space with him. How can you guys just stay here like this?" the other shouted.


    Simyon was looking around the ce, not yet replying because he noticed that something a little strange was going on. He could see that a few of the other red headband wearers in the distance were staring their way.


    They were used to the odd stare here and there. They were the center of hatred in the ce, but they had been stared at far too often, and even now, it almost looked as if they were trying to inch closer and closer without being noticed.


    "Do you guys own this cave or something?" Liam replied. "Just because none of you guys have any balls, don''te and argue with us."


    "Shut up!" the other red-headed wearer snapped. "What''s worse than anything, on top of all that, you guys have been eating, haven''t you? You''ve found food, and you haven''t even offered it to us."


    "We, your fellow students by your side, you can see that some are struggling! Just like Raze, you are willing to let us die when you know there is a way for you to help!"


    "That''s bullcrap!" Liam could feel the adrenaline charging in his body as he jumped to his feet. "Does your face just look like a cow''s vagina, or is your brain one as well? How do you think we could get food in this ce? I''m literally ready to eat my own hand off at this point!"


    Now Simyon was sure of it. The words and their actions might be true to how they felt, but it seemed as if it was nned; they were going to be ready to act no matter what.


    With this, Simyon got up, brushed the dirt off from the cloth on his legs, and ced his hand on Liam''s shoulder, leaning in toward Liam''s ear.


    "I think this is all a setup of some kind... I''m worried about Safa; we need to check if she''s alright," Simyon whispered.


    "I don''t think these guys are just going to let us go," Liam replied.


    He could now see it as well; another three of the red headband students wereing over.


    It was dangerous; people were grouping up, and unlike before, they were now in the red headband group; every student was from a respectable n and they were skillful. It would be hard to go up against just one of them.


    "If I leave, are you sure you can take them on yourself?" Liam asked.


    "Hey, why are you asking me to go to Safa and not the other way round? Why don''t you go see her?" Although Liam would go help her in a heartbeat, he equally didn''t want to leave Simyon on his own, as he knew it would be a tough fight.


    "Hey," Simyon said. "I''m not looking to win; I''m just looking tost long enough until you can get help."


    Now Liam understood; the main thing that Simyon was good at was taking hits, and that''s just what he had to do. Before the others could get any closer, Liam broke through and made a break for it, running to the side.


    Reacting to Liam running, one of the red headband students charged forward, trying to grab him. Before he could, though, Simyon leaped in the way, and his fist just grabbed onto the cloth of his shirt.


    "Get out of my way!" The student shouted as he threw out a fist, hitting Simyon at the side of his face. It was a big hit, one filled with Qi that would have knocked most people out.


    Watching the scene y out was one of the five main disciples. "Idiot, I hit him with everything I had several times, and that guy just wouldn''t fall," Lisamented, still remembering the pain she felt in her fist.


    It was true; the red headband wearer was more than surprised when he felt his knuckles a little sore, and when Simyon turned around, he had a smile on his face. Gritting his teeth, he shoved the top of his forehead and mmed it onto the other student.


    The student stumbled; his eyesight fading; he felt like he was nearly going to pass out. It was a direct hit with such arge head, but Simyon didn''t charge forward to try and finish the fight.


    Because he knew there were five others that still needed to be dealt with as well.


    "He''s trying to kill us; this was their n all along!" The student shouted. "We have to stop him; let''s force him to tell us where the food is!"


    "Worst case, we can eat him!" Another shouted.


    To which some of the others looked at the student, thinking maybe it was a step too far, but it just went to show how hungry some of those in the room currently were.


    ''This is a situation, right?'' Simyon thought nervously as he looked at the gloves on his hand. ''This is a situation where I could die, so I can use them, right? Raze won''t mind?''


    Liam was sprinting through the dark hallway; he took a look back to see if anyone was following, but he couldn''t hear anything. He then stopped for a few moments to see if he could hear the sound of footsteps following him, but he was unable to hear them either.


    ''I can''t waste too much time... Simyon needs my help. Maybe I should go see Raze first and ask him... no... no, I should look and find Safa first, and then we can go and get Raze together.''


    Liam, of course, remembered where Safa''s seclusion room was, and while making his way there, he had passed many others. While running, he could see one studenting out of theirs.


    The glowing light from his room set a small glow on his face, allowing Liam to see him clearly for a moment. Luckily, the hallway was wide enough for Liam not to care and just head past and run around him.


    Faintly, after passing a couple of roomster, Liam had reached Safa''s room. His hand ced


    on the side of the wall, he could see her just sitting there.


    "There you are, Safa!" Liam called out.


    As he did, he noticed something strange upon entering her room. There was a calming feeling as soon as he entered, even the air felt just slightly more uplifting and energizedpared to the rest of the areas.


    She was doing something as she sat down meditating, and he wasn''t too sure it was cultivation. Hearing her name being called out, she turned around and could see Liam standing there.


    "Sorry to bother you, but the situation is quite serious," Liam stated, walking in. "We need to help Simyon, and honestly, I''m not sure just the three of us are going to be enough; we need to either get Dame or get Raze."


    While speaking, Liam couldn''t help but stare into Safa''s eyes, which had drawn him to her in the first ce. He was almost mesmerized as he moved forward, and that''s when he could see the horror in them.


    They started to widen as she had clearly seen something.


    "Look out!"


    Immediately, Liam turned around and swung his hand. He didn''t look to see who it was; he just acted. He felt the back of his fist connect and hit one of the red headband wearers'' faces.


    The student moved, mming onto the wall, his body slumping to the side. The student hadn''t passed out, but it was clear with the wooden sword in his hand what he was going to do.


    For Liam though he was more confused about somethign else.


    "Wait... Safa... did you just speak?"

 Chapter 264 Enchanted Items are strong!

    Chapter 264 Enchanted Items are strong!


    The first person Simyon had gone up against had already recovered, and judging by the scorn on his face, he wasn''t in a particrly happy mood. There were five students, all eyeing him up, ready to pounce on him.


    Immediately, Simyon started to retreat backward and ced his back against the wall, raising his fists.


    "Oh?" Ricktor said with a raised eyebrow. "My little toy has some brains on him. That''s only making him even more attractive in my eyes. He seems to be using the wall to stop those attacking from the back."


    "Does that mean you think he has a chance of winning against them?" Lisa asked.


    Ricktor shook his head. "Do you think you could beat five of these students in this situation?"


    Lisa took a while as she thought about it. They, the main disciples, were students who were far ahead of the others, but they weren''t at Ricktor''s level. If they had his kind of strength, then the answer would be yes, but given the situation, Lisa gave a different type of answer.


    "With the state they are in now, they''re not the same as before," Lisa answered. "The red headband students have been affected heavily by theck of food, while those of us who are able to draw more energy from our cultivation techniques have been able to do well."


    "Then don''t you think he has more of a chance as well?" Mada added. "Other than us, for some reason, he seems to be one of the least affected by all of this."


    One of the students pushed off from his feet and came in with a thrust straight to Simyon''s stomach. In this moment, Simyon noticed something; the movements were slower and sloppierpared to what they would be.


    He moved to the side, and the sword struck the wall behind him. Although even if he could avoid one of their strikes, there were more of them toe. From the right side, a fist was thrown at his face.


    Simyon was able to lift his hands up by the side of his head, blocking the attack; it was heavy, but his feet only shifted a few inches to the side. Then, on the other side, they were ready to attack again, and he had been whacked in the ribs with a wooden sword.


    ''Even if these guys are sloppy, together all of their hits are adding up. I thought I could do something in this situation,'' Simyon thought as he had hunkered down, raising both hands to the side of his head. Each time he was getting hit, his body would sway from side to side.


    "So are you nning to just watch?" Lisa asked. "Isn''t he one of those who caught your eye? I thought you would be displeased by seeing others treat him this way."


    "If he gets broken or taken out by something like this, then he doesn''t deserve to be my toy," Ricktor answered.


    If Simyon continued to take a beating like this, even with his advanced body, he would eventually fall; he could feel the umting amount of qi building up, taking a toll on his body.


    As he continued to get hit, a smile was building up on Simyon''s face. ''One of the ways to mark a stronger body is refinement, and right now all you''re doing is breaking down my body so it can be even stronger in the future. You''re not punishing me; you''re just doing me a favor!''


    Simyon continued to take hits, buying more and more time, but his legs were starting to shake, and it almost felt like the students knew this as well.


    "Come on, this guy is going to fall soon. It''s embarrassing that the five of us can''t even take him down!"


    "Hey, screw this; this guy is going to fall anyway. We need to help the others!" one of the men shouted.


    "Wait, there are others!" Simyon''s eyes lit up as he heard the news. He was already surprised to hear that so many were attacking him, but to know that there were more in on it.


    Just howrge was this group that had decided to act? Regardless, as he saw the students'' feet start to leave and his head turn, he lunged forward, pushing the other students out of the way.


    "ARGHH!" Mustering up his strength, he reached out and grabbed the student right by his shoulder with one of his hands and gripped tightly.


    "Hey, what do you think you''re doing to me?" The student swung his arm, hitting Simyon, trying to whack it off, but it was extremely heavy, and Simyon''s grip was strong.


    Soon, though, the other students wereing and started to bash him from behind and the top of his head. The only thing he could do was squint as the others continued to attack him one after the other.


    "Why won''t you let go? Why are you just holding onto me like that?" The student shouted, his voice a little shaken.


    That was because he noticed something, an extremely cold feeling right by his shoulder where Simyon was holding on. It was so cold that it started to heat almost, and he couldn''t tell if it was cold or hot.


    Soon he noticed what it was when looking down; from where Simyon was touching, his clothes were freezing over. It was spreading, and the area was growingrger with each passing moment.


    It had covered his whole shoulder now, and the student by his side, who could see this, had stopped attacking.


    "Is this a neutral art from one of the northern ns?" The studentmented. It was the only thing that could exin what he was seeing right now.


    There was a slight chuckle Simyon had done to himself, overhearing the others. ''It''s not a technique; this is the power of magic.''


    Shaking off his head, the student needed to act. As long as they beat him, then he could stop using his technique. So he charged forward again. Seeing this, Simyon then pointed his other hand with the ck-enchanted glove toward the attacker.


    ''The magic power in these gloves is rtively weak. I have to hold onto my opponent for a long time for it to even do something. But there is a point where it starts to umte and grows quicker and quicker against the opponent. The magic power in them isn''t strong, but for someone like me, it''s perfect.


    ''As for the other glove, I will deal with the oneing after me.''


    Simyon was ready to use the power of the other glove, but before he could, he could see something appear right behind him; it looked like a wooden sword.


    It smashed against the back of the student''s head, causing him to fall to the ground.


    The sword flew back in the air, and as it did, a one-eyed, patched red headband wearer caught the wooden sword. At the same time as he did this, one of his earrings on his ear tingled a bit.


    "I guess the juggling arts can be used in this way as well!" Liam imed.


    He too had used the power of the warnings that had been enchanted by Raze. Unlike Simyon''s, his was a bit more discreet. It allowed him to attach a repelling and attracting feature, using somewhat the power of the wind on single items.


    At the moment, he had connected his earrings to his sword; he had to ce the earrings on the item to mark them in a way, giving them


    a connection. Then when cing the earrings back on himself, one earring would bring the sword toward him, while the other would push it away.


    This was the reason why he had decided to use the juggling arts in the end. The juggling arts focused on sword techniques that needed the sword to leave the hand and catch them mid-air. There were some tricky movements, but Simyon was thinking ahead; not only would the earrings help him with this, but perhaps he could enchant and create new movements for the sword skill himself.


    "Hey, we''re not out of it yet!" Simyon shouted.


    As he did, a tall man hade forward, and in a few single hits, that looked like they all had happened at the same time, the other three students that wereing forward had stopped.


    They stood still for a moment before they all fell on the ground, clutching onto their stomachs, spit gushing out of their mouths. Looking at the tall back Simyon knew who it was, especially since he saw a ck-haired womane over momentster.


    "Simyon, are you okay? How are you? Look at what they did to your body!" Sacra said as she started to touch him all over, causing small winces of pain, but Simyon didn''t care in that moment.


    Instead, his eyes immediately started to well up.


    "It must have really hurt, right? It must have. I''m so sorry I couldn''te here in time!" Safa said.


    Immediately, tears started toe out of Simyon''s eyes like waterfalls. For a long time, Simyon had beenmunicating with Safa daily; he wanted to fully speak with her one day, and he thought that this day would never arrive, yet here they were.


    His emotions were so bubbled up that he was unable to even express them the way he wanted, only allowing him to let them out in tears.


    "Hey, now''s not the time to worry. Haven''t you noticed there are quite a few of the students missing in here, and I have a feeling they might have all gone to Raze," Dame exined.

 Chapter 265 Easing The Pain

    Chapter 265 Easing The Pain


    "Please, man, I''m begging you here!" The student was on his knees, but he had no clue where he was. He was still in the dark space, and even though he had been here for a while now, his eyes weren''t adjusting at all since there was next to no light in the darkness.


    "I answered all of your questions, I told you everything I could, man. I was just angry; there was no one that talked to me about attacking you or anything like that! I thought the other students were going to back me up, but they didn''t!"


    Therge cut on the student''s chest was pulsating. It had healed slightly but notpletely. It was something the student had never experienced before.


    Cultivating would allow the body to heal naturally a bit faster even without the use of herbs or a physician, but due to theck of food and water, the cultivating couldn''t do what it would normally do. All of the Qi that was being absorbed or used was being used as energy as a recement for the food and water, not allowing it to do much else in the body. Which was why the wound was still present.


    The student wasn''t worried about bleeding to death, but with the wound, it almost felt like his life was being zapped away, especially since he wasn''t able to eat or drink anything.


    "Look, I told you, man, in our heads there are four groups in total!" The student continued to exin. He had said this before, but he had no idea if Raze was even inside the room with him or not.


    At one point, he had made a break for it, standing up and trying to rush out of the door. Momentster, he felt a force push him back down on the ground. He had learned his lesson after trying it twice because the second time, the invisible force pushed him so far back, his back had crashed into the side of the wall.


    "Your group and his bunch of friends we count as one group, the main disciples are the other, then we have a guy, he''s called Alfred, he seems to have rounded up a bunch of the others, they''re sticking close together.


    "We were trying to join his group, just me and my two friends, at least what I thought were my two friends, because we had nothing on our own, but he wouldn''t let us in. I thought if we showed we could do something or gave him an opportunity to take you out, he would let us in.


    "You''ve figured this crap out yourself as well, haven''t you! They''ve put us in here to pit us against each other. The main disciples with theirbined power is impossible to take out.


    "You and your group, you guys just didn''t seem to be as tightly knit of a group. With a push here and there, we thought we could break you up and take you one by one!"


    Raze was currently in the room, and he had heard it all, but it was clear to him that someone wasing to frame him, and if that was the case, then they would love to get one more person, not just one to pin Raze''s murder on.


    Even though the others might have formed a group, perhaps their visions didn''t align and felt it was too risky to attack Raze, the one that had been deemed the White Dragon.


    Immediately, the sound of footsteps was heard, and it seemed like quite a few of them were together as well.


    "Hey, it really is pitch ck in here, are you sure we should head in there?" A voice whispered to the other.


    "If we can''t see him, then I''m sure he can''t see us as well, but we just need a little bit of light," the person talking, the student who had been trapped by Raze, could recognize it; this was Alfred, the leader of the other group.


    He pulled something out of his pocket; it was a small glowing light, a chip from the wall of the other room. He had taken his time to break a part of it off and was now going to use it right here in this room.


    Pulling it out of his pocket, he held it up, trying to see the area in front of him, and right then, he heard nothing but felt a slight pain in his hand. Right in front of him, he could see the glowing light dropping to the floor.


    ''What¡­ I didn''t let go of the rock?'' Alfred thought, looking at the ground, and he could see due to the light of the rock that he indeed hadn''t let go of it, but then why was it on the floor, and he was looking at it.


    The realization took a while to hit him, as he felt a warmth around part of his arm. When looking in front of him, he could see that a clean cut had been made.


    "I don''t take too kindly to those that try to kill me," Raze imed.


    He was using the wind-enchanted de, giving it a silent sound, and before Alfred could act at all, the sword was shed right against his neck. Blood sttered onto the other two that were close to him.


    The body quickly fell to the floor, and the leader that had been orchestrating this attack, the attack on Safa, along with the others, was now dead, lying on the ground.


    The other two, seeing the fate of their friend, had turned around, but before they knew it, they could hear movement and feel a gust of wind, and Raze was now behind them.


    "I just need to test something, so try your best to get out of this!" Holding his sword, Qi started to swirl around it.


    The other student was doing as Raze said, but not out of choice. He attempted to run away, and Raze swung his sword out, the contraction of Qi around his sword looked as if it was almost reaching out to the student.


    ''Shadow Bind formation.''


    The Qi swirled around, almost as if it was an extension for the sword, and wrapped around the student. It felt like the student was trapped in invisible vines. The feeling was unnatural. It didn''t feel like an attack of sorts, yet it was difficult to break free.


    The student, using their own Qi, was able to break one of these strands, but he was still trapped, and before he could do anything, a sword pierced right through his back and through his chest.


    "I am saving you from a cruel fate. You will die quickly this way and will not have to suffer from starvation. For trying to kill me, this is more than eptable." Raze pulled out the de, and the body dropped on the ground.


    Without realizing it, the third student that hade to attack him was running toward him. He thought he was running to the exit, but in truth, he was just running blindly.


    "The push of the wind," Raze said, lifting his hand.


    Using magic in a ce like this was fine because no one would be able to see. The student was lifted off his feet and pushed right to the back, crashing into the wall now by the side of the other.


    "Now we need to find out who really started all of this. I can''t believe that you would be so stupid. Most likely you guys were tricked, and you don''t even realize it yourself," Raze said. "So I''m going to get some answers."


    Just then, the sound of running down the hallway was heard again, and it sounded like multiple people. Turning around, he thought he might have met the ones responsible for all of this, that was until he heard a voice shouting.


    "Raze!¡­ Raze¡­ are you okay?" The voice shouted, but oddly it was a voice he had never heard before.

 Chapter 266 Get rid of Everyone

    Chapter 266 Get rid of Everyone


    A woman''s voice, it was something that Raze had taken note of since there were few females in the Red Headband group, at leastpared to the males. Since there wasn''t much to do, and many of the areas were surrounded by darkness, he had made a note of what they sounded like.


    Which was why he was finding it odd, maybe it was the echoes or the voice bouncing off the wall that was distorting the voice, but it was clearly a voice he had never heard before.


    ''Wait, but then how would she know my name?'' Raze thought.


    An idea had popped into his head, but he was wondering how it would be possible for it to be that person.


    ''Could it be, did she already learn to use the restore spell so well, and that quick? She is more of a genius than I thought!''


    Lifting up his hand, he let out a small spark, and the area lit up slightly, and now he could see the people in front of him. Almost instantly, he could see who those were in front of him. There were a few groans of pain from behind as well.


    "Raze, are you okay? There''s blood on you," Safa spoke.


    Her voice, it was soft yet it traveled through the air smoothly. It was gentle on the ears even though she seemed to be concerned and worried. It was hard to imagine there could be a voice that would instantly calm a certain person.


    "It''s okay," Raze said, looking at his clothing; there were just a few specks of blood on his sleeve. It was surprising that someone even noticed it. "Your voice, you seem to have a nice voice."


    "You managed to speak far sooner than I thought. I guess, there are some things that I need to ask you, but there is something that I need to do first."


    Raze wanted to keep talking to Safa, to ask if she was okay, but having seen her, his body was quite calm. He could see that Dame and the others were there, so he knew she would be safe because there was no one that could defeat Dame down here, and only a few in the academy itself that could beat him.


    Liam started to walk over along with the others, somewhat following Raze, wondering what he needed to do, and that''s when he felt something hit his foot and roll on the floor.


    "What, I thought there was something in here, is there some type of food!" Liam rushed forward and noticed he could see a small glowing light. When he reached the object, it soon came into view.


    "Ahhh!" Liam screamed as he pointed at it. "It''s an... an... an... arm!!"


    Raze could see the student slowly trying to get up, but before he did, he swung his arm out.


    "Push of the wind."


    The wind magic pressed against the student''s body, and he felt his whole body being pushed onto the wall.


    "Who was it, which one was it that made you do this?" Raze asked. "Who convinced you to attack us?"


    "Are you going to kill me? You should know, right, it was Alfred, you already killed him." The student worriedly replied. "He was the one that said we could split you up and get you in the dark, and if we couldn''t get you, we could at least have killed Tinson here. If we did, then more of the students would act, and possibly even the main disciples would get scared."


    It made Raze wonder at that moment whether or not there wasn''t someone else behind this, and it was just the student named Alfred. It was quite possible that it was the case.


    Raze then lifted his sword and ced it right on the neck of the other student. It was touching the edge of the wall at that point, and just a slight movement from the sword would slit his throat like it had done with all of the others.


    "Are you sure that there was nothing else, nomunication between the others, or any talk between Alfred and a few others?" Raze asked.


    "There was, there was talk between Alfred and Tinson. It seemed he had asked about joining our group, but I don''t know more than that. I promise I''ve told you everything I know; I can''t bring back Alfred from the dead, but he would have known more. It''s not my fault he''s dead."


    "You''re right," Raze replied. "It''s not, but it is his fault that you are."


    He quickly moved the sword in one smooth motion, putting his Qi into his strike. Despite doing this, the strike was still silent as always. Even as it scraped against the wall, it hardly made any sound at all.


    The effect of the sword seemed to work even when hitting other objects, which was an added bonus he didn''t know about until now. As the sword glided across the back of the rock, it went right through the student''s neck, causing his head to roll and fall to the ground.


    The others, who were unable to see next to anything due to the lighting in the area, had only heard a thud against the floor, and the cries and breath of one less person.


    "Did Raze kill him?" Liam whispered.


    "Yes, I did," Raze replied. "These people, even though they thought I was a murderer, still decided toe after me. They were the ones that had set everything up, to try and get the others to turn on me. If I didn''t finish them off here, they would have gotten more desperate as time went on."


    "Besides, in the first ce, we need to deal with this. This whole assessment won''t end until they continue to get rid of more people. As time goes on, every single one of us will get weaker, so we need to deal with them."


    "They wouldn''t hesitate to take our lives, so we can''t hesitate to take theirs as well, and it will send a message to all those that try."


    Leaning down, Raze picked up the head and started to walk towards the exit. Hearing all of the words Raze spoke and experiencing everything, Tinson, who was in the room, was wondering if he was being let free. He was sure that he could hear all of the others losing their lives one after the other. Yet now Raze was walking away; was there anyone to stop him?


    Slowly, he knew others were in the room, but he started to move against the edge of the wall, creating no sound until he found an exit. If he could just get into the seclusion room or the training room, maybe he could do something.


    The others had quickly followed behind Raze, but they noticed he had moved quicker than they thought, and soon a few gasps and murmurs were heard on the other side.


    The students that had been knocked out by the others had gathered in the training area, discussing what was happening, along with Tinson''s two friends and the main disciples.


    When Simyon and the others had entered, they quickly realized what it was that Raze had taken with him because he was holding therge round object in his hand right by his head.


    "These people tried to attack me; they tried to take my life, and this is the result. Remember, I was never the one that instigated the attacking. Remember that if you do anything to harm me in any way, that this will be the result."


    The disciples were quite shocked. This whole time, Raze hadn''t imed to be the murderer, and yet his actions now, the way he had done everything, it made them think that it couldn''t be him.


    Yet now he was a murderer, and he was even more fearedpared to before, just to the point where he was unable to act on it anymore.


    "I will not attack anyone; this is a statement. I will let you y with your own fate in this assessment," Raze imed. "You can think of me as a bystander in all of this, or you can y your games to try and use me to get rid of more of you.


    "But if that is the case, and I find out who you are that has decided to throw me into these games, I will get rid of you, just like I did him."


    Rather than continue to hold onto the head or take it back with him, Raze chucked it over, by its hair strands, and it bounced on the ground once and rolled onto the floor in front of the others.


    The students couldn''t keep their eyes off it as they stared at it. On the way back, Raze walked over, and as he did, he stopped to look at Safa.


    "Now that you can speak, there are some things I wanted to ask you if you don''t mind. In particr, about our parents'' death, or your parents'' death. Let''s have a nice chat," Raze imed.

 Chapter 267 Back To The First Day

    Chapter 267 Back To The First Day


    The whole underground cave was in disarray. The students were startled and had no clue what to do. Those who had failed to take out Simyon and Safa had returned, holding onto parts of their bodies, dragging their feet across the ground.


    In the attack, they had used a considerable amount of Qi, and with theirck of food and water, they had only hastened the worsening of their condition.


    Tinson had returned, and when he saw the head on the ground, he took a deep gulp. It was what he had expected, but now he was just thankful that Raze hadn''t done that to him.


    "Tinson, you''re... you''re alive!" One of the female students with dark reddish hair ran over, by the name of Violet, which was quite an odd name considering her features. It wasn''t just her; a frailer boy hade rushing by his side as well.


    "Joe, Violet, it''s good to see you both as well," Tinson replied as he continued to hold his arm and ced his hand against his chest. A strong thud was felt. "I still can''t believe that I''m alive myself, and I''m happy to see nothing happened to you two. When I was attacked, I was worried that the two of you would jump in."


    Both Joe and Violet were part of the fourth group that he had mentioned. They were three friends who weren''t from the same n but were from the same town and knew each other from a young age.


    They had stayed together even in this assessment but hade to the realization that all the other groups were muchrger than theirs. That''s why he was willing to do anything, even attack the frightening Raze.


    "So how did you manage to get away from that monster? From the looks of things, he already dealt with the others. If I were to guess, I don''t think Alfred is alive either," Violetmented.


    All three of them looked at the head on the ground. Not a single person had gone to pick it up. Where would they put it, even? They usually would ce it in the seclusion rooms, but doing so would mean there was a chance they could run into the White Dragon.


    Tinson continued to stare at the head. "You know, I''m not sure if Raze is really that much of a bad guy."


    His two friends'' eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Violet even touched the top of her forehead, wondering if he had gone mad. The person who had just killed three people and dragged a human head into the room, not bad.


    "Alright, maybe ''not bad'' is the wrong word to use, but I think the way he acts is actually very fair. I think we might have been going about this whole thing the wrong way, and there might be another way to survive this assessment."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Raze had taken Safa over to the seclusion room. After his little act, he didn''t think any others would be acting soon, and Dame along with the other two boys seemed to know that he wanted to speak to his sister alone at this moment.


    There were quite a lot of questions on his mind.


    "So, you managed to use the restore skill. Were you able to use it without having to draw the circle?" Raze asked.


    "Yes, I did," Safa answered, her soft, gentle voice still reaching his ears and giving a sense of calmness to him. He imagined it was the type of voice that would be used to speak poems in a manner to send one to sleep.


    "And I want to thank you," Safa replied. "I honestly thought I would never get my voice back, and now I have thanks to you. I know you feel bad for not being my real brother, but I wish to still create a family bond with you."


    After finishing her words, she gave a polite bow and sat on the ground, as Raze did the same opposite her. If there was one thing that he was sure of, it was that she had more manners than anyone else and knew how to show how thankful she was.


    "How did you lose your voice? Since you were able to get it back, it was unlikely to be a medical condition, or something that you were born with. The restore skill, although it would work on medical conditions, would mostly onlye back as well," Raze asked.


    Safa smiled. "The fact that you''re asking this means you have some interest in me. Unfortunately, the tale is a bit harsher than you think. At one point and time, none of our family could eat. We were starving, you could say the situation is simr to what it is now. In the end, our father and mother... sorry," Safa corrected herself. "My father and mother had decided to hand me over to a physician for a short while. He was experimenting with a few new techniques, and during the procedure, I had lost my voice.


    "Since I don''t know much of the details myself, I don''t know what he did that caused it. It was just very painful. We got the coins that we needed to allow us to survive for a while."


    Raze remembered the scene he pictured in the house when he had first arrived in the world. It wasn''t the best ce, and they were already in a run-down townpared to other ces they had been in.


    However, he knew that Safa used signnguage tomunicate, and just like with writing and reading of the Pagna script, he could understand the signnguage as well, so he imagined it had to be some time ago.


    ''The things parents do when they''re in need of money. Bringing life into this world is no simple matter. Yet they chose to have a life, so it''s their responsibility to look after them, yet there are many that fail to do even that,'' Raze felt a flicker of magic in his heart.


    "I wanted to ask you about the day you were cultivating in the demonic continent. At the time, did you see a red blooded hand and hear a woman''s voice?" Raze asked.


    Safa nodded, and sweat started to run down her side. Right now, she wasn''t using her skill god eyes she had received. When near Raze, she didn''t want to ever use it.


    "I... actually saw a lot more than that. I can see almost an outline of the whole woman herself. That day, I could see her long, stretching, cold blooded hands normally, but when I used the skill you called god eyes, I could see it, I could see her body wrapping around you."


    "When you look at me?" Raze pointed to himself. "Is it constantly surrounding me?"


    Safa shook her head this time. "I''ve used the god eyes around you once in a while. I can see this strange dark shadow creeping toward me when I use my powers. It feels like if I continue to stare at you, the power will suffocate me, so I can''t use it for long.


    "At times, if I stare long enough at you, that''s when the image will appear. I can''t see a face, but just the outline of a human figure."


    Even for Raze, who had been through quite a lot, the image in his head that someone was hovering around him, watching him even now, was sending shivers down his entire spine.


    ''I wonder what that thing wants, and is it the same thing after Safa, or do we just both have the same thing. There''s a chance it could be rted to that as well.''


    The reason why Raze had asked this question was all to lead up to his final question. Something he had been curious about for a while.


    "What happened that day that our partners died?" Raze asked. "The Red Brigade n said that you were hiding in one of the cupboards the entire time. Did you manage to see anything, or do you have any idea as to why our parents were killed at that time?"


    Raze didn''t like the fact that Alter was looking into this, and that he and Safa had a target on their back. If he could at least find out the reason, he was more likely to continue surviving in this world.


    And now he was going to learn if he was right to put his trust into Safa.


    "I didn''t see much," Safa answered. "I could only look through a small gap. I was too scared to open the door further in case it made any type of noise. It could have been someone that Dad had borrowed money from.


    "People like that hade around regrly, but they would never kill. It made no sense to kill since they needed every penny they could from our family."


    Raze was inclined to agree with this line of thought, which was part of the reason he was struggling to think. Unless it was a weapon belonging to Alter.


    "The people that attacked seemed to be far too skilled as well to just be normal debt collectors, and to go as far as to kill the children after they had already escaped, it has to be something else," Raze said. "How did you know to even hide in the closet in the first ce? Wouldn''t they have seen you enter?"


    Safa shook her head once again. "No, because you were the one that asked me to head inside the cupboard. Before the attack even happened. I thought it was strange, but moments after, several men had entered, and then you started to speak to them, saying some words.


    "It was as if you knew them. Honestly, I don''t want to admit it, but I think my brother, my past brother, has something to do with why our parents died and why someone is after us."

 Chapter 268 The One Behind It All

    <h4>Chapter 268 The One Behind It All</h4>


    Raze went into detail, asking Safa why she thought that her brother might be involved, but she was unable to provide too many details. She could only overhear them talking as the struggle against her parents and more had taken ce.


    If anything, it sounded as if her brother was attempting to defuse the situation before everything went awry. It looked like the n elder who had assumed that Safa or he might have something to do with it all was right on track in the end.


    Unfortunately, since she seemed to know nothing else about her brother''s doings, Raze was unable to get into further details.


    ''It makes me wonder, Alter investigated the case because there had been simr instances of entire families being wiped out before, but is it really the doing of some item? Physical assassins were what had gone after our family.


    ''The Bonum society attacked me as well, but whether that was to do with me being part of Alter or the past, it''s hard to tell.''


    "Continue practicing the light magic, gathering as much as you can. For now, I don''t know much about light spells or how to increase the strength of your core. But I have my ways to find out that information."


    Raze could always go back to Alter with his new astral projection skill, but it put him in a vulnerable state, and with everyone after his life, he had no time to do such a thing. He still even had the level 5 crystals he nned to use to try and propel himself to be a 4-star mage.


    However, there was a high chance that it would make a portal break, and down here in the short space they were in, that was far too dangerous.


    Before letting Safa go off to do her own thing, he pulled out a pill, although it was hard to say it was a pill since it wasrger in size, around the same size as a fist. It still had the same outer hard casing on the outside as regr pills.


    "What is this?" Safa asked. "Is it a Qi pill? Or a Qi ball, but I can''t feel any energy from it?"


    "I guess you would think it''s that," Raze replied. "That is made from the same ingredients needed for the Qi pill. The outside has always been digestible and has nutrients that one can use to eat. You must be starting to get a little hungry, right?


    "Well, I made that just using the other ingredients. There''s no power stone, so you can eat that to satisfy your hunger."


    Safa looked at it as she stood up, ready to leave the seclusion room. She thought in her head that there was a particr eye-patched boy that was suffering from theck of food a lot more than her.


    "Thank you, Raze. You have helped us out a lot, and I hope as I continue to learn these skills that I can help you more in the future."


    Raze didn''t turn around, and instead, he just waved her off with the back of his hand. ''With that, I don''t have many ingredients for myself. I don''t know how much longer this willst, so I might have to find a way to get food for myself as well.''


    For now, though, he continued to learn the next move sets in the Noctis n''s book. If anything, he wasn''t going to waste his time, and he was going to continue getting stronger. The first formation worked out well, even though there was no magic used; now it was time for him to learn the next set of formations.


    ''I also need a way to increase my Oagna stage from the 3rd stage to the 4th. I have a feeling that I might get caught up in a whirlwind of mess soon.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Things soon got somewhat back to normal. In the end, out of all the students, Ricktor had decided to pick up the head that was lying on the floor. People were treating it like it was infected by an incurable disease, and the area felt smaller because of it.


    When he took it into the seclusion room, he quickly returned, and as he did, he held out his sword, with his fist in his hand, and continued his training.


    Most of the time Ricktor would do visual training, but for around 2 hours a day, he would train on his own in the training area. What amazed the others who had been watching him so far was that each time he performed it, he looked just as sharp as thest time.


    Making the other students wonder if he was getting food or not. Another day had gone past, which meant the hunger was increasing for them all another time.


    The remnants of Alfred''s group were being affected the worst, and there was a huge concern. Currently, Ricktor was training just as he had done before, and those who were from Alfred''s group came over to the other five disciples.


    "Are you not going to try and do anything about Raze and his group?" the student asked. "He killed so many of us already, right in front of our eyes. If this continues, he will go after you guys as well.


    "You know you lost to him already; if we don''t team up together, we won''t be able to get rid of him."


    Lisa moved forward but was stopped by Mada. His fists were tensed. The student could tell that he had struck a nerve with the main disciples, but it was getting to the point that they wouldn''t do anything about it.


    "If you want to fight, then fight on your own. If you''re hungry, then find your own way to get some food," Mada replied.


    Seeing this, and sitting with his free group of friends, was Tinson. He let out a big sigh as he brushed the dirt from the top of his thighs.


    "Hey, where are you going?" Violet asked.


    "Me... I''m going to try to get us some food," Tinson gulped. "I''m going to go speak to the White Dragon."


    His friends wanted to stop him, they wanted to try and convince him not to, but they didn''t even have the energy to get up. If they didn''t get any food soon, then there would be no hope for them.


    They could hardly sleep right now due to the fear of someone slitting their throats in the middle of the night.


    At the same time, Dame was on his own in the training area. No one seemed to pay him any bother, he had his arms folded and was watching Ricktor practicing. He was thinking back to yesterday, a moment the two of them had.


    When Ricktor went to return the head to the seclusion room, him and Dame had crossed paths and made eye contact for a moment. Dame was going to say nothing and continue on, but that was when Ricktor called out to him.


    "I''m very curious about your actions," Ricktor said. "You have certainly made things very interesting in this ce. However, no matter how hard I think, I just can''te up with a reason, a reason as to why if you were on Raze''s side, that you would have done that.


    "Do you mind exining to me why you decided to kill those students?"

 Chapter 269 Take Down the Dark Faction

    <h4>Chapter 269 Take Down the Dark Faction</h4>


    Dame had stopped in his tracks as he heard one of the main disciples talking to him. He had always paid attention to Ricktor in particr; when the two of them fought, he noticed that his skills were beyond that of anyone else among the main disciples.


    That was somewhat expected to be the case with who his father was and the fact that he was the son of the biggest Dark Faction n that currently existed.


    "His position being risen suits me," Dame answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Just to let you know, I am not confirming or denying what you stated but just giving you an answer as to why I might help Raze.


    "However, I want to ask you something. With everything that is happening right now, with the Dark Faction forcing several n disciples to fight to the death in order to create the strongest disciples they have, do you think differently of them now?"


    Ricktor let out a single loudughter that clearly echoed through the halls, but he didn''t seem to care who heard him or not.


    "Shouldn''t you know what my answer was before asking this question? If I answer that my opinion has changed, then how would you know whether it''s to your liking or not? Do you just assume that everyone is loyal to their ns or the ones that raised them? If anything, you, whoever you are, are the more interesting one for being here."


    There was a slightly unnerving feeling that Dame could feeling off Ricktor. He was wondering what this feeling was, and it hit him. He reminded him of one of his brothers.


    If he just reced Ricktor with the thinking of one of his brothers, well, he knew now how he felt about his n and his family.


    "Well, a situation might soon ur where you will have the chance to rise, and the decision to make might be a hard one for you. I''m not sure if you are one to owe someone for doing you a favor, but I''m sure things will turn out in your favor if you follow the right path, just remember that."


    With those final words, Ricktor left Dame, throwing the head into the room and heading back to the training area.


    Watching Ricktor train, although the others couldn''t notice it, there was almost slightly more vigor in his punches, kicks, and swingspared to before.


    A short whileter down the corridor, Tinson had found the room Raze was in. He couldn''t hear any noiseing from his room, to the point he wasn''t sure if he was inside or not.


    When taking a peek, though, he could see Raze swinging his sword slowly through the air. Then he would try to do a faster swing the second time, making the same formation and keeping the form he had before at the same speed.


    What was amazing was even when the sword was swung at a fast rate, no sound was made. Tinson had experienced this a few times before.


    ''Is there something special about that sword? Wait,e to think of it, that''s a metal sword, that''s not even a wooden sword. How did he manage to get that in here in the first ce?'' Tinson thought.


    ''I knew it, he has to have a way to get things in here somehow, either working with someone or something like that, I have to ask him.'' Tinson took three short breaths and then rushed in.


    Immediately he slid on his knees, ripping part of his clothing and scraping his skin, but he didn''t care as he quickly ced his head on the floor.


    "Sir Raze, I wish to speak with you, a request that I need to ask."


    Raze turned around, taking slow breaths. He had been using his Qi for a while, and using arge amount of Qi control was quite tiring on the brain. So he decided to take this chance to have a break.


    He was honestly quite surprised to see someone entering the room with him. Taking a peek at his face, Raze recognized who it was and sat down crossed-legged on the floor.


    "You already escaped with your life before, have youe wanting me to give you death? If it''s because you can no longer take the pain of food, you can ask someone else to end your life, I''m sure one of the sin disciples would be willing to do that," Raze stated.


    "That''s not it!" Tinson replied, keeping his head plopped on the floor. "First, I would like to apologize for attacking you before. Honestly, with everything going on, the fear of what was going to happen to me and my friends, I chose the route that was easiest and went against you, but I know that is the wrong thing to do, and if I could turn back time and kill myself to stop myself from doing something like that, I would!


    "What I would like to ask, Sir Raze, is about another matter. You were right about one thing; I''m starving, me and my friends, all of us feel our bodies weakening fromck of food and water, and I don''t want to assume.


    "But I was wondering if there is any way you can help us."


    Raze started to break out into a smallughter hearing this.


    "Is this some other trick?" Raze asked. "You really are so shameless to ask the person you tried to kill, to now save you and your friends. Why would I ever choose to do something like that?"


    "Because you are in a position to do so!" Tinson replied. "Right now, it''s not just me and my friends, but everyone left in the Redhead band group is starving. This situation, it''s clear it was brought to us by the academy.


    "We don''t know why they are doing this. At the moment, their anger is pointed towards you, but everyone is slowly realizing that the true ones to me for all of this are the academy!


    "I think if you were to provide us with food in this pivotal situation, it would allow us to be loyal to you, to follow you wherever you go, to create your n to help you in any way!"


    The proposal sounded interesting, Raze had to admit, but he found it hard to believe that a bunch of students would have a change of heart. Sure, they would be in his debt, but to do whatever he wished. What if he ordered them to go against the academy? If he wanted to take over the Dark Faction and be principal, that was one of the things he needed to do to learn more about the Dark Faction founder.


    "Do you realize what will happen if he decides to feed all of you, right?" Dame said, leaning by the doorway.


    "Right now, the academy is doing this because they want everyone to go against each other, so only the strongest will survive. If Raze decides to feed you and the others as you suggest, and the academy turns up, and the situation isn''t what they expected, they will turn their eyes towards Raze.


    "In a way, saving your lives, all of it, would be him going against the academy. So we have to ask, if he does provide you with food, would all of you be willing to go against the n heads?"


    Inwardly, Dame was smiling because the situation was ying out exactly as he predicted. His n to take down the Dark Faction Academy.

 Chapter 270 Out Of The Cave

    <h4>Chapter 270 Out Of The Cave</h4>


    In the end, Tinson had decided to leave. He could feel that the situation was tense and that perhaps the student known as ''Pink'' would want to speak alone with Raze; at least it felt that way.


    The two had been staring at each other for a while, not saying a word, so he felt like it was time to leave. Before doing so, he gave another bow and said hisst remaining words.


    "About the question you asked, I can''t speak on a one-to-one basis, but right now, day by day, we are understanding how the academy has abandoned us, and that very well may be the ns as well.


    "I can''t imagine them being able to do something like this without the permission of the ns. If that is the case, and you are the one that saved us, then I would be willing to even go against the academy. However, I''m not sure the others will feel the same way."


    Dame watched Tinson run out of the room, and he couldn''t help but have arge smile on his face.


    "He is quite the honest person," Damemented. "You would think with the situation he was in, that he would have said anything to try and convince you, yet he answered honestly. It could be a sign of stupidity, or you shocked him to the point that he wouldn''t dare lie to you."


    "What are you trying to do?" Raze said, turning around and continuing to look at the book in front of him.


    It was a sign to show that Raze wasn''t afraid of Dame and somewhat trusted him. One would rarely turn their back in such a tight-knit situation, but with everything they had gone through and they had given up, Raze knew one thing: Dame had no intention of killing him.


    Whether it was to use him for his goal, who cared as long as they could benefit each other, at least that was Raze''s line of thinking.


    "I think you should seriously consider his offer. Our group, we''re in the stages of building up power," Dame exined. "I''m sure you don''t n to rely on the Crimson Crane for everything, especially with how far spread out we are.


    "We also need help in the Dark Faction. There have already been a couple of close calls, and if we didn''t have an ally like Gunther on our side, we would be in big trouble. At any time, the favor that the Dark Faction has for you, as their star, the White Dragon, could flip.


    "If they try and get rid of you, not even I have the strength to protect you."


    Raze already somewhat knew that, which was why he was trying to build up his strength as much as possible, but the quickest way to do that was through the beast crystals.


    Yet in a ce like this, he was unable to get any; he kind of wished that the academy would have done an assessment where they used the portals they had instead of this.


    "Are the academy heads really that strong?" Raze asked.


    "Very. You have to remember that I am not yet at the middle stage myself," Damemented. "I haven''t had the time to really focus on it too much, yet the principal is nearly at the Divine stage; he is far stronger than the elder from the Light Faction that you had faced.


    "On top of that, the principal is close to all of the n heads who are all high-stage warriors that are as strong if not stronger than the Divine head that you went against. At the moment, you have been able to overpower them, but when ites to the n heads that are at the top of their cultivation, they will use skills that will be difficult for you to deal with.


    "Of course, I also don''t know the full extent or power of your magic and Divine weapons."


    Raze was unique because it was hard to gauge his actual strength. Usually, one would just assume a stage 4 warrior was stronger than a stage 3, and 90 percent of the time this was the case.


    There were situations such as better use of skills, Qi control, and fighting IQ that made up the other ten percent of the time one would lose.


    Yet when looking at Raze, he was almost in the upper end. He had many uses in the fight against the elder; if he were to take a guess based on the magic he had seen, his power was probably at that of a stage six warrior at the moment.


    This wasn''t just Dame''s guess but Raze''s as well. His use of magic along with his Pagna powers meant he could go around that of stage 6 warriors head to head at the moment.


    "There''s more to be done as well; I didn''t quite expect us to be in this situation either," Damemented. "We need to head to the Demonic Faction and give a delivery to Fixteen, collect some money from them in the meantime to expand as much as we can. I know you have a way of getting there; if you want, I can make an excuse as to why you''re away, or just make sure no one tries to go looking for you."


    That wasn''t the only meeting that Raze had; soon he also needed to use his astral projection technique to head to Alter and try to gather more information from that end.


    If anything, it was almost as if everything was pointing him in the direction of leaving this ce, but there was still one thing he wasn''t sure about.


    "I''m pretty confident that I can do those things and find a way toe back here," Raze replied. "I can gather food while in the Demonic Faction and deliver what you need, but what use is it helping these students?"


    "You mean you don''t want to help them out of the kindness of your heart? Did you not feel anything with that heartfelt plea?" Dame said.


    "It''s hard to feel something for those that would have killed you a few hours before."


    "Right," Dame said as he started to walk around the small square space room in circles, a habit of his when he was speaking his mind or thinking. "In a way, it''s not just the principal that controls the academy but the n heads as well.


    "Right now, they''re hungry, but I imagine that the situation could be even worse. At that point, when you give them food, in their time of desperation when their anger for the academy is at its highest, I think we might even be able to get the n heads on our side!


    "I told you that the n heads are powerful, and to face them, we almost need to start building up our own n within the academy, those that are more on our side rather than their ns or the academy.


    "In my eyes, this is the perfect situation. You have the Crimson Crane to help you if need be, but that might not be enough. In the meantime, while you''re away doing such things, I will work on improving the strength of the other three young ones. We need to build up strength capable of taking down the Dark Faction Pagan academy."


    Although this wasn''t in Raze''s original n, he actually didn''t think it was so bad. He remembered the words from the librarian. To get ess to certain information that was held in the library about the Dark Faction founder, he needed to be the principal.


    ''I wonder, what Alter will think of my doings, or if they would just be happy that they have someone that they can use that will be in a higher position?'' Raze thought.


    He thought about it for a while; at a guess, Raze concluded that this assessment would take a month. It was pretty much the limit for warriors at their stage to barely survive without any water, only relying on cultivating energy from the world around them.


    If it was a regr human, that would have been around 3 days or slightly more. The teachers seemed to know what they were doing, and it was no wonder Gunther had stated it would have been better off for them if they had just left this ce.


    "Alright, I''ll do it; I have a way to head back; I think I can work something out."


    The moment Raze said those words, a loud click was heard. The sound traveled through the hallways and went straight to the training room.


    "That sound, it''sing from the Dark Space!" Raze said.


    He, as well as Dame, quickly rushed out of the room, and they could see many othersing from the training area, including that of the five disciples. They quickly all headed into the Dark space, and that''s when they could see five people standing there.


    They were in the center of the Dark space with glowing crystals held in their hands. All of them were adults and were the teachers of the academy. In the center of them all, there was an individual that stood out more sopared to the rest of them because it was a n head.


    "Is that... it is... it''s Feebie from the Lethal Bite n!"


    "The teachers faintly came here; wait, Feebie isn''t a teacher, she''s just one of the n''s heads though."


    "Yeah, but the other teachers are with her; this means we''re saved."


    "Hey, but if the assessment ended this early, it wasn''t what we thought it was, right? All the students that were murdered, won''t he be punished."


    "Yeah, it''s a good thing they sent a n head then; otherwise, who knows what would happen."


    There was arge relief spreading through the whole room as they saw the leaders, but the door that had opened from above was closed, and Raze didn''t think it was the good news they thought it would be.


    "Oh, this is quite surprising; I thought more of you would be dead by now," Feebiemented.

 Chapter 271 Useless Initial Stage Warriors

    <h4>Chapter 271 Useless Initial Stage Warriors</h4>


    There were five ns that made up the majority of the strength of the Dark Faction. These ns were well-known throughout the Dark Faction continent, and they all yed arge part in the academy, through donations of funds as well as resources and skills.


    It was the reason why they were able to supply the students with Qi pills, helping their cultivation raise further and allowing them to grow ahead of those who didn''t attend the academy.


    However, other than the principal, the other n heads usually wouldn''t be too involved with matters involving the students, which was why everyone found it slightly strange that Feebie, the head of the Lethal Bite n, had entered this underground facility.


    "Did you know anything about this?" Mada whispered.


    The five main disciples stood close to the back of the students. Even though Lisa had seen someone who was rted to her, she didn''t rush out like the others. If anything, she was wary of seeing her in a ce like this.


    "The n head has no reason to be here," Lisa replied. "I''m a little worried that they sent a n head here, thinking that something else might take ce."


    These thoughts went through many of those who were present, apart from the desperate students who had rushed forward, kneeling on the floor, thanking that they could escape this hell and pain.


    "Oh, this is quite surprising; I thought more of you would be dead by now," Feebiemented.


    The words spoken weren''t said in a quiet tone, and the voice echoed through the entire dark space. Every single one of them could hear the words, yet they were stunned. They didn''t say anything in response, and they had no clue what to say.


    That was apart from one.


    "What did you say?" Liam repeated. "That more of us aren''t dead. So you expect us to die in a ce like this? What is this? What is the Academy doing? Isn''t this meant to be a ce where students are nurtured for the next generation?"


    Feebie let out a loudughter after hearing these words.


    "It seems that some of you haven''t figured out what this assessment is about just yet, and you think your importance is more than you realize. Firstly, generation? Your views are thinking that of regr mortals and not that of Pagna warriors.


    "Maybe because you haven''t lived for long, you don''t quite understand, but us Pagna warriors at the middle stage have a lifespan that can go up to around 300 years! For us, we will be holding our position for a long time, and there will be many descendants that wille and go during that time.


    "What we need, though, are those that will be strong enough to help the n rise to greater heights and continue to power our strength. At the same time, this is all for the sake of the Dark Faction to prosper. Besides, we n heads all n to head into the Divine stage. Those that have the talent to reach us are the ones that will be worthy to stand by our side."


    A lot of the students were stunned to hear these words. For many of them, it was the first time they had heard anyone talk to them in this way. They had been told by their respective ns that they were the future, they were the stars they needed, and were full of talent.


    In reality, they were being treated as if they were cultivating crops, discarding the weaker vegetation and leaving the stronger ones behind, continuing the process, trying to create just strong crops for the future.


    The thing was, the main disciples, who were close to the top, already knew this, and it was the same with Dame as well.


    "All Pagan warriorse to learn of this at some point in their life, but usually, the process isn''t so cruel," Dame thought. "The less talented Pagna warriors will be guardsmen or mercenaries, maybe even escort guards.


    "They don''t be the legendary warriors that they envisioned when they were younger, and as time goes on, they realize that the ns have somewhat discarded them as those that can help raise the n.


    "They are forced to do those that are in higher positions'' bidding. Life starts to be rougher for them, but joining the Pagna world and leaving it is hard."


    One of the students that were on their knees, begging, stood up from the ground.


    "Wait, you''re going to give us food, though, right? I don''t mind being put at the bottom of the assessment! It''s fine, I just want to eat something. My body, my head, I can''t think properly."


    The student started to inch forward closer and closer, with his hand reached out. When he was close enough, Feebie lifted up her hand and swung it down, bashing it on top of his head.


    It crashed into the floor beneath a loud crack, with small rocks exploding in the area. The student''s head looked as if it had exploded on the floor. He was unmoving, and it was quite clear to them all that he was dead.


    "The n head just killed a student!" one of the students said in a hushed whisper. They were afraid that if they said anything to upset the n head, they would be the next one on the ground.


    "It was quite clear that the student there was not up for the task," Feebie imed. "He was weak, and in this academy, we n to raise the strongest in this ce. If you have no food, then the answer is simple, right? There are bodies right here in front of you."


    The students'' heads turned to each other, as they couldn''t believe what the n head was suggesting. How could they go so far as to suggest even cannibalism?


    "You''re a monster!" Liam shouted out. "The whole academy is full of monsters! When we get out of this ce, do you think our ns will stand by and do nothing?"


    Arge smirk appeared on Feebie''s face.


    "I was waiting for one of you to say that. Do you think we did this without permission from your ns? Each one of them was willing to give you in, for the sake of the Dark Faction.


    "In a month''s time, the martial arts tournament will begin. Do the ns know that it is more important for us to show strength at the event rather than weakness? If we show weakness, the other factions may attack us, meaning the death of many.


    "So what if a few initial stage warriors? If you want to matter in this world, then grow stronger, go up the stages, and have a real say in what happens."


    The five main disciples had stayed at the back, listening carefully, and they were watching as the reactions of the remaining red headband students'' faces changed. They were learning one shock after the other.


    Now they had no idea who to go to. They always thought that if something happened, their ns would back them up. They remembered in the past before this, troubles they would cause and how the ns helped them.


    In a lot of student cases as kids, they had gone too far at times, hurting no-names beyond healing, in spars and scuffles, maybe causing another to lose an eye. In every single one of these situations, their ns were there to bail them out because they were considered special.


    Where were the ns now to help them? And to know that they were behind this.


    "Screw you!" Liam screamed. His fist was shaking with extreme anger. Images were filling his head. He imagined the trenchers


    heading over to his n head and asking them to take in his student, and them epting.


    The adults that were deciding their lives and fate for them. Yet, his fist started to calm down as a realization came to him. What could he do, with his strength, how could he possibly go up against the n head in this situation?


    It was impossible, and the rest of the students realized that as well. Turning around, Liam could see that even the main disciples were doing nothing.


    "Is no one feeling the same way as I am?" Liam thought. "Does no one care about what these guys are doing? It''s just the same; the no-names are treated like crap by the people, the blue headband warriors by the yellow, and the yellow by the red¡­all of it is just a bunch of crap!"


    When looking around, though, he could see one person''s fist that was shaking.


    ''Raze?'' Liam thought.


    Standing by Raze''s side was Dame. The two of them were standing between the main disciples at the back and the row of students at the front.


    "Hey, right now, there''s only one of the n heads in front of us," Raze stated. "If it was me and you, do you think we could take out one of the n heads together?"

 Chapter 272 Fighting anyway

    Chapter 272 Fighting anyway


    For Dame, he found Raze''s response a little unexpected, but at the same time, it was within the realm of possibility. After all, like him and many of those who had spent enough time around him, they knew that there were instances that would set him off. One of them was being touched, and they had figured out this taboo, so they would stay clear of it. But it was clear that there were a number of other things that would upset him as well, and this seemed to be one of them.


    "I like the fact that he is taking to my idea of trying to take down the Main ns, but is this really the right time?" Dame thought. "There won''t be many situations where a single leader will be in front of us like this, and it would be a good opportunity to cover it up."


    Taking the thought into consideration, he started to browse around the room before giving his opinion.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea," Dame whispered, covering his mouth so others wouldn''t be able to see. "It''s not that I don''t think we will be able to beat her, but it''s due to the situation around us. Right now, if we were to attack the n head, I don''t know if the disciples would be against us and try to stop us, or with us, that would ultimately be the deciding factor."


    The main disciples were more aware of their positionpared to others. This revtion that they were all being treated like crops ready to be picked was obvious to them for a long time, so the shock factor wasn''t kicking in for them right now.


    Hearing the answer that Dame gave, Raze somewhat epted the situation and took in a deep breath.


    "Let me speak to the n head!" Liam shouted. "Let me talk to him."


    Simyon, who was by his side, was starting to tug at his friend''s shirt. He was trying to tell him to stop. He was already surprised that nothing had happened so far, but it seemed that Feebie was enjoying the situation.


    "Talk to the n head, do you think they''re in the situation to save you?" Feebie asked.


    "Maybe if he knows what is really going on in here, he would know," Liam replied. "I don''t mind giving my life to my n and the Dark faction. Fighting against dangerous beasts, going against other ns, or fighting in a duel to prove whose martial arts are best.


    "But what I won''t ept is dying due to ack of food and water just for an assessment. How is dying like this for the sake of the n?"


    The faces of the other students started to brighten up a little. Their hopelessness, they could hear Liam''s words reaching out to them. Being a Pagna warrior, they weren''t afraid of death; it was more the situation itself. They realized that they too felt the same way.


    The smile at that moment had vanished from Feebie''s face. She stretched her arm by her side, reaching down and holding onto the fabric of her sleeve.


    "You know, there''s a reason why they sent me. It was because they thought that a situation would arise like this, where people wouldn''t know their ce." Feebie dashed from her position, ignoring the students in front of her, and dashed across the room.


    Both Raze and Dame could only turn as they saw her move right past them. Right when she reached Liam, she stopped in front of him, then pulling her hand back, she made a w-like shape with her hands.


    Thrusting it forward, she pierced right through Liam''s stomach. Her hand could be seen on the other side, filled with blood.


    "Anyone who disagrees with the Pagna academy''s methods is not needed. If you have a problem with it, then you will need to deal with me," Feebie imed.


    "Nooo!" Safa screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice echoed through the entire cave. No one found it strange that the woman from before was speaking because they were too stunned by what was happening to realize what had urred. Her eyes started to glow, and she started to run over. If she could use her light magic and restore skill, along with Raze''s red pills, they should still be able to help Liam.


    Seeing this, Dame had chased from his position as well.


    "It looks like we were toote. Seeing how she attacked one of those who has helped Raze, I''m sure he''s going to act straight away, especially with his sister getting involved!" Dame thought.


    Dame had positioned himself so he was on the other side, and he had grabbed her wed hand, holding onto both of them.


    "If I keep it like this, for now, she can''t rip his body apart; he''ll need immediate care, so I can''t let her attack him again."


    Oddly, Feebie noticed a great amount of strength when the student held her hand. She had tried to give it a small pull but was unable to. It was something that a stage 3 Pagna warrior, even someone like Ricktor, would have been unable to do.


    It didn''t matter, though, because from the side, as if he had gotten the memo, Simyon had appeared, ready to strike. She quickly used her other hand as she swirled it in a circr motion. She was ready to strike again as her visual Qi was building up, and Simyon wasn''t so sure he could handle the next strike. That was until she felt something else fill the room behind him. A darkness filled through the already dark ce, something was building up above his shoulder, and a sword was held in his hand.


    "The second formation of the Dark Edge sword arts: The eclipse strike!" Saying the words of the formation, the image of the book appeared in his head.


    "Stop it!" A voice shouted out, and appearing in front of them was none other than Ricktor. "I think that is enough, n head. We all know you have the strength to take us out, and one student has already suffered. Right now, we are all on edge due to the situation, so I hope you can forgive us."


    "But don''t you think that the true result will be better, as long as you allow things to y out?"


    The Qi that was gathering around Feebie decreased, and the same urred for Raze. When he noticed she was no longer trying to attack Safa or Simyon and not fighting anymore, he had taken away his strike. After he struck, he was sure that there was no going back. At the same time, Dame realized the bloodlust in the air was disappearing, and slowly he decided to let go of Feebie''s hand.


    At that moment, she had pulled out her bloody hand and swung it, causing the blood to stter on the ground.


    Immediately, Safa went to his side and grabbed Liam. Without saying anything else, she picked him up and rushed him off to one of the seclusion rooms. She still knew that showing magic, even in this situation, was a big taboo.


    "I suppose you are right; I have somewhat strayed from the original purpose as to why I am here in the first ce," Feebie stated, as she looked at Lisa, the main disciple of the Lethal Bite n in the eye, and then looked at Ricktor. "The assessment is ongoing, and we need things to proceed naturally to produce great results."


    Dame looked at Ricktor, and so did Raze. They were wondering why he had decided toe in at that moment. Was he trying to help them, to save the lives of all of them, or was it something else? There was no reason for him to do such a thing, and it was making them wonder whose side he was on. Since he was the son of the Principal, it was important to figure this out before trying to approach him, but if anything, this showed them that there was a chance that he could be persuaded.


    Since things looked to be done, Raze decided to turn and head down the hallway where the seclusion rooms were. He needed to give Liam a pill to increase his chances of making a full recovery.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Feebie asked. "You''re one of the star yers in this assessment that we are keeping an eye on, and I need you to see what we have next."


    "Next?" Raze replied, turning his head.


    At that moment, the trap door opened for a split second once again, from above, and two objects could be seen dropping from the ground. They hadnded firmly on the floor. It was clear that they were humans, but they weren''t just any humans either.


    "The assessment has already beenpleted for the other headband colors. Right here, we have the single survivor from the blue headband group and the single survivor from the yellow headbands. Now it''s time to show you just how much they have grown."

 Chapter 273 The Result of the Assessment

    Chapter 273 The Result of the Assessment


    The blue headband student and the yellow headband student stood side by side, their bodies slightly smaller in sizepared to before. Yet when standing there, they were upright, straight, and their eyes were focused.


    They weren''t even moving an inch nor turning their head. As if waiting to be told what to do.


    In the darkness, it was impossible for them to see clearly, but with the faint glowing off the orange stones that Feebie and the teachers had brought with them, their faces slightly came into view.


    "That''s Craiger," Simyon recognized, yet he barely noticed him because his face structure was more sunken inpared to before.


    "Craiger, he was one of the talented blue headband students. He wasn''t as skilled as me, of course, but skilled enough to be selected as one of the students who were to participate in the eventst time. I spoke to him a few times back then, but for some reason, the other students didn''t really want to talk back."


    "Did he really go through what we went through here?" Simyon thought. "Is what the n head saying true, that he had managed to survive what happened?"


    Taking a closer inspection, small specks of blood could be seen across the cloth they were wearing. New scars had been formed on their skin, and some of their fingernails had been ripped off.


    It left one only to their imagination what the others had been through.


    "The two warriors here are the result of this assessment, and the true purpose of this assessment," Feebie exined. "I''m sure you won''t be able to tell just with your naked eye alone, but they have been able to both transcend what their bodies were capable of."


    Whispers immediately started among the red headband wearers. Some of them had reached the second stage, but some were still at the first stage. All of the main disciples were at the second stage apart from Ricktor. Hearing that a blue headband wearer had managed to grow this much in a few days would have been impossible.


    That''s when they remembered the situation they were in themselves.


    "You see, the situation was set up the same way as for you red headband students, only slightly different. They were in the same set of rooms, but there is a big difference between them and you. Their ability to cultivate energy is lesser than yours, so they have felt the effects of starvation and thirst a lot more. In order to persuade them to fight more, we provided a few Qi pills for them to use in the meantime."


    "Although not food, cultivating a Qi pill would allow one to gather energy in their bodies tost even longer. Of course, fighting and a few deaths had already urred between students because, remember, in the other headband wearer groups, their numbers were farrger than yours."


    Some of the students hadn''t even taken this into ount. While their numbers were around the twenties, the blue headband students'' numbers were in the 200s. With groups fighting, the whole ce would have been a bloodbath.


    "With only a few Qi pills given to them, things escted extremely quickly, and the results were beyond what we imagined. It''s just a shame that the same hasn''t happened here with the red headband group, our most talented students."


    The anger was starting to return to Raze slightly. It was rising from within. Death was a natural urrence that urred. People deserved to die due to the things they did, or being in the wrong ce at the wrong time.


    "People often view life from their point of view, rather than from multiple perspectives. However, what I couldn''t stand was a system that allowed this to happen."


    "The Pagna academy is more corrupt and is reminding me more of Alterian by the day, but this is not my business to get involved in," Raze told himself as he took a deep breath.


    Raze could see the same things happening in Pagna as they did in Alterian, but he needed to remember his goal: to get revenge on the Grand Magus, not to make more enemies along the way.


    "In order to prove their strength, I have a proposal," Feebie imed. "Any of you are free to fight against these two here, and if you do, you are free to leave this ce. But do keep in mind that these two warriors are at the third stage."


    Feebie made sure to mention these words, and it immediately put off most of the students from trying. They were already feeling weak, and if they really were at the third stage, they would stand no chance of beating them.


    "I will ept the challenge," a voice said from behind.


    Walking through the students, they were surprised to see who spoke up because it was one of the main disciples, Ossep from the Moon Shield n. If it was one of the main disciples, even at the second stage, surely the new warrior wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Ossep pointed to the blue headband user rather than the yellow, choosing to go against Craiger.


    "I guess he''s been getting sick of this ce," Sherrymented.


    "You might be right, but I think we''re all getting sick of this ce," Lisamented.


    "I think he might have realized that this is his chance to escape death because I have a feeling that we, even us, the main disciples might not be getting out of this ce," Ricktor stated.


    Hearing these wordse from Ricktor meant quite a bit more, and they realized he perhaps noticed something that they didn''t.


    "Very well, the match will now begin!" Feebie shouted.


    Immediately, Ossep pulled the wooden shield from his back and held it with both of his hands. He charged forward, bursting with Qi, going right for the student. When he reached the student, the shield was thrust forward.


    "Huh, did I just hit the air?" Ossep thought.


    He couldn''t hear any movement; he couldn''t hear the person moving. He went to turn to the side but felt fingers right at his neck. They had dug into his skin, and as they slid, he was cut at the side.


    He swung the shield to one side, making a loud gong sound in the air. Arge impact of Qi burst out, but again it felt light. Ossep knew he had hit nothing. Before he knew it, the blue headband wearer was behind him, and had grabbed the back of his head.


    He pulled down, throwing Ossep to the ground. The back of his skull crashed onto the floor.


    Ossep was strong, though, he was a main disciple, so he wasn''t out just yet, although that didn''t seem to matter. Craiger lifted his foot, filled with all the Qi he could muster, and started to stomp away at Ossep''s face.


    He mmed it down on top of the face one after the other. Everyone could feel the slight vibrations in the ground as the footnded, crashing on top of his head, again and again.


    Everyone was sure of it as they watched this; Ossep, one of the main disciples, had already perished, he had died. Yet the n head was doing nothing and just watching it happen.


    Eventually, after around a minute or so, Craiger had finally stopped, his foot bloody. He looked down at what couldn''t even be described as a head anymore and mmed it down, just touching the ground as there was nothing else left to hit, one more time for good measure.


    After that, Craiger had returned to Feebie''s side.


    "As you can see, this matter is very serious, and we will


    not discriminate. The main disciples are not even safe from this."


    The students were more than shocked. They were stunned when they saw the red headband wearers perish, but now, just like that, in front of them, one of the untouchable main disciples was gone.


    What did this mean, now that there were those who were stronger than the main disciples? Everything that they said, everything that was going to happen to them, it was all true.


    "There is still one more student left," Feebie imed with a smile. "Does anyone want to try for their chance at freedom? How about it, do you want to try, star of the Dark Faction, the White Dragon?"

 Chapter 274 A Sense Of Growth

    Chapter 274 A Sense Of Growth


    ?


    With the loss of one of the main disciples, they doubted that anyone would step up to challenge the remaining Yellow Headband student.


    If this was how much a Blue Headband student had progressed after going through everything, they could only imagine the strength of the Yellow Headband student.


    None of them stood a chance, at least, that was until they heard the name that was suggested, the White Dragon. He who had managed to best the main disciples before, producing a miracle, and what they deemed as their biggest problem in this assessment, he might be the one who could best the other student.


    "It would be good for us to show the students the results, right?" Feebie stated. "All of you now understand why we are pushing you so far, since it has produced these two incredible students, and as long as you do the same, then you too can progress just like them. I''m sure even you, the White Dragon, would wish to see how youpare, right?"


    If Raze were to fight, he wouldn''t want to use the Dark Edge Sword Arts just yet, at least not in front of the other n members, in case they recognized what they were. He couldn''t use magic either, at least no signs of obvious magic, so that left him with using the Descending Steps and the Devil''s Formation he had learned from before in the fight.


    With just these things, could he still win? This was actually the question on Dame''s mind. He could see Raze was filled with anger and felt like he was more likely to make a rash decision. That was when he saw him walking over to the dead person on the ground.


    "If I were to beat him, then what would that prove?" Raze said as he finally reached the dead body of Ossep. He knelt down on the ground and started to grab onto his leg.


    It looked like a gesture and nothing more, and in the darkness, his pulsating veins were unable to be seen. Because what Raze was using right now was the extraction technique.


    It was a technique that was said that it couldn''t be used on the dead, but Raze could still sense an air of Qi. It escaped the bodies a lot quicker thanpared to beasts, and maybe most wouldn''t be able to draw the Qi energy around it. However, Raze could feel the energy flowing through the air, just like he would mana. Moving this escaped energy that was in the air, Raze was almost redirecting it to the body and then extracting the Qi energy from the vessel.


    He could feel it going straight into his dantian, and it was growing stronger. He was taking energy from one of the special disciples after all. Still, the disciple was only at the second stage, and although he could feel his dantian growing stronger, it wasn''t to the point where he would be able to reach the fourth stage from this.


    However, as he stood up and looked at the Yellow Headband student, the third stage warrior, he thought of a possibility.


    "What would that prove?" Raze repeated. "Would it mean that these methods are useless because I, who refuse to take part in your assessment, who isn''t from the main ns or any of the ns at all, am able to best those that you have nurtured up till this point?"


    "You shouldn''t say such things before you face him," Feebie stated.


    Raze stood opposite the student and got into a fighting stance. He had taken the wooden sword from the ground next to Ossep. Although he mainly used a shield, he also had a sword for strikes when necessary. In case of getting in trouble with the others, Raze had ced his metal swords in his hooded cloak before arriving at the scene.


    "It''s fair to say, based on the result of thest match, if I lose, you''ll kill me, right?" Raze asked.


    The Yellow Headband student who stood opposite didn''t say anything and just waited.


    ''His mind, it almost looks like it''s been broken down, or under some type of mind control. They must be doing something to the students after the assessment is over. Otherwise, how else would they be able to get them to do their bidding? Unless they''ve just felt a satanic action from getting out of the hell they were in.''


    "Alright, let the match begin!" Feebie shouted.


    At that moment, the yellow Headband student charged in. His footsteps made next to no noise as they touched the ground, a technique they didn''t know before but were forced to learn to be able to track others inplete darkness.


    "If I can''t see you, I just need to disrupt your flow!"


    Raze mmed his foot on the ground, performing the first Descending Step, and the Qi was sent out around his front. He heard something fall to the ground and rushed over with the second step, throwing his sword down. It smashed into the ground as it hit nothing, and the student was seen in the air, jumping right by his side.


    Quickly, Raze used the two-step shift, moving to the side to avoid the strike, but the student''s hand had hit the sword. The hit was strong, and Raze felt his fingers going numb as he did his best to hold onto the sword. It swung to the side, and he nearly stumbled. Before he knew it, he felt like he had been rugby tackled and bulldozed to the side. His entire shoulder was sore, and immediately he could see a wed handing to strike at his face.


    "This may be considered unfair, but who cares about fair or not, in real life, there is only one victor!"


    At this moment, Raze swung his hand, covering it in wind magic. He hit the student''s arm, and it felt more forceful than Lisa''s. The power of Qi and wind swung it out of the way. Raze then immediately went and grabbed the student by his shoulders, dropping the sword to the ground, and moved him so his back was facing toward the teacher. Then, with one hand open, he looked at the student''s foot.


    "Dark Pulse."


    A small pulse of magic shot out, hitting the student right in the foot. He was still human, still something that felt pain, and in this moment, with the palm of his hand filled with Qi, Raze struck upward, hitting him right at the bottom of his chin.


    Crashing down to the ground, equally he had used his wind magic to move the sword toward his hand. In the darkness, the students couldn''t even keep track of where the sword hadnded. With it in his hand, he struck diagonally right across his chest, and blood was drawn as it soaked the room.


    The fight looked like it was in the Yellow Headband student''s favor. Many of those watching felt the same way. His skills, his wild attacks, they were working against Raze. But that was until he used his magic.


    If the others knew, would they think he was cheating? Would they think he was dishonorable? What did he care? Being honorable didn''t bring back the dead.


    "You would have killed me anyway, and your mind seems to be lost, so the least you can do is help me progress!" Raze grabbed onto the Yellow Headband student''s head right there and then.


    He looked to be badly hurt from the strike across the chin and across his chest. Now, in that moment, his veins were pulsating, flowing with power. Raze was getting stronger by the moment, while the body in front of him was shriveling.


    ''You, the Pagna Academy, were the ones that made me do this. You gave me no choice,'' Raze thought. ''If you really want to get me involved in all of this mess, then that''s fine. I''ll go against the academy.''


    The dantian in Raze was growing, and cracks were starting to appear, as he was starting to reach the next stage.

 Chapter 275 Breaking The 4th Stage!

    Chapter 275 Breaking The 4th Stage!


    The dantian was cracking, and it was happening quicker than Raze had expected. It took him a big event like going against the Light Faction Elder to reach the third stage, and he thought it would be the same again for the fourth stage.


    With ack of crystals for energy and needing to split crystals between growing his magic core and dantian, it would take him longer to progresspared to others. This was expected. Although he had the potential to be stronger than the others, it took him twice as long and twice the amount of resources.


    However, it seemed like the bottlenecks that were harder for those to break through might be different for each individual, and having already gone through a hard bottleneck before for himself, this was a lot easier.


    Using the extraction technique on the strong, powerful third-stage warrior while they were still alive allowed Raze to consume all their energy, and when his dantian started to break, the student had been dropped on the floor. His body was lifeless, shriveled slightly but not to the point where it looked to be dehydrated. It was hard to tell much difference since the student was already somewhat malnourished and looked mostly like bones before they even started fighting.


    "Is this it? Am I reaching the fourth stage now?" Raze thought.


    The cracks in his dantian grew and grew until finally, it had split apart. It broke, growingrge in size, and underneath ayer was solidifying. A wave of Qi burst out from his body. All of the students in the dark space felt a gust of wind hit them, but the wind itself seemed energized and filled with energy. Shortly after, a pungent smell entered their noses.


    Although the others couldn''t see it, a small amount of ck smoke was almosting out from the pores of Raze''s body, escaping into the air. It was anotheryer of impurities that had gathered in his body; they had left, allowing him to be moreplete, stronger, faster, reach another stage, and even somewhat extend his lifespan.


    "Oh, it looks like from that fight, you managed to break through to the next stage. I''m guessing you''re now a stage 3 Pagna warrior?" Feebiemented.


    Feebie had no clue what stage Raze was at, but she had witnessed him using strength at the level of a second-stage warrior during the event against the main disciples. Somehow, using his skills, he was still able to beat Ricktor, who was at a higher stage than him. This was why she also didn''t think it was too odd for the White Dragon to have bested the Yellow Headband stage 3 warrior either. Due to the darkness, she mostly had to use her other senses to imagine how the fight went on.


    There were some things she did find strange, but nothing too shocking that would make her suspicious of the student. Besides, she knew he was one to use some demonic techniques, and she herself didn''t know most of them in the first ce.


    What she was wrong about was the stage that Raze had broken through to; he was now at the 4th stage, a feat that only one in every hundred thousand Pagna warriors could achieve at his age, a true talent.


    "As you can all hear or see, the Yellow Headband student has lost," Feebie announced. "But in the process, it looks like our White Dragon was able to progress to the next stage. It appears that even he is benefiting from this assessment nicely."


    "Which is why the assessment will continue for all of you, and I can''t wait to see the results down here."


    Her words were noted by the students because there was a said prize for winning. A prize that made it so the other students would even consider facing the others in the first ce.


    "Wasn''t he meant to be free from this ce if he won?"


    "Is she saying we have to stay down here with him?"


    "Wait for how long, until everyone is dead? Isn''t it clear that he''ll be the only one left alive?"


    The tension in Raze''s fist continued. After winning the fight, he thought he had an easier way to get out of here and explore, to do the things he needed to do. But he should have expected that they would go back on their word, and that everything was just for show.


    ''Being in the Academy the way it is, is no longer safe. I fear that the same thing will happen to me as it did at Alterian. Dame is right; I need to act faster,'' Raze thought to himself. ''You were the ones that brought this on yourselves.''


    "All of you are to be warned, the second-year students of each of the color headbands are going through this as well," Feebie stated. "The Blue Headband wearer here will be joining the second-year students."


    "Remember, all of you are battling for the same ces, and when I return next time, I might be bringing them with me. So I expect to see some results in here. If you want to grow and survive, you can''t just wait and cower in the corner; you have to strive even higher."


    With those words said, Feebie and the rest of the teachers decided to take their leave. They started to scale the side of the walls, while one of the teachers picked up the Blue Headband student. When they reached the top, the metal hatch had opened slightly, and all of them escaped through. The light from above quickly closed up, and the entire room returned to one of darkness for them all.


    No longer did it feel like the same ce they were in before; everything felt a bit different now. The first ones to leave the dark ce were the main disciples, standing further apart from each other than they did before, and after that was Raze, Dame, and Simyon.


    They had their own things they needed to do. The first ce of concern for them was one of the seclusion rooms. They could see Safa had ced Liam on the ground, and she had already done some work. She had used the restore spell around his stomach, restoring the wound to what it was before. It had already practically closed uppletely, but Liam''s skin still looked slightly pale.


    "Here, take these," Raze said, throwing two pills, one red and one blue in color. "The red pill will heal him slightly, but it won''t be as good as your restore spell. I''m sure you''ve tired out quite a bit anyway. As for the blue pill, it will help him restore his own Qi, allowing his body to do the rest of the healing that you can''t do."


    Safa nodded and quickly gave Liam the two pills. She ced her hand under his jaw, forcing him to chew them a few times, knowing it would be slightly hard for him to swallow. Everyone''s throats were practically dried out due to theck of water. Still, the energy was passing through him, and color was returning to his face somewhat.


    "So, judging by your actions there, are you taking what I said before into consideration?" Dame asked.


    "Do you always ask questions you already know the answer to?" Raze replied.


    "Well, I just thought I would give you some peace of mind while you''re gone," Dame said with a smile. "I''ll look after these three. In the meantime, we won''t just be doing nothing. Everything that I have learned through my years of life and having already gone through the Pagna Academy, I will teach them all. While down here, I''ll make sure that they be even stronger than the main disciples."


    Hearing this, Raze decided to pull out another object, a small warrior statue he had on hand.


    "Now that Safa can produce magic as well, she will be able to activate this," Raze exined. "Maybe you can use this in your training as well."


    Just then, there were a few coughs from the floor, and Liam''s eyes were wide open. Small specks of bloodnded on his clothes and the ground, but not too much for them to worry about.


    "From the sound of things, are you leaving this ce?" Liam asked.


    Raze looked at all of them in the eye and gave them a nod.


    "Well, when you return, are you going to do what I think you''re going to do? Are you going to take out that n head? If you are... I need to at least get a hit in myself!" Liam shouted and started to cough some more.


    "No," Raze replied. "I n to return, and when the assessment is over, I don''t n just to take out the n head. I n to take on the whole Academy. So all of you, get stronger. Get strong enough so you can pay them back with your own hands because that''s the only way to get out of this situation."


    "And that''s the only way these people will learn!"

 Chapter 276 Out of the Cavern

    Chapter 276 Out of the Cavern


    ?


    Raze needed to remember to bring back food for all the others, as it was part of the n to win the students over to his side. However, with his current robe at the level it was, he couldn''t bring in enough, apart from a few rations here and there. So he decided that while he was away, he would upgrade a few of his own equipment as well. He had been focusing on others for a while, and it wasn''t just weapons that could improve one''s strength.


    He didn''t know how long he would be away or their situation, but with Dame, he was sure the others would remain safe, as long as more leaders didn''t get involved.


    Right now, Raze was preparing as he drew a magic circle on the ground of his seclusion room. Safa was keeping watch in one direction, while Simyon was keeping watch in the other. Lastly, Dame was standing by the doorway of the room itself.


    "So, I know you have a way to get out of here, but have you figured out a way back?" Dame asked.


    "Don''t worry, I have it all sorted. I''ll be returning right here when the time is right. My guess is it might be a week or so."


    "A week!" Dame coughed, quite surprised. But considering almost one had already passed, it was no real surprise to think that the assessment wouldn''t end for another three, or at least two more weeks since thest week would involve some disy of results.


    "You said to wait for the perfect time, right? By then, I think everyone will be in a desperate situation to dispose of the leaders. When I bring food back, we''ll see how they will act. Either they will see me as their savior or as a vicious hoarder who should have helped them out sooner."


    Raze was currently making a magic circle that would send him to the first dimension he had arrived at when he first got there. It was the same type of magic circle; wherever it was drawn, it would lead him to a different ce in the other dimension. That wasn''t too much of a problem because to return, he just needed to make note of where he had drawn the magic circle and create the same magic circle in the same position as before to return to the underground cavern.


    "I trust that you wille up with good excuses if peoplee looking for me," Raze said. He was done with the magic circle and stood up, already having pulled out a power stone.


    "I''ll just say you''re in the Dark Space; no one can confirm or deny since no one can see anything anyway. Besides, after what happenedst time, I doubt anyone would want to go in there if they know you''re in there," Dame exined.


    With that, the power stone was dropped, and the magic circle lit up. The portal opened, and Raze had finally escaped from the underground assessment area.


    The portal zapped up from behind, and Raze found his feet nted on the hard, dark cobblestone flooring. This time, rather than on the side of the giant wall-like structure, he found himself inside one of the cities. He had appeared in the streets with crumbled, fallen-down buildings on his side and therge wall off in the distance.


    The scenery around him confirmed that he was in the right dimension, but there was something significantly differentpared to thest time. When looking at the sky, instead of dark grey clouds, it was a mix of light swirling blues all going up towards the sky. It set arge glow to the area, slowly swirling like a cloud. There were some objects like bricks and sorts that looked to be pulling objects towards them like a type of ck hole.


    "The change in the area... is that because the dimensional boss was defeated?" Raze thought to himself.


    He remembered Dame mentioning that in order to stop conflicts between the Light Faction and Demonic Faction, the portal that had originally been opened to this ce was closed. The only way for this to happen was for the dimensional boss to have been defeated, and it was defeated by none other than Beatrix.


    The thing was, the portals that Raze knew about from Alterian and the portals from Pagna seemed to be different. For one, portals didn''t stay open, nor did things like portal breaks ur from them. They also didn''t run into figures like that of a dimensional boss and were able to still open portals to such ces. So for Raze, this was a first, entering a portal after the so-called dimensional boss was defeated. In theory, it was a ce that could no longer be essed by those from Pagna, but with Raze''s skills, they were possible.


    "After the dimension boss is defeated, there is also ack of beasts here. They were only level one power stone type beasts in the first ce, so there won''t be much to get from here. Let''s just make a note of where I am and get out of here."


    Making note of the street, Raze could see up ahead there was an old-fashioned device that had a bucket at the top. It was made of bricks and arge circle at the bottom. When he went toward it, he could smell a sense of dampness. It was quite clear that it was a device used to draw water from underground with the bucket. Another sign that at one point, these dimensions that they entered had signs of life in them.


    From the water drawing device, Raze counted several paces back as he ced one foot after the other. He had to be precise when he measured this since it would allow him to return to the seclusion room.


    "I wonder if I made the magic circle slightly off; would I then be stuck in a wall, or perhaps just appear undergroundpletely and suffocate?"


    It was safe to say it was something that Raze didn''t want to experiment with. After retracing his steps, he had the perfect location of where he needed to be, and now it was time to get out of here.


    Walking away, he summoned the chalk into his hand, ready to draw up the circle.


    "Stop!" a voice shouted.


    ''A human voice? That shouldn''t be. There should be no one here; it shouldn''t be possible for someone toe here!'' Raze thought in his head.


    He soon turned around and could see a hooded man standing there, his arm extended out. He was wearing white-colored robes with gold iy. On the top of his head, there was arge ''I'' icon in gold.


    "You do not bear the same clothes as us. State who you are and your purpose for being here!" the voice shouted again.


    Immediately, Raze was grinding his back teeth as he looked at the hooded figure. The way his arm was extended out pointed at him, even though they were standing a distance away. His light-clothed clothing was easily recognizable, and it flowed even though there was next to no breeze.


    ''It''s a mage... and what are they doing in a ce like this?''

 Chapter 277 Another Mage?

    <h4>Chapter 277 Another Mage?</h4>


    Therge golden "I" was the emblem of Grand Magus Idore. It was a symbol that Raze recognized well, and with the cloak floating as it did, it was clear that it was an enchanted one filled with magical energy.


    The person in front of him was undoubtedly a mage. They weren''t from Pagna, or at least not originally from Pagna, but he wasn''t quick to jump to conclusions.


    "It''s a mage, it''s my first time seeing one in a while," Raze thought. "The clothing he is wearing is simr to that of the mages that belong to Idore''s guild, and those big-headed Grand Magi didn''t even bother to give their guilds another name. They just use their own name and ce ''guild'' in front of it."


    If it was someone from Idore''s Guild, then Raze had all sorts of questions about what they were doing here. Were there more mages with him? They might be on a portal expedition, and if that was the case, why did they end up here? Was it a new portal that they had opened up on Alterian? That was quite possible.


    Raze thought back to his research. Through all the portal expeditions they had been on, they had never run into another person, including those from Pagna.


    If that was the case, was it because after a portal had been closed on Pagna, through the defeat of the Dimension boss or other means, now those from Alterian could ess it?


    Was this the reason why the two had never met? It was a theory that would need more testing, but there was also another possibility.


    "The person in front of me could also be from Alter. Right now I''m wearing my dark robe, which shields my real face. If they are from Alter, they would know I used magic to be here. I don''t know how strict they are with their rules at the moment, but I don''t want to find out either. I know Alter uses items thate from Ingram, and I have yet to find the connection between the two."


    These were the current two possibilities, and in his eyes, either one was bad if they were to find out who he really was.


    "Did you sneak into this ce without permission?" the white-robed man shouted and asked again.


    He wasn''t getting any closer with his hand held out. He had been trained well in situations going into the unknown. The real issue was how Raze would answer; if only he knew where they were from, Alter or Alterian, he could decide.


    "It''s quite clear that you are not a part of us, and if that is the case, then you will be eliminated." A white glow surrounded the mage''s hand, forming a condensed beam.


    "I see you''re not too friendly with wanderers, right? Well, that''s okay," Raze replied as he swung his hands in a rapid fashion.


    "A gust of wind!"


    The wind started to blow all around, kicking up the dirt around him and creating dust tornadoes. Light beams started to fire into the gust and back out, several lines of sharp wind shes appearing through the air.


    Seeing this, the white-robed mage used his hands to fire quick shes of white light, destroying the energy.


    Using this opportunity, Raze broke free from the gust and was on the move. His hand was covered in lightning, and he extended it out.


    "Connected Shock!"


    The stream of lightning never left Raze''s fingertips and went out like a straight line straight for the white-robed warrior. When it looked like the attack was about to hit, the lightning stopped just shy of the mage.


    Every time the lightning struck, a giant reflective orb seemed to surround the mage like a protective shield.


    "A protective shield?" Raze noticed. "Is that from his enchanted robe? He has quite good enchanted equipment, and he seems to be using mostly Light Magic, although he''s bound to have other attributes as well. From the spells and the amount of mana he''s used so far, he''s a 3-star mage, just like me."


    There was a bit of excitement running through Raze; he could feel his heart pounding. It had been a while since he had fought like this, against another mage, where one had to try to be a step ahead of the other.


    At the same time, it was a game of finding out. Since no one knew what type of magic the other knew, or what enchantments they had.


    The mage opposite then shoved both of his hands forward, and a constant beam of light energy shot out. When it hit the ground, it destroyed a thickyer of the floor beneath it.


    "I know mages seem to act a bit brazen, but this is ridiculous. What if I was actually an ally or an important figure?"


    The beams were crossing in and wereing toward him on both sides. Right now, Raze was wishing he at least had the earth attribute, as it was a bit tough on him in this situation.


    "Wait, I don''t need the earth attribute; I can just do something else?" Raze thought to himself.


    He then lifted his foot, and as he did, he gathered the Qi underneath it and mmed it into the ground. His Qi was far stronger and more refined now that he had reached the fourth stage, and arge chunk of the ground was lifted out.


    Lifting his other foot, he did the same to the other side, then ced both of his hands on therge pieces of rock and started to freeze them over. The rock was reinforced and blocked the two beams of energy.


    "That spell is a little hard to control and move," Razemented. "You should diversify your magic a bit more."


    Raze then lifted his own hand, and the particles in the air started to freeze over.


    "Ice Shards."


    Several small spikes of ice flew from his hand and headed straight toward the mage. Seeing this, the mage almost did the same as Raze, lowering his foot and pressing it into the ground.


    When he did, arge piece of earth smoothly came up. It wasn''t as rough, nor did it shake the ground like when Raze did such an action, because this was earth magic.


    The wall of earth blocked the ice shards from hitting him.


    "He didn''t want to use his enchanted armor for that? I guess he doesn''t just want to rely on the shield, and it means it can be broken," Raze thought to himself.


    The light attack from the side had stopped, and the earth wall descended. The man in the white robe looked ahead, not making any movements just yet as he stared at Raze.


    "You are quite an impressive mage," the white-robed man said. "You must at least be at the 3-star level. It seems that the two of us are evenly matched."


    Raze''s eyebrow started to twitch slightly. Evenly matched? Quite impressive. These words were somewhat insulting to him.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that Raze was still trying to hide himself, he would have used some instances of Dark Magic, his strongest attribute.


    "Why don''t you just state the reason why you are here and avoid this fight altogether?" the magemented. "Otherwise, things will get extremely difficult for you. You didn''t think I came alone, did you?"


    "Oh?" Raze replied with a raised eyebrow. "So there are more of you. I guess that means there is no reason for me to keep you alive since I can just ask the others."


    "You talk like taking me down is easy!" the mage stated, both of his hands starting to glow again.


    "You were right about one thing," Raze said as he moved forward.


    The white-robed Mage threw his hand forward, and a beam of energy shot toward him, but using the two-step shift, Raze moved to the side, avoiding the hitpletely. A white beam of energy came out again, but Raze moved from side to side, avoiding the attack as he continued to move forward.


    "The two of us are both three-star mages, but I am not just a mage anymore!" Raze had avoided all of the strikes, and when he was close enough, he avoided one more and used the second descending step, kicking him forward, a burst full of powerful Qi.


    He raised his hand, and mid-swing, he summoned the ghost de sword. It started to glow slightly red as it was filled with demonic energy.


    "The Second Devil''s Formation!" The sword crashed down, and the barrier from the enchanted robe activated.


    The moment the powerful Qi struck the orb, it shattered into pieces, and the sword continued swinging down, causing a deep cut right across the side of his body.


    The mage could see his blood in the air in front of him.


    "I''m not just a mage!" Raze stated as he twisted his hand.


    "Wind Vortex."


    Arge amount of wind appeared from Raze''s hand, but instead of pushing away, it seemed to have a sucking effect, pulling the mage from behind toward him. With the sword again, Raze shed from the side, cutting right through both of his arms, and then with his other hand, grabbed the back of the Mage''s head.


    The veins on his hand started to pulsate as the Tractum Tranquil was being used, and he could feel new energy moving to his magic core.


    "You should have asked questions first and actedter; maybe you would have lived then," Razemented.


    The mage could feel his life being drained from him in that moment, and as his life was fading away, Raze could see that more were starting toe toward him, more of the mages in white robes.

 Chapter 278 Combining Powers A new type of mage!

    <h4>Chapter 278 Combining Powers A new type of mage!</h4>


    The mages were spread out in the dimensional space, wearing white-colored robes along with the gold symbol on top of their head. A couple of them stood side by side, as one of them was using their wind magic to push the debris of the building.


    Meanwhile, another had lifted himself into the air, looking to see if he could find anything from above, in the area that had just been cleared.


    "There''s nothing here!" The mage shouted from above andnded back down by his colleague''s side.


    One of the two looked at his wrist, at a bracelet-type device, and gave it a singr tap. A holographic map of sorts had opened up, and tracing his fingers in the air, he saw that the section of the map remained red.


    "This search is taking longer than it usually does. It looks like whatever happened here had quite the effect on it," the magemented.


    "It''s okay; at least we know that there is nothing to worry about," the other replied.


    "Worry?" the manughed. "What would we have to worry about in a ce like this? There won''t be any strong beasts in a dimension like this; they already checked it out. We''re just the cleanup group, you know how it is."


    "Any beast we run into, with our strength, if we had trouble with it, then we shouldn''t be on these types of missions in the first ce. Everything has gone smoothly so far, so why would it be a problem now?"


    "You just never know, right? There could be a high-stage beast around the corner, or maybe we might run into other groups that are trying to get to this ce as well."


    "And if that happens, we will deal with them. There are plenty of us, and we''re all at the 3-star level. Do you think that we would run into someone capable of taking us out?"


    After saying those words, they could soon hear amotion going on nearby. Not just that, but they could also feel the flow of mana condensing in a particr ce.


    It was clear to them that a fight was going on, and the mage in question had to be struggling. Seeing this, the two of them had decided to rush over, and they weren''t the only ones that had gone towards themotion.


    "It''s another mage!" one of them said, surprised.


    They could see a man standing there in ck robes, and by his feet, a bloody mess on the floor and a shriveled-up body.


    "Hey, you''re making a mistake!" the mage shouted. "Do you know who we are? No one would dare go against us!"


    Raze looked at his hand; he had just used the extraction technique on a living mage; it was the first time he had done so. He could feel that rather than the energy from the mage going to his Qi, it had gone to his mana Core.


    His mana core had grown in strength and size. However, his attributes didn''t increase in strength, other than his darkness attribute, but that was due to him having killed a person rather than from the extraction technique itself.


    ''I could feel the different affinities trying to go into my body, but my magic core just rejected them. If I manage to find some mages that have magic affinity the same as mine, it''ll allow my attributes to grow even stronger.''


    Raze smiled as he held the sword in his hand. "Who are you? That''s exactly what I want to find out," Raze asked. "Please tell me!"


    Immediately, the five mages that had arrived started to lift their hands up; some were gathering light magic, others gathering ice and wind, and all of them were pointed at Raze.


    "You''ll find out on your deathbed! How could you kill one of us!" the mage shouted.


    Out from the palm of his hand and all the others, a flurry of attacks all went toward Raze, who was standing in the center. All of the spells being used were at the three-star level.


    Using his dark magic wouldn''t help him here, especially since some of them were light magic users.


    Right when the attacks were ready to reach him, Raze jumped up in the air, performing a flip, one of the other descending steps. All of the attacks collided in the center, missing him.


    "Do I look like a mage to you?" Raze said with a smile on his face, as he swung his sword in the air across the side.


    "The third devil''s formation strike!" With the third strike, he had added the power of his wind magic, creating arge line of aura in the air.


    It hade out fast, and had hit two of the mages on the ground. Their enchanted mage armor had activated, allowing them to block the attack, but they were pushed by the sheer force, being lifted in the air and falling to the ground.


    "Watch out, everyone; he seems to be some type of magic swordsman!"


    Raze smiled at himself as he heard these words because he thought he was much more than just a magic swordsman. Whennding on the ground, a flurry of spells continued, but he was able to avoid nearly all of them with his footwork. As a fourth-stage Pagna warrior, he was just too fast for them.


    Finally, he had reached one of the mages that were ready to attack him; he swung his sword rapidly twice, attacking with two wind shers, activating the barrier.


    The attacks were stopped dead, even with the power of Qi; the enchantment on the robes had to be pretty strong. Stepping forward with the second descending step, Raze gathered dark magic around his fist and threw it right at the orb.


    "Dark Strike!"


    With the footwork, the Qi, and the magic power all condensed, his fist hit the barrier and smashed itpletely. The power of the pulsating strike continued and hit the mage, creating arge wound in his chest.


    One could see right through and witness the sky on the other side; the body fell to the ground as the mage was dealt with.


    ''This is beyond what I thought?'' Raze looked at the dead mage on the ground. ''I knew I had grown stronger, but I never knew how muchpared to other mages.''


    In the past, if Raze had to go against a number of 3-star mages while he was still a 3-star himself, he imagined, with his knowledge and experience, he could go up against two at most.


    However, with his Pagna warrior skills, he was proving to be too agile for them. The added Qi and magic in his strikes were too devastating for them as well. It was no contest; he could deal with this group with ease.


    "Well, this is perfect; I only need to keep one of you alive, and there''s something I wanted to test out," Raze said as he swung his sword by his side, and it started to glow with a faint purple light.


    "Dark Edge Magic Sword Arts: The Second Formation." The sword was then lifted right above his head and held with two hands. "Magic Eclipse Strike!"

 Chapter 279 Mage’s Silence

    <h4>Chapter 279 Mage¡¯s Silence</h4>


    The cobbled floor was wrecked, as the ground had been destroyed; arge line broke through the center of the flooring. The side structures, which had already been damaged, had suffered even more and hadpletely copsed on the floor.


    Around, four mages were seen lying on the floor, too injured to stand on their feet, taken out before they could fully utilize their power. They themselves were perhaps unaware of what happened to them.


    Only one man was standing present, with his sword in his hand, at the end of the broken flooring.


    "I''ve only learned two of the Dark Edge Sword Arts, and this is the result of the second art. Sure, this is the result with it being mixed in with my magic, but even without magic, the strike is extremely powerful. Mixing this even further with the descending steps, I can see how these techniques would disrupt the Dark Faction."


    Thinking about it a little more, there was a slightly bigger worry in his head. These techniques were created by a great master. Someone who was in the same situation as Raze, being able tobine magic and Pagna arts, yet even he was defeated at some point.


    His whole kingdom that he had built toppled.


    The mages had been injured to the point where they could no longer fight back, but Raze had purposely only injured them, keeping them alive. He walked towards one of those that were closest on the ground.


    "Who are you guys?" Raze asked.


    Before the man could even answer, Raze grabbed his face and started to use the extraction technique. The mage was unable to do anything as he could feel his mana core and the rest of his energy drift away until he no longer had any life in him.


    Letting go of the man, he was lifeless, and Raze soon moved on to the next one.


    "There is no recourse for mages who decide to attack me with the intent to kill, and if you guys are who I think you are, and are in a ce like this, I will assume it''s for other reasons."


    Raze soon walked over to the next mage and proceeded to ask the same question. "Who are you guys?"


    Once again, Raze didn''t give time for the mage to answer and grabbed around his mouth, drawing in his energy, taking it away from him.


    One of the mages that was nearby, lying on the ground, could move his head; his legs had tworge holes in them from some type of magic attack from before.


    "If you do that, how are we supposed to answer you!" The mage shouted, his heart racing.


    He saw the mage in the dark clothing let go of his ally, who had now shriveled up into something that resembled a raisin. Now, the mage in the dark robes wasing toward him.


    "Oh, so you guys can hear me?" Raze asked. "I was hoping since I''ve been asking the same question, that one of you would have answered even before I spoke."


    Raze dealt with the others before they could answer to show that his threats were serious. That if he didn''t get what he wanted, then it would mean death to the others.


    ''I can''t go easy on them; I can''t because if they are involved with him, then I know they wouldn''t go easy on me.''


    The walk turned into a single Qi step push which allowed Raze to reach the Mage who could barely move; his entire body was trembling, even if he wanted to speak, it almost felt like he couldn''t, and before he knew it, he too had been grabbed around the mouth, the energy sucked out of him.


    Raze could feel his core growing, and when the mage died in front of him, the dark essence flowed into him.


    [Dark attribute: 50 >>>>> 58]


    [Wind attribute: 28 >>>> 32]


    [Ice attribute: 18 >>>> 21]


    [Lightning attribute: 15 >>>> 18]


    ''My magic attributes are getting stronger because of this. All of this will do me well as I go against tougher mages. These guys were a little uncoordinated, and it seemed like they had experience fighting against Pagna warriors, but that won''t be the case for everyone.


    ''With my current magic and strength as a fourth-stage Pagna warrior, I still wouldn''t have been able to defeat that Elder from the Light Faction on my own, nor best the n heads.''


    When Raze first arrived here, there was almost no doubt in his head that magic was superior to the Pagna martial arts. Perhaps this was his naivety as he had seen very little of their techniques and more of the magic.


    However, he was starting to consider that the Pagna martial artists were the tougher opponents that he needed to look out for.


    Finally, Raze had reached thest mage. In the first ce, he only needed one of them to live to get the information he needed.


    "Now tell me, are you from Alterian, or are you from Alter?" Raze asked, making the question more specific.


    The mage who was lying on the floor just smiled; veins started to build up on the side of his head as he said nothing. His face was turning bright red, and before he knew it, his head exploded into several pieces of flesh chunks.


    It had popped like a balloon, and Raze had to cover himself to stop part of it from sshing over himself.


    "Damn it!" Raze yelled in anger. "The damn rat killed himself. Are there people really that loyal to scum that they would be willing to do that?"


    The anger was building inside of him, as he felt like he was close to finding out something. Or at least being a step closer to his goal. The truth was, Raze was going to deal with thest mage anyway regardless of his answer because no one was allowed to know of him or his whereabouts. Perhaps that was the reason as to why the mage had killed himself in the first ce.


    Looking over at the rest of the city, Raze could feel the movement of mana far and wide; he could feel it behind the walls as well. There were more of them, far more than just this group; they were just the first ones toe in contact with him.


    ''This is arge-scale operation, and I have no idea how many of them there are, nor if there is a higher star mage with them. If there is, then it could bode trouble for me. Although I wish to find out why they are here, I might need to save it for another time.''


    Thinking this, Raze got out of the scene he made as soon as possible and entered one of the broken-down houses. He made sure the area was clear and checked through the openings.


    They looked like windows, only there was no ss blocking between the ways. Here he could see a couple of mages moving about. Which was why he was hasty in his work as he went ahead and drew the magic circle for memory.


    ''With the absorption of the other mages, I can feel my core getting stronger. I thought absorbing the level five power stone would allow me to reach the next star level. I wanted to do that while I was in the other dimension.


    ---


    "But doing so will attract attention. I never expected other mages to be in a ce like this. So I will just need to do it some other time," Raze thought as the magic circle lit up. A portal opened, and he stepped through, knowing that he would need to return to this ce in order to make his way back at some point and wondered what would await him then.


    In the dimension, the mages were beyond startled as they hade across the many dead bodies on the ground. They could see that the team had been killed, and examining the scene, they were trying to see what or how.


    "Just what happened here? Was it another mage from another guild, perhaps?" one of the mages asked.


    "The person has to still be in the area; we need to search for them."


    One of the mages looked at their shriveled-up member on the ground. "Whatever, or whoever this was, it''s clear that they are a dangerous person. Let''s send a report back and see what they wish to do."

 Chapter 280 The Infamous Alchemist DM

    Chapter 280 The Infamous Alchemist DM


    The items that were made by the Dark Magus had started to sell and were appearing on the market. This was with the help of Dame''s fellow friends and Fixteen taking charge.


    At the moment, there were two straight avenues for selling the pills, one of them was through direct contact with certain people. Those that were close to Dame, and in some cases those ns that had asked the Crimson Crane for a meeting.


    This was because people were already starting to learn that the Dark Magus was under their protection. It was hard for them to draw a line though; they were unsure whether this legendary alchemist, as people were calling him, had hired them for protection or if he was part of their group.


    Rumors of what had urred with the Light Faction Elder started to die down as well. Reports were starting toe out that it was the Crimson Crane that had taken out the elder, with the help of the Dark Magus'' items.


    It was unsure where this rumor was spread; Fixteen thought it might have been the members of the Crimson Crane themselves, in order to get a bit of heat off the Dark Magus.


    Either way, it did well for Fixteen, as the rumors of the powerful Qi pills that were marked with DM were growing even stronger.


    The only ce to get the items belonging to DM at the moment was by heading to Repton, and many ns in the Demonic Faction were now heading to Repton with the chance of getting their hands on one of these Qi pills.


    Inside the usual red-roofed restaurant on the second floor, a small meeting was taking ce. Kirk mmed a heavy sack onto the table. The sound of clinking was heard as it was clear to all of those around what was on the inside.


    "This is a gold mine!" Kirk imed. "The price of these pills, people keep wanting to buy more and more of them!"


    "It''s because people have actually been able to experience the pills for themselves," Fixteen said calmly, while keeping one eye open. He could see Carlson and Kirk, counting out the silver coins one by one over and over, making stacks of them.


    "But surely this is too much even for the effect of the pills, right?" Carlson replied. "I mean, I know the effect is great, but not to the point where ns are emptying their fortunes for them."


    "You are correct. Right now, the pills are in an intionary period," Fixteen answered. "The effects of them have never been seen before. I predict that most of our buyers are actually ns trying to replicate the pills for themselves."


    "The effects of the pills aren''t so great, but they arepared to regr Qi pills. So if there is a way to mass-produce these in some ways, and then spread them out to the rest of the continent and other continents, then that n can gain a fortune that can influence the kingdoms and empires around the world."


    "Remember that the world of Pagna is just one half. No one has ever been able topletely conquer all the continents, because at one point or another the kingdoms and empires decide to get involved if things start to look too one-sided."


    The other two were nodding along as if they understood everything, but it was clear that they didn''t. Either way, they were fascinated by all of this.


    "Then will the other ns figure out a way to make these pills, what happens then, won''t this whole empire of the DM crumble?" Kirk said, as the pile of coins he had made hade crashing down right in front of him.


    Fixteen had a big smile on his face. "I think the Dark Magus has thought this through quite a lot. My guess is one of two things; the first, it''s just not possible to replicate his technique, since he uses something from another worldpared to ours."


    "Even if that isn''t the case, we have seen therge variety of pills he can create. If someone is able to copy him, then he will just make something better. When the buzz starts to die down with his pills, we will also move before the others, and start to spread them all over the continents, in and out.


    "The fact is, we are one step ahead of everyone. They will be able to finally replicate the lower-grade Qi pills, then we spread them all out to everyone, do you know what that means?" Fixteen asked.


    "That everyone is on even ground?" Carlson replied.


    "Exactly, if everyone can get their hands on the pills then they are no longer special, and that''s when the Dark Magus will create the next product, making DM''s items the best¡­" Fixteen''s voice trailed off at the end, and it didn''t go unnoticed by the others.


    "I feel like there is a ''but,''" Kirk added.


    "There is," Fixteen said. "Which is why we need to rely on the Crimson Crane and their help. Based on everything I said, the result will end up the same. Either ns will figure out they are unable to replicate the DM pills, or they will find out that we will always be one step ahead.


    "Leaving them just one choice, to go after the Dark Magus. ns will realize just how powerful of an alchemist he is, and the top ns from all over will do anything to get him on their side, even by force."


    Judging by the Dark Magus'' personality so far, they assumed that he would never do such a thing. Even while he is working with the Crimson Crane, it felt like he only epted due to their unique set up.


    Since all members were treated more like partners than anything.


    Fixteen was right in many of his predictions, and there were some ns that had already attempted to replicate the Qi pills after buying them, yet found it near impossible for them to have the same effect.


    It was quite clear that this Dark Magus was one heck of an alchemist. One that a certain group of people needed at all costs.


    Inside the Neverfall n base, deep down in the abyss, the second most lower floor was where the Elders as well as the n Head currently resided. The very bottom of the floor was where the n Head would do his training most of the time, and rarely did he ascend even one floor above.


    This time he had done so, since a particr person had called for a special meeting with him.


    Belil Narfous, the n Head of the Neverfall n, had pushed wide open tworge ck double doors. They swung open with great strength and speed and looked as if they would m against the door, but just before it did, it stopped suddenly.


    The momentum of the doors had stopped as if time itself had been stopped.


    Belil walked in, his body covered in beads of sweat that ran down his muscles. It was visible to all in the room since he wore no shirt.


    Yet, when he sat down in therge seat that towered up high, almost reaching the ceiling, the beads of sweat didn''t run off his body and onto the ground or table; they just stayed on his body as if attached.


    "This matter seems quite important for you elders toe down here, and it seems you have invited some of my family as well," Belilmented.


    The table he was sitting at was rectangr in shape, and it was incredibly long, a table that could seat fifty guests. At it, though, were four elders and his daughter Rayna. She wasn''t sitting next to the Elders though.


    If anything, her seating arrangement seemed out of ce, since there were three empty seats, one to her left and two to her right.


    "That is because I need your permission for something," a loud booming voice filled the room from the other end. A man that was nearly twice the size of everyone in the room in a thick ck overcoat.


    It was made of the same material of cloth as regr Pagna warriors, only around the hood, there was ck fur that wrapped around one''s neck. It was quite strange, as in the abyss, especially on the second floor, there was heat that regr people, even those from other ns, would find unbearable yet this man was fine, for he was one of the Demonic Faction n heads.


    Rayna eyed therge man up and down with his scruffy ck hair that almost matched the fur of his coat. He looked more like the beasts they fought against rather than a human.


    "This man, he is the leader of the Behemoth n, thergest n in the Demonic Continent with over a thousand talented Pagna warriors. It''s no wonder that the elders called father toe to this meeting. He is Sha Mo."


    "You''re asking permission for something, that''s a bit odd? Is it to do with the Neverfall n?" Belil replied.


    "No, as you know, the Behemoth n is in charge of Repton, and recently I have heard that there is this Dark Magus, a great alchemist that has been selling items. You see, I want this person, but from my research, I have gathered that you might have an interest in this person as well."


    "An alchemist?" Belil replied. "When have I had an interest in such methods? I do not rely on such things as pills or borrowed strength, only one''s own power."


    This caused Sha to let out a loudughter that shook the room once again. "I see, so you will not get involved in my ns to get this Dark Magus, that is good."


    ''Wait!'' Rayna screamed inwardly. ''The Behemoth n after the Dark Magus, this is not good. I haven''t even proposed to father about the idea of him bing my partner, so he has no reason to protect him.''


    With this in mind, she decided to speak up, saying the one thing that might help the Dark Magus.


    "I heard that he is currently under the protection of the Crimson Crane, so this might cause some problems," Rayna stated.


    "Do you think that matters?" Sha asked. "The only person I was worried about has just given me permission. So we, the Behemoth n, shall snatch this weak alchemist over to our side!"

 Chapter 281 A Place Full Of Treasure

    Chapter 281 A ce Full Of Treasure


    After arriving in the Demonic Faction, Raze had headed straight for the city of Reptum. He got a few stares here and there due to the ck robe that he was wearing. However, it wasn''t just him, as there were quite a few others in the city wearing them as well.


    Raze remembered that the Dark Faction founder apparently was seen in such clothing, which was why one would spot the general public wearing them once in a while. On top of that, there were always just those who generally liked to hide themselves.


    However, judging by the number of people he went past that were wearing the same type of robe as him, he could see it had significantly increased.


    ''Has the fashion changed in this world now?'' Raze thought to himself. ''It was quite obvious telling the difference between mages and Pagna warriors due to their clothing. That was how I noticed those guys from before werepletely different, but if people start wearing the same clothing, it''s going to get a bit harder.''


    There was one saving grace, and that was Safa''s god eyes, that could tell if a person had a magic core or not, and he would need to use her wisely when he could.


    In the city of Reptum, Raze wanted to get to work. He needed to gather more power stones and the general appliances to create a new batch of crystals he could then deliver to Fixteen.


    Technically, they thought that the Dark Magus would make them while he was away and deliver them once in a while to the group.


    However, things wereplicated on Raze''s end, and thankfully due to observing Reno from the Crimson Crane, Raze was able toe up with a mass-producing technique which allowed him to create them on the go, with one spell.


    As for the meeting ce, it was the familiar red-roofed restaurant. Entering, Raze went and sat down on the bottom floor that was filled with square tables, and the area was busy as it usually would be.


    Raze ordered nothing and just sat there in the corner for a while, that was until a somewhat scrawny man walked over and sat on the opposite side.


    "I don''t know if you''re trying to bepletely invisible or you''re trying to stand out," Fixteenmented. "I mean, the fact that you order absolutely nothing and came to a ce like this on your own. If you had been here a while, I''m sure the owner would have asked to kick you out of the ce."


    "Well, it all worked out in the end, right?" Raze replied. He was hoping that the other would be able to spot him, and his n worked, there was no need to get worked up on the if''s that could have happened when it didn''t.


    "I thought Dame might be with you; is everything okay?" Fixteen asked. It was expected for a friend who cared a lot about Dame.


    "He is doing well and is continuing to help me," Raze replied. "Today, we were meant to meet due to a delivery, but we were unable to get the items on our end."


    Fixteen raised his hand, gesturing Raze to stop speaking. "Say no more. I will have level 1 and 2 power stones ready for you, as well as the raw materials. I will let you do your thing. There is no rush; things are going well, really well, in fact."


    A small bag was slid over the table. Raze looked to open it, and thought it was fewer coins than he expected, judging by the weight.


    ''Did they just manage to make a few silvers? I guess they have been selling them cheap to try and get the name out there.''


    Opening the bag though, there weren''t silver coins; instead, there were gold coins, and from the looks of things, there were at least 20 of them. Before Raze had managed to sell one of the Qi pills to Alter for 10 silvers.


    1 gold coin was the equivalent of 25 silvers. Raze expected the price to drop once there were more of them on the market, but that didn''t seem to be the case at all.


    "We actually still have more to sell," Fixteen winked. "We''re kind of keeping the supply limited at the moment to keep the price high, which is why we''re in no rush for this type of thing. Also, that''s your cut, by the way, after everything is deducted, including our fees for keeping this under wraps."


    Raze understood, and he could never imagine these people trying to backstab Dame. However, he would have still liked to keep a closer eye on the whole operation because right now, he was just trusting them blindly, but there wasn''t much choice in the matter.


    "If you stay at the same inn as you didst time, we''ll have the materials delivered to you then. When the sun sets, I wille to this red-roofed restaurant for 2 hours. If you aren''t present, then I will leave," Fixteen exined.


    "Don''t worry too much," Raze replied. "After you deliver the items, I should be able to get you your Qi pills back the same day. However, is there something else you can do with this money?" The bag of gold coins was held up.


    "I want you to look into getting better items for me. I know you said there is the auction house, but I was wondering if you could search for an auction house that has even better items than that, and in particr, I''m looking for a robe."


    Raze didn''t have the time to go to each auction house in every city in search of items that had great magic affinity. However, based on his results at thest auction house, if he bought up what Pagna deemed special robes, then maybe he would find one that would work well, and once he reached the fourth star in his magic core, he could enchant it with an even better enchantment.


    His fight with the mages from before had somewhat reminded him of that. He did think of taking one of their robes for himself for a moment, but the idea of wearing something that was created by Idore sent a shiver down his spine.


    "Your request might be more difficult than you think," Fixteen answered. "You see, ns already have a number of means to make ie, other than just selling items at the auction house.


    "So in a way, the things that end up at the auction house are leftovers that next to no one really wants. Or something the n already has an oversupply of in the first ce."


    "So you''re saying the best items are kept by the ns themselves," Raze answered.


    "Correct. Although I can still do as you request, 1 gold coin would be enough to buy some robes nobody was looking for at the auction house. Items that you are looking for would be with the ns already."


    The Demonic Faction was still the best ce to look for these items that he needed, since he had no doubt Alter would be keeping track of all the auction houses outside of the Demonic Faction.


    Unless he stumbled across a Pagna warrior who happened to keep a special robe. Maybe in treasury of sorts but not carrying one around with them.


    ''Wait, there is a ce where I can get enchanted items, and strong ones as well!'' Raze''s eyes lit up, wondering why he didn''t think of this before. ''My robe was able to transmit items. I know this because I was able to hand Qi pills to them, so I should be able to also take things back to Pagna.


    ''If I head to Alterian, I can go back to my secret storage where all my old items were kept!''

 Chapter 282 The Perfect Enchantment

    Chapter 282 The Perfect Enchantment


    The Dark Magus hadn''t said a word for a while, and although Fixteen was unable to see his eyes or nose clearly due to the strange effect of the robe he was wearing, he could see quite a deep smile on his face.


    The news he had given him, he thought it was bad news, so he wondered why he would be so pleased. Instead, he decided to just shrug his shoulders and move on.


    "There is something else I need to tell you," Fixteen added. "The Crimson Crane, they are looking for you. They said that a member of theirs is waiting for you at the pill refining facility here in Repton. So you might take longer than you think on those pills."


    With that said, Fixteen was finished with his business with the Dark Magus for the time being, but just as he was about to leave the table, he turned around.


    "Look after Dame. The Demonic Faction was a dangerous ce for him to be in, but forgive me for saying this, but I fear him being with you might end up even more dangerous."


    Raze didn''t give a reply and instead watched as Fixteen walked off. As for the reason he didn''t answer, it was because he thought it very well could be true.


    Leaving the restaurant, Raze thought he would drop by the pill refining facility to see what exactly the Crimson Crane wanted with him before he did anything else. After all, for his n, he still needed them. So he had to stay on good terms.


    When he arrived, he soon headed inside therge metal shack, where hammering away, furnaces boiling, as well as a number of other things could all be heard going on inside the ce.


    Waiting on the inside was a person Raze had be quite familiar with. His dark eyes, that gave him the appearance of a panda, stood out to him.


    "Ah, it''s nice to meet you again," Reno said as he gave a small bow, but he wasn''t standing alone. By his side was a man with wild hair and a scar on his face, and arge long sword on his back.


    If Raze remembered correctly when he was introduced to the members, this person was known as Kizer.


    Reno had invited Raze into his rented room, and just like before, it was filled with all types of different nts. There was next to no room for the three of them to stand in, and even while talking, it appeared as if Reno was working on something.


    "Alba informed the two of us to stay here just in case you returned. Since there isn''t really a good way for us to stay in contact," Reno exined. "One of us had to volunteer, and since I am not as energetic as the others in getting achievements, I didn''t mind staying."


    Although Raze could see that being the case for Reno, from image alone, he didn''t imagine it was the same for Kizer, who was by his side.


    "I guess you''re wondering why Kizer is by my side," Reno said, continuing his work. He started to work away with a special type of round grinder tool. It was something made out of stone with a fat blunt end at the end.


    He would mainly use it to grind down the nts into a paste as well as other ingredients. This was known as a mortar, and the tool being used was a pestle.


    There was a reason why Raze liked Reno because he didn''t need to speak as much, since he already had an idea of what he was thinking.


    "I think you remember, for us to fulfill your requests, we had made a deal. That you would create an item for each member of the group, as long as they brought the raw materials. Well, Alba wished for the first member to be Kizer.


    "He is one of the brute attackers of our group and is mostly on the front lines in fights. He is not quite a tank, but is a part where the group iscking in power, which is why she wishes for you to create a weapon for him first."


    Raze looked at Kizer and back at Reno for a while and eventually answered. "No."


    "What!" Kizer shouted back, nearly drawing his sword immediately. "This was an order from the n head. Why would you outright refuse it? Are you trying to go back on our deal?"


    Reno quickly stretched out his hand, stopping Kizer from getting closer.


    "I''m sure you can borate, right?" Reno asked with a nervous smile, hoping it wasn''t something petty.


    "I am happy to stick to the deal and create items for the Crimson Crane, but in particr, I wish for the first item that I create to be for you."


    At that moment, Reno stopped using the pestle to grind his ingredients.


    "Me?" He pointed at himself. "But I am more of a member that supports the group."


    "You have helped me in more ways than you can count. The deal was to create items for the group, not to do so in a particr order, and I wish to return the favor to you first. This is something that I will be stubborn about. Once I am done with your item, I will be happy to create an item for Kizer."


    Hearing this, Kizer did calm down a little, he was still frustrated; anyone could see this by the red on his face, but he also knew how valuable Alba thought the Dark Magus was.


    "Alright, but I''m not really sure about an item. I don''t even use items in fights that much. Do you have an idea of what I could use?" Reno asked.


    Raze looked at Reno and remembered how he thought, and started to look at the room and remembered something. Items weren''t just tools that could be used for fighting; there were other ways as well.


    "That thing in your hand, how many of them do you have?" Raze asked.


    "These, I have plenty of them, and they''re not expensive toe by," Reno answered.


    "Great, then get me as many of them as you can, and as many tier 3 crystals as you want. I will create you an item that you won''t regret!" Raze smiled.


    Raze had a n; he truly did want to help Reno, and in this situation, the Crimson Crane growing was his own strength as well. So he had a n.


    Level 3 power stones and him being a 3-star mage meant he could only perform enchantments that woulde out around the Rare ranking. At least this was the case 90 percent of the time.


    For the ten percent, an item coulde out to be a lower ranking or an even higher ranking, bringing it to the Elite or Unique Grade.


    However, these chances were incredibly low. Still, Raze could use his dark magic to guarantee an enchantment that would reach the Elite Grade, but if he continued and hoped for that 10 percent, then he could create an item at the Unique Grade without having to be a 5-star Mage.


    It was a cheat that only he could do, but it needed a bit of luck. Of course, there was also one more oue that could ur, the item bing sealed, giving it a random chance to be an even higher grade than that.


    However, it would have to be several trials and errors for it to work out.


    "As long as you have a lot of crystals, I can make this work," Raze smiled.


    As for all the failed items he would create that didn''t reach the level he was hoping for, perhaps he could sell them to other alchemists, allowing his fortune to grow even bigger.


    ''This is a good way to get grade three crystal items without having to purchase or earn them myself,'' Raze thought.


    Level 3 power stones were a rarity at the auction, so ns needed to head to other dimensions and defeat beasts to obtain them. Now he had a way of getting their worth from the Crimson Crane through making these items.


    Seeking them at the auction, he would build a bigger fortune, all with the guise of helping out the Crimson Crane.


    At the same time, currently in Repton city, the members of the biggest n in the Demonic Faction had been given an order. It was to find all members of the Crimson Crane and get the whereabouts of the Dark Magus through any means necessary.

 Chapter 283 Creating The Perfect Enchantment

    Chapter 283 Creating The Perfect Enchantment


    Upon further observation, Raze assumed that Reno was an alchemist, but after seeing his powers and havinge to his ce of work a second time, he realized that it wasn''t the case. An alchemist was either a single individual or a group of people thatrge ns would have.


    They would supply the n with the best type of Qi pills as well as medical herbs and more, all for the sake of improving the n''s condition. In some cases, they also worked with the physicians, helping them create the rightbination of things to progress healing.


    They were an important and essential part ofrge ns. Some of them knew how important their position was, and rather than work for an individual n, worked on a for-hire basis or with merchants, creating a market of sorts.


    These individuals were seen as part of Pagna, and at the same time not quite part of Pagna warriors since their cultivation in terms of strength wasn''t usually so high, although there were exceptions.


    Since they worked mostly with Pagna warriors and within ns, some would also pursue the world of martial arts. But this was more of a safety measure.


    However, what Reno was, he was a poison arts user. One of the arts that very few people delved into, since those that practiced the art had their fair share of deaths. It was easy to make mistakes when it came to tools as powerful as poison.


    Not only that, but it was a difficult path for many to take due to the requirements that were needed as well. For instance, for one to constantly improve their art, they would have to go on the search for deadly poisons across the continent, making their own special herbs and Qi pills in order to increase their cultivation power.


    Consuming these poisons allowed the body to create antibodies as well as producing the same powerful type of poison back was part of the art. Learning all of this, Raze was just gaining more respect for Reno, for not having taken an easy path, and based on how hard he worked each time he saw him, as well as his dark ck eyes, one could tell he was fully involved in his path.


    Helping him out they had hired a room for the Dark Magus to work in. It was in therge metal warehouse-like building that was full of multiple rooms where alchemists and those simr worked.


    It was all covered by Reno, of course, and the room appearedrger than the one that the Crimson Crane member would work in. It was the same size, but with it being barren of nts and equipment, he could see everything clearly in the room.


    There was arge furnace, boiling pots, as well as shelf space and arge center table in the middle as well. The entire area was cleared. What was most important for Raze was the open space between the center piece and the furnace; it wasrge enough for him to draw several circle formations on the ground, which is what he would be needing to do.


    After inspecting the room, it wasn''t long before Reno knocked on the metallic door and pushed it open. Both him and Kizen entered the room pushing tworge wooden wagons that had containers on them.


    They took them to the side, parking them up, and then slid the top of the lid off. "This right here should be everything that you need," Renomented.


    Taking a peek, Raze could see it; the crate was full of level 3 power stones. From the bottom to the top, there had to be at least fifty power stones in there.


    ''This is all of just his collection of power stones? Is this all that he gathered over the years of being a warrior? I can''t imagine how manyrge and high numbers of power stones the Crimson Crane have as a whole,'' Raze started to think.


    ''I would be able to consume these, or attempt tobine them and make higher-level power stones to try and increase my magic. This is a gold mine!''


    Raze was getting excited, but he quickly threw away the thought. He was already going to get a lot out of this exchange, and a promise was a promise. He would take this seriously.


    As for the other crate, it was filled with pestle grinders that could be used to enchant the object, and they were the best one could buy on the market, made with well-bnced materials.


    "We will leave you be, since I''m sure you will be busy," Reno replied. "I will be in the other room waiting, or if I am not there, I will be resting, but you will eventually find me at this ce either way."


    Reno knew that alchemists tend to keep their secrets with them. They knew how special such things were, but in this case, knowing the Dark Magus had some strange powers, they thought it was more so.


    When the others left the room, Raze didn''t waste any time as he got to work. After drawing the magic circles on the ground, he had ced the pestle grinder along with the power stone on the ground.


    He sat down, and the Dark magic started to flow out of him. ''The enchantment I have made is a basic enhancing one, but still, as long as the grade of the item is high, it will be an item that is highly sought after and worth putting the marking of DM on!''


    This time when the magic circle lit up, Raze continued to pour his magic power into the circle and started to go over the lines with his magic again and again, pouring more power into the item.


    ''There was a theory that one of the professors came up with, the more magic spent condensed into the item, the more likely it was to be a high-graded item. Of course, it was something that was nearly impossible to prove.


    ''Because at times, the results still seemed random since there were many duds, but I looked into the research papers, and although it seemed that there was no corrtion, that was only when one took a broad range of mages.


    ''If one was to look at the results from the talented mages or those with great magic control, there did seem to be a slight increase chance of something better! So let''s do this and make this item!''


    Raze stretched out his hands, and the dark magic drifted from either side with the power stone, and as it swirled, the item was done. The glow faded, and it fell to the floor nging.


    [Elite Grade cursed Pestle has been created]


    Raze didn''t even bother to read the rest of the information about the item as he ced it off to the side. It was in his eyes a failure. He knew using Dark Magic with the items he had he would create an Elite Grade item; he needed that 10 percent to work in his favor and create an even higher-grade item.


    ''I guess I still have fifty more tries; this is taking me back to my research days,'' Raze said as he started the process again.


    Inside the Demonic Faction, in another city that was built inside a mountainndscape, Alba was currently present with two other members of the Crimson Crane. She was with Forma, the small red-cheeked bow user, and Talon, a blonde man dressed in all ck with a mask on his face.


    The three of them were currently walking across arge wooden bridge. There were many of these in the cities as it would take


    one person from one area to the next. Asrge building structures were built up and down the side of the mountains.


    This was the way that they would pass through. At times, the bridges could hardly be seen due to thick fog, but today it was bright, and they were walking across the bridges as many others were passing them as well.


    "So are we waiting on the Dark Magus to do the next raid on the dimension?" Cornier asked. Raid was a term that one would use when a n entered a dimension. They would either go on hunting for beasts to gain crystals, or if asked, it was a raid, arge group of several ns, or a singr n with the goal of destroying the dimensional boss.


    "It is assumed that the Dimension is at the high Initial stage level or low Divine level, which might be too much for us," Alba replied. "I want to try and gather more information about it, and build up supplies. Honestly, having the Dark Magus by our side might give us more confidence.


    "But we''re still not sure what he''s capable of just yet. Let''s see what type of items he can create for us. If they help us quite a bit, then maybe we can just head into this Dimension.


    "For the meantime, I want to gather a few more things."


    Alba had only recently received news that the Dark Magus had returned to Reptum and was working on items. She thought that it would take a while, and it would be wrong of her to request he make an item for every single one of the members straight away.


    So she thought it was best to leave him be for now. The group was midway across the bridge, and immediately Alba had drawn one of her dual des on her back, swinging it to the side.


    It shed against another sword, and a man with ck spiked hair stood on the other side with a smile on his face.


    "Alba!" Cornier shouted, as he charged in, ready to attack, but immediately three men jumped from what appeared to be the side of the bridge and got in the way of him helping his n head.


    "The side of the bridge, but that''s a deep drop; they must havee from underneath." Crocker thought. "That means these guys were targeting us."


    The man with the sword gathered his Qi and swung it, pushing Alba back; she looked unfazed, but for a strike to actually push her back meant the other person had to be at the middle stage as well.


    "The legendary Alba, huh?" The man smiled. "Do you remember us?"


    Alba looked at the man''s face for a while, and it did ring a bell, and that''s when it hit her.


    "The Behemoth Guild... you''re one of their captains, Wild Fang! What are you doing attacking us?" Alba asked. "We have no problems with you."


    Soon the bridge was filled with multiple members; the three Crimson Cranes were surrounded by what looked like fifty Pagna warriors, all of them either at the high initial stage rank or at the middle stages.


    "Oh, but we have business with you; tell us, where is the Dark Magus?" Wild Fang asked. "Otherwise, the Crimson Crane will no longer cease to exist. And don''t worry the fact that we have appeared in front of you know means we have been able to locate every single one of you Crimson Crane members, wherever they are."

 Chapter 284 Unlucky or Lucky?

    Chapter 284 Unlucky or Lucky?


    Picking up the pestle off the ground, Raze then chucked it to the side. It made a nging sound as it hit the floor and rolled across until it touched therge pile of many other pestles.


    "I haven''t been counting how many times I''ve done this now, but the crate is looking pretty empty."


    Raze was a little frustrated, he had to admit. So far, all he had created were Elite grade items. There wasn''t a single one that was at the unique or mythical level. A ten percent chance of it noting out as an Elite grade item, and it seemed his luck wasn''t working with him.


    Originally, he thought maybe if he created two items at least at the unique grade, then he would be able to keep one for himself. Yet even that wasn''t happening.


    "Ten percent, shouldn''t that mean at least 1 in every 10 would be a higher grade than Elite, and I''ve been pouring my Dark Magic into the item creation process, and yet still no luck. Maybe those research papers were right, and it really doesn''t make a difference after all."


    As Raze continued with the next item, he continued to condense and pour his Dark Magic into the creation, though. Because if it did increase his chances, and he had been this unlucky, then what if he did the same thing without it? Then he would never get a unique grade item at all.


    The process continued once more, and the pestle fell to the ground. Immediately, from the way it shined, Raze could almost immediately tell that it was another Elite Grade item.


    "I''m sure there are some mages that would be happy to even aplish enchanting one Elite grade item, but I''m not one of them," he sighed.


    Raze had been so focused on the item process that he didn''t even know how much time had passed. With him condensing and flowing his Dark Magic into the item, it was taking a lot longer than the original enchantments, at least fifteen minutes per try.


    "Not even a single one is a sealed item either. Was all my luck used on Simyon''s earring and that statue? I guess that might be the case after all," Raze thought.


    s, he continued the process, making Elite grade item after Elite grade item, and now it felt like he was down to thest few that were in the crate.


    "Will they be satisfied with an Elite Grade item? Probably not," Raze continued the process.


    He closed his eyes, trying to focus even more as he poured his Dark Magic. Rather than just condensing it, he thought of other ways in trying to improve the enchantment. The magic circle determined how the power stone and the item would be used together.


    The magic circle used the power from the power stone to enforce the magic circle''s instructions, giving it a certain type of effect. Yet, mages knew the type of magic used would influence the enchantment, giving them different effects.


    At times, some magic circles were specific attribute enchantments as well. In this case, Raze would also be able to use two types of magic to create an even better effect.


    This was how he had created the special enchantment on the sword because it was one that used and needed the user to have ice magic, a specific ice enchantment effect, then using his dark magic the item was cursed, making it more powerful than it would have been.


    However, right now, he was just using a basic enchantment, along with Dark magic.


    "Maybe because it''s a basic enchantment, I need to use even more magic. If I dilute the output and condense it down even more, that will help increase the chances."


    At this point, Raze was willing to try anything.


    ---


    It had been a few hours since both Kizer and Reno had left the Dark Magus to his own devices.


    "So you aren''t a bit curious about how he makes those things?" Kizer asked.


    "Curious, yes, but to the point where I wish to sour our rtionship, not quite," Reno replied. "That man, he reminds me very much of the poisons that I deal with on a day-to-day basis. For me, they are a great tool that allows me to live on, giving me strength. For others, it can be deadly."


    "But even I have to treat the poisons I deal with, with respect; if I don''t, they can harm me as well. And that is how I feel about the Dark Magus; we need to know how to deal and handle him; otherwise, we could all suffer from his poison."


    "Right?" Kizer replied. "From that, I just got that you think there''s a chance he might do more harm to us than good, and for that I agree. You know having him in the group is getting pretty dangerous as well."


    "I''ve been hearing a number of ns have been looking for him. Sure, quite a few are put off when they hear our name, but you know that won''t be the end of it. There will be those ns that will be willing to still try anyway."


    "And I believe that is a risk that Alba has calcted," Reno replied. "I think Alba believes that we, as a n, have stagnated, and there are only two options for us to grow in power. Either operate more like a normal n, taking in more talent and raising students trying to get stronger for the future generations."


    "Or to take a risk and be something even greater."


    A knock was heard at the door, and they could only assume it was one person since they didn''t tend to get visitors.


    "Come in!" Reno called.


    To that, Raze had entered the room. He looked exhausted to the two of them; his hands were down by his side, and his body was almost slumped over as well.


    "Your item, it''s¡­done," Raze informed them.


    The two Crimson Crane members looked at each other, just waiting to see what the Dark Magus had cooked up.


    They followed Raze, entering his private room, to which they could see a pile of pestlesid out on the ground. The first thing Kizer did was take a peek inside the crate.


    "Wait, you used all of them!" Kizer said, lifting up the crate with one hand. He could feel how light it was and could tell that he wasn''t imagining things.


    "I know there were at least fifty in there, and you used them all up. Do you know how much we could have sold those crystals for!" Kizer shouted.


    The pile of pestles didn''t give him much hope as to what they were used for, but Reno did notice something, a singr pestle that wasid out on the table. He picked it up, and as he did, he could immediately feel a strange power drawing to him.


    Something that he had never felt before, Raze then, with a slight movement of his finger, allowed magic to move in order to disy the information to him.


    [A Unique Grade Cursed Pestle]


    [Using this item in the creation process will allow for the item to have a 10 percent stronger effect.]


    Reno''s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he read this. Could it be possible? Could just using a single item increase the effects of everything he worked on by ten percent just like that, with the flick of one''s fingers, just like it was some type of¡­ magic?


    It seemed impossible; how could such an item exist? Alchemists worked years and years just trying to increase the effectiveness of their creations by a single percent, never mind by 10!


    All of the poison recipes he had created before, now by just doing the same thing again, but using the item he held in his hand, he would grow in strength. He had essentially be ten percent more powerful.


    Not only that, Reno was already imnting finding recipe''s created by other poison art''s users. Even if he followed all of their instruction and used the same items down to thest mark, he would always create something superior then they could by using this item.


    "That item is not for you," Raze said.


    "What!" Kizer shouted. He didn''t know the effects of the item, but seeing how speechless Reno was, he thought it was something great, and now he knew it was a catch.


    "Did you create something so great that now you don''t want to give it to us?" Kizer said.


    "No, that''s not it," Raze replied as he pulled out another pestle. "This is for you."


    The item was practically glowing as Raze pulled it out, nearly lighting up the whole area.


    [A Mythical Cursed Grade Pestle]

 Chapter 285 Behemoth Vs The Crimson Crane (Part 1)

    Chapter 285 Behemoth Vs The Crimson Crane (Part 1)


    Due to the unique nature of the Crimson Crane n, and how individually each one of them was strong in their own space as middle-stage warriors, often the group split up and only gathered when the request was made by Alba.


    In the group, Alba was the only one able to make this request; it was part of the rules of the n in a way. Even a n like theirs had to have some type of structure for them to work together. Of course, a member could always pass on information to Alba and request the grouping of other members if they were to have a problem, and with their low number of members, it wasn''t as if there was arge chain of people that one needed to go through before it reached Alba''s ears in the first ce.


    Which was why the group was split up like so currently. However, there was a certain goal that all of the members had on their mind, and that goal was that they were soon to head into the dimension space that was graded at the high middle-stage level or low Divine rank.


    It would be the first time for the group their size, and would allow them an even higher position if they were able to aplish this, putting them close to the realm above, a realm of masters that didn''t really bother with ns, continents, and territories.


    Preparing for such a thing, currently, Tilon, a member of the Crimson Crane who wore heavy armor and had arge ck shield on his back, Lilly, a rtively small woman with arge spear, and Elvlin, another user who used a ive that was almost bigger than their entire body, were traveling together.


    It was correct to say that they were fighting together. Elvlin, holding therge ive, jumped up and swung down, slicing through the top skull of the gori-like beast in front of him.


    The gori beast looked just like a gori, only it was around four times as big, and its eyes glowed slightly yellow, piercing through the light.


    One of the gori beasts came from the side and threw out a wide punch. To which Tilon pulled out his shield, blocking the hit. The shield vibrated with power and made a nging noise like that of a gong.


    While the attack was blocked, Lilly had seemingly appeared from behind, and with the spear held in her hand, she had condensed the entire item in Qi. It was glowing faintly. She then threw it through the air, and it pierced through the beast''s head.


    Right after, she followed up by running forward and pulled the spear out of the gori. Another beast had appeared with both their hands held together, ready to swing it down on top of her head, but she looked unfazed, almost uncaring about the hand above.


    That was because a shield had appeared in the air, and Tilon held it above like an umbre, blocking the attack for her. Lastly, Elvlin hade forward again, swinging the giant ive, slicing at the beast''s neck.


    When it fell to the floor, for a moment there was silence and a pile of dead beast bodies.


    "I guess it''s time for us to do the dirty work of gathering the crystals now," Tilon said.


    The group got to work as they extracted the level 3 power stones from the goris. For them, this was a warm-up. They had entered a dimension, wishing to keep their senses high, their fighting instincts sharp. If they couldn''t get through, going against level 3 beasts without a scratch, then they weren''t ready for the next level dimension.


    "You know, I''m kind of excited to see what the Dark Magus might make for us," Lillymented as she wiped some of the blood from the crystal and proceeded to ce it in her pouch.


    "Ah, I know what you mean," Elvlin replied. "We all saw that sword he made that helped us defeat the elder. Could you imagine if our weapons had that kind of effect? I''m really hoping that Alba selects me next."


    "Ha!" Tilonughed. "You know the next choice is me. She chose Kizer wishing to boost our striking power since he is the one that deals the most single-handed damage. However, after increasing one''s striking power, the next obvious choice would be to increase our defenses, right?"


    Although the Dark Magus hadn''t made any items for them yet, unlike some in the group that were skeptical about how much his influence could help them, there were others that were happy that he was on board.


    This was mainly due to them experiencing the power of the Qi pills firsthand and having witnessed the effect of one of the weapons already. It was safe to say that they were quite jealous that Kizer was the first one to have received a new item.


    "Alright, we should get out of here," Lilly said. "Any more, and the dimension boss will appear, and we don''t want to clear this portal; otherwise, the n will give us a big headache."


    With this, all three of them held onto what was known as a return stone. When breaking it, they would return right to the entrance of the dimension where they had entered from.


    Each of them broke the return stones, having gathered the power stones, and they soon appeared back on Pagna,nding on the hard orange continent, with little to no green around them.


    However, what they were surprised to see was that there were several people waiting for them on the other side, and not just several, it was more like a small army as fifty of them had appeared.


    "Erghh, do any of you guys have an idea of what is going on?" Lilly asked.


    The others shook their heads as they were unsure, to which Tilon walked ahead with his shield out. The Pagna warriors in front of them had their weapons drawn, so he already assumed that they were being hostile toward them.


    "We received permission from the Red Square n!" Tilon stated. "We entered this portal after paying a fee. Also, we are members of the Crimson Crane."


    Tilon was hoping that stating their n name in this situation would diffuse them from fighting. Even if they were confident they were going to win, going up against fifty Pagna warriors would be a pain.


    However, he wasn''t sure if they could win this bout, as those in front looked to be quite experienced Pagna warriors and not just your run-of-the-mill warriors. Which gave him more reason to use the n''s name, which was something that they usually wouldn''t do.


    "Haha, we know exactly who you are!" A long blonde-haired man said. "If you didn''t state you were from the Crimson Crane, we would have believed we had the wrong people. Either way, let me state something for you.


    "We, the Behemoth n, have bought the rights to this portal. This is now under us, and you have illegally entered our portal, and for that, we will punish you. Or there is something else you can do, tell us everything about the Dark Magus."

 Chapter 286 Behemoth Vs The Crimson Crane (Part 2)

    Chapter 286 Behemoth Vs The Crimson Crane (Part 2)


    The group from the Behemoth n had made it clear why they were here. It seemed that news of the Dark Magus being under the Crimson Crane had spread, and although it deterred most ns from attempting to do anything, it hadn''t deterred one of the ns.


    "We don''t know where the Dark Magus is," Tilon answered, and in his head, it was the truth. He really didn''t know where the Dark Magus was. He hadn''t got an update on the situation back in Repton like Alba had done.


    "That doesn''t matter," the Behemoth n member said. "As I said, we just want to know everything about the Dark Magus, as much as possible. So are you willing to speak up."


    Tilon didn''t answer, and neither did the other two members behind him. Instead, they gripped onto their weapons, holding them a little tighter.


    "I thought that would be your answer, and you know what, I''m somewhat d!" the long-haired man started.


    Immediately, the fifty members or so charged forward, and seeing this, Tilon made the first move. He reacted by digging his shield into the ground and ced both hands on top of it. Powering it with his Qi, a wave of energy let out, pushing the people back. It had stopped them for a moment, and in that moment, both Elvlin and Lilly went for the attack.


    Lilly stabbed right through the stomach of one of the warriors and spun her de, throwing his body off her weapon. His body went flying into the direction of the others, who had decided to avoid and ignore him.


    Elvlin was swinging his ive, revealingrge chunks of energy. The members were a little cautious to get close, but some of them had appeared right from above, as they came crashing down. Elvlin lifted the ive using the handle part to block the hit and then swung the weapon, trying to throw them off.


    From the hit alone, he could tell that most of them were high initial stage warriors, close to the peak and close to reaching the middle stage. They were incredibly strong.


    "Be careful!" Tilon shouted as he rushed forward, blocking a sword strike with his shield from hitting Lilly. He then pushed the shield forward, and a st of Qi energy hit the warrior, making him fall to his feet.


    "These guys, they are from the Behemoth n!" Tilon shouted. "They are thergest n in the Demonic Faction, and their warriors are no joke either. Due to this, some would say they might even be the strongest n in the entirety of the Demonic Faction."


    This was the level of opponents that they were going against, and they had just been battling against beasts. Although they weren''t worn out, they were a bit tired from the fighting.


    With how many members were here, and possibly more toe, Tilon was worried, but not just for himself. He was also worried, wondering what was happening with the other Crimson Crane members at the moment.


    Alba, along with Cronker and Froma, were engaged in battle against members of the Behemoth n as well. They were fighting on the bridge, which was proving difficult in many ways.


    Alba dodged a Qi-filled punch, and as she moved, the fist had crashed into the wooden panel underneath her, where she was standing moments before. The panel hadpletely broken where she was, but quickly she swung her dual swords in an X shape right at the neck, slicing the head off of her opponent.


    Meanwhile, Froma was using her bow and arrow and was firing off at those that wereing at them in the distance. She was hitting weapons at the right time, deflecting some of the attacks that were aimed at Alba.


    When a couple of those attackers came close and looked to be ready to strike at her with their sword, Cronker seemingly appeared out of nowhere, as ifing from the shadows behind the enemy, shing their neck and killing them on the spot.


    "You guys are annoying," Wild Fangmented, grinding the back of his teeth.


    Alba was faring well as she used both of her swords to sh through her multiple opponents rather quickly. She wasn''t hesitating with her strikes either. She didn''t have much more Qipared to some of her opponents who were attacking her, but her dual swordsmanship was something people needed to admire. When she started to use some of her skills, she wasn''t able to stop until the full formation wasplete, and in a way, the situation she was in, where there were multiple people to strike down, was perfect for her. Like a storm, she continued to attack those left and right before they could even react, eventually stopping the crowded warriors who were a little hesitant to go in so brazenly like they had done before.


    "Did you think this was going to be a walk in the park?" Alba asked. "Even if you are the Behemoth n, you have to remember that we made our name for ourselves as well for a reason.


    "And you might be forgetting something!" Alba looked straight ahead, right into Wild Fang''s eyes. "I am a n head as well!"


    She sprinted forward, leaving a zing red line behind her path. The swords were held by her side. The Behemoth n attackers tried to go in, but they could feel their bodies being pushed away by the Qi just from her foot technique. She then jumped up in the air, and held both of the des in her hand and swung them down right on top of Wild Fang.


    Immediately, five other members near Wild Fang came to his side, and including himself, all drew out their des, striking against Alba''s. A battle of Qi was starting between the two, waves of power and energy were spreading out, shaking the entire bridge. It was unstable, and the others were unable to strike or attack properly.


    In the end, Alba jumped back, andnded on the ground. It looked like they were even, Wild Fang with the help of his five allies.


    "Did you forget that I''m not just anyone from the Behemoth n?" Wild Fang stated. "I am also a middle-stage warrior."


    "Yes, and I see one that needed help from the others as well," Albamented.


    She soon witnessed something that was concerning for her though, and that was what was urring from behind and on either end of the bridge. More warriors were starting to run toward them.


    "Reinforcements," Alba''s eyebrows furrowed.


    "Haha," Wild Fangughed. "Ah yes, reinforcements, you will soon realize the reason why we are known as the Behemoth n!"


    The number of reinforcements wasrge in size, almost just asrge as the number of attackers that wereing towards them. Wild Fang was unaware, but this was set up by Sha Mo, who wouldn''t underestimate Alba and the Crimson Crane. He knew what they would need to bring them in.


    "Fine, you want to y it like that, then we will just have to do the same!" Alba imed, as she reached into the pouch around her belt and pulled out three different colored Qi pills.


    Seeing her do this, the other two did the same as well.


    "Why don''t you witness the strength of our newest member, helping us out even when we aren''t here!" Alba smiled as she swallowed the green pill marked with DM.

 Chapter 287 The Power Of The Curse

    Chapter 287 The Power Of The Curse


    Inside one of the many Alchemist rooms that were avable for rent, Reno was mesmerized as he held what would have been a simple pestle in his hand. Yet when he touched it, his whole body was surging with energy.


    Never before had Reno touched such an item in his lifetime. He had felt great power from ancient herbs and even certain items that came from other dimensions. At times, when visiting other ns, he did stumble across treasures that were on disy that would emit somewhat the same type of energy, but he never got close enough to directly feel it coursing through his body like this.


    And he imagined that those treasures that other ns kept under wraps would still not amount to muchpared to what he had in his hands right now.


    "This... it feels like I''m holding onto a legendary item!" Reno mumbled.


    Hearing this, Raze couldn''t help but chuckle. "Not quite at that level," Razemented, referring to the rankings that Alterian mages hade up with to determine items'' rankings.


    What Reno had in his hands was a Mythical type Item, which was underneath that of legendary and finally god-level items.


    "Alright, let''s not get too carried away," Kizermented. "After all, it''s just a pestle. It''s not like you can directly use it in battle. Even a piece of crap, if it was dressed in diamond clothing, would still be a piece of crap."


    Waving his hand, a small amount of Dark Magic spread from Raze''s hand and entered into the item. It vibrated slightly before the mist started to turn into text. Doing this, only one that cast the magic could see the information that was being disyed, just like he had done when they looked at the unique-grade item.


    Raze had decided to read the facets of the item out loud for both of them to hear.


    [A Mythical Cursed Pestle]


    [Using this item in the creation process will allow for the item to have a 25 to 30 percent stronger effect.]


    Immediately, Reno''s heart started to race. He could feel sweat running down his body and adrenaline coursing through his body. He was feeling the same sensation he would if he was in a fight, yet he was standing perfectly still.


    "This item... it can really do that?" Reno repeated, to which Raze nodded.


    Even Kizer was taken aback by this. He didn''t say anything and wasn''t involved in the world of creation, but a 25 percent increase minimum just for using an item, that really was something that would be worthy to be called legendary.


    The only thing that was on Kizer''s mind now was what type of item he would get. Just what type of effect or trait would his weapon have for him. With these items their n could use, it was a Great Leap Forward for them all.


    "I hope you don''t mind," Raze picked up the unique-grade pestle from the table, and it soon vanished. "I wanted to keep this pestle as well as the others for myself. I know we didn''t really discuss the details, but it can really help me out."


    "Of course!" Reno blurted out, still shocked by everything that was happening.


    Raze was pleased with this. Now he could see the remaining Cursed Pestles on the market at some point for some extra coin. On top of that, he wondered if he could, in some way, use the pestle to create his own items. Rather than using magic, if he could make pills in a more natural process, then using the pestle, maybe he could increase the effectiveness of his own pills by around that of ten percent.


    This did mean he would have to learn the full process of creating the pills, but there was someone that would be willing to show him, and Reno seemed to be quite good at it.


    "I would still need to add the magic formation at some point. It will be arge trial-and-error process. I could try to create the pills first, with the pestle, and then use a power stone and magic circle to infuse the magic into the pill, but would that work?


    "I doubt it since the pestle wasn''t in the process of the added effect, only in the base of the Qi pill."


    It was certainly a head-scratcher for Raze, but it was a part of him that he enjoyed. There was one point in his life that was most enjoyable for him, and it was when he was a professor at the academy, doing research on subjects like these.


    It brought him back to those days.


    "I don''t exactly have a ce to store this, so if you could keep these somewhere safe for when I need them, that would be helpful to me as well," Raze asked, referring to the rest of the pestles.


    As if a new man, Kizer immediately went ahead and started to ce the pestles into the empty crate. Getting on the Dark Magus'' good side was a must. The more work he did for him, perhaps the harder the Dark Magus would work on his item. Already, Kizer was imagining all the stupid things he had said in front of him and wondered if he was already in the Dark Magus'' bad books. After all, they did state they would just create an item for him.


    How strong or weak that item would be, it wasn''t really mentioned as part of the deal.


    "I have to... do whatever I can to make up for this."


    When Kizer was done cing all of the pestles in the crate, he was ready to ask about his item. He had already prepared what was needed at the same time as Reno had done. In fact, he had what was needed even before that, since Alba had suggested that he be the first out of the Crimson Crane to receive a trademark Dark Magus item.


    Opening his mouth, he was quickly interrupted.


    "I... I need to try this, I need to try this right now!" Reno said like an obsessed man, and he was ready to shoot off. He had to get rid of the adrenaline in his body one way or another.


    But before he did, Raze needed to stop him.


    "Wait!" Raze shouted out. "You forgot an important part. Do you remember the name of the item? In order to make it that strong, there is an effect."


    "Ah, right," Reno held the pestle in his hand a little tighter, and he had sensed it at first but had somewhat ignored it. When holding onto the item, there was a strong overflowing energy that surrounded him, but underneath it all, there was a chill that crept in.


    "It''s a Cursed Item, right? What exactly does that mean?"


    "This is something that all of my powerful items will hold," Raze exined. "It is important that all of your group know of this, for each of your items, the Curse will be different.


    "Some simple, someplicated, some worse than others, and it''s up to you if you wish to continue to use these items or not, as almost all the Cursed items I create, when used for the first time, are bound to the user."


    Reno thought that this had to be the case, for something this amazing, there had to be a drawback, and he was ready to hear it.

 Chapter 288 The Poison Arts Strength

    Chapter 288 The Poison Arts Strength


    Judging by Reno''s reaction after obtaining the item, he didn''t mind what the Curse was; he had already decided to ept it.


    "There is no reward without risk, huh?" Raze said to himself with a smile. He remembered that he would often repeat this phrase to himself over and over again. It was all before he delved into the world of Dark Magic, the forbidden magic.


    "You''re in luck, well, considering what you deem lucky," Raze exined as he waved his hand, activating the magic from within the item once again, just making sure he got the phrasing right.


    [Once this item has been used, it is bound to the user and can only be used by the user.]


    [After the first use of the item, in the creation of an object, the Curse will activate. The item must be used at least once a day to create something. If the item is not used in a 24-hour period after itsst use, the Curse will activate.]


    [The effects of all the items created will rebound and be ced on the user, and the item will be destroyed.]


    When reading it, there were raised eyebrows from Kizer. Was this really a curse? In some cases, the rebound effect sounded more like a finalrge boost. If pills were created that increased one''s strength, life expectancy, and so on, then wouldn''t all of those boosts then go to the creator in that moment?


    However, Reno had a nervous smile as he looked to the ground.


    "These curses are quite interesting, right?" Raze was d to know that Reno got it because this curse almost felt like it was aimed at him. In terms of him being a poison user and creator, nearly all of the creations that Reno came up with were rted to poisons.


    Sure, his body could handle poisons that he created; he needed to consume them to get stronger after all. But there was a limit. The body needed to be slowly introduced to poisons bit by bit, allowing for his body to get stronger and his own powers to be deadlier. If all of that was to rebound on him in one go, then for him, it certainly meant death. Twenty-four hours was quite a short period of time in the grand scheme of things.


    When heading into other dimensions, there were times where they would be in a ce for days. Usually during this time, Reno wouldn''t be creating such things, but now he would have to. And what if he was captured by some type of group with no way to make anything with the item? Then the rebound effect would hit him hard. Although the item was creating his strength, it was also creating arge weakness for him as well.


    "Thank you for giving me this, Dark Magus," Reno said, holding the pestle tightly. "In the first ce, when I dived into the arts of a poison user, I took a lot of risk, and I am still alive today. This is just another one of those things."


    With that, Reno exited the room and quickly headed to his own room. He grabbed his newest recipe, his strongest poison concoction to date. He still had leftover ingredients and had been consuming the strange liquid daily to increase his resistance as well as power. However, the effects were lessening, and at the moment, it hardly had any effect. Reno would have to go on another journey to search for deadlier poisons, or even to other dimensions with stronger beasts. In a way, the way Reno''s poison art worked in terms of cultivation sounded quite simr to that of magic.


    Either way, he mixed the ingredients away in arge mortar and, grabbing his pestle, he worked away. The scratches against the rock were soothing to the ear, and even the nts being used in the process were glowing with energy as they were being ground away.


    Both Raze and Kizer were watching in the room by the sidelines, yet to Reno, it was as if they weren''t even there. He just continued until all of the nts he had used were formed into a type of liquid. He poured it into a wooden container, a ss, and it was green in color, almost bubbling even though there was no heat to the liquid.


    "Man, I can''t believe he can even drink that stuff. Even the fumes from it are making me feel slightly weak," Kizer said, covering his mouth.


    Raze had to do the same, as he too could tell the fumes were affecting his body slightly, even though he was standing quite a few meters away. It just went to show just how strong the poison really was.


    At the same time, Raze could see the pestle, glowing with power. After the creation had been made, it pulsated slightly once, and a type of connection was made between the two.


    Reno could feel it in his body as well. Not that he ever doubted that Raze''s words were untrue, but it just confirmed what he said even more.


    Lifting the cup up, he drank it away, gulping it down, one after the other until he had finished everyst drop of the green liquid.


    cing the cup down, Reno kneeled over, and it looked as if he was about to throw up. That was until his skin started to change color slightly. His paleplexion, if one couldn''t believe it, was turning even paler. It was going from a ghastly grey to an almost white. While small ck bubbles on his body were starting to form.


    The bubbles then popped one after the other, letting out a small ck mist. The bubbles continued to pop one after the other, and Reno''s hair started to raise up from its side, covered in a green glow.


    The outside of his irises started to glow green with energy as well.


    "This is... this is..."


    "I can''t believe it!" Kizer said, rushing over and mming both his hands on the table. "So the item really worked, it created a poison strong enough for you to break through to the next stage!"


    That was exactly what it was; Reno had managed to break through to one of the middle stage ranks he had been stubbornly stuck on for so long. In terms of cultivation, Reno was actually one of the lowest middle stage warriors due to the arts he practiced and how hard it was to raise it, and now he had finally broken through to the next stage.


    Immediately at that point, Kizer couldn''t hold it in anymore as he turned around and looked at the Dark Magus.


    "Please, can we start on my item?" Kizer asked.


    Seeing the excited faces of those in the Crimson Crane, like they had just tasted a new type of chocte in a candy store for the first time, there was a slight warm feeling in Raze''s heart.


    This warm feeling, it had been a while since he had felt it. He wondered if he was slightly sick, and the words he said next made him wonder even more if he was sick.


    "Sure, bring what you have, and I''ll see what I can do," Raze answered.

 Chapter 289 Growing The Crimson Crane

    <h4>Chapter 289 Growing The Crimson Crane</h4>


    After the Dark Magus had agreed to create another item for Kizer, he had already rushed out to grab what was needed for Raze to get to work. In the meantime, Raze himself was in his own Alchemist room recovering his mana.


    He had used up quite a bit of it working on the pestle for Reno. During this time, he had also consumed non-cursed blue Qi pills.


    ''I''ve dragged myself into more work than I needed to,'' Raze thought to himself as he sat down in a meditative state. ''There is so much for me to still do. I need to create the other Qi pills, and also head to Alterian soon for myself.


    ''On top of that, I need to gather food supplies to take back to the others. Still, helping them out will also give me a better chance to go against the academy when the timees for it,'' Raze thought to himself.


    A short whileter, a really short while, Kizer hade sprinting back into the room, with something long tied to his back. He ced it on the ground and unraveled the piece of string around it. Raze could see a number ofrge long swords. All of them were shy in design, with strange markings on the hilt and on the de itself. All of them looked better than the swords that Raze himself had obtained or that he saw at the auction. It was clear that they were all of a great level. With the fifteen swords, there were also fifteen level 3 power stones as well, and that''s when Raze realized something.


    "I want to tell you something before you get your hopes up," Raze suggested. "The item I will create for you might not be at the same level as the one for Reno."


    Immediately, Kizer wanted to blurt out why, and he thought that it would be favoritism. But calming his mind, he realized that couldn''t be the case. Otherwise, why would the Dark Magus even bother to tell him such things in the first ce?


    "You remember the pile of pestles from before; well, that''s because of how many unsessful attempts there were. Each of those pestles is still enchanted, but in the end, out of the fifty, only two were worthy of being something great. However, here you have given me great swords. Swords that are much rarerpared to the regr pestles that already have their own level of power. We simply don''t have as many attempts with them as we would do with the others," Raze exined. "It will still have a great benefit, and it will still help you, but I just wanted to inform you beforehand."


    Kizer had to admit he was a little saddened when hearing this, but he also knew it didn''t mean that he wouldn''t get such a great item. There was still a chance, and in the first ce, his expectations were low before he had seen Reno''s item.


    "Whatever you make for me, I am sure it will aid me in my battles. Please try your best. I will leave you to get to work so you won''t get distracted." Kizer bowed down as he left the room.


    Raze looked at the weapons on the ground along with the crystals. This was going to be more work than previously. With the weapons, rather than a basic enchantment, he thought it would be best to give them elemental enchantments. To make them stronger, he would have to use Dark Magic as well. This meant he would have to focus with two types of magic. Last time, he had a feeling the condensing of his magic worked, but now he would have to try to do that with two types of magic while trying to get a bnce.


    "This could take a while, and I will need to rest in between attempts. Oh well, rather than thinking about it, I might as well get on with it."


    Upon returning to Reno, Kizer could see that he was already making more creations with his new item and tool. He was sure that Reno would be pulling all-nighters using the tool to see what he could create. After all, his body was filled withplex poisons with more than just one type, so he would have to create a number of different recipes to increase his power from all over as well.


    "I was just thinking that Dark Magus, he''s a nicer person than I originally thought," Kizermented.


    "Oh, really, I thought you had a bad feeling about him," Reno replied, not looking up while continuing his work.


    "I mean I did, and I still kinda feel that way. I can''t help it, maybe it''s to do with him feeling like poison like you said, but the thing is, he gave you such a powerful item just like that. Do you think most alchemists, if they had created such a great thing, that they would be willing to hand over something like that? If anything, they would hide the fact. What you have is an item that would be sought after by alchemists all over the world, and yet he gave it away."


    "You''re right, he might be a nice person," Reno replied. "But don''t you think it could be something else as well? Maybe it''s just that, something like this means nothing to him. At the end of the day, we really don''t know much about him or his past."


    While the day continued, and Kizer patiently waited for his item to be made, they were all unaware that just outside therge metal Alchemist building, the entire area had been surrounded by Pagna warriors.


    "Do those guys live in there or something?" Clippermented with arge yawn. Clipper was one of the squad leaders of the Behemoth n. "Alright, I''m tired of waiting around. Let''s just head in there and drag the two of them out of there."


    "Actually, there''s a good chance that they could be meeting with the Dark Magus; he''s an alchemist, right? Alright, change of ns, drag every person out of there."

 Chapter 290 Not A Good Idea

    <h4>Chapter 290 Not A Good Idea</h4>


    Kizer had been cooped up in the alchemist room for a while now, and he could feel his head starting to pound. He was unsure if it was due to the fumes from Reno''s nts or the concoctions he was making, but either way, he wanted to get out of there.


    When he exited the room and was in the main hallway that branched off into several other rooms, he could still smell several different scents wafting into his nose.


    ''How can they deal with these smells all day, every day? Alchemists really do have a certain knack for these things,'' Kizer thought, pinching his nose as he looked towards the exit. ''Now that I think about it, I don''t think I''ve ever met ore across an alchemist that''s normal.''


    Kizer hade across quite a few, even when the n had to make special requests, and all of them were hard to talk to and reserved to themselves. Somewhat like the Dark Magus, but none of them gave him a sense of fear like the Dark Magus did.


    Reaching outside, Kizer was ready to give his limbs quite the stretching, and as he pulled his arms out to the very top and slowly opened his eyes, he froze for a moment.


    "What is going on here?" Kizer mumbled to himself.


    There was a group of around fifty warriors with their weapons drawn. Some of them had dubious facial expressions on their faces, others waiting in anticipation for something. Kizer had seen this look before; it was the faces of warriors just before they were to go into battle.


    "Oh, will you look at this," Clipper said. "It seems one of them hase out already to greet us. Let''s y with him a little."


    The orders from Sha Mo were clear. If the Crimson Crane resisted giving information about the Dark Magus, then they were free to act as they pleased, getting the information they needed no matter what.


    However, not everyone would follow those orders right down to thest letter. In Clipper''s ears, he had heard just thest few lines, ''They could act as they please.''


    Pagna warriors who trained day in and day out, many of them were itching for a fight. Some joined for that sole reason, a chance to show their hard training and efforts off, and now this was that opportunity.


    Immediately, they dived right in toward Kizer, one of them thrusting a spear toward his face. He quickly pulled back, and the energy of the spear attack continued forward, hitting part of the metal building, creating arge dent in it.


    At the same time from his right side, a fist came out hitting him right across his face; it was a solid hit filled with Qi, from a high-stage initial-ranking warrior. A shockwave of Qi sted next to him, but Kizer''s feet didn''t move.


    "You call that a punch." Kizer wiped his mouth and drew his own fist, throwing it right back out to his attacker. It looked like the very wind behind, the space itself was being dragged along with his fist.


    "THIS IS A PUNCH!" Kizer mmed it right into the man''s face, his teeth flying off in different directions, and his body being lifted into the air. The force of the punch ripped the ground as the body was sent flying backward into the others.


    The charge from the Behemoth n didn''t stop there though, as they swung their swords and sliced right into Kizer''s shoulder. It ripped through his clothing, tearing his flesh but stopped within a few inches.


    The Qi inside Kizer''s body was running rampant, and he was using it to protect his body from having deeper attacks. Immediately he kicked his foot at the attacker, sending him flying in the air.


    Then taking a step forward, he threw out a fist, hitting another one in the stomach again. Men were being thrown left and right, but at the same time, Kizer''s wounds were building up from the attacks that were hitting him again and again.


    "Kizer from the Crimson Crane," Clippermented, watching from the back of his attacking men. "He is the powerhouse of the Crimson Crane group, one with the strongest attack power, and the easiest of the lot to deal with."


    Kizer delivered arge uppercut punch to another member, as he felt something sharp pierce his back. He quickly turned around and grabbed onto the sword, cutting his hands slightly.


    Pulling the sword forward, he kicked the attacker in the face, and now with a sword in his hand, Kizer had arge smile on his face.


    ''I gave every single one of my weapons I had to the Dark Magus, so I don''t really have anything on me right now, so this will just have to do!''


    Kizer swung the sword once with all his might and added Qi. Immediately, arge line of aura could be seen in the air. It had hit six of the Behemoth n members, creating arge cut across their chests and sending them ten meters away from where he was.


    However, looking at the sword in his hand, it had snapped in half and waspletely broken.


    "This is always the problem I have with these things; why are they such trash? Why is it so hard to find something that can handle my Qi!"


    Straight from behind, several more martial artists using a formation had surrounded him, and all of them had thrust their swords toward different spots on his body at once.


    Aiming for the stomach, aiming for his side, his ribs, his thighs, going for his neck. All of them had pierced his skin rtively deep, but not deep enough to prate his vitals.


    "Arghh!" Kizer spun, trying to hit the rest of the swordsmen, but they soon jumped back, and tworge men from the Behemoth n jumped, using fist techniques, they mmed both of them right into Kizer''s stomach, which caused him to kneel over and fall to the ground as the wind was knocked out of him.


    "And this is why, Kizer, the one known as the Beast of the Crimson Crane, is the easiest to deal with," Clippermented with a smile.


    "Although he has an absurdly destructive and powerful Qipared to others that are at the same stage as him, everything else in terms of skills is subpar. Ack of foot techniques, ack of swordsmanship."


    "Some say if he hadn''t found the Crimson Crane, he would have long ago perished in battle. It was only because of his fellow n members defending him that he managed tost this long, and it seems to be true."


    On his knees, several of the attackers now had dived in. The sword users that had attacked with their formation from before were ready to strike from above. They were swinging their swords, aiming to slice off his head.


    As they swung the swords, though, they noticed their vision was getting slightly blurry, and soon some of them copsed to the floor, while the sword strikes had missedpletely, falling to the floor.


    "I was wondering what was taking you so long."


    Two steps were taken to Kizer''s side, and with a strange lingering mist following him, Reno could be seen.


    "Haha, you came to help me? And here I thought you would be stuck in that room for yours, even if I screamed, begging for my life," Kizer chuckled.


    Reno didn''t want to say the truth. The fact was, he had run out of nts and herbs to use in his creations, so he was heading out to the auction house to get some more when he saw themotion.


    His words were more of a line he thought was appropriate to be said at the moment.


    "Ah, the poison user, I see," Clipper said as he ced some spiked gloves onto his hands and started to walk forward. "The weakest member of the Crimson Crane hase to help. I guess since there are two of you, I should get involved."


    "As for the rest of you, what are you doing!" Clipper shouted. "I told you to head inside and drag out every single Alchemist that''s in there!"


    Both Reno and Kizer looked at each other at that moment. Now they had an idea of who they were after.


    "Erghh, I''m not sure that''s a good idea," Reno stated.

 Chapter 291 Just An Alchemist?

    <h4>Chapter 291 Just An Alchemist?</h4>


    Immediately upon joining the fight, Reno released his Qi, and it constantly flowed out of his body. As it struck the warriors around him, all of their senses were slightly disoriented, allowing him enough time to avoid their blows and grasp their faces.


    "You know, my poison is most deadly when I can make skin-on-skin contact," Reno said, releasing one of the warriors and dropping him to the floor.


    Foam began to appear in the warrior''s mouth, and it didn''t take long before his heart stopped beating.


    Seeing one of the warriors approach, Kizer gritted his teeth and stood up, swinging his leg to kick one of the warriors from underneath them. They fell to the ground, and with both his hands, he smashed right through the warrior''s stomach, resulting in a loud cracking sound.


    "I''m not out of the fight myself yet. I heard what that bastard said¡ªhe called me weak... and you the weakest!" Kizer dered, his fists pumping with blood.


    "That''s because you are weak!" Clipper jumped in and unleashed a flurry of punches on Reno. Reno deflected the hits, pushing them away with the palm of his hand.


    Every time Reno made contact with Clipper, he used his poison Qi, but it seemed to have little effect on him. Then, charging both his hands, Clipper thrust them into the center.


    Seeing this, Reno lifted his hands like a wave and pushed both fists down, causing the attack to fall into the ground, breaking part of the flooring beneath it.


    "You deflected my attack!" Clipper said, surprised.


    However, shortly after, more warriors joined in, trying to attack Reno, and he had to defend himself from the attacks as he moved further and further back.


    Clipper hadn''t moved in for a second attack; he was covering his hands with Qi to protect himself from the poison. He thought about what had happened.


    "I am at the middle stage myself. I thought I would have at least been able to go against the weakest of the Crimson Crane... Were the rumors wrong about him?" Clipper believed that if it were a one-on-one fight, he would have been a match for Reno, at least based on the information he had gathered. So, why were their powers almost equal? If it weren''t for them outnumbering them right now, this fight might be more difficult than they visualized.


    Reno had been pushed back, but he had also noticed that some were trying to rush into therge metal building behind them. He ran forward, avoiding all the strikes that came his way, then grabbed one of the warriors by the shoulder before they could enter. He dragged them down and flung them back to the ground, then ducked to avoid a sword blow.


    Immediately, Kizer threw another two fists, sending two more warriors flying.


    "Hey, is it just me, or does there seem to be more of these guys?" Kizer observed.


    "You''re right. I think I have an idea of which n is attacking us right now," Renomented. "It has to be the Behemoth n, which isn''t good news for us. We''re in the city of Repton, and this is their turf. I''m sure there will be more and more of them."


    In the middle of their discussion, both of them were attacked from all sides, but both Reno and Kizer managed to block them. Right behind them, Clipper had charged his two fists and bashed right into the center of their stances, sending them flying and breaking through the walls of the Alchemist rental building,nding in the main hall.


    Immediately, members of the Behemoth n rushed in, some surrounding the two members of the Crimson Crane, while others headed down the hallways, breaking into several rooms. Reno turned his head and saw them breaking the locks with their fists. After that, a punch and a kick, and they were dragging the working alchemists out of the rooms across the floor like sacks of potatoes, bringing them out of the ce.


    "This isn''t good," Reno thought.


    ------


    The leader of the Crimson Crane, along with her fellow members, was dealing with their own situation, and they were faring slightly better. Having consumed the pills, they had boosted their strength beyond their normal limits.


    Consuming the green pill gave them a speed boost, the red pill restored their strength and wounds somewhat, while the blue pill, the cursed one, was kept in reserve for now.


    Alba was doing most of the work, shing down members one by one and sending them off the bridge to fall into the abyss.


    Wild Fang was getting annoyed at everything that was happening and everything he could see.


    "Do you think you''re the only ones we are attacking?" Wild Fang shouted, hoping to create a distraction to find an opening.


    "I said this before, but we found every single one of your members across the continent. Wherever they are, all members of the Crimson Crane are going through the same thing as you guys are right now. We will, no matter what, find information about the Dark Magus."


    Alba shed another person down and locked eyes with Wild Fang.


    "Do you think you could force the Dark Magus to work for you?"


    "Do you think an alchemist can defy us? We will get what we want from him no matter what!" Wild Fang shouted.


    A sinister grin appeared on Alba''s face.


    "If you think he''s just another regr simple alchemist, then you''re in for a surprise."


    ------


    Reno and Kizer continued to fight, now more desperately than before. With Clipper joining in and being skillful, it was proving to be more difficult than ever. What was extremely distracting for both of them, though, was seeing Behemoth n members enter room after room and drag out the alchemists. The alchemists seemed helpless, and some had tried to resist, resulting in severe injuries.


    "Reno, we need to do something!" Kizer shouted.


    "I''m trying! But these guys aren''t just nobodies!" Reno shouted back. "They''re skilled fighters, and some are at the middle stage like us. We need help!"


    Then, both Kizer and Reno saw it. A group of two men from the Behemoth group were outside the Dark Magus'' door. They threw their fists at the door, breaking it off its hinges. After that, they rushed in.


    Desperately, Reno fought his way through to get to the door. If anything happened to the Dark Magus, Alba would never forgive them, they were as good as dead.


    Reno knocked one person down grabbing onto their face, and when he dropped to the floor, he saw something. The wall beside them cracked, and pushing right through were tworge bodies flying in the air. Theynded on the ground, both withrge, clean holes in their chests.


    "What the?" Clipper turned his head and saw a man standing there, his hands down by his side, wearing a ck robe.


    "Who the heck are you?" Clipper shouted, looking at his two Pagna warriors, hurt and dead.


    The hooded man looked to his right, his magic circle ruined and destroyed.


    "I spent... so long on that... I was so close..." The hooded man''s fists were shaking. "Who am I? Who the f*ck are you? No... I don''t care about that. There''s no point in asking questions to the dead."

 Chapter 292 The Alchemists Legend

    <h4>Chapter 292 The Alchemists Legend</h4>


    The people in the city of Repton, both Pagna warriors and the general public, were starting to be aware of a certain situation. The rental warehouse that the alchemists used to make their concoctions was located a little away from the center.


    It was more on the outskirts of the city. This was due to the fumes and loud noises that would be hearding from the ce. On top of that, it was something that would ur all night.


    Because of this, it took a while for those who lived in the city to catch wind of what was going on. A few bystanders who were walking past or had arrived to do business with the alchemists witnessed what was happening.


    Since it was the city of Repton, where the Behemoth n was based, many recognized who they were. Since they were on the move in the city, and with such arge number, it had caused great rm.


    People started to gather and were slowly inching their way toward the alchemist area. They weren''t too scared since there was the general rule of the Pagna world not getting involved with those from the general world.


    In one section of the city, there was arge building that stood tall. It looked like a pagoda in a way, only the floors were wider and got smaller as they went up, giving it more of a cone shape. It still had the nted roof tiles.


    This building, in particr, was owned by a unique business operated by a young man who sat at the very top of the pagoda.


    He was sitting in his luxurious chair made of materials obtained from other dimensions, while wearing gold silk that was soft to the touch on his skin, which shined brightly, along with his long silky white hair.


    This man was known as Bubble. No one knew his real name, but in this world, this was who he was known as, and he was pretty well-known throughout the Pagna world as well as the general world as well.


    This was all because of the trade Bubble was in; he was one of the few that ran argework through all of the cities, even those outside of the Demonic Faction. Awork of news reporting.


    There were many ns that specialized in information gathering, but these were aimed at selling information to the other ns.


    Whereas Bubble, he focused on gathering information that was to be sold to the masses. Headline-grabbing articles that would be taken by the people and those interested in the Pagna world.


    Secrets not too deep that it would get him targeted either. It was a gap in the market that he saw, and he was the first to print out headline news that would be spread through each city, selling articles on paper that would inform others in even more detail.


    This was how he had amassed his fortune.


    Crashing into the room, one of his fellow workers burst into the room through the doors. He stumbled on the ground but quickly picked himself up off the floor.


    "Bubble, you have to hurry. I think you''re going to want to see this. Something is happening in Repton; the Behemoth n is moving inrge numbers around the Alchemist warehouse building!"


    Immediately, Bubble could feel something tingling inside his head until he heard a popping sound. This was it; this was one of the reasons he had given himself a nickname because when he heard this sound in his head, it meant that there was an article to be written.


    Immediately, he got out of his seat.


    "Let''s go!"


    In therge open hallway of the alchemist building, everyone had turned their attention to the mysterious man who had just sted two men through the wall. They looked at the bodies; they hadrge holes that went right through their chests.


    They didn''t look like wounds from a weapon, and they could see nothing in the hooded man''s hands at the moment.


    "You''re making threats to us in this situation!" Clipper shouted back; both his eyebrows were raised because he was truly shocked. How could such a person say something like that when they were faced with now around sixty or so strong Pagna warriors? Even members of the Crimson Crane wouldn''t be so brazen.


    "Wait a minute, ck robes, and in this alchemist building, I mean, that''s what a lot of alchemists wear, but the fact that these two idiots were fighting so desperately right up till now, it''s you, isn''t it? You''re the Dark Magus!" Clipper imed.


    Walking forward through his group of people, he gestured, putting his hands down, telling those around him to somewhat be at ease. Seeing this, the Crimson Crane duo had decided to take it as an opportunity to gather some of their strength.


    "We have been looking everywhere for you," Clipper said. "As I said before, we are the Behemoth n. I''m sure I don''t need to tell you much about us since you would have to be living under a rock not to know us.


    "But we are thergest and strongest n in the Demonic Faction."


    The strongest n was subjective, but there was no doubt to anyone that they were thergest n.


    "We have many alchemists that are already in our n, but despite that, your name has piqued our leader''s interest, and he wishes to speak to you."


    It was an open invitation, just like Reno had expected. They were after the Dark Magus this entire time.


    Although Raze was listening, he was also observing the situation. There were a few fallen Pagna warriors; he imagined that the Crimson Crane had gotten in a scuffle with them already.


    Not only that, but he could see some of the other alchemists who had been dragged out of their rooms, beaten, and clearly forced.


    "A group of people who offer an invitation like so?" Raze said. "You gather a group of this many people to ask for a request and drag those whom you thought might be me. Do you really think that this is the type of people that I would work for?"


    Down on the ground, Raze looked at one of the swords. This one, in particr, was a curved sword that looked like a jagged tooth with arge orange hilt. In total, Raze hadpleted 13 enchantments, leaving him with only two left.


    He was working on this one, the 13th one, and when the people had barged into the door, he had lost his concentration. In doing so, the enchantment waspleted before he could pour more of his condensed magic into the item.


    This was one of the many reasons for his anger, because the weapon had been enchanted and wasn''t how he would have liked it. After all of his hard work.


    Bending down, Raze picked up the sword from the ground. He looked at it for a moment, and a flicker of ck magic activated behind the sword guard that covered his hand, which the others were unable to see.


    "You''re picking up a sword!" Clipper said as he continued to walk forward. "You really n to go against all of us. You''re just an alchemist, even if you have the Crimson Crane backing you; look at what we did to them already. Are you one of those alchemists who has something a bit wrong with them?"


    As Clipper made fun of the Dark Magus, he turned around tough, looking at the other n members behind him.


    In that moment, when he turned away, that was when Raze ced both hands on the hilt of the weapon and raised it high above his head.


    "The second Dark Edge Magic Sword arts!" Raze mumbled under his breath. "The Eclipse Magic Strike!"


    The dark magic poured out of Raze''s hands, and the silver de was surrounded by a corona of ck and purple energy that swirled around it. At the same time, the hilt of the sword started to glow with power itself.


    When the sword waspletely surrounded, arge afterimage of the sword almost appeared, almost giving off a ghostly afterimage of a giant wielding the sword.


    "This... it has so much power behind it!" Kizer said as he could feel the surge of energy reach him.


    "Is what we''re seeing right now visual Qi?" Reno asked.


    Clipper felt therge surge of energy. Immediately he could sense it; the power within the strike didn''t feel like something that woulde from an alchemist. Not just that, it did not feel like an attack that was on the level of someone at the initial stage.


    When he turned, he could see the giant visual Qi of the ellipse sword swinging down right at him. He raised his hand in defense, but it was a little toote. Clipper didn''t have time to move out of the way, nor gather his own Qi.


    Therge strike ripped right through his body, breaking through his Qi and smashing into the ground. The tiles on the floor broke for several meters across the floor, not just where the sword had hit.


    A few of those who were standing behind Clipper had been hit by the attack as well, but the one who had directly taken the attack was Clipper himself.


    The sword had touched the ground, and Clipper ced his hand across his chest. "What... type of alchemist are you?" Clipper said in a hushed voice, the life in his eyes disappearing, and a spurt of blood gushing out from his wound as he fell to the floor, falling into two pieces.

 Chapter 293 The Cursed Sword

    <h4>Chapter 293 The Cursed Sword</h4>


    Reno''s eyes were rapidly blinking along with his heart beat.?He was wondering if one of the nts he had used was perhaps a type of hallucinogen. He had been working with many different fumes after all.


    Because, he just couldn''t believe his eyes, they had to be ying a trick on him! It was the only thing that would have made sense to what he had just witnessed and he wasn''t the only one that felt this way.


    Clipper had fallen; one of the squad leaders of the Behemoth n had been taken out, and not just that, but it was with a single strike.


    Reno had just been fighting the person himself after having broken through to the next stage so he was aware of the others strength.


    Before Reno was at the lowest of the middle stages, stage 7, after consuming the poisons using his new item, he had gained strength and had be a stage 8 Warrior. Most of the Crimson Crane were mid-level stage 8 users, with some closer to stage 9.


    However, as stages increased, there wererger differences in strengthpared to that of the lower stages. For example, a high Stage 8 close to breaking through to stage 9 could deal with 2 stage 8''s on the low end on their own.


    It was assumed that the Elder from the Light faction was a high-ranking stage 8, and with his magical abilities, he was a tough person to beat. Which was why it took the whole of The Crimson Crane and more.


    Yet despite all of this, none of it would exin how Raze, who was a stage four, managed to beat a stage 8 Middle stage warrior, even if he was on the lower end.


    ''Maybe we could put some of it to the fact that Clipper was caught off guard. The higher stages can sense the Qi energy, so no doubt he thought the Dark Magus was a nobody and was an alchemist at that, but what was with that attack?"


    "It wasn''t just his power," Kizen said, grinning from ear to ear. He had been keeping his eye on something else as well, and it was the fact that the Dark Magus seemed to be somewhat surprised by the power output as well.


    Raze looked at the destruction behind Clipper; a few of the other warriors had been hurt from the strike that seemed to have extended itself.


    ''The Eclipse strike is a move that focuses on raw power, and equally, the magic used to cover the sword is condensed as well. On top of that, more than anything, Dark Magic is known for its destructive powers, making an attacker stronger than ever.''


    For Raze, he had an idea of when putting his magicbined with Qi together in his strikes; he would add the two numbers together to give him an idea of his power. So he simrly had the attack of someone at stage 7, like that of a middle-stage warrior himself.


    However, The Eclipse strike, the techniques were also specifically a technique meant tobine magic and Qi together, giving it a slight edge. Finally, there was one more thing.


    The sword that Raze had picked up from the ground, it was one of the best creations from the bunch of those he had considered failures and thetest in his creation.


    [Unique Grade Cursed Raptor Sword]


    [The weapon''s power output area is increased based on the number of those that are around. The strike''s range is extended as well as its power.]


    This was the enchantment that Raze had ced on the sword; he had used his wind enchantment. He didn''t know many enchantments for weapons in general, since he wasn''t a magic sword user.


    Regardless due to its ranking, it had a better effect, that the power and size of the strike increased based on the number of people that were attacking him, and right now there were quite a few.


    The fact that it was a unique grade ranking was what had made Raze so mad in the first ce.


    "I knew it; I was doing so well condensing the two types of magic. It was a difficult thing to do, but I had a feeling that I was getting it with thatst one. The flow of magic in enchanting, it is a hard thing to grasp.


    "If they hadn''t interrupted me at the time, if they didn''t burst down the doors right when I was in the middle of this creation. This might have been a mythical item just like the pestle."


    Thinking about it more and more, Raze was getting angrier; he was unsure if he would be able to have that same feeling and connection that he had done before. He only had two more tries, and it was unlikely he would create anything higher than the weapon that was in his hand.


    Still, there was the added effect, the curse, which was something he needed to watch out for.


    [The techniques used while holding this weapon cannot be used again for a 24-hour period, regardless of whether or not the weapon is still held after.]


    "This person, are they really an Alchemist?" One of the Behemoth members said.


    No one had moved forward since they had seen their squad captain cut down like that. They were hoping that he would have recovered, got up from the ground, but instead, he was still lying there, clearly no longer in thend of the living.


    "He has to be a member of the Crimson Crane; this must have been a trap or something set up by them."


    "Then we have to get revenge; there''s still a lot of us!"


    While the others were talking, it appeared as if Raze tested something; he held the sword in his hand, and he proceeded to use the two-step shift, moving to the side. It was odd to everyone watching, including the members of the Crimson Crane.


    Because Raze just moved to the side, not closer or further away from the others. The Dark Magus then looked down at his feet.


    "It''s true; it''s not just sword techniques, but it''s also foot techniques as well. Although the power of this sword is great, it''s something one would have to be conscious of while using it.


    "I thought it might have just been limited to sword techniques, but if even a simple thing like the two-step shift can''t be used, it will cause quite a difficulty in one''s fighting."


    There was another thought in Raze''s head, and it was whether or not magic was limited while using the sword as well. Thinking about it, he tried to use the Eclipse Magic sword formation again, but the magic wasn''t mustering and covering the sword in a dark purple oblivion color like before.


    "I guess this sword is not one for me to use. If its effects were truly great, then I would have kept it for myself, but I can''t have something that will hamper my magic, so I will give this to Kizen, but before that, there is one more thing I want to test."


    Raze looked to the group of people again, and they could feel a strange fierce energy that was shoring him. It was in the air, swirling rather thaning from his own body himself.


    "We are the Behemoth group; we won''t be afraid of just a single Alchemist!" The Behemoth member shouted.


    Hearing this, it looked like the Behemoth group had managed to gather the courage to fight again, and at the same time, Reno and Kizen were good to go.


    "It''s a shame," Raze said. "I didn''t expect him to die in one hit; he would have been good to progress my powers. But at least there is the rest of you. This attack is a bit weaker, so I hope you will survive this."


    Once again, Raze ced both hands on the handle


    of the sword and lifted it in the air. Although it wasn''t shrouded in the purple and ck energy like before, the handle started to glow orange, and the Qi from within was activating with the sword.


    The afterimage could be seen just likest time, the visual Qi, only looking slightly different.


    ''As expected, the Magic Eclipse sword formation, and the Eclipse sword formation count as two different skills. So here it goes again!''


    The sword was lifted up in the air, and the mass energy was released as it was swung down. "Dark Edge Sword arts, Second formation. Eclipse strike!"

 Chapter 294 The Birth Of A Real Demon

    Chapter 294 The Birth Of A Real Demon


    Themotion outside of the Alchemist building had grownrger, and a big crowd had gathered, staying several metres away from any of the warriors.


    Although they weren''t able to see much other than a bunch of Behemoth n members standing by the doorway.


    Finally, breaking through the crowd, wearing his golden silk and apanied by his huffing and panting worker, Bubble had arrived at the area. His presence as he waved his hands through the crowds, while looking at the scene made it so none of the others wished to stand next to him.


    He had an air of importance that told people to move away, while also an air of arrogance around him that caused people to scorn him as they moved out of the way.


    "The Behemoth n, they have really gathered here, and judging by the door, we seem to have missed some of what has been happening," Bubble''s tone was a little downhearted.


    He wanted to be there when the magic had urred, where the headline-grabber of the event would ur, but it looked like he might have missed it.


    Just as he was thinking about whether to stay or turn away, that''s when he saw a Behemoth n member flying through the air. He was lifted up high in the sky and then came falling down and smashed into the ground, in the open area just in front of the Alchemist building.


    The Behemoth n was moving back. Not only that, but Bubble was seeing something he thought he would never see, and that was the group of Behemoth n, some of them appeared to be running.


    Just at that moment, as one of the Behemoth n members had turned around, he had seen a man in dark robes burst right through behind him. In his hand was arge curved sword with an orange hilt.


    "The first Devil''s formation!" The hooded man called out as he swung his sword down.


    Arge strike urred, and a giant afterimage of a sword evenrger appeared. It appeared to be a type of visual Qi. Immediately as the strike hit, the area around had slightly exploded, causing several of the members to be thrown out from the side.


    ''This man... he''s attacking the Behemoth n without a second thought. How could anyone be so crazy to do such a thing, and who is he with the hood?'' Bubble thought.


    He could feel several pops going off in his head. He could feel it; this might be the article he was looking for.


    Once again, the hooded man jumped to the side, bursting past the others, and then with his sword, he swung it to the side again, crashing into arge number of them.


    Some of the Behemoth n seemed to be standing their ground as they charged in to attack, but jumping from above, there was a man with wild hair and a scar on his face whonded, smashing two of the attackers'' heads into the ground.


    A few more started toe from the other side, trying to take down the hooded man, yet a green mist had entered the site, causing them to instantly itch and w at their skin, almost ripping it out.


    While distracted, several hits to their bodies and eyes had been dealt to them as well. Soon after, the two stood by the side of the hooded man, and it was then, through their attacks, that it popped into Bubble''s head.


    ''These two, they''re members of the Crimson Crane. So is this what was happening? Was it a fight between those in the Crimson Crane and those in the Behemoth n? What reason could they have to attack?'' Bubble thought.


    It was certainly turning into a far bigger event than he thought. Thergest n in the Demonic Faction against the most well-known Wanderer n through the continent.


    Although this was just some of the members and not an outright war, it would certainly catch the attention of the general people, especially if it was building into an anticipation of a full-fledged fight.


    ''But then who is that hooded man? Is he a new member?''


    Listening in, the panic was starting to be heard in the Behemoth n members'' voices.


    "What is this? Who knew that the Dark Magus would be so strong!"


    "You think this is the Dark Magus? The Dark Magus is an alchemist! This has to be the new member of the Crimson Crane or something, a trump card that they''ve been hiding since they knew we woulde after the Dark Magus!"


    "Who cares who it is; it could be a man in a jolly suit full of presents for all I care. Right now, we''re being ughtered by him, and even if he is Santa us, he''s killing us left and right."


    The Behemoth n was in a panic, and the people who were from Repton were more shocked than ever. Since they were the n that was in charge of the city, they had seen their members bully their way through situations at times.


    Also, they dealt with some situations just from their name alone, and yet here they were, outnumbering others, and they were the ones that were frightened.


    Raze had been using skill after skill while using the new Raptor sword in his hand. Its power was great in this situation, giving him a spike. The members didn''t stand a chance with his added skills.


    He had done what he needed to do; he could see it. Most of those fighting had already lost the will to fight, and now it was the perfect chance for him to act.


    He lifted the sword up in his hand and then threw it over to Kizer. It was such a surprise that he nearly tumbled, dropping the sword but managed to catch it.


    "Hey, don''t you need this?" Kizer asked.


    "That is your gift," Raze answered. "You''ve seen its power. So I think that you wille to like it. Don''t use it too much, though; there is a bit of a problem with it, although if you use it enough, I''m sure you''ll figure it out.


    "As for me, if I still carried that sword, then I wouldn''t be able to do this."


    Raze moved in on one of the injured men that was getting off from the ground, and before he hadpletely recovered, Raze grabbed him right by the face. As a stage four Pagna warrior, he had strength beyond that of a regr human, as did everyone else.


    So just with his grip strength alone, he was able to lift the man in the air, but that was when they all could see what was happening. Right in front of their very eyes, the man''s muscles were shrinking, his skin was drying up, and it looked like he was starting to age.


    Eventually, Raze dropped him to the ground, and that truly had nearly stopped all of themotion that was happening so far.


    "The Dark Magus," Reno said slowly, moving his lips. "knows how to use the extraction technique, the technique that belongs to the demons. This is the same; it''s the same as I saw that day, that time! I thought as much!"


    He said this in a low voice, so no one could hear. Right now, the Behemoth n was conflicted on whether or not this really was the Dark Magus in front of them or not.


    However, it wasn''t the fact that this hooded figure knew the extraction technique. What had shocked all of the Pagna warriors there was the speed of the extraction technique.


    "What''s going on? Why are all the warriors frozen?" Bubble''s coworker had asked.


    "I guess those that aren''t familiar with the Demonic Arts wouldn''t know," Bubble started to exin. "What that guy just used was the extraction technique. It''s a trademark of the Demonic Faction, allowing a person to draw the life energy out of a being into their own."


    "I see, so they''re surprised that someone from the Crimson Crane can use this technique?" The worker asked.


    Bubble shook his head. "No, there are many thate and go that have tried to learn the techniques, but without Demonic Qi, it seems to not work so well. However, even among those in the Demonic Faction, it is a technique that can almost never be used in battle.


    "The technique varies from person to person in how well it works, and I''ve heard there are some that have trained to try and perfect the technique, but the speed of extraction has still been too slow to be used in a fight.


    "This is the fastest I have ever witnessed someone use the extraction technique before. He drained him, and we could see it right with our own eyes. What we might have all just witnessed right here in front of us is the birth of a Demon."


    It was the final nail in the coffin for the Behemoth n; after seeing this, they felt like they were dealing with a monster, someone that was beyond what they could deal with. But Raze, he wouldn''t forgive them.


    He chased after one of the men that was running away, pulled him by the back of his clothes, and mmed him on the ground, holding onto him, he started to drain the energy from his body into his once again.


    "I thought you wanted to invite me into your n. You were very keen to show those Alchemists what would happen to them if they didn''t ept. Were you nning to do that to me as well?" Raze asked.


    Although some watching might have thought that the sight in front of them was cruel, it was the state of the Pagna world. If Raze didn''t intervene, maybe Reno and Kizer would have been killed as well as the alchemists.


    Watching the hooded man chase down the Behemoth n, striking them down and then using the extraction technique to absorb them, Bubble knew he had his article name that he wished to spread to the whole world.


    "The Birth Of A Real Demon! This is it!"

 Chapter 295 A Demon Rising

    <h4>Chapter 295 A Demon Rising</h4>


    The battle between the giant Behemoth n and the Crimson Crane members was not over. One group, consisting of Tilon, Elivin, and Lilly, had just exited from a dimension.


    The moment they had done so, they were ambushed, surrounded by attackers on the pretense that they had entered a dimension belonging to the Behemoth n.


    Thankfully, there was one member with them, Tilon. He was the tank of the group and a significant part of their defense. With his shield techniques, he managed to fend off attacks, preventing his two allies from getting hurt, and they were able tost for quite a while.


    After all, the Crimson Crane members were small in size, but what they didn''tck was skill. They were better than most at the same stage as them, and although the attackers were initially high-ranked, they weren''t a match for the Crimson Crane.


    Due to this, the Crimson Crane members were able to defend themselves from getting hurt and continued fighting, taking down members time after time.


    "Keep going!" The Behemoth member shouted, pointing his sword toward them.


    The terrain hadpletely changed from what it was before, with the grounds ruined, destroyed, and craters filling the area.


    Rather than attacking individually, the two attackers, Elivin and Lilly, had decided to stay close to Tilon, and they didn''t appear to be in the best condition.


    "I hate to say it, but I think they''re onto us," Lillymented, gripping her hand tightly around her spear. She was trying to gauge how much strength she had left, and judging by just her holding her spear, it wasn''t much.


    "Then we just have to bluff our way out of this thing. We still have the blue pills made by the Dark Magus, right? Let''s take them," Tilon ordered.


    He was feeling weak in his legs himself; he didn''t know how many more hits he could take.


    All three of them agreed and took the blue Qi pills, and in an instant, they could feel the energy surging through their bodies. It was a quick boost, but they knew it would onlyst for a minute.


    Knowing this, at the same time as the Behemoth n charged in, all of them gathered their Qi and unleashedrge attacks. Tilon mmed his shield into the ground, pushing them away.


    Lilly thrust her spear several times, pushing them all back, and with Elivin''srge ive, he was able to slice several limbs off.


    "These guys, they''re not weak at all; do they ever tire?" The Behemoth n member cried out.


    Everyone had witnessed them taking the pills and had heard rumors about their effects.


    "Damn it, if they have the Dark Magus on their side, we don''t know how many of those pills they have. This fight could end up being endless!" The leaderined.


    He had information on the pills; word had gotten out about their great effects. However, what they didn''t know was that the Dark Magus wasn''t in regr contact with the Crimson Crane, and the blue pills that each of the members had were the only ones.


    On top of that, the effect of the Cursed blue pill could only be used once within a period.


    "Can we leave now, though? We haven''t been able to get any information. I thought this was going to be easy since we got them right after a Dimension run!"


    While contemting what to do, looking up at the sky, a bird could be seen circling above them. It made a loud caw sound three times, then stopped for a few seconds before doing so again.


    Seeing this, the leader knew what it was; it was the signal for them to retreat. "The others must have done their job; everyone retreat!" The leader shouted.


    The Behemoth n didn''t hesitate, as they didn''t want to fight with the Crimson Crane for much longer, and they started to back away. The Crimson members didn''t give chase; instead, they stood their ground, watching them all scurry away.


    A short while after, the effect of the pill had worn off. Nearly all three of them wanted to instantly copse on the floor right there and then, but instead, they just let out a big puff of air.


    "It looked like your n worked in the end," Elivinmented. "You know what, for getting us out of the situation, if the Dark Magus wants to make you a weapon next, then I wee the offer."


    Tilon didn''t say anything because he wasn''t so sure his n did work. He was just thankful the fight didn''t go on; otherwise, they would have all been killed. The message was quite clear: the Behemoth n really wanted the Dark Magus.


    ---


    At the same time, while Alba and her teammates were fighting on the bridge, the same thing had urred. A bird was seen above, and Wildfire Fang had no choice but to call for their entire group to retreat.


    Unlike the others, they still hadn''t used the blue Qi pill. It was their trump card if things got really desperate. Alba ordered the others not to chase, as they waited for all the Behemoth n members to clear the bridge.


    "They retreated just like that, without getting any information?" Cornker asked, putting his two daggers away in his back.


    "Exactly, I don''t like it. If they attacked us, they most likely attacked the others as well. Let''s hurry to amunication center," Alba ordered.


    In most cities or even small towns, there would bemunication devices. One would input a code, and then talk into it; the voice was then recorded.


    If another person went to anothermunication center in another town or city and yed the code, then they would hear the message.


    There were no mobilemunication devices, so if they needed to get a message on the go, they would have to use other means, but in the world of Pagna, this was the best they had in terms of contacting each other.


    "I''ve told the others to let me know if they''re all okay and that the Crimson Crane will be meeting back up in Reptum," Alba exined. "I hope the others are fine for now, but for us, even we should get some rest.


    "If we set off now and get attacked, there is a chance that I could lose one of you, and I''m not going to let that happen."


    The others agreed, and they had decided to stay in an inn for the night. One of them stayed awake, keeping watch while the other two could get some good shut-eye. Then they would rotate this.


    It was normal for them to do this being wanderers, so they were used to it, but of course, Alba was more uptight than she usually would be. They had dealt with ns in the past, but now, in short session, they had dealt with an Algre Light Faction n and now arge Demonic Faction n.


    "It was going to be this way eventually; things have just sped up a bit because we met him," Alba thought to herself.


    When the sun rose with enough rest for the three of them, they took a quick visit to the message center to see if they had heard anything from the others. They had heard news from Tilon that everything was okay, and they had received the message.


    However, the ones she hadn''t heard from were those in Reptum themselves.


    "We''ll gather some


    food, supplies, and water, and then we''ll head off," Alba said.


    As they were walking across the lion''s bridges, they had entered the main market hub. It was severalrge buildings that were built around the side of a mountain in arge semicircle.


    There was arge tform for people to walk on. While walking, they kept an eye out to see if they spotted any Behemoth members here or there, but they were unable to see anything.


    Entering a shop, though, a voice caught their attention, and not just theirs but quite a few people as well.


    On therge tform, there was a single person who stood on a self-made stand. By his side, he had a stack of papers, and with a loud booming voice, he was shouting out to the others.


    "Read about the big urrence in the city of Reptum! A once-in-a-lifetime event involving the Behemoth n!"


    Immediately, it caught Alba''s and the others'' attention, and they quickly moved over. She pulled out a coin and flicked it over to the man, who then handed a paper out from the stack on the side.


    Right at the very top, the main headline read: The Birth Of A Real Demon! A Demon Appears in Reptum!


    "Hey, this is to do with the Behemoth n; it can''t be true, can it? Is it to do with the others?" Cronker asked, sweat running down the side of his head as he started to panic.


    He could see Alba reading the paper, but she hadn''t said a word, and eventually, when reading it all, she could only mumble out a few things.


    "Are the Behemoth n and Crimson Crane at war? Is the mysterious person the Dark Magus? Can an Alchemist really be this strong?" Alba mumbled to herself, reading everything that was written.


    "What...on Pagna happened?" Alba said, star-struck.


    The news report, due to Bubble''s informationwork, was quickly being spread. First, it would be the Demonic Faction, and soon it would reach even further than that. The world was learning that the Demonic Faction had a real Demon rising.

 Chapter 296 The Dark Guilds Most Loyal

    <h4>Chapter 296 The Dark Guilds Most Loyal</h4>


    In the world of Alterian, at the police station, Captain Harvey was in therge office space. Here, several stalls housed the other officers, and Harvey, as the captain, had his own office in the area.


    A special booth, that mostly had the area cked out by a special enchanted ss.


    "Captain Harvey sure does love staying in the dark all the time, huh? Maybe he''s up to some creepy stuff," one of the officers said, his head turned towards the private cubicle. Even now, the blinds were down, though it was still midday.


    "Although this is quite normal for him, he seems to be in the books a lot more than usual," another officer from the stall nextmented. He dragged himself out of his chair, and then, using his wind magic, whirled up a chocte bar from the side of the table.


    "Care to chill my drink as well?" another officer said, holding out a ss bottle and handing it over. The officer quickly took the bottle, and soon an icy exterior appeared on the outside as he handed it back.


    "You''re talking about the recent work he''s handed us, right? We''re looking over so much and digging up cases from so far back, up to recently, and I don''t even know what case we''re working on that would need all this information."


    "We should just do what we''re told before he sts us to pieces."


    "Wait, he does that!" One of the newbie officers said, wheeling out from his booth a little worried. He had been careful around the captain due to being a rank higher, as newbies tend to do. So far, he hadn''t seen much of the captain, but the few instances he had were all good.


    "Ah, you haven''t seen the captain snap yet, right? I think it tends to happen around once a month."


    "If you put it that way, some might think he isn''t a man."


    "Hey, watch it," another chimed in, pping their member on the back of the head.


    "Regardless," the officer continued as he looked around to make sure the captain was still in his booth. "Captain Harvey has at times snapped at other officers, and it seems to be the smallest things.


    "We''ve even seen it with some criminals or other departments that we''ve had to work with once in a while. When it happens, he has quite the temper because he isn''t shy to use his magic.


    "Due to his talent, as a Five Star mage, some say he would be in an even higher position if it wasn''t for his temper." The officer looked around the room again as he waved his hands for the others to lean in.


    "I''ve heard some rumors state that the captain might have even killed a few people. On cases, there have been rumors that they have seen him go a little too far when there wasn''t a need to that ended up killing them."


    "Wait, that isn''t so bad then, is it?" Another added. "That means that all of the cases were with criminals. He might just be really crazy about justice."


    "Or just crazy," another added. "Just be happy that he is one that is catching criminals, otherwise, who knows."


    As they were in the middle of their discussion, the double door into the room slid open, and several men could be seen entering. They were being escorted by a female officer that the whole team knew, but as for the people behind them, they hadn''t seen them before.


    Their clothing stood out to them all, and it told the others exactly where they were from. They wore thick robes that were primarily white, with shes of gold on what looked like their shoulder pads. This was an enchanted robe, and one of those that were given to one group of people.


    Those that came down from headquarters. The ones behind the scenes that gave therger orders to those that were down at the practical level doing the job like them. There were five men in total, all of them dressed in the same clothing, their hoods covering most of what they looked like.


    Immediately, the officers stood up from their seats as they saw them and greeted them with a slight bow.


    "Is this what our unit has been doing, mere gossiping!" One of the headquarters officers stated. His voice was a little rough around the edges, making them assume that he was quite a bit olderpared to the others.


    The officers didn''t say anything back while they continued to walk past and eventually reached the private cubicle. The young female officer gave it a knock before clearing her throat.


    "Captain Harvey, it appears that there are those from Headquarters that are here to see you."


    Immediately the ck-covered room disappeared, and one could see through the office, with Harvey standing up from his seat, and opening the door, exiting his room. Unlike the other officers, Harvey didn''t seem to bow down, and instead just stood tall while looking at them.


    "Arrogant as always," the same older voice from before said.


    "Yes, but I am too helpful in catching troublesome criminals for you guys to disregard me, so what is it that you want this time?" Harvey asked.


    "There has been a direct order not just here but in multiple areas for the officers to focus on research about the Dark Magus," the man stated.


    Almost immediately, Harvey could feel a tingling sensation run through his body. He started to rub his index finger and thumb together, soothing himself slightly.


    The officers behind were a little confused, for one, cases involving the Dark Magus, wasn''t something usually the officers at this level would look at, and second, the Dark Magus cases were closed.


    "Is there a reason for this?" Harvey asked.


    Harvey was after all, a member of what had now been deemed the Dark Guild, and he needed to put a stop to anything that was getting in their way, so it was important for him to fish out for information.


    "There isn''t anything solid for the time being," the man replied. "However, the task is for you to do further ground research on the sites nearby that had involved the Dark Magus in the past. We are trying to see if there was anything overlooked.


    "As you should know, he was a powerful mage that dabbled in Dark Magic. There is a chance, that there are sites that have been, left behind by the Dark Magus. Anything, to a magic circle, to a print of something you don''t recognize we need detailed reports.


    "Any free time will be dedicated to this."


    Arge smile appeared on Harvey''s face, as he answered, "Of course." But the back of his teeth were grinding. Why were they looking into the Dark Magus, what were they nning to do?


    ''Have they found out about the Dark guild already? From the internal files, I see reports of those taken out that were learning Dark Magic, but they haven''t caught on that there is a group of people gathering. They seem to be using a lot of resources on just this. The meeting is soon, and maybe this is something to note to that puppet.''


    Harvey somewhat saw himself as the bringing of the Dark Guild. He would never call himself the leader, that position was for one and only one person, but using his internal files at the station, he could research into those that were suspected users of Dark Magic, or follow certain reports.


    Meeting them beforehand, he could then use this information to invite them to join. At the same time, he had been busy looking into the matters of


    the Grand Magus, just like he had been asked to, and he felt like this derailing was now avoiding him from doing his task.


    "Couldn''t you guys just have sent a message, was there really a reason for you all toe down here?" Harvey asked.


    "If we had just sent a message then you wouldn''t have known how important of a matter this is, and we wanted to speak in front of your fellow officers here so they could keep you in line," the man stated, and with that, the message was delivered.


    They didn''t say anything else, and instead just turned around as they went to head back out of the door back the way they hade in. As soon as the door shut, Harvey couldn''t help but shout out loud.


    "Those old f*cks," Harveymented. "This is my station, and I will do as I like."


    "Does that mean that we won''t be looking into cases involving the Dark Magus, sir?" The female who had escorted them in asked.


    "No, we will, but anything we do find, I want all of you to report to me first," Harvey ordered. "Don''t upload information onto the central system, and let me vet it first."


    "Is this an order from headquarters, sir?" One of the officers sheepishly asked, cowering behind another. Halfway through his sentence, he had somewhat realized how stupid it was for him to ask.


    "No, it''s an order from me, and if you disobey my order, I will incite my personal punishments."


    It was the first time for the newbie officer to see Harvey like this. Normally he was calm, and was rxed about everything. To the point where the workers were free to talk and eat where they wished, among other things.


    Apletely different atmospherepared to other posts. They enjoyed their time here under Harvey and so they were less likely to ruin it as well.


    "I guess we better start pulling up the Dark Magus case files then," the officer said as he sat at his desk and got to work.


    Everyone started to do the same and the talking continued among the staff members.


    "Man, the Dark Magus, I can''t believe there was such a high-case criminal that existed. It wasn''t too long ago that he died as well."


    Harvey himself was ready to head back into his room.


    "It''s a good thing the Dark Magus is dead now," the young officermented.


    Immediately, Harvey''s footsteps stopped just shy of entering his office.

 Chapter 297 Back to the Start

    <h4>Chapter 297 Back to the Start</h4>


    Harvey had stopped moving forward, frozen like a statue, not entering his room and not turning back around. The others hadn''t noticed; they were still talking amongst themselves, getting to work.


    Eventually, he started to rub his index finger across his thumb, doing it a few times until he turned around with a smile on his face.


    "Newbie, is it?" Harvey called out. "I can''t remember your name. Was it something silly like Cookie or something?"


    "Calner, sir, but you can call me Cookie if you wish."


    "Alright, Cookie, since you are new here, you can go on your first trip with me," Harvey exined. "After the group digs up some information, we will be heading out to the sites to investigate in pairs, and you can have the honor of going with me."


    "Thank you, sir. I won''t let you down!" Cookie said, his face flushed slightly red.


    "Alright, you guys, get to work, and get as much information as you can on the Dark Magus," Harvey ordered as he went back to his office and clicked his fingers. The enchanted ss covered the room again.


    "Whoa, I don''t know if going with the captain is going to be good or bad for you," one of the officers said, and soon, all of them got to work.


    They continued to research the Dark Magus files, in particr, they were looking at details of events that had urred near the area they were in. For many of the officers, looking into the details of the Dark Magus was quite shocking.


    "Hey, did you hear about this event?" one of the officers said, pulling up the file. "The Dark Magus, they say he took out one of the police bases that were here before. It started because an officer seemed to have seized a storage unit that belonged to the Dark Mage."


    "Wait, so because the police were doing their job, he attacked one of the units, like this?" Another officer asked.


    "Well, not just attacked, he got rid of the whole unit. There are quite a few cases like this as well."


    "I''ve found some other reports stating that he attacked quite a few facilities as well. All of them had links to illegal drug production, though."


    "Yeah, but did you see, they were small-scale ces, none of therge ones. It doesn''t seem like he was doing it out of the good of his heart. He attacked multiple of therge facilities that were producing a number of drugs that were illegal and used to save lives with diseases as well.


    "So it seems the Dark Magus was just being the Dark Magus, taking out medical facilities and causing disruption."


    "Doesn''t it make you wonder, though? We are looking through all of these files, and the Dark Magus had done a lot of bad things, we all know that. Yet what about his origin? With his death, shouldn''t there be an official file?


    "Shouldn''t he be in a system of some kind? We should know his real identity and find out why the Dark Magus did these things or why the Dark Magus became the Dark Magus."


    "Are we teachers now? Are we his parents? He is a criminal at the end of the day, and our job is to catch them, end of story. We can''t go looking into preventing these things, and I''m sure you have seen drastic cases like the Dark Magus.


    "There are those raised in the perfect environment, loving family, and a number of things, yet they still do the inevitable."


    Afterpiling a list of reports, it was time for the officers to take action. Thankfully, the world of Alterian, at least to the general public, was a safe ce. At least in the post that they were at, there weren''t multiple calls during the day, giving them a lot of free time to look at other things. With no calls being brought in, it meant they could act quite quickly on the task that had been handed to them from above.


    "Officers, we will travel in pairs!" Harvey announced as he had put them all together, and by his side, there was Officer Cookie. "Remember what I said before, that anything you find, do not upload it to the central database, and that it should go through me first."


    With that said, the group split up to all of the different sites across the city, in particr districts. As for Harvey, the site that he had chosen was a personal one and the one that interested him the most.


    The night sky was out, and the neon lights shined across the entire city. It was almost impossible to see a building without lights on the outside. But in the city full of night lights andrge skyscraper buildings, there was almost a gap. An area that stood out because it was shrouded in darkness.


    "So we are finally here," Harvey said with a smile.


    In front of him, there was a thick blue barrier that covered the area. It was to block ess for the general public and other mages. Of course, a mage with some strength could break down the barrier, but if that were to happen, then an alert would be sent, and in an instant, several forces would be there to stop the attacker.


    As for what was behind the barrier, it was a site, or what was left of a site. What was once arge building, along with the other skyscrapers, was now just arge mound that looked to be ck in color. There was still some of the steel frame that could be seen, butrge parts of it had melted down. There were also a few of the building structures that were left here and there, but it was nothing like it once was.


    Walking up to the barrier, Harvey pulled out a round metallic object, in the center of which was arge orb that had a crystal inside it. When he ced the object, it somewhat stuck to the barrier, and shortly after, a part of the barrier changed in color.


    Immediately, Harvey walked through the barrier, and following after him was Cookie. After that, Harvey took the device back off, and the barrier returned to normal.


    "So what is this ce, boss? You didn''t really give me any information," Cookie said as he quickened his pace to catch up with the captain, who had already dived right into the scene.


    "This ce, you mean you don''t know? I thought the information was released to the general public. Didn''t you look at the files?" Harvey replied.


    While looking around, it felt like there wasn''t much to look at or find. Nearly everything had been burnt to the ground by a powerful fire spell. It had burnt most of the scene that they could have had from around them, but there was one thing that Harvey was wondering.


    "There''s almost no other damage other than that which is from the fire. Sure, the fire could have cleared it up, but shouldn''t there be lingering magic, or at least some sign of other spells?" Harveymented. "And to answer your question, this is the site, the area where the Dark Magus was said to have lost his fight. His body burnt to a crisp, leaving nothing behind it."


    It was a story that Harvey had been following well, to the point he realized that the site of the Dark Magus'' death was never revealed to the public. As they thought it would be a tourist destination for others and they didn''t want the site to be ruined. Yet it was also the reason, or part of the reason why Harvey thought that it might just be the case that the Dark Magus was still alive.


    "Until I see the body myself, I won''t believe that he has passed," Harveymented.


    "Well, if the Dark Magus was alive, then it would certainly bring terror to everyone. We would need the help of the Grand Magus again to stop him if that happened," Cookiemented.


    After looking around for a while, it was quite clear that they weren''t going to find anything, or anything that the officers would be interested in.


    "I guess there is nothing for us to report?" Cookie asked.


    "I have found out one thing," Harvey said as he turned around.


    The two of them were standing in the center, what looked like a dark pit surrounded by the destroyed buildings on all sides that covered them from the outside buildings and areas.


    "There is a group that worships the Dark Magus. Have you heard of them?" Harvey asked.


    "A group, that really exists? I thought the Dark Magus was a solo person," Cookie replied.


    "Oh, he is," Harvey replied. "But there is a group that is trying to follow in his footsteps, to help his goal. They call themselves the Dark Guild, and it seems that they are operating right here at the moment."


    "Right here? How did you find that out, captain?" Cookie asked.


    "Ah," Harvey stopped rubbing his index finger and thumb at that moment, and magic started to swirl around his body. It was Dark Magic, which reached grabbing onto Cookie''s legs and arms. Arge shadow figure held Cookie right in the air.


    "It''s because I''m a member of this guild, and as a member, you need to be punished for the words you said," Harvey held out his hand, facing out.


    "Dark Pulse." An attack left his hand, striking right in the center of Cookie''s heart, and his head fell down, looking at the floor.

 Chapter 298 Another Growing Legend

    <h4>Chapter 298 Another Growing Legend</h4>


    The piece written by Bubble and his group had managed to be one of his bestsellers overnight. Copies were selling out within hours, and he was unable to print enough in time.


    In the end, news was starting to spread by word of mouth rather than the articles themselves, as so many people had already heard of what had urred, which started to slow down sales, but the initial surge of wanting information from those who had actually seen what happened still allowed for a steady influx of sales.


    "This is fantastic!" Bubble said to himself with arge grin on his face. "The news has already spread outside of the continent, and even ns have been requesting information from us, asking how much we know about this new demon that is a part of the Demonic Faction."


    Lying back in his chair, Bubble had his finger on his chin and arge grin on his face because he himself was wondering if there was any way he could maximize the current situation to make it better for him.


    "I guess I might have to start gathering information about the Crimson Crane myself. Maybe they will allow for exclusive interviews. For now, we aren''t even sure if the attacker and the Dark Magus are the same person, and from what I saw, it''s unlikely to be the case."


    Most hade to this conclusion themselves. They just could never imagine a person who was so great at creating Qi pills, someone who was a genius in alchemy, could also be a genius inbat as well.


    Little did Bubble or the others know that the Dark Magus was a lot more than that, and they had yet to learn about the great items that he could create.


    "Still, of course, this demon has be a legend. His name has been spread because it''s not every day that a person can take on multiple members of the Behemoth n. Talking about them, it might be good to get an idea of what they are thinking right now, as it doesn''t seem like they have been active since that day either. I would love to talk to them, but I treasure my own life.''


    "Oren!" Bubble shouted. "Head to the Behemoth n and do an interview with them for our next article. We need to stay on top of all of this. We need to keep the story going and build up the new Demon."


    In the city of Repton, many didn''t know the location of the Behemoth n, and that was because it was located underneath the city itself. There were multiple entrances all over, some ced inside shops, others part of stall stands. Once showing the specially made emblem, the entrance would open up to them and only them. Most of them then needed to proceed down some stairs before entering arge area that almost looked like a city of its own.


    The underground area was full of t buildings and was covered in red lights that filled the sky. The walkways were made out of wood, and oddly, it seemed to be built on top of ake of water. The area would be paved with wooden floorboards and houses, but towards the sides and away from the walkways, there would be water that could be seen everywhere. With the reflection of the red light, it was quite the sight to see, unique, and there wasn''t a ce quite like it.


    At the very end of the path built up was arge, wide housing structure, and this was the main base of the Behemoth n. Standing just outside therge building were two statues of lions, one holding onto a ball underneath its foot, with the other a baby.


    Inside the building itself, sitting down on arge red mat, there was a giant man in the room, with his head almost touching the ceiling. In front of him, several men were on one knee with their heads facing the floor and one fist on the floor as well.


    "The Behemoth n has been embarrassed," Sha Mo stated. "And to think, after I went all the way to the Neverfall n making sure they wouldn''t get involved. It seems we had underestimated the Crimson Crane."


    "I apologize for this; everything is my fault!" Wild Fang imed. He stayed in his position with his head facing toward the ground, not even looking up. "Anything you wish for me to do, even if I have no limbs left, I will drag the Dark Magus here myself!"


    Sha Mo didn''t respond, and immediately all of the men on the ground looked nervous. They all had failed in a way, especially the group that had the Dark Magus in their sights, or at least what was thought to be the Dark Magus.


    "For now, we should let the heat die down a bit," Sha Mo said. "We need to gather more information on this new Demon that the Crimson Crane has managed to get. Whether it is the Dark Magus or not. If they can use the Extraction Technique like what was imed, then this might be a bigger thing than people realize, and we won''t be the only group that will be intent on getting him for themselves."


    There was also another thought that came to Sha Mo''s mind, but he didn''t speak it out loud. But there was a chance that if this person was truly this talented, a person that came along only once in a million, then they would be able to create a group of their own that would be able to topple what had been stable in the world of Pagna for a while now.


    A day and a half had passed since the events of the Crimson Crane and the Behemoth n, and Raze had treated it as if it was just another matter that had urred on his path.


    Because he didn''t let it slow him down in terms of the things that he needed to do. In fact, once his mana had returned to what it was, he had gotten straight to work on the request that was needed.


    The creation of more Qi pills that would be handed to Fixteen to go on to sell to the others.


    Raze had wanted to do work in the Alchemist building, since it was arger and wider space, but due to the event, there would be those that gathered outside, all with the hope that they would be able to see the new Demon appear again.


    The description of a hooded figure matched many, so at least it would be hard for him to be singled out as he walked through the streets. So instead, Raze did the work in the Inn.


    Crates had been brought to him, and with the mass-producing method, he was able to create multiples of the pills and fill them up. Quite arge supply had been made this time. And on top of those for Fixteen, he had created his own supply of pills.


    He had brought a full sack of multicolored pills for him to use and ced it into his robe.


    "And finally, I am done with the first request that I needed to do since getting here," Raze said as he sat on the edge of the bed, thinking about what he needed to do next.


    "I informed the Crimson Crane that I would continue to make items for the rest of their members, but for now, I have my own personal matters to attend to."


    It was the reason why Raze had grabbed many of the Qi pills for him to use himself. It was because the next step for him was to head to Alterian to have the meeting with the Dark Guild.


    From thest time, he realized that he was able to use magic, and he could even use items such as his magic robe, allowing him to bring things to Alterian.


    Simrly, he hoped that it would work the same way, and when he went to his vault of items, he could bring some things back with him to Pagna. However, there was a problem, depending on where he was, how long would it take him to reach the vault.


    If he asked his followers, how long would they take to gather the items, and who knew once they knew how powerful these things were whether they would keep it to themselves or not.


    Because of this, Raze had figured something else out: in his astral projection, what if he was to consume the Qi pills? He could still use magic, so even if he couldn''t eat the pills, then he could at least break the energy down and use it to restore the mana within himself.


    If that didn''t work, he hade up with another n. The mana being supplied to the astral projection technique wasing from his real body. So what if he created magic circles with pills ced around him?


    He could make it so the energy broke down from the pills within a certain time, and in doing so, give his body more energy. If he did this, he was sure he would be able to spend more time in Alterian.


    "I guess it''s time for me to go," Raze thought as he exited out of the door.


    He had already informed Fixteen that the pills were ready and where to collect them, on top of that, he had made a request: a list of food that needed to be brought over. If he didn''t get his new robe from his vault, he could only bring so much food to the other side.


    So in a way, this was something that needed to be done. Exiting out of the City of Repton, Raze headed back to the cave.


    "I guess it''s time to head back to Alterian again."

 Chapter 299 The Second Dark Guild Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 299 The Second Dark Guild Meeting</h4>


    Inside the Mage Academy, sses were in session. Mages were learning about history, delving into spells and the basics of magic. Years of research on all things rted to mages were concentrated in one ce¡ªthe academy.


    The mage academies served as stepping stones for any mage wishing to achieve something significant in the world. There were numerous magical jobs in Alterian, but those who managed to reach star 5 level were considered extremely special.


    And there was one thing that 90 percent of mages who reached the 5-star level and above had inmon: they had attended an academy. Because all the knowledge of the mages was in one ce, it was where one could advance the quickest.


    In one ss, a student named Kelly was diligently taking notes in her book as her teacher drew diagrams on the board. The lesson for today was teaching about counter magic.


    It formed the basis of battles between mages who were at the same level and had a wide variety of spells. Although certain attributes were known to be stronger and better than others, spells themselves also acted in specific ways.


    Through trial and error, the academy had determined certain spells that were best used in specific situations. The teacher would write an example of a spell on the board, such as the Fire Magic spell "Ember."


    Students then had toe up with a counter spell. The obvious answer was to use water magic, but what type of spell would work best to stop the attack? They had to devise the reason why and identify the best spell; that was the point of the lesson.


    This lesson was interesting, but for Kelly, it didn''t prove too useful because she had a secret that she kept from everyone: she specialized in Dark Magic.


    Since Dark Magic was considered taboo, it was challenging for people to know what was the best counter against it. At the same time, there were no lessons on what the best Dark Magic spell to counter other types of magic would be.


    For example, since Dark Magic was her most powerful attribute, if the opponent used Ember and she had no water magic spells, then what would be the most effective Dark Magic spell to stop the attack?


    In her head, because of this, she was a little behind the others when it came to these lessons and tests. In fact, "a little" was an understatement; she was at the bottom of the ss. Having next to no real-life experience with other magics made it difficult toe up with an answer.


    "I believe the best answer would be the ''Water Spout'' spell," one of the girls at the front of the ss answered.


    Her name was Aurora, a talented redhead who was considered a fiery beauty. In many ways, she was the pr opposite when it came to sses since Aurora was at the top of her ss and popr with both male and female students.


    Although Kelly was popr with the boys, it wasn''t on friendly terms; it was more one-way affection. This had caused dissatisfaction among the girls, and with no friends of her own to support her, she had be somewhat of a target for the others to relieve their stress.


    It didn''t help that she was at the bottom of her ss as well. Because of all these things, she felt at times she didn''t me them, as she would have targeted herself for being so useless, but it didn''t matter because she had one goal and one purpose: to increase and pursue her Dark Magic, a gift given to her by the Dark Magus who had managed to save her.


    "And what is your reasoning for picking this spell?" the teacher asked.


    "''Water Spout'' has a far range, and it fits since an ember me has the tendency to spread and not just attack one area. There are many spells that can block ember, but I think this is the best bet to stay safe while also using a small amount of mana," Aurora answered.


    The teacher nodded as he rubbed his bearded chin before giving an answer.


    "It''s a great answer; I will give you 8 out of 10," the teacher replied.


    Aurora seemed shocked by this and clenched her fists slightly.


    "But sir, that is the answer that the textbook gives, stating that it is the best option. How can you give me 8 out of 10?"


    "That''s because you gave a textbook answer," the teacher replied. "In the world of mages and spells, it is about using your head andbinations of things to think outside of the box. You need to think further as if you are in a real battle yourself.


    "Are you really sure that the answer in the textbook itself is the best answer? If you are to battle against other mages using everything in the textbooks, then won''t your opponent always know what you''re going to do?"


    Aurora appeared dissatisfied with the teacher''s exnation. The textbooks were based on years and generations of research by other mages, and other teachers would haveplimented her fully. She wanted to argue back, but before she could, the bell rang, signaling the end of ss.


    "That was a good lesson, everybody!" the teacher pped his hands. "I do have to remind you all before you go that tomorrow is the school''s anniversary event. Students and teachers will be gathering in the main hall in the evening.


    "You are free to bring your family members tomorrow before the evening event. Here, they will observe your live lessons in ss to see what you are learning, and we might ask a few of you to demonstrate a few things, so you need to be at the top of your ss.


    "After that, we will all enjoy the evening party in the main hall!"


    The students were excited as they heard this news. They turned to their ssmates by their side and started to chat away. It was a chance for them to show off to their parents and family members all the hard work they had put in.


    For some, though, it would be stressful as well. With their parents watching, they would be a nervous wreck, as they had to prove that they had been doing well.


    For Kelly, though, she didn''t care about any of it and instead looked at the time.


    ''Today is the meeting day; I have to hurry and catch the train,'' she thought.


    Rushing down the steps, carrying her bag and other items, she was ready to head out the exit. But before she did, someone called out to her.


    "And who will being to see you tomorrow, Kelly?" Aurora asked.


    She was at the front with a couple of her friends standing by her side, openly giggling as they heard thisment.


    "Oh right, sorry, I forgot you can''t bring anyone, can you? Aren''t your entire family dead? Well, it''s okay, don''t worry, you can still shine. If they ask me to do a demonstration against a student, I''ll choose you, and you can show off your skills. Who knows, maybe someone will offer to adopt you if you do well."


    Kelly''s past was known to nearly all of the students. Kelly didn''t know how but Aurora was able to get this information, and soon it had spread, giving them more ammunition to use in their targeted teasing.


    Ignoring Aurora''s words, Kelly just walked past. She had experienced this quite frequently, and she knew why. A lot of kids resented Kelly for a number of things, and it seemed to be a good way to get their frustrations out.


    Aurora was one of the main offenders, bullies, whatever you wanted to call them. It was all because a boy that she had liked had asked Kelly out. Kelly had no interest in boys; she didn''t want to be close to people in the first ce since she could never reveal her dark secret to them. It was better that way.


    Yet ever since then, Aurora''s targeting and teasing had be much worsepared to others.


    "Maybe you could pay someone to be your family members for the day. It would be quite embarrassing if every single student had someone here for them and you didn''t."


    Continuing to ignore the words, Kelly left the room.


    ''I need to hurry; the Dark Guild is waiting for me.''

 Chapter 300 Going Back, to the meeting

    <h4>Chapter 300 Going Back, to the meeting</h4>


    When using the astral projection technique, Raze needed to make sure that his original body was protected. Since he couldn''t really trust anyone to do such a thing, the best option for him was to head back to the secret cave from before, the one that had been created by the original Dark Faction Founder.


    Entering the inside, Raze got to work rtively quickly. He didn''t start by using the astral projection spell but instead was trying to figure out what runes to use so his body could continue to consume the pills that he needed.


    This was the difference between good mages and great mages. Good mages could perform spells of any caliber, but great mages truly understood the fundamentals of things, to the point where they were able to use the runes, symbols, and magic circles to create their own spells.


    After thinking about it for a while, he did what needed to be done. The magic circle formation was created, and he had ced twenty blue Qi Pills in the circle.


    "At the moment, the magic circle is set up so it breaks down and absorbs the crystal every thirty minutes. These are just regr Qi Pills and not the cursed variation. As long as I don''t use magic, then I should be able tost at least 10 hours in my body based on what had urredst time."


    His hand was rubbing his chin, wondering if that would be enough time. After all, he didn''t even know where in Alterian the Dark Guild was holding their meetings, and how far it would be from the ce he needed.


    "I guess for now, I could always use this more as a test."


    Raze then proceeded to draw the same magic circle again, but this time he ced the light blue Qi Pills. These pills had the effect of blocking out any stasis effects or effects from magic itself, and he wondered if this would help prevent the magic from his body from spilling even more.


    Lastly, he had created a final magic circle copying the same formation as the other two. In this one, he had ced the same blue-colored pill, only this one was the cursed variant, that allowed one to restore all of their mana for a total of a minute.


    However, he added an extra condition in the magic circle; if his mana was to go below ten percent of its total, then and only then would the Qi pill be consumed by his body. He needed to be ready for anything that would happen after all.


    "Alright, with that, I think the setup isplete," Raze thought to himself.


    In terms of his physical body, a lot had changed with Raze. After consuming those from the Behemoth n and adding their Qi to his own, he had now reached and be a stage 5 Pagna warrior.


    Kizer and Reno had helped protect him while he was going through the process, since it seemed to happen right after the fight, and he was in quite the vulnerable state as all of the impurities from his body had tried to escape.


    At that time, he could tell that the Crimson Crane members wanted to ask what was going on. Since they were so close, they could feel that Raze must have just broken through to the Fifth stage, so how was he even able to defeat so many members of the Behemoth n they would never know.


    They wanted to ask but they bit their tongue in case the Dark Magus found such things offensive for them to say.


    "For the astral projection, I need more mana, and I''m still only at the third stage... I do have a level 5 power stone that I can absorb, but I''ve been a bit cautious about it as well. If I''m able to be a 4-star mage, it won''t just be safer for me, but I''ll be able tost longer on the other side as well."


    Of course, there was always the worry of a portal break. So far, Raze seemed to have been lucky. With the item creations, no portals had appeared. However, increasing one to the next star level did release arge amount of magic, which was why it worried Raze.


    "Let''s just see for now first. The astral projection technique can be used as long as I have mana, so it''s not as if I can''t use it more than once in a day," Raze thought to himself.


    Sitting down with his legs crossed, Raze took a deep breath and started to move the mana around him. He continued in and out, until he felt a part of him escaping from his body.


    The technique was being performed, and before he knew it, when he opened his eyes in front of him, he found himself back in the same ce as before. The destroyed and dark scenery around him.


    The rooftop was mostly ck with a few holes here and there, yet no light shining through. He was sure of it, that he was in the right ce. However, when looking around, he couldn''t see either of the two from before.


    Instead, though, he noticed something else, as he looked at his own body. "What is this... my mana, I can feel it. It''s not leaking out of my body like it did thest time? It''s staying in! With this, I can stay in Alterian for a lot longer, even without the use of the pills."


    What Raze was trying to figure out was the reason why, though. What was different this timepared to the time before? What had changed? The technique used was the same, he was at the same star level, so it couldn''t be that.


    Then there was only one answer, there was only one variable that had changed, and that was the fact that he was now a stage-five Pagna warrior.


    "Is it my body itself? Is it causing the mana to leak out even less? If that is the case, then I wonder if I was a middle-stage warrior, would my body be even more solidified in this state."


    The glowing mana that would surround Raze had been lessened as well. Before, where he would have looked like a spirit, his body was more like that of an actual human. One couldn''t tell from just looking, but maybe if they were to touch him, they would still notice.


    "I wonder... what would ur if someone at the Divine level used this technique as well. Would their body bepletely solidified to the point where it would just be like if they were in the world of Alterian.


    "I guess this gives me more reason to continue focusing on increasing my Pagna stage as well."


    It was quite the big discovery, to the point where Raze continued to clench his fist, opening it and closing it. Now he realized that all of the math and figures he had done beforehand with the pills were to be thrown out of the window.


    But it didn''t matter too much; he could always just adjust it anyway.


    "Oh, Dark Spirit!" A voice said.


    Turning around, Raze could see two hooded figures standing there, and the one who had spoken was the same male-sounding voice as before.


    "It seems you are quite keen to start this meeting of the new Dark Guild!" the man stated.

 Chapter 301 Where is the Vault Located?

    <h4>Chapter 301 Where is the Vault Located?</h4>


    The appearance of the two Dark Guild members was the same as before. The two of them were wearing the dark robes that covered their faces, but their general body structure could be seen.


    Raze could tell that these were the same people as before, but as for the two of them, they could tell the same.


    They knew that this was the Dark Spirit, but then why did the energy that was overflowing out of him from before no longer feel the same? Now, it felt like they were dealing with another human of all things.


    In fact, if they had seen the Dark Spirit like this before, they wouldn''t have thought he was a Dark Spirit in the first ce.


    "You seem a bit different, Dark Spirit," Harveymented.


    "I am getting used to appearing in this world," Raze replied. "As time goes on, I''m sure my power will continue to grow as well, which will be a benefit to us both."


    There was no need to give many more details other than that, but if Raze wanted to use these two to help him now and in the future, he had to keep up this somewhat facade of being a Dark Spirit that belonged to the Dark Magus.


    He didn''t feel too bad about this; after all, the person they were worshiping in the first ce was him, but that would be hard for them to believe with a change in appearance and a change of power.


    If people knew how weak the Dark Magus was nowpared to before, then the dynamics between them might very well change. After all, Raze had no clue as to why these people even worshiped the Dark Magus in the first ce.


    "From our talk from before, I was wondering how the task has been going," Raze asked.


    The two hooded figures looked at each other, wondering which one of them should go first, and in the end, Harvey stepped forward slightly, giving a small bow before answering.


    "I have been looking into what the Grand Magus has been doing. I have been gathering information, but right now, it''s hard to know what is considered suspicious of their movements, or if there is any dirt on them that we can use."


    "The Grand Magus will be good at covering their tracks, so to get information that I believe will be useful to you, I believe we will need more of those on the inside. I think it might be best if we look for more Dark Magic users, those that follow our cause."


    "With more eyes in ces, I''m sure they will be able to find if they they mess up."


    Argerwork woulde in handy, but there was an issue when groups becamerge. For one, it was harder to keep an eye on everyone''s movements and what they were doing.


    Therger the group, the harder they were to control as well. However, was this something he needed to worry about when he wouldn''t be here?


    "Arge group is harder to control. If they are to join the Dark Guild, we need ways to know that they are truly loyal to the cause. Make sure to look into those things before asking them to join," Raze answered.


    "Of course," Harvey replied with a smile. He was already doing this, so he was d to hear that the Dark Spirit felt the same way about these things.


    "There is one more thing I wish to inform you," Harvey started to exin. "It seems that the central government is looking into matters involving the Dark Magus. I do not know the reason why, but it does seem strange that they would do so at a time like this."


    "For now, they do not know about the Dark Guild, especially since it just includes the two of us, so I doubt it has anything to do with this. I thought it might be best to inform you, since I''m sure you''re aware that the Grand Magus have a lot of influence in this world."


    When Harvey exined everything he found, he wanted to hide his real identity. The fact that he was in the police force but still gave the information needed to find these things out.


    ''They are looking into the Dark Magus here on Alterian again. They must have already confirmed my death. No, they knew I died right in front of their eyes,'' Raze thought. ''What is more likely is that they are starting to hear of news in Pagna. The likelihood that the two worlds are connected in more ways than I knew is quite high.''


    ''If reports areing through, they are looking into whether or not I really died, or had someone take my ce. I can already imagine the panic that is going through them. It''s making me a little excited,'' Raze thought to himself.


    Now that Harvey was done with his report, it was Kelly''s turn to answer. When she walked forward, she seemed to be ying with her hands, twirling them around before speaking.


    "I apologize," Kelly replied. "I have not yet had time to look into your request about mages of the past that might have gone missing. I have been quite distracted, keeping up my appearance in real life, but with more time, I can definitely get you the answers that you need."


    This was disappointing to hear, but Raze wasn''t so much in a rush for this in the first ce. If he found out who the Dark Founder was, he then needed to look into more information and decide what to do from there.


    Likely, he needed to find a real way to get to Alterian or a way to increase the time he could spend in Alterian before diving into anything to do with that because now he had his own problems that he needed to deal with on Pagna as well.


    "Not to worry, when you have the time, look into that as soon as possible. Instead, I have another request," Raze suggested.


    The main reason for his visit was to get the items that he needed from his vault, but it would be quite difficult even if the location was quite close.


    "If it''s possible, I need a way to head to the Central Mage Academy," Raze requested.


    His hiding ce, his vault, was in in sight, at the Main Central Academy.

 Chapter 302 The Central Mage Academy?

    Chapter 302 The Central Mage Academy?


    Kelly felt her knees weaken a little; she almost fell straight to the floor when she heard the request from the Dark Spirit. From what she knew, the Dark Spirit was a creation of the Dark Magus that continued to do his bidding after he left.


    So why, of all ces, did he want to go to the Central Mage Academy, the academy which she was currently attending? She wondered for a moment if the spirit maybe knew her identity, but as she calmed down, taking in a deep breath, she realized, based on the way the question was asked, that it wasn''t possible that was the case.


    "The Central Academy?" Harvey repeated. "That is a difficult ce to enter. Not even I think I could get you in there without reason. On top of that, although you might have strong Dark Magic skills, if you were to venture into a ce like that and someone found your identity, you would be killed on the spot. There are far too many high-ranked mages there."


    Raze already knew this, and it was a risk that he was just going to have to take. In the end, if his spirit form was killed, it wouldn''t affect him, but the reward of the items he had left behind was something he needed now, if he wanted a chance of taking on the academy and the main families of the Dark Faction.


    "I''m not sure where we currently are," Raze replied. "I understand that it will be difficult to get into the academy, but there are important things at the academy that are needed in order for the Dark Guild to thrive."


    Harvey was thinking hard; he wanted to help the Dark Spirit, but at the moment, he couldn''t think of anything. "The Central Academy is not far. One can take the Blink Train there, and you could get there in about an hour. The main issue is entering the academy itself, where I can''t help."


    "I think I might be able to help in that department," Kelly finally spoke up.


    She had been silent for a while because she wasn''t sure if it was the best thing to do. With her just being a student, she wouldn''t have been able to get the Dark Spirit in, at least not the way he was before.


    However, with his body in the form it was in now, he looked just like any other person, and there was an event that the school was happening where guests could arrive. This was perhaps the only chance the Dark Spirit would have, and it was a way she could help.


    "This matter might involve revealing my real identity," Kelly said as she turned to Harvey and gave a small bow.


    Harvey knew what she meant by this. One of the rules of the Dark Guild was to not reveal one''s real identity to each other. Although Harvey knew the identity of most who had joined the meetings before since he had invited them, he didn''t know the real identity of Kelly since she was invited by another member who was now dead.


    Because of this, the two didn''t know each other''s real identities outside of the Dark Guild.


    It was important for them to use the tools of the real world to help them in their pursuit in the Dark Guild and their goals, and to do that, they needed to do everything they could to keep their identity a secret.


    With this, it was less likely that they would be caught, especially for using things like Dark Magic.


    "I understand. I will continue with the task I have been doing before. We will have a meeting again at the same time and ce. Hopefully, there will be more of us that are able to aid you, Dark Spirit," Harvey said, as he bowed down and had decided to leave the area.


    The two of them waited a while, and Kelly made sure that the area was clear before she went back to talk to the Dark Spirit. She seemed to be cautious even about the other Dark Guild member.


    Raze felt like it was actually a sensible thing for the woman to do. To not trust anyone, and that would include him who was using her.


    "I do have a way I can help you," Kelly said. "But, it''s important that we don''t get found out in any way. The use of Dark Magic will be forbidden; otherwise, both of our lives will be taken."


    After saying this, she was wondering if that was even possible anyway. Wasn''t this just a spirit? Could it even die? Really, the only one that was risking her position was herself.


    "Doing this means that I will have to reveal my identity to you, and I wish for you to keep it a secret from the others. At the same time, the only way this would work is if people are able to see a face of yours as well. Is that possible?"


    Since Kelly was unable to directly see what the Dark Spirit looked like, she didn''t even know if it would just be flows of magic. So before telling him everything about the n she hade up with, she needed an answer first.


    "That is certainly possible," Raze answered. If it was the same situation as before, he wouldn''t have tried. Too much magic was leaking out of his body, and the teachers would have noticed something was strange in a heartbeat. Although the leaking of magic still existed, it was in small amounts.


    With the help of the light blue Qi pill, Raze was sure it would be impossible for other mages to trace it, unless they directly touched his body. After all, mana was all over the world, so it wouldn''t be so strange.


    "Alright," Kelly took a deep breath again. "I am currently a student at the Academy. So I have no probleming in. Usually, guests aren''t allowed to visit either without getting pre-proven permission either."


    "However, tomorrow, there is an open day at the academy. Students are allowed to bring family members to the event. If you want to get into the Magic Academy, your best bet will be toe with me as a fellow family member to tomorrow''s event."

 Chapter 303 You can come

    Chapter 303 You cane


    After saying everything she needed to say, Kelly was waiting for the Dark spirit to reply. She was hoping that he would understand the risks she was taking, and for her, she was only doing this because he was a creation of the Dark Magus, the same person that had brought justice to her situation and gave her some light at the end of the dark tunnel.


    The reason why Raze hadn''t replied straight away himself was because he was in the middle of thinking about the whole situation.


    ''I would have to disguise myself as this person''s family member. It would certainly get me into the academy, but I would have to stick around her for a while. I would have to try to find the right opportunity to break free.


    ''If she is helping me out this much, I don''t wish to get her into trouble. What''s more, if she is saying all of these things, it means that she is a student of the academy. It makes me wonder what happened to her, to make someone so young dive into the world of Dark Magic.''


    "You are risking a lot, and for that, I am thankful," Raze answered as he proceeded to take off his hood, showing his sincerity to her. When he did, his white hair was shown along with the rest of his features.


    Now, seeing the full view of the person in front of her, she was a bit taken aback again. That was because the Dark Spirit didn''t look like anything she envisioned at all. His face was rtively young.


    He had the appearance of somewhat of a normal young adult male, apart from the color of his hair. She had expected the spirit to look a bit disfigured, or even like that of an old man, maybe a replica image of what she imagined the Dark Magus to look like, but it was none of those things.


    "I guess if we are to enter the academy, the only way would be as my brother," Kelly answered. "This can work out. I should keep you updated on a few things just in case they ask a few questions.


    "Just so you know, all my family are dead. I currently have no one, but I can state that you are someone who looked after me before. You are an adoptive older brother of mine and my guardian.


    "This way, it wouldn''t be so strange if there are some things that they ask that you don''t know about. This leaves little room for error. As for my name, you can call me Kelly. Is there anything that you would like to be named as?"


    Raze thought about it. He couldn''t just be called Raze or Dark Spirit, so he would need an alias for the time being. That was when a certain person came to mind. He remembered the book that Charlotte had handed him, who was from Alter, the name on the book of Wind Magic spells.


    "You can call me Jake," Raze answered.


    "Alright, Jake," Kelly replied back. "The eventsts the entire day, so we can meet here tomorrow in the morning. When we reach the surface, we will change clothes, and I will provide you with something to wear. After that, we will go from there, and you can do what you need to do, and I can do what I need to do."


    Raze agreed, and with that, his body soon started to disappear. As the Dark spirit left, so did Kelly, but she had a deep thought at the back of her mind, a worry.


    "I hope it''s okay, bringing him. The other students, they might try and interact with him. If that happens, I don''t know how the Dark Spirit will react. I just hope they''re all too busy with their own parents that they don''t try to interact with me the same way they usually would."


    Heading back, Raze found himself in the cave once more, and immediately he tried to sense the amount of mana that he had in his body. He wasparing this with the amount of time he had spent in Alterian. Because now, he would need to make the adjustments to his Qi pills that would keep his body going as he was in the other world.


    ''Things are looking up. Since I can spend a lot longer in Alterian, it also means I can use magic without it affecting my body as much as well. I guess just in case, I can set up some of the pills to activate when my mana drops below a certain amount as well.


    ''I need to prepare for anything.''


    Before that, though, Raze wanted to test something else out. He changed the magic circle of the light blue pill to activate almost immediately, and in doing so, he used the astral projection technique again.


    When he arrived in Alterian, he could tell that the effects of the light blue pill were working. He couldn''t sense himself, the magic that was leaking from his body. So with the light blue pill''s effects, he was confident that no one would figure out that he wasn''t just like any other mage.


    Immediately he canceled the technique and found himself right back where he was in the cave.


    ''Thankfully, there was still the lingering of Dark Magic in that ce. Since I can only use the astral projection while linking it to something and that link is Dark Magic. Maybe it''s because they have had their meetings in that ce several times, I can appear there without having to link to the two of them.


    ''Still, I need to be careful with these Dark Magic links; otherwise, I could end up at apletely different ce altogether, especially if there are other users of Dark Magic.''


    With everything said and done, now all he needed to do with all the preparationsplete was wait until tomorrow.


    ''Tomorrow, I will be heading back to the Central Mage Academy after so much time has passed. Thinking about that, it reminds me about the Pagna academy. I have probably been here longer than they thought. I wonder if everything is okay with them.'' Raze thought.

 Chapter 304 Stronger than the rest!

    Chapter 304 Stronger than the rest!


    At the Pagna Academy, the same assessment was still ongoing for the students, and now there was no doubt in their minds as every single one of them was aware of what the real assessment was.


    It hade as quite a shock to several of the Red Headband students, and a change was slowly starting to ur. Those that had teamed up before were slowly starting to break away and split apart, feeling as if they could trust no one, and this was also true for the main disciples as well.


    No longer did the main disciples stay together bunched up in a group toward the back; instead, they were still observing the ongoings, away from each other.


    Mada was leaning up against the wall, away from the others, and he still couldn''t get out of his head what he had seen that day.


    ''That Blue Headband student, he managed to defeat Ossep,'' Mada thought. ''A student that was put in the lowest group possible was able to outmatch us main disciples. It had only been one week down here, right? Maybe a few more days at most, yet a student was able to improve that much?''


    Mada was wondering what had just gone down in the other assessment areas for that to happen. From what he had seen so far in the current space, their strength wasn''t improving but deteriorating, so it made him think, wonder if he could improve like that.


    ''I have to find a way to get stronger. It''s no longer just for the sake of this assessment but for my life as well. If that''s how strong a Blue Headband first-year student can get, then those from the second years might be unstoppable monsters.''


    It wasn''t just Mada that thought this, but many of the Red Headbands and main disciples were trying to figure out if there was some type of secret to growing stronger, or if it only happened when things got desperate.


    Although there were some holding out, Tinson, Violet, and a student named Joe had stuck together for a while now. Originally, Tinson had attacked and used Raze, hoping to beat him and join one of the other groups, but the situation had turned.


    Now, for Tinson, he was relying on Raze. ''He will give us food, right?'' Tinson thought. ''If he doesn''t, then what will happen to me, what will happen to my friends?''


    No one had seen Raze since the teachers had descended from above, but no one dared to ask. They all assumed that he was in the dark space somewhere alone. If they were to enter it or try to disturb the others, they would lose their lives.


    Not a single person felt like they could best him anymore, and instead, they were thinking about themselves. As their hunger was starting to grow, their resentment was growing toward the teachers, the academy, and their ns that had ced them here.


    In one of the seclusion rooms, heavy deep grunts were heard, and a loud smack that would echo through the hall filled the area. It was consistent, with the smacking off every once in a while.


    "Again!" Dame stated.


    The wooden sword was chucked in the air, and immediately grabbing onto the handle of the sword was Liam. He then gathered his Qi as he swung it down, smashing it right against the back of Simyon.


    He gritted his teeth, wanting to scream in pain, but instead, a deep grunt was heard. Not being able to take it anymore, Simyon fell to his knees, and blood spilled from his mouth.


    "Simyon!" Safa said, as she rushed to his side and started to ce both her hands on his back. A faint glow of white light shined, and he could feel his sore body recovering.


    "Once you healed up, we need to go through this again," Dame ordered.


    "Again," Liam said, sitting on the floor, his eyelids heavy. He was d that Simyon had fallen because it was the only time he could get some rest as well.


    "Do you not remember what happened? One of the main disciples was defeated," Dame exined. "That means if you want to survive, you need to get even stronger than the main disciples. So you have to act like every moment your life is on the line."


    "You are quite lucky, Simyon, that you have the perfect situation that will allow you to refine your body to the next strength. With Safa''s powers, she can heal your body, allowing it to recover quicker, and each time you recover, it wille back stronger."


    "At the same time, Liam, you can focus on increasing your strength. As Simyon''s body gets stronger, you need to focus on refining your Qi so you can continue to hurt or punish him in some way. The both of you need to get as strong as you can."


    While the two would rest, Dame would also then do some personal training with Safa one on one. They tended to go into the dark space to do that, where there was more room.


    Just as Dame promised, he was doing his best to get the three of them up to scratch, up to a strength where they could be useful for Raze and somewhat useful in taking down the main ns.


    ''I don''t expect them to individually be able to take on a n master. That is something that not even I would be able to do, even with the item that Raze has given me. However, if theybine all their strength, they should at least be able to put up a good fight.''


    Dame started to look at his own hands as he saw Simyon standing up from the ground, ready to go again. One thing Simyon never did wasin about the training, and he showed strong will in all of this.


    ''Me as well, I''ve been stuck at the 6th stage for a while now. If I want to get in all of this, I need to break through to the middle stage as well. Raze, we will all be strong enough to help you when you get back.''

 Chapter 305 A New Fashion For Mages

    Chapter 305 A New Fashion For Mages


    After some shut-eye, Raze looked at the preparations that were made. He had changed a few things with the magic circles. For one, they would now be consumed every hour instead of every half an hour.


    On top of that, if his mana dropped below fifty percent, then the Qi pill would be consumed anyway, giving him a chance to fight somewhat if there was a need to. His physical body was still more of an imitation, so using Pagna skills was pretty much a no-go, but he could still use magic.


    Then, there were also a lot more light blue Qi pills that were to be consumed once in a while, allowing the effect of the mana leak from his body to be almost invisible to the naked eye.


    So much preparation had been done, and finally, it was time for the meeting.


    Closing his eyes, he started the Astral Projection technique as he had done before. The important part of the technique was making a connection with something from the Alterian world, and his connection was Dark Magic.


    The Dark Magic that was lingering in the hideout he could move to, or the Dark Magic that was attached to the bodies of the other mages. The more Raze did this, the better he was at finding the connections.


    Which was why, this time when he was focusing, he could almost feel multiple connections, different areas of Alterian that he could move to if he wished.


    ''I wonder if these are other Dark Magic users as well. I wonder what their situation is or has been that made them be this way. I am curious, but I need to focus on my own goal.''


    Thinking about this, Raze went back to the weak connection he could feel. In therge building, there was still lingering Dark Magic, and he could feel another connection there already waiting. He assumed that this was Kelly, having already arrived.


    After making the connection, he used the technique to its fullest and could feel a part of his body being dragged out from him. When his vision wasing to right in front of him, there was a single dark-robed figure.


    "It looks like you made it in time. Come on, we don''t want to bete and draw attention to ourselves," Kelly said, a little nervous because she thought that was somewhat impossible.


    She was sure all the other students, even the teachers, would be expecting her to turn up with no one, and when she turned up with someone that was presumably her brother, they might try to start some trouble with her.


    Both Raze and Kelly made their way through the slums of the underground city. They walked past many of the other people that were running about, and none of them seemed to pay them any attention.


    Finally, they had reached thedder upward and had exited out from the city. After which, Kelly had gone to a wall and pulled out a part of it, revealing two sets of clothes. One of them was the Central Mage Academy uniform.


    While the other was a set of clothes for Raze. It was fancier than he expected. He himself was used to wearing robes, as did most of the professors or active mages.


    But this, it didn''t look like the regr clothing of Alterian. Instead, it fitted more like a fine suit over the top of him. Like a zer jacket, only it hung further down past his waist and halfway up to his legs.


    The clothing was primarily ck in color, but there were white designs on the shoulder with swirling patterns on the jacket itself.


    Then there was a regr pair of trousers and ck shoes for him to wear, along with a rather thick belt. The centerpiece of the belt was white in color as well with a circr design.


    "What is this?" Raze asked as he twisted and turned trying to look at his entire body.


    "It''s thetest trend in fashion for mages," Kelly exined. "We can''t have you stand out wearing something strange. You are meant to have already graduated from the academy as well. Besides, it looks kind of nice on you."


    Kelly wasn''t lying either. The new clothing had brought out his broad shoulders and showed off his well-toned body. She had never noticed it before, but he had the proportions of an athlete rather than that of a mage.


    This was because Raze had the body of a strong Pagna warrior,pared to mages who did next to no physical activity.


    "If you say so, then I will ept this. Thank you for the gift. I will repay you for this, greatly."


    Raze imagined that a student with no family couldn''t have a lot of disposable ie. Using his position, he felt like he was somewhat forcing her to do this, which made him feel a bit bad.


    "Turn away, please," Kelly said, as it was now her turn to change into her uniform as well.


    They were down a dark alley, and they could use magic to cover up themselves a bit, but they were in a rush, so she was just to get changed there and then.


    ''Why am I getting shy and nervous over a spirit? It''s not even a real living thing, right? Just a creation of the Dark Magus,'' Kelly thought, as she ced thest of her uniform pieces on.


    She did realize, though, it really didn''t feel like she wasmunicating with a spirit. She had heard of creations of mages having intelligence and a way to talk, but they sounded like systems.


    They had next to no feelings in their voice. Would a spirit really state that they wished to pay them back? Which just made Kelly wonder more, if this wasn''t a spirit, then who was this person that knew so much about the Dark Magus.


    Their body certainly wasn''t normal either.


    With the new clothing, the two of them were out of the alleyway, and Raze could see the tall buildings along with the barriers and magic power that was in the air.


    "This is Alterian... I''m back... It''s time to head to the Academy."

 Chapter 306 Counter Magic?

    Chapter 306 Counter Magic?


    Walking among the people during the day, no one took notice of Raze. There were naturally mages of all kinds out and about, so it was a good test to see if anyone could tell he was differentpared to the others.


    After the first test wasplete, it was time for them to head to the Blink Rail, a special tube that floated through the city on set routes to reach several destinations in the city the quickest.


    Thest stop of the rail was the Central Mage Academy. Although it was imed to be a part of the city, in truth, due to the sheer size of the academy itself and the things that went on in it, it was ced more on the outskirts of the city.


    No one wanted a stray magic battle or spell to leak out and harm the public, so everyone was fine with this.


    When entering the blink station, Kelly had tapped her ring, and the magic barrier descended. She did this twice, allowing for Raze to get through as well, and they eventually made it onto the station that seemed to be quite busy.


    It was quite tricky for them, as Raze wished to get in a separate section of the train away from others because he still wasn''t so confident that if someone touched him, they wouldn''t know what exactly he was.


    When finding a more rxed ce, Raze remained standing, while Kelly sat down.


    "That ring, it''s made by Idore. I know it is the payment system for the Alterian, but you should keep it off when you have other matters."


    Kelly nodded and was thankful for the tip, even though she knew that already. She felt like it was nice, since the spirit was just looking out for her, but the more and more she learned about this spirit, the more she thought he wasn''t one as well.


    Looking up as the train went past, she noticed that ''Jake,'' the name that she had been given by the Dark Spirit, was looking out at all of the buildings in the entire city. He was almost mesmerized by everything he was seeing.


    She wanted to know just what he was thinking. While not looking away, the Dark Spirit seemed to have asked her a question.


    "The current principal of the Central Mage Academy, who is it at the moment?" Raze asked.


    "The principal, the principal of the Central Academy is principal of all of the Mage Academies in Alterian, so he isn''t often in the academy itself, but it is Ibarin," Kelly answered.


    Almost immediately, she noticed Jake''s eyes sinking deep. They were focused, not staring at anything in particr but just thinking back to a deep memory. She knew that look, because it was a look that she would often have on her face as well, one when she thought of the time when she lost her entire family.


    "We will need to be careful of Ibarin; he is one of the Grand Magus. Although I can fool many mages in here, with him, it might be a different deal altogether. If I am in a situation where I am forced to use magic, he might notice the strange reaction my body makes," Raze exined.


    Kelly didn''t quite understand because she didn''t know what Raze was talking about, but it was the way his spirit body would work. Mana would be taken from the real body to keep its form, and when using spells, it almost took the energy from the spirit body and then the real body.


    After using spells, the body would have a drastic drop in mana for a short while, and Ibarin might very well notice this.


    ''On top of that, if the two of us were to battle, even with my real body, I don''t have the strength to beat him. An old snake of a friend, I just hope I can hold myself back if I see him again,'' Raze thought to himself.


    As the two continued on the train, Kelly wanted to fill the silence, and she had just the thing, as she was thinking about a particr question that was asked the other day.


    "You seem quite knowledgeable in magic; there is a study that we have recently been learning. I was wondering if you would be able to help me."


    Raze didn''t reply back but looked down and gave a nod. As an ex-professor at the Mage Academy, he was sure he could give her a reply that would satisfy her.


    "We were talking about counter magic, the teacher used Ember, a fire spell as an example, and was asking what the best example was. A student had answered with water spout, it was the textbook answer yet the teacher still stated that it was wrong or at least not the best answer, and I wanted to ask what answer would you give for this situation."


    Hearing this, Raze smiled as it brought back some memories for him.


    "You seem to have a good teacher if he stated that wasn''t the best answer. Well, technically it''s not incorrect, but I can help you with his line of thinking."


    "There are almost two ways to phrase this question: What is the best spell to use to stop the fire spell Ember? If this was the question, then water spout would be the correct answer."


    "But you were learning about counter magic, and the whole point of counter magic is countering a mage in a fight. Out of all of the spells, water magic is the slowest type of magic to conjure. Water spout doesn''t allow the mage enough time to follow up with an attack of his own.


    "A better option might be to use a wind spell such as gust and then follow up with a swipe. Since one is already using wind magic, the swipe spell will be able to activate even quicker. Sure, you might be hurt by a few mes here and there, but you would be able to deal a fatal blow."


    "Whereas with water spout, even if you tried to use swipe, the gathering of wind magic would take slightly longer, and there are no other water spells that act as fast as they do with the wind."


    Kelly''s eyes lit up. The exnation that was given, she understood it perfectly, and the Dark Spirit had even used real examples for her to visualize in her head. She was starting to understand the real opportunity of counter magic.


    "You seem to be very knowledgeable. Thank you for the answer," Kelly replied.


    She wanted to ask more questions; if the Dark Spirit was this knowledgeable about magic in general, then what about the Dark Magic he knew? Surely he would know a number of spells that could improve her strength in this department as well, but she was just too shy to ask.


    It was then that Kelly remembered something else as well; at one point, the Dark Magus had led an attack on the Academy, resulting in a high number of deaths. It was the event that truly showed how dangerous the Dark Magus was.


    ''The Dark Spirit, I wonder if he was there at that time, and how much he knows about it.''


    [The next stop is Central Mage Academy.]


    There was no time to ask.

 Chapter 307 A second home

    <h4>Chapter 307 A second home</h4>


    Getting off from the train, many other students started to descend as they had arrived at the academy. They walked through where the IDs of the others were shown and checked, and right at the gate of the school itself, Kelly needed to register her visitor.


    It was a special day when students could register the visitors on the day itself due to how many people would be arriving. Finally getting through the security gate, therge academy could be seen in sight.


    There was arge open area field that led up to the academy itself, around a mile walk. There were paved ways, grass, as well as pockets of flowers and more. There was even arge fountain spurting just in front of the academy itself.


    As for the academy building, it wasrge in size but had an old feeling to itpared to the modern-day skyscrapers and other buildings in Alterian. It seemed to be in the style of a bygone era for the mages, but that was just how mages were.


    The fashions seemed to hardly change, with materials and stylings staying the same. Which was why Raze was so surprised by the new snazzy zer clothing he had, rather than the standard robes others would wear.


    When looking around at the other students and the guests they had brought, they were wearing simr clothing, so it didn''t seem to be something that was made up by her.


    "Alright, we''re finally here, we''re both in the academy, and you are my older brother, remember that, right?" Kelly said. The question was asked in a way that it felt more like she was trying to reassure herself.


    "I won''t cause any problems for you," Raze answered. "We will go as nned; I will attend your sses and the afternoon event. If there is an opportunity to break off, I will do so. Or once the event ends, the two of us shall part ways."


    Kelly was a little nervous about the second part of the n. What did the Dark Spirit need from the academy in the first ce? She never asked and didn''t know. The one thing that the Dark Spirit reassured her about was that once he had obtained what he needed, he could escape out of the academy with no problem. There was no need for her to worry about that.


    The two of them walked ahead with Raze somewhat quickening his pace; he was a little ahead of her. She noticed that it seemed more like a shred of excitement while she was feeling a shred of dread.


    "Where is your first ss for the day?" Raze asked.


    "It''s in section F, room 7," Kelly answered.


    Once entering through the main gates, Raze had taken a right turn and was walking through the hallway and continued on. Kelly was taken aback as she saw this.


    ''He knows where the room is? I got lost for at least two weeks in this giant ce looking for all the rooms. Even if he has visited this ce once before, he shouldn''t know where specific ssrooms are.''


    And yet, the Dark Spirit was leading the way, as if he was walking through his own home. More and more, the actions of the Dark Spirit were building up suspicion.


    When Raze walked through the halls, he was mostly retracing fond memories, but once in a while, the old torn memories of the past would enter his mind, especially when he walked past the other students.


    There was excitement in the air; the students were rowdier than usual as they talked with their parents and siblings who hade to visit them. They were showing off the academy, and equally, the parents were looking around, noticing the changes that had urred since they werest there.


    ''The central academy, as usual, attracts some of the most prominent figures in Alterian.''


    Raze didn''t recognize any of the students, but he recognized some of their parents. Many of them were high officials in the government or wealthy individuals with old and new money.


    This academy event had a hidden agenda behind it. It wasn''t just for the students to show off their skills and their talent in front of others, but it was also a way for the adults to conduct business with each other.


    ''There is a lot of pressure on the kids in this event as well. They need to shine to be able to show that the future of thesepanies and families continues to stay strong. At a nce, some will say that this world is more developedpared to Pagna.''


    ''But all I see is the same evil spreading across, just hidden behind moreyers.''


    Eventually, they reached section F. The sign was glowing right above therge archway door and then on each side were the numbered ssrooms.


    The hallway to the ss itself was already filled with children talking to each other and making introductions to other families. There were no disys of magic yet, but just parents trying to one-up another by talking about how well their businesses had been doing as well as their children in the Mage Academy.


    Raze was ready to step in, but before he did, Kelly went to grab his shoulder, turning him around. When she did, she felt a strange energy bursting into her slightly. It felt almost the same as when she would hold onto a power stone.


    She quickly let go and looked at her hand for a few moments.


    "I see that even if you touch me, we can''t fool anyone," Razemented, seeing her reaction.


    "I just wanted to say, it will be best if we just stay quiet for this whole thing and not stand out, okay?" Kelly asked, to which Raze nodded.


    He had heard those words a few times though, to not stand out. Whenever this phrase was said though, something almost always seemed to happen.


    Kelly lingered around in the F section; she was waiting for all of the parents and students to enter as she didn''t want to be seen. Then when it quieted down a bit, she finally made her way inside through the doorway, and immediately, a student had spotted her.


    "Oh, Kelly, you are here!" Aurora said with a smile. Standing by her side was a tall red-haired man who had the appearance of a prince. He was tall, elegant, and even his eyes were smooth as they gazed on those who entered.


    "I see your eyes have caught the attention of my brother Alen. He is my guest for today, and I''m sure you know of him. He is in the Central Military and works under Enaxx. One of the youngest five-star mages in existence and is soon to break through as a six-star."


    Kelly did know of him, and so did many others. Because he was working under Enaxx, another Grand Magus, and was presumed to be the next 9-star mage that Alterian hade to discover in a while.


    Which was why he was under Enaxx rather than directly part of a country''s military force of mages.


    "I guess you didn''t bring anyone here after all; I mean it''s not like you can bring those back from the dead," Aurora smiled, and at that moment, walking right behind her, a white-haired figure had appeared and stayed standing behind Kelly.


    "Where do you usually sit, little sister?" Razemented.

 Chapter 308 The Handsome Stranger

    Chapter 308 The Handsome Stranger


    The soft voice of Raze''s had caught the attention of many who were in the front row. They had turned their heads to look at the one who had imed Kelly to be his sister of all things.


    Immediately, as judgmental people they were, they had decided to look the stranger''s body up and down. They could see that he was well-clothed. They fit well onto his body, and his body was in spectacr shape.


    Next, when looking at his skin, it was practically glowing with next to no impurities; there didn''t seem to be a mark on his skin, and even though his hair was colored white, it looked incredibly healthy and vibrant.


    They had never seen such a glowing person enter the room, and his appearance stood out nearly as much as Aurora''s brother, Alen. All of this was because Raze had the body of a Pagna warrior.


    Although Raze didn''t realize this himself, but Pagna warriors were quite handsome and beautifulpared to their Alterian counterparts. This was because of the way the Pagna bodies worked as one would advance through the stages.


    Each time impurities would exit from their body, making them have less of a human body, and in doing so, as Raze went up the stages, his body was bing closer and closer to that of a Divine being.


    Seeing this glowing person, the students at the front row couldn''t help but whisper:


    "Hey, did you see Kelly brought a hunk with her?"


    "Wait, doesn''t that mean she brought a family member? But I thought she was an orphan."


    "Aurora told us, remember, that the town she was in, they were attacked by the Dark Magus. So many people were killed, and her mother, I think she killed herself or something."


    "Wait, how did someone like that get in a ce like this in the first ce then?"


    They were quite shocked to see Kelly bring someone. Many of them expected her to bring no one, and the person she had brought stood out quite a bit. Naturally, they were curious as to who he was.


    Aurora''s eyes were darting across the room; she could hear all of the others talking. The attention was on Kelly and the stranger, and it wasn''t good at all.


    "Well, are you not going to introduce him to your ssmates then? It would be good for us to get to know each other, right?" Aurora asked.


    Kelly was hoping that when they entered the ssroom, no one would pay them any bother. That the two of them could just walk and head to their seats at the back. What she didn''t count on was that Raze''s appearance would attract so much attention.


    Maybe it was because she knew he was a Dark Spirit, and not a real person, she didn''t feel the same way as the others. Or maybe it was because she didn''t have the time to care about one''s appearance like the others did. She didn''t quite foresee this happening.


    "I had given him good clothing because I didn''t want anyone to look down on him. If he wore some shabby clothes, I could already foresee Aurora saying all types of crap," Kelly thought, shaking her head. She then gestured her hand out toward Raze as she introduced him.


    "As I''m sure many of you know, I have no family, but the person to my side I treat very well, like family of mine. Jake was in the same situation as me; he is from the same town as me and lost everything. The two of us have gotten close to each other, and ever since, we have treated each other like brother and sister. He is my older brother, of course," Kelly exined.


    Hearing this brought a smile to Aurora''s face again. Because she had learned that the person who had been brought was of no significance, just like Kelly herself.


    "I see, well, it''s a shame; I thought that maybe our families could connect with the others. Share information of what we know, and maybe talk about the new magical theories that are being implemented in the military and their uses. But I guess all of that would go over your heads. Why don''t you just take a seat at the back and rx?" Aurora said with a smile.


    Once again, the students who were standing close by to Aurora couldn''t help but giggle away. The parents and family members that were with them didn''t seem to even care about what their students were doing.


    "Magical theories within the military?" Raze replied a little confused on this note.


    Seeing this, Aurora nudged her brother, who was in the conversation with another, to get his attention.


    "Brother, you were talking about these new magical tactics that are taking ce in the military?" Aurora asked.


    Alen looked at Raze, and looked at the people around; they didn''t seem to be the type to be interested, but since his sister was asking, he thought he would just bber on anyway.


    "Well, the situation is quiteplicated. In the past, a country''s might was dependent on the powerful mages they held. In turn, there was then the creation of the mage academies as well as the Mage''s Guild, and finally the creation of the Grand Magus.


    "The Grand Magus now somewhat keeps a leash on the Guilds that try to support individual countries. Although nearly everyone in Alterian can use magic, just because one can use magic doesn''t mean one is a mage.


    "Because the Grand Magus is somewhat forbidding Mage Guilds to take part in battles, militaries around the world are getting mages to help in other ways that won''t break the code set up by the Grand Magus.


    "Magical theories are a term the military has started to use as a way of thinking up ideas of ways magic can be used in the military."


    "Such as enchanted items?" Razemented.


    "Correct," Alen replied. "Mage advisors are being brought on to think of ways of helping the military to its best without breaking the rules. Now, the better advisor one has, the better the strength can be."


    "Bullets could be enchanted with freezing spells," Razemented. "Magic circles could be ced on bandages allowing Light Magic to be used as well to heal the wounded. It certainly would change the wars between countriespared to before."


    A slight smile had appeared on Alen''s face this time. He had never spoken to someone who was so interested in this topic, and had evene up with an idea that he hadn''t thought of himself, such as the Light Magic circles.


    "Ah, it looks like the ss is about to begin," Alen stated. "I would love to pick your brain a bit more; hopefully, we have more chances to talk in the evening."


    With that, Kelly walked past, along with Raze as they went to their seats, leaving Aurora a bit dumbstruck. That wasn''t what she thought would happen at all. Many times, her brother would just sigh and wave the other person off once they had no clue what he was talking about.


    "Aurora, that person, he seems to have a lot of knowledge about magic," Alenmented. "It would be good if you became friends with her."


    Hearing these words, Aurora had to bite her lip; she was shaking with anger. ''Friends with her, I would never, with that wench.'' Her fist was shaking.


    Alen turned around to have a look; because the man named Jake looked quite young, at most he had to be in his twenties, yet he knew so many formations and different uses of spells.


    As Alen was one of the youngest five-star mages, he was quitepetitive, and he kept track of all those that were of a simr age that were close to making the same achievements. So why did he know nothing about this person in question?


    From his upper pocket, Alen pulled out a device, and he started to text away to his agent.


    [Look up what you can about a Mage named Jake. They would have to be a 4-star mage at least, around the same age as me, and get back to me... oh, and he has white hair, that should be a dead giveaway.]


    It was a few more minutes before the lesson would start and things were starting to settle in. That was when he received a text back.


    [Need more information. Because at the moment, based on what you asked, no such person exists.]


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 Chapter 309 10/10

    Chapter 309 10/10


    The students were seated in their seats, while the family members were currently standing. The room had around two hundred people with no wall inside, as there wasn''t a limit to the number of guests one was allowed to bring in, and all of this was just in one ssroom.


    The teacher had walked in wearing the traditional style of clothing, a dark green-colored robe that slightly split at the bottom. It would drag across the floor, only his robe wasn''t touching the floor. Instead, it was slightly hovering above it to not touch the dirt on the ground¡ªan enchanted robe.


    "No, this won''t do," the teacher said, shaking his head as he looked up at all the parents. "Students, huddle up ande closer to the front. Stay in the same position that you are usually in, and family members, you are to stay in the back. Now please remember that today is still very much about the students, so please refrain from interrupting as much as possible."


    The family members and students did as asked, shuffling about, moving to the back. However, one person in particr didn''t move right away. Instead, the young white-haired man stood looking at the teacher in question.


    ''That''s Professor Quartz, so he''s still teaching here after all. At least I''m d that the corruption of the academy didn''t get to you as well,'' Raze thought to himself as he hid his smile and began to move.


    Being a professor, Raze was bound to run into more people that he knew and disliked, but he was happy to know that at least the ss he was in now would be with one of the professors he got along with while he was here.


    When Raze sat down, he had chosen a seat right up by the wall. This way, no one could sit on the other side, and he would just be next to one person. As for that one person, Alen had insisted that he be that person, pushing past the other family members who seemed to have no problem at all listening to his requests.


    "I hope you don''t mind," Alen said.


    When Alen sat down, Raze scooched as close to the wall as he could, afraid he might touch him by ident. "I don''t, but remember we need to stay quiet during the lesson."


    Raze folded his arms, wishing to give the impression he wanted to stay distant, at least for the time being.


    "Alright, that looks a lot better," Professor Quartz said, pushing his sses up with his index finger. "Now, I want to continue with the lesson that we left off with tomorrow and talk about Counter Magic¡­"


    The professor went on to exin a few basic counters and why it was important for a mage to know so many different types of magic. After a brief exnation, he handed out a quiz to each of the students.


    On the quiz itself, there was a list of spells, and the students had to write down the counter spell that they would use if they were in that particr situation.


    "Alright, time''s up!" Quartz said, pping his hands, and all of the test papers started to flow from their desks and werending right where he was. He then lifted all of the test papers in the air. They were all showing up in front of him like a pack of cards. With his eyes, he scanned through each of the answers until he pulled out one in particr and ced it on the table.


    "Whose answer sheet does this belong to?" the professor asked.


    Immediately and proudly, Aurora stood up. "This sheet is mine, sir."


    She recognized her own writing and was proud that she would be called. It was to be expected. There were over twenty spells on the sheet, and she remembered the counter to each of the spells perfectly. Seeing the answers, even some of the parents were nodding their heads, as they were quite surprised thest two could be answered so well.


    "Do you remember my lesson to you yesterday?" the professor asked.


    "Ah, yes, sir," Aurora replied, taken aback a bit.


    "Then, do you mind telling me why you decided to put the counter spell for ''Ember'' as ''Water Spout'' again?" Quartz asked.


    Aurora actually somewhat expected the teacher to maybe point this out, but she felt that before, there was nothing wrong with her answer, which was why she had ced it again. With the family members watching, wouldn''t they surely call out the teacher for his wrongful assessment? That''s why Aurora proceeded to answer.


    "I still think that ''Water Spout'' is the best counter for the skill ''Ember.'' The mes from ''Ember'' tend to spread out further than the targeted attack due to the properties of the fire. However, it is not a strong fire spell in itself. In order to counter it fully, the use of ''Water Spout'' will be able to block out all of the attack."


    Aurora was confident as she gave her answer, and many of those watching had agreed with what she said; they could see nothing wrong.


    "She needs to think outside of the box a bit," Raze mumbled, and this didn''t go unheard by her brother.


    The professor shook his head; if he said the same stuff as he did yesterday, he knew she wouldn''t understand. But when looking at the wall of answers, he could see one that stood out to him. He then ced Aurora''s answer sheet to the side and ced another one down, projecting it so the others could see.


    "And as for this answer sheet, the one that wrote the answer ''Gust,'' could they please stand?"


    Momentster, rubbing the side of her arm, Kelly stood up for the others to see.


    "Of course she would put ''Gust,''" Auroramented. "The wind spell would cause ''Ember'' to go all over the ce; it wouldn''t even be able topletely stop the attack."


    This wasmon reasoning; it was why nearly none of the students put a wind spell when it came to fire spells as a counter.


    "Kelly, do you mind exining your reasoning for using the spell ''Gust''?" the professor asked.


    Nervous, she looked around the room; she wasn''t used to being in this position, but she had given her answer anyway because the reason for her answer was all because of her new ''brother.''


    "''Gust'' is a wind spell, and wind magic is one of the fastest magics to conjure. Although the spell ''Gust'' might notpletely get rid of the mes, it will be enough to stop the main attack, only getting hit with a few marks here and there. If one were to be in a fight, then using wind magic, they could follow up with another wind spell after. I chose this spell because I was thinking of how useful it would be in battle and what would happen after."


    After giving her answer, almost immediately, the professor started to p. His loud ps were filling the sound of the whole room.


    "Now, that is exactly how I wanted you all to think when thinking about Counter Magic, that is a 10/10 answer."


    Quickly, Kelly went to sit back down. She didn''t want any more attention, and Aurora, she couldn''t help but turn back around and look at her.


    ''That damn girl, what is she trying to do? Is she trying to say all of that just to embarrass me? She could have just moved on or something. What the heck? Does she think she''s better than me just because she got one answer right?''


    ''You want to talk about counter magic, well, in a real fight, let''s see how you guys will do then. I could beat you with just a few spells. You are not important in this world; you are nothing, so why the heck are you trying to stand out?''


    The blood was pumping furiously around her body. This was her day, her day of glory, her day to show her family and others that she was also special. She was just as good as everyone else, and it was now beingpletely ruined.


    The bell rang, marking the end of the lesson, and it was time for their next ss, Practical Magic.


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 Chapter 310 Practical Lesson (Part 1)

    Chapter 310 Practical Lesson (Part 1)


    The first lesson of the day hade to an end, and thankfully, Kelly didn''t think the whole thing had gone so badly. She was even able to get praise from the professor, which had never happened before.


    In fact, there was a rumor going around that Professor Quartz never gave perfect scores to students. Some thought he was just being stubborn as a mage, stating that they were a race that always needed to continually learn, because of that, there couldn''t be a perfect answer.


    It turned out that wasn''t true at all.


    As Kelly went to grab her things from her desk, closing them up and cing a special ring device on her finger, she turned her head to look back at ''Jake.''


    ''Honestly, it wasn''t because of me that I got that perfect answer; I just repeated what you said,'' Kelly thought as she let out a small smile toward him. ''I don''t know if you''re really the Dark Magus'' puppet, or you''re just someone who knew him really well, but it''s quite clear that you''re a knowledgeable person.''


    ''I don''t think that''s something a spirit would be capable of. I can''t shake this feeling, but it seems impossible, and even if that was the case, then doesn''t that mean most of what the world knew waspletely wrong?''


    Keeping these thoughts to herself, it was time for them to head off to the next lesson. Kelly had gone down, exiting out of the doorway into the hallway, and stayed there for a moment.


    The adults walked past, a few of them saying a few words as they did.


    "An excellent answer; it''s hard to get praise from Professor Quartz. You seem to be quite the talented individual; here, take this." One of the parents handed over a card, and it was a guild card. It was an invitation for Kelly to work in their guild.


    "Thank you so much for this," Kelly said with a small bow, and when she lifted her head, there were quite a few others who were handing out different cards to her. Not just guild cards, but business cards and more.


    It was only one question, so she was quite stunned by the number of offers she had gotten and how much the opinion of others had changed. But this was all because each person was trying to get ahead of the other. There was a good chance that Kelly might just be a nobody, no one of significance, but getting Quartz''s approval there, was in their minds, a slightly higher chance that she could be someone special, and no one wanted to give that up.


    In a few years, they would have kicked themselves in the foot if they had learned Kelly had be someone significant, and they hadn''t even tried to make an offer. After all, not all of the parents in the central academy were the owners or leaders of these establishments; they just worked for them.


    Not wanting to seem rude, Kelly had epted nearly all of the cards, but she did have a thought on her mind.


    ''I won''t be joining any of the guilds or other businesses because I''m already part of the Dark Guild, and that is where my loyalty lies.''


    Just as she thought that, the person who she had been waiting for outside the door had appeared.


    "Let''s go," Kelly said with a smile, walking side by side with Jake. Tilting her head, she went to have a nce behind her.


    "What''s wrong?" Raze asked.


    "Nothing, it just felt like something was touching me," Kelly answered.


    It wasn''t just in her imagination though, because Raze could feel it too. The magic that was swirling in the air, there was a strong amount of bloodlust out there.


    Raze was starting to think about his own situation; so far, two of the Qi pills had been consumed. He still had plenty to go through throughout the day. If all things worked out well, then after the evening event, Raze could quickly go to his secret vault and grab the items that he needed.


    ''If I can, the best chance might be at the event itself. My old ssroom, it was in section A, at the top floor of the academy. People will wonder why I''m hanging around there if they see me. So let''s see what this evening event has in store.''


    The practical lesson took ce in an arena that was built into the academy itself. There was a circr dueling tform, and then further around it in arger circle was a pit of sand.


    After that, there was also seating for spectators to watch. Once in a while, great events would be put in the arena, and the general public was also allowed to enter and watch, but for now, all of the family members would be taking ce watching.


    Raze went ahead and took his seat in the stands along with the others, and just like the time before, Alen had also tried to take a seat next to Raze, but he raised his hand before he sat down.


    "I don''t mind you being close to me," Raze said. "But I have a small issue with personal space. I promise this has nothing to do with you, and I respect you, but do you mind being one seat over?"


    Rather than acting strange or weird, Raze thought it was best to just give a usible exnation that would kill Alen''s curiosity, who seemed to respect the decision and decided to take a seat one over.


    The person to Raze''s right, who had overheard the conversation, had done the same. Looking in front of him, Raze noticed that there was a special device attached to the stand wall.


    "It''s a magical barrier," Alen exined. "It uses beast crystals and with a magical circle built into the device. These fights sometimes can get a little spicy. It''s to stop attacks froming out here and to stop attacks from the outside from getting in. Not that you were nning to intervene, right?"

 Chapter 311 Practical Lesson (Part 2)

    Chapter 311 Practical Lesson (Part 2)


    The students were spread out in the arena. They had been on the tform multiple times before, most of the time practical lessons took ce outside, as certain spells were being shown to the students, the basics of the basics.


    However, practical lessons like the one they were currently taking were a little differentpared to normal. Every mage was a bit different, specializing in different attributes, and there were set professors that would specialize in one or two attributes.


    Students at the start of the school year would then need to sign up for the sses they wished to attend and would be on rotation with those teachers that they had selected. So many of the students that were currently together now hardly saw each other as they would be off with their own individual tutors.


    Once a month, though, the regr ss would gather together for a lesson, and when this happened, they would do so in the arena room because there was only one reason as to why they would gather.


    "Alright, everyone!" The teacher pped his hands, and a magnified pping sound was heard that blew wind out, fluttering the hair strands of the others.


    The professor stood there with his short, light green-colored hair. Another professor that Raze knew well, a man that went by the name Professor Trin. He had to be in his sixties by now, yet he had the appearance of someone in his thirties.


    There was no doubt in Raze''s mind that he had to be using some off-market products, which would be considered illegal. It was one of those things that were epted by the world of Pagna as many did it, but it was still the abuse of illegal substances, since there would be some side effects from using such items.


    ''Well, I guess this would make sense,'' Raze thought. ''I saw one professor that I used to get along with, and now one that Ipletely dislike; it''s only natural, especially since there are more that I don''t like than like.''


    Raze couldn''t put his finger as to why he didn''t like Professor Trin too much; the only thing he could think of was the fact that they were both mainly Wind Magic users originally, so they saw each other as rivals. What was noticeable about Trin was therge scar that went up across his face.


    ''Ah right¡­ and I was the one that did that to him as well when I attacked the academy,'' Raze shook his head inwardly. ''It''s best I don''t stick out in this ss as well.''


    "Today''s lesson is, as you might have guessed, a sparring session!" Trin proimed with a happy smile on his face. "What better way to show your strength as a mage than through sparring with each other. Show what you''ve learned and the future potential that you have within each other.


    "For now, I will set the ground rules for you all. I don''t believe there is a student under the second star level here. So the rules will be as follows: you are allowed to use any magical attributes as you wish. No one is permitted to use above 2-star level magic when fighting."


    "This should be fine, as all your uniforms are enchanted anyway. So they will be able to protect you even if you are hit by a few direct spells. If things look dangerous or one-sided, I will stop the fight."


    "We also have a Light mage on standby in case one of you gets wounded a little too much, but you''re all friends here, so I doubt that will happen."


    The rules were set, and the family members were just as nervous as the students were. This spar put a lot of pressure on them for a number of reasons. For one, their parents were watching, and a loss would mean that the future generation of one family was weakerpared to another.


    The family members felt this way as well, so they were nervous watching and hoping for the best. There were those that just knew the ce and strength of their students and didn''t care though, but judging by the look on the faces of the family members, that was a very few.


    "Alright, let''s see, Amy!" Trin asked. "Why don''t you go ahead and pick an opponent for yourself."


    Amy was a little nervous as she rubbed her arm up and down, but as she looked around the room, she had eventually chosen her opponent. "I choose Gary."


    She had picked someone who she believed would be at a simr strength to her. For one, she didn''t want it to seem like she was weak, selecting an opponent that was far worse than herself.


    At the same time, she wanted to win her match, so she had chosen someone who she thought she could do well against.


    The two of them stood in the center of the tform, while the rest of the students stood out on the sand part. They had picked an area where they weren''t blocking the few adults'' view.


    Inside the tform itself was Trin acting as a ref like that in a boxing match. With his wind magic, he was quite confident in himself that he could act before anything serious happened.


    "Begin!" Trin called.


    Immediately, the two students pulled out their hands, and both of them at the same time had cast out a wind spell swipe. A sharp energy of wind collided with each other, breaking and hitting one another.


    The two of them continued to use spells, and it was a spectacr show. What came to the realization for both of them was due to their strength being equal and them being limited to 2-star spells, they needed to get creative in their thinking.


    In the end, Amy had set a trap on the ground, and had forced Gary back with wind attacks. When Gary was in a certain position, she used an ice spell to freeze his foot, and threw out another wind attack.


    Before the wind attack had hit, Trin had stepped in, swinging his hand, breaking the attack before it hit.


    "Looks like we have our winner; what a great performance." Trin pped, and so did the adults watching.


    They were happy with what they had seen from both ends. They realized that the rules had been set up in a way that didn''t prove that one was stronger than the other in the real world due to limitations and more so showed how good their quick thinking was.


    "Alright, shall we move on? Don''t worry; we will give a chance for every student to show what they have today," Trinmented.


    Hearing these words didn''t instill confidence in them all. Especially for Kelly; ever since she had started to learn Dark Magic, magic in her other attributes was more socking. She had been fascinated with learning and improving her strength in this department, especially after learning its destructive power. There was a time she knew she would have to use it, which was why it was her focus.


    "Alright, let''s see how one of our talented students fares; Aurora, would you like to pick your opponent?" Trin asked.


    Hearing her name, Kelly''s heart gave a loud thump as words from the other day rang in her head.


    "Of course, and I have the perfect student in mind; I select Kelly," Aurora answered.

 Chapter 312 Practical Lesson (Part 3)

    Chapter 312 Practical Lesson (Part 3)


    Kelly should have seen thising from a mile away, and in some cases, she did. The only thing she was hoping for was that the teacher would ask her to pick an opponent, but Aurora was the favorite in nearly every ss.


    Maybe it was because of her family, or maybe because she was a suck-up, which most teachers enjoyed, apart from someone like Professor Quartz. Either way, what was done was done, and reluctantly Kelly had to make her way up to the tform.


    "Well, this is a bit awkward, isn''t it?" Alenmented from the stands. "It looks like it will be my sister against yours. I have you know that when ites to practical magic rather than theoretical, I have no doubt that she is one of the best; she is already a 3-star mage close to bing a 4-star mage, and she also knows how to breakthrough."


    Hearing this, Raze had to admit that was impressive for a student, especially the part about knowing how to breakthrough. Using the magic core to overload the user with an attribute of mana, giving them an immense burst of power. It was something that even with all the knowledge that Raze knew from his past, he couldn''t currently do, but that was because he had a Dark Core, and no one knew how to breakthrough with a Dark Core, at least not one that was recorded in the history books.


    "Do you care to make a wager?" Alen asked. "Let''s say that your sister won the battle of knowledge in thest ss. In this ss, I want to bet that my sister will best yours, and in turn, if my sister wins, I want to learn more about who you are?"


    The tone of voice used and the way the question was asked, Raze could tell it was almost as if the other already knew something about him, but Alen wasn''t someone he needed to worry about too much, at least not in that regard.


    "A wager, doesn''t that mean if Kelly wins, I should get something in return?" Raze asked.


    "Ah yes, you are right; I guess let''s say I will owe you a favor. A one-time favor for you. A favor of someone in my position as a high Military Advisor and a future Grand Magus can be a powerful thing."


    Looking at the situation in front of him, Raze didn''t really know if Kelly could win or not, and he couldn''t intervene, so it would be a gamble for him. As for the types of questions the other would ask, who knew what they were.


    ''He just wants to build a stronger connection with me; for him, it''s a win-win, but it''s not like I will tell him much, I have nothing to lose out of this as well,'' Raze thought.


    "All right, you have a deal," Raze replied.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The two students were standing on the tform, while the rest of them were on the outer sand, watching and waiting patiently for their turn. Both Aurora and Kelly faced each other.


    "Kelly, I will let you shine a little in this assessment; don''t worry," Aurora said. "This is a time for both of us to use our skills, and besides, the two of us are limited to just 2-star spells anyway."


    "Begin!" Trin said, not wishing for the two of them to talk any longer.


    "Let''s see how well you deal with this, Ember!" Aurora shouted out.


    mes spurted out from her hands, and they started to spread out slightly as they got closer to Kelly. Seeing this, she decided to jump out of the way, and when she did, she swung her hand out.


    "Gust!" She called out.


    Arge sweeping wind blew the mes out to the side, and as they went off the area, they started to disperse with a few small mes touching Kelly''s cheek. Just as Kelly went to look up, she could see a me balling right at her.


    "Water ball!" Kelly conjured the water magic, but it was a bit too slow; the ball had formed and shot out, but when it hit the me ball, it was already right on her. The fire had exploded, pushing Kelly to the ground.


    But quickly she had rolled and stood up on her two feet. Looking at her opponent, all she could see was therge smile on Aurora''s face.


    "You see, your theory and practical are two different things. In the fighting department, it looks like you fail," Aurora said as she threw out two small Ember strikes, streams of fire from her hand going toward Kelly.


    Seeing this, Kelly was wondering what to do, and that''s when she started to remember the conversation she had with ''Jake'' on the train.


    "I just need to do it properly and not get scared of getting hurt!" Kelly said to herself as she charged forward. In doing so, she swung her arm, and used Gust, hitting one of the Ember mes; most of the attack spread out, but part of the attack had grazed her.


    She then used the skill again, on the next Ember, and the same had proceeded. Breaking through the mes, Kelly had appeared her cheeks a little ckened, but she was mostly unhurt.


    "Wind Swipe!" Kelly shouted, and a line of wind attack appeared, cutting straight across Aurora''s chest.


    It had hit her, and she stumbled slightly, but as she did, she gathered both hands and pointed them to the floor.


    "Fireball!" The attack exploded on the ground and covered the area slightly in smoke.


    When the smoke disappeared, the two students could be seen, both of them only looking slightly hurt.


    ''That''s a bit odd,'' Raze thought. ''Thest match was stopped the moment a Wind Swipe was going to hit the other student. Although Aurora has received no damage, it''s because of the enchanted uniform. Is the teacher being a bit biased, allowing her to show more of her skills?'' Raze thought to himself.


    "My sister is quite talented in the fire magic department like all of our family. It seems she has taken her opponent too lightly though," Alenmented.


    "You are right about that; did you not know something about Kelly?" Raze asked.


    Alen raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he meant by this.


    "I guess you don''t; not many would bother to pay attention to an orphan like her, but there is a reason why, with no family backing to help her, she is in this academy," Raze stated.


    He thought back to the question he had asked her on the train because it was something that had been bugging him for a while. There were more than one mage academy in each country. So with Kelly being who she was, why was she in Central Academy, the hardest academy to get into?


    "Because even though she is a first-year student like that of Aurora, she is also a 3-star mage as well," Raze answered; his voice sounded a little as if he was bragging, as if he was actually talking about his sister.


    Being back on Aurora, almost for a moment, he had forgotten everything.


    "I see." Alen smiled. "Well, I still think my sister''s going to win, so get ready to tell everything about yourself to me."

 Chapter 313 Practical Lesson (Part 4)

    Chapter 313 Practical Lesson (Part 4)


    ?


    Regardless of what had happened so far, the match was continuing on between the two. Both of them had suffered from minor magical attacks, although one could argue that if it wasn''t for the enchanted uniform Aurora was wearing, she would have been far worse off between the two.


    ''What ''Jake'' taught me worked. The Embers, although they still hit me, it didn''t hurt as much. I don''t have much experience using my spells when ites to real fighting, so I guess now is the best time!''


    Rather than waiting, Kelly decided it was best for her to be on the attack. She knew that Aurora specialized in Fire magic, and although it was powerful, the major problem with Fire magic was that if used in too close proximity, it could end up hurting the other person, so if she was close, then she wouldn''t have to suffer from fire spells being used on her.


    When Kelly got in close, a sharp swipe of wind hade right at her. She had stopped in her tracks, and the attack narrowly managed to miss her.


    "Did you think I couldn''t use something as simple as Wind magic as well?" Aurora asked as she continued to swing her hand, casting the spell Wind Swipe.


    In order to counter this, Kelly could only do the same, as she swung her hand back, casting the spells, but all it was doing was equaling out to each other. While trying to block the attacks, it wasn''t giving her enough time to think about what to do next, what the best bet would be.


    "A Whirl of Wind!" Aurora cast, and a small spiral of wind that was visible came out toward Kelly, but when she saw its path, she noticed that it wasn''t going toward her. To which Kelly decided to ignore and continue dealing with the Wind Swipes.


    "A Whirl of Wind!" Aurora cast again, and another trail of wind had gone straight past. When the attack missed though something strange was happening.


    Those that were watching from the outside could see. The spell that had been used, when the attack missed, the wind was continuously spinning in ce on the ground. It didn''t look to be harmful, but had the appearance of a small tornado. Wind was being blown, but even when Kelly was next to it, it didn''t seem to do anything. Only her hair would slightly feel as if it was being pulled toward the small tornado.


    As the fight continued, Aurora had done this a third time, and now on the battlefield, in three different areas, the three small tornadoes were on the edge of the tform.


    Watching from his seat, Raze had lifted himself and stood up. "Don''t tell me that idiot is really thinking of doing that!" Raze said as he noticed something.


    "Hey, have you noticed that your sister is going to lose this fight? You know you can''t just go in and get involved, right?" Alenmented, and he was looking at Raze''s fingers; they were twitching, which had gotten him so concerned.


    Aurora then stood away, stopping her relentless attack of Wind Swipes, and stood in between two of the small tornadoes.


    "I just want to note that everything I have done has been within the rules, so protect yourself." Aurora smiled.


    "Wind Combine!" Bringing her hands together, the three small tornadoes went tobine. One hade from behind where Kelly currently was, but she managed to push herself out of the way. Then all three of the tornadoes had met in the middle, and when they did, they hadbined into arge one.


    The wind was a lot more powerful now, but it still was a normal wind spell. It still wasn''t even the size of a regr tornado, more like that of a mini one that filled the tform; its destructive power wasn''t enough to cause a mess.


    That was until Aurora ced both of her hands toward the tornado. "Ember!"


    Two forms of Ember went and were drawn in, and fire started to spiral in the tornado. "Water Spout!"


    Water left her hands and joined the giant tornado that was growing; it started to grow dark, and to finish it off, she had one more spell.


    "Fireball!"


    The fire left her hands, and in that instant, Trin knew exactly what was about to happen.


    ''That whole thing, it''s going to explode and set off fire in all directions! And with thebination of spells, it will be too much for the enchanted uniform to protect, I... I have to protect the students.''


    The tornado exploded, and immediately Trin pushed himself off the tform in front of the students. He then raised both of his hands.


    "Wall of the Mightiest Winds!" Trine cast.


    The mass tornado in the middle had done exactly as Trin expected, and it had exploded. It expanded out covering the sight of everything in smoke and mes. The heat was intense as it went to hit everything in sight. The attack extended out to the point where it had even hit the barrier which had been activated to block the attack.


    The entire area was filled with smoke, and eventually the mes started to die down along with everything else.


    "Is everyone okay?" Trin asked his students.


    All of them had been protected from the attack. From thebination magic that was used.


    When looking at the stage, they could see that Aurora was standing; she knew what wasing and had cast a 3-star spell to protect herself, using a barrier of water magic.


    In the stands, none of the adults were hurt, and Alen had his hands out. "The attack, it managed to get through the barrier; I had to use a spell to block it as well, but how is that possible?"


    When looking at the barrier, Alen could see that a part of it was broken. It looked almost as if it was melted. Then, straight ahead, Kelly was on the floor, shocked by the attack, but was unharmed because there was a single mage standing in front of her with white hair.


    "Did you know what you just tried to do?" Raze asked, his hand pointed out toward Aurora.

 Chapter 314 A punishment is needed

    Chapter 314 A punishment is needed


    The spell that had been used by Aurora was abination spell. It was something that not many mages knew about untilter in life due to how dangerous they could be. Use the wrong amount of magic or wrong spells, and the effects could be disastrous.


    With Raze being who he was, he had noticed it straight away. The way she was acting, the way the other student wanted to win, and what tipped him off the most was the look in her eye. He had seen that look before on others.


    The bloodlust that they were able to feel in the hallway, it had to be from her, and she was going to act on it, by using a spell that would kill the others. In the situation they were in, she could im it was an ident.


    How was she meant to know that thebination of those spells would cause things to act like that? Which was why Raze was quick to act. He moved from his seat, and the barrier was the first problem.


    However, there was one type of magic that would allow him to break through it, a magic that was known for its pure destruction: Dark Magic. Using it, he broke through the barrier and rushed to the other side.


    The smoke had covered everyone, so they were unaware of what was happening. In all of it, though, what worried Raze the most at that time was the fact that he could only use his wind magic to speed himself up to reach Kelly.


    By the time he had reached her, he didn''t have time to cast a spell; he had no choice but to grab onto her, to shield her with his own body from the spell. He could feel the magic being drawn out from his body at that moment and time.


    His body was special; he knew he wouldn''t die, and any attacks that would harm the body would just end up drawing more mana. In that moment, the Cursed Qi pill had activated due to his Qi reaching lower than 10 percent, and with his body protecting her, he had time to cast a wind spell to block most of what was happening.


    Standing on his feet, the smoke had cleared, and now Raze had his hand pointed toward Aurora.


    ''Because of the stupid actions of this girl, my backup was taken away from me.'' Raze thought to himself. He still had plenty of regr Qi pills he could use to restore his mana, but with the Cursed Qi pill being used up, after a minute, several of them would have to be used to restore his body back to a certain amount, and then how many would he have left, how much time would he have left?


    ''I don''t think anyone managed to catch what I did... but now my chances of getting to my vault might have been ruined. I still have a minute left; should I just?''


    Holding out his hand, Raze was tempted to use Dark Pulse right there and then. The attack would go through her heart, killing her in one go. She had tried to kill one of his Dark Guild members; she had tried to attack those close to him, just like the others did before.


    If he didn''t get rid of her now, then she would just do it again?


    "Stop!" Trin shouted. "Family members are not allowed to get involved in academy affairs."


    The adults were shocked about what to do as well, and even Alen was standing up from his seat.


    ''Damn it, what did my stupid sister do! She just attacked everyone, and she could have killed everyone. Right now, that guy has every right to be angry, but this is my sister; I can''t let her get hurt!''


    There was still time within the remaining minute; Raze could use his magic, and if he did, he wouldn''t die, but then what about Kelly?


    "You protected me," Kelly said from behind. "Why... did you do that?"


    Although she was doing him a favor, based on his actions, short responses, and more, Kelly was unsure anyone would risk their own to protect her. There was no one left in her life; the idea of someone protecting her, it was foreign.


    "You promised to help me with my cause," Raze answered. "So I at least have to do this much, besides you weren''t the one at fault."


    Raze then decided to ce his hand down by his side; no longer pointing it at Aurora. He could feel the minute had gone past, and now the regr Qi pills were activating to the point his body would return to at least above fifty percent of its regr Mana.


    There was still a chance; there was still time to get what he needed.


    "Why didn''t you help her?" Raze asked. "Why didn''t you try and save her life as well?"


    When asking this question, the ''her'' he was referring to was Kelly.


    "The attack, I realized it toote. I had to make a choice, whether to save all of the students or one of them. I understand that you''re frustrated since your sister could have gotten hurt, but you should understand from my point of view," Trin replied.


    The professor was still in shock himself; he had realized what was going on, but he was surprised to see someone else had done so as well, and for someone to have gone from the stands to the tform, they had to have noticed it a while ago.


    "As I thought," Raze replied as he went to walk away from the tform back to his seat. "That''s just an excuse; you''re simply just stating that you''re not strong enough. If it was me, then I would have been able to protect them both."


    It was a clear insult to Trin, and he had to grit and bear his teeth. He wanted to shout back, argue, saying who was he to criticize him. What does he mean he could have saved both?


    However, he was in a situation where he was somewhat in debt to the family member. Because if a student had died, then he surely would be punished.


    ''Ah, what does it matter?'' Trin thought. ''She''s just an orphan; the rest of these students have powerful families. If I had let any of them die, then I would have lost my job, of course I chose them.''


    Now, though, the question was, what exactly was going to happen to Aurora.


    "...his eyes... he was... I could feel it; he really was going to kill me." she mumbled to herself.

 Chapter 315 A bet is a bet

    <h4>Chapter 315 A bet is a bet</h4>


    A little too much was going on, to the point where no one knew who was watching, where to focus, what was going to happen next, and so on. Everyone somewhat just looked at Raze as he was walking back to his seat.


    He passed by others and sat down with his arms folded, the look on his face even more displeasedpared to before. If he looked unapproachable before, it was the case even more so now.


    However, his actions did spark interest from them all, as they started to wonder just who was Kelly''s brother. How was someone able to act so fast and so quickly in time? Even more so, how did he get through the barrier?


    The teacher of the lesson, Trin, was trying to get things moving forward again, and in an attempt to do this, he started to walk over to the one person who was the cause of all of this, Aurora.


    Making his steps onto the tform, before he had even reached her, sobs were being heard.


    "I''m so sorry!" Aurora cried as she covered her mouth and face into her arms, trying to wipe them away, her voice muffled. "I never knew that was going to happen. I just wanted to win the fight so bad."


    "I just wanted to show what I could do."


    Originally, Trin thought he should punish Aurora, but was there a need to? ording to his rules, she had stayed within what he had set. Maybe it was his own overconfidence that led to this ident happening, believing he could save everyone no matter what had urred.


    And in the end, no one had gotten hurt.


    "Apologize to everyone directly. A full-hearted apology," Trine ordered. "We were lucky that no one got hurt."


    Aurora wiped away her tears one more time as she agreed, nodding her head, and immediately went to each of the students that were in the sand on the side. She bowed her head, apologizing to each of them one after the other.


    After that, she went to where the adults were sitting as well, and gave them one bow, apologizing to them all. Finally, there was one more person to apologize to, and that was Kelly, who was still on the tform and still on the ground.


    "I''m sorry for what happened. I hope you can find it within me to forgive me."


    Kelly wasn''t sure, but when she bowed down, she thought she could see a slight smirk, but it quite easily could have been her imagination as well.


    With the apology done, Trin wanted to get things moving on and for everyone to try and forget about what had happened as soon as possible. He exined a set of new rules.


    Combination magic was not allowed, and in this assessment, one spell would have to be used at a time, not two in conjunction so that a real ident couldn''t ur.


    Most mages did this anyway for fear of what would happen whenbining spells, but with these new rules, he hoped nothing would ur.


    With that, the spars continued to take ce as students went on to face each other one after the other. The adults continued to watch, and eventually, in the crowd, Alen decided to speak up.


    "The young ones can do foolish things sometimes, right?" Alenmented. "They think too much with their emotions rather than their heads. Which is why I thank you for not harming my sister."


    Raze didn''t want his thanks. If he was still at the nine-star level and was confident enough that he could deal with everyone that was in the room while bringing Kelly out of it, he would have acted on his attack.


    "Anyway, I guess we can say that my sister is the clear winner, so you need to tell me about yourself, right?" Alen asked with a smile.


    "What?" Raze replied, turning his head. "The fight was aborted due to your sister''s actions."


    "Yes, but you have to admit, she followed the rules. She had only used 2-star spells just as stated. If it was a real fight, then Kelly would have lost. You must be able to see that, right?" Alen asked.


    "Did you see everything?" Raze asked. "If we are going by your rules, then wouldn''t your sister have lost the actual fight?"


    "What do you mean?" Alen was watching everything carefully. If Raze hadn''t intervened, then he, for sure, knew that Kelly would have lost.


    "Your sister, in order to protect herself, she used a 3-star spell. If she hadn''t done that, then her ownbination attack would have hurt her just as much as it did Kelly," Raze answered.


    Alen was ready to say something, but he knew Raze was right. He didn''t see her use the spell, but it was the only exnation as to how she managed to get out unscathed.


    Kelly was a 3-star mage as well but had used no 3-star spells. In reality, if they were both 2-star mages, they both would have gone up in mes.


    "It seems my sister has ruined a good opportunity for the two of us to get closer together," Alen tapped the bottom of his chin as he started to think.


    "Wouldn''t you say this is a draw? You intervened in the fight as well; let''s just say that both students got disqualified," Alen smiled.


    "Because it is determined as a draw, I will be kind and give you one favor from me. As promised. But in return, do you mind answering one question of mine, and you have to answer it honestly."


    Alen reached in, and he pulled out a device that looked like a pocket watch. From where Raze was, he couldn''t see it clearly, but if he were to take a guess, it was an enchanted item.


    "Depends on what the question is?" Raze replied.


    "I thought as much. It''s a simple question, really. What Star Mage are you?" Alen asked.


    The question was a simple one, so Raze gave a simple answer. "I''m a 3-Star Mage."

 Chapter 316 Running out of time

    <h4>Chapter 316 Running out of time</h4>


    When Raze gave his answer, Alen looked down at the pocket device in his hand. It wasn''t the answer that had made him react, but instead, the device that made his eyes nearly pop out from his head.


    "You''re telling the truth," he mumbled to himself. "But how?"


    As Raze thought, the device in his hand was a rare enchanted item that could detect if a person was lying or telling the truth. Due to the question asked, Raze knew he had nothing to lie about.


    "Telling the truth in this situation should also get his interest off my back," Raze thought to himself.


    It was obvious as day that Alen was interested in who he was. Perhaps the conversation the two had had made Alen think highly of Raze or believe that the two of them could be some type of rival.


    Raze knew that feeling well; the top was more of a lonely ce than one would think. Usually, one would gain joy in beating others and being better than them, but when you were at the top, that was when you started to weepetition more.


    Thepetition of someone being able to match you gave you excitement, and now Raze needed to extinguish this excitement.


    "Now I know," Alen thought. "I know why we weren''t able to find any information on him because he''s not special at all. He''s just a normal mid-level mage."


    A 3-star mage was a good achievement for those who were still young, but at a certain age, there would be those who would stop developing their skills. It would happen to some, and they would remain at the same star level for the rest of their life.


    Three stars were the middle line for most mages: nothing special, not horrible, but not in the same realm that Alen wanted to participate in.


    "I am a man of my word," Alen smiled. "I owe you one favor whenever you wish, and although you may not be the strongest, you seem to be quite knowledgeable."


    When saying these words, Alen was looking at the barrier. Part of it had been destroyed, and he still wasn''t quite sure how. He thought about it himself, and an incredibly powerful condensed type of magic would need to be used.


    If not that, an item or a high-tier spell, this was thest of his curiosity, but Alen would have to nip it in the bud because it wasn''t worth his time to chase after a 3-star mage; he was above that.


    The rest of the assessments continued one after the other, and finally, the spar was over. The group continued as they went to the next lesson, and Raze continued to watch.


    There seemed to be some words spoken by Alen and his sister, because she didn''t speak up after that. There was no gloating or showing off, even when the teachers asked her to disy some answers.


    She just did as she was told and didn''t even seem to stare toward Kelly. On one of the walks on the way to the next lesson, Kelly was by the side of Raze, and she had decided to open up again.


    "Thank you again," Kelly said. "I really mean it. I know I said thank you from before, but I know you must have taken some type of big risk to help me."


    "I was the one that said you shouldn''t stand out, and well, we did stand out, but it was because you wanted to protect me."


    "I wanted to do a lot more than that," Raze mumbled under his breath, thinking back to his thoughts. As these lessons were going from one to another, more pills were being used up, and he was trying to calcte how much time he had left.


    "Anyway, I promise that I will stick to the cause and will find out any information you wish. I would have still done this before, but I just wanted you to know that I won''t go back on my word," Kelly stated.


    There was something else she wanted to ask, she wanted to bring up, but she wasn''t sure it was the right time. The thoughts in her head: was he really a spirit, a puppet, a creation, or an actual life? Was it quite possible that this was a person? And if that was the case, could it be... was ''Jake'' actually the Dark Magus? Was he still alive?


    It was a crazy thought for her to have. The age didn''t match up, the level of magical abilities didn''t make sense, and in a way, she thought that maybe she just wanted it to be the truth.


    The one she considered her savior from the past, who had taken her out of her situation, and had gotten revenge on her behalf, had just saved her again; she wanted it to be true.


    "Jake... I wanted to ask... are you..."


    "I can''t," Raze replied, breaking her off mid-sentence. "I just calcted how much time I have left. I can''t go to what I need after the event."


    Based on how much time Raze had, he needed to go to the vault, at least during the event. He had to find a way to slip out and get what he needed.


    "You mean, you don''t have much time?" Kelly asked.


    She knew his body was a bit strange since touching it, and how he had appeared out of nowhere; this part of him really was like a spirit, and she somewhat understood that because he had saved her and used his magical powers that it might have been her fault in all of this.


    "I will need to go during the event; I will be back for the end, but after that, we will have to part ways immediately," Raze exined.


    "I understand," Kelly nodded. "I don''t think we have to worry, though; that lesson was thest lesson. We''re heading to the main hall now... the evening event is about to begin."

 Chapter 317 The Evening Event Begins!

    Chapter 317 The Evening Event Begins!


    The evening event was taking ce in therge hall that would be used for functions like this. It was a spacious ballroom-like area filled with buffet tables loaded with food and drinks. There were round tables for guests to sit down and talk as they wished, and at the very far end, there was a raised stage where a speech would take ce in the evening.


    When Raze had entered with the rest of the ss, his fears of being spotted or pointed out had lessened quite a bit because the room was already packed fully to the brim with people of all types socializing.


    There were a thousand first-year students, so a thousand students were currently present in therge room. Most of them were socializing with each other. On top of that, each student had brought at least one guest with them, or two, making the room filled with around 3000 or more people.


    The students and their guests weren''t the only ones present, though, as many of the teachers were also attending the event. They had started by grabbing some food and began to talk to each other.


    "Man, did I have a day," Trin sighed as he picked up a champagne ss and almost gulped it in one go.


    "Calm down," Quartz said. "You may have a body that looks young, but we all know your real age here."


    The other professors chuckled as they heard thement.


    "Ah, are you talking about the situation that urred today in the spar? The Light mages were speaking about it," another professormented.


    "Wait, something actually happened, and here I thought you were just doing your usual moaning," Quartz stated.


    "Yes, something did happen," Trin grabbed another ss and started to swirl his drink around. "The kids, two of them got into a scuffle, and almost all of the students got hurt. Of course, I protected most of them."


    "Don''t us two share the same ss? Which two kids was it?" Quartz asked.


    "Kelly and Aurora."


    Hearing the answer, Quartz didn''t seem so surprised, especially based on what he had seen today.


    "Hey, you''re not telling the whole thing," another professor added. "I heard that one of the guests had to step in to protect the student or stop the fight."


    "Ah, don''t remind me," Trin replied, taking a big gulp. "It was Kelly''s brother or something. He made some mockingment about how if he was in my position he could have saved them both. Who does he think he is, one of the Grand Magus or something?"


    "Oh, Kelly''s brother. Actually, he stood out in my ss as well. When there was a history lesson, I saw him staring at it, and the two of us talked about a few things for a while," another professormented.


    It wasn''t just him, but a couple of the professors all seemed to have noticed Kelly''s brother and had a story to say about him in one way or another.


    "Oh, he sounds pretty interesting. Maybe I should go and speak to him myself; I feel a little left out," Quartzmented.


    After hearing Kelly''s answer for the first time today, Quartz was quite interested in Kelly''s family members. She had never given that type of answer before, and hearing what the other teachers had said made him wonder if maybe it was his influence.


    Inside the event, Kelly and Raze were keeping distant from the others. They had a drink in their hands, trying to blend in, but even holding onto objects felt weird for Raze to the point where he had to put it down. It seemed holding onto things used up more mana as well due to the way his body currently was.


    "So when are you going to go away from here?" Kelly asked.


    "I leave when most of the guests are down here," Raze answered.


    The more people at the event, the easier it was for Raze to move around the rest of the academy, so the day was working out close to perfect for him if it wasn''t for the previous incident.


    "I did want to ask you something," Raze said as he looked at her. "I wondered, how could someone so young decide to learn Dark Magic? A mage like you, as talented as you surely are, has a bright future," Raze asked.


    Kelly was a bit embarrassed by this, and she turned to see if anyone was listening. After she noticed it was clear, she decided to exin everything to him. She informed him of her past, in the town that he had attacked a certain guild that had ruined her and her mother''s life. Now Raze also understood how she had known the truth of the matter when asking the questions back then as well.


    "After everything that happened, I decided to learn Dark Magic so I could feel a bit closer to the Dark Magus."


    ''Little did you know how much that worked out for you,'' Raze thought.


    "So you want to get closer to DM, let''s call him for now since his name is taboo," Raze said, "But is that your goal in all of this? What if he was to tell you to quit, to leave the Dark Guild, would you listen to the person you admire?"


    Kelly was thinking about the question. Was the Dark Magus someone who would ask that in the first ce? Was it a hypothetical question, or was it a real one from the Dark Magus himself?


    "I... I..."


    "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being patient. I hope the food and lessons today have been up to all of your standards!" A voice said from the very back of the room, standing on the stage.


    Hearing this, it meant the event was about to kick off, and all of those who were meant to be here were already here.


    ''This is my cue to leave,'' Raze thought as he turned around and started to walk away.


    "To set off the evening, we have a special guest, which is none other than the principal of the Central Mage Academy!" The presenter shouted.


    Immediately, Raze stopped and turned his head to look back.


    "Please wee, the Grand Magus Ibarin!!!"

 Chapter 318 The Start Of Razes life (Part 1)

    Chapter 318 The Start Of Raze''s life (Part 1)


    Hearing the announcement, Raze knew who was going toe on stage; it was one of the five Grand Magus. One of the group that chased him down to the ends of Alterian. They never let him rest for a moment.


    He was unable to take a day''s rest or sleep peacefully because he knew that these people were always on his back, always after him. Even when he lost everything, when they had torn him down, they continued to chase him.


    How many times had he sworn, sworn that he would get revenge on each of the Grand Magus, to allow them to experience a fraction of the fear and hatred that he had suffered that day?


    "Now is not the time," Raze told himself with a tensed fist. "If he spots me now, then he might very well know that something is up. He might be able to tell that my body is not a real body. I''ve been able to get away with it so far, but if it''s him..."


    Raze was tempted to just get one look, to see how much the Grand Magus had changed. It hadn''t been so long since the two had met; he hadn''t been in Pagna for a long amount of time, so there couldn''t be that much difference.


    Maybe seeing him would ignite his anger again, unable to hold himself back, it was a risky move.


    "I''m sorry," Raze said. "But I have to go now."


    With that, Raze had left the event hall; he had slipped through the crowd moving side to side, and if anyone asked where he was going, he would simply state that he was off on a toilet break.


    While walking around the ce, Raze was getting ready to head to the section he needed to go to, but just before he did, he took a step into the actual bathroom. He gave a quick nce to see if anyone was inside but found nobody before heading to the mirror looking at his appearance.


    His hand raised to graze the side of his own cheek, but he could feel next to nothing as the magic within his body was activating.


    "I don''t look the same as I was before, I''m not the same as I was before," Raze said to himself. "This is a new body, a new life, yet I''m still obsessing over the past. Over what happened back then? Maybe, I should have taken this chance to live my life to the fullest rather than it being obsessed over revenge."


    Thinking this, Raze started to reach out to the mirror. When he did, and his finger touched the ss, for a moment, he could see his old face in the reflection, and shes entered his head.


    In the far distance, he could hear Ibrain''s voice. "Thank you all for joining me today; I am happy to still currently be the principal of the Central Academy! This is special to me because when I became principal, I also was introduced into the group, and became one of the Grand Magus."


    Both of Raze''s fists were clenching hard as he heard every wording out of Ibarin''s mouth.


    He had a personal grudge against every single one of the Grand Magus. They had all ruined his life in one way or another, but Ibrain, in a lot of ways, when he looked back at it, he was somewhat the start of it all.


    Everything was shing in Raze''s mind. "I remember, I remember it all, I can''t forget, I can''t just let them all walk free, rewarded by the Alterian world. No one is punishing them for what they have done, no one is capable of doing so, I''m the only one that can, so I have to."


    Raze left the washroom, heading to his vault, with deep memories of the past.


    From a child, Raze had a deep fascination with magic. There was a deep reason for it all, a dark secret that he hadn''t told anyone, but it was magic that was able to set him free from it all.


    For the longest time in Alterian, the world had somewhat been divided. There were those that lived above ground, and those that lived below it, in underground cities where the poor lived.


    Those that lived off the scraps that would be dropped down from above. It was almost impossible for one to get out of the situation they were in living underground. Because there was no way for them to learn the powers from above, the powers of magic.


    Those underground were uneducated, most couldn''t write or read, so even if they got their hands on something like a magic book that exined the basics, they wouldn''t even know where to start.


    For Raze though, he had a curious and advanced mind, and there wasn''t much for them to do in the first ce, so he persisted. With the books that would be thrown away, he had gathered the simpler ones, the basic ones for children.


    He started from there, teaching himself thenguage of Alterian, the writings and how to read; just knowing this had already simply put him above the others. However, those living underground didn''t see it that way.


    Because knowing how to read and write, how was that meant to help? They needed to be good at using tools so they could fix the items they used on an everyday basis. Learn how to build and craft things with their very own hands.


    If they didn''t have people like that, then their world down below the city would copse itself as well.


    So Raze wasn''t considered special by the others for knowing this; if anything, he was considered slightly strange for having an interest in this. What was the point of learning to read and write?


    He would never be as good as those above anyway, so even if he escaped, his life was still destined to be one full of failure in the first ce.


    Going through the streets littered with rubbish and people dressed in drips and drabs, Raze held his books. He soon could see his own house up ahead.


    The houses were square buildings made of brick, small in size built on top of each other. At most there were four of these single-floor houses built on top of each other, and they were ced close to one another.


    For Raze, they lived in the bottom house; when he entered inside, he quickly looked to the corner where he ced most of his books and added another one to the collection. He soon covered it with a dirty cloth as he heard footsteps hurrying.


    "Boy why are youte! You haven''t even wiped the dirt off from your face!" A man with ragged clothes shouted; his speech was slightly slurred, and his top was half on him.


    He quickly rushed over to the boy and grabbed onto Raze''s hand.


    "We don''t have time to clean you up; they''ll be here any second;e on!"


    This was Raze''s father, a man whose name he didn''t even wish to remember. As for his mother, he didn''t even have a picture to remember; either she died, or ran off, who knew. A tale his father didn''t even bother to tell him.


    Raze was soon dragged out of his house, and his father held onto his shoulders. He wasn''t the only one out, but the rest of the parents were out of their houses, with their kids being held simrly.


    Their children dressed in their best clothing, cleaned and washed,pared to their parents.


    Then, walking through into their town, there was a single man, adorned with clothing from above. Wearing thick robes and an iron mask covering his face. Raze''s eyes locked onto a small pendant that he noticed by his side; it had a marking on it, the marking of an I. The marking of Idore, one of the Grand Magus.

 Chapter 319 The Start Of Raze’s Life (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 319 The Start Of Raze''s Life (Part 2)</h4>


    **Warning: the following chapter may contain content that some readers find disturbing. I do not go into detail about what happens and only imply for readers to interpret what is happening, as I do not wish to glorify or hurt those that have been through these situations.**


    ---


    Raze had no trouble reaching the section of the Academy he needed to get to. He remembered everything; the pathways in the academy hadn''t changed, and neither did the rooms.


    Everything was well maintained just like it was before. Unlike his time since he had been to Alterian for real, his time since he had been at the academy was a lot longer than that.


    ''I can''t believe he became principal in the end, and it was his way up into the Grand Magus,'' Raze thought.


    ''When I was a child, the Grand Magus system didn''t even exist. The world hadn''t agreed on the one system of higher powers. It was the same for Idore. His items had yet to be world renowned, but even then he continued to mark all of the items that he enchanted. There is one of two possibilities.''


    ''That the mage that used to visit the slums back then was Idore himself, or a mage that he had given one of his items to.''


    Thinking about all of it still brought him back memories to when he was a child. Each time the mage in the mask would visit, it would give a shiver down his entire body, and a deep sickness in his stomach that no matter what he did felt like it was impossible to remove.


    ---


    The mage with the iron mask looked around at the parents with the children in hand. For a moment, his eyesid on Raze, as he stared him up and down.


    "I promise that he is just as good as usual, he''s just been ying outside a bit, keeping himself fit!" His father said.


    The mage then turned to look away, and as he did, he went over to another household. It was too far away for Raze to hear, but there were a few nods here and there, and then the mage handed something over from his pouch to the parents.


    Their eyes lit up with delight, and shortly after, the mage with the iron mask had entered the household with the child.


    The rest of the parents that were out with their children looked upset and soon returned inside. When Raze and his father did, immediately the smile on his face disappeared and Raze''s shoulder was hurting.


    He could feel his father''s fingertips digging into his shoulder.


    "Dad¡­ that hurts¡­ it hurts!" Raze said.


    "You know what else hurts!" His father threw him into the wall. "Not being able to get any food for the next week! You''re his favorite, but you know why he didn''t pick you, because you''re no good, you''re useless!"


    His father ran over, and started to hit Raze over and over, and it wasn''t the first time this had urred.


    ---


    On one of his days out, Raze as usual was searching through the areas at certain spots. From above there were drainage spots, or just spots in general where things would fall. This was where he would find most of the books that he had found.


    Today, while searching through everything, he had stumbled upon a magic book. It wasn''t the first time; he had stumbled upon a magic book exining wind spells before.


    However, it was useless; no matter what he did, and how hard he tried to learn the spells, he could do nothing. He had memorized the magic circles, the patterns, and stated the words to go with it.


    At that point and time, Raze believed that it was true, that those that lived underground just weren''t meant to learn magic. Which was why when he had grabbed the book, he wasn''t too excited at first.


    When reading through some of its contents, though, he noticed that this was the basics of magic book, and Raze, for the first time, was learning of something known as a Magic Core.


    The excitement filled his eyes, and there was hope for his life for a moment. For days, Raze read the book and did as what was told. There were plenty of secret spots and nooks hidden away from the others that were far away.


    If anyone caught what he was doing, they would justugh at him more, but he didn''t let that bother him until one day he had finally done it; he had finally created his Magic Core.


    "I did it!" Raze said, his eyes glowing. "I can feel it running through me; I can feel it through the air, and the Core that I made, it''s a Wind Core! I wonder why I got this; was it because I was trying to learn the wind spells from before? Wait, now that I have a magic core, shouldn''t I be able to cast some spells?"


    Raze looked around, as anything he could see, and then looked at some of the piles of trash where there were stic bags on the top.


    "Push of the Wind!" Raze cast, picturing the magic circle in his head, and just like that, a breeze of wind moved the bags, ruffling them down the pile of trash. This was Raze''s first taste of magic.


    Raze had continued to practice the spells, trying them all out, but he realized something. He was unable to produce anything above a 1-star spell, and from the books he had read, it seemed it was something that would be impossible, at least while he was down there.


    When returning home one day, his father seemed to be in a bad mood. It was usual, but a little worse.


    "You brat, I''m in so much pain, and it''s all because of you! And if you can''t make any money, then you might as well be gone!" His father shouted as he dived in.


    He proceeded to beat Raze just like he had done before, again and again. Raze''s eyesight was blurring, his body hurt, and as he looked at his father on top of him with his fists for a moment, he pictured the mage with the iron mask.


    ''I don''t know what''s worse¡­ but what I do know is, I don''t want this. I don''t F*cking like this! I don''t want any of this; I just want to¡­ I just want to be on my own!'' Raze thought.


    The beating continued, one after the other, again and again, until.


    "Get off me!" Raze shouted. "Stop it! Don''t.... Don''t¡­. Don''t¡­ Touch me!" Raze screamed, and swung his hand out.


    "Silent Strike!" Raze said; his hand was covered in sharp wind magic, and as it went across his father''s neck, it had sliced it open. Blood had started to pour on top of him, falling onto him.


    Quickly, Raze had moved out of the way, and saw his father''s body slowly fall to the ground.


    Raze stood there for a moment, having no clue what to do until he had decided there was only one thing he could do, run. He ran and ran, ran out of the slums, ran from anyone that knew him, from everyone that he remembered from all of that past.


    And that''s when he decided that he would leave the underground world. He had something now; he had something that those above had as well, he had Magic.


    ---


    "These memories," Raze said, holding his head as he was inching closer to his vault, finally arriving at his old ssroom. "These aren''t fun¡­ but I remember, back then I thought it was my chance to start a new life, and for a moment, I thought the same thing back then, but Ibrain, you ruined my chance, the one who I used to call friend."

 Chapter 320 The Fight For Principal (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 320 The Fight For Principal (Part 1)</h4>


    Taking a turn from the hallway, Raze had entered one of therge teaching rooms. There was the ascending stand of seats to his left, and on the right, arge empty canvas screen along with a desk in the corner.


    It was nothing special; it looked the same as the other ssrooms that Raze had been in today, but the feeling when he stepped in, the slight difference in smell, the slight orientation of the seats above, it was his ssroom.


    This was the ssroom, and the academy, to which he had practically given his life to, having spent over 20 years teaching here.


    "Learning magic back then set me free from my old life. It was thanks to magic that I was able to change my fate and get out of the slums that were said to be so impossible to escape," Raze reflected.


    Back then, when he left, he never tried to look back at what had happened with his father. He never went back to that ce again, leaving it all behind, and tried to live a life above.


    Thinking back to that time, life above was more difficult than he had imagined. It seemed that those who lived under were right about one thing: Raze had quickly realized that although he might have been considered special down below for knowing magic, it was the opposite above. The world was filled with magic, and it was a part of their everyday lives. Even magical tools were used to store their currency, to get to ces, and to perform the simplest of jobs. However, there was one thing that Raze had that was better than those his age, and that was determination.


    Being thankful for magic, he studied harder than anyone else whenever he could. He did whatever jobs he had to support himself and study magic further than any others. While others his age would be distracted with friends, family, and games, he only had one thing, and that was magic. As he progressed in magic, it allowed him to get better jobs, and this relentless studying of magic, of putting all his devotion into the field from a young age, allowed him to step above the others.


    Raze stood in front of therge ckboard, and then in his hand, he summoned a chalk piece from his hidden robe. He could hold it steady, but making contact with the object was using more of his mana.


    On therge screen in front of him, he started to draw what looked like a magic circle. Here it was, his magic vault, hidden in his old ssroom.


    "And then, I finally got a job as a professor at the Central Academy, after making my achievements, and that was when I met you, Ibarin, another professor at the academy, who shared the same love for magic as me."


    Raze tightened his grip on the chalk piece slightly when he mentioned Ibarin''s name, and to think that he was currently in the same building as well.


    "Come to think of it, when we first met, the Grand Magus had just been established. The academies were also part of the same project, so we both joined as teachers. Back then, the Grand Magus were only three."


    "Idore, who had crafted legendary items that were able to change the magical world. Gizin, who owned pharmaceuticalpanies, and was able to create medicines that changed the lives of mages and those outside it."


    "And as for the third, it was Trubin, a mage that waspletely focused on strengthening magic as a weapon. It was rumored that he was the strongest of the Grand Magus because of this, even though everyone treated Idore more like its leader."


    In Raze''s opinion, one had never seen the true strength of Idore, since the magical items he crafted were more for general use, but what if he crafted items that were used forbat? Surely that would increase his strength above the others.


    "Ibarin joined the ranks of the Grand Magus after he had be principal. The old one was a government figurehead for a while, and the Grand Magus didn''t like that."


    "Instead, they wanted to recruit a new one into their ranks. I still remember that day."


    Raze had been a professor at the academy for a while now, and he was well known for his sses. Even while teaching students, he had continued to study in the field of magic and had brought out a couple of studies rted to certain magics himself.


    If he wasn''t teaching, he would be researching or reading others'' studies, and he was almost better than the inte itself. When the other teachers would have a problem, they would often head to Raze to ask about it.


    After sses were done for the day, Raze was called to the tower. It was the highest point in the academy, a room where the current principal sat.


    Arriving into the room, Raze peeked in, seeing therge desk at the back as well as the ss-paned window that looked out toward the front of the school. An older man dressed in a ck suit gave them a smile as he gestured for Raze toe in.


    He did as he was told and sat in one of the open seats. When looking to his right, he could see his fellow colleague sitting down as well. An older man with curly light brown hair, almost a dirty blonde that went down his sides. This was his fellow colleague, Ibarin.


    "I don''t think it''s too much of a surprise as to why I have called both of you to this room," the man in the suit imed. "My position was always a temporary one, yet I had kept this position for many years.


    "I have to say I quite enjoyed staying at this academy, but it''s not right for me to be at the helm of all of the Mage Academies when I am nowhere near as talented as you two.


    "Which is why I am here to congratte you two on a promotion because you have been selected to be Principals of the Central Mage Academy."


    Both Raze and Ibarin looked at each other. They couldn''t believe it. The Central Mage Academy was Alterian famous. The principal was as well, being on news reports, meeting with the Grand Magus, and more. It was one of the highest positions a mage could ever dream of having.


    Even Raze, who had a love for magic, it would have been an honor for him to receive this position. But that''s when they noticed there were two of them, but only one principal position.


    "Yes, I can tell what you are thinking," the man in the suit said. "There are two of you but only one position. Well, one of you will be vice-principal, while the other will be principal.


    "Now, I, myself, don''t think I''m in a position to decide. So I have a proposal."


    Ibarin''s leg started to move up and down as he heard this because he was worried. Worried that it might go to a vote, and if that was the case, then the more popr Raze would have certainly been selected.


    But what the former principal had suggested turned out to be a far worse situation for Ibarin.


    "Now that I think about it," Raze smiled to himself, doing the finishing touches on the magic circle in the ssroom. "Maybe that whole thing was rigged from the start."

 Chapter 321 The Fight For Principal (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 321 The Fight For Principal (Part 2)</h4>


    Both of the professors were eagerly waiting. A chance for both of them to be principal, but what would the judging criteria be?


    Both of them understood their strengths; they knew each other well and had worked with each other for a long time since they had joined around the same time. Both of them had a love for magic and studied it in their own way, but not many were as dedicated to books and research as Raze was.


    Ibarin''s strong points were actually his connections outside of the Mage Academy. Due to his friends in various fields andpanies, as well as getting on with the students'' parents, he was able to get the academy deals on a number of things, such as cheaper supplies, building materials, and even setting up certain contracts for the students'' futures. He was more of a connection man.


    Seeing these two at the helm of the academy, they could imagine it being a greatndmark case in the advancement for the future of mages. It was just too difficult to decide who should be the principal, which was why the former principal had decided to make an interesting suggestion.


    "There is an ongoing problem at our academy, that has only been growingrger, and I have heard it''s starting to spread to the other academies as well."


    Nearly both of Raze''s and Ibarin''s heads sank down because they knew what the professor was talking about.


    He then went to his drawer and pulled out a small device that almost looked like a pen. It was tter with a circle at the top and a tip that was shaped like a whistle.


    "Do you care to tell me what this is?" the professor asked.


    "It''s a device used to inhale Recimal air," Raze answered immediately. "It gives a boost in a mage''s mana while making him more sensitive to the mana around him. It allows a heightened state for a short time, around 5 to ten minutes depending on the individual. However, after the effects wear off, there is a slight depressive state that one gets in. Recimal air is a highly addictive substance, and with each use, its effects lessen, leading to those needing a bigger dose for the same effect, but the bigger the dose, the bigger the side effect, which is why it, as well as the devices, are banned."


    All areas of research were open to Raze, and that included banned substances.


    "You''re right, and this device here was confiscated by one of our students. There is a major problem as someone in the academy is selling it to the students. The worst case seems to be here at Central Academy itself. Of course, I don''t want you to punish the students that are found with these; they are simply victims. But I want you to find out who is selling these to the students, whether it''s outside or inside the school. Both of you are talented mages, both of you are at the 8-star level, close to reaching the 9-star level. I doubt anyone that you find you will have trouble with. So it''s not so dangerous of a task. The one who finds the one responsible will be principal. I think this will be a nice start, killing two birds with one spell, and will make a good impression."


    The task was given, and both of them understood. When exiting from the room, Ibarin turned to Raze.


    "I wish you luck on this, my friend," he stated. "I hope that there are no hard feelings on which of us will win."


    "Of course not," Raze replied. "Besides, regardless of the result, the two of us will still be working closely together. There are no hard feelings at all."


    The two of them continued to walk down the hallway, and Ibarin seemed to be fishing for clues. He was trying to see what techniques Raze would use to try and catch this criminal.


    "Well, it wouldn''t be very fair if I told you this, but I will tell you something. If I do catch this person, I won''t be able to forgive them," Raze replied. "To go so low, to sell such things to the kids. They probably didn''t know any better and are already under the pressure of performing well. I can imagine many students giving in and using such devices just before their tests to get a better score. I have to put a stop to this."


    Raze continued to walk forward while Ibarin stopped since he was right outside his ssroom.


    "Be careful," Ibarin shouted out. "Remember, you have a beautiful wife to look after."


    Back inside the ssroom, Raze only had one more thing to open the vault, to activate it with magic, but not just any magic, Dark magic would need to be used to reveal what was hidden behind therge board for the ss.


    A secret key that only he possessed.


    "I''m remembering too much about the past," Raze said to himself. "At the time, I never did find the criminal, but instead, they found in this very ss several Recimal Air devices. I was set up. Someone was trying to pin the me on me. At the time, I was so naive; I thought it could have been anyone, I didn''t have a clue who it was."


    "Why didn''t I think it was him? Why did I trust Ibarin so much? Was it because of our history together, because he had never done something like this before?"


    "I should have known he had an obsession with climbing to the top and wanting to be one of the Grand Magus."


    More memories had flooded into Raze, a recurring dream that he would have often. After finding out that the devices were in his room, he had been taken to trial.


    Here, there were several of those who were asked to take the stand. Students hade to Raze''s defense, stating that he was a good teacher and they could never believe he would do such a thing.


    However, his fellow colleagues were a mixed bag. That day he had seen some of the fellow teachers turn on him, saying things that they had only said behind his back, making it out as if he was capable of doing such things. Then finally, it was Ibarin''s turn to take the stand.


    "Now that I think about it, I think that Raze Cromwell might be capable of such things," Ibarin imed. "When the principal asked us about the devices, he knew so much about them already. Which is a bit strange for a teacher, and I don''t want to share details, but do you know where he''s originally from? He''s from the Underus, one of the Under cities."


    The look on everyone''s faces had almost changed at that moment when they had found out where Raze was from, and almost in an instant, it was like they had forgotten everything Raze had done for them.


    At the time, Raze didn''t understand why Ibarin would do all of those things, why he had done so much.


    "But I did learn the reason, after it was toote," Raze ced both his hands together, and the Dark magic started to seep out to the circle.


    "After that, my whole life changed, my own family, my friends that I knew, and that was when I started to have the run-in with the Grand Magus and suffered from their cruel hands again and again. But those memories are for another time!"


    "I remembered my reasons for revenge, and this will help me!"


    The magic circle lit up, and the board started to shift, sliding apart. The Dark Magus'' secret vault was open.

 Chapter 322 Secret Vault

    <h4>Chapter 322 Secret Vault</h4>


    Being on the run all the time, there weren''t many ces where Raze was able to store some of the items he had no use for. The extremely precious items he had used at the time of obtaining them. He needed them after all, in order for him to progress into bing a 9-star mage.


    Not only that, but when learning Dark Magic, it was the lowest of all his attributes, and he needed to experiment with ways to increase his Dark Magic power. It was the best type of magic he had for going up against the Grand Magus as they had no clue how to deal with it. The only sad part was that his Dark Magic could never outgrow the power of his wind magic due to the magic core he had.


    Now, in his second life, things were different; he had a Dark Magic core and a head start with all his previous knowledge. However, there was one thing Raze had done. Knowing the spell he used would end his life and have him reborn, he had stored enchanted items in his vault that he could use.


    If he was to die with these items on hand, he was sure that the Grand Magus would take them from him, using their power for himself, so he ced them in a special vault.


    Items that would help him with his new life; he just never expected that his new life would be in apletely different world.


    ''And what better way than to hide a ce right underneath their nose!''


    Therge board had slid open, and Raze took a step right through. When he did, the doors closed behind him, and the ground started to light up.


    Lights were entering the room one after the other, revealing an empty Dark room.


    "Wait... it''s Empty!" Raze said, looking around. "My power stones, my spell books, they''re gone? How can this be? Someone actually managed to discover this ce in those few months that I was gone!"


    Thinking about the matter, it was a bit more serious than he thought. If someone had discovered his vault, they already knew about this room, and his first suspect would be, of course, the Grand Magus.


    Maybe they had set up another spell to determine if this room was open, so he didn''t have much time.


    ''Wait, let''s not be rash,'' Raze thought to himself. ''To open the vault, one needed to use Dark Magic in the first ce. I had set it up, so a spell would activate, destroying everything in the room if that didn''t happen.


    ''Since that didn''t happen, what is more likely is someone who knew Dark Magic had entered this ce. It might even be a follower that has all these items now.''


    Raze was disappointed but notrgely, at least not yet, because there was something else.


    On the ground, Raze proceeded to activate his Dark Magic once again, and as he did, a change started to ur.


    In the dark empty room,rge ss cabs started to appear all over the ce. There were ten of them that had popped up in total.


    Andstly, arge bookshelf had appeared right in front of him. Seeing everything around him, his dissatisfied look from before had disappeared because now he was over the moon.


    ''It was a good idea to install a fake room just in case it was discovered,'' Raze thought to himself.


    It still pained him somewhat because that fake room was really a real room full of treasures.


    The power stones he had no use for anymore, the enchanted items that were too weakpared to the real treasures he stored for himself. He had ced them in the vault as well because he knew that to most, they would consider them high-quality enough to be considered treasures.


    At the pinnacle of Raze''s life, that wasn''t the case, though. However, he thought that it was the perfect time for him to use the low-enchanted items because there was another problem.


    Raze walked up to one of the cabs, where arge staff could be seen. It was oddly blood-red in color, with a gem at the end of it that was ck. On the staff itself, it had a strange set of what looked like veins that ran up and down its side.


    "The problem with this room, all the items are of Mythical and Legendary Status. I never managed to get my hands on a god-level item, but still, these itemsbined together certainly gave me great strength.


    "However, because of that, afraid that someone else might get them, I put a seal and a lock on these items, one that could only be broken by a 9-star mage."


    It was Raze''s carefulness that was now preventing him from getting his locked and sealed items. Ones that would certainly help him in his fight in Pagna.


    Who cared if he would open up rifts by using these items, with them, he would be able to st away anything that came his way.


    Walking around, Raze looked at more of the items. Two of them were legendary-ranked robes. One was white in color, the other, a more grey-colored. The two robes had different types of enchantments, and with their effects, Raze was able to switch between them in fighting. It gave him the advantage when fighting multiple opponents that specialized in different types of magic.


    Behind another sealed disy cab was a crown; in another there was a ring. Each time Raze imagined their power, he was kicking himself in the foot.


    If someone from Alter had discovered this, they would have imed to have discovered world treasures and surely would have taken them all under their protection.


    ''I came here to try and find items that would help me take down the Dark faction and the Academy, and these items certainly would help, but I can''t even use them.''


    ''Still, there is some hope,'' Raze thought as he went to the bookshelf that had appeared in front of him. On the bookshelf itself, there were a number of different books.


    These books were magic books, ones that were written by Raze himself when storing information. They were magic books about every single type of attribute that exists. It had a list of spells as well as drawings of magic circles and more. It had everything one would need if they wanted to learn how to fight or use one type of magic.


    There and then, Raze pulled all of them down, the ones that he needed, and in particr, he held the Light Magic book in his hand.


    When he opened it up, there was writing in it, ones that weren''t his own.


    "This book... it was written by Abbey," Raze said to himself in a soft voice. "I guess it''s only right that this book goes to Safa. I''m sure she will take good care of it as she learns how to use Light Magic."


    There were too many books for Raze to store in his robe, but there was one more thing that he needed. He carefully had taken them off the shelf and ced them to the side.


    Just then, he moved his hands, activating wind magic, and the shelves moved open like a door, revealing one more room.


    And there was the one thing he was looking for, the one thing that wasn''t sealed, that he could use in his fight against the Pagna Academy.

 Chapter 323 A parting gift

    <h4>Chapter 323 A parting gift</h4>


    Breaking through the shelves that were stacked with books at the very end, Raze could see it hung up on a model doll. It wasn''t a robe like he would often wear, but it was a uniform, a ck zer with light white trim that had a number of different symbols and designs that went over the shoulders. It was simr to what Raze was wearing now, simr to what Kelly had asked him to wear.


    ''Who would have thought, I always said that you had the worst taste when it came to fashion, but it looks like everyone has started to follow your trend now as well,'' Raze thought as he inched closer to the uniform.


    He looked up at it for a few moments, wondering what the best thing to do was. This wasn''t just any zer; this was a specially enchanted zer. It wasn''t strong in the same way as the other two robes that he had in the cabs. This zer was still strongly enchanted; it was at the mythical level. It was an item that wasn''t sealed, meaning he could wear it, and with its strength, it would allow Raze to have some extra power to fight against his enemies. But it was special to him in more ways than one.


    ''This was made by you; it wasn''t made with my tainted Dark Magic, with the idea of killing, but instead, it was made with Light Magic, with the idea of protection.''


    It wasn''t sealed away because at the time, Raze felt like he had no right to, but it was important to him, and he didn''t want anyone to take it, so he tried to hide it even further than anything else.


    Now, it was the only thing, other than the books, that he could use to help him in his cause.


    "I guess it is something that needs to be done," Raze thought to himself as he went ahead and grabbed onto the uniform.


    Right there and then, he thought it was best if he changed into it. He removed the clothing that he had received from Kelly and ced it back onto the model. Then he reced the zer jacket that was in a simr style but a different color and design and hung it above his shoulders. It didn''t fit very well at first, but the enchanted magic started to do its thing. It expanded in size slightly before gentlyying on top of his clothes, then it shrank down until it was a perfect fit on his body.


    As soon as it touched Raze''s skin, he could feel the power of the enchanted zer flowing through his entire body.


    ''I don''t have Light Magic to allow it to show me its effects, but I remember what it does,'' Raze thought as he continued to walk out of the room.


    Upon doing so, he picked up the books he had ced to the side and stored them away inside the special storage in the zer. The zer had a simr effect to the robe that Raze had enchanted. It allowed him to store items away in it; however, the amount of items that could be stored wasn''t limited like that of the robe. Raze could store as many items as he wished as long as they were non-living items. There was an exception to this as well; if they were magically enchanted items, he could ce them inside the zer as well. So items like arge shield that was bigger than the robe itself or a spear, if they were enchanted, he could ce them inside.


    So it was a more powerful version of his robe, and since it wasn''t made with Dark Magic, it didn''t have the downside effect of needing to be fed crystals.


    ''I guess with the robe, I could always hand that over to one of the others; I''m sure they can find some use for it as well,'' Raze thought.


    The other effect of the zer was also granting him an energy shield. Just like the robes of the mages Raze had fought against that were able to block a number of spells, Raze''s enchanted zer had the same effect but was at a much higher level.


    ''The zer could also protect not just mana-based attacks but physical attacks as well. So even a swipe of the sword from a Pagna warrior can be stopped.''


    Lastly, there was one more effect, an added trait for one using Light Magic, and that was that the zer was able to heal the user considerably while they were wearing it. If attacks and wounds could get through the magical barrier created by the zer, then it would just heal him, and it was at a considerable speed as well. To the point where one might think he was immortal due to how fast wounds would heal. It truly had earned its status as a mythical item, just for that effect alone.


    ''The zer that you created for me, as a gift for our wedding day, is now helping me out now more than ever,'' Raze thought to himself.


    Walking out of the room, Raze had now returned to the room that was filled with all the other items. Unfortunately, with the seal, even with the zer, Raze was unable to store the items away.


    "It looks like I will have toe back for you all another time. Perhaps, when my real body returns to Alterian, you can be used, and the first ce I will use it is to topple down Ibarin''s empire that he has built right here and now."


    Raze went ahead and started to draw the magic circle on the ground again. When he was done, he ced both of his hands together, using his Dark Magic; the cabs started to disappear, all ten items that he would use in a future time. Eventually, all of them disappeared, and he was left again in a dark, pitch ck room.


    ''I still have mana left; I still have time. I should try and make a final appearance with Kelly if I can. It will avoid her from getting into any trouble.''


    ''The event should be over soon, so I won''t run into Ibarin,'' Raze thought.


    Magic was cast on the exit door again, and the doors slid open. When Raze stepped forward, they slid again, closing behind him.


    Now the ssroom looked the same as it did before, as it always did; it was just another ssroom to everyone in the outside world.


    "Who would have thought that there was a secret room in one of these ssrooms? You know when I went to Central Academy, they always talked about secret rooms being in this giant ce, but of course, they were all rumors, so who would have thought they were true after all."


    The voice came from Raze''s left side, and immediately he turned his head. He saw him exit from the ce; someone was following him. If that was the case, this was bad news not just for him but for all the items and Kelly.


    "I decided to follow you; it seemed you left the event in a hurry. I was just going to ignore you, but something kept hitting me in the side of the neck, telling me that there was something about you," Alen said.

 Chapter 324 Getting Out Of A Fiery Situation

    <h4>Chapter 324 Getting Out Of A Fiery Situation</h4>


    Alen had been following Raze ever since the two of them had traded a few words with each other. The interest from one to the other seemed to be strong, and Raze knew that, but he thought he had managed to dull that sincerity when he had told the other the truth while a particr device was being used.


    When looking at that device from Alen''s hands, it had also brought back a bad memory for Raze since those same devices had been used during Raze''s own trial. It was what they had deemed as undeniable evidence due to their enchantment, but obviously something had gone wrong at the time.


    ''I was careful, I looked and searched around the area to make sure if anyone was following me, and still I was unable to detect him.''


    "I guess you''re quite surprised, have you never been followed by a high-star mage before?" Alenmented.


    It was true; while Raze was only at the three-star level, there were a number of spells that could be used that would allow a person to travel undetected, at least to him. Since he had been in Pagna for so long, having the advantage over those that knew nothing about magic, he had somewhat been mistaken. Even fooling most mages, Raze would have been fine, but Alen was a talented individual.


    "Now, you snooping around the academy and using a secret room, that''s not exactly a good look. I doubt someone who is doing these in good faith would act like this, so I guess you don''t mind if I capture you, do you?" Alen proceeded to put on two pairs of white gloves, which had red magic circles written on them. Once they covered his hands, he flicked his fingers, and a quick fireball shot out right toward Raze. It was fast but small in size, too fast for Raze to react in his current body; if he was in his Pagna body, it would be fine. When the fireball touched the corner of his shoulder, though, a whole barrier had lit up, and the attack had disappeared. The effect of the new enchanted zer he had received managed to work.


    "Oh, nice zer you have there," Alenmented.


    Raze needed to act fast, and as he did, he moved both of his hands. "The Push of the Wind!"


    The desks from the side were lifted off the ground and went flying right toward Alen. His response to this was just to punch the desks, and as he did, both of them erupted into mes on the spot. After getting rid of the desk, Alen proceeded to swing his hands again and again, several small mes were shooting out, and they had hit Raze perfectly despite him attempting to move out of the way. Each time they hit him, his enchanted zer was activating, stopping the attack, but he knew the build-up of attacks would soon take away the energy shield; he needed to do something and fast.


    ''I can''t use a lot of mana; if I do, my whole body will disappear. I have what I need from this ce right now, but since Alen saw everything, he could very well inform the others to run an investigation into this room. If that happens, I could lose ess to all of the items that I had stored. On top of that, they will run an investigation into Kelly; I have to find a way to win this fight.''


    The best thing Raze had in his arsenal was Dark Magic, as a three-star mage, could he ovee someone like Alen who was a five-star.


    "Those gloves," Raze said. "You fight like Enaxx. They allow you to use fire spells without the need for saying enchantments. Even your style is just like him."


    "Of course, my style is like him," Alen held his hand out, and arger fireballpared to the others that he had made appeared in the palm of his hand. "He is my mentor, but what makes this really interesting is how you would even know that."


    Alen was getting ready to throw the fireball, but before giving it his all in a fight one more time, Raze had one idea that might work. Judging by the way Alen had talked a few times, he didn''t seem like an unreasonable person; in fact, it was quite the opposite.


    "I call in on my favor that you owe me right now!" Raze shouted.


    Immediately, that had stopped Alen in his tracks; the fireball disappeared from his hand, and he stood there in ce. He was a bit dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.


    "You call in¡­ the favor?" Alen repeated.


    "You said, one time due to the bet that urred, and for me giving you information about myself that I could have one favor from you. You equally told me that you were a man of your word."


    "I promise you, what I am doing right now is nothing that is intended to harm the academy in any way. I was just here to get my own belongings. You can use your device again if you don''t believe me."


    "However, as for the favor, I want you to ignore this, pretend as if you saw nothing here, and let me go, to not tell anyone about what happened."


    Immediately, Alen started to scratch his head, as he was clearly conflicted by the current situation.


    ''I gave him that favor; I expected him to use it to help him punish someone or something like that, or maybe help him with some business, but I guess he really is using it in the perfect situation right now.''


    ''I really can''t think of a better time he could use it to force my hand.''


    In his mind, Alen was weighing up a number of things. How well would he be rewarded for bringing in this mage, or maybe it was nothing. However, his family, his father had told him one thing, that they always kept their promises.


    "Favors, promises, these are words that people need to keep meaning into. The rules of these words must be followed to give them power; otherwise, they will mean nothing. Our bloodline will mean nothing."


    "And pledges of loyalty, pledges to change the world filled with rules will mean nothing. I will honor my favor to you and allow you to step away from this. So you better head back to the event quickly."


    Alen felt a slight distaste in his mouth for doing this, but if anything, he was more curious as to who this person was, and without a doubt, this event should also bring the two of them closer together in the future.


    Seeing the actions, Raze was quite surprised that it worked, and in a way, he wasn''t. He knew that some mages were like this. They followed a set of rules dictated by their history. Even the academy itself was something thatsted longer than that of the Grand Magus and was full of rules set by different families who ran them. It was just that a lot of that history was forgotten and was reced with the new world power and order.


    As Raze walked past, Alen did nothing, but Raze himself stopped just a few meters short.


    "Your teacher Enaxx, I have one word of warning for you, you should look out for him; the Grand Magus aren''t as great of people as you think they are."

 Chapter 325 Grab On To The Light

    Chapter 325 Grab On To The Light


    Due to a series of strange events, one way or another, Raze was able to get out of his old ssroom and had managed toe out of it with the special Enchanted zer that had been made for him long ago. He also had managed to grab the magic books continuing the different attributes of magic as well, giving him great detail on the use of spells and more. He didn''t manage to get hold of his special items that were sealed away, but for now, they would be kept in the same ce.


    ''It does make me worry a bit though,'' Raze thought as he continued to walk down the hallway. Back to the event he had left. He was half expecting Alen toe past him, since he had to be heading to the same event as well, but he hadn''t done so far.


    ''There is a chance that Alen could choose to go back on his word. Judging by his character and the fact that he had let me go, I doubt he will, but if he knew who I was, he might be conflicted between his duty and his morals.


    ''It was a good thing I didn''t use Dark Magic in that short scuffle we had.''


    Thinking back to the scuffle itself, it was also good that Raze had the zer. If it hadn''t protected him from those attacks, then when it went through his body, the amount of mana that would have been needed to restore his body back to the way it was, he doubted he would be able to stay in the world of Alterian any longer. He could tell his mana was already on itsst legs; thest of the pills had been used as well. But in order to cause no trouble for Kelly, he wanted to leave the academy the same way they had entered together.


    When Raze got close to the event, he could hear the talking between people. He slowed his pace down, as he was worried that maybe Ibarin would be mingling with the guests. Although he doubted it based on his past character. He didn''t seem to like talking to strangers very much, not unless they were able to benefit him in one way or another.


    He waited a few more moments, and he imagined the event had to being to an end, and took a peek through the door. He scanned the room, and as expected, there was no sign of Ibarin.


    When entering the room, Kelly''s hawk eyes had spotted Raze, and she had quickened her pace toward him. When she reached him, she gave a slight respectful bow.


    "Did you manage to get what you needed?" Kelly asked.


    "More or less, everything has somewhat worked out in the end."


    The event had onlysted a few moments more, and the other teachers in the room stated that they would escort the guests as well as the students out of the academy. The teachers led the way, and as they left the ce, a mage was standing guard and looked to be doing some type of register, looking at the guests as they left, which reassured Raze that he had done the right thing in making sure that he had left with Kelly.


    Some of the students were getting in their flying vehicles, or were using other modes of transportation, while some were using the same train that they had used to get in.


    For a brief moment, Raze''s eyes had made contact with Alen, who was with his sister Aurora, who had quite the smile on his face.


    "Hey, can you not embarrass me," Aurora said, hitting her brother with her shoulder. "I wanted you to do something cool today, and all you''ve been is prettyme. Ahh! I''m not in the best of moods!"


    At the station, Kelly was getting ready to leave, and she turned back to look at Jake; she was about to purchase two tickets for them like they had done before, but she noticed that he hadn''t been following right behind her, like they had done so far.


    Taking a few steps back, she soon went back to him. "What''s wrong?" She asked.


    "This is where the two of us part ways again," Raze replied.


    With everything that had happened today and spending the full day with someone for the first time, Kelly had almostpletely forgotten that the Dark Spirit needed to go. That this day, where she would have someone right by her side, wouldn''tst, that it was always meant to be a temporary thing.


    "We will meet again at the regr meetings, and don''t forget the task that I have given you. It will be quite important," Raze said.


    Kelly nodded, but she wanted to say something else as well, something that she was a little too afraid to say but had decided to anyway.


    "Thank you for today," Kelly said. "I know you came because you needed to do something, but today, you did things that you didn''t need to, and had to pretend to be my brother, so I have to say thank you."


    Raze was happy to hear those words; it reminded him a lot of the times his students would thank him when he helped them with their issues as well. In a way, it was what he had enjoyed; it was problem-solving. Whether it was to do with the world of magic or not, he enjoyed the challenge.


    "I have something to say to you myself," Raze added. "The path that you wish to take, I have been down that path myself before, and I don''t think it is a good one for you to choose. Because, there is a big difference between me and you, who had both lost everything back then. You are still young; you still have time to make rtions with people that will continue to be by your side. People that will be willing to bring you out of the Darkness. I want you to do me a favor. If you ever find a light, someone that is willing to bring you out of the Darkness, then take it, take that hand, and forget about this world. Forget about the Dark Guild and leave it, because the longer you are in it, the harder it will be for you to leave before you can never escape."


    Raze could feel his body weakening, and before he could even hear a response, he needed to go. He had to rush off, as he ran away from the train station, heading to somewhere private, away from the eyes of others for his body to disappear.


    While looking at him, the words, Kelly truly was listening to them.


    ''Well, maybe you are my light,'' Kelly thought.


    ---


    A short while after the appearance at the Central Mage Academy, Ibarin had quickly left because there had been a call.


    He was currently in a pitch-ck room; there was no light and no way to see who else was in the room, but Ibarin knew that there were only five in the room.


    "I have called the Grand Magus here for no small reason. It seems that there is word of a name being spread around in the world of Pagna.


    "I''m not sure if it''s anything we need to worry about or some type of coincidence, but there is someone there known as the Dark Magus."

 Chapter 326 Back On Track

    Chapter 326 Back On Track


    Returning back, Raze opened his eyes and could see he was back in the cave. Everything was left untouched the way it was before he had used the astral projection skill, and the pills that had been left out hadpletely been used, all of them.


    The energy from his body had almostpletely disappeared. His chest was slightly in pain, and he could hardly feel the flow of mana or that of Qi that was in his body.


    Even his palms were covered in sweat as he instantlyid down back on the floor, just taking in deep breaths.


    ''This state I''m in, it''s affecting the Qi in my dantian as well. This didn''t happen thest time I used the technique.


    ''The higher stage of the body, the less the mana leaked from the body. It seems that this body is more rted to using the technique than I thought.


    ''I''mpletely drained in more ways than one.''


    Raze always thought he had a blessing with him, having both a magic core and a Qi dantian. Having both meant if he ran out of one, he could always use the power of the other in extreme situations.


    Right now, though, that didn''t seem to be the case. All of his energy had depleted from him. He had to admit, there had to be some cost since he was using a technique that would make his body appear in another world, and he had spent a lot of time there thisst time.


    ''Taking in so many Qi pills to boost my mana isn''t the best solution either. If I can increase the stage of my body more and more, things should get better for me.


    ''It also makes me wonder, if I reach the middle stages, if there is a way for me to use some of my Pagna techniques as well. Although it might be impossible.''


    The spirit body that was created on the other side waspletely made of mana, which was why he was unable to draw out his Qi.


    If he did, then maybe he would have been able to put up more of a fight against Alen back there as well.


    ''My head is pounding as well; I guess that''s the effects of the pills. I thought I had overprepared for any situation toe out of this little visit, but it seems I prepared just enough.''


    ''I guess it''s a good thing that I won''t be going back there for a while.''


    After waiting for his headache to fade away and for his Qi to restore, Raze was thinking of a number of things that had happened so far, and he hade to the normal conclusion he usually did after running into a tough enemy.


    ''I''m too weak at the moment. I received this zer that certainly has improved my strength, but it''s not enough. For me to be strong in Alterian, I need to increase my star level.''


    ''And without improving my stage, I still won''t be strong enough to go up against the academy either.''


    Once Raze had recovered most of his Qi, he had decided it was best to leave the cave. Originally, he was going to head back to the academy, but more still needed to be done.


    When leaving the cave, Raze had decided to keep his zer on rather than change to the hooded robe he had.


    The robe gathered too much attention and heat at the moment, and although the zer would stand out in terms of most of those from Pagna, it wouldn''t for all.


    Since some of the merchants and those rich snobs from the general world seemed to wear clothing simr to it.


    Besides, the zer was something that Raze needed to wear with pride.


    ''People will know what I look like, but it''s time for the Dark Magus to hide in in sight, while they think the real Dark Magus will have gone intoplete hiding.''


    When entering the city of Repton, Raze''s appearance had turned a few heads here and there. With his white hair and zer that fitted him perfectly, he stood out in more ways than one.


    The general public as well as other warriors, especially the female ones, seemed to have their eyes linger on his body a bit longer.


    They were noticing his well-toned body and how dignified such clothing could look.


    Those that usually wore the same type of clothing as Raze didn''t quite have the right body shape to go with it, and it was the first time they saw someone so fitting wear such a thing.


    The word of such a well-dressed and sharp-looking person had managed to catch the eyes of someone who Raze was looking for before he could find him.


    "You''re a well-dressed snazzy person!" Fixteen asked in the middle of the street.


    He had only seen Raze''s real appearance a couple of times, in the rooms here and there, but the hood''s special enchanted effect would usually cover up what he actually looked like.


    "Oh, I actually returned to look for you because I have a request."


    Seeing how it wasn''t the best ce for the two of them to talk, Fixteen had decided for both of them to head to a local drinking spot down one of the street''s alleyways.


    It was a prompt meeting so they hadn''t gone to the usualrge restaurant they would do.


    The ce was quite small, with only a few tables, and the two of them sat at the back ordering a couple of round-bottomed drinks. The bottles formed out of some type of y with a cork at the top that needed to be pulled out first.


    "I get a bit nervous when you seek me out," Fixteenmented. "I don''t know if it''s a good thing or a bad thing, and I''m wondering why you look so different."


    Fixteen himself was at the fifth stage, just a rank under Dame. When they had first met the Dark Magus that day, Fixteen would have said that he still could have taken the Dark Magus on.


    Now, he had heard the rumors of the Dark Magus being a demon that could even fight against those that were in the Behemoth n.


    And right now, there was this resounding energy flowing off him, making him feel like Dame. Fixteen wouldn''t dare try to fight him on his own now, not without the help of a few others.


    "I wanted to ask about a dimension gate," Raze asked. "There should be some that the Neverfall n owns, right? I was wondering if you would be able to help get me in one."


    Returning the way Raze hade from, he was a little worried that there would be more mages present due to the mess that he had made.


    So he needed a new ce to absorb the crystal that had been gifted to him from Crimson Crane. It would allow him to be a 4-star mage.


    And while he was in there, there was also a chance he could increase his stage to the 6th stage, making him hit the peak of the initial stage.


    Raze truly wished that he could reach the middle stage before possibly going up against the academy, but it was looking less likely.


    "I can get you into one. There are some that ess is allowed into, as long as a payment is made, but you would have to join another group.


    "And there''s another thing, this dimension gate is owned by the Behemoth n, so it''s best if you keep it on the down low."


    Raze nodded; he was happy that there was a chance for him to go into another gate. He didn''t need too much time in there, just enough time for him to absorb the crystal.


    Then he would see what went on from there, but he did have another question to ask.


    "The Behemoth n, they were the ones that attacked me, right? So I was just wondering, do you think it''s okay if I take on the Dimension Boss as well?" Raze asked.


    Fixteen started to shake his head violently and then thought about what he had heard about the Dark Magus so far.


    "I mean, you''ve already made an enemy of them, so I guess you can do what you like, as long as you don''t get caught."


    It was just a little longer now, just a little longer for Raze before he returned to the academy. The assessment still had two more weeks, so he still had time before the other teachers got involved, to get as strong as he possibly could.


    He just hoped the others would be alright during that time.

 Chapter 327 Adding Mayhem

    Chapter 327 Adding Mayhem


    The main ns, as well as Principal Murkel Dockthorn, were keeping an eye out on what was happening at the current assessment.


    Although they weren''t fully aware of what was happening underground, what they had been keeping note of was how many people were still alive in each underground area.


    Once in a while, one of the teachers would proceed to head through their ownwork of tunnels and speak to those that were on the other side.


    The situation would be exined, and in exchange for them knowing what had urred, they would be rewarded with partial food.


    Which was why they were quite aware that next to nothing had taken ce in the first-year Red Headband group.


    Even after the little visit, they found it strange that still no one was acting out.


    "All the other areas have been progressing quite nicely," Murkelmented, sitting in his grand chair at the main building of the academy.


    "The stage increases we have seen with the final students have been remarkable. This sort of progress can only be done this way, and while the students are at the initial stage.


    "But what we need is the main disciples to increase more than anything. If they aren''t able to reach the peak of the initial stage, then this whole thing will be pointless at the grand martial arts tournament."


    Standing by the principal''s side was the vice-principal, Amir, who had just reported the gathered information.


    "I think we should be careful; the students could have a bad taste in their mouth if we continue to push them further, and if they reach the 6th stage, while this distaste is in their mouth, it could make them an even bigger enemy for us to go against," Amirmented.


    Murkel was tapping his finger on the side before he answered.


    "You have a strange view; these students belong to the ns. They joined, and when they joined, they knew the roles of the ns.


    "They are ours. If they can''t get through this, then they are just the ones that are unable to proceed. Don''t tell me you have the perception that every life is worth the same."


    "There are those that have the power to create great change, and in creating great change, we change the lives of many beneath us."


    "Our n is strong and able to gather resources and food, and protecting ournd due to our strength. Those that aren''t able to even help in the fight are worthless."


    "Just like the animals that are ughtered for food, at least they have their worth in growing out strength. So someone that can''t even be worth food, we should happily get rid of them."


    "We need to proceed. Proceed in making those that will be worth something."


    Amir had given his warning, and since he wasn''t principal, there wasn''t much he could do but bow down and go ahead with the next phase.


    In the underground facilities, the groups and people were more split up than ever, and that included the main disciples that were no longer standing next to each other after the death of one of their own.


    That was when a click was heard. Dame and the others were in their seclusion rooms doing their normal training, but the sound of something heavy could be heard opening up.


    And they had no doubt in their mind where it wasing from; it was the Dark Space.


    "Did they open the doors from above again?" Safa asked. "That means, have the teachers entered once more?"


    Dame decided that it was best for them to check it out and had entered into the hallway that would lead to the main room.


    When entering the hallway, to his surprise, there were two others that were there as well.


    Simyon nearly jumped right back into his seclusion room.


    "It''s a surprise to see that the two of you are brave enough toe down here after what happenedst time," Damemented.


    "Do you think you own the area of the Dark Space or something?" Madamented back.


    To which Ricktor couldn''t help but just smile at who was next to him.


    Two of the main disciples had decided to check out just what was going on. None of the other Red Headband users, including the other main disciples, wanted to dare to venture further in after what had urredst time.


    Either way, the group felt like they didn''t need to worry about each other. Once enemies in a way, now all of them were walking side by side as they went down the hallway into the Dark Space.


    "Stop," Dame said as soon as they took a few steps in. "Can you hear that?"


    All of them were silent, not making a single sound, and they could hear it; it was the sound of breathing.


    "There''s someone in here, but isn''t Raze in here anyway?" Mada said.


    Of course, the others knew that it wasn''t Raze; he had already escaped from this ce.


    "No, can''t you hear it," Safa said, closing her eyes. Leading a life with no voice, she had used her other senses to the fullest more sopared to others.


    She could feel it. "There are several people in here, their breaths, there were at least twenty more people in here."


    They could hear it, but for what reason would there be twenty more people inside, and why were all of them breathing so heavily?


    Once more, even though the group were talking, none of them were speaking back.


    "Where did you guyse from?" Liam eventually asked. "Come on, speak up, if you have the balls then answer us!"


    There still wasn''t a word, but all of them had an idea. Of where these people were from, and before they knew it, footsteps could be heard shuffling.


    The first one to act to this was Dame, as he lifted his hand and threw out a Qi-filled fist. It hadnded solidly on the person, sending them flying back.


    They couldn''t hear what had happened, only a thud and a shout of pain right after.


    "ARHHH!"


    Now held in Dame''s hand, he looked down closely, focusing the Qi on his eyes to see a bit better. "This is another Red Headband," Damemented.


    "These guys, do you think all of them are from the other assessments that were going on? Do you think they''ve finally put us all in a room together?" Simyonmented and he was right.


    There were only a few left in all of the second-year assessment rooms that were being done. In order to progress and make it so the Main Disciples could evolve even more.


    They had decided it was best to ce them all in the same underground facility as each other.


    "We should get out of here, where there is some light!" Ricktor said, as he had moved back feeling a cut on his chest.


    He had already been attacked while down here and was bleeding.


    "We''re at a disadvantage in the dark!" Ricktor imed.


    "I have a feeling that we might be surrounded right now," Liammented, even though they could hardly see in front of them.


    Liam had already tried to head back down the hallway, and simrly, he felt a strong, almost swipe, scratch against him. He had blocked the attack with his arm, but that was cut up badly as well.


    "How about we call a little truce," Ricktormented. "It seems the only way out right now is to fight ourselves out, and rather than trying to get at each other''s throats.


    "It will be more beneficial if we take these guys out."

 Chapter 328 The drive for power

    Chapter 328 The drive for power


    In the darkness, the sound of the others fighting was heard, and the group of people hade up with their own tactic to fend off those fighting them.


    In the first ce, it was almost impossible for all of them to see, and covering their backs from the attacks was a hard thing for them to do as well.


    Which was why Ricktor had made a suggestion of a truce. After the others had agreed, all of them had gone back to back with each other.


    Now they at least knew that they just had to worry about what was in front of them; still, their movements were limited, and nearly all of them had been struck a few times.


    "Are you not going to help?" Ricktor said as he lifted up his sword and swung it down. When he did, arge line of Qi struck out in a straight line, attacking ahead and hitting the wall on the other side.


    However, it had hit no one; he could tell that they had avoided his strike.


    "In this situation, it would be unfair if I were to help; this is something that you must all ovee," Damemented from the sideline away from the group, and after saying those words, he had moved position.


    He had been observing things so far and was able to tell a few things. For one, most of those that were attacking were now Stage 4 warriors.


    They had jumped from stage 1, stage 2, all the way to stage 4. In such a short amount of time, it would have been an impossibility, unless they were put in a situation like this.


    Where they were going up against everyone else, and everyone was desperately fighting for their lives. The body had no choice but to bring forward whatever potential one had and help them survive.


    If the others were able to get so much stronger due to these trials, then maybe this is what they needed. They too needed to face the reality of the trials and try to grow.


    "These guys, they are a lot better at fighting in the darkness than us. We have no choice; we have to try to get out of here," Mada suggested.


    "I think they are able to track where we are from noise. The moment we try to move out of here, all of them will attack us at once," Ricktor replied.


    The way they were talking about them, it wasn''t as if fellow students were down here with them. It sounded as if they were talking about a pack of wild beasts, and it certainly felt that way when they were facing them.


    "Hey, so you''re saying if we had something like a human meat shield, then things would be fine, right?" Liam suggested. "Then I have just the friend. This is what you''ve been training for."


    "What!" Simyon shouted, knowing full well that they were talking about him.


    "Come on, isn''t this what you imagined: a situation where none of us can do anything, and you''re the only one that can help us! You''re the hero, the hero at taking hits!"


    Simyon had been mostly blocking so far, since he didn''t really use a weapon, he had less range than those attacking him, and there was one person he was worried about, which was Safa.


    "Alright fine, I''ll run forward, and when I do, I''ll scream as loud as possible, you guys, stay right behind me!" Simyon said.


    He took a deep breath in, and right after, he had sprinted forward.


    "ARGHHHH!" Simyon yelled at the top of his lungs.


    While running forward, immediately he felt something swing at his ribs, hitting him with Qi, but like a bulldozer, he continued to run forward.


    Then he felt someone climb onto his back, trying to use their hands to rip at his neck, but the Qi covering his body, and his special metallic body, was making it hard for them to dig into his skin.


    Eventually, Simyon had entered into the hallway, and as he went past the seclusion rooms, small rays of light were seen on him.


    Those from behind could see that the attackers were clinging onto him doing whatever they could.


    Seeing this, Safa shifted forward as fast as she could and lunged her wooden spear forward, stabbing one right in the back.


    The student had fallen onto the floor, and everyone jumped at the same time, avoiding the body.


    It was only a short distance now, a short distance until they were in the lit-up room.


    Simyon burst through into the lit-up arena, and all of the Red Headband students were standing, looking at who had just entered.


    They could hear the sound of fighting and amotion going on, including the yelling of Simyon. They were ready for anything that was going toe through that door, but they weren''t ready for this.


    Simyon had three people piled on top of him, hanging on every part of his body. With his hand, he held onto one of the students, and the glove, it started to spark slightly.


    "I''m telling you to get off me!" Simyon shouted.


    The person''s body shook uncontrobly, and with the strength of one arm, Simyon threw one of them onto the floor.


    There was another that was held onto his leg, and as Simyon was ready to get that person off from his body, he saw a red furious swording off from the side.


    The person had let go, trying to block the attack, but was hit by the sword and flung in the air until they had crashed into the side of the wall.


    "I won''t let anyone else harm my sweet toy," Ricktor imed with a smile and licked his lips.


    Being thankful to Ricktor, it just didn''t appear like it could be the case for him.


    Soon, Safa, Dame, Mada, and Liam had all entered the room after, but as they ran in, chasing behind them like a horde of zombies were several of the other headband students.


    The look in their eyes, they didn''t appear sane; their bodies were quite thin, and their movements around the ce, it was exactly like that of beasts.


    Immediately, the other Red Headband users that were in the room had no choice as they picked up their weapons.


    One of them lifted their sword up, but as they were hit by a wild swing from the attackers, they felt their whole bodies shifting across the ground.


    Lisa, one of the main disciples, noticed this as well; she went and hit one right in the stomach, but he didn''t go back far and had managed to recover, throwing out a kick that had hit her hard on the side of her head.


    "All of these guys, they''re higher-stage warriors than us; how are we meant to win this?" Lisa thought.


    Dame, who was observing everything, what he had found which was even more interesting was why these twenty students who had all been through the same thing were not attacking each other.


    Instead, they had decided to attack those that had been in the assessment area from the beginning. He could onlye up with one conclusion.


    ''They survived by attacking those that were weak. Those that they thought were an easy target. They did whatever they could to obtain power.''


    "And now, the rest of you need to do the same. The world of Pagna is a fight to the death; survive, and when you survive, never forget this feeling, and use it to go against the ones that put you in this situation in the first ce!" Dame clenched his fist, wishing them all good luck.

 Chapter 329 Joining A Party

    Chapter 329 Joining A Party


    Raze had arrived at the location that had been given to him by Fixteen. The area seemed like barrennd as the orange ground was beneath their feet, and as far as the eyes could see, there looked to be next to nothing in the area.


    There was no forest, no beautifulndscape of hills or mountains; instead, just a fewrge rocks that would stick out here and there.


    It was the same ce as where he was at right now. There was a singlerge rock that covered the sun, allowing him to get some shade.


    The thing was, it was quite clear that he was in the right ce, and that was due to all the people that were around.


    There had to be at least fifty other warriors, each of them with weapons in their hands, and their bodies or on their backs.


    Most of the people had gathered in groups, ready to enter the dimension gate that could be seen up ahead.


    Set up next to the dimension gate was a makeshift building. It wasn''t a tent or anything, but a building that looked like those in Repton City.


    It was wide with a nted roof but had theserge sliding doors that were currently slid open.


    Inside, there was a man sitting at the desk, and there were a few others behind him as well next to the gate.


    Looking at his wrist, right now Raze had a bracelet that he had already received from the table.


    ''Fixteen had already paid for everything and set it up for me. So all I had to do was head over and give them the fake name of ''Jake.'' I thought they might have recognized me or asked what was up with what I was wearing, but I guess I''m fine,'' Raze thought to himself.


    Those that were protecting the gate and were set up in the building were the Behemoth n. Raze had recognized their symbol and clothing and now knew who to avoid in certain situations.


    He felt somewhat happy that he didn''t wear his robe because he saw them immediately reject some who were wearing robes, telling them to change.


    They must have quite therge hatred for the Dark Magus at the moment.


    Right now though, Raze was wearing his special zer that had been made for him, and he had bought an iron grey mask to ce on his face.


    Dame currently still had the transformation mask, and since Raze was a student of the Dark Faction Academy, there was a chance that someone would recognize him in the future if he did just show his face around the ce.


    Which was why he had decided to wear the mask in the first ce. Some others were wearing masks anyway, so Raze didn''t feel like he was aplete idiot.


    ''I wonder how much the payment is from each of these. It''s clear that they''re not from the Behemoth n and are wanderers as well as other ns. It must be quite profitable for them.''


    "We''re looking for a fifth member!" A man shouted with his hands cupped by his mouth. "We need a fifth member to join the expedition."


    "Come join us; we give fair distribution among all!" Another person shouted.


    It was as Fixteen said. There were groups that didn''t have the five required to enter the portal standing outside looking to recruit others.


    Entering dimensions wasn''t always the order of their ns, and it seemed like some people had decided to enter just to gather crystals or train up.


    However, there were also always wanderers that wished to enter the dimensions, and most wanderers worked alone. So they would need to team up with ns or other groups of people to enter the dimension.


    ''He said I wouldn''t have a problem, but that means I need to go forward and try and join one of these groups,'' Raze thought.


    There were so many to choose from, and Raze could see some of the groups already talking to individual wanderers. He just didn''t know who to approach.


    In the end, he decided to just go and head toward the group of people that were closest to him.


    The group itself looked like a n. All of them were wearing the long martial arts cloth on their bodies, dark in color with a dark blue trim around.


    There was a female archer and a male archer in the group, a spear user, and a sword user. The male with long hair wrapped up in a ponytail was the one that shouted and was asking for recruits, so Raze assumed he was the leader of the group.


    "Would it be okay if I joined you guys? I''m a wanderer, so I don''t belong to any n," Raze asked, giving them the line that Fixteen had prepared for him.


    Raze could see that the young man and other members were looking him up and down, trying to assess him.


    "What weapon do you use? And what position do you usually fight in?" The man asked.


    Raze was a little confused by this question, but he pointed to the sword that was on his side and on his back. The real swords that he had enchanted with various effects so they could help him out in a number of situations, including the ghost de.


    "Ah, a swordsman I see. Well, the issue is we already have a swordsman; in our party, we were really looking for someone who is more of a brute or knows some defense techniques to protect the group."


    "That wouldn''t be a problem," Raze said. "I can y any role you want me to; I can even support from far away if you want.


    "I just request that there is some time where I can kinda do my own thing."


    The request from Raze was a real head-scratcher for the group, and judging by the way Raze was answering, they could only think one thing.


    "It''s your first time, right?" The guy said. "I''m sorry, but we don''t want to waste our time looking after someone in all of this; we''re hoping to get a lot out of this raid, so it''s best you look for another group."


    Raze didn''t argue; he also didn''t want to waste his time, so instead he walked off to another lot.


    "Thank the heavens you turned him down," the archer said. "That guy, we would''ve had to have held his hand the entire way. I mean, did you hear his voice? He didn''t understand a thing. He''ll be lucky if hees out of this entire thing alive."


    Raze continued to head to other groups, and many of them were turning him down due to the odd requests he would make.


    For one of them, Raze thought the distribution of crystals was unfair. What if he killed twice or three times as much as them? Why should the crystals be evenly split between them all?


    To which, Raze continued, until he found one group, a young man with a friendly smile on his face, along with three other girls in his group, as if he was running a type of harem party.


    "Hey, you''re free to join us; we need one more. The name''s Plon," the friendly man said with arge shield on his back.


    The other girls had swords, while one of them had a spear, but there was no archer in the group like most of the others had.


    "I overheard you speaking; you said you could y any position, right? Do you think you can help support us from the back in a way?"


    Raze looked at his swords; without using his magic, it would be a little more difficult, but he could still help out.


    "I have a couple of requests; I need to go off on my own for a little while at the beginning. Are you free to wait around until I''m ready, and the distribution of power stones. What I kill, I get to keep."


    The woman standing in the back didn''t particrly like Raze''s tone of voice or the way they were talking to the young one.


    "Hmm, that will be hard to do; why don''t we do it like this? If we fight beasts together as a party, those will be split, if we''re going against one beast, but whatever you kill on your own, you''re free to keep."


    It seemed like the best deal Raze was going to get, so he nodded in agreement.


    The other groups which had denied Raze all were looking at him, and had overheard their conversations.


    "How does he expect to support with a sword? It''s not like he has sword Qi or anything like that," one of the groups said.


    The original group that Raze had approached was being led by a n member named Fin. "We all know what it''s like to desperately want to go on one of these raids. I don''t me him for saying he''s happy to fill any position."


    "But the way he was talking about the power stone distribution. It''s almost like he''s looking down on the other groups. I guess to be big-headed is the trait of the young."


    With all the parties set up, the Behemoth n had made an announcement. They were ready for each of the groups to enter, group by group, and begin their hunt.


    "Please remember to continuallymunicate with each other about how many beasts you have killed. If the Dimension boss is summoned, all groups must exit immediately!" The man shouted.


    To which everyone nodded, heading inside.


    Back at the city of Repton, the Crimson Crane had just arrived. After the scuffle they had, they were now hiding themselves a bit more, for fear they would cause another chaotic mess with the Behemoth n.


    They had to arrive though because they were meeting up with Fixteen, to buy more of the Dark Magus'' product.


    In a hooded shape, Alba was sitting across a table in an inn with Fixteen.


    "He did what!" Alba shouted, nearly jumping from her seat. "He went in there all on his own¡­ we¡­ we have to help him."

 Chapter 330 A big Leach, 4 Star Mage

    <h4>Chapter 330 A big Leach, 4 Star Mage</h4>


    The group dressed in dark-colored robes had eventually found their fifth member. It was another well-known wanderer who had a reputation for visiting these dimensions already.


    Graft was what he went by, and he had been a great help in supporting others with handy items as well as knowing information about the dimensions they were entering.


    "Thank you for letting me into your group," the wanderer said. "I heard a few things about your n. The Necroshade n has been earning great achievements."


    "Thank you," Fin replied. The others behind him had overheard thepliments, but they turned away as if they weren''t really listening. "We are still but a small n in terms of therger ones in the Demonic Faction."


    "In times of need, no one cares where onees from," Graft replied. "Which is why I have to ask, I saw another wanderer approach before me, is there a reason why you rejected him."


    Graft was quite curious, especially about other wanderers. In some ways, the life of a wanderer was tougher than those from a n. Since both were considered Pagna warriors, just that one didn''t have the backing of a n. Because of this, they had ack of resources and were more easily attacked.


    In a sense, wanderers felt some type of duty to try and help each other out, in order to make it easier on others.


    "He was just a leech!" one of the female n members said, walking forward. "From the questions he was asking, it seemed like he had never even been in a dimension before. Who knows how he obtained the money to even get in here."


    "I see, entering a dimension with a neer is dangerous indeed," Graft replied.


    "Exactly, we are already all risking our lives heading in there, and they want us to look after them. He''s probably here expecting to be dragged along and getting crystals for making no effort at all," the female continued.


    "Even the wanderers here have strength. It''s a give-and-take world, but I''ve seen more and more that are like him recently."


    "People like you have merit, but it seems like ever since the Crimson Crane has made a name for themselves, bing thisrge wanderer group, that they believe they have more say, right?"


    It was clear that she was looking for support from her leader, but Fin just stared ahead in the direction of the man.


    ''He seemed a bit too confident to be new at this, but his confidence and words don''t match up. I just hope we made the right decision.''


    Every group soon entered the portal one by one, and as they did, they appeared on the other side, having arrived in a whole new world.


    Immediately, the warriors could feel the tall grass reaching their knees. All around them, they could seerge fields of greenery.


    It was only grass, though. There were hardly any signs of trees or any other nts, just some hills of grass here and there.


    It was almost like a desert of grass all around them. Right next to their side, simr to the other side, arge warehouse-like building stood there.


    The floor was partially concrete underneath it, but the building itself looked to have seen better days. Part of the roof had already been destroyed, and there were giant crates left in ces covered in moss.


    "Did the Behemoth n build that?" one of the others asked.


    "No, that''s a relic. It was part of the dimension when they entered," Graft replied, having done his research on the ce. "This area truly is like arge desert of tall grass.


    "The enemy are creatures that are simr to dogs. You have to be careful as the tall grass hides their appearance. Spread throughout the area are ces like this warehouse here, though.


    "Large buildings with concrete underneath them. ces that seemed to be abandoned. In there, you will be able to find more beasts and fight them a lot easier than in the grass."


    The groups were already on their way, heading off in different directions. There was a single Behemoth n member that was with them.


    Every half an hour, each group was to return with a member and report just how many beasts they had killed. This way they could roughly gauge when the Dimension Boss would show up.


    Before that happened, he would order the others to return.


    However, it wouldn''t always be urate; there was a chance the Dimension Boss would turn up anyway, and if that did happen, they all needed to exit out of the ce immediately and not attempt to fight it, unless they wanted to anger the Behemoth n.


    "So where should we go, Plon?" one of the females asked.


    "The whole area kind of looks the same, I don''t think it matters where we go. Let''s just wander around and find some beasts to deal with, is that okay?" Plon turned to look at Raze, the neer that was with them.


    However, Raze didn''t seem to be paying attention and instead was just looking around the area. With so much open field, there wasn''t really a good ce for him to do things discreetly, apart from therge warehouse that was already by their side.


    Everyone was leaving the ce anyway, and the Behemoth n member was standing by the entrance, so if he was to head in there, it wouldn''t be too much of a problem.


    "Do you need me to be with you?" Raze asked.


    "Ah, right, you said you would need to do something on your own. I mean, as a group, it would be safer together. I know you might be strong, but still, I think we should stick together," Plon replied.


    "Very well," Raze replied. "Then, if you can just wait a few moments. I promise that I will be back; you can stay here, and I will return.


    "If you do this favor for me, then I will help you out greatly in gathering crystals."


    "Oh,e on!" one of the girlsined. "Everyone is going to get a head start, and we''re really going to wait for this guy.


    "What if all of the beasts are killed by the time hees out."


    Nearly all three of the other girls felt the same way as well, but they listened to Plon.


    "If that happens, we''ll just go to another dimension. It''s fine, we will wait; you better hurry then," Plon said.


    Raze bowed down slightly, thanking the person, as he rushed off into the warehouse.


    Fin and his group had overheard everything.


    "See, I told you, a leech, he''s even slowing the other group down. It''s a good thing that we didn''t let him join our group, Fin."


    Fin still watched, wondering what the man was doing, but he soon focused on the task ahead. They needed to gather crystals.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Raze entered the warehouse, it was empty inside. Scraps of metal were here and there, and the ce was entirely rusted.


    The good thing was, there was no sign of human or beast life in here. Which meant he could do what he had been meaning to do for a long time.


    Dark magic looked to escape from under his sleeve, and appearing in his hand was the level 5 power stone.


    ''Let''s be a 4-star mage.''

 Chapter 331 Ranged Attacker, that works

    <h4>Chapter 331 Ranged Attacker, that works</h4>


    Plon and the group of three women that were along with him for the current assessment were patiently waiting. They didn''t stay out of sight of the warehouse but were still just walking through the grassy areas here and there.


    "Ohe on, I thought he just needed to go to the toilet or something," one of the womenined. "But this is taking a lot longer than a toilet break."


    "I know what you mean," the other sighed and knelt down to the point where the long grass was almost touching her nose. "The longer we are out here, the more I can imagine them just getting everything for themselves."


    "Hey, hey, just save your breath, alright," Plon replied. "We are all wanderers just like him, and we were probably in the same situation at one point.


    "Look, we want to be just as great as the Crimson Crane someday, and I want to do it our way. Who knows, maybe they will hear about how kind we are to other wanderers, and we will get invited to be part of their group."


    "What, stage 3 warriors like us. All of the members of the Crimson Crane are at least at the middle stage," the other womanmented.


    "That''s not true," Plon said, as he took out his shield and dug it into the ground in front of him. He started to lean on it and ced his face on top of the shield, looking at the other three.


    "Didn''t you hear that the Dark Magus joined them, and I heard he''s just an alchemist."


    "Wait, isn''t that the alchemist that took out like fifty of their members, the one they''re calling the new demon?" one of the others replied. "I don''t think that''s a normal alchemist."


    While ready to make a counter-argument, there and then, Plon could see something moving through the tall grass. It was rapidly changing directions but was heading straight for them.


    "Look out!" Plon shouted.


    Immediately from the tall grass, a four-legged creature, dark green in color but with glowing yellow eyes, leaped up from the grass and into the air.


    On its back, there was a bud that looked like a type of nt. The bud opened up, and small seed objects shot out from it.


    It had hit two of the girls that were close by; they were too slow to block the attack and took the hit. It felt like arge rock had hit them, and they cried out in pain.


    "Ah!"


    However, it wasn''t a fatal blow because the real attack was headed toward another.


    Thankfully, due to Plon''s warning, the woman had managed to pull out her sword in time, and she swung it out, shing it against the beast''s teeth.


    The attack was powerful, even with her Qi and timing, she was sent skidding across the ground.


    "This thing is tough!" She called out, and when looking up had lost sight of the beast in the tall grass.


    This was one of the reasons why they were told to enter with groups. It was an initial stage dimension, but an area where the beasts were at the third level.


    Each beast would drop a level 3 power stone at least, and due to the terrain, it was harder for them to face than they initially thought.


    "Crap, we need more help!" One of them called out as they moved, heading closer to where Plon was aiming to stay behind his shield.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Inside therge warehouse building, Raze had set up all the preparations that were needed. He had drawn the magic circle on the ground and was sitting cross-legged.


    Now the level 5 power stone, given as a gift from the Crimson Crane leader Alba, was ready to be absorbed.


    ''If it was a level 4 power stone, then I''m not too sure it would do the trick, but since it''s a level 5 power stone, it should be able to push me to the 4th star!''


    The magic circle lit up, and the stone''s energy was starting to disintegrate into small particles. As it did, the particles were being absorbed into Raze''s skin. Then it began to move to his magic core.


    The swirling magic ball that surrounded his heart was growing with power and getting bigger.


    ''When a magic core isplete, arge surge of magic fills the area. The higher the stage, the more magic. If I was to do this in the world of Pagna, then no doubt would it cause a portal break, which is why I have no choice but to do it here.''


    The crystal lifted up more so to the point where it was around chest height. Slowly, as if maized, it started to move right toward Raze''s chest.


    His eyes lit up with a glowing light, and the mana was swirling all around him, moving the pieces of metal objects.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The three women were able to head over to where Plon was, but it felt like they were no closer to hurting the beast.


    Once in a while it would jump from a certain direction trying to attack them. Plon would lift his shield to defend, but when the others went to attack, from the flower bud on its back, several seeds would either hit the item or them before they got the chance to defeat the beast.


    "I thought you said you wanted to see a beast, well now that we have a beast why aren''t you dealing with it?" Plon asked, he charged forward blocking the jumping strike from the beast again.


    It quickly went back into the bush where they were unable to see.


    "Maybe if you got someone that could have supported us better, then with the five of us, we wouldn''t be in this mess. Or we could have gone to one of those concrete areas where we could see the thing."


    Out of anger, lifting up her sword, filled with Qi, a flowing downward strike was made. It hit the ground, and dirt flung up, the area around the grass had disappeared.


    The attack did nothing to harm the beast as it leaped out from the side. Dashing forward with his footwork, Plon was able to block the attack in the air once more, saving her from getting dealt a blow.


    "I''m doing my part, protecting you guys from getting hit, so it''s time that you guys do your part now!" Plon stated.


    In the middle of their mess while regrouping, that''s when one of the females in the group could see someone walking into the long grass.


    They were walking slowly, wearing a zer uniform and had an iron mask on his face.


    "Finally, the guy decides to show up."


    "Wait, if he just enters like this, he''ll be in danger, the beast will attack him!"


    However, the beast was still busy going through the long grass dealing with them.


    As Raze walked closer to the group, he reached toward his back, holding onto the sword. Seeing the situation, he made a quick change with one of the other enchanted swords.


    At that moment, the beast leaped up in the air. Its mouth was wide open. Plon got into position ready to stop the attack.


    "Crimson sh!"


    Out from the side, a long line of aura hade out, and sliced right through the beast. Its body fell apart mid-air, falling to the ground.


    The entire group was frozen in ce for a moment as they slowly turned their heads to look at Raze, still standing a few meters away.


    "Let''s go hunt," Raze said.

 Chapter 332 A 4 Star Mage

    Chapter 332 A 4 Star Mage


    After sessfully absorbing the level 5 power stone, Raze had managed to aplish what he was set out to do. He had reached the 4th star in terms of magic.


    It was still a long way off until he reached the 9-star level like he had done in his previous life, and he knew it was harder to progress once one grew into the higher stages, but he was happy with his progress.


    He was now a stage 5 Pagna warrior and a 4-star mage. Combining both of these powers, he now had the confidence to fight even those middle-stage warriors one on one.


    After reaching the 4-star level, he thought it was best for him to head outside and join the others. If they had left to do their own hunting, he wouldn''t have med them.


    Because if he were in their shoes, he would have done the same. When he had exited, he could see, based on their positions and the weapons held in their hands, that they were already in the middle ofbat.


    He had seen Plon block one of the attacks, so he had a rough idea of the beast''s size and its traits.


    "Let''s see, they said they needed a support type in their group. With my magic, I could offer a lot of support to all of them.


    "However, although ording to Alter using magic in the dimensions is not a taboo, it''s still best to keep it a secret."


    Thinking about how to actually help the others in ways other than just outright killing the beast and doing his part, a move came to his mind.


    "Right, the Crimson Strike," Raze thought.


    A move that he had created a while ago, abination of the second Descending Step, along with the Devil''s second formation, and the added power of Wind Magic.


    All of these things sent a red strike out of mixed Qi power and wind.


    Thinking about this, Raze had decided to use the enchanted Wind Sword. He ced his hand on his back, switching it out.


    The enchanted Wind Sword was weightless and silent. Covering it with his wind magic, Raze then burst forward. He swung his sword down, performing the second formation, and adding his Wind Magic.


    Arge red line left his sword, slicing through the grass, and went straight forward until it had managed to slice the creature in front of them in half.


    The creature had been killed, and the attack was far stronger than Raze thought.


    "I guess when Ist performed that strike, I was a lower-stage warrior, and my magic wasn''t as strong as it is now as well. I didn''t expect the beast to be killed in a single hit."


    Walking over, Raze had decided to go and join the others.


    "Let''s go hunt," Raze said. "I''m sorry to keep you waiting."


    The women, as well as Plon, were dumbfounded as they looked at Raze. Their eyes were switching between looking at him, staring at the ground, and then back at him again.


    Until one of the women knelt down next to the dead beast. She was confirming it was dead and looking at the wounds; it appeared to be that of a sword strike.


    "You know, projectile Qi?" one of the women asked.


    Raze remembered a few conversations he had with Dame. Projectile Qi was something that just wasn''t possible for those at the initial stage.


    It wasn''t like learning the Descending Steps where a person just needed Qi control. It was an entirely different thing altogether.


    "Of course not," Raze said as he brought out his sword.


    The sword itself certainly did look fancy, with a slight green tint to the edge that had been added after its enchantment.


    "I''m still at the initial stage, that''s why I''m in here. It''s this weapon. It allows me to extend my techniques out just like you saw, giving something simr to projectile Qi.


    "I hope this is enough to support you guys. I don''t know any archery skills, but this should be okay, right?"


    Then and there, one of the women pulled out the power stone from the beast and handed it over to Raze.


    "Here, it''s yours; you were the one that killed it," she stated.


    Raze shook his head. "No, this one can be split. I got a lucky good hit on it because it was distracted fighting against all of you anyway. Only the ones I get on my own will be mine."


    Hearing these words, they thought that Raze was a type of saint. They wondered how someone who could be so strong and was so nice.


    However, Raze was only nice to them because he felt like he somewhat owed them for taking him in. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been allowed to enter, and they had proceeded to wait for him as well.


    Fair was fair.


    "Alright, let''s get hunting!" Plon said as the group was on the move.


    Plon was smiling from ear to ear, and so were the girls. If that was what the swordsman could do from far away, they could only imagine what techniques and strikes he could do up close.


    With him by their side, they were sure that they would now be able to catch up to the others with no problem at all.


    The group had gone off, and in their search for other ces, they hade across another beast in the grass.


    This time, Raze held back his magic and Qi slightly. He performed the Crimson sh but without adding the second Descending Step.


    The attack this way wasn''t asrge and didn''t go out as far, but it was still impressive.


    It hit the beast, leaving shallow cuts on it. As Raze wounded the beast, the others were able toe in and finish the beast off.


    Plon was keeping an eye on Raze, and it didn''t go unnoticed to him that he was holding back, allowing them to get the kill.


    After searching the open, long-grassed area for a while, they had finally reached a concrete area. A small base of sorts, with several broken part warehouses.


    "It should be easier for us now," Plon said. "Now that we''re not in the grass, we can fight in the open. So if you want to go solo for a bit, feel free. We can meet back here in around fifteen minutes or so. Then we need to report back anyway."


    Raze nodded. He was happy he was in the perfect group that seemed to know his requirements, and he didn''t waste time as he went off to search in the area.


    "Hey, isn''t that dangerous, him going out on his own?" one of the girls asked. "I know we''re in an open, clear area now, but what if he gets ambushed by a few of them?"


    "I''m sure he''s going to be just fine," Plon said.


    At the same time, back at where they had started, the portal started to flicker slightly. Before they knew it, three people all dressed in hoods had entered, and almost immediately as they did, one dashed to the man to the side and hit him in the back of the head, knocking him out.


    "Reno, use one of your goos that will keep him asleep for a while. We need to make sure the Dark Magus will be okay," Albamented, as members of the Crimson Crane had arrived.

 Chapter 333 Dark Magic Recreate

    Chapter 333 Dark Magic Recreate


    Plon and his group were faring better now that they could see their targets. They were still the same type of beasts as before, dog-looking creatures with a flower bud on their back.


    However, when the dogs struck, Plon was able to block the attack, and when the beast fell to the ground, the girls knew exactly where it was and where it was going to be.


    They could swiftly follow up with more attacks with their swords and then a piercing blow with a spear to really damage it.


    "Yes, we managed to get another one as well!" Hammy said as she knelt down and got to work extracting the power stone.


    Right now, the group was inside one of the abandoned warehouses. They were in one of the smaller buildings that looked more like a house.


    Before entering such a ce, one of them would have to scout the area to make sure it was clear, finding that there was only one beast inside the ce.


    At most, with them being able to see their target, they could deal with two of them at a time.


    "Some of the other groups are in this area as well, but I don''t think they''re doing as well as us," iremented.


    "Yeah, I think you''re right," Hammy said, cing the power stone in her pouch. "It''s because we have Plon. Not many groups have someone who has practiced techniques for being a meat shield or having an actual shield."


    "For some reason, I feel like I should be annoyed," Plon replied. "But I''m not; I''m just happy that I can help the rest of you."


    As they exited the building, they could see other groups arriving in the same concrete-floored area as them.


    It was quite arge area filled with several buildings, so it was expected that others woulde here to hunt as well.


    "It might be good if we head to another area; otherwise, this ce might be a little too crowded. We should meet back up with... wait, what was even his name, Iron Mask? Anyway, we should meet up with him soon."


    Raze had ventured into one of therger buildings, and there was a particr reason why he had chosen this buildingpared to the others.


    He had cast a wind spell in the area, allowing him to be more in tune with his senses. Any movement or type of breathing would be alerted, and this ce, in particr, had more beastspared to any other area.


    Now inside, standing on the flooring, there were four level 3 beasts, all of them staring, growling as they showed their teeth his way.


    "Beforeing here, I already killed one of your friends on my own, and there was a reason for that," Raze said to himself as Dark Magic started to surround both of his arms.


    He then knelt down, cing them on the floor. "Now that I''m a 4-star Mage, there is something I can do with those of the dead."


    "Recreate!" Raze said these words, and the Dark Magic started to swirl out from his body.


    Right in front of him, the Dark Magic started to take shape, and as for that shape itself, it looked identical to the ferocious dogs in front of them.


    It wasn''t a clone since it was clear that it was made out of a magic-like substance, and Raze had only made two of them in total.


    "Get rid of them," Raze ordered.


    Immediately, the Dark Magic dogs scattered, running right after them. Both of them jumped up in the air, heading straight for another.


    As they collided, the dark dogs'' bodies disappeared and reappeared behind, biting the beast and hurting it.


    ''The recreate spell lets me create images out of my Dark Magic of those that I have killed. However, it''s not the strongest spell.''


    ''It doesn''t take on any of the natural beast''s abilities. Nor is it as devastating as attack spells. Also, each time their bodies are attacked, they need more mana to repair them.''


    The recreations were somewhat simr to when Raze was in his Dark Spirit form in Alterian. Therger the recreation Raze wanted to make, the more mana it would take as well.


    ''However, they do well in two other ways,'' Raze said as he held out his hand.


    The two dark dogs had been surrounded by the four, having rounded them up.


    ''They serve as a good distraction and an explosion of magic.'' Raze clenched his fist. "Expand."


    Right then, the dark magic exploded out. It hit all of the beasts in the area. It was as if a dark pulse had been shot in multiple different directions.


    The destructiveness of Dark Magic was being witnessed, as parts of the beasts werepletely destroyed, and now they were no longer moving.


    "That''s four level 3 power stones. These coulde in handy to make better Qi pills, or I can hand them to the others if they haven''t advanced enough," Raze thought.


    After gathering all of the crystals, Raze left the building. His time was about up for when he was to meet with the others.


    A short while after Raze had left his particr warehouse, another group had entered, and they could see the bloody bodies of beasts all over the room.


    "What happened in here? What group did this?" the men said.


    Piercing weapons, sharp weapons, among other things, were what they were used to seeing, but this method of killing was unknown to them.


    When outside, Raze had met up with Plon and the others; they were happy to see that Iron Mask was all okay.


    "I have some good news," Plon said. "I got a report from one of the other adventurers that we don''t have to report back for another couple of hours.


    "It seems that this dimension has quite the high limit before the Dimension Boss appears, so we can keep on hunting."


    It was good news, and now that this ce had been mostly cleared out, they felt like it was time for them to try and move to find a different area.


    The group continued on through the tall grass, trying to look for another concrete area, but they were going blind as they had never entered the ce before.


    However, Raze was using his special skill that he had done before, allowing him to detect signs of life off in the distance.


    As his wind magic hit the humans around him, they would just think of it as a small breeze, and it would go unnoticed.


    Eventually, Raze had detected another area. "I think there''s something in this direction."


    Since the others didn''t really know any better, they were happy to just go with their new member''s intuition and thoughts.


    Especially since, to them, he seemed to be clearly the strongest one of the group.


    After walking for a while, it was in sight. A building that was differentpared to all of the others.


    Instead of the normal warehouses and such, this right here was a rundown mansion. It looked to have been untouched for at least a hundred years or so.


    When they stood on the concrete path, they could see a worn-down broken fountain. There was no sign of water inside.


    ''I can feel the presences; there''s quite arge number of them inside,'' Raze thought. ''And it''s these types of ces that tend to have something a bit more special inside them.''


    "It might be dangerous inside, so I think it''s best we all prepare," Plon said.


    The girls nodded until something had caught her eyes.


    "Um... it looks like we havepany."


    As they turned around, they could see it. It was a group of around fifteen, three separate groups that had banded together walking through the long grass to get to where they would be.


    At the same time, one of the groups was Fin along with his n members and the wanderer, the group that had originally turned down Raze.


    "What are you guys doing here!" the woman called out quite aggressively from the start, part of Fin''s group.


    "What do you mean?" ire replied back. "This is an open dimension; we''re searching the area, of course."


    It looked like the other woman wanted to reply back, but Fin ced his hand to stop them.


    He seemed to be the leader of this allied group as he stepped forward.


    "We came across this ce a while ago, but it was a bit too dangerous to venture in on our own. So we went to gather more groups to ally up with," Fin exined.


    "So what we''re trying to say is, do you mind leaving?"


    Plon''s group was getting extremely frustrated; they couldn''t believe the nerve of the said person. Asking them to leave, it was quite clear that they were trying to bully their way into the current situation.


    Plon was holding the others back because he didn''t want a fight to break out; there were other ces they could go to.


    That was until he saw the man in the Iron Mask step forward.


    "You are asking us to leave? And if we say no, what is your response to that?" Raze asked.


    Fin looked at the people behind him. He had gathered them all with a promise that all of the beasts inside, along with the crystals, would be theirs for the taking.


    No one would even bother to try and go after them with such arge group.


    "Then, we will just have to force you to leave," Finmented. The others started tough behind at thement, but Raze did have a response of his own.


    "Then, prepare to die."

 Chapter 334 Close Your Eyes, or Die

    Chapter 334 Close Your Eyes, or Die


    When Alba had learned that the Dark Magus was entering a dimension on his own, there was an unsettling feeling in her stomach.


    She remembered thest time he had gone out with Reno and how much trouble had been caused. Then, after that, there was the mess with the Behemoth n.


    Right now, the Dark Magus was more than a hot topic, so she thought he wouldy low and stay wherever it was he had been staying during this time they had been away.


    Yet he had entered a dimension, and not just any, one belonging to the Behemoth n. There was a strange feeling in her stomach that the same thing might just ur again.


    ''I know the Dark Magus is quite special. Reno and Kizer told me about the strength he had back then... but still, if the others weren''t there, I doubt he would have survived the attack with the Behemoth n.''


    ''If something like that happens again, we need to deal with it.''


    Back at where the portal was ced, Reno had changed clothes into that of what the Behemoth n was wearing.


    Anyone that woulde from the hunting groups, he would simply tell them not to worry about reporting back numbers and to inform the others to continue hunting.


    To not cause any trouble, meanwhile, Alba herself, along with little Froma and her bow and arrow on her back, were running all over the ce in search of the Dark Magus.


    Eventually, they had reached therge mansion. Trying to get a better view of the entire area, they had climbed to the top and were looking far and wide.


    They had spotted some people down below. Froma squinted and managed to catch the swords a certain person had on their back and their side.


    "That man there with the iron mask, I think that might be the Dark Magus!" She eximed.


    Alba squinted hard as well. She didn''t recognize the weapons like Froma, but with her being an Archer, she had better visionpared to others and quite a good memory.


    "If that is him, I''m thankful that he changed his clothing and is wearing a mask. I guess he knows that he''s quite sought after," Albamented.


    As they continued to watch the Dark Magus from above, though, that''s when they could see arge group of fifteen Pagna warriors heading their way.


    Both of them used Qi on their ears to enhance their hearing, listening in to everything said below.


    "Those guys, they''re trying to bully him out of the area; they can''t do that!" Fromained.


    "They can; it''s a regr urrence. Don''t you remember it used to happen to us all the time? At least these guys asked."


    "There are some groups that will just kill on the get-go, attack you on the way back hoping to steal the stones you''ve gathered."


    "Well then, should we help him?" Froma asked.


    "I doubt this will turn into a fight," Alba said. "I think the Dark Magus knows he''s outnumbered on this one."


    Just as she said those words, they both heard the words from the Dark Magus loud and clear.


    "Then, prepare to die."


    Hearing Raze''s taunting words almost immediately, they all pulled out their weapons, ready to get in a scuffle. Plon and his group, seeing this, were beyond frightened.


    It was just some crystals, although they felt like everything that was happening was wrong, they didn''t want to risk their life over just some crystals.


    Raze ced his hand on the sword that was by his side and was eyeing up all of the warriors in front of him.


    ''Most of them here will be at the third stage, but I can''t rule out that there could be someone at the higher stage. With thisrge number of people, I can''t deal with them all just by using my Pagna skills; it will be impossible to win this fight,'' Raze thought.


    "Prepare to die; how dare you threaten all of us and our ns. You cocky wanderer!" Out from one of the other groups, another n member had drawn their sword.


    Qi was gathered in his steps, in his sword, and he swung it down full force. It was clear this strike had every intention to hurt, every intention to kill.


    "I have to help him!" Plon said, as he tried to charge forward with his shield, but he was a little slow in his reactions, still frightened.


    As the sword was swung down, Raze moved to the side using the two-step shift and drew his sword out, powered with Qi, swinging it from below upward.


    There was almost no sound made when the strike had hit. It felt like there was no resistance, but a short whileter and a scream was heard.


    "ARGHHH! MY ARM!" the man shouted, staring at the floor.


    Blood was pouring out from his arm, while he could see the sword being held onto by an arm detached from its body.


    "You!" Fin said, shocked. "To do that, you must at least be at the fourth stage!"


    "No, to be able to slice it off that cleanly, he has to be close to the peak of the initial stage; he''s either a fifth or sixth stage warrior," Graft, the wanderer who had joined Fin''s group,mented.


    He had joined many expeditions and many groups due to his information-gathering skills and less so his fighting abilities.


    So he was more in tune with those with high powers.


    "This guy? A fifth stage warrior, but that''s impossible," the woman from Fin''s groupmented.


    She was shocked, trying to downy what they had found out, because if they had known he was a fifth stage warrior, they would have taken him in a heartbeat.


    "Why?" Fin asked. "Why did you act like you knew nothing... Were you trying to trick us?"


    "Are you the one getting angry at me now?" Raze replied. "I set my terms, and every group I went to I set the same conditions. This group behind had epted me regardless of that."


    "There was no bad blood between us. Yet, you, believing that you were stronger, came here and then tried to force us to leave."


    "You attacked me first, with overwhelming numbers, you abused your position, and somehow all of this is my fault, because you had formed an opinion about me."


    Hearing all of this, Fin''s face was turning red; he then looked to the man that was holding onto his detached arm.


    "He attacked us, and his group refuses to stand down, kill them all!" Fin shouted.


    Even if the person in front of him was a fifth stage or sixth stage warrior, he himself was a fourth stage warrior, and their group was filled with powerful three-stage warriors, it would be impossible for them to lose this fight.


    The others felt the same way; they felt safety inrge numbers, and judging from the look on Plon and his group''s face, they felt the same way.


    From above, Alba and Froma were seeing everything. "Now do we help?" Froma asked.


    "Not yet!" Alba replied. "We might just see how the Dark Magus was able to deal with the Behemoth n."


    Down below, Raze could feel the powerful Qiing off from everyone, leaving him no choice.


    "Plon, and you girls!" Raze shouted.


    "Shut your eyes unless you want to be killed as well."


    "Huh, wait, what do you mean shut our eyes!" ire shouted back.


    Plon could see Raze lifting up his hand; he hadn''t made a move yet, but it was clear that he wanted to do something.


    Right now, if they were to fight, they would clearly lose; they were just wanderers with subpar techniques.


    "Just listen to him, get behind me and close your eyes!" Plon shouted.


    The girls listened to Plon and did as they were told, squinting hard. They all thought Raze had some type of technique he was going to use that would perhaps blind the others, but that wasn''t the case.


    "A little gift from an Elder," Raze said as he threw his hand onto the floor. "Volt Shockwave."


    Magic extended out from his hand and exploded onto the floor. Blue sparks of lightning spread out all across the ground.


    It hit everyone in the area, shocking their bodies and holding them in ce. All of them had partially fallen to one knee, including Plon and the others.


    "It looks like there were a lot of witnesses who saw what I just did, and I can''t allow that," Raze gripped onto his sword.

 Chapter 335 This will stop him...

    335 This will stop him...


    "Keep your eyes closed until I say you can open them if you want to stay alive!" Raze shouted back again.


    Whether one closed their eyes or opened them, it didn''t matter. Either way, Raze''s lightning magic spell would still hit them.


    The reason why he was telling the others to keep their eyes closed was that no one was to know about magic, so all of those who had seen Raze use his magic, well, it meant now he had more than one reason to get rid of them.


    From above, Alba and Froma had seen everything leading up to this moment.


    "That move, it''s exactly the same as what the Light Faction Elder used when we were fighting him, and he can use it as well, why didn''t he use it before?" Froma asked.


    There were strange things that happened in the world of Pagna. Things that Alba didn''t know about, but in order to keep her rtionship up with the Dark Magus, she didn''t ask.


    Both of them, they were using strange things. Powers she had never seen before.


    "Maybe back then, he couldn''t use it, but now he can. Couldn''t you tell from that strike before as well? It looks like he''s grown in Stages as well. He''s getting stronger at a fast rate," Albamented.


    On the ground, Raze lifted up his sword and shed it down on one of the paralyzed opponent''s heads. He quickly used more footwork to go to the next, stabbing the man right in the chest, killing him in a single hit.


    All of these people wouldn''t hesitate to kill him, so he needed to do the same. Lower their numbers as quickly as possible before the effect of the spell wore off.


    "What is this!" Fin said as he was trying to fight against the shocks that were going off in his body. "What could have happened that made us all like this? It was as if lightning struck the floor.


    "Are the gods looking out for this person?"


    "You still don''t get it," Graft said, as he nced up with his eyes at the man with the iron mask.


    One of the warriors further back, the effects were wearing off, and his body was starting to move, but it didn''t go unnoticed.


    Raze had held out his other hand which was free, and in that moment, dark magic started to swirl into the palm of his hand.


    "Dark Pulse."


    A beam of energy shot out, piercing right through the warrior''s chest, causing him to fall to the floor.


    "It wasn''t some lightning from above; didn''t you see, all of this is his doing," Graftmented.


    Fin saw Raze ce his hand on the ground, but he couldn''t rte it to what had happened to the rest of them. It seemed unbelievable, but there was one fact that he couldn''t deny.


    It was that the iron-masked man was the only one that was moving, while the rest of them had been affected by this.


    "The lightning is wearing off a bit; I guess it''s time for me to speed things up a bit," Raze stood in the center of the group of people.


    cing both of his hands on the ground again, he said the words. "Recreate."


    The dark magic swirling from his body was starting to form into the same beasts they all had been dealing with while they were here.


    Quickly as they formed, they went out, biting and chewing down on their targets, moving from side to side.


    Now that they could finally move again, they were swinging their swords at the beasts, that was until Raze ced his hand out once again.


    "I''ll be hit in the crossfire as well, but I''m protected. Expand!"


    The wolves, having been rounded up, they started to grow in size until they exploded. Dark magic went swirling in all different directions.


    The dark magic went through the bodies of the attackers, causing them great pain, causing them to lose limbs while some had been dealt a fatal blow to the head.


    Diving through in the middle of it all, Raze went through swinging his de, shing down the warriors, one after the other.


    As for some that were injured, he had grabbed them, pulling them forward, and the energy from their bodies was being extracted on the spot.


    It was drawing into him until he eventually let go as the explosion from the wolves died down and the lingering dark magic disappeared.


    Raze was unharmed; he was still wearing his special zer that had blocked the power of the attack; there wasn''t a scratch on him.


    However, after those that had died, there were now only four left, all of them belonging to Fin''s group. Graft and the others were still alive and they could move, yet they held the weapons in their hands, with shaky hands. They were holding tight as if the weapons were the only things that could protect them.


    "Suddenly, you''re not so confident?" Raze asked.


    "Hey, you know, we''re from the Necroshade n! If they find out about this, they won''t leave you alone. They''ll hunt you down."


    "Just because you''re a high initial stage warrior, do you think you could deal with a middle stage warrior!" Fin shouted.


    Raze shook his head as he swung his sword down, allowing the blood to stter against the floor.


    "So rather than apologizing or begging for your life, instead you decide to threaten me even more? Do you think I would be afraid of your n?"


    "I am not afraid of any n. Because the enemies I have chosen to go after are at the very top. Their power is beyond anything you could imagine."


    "I''ve already decided to take on the whole world if I have to, so who cares if I add one more n to that list," Raze imed.


    He moved in closer, not wanting to waste his magic on thest lot; he was nning to use his Qi.


    While taking a step back, Graft reached into a side pouch of his and pressed on something.


    Right at that moment, on Raze''s body, in his chest pocket, he felt something vibrate. It continued for a few moments.


    Raze hadpletely stopped in his tracks and eventually pulled out the device that was vibrating. It was small and round in his hand, but the icon on the top, the icon of an "I" on it was lit up.


    Seeing the iron-masked man frozen, Fin and the others didn''t do anything to agitate him further. They didn''t try to strike him by surprise because they saw what happened to thest person.


    "I knew it," Graft said as he pulled the device out of his pocket. It looked identical to the one Raze was holding, and his was lit up as well.


    "You''re... an agent then?" Graft asked.


    "You''re... an agent as well?" Raze replied.


    A while ago, Raze had been promoted within the group of Alter. Himmy had invited him to be part of his squad, giving him the role of Field Agent.


    In turn, he had received thismunicator. When switched on, it would light up, and vibrate if there was another member close. The two could thenmunicate through it, but there was a limited range.


    As for why it didn''t react before, it was because Graft didn''t turn it on.


    "Well," Raze said. "This means, I now definitely have to get rid of you."


    Mass release goals below


    1000 Golden Tickets = 1 Extra chapter


    1 caslte gift and Above = 1 Extra Chapter


    4000 Power stones = 1 extra Chapter


    JKSManga

 Chapter 336 Increase the magic

    336 Increase the magic


    Although Raze was in the Alter organization, he was only in it because it benefited him. They seemed to know a lot more about the connection between the two worlds than he did.


    On top of that, they had arge number of items that woulde in handy for him in the future. Therefore, he thought it would benefit him more being a part of them than against them.


    For the time being, it also ced one less enemy on his back. When he epted their proposal, though, he didn''t know about the Bonum Society, which now had made him a target just for being a part of Alter.


    However, one thing that Alter mustn''t know was Raze''s true past or strength. From what he had heard, Charlotte, a member of Alter, had imed that the current leader of Alter was a 6-star Mage.


    A great achievement, but nothing inparison to who Raze was, or what he could aplish. He was already doing things behind their backs, trying to shape the world of Pagna the way he wanted, so he needed to keep everything a perfect secret just the way it was.


    "Using magic, he must have known I was a part of Alter. Although he doesn''t seem to be a mage himself, nor a strong Pagna warrior, I can''t let my secret out."


    Raze thought in his mind as he lifted his sword toward Graft.


    Looking at the iron mask, there was a strong thought going through his head.


    "This guy, he''s a mad man. He doesn''t care for the rules of Alter! Wait, he must be worried, he used magic on a high number of Pagna warriors!"


    Graft immediately ced his head, mming it on the ground.


    "Please sir!" Graft shouted. "I won''t inform Alter of a thing that I saw today. I know that these guys, they were arrogant. They thought they were the strongest group here and thergest group, so they could do as they wished."


    "You have every right to get rid of them, but for me, your secret is safe!"


    Fin was looking at Graft next to him, he was a respected Wanderer for helping arge number of ns in the Demonic Faction, and now he was on the floor begging for his life.


    It was as if a Divine one had descended from the upper realm and hade down, but this person clearly wasn''t a Divine one, and other than their n head or a Divine one, Fin didn''t want to bow down, even if it was at the cost of his life.


    ''How did we end up in this situation?'' Fin thought.


    Raze quickly burst with speed going to the members at his side, he grabbed their head and continued to absorb them at a great speed with the extraction technique.


    Their bodies shriveling up, and their energy being added to his Qi.


    As Raze dropped one to the ground, he went to the next. A desperate swing was made, which was easily avoided before Raze had grabbed the head of the one next to him.


    "Please sir!" Graft continued to plead. "I am not running away, nor do I n to fight back. Even though I know what organization you are from, due to your mask, I do not know your identity."


    "If we met again in the future, I wouldn''t even know if it was you. Even if someone tortured me for information, I could say nothing but that I had met a man with an iron mask!"


    Eventually, after killing off the rest of the n, there was now only the Wanderer and Fin left.


    Graft had made a sound argument, and in all honesty, the more Raze thought about it, it was true; Graft was just helping the n members. It wouldn''t have been his idea to attack.


    The only reason Raze wanted to get rid of Graft was to make sure there were no witnesses to his magic, but did that matter since Graft was already part of Alter?


    Raze walked up to him slowly, his sword held by his side.


    "Please sir, I know this might not mean much to you, but I have a family, and my wife, she''s expecting, she has a kid on the way!" Graft continued to plead. "I just do this to make money for them."


    "I never wanted to get involved with that group, but things worked out this way, and working for both is the only way I can survive in this world."


    Fin continued to look at Graft, a man he once had respect for. All of it was now thrown away. How could a warrior be so shameless, using their family like that.


    ''When one agrees to join the world of Pagna, they know the consequences.'' Fin thought. ''At any point and time, we can upset those that are in a higher position than us, and they can kill us without a second thought.''


    ''People have died for just talking bad about another n. Or stepping on the clothing of those higher than them. If they''re in a high enough position, then no one would even dare to go against them.''


    ''This is the world of Pagna, this man in front of us, he doesn''t care if you have a family or not.'' Fin thought.


    However, the words had stung Raze even deeper than Graft might have realized because he had stopped right in his tracks again.


    ''My chest¡­ it hurts.'' Raze thought. ''All of those that I have killed, have a family, have people that care for them in one way or another.''


    ''I had to harden my resolve day in and out, to the point where it no longer affected me. My heart became as dark as my Dark Magic.''


    10:51


    ''Yet with this man''s plea¡­ it seems to have affected me. Maybe I''m more sentimental because I am wearing the gift you gave me.''


    ''When I first killed, this was a heavy burden on my heart, but I needed to remind myself why I was doing what I was doing.''


    ''I had to harden my resolve day in and out, to the point where it no longer affected me. My heart became as dark as my Dark Magic.''


    ''Yet with this man''s plea¡­ it seems to have affected me. Maybe I''m more sentimental because I am wearing the gift you gave me.''


    "I can help you." Graft continued to plead. "I''m a wanderer that enters many dimensions helping them search important areas. It''s also part of my mission to report any artifacts that I mighte across. If you do me this favor, then I will help you in any way I can."


    Raze had made his decision; themunicator held in his hand, he pressed the button on the bottom end, turning it off, and cing it in his side pocket.


    Then he turned to Fin. "Unfortunately for you, you have nothing you can give me."


    Fin just looked at Raze right in the eyes as he waited for his death.


    "F*ck you!" Fin said. "I''ll kill you in my next life."


    Right then and there, before Raze swung his sword down, there was rumbling, and a scream was heard.


    "Arghh!"


    When Raze turned around, he could see it. A horde of the dog beasts hade out from the mansion. There appeared to be about twenty of them.


    They had already reached where Plon and his group were, and one of the women had been bitten on the arm, the dog beast hanging on her.


    "Remember, don''t open your eyes, listen to that man!" Plon said, as he was shoving his shield about blindly.


    With so many beasts, he had to help them. Especially since they were following his orders.


    Raze ced his hand on the sword on his back, and his Dark Magic surrounded it, as he switched to the ghost de. At that moment, he could see even more beastsing out from the mansion. There had to be around thirty of them right now. ''Thirty level 3 beasts, can I get rid of them!'' Raze thought it would certainly be a challenge after fighting the others, but even more so, after this he could get even stronger. Mass release day! there will be 5 chaps, but I owe 6, will be doing three tommrow!


    JKSManga

 Chapter 337 Growing Too Fast

    337 Growing Too Fast


    Due to the fighting that had been going on so far, including the beasts he had fought against, Raze''s stats had risen quite a bit.


    The Dark Magic attribute increased with every kill that Raze had made, and with the high-stage Pagna warriors, that number seemed to increase quite a bit.


    [Dark Magic 58 >>> 73]


    Now being a four-star Mage, the cap was quite high as well. If anything, his affinity with magic wascking in terms of what Star level he was at now.


    In terms of going against another 4-star mage, Raze would actually be weak. He could produce 4-star spells and control the same amount of mana as another 4-star mage, but if he and another mage produced the same type of spell, his spell would lose out in terms of power.


    This was because, in a way, he had raised through the stages too fastpared to his affinity with magic. In most cases, one''s affinity with magic would hit its cap before they reached the next stage.


    [Wind Attribute 32 >>> 35] [Ice Attribute: 21] [Lightning Attribute: 18 >>> 20]


    Raze was running straight ahead towards the beasts, and he saw this as a chance to increase his affinity with different attributes in more ways than one.


    "Can we open our eyes yet?" ire shouted as she felt a stinging sensation on her arm.


    The teeth of the beasts had ripped through her skin. She had managed to sh the beast off, but she hadn''t been able to kill it.


    "Just keep them shut for a little bit longer; I will deal with this," Raze said.


    *As long as I finish each one of them off using my Dark Magic, then I will get enough Mana back to use the spell to finish off the other ones, and this is a chance for me to increase my other affinities as well.*


    Before reaching the others, Raze swung his sword using the second Devil''s formation. While doing this, he activated a Wind spell and his demonic energy.


    The ghost de had changed color to a dark orange as his demonic energy was added to it, then the Wind Magic came out slightly crimson in color.


    It was like the Crimson Strike, but due to not using the Descending Steps, it wasn''t as powerful.


    Swinging his sword one after the other, Raze let out countless shes of Wind Magic attacks that looked like projectile Qi.


    It hit the dogs, not finishing them off, but hurting them and pushing them back.


    Raze skidded across the floor, sliding on the ground going right past Plon and his group. While doing this, his hand was then covered in Lightning Magic.


    He mmed his hand on the ground once more. "Volt Shockwave."


    Just like before, lightning spread right across the ground. It had hit the beasts that were in the area and had hit Plon and his group. They fell to their knees once more as they felt the small shocks going through their bodies and muscles.


    "Not again!" ireined.


    Not all of the beasts had been shocked with the lightning bolt. As if on instinct, some of them had jumped up in the air.


    [Lightning Attribute 20 >>> 22]


    ''It looks like the affinity is increasing; this is great.''


    Raze then pointed his hand out at two of the dogs in the air.


    "Lightning Shock!"


    From his hands, several strands of blue lightning came out and hit one of the dogs. Its body couldn''t stop shaking, and then, the lightning attack seemed to move from one, shocking the one right next to it.


    [Lightning Attribute 22 >>> 23]


    Raze could feel his attribute with lightning getting stronger, and he could see its effects starting to work.


    Like with all magic from Alterian, its affinity increased through certain ways. One way was using power stones from beasts that already had a certain attribute.


    Another way was through conditions. For Dark Magic, it was through killing, which was one of the major reasons why it was a taboo magic.


    For Wind Magic, it was the number of times wind spells were used. For Lightning Magic, the attribute increased based on the area of effect a spell had.


    The more people a single spell would affect, the more the affinity with it increased.


    It was a hard attribute to increase because of this, as Mages tend to only battle a single opponent at a time. However, the good thing with the Lightning Attribute, although it was hard to increase its affinity at the earlier stages, it was easier the higher one''s affinity was.


    This was because the higher the affinity, the more chance a spell had to affect those next to it.


    Lightning Shock was a spell that was directed at a single target, but due to Raze''s affinity, it had a chance to affect those nearby.


    The higher the affinity, the more the spell could affect, and the greater the range as well, and he was seeing it in action.


    "Dark Pulse, Dark Pulse!" Raze called out, firing it twice towards the beasts that were close to him, finishing them off.


    [Dark Attribute 74 >>> 75]


    Raze then used the Descending Steps to push himself forward, as he shed the beasts next to him. He held out his hand to the side, using Dark Pulse again, killing another beast.


    Raze didn''t stop as he used a number of different spells and his sword skills to take on the thirty beasts that were around him.


    It was quite the sight, it was amazing and beautiful to watch.


    The Crimson Crane members who were watching from above were mesmerized by everything they were seeing.


    "An initial stage warrior could never defeat 30 beasts like this, not on their own," Albamented. "With the use of his special powers, he is able to perform feats that only a middle stage warrior in this type of ce can perform."


    "This Dark Magus, he seems to be a lot more than just an Alchemist," Fromamented.


    "You''re right, he is a lot more." Alba didn''t know whether she should be over the moon that they had managed to get such a great ally or worried about the future of the Crimson Crane.


    As they watched, Raze had managed to defeat all thirty of the beasts. His Qi seemed to be nearly depleted; he was tired, huffing, and panting.


    ''Thanks to the extraction technique, I was able to get most of my Qi back from those others as well. I just managed to do everything that I needed to do.''


    [Dark Attribute: 78] [Wind Attribute: 39] [Ice Attribute: 21] [Lightning Attribute: 25]


    ''And all my attributes managed to increase as well, apart from Ice, but that''s fine for now,'' Raze thought.


    "You''re safe for now; you can open your eyes again," Raze ordered.


    Fearing for their lives a moment ago, Plon and the girls copsed, sitting on the ground, taking a breather. They had no idea what was going on.


    All they could hear was noises, feel the energy of Qi flowing through the air, among other things. It was tense and tiring for them, even more so than if they were fighting.


    When they opened their eyes, though, none of them could believe the sight in front of them. The beasts littered all over on the ground, and not just that, but all of those that had threatened them, nearly all of them were dead on the ground.


    "Plon," iremented. "Did¡­ that guy really do all of this? Who is he?"

 Chapter 338 What Ive been Waiting For

    338 What I''ve been Waiting For


    Plon and the others were in shock; for one, they had no idea that so many beasts hade out from the mansion. If they had, they wouldn''t have been standing still and instead running offpletely in the other direction.


    They would have had no hope of defeating the beasts or the other Pagna warriors. Yet, it almost looked like a war had taken ce.


    A battle between beasts and humans, a ughter that had taken ce on both sides, but that wasn''t the case at all.


    Everything that had happened, it had all been the result of a single person.


    "Why did we need to close our eyes?" ire whispered, still ncing at the iron-masked man.


    There oddly wasn''t any blood on his clothes, so they found it hard to believe he had done anything, but since he was the only person that was fully standing, they had no choice but to think it was him.


    "I don''t know, maybe it was some secret technique that he used or something that he didn''t want others to use. Either way, we should be quiet about it. It''s clear, he is on another levelpared to us," Plonmented.


    With the beasts defeated and Raze''s stats having been increased, he was quite satisfied with the results.


    "Hey!" Raze shouted over to the others. "Do you mind extracting the crystals for me? In return, each of you can have a power stone."


    There were noints from the group as Plon and the others rose from the ground like bamboo shoots, pulling out their small carving daggers and immediately got to work.


    When Raze turned around, he was expecting to still see Fin and Graft in the same area they were at before. He had left them to deal with the beasts.


    Instead, though, there was only one person that still remained.


    "I''m sorry, sir," Graft said. "I was unable to keep him here. I am just a second stage warrior; he is a fourth stage warrior. I would have lost my life if I did anything."


    Fin had taken the chance when he saw the beasts arrive; he didn''t hesitate to leave the area as quickly as he could. To be honest, Raze wasn''t so mad since he had used the right opportunity that came his way. It was his only way of escaping because Raze certainly would have dealt with him after that.


    "You seem to know him, right? The only ce he could have run to was his n?" Raze asked.


    "Correct," Graft replied.


    "Well, I need to get the job done, so I might need to pay a visit to them in the future," Raze thought to himself.


    Alba and Froma were still taken aback by everything they had seen. A newfound strength, a person who was able to best others using a number of powers.


    They felt like they might be witnessing someone truly special, a one-of-a-kind person right in front of them.


    "It''s a shame the other one got away," Froma said. "I was too distracted watching the Dark Magus in action that I didn''t even notice him leaving."


    "Maybe this isn''t our ce to get involved anyway," Alba replied. "We came here to protect the Dark Magus, for fear the Behemoth n would get involved, but that hasn''t happened."


    You know, the Divine ones don''t like it when different stages get involved with the lower stages too much."


    What Alba stated was a general rule. The world of Pagna was vast and full of life, including those that weren''t warriors.


    However, the Divine beings didn''t even live in the same realm as that of everyone else. They had also somewhat set a rule for themselves not to get involved in the affairs of the Lower realm of Pagna.


    The Lower realm was the world of Pagna which consisted of the Initial Stage and Middle stage warriors.


    It felt like a different world to the Divine beings, and Middle stage warriors were meant to be those that were aiming to rise to the Divine realm.


    It almost looked bad on Middle stage warriors if they were just practically bullying Initial stage warriors in every way possible.


    Once they reached the Divine stage, if they did, they would surely face the wrath of those above that had witnessed what they had been doing this whole time.


    "Besides, I''m not too sure that the Dark Magus will like that we are looking and spying from above. He''s already tried to get rid of all of those that have seen his strange powers," Alba exined.


    "But, we already knew he had powers. We saw him use it against the Elder as well," Froma replied. "I guess he somewhat trusts us in a way since he didn''t get rid of us."


    Alba was thinking that was because the Dark Magus couldn''t get rid of them. They were all Middle stage warriors, too strong for the Dark Magus.


    Whatever his reason was for trying to keep his powers a secret, Alba had to keep an eye on it all.


    "Come on, let''s get going. I''ve confirmed what I wanted to see. It seems it was true the Dark Magus really did defeat those in the Behemoth n," Alba said.


    The two of them stood up and were ready to leave, but just as they were, they could feel arge amount of rumblinging from underneath their feet. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What''s with all this shaking?" Froma shouted, as she was hopping on and off one leg to the other to try to keep her bnce.


    "This, it''sing from underneath; we need to get out of here!" Alba shouted.


    The two of them had no choice; they needed to jump down, and that''s exactly what they had done.


    They jumped from the mansion top, and it didn''t go unnoticed by Plon and the others.


    "Look, two people, they''re falling from the mansion top!" Plon pointed.


    Still, all of them could experience a deep shaking for some reason, and the moment Alba and Fromanded on the ground, the mansion had exploded into pieces, sending a shockwave out.


    "It''s the Dimension boss!" Graft shouted. "We have to get out of here!"


    "Get out of here?" Raze replied. "This is what I''ve been waiting for."

 Chapter 339 Strongest Attack (Part 1)

    339 Strongest Attack (Part 1)


    The rumbling in the ground could be felt all over the dimension. All of those who had been hunting in the area could feel it.


    It was a sign some of them had experienced before, for others it was the first time for them. What wasmon for those who knew what this was and those who didn''t was confusion.


    "This, it''s the Dimension Boss," one of the warriors said.


    "Dimension Boss, so early on, but we''ve only been here two hours tops. How could the dimension boss be summoned already? I thought they only came after so many beasts had been defeated."


    The number of beasts that the other groups hade across weren''trge at all. Most of the time, they would juste across one.


    The most a group had encountered at once was three. Since the concrete areas were few and far between, the groups were also able to witness how many beasts had been taken out around them by the others.


    "Either way, we should get out of here. If we take out the Dimension Boss, then the Behemoth n won''t be happy."


    This was the line of thought that most of those in the dimension were having. As they headed back, they could see a man wearing the same clothes as before, although looking slightly different.


    They had just assumed someone from the Behemoth n must have changed shifts.


    "Come on, everyone, get out of here!" Reno shouted. "The Dimension Boss is here, everyone get out of here!"


    Reno was still ying the role of the Behemoth n member. As he stayed there and watched everyone leaving, he couldn''t help but wonder, where were Alba and the others?


    At the very mansion where Raze was at, the rumbling was at its strongest. Something had burst out from the mansion, breaking apart what was left of it.


    Pieces of brick, wood, ss, and other materials were flung all over the ce, and eventually, through the mansion itself, they could see something sprouting in the mansion''s ce.


    It was a giant flower opening up from a bud. It looked simr to what the beasts they had been fighting so far had on their back, only giant in size.


    At the same time, there were several giant green tentacles that were shaped like vines all over the ce.


    "It was either going to be a giant dog, or a giant nt. I, for one, am quite happy that it''s a giant nt," Razemented.


    If Raze remembered correctly, the Dimension Bosses tended to be 1 or 2 levels higher than the beasts that they fought in the dimension itself.


    So this beast, if one could even call it that, was either a level 4 or 5 monster.


    Immediately, as soon as the Dimension Boss had sprouted, it flung its tentacles toward those on the ground.


    Plon came charging with his shield, whacking the tentacle away. It was a strong hit that, for the first time, had tumbled him to the ground.


    The girls quickly came to his aid and tried their best to use their skills to attack the remaining vines.


    They had shed at them, but not deep enough to cut the thick vinespletely. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When one of them came toward him and Graft, Raze simply swung his sword down by his side, slicing right through it.


    Part of the vine had fallen onto the ground and was wriggling about on the floor. As for the vine that was still attached to the main body, it was already growing back into the size it was before.


    "It will keep healing; this type of beast is an annoying one," Graftmented. "You will either have toe up with a single blow that is strong enough to kill it in one strike, or you need to attack it at the same time with several members to kill it. The best bet for us is to get out of here."


    "With a strong blow?" Raze thought about its size; he had one attack that would be able to slice it, but whether it would be strong enough or not was a different story.


    ''Maybe if Ibined it with that, it should work,'' Raze thought.


    "Hey, Plon!" Raze shouted out. "Do your best to distract it as much as possible!"


    Plon didn''t know what the Iron-masked man had in mind, but so far, every time they listened to him, it felt like a miracle was urring, so he would do the same now.


    He swung his shield out, hitting the vine right when it attacked, and stood his ground firmer this timepared to before.


    The women were stationed close to him, trying their best to use techniques that would at least keep the vines at bay.


    The vine''s strength was greater than their own, so if they tried to face it head-on, it wouldn''t work out for them.


    Raze then held the Ghost Sword in his hand, tightening his grip.


    "All right, this distance should be enough!" Raze thought, taking two special blue Qi pills. The first had restored his Qi, as for the second, it had restored his mana.


    He lifted his foot up off the ground and mmed it onto the floor. The first step of the Descending Steps had been used.


    Right after, a kick off his back foot sent him forward. The Qi was building up off thest movement. The third step, a jump back, the fourth step, a kick off both feet.


    Each time, a step was used, a different amount of Qi needed to be flowed in, and the Qi built up off each other.


    Just after four steps alone, Graft, who was watching, could feel the immense pressure of the Qi that was building in Raze''s body.


    The fifth step jumped him from one side diagonally, the sixth step the same but off the other foot.


    Now Raze had already gotten past Plon and the others and was quite close to the beast''s body.


    The Seventh Descending Step was produced as Raze leapt up in the air. The ground beneath him broke, creating arge crater.


    He had jumped several meters in the air and now was practically above the beast. With the sword in his hand, the orange color started to be shrouded in ck energy.


    ''The Eighth Descending Step,bined with my strongest sword skill, the Magic Eclipse Strike!''

 Chapter 340 Strongest Attack (Part 2)

    340 Strongest Attack (Part 2) n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Eighth Descending Step was performed, as Raze''s body was spinning down towards his opponent. All of the build-up of the steps of Qi was ready to be unleashed.


    "Magic Eclipse Strike!" Raze unleashed therge strike from above his head with the spinning, and a giant ck sh had appeared from his sword.


    It immediately crashed into the giant nt, and the area sank by a few inches into the ground. Therge attack was still on top of the beast, until the ground around sunk even further in, slicing the beastpletely in half.


    The shockwave from the attack of magic and Qi was unleashed, blowing air out to all of those who were close.


    And finally, floating down,nding in the crater on top of the dead beast''s body was Raze. Who quickly fell to his knee.


    He had done it; he had produced arge enough strike to take out a level 4 beast in one go. The Descending Steps needed preparation time.


    Fighting against a human, he could use them to avoid the blows and strikes. Fighting against a beast, it was a different matter altogether, since they could avoid the hits as they wanted.


    The strongest sword technique he knew was the Eclipse Strike, the second formation in the Dark Edge Sword Arts. Combined with his newfound magical power.


    "I''ve never seen anything like this, someone defeating a Dimension Boss just like that. Especially one with such healing capabilities," Graft said out loud.


    The image of the strike was still in his head. How much power it had, how much pressure he felt from the Qi alone.


    Being a wanderer who specialized in the Demonic Faction, he knew those steps; they were the Descending Steps, but it was the first time he had seen eight steps used in a row like that.


    He thought he would never be able to witness such a thing.


    ''That guy, he might be a really high-ranking member of Alter. If that is the case, he had every right to get rid of me.'' Graft thought, and he was now thankful that he hadn''t done it.


    To perform everything Raze had just done, to even use this move, including the Descending Steps he needed, power that he didn''t have. Qi and Mana that he had already used up, leaving him no choice but to use the Qi pills.


    As the creator of the Qi pills though, Raze knew the drawback of using two of them in session like so and the problem that they would cause.


    Raze stood there for a moment on top of the beast. The effects of the pills had yet to wear off.


    ''Well, this is going to hurt.''


    A jolt was felt around Raze''s heart, a feeling he had felt before. The absence of all of his mana, disappearing from him.


    At the same time, he then felt a stabbing pain right in his stomach, as all of the Qi disappeared from his body.


    Nearly all of the warmth that he had from his blood, from his power, all of it was quickly disappearing. Yet the worst was yet toe.


    "Arghh! My head feels like it''s being split in half¡­ was taking two of those pills too much!" Raze thought to himself.


    The special cursed Qi pills wouldn''t work if one tried to use two of them in a row. One could use a Qi pill to restore their mana from 0 to what they were before.


    However, if they were to use it a second time, it would have no effect, giving the user no mana. Instead, the body would try to react to the substance and instead, force pain on the user.


    It was like squeezing a bottle that had already run out of water.


    If the user naturally restored their Qi, then used the Qi pill again, that would be fine and would work.


    Another method would be to use regr pills to restore one''s Qi. This worked as well.


    All of this to do with Qi was the same way it worked with one''s mana as well.


    Raze had noticed something with the cursed pills though. Originally, they were there to restore mana, not Qi.


    With the Pagna warriors, it worked in restoring their Qi. With mages, it worked with restoring their mana.


    Was there a way to restore both? He had a theory, and that was taking two of the pills at once.


    If he had done this, it couldn''t restore what was already full, and an overflow would ur, then restoring his Qi after.


    His n had worked, only he had a fear. That this would cause the same pain as when one would try to take a cursed Qi pill right after already taking one.


    And he seemed to be right, only the pain was much more than he expected.


    He knew the pain would stop eventually, but right now, the pain was close to being unbearable, to the point where he felt like he would do anything to get out of this pain.


    "Are you okay?" Alba and Froma asked as they hade rushing to Raze''s side. They could tell something was wrong, seriously wrong.


    What could they do though, they had no idea.


    "This is because you let him take out the Dimension Boss on his own!" Fromained. "If we had helped, maybe he wouldn''t have pushed himself too far."


    Alba certainly thought the Dark Magus had done that. The attack she had witnessed was one a top-level Middle stage Pagna warrior could only produce.


    The wholendscape had changed, and they were sunk in at least two meters further down than the surface level before.


    Eventually though, Raze stopped screaming. The pain was going away. He still felt exhausted though, but at least the pain had stopped.


    When looking up, he noticed the tanned girl in front of him, and the small red-rose-cheeked girl.


    "What are you guys doing here, were you spying on me?" Raze asked.


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 Chapter 341 A Super Fan!

    341 A Super Fan!


    Raze had made note of all the people that had entered the dimension at the time. ording to Fixteen, they were fixed slots and prebooked appointments to enter the dimensions since it belonged to the Behemoth n. They did things this way so there wouldn''t be an excessive number of warriors going to hunt for crystals, making it harder for the Dimensional Boss to be summoned identally.


    So, if the Crimson Crane were here, they either had to sneak into the area or hade in afterward. Regardless, he knew there was no reason for them to be here. With them being Middle stage warriors, there was nothing for them to gain bying to a ce like this.


    "Which means these guys had to havee inside here because they were after me. Damn, I have to realize that although Fixteen works for Dame, it''s not as if he''ll keep his mouth shut about the things I do," Raze thought.


    "Hey, you''re the one that just randomly goes into a Dimension that belongs to the Behemoth n," Alba said, almost in a nagging tone like a mother. "We have a lot of problems with them, and if they knew who you were, who knows what they would have done." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Let me trante," Froma said, moving forward and offering her hand to help Raze up. "You''re a member of the Crimson Crane. It''s only right that we worry when one of our members does something that could get them hurt."


    Raze had somewhat recovered, nowhere near enough to fight, but at least to stand up. He refused Froma''s hand and stood on his own feet.


    "I guess I can ept that exnation," Raze said. If there was one thing he was sure about the Crimson Crane, it was the fact that they weren''t there to kill him. They had many chances to do that, and they could even get rid of him now if they wanted to. Whether they cared about him because he was a part of their n or the items he made, it didn''t matter; they wanted to keep him alive, and having extra eyes for his protection wasn''t so bad.


    "Am I dreaming right now?" Plon was slowly walking over to the site where the Dimension Boss had been killed; his group was following close behind him. As he got closer, he believed that he could recognize some of the people that were with him. He was sure of it, but how could it be possible?


    "ire, pinch me, kick me, or something!"


    ire didn''t hesitate to do what Plon asked and kicked him, hitting him right on the shin.


    "Ow!" Plon raised his leg, rubbing it, but now he knew; he knew that this wasn''t a dream.


    "It''s them, don''t you see? That''s Alba from the Crimson Crane, and that''s Little Froma, their Archer! I can''t believe I''m seeing the Crimson Crane right here and now!"


    Plon was starstruck, and so were the girls that were with him when they realized who was in front of them. They were wanderers, trying their best to get somewhere in the Pagna world. The only wanderer group that was capable of that so far were the Crimson Crane, so it was no wonder that they were fascinated with them.


    Plon a little more than others. Some, even if they walked past the Crimson Crane members, wouldn''t know what they looked like. Maybe Alba, since she was well known among them, but the same couldn''t be said for the rest of them.


    "Oh great, it''s one of those super fans," Alba moaned. "Froma, you deal with them; you''re better at this talking stuff."


    Froma, with a bright red-cheeked rose smile, quickly moved over.


    "It''s nice to meet you all, but if you can, it might be best that you keep it a secret that you saw us here. Otherwise, we could all get into some trouble," Froma asked.


    The others nodded politely, still just staring at the two members with stars in their eyes, which was making them feel a little ufortable.


    "Don''t you think it''s a little toote for that?" Graft replied, as he had made his way over as well. Seeing how the iron-masked man had allowed him to live, he didn''t want to betray his trust by running away at this moment.


    "Old man, you could have run away in all themotion. I''m too hurt to even chase you, so why did you stay?" Raze asked.


    "Old man? I''m still in my thirties," Graft replied back. "I guesspared to all of these here, I might be considered old. Either way, I wanted to be of use to you."


    "I guess it''s time for me to show my use," Graft said. "If you can, I advise you to try moving the dead body of the beast here. Gather the crystals, of course, but underneath here, I''m sure that you will be in for quite the surprise."


    11:20


    "Wait, I wouldn''t worry about the Behemoth n," Albamented. "Reno is here making sure they all stay asleep. Also, when the Dimension Boss is defeated, no more people cane in."


    "What about getting out?" Raze asked.


    "That''s fine; the portal will stay open, but it''s on one side only. But once all of those that had entered exit, I assume the portal closes back up."


    Alba used the word ''assume'' because she didn''t know, but Raze was still able to enter portals he had the coordinates to. If he opened them using his magic, he could get inside, and he rememberedst time, mages from Alter had arrived.


    "It makes me wonder, if we were to stay here long enough, will mages eventually arrive again? Those from Alter. It might be a good way to try to find out how they get back."


    "What I was trying to say anyway is the Behemoth n won''t be a problem," Alba continued. "So many people have died in this portal expedition. They won''t have an idea of what happened and won''t know who was the cause. Usually, they would try and keep everyone who survived behind so they could interrogate. But the only ones that know that you defeated the Dimension Boss are right here." Although that was true, the group had one escapee, and who knew what they were going to do. It wasn''t something for Raze to worry about; it was just a single person who didn''t even know who he was.


    "I guess it''s time for me to show my use," Graft said. "If you can, I advise you to try moving the dead body of the beast here. Gather the crystals, of course, but underneath here, I''m sure that you will be in for quite the surprise."


    Everyone looked at each other, and was unsure, that was until Raze gave an order.


    "Do what the man says; let''s see how useful he is," Razemented.


    The group worked quite hard as they went and pushed the giant beast''s body off. Alba had carved out the level 4 power stone and handed it over to Raze. It was rightfully his; she wasn''t going to take it. The nt beast was toorge in size for them to move, so they opted for another strategy.


    They had cut the middle part of the nt beast and moved its insides all over the ce. There wasn''t any blood, or at least ck or red blood. Instead, there was this strange sticky green substance. When everything had been moved, they could see something. It was arge square on the ground, something like a trap door.


    "If you follow it, I''m sure you will be in for some surprises," Graft smiled. This was something else Raze wanted to do. Thest dimension they had defeated the Dimension Boss, they had managed to find a number of things rted to Alter which was of use to them. Maybe down here, they could do the same.


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 Chapter 342 A Golden Egg

    Chapter 342 A Golden Egg


    The whole group looked at therge square trap door that was on the floor. The beast''s body had covered it up, so they were unable to see it before, and if they had never tried to move the body, they would have never known it was there.


    "I guess this is a trap door from that mansion, right?" Plonmented. "I forgot, this whole thing was arge mansion before it turned into a giant nt monster."


    Thinking about that, Raze was looking for other signs as well. He wasn''t searching the trap door but around it. However, he was unable to find what he was looking for.


    ''I thought there might have been another magic circle here as well. Maybe it was written on the mansion but was destroyed in the process of the beast being summoned.''


    ''In the first ce, the Dimension Bosses don''t make sense. They appear out of nowhere and only after a number of beasts have been defeated. The more I think about it, the more it just sounds like a set up from one of the mages.''


    ''Just like thest ce, maybe it''s a summoning circle. And if they programmed it in such a way, they could do so, so it would be summoned after a number of creatures have been defeated. The question is, is it those from Alterian? If so, it doesn''t make much sense.''


    ''Why would Alter then only enter these dimensions after they have been cleared, and what I saw before, it almost looked like the dimension itself is being destroyed.''


    Thinking about it, Raze was also starting to wonder about the beginnings of magic in the first ce. How it was made by a race that existed even before human civilization. All of this was starting to pique his interest further, but it wasn''t something he could focus on so much now. His curious mind or his mind of revenge, thetter was more prevalent in his mind.


    "This door will lead you to special items that once belonged to the civilization that once lived here," Graft went on to exin. "We should delve in."


    "This is quite amazing," Alba said, kneeling down. "How did you know something like this would be under the dead beast''s body? We have hunted in a number of dimensions and even taken down our fair share of Dimension Bosses, but we never knew about this, and the same with other ns."


    For a moment, Graft made eye contact with the man in the iron mask. Raze wasn''t quite sure why, but he had figured it out after he started to speak.


    "I am hired by particr groups all the time, includingrge and small ns. Because of this, I have a vast amount of knowledge. Different Dimension''s Bosses are summoned in different ways. When a Dimension Boss is more stagnant and unable to move, usually, it means that their body is protecting something, more like a guard of sorts."


    Listening to what Graft was saying, Raze realized that might really be the case. With thest dimension he had entered, it was the same; the aging snake heads hade out from the mountain top and were unable to move. It would have been easy for them to just simply run away, and it was the same this time, but not all Dimension Bosses were like this, and some were able to freely move.


    ''My guess is, this information isn''t something he learned from other ns. He looked at me because it''s information that he has gathered from working with Alter. Of course, they would know a number of things and ways of how to get items.''


    ''The more I find out about Alter, the more I believe they know the reason behind all of these dimensions and the connection they have with Alter.''


    In the end, Alba didn''t waste any more time as she lifted the trap door up. Right underneath, there was a staircase that descended down into what looked like darkness. As soon as the door was lifted up till it could go no higher, a small click was heard. At the same time, the dark staircase lit up with small crystals on the side. Every five meters or so, giving just enough light for them to see.


    "Alright, let''s head down, and see what there is, Iron man¡­ no wait, that sounds wrong," Alba corrected herself. "Iron mask, you have the first pick of whatever we find, since it was you who defeated the Dimension Boss, of course."


    The staircase didn''t go that deep, and eventually, they had managed to reach the bottom where the cavern opened up. There was next to nothing inside the cavern, apart from stuck on the wall at the very back in front of them.


    There were three, what looked like giant eggs stuck in the wall. They were dark in color but had a hard outer casing on them. They were half sticking out from the wall, and around each of them, there were circles with strange writing and runes written all over them.


    Plon couldn''t help but walk toward them, and with his hand, he reached out to touch therge egg-shaped item.


    "Don''t touch it!" Graft shouted.


    Immediately, Plon stopped, and so did the others. They could see he was breathing quite heavily, and sweat was running down his face.


    "If you touch these, you will die," Graft exined.


    Immediately, everyone took a step back from the strange eggs. The more Plon thought about it, the more he thought that his stupid curiosity could have killed him.


    "Wait, what is so dangerous about these things that it would even kill us?" Alba asked.


    "It may not kill you guys since you are middle-stage warriors, but these things definitely have enough power to kill initial-stage warriors," Graft exined.


    Raze recognized immediately what they were, and he knew Graft was right. These strange eggs were surrounded by magic circles. They were traps. If one tried to force theserge eggs out, then a spell would be cast attacking whoever dared to try such a thing.


    Raze then went to reach out to one of the center eggs with his hand; his finger started to spark slightly.


    When Graft saw this, he didn''t say anything. ''Usually, I would need to report this case to Alter, and they would send out a mage, but I guess we have one right here. If there is one person who can get these items, then it would be him.''


    When Raze traced his finger over the magic circle, what he was doing was rewriting the spell. It wasplex, and not many could do this even if they were a regr mage. In a way, only a mage of a higher tier than one who had written the spell could rewrite it, or would have enough knowledge to rewrite it, and that''s just what he was doing.


    Eventually, the magic circle started to light up, and when it did, the circle hadpletely disappeared from their eyes.


    "What...did you just do?" Plon asked.


    Raze grabbed onto the egg and pulled it out from the wall.


    "Magic," Raze said in a jokingly tone, to which the others could onlyugh.


    "Since I''m the only one that can touch these things, I will be taking them all; I think that''s fair, right?" Raze asked.


    The others didn''t argue; they were just curious to see what the items were. They had no intention of taking them.


    "Inside here are items left by this current civilization. Wherever this dimension had led to. Treasures that they had decided to keep hidden away. We can almost think of this like raiding a tomb," Raze was almost rambling to himself.


    "Sometimes, they are items that can make one more powerful; other times, they are items that can change the world." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Raze then threw the egg onto the floor, and it smashed on the ground. Right out from the cracked pieces, a bowl hade out. It didn''t look all that special.


    Raze went to pick it up, and immediately he could feel arge rush of energy rushing through it. He knew it was no ordinary bowl; this was an item that was filled with power, more power than regr items he had felt before.


    ''This item¡­ it at least has to be at the Mythical tier, or maybe even at the legendary tier!'' Raze thought. The thing was, he had no clue what it was, and if it wasn''t a magic item, it would be hard for him to figure out what it did as well.


    "That item," Graft said, his eyelids wide open as he moved in closer for a better look.


    "It''s a summoning item, an item which summons from the Divine realm!"


    "Wait, what, Divine realm, summons them?" Raze asked, wholly confused, but judging from the reaction of Alba, Froma, and the others, this was a bigger deal than he thought, a much, much bigger deal.

 Chapter 343 Divine Stage Warriors

    Chapter 343 Divine Stage Warriors


    There was great confusion on Raze''s face as he heard about what the special item could do. Because why would one need something to summon someone that was at the Divine stage?


    To him, Pagna warriors continued to grow in strength going up the stages, and he knew that the Divine stage was one of the three split stages: Initial, Middle, and Divine. A tool that could just bring someone from one ce to the next seemed merely a teleportation spell in his eyes.


    "Why would I want to use something like this?" Raze said out loud as he was baffled because he was sure it was at least a mythical-level item.


    "Wait, what do you mean?" Alba replied, confused. "Because it allows us to summon someone from those that had reached the Divine stage. With that, any problem you have could be wiped out in an instant."


    It was then that for Graft, it had clicked in his head because he was from Alter, he knew that there were those that hade from other worlds just havinge to Pagna. He thought, based on Raze''s skills, that he would have at least obtained this knowledge by now.


    "You don''t know what happens when one reaches the Divine stage, do you?" Graft said in surprise.


    Raze had no way to defend his dumbfoundedness, so he had no choice but to just shake his head.


    "Wait, what, how can you be a stage 5 Pagna warrior and not know?" Plon said, even he was surprised.


    Alba found this very interesting; it just went to show that there was more mysteriousness to the Dark Magus because she doubted there would be any Pagna warrior that didn''t know.


    "There is a reason why everyone who bes a Pagna warrior wishes to reach the Divine Stage," Alba started to exin. "The first, our bodies be soplete that at the Divine stage, our bodies are practically immortal, and we can live indefinitely.


    "Poisons have next to no effect on us, and our bodies are almost like that of what some would call gods. Some believe that only one at the Divine Stage can kill another Divine stage."


    "Now there is another reason why at the Divine Stage, these people are considered gods, and it''s not just because of immortality. It''s because when one reaches the Divine stage, they then ascend to another dimension. Another world where only those at the Divine stage are allowed to be," Alba exined.


    This information didn''t contradict what Raze had learned before from the Red Brigade n, and he still didn''t understand why such a thing was so important. Because, in the first ce, could he even decide who it would summon? Who could say the one being summoned would even be on their side?


    "Now there is another reason why at the Divine Stage, these people are considered gods, and it''s not just because of immortality. It''s because when one reaches the Divine stage, they then ascend to another dimension. Another world where only those at the Divine stage are allowed to be," Alba exined.


    "Another world, another dimension, like the ones that we enter through portals?" Raze asked.


    "Correct, it is a world only essed by the Divine stages. Almost a beacon of light will fall upon you and drag you into this world," Alba continued.


    This didn''t sound good for Raze. He wanted to get his revenge; if he reached the Divine Stage, he would have to leave the whole of Pagna. But this did mean one thing.


    "So, the only ones that I would have to worry about are those that are at the Middle stage level in Pagna; I won''te across those at the higher stage?" Raze realized. His opponents would only be a little stronger than the Elder for the Light Faction. It also exined why he had yet to meet anyone at the Divine stage so far.


    "Not quite," Alba continued. "Things get a littleplicated from here, so you need to listen carefully, and please keep in mind, the information we know is limited since we aren''t at the Divine stage ourselves."


    Raze nodded as he was noting all this down in the back of his mind. He was good at remembering things; it was one of the things that set him apart from the others.


    "Although no one but Divine stage beings can enter the Divine realm, they cane back down to Pagna whenever they wish. If they do, however, their bodies and powers seem to be limited to the top of the middle stage."


    It sounded quite absurd; Raze didn''t even know how that would be possible. One''s strength was one''s strength. The more he listened, the more it did sound like a bunch of rules that had been set by the gods. They could have the power of gods in the world of gods, but if they came down to what was still considered the mortal world, then their power would be weakened.


    "Keep in mind that their strength would still be greater than many of those at the Middle stage. Although their power and body wouldn''t be the same, their techniques, their years of being alive, all of that would still exist. However, some see it also as an opportunity to kill a Divine one since they are somewhat weakened," Alba continued.


    "But what''s the point then?" Raze asked. "Do the Divine beingse down to Pagna a lot, and what''s the point of obtaining all that power if you can only stay in one ce? Why do you guys aspire to go there?"


    "It''s the pinnacle," Albamented. "And besides those limitations are only for the world of Pagna. You see, Divine realms are able to enter portals still in Pagna, and in other dimensions, their strength is returned to them.


    "In Pagna, the Dimension portals are ssified into Initial, Middle, and Divine based on the difficulty of the beasts inside. For us Middle stage warriors, we have to be most careful in the Divine dimensions even if there is arge group of us, in case someone from the Divine realm is currently there." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This did make Raze wonder, if he reached the Divine stage and went to Alterian, would he still have the same strength? Was the limitation only on Pagna? From the sound of it, it did seem to be the case. For now, it didn''t seem like the case that he would lose strength, and the good thing was, at least they could still move while being in the Divine realm.


    "I was just wondering," Plon said, hearing all of this exnation again; he had heard about this when he was younger, but now that he was a bit older, he had questions to ask himself. "Divine Stage warriors mostlye from their ns. But when ns are in trouble or in a fight, even though they may be weakened, why don''t the Divine ones assist?"


    "In some cases, they do, especially if there is a strong connection such as family members and such, but I can give you a few reasons for this," Alba stated. "The amount of beings that reach the Divine stage is less than one percent. So think about it, if someone could live on forever, then most of those they knew would be gone."


    "By the time one gets older and is in the Middle stages, even then, most of those they were close to have disappeared, and the only thing they have left is to progress to the Divine stage."


    "Another factor is that their power is weakened; joining in a fight is a chance for them to lose their life. To put it simply, it''s a risk for them. Then thest factor, to those at the Divine stage, everyone else is below them, including those in their own n."


    "They see all of us who live on Pagna like that of ants. Now, just like in life, there are some kids that enjoy destroying and toppling ant hills. However, what will also happen in life are those around them who question what they are doing."


    "Or perhaps some will take it on themselves to punish those that are harming the ants. If the Divine being gets involved, then the others in the Divine realm will ridicule them, and remember, even in the Divine realm, there are stages that separate them."


    From this conversation, Raze had learned quite a lot that he didn''t know about the world of Pagna. He wondered if this Divine realm had any rtion to those in Alterian. He wasn''t so sure it did, but it was interesting to find out about those.


    "So, I somewhat understand, but then why is this item so special?" Raze asked.


    "Because that item allows you to summon someone from the Divine realm," Graft exined. "It will only work for a limited time, but if one is summoned, then it means they are able to keep all of their power here in the world of Pagna. That item is something that has the power to change the oue of what happens on Pagna."


    The other thing was, this was just one of three items that Raze had retrieved, and there were two more to go. It also made him wonder, if these were the types of items he could receive from Initial dimensions, what did the Middle stage dimensions and Divine dimensions hold?

 Chapter 344 Ready The Crimson Crane

    Chapter 344 Ready The Crimson Crane


    With all of the exnations over, Raze had a new outlook on the Pagna world. It was more vast and mysterious, just like the world of Alterian. Traveling through multiple different dimensions and worlds, he was sure that they would run into a number of different restrictions and powers that he didn''t know of.


    The items that belonged to these worlds were just examples of untouched power. It did make him wonder how many precious items the group Alter might have as well.


    "Alright, I will keep it safe for the time being," Raze said as he moved into the Darkness for a moment and made the cup disappear. How he would use it and when, he didn''t know. Perhaps a useful trade in the future or maybe even in a dire situation he couldn''t get out of.


    Walking up to the wall, Raze started to do the same trick as he did before to the other magic circle. He was altering it, so the magic wouldn''t activate and attack. After all was done, with a short pull, the giant egg-shaped object popped out and just like before, he threw it to the ground.


    When it crashed onto the floor, inside it, it looked like a dark, almost obsidian rock with small blue crystals on it.


    "That''s Aldantium!" Alba said out loud. "It''s one of the rarest minerals out there!"


    It was clear this was another gold mine, but there didn''t seem to be arge amount of it.


    "Would it be good to make a sword from it?" Raze asked.


    "Of course, the top ns in each faction have their weapons made out of this stuff, and even some of the top ns are unable to get their hands on it. You know, if you hand it over, I could look for a cksmith who could smelt a weapon for you."


    Hearing this, it looked like Raze might have a use for the new level 4 power stone he had just obtained. None of the swords at the moment could be enchanted with his 4-star magic; they would simply break.


    If he had a powerful sword, it could work. That''s when another thought came to his mind as well. From his back, he pulled out the Ghost de and handed it over to Alba.


    "If you find a cksmith, see rather than making a new de, if they could enhance this one with the mineral. In return, I will continue to make you your special items," Raze requested.


    Alba was quick to agree as she nodded her head. She knew Raze had already promised to make each of them weapons, but the items he had created for both Reno and Kizer so far were beyond what she had expected, and as long as they were doing each other favors, she was sure he would work even harder on their items.


    ''The effect of the Ghost de is nice. It enhances its power as I use Demonic Qi into it. As I go higher in the stages, more Qi will be ced in the sword, so if the Ghost de can be enhanced and then enchanted, it will be able to create powerful strikes with my Qi and magic.


    ''I was a bit disappointed when I found that my vault had already been mostly raided, but things are looking up, with an improved sword and items only the top ns have, I''ll have a chance if I have to go against the academy.''


    Finally, it was time for Raze to burst open thest egg, and he had done so. When he did, a small ng was heard, and a tiny object dropped to the floor. Using his wind magic slightly, he was able to raise the object until he grabbed onto it.


    Upon opening it, something strange started to ur; he could see the item. It was a ring, and at that moment, all the other rings that Raze had on his hand were vibrating. They continued to move until they had shattered, leaving a slight mist.


    The mist of energy was then absorbed into the ring.


    ''This is¡­ I know exactly what this is; I had an item like this myself!'' Raze thought.


    It was an item that was highly sought after by mages because it was an evolving item. The ring itself didn''t have any effects. However, it was able to absorb other rings andbine their effects.


    Not only that, but since the other rings were attached to the attributes that Raze held, it meant the effect of the Darkness ring that allowed him to see his attributes was spread across all attributes.


    "Now, I can urately track the strength of all my attributes, and I won''t have to look stupid by having arge number of rings on my hand."


    Just checking, Raze also noticed that the Dark ring effect was still present as well. He would gain a small amount of Mana for each kill that he made.


    ''In the future, any rings that I enchant, I can just ce it next to this ring, and it will absorb its effects.''


    Out of all the items, they seemed to be somewhat from other worlds and not things Raze knew about in Alterian. All apart from the ring he had now. From what he knew, it was actually a 9-star enchantment that could be performed.


    So it was good for him to have it now rather thanter, but he wondered why there was a mage''s item among all of those here.


    With all of the items obtained, and Raze saying next to nothing about thest item, all of them had decided to leave the underground area. It was time for them to leave the dimension.


    While out of the Dimension Boss location, they started to head back toward the portal. Raze was thinking about staying here for a while until the mages arrived, but he realized that he had already spent a long time away from the others.


    Fixteen should have gathered food by now for him, and with his enchanted robe, he could take it all back to give to the others. He didn''t know how much longer they could hold out, or what he might run into on the way back.


    With that, they had decided to say their goodbyes to Plon and his group, who were to exit through the portal first. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Thank you for helping us out back there; today we have witnessed things I never thought I would see, and because of you, a small dream of mine of meeting the Crimson Crane hase true," Plon bowed, and so did the rest of the girls as they exited through the portal.


    While heading back to the city, Plon couldn''t help but think about what had happened. "He was quite close with the Crimson Crane members; do you think he was a member of them?" ire asked.


    "You might be right about that; maybe he''s the new demon that people are talking about. Based on what he did, I can certainly see that being the case. Whatever, or whoever he is, I hope we run into him again in the future," Plon stated.


    Back in the portal, Raze wanted to say a few words to Alba before they stepped through, as they had met back up with Reno, who was waiting for them.


    "The favor that I asked for, about allowing me to takemand of the Crimson Crane at least once," Raze asked. "I wanted to let you know that I might have to cash that in soon.


    "If you can, ready all of the members of the Crimson Crane by the end of the month."


    For the Dark Magus to ask the whole n for a favor, she just wondered what they would be doing, but with how short of a time they had been with the Dark Magus, she knew that it would be beneficial to them regardless.


    He was now even more precious to thempared to before.


    "We will be ready, and it might be handy if you made a few more items for us before then. By the end of the month, I''ll have your new sword ready for you as well."


    With that all said and done, all of them stepped through the portal ready to head back. When they did, they could see the Behemoth n members were still passed out from Reno''s poison.


    He was thankful; before the Dimension Boss appeared, he had to keep stepping in and out, giving them more supply to make sure they were asleep.


    When the Dimension Boss was dealt with, though, he was unable to get out.


    "I thought I would find you here," a voice said.


    Immediately all of them turned their heads.


    "It''s you, right, the Dark Magus?" The voice asked unsure.


    "I''ve been waiting for you; there''s something I need you to do," Rayna asked, the sister of Dame and one of the main disciples, and bloodline of the Neverfall n. One of the stronger ns in the Demonic Faction.

 Chapter 345 An Odd Meeting

    Chapter 345 An Odd Meeting


    A death stare had been given by Rayna toward the Crimson Crane members. They felt like it meant it was their cue to leave.


    They had already done everything they had wanted, and on top of that, Raze had told them everything he wanted to tell them as well.


    To which, without giving a formal goodbye, the three just looked at him and left.


    "He''s going to be alright, right?" Reno asked. "I mean, why would Rayna want to meet him?"


    "From our impression of her, and from what Dame has told us, she is one of the more normal ones in the family," Alba replied back. "So it depends; I do feel she thinks she has a debt with us and the Dark Magus due to us saving her back then."


    "The question is, is she''s here to see the Dark Magus because of her own interests, or is it something rted to the n, and if it is rted to the n, there isn''t much we can do."


    "Wait, wait, wait!" Froma skidded across the ground, stopping in her tracks. "You don''t think that the Neverfall n is going to try and steal him from us, do you? If that happens, then what?"


    Alba thought about it for a while. Although the Dark Magus was part of the Crimson Crane, it was more out of mutual benefit. He didn''t feel like an official member yet like the others.


    Practically, what the Crimson Crane offered him, the Neverfall n could offer him the same protection and more.


    It would also solve the matter with the Behemoth n, as she doubted Sha Mo would want to go against Belil.


    "If ites to it, are we going to have to have a fight with the Neverfall n as well?" Reno asked, worried.


    Lately, it felt like they were going up against the whole Demonic Faction, and they already had trouble with the Light Faction now.


    How much was it worth to keep such a person? How valuable was the Dark Magus?


    "For now, let''s not jump the gun and wait and see."


    After meeting with Raze and seeing the portal close behind him, she now had an idea of what the Crimson Crane and he might have been up to.


    She lifted her hand to fix her hair, brushing it to the side slightly, revealing the rest of her face.


    "Do you mind if the two of us go for a walk for a bit?" Rayna asked.


    "I don''t have a lot of time," Raze answered. "I need to get back quickly."


    "I don''t think this will take long, and I believe that you will want to listen to what I say unless you want trouble with our n," Rayna replied sternly.


    She didn''t want to be stern or feel like she was threatening the Dark Magus, but due to his reply, she felt like she had no choice.


    Looking at her eyebrows twitching in this situation and the mix of emotions that were appearing, Raze felt like he understood something was going on.


    "I understand," Raze replied, and ced his hand out, allowing her to lead the way.


    Rayna started to walk, although it wasn''t the general brisk walk like one would on Alterian. Instead, this was one where Qi was ced in each step, and each step would allow a person to move several meters of distance.


    It almost looked like one was flying on the ground if viewed from the side. Either way, Raze kept up with her.


    "It seems you have gotten a little strongerpared to thest time I saw you," Raynamented. "And your new outfit, it suits you, it looks nice."


    "I didn''t think it looked nice when I first was given it," Raze replied. "I wanted to pretend I liked the gift because it was from someone I cared about, but she could see the look on my face, it was impossible to hide my disappointment."


    "She always did say, I wore my emotions clearly."


    "She?" Rayna made note. A woman close enough to give a gift to him. The Dark Magus, of course, had a life outside of that of Pagna, but what life was it? "Do you have ady in your life perhaps?"


    When asking this question, Rayna noticed a deep thud in her own heart. She had no idea why her body was reacting like this.


    "No..." Raze answered. "There is no one in my life."


    He had given the answer quite short and stern, but he wondered himself, when he had given that answer, why did a certain group in Pagna that he had recently been traveling with pop in his head.


    "From the direction we''re going, it appears that we are headed for the Neverfall n base; you said this has something to do with your n, is it to do with Dame?" Raze asked.


    Rayna let out a sigh; there was still a way to go until they reached the n base, and she wanted to talk with the Dark Magus a bit more before she got there.


    "Is it to do with what we tookst time?" Raze asked. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "No, it''s nothing like that, but I have to admit that matters have certainly be a little more troubling," Rayna exined.


    "My Father, and our whole n, they like to rely on their own strength and are proud of their techniques and methods in growing as warriors."


    "It is one of the toughest ns that one can join. Which is why when the Dark Magus was being chased by everyone, in order to get a few items here and there, he had little interest in you.


    "However, you saved my life, and his interest grew slightly. Still not enough to want to force you to join, and had decided to leave you alone."


    "But then, the Behemoth n got involved. They badly wanted you, in order to increase their strength, and we all heard the stories of what you managed to do. Although we''re not sure if that was the Dark Magus or not, or someone else altogether."


    "But I''m pretty sure it''s you, but either way, what annoyed my father the most were the reports. That there was a new Demon in town."


    "After this, he pretty much had decided to see how strong you were and sent my two other brothers after you."


    Raze could see the color on Rayna''s face change slightly when her brothers'' names were mentioned, and he remembered Dame''s words, to never make an enemy of the Neverfall n.


    "I know you''re strong, but my brothers, they would be able to finish you off in a heartbeat. They wouldn''t bring you in; they would have killed you and simply imed it was an ident."


    "Which is where Ie in."


    Rayna was remembering the conversation back with her father when the matter came up. When she heard her brothers were being sent, she knew her father knew there was a chance for the Dark Magus'' death.


    The Dark Magus'' death would benefit them all since there would be no one joining or increasing the strength of the Behemoth n.


    So she had to do something that was eptable to her father. Just thinking back to it, her face was turning bright red.


    "Anyway, in order for everything to work out, I''m taking you to the Neverfall n, to meet my father."

 Chapter 346 Cant Take The Heat!

    Chapter 346 Can''t Take The Heat!


    The rest of the walk to the Neverfall n was mostly silent because Raze was deep in thought, wondering what woulde out of all of this, and what was exactly going to happen next.


    Meeting with a n Head, if things went wrong, did Raze have enough power right now to deal with them? To best them inbat if he used everything at his disposal?


    With no help at all from others, he wasn''t too confident about that, and even if he could best the n Head, from the sound of things, there were others that were by his side. Dame''s brothers that were just as strong as him; getting out would be next to an impossibility.


    "But the device from the Dark Faction Founder, was found in the Neverfall n treasure room. At the same time, even the Noctis n''s Dark Edge Sword Arts were at the Neverfall n base as well.


    "It''s quite clear that there was a rtionship between the two of them at some point. If things go bad, there might be a way to steer it so it doesn''t have to be that way."


    Raze wasn''t quite sure if he was imagining it or not, but the moment they could see therge wall that surrounded the deep Abyssal base of the Neverfall n, his body was shivering slightly.


    The cement of her steps, Raze could tell the Qi control was different from before. She, a middle stage warrior, was scared, worried about going back to her own home for some reason.


    Just before entering, Raze still had his iron mask and zer on. Rayna had turned around.


    "It would be best for you to keep your best equipment on you. While we are in the main areas of the base, you can keep that iron mask on, but you will have to show your face when we get down to the lowest levels, when you are to meet him. Otherwise, it can be quite disrespectful," Raynamented.


    The zer was the strongest piece of equipment Raze had, but in terms of his weapon, it was currently in the hands of Alba. He had the lightning de equipped to his side, and on his back, the wind-enchanted de.


    "The way you''re talking, it''s like you''re expecting a fight to happen?" Raze said. "I thought you said he just wanted to talk."


    "It is just a talk," Rayna replied.


    Entering the first floor of the Abyssal base, Raze had to head to a certain room to grab a temporary n badge. It was round and about the same size as one''s fist with the n''s emblem on it.


    If for one reason or another Rayna and Raze were split up, this would avoid him getting into trouble with the other members. While in the reception areas, Raze noticed that he was getting quite a few stares from the others.


    He wasn''t wearing a robe like the Dark Magus did, but the zer stood out. It was clear that the Neverfall n was a ce that followed more traditional rules. Every single one of them was wearing soft cloth-like fabric that the martial artists would wear.


    Some would have shoulder guards or pieces of armor covering them in certain areas, but the cloth was clearly visible underneath. With his clothing and the iron mask, he was standing out quite a bit.


    When turning around, they were ready to descend across one of the giant chains that led to different areas of the base, and just before jumping down, someone had managed to catch the two of them.


    "You? What are you guys doing here?"


    Rayna turned around and immediately saw who it was, she settled down a bit. "Fixteen, now isn''t the time, alright."


    Fixteen had noticed Raze''s new zer from a mile out since he had seen it before. He hadn''t seen the strange iron mask before, but he was surprised to see him at the base.


    "It seems your n Head wants a meeting with me," Raze said quietly. "What about the requests that I made?"


    "Everything''s sorted; I left crates of the stuff at the Inn you''ve been staying at."


    "Good, because once this is done, I''ll need to leave as soon as possible."


    With that said, it wasn''t Rayna who had taken the initiative; Raze took the initiative and jumped down,nding on one of the giant chains. He remembered some of the shortcuts they had taken fromst time.


    "Looks like he''s quite keen," Rayna replied. "Even though, I don''t think he should be."


    She soon jumped down after Raze,nding on the giant chain, and now the two of them were continuing as they descended further and further down.


    "If Dame knew what was going on right now, I wonder how he would feel about this," Fixteen thought to himself.


    Each time Rayna jumped from one chain to the other, she took a moment before leaping to the next chain to head further down. She would look over her shoulder to look at the Dark Magus and wonder how he was taking it.


    Because, the further they went down, the more heat was emitted. It was unbearable to many, to the point that those at the very top wouldn''t even be able to focus or move properly due to the intense heat.


    So far, everything seemed to be fine, and since Raze had been this far before, she thought it would be okay. Then she jumped down, going further onto another chain.


    "This area is where the Middle stage warriors of the n train. The heat is too intense for those at the Initial stage, especially if they spend a long time here. He might be putting on a brave face, but I hope he''s okay," Rayna thought, as she jumped down again and waited. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was this reason why Dame surviving in this type of ce was a little tougherpared to other Initial stage warriors. He was close to breaking through to the Middle stage, but hadn''t done so yet, which was an embarrassment in their father''s eyes.


    Raze soon followed, and when hended on the following giant chain, he could feel the heat magnifying at least by double. His mind was a little hazy, and even looking around, he was unable to tell where the edges of the walls were.


    "When my body reaches a higher stage, it should affect me less as well, but If I use a bit of magic, this should be okay."


    Using a small trace of Ice Magic, Raze was coating the outside of his skin. Not thick enough so it would melt from the heat, but just enough to cool his own temperature and his body from working.


    He was getting the perfect bnce.


    "Are you okay?" Rayna asked.


    "Yeah, I''m fine."


    After using the Ice Magic, Raze just had to adjust its power output the further he went down, and he was dealing with it well. Rayna was surprised to see him not stutter or fall to the ground.


    She was half expecting him to copse. Then finally, jumping off thest chain, they had reached the bottom of the floor.


    "If it gets tough, you need to activate your Qi, to try to help strengthen your body," Rayna advised.


    "The consistent use of Qi helps with the control and strengthening and refining of our Dantian. Which is why there is such extreme heat in here, and up ahead."


    Rayna looked toward tworge double doors. "It''s even hotter inside, and it''s exactly where we need to go."

 Chapter 347 The Strongest Man in the Demonic Faction

    Chapter 347 The Strongest Man in the Demonic Faction


    Rayna stood in front of Raze and pushed the doors open. He could tell that she was using Qi to do this task, and yet the doors still had a great weight to them.


    It wasn''t flung open, and with each step she took, she had to push off as if she were performing a special technique.


    The things that Raze had seen in here so far, and what he had witnessed members do from thest time he was here, showed they trained harder than they did at the Dark Pagna Academy.


    ''I wonder if all ns are this intense with their bases and training, or if it''s just the Neverfall n¡­''


    ''It''s no wonder that pupil we saw from before was steps above those from the Dark Faction. I somewhat see why they had decided to go through with desperate measures for this martial arts tournament of theirs.''


    ''But just because I know their reason for doing something, doesn''t mean I agree with it.''


    When a crack of the door was open, an intense heat flooded Raze right in the face.


    He had to react fast with his own ice magic so he wouldn''t be affected.


    ''I didn''t think the heat could get much more intense.'' Raze lifted his hand, covering his eyes.


    He could feel it even through his magic for a bit, but if he used too much of his magic, it would be obvious that something was up.


    Once again, Rayna looked back, concerned at what was happening, but she had to continue forward and fully opened the doors.


    "Are you okay?" She asked, deeply concerned, until she could see Raze standing there fine, and not only that, but the mask had been removed from his face, and she could see it.


    She could see what Raze looked like. Before, when she had been saved, he was wearing the specially made robe that covered his face.


    When she met him again in the Neverfall n base, he had the special mask of one of the other members who were currently a part of the Neverfall n, so this was the first time she could see him fully. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    His well-toned body matched his glowing face. A well-defined jawline, and hair that was vibrant and full of life, but the color was the pr opposite.


    As if all life had been drained from it, the hair was a dark white close to an ash grey.


    "You look fine," Raynamented, both on the fact that he was still standing and on his actual looks. "And you look a bit young."


    A great alchemist was a person who had to have a lot of knowledge and experience, so she had expected the Dark Magus to be older than her.


    On top of that, she could tell he was either a stage 4 or 5 warrior. Unless he was a main disciple of one of the top ns, for someone to reach that stage so quickly, she or others would have known about it.


    His name would have been spread just like Ricktor''s in the Dark Faction, or the White Dragon that was recently being spread as well.


    "I just look young, trust me," Raze said as he approached her.


    Raze took a peek inside, and all around, like an arena, he could see several different levels.


    All of them filled withrge strange metal containers that hadrge mesing out of them.


    There had to be around 4000 containers with mes in the room, and Raze could sense it.


    ''These containers, and the mes themselves, they don''t seem to be ordinary. All of the equipment has some sense of magical power.''


    ''Just like the items from other dimensions. It''s creating an even more intense heat in this room.''


    There was a clear path on the ground. It reminded him of a red carpet runway.


    It went on and on until it reached the end, a more open oval area, and in that area, was a single man, with no shirt on.


    His body covered in sweat, his muscr refined back facing outward away from them.


    Rayna walked forward, and just before they reached therge oval area, she went down and sat on top of her legs, bowing down and cing her head to the ground.


    She looked at Raze and gestured for him to do the same. In this situation, he decided to follow.


    ''I can tell, just from a nce, just from not even making eye contact with him. This man is like the principal. He''s close, he''s close to going onto the Divine Stage.''


    It made Raze wonder, was this what it was like for others who set their eyes upon him in the past.


    When they saw and could feel that he was a nine-star mage. Or when people knew of his arrival.


    Right now, all thoughts of trying to escape in front of this person or attempting to hold off for a while had escaped his head.


    "I greet the n Master," Rayna said. "I have done as you asked and have brought the one known as the Dark Magus to see you."


    The man let out a breath, and oddly it had turned into a type of steam, like one would on a cold day.


    Slowly he turned around, and Raze had made eye contact with him for the first time.


    The two of them stared into each other''s eyes for a few moments, not looking away.


    Meanwhile, the n Master Belil, got into a more rxed position. Hey on the ground sideways, with his legs spread looking at them.


    Raze never knew such a rxed position could feel so deadly.


    "I am Belil Narfous, the leader of the Neverfall n," Belil imed. "I thank you for adhering to my request anding to visit me. I must say you look younger than I thought you would, are you really an alchemist?"


    "That is what people call me," Raze replied. "But in reality, that is something that I just dabble in."


    It was the truth, although Raze was great at making enchanted items. That was only because he was a nine-star mage.


    Among the other nine-star mages, he would be considered subpar. Someone like Idore was far better at enchanting than him.


    If anything, too many times Raze would have to rely on the gamble and luck of Dark Magic.


    "Everyone wishes to know you because of your alchemist abilities, and yet that is something you just dabble in."


    Belil couldn''t help but chuckle to himself.


    "You are interesting, very interesting. It makes me wonder then, if alchemy is something you just dabble in and are that good, what your main focus is."


    Raze''s eyes contracted a little. Sinceing to Pagna, his focus had never faltered, and it was revenge against the Grand Magus.


    "You see, I heard a rumor that you managed to beat a Middle stage warrior from the Behemoth n. That you aren''t just great in alchemy but are actually quite strong as well."


    "But you see, I hate rumors. I know how exaggerated they can get, which is why I wanted to test you out for myself, to see just how strong you are!"

 Chapter 348 Prove yourself

    Chapter 348 Prove yourself


    Rayna was doing everything to keep her mouth closed. When she had heard her father wanted to meet the Dark Magus, she thought the two of them would simply talk.


    Maybe discuss helping each other in certain ways and then they could be on their way, but the way her father was speaking, of a test, it was almost like the two of them were about to fight.


    "I can''t go against father. I know you saved my life, Dark Magus, but this is something that I just can''t do," Rayna thought.


    Meanwhile, Raze was thinking along simr lines. When he had entered, he had already decided that it wasn''t a good idea for him to go up against the n Master.


    Now, it sounded as if he was proposing for the two of them to fight.


    "He can''t be expecting me to win against him. He should know that is impossible, and if he wanted to just get rid of me, I doubt he is the type of person who would need to make an excuse, something like this.


    "During this fight, what I need to do is at least show skills enough to impress him. That is the type of person he is, but can I do that without my magic?"


    Raze was thinking back to when he had bested the Behemoth n Middle stage warrior.


    At the time, he was only sessful because of three things. The first was the element of surprise.


    The Middle stage warrior never expected such an attack to be used, so Raze got a clean attack in.


    The second was the item itself. The item had a special condition where it grew stronger based on the number of people around, and there were many.


    On top of that, the skills used were stronger, but then couldn''t be used again within a certain period, that was the curse.


    Then finally, Raze had used the special Dark Edge Sword Arts, not just the Dark Edge Sword Arts but the Magic Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    A special technique that was meant to fuse both Magic and Qi together to create the ultimate attack.


    ''I won''t be able to use my magic clearly, only if I think my life is in danger I should use it, but if I use the Magic Dark Edge Sword Arts, people seem to not be so suspicious about those skills. ''


    ''They believe the lingering magic that they can see in the air. It''s just visual Qi.''


    The room temperature had changed ever so slightly, and Raze could feel the difference instantly.


    He turned his head, and that''s when he noticed someone else entering inside, pushing the doors open.


    It was a young man that looked close to be in his thirties or mid-twenties. He had a sword by his side, dressed in all ck.


    He calmly walked over, and when he reached the same area as Raze and Rayna, he too got on the floor and bowed down.


    "This here is one of our individuals who have managed to reach the lower end of the middle stage. He was in the same year as my son, who I believe you are well acquainted with as well," Belil exined.


    "Yet, he managed to reach the Middle stage before him. Although we are not the biggest n, what we do pride ourselves on, is creating strong warriors, which is why we have more Middle stage warriorspared to any other n out there, which is proof of our strength," Belil continued.


    "I want you to face him, please, take your position toward the end of the pathway, and Trin here will take his ce at this side," Belil ordered.


    Almost immediately, the n member named Trin had taken his position. Rayna stood up and moved into the oval area but still stayed rtively far away from her father.


    "Rumors are rumors," Trin said as he pulled out and held his sword, Raze had yet to move to the other end just yet.


    "I can tell you are not a Middle stage warrior. You''re still in the Initial stage, yet you managed to best a Middle stage warrior somehow? Everyone knows that''s an impossibility and most likely the Crimson Crane were there to help you."


    Raze understood, ording to everything he knew, it was unlikely for those who were a higher stage to beat those who were a lower stage than them.


    So for an Initial stage to best a Middle stage warrior, where there was clearly arge rise in power difference, it seemed like aplete lie.


    "Before I take part, am I allowed to use any skills and any items I have on me at present, including Qi pills?" Raze asked.


    "Of course, I want to see how it was possible for you to defeat a Middle stage as well, and whether or not you are worth my time."


    Hearing this, Raze started to move to the other end, the first thing he had done was take a light blue pill.


    Straight away he could feel its effects, the extreme heat being produced down here.


    It was no longer affecting him, but it would only do so for a limited amount of time.


    What this did allow him to do was use magic the way he needed to as well.


    Raze then stopped as he was close to the door and turned around.


    ''Everything the n Master does, it seems there is a reason behind it. I doubt that it was a coincidence that he ced me next to the door, to try to lure me in an attempt to escape.''


    ''But I know that is useless, and I''m not a fraud,'' Raze pulled out the light wind-enchanted sword that made next to no noise at all as he swung it through the air and positioned himself.


    "Get ready, fraudster, you will not fool the Neverfall n!" Trin eximed, as he charged forward and ran towards the center.


    Raze then had decided to do the same, as he ran empowering his steps with Qi.


    Before Raze had even reached the center, though, Trin was already there in the air, swinging his sword to the side.


    A dark red aura wrapped around his de as he swung it. Instead of backing away, Raze went straight ahead.


    The second Descending Step pushed him forward, and he swung from the side with the third Devil''s Formation.


    As the two swords shed, there was no contest as to who had the stronger strike.


    Raze was immediately pushed back, and the power was so overwhelming that he had tumbled across the ground a few times.


    "Ah, the Descending Steps and Devil''s Formation, you have a good basic foundation and they work well together, you had a good teacher," Trin imed.


    As Raze was getting up off the floor, he had taken a red pill, restoring some of his health, and a green pill as well.


    "I can''t take too many more of those hits, or I''ll be done for, but this is a test, so he won''t go all out with his strength or follow up on strikes that will kill me," Raze thought.


    Raze charged in again, this time, using the first Descending Step, and following it up all the way up to the fourth step.


    When he burst forward he used the first Devil''s Formation, a strike from above. It swung down and the sword hit the hard ground surrounded by Qi, but Trin had managed to get right behind him and delivered arge kick right to his back. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Raze''s upper body made him fall, and his face hit the ground. When he looked up he could see the disappointed look on Belil''s face, and the concerned look on Rayna''s as she was biting her fingernail.


    "I guess even with the pills and the sword techniques I haven''t done enough to impress him. Well, I hope you keep your promise, anything I use will be fair game, right?"


    Raze thought as he stood up and firmed his feet once again. This time he waited for the Middle stage warrior to strike.


    Trin was growing impatient, and he had decided to charge right ahead just likest time.


    "The way this little fight was set up, we can only directly go after each other. There''s little room for us to move side to side, but in this case, it works out well for me."


    Raze''s sword was ced down by his side as he shuffled his feet so they were the correct distance apart. Then the sword started to be wrapped around, wispy trails of Dark Magic were wrapping around the sword.


    At the right time, Raze burst forward with the second step, and swung the de.


    "The 1st Formation of the Dark Edge Sword Arts! Shadow Bind Formation!"


    With a little bit of magic added, Raze thought in his head. The sword shed with Trin''s again and the power this time was equal; there was no clear winner.


    Then the shadow that wrapped around the sword started to bind Trin, holding him in ce.


    Quickly, Raze used a couple more of the Descending Steps while Trin was struggling with what was happening, and then lifted the sword in the air, holding it by the hilt with both his hands.


    "Dark Edge Sword Arts second formation, Eclipse Strike!"


    The sword had turnedpletely ck, as added Qi and Dark Magic werebined. Arge amount of power was channeling through the sword.


    "The Noctis n''s sword art was hidden here, the Dark Faction leader''s message was hidden here. So I have to hope that this won''t cause a problem!"


    The attack unleashed from Raze''s sword, as it swung, the air behind it was covered in Darkness. Only then had Trin gotten out of the Shadow bind, the attack was ready to hit him.


    Until, in one half of the room, all of the candle lights had gone out, and the attacknded, hitting a certain person''s forearm, leaving no mark on his body. Belil was standing there having blocked the attack.


    "Now, you are certainly full of surprises, aren''t you?" Belil said with a big smile. "Alright, then it''s agreed, I give you permission to marry Rayna!"

 Chapter 349 A proposal?

    Chapter 349 A proposal?


    Raze stood there, a little shocked for a moment. There weren''t many times when he was too stunned to the point where his brain wasn''t working, not allowing him to think of the next move or what to do next, but this was one of them. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Originally, he was surprised how his strongest attack had simply been blocked by the n Master. It didn''t look like he had used any special technique but just allowed it to hit his body and do next to no damage.


    The Eclipse Strike was said to be one of the strongest attacks in the Dark Edge Sword Arts, and Raze hadn''t held back, adding his magic to it. The attack might have been slightly weaker than when using the special sword fighting the Behemoth n, or when killing the Dimension Boss. Since, when it was used against the Dimension Boss, Raze also was able to perform 8 of the Descending Steps leading up to the strike, making it its most powerful yet. Either way, he thought his new star mage mana strength and his Pagna stage increase might have made up for that, but it appeared to be nothing in front of a n leader.


    ''I wonder if the Pagna Academy principal will be just as strong as this as well. I''m starting to have my doubts. Even with the student''s help and the Crimson Crane, along with Dame, if we will be enough to overthrow the academy.''


    This wasn''t what had stunned his brain into overdrive with thinking; it was the words that hade out of Belil''s mouth.


    "Alright, then it''s agreed, I give you permission to marry Rayna!" Belil said with a big smile on his face.


    Raze didn''t understand, since when was this fight all about him marrying Rayna? He hardly knew her; they had met fewer times than one could count on their hand, and why was this man so quick to throw her into marriage?


    Raze didn''t understand, since when was this fight all about him marrying Rayna? He hardly knew her; they had met fewer times than one could count on their hand, and why was this man so quick to throw her into marriage?


    Raze didn''t seem to be the only one surprised by this. His opponent, who had practically lost the fight, was shocked by the words. He almostpletely forgot that there was even a match that was going on in the first ce.


    "Wait, n Head, we can''t do that! We know next to nothing about this man! We can''t have someone so precious and talented marry this stranger; he doesn''t even belong to a n!" Trin imed.


    It wasn''t that Trin wanted Rayna for himself, although he would have been more than happy if that opportunity hade up. It was more so he was thinking about the n. Marriages were no small matter, especially when it came to those close to the n Master. It would allow ns to build close rtions and benefit each other in numerous ways. It was how many ns even became part of the Demonic Faction or the different factions around in the first ce.


    For Trin, he saw next to no benefit of this happening. He soon turned his head to look at Rayna because if there was one person that could stop this, then it would at least be the other party that was involved.


    But when he turned his head, he could see that she was saying nothing and instead had her head down, her face was blushing red. She was clearly trying to avoid the whole situation altogether. Right now, she was in the middle of deep thoughts. How could she go against this idea of marriage when, in fact, it was actually her idea to begin with?


    Rayna started to think back; in therge table room just above the current floor they were in, a meeting had been called by the Elders as well as the n Master. Present was just Rayna, as her two brothers were off somewhere, and there wasn''t even a seat for Dame anymore. It was long assumed that he wouldn''t be returning. The talk was about the matters that were happening, and the conversation had turned towards the Dark Magus.


    What Rayna had told about the Dark Magus was true; her father had originally decided to send out her brothers. Still, right then, to protect him, she hade up with a solution.


    "I believe there is another way!" Rayna called out. "What if we were able to get the Dark Magus to join us? I believe he could benefit this family greatly. If he was to marry me, then he would be loyal to us and would be added to our strength."


    It had been a thought in her head for a while; she had talked about it with Dame. Still, she only half seriously meant it at the time. Knowing that this might be the only way to save him, she was happy to give up her chance at marriage, and she would much rather marry someone who had saved her life than a stranger from another n that would treat her as a lesser.


    Her father had agreed but only after meeting him, and she knew full well he wanted to test to see if Raze was worthy enough to be part of the n, and it seemed like it was a sess.


    "Trin, did you forget? The Dark Magus is not part of just any n; he is part of the Crimson Crane. They are a well-known group through all the factions. So having him join our family will improve our rtionship."


    Even though Belil was saying such yful words, the heavy feeling that at any moment, Raze''s life could be taken didn''t go away, which was why Raze was pretty much saying nothing and was just allowing things to go along.


    "It will take a while for things to be set up; we will need to have a big ceremony for this to happen. As a gift, we can have you look after an entire city. It can be owned by the Crimson Crane, an extension of the Neverfall n''s generosity for joining us."


    It was quite clear as well to Raze that in the father''s mind, this whole thing was already a done deal. For a moment, he looked behind Belil and towards Rayna, who managed to mouth the words to him, saying she was ''Sorry.''


    ''I don''t quite understand what had happened for it toe to this, but I don''t think she had done this out of her own greed. It appears that she had tried to do this, in a way to protect me.''


    ''Marriage isn''t exactly a big deal or a problem. To the world, if they know the Dark Magus is connected to the Neverfall n, this will be fine. I can think of this as a political marriage to even further advance my position,'' Raze thought.


    "And besides, that''s not the only n you have rtions to, is it? I think you have a nice surprise: the Noctis n."


    Hearing these words from Belil, it confirmed it; the reasons the sword technique was being used. This was a chance to find out more about the previous Dark Faction founder as well.


    "Ah, this is such a good day. I believe that I should give you a gift right now, not just on your wedding day. Let''s get ready; the Light Faction, they were the ones that attacked you before, right?" Belil asked.


    The question, Raze was wondering where it was leading to, and what madness was about to unfold.

 Chapter 350 Your First Gift

    Chapter 350 Your First Gift


    Raze didn''t quite know how he had gotten into this situation, but right now, Raze and Rayna were in a room alone together. They were told to go to one of the rooms above and get ready for a gift that Belil was preparing for them both.


    Only the three of them would be involved, and he had asked for the Dark Magus to dress in something that would make him stand out a bit. He didn''t quite know what he meant by that.


    In the room, Raze had entered a dressing room of sorts, even though there was no need for him to actually get changed. He used his Dark Magic to switch out of his beloved zer and went back to the magic robe.


    The robe that people were familiar with, the one that stuck to the name Dark Magus. Raze had imagined this is what Belil meant by those words. When he exited, Rayna was there waiting. She looked the same as before in her martial arts robe, with a spear by her side.


    She had tied up her hair into a bun and had ced a few armor pieces on her forearms, but everything else was just the cloth that was on her body.


    "I''m sorry about all of this," Rayna said. "I know it''s a lot to exin, but honestly, it was the only way I could stop the Neverfall n from bing an enemy of yours."


    "It''s stupid; my father doesn''t usually go after individuals or anything like that. It was just because the Behemoth n got involved, and although all of the Demonic Faction are under one umbre, he can get quitepetitive sometimes."


    "Don''t worry, I understand," Raze said. "The situation, it''s not as bad as I thought."


    In a lot of ways, Raze felt like this might be better. Would the Behemoth n still be after him now that he was connected to the Neverfall n? And he could slowly gain trust and learn why the Dark Faction Founder hade here of all ces.


    It didn''t seem like something Raze could just ask outright, and there didn''t seem to be the right time anyway. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What I am worried about is what exactly is this gift that he''s prepared for us," Raze replied.


    Rayna had to admit that she was slightly concerned as well.


    After preparing, they had exited the room onto the main floor, and they could see Belil waiting for them. He had changed as well and was now in an extravagant piece ofrge ck and gold cloth. It wasrge in the shoulder areas, but it wasn''t tied up. Belil had a pair of trousers on, but the center part of the cloth remained open, revealing his well-chiseled stomach, and parts of the cloth were dragging on the floor.


    "Let''s get going, then, shall we," Belil said as he bent his legs. When he jumped up, he exploded with power.


    He had jumped so high that when Raze looked up, he couldn''t even see him. The abyssal base was extremely deep. It was the same size as arge mountain but only in reverse.


    "How high can he jump?" Raze asked.


    "From here, well, he''s probably already out of the base. Come on, it''s best not to keep him waiting," Rayna replied, as she jumped up onto one of therge chains and waited for Raze to follow.


    The two of them continued to jump on the giant hanging chains and then ran across them while hopping from one side to the other until they had eventually reached the outside. Belil was just standing there, staring off into the distance, but he could hear the other two had arrived.


    "The portal expedition, it was that way over the mountain, right? I think that''s where the Light Faction had attacked from as well," Belil said, seemingly like he was talking to the others, but he didn''t wait for them to reply and was already on the move.


    While running through the vastnds, Raze suspected that Belil wasn''t going at his full speed and was going at a speed where the two of them could keep up.


    As they continued to travel, a mountain could be seen up ahead. It was one of the few ces that Raze recognized because he had been there before. It was the first portal dimension he had entered, and where he had exited with Dame and the others. Currently, though, there was no portal there.


    The three continued to run, and instead of going up the mountain, they had gone around a smaller mountain. Then they hurled down it and could see a vast green forest with yellow leaves falling to the ground.


    Then up ahead, what looked like a small little town, simr to the one where the Red Brigade n was at.


    Rayna was getting more tense the closer they moved towards the town. There was a simple reason for this; they were in the Light Faction territory. On the border was the Dawnde n''s territory.


    It was where Beatrix Highborn, one of the first people that had struck Raze and almost killed him, and had gone head to head against Dame, as well as the man known as Nabi Highborn were from. The Elder that Raze and the Crimson Crane had managed to defeat.


    When looking at the ce from afar, the town seemed to be void of people, and instead, there looked to be warriors training out in the fields, swinging their swords, several men sparing against each other, andrge crates of supplies moving in and out.


    "The Dawnde n is under a lot of pressure from the faction themselves," Belil started toment. "They have had three losses against us, the Demonic Faction."


    "Three?" Rayna replied. "I know they lost to Dame when they attacked, and the recent loss of the Elder, due to the Crimson Crane, but the Crimson Crane is not part of the Demonic Faction, and even if we include that, it would only be two."


    "Yes," Belil answered. "But the Dark Magus is the one being med for having defeated the Elder, and he is now allied with us, so that means it will soon be the Demonic Faction''s doing, and as for the third..."


    Once again, Belil jumped up from his position; they were still at least one kilometer away. Yet jumping from where he was, Raze could see Belilnd perfectly in the center of where the concentrated Light Faction warriors currently were.


    Immediately, Qi energy was dispensed, and almost instantly all of the warriors around felt sick, their bodies uncontroble as they dropped their weapons onto the ground.


    ''That''s almost the same effect as if I were to use the first Descending Step, but he''s able to do this with just his Qi.''


    No one looked as if they could get up off the ground to attack him, and as Belil walked toward one of the main buildings where a rush of those wearing white cloth hade out with their swords, he had a few words to say to them all.


    "The Dark Magus has agreed to be a part of our family today! I hear that the Light Faction has a vendetta against him and wishes to get rid of him. So I havee with a gift for him, and a warning to you."


    Belil readied his fist as he brought it to his side. Large ripples in the air could be seen condensing, and the area round felt like it was getting denser. The floor underneath his feet was cracking, and each time the Qi energy felt like it was condensing more and more.


    Cracking down, going further in and in. Then, unleashing his fist, it was one strike, a powerful giant st of energy, no, not energy, but the attack of a fist, that had ripped everything in its path apart.


    The attack hit the buildings, crumbling them to pieces, and the warriors, all they saw was the vast energy. Swinging their swords, doing whatever they could, it was useless as they were consumed by the attack.


    The sound was as devastating as a lightning strike. Rayna and Raze quickly rushed over to where Belil was, and when they stood by his side, they could see that one half of the entire town had beenpletely destroyed.


    While the other half, where his fist wasn''t thrown, was left intact.


    "This is my gift to you, Dark Magus. Wee to the family."

 Chapter 351 The Honour of the clans

    Chapter 351 The Honour of the ns


    After the devastation caused by Belil, the rest of the Light Faction members who hadn''t been caught in the attack immediately made a run for it. Most of them had just been stationed there for a few days and were hurrying back, running deeper into the Light Faction territory.


    Raze was just looking at the destruction that was left in front of him. It was hard to believe that several rows of buildings existed here before, since now there was no structure left standing, just rubble on the ground.


    ''Did the n Head really just get rid of a whole town like that? Because of a wedding gift, to congratte us two being together? He knew the Light Faction had dered the Dark Magus as an enemy.''


    ''I guess in his eyes, this is his way of telling them not to mess with me. Which is why it feels like he''s doing me a favor.''


    After witnessing this destruction, though, the loss of countless lives, those that he probably had never met before, Raze was starting to wonder something else as well.


    ''Are Pagna warriors more frightening, or are mages?'' Raze thought. ''It''s hard to believe that the man that I defeated from the Behemoth n is a middle-stage warrior, and Belil, the leader of the Neverfall n, is a middle-stage warrior as well.


    ''I''m starting to see, unlike the initial stages, that within the middle stage warriors, the strength can vary greatly. Most of the Crimson Crane are at the eighth stage, and even between them, their strength is quite different.


    ''The Light Faction elder that we beat must have been a high eighth stage warrior, or a low ninth stage warrior, and here what we are looking at is the peak of the 9th stage, someone who is close to reaching the Divine level.''


    In his head, Raze was trying topare his strength to himself when he was a 9-star mage. He could have done the same level of destruction, but it was hard to say in a fight who would win. Since he hadn''t seen enough, how fast was Belil, what about his speed and his various techniques? It was the same with magic, one had so many opportunities and ways to strike.


    "Are you trying to think of a way you could beat me?" Belil said, walking back toward Raze and Rayna.


    "I can see the look in your eyes; you''re thinking about something. Well, I like it; keep growing, keep getting stronger, and maybe someday, you''ll be just as strong as him." After saying those words, Belil was off, running back into the direction of the Demonic Faction.


    He had practically left Rayna and Raze alone together and had left with a big thought in Raze''s mind.


    ''Him? Who is him? Who is he referring to? Is it a rival that the Neverfall n had? Or maybe, is it referring to the person who was the head of the Noctis n, the Old Dark Faction founder Bofan Kilik.''


    It was the name that Raze had found out from the librarian of the Dark Faction, but from what he remembered as a professor, it had to be a different name he had used in Pagnapared to the one in Alterian.


    ''I had beaten a low Middle stage warrior back then. So I thought I might have stood a chance going against the Dark Pagna Academy. If we take the fight to them now, it might be extremely difficult.''


    "Hey, don''t beat yourself up," Rayna said. She could see that the Dark Magus was in deep thoughts, since he hadn''t said a word or moved since her father had left. "You see, these Light Faction members, they had already gotten rid of all the civilians that lived here. It was only Pagna warriors here."


    "And they were setting up a base here. Most likely they were nning another attack on the Demonic Faction. My guess is father decided to kill two birds with one stone by getting involved himself."


    "In a way, because of what he has done, he has stopped a full-out war from breaking out."


    "For now," Raze replied. "I wasn''t worried about that; I''ve been told the lives of Pagna warriors are like this. One submits to their n, knowing full well what they need to do."


    "Correct," Rayna replied. "Of course, you would know since you''re a Pagna warrior yourself. Honor is the most important aspect; the n''s honor is more important than the lives within it."


    "All of the factions have a different sense of what this honor is. In the Demonic Faction, supreme power rules all, and those below must obey. The Dark Faction uses anything at their disposal to win, whether that''s poison, slitting their throats at night, or attacking when the enemy isn''t looking, after all, only winning matters."


    "Then the Light Faction. One must not lower themselves down to the levels of the Dark Faction or Demonic Faction; otherwise, they are just as bad themselves. They are to fight head-on and straight forward. They are never to use underhanded tactics."


    "Fighting till the end with this honor means that they and the members of their n can hold their heads up high. Which is why those who have run away will most likely be killed by their own ns when they get back. The death my father gave them was more of a blessing."


    Rayna started to head back, and Raze followed along as he listened to what they said. He remembered Gunther exining something simr a while back, how it didn''t matter what energy you used to cultivate. But he was in the group that believed one''s belief and the culture of the faction they believed in determined if you were part of what Faction. Raze was starting to understand how the Dark Faction could ept using the Assessment method they were currently using.


    To them, it was part of their morals, what they all believed in, and because the ns were what was most important, the lives were just to be used by them.


    ''Doing whatever it takes to win is the Dark Faction''s way. I guess that suits me a bit, and I should use it against them if I''m going up against them.''


    When Raze had returned to the base, Rayna had stopped him just outside. She shook her head, stating that there was no need for him toe back. The matter was settled, and when things needed to proceed with the wedding of theirs, she would find a way to contact him.


    The best way was going to be through Fixteen, and she knew that as well. But before they parted ways, she had one more thing to tell him.


    "I still owe you a favor, for saving me," Rayna said. "I thought that doing this might have helped you, but I fear it has made things worse. So as your... wife, if you need anything from me, then feel free to ask."


    With that said, she quickly left, turning her head away, making sure the Dark Magus didn''t see her blushing face. As she went, she realized something.


    ''Wait, I don''t even know his real name; I just know him by ''Dark Magus''... I''m so stupid,'' Rayna thought to herself. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With the tricky situation having been dealt with the Neverfall n, Raze felt like it was safer for him to make movements in the Demonic Faction once again. The Light Faction should be off his back, and the Behemoth n would be aware of this soon.


    The city of Repton, he had a lot of heat on him due to what he had done, but it was his regr meeting ce.


    Upon returning to his room, Raze had found a few crates of food that had been prepared for him. Touching the food, he had ced it in his new zer that was able to contain close to an unlimited amount of items.


    Taking all of the food with him, he was sure that it would be enough for all of the others.


    ''Alright, Dame, I hope you''re right. If we give the food to the main disciples and the others, they will be willing to join our cause. Because I''ve realized that I''m going to need as much help as I can to take these guys down.''


    It was finally time for Raze to return to the assessment cavern, and he just hoped that the others were holding out and doing okay.

 Chapter 352 A sight of Horror

    Chapter 352 A sight of Horror


    In the underground assessment, things were intense between the students who were fighting. Twenty new students from the other underground assessments had been let into the cavern.


    They had already gone through the same methods as the current year-one Red Headband group. However, there was a huge difference between the rest of the groups and what the year-one Red Headband group had been through.


    The other students were unable to take the suffering, the hunger, and the thirst anymore. They had figured out the reason for the assessment, and in turn, they had gone from fighting each other. No one felt like they had anyone on their side anymore, and they had activated their instincts and the Qi in their bodies to the max. They had advanced through the stages, bing stronger than they were before.


    Now, joining the first years, they saw easy targets in their sights. Those who hadn''t lost all of their thoughts. Those who were still hesitant to attack their fellow students. They ran around, leaping forth and hitting the students who were still weak, their bodies still not activating with the desperate Qi to fight back.


    The main disciples were able to put up a fight so far but had realized that the others'' attacks were either at the same stage as them or higher.


    "These guys, they''re not going down!" Lisa spun around and knocked one of the attackers by the side of their head, but they had managed to lift their hands to block the attack.


    "The one thing that these guys don''t havepared to us is skill though. We have to use our techniques and skills to fight back!" Sherry eximed, as she swung her thin sword, almost dancing around her enemies. Since it wasn''t a real sword, even when her strikes hit, it wasn''t causing a lot of damage.


    The same couldn''t be said for their attackers. Most of them had given up the weapons in their hands and had managed to use their Qi to reinforce their fingers. They would swipe at the Red Headband students, attempting to attack their necks.


    One group in the center of it all had the majority of the attackers on them.


    "Meat Shield!" Liam shouted. Immediately, Simyon leapt in the way, standing in front of them. A swipe was made at his chest, but the attack didn''t cut through. Simyon then grabbed onto the student''s hand holding him. Right after, Safa dived in, thrusting her wooden spear, hitting him in the stomach. Then from behind, Liam grabbed onto his flying sword and whacked one right on top of the head. It was a devastating blow that had caused the student to fall right to the ground.


    But the student wasn''t dead, and in a desperate move, grabbed onto Liam''s leg. Another student was already there to attack him, and a fast swipe was made right at his neck. It was a fatal blow. Before it hit, Dame had grabbed the student by the wrist and then hit him away with the palm of his hand, sending him back a few meters away.


    "All of you have to focus; you need to be ready for anything that is going toe your way. You guys are in the Dark Faction, not the Light Faction. Do whatever you can to fight and win this fight!" Dame shouted.


    Dame was doing his best to not get involved; he wanted all of them to evolve, to grow in strength like these other students had done. To do that, they needed to feel like their life could be taken at any moment. However, he wouldn''t let them die; it was his promise to Raze, and he fully intended to keep it. So if it wasn''t a lethal blow, he would let them get hit.


    The fighting continued, and many students from the year-one group had died; there weren''t many left. There were four main disciples in total. And then out of the rest of the Red Headband group, there were only six that were still alive.


    Tinson, Violet, and Joe were still alive, having backed themselves up against a wall. All they were doing was reacting to the attacks; they weren''t trying to beat their opponents. These three were Red Headband users who knew each other for a long time.


    Tinson was the only survivor from Raze''s rampage in the dark space. They had somewhat realized what they had done, forcing their hand to attack Raze, but Tinson had stated to Raze that if he helped them, then they would be by his side in return.


    The other students were those that were part of Alfred''s group, a group that stuck together, nning to get rid of Raze, but their n had failed, and Alfred had remained dead. There were only three of them left alive right now.


    The fighting continued, and everyone was getting tired. That was until strangely, one by one, the attackers started to do something strange.


    One of them had dragged the body of the dead across the floor and was running back down the hallway. Some of the others were doing the same, with the dead bodies of the past, not even those that had been killed yet. Eventually, one by one, the 20 attackers, now dwindled down to around 17 attackers, had retreated down the hallway, taking the dead bodies along with them.


    Everyone was still on guard, not moving from their positions for a while, ready to fight. They all kept their eyes on the doorway, waiting for them toe back and attack, but it hadn''t happened just yet.


    And eventually, Tinson had copsed, falling to the floor, exhausted.


    "Ah... I''ve got no energy!"


    Violet quickly grabbed him and lifted him up.


    "Quickly, you have to cultivate, get some energy inside you; it''s the only thing we can do."


    Tinson listened and started immediately, and most of the others that were still alive in the room had done the same.


    "It''s strange, right?" Joe said. "Those guys, they''re all from the other assessments, but they''re acting like beasts. They''re attacking together, even though they don''t know each other, and now they''re retreating as well."


    That was what was making it difficult for them all. Not only were the other students at higher stages, but they were working together. The same couldn''t be said for the first-year Red Headband students, apart from an odd coboration from one part of them.


    "Thanks, you saved me a few times back there," Simyon said, looking at Ricktor.


    "If you really want to thank me, there are many ways you can, once we get out of here," Ricktor said, licking his lips.


    Which immediately made Simyon regret his decision of ever thanking him and made nearly all of the dissatisfaction return in an instant.


    "What do you think is going on in there anyway?" Liam asked. "Why did they retreat?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "They may be different from us, but they still have Qi energy as well," Safa replied. "They probably realized it was a lot harder to take us down than they originally thought, so they need to rest as well. They know they''re stronger than us in the Dark Space; they''re better at fighting in there."


    "Then what about the dead bodies?" Mada added. "Why take the dead bodies with them?"


    They all knew that there was only one way for them to find out; they would have to go down the hallway, past the seclusion rooms and into the dark space.


    "The rest of you recover; I''ll go have a look at what''s going on," Dame said.


    Out of everyone, Dame looked to bepletely fine. Other students were starting to notice that there was something different about himpared to the rest. They would have been happy about it, apart from the fact that he was only helping out a few people. Notining though, Dame walked ahead and continued down the hallway.


    "Dame!" Safa called out. "Stay safe!"


    Dame gave a thumbs-up as he headed in. He walked past the seclusion rooms, and as he did, turning his head, he realized that the dead bodies they had stored in the seclusion room were gone as well.


    ''I don''t have a good feeling about this.''


    The more Dame went down the hallway, the more sounds he could hear. He hadn''t felt like this in a while. He was at a higher stage than all at the academy; he was beyond most of them, so why now did he feel so scared?


    ''17 fourth-stage attackers, if all of them were to go at me at once, can I best them?''


    Dame continued forward, and when he did, he had entered the Dark Space. Focusing Qi on his eyes, he could see slightly, but still not well at all, but enough to see what they were doing. His stomach was churning at the sight, and the sounds he could hear.


    "They''re going toe back... and they''re going to be stronger than they were before. As time goes on, we''re only going to get weaker as well. Raze... where are you¡­?"

 Chapter 353 Attacked out of nowhere!

    Chapter 353 Attacked out of nowhere!


    Entering the Dark Space, Dame had a shiver running up his spine. He knew what was going on and had guessed what the students had resorted to.


    For them to be doing this naturally, it must have been what they had done in the other assessment rooms to keep going the way they had been doing.


    He didn''t want to stay in the room any longer and had decided to turn around and head back down the hallway.


    ''I don''t understand what the academy is trying to do. I know the Dark Faction is relentless and will do anything at the expense of victory, but what will be of these students after they leave this ce?'' Dame thought.


    ''They''re sanity, their respect for life, all of it will be gone. Do the ns have some method to return them back to the way they were before?''


    ''Or do the ns not care? They just want a bunch of loyal, strong, hardened killers.''


    There was a thought deep in the back of his mind. Although they said they were doing all of this for the sake of the Martial Arts Tournament, that was short-sighted thinking.


    Even if they managed to win with the five students that had made it out of this assessment, or more than that after this.


    This preparation, this desperation, it almost felt like they were preparing for a war instead. Where they needed to be at the strongest possible in the shortest amount of time.


    Even if they managed to win with the five students that had made it out of this assessment, or more than that after this.


    This preparation, this desperation, it almost felt like they were preparing for a war instead. Where they needed to be at the strongest possible in the shortest amount of time.


    It was the only way he could rationalize what they were doing right now.


    Eventually, Dame had returned, and seeing him return in one piece, they felt like it was good news, that was until they could see the look on his face.


    "Most likely, the students will group up and attack us again," Dame informed them all in a loud voice. "And they will have more energy than thest time they attacked. I don''t know how long until they are back."


    "Maybe they will wait a few days until we''re all weaker, but just know that if we just wait around, the problem isn''t going to go away."


    After saying those words, Dame decided to go over to his group, Liam, Simyon, and Safa.


    "What are we going to do now then?" Liam asked.


    "We need to keep training," Dame replied. "It''s the only way we''re all going to get through this. You guys are getting better at working together; you''re getting used to the techniques that you have learned."


    "But Simyon, your body is close to breaking through to the next stage, but to do that, your dantian needs to break through to the next stage as well.


    "That''s the same for all of you; we need to break through so all of you are at least at the fourth stage like them; your life depends on it."


    The others understood after the dread they had just gone through. They could each feel their bodies getting slightly stronger, but it wasn''t quite there.


    "Follow me; we''ll be safe in the seclusion rooms. For now, we need to use the gift that Raze left us."


    With that, the rest of the Red Headband students just watched as the group walked down the hallway to the seclusion rooms.


    The rest of them thinking that they must be mad to do such a thing.


    "Hey, what about Raze?" Joe, one of the trio of Red Headband students asked. "Isn''t he in the Dark Space as well? If all of those guys went there, does that mean he''s dead?"


    "I doubt it," Tinson said. "But it does make me wonder, where is he in all of this? I mean, he wasn''t even protecting his friends. Maybe he''s just stuck in the seclusion room. Maybe those attackers know not to mess with him either."


    After a short while with Dame and the others leaving, one person started to move forward towards the room, and it was none other than Ricktor. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He took a few steps before he had been grabbed by the arm by another fellow main disciple.


    "What are you doing?" Mada asked. "Are you nning to team up and help the others again? Where''s the respect for yourself gone?"


    "Respect?" Ricktor replied. "If we don''t do something or team up, then we will all die."


    "And that just means the ns'' trials were too tough for us, but we will die with honor." Mada replied. "Remember, the honor of the ns we are with and the honor you have. You can''t just throw that away, and in such a desperate way work with the others."


    "We have to rise with our own strength. Remember, although we might die, the n will continue to live, and the n''s honor is number one. Dying for the sake of the n and allowing it to rise is an honor."


    Ricktor couldn''t help butugh. "You really think like that? Do you think the ones that survive thank the ns for living every day? Are we alive now because of the ns or because of what we have done?


    "Right now, our life is on the line because of the ns, so again the situation has toe down to us. If we''re dead, what good is honor? It will disrespect our n and family."


    "What about the respect for ourselves? Let me ask you something when you saw Raze that day, the one from a no-name family, the one that is from no n. When he beat us."


    "The eyes of all the other students that day, did it look like they had no respect for him, even though he was part of no n? I think it''s time we start thinking for ourselves." Ricktor stated as he continued to walk off.


    Mada''s grip loosened, as he was left with Ricktor''s words. He couldn''t grasp it. The ns were everything. They were what made up the faction, what protected the people, and the rules and hierarchy were what allowed the ns to be in the position they wanted to be.


    One would rather die a member of their main n than die being a nobody or being known as a traitor, but why¡­ Why did the whole situation feel so wrong to him?


    Ricktor continued to walk down the hallway. Mada was right about one thing; he was looking for a certain group of people down here.


    He turned his head looking into each of the seclusion rooms and noticed something.


    ''So the dead bodies were taken away, now I understand what is happening. Our deaths give us so much honor, to the point where our bodies aren''t even buried but fed to the ones that killed us! Ha, it makes meugh how stupid I was to follow such things myself.''


    In the whole underground facility, Ricktor knew there was one that was clearly stronger than him, and it was Dame.


    With the two of them, maybe he could use him to break through to the next stage and reach the peak of the initial stage.


    He carried on walking until he heard a sound. He turned his head and could see all of the others in one room sweating, huffing, and panting.


    "Hello," Ricktor said with a smile, before he knew it, from the doorway, arge stone leg came out swinging right toward his face.


    He lifted his hands, and his body was sent crashing against the hallway walls. It was a strong hit.


    "What was that!" Ricktor asked, and now standing in the hallway itself, Ricktor could see it, arge stone warrior statue, but it was moving as if it was alive.

 Chapter 354 Young Masters Unite

    Chapter 354 Young Masters Unite


    Ricktor himself had managed to reach the fourth stage. Something had changed in him after the fight with Raze, allowing him to open his eyes more. When he cultivated, more energy was drawn in when using the Dark Essence absorption technique.


    And with that, his body had clicked, making him a fourth-stage Pagna warrior. When he entered the new assessment hall, it was the same; the feeling of his body having evolved into something else continued.


    Using his martial arts down below, he was feeling it; he was getting stronger by the moment. In his mind, it was clear that there were only two who could best him in this assessment, including those humans that had turned into wild animals, and those were Raze and Dame. So why, even though he had carefully observed everyone''s strength, and watched the others grow, was there someone who was able to best him other than those two, or at least match his strength?


    These were the thoughts that swirled in his head until he saw that it wasn''t someone, but instead, it was something. A stone statue that was wielding a stone spear in its hand. It had a menacing face and was looking right at him.


    Ricktor could also sense the Qi that wasing off from its body.


    ''That thing, it''s alive!'' Ricktor thought. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In the middle of his thoughts, the statue''s spear started to break down, crumbling and rebuilding into something else; it now had a sword in its hand. Then it ced the sword down by its side and shifted its foot forward.


    These motions, Ricktor recognized them well.


    ''This technique, it''s from my n. Don''t tell me he''s going to do that!'' Ricktor thought.


    But knowing his own techniques well, he knew the perfect way to counter it and readied his sword, holding it straight in front of him.


    "Stoney stop!" A female voice shouted out, and Safa along with the other two hade running out.


    Immediately after those words were shouted, the statue appeared frozen, before it stood straight up, no longer did it have Qi that was empowering its body.


    "Stoney, really?" Liammented.


    "What, I think the name is kinda cute," Simyon replied.


    "Yeah, the thing that was just trying to kill us moments ago, why not give it a cute name. Then I can say, hey, do you remember when Stoney was busting our balls earlier," Liamined.


    The situation was certainly strange, and Ricktor didn''t know what to make of it. He looked at the statue and originally assumed that it might have been some type of beast.


    But then, why did it know his n''s techniques, and how did it have such powerful Qi? Lastly, the others were pretty rxed with it being around them.


    "What are you doing here?" Dame replied. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"


    Dame had exited out of the small space as well. In the first ce, it was quite amazing how all of them could fit in the seclusion rooms, since they weren''trge in the first ce.


    They were just big enough for one to practice their martial arts without much movement.


    "I''m more wondering how this thing knew our n''s techniques. It appears if I was to get out of here and inform my father, that he might be inclined to get rid of all of you who are keeping this thing," Ricktor replied.


    "Ah, so you think threatening us is a good idea, in a ce like this, where we are encouraged to kill each other?" Dame replied.


    Seeing the situation quite tense, Safa was wondering what to do. Just before, Dame was the one telling them that if they wanted to get out of here, not only would they need to get stronger, but all of them should work together. And for some reason, unlike before, Safa didn''t feel like Ricktor had visited them with bad intentions.


    "It''s a monster," Safa answered. "We found it down here, maybe an escaped beast from a portal or something, but it listens to what I say since I found it. I think it likes me."


    Ricktor pulled a face; he knew it was a tant lie, it made no sense, and it didn''t exin how it knew their techniques either.


    "I suppose I would be inclined to ignore the statue''s origins, as long as you do me a favor," Ricktor suggested.


    After those words, Liam proceeded to hit Simyon on the back. "I''m sorry man, but it looks like your arse is going to have to be a sacrifice."


    "I swear, you better shut up before I electrify your balls," Simyon said, his fingers sparking slightly from the power of the Enchanted glove.


    "I was actually looking for you," Ricktor said, staring at Dame. "I can feel that I am close to a breakthrough, and in order to get out of this, I need to reach the next stage, and if possible even the stage above that."


    Dame thought about Ricktor''s suggestion rather than straight out saying no because he too wanted to rise out of the initial stage and move to the middle stage, and when watching the warrior, he noticed something.


    The statue, it was stronger than thest time Raze had used it. The statue was handed over to Safa, and with a bit of magic, she was able to activate it. In doing so, the statue listened to hermands.


    Themand she had given was to attack everyone apart from Dame. Which was why when Ricktor had attempted to enter the room, he had been quickly met with a kick.


    They were to fight in the small seclusion room, so there was no ce for them to run, and in turn, would have to force their strength to defeat the statue.


    However, why was the statue stronger than before, and he thought back to what skills it could use. Dame had seen it; he had seen it use all of the techniques belonging to the five main Dark Faction ns.


    Not just the skills or techniques but the way they fought. With Ricktor having taken two of them on, he could tell that it was almost a mash of their powers firing the statue''s strength.


    Now, the statue was stronger, was it directly linked to the statue? What had clicked for him was that the statue no longer used the Moon Shield n''s skills. The disciple was now dead.


    It had clicked in Dame''s head then. The statue''s strength was rted to the strength of the main disciples.


    ''If Ricktor reaches the next stage, does that mean the statue will get stronger? It already has the added strength of the other disciples, so right now the statue is like that of a fifth-stage warrior.


    ''It''s still not strong enough to go up against me, but if Ricktor reaches the 5th or 6th stage himself, then the statue will be at the peak of the initial stage, or maybe a low Middle-stage warrior like that of Beatrix.


    ''With that, I can use the statue to try and grow into the Middle stages myself.''


    Dame was also not ready to ept the deal on this thought because he knew he would need to be at least at the Middle stage to help Raze with his goal, but he didn''t need to rush.


    "And what''s in it for us if we ept your deal?" Dame asked.


    "Well, you will have an ally on your side, who will be the next head of their n, and I have a feeling that will be very soon," Ricktor smiled, licking his lips.

 Chapter 355 A Growing power from under

    Chapter 355 A Growing power from under


    Whatever Dame was thinking in his mind, he decided to trust Ricktor with his words, but before leaving, he had decided to give the others strict instructions.


    "Simyon, you''ve been learning the forging techniques and more about refinement of the body. The thing is your body is more like that of a weapon."


    "You need to put the body refinement technique and the weapon technique together to make them one and the same."


    "So you''re basically telling me I need to get beat up over and over again, right, even though I''ve now learned how to utilize Qi through my body to train my outer skin," Simyon replied.


    "I knew you would get it. The thing is, the body and a weapon are different in many ways. For one, the body needs to heal once it''s broken down, but you have the best person by your side." Dame looked at Safa and said nothing more.


    Her healing abilities, and magic in general, it was all to be kept a secret, especially from someone like Ricktor. Right now, they didn''t know whose side he was really on, but Dame didn''t mind because hopefully, the training would benefit them both.


    After saying those words, it was time for them to leave, but he had one more message for them.


    "The two of us will be going to the seclusion room at the very end. That way, if we hear the others moving to attack, we can warn you straight away, so you need to get ready for anything," Dame exined.


    The rest nodded, and Dame and Ricktor were off. They walked in, and finally, they had entered the room and stood opposite each other, staring into each other''s eyes.


    Ricktor took a step back, and so did Dame as well.


    "Do you use a weapon?" Ricktor asked, cing his hand on the hilt.


    "My weapons are my fists, and I don''t think I need to tell you, you don''t need to hold back. You should be fighting like your life is on the line."


    Ricktor chuckled, and right there and then, he pulled the wooden sword out, and an eruption followed his de.


    It was a surprise attack, but Dame didn''t move from his spot. He punched the sword right on point, and his other fist was almost touching Ricktor''s face.


    "If this was a real fight, you would have been dead," Damemented.


    "You really think so? If you want me to take this seriously, then you need to as well, and hit me!" Ricktor shouted as he quickly drew the de back and thrust it up.


    The visual Qi was activated like a volcano, but the strike hadpletely missed, and Dame had delivered a fist right into his stomach deep.


    Spit came shooting out of Ricktor''s mouth, but it wasn''t just spit; a bit of blood was seen with it as well.


    "Haha, that''s it, that''s what I wanted!" Ricktor said, smiling, and his Qi energy was rising right after the hit.


    "You are one strange guy," Dame thought. "If only he liked getting hit as much as you did."


    ---


    Thinking about a specific person, the group wasted no time in fighting against the statue once more. They each got into their position and stayed apart from each other, covering three of their sides.


    Unlike when they were fighting against the other students, they needed to experience the fear of danger and get through all of this with their own strengths, which is why they were split this way.


    "Alright, Stoney, attack!" Safa shouted.


    Immediately, Stoney didn''t pull out a sword and instead used his fists. These were the skills of the Lethal Bite n.


    Liam had thrown his sword in the air, aiming to use the juggling arts, but a fist had hit the wooden sword away, right into the wall.


    He had no choice but to spin, avoiding the attack. As the stone hit the fist, the whole seclusion room shook.


    Safa thrust her spear several times, at three points. An attack that was meant to be a sure hit. The stone statue had managed to block two of them and got hit with the third, but the damage done to the statue was next to nothing.


    From behind the statue, now it was Simyon''s turn. He readied his fist and threw it right at the bottom of its leg.


    "A hard body means that everything, every part of me, is a weapon as well, so I don''t just take hits, but I can hit hard as well."


    The statue lifted its foot and then stomped down on his arm, pinning it. Now in its hand was a sword, and as it swung it, visual Qi like that of a river smashed, sending Simyon flying, hitting the wall.


    He could see the stone statue on him, the sword thrusting toward his chest; it then smashed right where his heart was, but was unable to pierce through his skin.


    The statue continued to twist the sword as it pinned Simyon against the wall.


    "Stoney, st-"


    "No!" Simyon shouted at Safa, and then ced both of his hands on the sword. "If we want to get through this assessment, then we need to grow stronger as well."


    "We can''t just rely on Raze. Do you remember what happened when we were in the Demonic Faction back then? We could do nothing, and in the end, he helped us."


    "We agreed to follow him, but the one thing we can''t do if we follow him is be a hindrance to him. He''s going to have more enemies on his back, so what we need to do is get stronger!"


    While saying these words, Simyon could feel something. His dantian, it was growing and spreading through everywhere, and the earring he was wearing, it was starting to pulsate along with his body.


    With a pulse, Simyon pushed through.


    "Do you want that to happen again, that humiliation?" Simyon shouted.


    Liam picked up the sword and tensed his fist. He remembered that feeling well; he remembered it because he had felt it more than once now.


    The fire in his stomach was burning as well, and it was the same for Safa.


    While the three of them had the same thoughts running through their heads, the Qi in their body, it was almost reacting with each other. All of it pulsating, their dantians growing, and soon, a strange mist started to rise out from the top of their heads, each of them bathed in color.


    [Rare Rank Metal body has been achieved]


    The ring glowed, and the power resonated with all of them in that moment, and finally, all of them had broken through to the third stage.


    "ARGHH!" Simyon screamed at the top of his lungs, and so did Safa, as well as Liam as all three of them went to attack.


    They could feel something had changed in them. They were already close to getting through to the next stage after being down here for so long.


    They could feel they were nearly there, but what they didn''t have was the determination to want it enough. To force their bodies into growing stronger in the time of need.


    All three of them struck the statue, and when they did, all of them were flung back, like a rebound as each of their bodies hit the wall.


    "What is happening? I thought we had just broken through to the third stage?" Liam said, rubbing the back of his head.


    The statue was standing there, with the sword in its hand. A faint Qi, visual Qi, was flowing from all around its body.


    Liam wasn''t sure if his one good eye was working or not, but it almost felt like the statue had gotten stronger, and it had done so because they weren''t the only ones that had managed to break through to the next stage.


    A few doors down, in the furthest seclusion room, the ground was sttered with all sorts of blood, but thest few spits of blood while receiving punishment from Dame were ck in color.


    ''This guy, I felt it before,'' Dame thought. ''When I was fighting, he was carefully analyzing all of my punches. He''s a natural talent, one of the best I''ve seen. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''He reminds me a lot of one of my brothers, which I don''t like too much.''


    With his weak body, Ricktor could feel it. He lifted up his sword, wiping the ck blood from his mouth.


    "I''ve reached the fifth stage, but it''s not time to stop there; let''s keep going!" Ricktor ordered.

 Chapter 356 Are we ready?

    Chapter 356 Are we ready?


    Raze had decided to return to the Pagna Academy. With everything he had done, it was close to being a full week he had been away.


    The assessment was most likely in itsst week, or perhaps it would even end earlier than that, but all of these thoughts were what were worrying him slightly.


    He had given Dame the warning that things could take around a week or so, because he knew he needed to go to Alterian for the meeting. He just never imagined the whole affair would take even longer.


    After that, things just continued to pile up one after the other, but now he was ready, and in order for him to return, he would have to open a portal and travel back through the dimension he had done before. Where he opened a portal from on his end didn''t really matter; it would put him in a random ce in the other dimension, but what he had kept note of was where to open the portal once he was in the other dimension.


    This was all so he could go back to the same ce in the Pagna Academy, back to the underground facility.


    He needed to be careful; otherwise, he could very well teleport in apletely different ce altogether.


    He even wondered if he did it a little too far out what would happen, would he appear stuck underground in the world of Pagna, or would he just pop up above where the ce would have been?


    ''I guess the portals need a ce to construct themselves, so if an area is too dense, it just wouldn''t form. Then the location gets pushed up. This is probably why there haven''t been any cases of things like that happening or reports of that.''


    The thing was, Raze didn''t know what to believe anymore. Because of the Grand Magus, he was sure there were several reports that would be hidden or kept from the public eye. Information that wouldn''t be shared with the whole world.


    This was also one of the worrying factors becausest time Raze had visited the Dimension he needed to pass through, he had killed some mages on his way.


    What the mages were there for, Raze never really found out, but killing them, he was sure that things would be a bigger mess now.


    There was only one way to find out, and Raze had teleported through. He was back in the world of Darkness, and not much had changed.


    There was still that strange mystic blue sky that appeared to be taking parts of the top of the world into it, almost like a ck hole had appeared above.


    He was somewhere in the ruined city and could see therge wall at the other end, and most importantly, he could still see other mages, with the white robes and the marking of a golden ''I'' on top of their heads.


    Quickly, Raze jumped from his position using the Qi in his body. He leapt several feet with his strength alone, which he would have thought was impossible before.


    Hended on top of a building, using his wind magic just at the very end to silence his steps. The second-floor roof had been destroyed, and three of the sides were left standing, while one looked to have been diagonally cut allowing him to see more of the outside.


    ''There are even more mages than before.''


    Raze could see them almost systematically searching every area and room. They were heading in and then filing in reports. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''I guess they upped the security after I came. I can sense that there are quite some powerful ones among them this time. Maybe ones that are too hard for me to handle.''


    Thinking about the situation for now, Raze was going to wait until the area was clear and then move from one building to the next to get to the other side.


    "If I see any mages, I can use the extraction technique on them to increase my magic attributes as well,'' Raze thought to himself.


    ''Right now, if I head back to the academy, I need to know the strength I have on my side, and whether it''s enough,'' Raze started to think, listing the allies that were willing to fight with him.


    There was Dame, an initial stage warrior that was at his peak, but with the special gauntlets handed to him, Raze knew he was able to beat those at the middle stage.


    Then there was Safa along with the other two. Although they might not be strong enough to take on a main disciple head-on, they could at least help him take out some of the other teachers if they were involved in stopping them.


    Then Raze had to think of his enemies as well, the five main ns and the principal.


    On his side, he had the Crimson Crane, who were eight strong middle stage warriors, and if he wanted to, he now might be able to get Rayna to help as well.


    He imagined her strength was either greater than the Crimson Crane but had to be weaker than the Elder that they had gone against.


    ''The issue is, this needs to be dealt with in the academy. With all the allies I have, we might be able to pull something off, but if all the members from the other ns get involved, we don''t have enough people, even if we get the Red Headband students on our side.''


    At that moment, in the middle of his thoughts, Raze could hear someoneing up the stairs. He quickly leapt up, jumping high in the air.


    When the mage reached the top of the stairs, Raze hadnded on top of them. He pulled out his sword, stabbing through their shoulder and holding his hand over their mouth.


    Right after, he ced his hand at the back of their head, and he started to use the extraction technique, absorbing their power away.


    ''I can''t rely on the others to do the things that I need for me. In the end, the only one I can control what happens to, is myself, so I must get stronger myself. Just wait a tiny bit longer, guys¡­ I need to make sure, if people are fighting for me, that I don''t lose them, not likest time,'' Raze thought to himself.

 Chapter 357 The Hard Life Of A Warrior

    Chapter 357 The Hard Life Of A Warrior


    The three of them, after so much time, had finally broken through to the third stage. They had done so in less than a month, and it was something that they should have been proud of.


    Beforeing to the academy, they would have been over the moon to have just stayed as Blue Headbands and then progressed maybe to the second stage before leaving the academy. Going on with their cultivation journey from there. Yet, now they were at the third stage, and it was only the second assessment that the academy was going through.


    Of course, things had taken some drastic turns that not even they thought would happen. However, despite this achievement, all three of them felt defeated and down because they were now unable to even get a single hit on the statue.


    "Man, what is going on with that thing?" Liam said as he looked at his broken arm. Safa was currently busy using her Light magic, trying to heal it. Larger wounds would take more restores, but she also noticed that if she took her time to gather more Light magic, then used the spell restore, it would have a greater effect.


    She was also busy healing up Simyon as well. The three of them were taking a break from their training at the moment.


    "Yeah, it somehow has gotten significantly stronger. Is there no way you can have it take it easy on us?" Simyon asked.


    "Hey, you were the one that told us not to do that," Safa argued back. "In order for us to get stronger, we have to fight like our lives are on the line."


    "Yeah, but not our literal lives," Simyon said, holding his stomach.


    There was something else that was getting to all of them now, and that was the hunger. They were faring better than the others, but now it felt like they were close to their limit. Even while fighting, it was hard for them to focus, and they were deciding whether or not they should stop training just so they could preserve the rest of their strength. Especially when they didn''t know when the others would attack or not.


    In the middle of their thoughts, they soon saw arge shadow by the doorway.


    "Do you mind healing up one more?" Dame said as he ced Ricktor down by the side of Safa next to the other boys. He was beaten ck and blue, his clothes covered in blood, and hadpletely passed out, but he wasn''t the only one that had been hit.


    Dame had a couple of grazes on his cheeks. He didn''t look to have any severe wounds, but he had been hurt.


    "For some reason, I kinda like seeing him hurt like that," Liammented.


    "The one thing the guy has is tenacity, that''s for sure," Dame said. "He wouldn''t stoping at me, even when he was beyond injured, and eventually, he passed out. How is the training with you guys going?"


    The three went on to speak about their experience with the statue, and for Dame, it had only confirmed his thoughts more. That the statues were linked to the main disciples. It was something that he would need to talk to Raze about a bit more because maybe they could use this to their advantage.


    The statue might now be even stronger than Dame, so it was no wonder the three were unable to do something, but if they could grow it a step further, then it was possible it could be another handy tool in the fight against the Pagna academy.


    While the group was resting away and Safa was doing her healing, they had noticed one thing, and that was two students walking down the hallway. No one so far had headed to the seclusion rooms, especially when they knew that their attackers were by the side of them in the Dark Space.


    However, it wasn''t just any two students, but it was the main disciples.


    "I guess they''ve decided to use this ce as training now as well," Liammented, his arm feeling a lot better. "Now that they know we''re still alive. They''re very brave after others take the lead."


    "Yes, and that other was Dame," Simyonmented, making him remember that it wasn''t them, and they probably would be staying in the training area if it wasn''t for Dame.


    A short whileter, and the main disciples were seen walking back into the main area. It was perhaps around thirty minutes or so that they had spent.


    "Maybe they got cold feet," Liammented, shrugging his shoulders. Their actions were strange, and they wondered if they walked past just trying to see if they were the ones in the seclusion room.


    A few groans were starting to be heard from the corner of the room, and slowly Ricktor was starting to open his eyes again.


    "I¡­ passed out," Ricktor said.


    "That you did indeed," Dame replied. "You are a tough one for a main disciple. I thought all of you guys were pampered by your ns, so a few hits here and there and you go running back."


    Ricktor let out a single loudughter. "Do you really think that''s what a main disciple is like? If anything, I would have said the life of a main disciple is harder than that of just an ordinary one."


    "Are you kidding me?" Liam said. "You guys get to eat what you want, have the best facilities, and even have teachers to teach you martial arts from the day you can walk. You think that''s better than our lives where some days we have to hunt for our own food or worry about someone if they get sick or a beast ripping your eye out because your n''s not strong enough to protect you!" Liam pointed at his own eye.


    "You guys won''t understand," Ricktormented.


    But Dame did know what Ricktor was talking about. Although it sounded pleasant to others, a main disciple''s life was much harder. There was more pressure from inside and outside, and even from a young age, there were those that either wanted you dead or expected you to be great from your first words. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As a main disciple, your life wasn''t your own; it''s never your own. And you were expected to follow the n''s rules and everything to do with it from the get-go.


    "Let''s just all agree to disagree; we won''t know each other''s lives unless we live it ourselves, right?" Dame asked.


    "I was wondering, though, what about Raze''s life, Safa? How was his life?"


    When asking this question, though, Safa didn''t know how to answer. She knew how hard her life with her real brother was, but what about Raze? What had he been through? He hadn''t really said much, but judging from the way he reacted or the things he said... it had to be difficult.


    He lived a full life beforeing here, yet why did he still have so much baggage with him? What could drive someone to have that type of emotion and never forget about it?


    Before Safa could answer, though, Dame''s ears tingled, and he immediately stood up. The sound of heavy breathing was being heard, and the shuffling of feet. It was faint, their footsteps quiet, but Dame knew.


    "Everyone, head to the training area; they''re attacking again!"

 Chapter 358 The Last Struggle

    Chapter 358 The Last Struggle


    Dame could hear it; he could hear the other students shuffling in the Dark Space. Their footsteps were light, something they had adapted and learned when doing whatever it was they needed to do to survive.


    However, with so many of them, Dame could tell they were on the move. They had been gone for quite a while, perhaps a day or so, so he was worried. They would be fully fed and had gathered the rest of their Qi, ready for a fight. Compared to the rest of them who were in pain,cking energy from fighting, it was going to be extremely tough.


    Dame and the others had shot through into the training area, the look on their faces said it all.


    "Are theying?" Tinson asked, hopping to his feet, and his two friends, Violet and Joe, stood up as well. They had been cultivating as much as they could, trying to regather their energy. For them, there was no energy for training; they could only fight using everything they could to preserve their life.


    "They are. There are more of them than us, so we need to work together!" Dame shouted. "Do what you did before; if we have our backs up against a wall, they can onlye at us from one angle. It will limit our movements, but if we stay close to each other, we can protect each other''s sides."


    Working together, it was what Dame was suggesting. To all of them, when they originally entered the underground area and started the assessment, they had thought about it; some of them had even made groups. As time went on, though, the idea of working together seemed impossible. They were at each other''s throats and knew this assessment required them to be pitted against each other.


    Even now, after they dealt with these attackers, what would be of them? But they couldn''t think aboutter; they needed to do what they could to survive now.


    All of those in the lit-up training area had run straight toward the back wall. Now they were just staring at the hallway, the gap, the entrance where they woulde from. Firmly in their hands, they held onto their weapons.


    "It''s okay," Simyon said. "We''re stronger thanst time; we''re better than we were before. We can do this!"


    Right on cue, three of the headband students came leaping out from the exit, and the rest followed like a horde of beastsing to attack them. Rather than running straight on, they had split up and wereing from the sides.


    Seeing this, one of the students leapt and swung the sword from above, and the one that had decided to step forward was Ricktor. He timed his footing perfectly as he shifted forward and swiped upward with his wooden sword. In doing so, it smashed against the chin of his attacker, who flipped back and fell onto the floor. It was clear; the student, the attackers, they were hurt much more than thest time they had attacked.


    However, they were outnumbered; the Red Headband students, in total, consisted of 13 altogether, and the attackers were seventeen strong and wild enemies. It didn''t seem like arge gap, but one thing was clear: the others were stronger.


    Tinson went for a swing, and his attack had missed; he then was punched by the side of his shoulder and he was thrown into the wall. As the attackers got in closer, Simyon ducked under a swing and punched the attacker deep in the stomach, sending them skidding across the floor.


    "Thanks for the help," Tinson said.


    "You can thank me once we get rid of all these guys!" Simyon shouted.


    The person he attacked was quickly getting up, and another came from the side, swinging a sword, hitting him on the back of his head. The sword didn''t do much to hurt him, though, and he managed to spin, hitting the attacker with the back of his fist.


    But the first person he had attacked had leapt right on top of him and had hardened Qi into his fingernails. ncing to his left and right, he could see that the others were having their own troubles that they were dealing with.


    Safa was going head-to-head with one of the attackers; she was thrusting fast and able to keep an attacker off from her, but they were almost in a stalemate. The attackers weren''t the same as they were before. Their movements were slightly faster, they were also more switched on. They wouldn''t fall for the same trick once and weren''t wildly rushing in after they had been hit.


    Although they had improved, their attackers had done so as well. Before, it took three of them to take down one or two on their own; at least now they could hold off one each, which was an improvement for them. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Dame was also keeping a good eye on everyone, and he saw one of the attackers leap forward towards Liam before he reached them, though, Dame had grabbed the back of the attacker''s shirt and threw him behind him back onto the ground.


    ''I can''t help them out, not yet. The other students need to feel the desperate situation they are in, and then when we save them, they''ll be even more in debt to us. As for the others, they''ve improved to the third stage, but that''s not enough... they need to get out of this situation themselves and improve to the fourth stage just like their attackers!'' Dame thought.


    The struggle, it was real. Safa had her spear finally knocked to the side, and a swipe of a wooden sword had hit her shoulder. She screamed in great pain, but the next attack wasing to her head. She had no choice but to roll, and as she did, she swung her spear, hitting the student and pinning him against the wall. No help wasing; this was something they had to do themselves.


    As for Simyon, he had been trying to get the student that was on top of him off for a while; he was pinned down, and the student was stronger than him. His nails had dug into the side of his arm, and with a headbutt, he smashed it against Simyon''s head. However, the student felt a little light-headed after he lifted it back up.


    "Yeah, I have a hard big head, you idiot!" Simyon shouted, nearly getting off, until he saw another wooden de whack him right on his forehead, filled with Qi, causing the back of his head to smash on the ground.


    The three he had helped before, they were all struggling against just one of the attackers, so now he was left to deal with two on his own.


    ''Crap, how do I get out of this situation!'' Simyon thought.


    There was one person who would always keep an eye on him and knew he needed help: Ricktor. He swung his sword, knocking his attacker away, off to the side, and quickly moved into position, that was until two people had turned to face him.


    "One threw out their fist, and Ricktor had no choice but to jump back to avoid the hit."


    "What do you guys think you''re doing?" Ricktor asked.


    "What do you mean, we''re surviving in this ce?" Lisa replied, one of the main disciples, and standing by her side was Sherry, the other main disciple.


    Mada, who was also fighting against the attackers, suddenly saw two of the Red Headband students in the same area as him, surrounding him as well.


    "They''ve betrayed us, turned against us!" Mada shouted.

 Chapter 359 The Winning Side

    Chapter 359 The Winning Side


    Ricktor was a little stunned at this sudden change of heart, although at the same time, not so much. Although he and the other main disciples couldn''t exactly call themselves friends, they had been in simr situations since the Academy started, so they regrly talked amongst each other.


    Their positions were above the rest, so they knew how each other felt. That was why Ricktor never thought something like this would quite ur. However, what he didn''t see was what had happened while he was passed out, and the fact that Lisa and Sherry had both walked past their seclusion room.


    "Do you really think it''s a smart idea, going against me?" Ricktor said, almost giving them a second chance to reconsider their positions.


    "Do you really want to act all high and mighty with the position you are in right now?" Lisa asked. "You guys, all of you saw these guys like beasts, yet you seemed to forget that they are students just like us. They have been put into the same situation as us as well. They are human beings who you can talk to, so that''s what we decided to do."


    "And in your haste, you decided to work together with them in order to get rid of us?" Ricktor asked. "And what''s your n after that, to just battle it out against yourselves?"


    "Shut up!" Sherry immediately shouted back. "We are just doing what our ns asked of us! They said that we would get through this. And we saw you going ahead talking to the others; we knew you were nning to team up with them, but where does that leave us? You know that Raze will be picked for the martial arts tournament unless we get rid of him and his friends. Yet now you''re working for them? All we have decided to do is join the side that is most likely going to win; we''re on the winning side!"


    "And we could say the same to you," Lisa added. "When this is all over, what was your n? We still have to get rid of each other after this; you think it will be all over after this."


    Ricktor looked around at the other Red Headbands, the ones that were fighting on the side of Simyon and the others. They were helping each other. He understood those close to Raze helping each other, but why had the other Red Headbands changed their way of thinking? The only thing he could think of was if they were promised a way out of here, promised a way to still live when this assessment is over.


    Thinking this, Ricktor smiled to himself as he lifted his wooden sword, pointing it at the two girls.


    "Do you really think you''ve joined the winning side? If you truly believe that, then you guys have been blinded by your own arrogance this whole time. Us main disciples are not the strongest ones in this ce!"


    Not talking anymore, Ricktor charged forward and swung his sword down. Sherry quickly came in to intercept as she swung her fan down toward the sword. The moment the two collided, she felt like her feet were going to buckle; the ground beneath her feet was breaking as she struggled to push back.


    ''How is he so strong? I knew Ricktor was always stronger than us, but... it feels like he''s gotten even stronger.''


    Just then, Lisa came in, leaping to the side to attack, and another student hade from the other side. Ricktor avoided them both, but his legs stumbled a bit.


    ''Crap, I still haven''t fully recovered myself, and even the toll of not eating, it''s starting to affect me a bit as well,'' Ricktor thought.


    Elsewhere, the others were having great trouble themselves. Safa was struggling. Her hands were weakening as well due to theck of food. She had also been using a lot of her magical power, and in doing so, she hadn''t been able to recover as much Qi as she had done with the others. But she did have one thing on her, and that was the statue.


    ''No, I can''t use the statue. I can feel it, even through this fight, although my Qi is emptied, with us forced to use it in this situation, I can feel our dantian; it''s breaking, it''s growing stronger, we can do this!''


    It wasn''t just Safa; Liam and Simyon could feel it as well, and it was the same for Tinson and his friends. All of them were fighting with their life on the line, pushing their bodies to the limit, forcing them into a survival state. They were swinging wildly, getting hit, but drawing whatever power they had, and they could feel their bodies cracking down more and more. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''This is it; everyone is doing it. Those other students there are close to reaching the third stage, and as for Safa and the others, within not a day of reaching the third stage, they were close to the fourth stage.''


    ''Although this assessment is cruel and forces the minds and bodies of these teenagers to go through extreme things, the one saving grace is how quickly they have managed to evolve in all of this.''


    Unfortunately, though, this was true for both sides. Mada was dealing with the two Red Headband students as well as two of the attackers; there were four on him. Due to him feeling weak, he was unable to properly perform his n''s techniques, and all he was able to do was defend.


    Right as he went to block a kick from one of the students, he felt his whole body get hit back and crash into the wall.


    ''There''s ck smokeing off their body; have the Red Headband students broken through to the next stage... this is not looking good, this is not looking good at all.''


    Mada was looking around for help, but everyone was struggling, mostly because of theck of energy. It was frustrating them even more. If only they had eaten, then maybe even then their bodies would now have the energy to break through and help them out, but it felt like there was nothing they could do.


    One of the students jumped up and thrust their sword toward Mada''s head. He moved to the side, avoiding the hit, then spun around another student. As he turned, he received another kick to the stomach. He skidded across the floor in pain; his legs wouldn''t stop skidding across the ground until he eventually stopped and fell onto his knees.


    He was now away from the wall, away from the others, and away from his safety, and he could see two othersing right for him.


    ''Darn it... darn it! Should I have stayed with the others rather than close to Ricktor? Did I make a mistake?'' Mada thought.


    He tried getting up, but his whole body was shaking, not from the pain, but just theck of energypletely. He needed to pick up his sword; he needed to strike.


    ''Just one hit, if I just could deliver one hit at full strength, I would take these two down, in a single blow!''


    Mada screamed this in his head, and right in front of his eyes, he saw a sword sh across their chest; the top of the two students'' bodies fell to the ground; they were defeated, killed in an instant.


    Mada looked at his own hand, but it hadn''t moved; he hadn''t picked up his sword, and with a wooden sword, he would have never been able to do such a thing.


    "I''m ready," a voice said to Mada''s right, and light steps were made as a figure walked past him.


    "I''m ready to get rid of the ones that forced us all into this situation."


    Turning his head, Mada could see it.


    ''Raze... you''ve returned, and the power around you, it''s causing my whole body to shiver.''

 Chapter 360 Did you pick the right side?

    Chapter 360 Did you pick the right side?


    Mada had to second guess himself as to what he had just seen. He was fighting against the rabid students, those that had reached stage 3 and stage 4. Their strength was relentless, as they weren''t as deprived of foodpared to the others.


    Even then, they had also somehow learned to attack and fight in their own way. Not relying on the skills they had learned from the academy or their ns, a way of fighting which was superior in the dark underground area they were in.


    Because of all of these things, Mada was having a difficult time going against the others. So how, even if it was Raze who managed to best Ricktor, did he manage to slice two of those students down in a single attack? Not only that, but he was sure of it, that Raze had struck before even walking past him; his attack had somehow extended out of himself. When looking up, Mada could see the back of Raze''s head, the white hair.


    "That''s definitely him; where has he even been this whole time?" Mada thought. "Was he just training or something? I mean¡­ how else could he get so strong?"


    Since thest time Raze was in the underground assessment, he was a 3-star mage and he was in the 4th stage. Since then, he had managed to be a 4-star mage, and on top of that, he had also increased his stage to the fifth stage. He wasn''t just any fifth stage warrior, but was close to reaching the 6th stage already.


    He had fought against the Behemoth n, absorbing their energy, pushing himself to the fifth stage. But after that, he had absorbed the attackers in the other dimension, as well as the beasts that he could during that time. And then, there was the mess he had with the mages after increasing his magical strength further.


    With all the power Raze had, it was hard to think of him as just another 5th stage warrior. At the end of the day, he was the one who had already taken down someone that was in the middle stage, even if they were a low-ranking one. Right now, Raze still had all that strength, the strength of at least someone at the middle stage, which was why it was so easy for him, with a swing of his swordbined with a bit of magic, to take out the other students.


    Dame could feel the big changes in Raze, the strengthing off from his body as he just continued to walk toward the others.


    "Before he left, I thought about it myself; I wondered if I was stronger than Raze. Maybe the two of us were now around the same level in terms of strength. But I''m sure of it now, Raze is stronger than me. He is someone who transcends just the normal stages of the Pagna warrior, someone who breaks and ignores all of the set rules. If anyone meets him thinking that they''re just going against another initial stage warrior, they will regret it." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As Raze walked forward, several of the other rabid students had turned and came towards him. He dodged one of their attacks swiftly, moving himself, and swung his sword down. The edge of the sword slightly turned crimson as a strike was made. The attack had gone right through one and continued hitting the others away. He then charged forward with the second step, and Raze shed through another one of the students. Just like that, three of them had been killed and were down for the count.


    Soon, nearly all of the rabid students had turned their heads and were looking at Raze. They were ignoring the other students because they could tell that arger threat hade. Their animal-like instincts were kicking in more than before. What should they do? Were they to team up and attack, or did they ept that this person was stronger than them?


    "Unfortunately, for you, I''m not giving you a choice," Raze said. He charged forward and knocked the hand away of his attacker and then grabbed onto their head. Right there and then, he started to drain them of their energy. Their bodies became weaker, their bodies bing lifeless.


    "With all of these in the room now, I should be able to reach the 6th stage as well," Raze continued. The rabid students knew now that he wasing after them, and if that was the case, they needed to fight back.


    "Wait, what are you doing!" Sherry shouted. "These are your fellow students, and you''re just killing them without a second thought; think about their families!"


    "What is that bitch talking about!" Liam said as he was finding his footing, his legs a little wobbly. "Just moments ago, with them, she was willing to kill us. What about our families?"


    Raze struck down another, slicing with his sword through the other''s wooden sword and creating arge diagonal sh. He was using his magic but limiting it to wind magic so the others weren''t aware of it. With it, they would just think it was part of his technique.


    "These are humans now? Do you think they could go back and live a normal life after what they have done?" Raze asked.


    "I saw the Dark Space; you decided to team up with those that even eat their own kind, those that won''t even allow their families to have a proper burial or see their children''s face for thest time. There is always a limit to how far you can go; there are lines that can''t be crossed. It might not be the students'' fault; they were forced into this situation, I don''t me anyone for wanting to just survive. But then again, you can''t me me for the actions that I do against you."


    Raze could see it as he was fighting the students. The looks in their eyes. They had already sumbed to the assessment. They were going to relentlessly fight anyone because that was how they had survived and achieved victory in this assessment before.


    There would be no reasoning with them. They would stab you in the back at the first chance one would give them. It was toote for these students. He couldn''t save them, so the least he could do was put their horror to an end, and use their strength and add it to his own to punish those that were responsible. The whole room had stopped fighting; it was only Raze and the rabid ones, and they watched the spectacle as he took them down one or two at a time. The strikes he took were clean, and at most he would only hit them twice to kill them. Seeing the students being killed, the look in their eyes before death, for some reason, to the rest of the Red Headbands, it had brought tears to their eyes, due to the whole situation they were in.


    "Why¡­ why do we have to do this, this damn academy, our stupid ns!" Tinson screamed.


    And finally, all of the rabid students had been dealt with, and now, there were just the rest and the betrayers.


    "Did you forget about him?" Ricktor said with a smile, looking at the two girls. "If there''s one thing you should have learned from our fight with him, it''s that his side is always the winning side."

 Chapter 361 The Start Of An Upset

    Chapter 361 The Start Of An Upset


    After seeing one person take on all of the rabid students that were between the third stage and fourth stage, the will, the confidence that all of what Lisa and Sherry hadpletely disappeared.


    "Look at you guys now, huh?" Mada stood up and immediately swung his sword. Visual Qi of a flowing waterfall appeared as he smashed it right against the neck of one of the Red Headband students.


    His whole body had fallen to the ground immediately. It was hard to know if the student had been killed from the powerful Qi strike or just hurt, but it was clear that he wasn''t going to get up from the strike either way.


    "You guys, you really decided to team up with those that were trying to kill us!" Mada shouted at the other Red Headband student that had gone against them.


    "During this entire time, we main disciples had decided to do nothing. We decided to leave all you guys be! Do you think we wanted to take part in this crap pot of an assessment? And, then when you get the chance you go against us!"


    "Wait!" The student frantically dropped his weapon to the side and was shaking his hands. "It was Lisa''s idea, the whole thing was her idea. She said that only five of us could go through anyway! How were we meant to go against one of the Main Disciples?"


    "Did you forget who I am!" Mada swung his sword, bashing it right across the student''s face. Blood sttered in the air along with a few teeth hitting the floor just before the student''s head hit the ground.


    "I''m a Main Disciple as well!" Mada stated.


    Hearing who was behind the attack in the first ce, Raze had decided to move away from the bodies on the ground he had created. He looked over at the others. They were hurt, cut in ces and bleeding, but none of the wounds looked to be major. More than anything, they looked a bit exhausted, and it was the same for the others as well. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After seeing this, he turned around and headed back into the hallway where he hade from without saying a word.


    Both Sherry and Lisa let out a big sigh of relief after seeing this. They didn''t know why, but the look in Raze''s eyes, and whenever he was in the room, it just made them feel sick.


    "What, you think now you''re free, after we just heard your n, and the fact that you tried to kill us?" Ricktor said. "More specifically, you had personally targeted me as well."


    The two girls looked at each other out of the corner of their eye. In their heads, they were both trying to see how they could get out of this situation.


    "We were left with no choice!" Lisa shouted. "You know what this assessment is for. The n was for all of us to get through; we were the chosen ones for this assessment.


    "But then, we saw you getting buddy-buddy with the others! There are only five ces. What did you want us to do, just give our lives? We were meant to get rid of Raze together, and then the others, but you ruined that."


    "Get rid of Raze?" Ricktor replied. "That was an order that was given by your n Head, not mine, and our positions were never secure."


    "The handsome one, the eye-patch kid, the mute, the tall one, and Raze. That already makes five. In here, have you seen how they have evolved? What made you so sure that we were above them?"


    Sherry was biting her teeth by her side as well. "And what about the others, why didn''t you agree to help? If you knew this was going to happen."


    When Sherry shouted, she was specifically shouting at Tinson and the others.


    "Do you think we cared about the martial arts tournament?" Tinson replied. "We just want to get out of this ce. So rather than trying to be part of the final five, we were just looking for a way to survive."


    "And how do you expect to do that? The assessment will go on for another week at least; can you survive with no food still? It''s even affecting us, so it must be worse for you guys."


    On cue, Raze had returned at that moment, and he was dragging tworge sacks behind him. A certain smell was covering it up, the smell of blood that was lingering in the air.


    When he came over, he ced the bag in front of Safa and Tinson and his friends, and let go of the tied end. As therge cloth unwrapped itself, that was when food was revealed to them all. Includingrge containers of water and cups for them to drink from.


    Bread, different types of dried meat, and more. It was food, and it wasn''t small amounts of it either.


    "Can we¡­ eat this?" Liam asked. If he even had the saliva toe out from his mouth, he would have been drooling all over the ce.


    "I am keeping my part of the deal, and you must keep yours. Before taking any of this food, I need to make it clear to you all that this is an offer for you all."


    "If you agree to take this food, then you will be able to survive the assessment, but that means we have all gone against the order of the Pagna Academy and the ns that ordered this."


    "The way the ns have treated us, the way the academy has treated us, it''s as if our lives don''t matter. They wouldn''t care if we are dead, so why should we care if they are still alive."


    "If you take this food, then you are agreeing to go against the academy with me."


    After saying these words, it didn''t take long for Liam and Simyon to already dig in, and Safa followed after. They started to hammer the food and chug it down.


    "Thank you, thank you!" Tinson shouted. "I never thought... I would survive down here. I really thought my life was at an end."


    "Screw the academy, burn them all!" Tinson said as he went and grabbed the food, and his two friends slowly followed after.


    Mada and Ricktor had yet to make a move, and Dame was carefully following them. Sure, it was nice that they got a few allies, but they were only three Red Headband students.


    What they needed was the main disciples to join them. Not only would they be a benefit in strength, but also a benefit in information gathering and weaknesses of their n.


    They needed them more so than the others, and Dame was wondering if, with everything going on, enough anger had been ced in them.


    While waiting, though, Sherry had stepped forward and had headed towards the food, to which Raze responded by stepping in her way.


    "Not for you two, you two don''t get a choice," Raze replied.


    "What... but you just said... you just said."


    "The one thing that we need if we are going against the academy together is trust," Raze replied. "Trust is the foundation of any secret group operating in a ce."


    "We have to trust everyone with the information they give, with the tasks given with our lives, because one wrong move and it could mean the death of us all.


    "You two have already betrayed us once. That trust is forever broken, and it can never be mended no matter what you do," Raze ordered.


    "But... but...!" Sherry was shaking. How did the situation change for her? Right there and then, close to rage, she lifted her fan aiming right for his chin.


    Raze stepped back, dodging the blow. "Now!" Sherry shouted.


    Right then, Lisa pulled out a small dagger,ced green. It was a special dagger she had been keeping on her for a while now.


    ''The n Head, she gave me this. She gave me it and told me to use it when the time was right. It''sced with the strongest poison that can take out even level 5 beasts. It''s practically a n''s treasure.''


    ''She told me to use it at the right time, and this is the only time I can use it.''


    It was thrown out with all the Qi she had. It went perfectly straight and had hit Raze right on his shoulder. When it did, though, it didn''t prate him. Instead, a small reflective image appeared like a re in a mirror, and the dagger had fallen to the ground.


    ''The zer... I currently have it in a hidden state underneath the school robes... it activated and protected me from the dagger.''


    While thinking this, Raze already had held Sherry with one hand, and her entire body had already shriveled up, her energy absorbed.


    "That dagger, it should have stabbed you, it should have killed you!" Lisa shouted. "How did you stop it? What are you... you... you monster!"

 Chapter 362 The Last of the Main Disciples

    Chapter 362 The Last of the Main Disciples


    The small poison de had bounced off Raze''s clothing and fallen onto the floor. A small ng was heard as the knife hit the ground.


    It was quite clear that the zer he had worn, which had a hidden trait like Dame''s gauntlets, had activated. A strong energy barrier was created that would reflect magical attacks and physical attacks as well, to a degree.


    When fighting against the middle-stage warrior in the Neverfall n, the zer had activated back then as well. It stopped the shes of a sword from piercing his clothing and skin, but the strength from the Qi and the impact itself couldn''t be stopped. The attacks still flung Raze around the room, and the Qi still hit his body.


    In this instance, the Qi that was ced in the de and thrown wasn''t strong enough to do anything, which is why it had given off the image as if the de had just fallen onto the floor.


    Looking at it on the ground, Raze could see it had beenced with something. He had been observant around a particr person that dealt with poisons in and out, and had a few conversations with him as well.


    ''When I was a mage, the number one thing to winning a battle was thinking ahead. Trying to guess their next move and using the spells to build up your attacks.''


    There was a small window of reaction, trying to figure out what spell was best to counter another, but not like this.


    ''I didn''t expect something like this to be used. The world of Pagna is very dangerous.''


    Raze was right, and poison was something that was frequently used in the world of Pagna. The ns were surrounded by people wishing to take their position at any time.


    One closest to you could slowly poison you over time, making you sick and weak, or create a potent poison that would take you out in one go from a drink or sh.


    It was a power that was deadly and transcended the levels of stages. A stage 2 warrior going up against a stage 4 warrior with poison, the battle could be very different.


    However, as one increased through the stages, one''s body got stronger and stronger, so the poison needed to be used needed to be stronger as well.


    Thinking about what could have happened, Raze started to walk towards her. Lisa was frightened; from every ally she had in this ce, there was now no one to help her.


    "You were confident that small de would kill me, and judging by your reaction, I would guess it wasced with poison," Razemented.


    Ricktor picked up the small de and held it in the light. He then turned it left and right, and he could see traces of dried liquid on it.


    "But you would never be able to get a poison that could take someone like me, at the higher initial stages, to kill me. My guess is you got a little gift from your n, right?" Raze said as he now was within striking distance.


    "Did no one see what I just saw?" Lisa pleaded to the people around her. "This man, the sword bounced off him, he''s... he''s not human. We need to get rid of him, if we want to protect the ns, we need to get rid of him!"


    There were those that were ncing over, still stuffing their mouths. They were paying attention to what was happening, but in the dimly lit room, and with them being ever so tired, they hadn''t seen the same thing as Lisa.


    To them, it was just the ramblings of a person who had lost it all, and she knew that.


    She readied her fist and swung it forward; it did nothing but strike the air. Right in front of her eyes, she saw the de swing down.


    She didn''t even hear the strike, but she knew, as she heard a thud, and saw her own arms falling to the ground.


    "There''s a saying, the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree, and don''t worry, I''ll be taking out the whole tree soon."


    Raze ced his hand on Lisa''s head and started to use the extraction technique as soon as possible. What he noted, while using the extraction technique, was that it worked quicker depending on a number of things.


    If the person was already defeated and worn out, it would work quicker, and if a person had less will to put up resistance, if their mind wasn''t ready to fight back. Which is why Lisa''s body was quick to meet its end as Raze dropped her onto the floor. It was done; the main disciples that had betrayed them were dealt with.


    None of them were good to begin with; Raze still remembered when all five of them had cornered him, nning to kill him right there and then.


    However, Ricktor and Mada, he would let go. He needed their help, and for now, if they agreed to join, at least they hadn''t done anything to break their future trust yet.


    Shortly after, Dame quickly went over to Raze''s side.


    "I told you that it wasn''t best for you to use that, especially in front of all the others," Dame said.


    "The extraction technique," Raze replied.


    "Many in here won''t know what it looks like, so you might be okay, but if you use that in front of the adults, they will think you''re working for the Demonic Faction," Damemented.


    "And besides, absorbing another human... the feeling of it, it''s simr to what you saw the other students do in the Dark Space."


    "You''re taking their life force while they''re still alive, for many, that won''t sit right with that. If you''re going to preach about how far they have gone, then what about you who''s using the extraction technique."


    Dame was saying this out of concern. He truly did see the Dark Magus as an ally; he saw Raze as someone who they could build up a future with together. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Which is why he didn''t want him to go a step too far. The ns were ruthless, but there were just some lines that one didn''t cross.


    Taking the energy of your enemies or those trying to kill you, Dame could ept, but if he started to just take the energy of those who were strong.


    Or target those with power just to increase his own, that was too far for Raze.


    "When I said those words to everyone, I was talking to them, not about me," Raze replied. "I''ve already gone too far, more than once¡­"


    "I''m already a lost one, but I am me. I know I can at least trust myself."


    Raze looked like he was ready to head back down the hallway, back into the seclusion room after all that. He thought he might have stayed with the others, talked about what had happened.


    There was a part of Dame that felt like he was seeing more of Raze, seeing him rx with the others more, but since his return, it was almost like something had happened.


    Something had brought him slightly back to the Darkness he had inside him.


    "Raze, does this mean that you don''t trust anyone?" Dame asked.


    "It was trust in the past that got me so hurt in the first ce," Raze replied.


    "If you live a life like that, a life where you can''t trust anyone, then that is not a life worth living."


    "I know," Raze answered, and almost immediately he felt something in his stomach.


    He went down to one knee, as he could feel a surge of power inside of him. The energy he had absorbed he could feel it, it was settling into his dantian.


    Sweat wasing off his body, and it was slightly ck in color.


    "I can feel it... after absorbing Lisa... I''m growing, I''m bing a 6th stage warrior!"

 Chapter 363 Disrupting The Assessment

    363 Disrupting The Assessment


    When absorbing energy, it wasn''t instant that it would be added to his own. There was a process which took some time. He could still use the added energy almost instantly, but it wouldn''t actually bepletely absorbed into his own if he used it this way. During the times he had used the extraction technique again and again, he had been experimenting with it. Absorbing energy from those he fought against, if he used it straight away, it helped him fight using Qi for longer periods, but if he wanted to gain strength from it, It was best that he didn''t fight and waited for it to be processed through his body and added to his dantian, and now it had finally done it. All of the extra people he had absorbed and the main disciples'' Qi, which was more pure and more refinedpared to that of most of those he had absorbed before, was causing him to break into the sixth stage. The palms of Raze''s hands were sweating. Down the side of his head, it was the same. Instead of a clear liquid, it was slightly ck in color. Just like the times before, he could tell that this was the same. Each stage was getting rid of more of the impurities that affected the human body, and each time it would just happen in a different way. ''Is he going through to the next stage right here and now? Is it because he absorbed the mana of the two girls?'' Dame thought. ''No that can''t be. Raze is at a high initial stage now.''


    ''Those girls, they were at stage 3 or 4, that means he must have absorbed much more, much more before he had evene down here. Raze, what happened to you while you were away?'' Dame thought. It was amazing; Raze had practically not taken part in the assessment but had managed to grow even faster than those who had done so.


    This had to be an impossibility, and if people knew about it, ns from all over Pagna would be trying to meet with Raze, dissecting him to ask for his secret and knowledge in growth. "Arghh, it hurts my stomach!" Liam called out. Turning his head, though, Dame also saw something else, and that was Liam, Simyon, Safa going through something simr, but he soon noticed it wasn''t just them. The others, Tinson and his group that were eating, they were experiencing it as well. All of those who had eaten were experiencing the advancement to the next stage. ''They fought with everything they had, pushed their bodies further than they were meant to go. With no food, no energy, they had to summon and force their bodies to grow from somewhere, but that can only work so much.''


    ''After digesting the food, their Qi energy, their focus, everything ising back to them, and now, their bodies are in the state to grow to the next stage.'' It was then that Dame realized this was how the others must have grown as well; only when they had gotten food by eating the others around them. ''This is what we need, this is it. To get them stronger, we need everyone to eat for now!'' Dame''s eyes were widening, but there was one thing.


    What about him? Now that Raze would be at the sixth stage, both of them would be at the same level in terms of being a Pagna warrior. He too needed to advance, and he needed to do something about it. After Raze had finished going through what needed to be done, he stood up as if nothing had happened, and continued to head to the seclusion room. When he got inside, he looked around before finally sitting on the floor. He let out a big sigh and started to close his eyes. ''I managed toe back, just in time... I did a bit too much this time, one thing after the other, but I knew I needed toe back quickly. I was a bit worried that something might have happened to them.'' He thought. Finally, Raze was able to get some rest.


    Back in the lit-up training area, everyone had finished going through their advancement and had finished eating until their bellies were full. It didn''t take much for them, since their stomachs had shrunk quite a bit from theck of food they had. They also knew that they would have to save what they had for now. Even more than that, they were happy that they had managed to gain some strength. "I can''t believe it, we advanced through to the fourth stage!" Liam said, his eyes glowing. "But don''t forget what it cost to get here," Safa replied. "So many students, so many people had to die for that to happen."


    "We can be happy we gained strength but, I can''t believe it took all of that." "Hey, why don''t you go talk to Raze?" Simyon said. "You''ve been waiting for him toe back, right? Maybe you can just ask what he did and stuff, and how he got this food."


    "I''m sure he''s got some stories to tell, and hey, maybe you can show off your magic skills as well." Safa knew Simyon was just trying tofort her, but she was fine. "I''m happy to see that he''s still here, and I''m sure he needs his rest. He looked tired." "You call that tired?!" Liammented. "That man just took out so many, and even the main disciples. I''m sure he could have continued going on if he needed to." Safa didn''t say anything else but just allowed Liam to ramble on.


    It took a while, but eventually both Mada and Ricktor had decided to go to the food and grabbed some stuff to eat for themselves. Dame, who had been keeping an eye on them, smiled as soon as he saw this. "Does this mean that you n to join him?" Mada whispered. "What do you mean, you are eating the food as well; doesn''t that mean you n to join him as well?" Ricktor replied, stuffing another piece of bread in his mouth. "I''m just doing this to survive right now; I need the food," Mada replied. "The whole thing about him going back against the Academy, it seems crazy!"


    "Sure, I hate their guts right now, but to even think about going against them, it would be impossible. We''re still students; that would mean going against all of the n Heads."


    "Not just the n Heads, but also their talented disciples, that might even be family members of ours. Do you really think a bunch of students can do something?"


    "Do you think Raze doesn''t know that? Do you think he''s the type of person to go in if he believes he will lose?" Ricktor replied. "The way I see it, without this food in here, or if he and his friends were to take this assessment seriously." "Me and you would be dead; that''s as simple as it is. If we have to dieter, or things get too tough, we can make a decision then, but right now, we owe him something."


    "And I believe something might just happen soon." "What do you mean by that?" Mada asked. "Didn''t you know, Lisa was regrlymunicating with her n Head in here; how do you think she got that dagger?" Ricktor replied. "And what do you think is going to happen when Lisa stops reporting to the n Head?"


    Mass Release goals!


    1600 Golden Tickets = 1 Extra Chapter


    1 Caslte gift and above = 1 Extra Chapter


    4000 Power stones = 1 extra Chapter n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    JKSManga

 Chapter 364 Breaking into the Middle Stage

    364 Breaking into the Middle Stage


    Slowly, Raze''s eyes started to flutter open. The area around him was dark, apart from a faintly lit orange lighting from behind him.


    He lifted his upper body off the ground and looked ahead, where he could see a wall.


    "I''m still here; we''re still in this underground assessment," Raze thought, slowly clenching his fist. As he did, he held on tightly.


    His veins were popping on his hand, and he felt like he could crush anything beneath it.


    "This is what it feels like then, to reach the 6th stage! The pinnacle of the Initial stage! But I guess from here on, it''s going to be tough, just like before, it will be a bottleneck.


    "I''m sure they don''t separate the stages from Initial to Middle for no reason. Maybe it''s best if I speak to Dame about it since he''s at the sixth stage."


    The whole thing was quite exciting for Raze in a number of ways. When he was going up the star levels as a mage, he had already experienced it before.


    So he felt like he was just going through the same motions asst time. Although there were some differences, and since he had been through it before, he could elerate through the star levels, but being a Pagna warrior, it waspletely different.


    Each time he increased by a stage, his body felt even lighter than before. It was hard for one to even imagine because with hisst stage increase, Raze had felt the same way as well.


    His body was incredibly light; he could move faster but put more strength into his fist. He felt like he had reached the pinnacle of a human body, and then there would be a stage after that, which would be even more drastic.


    In his mind, he was just wondering what the Divine stages would feel like. The naming of them was probably because one truly would feel like they had reached the level of a god.


    "After a good rest, I feel a lot better. I should check up on the others and try to see if everything is okay. If all is well, then we can n what to do next."


    When Raze was approaching the door, he could already sense that there was someone on the other side just by the doorway. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Another advantage of having reached a higher stage.


    "You slept for quite a while there; I didn''t realize fighting all of those took so much out of you," Damemented. "I was keeping guard so no one would disturb your sleep, but you took so long I nearly fell asleep myself."


    "It wasn''t the fight; I''ve been quite busy on the outside," Raze replied, and it was true.


    He realized he had gained arge amount of fatigue, most of it when he used the astral projection technique to head to Alterian.


    The whole thing took arge toll on him.


    "Before we head over to the others, we should talk by ourselves; there are some things I wanted to ask," Dame said, entering back into the room which Raze had just left.


    The two of them leaned up against the wall and looked at each other for a moment.


    "I''m guessing, you''re at the 6th stage now, right?" Dame asked.


    To which Raze nodded.


    "But, I know you''re stronger than that, with your other things. Out there, did you get what you needed, do you think we have the strength to take on the academy if need be?" Dame asked.


    Raze thought about it. If the n heads were all at the same level as Belil from the Neverfall n, then he felt like they had no chance.


    But most likely, only the principal was on that level, but what about the other five top n heads.


    "The Crimson Crane can help us when the time is needed. I''m supplying them with stronger weapons. Their strength should be increased by arge amount by then; they won''t be the same as before."


    "There is a chance that I could call upon some other allies as well, outside of that. But, I think we might still need some time if we want to go against the principal. I think I need to at least be at the Middle stage unless we find someone else that can help."


    There was a thought in Raze''s mind, there was one item he had on him, one that would summon from the Divine realm, and they would have Divine strength.


    The biggest issue was, how did they know if that person was on their side or not? It was a trump card that Raze could only use if all else fails.


    "Right," Dame replied. "I actually agree with what you''re saying. I think the maximum will be down here for a week or so more.


    "In that time, the only ones that I think can reach the Middle stage are me, you, and Ricktor."


    "Ricktor?" Raze was surprised by thatment. He knew he was strong before, but Raze had been increasing his strength at an incredible speed, so it was hard to think that there was another that could do the same.


    "He is truly a talent. I can see why he was the Dark Faction''s star, before you came along, that is," Dame smiled. "Simyon, Safa, and Liam are also increasing at an incredible speed, with the items you gave them, they will be a big help, same with Mada and the other Red Headband students.


    "They are all at least at the teacher''s level of strength now, maybe even better, which I think the academy will never expect."


    Raze knew about the items, with what Simyon had, with his special earring, he would have a body that most mages and Pagna warriors would find impossible to destroy.


    He would end up being more useful than Dame realized, and it was the same for Safa, right now she was just a one-star Mage, but Raze had managed to receive a number of level 3 power stones. Now that he was back, he could give her the light magic book and increase her star level, hopefully to the third star. These two would be valuable in going against the academy.


    ''If we take over the academy, then I can head back to the library and find out information about the Dark Faction founder. I''ll also be in a high position, to the point where Alter can no longer ignore me as well.


    ''Whether that''s a good thing or not, we''ll have to wait and see.''


    As for Liam, he was a curveball. He had been doing well to keep up so far, but whether or not he would prove extremely useful in the fight, it was hard to say.


    "What do we need to do, to reach the Middle stage?" Raze asked.


    "There are a number of things, a high-level power stone absorbed, but that doesn''t work for everyone. A special breakthrough in a dire situation when fighting."


    "And some ns even speak of special rituals. However, these rituals require a number of things that we won''t be able to get our hands on. Which is why I wanted to ask you about this."


    Dame threw the small statue, and Raze caught it. It was the mythical item that Raze had given them before he left, just in case they really needed it.


    "It''s gone a little strange, the statue itself, it''s gotten a bit weaker," Damemented. "Is it broken?"


    That seemed impossible, though; how could the statue break, why would it, so Raze then used his Dark magic to activate it, allowing it to show its information.


    [2/5 markings of blood have been used on the statue. You are able to mark 3 more to increase the statue''s strength]


    ''Wait, why does it say 2 of 5, to unseal the item, I gave it all five of the main disciples'' blood. Wait, is it because they''re dead?


    ''The other three main disciples are now all dead. Those that mark the statue, if they die, then the statue loses its strength.


    ''So it only has the strength of Ricktor and Mada right now, but if what it''s saying is true, then it means now it can be marked with three more people, to increase its strength again!


    ''Last time I didn''t use Dame''s blood because I was worried about what could happen, but if we used it this time, wouldn''t the statue be incredibly strong...and what if I was to use¡­ my blood as well?''


    B¨¬nhlu?n

 Chapter 365 The strongest Mythical Item

    365 The strongest Mythical Item


    Originally, when Raze had gotten the statue, it had be a sealed item. It was cursed, but once the seal was broken, the item would no longer be cursed.


    Simr to Simyon''s earring, the curse was more of a simple one. Raze just needed to get the blood of five different people.


    Due to the word curse, he thought that something might happen to the five who ced their blood in the statue to unseal it.


    It turned out that there was no problem at all, just the fact that it needed blood. So, when he found out the statue''s effects, he was a bit disappointed.


    At the time, nearly all of the students were second-stage warriors, so the strength of the statue was just a little under what Dame''s strength was.


    It was a good tool to have, but in the future, it would just get weaker and weaker, which was why Raze was a bit disappointed by his actions, that was until now.


    ''I should have known, an item that has the status of Mythical level, wouldn''t just be used like that, there would be other ways to use it as well. Not that I could test the statue.''


    Since the only known way of getting rid of blood markings was to kill those that had been marked.


    It was quite an interesting statue the more Raze thought about it. He wouldn''t want to use the blood of his strong enemies, since most of the enemies he would use, he would kill. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The dead''s blood couldn''t be used to power the statue then. Simrly, if he used his allies'' blood, if they died in battle, then the statue would start to grow weaker as well.


    Now knowing the full extent and power of the statue, it was best to use it on allies that were strong, and would continue to grow stronger and not perish any time soon.


    For him, Dame fit this bill, but there was one more person''s blood they could use, and that was himself.


    ''If I add my own blood to this, I doubt it will be able to use my magical powers. The statue looks like a warrior fighting statue in the first ce.


    ''There also has to be a limit to how strong the statue can grow. After all, it''s not an item at the legendary or god level.''


    Still, even with his and Dame''s added strength, Raze imagined if Ricktor managed to reach the Middle stages, wouldn''t the statue be close to the peak of the Middle stages as well. It might very well be a tool that could help them in the fight above.


    "I can make the statue stronger, but I just need some of your blood," Raze requested.


    Dame thought about it for a while, but then a smile appeared on his face.


    "You''re linking my blood to the statue, right? Just how strong is this thing going to be then?" Dame asked.


    He had already figured out the statue was linked to the main disciples, so it didn''t take much for him to figure out what Raze was going to do.


    "Not just your blood, but mine as well."


    Both of them had a devilish smile as they heard those words, and they wasted next to no time doing what needed to be done. Raze ced a drop of his blood on the statue and soon after Dame did the same.


    Each time the blood was dropped on the statue there was a slight glow on top of it; it didn''t take much, but it was done.


    On top of that, there was still one more slot for another person, but for now, Raze decided to keep it empty.


    ''Maybe I can get one of the Crimson Crane members to add their blood to it as well. I can already imagine what a monster will be created out of this.''


    "So, who goes first?" Dame asked; he took a small gulp because he was actually a little worried. He knew this had his, Raze''s, and Ricktor''s power; it certainly would be stronger than him.


    It had been a while since he had taken a beating or did any serious training like so.


    "You go ahead, I''ll activate it for you, and give it orders, for now, I''ll ask it to only defend itself and not attack. Slowly, I''ll allow it to do more."


    Raze did as he said as he ced his magic into the statue and it grew in size. It looked the same as it did before, just like a warrior made out of stone, ready to go off into battle.


    However, the Qi surrounding it, Dame could feel it instantly, that it had the Qi of a Middle stage warrior.


    "Head into the Dark Space for now, where no one can see you, for now, I''m going to check on the others and see how they are doing," Raze replied.


    With that, Raze and Dame went off into two entirely different directions.


    When Raze reached the open lit-up area, everyone stopped what they were doing. Ricktor and Mada seemed to be training against each other.


    They were exchanging movements at a slow pace, trying to get each other''s timing. Now that they had energy.


    Tinson and his group had carefully divided up the food, sorting it out so it wouldst them a long time. They were making rations.


    No one wanted to be in the same situation as they were before.


    And finally, Raze could see, Safa and the others sat in a circle talking to each other, or at least they were until Raze had entered.


    Not knowing what to do as the room was filled in silence, Tinson gave a bow, and his two friends followed.


    "We greet you, sir!" Tinson shouted, like they were weing a n head.


    "Hey, do we have to do that now?" Mada whispered, covering his mouth.


    "Don''t be absurd, he''s no n head, we are just mutual benefactors for now," Ricktor replied.


    Mada didn''t like having to do courtesy to his older siblings and those higher in his own n. Thest thing he wanted to do it was against someone who he saw as the enemy.


    Ignoring everything, Raze had decided to head over to the three that were sitting down. Liam was looking into his eyes, trying to gauge whether Raze in a good mood right now, or was he in a bad one? He had seen both sides and it was hard for him to tell.


    "You three have gotten a lot stronger. You managed to survive in here without me, I imagine you went through a lot," Razemented.


    "We did, but your items helped us out as well, and besides, we said we would help you, right? I said I would stick with you and be whatever you need me to be, so we can''t just stay weak for long," Simyon stated as he punched himself on his own chest.


    "Safa, I actually have something to give you and help you," Raze stated. "We might need to spend some more ti-"


    Raze had suddenly stopped mid-sentence. The three looked at him, wondering if something had happened, if something went wrong.


    Immediately, Raze turned his head, looking down the hallway.


    "The Dark Space, the doors from above, they''re opening again," Raze said.


    Soon the others could hear the full sound of the mechanisms opening up. Thest time it had opened up, a rush full of rabid students hade, the time before that it was one of the n''s Heads, so why was it opening this time?


    Ricktor, looking ahead, had a feeling he knew.


    "It looks like they found out a lot sooner than I thought. We might get the answer to your question, Mada, whether Raze can deal with the n Heads or not."

 Chapter 366 I would do it Again!

    Chapter 366 I would do it Again!


    Dame, immersed in the dimly lit confines of the Dark Space, felt a rush of adrenaline as he stood opposite the special statue. The training with this unique construct was crucial, given his precarious position within the academy. Being someone who shouldn''t have been in the academy in the first ce, the stakes were high. Discovery of his true identity wouldnd him in dire straits, far worse than any regr student or faculty member could imagine. His existence in this ndestine environment was a delicate dance on the edge of a razor-sharp de.


    The necessity of secrecy meant that Dame couldn''t practice or hone his skills in the open, where prying eyes could easily unravel his carefully constructed fa?ade. The Dark Space, with its oppressive shadows and muffling silence, offered a sanctuary where he could unleash his full potential without fear.


    In this secluded space, the statue stood stoically, an enigmatic figure carved from unknown materials, emanating a quiet sense of power. Dame''s gaze, sharpened by the focused Qi in his eyes, pierced through the dimness, although the entirety of the room remained shrouded in darkness. Memories of Raze''s instructions yed in his mind ¨C the statue was set to defend, not attack. This assurance was the only thread of safety in what was otherwise a leap into the unknown.


    Dame stretched his arms wide, feeling the familiar rush of energy coursing through his veins. He deliberately refrained from activating his special gauntlets. This was a test of his raw, unaided strength ¨C a trial by fire to gauge his innate capabilities. With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, targeting the statue with a series of meticulously trained fist techniques.


    His first strike, aimed with precision at the statue''s chest, was effortlessly parried. The statue, animated by an unknown source of Qi, remained unscathed, its form unyielding and impervious to Dame''s assault. A spark of respect and challenge ignited in Dame''s eyes.


    "Okay, pretty good, pretty good," he muttered to himself, his voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space. "Let''s see you try and stop this!"


    The following moments were a blur of motion and energy. Dame''s fists flew with increased ferocity, each strike a testament to his skill and training. However, the statue was an unmovable force, countering every attack with fluid motions that belied its inanimate nature. Its arms and legs moved with a grace and precision that seemed almost lifelike.


    Dame''s surprise escted when he executed a special fist technique from the Neverfall n, only to have the statue mirror his move perfectly. Their fists collided with a resounding thud, and for the first time, Dame felt himself being overpowered, pushed back by the sheer force of the statue''s counterattack.


    "This is tough, alright," Dame admitted, panting slightly from the exertion. "The statue is definitely stronger than before, and definitely stronger than me now. I can''t get a single clean hit on it. If this thing was in its normal mode, then I''m sure I would be the one beaten. But until I find a way, attacking it faster, or hitting harder than it can, I can''t fight it at its full strength."


    This experience was a stark reminder of his past challenges, a throwback to the days when he faced formidable foes like Beatrix. The memory of that fight lingered in his mind ¨C not just the role of his gauntlets, but the fiery determination that had zed within him. The Dark Magus pills, the exhrating prospect of altering his doomed future, had ignited a passion in him that he had rarely felt since.


    ''If I can channel that fervor, that unyielding will into my training,'' Dame thought, clenching his fists with renewed determination, ''I can transcend my limits.''


    The statue, an enigma in itself, stood as a testament to their growing strength. As they progressed, it would evolve alongside them, bing an ever-stronger ally in their arduous journey. Dame could not help but affectionately think of it as ''Stoney'', a stalwartpanion in their fight.


    With a deep breath, Dame prepared himself for another round. This time, he was ready to surpass the teachings of the Neverfall n, to forge his path with his techniques. As he took a step forward, his senses sharply tuned to his surroundings, a sudden loud noise from above caught his attention. A sliver of light pierced through the darkness as a hatch opened.


    ''Wait, that''s where the teachers enter through,'' Dame realized with a jolt of panic. ''Are theying here now? Right now? If they do, they''re going to see the statue!''


    In a frantic rush, Dame darted towards the statue, intent on moving it out of sight. However, the statue, still in its defensive mode, misinterpreted his actions as an attack. It deftly parried his attempts to push it, its movements fluid and precise.


    "I''m not trying to attack you right now, Stoney!" Dame hissed in desperation. "We need to get out of here before they kill you!"


    Adjusting his strategy, Dame formed his hands into ws, feigning an attack. The statue responded by gripping his hands, allowing Dame to use this connection to push with all his might. His feet dug into the ground as he exerted his full strength, his Qi surging forward in a visible wave.


    The statue''s legs buckled under the force, slowly moving backward. In a sudden twist to avoid crashing into the wall, the statue released its grip, sending Dame stumbling forward with such force that his head collided with the wall.


    The impact wasn''t severe, but it left Dame with a throbbing pain in his nose. He turned around, dazed, to see the hatch closing, having opened only slightly. For a fleeting moment, he had seen a solitary figure descending before it snapped shut again.


    ''Only a single person dropped down, and why would it only be her?'' Dame''s mind raced with possibilities, none of which boded well. ''I don''t have a good feeling about this.''


    His foreboding grew as he observed the person not even bothering to check the Dark Space, but instead, rushing down the hallway. Dame had a sinking feeling about where they were headed.


    ---


    Meanwhile, in the brightly lit open training area, a sense of heightened alertness pervaded the atmosphere. The students, including Raze and hispanions, had heard the same ominous sound of someone entering. Their eyes were fixed on the hallway entrance, anticipating the worst. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Thest time they had heard such a sound, a horde of rabid students had flooded in. This time, however, there was an eerie silence. The footsteps that eventually echoed through the space were almost imperceptible, belonging to a lone figure who entered with a silent, graceful presence.


    "That''s the head of the Lethal Bite n!" Violet eximed in a hushed tone, her eyes widening in recognition.


    "Yeah, it''s Feebie," Joe added, his voiceced with uncertainty. "She was herest time, but she had others with her. This time, she''s alone. Do you think the assessment is over?"


    Tinson, quick to think on his feet, hastily gathered the bagged food and concealed it against the wall. The students scrambled to hide any evidence of their forbidden supplies, unsure of the consequences they might face if discovered.


    Feebie''s gaze swept across the room, not lingering on the students but searching for something ¨C or someone. Her eyes were sharp, her movements purposeful.


    "Where is she, where is she!" Feebie''s voice echoed with urgency and frustration.


    Her eyes eventually settled on a corner of the room where several lifeless bodiesy. Among them, two females drew her attention. Feebie rushed over, her expression shifting from determination to horror as she knelt beside one of them.


    "Lisa¡­ why do you look like this, your whole body, it''s shriveled up," Feebie murmured, her voice tinged with disbelief as she inspected the body.


    The sight of a clean cut on the arm made Feebie''s body tense, her emotions shifting rapidly from confusion to anger. A palpable energy began to emanate from her, filling the room with a dense, oppressive atmosphere. The students felt their hearts sink, the air growing heavy, suffocating them with an unseen force.


    "Who did this! Which one of you did this!" Feebie''s shout reverberated through the room, her Qi swirling beneath her, causing a gust that ruffled the students'' hair.


    As she stood up, her entire body rigid with tension, the room fell into a heavy silence. The students were paralyzed, overwhelmed by the pressure and fear emanating from Feebie.


    Then, amidst the suffocating atmosphere, a single voice rose, calm and unwavering.


    "I did it. I was the one that killed her," Raze dered, his voice resonating with a cold certainty. "And I would do it again if I had to."

 Chapter 367 A Clan’s Head Anger!

    Chapter 367 A n¡¯s Head Anger!


    Being so concerned about hiding the statue, Dame was a little behind in deciding to act, but he was sure of it, the person who had just entered was Feebie Dines, the head of the Lethal Bite n.


    ''All of the heads of the five Major ns are middle-stage warriors, and they aren''t weak ones by any means. Although, I would like to take pride and say that the Demonic Faction is the strongest out of all factions, that just simply isn''t the case.


    ''If any of the Factions were considered weaker than the other, then there would have been a war by now with one factionpletely dominating the other. It''s a reason why they see the martial arts tournament as so special.''


    ''It''s a ce where each group can prove their future generation of strength. What I don''t understand is why she came alone though, and not with any others, unless it''s a personal vendetta.''


    Having figured it out, Dame was on the move, he had run through the hallway and looked behind him. The statue was staying where it was, which was a good thing.


    When reaching the end of the hallway, Dame could look into the lit-up training area, and he could see it, just then Feebie had discovered the body of the main disciple, the body of Lisa.


    Her reaction, her taunting words exploded.


    "Someone tell me, who did this, or every single one of you, won''t make it out of here alive!" Feebie shouted.


    Dame was evaluating the situation, trying to figure out what was going on, and the best course of action for them all.


    ''Right now, a n Head hase in on their own. Thest time, Feebie acted a little brazen as well. She must have known something was up and came here on her own.''


    ''It''s a chance for us to attack her right now, but if we do this, it will be the light that ignites that we are trying to go against the five major ns and the Pagna academy.''


    ''We''re not ready yet, so it''s best to just let things y out, and besides, if Feebie starts to attack the students, this will just solidify their hatred toward them. She can''t just go killing everyone, maybe one or two will die, but this is a good thing to get them solidified on our side!''


    After thinking of all of this, that''s when Raze had stepped forward and spoke his mind.


    "I did it, I was the one that killed her," Raze said. "And I would do it again, if I had to."


    Dame wanted to p his head, after thinking of the perfect n, he thought the two of them would be on the same wavelength.


    ''The Dark Magus is a clever person, he knows what he''s doing, so why would he act like this, at a time like this!'' Dame thought. What was even worse, his words, the way they were spoken, it was as if to make her even angrier.


    "You killed her, I knew it, I knew you were trouble since you got in here!" Feebie screamed and immediately exploded forward.


    She readied her fist and threw it out, and just in time, Raze had managed to raise his own sword. It was the enchanted wind magic sword.


    He lifted it up, and flowed it with his own Qi, but Feebie was fast, too fast to the point where Raze was only able to do that, brace himself with his own Qi.


    As the attack smashed against the sword, Raze poured all of his Qi strength behind it, but the sword cracked, and the flow of the attack from Feebie continued and pushed him back.


    The students were pushed to the edge of the wall by the powerful Qi, and Raze was chucked back until his back had hit the wall. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''This is hard, my Qi is still that at a 6th stage warrior, it''s not at the same level as a middle stage warrior. I can''t win this fight, just using my Pagna techniques, I''ll have to use magic as well.''


    He could see Feebieing close to him, and instinctively, Raze went ahead, and swung his sword using the Devil''s Formation.


    ''I don''t have time to use the Noctis n skills, they take a while to build up, and I haven''t learned them to the point where I can just quickly use them.


    ''Besides, if I do, and I lose this fight, they will know I have techniques from the Noctis n, and I still don''t know what can of worms that will open up!''


    When swinging down though, something didn''t quite feel right, and his sword struck nothing.


    "You fool," Feebie said as she grabbed Raze by the neck and pushed him against the wall, lifting him up. She summoned Qi covering his entire body.


    It felt horrible, as if all of his muscles were being suppressed. He was trying to move, and inch his fingers forward, but all he could do was twitch them slightly.


    ''Crap, I messed up, she got too close, I was hesitant about using my magic, and now, I won''t even be able to cast a basic spell in this situation!'' Raze thought.


    "You''re an idiot who didn''t even know his sword was broken! And how did you even get a real sword in here in the first ce!" Feebie shouted.


    From the initial attack, Raze hadn''t noticed his sword had been shattered, so when he swung it, it did next to nothing.


    The Qi was ced in the shortest form of the sword, unable to even reach its target, and now he was in this situation.


    Feebie continued to hold him up. "Did you think I was going to give you a quick death? No, you will have a painful death, you will suffer. I don''t care if you''re the White Dragon, I will do everything I can to make you pay, ever since you entered this academy, things have been going wrong, one after the other!"


    She could see it though, Raze was slowly raising his hand, he was moving somehow.


    ''He can still move even in this situation. My Qi hasn''tpletely suppressed him. This means¡­ is he at the peak of the initial stage! This fool, this no-name from no n, has already reached the peak!''


    Dame continued to stand by the doorway, he looked at the others. Safa and Simyon, they looked as if they were trying to get up but were finding it impossible to do so.


    The Qi justing off from Feebie''s body was suppressing them. Only he could move now.


    ''If I was to attack, in the fight, the Qi will be dispersed. She will have to hone her powers in allowing everyone to move. If all of us were to fight, including the statue, and Raze at full strength, we might be able to take her out.


    ''We might be able to do this!''


    Dame stepped out from the hallway, and he looked Raze deep in the eyes. He could see him struggling, but he hadn''t given up fighting just yet, his hands were moving.


    ''It''s now or never, we have to fight, if we kill the leader, this will be the start of it all though!''

 Chapter 368 End of the Trial

    Chapter 368 End of the Trial


    ??Feebie was consumed by her anger. Slowly she was creeping in more and more of her Qi. When one was angry, the Qi that expanded out of one''s body was wild.


    It was filling the air, and making it hard for anyone else to approach her, but as she wanted to harm the person she was holding up more and more, the Qi was starting to be condensed.


    Slowly, she was upping the pressure of her Qi, as she wished for Raze to suffer more and more.


    She could see the veins on his neck as he struggled to breathe.


    ''The zer, it doesn''t activate for things like this, but if I can just, if I can just move my hand ever so slightly.''


    Using his strength, using his own Qi, Raze was trying to focus it out of his dantian, to his hand, his fingers, they were moving, inching forward.


    ''He''s still able to move even now! How strong can one have gotten in this ce! No, this just proves it, it proves that he killed Lisa!''


    Dame watching it all was wondering where the heck was the statue in this situation. If the statue was here, then they could all attack her at once.


    Turning around, he was ready to bolt back into the Dark Space to see what was going on, and carry it here if he had to.


    When turning around though, he had quickly stopped as several people walked straight past him. They practically pushed past him and had entered the lit room.


    "Let go of him now!"


    Feebie turned her head, and she saw exactly who it was.


    "Vice Principal Amir, you got here quicker than I thought," Feebie replied.


    Vice Principal Amir wasn''t alone. By his side were the two Red Headband teachers, the two Blue Headband teachers, and two Yellow Headband teachers.


    The teachers when entering, they looked at the students that were still alive. All they could see were Red Headbands.


    Almost immediately, there was a change to the look on their faces. They looked as if they were about to throw up.


    ''The look of guilt¡­ the teachers didn''t want to do this, either.'' Ricktor noticed, but he was far more interested in what was going to happen next, with Raze.


    "Did you hear what I said? Put the child down!" Amir stated once again, and he had his hand held on his sword ready to strike.


    "He killed Lisa!" Feebie shouted.


    "And, many students of other ns have died down here. When Ossep from the Moon Shield n had fallen, did Gavin retaliate against you, by saying that you should have saved him?"


    "No, he mourned and epted the fact, and pledged to train the next generation from his n even better so he never had to suffer a feeling like this again."


    "But there''s a big difference between Ossep and this person right?" Feebie said. "This person is a no name, they''re from no n!"


    "If I was to get rid of him, no one would bat an eyelid, not a single person wouldin about his death. The importance of a n Head''s satisfaction is far more significant than this no name!"


    Her fist tightened once more, but immediately Amir moved and grabbed Feebie''s hand, he then used his Qi, to shift and pull it away, while hitting her wrist forcing her to open it up.


    Raze quickly fell to the floor, and for a moment, Feebie had red towards Amir, ready to attack him, but before she did, she stopped.


    "What are you doing, I am from the five major ns that make up the Dark Faction, we support the academy more so than most of the other Dark Faction ns!


    "Are you trying to go to war with the Lethal Bite n over just one child?"


    Behind Amir, Raze touched his neck for a few seconds, he felt his throat, there was something wrong with it. He could finally breathe, but the muscles around it, on the inside, appeared to be damaged in a particr way.


    "War?" Amir replied. "Did you forget that right now all of these students are part of the Pagna academy. In here, I am the vice principal."


    "A n''s Head is not in a position that is higher than mine, only the principal is higher than me! So if you have a problem then take it up with the principal, otherwise, I am within my full right to do as I please!"


    Listening to this, Feebie didn''t ce her Qi away just yet. It felt like she was debating whether she should still try and attack or not, but in the end, she ced her strong killing intent away.


    "You''re right, inside the academy, I can''t touch him, but know this Raze, every person you care about, everything you have touched outside of this academy, I will destroy of yours.


    "Students and the Dark Faction will learn once again why the Lethal Bite n rose to the top of the ns!"


    Just then, it looked as if Feebie was ready to turn away, to head back out of the cave where everyone currently was, but she turned around with a smile looking directly at Raze.


    "I guess I will have to just be satisfied with the punishment you have received right now. How does it feel, do you want to say something?"


    have received right now. How does it feel, do you want to say something?"


    Raze knew it, there was something wrong. He could feel it, there was something seriously damaged. Even breathing felt difficult.


    ''She managed to damage myrynx. I can''t speak¡­ and even my breathing is disrupted, with it I can feel the Qi all over my body not working well.''


    "A lot of people don''t know this, but breathing is a big part of Cultivating. It''s not just your voice that''s messed up, but the use of your techniques, your stamina. Everything that you have built up and learned will be just a former version of yourself. The Legendary White Dragon that was meant to save the Dark Faction, will be nothing."


    Feebie quickly went down the hallway after that and left. Meanwhile, Amir looked at Raze who was behind him, more so he nced.


    ''Great damage like that, I''m not even sure a physician will be able to heal such a wound. Feebie has basically crippled the boy to the point where he can barely use martial arts! He might not be devastated right now, but he is sure to beter.''


    Instead, though, Raze had clenched both of his fists, he had grabbed the hard rock from the ground and crushed it in his hand.


    He then looked ahead.


    ''She thinks something like this will stop me! She thinks that I''ll just give up.''


    ''You have no idea what I can do! You have no idea, and you have just been added onto my list, and will be the first one to be crossed off it.''


    With Feebie gone, Safa had run straight over to Raze. She could tell that he was having difficulty breathing even now.


    She then held out her hand and was about to use the restore spell, just before Raze grabbed onto it. For the first time, he had touched her.


    He shook his head since he was unable to speak.


    ''Not here, not right now.''


    The tense moment had passed, and with it, Amir had an announcement to make.


    "We are putting an end to the assessment, all of you, we are leaving this ce," Amir announced.


    Hearing the news, Dame didn''t know what to think of this, whether it was good or bad for them. With the assessment ending early, they would be back above, right in front of their targets, and those that were targeting them as well.

 Chapter 369 The Reason for My Name

    Chapter 369 The Reason for My Name


    ??A strange feeling was felt with Raze as he stood on his feet. His body, the Qi inside of him, it was still that of the 6th stage. His body had gotten rid of many impurities and should have been beyond that of normal human capabilities.


    However, due to the injury he had received around his throat, he now had trouble with his breathing, and trouble speaking. Every breath he took, there was major pain, and the amount of oxygen that would get into his body was limited.


    It was causing strange actions to ur in his body. Due to him struggling to breathe, it was hard for him to even focus on his Qi around his body. He had yet to even try using one of his skills, which he imagined would be extremely difficult.


    Right now, they were all following the teachers along with the Vice Principal out of the underground facilities. They had expected the students to be rtively weak so the teachers were going to take it in turns bringing the students up.


    With them having eaten already, they had enough energy to rise up by themselves, everyone had gone to the top, apart from Raze and Dame.


    Amir looked at the two for the moment.


    "If you need a hand, I can help." Amir asked.


    "Ah, do you feel a bit guilty now, the fact that you weren''t able to stop a n head from doing this to a fellow student." Dame retorted. He was beyond annoyed at what happened before. With everything happening, things weren''t quite going to n.


    While the two were talking to each other, Raze decided to go ahead, and rather than jump on the side of the rocks all the way to the top, instead he reached out, and started to pull himself up, one rock at a time.


    It was a strange site, because it didn''t look like that of a Pagna warrior. It was as if a regr person was scaling the wall. Still, even for a regr person to scale such a wall would take arge amount of skill and strength, and he was heading up there himself.


    While Amir was looking at Raze, ready to catch him if he fell at a moment''s notice. Dame quickly looked around and found the statue. He was a bit worried that the others would have seen it when they hade in, but thankfully the magic had stopped being used in the statue.


    It had returned to its smaller form, and now Dame could just pick it up and take it along with him.


    ''Who knows what''s going to happen next, because I can''t predict it at all.'' Dame said, scratching his head.


    Eventually everyone had gotten out of the assessment area and they were back in the open forest where they were led outside of the academy area. Amir and the teachers were leading the way and the rest of them began to walk.


    "Don''t worry, your fellow ssmates will get the respect that they deserve." Amirmented. "We will have our staffe back and retrieve their bodies, and then they will be sent to their respective families and ns to do as they wish."


    "You mean what is left of the bodies." Damemented, knowing full well what happened down there.


    There was tension in the air as the students walked. They were heading back to the academy, the ones that had made them go through that type of assessment in the first ce. to them right now, it felt like they were prisoners, or ves heading back to their owners to do their bidding again.


    They wanted to ask, but after what they had seen Feebie do, they were too scared. If they acted out, would their life end? Raze who wanted to go against them, they understood his feelings, but he was unable to do anything.


    "Are you going to tell us what the deal was with that assessment?" Dame eventually asked. Unlike the other students, he wasn''t afraid to ask.


    "The assessment is just that, it was another stage for you pupils to go through, in order for you to be the strongest Pagna warriors you can be." Amirmented. "Permission was granted from the majority of ns. For the sake of the Dark Faction, it was something we had to do.


    "And now, you are the strongest generation the Dark Faction has ever had, and we will treat you that way from now on. You will be respected greatly for what you have been through and had to do for the sake of the Faction, we won''t forget it, the ns won''t forget it."


    Dame huffed and puffed, he felt like it was an actual good answer from the Vice principal, he thought that maybe he would have panicked and given an answer that would make the students worry even more, but instead, they were now looking slightly forward to returning to the academy.


    During the walk, students couldn''t help but discuss what had happened, including the main disciples.


    "Hey, you know what''s up with Raze right, he doesn''t seem himself?" Mada asked.


    Ricktor nced behind him, Raze was at the back of the group, and even now as he was breathing in a strange odd way.


    "I believe hisrynx, something is wrong with it, it had to be Feebie''s doing. She didn''t outright break his cultivation so he could never use it again, but instead decided to do something more painful." Ricktor exined.


    "Do you think he''ll be okay then? Will he still be able to do what he wanted or thought to do?" Mada replied.


    "Who knows, I''m pretty sure the n Head knew what she was doing, but I also think they have no idea what type of person Raze is. Let me ask you a question, how the heck did he get so much food down in that ce?" Ricktor asked.


    Now that they were out of the ce, and Mada thought about it, wouldn''t it have been impossible. There was no way out, and no one would help a no name like him by sneaking the food in.


    "Your line of thinking is right, somehow, Raze managed to do the impossible. So when ites to him, I don''t want to say that it''s impossible." Ricktor answered.


    Just then, the long bridge that headed to the academy was in sight. They were returning after a long time, and what was in store for them, they had no idea.


    "Hey, Safa, you healed your voice with your light magic right?" Liam whispered. "Then, can''t you heal your brother''s throat as well."


    Safa remembered the look in his eyes back then. That was the first thing that was on her mind.


    "He¡­ didn''t want me to."


    Both Simyon and Liam were shocked by this. Why wouldn''t Raze want his throat healed?


    Raze, walking at the back, was carefully breathing, he was straining to put his Qi into his legs with each step.


    ''Using my Qi is more difficult, the breaths I take are harder. Everything that I learned as a Pagna warrior is around ten times harder with the way I am now! But, I''m going to use this, I''m going to learn how to fight like this.''


    ''Learn to train, and push myself to the limit, with the way my body is! You might have thought you crippled me, but I''m going to use this damned curse you think you''ve ced on me, and turn it back on you. The people of Pagna will learn why the name Dark Magus was feared in all of Alterian.''

 Chapter 370 How much blood on our hands?

    Chapter 370 How much blood on our hands?


    ??Walking through the Pagna academy, it felt different for the studentspared to the first time. There were still the shops, the local families that lived in the area just outside the main academy.


    When looking at them continuing their lives, it was the first time where the students felt so apart from the rest of the world.


    They had just been through torture, they had been throughrge amounts of loss, forced to fight against their own teammates, kids that were the same age as them, and everyone else was just living a normal life.


    The life of a Pagna warrior was meant to be one of prestige, one of great honor. They could hold their head up high as they were the ones that had chosen it. Chosen this cruel path.


    So why didn''t they feel that way, rather than a part of the ns or a part of the upper world of the warriors, instead they felt like they were just tools that could be chucked to the side at any moment, it was just that they were useful ones right now.


    As they entered the main academy, the students were now walking on therge courtyard that split the three headband group areas. It felt extremely emptypared to before, quiet.


    Dame could feel the tense feeling in the air.


    ''The academy had to know the risks, and usually since there are so few that survive, they can treat them as the chosen ones, as the Heroes.''


    ''At the same time, they would feel as if they had been taken out of that hell by the academy and they were their saviors.''


    ''However, more had survived than they had expected for one. Those that knew they were weaker than others like Tinson and his group had managed to survive and they knew they weren''t the strongest.''


    ''They didn''t feel like the chosen ones, and the one that had saved them all in the end, was none other than Raze. For nearly all of those that had survived this assessment, their loyalty is more with Raze than the Academy. They had made a bad move, and they haven''t even realized it yet.''


    The ten students, still not having changed out of their clothes, most of them covered in blood, had finally reached the main building of the academy. They stood there looking straight ahead at the balcony, the same balcony when they had first arrived at the academy.


    The sight waspletely differentpared to how it was before. For one, it felt like there were more teachers than students that were present.


    For a second, Mada nced at Raze.


    ''This is what you want to go up against Raze, I understand how you feel. I''m angry too, but it''s impossible. Look at the academy, look at everything around us, we ten students can''t do anything.''


    Standing on the balcony, was the principal Murkel with his long ck ponytail and silk-like clothing. By his side was Gunther and Pincer, the two of them who were there before.


    Although not the head of their ns, both of them were considered the stars of their ns, and might even be stronger than the heads themselves. They were certainly more active.


    "You ten here, are the chosen ones!" Murkel shouted. "You have managed to survive an assessment where there was a chance that there would be no survivors."


    "You managed to reach the very top, which means that you are the leaders of the next generation. You are the ones that will shape the Dark Faction in the future, and we will treat you like so."


    "You are not just the stars of those in your n but the whole of the faction. There will be now a lot of weight on your shoulders, as we look forward to your future growth."


    Everything so far was as expected by Dame, and the students stood there with the same expression as before. They were listening to his words, but they just felt a little empty.


    "After the tough trial, all of you are permitted a week''s break before the next test will begin."


    The words that there would be a next test, it made everyone skip a beat for a moment. They were still in the academy, it wasn''t over.


    There was a new test every month, and this would go on for an entire year. Was this something they really wanted?


    "Unfortunately, you will not be permitted to return to your ns, you must rest up here in the academy. Do as you wish, train, rx, or just close your eyes, knowing that you are the future, and the stars of the Dark Faction."


    After the speech waspleted, the teachers went on to lead the students back to the Red Headband base, all of them heading back to their rooms.


    As for Amir, he walked ahead and was no longer with the students, when he reached the main building he jumped up from where he was and hadnded on the balcony.


    "It looks like there were some unexpected results," Murkel said.


    "The assessment needed to end early," Amir answered. "Feebie from the Lethal Bite n got too involved. Rather than lose them all, I thought it was best that we keep them where we can see them."


    Murkel nodded.


    "It''s expected, since she lost one of her own. About Ricktor and the White Dragon, their stages; do you have an idea what they managed to reach?"


    "Yes, I got close enough to assess their power," Amir replied. "Ricktor seems to have reached the fifth stage, while many of the other students have reached the fourth stage."


    "The result of the assessment has been better than we expected."


    "And what about the White Dragon, it appears that you have avoided his name for a particr reason?"


    Amir didn''t answer immediately, instead he paused and waited and then asked a question of his own.


    "You asked me to gather more students to have another entry for the academy. This has never been done before, are you nning to do the same again?"


    Murkel didn''t answer but hisck of an answer was an answer in Amir''s eyes.


    "How many sir, how many dead children''s blood will be spilt on our hands?" Amir asked.


    "As many as it takes," Murkel replied. "As many lives as it takes so we can protect everything we have, now my question."


    There was a small flicker of intensity, of energy, that Amir felt for a second.


    "The White Dragon, I believe he has managed to reach the 6th stage, but there was a problem. Feebie was unable to contain her anger and has damaged his throat. The Qi inside him ruptured more than that I think."


    "He seems to have a problem with his breathing."


    Immediately Murkel shook his head.


    "Send the best physicians to see that he gets better. Feebie also needs to be punished for what she has done. We might have now just lost our golden star in all of this."


    "I will sir," Amir said bowing down, but when he raised his head he had one more question to ask. "And if the physicians are unable to heal him, then what will you do with him?"


    "We have no use for a cripple," Murkel answered. "We will just get rid of him."

 Chapter 371 Unifying our strength

    Chapter 371 Unifying our strength


    ??The ten students had returned to the Red Headband group''s building. It wasn''t exactly the biggest building before, since there were the fewest students.


    However, it was slightly more luxuriouspared to the other buildings. What they did notice, though, was they had more spacepared to before.


    The teacher had arrived, and then shortly after, didn''t say anything; they both just left, standing outside or heading back to the main academy, leaving all of them in the same room.


    "So, what do we do now?" Tinson asked.


    "What, you want us to all hold hands and y a game together?" Mada asked. "Just because we went through that together doesn''t mean we''re friends now, alright?"


    "What do you mean?" Joe replied back. "Do you want to just sit here, wait, and count down the days until the next assessment? We don''t even know what it''s going to be, I''m not sure my heart can take it."


    Dame then stood in the center of the room and looked at Joe; he ced his finger toward his lips, and then ced another one towards his ears.


    Everyone got the gesture; it was the fact that there could be those around them watching or listening at any time, so they needed to be careful.


    "If we talk, we talk in our rooms, and only when we can be sure that no one is around. Whatever you do, don''t go mentioning any of this on the outside; if any of you do, I wille and find you." Dame raised his fist, and for a moment, he let out a bit of his Qi.


    It was the first time they had felt his power. Before this, they just knew him as someone who was part of Raze''s group with the others.


    Sure he was skillful, but they didn''t know how so, that was until then. It was clear Dame''s Qi was stronger than them all.


    Well, maybe not all, as it was now on par with one person''s, but that person was now sitting down. Raze was in the open area, watching everything; he was breathing carefully.


    When the room went silent, they could all hear a slight wheezing sound. They all knew who it wasing from, but they were afraid to even look.


    They didn''t quite understand what was going on, just that ever since Raze''s altercation with the n Head, he looked a bit weak in their eyes.


    After his strong conversation he had before, it wasn''t something they expected.


    When Raze stood up and headed for his room, the rest of them thought they would do the same. They decided to rest for the night as each of them was exhausted, but they were left with strong thoughts in their mind.


    Dame still had the statue with him, but it needed magic to activate. He was sure it was his tool for reaching the middle stage, but even if he could get Safa or Raze to activate it, where could he practice with it in the academy?


    For Simyon, Liam, and Safa, they knew even though they had grown far stronger than before, but for what Raze wanted them to do, it wasn''t enough, and now with the state that Raze was in, they needed to do more, to protect him, just like he had done for them.


    Then there was finally Raze himself, while all of them were busy thinking and sleeping, he was drawing a magic circle on the ground.


    He had the level 3 power stone on the floor.


    ''Although my Qi is greatly disrupted from me being unable to breathe, I can still use my magic just fine. And it''s not like it''s impossible for me to use my Qi.


    ''I''m getting used to controlling it a bit better. If I''m able to use it while my body is strained, maybe I''ll even be able to learn theplete Descending Steps.''


    That night, Raze had gotten to work, in a number of ways, doing whatever it was he could.


    The next day when the sun shined bright, the 10 students were a little dumbfounded about what to do. They were no longer fighting for their life, but when they went to the back of their courtyard full of the training equipment.


    They didn''t quite feel like continuing their fight. The goal in their heads had disappeared, that was for all of them apart from Ricktor and Mada, who continued to train diligently.


    "I wonder where Raze is, and what he''s doing?" Tinson asked.


    "Oh, I think I saw them enter one of the rooms, but I have no idea what is happening," Joe replied.


    Tinson let out a sigh. He didn''t know what was happening or what they should do. After agreeing to help, he was just a little tense, feeling as if anything could happen at any moment.


    The rooms they had were far bigger than the seclusion rooms and were about the same size as the inns that they would rent.


    There was enough space for them to move around, and certainly enough space for all of them to gather and talk.


    "Alright, I checked the area," Dame said. "There is no one close, so do what you want to do, Raze."


    Raze nodded, and then went ahead to the three of them. He gave a small pouch that was a handful to both Simyon and Liam.


    Immediately Liam wasted no time as he opened up the pouch, and he could see that they were filled with small balls.


    "Are these, Qi pills!" Liam asked.


    Dame took a peek but just standing from where he was alone he could tell what they were.


    "Level 3 Qi pills, and a whole bunch of them as well. I have no idea where he managed to get his hands on those, but it looks like Raze wants the two of you to get stronger," Dame exined.


    Originally, Raze was thinking about using the stage three crystals he obtained to create stronger pills, but he realized that being a stronger Pagna warrior was more important first, and then the pills could just be a simple buff after.


    A permanent increase in strength was more important than a temporary one.


    "I''ll help you guys in absorbing the Qi pills properly, and training as well. Just absorbing them all like so, it isn''t going to do much," Dame exined.


    Raze nodded, hearing this. Then out from his hand, he pulled out a book and handed it over to Safa.


    When she looked at the front, she was slightly confused because it had markings that she didn''t understand, but when she opened it up, she could see several magic circles.


    "Is this a magic book?" Safa asked.


    To which Raze nodded again. It was the Light magic book he had obtained from his vault, full of spells she could use.


    She could use magic, and having a Light mage on their team would be a big support, but not the way she was now.


    That was when Raze had the Raw Level 3 crystals with him, and pointed to a magic circle on the ground.


    ''I''m going to increase Safa''s star level as well. With these crystals, she could reach and be a 3-star Light mage.


    ''The risks are there, though, with each star breakthrough, a massive amount of Mana is released, which means there''s a chance of a portal breaking out.


    ''But if a portal break happens, well, fuck them, let the monsterse and kill them all.''

 Chapter 372 Don’t Ever Stop

    Chapter 372 Don¡¯t Ever Stop


    ??Raze''s group had split up into two halves, in order to continue improving as quickly as possible. People were getting used to the free rxation period they were in, and were slowly getting ustomed back into the academy life.


    They were all still slightly on edge, even the teachers knew this because every time they saw them they would slightly flinch and even head back in the other direction, and the teachers themselves didn''t appear to even want to look directly in the faces of those that had survived.


    Regardless, the students started to train again, all of them waiting for the next order. Currently in the red headband courtyard, nearly everyone was outside apart from Safa and Raze.


    Meanwhile, at the very back of the courtyard next to the outer wall of the academy, both Liam and Simyon were sitting on the floor.


    "You know I worry about when Raze is doing his crazy things," Liammented. "I mean, you remember what happened in the Dark Faction, right?"


    "Yes, I do," Simyon replied. "And do you remember who was the one that managed to help her in the end? It was Raze while we were unable to do anything, so she''s with the safest person."


    "You say that, but you know right now Raze isn''t, the same, you know?" Liam replied.


    Simyon didn''t know how to reply to that; it was obvious to everyone that Raze was still being affected by the scuffle he had with Feebie. They had seen him step outside sometimes, trying an odd move or two.


    Although the movements he would do would look sharp and on point, with plenty of gathered power, he could still only perform one movement before getting out of breath.


    Raze could do something like the two-step shift, but then his breathing was out of sync for him to perform an adequate sword strike with Qi. Maybe if his opponent just ran right for him, he could perform a single sh, but then what?


    "Why do you think he won''t let Safa heal him, does that guy get off on pain?" Liam replied.


    "Why don''t you guys focus on your two''s training rather than someone else," Dame annoyinglyined. "I finally thought that I could focus on getting myself stronger, and yet here I am again, looking after you guys."


    Although Dame was still figuring out how he could go against the statue away from the eyes of the Academy. His best shot might be to talk to the teacher Gunther; maybe he could use the facilities at the back that led to the mountain.


    But to activate the statue, he would also need either Safa or Raze in the first ce, so he could kill some time.


    "Do you remember what the teachers said to you, to get the full effect of the Qi pill, you need to train hard and drain all of your energy. This is true for both of you, and I want you to focus on your techniques.


    "Simyon, your body is strong as a weapon, but it is not a weapon meant for attacking; yours is more like a shield. Liam, your skills are great with using the sword. To put it simply, you are shield and sword.


    "Rather than just focusing on expending all of your Qi through useless moves, I want you to do it in ways that will improve yourself. Simyon, I want you to only use Qi to enhance the strength of your body, especially when blocking attacks.


    "Do nothing else, and consume the pills; we aren''t only aiming for both of you to reach the fifth stage, but to be useful in many ways to Raze and the rest of us! Same to you, Liam, I want you to focus on strength in your Qi, cing all of it in the strike of your weapon.


    "The two of you can work together perfectly, Liam, you will do everything in your strength to try and hurt Simyon as much as possible, only using Qi in your weapon, not in your movements or techniques but to make the single strike as powerful as possible, only powering the Qi.


    "Then, when you have run out of Qi, absorb the pills; you two can do that right?"


    The two of them nced at each other. They didn''t like the idea of working together. Liam and Simyon regrly got into arguments, and on top of that now, Simyon was going to have to let Liam hit him nonstop.


    "Haha, hit Simyon as much as I want, of course, I will allow our mighty meat shield to be meatier."


    "Man, even your sentences are perverted," Simyon replied back. "And do you really think you could even begin to hurt me, you have no chance, you''re someone that just flunked to be here by spying on us, like the pervert you are."


    Steam wasing out of Liam''s nostrils as he held the wooden sword in his hand tighter.


    "Oh, thank you for not making me feel bad about hitting you."


    Dame shook his head, but he felt like it was better for the two of them to be energized than to not go into this full force. Just looking around, he could see that Tinson and the others weren''t doing so well still.


    Even Mada, he was sitting at the staircase that led to the main building. Only Ricktor was the other one that was fully training.


    ''I don''t have time to focus on the others; they will need to figure out how to pull themselves out of the rut that they are in. I should at least go ahead and see Gunther to see if I can use that other space, and then, I''lle back and see how Raze is doing,'' Dame thought.


    Simyon and Liam got to work, and Dame had gone off to the main academy building. After an hour or so of their training, they both began to absorb the crystals, and in a way, seeing how hard the two were working had somewhat inspired the others as well.


    Especially, a particr main disciple.


    "Are you really going to let those guys surpass you?" Ricktor asked. "If there is one thing we have, it''s the fact that we are main disciples. Could you imagine, a world where no names are stronger than us that have been raised with a golden spoon in our mouth?"


    Those words had caused Mada to stand up and grab a wooden sword, getting straight to work, and that''s when everyone could see someone else standing by the stairs, it was none other than Raze.


    When he had entered the courtyard, everyone''s heads turned to him, but they didn''t stare, looking away. They were still keeping an eye on him but decided to not make it look so obvious.


    When in the center, Raze then went ahead and grabbed a wooden sword, as he did, he approached one of the wooden beams that were made for striking. He picked it up and swung down, forcing it with Qi, hitting it.


    As soon as he did, the wheezing had gotten heavier in an instant. It looked as if he almost dropped the wooden sword, but he hadn''t done so, he held it, and waited. Slowly Raze counted in his head, and then after 40 seconds, he picked up the sword and struck down again.


    After he had struck it two times, he did the same with the two-


    step shift, performing one, waiting, and then performing it again. He would alternate between the two, and after an hour, he


    had headed back inside.


    "It''s sad to see, honestly. I can''t believe someone who was so strong, who had taken out all of those rabid students, can now only produce so little," Madamented.


    "Is that what you see, a sad sick person?" Ricktor replied with a smile. "Because I was watching carefully, and in my eyes, it looks like a monster is rehealing his wounds, and ising back even stronger than before."


    Madaughed, but it was one out of pity.


    "You and your delusions, what you said makes no sense. He couldn''t even beat me right now if he wanted to."


    "And why don''t you, I thought you hated him?"


    "Because, I owe him now, right, we all do. I won''t help him if it means death, and besides, it looks like he''s been punished enough."


    Ricktor was about to continue his training, and as he held the sword in his hand, he had a fewst words to say.


    "Next time when you watch him, count how much time is in between each strike, then you will start to know how much of a monster that guy is."

 Chapter 373 A New Spark

    Chapter 373 A New Spark


    ??After training outside, Raze had returned back into the Red headband living area. There was only so much his body could handle at the moment. Due to the restriction of oxygen, his muscles would tighten up.


    The buildup ofctic acid in his body was even worse. Even though he had only moved slightly, and had only swung the sword a few times, it felt like a full day''s worth of training for his body at the moment.


    When entering the room, Raze immediately went to sit on his bed and started to have a coughing fit. He coughed and coughed, taking in short sharp breaths in between. It was hard for him, and his face was turning slightly red.


    Immediately Safa had gotten up from her position and sprinted over to his side. She was already gathering her light magic in the palm of her hands, but before she could get close, he ced his hand out and shook his head.


    The coughing had just stopped, but he was still breathing as if he was hyperventting or in the middle of a panic attack.


    "Why Raze, why won''t you let me use the restore spell!" Safa shouted out, her eyes watering up, and she was on the verge of tears.


    She hated seeing Raze this way, even though she knew it wasn''t her real brother, she had a liking for Raze, and he was still in the same body as before. It was a trial reaction to want to do what she could, and the thing was she could help.


    "Even if the restore skill won''tpletely heal you, it will make you better, and after some time, I know you''ll get better," Safa imed.


    Still, Raze shook his head and pointed toward the magic circle that was on the floor. The one he had set up for Safa. He then started to sign to her. It was the way her brother used tomunicate to her in the past when she was a mute.


    With each sign, Safa would say the words out loud.


    ''Go back to the magic circle, you think I''m ready now?''


    She listened to her brother but felt like if he had the time to sign something like this, then why didn''t he just sign to her what he was thinking in his head.


    When she sat down before in the circle, Safa was told just to gather her light magic into her magic core. Like she had done before. The technique was quite simr to that of cultivation, and she was a quick learner, so she had no problems with that.


    Just like how she would gather light magic around her throat, she was gathering it around her chest. It was easier with the magic circle, but she didn''t know why. She hadn''t had much time to study the book that had been given to her yet.


    Now though, the magic crystal was pushed slightly forward by an invisible force, which was Raze''s wind magic.


    Although Raze couldn''t speak, he could still use spells. It would just take him slightly more time. He would have to think about the spell and what it looked like. Rather than work off his muscle memory.


    Where he had gotten into the habit of saying the word of the spell and the magic circle appearing in one''s head.


    Safa closed her eyes and immediately got to work. The mana was swirling around her. A sense of bliss wasing over her. A calming sensation, and then slowly the crystal was starting to break down.


    Bit by bit, particles of the crystal were entering, and she could feel the core in her heart changing; it was growing until arge explosion from within urred.


    On the outside, mana swirled out in all directions, pushing through everything in sight. Raze knew straight away what this was.


    ''She''s done it, she''s finally reached the second star!'' Raze thought. ''With this, even though her Light magic affinity hasn''t increased, she will still get somewhat of a boost and be able to control more light magic.''


    However, that wasn''t the only thing that Raze noticed. Just above, several sparks were going off in the room where Safa was. The sparks were light blue, and he had seen this before.


    ''This is... it''s trying to open a portal. Like Himmy and Charlotte said, magic used in Pagna attracts the other dimensions.''


    As he continued to watch, the sparks eventually disappeared, and it looked as if for now, a portal wasn''t going to open up. Raze had been quite lucky; thest time a portal had opened up, it wasn''t a portal break.


    He knew his luck wouldn''t always be the same though, but if a real portal break was toe, he didn''t care right now.


    ''With the reaction we got from bing a 2-star mage, then when Safa bes a 3-star mage, it''s most likely a portal break will ur.'' With these thoughts, Raze signed to Safa, telling her to do the same again, he wanted her to reach the third star.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    After a couple of hours, the others were still training outside, and once again, they were witnessing Razee out from the building. They were unsure what was happening with himing in and out every now and again, but whenever he dide out, they knew it was time for him to train.


    Just like before, he had grabbed a wooden sword and struck down on it. He did the same again, repeating the same patterns as before, leaving them to question what was the point.


    However, this time, like Ricktor said, Mada had kept an eye out on him, and he couldn''t help but grip his hand tightly.


    "Why, why is he doing that?" Mada imed.


    "You mean, you still don''t understand?" Ricktor replied.


    "No, it''s not that, I know what''s happening. His strikes, when he first came out, it took him 38 seconds before he swung his sword again, the time after that it took 37 seconds, and the time after that 36 seconds before he struck again.


    "Even now, in the poor state he''s in, he''s training, and he''s getting stronger. If he''s healing, why doesn''t he just wait for his body to heal!"


    "You think he''s healing, if you listened to the sound of his breath, it has not improved," Ricktor stated. "Instead, the amount of Qi needed, the amount of oxygen needed for him to strike again, his whole body is getting used to it.


    "He''s not healing, but even in this state, his body is getting stronger. Which makes me think, if he is able to get even stronger in this current state, and then was somehow able to heal his body, I think he would be too far ahead for us to catch up after that."


    The other students didn''t quite know what was going on, but they got used to watching Raze, and they could feel it. With each swing, his determination.


    "Raze... he hasn''t given up," Tinson imed. "We can''t either; I''m sure of it, he still ns to go through with his n, so we need to be there for him when he does!"


    Running from their room out to the courtyard was a startled Joe.


    "Everyone, you need to head to the main courtyard now, and see what''s there!"


    "Huh, what do you mean?" Tinson asked.


    "Why don''t you just tell us what''s there?"


    "It''s... students," Joe replied. "Lots and lots of students are here, yellow, red, blue, there are lots of them."

 Chapter 374 An Army we can use, or Agianst Us?

    Chapter 374 An Army we can use, or Agianst Us?


    ??What was the meaning of all this? The students couldn''t quite understand the wordsing out of Joe''s mouth. How could there be students in the courtyard apart from them?


    All headband students, including those of the second year, had taken part in thetest assessment, and with it, they were now the only ten students at the academy. It had been that way yesterday and so far today.


    "Wait, do you mean like there are zombies out there or something?" Liam asked, his face covered in sweat. Until this moment, he had been training hard with Simyon.


    "Yeah, maybe he means they finally brought their dead bodies back," Simyon replied.


    To which, Joe nodded, and following out of the building behind him, one of the red headband teachers emerged.


    "There is a message for you all," the Red Headband teacher imed. "As of today, the ten of you will be treated as special case students. You will be participating in your own testspared to the rest of the students. Think of it like you are now second years since you will be the oldest students here."


    "Wait!" Tinson said. "So there really are other students now, how is that even possible? I mean, unless."


    For a second, many were now taking Liam''s suggestion quite seriously. But often in situations like this, they had a simple exnation.


    "There were assessments that took ce while you were underground. The same assessment that you went through to join the academy. They were taken a second time with a batch of new children from other ns, including those that were rejected before."


    "Things are going to be getting a bit more noisy around here."


    Dame had returned from the main academy having spoken with Gunther, who had granted him special permission to train in the forest out back. As long as he didn''t kill the bunny beasts that were there, he was fine, since the academy used them for assessments and such. While he was there, that was when he became aware of the situation as well, with the new lot of studentsing in.


    When he walked past the courtyard he could see them standing, being assorted into different colored headbands like they once were.


    ''A whole batch of new students¡­ This can either be a good thing for us, an army for us, more people to utilize in our fight against the academy, or it could be bad. An army that we will have to fight against.''


    When Dame returned, he could see the ten students, including Raze, were standing outside their main building, and now were looking toward the students again. They were staring at them in awe.


    "It''s true, there are so many of them as well. Are there around five hundred of them in total?" Tinson asked.


    "Correct, we will soon be training them, you are their seniors after all, and are steps above them. You are to be good role models for them all," the teacher continued. "There is one more thing, none of you are to speak of the tests and trials that you have gone through since you have been here. Understood?"


    Dame couldn''t help but smirk at thisment. They were trying to keep a lid on their dark practices, but things woulde out, one way or another.


    ''I wonder how Raze and Safa are still doing, we still have a week''s rest before they try and spring another trial on us, I need one of them to be done with whatever it is they are doing, and judging by the look of Raze, he''s still breathing like a half-dead man.''


    Around fifty new Red Headband students had been selected. More so than there werest time, and now the group of students was walking over toward the base. The teacher greeted them and exined the general rules to them all.


    The students that were now Red Headband students, some of them were familiar faces.


    "Hey, that''s that no-name right, wait all of them are still here, can you believe it?" Opus said. One of the students, who had curly brown hair, and had taken the assessment before.


    "Yeah, they stood out, but they''re Red Headband students that means they''re quite skilled right!" Another asked.


    "Are you crazy, look, there''s only so few students left. I heard that they had gone on some expedition through a portal. They had met with a high-level beast which had wiped out nearly all of the students."


    "That''s why they ran the assessment again a second time so soon. They have the Red Headband, because they survived and just grouped them up together. You know they most likely just hid in a corner somewhere. They should all be embarrassed not dying a warrior''s death while other n members had to sacrifice their lives," Opus dered.


    While he was speaking the students that were near him had overheard, and it was making them angry. They were already ashamedst time that a no-name had gotten through instead of them.


    The new students as well, they were already focusing on the scum in front of them.


    "Now, to your right, we have your seniors," the teacher exined. "They have managed to survive the toughest of trials. If you wish to learn and grow stronger, you should follow in each of their footsteps. Take this week to learn from them."


    "And how do we know they''re better than us?" A voice asked.


    The group turned around to look at a single Red Headband user. It was a tall, small-framed person, who had his hair wrapped up in a ponytail, with small beady eyes. It was the first time he had taken the assessment for the academy, but everyone already knew who it was.


    "That''s Viker, he was the one that dominated the assessment," Opusmented. "Now he is more like what a Pagna warrior should be. Did you see how skillful he was at the assessment?"


    "Yeah, he took down ten guys all on his own with just his sword skills. He was incredibly fast. I think he might even be stronger than the main disciples when they took the assessment. I mean, he has to be at the Third Stage, right?"


    "Yep, and it''s not all about what stage level you are at," Opus exined. "Even though he is most likely at the same stage level as the main disciples, he is more skillful than them."


    Most of the Red Headband students wanted to back Viker, but there was one thing, he had a tendency to take things head-on, and a fighting nature.


    "Whatever happens during this week of rest is down to you. Things happen, and we have physicians on-site that will be there to help you," the teacher exined.


    After the exnations were over, the Red Headband students had headed inside and were getting ready in their rooms. They were sorting out where they would stay and observing the facilities.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the old group were outside, doing their normal training. They weren''t training as hard as they usually did, because there was quite a bit on their mind.


    In the Red Headband center though, Viker was looking around and a few had gathered around him.


    "Have you seen the way those guys look at us, especially the main disciples?" Vikermented. "They all think that we are nothingpared to them. Just because they''ve been here a couple of months."


    Just moments before, Ricktor had walked in and Viker had tried to give a greeting to him. Knowing what his situation and position was. However, instead, Ricktor just looked him up and down before saying a few words.


    "You''re not my type." And Ricktor ended up walking away.


    "You''re right, there are even a bunch of no-names that are here as well!" Opusmented.


    "Let''s give them all a nice surprise then," Viker smiled.

 Chapter 375 The Silent one, Strikes

    Chapter 375 The Silent one, Strikes


    ??Most of the old group of students were still doing their daily routine training outside. However, as usual, Raze wasn''t outside as he was in the room working with Safa on improving her mana control.


    He was trying to get her to improve in a number of ways and learn the tier 2 spells rted to Light magic, while resting himself. After that, he could continue on and make sure she broke through to be a 3-star mage.


    New students, he didn''t care about that. They, the people, always existed and everything was still the same with what he had to do.


    However, things were devolving rather quickly, far more than any teacher thought. The group of fifty or so Red Headband students that had passed the assessment together had finally exited the building and were now in the courtyard.


    For a brief moment, the old group turned their heads to look at them, just like they would for any noise, but then continued on their way, doing nothing.


    "Look at them, they''re not even paying attention to us!" Opus ground his teeth. "Just because they passed the assessment the first time. I bet they think they''re some type of elite. Even the academy wants us to learn from them. We are both wearing red headbands."


    Violet, while training, could feel a sense of energying off from the side.


    "Hey, don''t you think that those new students are looking at us a bit strange?" Violet asked.


    "Rx, we need to focus on us. Do you think we have time to bother with them? Let''s just let them do their thing and we''ll do ours. If we don''t, then we might be dead in the next trial."


    Stepping forward, Viker entered the middle of the training courtyard, and then spread his hands out wide, holding a wooden sword in one of his hands.


    "We are the new Red Headband group!" Viker shouted. "We havee here on a different path from the rest of you. We weren''t part of the original assessment, but just like all of you, we worked hard, trained hard every day, to the point where we both earned this."


    Viker was pointing at his headband, and he paused for a moment to see if the others were listening to him. The new students were glued to him, but the old group looked disinterested.


    "I wish to get rid of that prejudgment and prove to you all that we are deserving of this ce!" Viker shouted again, and the new students cheered with excitement.


    Mada, listening to all of this, was just shaking his head.


    "The new guys are a bit sensitive, right? I wonder, were we like that as well? Were we thinking that everyone was looking down at us, and at every corner, we had to prove ourselves again and again. Thatst trial, it really did change us. Those things look stupid now, even though it was only a few months ago."


    Ricktor agreed, more so than ever, but didn''t say anything.


    "Which is why, I want to challenge one of you to prove our strength in a friendly spar. Which one of you here is the strongest and willing to ept my challenge!" Viker shouted.


    Everyone fell quiet, waiting for an answer, but there was no response, just the sound of several strikes being heard, mainly from Liam and Simyon in the back.


    "Are you really ignoring us!" Viker shouted so loud a vein was extending out of the side of his head.


    "Hey, I think his eyes are mainly looking at you," Mada smirked. "Are you going to ignore him? If you keep doing so, then he might do something even more drastic, maybe you should just go out there and teach him a lesson."


    "Why would I do such a thing?" Ricktor replied. "Would I fight against a child that is throwing a fit? That is what this looks like in my eyes, and besides, he asked for the strongest, and I''m not the strongest, am I?"


    Viker was running out of options as to what to do. He didn''t want to just start attacking the students out of the blue, especially a main disciple. He wanted to beat them in a fair fight to prove himself or it would mean nothing, but none of them were engaging.


    In the middle of his ramblings, another student from the old group, one with white hair, walked through, and went toward one of the pirs. As he walked past the other students, each of them could hear his pained breathing.


    Finally, Raze, ignoring everything around him, grabbed his sword, and struck down at the pir once again, waiting for his time as he rested.


    "What the¡­ what the heck!" Opus couldn''t help but ce his palm on his face and shake his head.


    "What is that? Why is he still in the Red Headband students if he''s like that? Did he be a cripple from one of the assessments?" Opus had seen Raze during the assessment, so he knew he had some skill, but this, what was this?


    Someone who couldn''t produce two strikes in a row? Or evenbine a foot movement with a strike.


    "Hey, someone like you, you don''t deserve to wear the red headband!" Opus called out as he moved forward. He saw this, maybe it was an opportunity for him to do the same as what Viker was trying to do.


    However, Raze ignored him and went on to strike the pir again.


    "If you really think you''re deserving of the red headband, then why don''t you fight me in a duel, huh? If you win, I''ll leave you alone," Opus said, but there was no response again. "Are you listening to me?"


    In the middle of his break, Raze nced behind, looking at Opus, and shook his head. Since Raze still was unable to speak, that was all he had done.


    "What the F*CK, you won''t even talk to me, a no-name, and now a cripple is doing this. Just because you''re part of the old group you think you can look down on us!"


    "Kick his arse, these guys have iting, and it''s just a no-


    name, you can''t get in trouble for that!"


    The new students were cheering him on. They felt like they were united, while the others were fractured, and with their strength in unity, they were far stronger than the others, even with the main disciples, of which there were only two now.


    Opus moved forward, and when he did, he grabbed Raze''s arm, pulling him around so he could face him. Immediately, Raze''s face changed in an instant. His heart was pumping as he felt another person touch him.


    The expression on his face hadpletely changed as the sword was held in his hand.


    ''I already told you no, and then you go and touch me! When will you people ever learn.'' Raze''s sword was raised, he knew he still didn''t have the strength to operate a full strike, but he could do something else.


    The magic started to gather around the edge of the wooden sword, and as it swung across Opus'' chest, it shed a deep cut against him, slicing through his wooden sword.


    Blood was gushing out from the loud cut, and the power of the single strike was strong, with the added Qi he could muster, to the point where Opus fell to the ground. But at the same time, Raze himself fell to one knee.


    ''I pushed myself a little too hard.''


    Looking at the sight, Viker''s eyes lit up. This was perhaps the opportunity he needed, an excuse to start a scuffle.


    "That student, he just attacked my sworn brother, no, he just tried to kill him, everyone, get him!" Viker shouted.


    The new students were ready as they charged in. They would see one of the old group get beaten to the point of near death. No one woulde to this person''s aid, and then they would move onto the others.


    Right when Viker and the others charged in though, a sword came swinging down, hitting him right on his shoulder, pushing him to his feet. The other students were seen flying in the air, being pushed back and were already on the ground.


    Multiple of them were moaning all in pain. In an instant, the moment they had charged in to attack, all of those in the old group, Tinson, Joe, Violet, Mada, Ricktor, Simyon, Liam, and Dame hade in, and pushed back all of the new students in a simple strike.


    ''I didn''t even see his attack!'' Viker thought as he looked up, holding onto his shoulder. He guessed a few bones had broken.


    "No one is allowed to touch him," Simyon shouted. "All of you back off, and let him do as he wishes."


    "If you guys even try to attack him, we will deal with you!" Tinson shouted.


    "Why, why are you all protecting that no-name! Why the heck would you all get involved, I was just going to get punishment for my sworn brother!" Viker shouted. "Who is that guy?"


    Viker was looking over; Opus still wasn''t moving. He was quite a skilled Pagna warrior, but he was caught off guard by a strange attack. Now though, the white-haired student was standing back up and just as if nothing happened, he turned around, and continued to whack the pole again.


    "That guy?" Ricktor said with a smile. "Is the one person no one should ever try to mess with while in this academy, that guy, is the White Dragon."

 Chapter 376 A Problem Rising

    Chapter 376 A Problem Rising


    ??"The White Dragon?" Viker repeated the words, and it seemed to jog his memory slightly. A while back, he remembered his n, not just his, but many ns were talking about a new star in the Dark Faction, and they had nicknamed him the White Dragon.


    He was the person that had managed to best the main disciples, and those who had watched the fight said it was a spectacle of a future star, dubbing him the name White Dragon.


    "That''s him¡­" Viker had a more careful eye on him, but his name, his story, it didn''t make any sense. A person who could hardly breathe, tired after a single strike, this couldn''t be the White Dragon.


    Even if he was, it didn''t exin why all the other members were loyal to him.


    "How did this happen, aren''t you embarrassed of yourself, look at you two, the two of you are main disciples and yet you''re working directly under a no-name, he doesn''t even belong to a n, do your heads even know about this!"


    It seemed absurd. The two main disciples of the top ns were working under a no-name. It was impossible for Viker toprehend. No matter how strong he was, even then wouldn''t another n invite him into theirs, and still, he would have to serve under the n head.


    "Hey new guy, don''t get jealous now just because you''re not my type," Ricktor smiled. "And don''t go around swinging your sword at any of us, because I can assure you that any one of us can take you on, it''s not just me because I''m a main disciple, you have a lot to learn, and if you don''t learn fast, you''re going to end up dead."


    In the middle of the conversation, a couple of people had tried to move, trying to strike Raze or get past, but the old group of Red Headbands was swiftly able to deal with anything that came their way.


    After all, they were 2 to 3 stages above all of the other Red Headbands. Even if their skills were subpar, there was just too much of a gap in strength.


    They didn''t try again, and when the ce was silent once more, Raze was done with his training and started to head back to the main building.


    Once he was gone, Ricktor lifted his own sword and the rest followed as they headed back to the courtyard. The new Red Headband students had a slightly sour taste in their mouths.


    The new students eventually started to settle in for the rest of the day. Some of them stayed in their room, while others were outside training. They would nce over at the old students, trying to keep up with them once in a while, but they didn''t dare go up to them and ask for advice.


    After their arrogance, they now felt like they truly were in a lower positionpared to before. The sun was starting to set slightly, and Opus was starting to heal from his wounds.


    The Red Headband teacher had actually gotten some ointment to put on the wound across his chest, and allowed the rest of his body to heal up. When Opus eventually opened his eyes, he found himself in one of the student''s rooms, with the teacher and Viker inside.


    "I¡­ already know what happened, I''m sorry for embarrassing you, Viker," Opus dered immediately. He thought he could help Viker reach the top of the academy and he would be by his side.


    Opus knew his strength. So he was trying to raise his position by staying close to those that he knew would rise.


    The thing was, Viker didn''t say anything back, he had nothing toin about. After all, he didn''t witness the humiliation that had happened to them all.


    "I have to ask though, who was that guy? I mean, how did a wooden sword manage to sh through my skin like that? My Qi was activated in my body as well," Opus stated. "Did he hide some type of sword here, isn''t that against the rules, shouldn''t he be punished?"


    The teacher, who was present now seeing that Opus was fine, stood up from his seat and was ready to leave.


    "Teacher, who is he!" Opus asked again.


    "I believe your friend already knows the answer to that one. It''s a good thing that you learned now and notter," the teacher imed.


    When they left the room, Viker finally spoke.


    "The one who attacked you, he''s the one that is known as the White Dragon. You said you went up against him in the assessment before, right? I''m sure you would have heard that name as well."


    It took a while for Opus to put two and two together. Even when he had heard the news of the White Dragon he just never envisioned that it would be a no-name of all people.


    From his information, Raze had even been ced in the Blue Headband group, which was why he assumed his position was one that wasn''t earned but given due to him being one of the few survivors.


    "But, his strike, I saw it when he hit me, there was still something wrong with him. I think he''s got to be quite sick or something, right? Maybe he was poisoned," Opus imed.


    Viker thought about this as well. It was clear that the White Dragon was only able to do one strike and no more after that. It would be easy for anyone to take him out and earn the title of Dragon yer, bing the new star.


    Therger issue at hand was all of those around him that were protecting him. It would be impossible to take him out, and the more he thought about it, the more it still didn''t make sense why the n leaders would be looking after him.


    "I''m thinking of one or two things, I haven''t given up just yet," Viker imed. "We still need to prove ourselves, we need to take out those around them one by one, lowering their guard and then go for the White Dragon."


    In his head, when he was scanning around at the old group of Red Headbands, there were two that stood out to him that appeared to beplete idiots. The dark-skinned warrior and the one with the eyepatch.


    ''The two of them look to be the easiest to deal with, and are away from the others most of the time as well.''


    There was a thought in the back of Viker''s mind though, and it was the words from Ricktor, about how every single one from the old group was able to best him.


    ''I can see there being a big gap between me and you, but I can''t see me being weaker than all of the old group. It''s only been a couple of months since they entered this academy. They are still just looking down at us all.''


    Still, just in case, Viker felt like he needed a backup n.


    "Also, I''m wondering if I can speak to the principal or the other n Heads, to see what they think about them working for the White Dragon. I''m sure they will be quite surprised and might even decide to act themselves."

 Chapter 377 Break my body!

    Chapter 377 Break my body!


    ??It was a new day for the new students, and after what had urred yesterday, the bitter taste in the students'' mouths over what happened just continued to grow. They were finding it hard to believe that there was such arge gap in powerpared to the two of them.


    Constantly the night before, there were several members that woulde to visit Viker and they were asking him, what was he going to do. Was he just going to continue going through the academy like so?


    Or was he going to act even before then, because they knew what they wanted to do. They felt as if they had just been caught off guard at the time. They were the selected Red Headband students that were at the same level, a gap like this couldn''t exist.


    His answer to them was to just wait, they would know when the right time to act was, they would see it.


    Right now, Viker was out in the courtyard and had been watching everyone carefully. He had been analyzing their movements and had finally decided.


    "Right, it has to be those two," Viker said, looking at Opus by his side. "This time, I''m going to be doing things myself."


    While Viker walked through the courtyard where the others were training, there were a few looks his way, but Ricktor and Mada didn''t seem to be moving, which was a good sign in Viker''s eyes.


    Eventually, Viker, along with Opus, had reached their spot, at the back of the courtyard where there were two individuals that looked to be covered in buckets of sweat.


    "My seniors, both of you seem to be working extremely hard!" Viker spoke as he bowed down.


    Both Simyon and Liam were in the middle of a break period anyway, so they didn''t mind speaking, even if it was to the new students, but it was the people in question who were approaching them.


    One had grabbed onto Raze, while the other had ordered the rest to attack. Even seeing them now, Simyon was already tensing his fist, wanting to punch them directly in the face.


    "Hey, Raze already got them good, no need to hit them again," Liam said out loud. "They learned their lesson, look they even called us seniors. I mean these guys, if they had the balls to attack Raze again, I''m sure they would end up losing thempletely."


    "We both learned a lot from what happenedst time," Viker continued. "You are right, it was a mistake what we did, which is why we wish to learn from you, just as we should from our seniors. The training you are doing is quite interesting, is there a use behind it?"


    It didn''t take long for Simyon and Liam to answer back.


    "To create an attack that can pierce any type of shield," Liam answered.


    "To create a shield that can block any type of attack," Simyon answered back, while staring down at Liam.


    Opus was a bit confused, he was unsure what the rtionship between these two was like. Were they friends, or were they enemies?


    "Does this actually work?" Opus asked.


    "Are you willing to give it a test?" Liam asked. "Why don''t you give it a try, try to block my attack, or go ahead, and try to hurt the meat shield over there."


    "This will be great to allow me to see the error of my ways," Viker stated again.


    Originally, he was going to suggest something like this, having seen the way the two act. It was the difficult part to try to convince them of something like this. However, they were the ones that mentioned it.


    "I will try to break the shield," Viker answered, grabbing a wooden sword and getting into position. He held it slightly forward at an angle, and the Qi was building up in his body.


    ''Attacking each other over and over again. That is a pretty useless skill to learn. If everyone could get a stronger body from doing something like this, then everyone would participate in some type of endurance training like so.''


    Pulling back the de, it was safe to say that Viker had no intention of holding back his strength. With his muscles and sword filled with Qi, he performed his strongest technique.


    The de looked as if it was tearing through the space around them slightly, the power grew, and it mmed hard into Simyon''s stomach.


    His abs folded into him, but the sword didn''t cut Simyon. Nor had it even moved him from his position. Instead, as Viker tried to push forward even more, his sword had even broken.


    "See, the shield is pretty tough, right? Now you might understand why I sweat so much, and just so you know that there''s no funny business, why don''t you let me do a test on you as well, brace yourself!" Liam shouted.


    Turning around, Viker had nothing in his hands, the sword was randomly thrown up in the air, and then jumping up Liam had grabbed it and immediately swung down.


    The only thing that Viker could do was raise both of his hands. The moment the sword touched him, he could feel it. It had cracked the bones in both of his arms, and the de continued down, tearing through his clothing until it crashed onto the floor.


    Now, Viker''s arms were a mangled mess.


    "What are you guys doing, you''re all crazy, you''re all just as crazy as he is!" Opus shouted. "Why would you go so far to do something like this, it makes no sense!"


    "Hey, you guys came to us alright, and we still owe you a lot for what you did to Raze. You''re lucky I''m not attacking you as well, you already went through a lot, but the other one was quite light on you," Liam exined.


    Viker, looking at his arms, wondered how they had be this way. The only exnation was for his opponent''s Qi to be at apletely different level to his.


    The weakest, the idiots of the old group who looked to know nothing, were stronger than them.


    Opus grabbed onto Viker and started to drag him away, trying to help him. The other students had seen the spectacle, especially after the screams. They weren''t so sure if it was Simyon or Liam, just that it had at leaste from someone in that group.


    On the way, Viker was starting to recover slightly, at least he could think more straight. The pain was still throbbing.


    ''Did he attack that Simyon guy like that again and again? If he really did, that body must be one impossible to break. What type of monsters are in the Pagna academy, are all of them like this?''


    When Opus and Viker entered the main building, they noticed three adults with a white sash around their clothing. This was something only a particr group of people wore, and they recognized it almost immediately.


    "Are those physicians, they''re already here. I guess they might havee to heal me or something, or are they here for you?" Opus thought.


    That was until they saw them walking up the door and heading to a room they had been keeping an eye on for a while now.


    "They''re going to the White Dragon''s room, I guess he really is sick then."


    The physicians that had been sent by the principal were here.

 Chapter 378 The Principal’s Order

    Chapter 378 The Principal¡¯s Order


    ??The physicians had arrived at the red headband student base, and before they reached Raze''s room, Dame quickly entered. He was keeping an eye on things, wondering if something would happen.


    He wasn''t sure if the main disciples were on their side or not, or if even one of the other disciples would say something that would trigger a reaction from the main academy. Which was why he was always alert, but he was aware of this.


    "Raze, there are physicians here to see you," Damemented. "I heard from Gunther when I went to meet him that they would being. It looks like the Principal still believes that there is some hope in getting the White Dragon back."


    Raze was still busy looking over Safa on her training. Now that she had reached the second star, it would take a lot longer before she reached the third star in terms of magic, and after that, she would also have to train her Pagna warrior skills.


    This was the downside to having magic as well, unlike Simyon and Liam, if she wanted to keep up with them in terms of warriors, then she needed to work twice as hard, or at least have twice the talent.


    Raze nodded ahead, and then pointed to Safa, it was a sign for them to leave the room. They didn''t want the academy knowing of anything, and after Raze just patiently waited.


    ''The Principal has sent physicians, and from the sounds of it, it''s not just one but quite a few,'' Raze thought. ''Dame is right, the principal does want me to get better because it benefits him, but if I wasn''t who I was, this damn White Dragon name they have given me, then he wouldn''t bother.''


    A whileter, the physicians entered the room along with the red headband teacher. The teacher exined why the physicians were there to see him and what they would be doing.


    Raze didn''t resist, even if it was something he wanted to do, he knew it would be better in the long run, and he had to brace himself.


    Hey there on the bed, and the physicians got to work one by one. Each of them seemed to have a different method that they tried to use. One of them had directly ced his hands around the muscles in Raze''s neck.


    He then ced his hand on his wrist, feeling the pulse and flow of energy. This was the worst bit for Raze, and he needed to close his eyes to get through it.


    In doing so, he could feel the disruption of Qi, and went ahead by cing needles in certain spots. On Raze''s neck mainly, as he knew where the damage was concentrated.


    When cing the needles, a flow of Qi from the physician was needed, especially to pierce the hard skin. In the end, the needles were removed, but Raze knew himself he didn''t feel any better.


    The next physician did an evaluation by asking Raze to do a number of tasks. Once he was done, he started to make a solution. From what Raze could see, it looked more like Alchemy.


    Once the solution and mix were ready, it was then handed over to him to drink. This was difficult to do and caused great pain at first. The taste was so horrible his body wanted to throw it back up, but he had been through worse.


    Forcing him to drink something like this wasn''t the worst. He felt his throat soothing slightly for a moment as it went numb. They waited around fifteen minutes but then the effect of the solution had worn off, and in doing so, Raze was back to himself, where with each breath, he was in pain.


    The two physicians looked defeated. Raze could tell from the look on their faces. Many times had he witnessed professors attempting something new in magic and failing at it, and this felt like one of those times.


    ''That damned woman, she really intended to make it so I could never fight again. If I didn''t have Safa with her Light magic, then it might have been a long time till I could have healed myself.''


    Getting the Light affinity would be next to impossible for Raze as his Dark affinity grew stronger, and even then if he did have it, it would be extremely hard for him to grow its strength to cast a spell well enough to heal his throat.


    If one thing the physicians'' meeting had opened up his eyes to, it was how much Feebie, the n head of the Lethal Bite n, could have ruined his chances. Lisa had even been given the poisoned de by her as well.


    Finally, it was thest physician''s turn. Simrly to the first one, this one embedded Qi into his hands and asked Raze to lie down. He then started to strike and massage his body in certain areas with his Qi.


    "What''s wrong, are you in pain?" the physician asked.


    Seeing Raze closing his eyes, and breaking out in a sweat, he was also grinding his teeth. In this instance, all he wanted to do was strike the physician off his body.


    Finally, the physician was done, and ten minutes felt like hours of torture to Raze.


    "The healing process can take quite a long time," thest physician imed. "But we believe that we can get you back up to normal. We just need to discuss a few things together in order to make a recovery n for you. Please wait here."


    The three physicians, along with the teacher, had headed out of the room, but something wasn''t right.


    ''Their words, and their facial expressions didn''t match up. When they did their damned tests on me, I could see it on their face. It looked like nothing they did worked. Yet, now he is saying these things, is he trying to give me false hope.''


    That was a possibility, but there was something else as well. Raze noticed that all three physicians had different styles of treatment. They were experts in their fields of healing, but they were vast from each other.


    The three of them would discuss, about what? Would it even help? Surely it would be too advanced for them to understand each other. Or it could be truly as they stated that they were trying toe up with another n to heal him.


    ''It''s harmless if I was to find out what they were really doing, right?''


    When exiting the room, Raze made note that they had turned right. Most likely they were talking this over in the room next to them. He ced his head against the wall. Sound was traveling through, but it was kind of muffled as well.


    ''If I just make a small hole.'' Raze ced his single index finger, and hoped that the others would be talking too much to notice.


    Using his Dark magic, slowly the finger started to push through the wall, more and more. It made next to no sound, and as expected, the others were discussing a few things.


    Raze ced his ear next to the wall again, and then with a little bit of wind magic, he could make the voices ring louder in his ear, and he could hear everything they were saying.


    "I can''t believe that the child is in a state like that, he must be in great pain, just breathing."


    "You are right, there are a few techniques that we could use that might be able tofort the child from his pain, but it will not heal him, I''m afraid."


    The others nodded, hearing this as well.


    "I heard that it was


    the n head of the Lethal Bite n. She seemed to know what she was doing. It seems she truly wanted to cripple the boy."


    "Well, what should we do now? With the way he is, his martial arts skills would be 1/5th, maybe 1/10 of what they were. He will not be the same as he was."


    "The principal, he did give us orders. He wanted us to try our best to heal him, and if there was no solution¡­"


    The physician paused right there, and they all looked at each other for a few moments.


    "He told us that we should get rid of him. To do it in a discreet way. Where it appeared to be of natural causes or due to overtraining."


    "It is not something that I like to do, but it was an order from the principal. I''m sure he has his reasons."


    "I will make a solution that makes it appear as if he has passed in his sleep. That will be for the best, and we should see this as helping him. He has no life as a Pagna warrior anymore, nor much of anything."


    Raze had heard it all as he pulled his head away from the wall.


    ''So, the principal orders my death. It seems I don''t have much good luck with principals. I guess another one has just been added to my list. I see no reason, to even try to make it easy for them. I guess, I should start with my n.''

 Chapter 379 The Death Of Me, Is The Death Of You

    Chapter 379 The Death Of Me, Is The Death Of You


    ??Raze sat in a dimly lit room, the sparse furnishings casting elongated shadows across the stone floor. The air was thick with tension, a small reminder of the limited time he had before the Physicians would return.


    Their absence was temporary, they had long stopped talking. Now the piece that he could feel was bought at the price of coborating in the creation of a deadly concoction - a mix of herbs that held ominous potential.


    Having watched Reno before, it was only confirming what they had nned to do to him.


    He leaned against the cold, rough wall, lost in a tumult of thoughts.


    ''I need to carefully weigh my options,'' he mused. The medicine, a brew of unknown herbs, was a double-edged sword that could either cure or kill.


    ''If only Reno were here,'' he thought. Reno, a master of counteracting poisons, could have easily crafted an antidote. But such thoughts were futile; Reno was not there to lend his expertise.


    He doubted that his red Qi pill''s would also be able to be effective against the poison, but only dy what would happen.


    His gaze wandered to the small, barred window that offered a narrow view of the world beyond his confinement.


    ''These physicians won''t simply hand me this potion and leave. They''ll watch me drink it, maybe even check that I''ve really swallowed it as well.'' he surmised, his mind racing to find a viable strategy.


    Raze''s thoughts then turned to Safa, a healer that had the skill to heal her own problems, and her strength was only growing.


    ''Safa could heal me, yes, but that healing would be tooplete. Bringing me back to the way I was before. I need to retain my current state for now.''


    He contemted the various ways he could handle the liquid without arousing suspicion.


    ''Could I feign drinking it? Or perhaps induce vomiting shortly after? But each n carries its own risks, and the margin for error is razor-thin. If I used Dark Magic to try and destroy the poison it would injure me internally as well. Freezing the liquid would be an impossibility, maybe If I had more magic at my disposal.''


    Every scenario he yed out in his mind ended with the same realization: his options were perilous at best. He was caught in a web of danger, every decision leading to anotheryer ofplexity.


    It was within this maelstrom of thoughts that a chilling solution crystallized in his mind.


    ''To truly ensure my safety, and that of others, I may have no choice but to eliminate the threat at its source.''


    His reverie was abruptly interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. The door to his room creaked open, admitting the Physicians back into his world of dim light and cold stone.


    Their return marked the end of his brief respite. Notably absent was their usual overseer, the teacher, a fact that did not escape Raze''s keen observation.


    He studied their faces, each etched with an expression of guilt and unease.


    ''They are as trapped in this situation as I am,'' Raze thought, recognizing the conflict in their eyes. ''This is something that they have no choice but to do, if not then it will be death for them as well.''


    The lead Physician, a man whose sharp features belied a mind ustomed to calction and control, stepped forward.


    "We havee up with a solution!" he proimed, attempting to infuse his voice with a semnce of enthusiasm. He held out a y drinking container, its ancient design a stark contrast to the sterile environment of the room. The cork sealing the top seemed to Raze like a metaphorical lid on his fate.


    Observing the Physician''s hand, Raze noted a slight tremor. ''Is it fear, doubt, or something more sinister?'' he wondered, epting the container. Its weight felt significant in his hands, as if it held more than just liquid ¨C it held the key to his immediate future.


    He remained silent, letting the weight of his unspoken thoughts hang in the air. ''I need to convey that I will take this potion, but at ater time, that will be for the best,'' he strategized, hoping his silence and demeanor wouldmunicate his intent.


    Raze''s inability to voice his thoughts was bing increasingly problematic. The Physicians seemed unable to decipher his non-verbal cues, their focus narrowed by their own objectives.


    "The medicine must be taken now," one Physician urged, his voiceced with urgency. "Its efficacy diminishes over time. The ingredients are rare and precious. We are doing a lot for you, it''s all for your sake."


    Without a word, Raze ced the bottle on a side table. It was a clear message, yet the Physicians seemed oblivious to his intent.


    "Is something wrong?" another Physician asked, his tone tinged with concern.


    The reality of the situation was not lost on Raze. Drinking the potion meant certain death. He needed these men to leave, to give him a moment to n, but they remained steadfast, unwilling to deviate from their mission.


    He considered his limited options. Pretending to drink and then expelling the liquid was fraught with danger. The container was quiterge so it wasn''t something he could hide in his mouth somehow.


    Safa''s healing powers, though effective, weren''t so much so at the current stage either and it might not be enough to counteract the effects.


    The room felt increasingly oppressive, the air thick with the unspoken tension between them. Raze''s inability to speak added to theplexity of the situation.


    "The potion must be consumed immediately," the Physician insisted, his patience wearing thin. "Dy couldpromise your recovery. We will have to report your refusal to the principal."


    In that moment, Raze realized he needed to make his stance unequivocally clear. He moved the bottle to the side table and shook his head decisively, leaving no room for misinterpretation.


    The realization slowly dawned on the Physicians ¨C the student they were dealing with knew more than they had anticipated. A heavy silence filled the room,den with unspoken usations and palpable fear.


    One Physician, in a sudden shift of energy, feigned a move towards the door. But in an unexpected twist, he lunged for the bottle on the table, his true intentionsid bare.


    "Keep him still!" he shouted, his voice reverberating through the small room.


    These Physicians were not mere healers; they were also Pagna warriors, trained in the ancient art of Qi maniption. They had underestimated Raze, believing him to be an easy target. They were about to learn the extent of histent powers.


    As one Physicianunched a flurry of needles aimed at incapacitating Raze, the room seemed to warp with a surge of energy. With a mere flick of his wrist, Raze summoned a powerful gust of wind, redirecting the needles upwards, embedding them harmlessly in the ceiling.


    The Physician stared in disbelief, his confidence shaken to its core. ''This is impossible. His Qi should be in disarray. He shouldn''t be capable of such feats,'' he thought, panic beginning to set in.


    In that moment of doubt, Raze seized the opportunity. Dark energy swirled around his hand, gathering into a pulsating beam of sheer force. With a swift motion, he unleashed the energy, shattering the container and striking the Physician in the chest. The man copsed, lifeless, to the stone floor.


    The remaining Physician, witnessing the demise of hisrade, was paralyzed with fear. In a desperate attempt to escape, he dashed towards the door, only to be stopped by a barrier of ice that Raze conjured, sealing the exit.


    The Physician, now trapped and alone, turned to face Raze, his eyes wide with terror and disbelief. He had never witnessed such raw power, even in the most advanced cultivation techniques he had studied.


    Raze, his expression impassive, released another pulse of dark energy, striking thest Physician directly in the chest. The life drained from his eyes as he slumped to the ground, joining his fallen peers.


    Standing amidst the aftermath of the confrontation, Raze''s breathing was slightlybored. His use of magic, though limited by his current condition, had proven to be decisive. He had eliminated three skilled Physicians, a testament to his untapped power and resolve.


    ''All three Physicians sent to end me are now dead,'' Raze thought, a mix of relief and urgency coursing through him. ''But this is far from over. I need to find a way out of this predicament, and quickly. If anyone see this, then a fight will be on our hands, but how can I even cover this up?''


    As he contemted his next move, the gravity of his situation weighed heavily on him. He was alone, hunted, and with limited resources at his disposal. Yet, in the face of adversity, his determination only grew stronger. Raze knew that survival was merely the beginning. The real battle, the fight for truth and justice,y ahead.


    ''I think I''ve found a way, I just need to go through with my n from before, and cause a bit of chaos.''

 Chapter 380 Is This the Great Plan?

    Chapter 380 Is This the Great n?


    ??In the world of Pagna, a few times, Raze had been in this situation now. He was met with a dead body, one that he had no intention of killing, and he needed to sort out the issue at hand.


    "Clearing the bodies itself is not a problem, but if Ie out of this room, and the Redhead band teacher sees that they aren''t with me, he''s likely to investigate, and I can''t just say their bodies disappeared."


    Slowly though, as he went through the options, a n was forming in his head. He had already had a n in ce, and with two ns going hand in hand to deal with this situation, it was perfect.


    As if he was in his research days, a grin appeared on his face as he had figured out a breakthrough. He would call himself a genius for havinge up with this n, that was until the door was heard unlocking.


    Time was up. In this situation, Raze could only react to what was toe. However, when the door opened, it quickly closed behind, and a slight relief had ovee him.


    "May the heavens cry! Damn it, Raze, I had an image of what to walk into when I opened the door, but I didn''t quite think it would be this," Damemented.


    He had been keeping an eye on things, and when the Red instructor seemed to be busy, he quickly decided to sneak in, but he had his suspicions that something might have happened when he heard no noise and the amount of time that had passed.


    If he entered and the physicians were there, he could have simply just stated that he hade to visit a fellow student. Now, he was staring at three dead bodies.


    "And to think that they would call you a cripple, and you just took out three guys like that!"


    The horrors were starting to enter Dame''s head as he was thinking about how to deal with this situation now. If Raze was at full strength, he wouldn''t worry so much, but just from his breathing, he could tell he wasn''t healed.


    "I hope you have a n?" Dame asked.


    To which Raze nodded.


    Not hearing what the n was certainly left Dame a little ufortable. In the middle of their conversation, though, the door behind them was heard opening again. At that moment, Dame had jumped back. He didn''t know what to do. Should he hide, try to clear the dead bodies in the room?


    When the door opened up, they could see that it was the Redhead band instructor. Naturally, as the full view of what was in the room came to his eyes, the dead bodies stood out to him.


    "What is going on he¡ª" Before the instructor could finish his sentence, there was a brief period of pain. It was almost instant, as the life had left his eyes. He managed to look down and noticed the hole in his chest before he copsed onto the floor.


    The Redhead band instructor was now dead as well, making a total of four bodies that were in the room.


    "Crap!" Dame shouted in a hushed voice. "I hope this wasn''t your n, to just kill everyone up here. Is that what you n to do, with each person thates up here, just surprise them with a magic st?


    "I mean that might work with these guys, but you can''t just keep doing this until the principal enters the room!"


    Dame quickly shut the door and dragged the body, leaving a trail of blood on the wooden floor. He had to move it so nobody else would see it, but it was impossible to hide four bodies.


    "Now when the instructor doesn''t return, what is going to happen if the students get suspicious? I guess this does one thing, it buys us more time until someone finds out about it," Dame said, thinking that this might have really been Raze''s n.


    The truth was, this wasn''t his n at all. He just needed to react fast; otherwise, the teacher would have ruined his n. Either way, it didn''t matter because with his n, even if there were ten dead bodies, no one would be suspicious of a single thing.


    Raze went up to the door and exited out of the room. There was nomunication between him and Dame, but he knew he needed to stay in the room while the other was away.


    ''I hope he''s not thinking that I''m going to do the same. Everyone who enters this room that''s not him, to just kill them on sight?'' In a way, Dame had to prepare himself for that possibility.


    A few momentster, and the door was heard opening again. Dame had activated his special gauntlets to allow him to unleash arge Qi st and kill his opponent on the spot.


    Entering through the door was Raze, and with him, there was one more that followed¡ªSafa. When she entered the room, she covered her mouth up immediately.


    She was stood there stunned, as Raze had turned to the door. She had seen her fair share of death now. What had urred at the temple, what had urred in the underground cave.


    It wasn''t the dead bodies that scared her, but the fact that the person who had produced the dead bodies.


    "What are you nning to do, Raze? You don''t expect me to bring the dead back to life, do you? That''s not possible. I managed to go through most of the 2-star spells you gave me, but there was no such mention of something like that in them."


    Raze shook his head, and instead of trying to exin to her, it was easier for him to just do. He walked past the bodies and then went to a usual spot, a spot that Safa was familiar with.


    Right there, he started to draw on the ground. It was a magic circle, the same magic circle that Safa had been practicing, tethering her magic with.


    "You want me to keep practicing my magic?" Safa asked.


    It was then that Raze started to pull out the raw level 3 crystals, and there was more than one. She knew what this meant, it was the same when she had reached the 2-star level.


    "Do you want me to try and be a 3-star mage right now?" Safa asked.


    She was still confused with what was going on but assumed that maybe there was a 3-star spell that could help them out of this situation. So she quickly got to work.


    She did the same thing as before, gathering the light magic, breaking down the crystals, and adding the energy around her heart, the core. Finally, she felt it expanding, it was breaking through, and not just one, but a few pulses of energy were being sent out.


    Even Dame could feel it; he could feel the power of Mana. It was quite simr to Qi, yet not really the same. It was fresher, energy that resided outside of the body.


    "What is the point of all this, though? Is he just trying to get Safa to grow stronger?" Dame asked out loud, but he soon got his answer.


    Sparks started to appear right where Safa was, the sparks in the air wererge in size. They continued, again and again, until it had formed, creating arge portal in the room.


    Straight out from the portal, arge ck-skinned w hade out.


    "It''s... a portal break!"

 Chapter 381 The Portal Break

    Chapter 381 The Portal Break


    ??Raze had experienced three portal openings during his time in Pagna. The first was when Simyon''s earring was unsealed. At the time, using her massive amount of power, Charlotte from Alter was able to close it.


    This was something that Raze could most likely do now that he was a 4-star mage. He was actually above Charlotte, who was a 3-star mage thest time he had seen her, but he was unaware of the method.


    When this urred, it was the first time Raze had learned of a Hybrid. Those who are trapped in the other dimensions undergo a transformation, turning them into part beast, part human.


    He had yet to meet one in the other dimensions, or see such a thing, but he knew they were dangerous creatures.


    The second time a portal had opened up was when the statue was unsealed. Although in this instance, it wasn''t a portal break but more of a portal opening.


    And now, the third time a portal had opened, this time, it was quite clear it was a portal break. Almost immediately after the portal had opened up, the w of a giant beast burst through.


    Reacting fast, Raze could have fired off another Dark pulse or one of his many spells in his arsenal. Dame even looked over, wondering if he was about to do such a thing. Instead, all he could see was a smile on his face.


    "This was part of the n, this was nned!" Dame thought.


    The beast''s w ripped through, anding out, arge disfigured face with six eyes and four horns atop its head had appeared. It was odd because as the w reached out, it wasrge in size.


    It crashed onto the ground and had already torn up the wooden floorboards. It was as if the moment its body got out of the portal, it would warp into its real size.


    The beast let out a screech that was both low and high at the same time, shaking the room, and almost immediately, Dame had rushed forward to grab Safa.


    "I''m sorry, but we''re going to have to get out of here. There won''t just be one beasting out of that thing, but quite a few of them."


    The beast''s hind legs hade out into the room and nearly filled it entirely. Its body was already crushing the side of the room''s walls.


    "I''m sorry, Raze, but it looks like I''m going to have to grab you because you need a little help!" Dame rushed over and held Raze under with one arm.


    Right after that, Dame didn''t hesitate as he jumped backward, powering his body with Qi, allowing him to break through the wall. He had broken the barrier of the second floor andnded right in the center of the Red Headband base.


    Some of the students were currently present and startled by the sudden appearance. "If I were you guys, I would start to run!" Dame eximed.


    When the students looked up at where Dame hade from, they could see several almost tiger-sized beasts run out from the room. They had hardened ck skin, moved on all fours, and had six eyes.


    What was frightening was how they had scurried out of the ce. It was as if a nest of spiders was disturbed as the beasts were climbing out of the walls and storming out of the room.


    Immediately, some of them had even jumped down from the second balcony. One hadnded right on top of a student who was unprepared, and opened its mouth, digging its two pincer-


    like fangs right into his neck.


    Blood squirted out, and the student had died on the spot. Another one hade toward Raze and Safa; Dame had ced them both down and spun his hand, hitting one right in the face with the back of his fist, sending it flying in the other direction.


    "These beasts, they''re not the strongest, but their numbers... it''s crazy, the amounting through the portal break, and we still haven''t dealt with the first one we''ve seen yet."


    From outside in the courtyard, they could hear the shouting that was urring, and right after, the roof broke off from the building. Tiles went flying in the air and then slid off the roof itself before crashing onto the ground.


    Right after, their eyes were glued to the rooftop like a volcanic eruption, as they could see hordes of beasts pouring out from the top. They were climbing down and heading for the rest of the academy, while some wereing from the courtyard.


    The doors from the Red Headband sleeping quarters burst open, with a beast flying out from the doors, and now those from outside could witness what was going on from within, seeing the students fighting back against the creatures that had broken out from the portal, doing their best to attack them.


    "Something serious is going on right now!" Simyon stated. "We need to make sure Safa and Raze are safe."


    "Make sure they''re safe!" Liam replied, running after Simyon. "You know, when I see something like this, I can''t help but believe that he might have been involved, so I''m pretty sure he''s safe."


    he''s safe."


    Dame was ying guard for both Safa and Raze, especially with him in his state. They were slowly moving out of the building, only attacking those that came toward them and were aiming for the courtyard.


    While doing this, he couldn''t help but think about what Raze had done.


    ''I knew something was up. That day when the portal had opened up, I had an inkling about this. He can create portals that lead to other dimensions; he can create portals that lead to other areas on the continent.


    ''And when he told Safa to do what she did, he knew that it would cause a portal break. With a portal break, it wouldn''t be unusual to state that the Physicians had died, and the same with the instructor.''


    ''It was the perfect cover-up, the perfect excuse for no one to ask any questions. Because no one would be able to believe that a portal break was possible.''


    It made Dame start to wonder about all portal breaks. Were they done by those like Raze, those who weren''t really from their world? Maybe it was the Pagna martial artists who were ignorant of the real things that were going on everywhere.


    ''I will say one thing though, I like your style, with a portal break being activated within the academy. I''m sure you have a lot of ways to take down this academy.''


    The fighting had spread, and the beasts had entered the open air courtyard, and were now breaking down and infiltrating the other headband bases; the fighting was urring all over.


    Seeing the number and level of the beasts, it didn''t take long for others to react. Before the beasts had infiltrated the Yellow Headband group fully, Gunther hadnded and swung his two des, slicing through around four of the beasts on each side, killing them on the spot.


    As for the Red Headband band base, where the portal had even started,nding down in the courtyard, Dame, Raze, and Safa were staring at a figure that lightly touched the ground with his feet. With his long dark ponytail hair, the Principal had arrived.

 Chapter 382 Strength Of The Enemy

    Chapter 382 Strength Of The Enemy


    ??The teachers in the main academy had flocked to the scene of the beasts, and they were quick to act. It was quite clear that they had been through drills for this urrence, or it was something that had happened before.


    The teachers spread out and headed to their respective areas where the students were. The beasts from the portal had already reached all of the areas, and they weren''t average beasts either.


    The smaller beasts that crawled, jumped, and had powerful fangs had to be at least level 3. It was something that most of the students were unable to handle, which is why there had already been a few deaths.


    Their bodiesy on the ground, and the students huddled up in the courtyard, being protected by their respective teachers.


    "This is too much!" The Blue Headband teacher shouted out. "We can''t handle them just with us; we need one of the senior staff to help us out."


    "I think Gunther went to the Yellow Headband group; maybe we should head over there for protection."


    The teachers agreed, but that meant they needed to move. While moving, it was slightly harder for one to protect themselves and for the teachers to continue to protect the students, but if they stayed, then they could all very well be dead.


    "Everyone, do your best to stay close to us and use your Qi to attack. Right now, for the situation we are in, attack is the best form of defense."


    The teachers thought the death in the academy was over, and now they were going to see it again, only this time it would be firsthand.


    At the Red Headband base, the students had managed to escape out to the courtyard, and they saw the Principal appear,nding in the center. His foot lightly touched the ground.


    The beasts were still chasing after the tail end of students who were trying to exit the courtyard. Murkel looked their way. His eyes started to change color slightly. The color of his iris was almost impossible to see as it had turned ck.


    The Qi around him started to activate, and it was changing the air around him. It was visual Qi, but the shadow next to his feet grew outward. The colors in the air had changed, covered in a thick smoke.


    ''This is intense,'' Raze thought, watching from the sideline. Even where he was, he could feel small bumps raising all over his body. He knew the other students felt the same way, as some had even fallen to the ground.


    ''This Qi, why does it feel so sinister? This is the first time I''ve witnessed such strong Dark-based Qi energy before.''


    The feeling was different from Dark Magic that Raze had used. When using Dark magic, it brought up the feelings from within, the darkness that Raze had harbored.


    The death of others increased his affinity with Darkness. But this, it felt like his Qi was trying to drag everyone around and into it.


    ''I thought there was a chance that the skills the Principal would use would be close to that of the Noctis n skill, since he is practically the current head of the Dark Faction, but this seemspletely different.''


    The question was raised in Raze''s head: was it possible that the current Principal had something to do with the disappearance of the original Dark Faction founder, and if that was the case, just how strong was this individual?


    The beasts kept up in the air, and immediately, Murkel turned his head towards them. The visual Qi shifted, facing toward the beasts, but there was no increase in the Qi, nor did it touch the beasts.


    Immediately though, the beasts backed down. They didn''t move an inch forward. Their bodies were hunched as they bared their teeth.


    "Get rid of them all, and find the source of this mess," Murkel ordered.


    Teachers followed, seemingly appearing from above. These were ones that Raze hardly ever saw, those that would stay in the main base of the academy and weren''t part of the headband teachers.


    They came in with their solid steel weapons and struck the beasts. Even when being cut apart, the beasts were still too afraid to move, all while Murkel still had his Qi out next to them.


    However, from the building itself, more and more beasts were pouring out from the top. It truly did look like a spider''s nest.


    ''I''m starting to understand a bit more why everyone fears these portal breaks so much,'' Raze thought. ''The beasts, they are flooding to the portal.


    ''It''s as if they have found a way to escape from their world into the other, or something is drawing them here. They keep appearing one after the other non-stop. In this case, it''s even more dangerous when entering dimensions.


    ''At least in a dimension, the beasts are spread out through the world.''


    All of this led Raze to think of another thing: why didn''t portal breaks ur on Alterian? If they were attracted to magic, then surely portal breaks would ur all the time on Alterian.


    "It would be best if all of the students head out from here and head to the main courtyard."


    The voice, it was a familiar one. It was none other than the Vice Principal Amir who had arrived at the scene as well. Heading to one of the side walls, Amir then rushed forward, pushing off the ground.


    The stone flooring was destroyed beneath his feet, and then with the side of his foot, he bashed right into the wall, tearing part of it down leading into the main courtyard.


    The students could see it; they could see that the other students had gathered in the main courtyard, and the teachers from all over were there protecting them. It was an open area, but it was easier for the teachers now that they had teamed up.


    "Hey, you guys protect the kids; I''m going to try to get rid of as many of them as I can," Gunther imed as he pulled out his two swords and raged forward.


    He ducked under the first beast and slid under the ground, raising one of his swords up, he shed the belly of one of them right in half. When he stopped, he spun and shed several of the beasts around him.


    He continued to swing his arms, taking beast after beast down like a madman obsessed, but the truth was Gunther was in his element. He regrly before this entered dimensions after dimensions, and his tactic was to just kill whatever he saw in sight until he would get the dimension boss toe out.


    The students were in awe as they witnessed beast body after beast body falling to the ground. It was scenes like this, which made one want to be a Pagna warrior.


    Back at the base itself, the Red Headband students were starting to evacuate, and Dame was ready to lift Raze out of there, but before he did, he shook his head and then pointed to the Principal.


    Raze wanted to see the power of the enemy he was going up against; he wanted to see just what it would take to bring him down.

 Chapter 383 A Suspicious Dragon

    Chapter 383 A Suspicious Dragon


    ??The creatures were continuing to pour out inrge numbers, crushing the tiles from the Red Student basepletely. It was looking bare, and now the beasts were barely hanging onto the structures underneath before they leapt off them.


    Large parts of the walls had been destroyed, looking as if they had almost been eaten away, allowing one to see the inside of the student base and the dead students who didn''t make it from the portal break.


    There were more beasts than students, but the teachers were able to put up a good fight. After all, they were selected to train the future generations, so they needed to have some skill.


    If the current main n leaders were still present, then there would be no problem at all, but they had to do the best they could.


    One of the creatures hade right next to Raze and Safa, but Dame quickly shifted, dodging its long legs that snapped, crashing into the floor. He then twisted his fist as he hit it right under its belly. A hole was made through the beast, causing it to fall on his fist. Then, with his strength, he hurled it away to the side.


    "I don''t think protecting you in all of this mess is the hard thing, but doing so without seeming so suspicious is going to be a problem," Dame said.


    Right now, they were at the back of the Red Student base courtyard. There was a broken wall to the side where all of the others were, but they had remained because Raze wanted to take a better look at the Principal.


    So far, the other teachers and Amir were the only ones doing the fighting, but they hadn''t turned around or seemed to notice them just yet. In the end, after giving the order for the students to get out of there, they didn''t care what happened to them, but for how long.


    The more Dame used his Qi, surely someone would recognize them. However, that was when somethingrge had urred. Large chunks of the roof exploded off, flying all over the ce, and escaping out from the top, standing thererger than the other beasts, were the first that the group had encountered.


    It looked identical to the beasts they had been fighting, with its hard ck exoskeleton and sharp fangs, only it was around three times biggerpared to the rest.


    "Do you think that''s the one in charge?" Murkel asked.


    "There''s only one way to find out," Amir imed.


    With his hands behind his back, he rushed forward and jumped up. When he did, his footnded on top of the smaller beast''s head. From each beast Amir kicked down, jumping from one to the other. When he would kick off their heads, arge explosion of Qi would ur, sending the beast''s head crashing to the ground and sttering across the floor.


    It looked like he was simply walking on top of their heads, but with each kick, he was able to kill the beasts underneath him. He continued to do this and then pushed with both of his feet, jumping off one of their heads and heading right up to the rooftop.


    "It looks like the Principal isn''t the only person that we really need to worry about; the Vice Principal''s strength can''t be underestimated either," Raze thought.


    He would soon see his strength. At a guess, if the other beasts were at level 3, then therger one had to at least be at the fourth level.


    Now stood on the rooftop, Amir was face to face with therge creature. They stared at each other until Amir made the first move. Leaping up into the air, he lifted his leg up until it had reached the top of his head. Then, before the creature could even react, he swung it down. The visual Qi from above made it look like a giant sword was rushing through the sky. As the bottom of his foot hit the creature''s head, therge sword Qi had sliced right through the center of its head.


    The body wasn''t chucked to the ground or crushed like the others; it was a clean cut that had killed the beast. Its body leaned to the side and smashed on the remaining tiles that were avable before it continued to slide and fall onto the floor, lifeless like all of the other beasts.


    "I don''t think that was the boss, but I have managed to at least find where they areing from!" Amir shouted, turning around to look at the Principal.


    When he did, in the distance he could see Raze, Dame, and Safa sticking together. It was only for a moment, but his eyes had lingered on them longerpared to other areas.


    Hearing these words, the Principal seemed to waste no time, and unlike Amir, he had jumped from his position and had entered right through the broken front door of the Red Student base. His Qi still lingered, making it so the beasts wouldn''t approach him, and the other teachers continued to attack them away. After that, he looked up and leapt to the second floor.


    Raze, who had been staying at the back so far, then hit Dame from behind and pointed to the building.


    "You want me to take you in, don''t you? You want to get a closer look. I don''t think this is such a good idea, but it''s your n in the first ce," Dame stated as he grabbed him and rushed in, doing his best to avoid being seen and avoid the rest of the beasts.


    Murkel had entered the room, the room where the portal was meant to be. It wasn''t hard to find; nearly all of the second-


    floor walls had been destroyed by the beasts. The Principal slowly walked up to the portal, where beasts were stilling out.


    When they did, though, they would scatter around the sides of the walls, heading in every direction apart from where the Principal currently was, and that''s when he had finally entered the room.


    He looked down at the floor; there were blood parts all over the ce, having been mostly torn apart by the beasts, but one of the faces and the clothing he could see on the ground.


    Picking it up off the floor, he knew the symbol.


    "This is from one of the Physicians, one of the ones I sent." His head scanned around the room, and he could see several arms around the area. He had no clue whose they had belonged to, but he hade to a conclusion.


    "The Physicians, did they die in this room? All three of them were sent to try and heal the boy, and then a portal break urs. I can assume most likely that all of them are dead.


    What are the chances of that? The boy ruined the ns of the assessment, and now a portal break of all things, at a time like that, is it really such a coincidence? But is it even possible for a simple student to do such a thing?"


    Walking closer, the Principal had a smile on his face as he approached the portal.


    "It seems I need to speak with the boy directly."

 Chapter 384 Surpassing The Teachers

    Chapter 384 Surpassing The Teachers


    ??Simyon and Liam had followed the orders from Amir. They ran out from the courtyard and escaped with the other students. After a while, they had met up with the rest of the colored headband students and the teachers that were currently present.


    They were being protected by them all, but mainly Gunther, in all of this.


    "Hey, I can''t find Raze anywhere or Safa, did the two of them stay behind?" Simyon asked.


    "You know, you should use both your eyeballs better, since you have two, you should have better eyesight than me," Liam replied back.


    A beast had broken through, and a crowd of students were attempting to stop it. Liam jumped out of the way, and Simyon had decided to brace himself. When the beast got close, it lifted both its front legs up, trying to pierce Simyon''s body. He held onto the ws tight, and only scooted across the ground about an inch before it stopped.


    "Good job, meat shield!" Liam was now above the spider, and with his wooden sword, he stabbed it down right between its head and neck, killing the beast and causing it to fall to the ground.


    The students were impressed by what they had just seen. They didn''t know much about the old Red Headband group. Most of them were new students who only had an idea of what students could do based on the assessment they had taken to get in. Yet, somehow, these two were fearless and were able to take out the beast with rtive ease. They wondered if they could be the same as them in two months or so.


    "So did you see them, or are you just going to give me more excuses as to why you didn''t see them," Simyon shouted back.


    The two started to then bicker in front of all of the students, while the teachers continued to fight. Their amazement with them was starting to fade as they heard crude insults hurled at each other.


    "You guys didn''t pay any attention, did you?" Ricktor said, interrupting the two of them. "Him and his sister stayed behind. It seems there was something that they wanted to watch."


    The two looked at each other, and now were wondering what they should do. Leave Raze behind, or go off and help him. They had quickly noticed that Dame wasn''t with them either.


    "Hey, a little help would be appreciated here!" Tinson shouted.


    Him and his two friends had decided to join the front lines. They had pushed forward in front of the other students and were battling the beasts head-on. They had already suffered a few hits and cuts here, but they were able to face at least one beast each, on their own, and were sessfully able to beat them.


    "Don''t you think those guys are showing us up a little too much?" Ricktor smiled and looked toward Mada.


    His eyes were focused on one person, and one only: his brother, who was in the middle, ughtering everything he could. If it wasn''t for him, maybe the beasts would have even overwhelmed the teachers and students.


    "I need to show him, show him that I can do the same!" Mada shouted as he pushed through, knocking some of the students from behind.


    Ricktor, leaving a sigh, had decided to go behind him and rushed forward as well. Meanwhile, Simyon and Liam had decided to help the other old Red Headband group. All of them rushed forward and attacked the beasts they were able to ughter left and right. It was to the point where the students were unsure what they could even do.


    The group was covering each other naturally as they attacked what they could see closest to them. At one point, it looked like Violet, one of the old females from the Red Headband group, was about to get bitten, so Ricktor had kicked Simyon from behind. His body and arm flung into the beast''s mouth, but it was unable to bite down. Simyon wasn''t so happy with how his body was being used but was happy that he was able to protect someone.


    Eventually, the old group of Red Headbands, as they pushed the wave of beastsing back towards them, had gone beyond the teachers apart from Gunther, and now, staring from behind, they were able to witness everything.


    "All of them are from the Red Headband group, the old one," the Yellow Headband instructor stated next to his colleague.


    "They''re killing the beasts... what stage are they at, how can they do something so easily and push them back? Compared to the rest, the old Red Headband group is far too advanced."


    Of course, the instructors could think of a reason why this was possible. All of the instructors knew what had gone on with the old students from before.


    "I think there might be something else as well... I''m quite sure about it," the instructor gulped as he saw Ricktor tear apart one of the limbs from the beast and hurl it toward another, piercing its body with one of its own arms.


    "I think these students, it''s possible that they might be stronger than all of the instructors."


    Such a thing would have beenughed off by them in the past. It wasn''t that this never happened in the past before. It was a quite regr urrence towards the end of the second year, but for it to happen so early on, and for there to be so many of them.


    It was a frightening thought that the ones under them were more powerful.


    The portal had been discovered, where the break wasing from and the beasts that wereing out, which meant there was only one thing left to do.


    Raze, along with Dame, had managed to reach the second floor, but they had entered from the other side of the building and were hiding behind a partially torn wall watching everything.


    Safa was still with them as well. She would have refused to leave him alone, and when time was of importance, it was better than trying to argue with her.


    "He''s going to enter the portal," Dame said. "The way to stop a portal break is just like any other dimension. One needs to head inside and defeat the dimension boss.


    "Or they can wait for it toe out, but who knows how long that would take at this rate. Judging by the enemies, one can try and judge the level of a portal break, but the only sure way is to enter the portal.


    "It''s quite possible that the beasts that are breaking out first are just all the low-ranking beastsing out from the portal. Which is quite the risky move, but I guess he has no choice if he wants to save the academy."


    In a way, as Dame said those words out loud, he thought Raze was quite a genius. He was putting more damage on the academy, and had gotten them out of their troubling situation with one solution.


    Watching from afar, it was exactly as Dame thought though. Murkel had entered the portal. His body disappeared, and the moment it did, the beasts, they were no longering out from the portal.


    "That''s strange he only just entered? There would still be beastsing out. I mean it''s a whole other world; it''s not like he can protect the portal entrance... can he?" Dame started to wonder, and was imagining his father in the same position.


    If it was his father it would be possible, and that''s when, after a minute had passed, the portal flickered once more, and a figure was seening out. It was the Principal.


    As soon as Murkel exited from the portal, it had closed behind him.


    "He managed to clear the portal! And he did it so fast! Wait how fast was this, how could he... did he just destroy the other world!" Dame could only imagine what had urred.


    It was hard to find a dimension boss, and then to defeat one while everyone was attacking you. It was hard toprehend just how much power the Principal had.


    After exiting out of the portal, Murkel turned his head, not to face Amir, not to look out at the courtyard, but was staring directly across, right where they were hiding behind the wall.


    "It appears we have some spies with us," Murkel smiled.

 Chapter 385 Caught Red Handed

    Chapter 385 Caught Red Handed


    ??The principal hade out from the portal break in next to no time. With that, the portal had sealed up behind him, and the beasts were no longer pouring through. Just because he had cleared up the portal, though, didn''t mean it would get rid of the beasts that had already appeared on their side.


    The fight was still going on, yet rather than rushing off to go and help the students and other teachers, instead, Murkel was looking in a particr direction. From where he was staring, he could see nothing but part of a broken wall that led into another room. Beyond that, was part of the main building that was broken and led to the view of the outside.


    ''I ducked down as soon as he looked out our way, he didn''t spot us right? I mean, he was just gazing around, unless he was paying attention he shouldn''t have spotted us,'' Dame thought.


    "It looks like we have little spies with us," Murkelmented.


    Both Raze and Dame''s hearts had sunk at that moment. The worst person to have seen them, the strongest in the Dark Faction, the principal had caught them. Not only that, but by his side was the vice-principal who they also realized had great strength.


    ''Raze is injured, and I''m still at the 6th stage. Even with items and pills, it will be impossible to beat those two.''


    For a while, the two of them stayed hidden. Maybe he had just spotted them but had yet to confirm it was them. Dame had wanted to stay down, that was until Raze stood up, revealing himself.


    Now that the cat was out of the bag, Dame had done the same, standing up, and awkwardly started to scratch his head.


    "Sorry about that, it was just when you told us to move and get out of here, well, there was a beast in our way!" Dame exined. "We managed to deal with it, but then seeing how all the beasts were scared of the principal, we thought that this was the safest ce."


    A reasonable exnation was the best one Dame thought. Surely the principal wouldn''t be a person to jump to conclusions, and speaking of jump, right there and then, he and Amir had leaped from their side all the way over to the other side.


    Theynded and were now standing in one of the student''s rooms that had been destroyed into pieces.


    "You should make sure the rest of the beasts are dealt with; I can handle this," Murkelmented.


    Even Amir didn''t like the sound of those words, as he hesitated for a moment and looked at both Raze and Dame, but heplied and jumped away to where the others were.


    "Before this portal break urred, I don''t suppose you know what the physicians that came to meet you here were doing, do you?" Murkel asked, looking at Raze in particr.


    "He can''t speak, sir, due to his throat," Dame answered. "But I saw the physicians enter into the room; then it was all chaos, and I don''t know what happened."


    "Well, I do, and they''re dead," Murkel answered, followed by another moment of silence.


    Dame could feel his heart pounding. Even when talking, he wasn''t talking in his usual calm and joking manner in front of the principal; he was being as polite as he possibly could, just like when he would talk to his own father.


    "You still have the same problem from before I can tell," Murkel stated. "If they had met you before this had happened, I guess they weren''t able to heal you, so it''s unlikely that anyone will be able to."


    Hearing this, Raze couldn''t help but his eyebrow twitching slightly.


    ''This person was the one that ordered the others to kill me, and now he''s speaking to me like this, right in front of everyone. The type of person he is, he will try and kill me with one hit. If I use the Dark magic spell Shrouded Heart, I''ll be able to protect myself like I did against Beatrix, but then I won''t have any mana to do anything else.''


    Finally, Murkel acted, but he didn''t move and only spoke.


    "Well, if you were able to somehow deal with physicians with the current state that you''re in at the moment, then it means that you are still somewhat useful at least. Keep proving yourself, White Dragon."


    After finishing what he had to say, the Principal had jumped out of the area, and rather than heading to where the other students were, it seemed like he had gone back to the main building.


    "That was... close. Why do n heads have to be such strange people, huh?" Dame asked. "I guess it saved us this time, but I can never know what they''re really thinking. Do you think it''s the fact that they have all this power it messes with their brain cells? They can''t experience fun anymore so they have to do strange things like this."


    Either way, Dame thought they could take it as a blessing.


    The incident was clearing up quite well after the portal had closed up. With no more beastsing out, the teachers and the students were able to have an easier time as it went on.


    Then after all of that, the teachers had asked the students to stay at the main academy for the time being, while the areas were being cleared out and repaired.


    The incident stayed in many of the students'' minds, especially since a few of them had died. It wasn''t an incrediblyrge number, but it still affected those that had yet to see anything like that before.


    Then there were the reported teacher deaths; in total, 3 teachers and three physicians had died due to the portal break. Thankfully, due to the principal, they were able to close the portal quickly; otherwise, it would have been a disaster for them all.


    There were a few things that the portal break allowed the old Red Headband students to gain. For one, they were given arge number of level 3 power stones due to their help in dealing with the beasts. With this, they could turn them into Qi pills and cultivate them more, and on top of that, the new students, rather than giving them any more trouble, seemed to respect them.


    The school had stated that the n was to remain the same. They were on break, and during this recovery period, they could do as they wished. Especially now that repairs were on their way.


    Finally, with Safa having reached the third star, she and Dame had headed off to the back of the main building, into the forest, where they would use the statue to train.


    Meanwhile, Raze continued his training on his own. Growing his strength bit by bit.


    ''The second Descending Step!'' Raze dashed forward in the courtyard, then followed it up with another step. ''The Devil''s Formation.''


    He striked downward, and he wasn''t done just yet, performing another foot technique and thrusting forward, a powerful strike filled the air, as visual Qi struck around it for a few moments before disappearing.


    Raze was sitting; his body was screaming in pain, but he stood up, taking short shallow breaths quickly.


    ''I''ve improved... I''ve improved a lot, there''s only a few more days left, I''ll see how far I can get, and then I''ll get Safa to heal me. Everything is falling into ce.''


    That was until the fourth assessment was set to start, an assessment that was all aimed at one goal, making Raze''s life as difficult as possible.

 Chapter 386 The Last Day

    Chapter 386 The Last Day


    ??There was only a day or so left until the principal would announce what the next assessment would be for them. This was the case for the new students who had arrived and the old students.


    The two groups would be going through different assessments, so there was no need to worry about strange incidents possibly happening, at least between the two. What it meant though, was this was the chance, the onest time, for everyone to get stronger before heading to the next stage.


    In the courtyard, Liam had chucked his sword up in the air and grabbed it by the handle, swinging it and shing it right off Simyon''s body. As it bounced, he held it again and struck once more. He continued as he grabbed the sword, hitting Simyon in different areas bit by bit. It was an impressive disy that would go on for a full ten minutes.


    When the new students were there, they would stop what they were doing to look at what was happening.


    ''I can feel it, the tension''s high after that portal break. It feels like even the teachers are on edge. They still haven''t figured out what''s happened, and no one is telling us what''s happened either!'' Liam thought as he struck harder, moving Simyon slightly, shifting his feet.


    ''Raze helps us out, Dame helps us as well, telling us how to absorb these crystals to be stronger, but all of that, it''s all just so we can catch up and not be in the way. I don''t want to be an afterthought!'' Liam held out his hand, and the wooden sword was drawn right into it, holding it then with both of his hands he shifted forward.


    Doing so, he mmed the sword from below as strong as he could and bashed it right in the center of Simyon''s stomach; he was lifted slightly off the ground, and his hand was seen holding onto the wooden sword.


    "I want to fight by their side as an equal," Liam said, letting out the thought from his mind.


    "I know how you feel... I hate to say it, but the two of us, we''re in the same boat," Simyon replied, as they stopped there for a moment and went on to continue absorbing the new Qi pills they had obtained.


    Hopefully, they could push through and at least reach the fifth stage. With their special items, then maybe they could do something to help out.


    ---


    At the back of the main family academy building, Safa was sitting in the middle of the forest patiently. She was meditating, but what she was actually doing was absorbing a Qi pill.


    She would alternate between a Qi pill and a crystal, the Qi pill to improve her stage so she could be a stage 5 Pagna warrior, and the regr crystal to try and improve her magic core as well.


    Raze had actually told her, now that she was at the third star level, there was no need for her to try and increase it more. At least not for now, but she wanted to make this a regr habit.


    The reason she was here though was for another reason as well. In the middle of her meditative state, loud noises were being heard in the forest. Trees falling and being torn apart, the rabbit beasts scattering off in every direction, and eventually breaking through a tree, and then hitting arge rock that was by her side, Dame was seen falling to the ground.


    Right after, arge stone statue hadnded in front of Safa. Its eyes were heavily fixed on Dame, and it ced its sword by its side, ready to strike again.


    "Stoney, stop!" Safamanded, and immediately the stone statue stayed in ce, standing up straight.


    Right after, Dame on the floor started to pull using his hands across the floor. Doing so, he inched himself forward until he was in front of Safa. He looked up, wounds covering his body, even arge cut on his shoulder that was bleeding now, and gave a smile.


    "Healing, please," Dame asked.


    To which Safa just shook her head and ced both hands on the main areas of the wound, and started to use her powers.


    "Why do you idiots keep training like this?" Safa asked. "I mean, do you have to get hurt so bad, is this really the only way to increase your stage level?"


    "You''ll understand when you reach a point where you can''t increase your stage no matter what you do," Dame replied. "Extreme measures are needed. Besides, the statue, it also is linked to Ricktor.


    "And although the Principal and Ricktor don''t both use exactly the same techniques, they are somewhat linked in a way. The statue is at a high level, so if we are able to fight against it while it''s using Ricktor''s skill, it will prepare us the best for when we go against the principal."


    Hearing Dame''s exnation, Safa thought back to what they were told. What they had all seen with the portal break and what had urred.


    "I''m not sure this is the best idea yet. I mean, are we ready to fight?" Safa asked.


    "I''m sure they''ve been ready to fight for a while. The real question is, do we think we can win?" Dame replied. "And the longer we spend in the academy, the more I feel like we don''t have a choice.


    "The ns now have a vendetta against Raze. I''m sure Feebie will even try her best toe after him. She will be the first to strike, I''m sure of it. Once we get rid of her, the war will have already started."


    "And this is working. Remember before, I couldn''t even get a hit on the statue, now both of us are fighting, I may be getting beaten, but I''msting longer and longer than before."


    Dame was actually taking a page out of Raze''s book. After seeing him progress just a little, he was seeing it build up, and he needed to do the same. Push the small steps forward until he could eventually break through.


    If he could just fight the statue for a second longer thanst time, then that was an improvement. Even if he didn''t reach the middle stage, he would be the strongest initial stage warrior there was in existence, until his body needed to break through.


    "The next test, it will be announced tomorrow," Safa moved her hands, having healed the biggest of wounds and now went towards Dame''s ribs and was working on that area next.


    "The month, it''s up... the next test, it''s most likely where they will go after Raze... and most likely when the fighting will start, we don''t have any time now, this is it."


    Dame was quite surprised about how insightful Safa was because she was right. Which was why he was pushing himself even harder than he had done any other day before.


    Right now, he was regretting his earlier days. Just how much stronger would he have been if he had always been like this?


    Just then, Dame stood up, his body fully healed and ready to take on the statue again. The sound of rustling leaves behind them was heard, and the two of them turned their heads to see someone surprising to say the least.


    "Raze!" Safa called out. "You should be resting!"


    Raze shook his head as he looked at Dame, and in a soft, croaking voice that was barely audible, he managed to say a few words.


    "Let''s... fight."


    It was quite clear that Raze still hadn''t healed from his condition, and yet he wanted to fight with Dame. If he did, did it mean he really thought that he could win?

 Chapter 387 The 4th Test

    Chapter 387 The 4th Test


    ??When both Safa and Dame had heard the request from Raze, that he had wanted a fight, they thought he was crazy. Sure, he had done some stupid things in the past, but they had seen him in the courtyard just a couple of days ago.


    He was only able to perform a few simple moves, so if he wanted to challenge himself, then wouldn''t it be better if he was to ask someone like Simyon or Liam, not going straight to the top.


    Dame before was the strongest in the group and currently was. The two had never fought at full strength before, and even fighting now, it wouldn''t be at full strength.


    But all of that changed after the fight had urred. The trees in the area, they had broken and fallen on top of each other, vines tangled. The ground beneath them, there were several craters from the aftermath of the fight.


    Safa herself could only step out now slowly that the fight wasplete, and soon after, she started to run over to a fallen Raze. He looked intact on his body, there wasn''t a scratch on him.


    However, blood had dripped out from his mouth and onto his uniform. He was wheezing even worse than he usually would.


    "I don''t even care what you say, I''m helping you now!" Safa said.


    Raze, even in the state he was in, reached out to grab her hand and shook his head though. Safa didn''t understand, so she did what she could. For some reason, he wanted to stay in the same state that he was in before, so she would at least do that, and heal him up back to the point where he could kinda breathe.


    Dame, who was standing there, his shoulder of his clothing torn, a deep cut on him. He looked at his own hands and they were shaking, shaking from the adrenaline that had rushed through his body at the fight that had just urred.


    "How is that possible, how were you able to fight this well, even in the condition you were in!" Dame said in disbelief.


    Even though he was the victor, the match wasn''t as easy as he expected it to be. The progress Raze had managed to make as well, it was unheard of.


    ''I''ve been practicing, pushing myself beyond what I could. I''m not the same as I was before either after fighting that statue non-stop. But for Raze. He''s been fighting with his throat all messed up, making it hard for him to breathe.''


    ''Since his breathing is disrupted, his Qi is as well. Right now. It doesn''t matter if he''s at stage 6. If a ss is the same as one''s dantian, at the moment Raze is limited by the amount of Qi he can use due to the size of the straw because of his breathing.''


    ''He can only take so much Qi at a time, and if he tries to take more than the straw can handle and force it, it will strain the straw itself. He''s stayed in this state, straining the straw, allowing him to use more Qi, but not just that.''


    ''He''s also figured out a way to condense the Qi in his dantian before releasing it to where it needs to be. Doing it this way, he can pass more Qi through and still use more moves.''


    Dame started to wonder, was it something that he could have done if he was in the same situation as Raze. It wasn''t something normal people could do, so why could he? What was driving the Dark Magus so much to keep pushing himself?


    Even now, where he can heal and have relief in his life from the pain, he isn''t, all for the sake of getting just that bit stronger.


    ''Right now, Raze is restricted by all of these things. It''s like there are chains wrapped around his dantian and body, but when those shacklese off, I don''t want to be the one that faces him.''


    "If you''re done with him, we need to keep up our own training, right?" Dame smiled.


    ---


    Everyone worked as hard as they could, pushing themselves further than they did before. Unaware, it wasn''t just Raze and his group working hard either. Tinson and his two friends pushed themselves.


    Even though they had been saved thanks to Raze in thest test, the same couldn''t be said for the uing one because they had no idea what it would be.


    Then there was Ricktor, and Mada. After seeing his brother fighting, Mada had a fire lit up in him again. He had been too focused on Raze in the past, but now he had to worry about himself.


    As for Ricktor, he was just one of those types that always worked to his fullest regardless of the situation. It was how he got to where he was now.


    Only they knew how much they had improved, how much stronger they had gotten, and finally, the group had been called to meet at the main courtyard.


    Before they had been called out, the first-year students had been called. They had gone to the library quite early and returned all of them learning the new skills. Then it was time for the second group of only ten, the ''Second-year'' students as they were referred to, even though they had only been here a few months.


    Standing out in the courtyard, the principal was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Amir was standing there, but he wasn''t alone.


    By his side, there were ten adults. All of them dressed in heavy ck robes that covered their entire clothing. On their faces, they bore a mask that covered half their face with tworge fangs that bent upward.


    "They don''t look like the normal teachers, I''ve never seen them before," Simyon stated.


    "That''s because they''re not teachers," Ricktor replied. "They''re from the same n as me, they''re from the Erupting Fist n, and the same n as the Principal."


    In the usual case, there were only so many personnel that were allowed in the academy from each n. The rest would need to be made up of the vast number of ns in the Dark Faction or wanderers like that of Amir.


    Due to the recent events, with the number of deaths that had urred, it had given the perfect excuse for there to temporarily be more members of the Erupting Fist n.


    ''They look quite strong, this isn''t so good,'' Dame thought.


    "Treasured students." Amir started off by raising his hands and arge smile on his face. "We have been faced with great trouble recently, but as suspected our treasured and best students all managed to survive, and it is great to see that."


    "The time hase to finally talk about the fourth assessment, and first, I must inform you, None of you will be going to the tower just yet, and you will understand once I exin to you the contents of the assessment."


    "The next test is, Dimension exploration." Amir announced.


    Raze had heard of this; he had heard that the academy had portals that the students were able to use, and it looked like they could finally use them, but it was a little toote as Raze had entered a number of portals and even maderge connections on the outside.


    "Each of you will have a month to ess the dimension. You maye in and out. What we suggest is everyone to head into a portal, and in doing so, you know what you are dealing with.


    "Once you know that, you are to choose your skill and head back in. How long you spend in the other dimension is up to you; the only thing is, the month is the limit. There is one more thing to mention to you all.


    "Each of you will be heading to a separate portal on your own. This is something that you must survive through your own power."


    Dame nced at Raze because he had a feeling that while Raze was on his own, a certain person would target him. Maybe it was time he healed up.

 Chapter 388 Magic Is Stronger Than Marital Arts

    Chapter 388 Magic Is Stronger Than Marital Arts


    ??An announcement had been made by Amir, and it was trickier than they thought. Tinson and his group now needed to believe in their own individual strength more than ever. After going through each of the tests together, they now would be going through it alone.


    Then there were the others. So far, only Raze had been made a target of Feebie, due to his run-in with Lisa and iming he was the one who had finished her, but there was a worry on his mind.


    A worry about a threat Feebie had made, how she would get rid of all of those who were close to him. To make him feel the same pain as her, as they would enter each of these portals on their own, it would be the perfect opportunity for her to get rid of them, or at least him.


    "Amir said something important that day, while in the academy, they must abide by the rules. He seems to be a person who is willing to uphold them no matter what, even at the cost of going against the ns," Raze thought. "It must be the reason why Feebie didn''t attack back then either. The two of them must be at a simr level in terms of strength.


    "Maybe Amir is even stronger, but in the dimensions, although owned by the academy. Since no one is observing and it''s off the academy grounds, I have a feeling she might act."


    Raze had already done a lot in his current state. He thought with how dangerous everything was going to be, it was time for him to get Safa to heal him. He started to move slightly, inching forward toward her, the moment he took a step though.


    One of the men in therge tooth-like mask, and dressed in ck stood directly in his way, and shook his head.


    "The next test will be starting immediately," Amir imed. "As I said, you will not be going to the library just yet. Each of these men here, they will be escorting you to the portal expeditions."


    Dame looked at the others and looked at Raze as well. What was the best solution, should they act now, try to kick up a ruckus, and then get Raze healed? That didn''t make sense while only one side was really viewing them as the enemy.


    The main issue was that portals in Pagna couldn''t be moved. They just opened wherever they were in the world and stayed there. Then depending on where it was, a n was more likely to im territory to it.


    Which meant that the group would be split up even more as each of them went through the different portals.


    "Stay strong, and if you make it through this, all will be well," Amir imed.


    Standing now behind each of the ten students were the men with the strange masks on their faces. They then started to move, and when the students didn''t follow them, they turned around staring directly into their eyes.


    They quickly got the message that they were meant to follow along.


    "We just have to get through the first day," Liam thought to himself. "If we do, then we will all be able to meet up again ande up with a n."


    All of the students were escorted out of the academy, and even when escorted, they had headed off in different directions from each other. Not knowing where the other would be, and all they could do was wish each other luck.


    Raze had crossed therge stone bridge and continued to follow one of the Erupting Fist n members. He was walking ahead and would turn his head once in a while to check on Raze.


    The two of them had entered a valley of sorts, westward from the academy. It was an area made out ofrge grey rocks that were nted and curved upward like waves. It was hard to see where one was, and it was an area that was devoid of life.


    "Not getting Safa to heal me before this assessment starts might cause some issues," Raze thought to himself. "When going through this dimension I need to be ready for anything. I''m not even sure how strong this guard is."


    If they were from the Erupting Fist n and trusted to just escort them on their own, then Raze believed they had to have some level of strength. His hand was twitching as he kept moving.


    "Should I attack him now and get rid of him? If I do that, I don''t have to go through the portal?" Raze thought to himself.


    "What''s wrong with you!" The masked man eventually shouted, noticing that Raze was walking slowly behind.


    To which, Raze''s response was to point at his neck and tried to take in a deep breath. The pain could be felt with that alone.


    After a short break, they continued to move ahead. ''It''s best not to, the test willst for another month, and the Crimson Crane, they should be gathered up and on standby at the moment, ready to be called if needed.''


    Finally up ahead, standing next to the portal were five men who were from the academy. Raze knew they were from the academy due to the headbands they were wearing.


    They were grey in color. It was the color of those who were staff in the academy but weren''t part of teaching the students. These could mostly be seen in the main academy and had appeared during the attack as well.


    There were also higher position figures like Gunther that didn''t wear any such headband and were part of the academy.


    The academy personnel were aware of what was toe and stepped aside, including the masked man, who had gestured with an open palm toward the portal.


    "You cane out of the portal when you wish, only after at least 2 hours of exploration has been done. If you wish to improve your strength in this test, then stay as long as you can," the masked man informed.


    Reluctantly, Raze walked past the others. He felt like he could get stabbed in the back, sliced from the others at any moment, and what about on the other side of the portal, what if the entire Lethal Bite n was waiting for him, all of it worried him.


    Still, he had no choice as he was cautious and stepped through the portal. ''I''ll make it out alive no matter what because there are still a lot of things I need to do.''


    Stepping through the portal, Raze''s body shifted, warped, and he felt his whole body appear on the other end. Immediately, he could feel the atmosphere and heat hit him, the humidity that was in the air could be felt.


    The sun was shining brightly, and the terrain around him, it all showed that he was in a different world. There were buildings made in round shapes out of a type of sandstone.


    Whilerge green trees were seen peeking up high above in different areas. What was strange is even just up ahead, he could see a river that looked to block the path between two areas, and the top of two houses visible.


    ''The portal leads straight into a past civilized area. This is not good; there are plenty of areas and ces where one can attack.'' Raze stopped in his tracks, and then turned around he could hear it, the portal activating again.


    Appearing from the same ce Raze was in just moments ago, was the masked man that had been following him.


    ''I''m going to go ahead and assume that these guys weren''t meant to follow us in here.''


    "She said this would be an easy job," the masked man imed. "But, she told me to be careful. I will see this as doing you a favor and ending your pain!"


    After finishing his words, the man dashed forward and pulled out a small dagger.


    ''Who are you to decide that!'' Raze thought as he swung both of his hands. Push of the wind spell was activated and the sand on the ground lifted up like a wave, and pushed forward right at the warrior.


    ''Dark Pulse!''


    Raze attacked with not one, but both of his hands, emitting arge beam of Dark energy through the sand. It broke through creating a hole, but the man hadn''t been hit by the attack, he had already moved to the side.


    ''He''s fast.'' Raze thought.


    "What type of strange tricks are you using!" The man shouted as he swung his dagger down.


    Raze was able to perform a two-step shift right at that moment.


    ''The kid, he avoided it, he''s fast¡­ wait what stage is he at to avoid that?''


    The attacker''s Qi was extended out through the dagger and shed against his uniform, it cut through, but stopped short, not able to cut through Raze''s body for some reason.


    "What, it felt like the dagger slipped off!" The man thought.


    To which Raze smiled and managed to grab the man with both his hands. ''For a limited amount of time, I can fight at the full six stage level, and my magic has never been affected by any of this.''


    The man''s whole body started to spark up, his body was being fried hitting all over, his muscles unmoving, and at the same time, Raze was using the extraction technique taking his energy and adding it to his own.


    Eventually, Raze dropped the man to the ground, and looked at his dead body.


    ''His speed, his strength, if I was to take a guess was he a stage 5 or 6 warrior?'' Raze thought. Noting what dangers the others would be in.


    "I thought there was something strange about you, it looks like you''re quite different after all," a calm voice said from atop one of the round buildings.


    Looking up, Raze could see it was Feebie, the leader of the Lethal Bite n.

 Chapter 389 A Clash With The Clan Head!

    Chapter 389 A sh With The n Head!


    ??Since the beginning, Feebie had been inside the dimension. The dimension in which she knew a certain someone would be appearing. The thing was, she was hesitant to act against the boy himself.


    The encounters she had had with Raze were troubling her. For one, how was a no-name able to best all of the main disciples back then? She had seen it herself and it still didn''t make sense.


    If someone had exined what had happened, she would have thought it was a mere exaggeration or they were crazy, but it was true, and those events were what gave him the nickname of the White Dragon.


    If it was one of the other main disciples, then she could have epted it; they were students that had learned techniques passed down from the strongest ns with thergest amount of history.


    Yet, it wasn''t; it was a no-name who had used Demonic Faction techniques. Not even one bell pointed into the Dark Faction. To her, it was a humiliation to the Dark Faction as a whole and wondered why the principal was so epting of this person.


    If a no-name was able to rise above them all, it would ruin the status quo, the status that her n had managed to earn, rising to the top.


    In her mind, she needed to get rid of Raze, and she had the perfect way. The uing assessment, where death was expected, she had decided to give her own n member Lisa an edge, yet somehow, even after everything that had urred, Raze was still alive.


    Something felt wrong, even when Feebie had punished Raze, crushing his throat and breathing, to make sure he wasn''t able to fight back, he was still able to survive multiple situations.


    So she needed to see it herself, see how he was able to get out of tough situations, and now, watching him from above, she had seen it with her very own eyes.


    "I knew something was strange about you; I saw what you just did," Feebie eximed as she lifted up her fist in the air; it was wrapped in oddly green-colored wraps, from her forearm all the way down to her knuckles.


    "I could sense it, what you did with the sand, and that strange attack that came out of your hand, and then the lightning, none of it was Qi techniques. Although there are some ns that can specialize in certain Qi-like attacks that look simr, no one would be able to do such diverse things."


    "It was no wonder you were able to beat the main disciples; you are a cheat."


    In this situation, Raze really wondered if that mattered or not. Wasn''t it the Dark Faction''s philosophy to win a fight regardless of the cost? Then everything he did was just fine.


    If they wanted a fair fight, then all ns should be open to everyone''s techniques, to learn and use. In his case, it was the same; he was just using the knowledge he had.


    "What are you, some type of beast! Yes, that''s exactly what you are, just a beast in human skin!" Feebie threw out her fist right from where she was, and the wraps on her hand started to unravel.


    They were coated in a type of Qi, stretching out and snapping, aiming right where Raze was currently.


    ''Crap, I didn''t expect her to attack from so far, especially since she has no weapons!'' Raze thought, holding out his hand.


    ''Dark Shield!''


    Dark Magic was meant as a destructive force. It wasn''t meant to be used for defense, but the spell Dark Shield unleashed his Dark Magic from the palm of his hand, forming a barrier.


    Unlike other magic that could create a more solid shield, the Dark Magic Shield was used as a way to destroy anything it came in contact with. As the wrapping of the Qi smashed into the Dark Shield, the Qi exploded, bouncing the Dark Magic in all directions.


    The shield had been destroyed in a single hit, and before Raze could react, he saw another wrappinge from his side and wrap around his leg.


    His whole body was lifted into the air and was thrown off to the side; his body crashed into a building. The rocks fell from the building on top of him, but Raze was soon seen getting up from the floor, holding onto his chest.


    As he stood up, the school uniform, the clothes he had been wearing, was disintegrating from his body, and now being revealed underneath was the special Mythical-ranked zer, ck in color with a white trim around it.


    ''The zer took some of the damage, but that was still a powerful physical hit which hurt me more. Still, the effect of the zer will let me heal a bit as well while I''m wearing it.


    ''I need to get out of this situation; with the way I am now, I''m not really sure I can beat her, even with all my items and skills!'' Raze thought.


    Carefully watching her, he needed to n ahead; this wasn''t a fight where he could just do as he wished. In his current state, he could fight rather well but only for a limited amount of time.


    Was this someone he could beat in one hit, like he had done against the member of the Behemoth n? It might be his only chance.


    "Look at that," Feebie said as she jumped downnding on the ground. The sand was pushed to the side revealing the flooring underneath.


    "You used those strange powers again and managed to block my attack. This is very interesting, maybe I should dissect your organs and try to find out how you''re able to do this! No, but then I wouldn''t get the pleasure of killing you."


    Feebie clicked her fingers. "Ah, I know, I wonder, can any of your friends do the same thing. Those that are around you all the time. The fact that they have gotten this far is also a surprise. Well, we will soon find out if they are like you or not."


    "Just in case you don''t understand what I''m saying, just like with you now. I have instructed high members of the Lethal Bite n to enter every single one of the dimensions and to deal with all of the old students regardless of who they are!" Feebie smiled.


    Hearing these words, Raze''s eyebrows furrowed in anger.


    "Haha, look at the expression on your face; I can tell you''re annoyed and worried," Feebieughed. "I told you before that I will get rid of everyone that you care about. I don''t know who they are, so why don''t I just get rid of everyone who is even close to you, that way I''m sure to ruffle a few feathers, right?!"


    Lifting his hand, Raze ced it around his throat; for a moment, he focused as he activated the effects of the zer he wore, while at the same time, forced his Wind Magic out and his Qi around a certain area.


    "Do you think," Raze managed to say; it was cracked, but the voice was now loud enough for Feebie to hear from where she was. "Do you think I''m really worried about them?"


    "Attacking me today, you have no idea what you''ve done. Once I''m done, no one will even know the Lethal Bite n ever existed!"

 Chapter 390 Vice Head Trouble

    Chapter 390 Vice Head Trouble


    ??The strange guard had escorted Simyon away from the others. He was worried about what could happen to him, but more than the rest of the others, a certain person would appear in his mind again and again.


    Herrge round eyes, her long perfectly brushed ck hair.


    ''She''ll be okay, right? I mean, Raze took her under his wing and taught her magic. She also has the other items on her. If Raze had given us these strong items, then surely he would have given her something useful as well.''


    No matter how hard he tried, he kept envisioning himself jumping in front of her, saving her from a vicious beast attack, and each time his face would turn a shade redder.


    "Students, stop wasting time and enter the portal, or I''ll have to push you through!" The masked man shouted.


    Seeing the portal in front of him, and with his resolve ready, Simyon had jumped in. Whening out on the other side, the was filled with a fluorescent green color, but it wasn''t green from the trees and such.


    Instead, it was strange green glowing slime that was running through the cracks of the ground. The itself was shrouded in darkness apart from this fluorescent green slime.


    ''I really want to touch it, but I have a feeling that if I do, something strange will happen to me. But with this being the, I wonder what beasts are going to be in this area.''


    Walking across, Simyon''s eyes looked for any sign of life, but he couldn''t find any so far. Instead, he just followed one of the green streams of slime on the floor until he had reached arge stream like that of a river.


    It was a thick substance, and even more so now, Simyon just wanted to ce his hand in it.


    "I mean, I have a harder body than most, right, so it shouldn''t affect me as much?" Simyon thought as he reached out to touch it, but before he did, he thought it might be best to find a stick or something.


    Standing up, he turned around, and immediately a sword swung at him. At thest moment, Simyon managed to raise his hand and a ng sound was heard.


    Simyon''s body was still lifted off the ground as he skidded across the floor. Looking at his arm, it was slightly bleeding. He soon could see his attacker, who was staring at his own sword as if he was surprised.


    "How could a student survive a strike from behind like that?" An older woman, who looked to be around her fifties, wearing long clothing, was standing there.


    "I guess there was a reason why the leader told me to get rid of you."


    "Hey, this isn''t part of the test, right?" Simyon stated as he stood up and took a fighting stance, reforming his Qi.


    "Test," the womanughed. "This is no test. I don''t know what you did, but the Lethal Bite n head has ordered your death."


    Hearing these words, Simyon knew something didn''t feel right when he was having those images sh through his head. Gulping, he needed to focus on his own situation for now, because this person was strong.


    Liam, who had survived many attacks, could hardly put a mark on his arm, yet this woman had done so on the first strike, which meant she was quite strong.


    Simyon''s bad feeling was right, because he wasn''t the only one that had a surprise attacker on him.


    Both of the other two main disciples, Mada and Ricktor, in the dimensions they were in, they had met those dressed in martial arts clothing, appearing in front of them, attempting to take their lives.


    Ricktor hade unscathed by the surprise attack and just smiled at the situation. While in Mada''s case, he had been hit, a sh across the chest, before he was aware of what was happening.


    At the same time, simr things were happening to Tinson and his group of friends as well, and then there was Safa.


    She had entered a dimension that looked as if she was walking on clouds. The area was dense not with fog, but a thick material simr to it. It was filled in patches of the area.


    Because of this, she was using her god eyes skill, and although she didn''t see anyone with Mana, through one of the clouds, she did manage to detect something strange.


    So she hadn''t suffered a surprise attack, but knew what wasing. She needed to decide whether or not it was best for her to run in this situation, or try to get the upper hand against whoever it was trying to attack her.


    Dame had simrly had an attacker in his dimension, and that was filled with shallow water, and waterfalls that were falling fromrge rocks that floated in the air.


    It was as if he was walking through a giant cliffside with water that would go up to one''s ankles. When his enemy had jumped at the chance to attack him from behind, though, he had dodged the hit and grabbed onto the enemy''s arm.


    Then, lifting his own hand in the air, the ck gauntlets were revealed before he twisted his hand and punched directly in the gut of his attacker with a powerful Qi technique.


    The attacker''s body spun in the air before it crashed into the rocks, and he fell into the water. Before the attacker could fully get up, Dame had already lifted his body by his throat and mmed him into the wall.


    "I thought this might happen; I just didn''t expect you guys to attack so soon," Dame stated. "Let me guess, you''re from the Lethal Bite n, right?"


    The man smiled in response even with the tense situation at hand.


    "You know that much; you must have all really upset the n head then."


    "That stupid B*tch?" Dame replied. "So she was the one that ordered you to do this. I bet she never expected someone like me to be here, huh?"


    The man started tough, but he was struggling through Dame''s heavy hand around his throat.


    "You are a strong one. It''s a shame that we didn''t really know who would go through which portal, apart from the White Dragon," the man stated.


    Dame expected as much. Feebie would want to deal with Raze herself; it was best he got out of this ce quickly and went after him.


    "Tell me, which portal is the White Dragon in, which portal is your leader in!" Dame tensed harder around his throat, yet the smile on his face still persisted.


    "Do you really only care about the White Dragon, and not the rest of the students?" The man stated. "As I said before, it''s a shame we didn''t know who was in which portal and the strength of your group. If we did know, our vice head would have been here to deal with you."


    Dame''s heart sank slightly.


    "I see you get it now. If the Vice head isn''t with you, then it means he is with one of your other friends. So let me ask you, are your friends at least as strong as you, can they deal with someone at the middle stage?"


    ---


    Entering his dimension, Liam was quite pumped up. He was ready to take on any beasts that came his way, and when he entered his world, it was a world filled with four full balls.


    The grass had these strangerge


    balls on the end of it, while at the same time, there were giant tree-like structures, but instead of leaves, there wererge balls on them.


    "What did look nice about the ce was how colorful everything was. All of the balls were different colors and were quite bright.


    ''Is there really going to be beasts in this world?'' Liam thought.


    As he continued to walk, he soon noticed something on the ground. Painted on top of the ball-like grass were streaks of blood. They were sttered on the top. He followed where the blood went, and arge bug-like beast was lying there on the floor.


    ''What killed this?'' Liam thought.


    Looking around more, he could see that there were severalrge bug beasts killed all over the area, having fallen on the grass.


    "Yhaa!" A voice from above came. "Alright, it looks like you''re finally here; let''s get this job done, so I can head back to the n."


    Looking above, a man wearing a pointed straw hat could be seen sitting on one of therge tree structures wearing martial arts clothing.


    "Wait, I recognize you?" Liam couldn''t quite put his finger on where.

 Chapter 391 The Ongoing Battle With The Clan head (Part 1)

    Chapter 391 The Ongoing Battle With The n head (Part 1)


    ??Standing among the crushed buildings that Raze had crashed into, he removed his hands from his throat. The pain was still there; his breathing still wasn''t at its best, but he still had everything else.


    He still had his Qi pills; he still had his magic. He could still use skills to a certain degree and he had his special zer. The question was if it was enough.


    ''It has to be enough,'' Raze thought as he tensed his grip around his sword. ''If I can''t beat the n Head here, then what makes me think I can go against the principal?''


    "You''re waiting for me to make the first move, then? Well, you won''t even be able to get close to me. Try and hit me with your magic!" Feebie shouted, swinging out her arm, and the wraps started to unravel.


    Stretching out far and wide, they crashed into the buildings by the side, destroying everything in their path. Coming from the side, Raze leapt up in the air and swung his sword down.


    Mid-swing though, the sword had been wrapped around by the strange wrappings, the other end of them attached to the n Head''s arms. Pulling it forward, she had ripped the sword out from Raze''s hand.


    No matter how hard he had gripped onto it, one thing was clear: her strength was beyond his.


    "Let''s see that special power of yours; you don''t need a sword, right!?" Feebie shouted.


    ''Fine,'' Raze thought as he ced both hands by his side. Dark energy started swirling around them. The moment hended in the sand, he aimed both of them straight at Feebie.


    ''Dark Pulse.''


    From the palm of his hands, two Dark Pulses shot out. They were aimed perfectly at Feebie, but just at the right moment, she would move away, avoiding each of them. She continued to move closer and closer, while Raze continued to fire out Dark Pulses that were seemingly hitting nothing.


    The wrappings had then gone back around her hands, and at that point, as a Dark Pulse came right at her, she decided to punch it straight on. As it hit the Dark Pulse, the energy went off in all different directions.


    When it touched the ground, it destroyed part of the sands as well as part of the sandstone from the structures.


    Instead of pressing forward, Feebie decided to look at her own hands and the flow of Qi.


    ''That''s interesting, even around my fist, covered and powered by Qi, that dark energy still managed to destroy some of it, but it was still weaker than my own attack,'' Feebie thought, and looked up with arge grin toward Raze.


    She noticed while she was looking at his fist, he seemed to be doing something else himself. The White Dragon had both of his hands on the ground, and they were sparking slightly, with an odd blue energy.


    "I saw this before; he did it to thest person, but why is he using that now when he''s so far away!" Feebie''s instincts were kicking in, and she was preparing herself.


    The ground right where Raze was lit up with lightning spreading in all directions around him. It was fast, but on instinct, reacting to it, Feebie had jumped up in the air, avoiding the strike.


    "You might have a lot of tricks up your sleeve, but you''re too obvious with what you''re doing!" Feebie imed.


    ''I need her to stay still,'' Raze thought. ''I can only fight at full strength for a short amount of time. To use a few moves, and I need her to be immobilized and to stop moving!'' Raze continued with his hands left out, firing, this time not dark energy, but he was firing shards of ice.


    On impact, they would freeze, slowing down Feebie at least.


    "I see you thought since I was in the air, you thought I wouldn''t be able to dodge; well, you''repletely wrong!"


    Feebie''s wraps unraveled, and she started to spin her body. When doing so, the wraps widely created an against-wind current in front of her. It was pushing Raze and his hair back.


    At the same time, as she came down to the floor, she was crashing into everything, hitting the ice shards and breaking them before they could even properly reach her.


    Then she hade close to Raze, with a fist held up. "You''re Finished!"


    Shifting his feet, Raze focused his breathing, gathering his Qi, condensing it down. He then performed the second step; rather than going away, he went ahead and swung his hand.


    ''I need an attack that''s just as strong.''


    The weapon that had been thrown away was the wind-


    enchanted weapon. He currently had nothing in his hand, and Feebie could see this as well, that was until a sword had appeared in his hand.


    He held it with both hands, and Dark magic swirled around the sword. ''Eclipse Strike!''


    With the push and the Lightning-enchanted sword, the strike was heavy.


    ''This is the strike that took down the Behemoth n middle-


    stage warrior, and I''ve grown since then. I might not be in the same state, but this should be enough!''


    The sword shed into the heavy fist, and out from the sword, a heavyrge strike of Darkness had extended out. It pushed Feebie''s fist, and she could feel a heavy weight right in her feet.


    The ground beneath her had been crushed, and she could feel the skin peeling apart from her knuckles. The attack had broken through the wrap, but quickly she had pushed forward and then jumped to the side, allowing the rest of the strike''s energy to hit the ground.


    Lifting up her leg, she kicked Raze as hard as she could on his side, seeing him flying in the distance. His body bounced on the ground a couple of times until he had eventually hit one of therge green trees.


    Raze was on the floor, he was struggling to breathe, more so than usual. The wind had been knocked out of his body, and he had summoned quite the strong attack that was already affecting him.


    It was hurting; he was trying hard to breathe in, but it wasn''t working. His muscles, they weren''t listening to him, that was until the soothing effect of the zer started toe over him again, soothing his pain slightly.


    Finally, he managed to get a small sliver or gasp of air. ''Even If I can use my strength to the fullest for a few moments, the n''s power is so versatile and she seems used to fighting. This is nothing like when I went against Dame.''


    Meanwhile, at the same time, Feebie hadn''t gone straight after Raze, because she was surprised by what had happened once again. The wrapping, it was tornpletely, cut making it half the size.


    When was thest time her special wrappings had been damaged like that? And it wasn''t the only damage that had urred. Even on her fist, directly from her skin blood was dripping onto the floor, and onto the sand.


    "That sword technique, I''ve seen it before. It''s the Dark Edge Sword Arts, the sword arts which belonged to the Noctis n, the original founder of the Dark Faction. Why do you know such a thing?" Feebie shouted and asked.

 Chapter 392 The Ongoing Battle With the Clan Head (Part 2)

    Chapter 392 The Ongoing Battle With the n Head (Part 2)


    ??If it wasn''t for the zer that Raze had obtained, he was pretty sure that he would have been dead by now. Already, the healing effects of just wearing the zer had saved him.


    Although the healing was minimal, especially while inbat, he just needed that little help to allow him to breathe just a little bit, giving him more air so his muscles could work the way they were meant to.


    There was a difference between the fight with Feebie and the one with Dame. For one, he was getting hit more, and the strikes were more powerful. At the same time, due to being in a tense situation and fight, he was finding it harder to control his Qi. He was desperate, overloading himself, pushing his Qi more than it could really go, hurting himself more.


    ''I need to calm down,'' Raze thought as he pushed himself up off the ground. Slowly, he started to focus on his breathing. ''I need to get out of this situation, alive no matter what. This chance, with the zer, it was given to me to get through this!''


    Opening up his hand, a red pill and a green pill appeared. He lifted his head up, taking in the pills, and looked ahead.


    "The Noctis n''s skills, why do you know them?" Feebie stated. "The n''s skills were lost, there are no survivors left that belong to that n, so how do you know them? Who are you?"


    Raze, unable to really speak, held the sword in his hand again and just started to smile.


    "Fine, if I keep you alive within an inch of your life, as long as you can write, you can tell me what you know."


    When Feebie charged forward, Raze breathed carefully, trying not to force himself. With one hand free, he pushed the sand from the ground, and it went straight into Feebie''s face.


    "Just because this worked against thest person, doesn''t mean it will work against me!" Feebie spun her body, and when she did, she threw her fist in the air.


    The sand that was pushed by the wind magic had been pushed back and was heading straight for Raze, but moving his hand, he was able to split the sand apart, and following up, he swung the sword down.


    Even though Feebie was yet to reach striking distance, she found this strange. ''He can''t know how to use external Qi, that would be impossible.''


    Yet her eyes saw a red strike in the air, leaving from the sword. It cut through the sand. It was almost the same as the Eclipse Strike, only this one was far weaker.


    Moving to the side, the strike avoided her face, but it wasn''t the only one. Several more strikes followed up from the attacks, causing her to move and avoid each of them.


    ''This has to be one of his tricky powers again. I can feel the Qi in his strikes though, and they are quite strong. I can''t believe it; after what I did to him, the kid is still capable of doing this. If he is allowed to rise, then he will be the end of us all; I have to get rid of the White Dragon.''


    Feebie kicked off in the air and started to spin her body again. Even when the crimson strikes hit her body, they did next to nothing in terms of power. Raze needed stronger attacks. He needed the Dark Edge Sword Arts mixed with his magic to create big enough strikes. When Feebie was close enough, Raze chased forward using his Descending Steps and shed his sword through the air.


    It had hit nothing, as Feebie had flipped over and was behind him. She grabbed the back of his head and then lifted her hand, mming it on Raze''s stomach. His entire body crashed into the floor and bounced off the ground.


    Blood sttered out of his mouth, falling on his clothing and a part of the floor. ''This really hurts... and every hit is disrupting my breathing more!''


    Wanting to get away, Raze had to do something, and when he touched the floor, his hands started to form ice. It grew across the ground until it had reached Feebie''s feet. Immediately after, Raze then used Dark Pulse on the floor, hitting it. It propelled him up quickly, and then he pushed with his Wind magic, increasing the distance between the two while also leaving a dust cloud behind him.


    Almost immediately, Feebie lifted her legs and simply broke through the ice. Charging forward, she had almost caught right up to him.


    "You''re not getting away; I would rather kill you than let you get away. I don''t care about who you are that much; I just want you dead!"


    Spinning her hand in the air, the wrapping strangely started to harden as it was reinforced with Qi, and it had turned into what looked like a small drill. She then shoved it forward, heading right for Raze''s back.


    ''The amount of Qi I can feel behind me... she''s trying to kill me! I thought she cared about the Noctis n, but I guess not enough!''


    Turning around, using his foot skills, none of those things would work. There was only one thing he could do.


    ''Shrouded Heart!''


    All of the mana from his body had activated, and in doing so, it started to swirl around his mana core. It condensed. The strike from Feebie pierced through, for the first time, the zer.


    It had activated, breaking a lot of the Qi, but not enough of it; it from Feebie pierced through, for the first time, the zer.


    It had activated, breaking a lot of the Qi, but not enough of it; it continued going forward until it touched the mana core. In doing so, Shrouded Heart had activated, and both of them at the same time were sted away.


    Raze''s body flung forward again; his foot hit part of the floor, causing him to stumble across the ground. He skidded for a while but managed to use his Qi in his fingertips to stop himself from going off too far.


    ''I had to use Shrouded Heart again!'' Raze thought as he could feel his mana core, its light starting to fade away.


    He was aware of his situation; he could feel the wound on his back. ''The zer is damaged, but it will restore itself eventually; I don''t have to worry about that. Right now, I have to worry about what is happening to me.''


    Raze could see a destroyed building; the roof had copsed. It was one of the ones that hadn''t been hit before, and he imagined that it was due to Feebie getting a rebound from Raze''s magic.


    Usually, with Shrouded Heart, this wouldn''t happen, but the timing of it all, the spell was justpleted in time to save him, and all of his mana having gathered had caused this effect.


    It wasn''t going to be enough to deal with Feebie, though, and now there was an even bigger problem.


    ''When I use the skill Shrouded Heart, all of my mana goes; I no longer can use my spells, the zer is damaged, and my Qi is 20:13


    not at its best with my breathing. Things just seem to keep getting worse; how am I meant to win this fight now?'' Raze thought.

 Chapter 393 The Result Of The Clash

    Chapter 393 The Result Of The sh


    ??The skill-shrouded heart had been used, one that consumed all of the user''s mana, regardless of their stage or the amount of mana they possessed. All of it flowed to one ce, to safeguard the mana core surrounded by the heart.


    It wasn''t a final defensive move, per se, because the skill primarily protected a single location. If Feebie had chosen tounch a final attack towards his head or elsewhere on his body, he would still be injured, which exined therge wound on his back from the attack.


    In most cases, it was easier for the target to move the head. The skull was also a good defensive measure and Raze had learned that in martial arts, in general the techniques learned weren''t attack''s aimed at the head.


    Whether this was some type of honour code he really wasn''t sure, but it meant with probability that Feebie was most likely going to aim for the heart if she wanted to kill him.


    ''I have toe to the conclusion that, with the way I am right now, I can''t defeat the n head in this state! If I was Healed it might be a different story, but I can''t be stubborn about this!'' Raze thought to himself.


    Especially without his magic skills, his trump card. He soon noticed the rubble moving, and shortly after, Feebie had emerged from it. She had a few marks on her clothing and head from the rubble, but there were no serious wounds on her body.


    "You seem to be full of surprises, don''t you? Capable of blocking such a strong attack like that. The more I go against you, the more I realize that you are someone who needs to be eliminated!"


    Feebie didn''t charge straight in after her powerful attack was blocked and she suffered some of the blowback; she was now slightly cautious. That was exactly what Raze needed.


    Looking into his hand, Raze could see the blue pill. ''Using the Shrouded heart, it has the same effect as taking the cursed pill, draining me of my mana. If I take a second pill, I''ll be in an even worse amount of pain. Even with my body at its current stage, I doubt I could take more than three of these pills, especially with no time in between them.''


    ''Right now, I have no choice. I will just have to deal with the pain afterward.'' Raze lifted his hand and swallowed the pill. It was a hard thing to do normally, but with his pain, it was even more difficult.


    A few momentster, the energy surged within him once again. The magic core was ignited, but it would onlyst for one minute. ''For one minute, I have my magic powers back. That''s all. In that time, I have to figure out a way out of this situation!''


    Raze mmed his foot on the ground, and in response, the sand in front of him started to freeze over in the area. It appeared to be heading toward Feebie, and in response, she stepped back, jumping on top of one of the houses.


    Immediately, Raze started to run to the side, firing several Dark pulses in the direction she was in. Pulse after pulse went her way, but instead of dodging them, she swung her arms, deflecting the Dark Magic attacks.


    "You''ll need tounch a much stronger attack than that!" Feebie shouted. "Is your power weakening after yourst attack?"


    Hearing this, Raze shifted to the side, bringing both of his hands together and started gathering more of his magic. Then, using the second stage, he sprinted forward with Qi and extended both of his hands.


    ''Dark Canon!''


    Instead of a small beam of dark energy, this was a continuous beam of dark energy, muchrger than the Dark pulse. The attack struck the building she was standing on,pletely destroying it.


    Feebie tumbled to the ground, and at first, she had braced herself, using her body, Qi, and hand wraps to take the hit. She ced her shoulder forward. The attack had hit her, and she instantly felt the Dark magic burning her Qi as well.


    She tried to move, and the beam of energy followed her, pushing her back through the ground and skidding her across the floor.


    ''I have one minute with all my mana restored, that''s all I have. After that minute, all of my mana will disappear anyway, so I don''t have to worry about conserving it. I can just attack as much as I can!''


    Raze wasn''t just standing still while using the Dark Canon; he decided to push himself, continuing to move through the sand. His breathing was out of sync, and he could barely gather Qi to help him move fast, but it didn''t matter.


    Feebie eventually jumped in the air; the attack from the Dark Canon had stopped. When she was looking for somewhere tond, she could only see the ice on the floor, but it didn''t seem to do much.


    ''Was the ice just a distraction, or was I wrong about his power weakening? Does he have a way to defeat me? It makes me wonder, should I just try to buy time until he runs out of power?''


    Feebie second-guessed herself because thest attack was a strong one, and he wasn''t slowing down in the abilities he was performing. Eventually, Feebie crashed into the ground, breaking the ice beneath her.


    Uponnding, she expanded her Qi and cracked it all over the ce. She turned her head to see where Raze was, and that''s when she spotted him, next to the lifeless, dried-up body, the body of the person he had killed.


    "What are you doing? Was this your n all along?" Feebie said, confused.


    ''I just needed a bit of a helping hand,'' Raze thought as he used his special Dark Magic spell.


    ''Recreate.''


    Dark magic started to swirl around the body, and in response, it began creating a human figure. The Dark shades made a person of the same height as the man on the ground, with the same body structure and even the details of his clothing. Although not clear or colored in the same way, they were distinctive enough to tell it was the same person.


    "Is that some type of demonic art, reanimating the dead?" Feebie asked, as it was the only exnation that made sense to her.


    With the recreated Dark magic image of his attacker, Raze had an ally. In this situation, it would have been better to have the statue, but he needed to improvise. Because this was more for show in the first ce. The strength of the Dark magic Recreate wouldn''t be like the statue''s, which could fight fully; it could only emte the attacks but not use Qi or anything like that.


    The recreated attacker charged forward, heading straight for Feebie. At the same time, Raze lifted both of his hands up and started to swirl them around. In doing so, the sand began moving at great speed throughout the entire area.


    A sandstorm was forming, covering the entire area and making it difficult to see.


    Feebie could see the dark figureing toward her and had thrown a punch, which she had caught instantly.


    "I thought as much; I don''t really have a reason to be scared of you. All of this is just tricks, after all!" Feebie imed.


    With her other fist, she started to gather Qi in the wraps, spiraling it and hardening it like a drill. She then shoved it toward the center of the dark figure, creating a hole in its center.


    "There''s no blood... and this thing feels as if it''s still alive."


    The Dark figure then exploded right in front of her face, with pieces of Dark magic dispersing in all directions. Some parts of the Dark magic hit her, causing her Qi to take damage.


    She covered her head. ''He''s going to attack me again, hit me with that Dark Canon. I have to


    be ready.''


    Feebie looked around, trying to see where Raze was, but the sandstorm that had been created blocked her vision. However, after a short while, no follow-up attack came.


    She looked around, and the sandstorm was dying down. Finally, the sand started to settle, and only then did she realize what had happened. Both of her fists were shaking, her jaw clenched hard.


    "That little white-haired twerp, he ran away! He ran away!" Feebie shouted. "But... he couldn''t have gone far. Even if he manages to escape through this portal, there will be more waiting for him. And besides, he has his friends to worry about as well."


    Looking on the ground, Feebie saw something in the sand, and it was blood. She remembered the wound she had inflicted on Raze.


    "He couldn''t have gone far. All he''s doing is dying the inevitable. Raze, the White Dragon, you will meet your end no matter what, and you will learn the power of the Lethal Bite n."

 Chapter 394 An Unknown Feeling

    Chapter 394 An Unknown Feeling


    ??Lying on the ground in front of Dame was his attacker. There was no longer any breathing from the person who was from the Lethal Bite n. In terms of skill between the two, Dame was quite a bit higher than thetter.


    Not just in his cultivation but also his techniques, and he had used his gauntlets as a method of surprise, allowing him to finish off his opponent swiftly.


    "I did what I needed to do, but I was unable to get any more information from him," Dame said out loud. "Right now, there is one from the Lethal Bite n at a high rank with one of the others.


    "I also have the statue in my possession, but I''m unable to use it without Safa, or Raze. It was my fault for taking the thing, and not handing it back in time."


    Hindsight was always better after the events had already urred. He was sure Raze would be kicking himself for not healing his body now as well. Because most likely, he was dealing with Feebie.


    "I guess, since there is no other information, there''s only one thing I can do, exit out of this ce, and just enter the other portals one by one, helping them out. If I try to pry for more information that could cause bigger trouble.


    "Everyone, just stay alive long enough for me to help you guys out."


    ---


    Inside one of the portal expeditions, they had entered a world that was filled with strangely shaped buildings that were winding. Large bridges built seemingly in the sky connected from ces.


    Tinson hade across one of the attackers, he had managed to do his best to defend himself but right now, he was hiding in one of the buildings across arge bridge that was made of stone.


    It was a dark ce, and he had found a few barrels in the corner. In most of the rooms, there were barrels that were seemingly empty. His hand was ced right up against his shoulder, he was pressing hard against his wound. His clothing soaked in blood.


    ''This isn''t good, is this the academy''s doing again?'' Tinson thought. ''What is wrong with them? I thought this whole assessment was to fight against beasts, not other warriors.''


    ''I need to find a way back out of the portal, if I''m back in the academy, everything should be fine, right?''


    Right now, all he could do was hide, but there were other things lurking in the shadows because, after all, this was another dimension, a ce that would be full of beasts.


    Right now on his mind more than anything though, was how were Violet and Joe doing, if he was struggling this much then surely they would be as well.


    In another dimension, another student had managed to strike down their enemy, and was looking at the body sinking away into a strange thick muck-like substance.


    "That was quite the tough one," Ricktormented, as he looked at the cuts he had received all over his body. None of them were vital but there were many on his shoulders, arms, and there was even arge fracture on his arm as well.


    ''This is going to take a while to heal, and the techniques they used, it was quite clear that they were from the Lethal Bite n. Has someone from the n betrayed us and informed them of the deal we made with Raze?''


    Ricktor thought about it a bit more, but he believed that was unlikely to be the case, judging by how his attacker was acting as well.


    ''He didn''t have any idea of my strength, which has improved quite a bit. If a student did report us, they would have asked for every detail about us. Which means it is a hit that Feebie had ordered herself.''


    ''They would only listen to the n head, and it seems like it''s something that Feebie would do. I''m quite surprised that she sent out a hit on me as well. Has she lost her mind as she''s obsessed with revenge?''


    ''No, that''s not it, she just knows the truth, that even if something happened to me, Murkel wouldn''t act against her. If she''s done this, then most likely she''s gone against the Flowing Force n as well.''


    ''Well Mada, if your opponent is the same level as mine, it seems like you might struggle a bit,'' Ricktor eximed. ''Now, let''s get through this test and hunt some beasts.''


    ---


    Mada too had an opponent that he was going against, Ricktor was correct with his guess. A member of the Lethal Bite n, a female who wielded two spiked fists attached to the end of her knuckles, was in front of him.


    He had already been hit quite a few times, his clothes soaked in blood around his chest, across his arms, as well as in a few other areas.


    His eyebrows were furrowed, as he was frustrated about the situation he was in. For one, his feet, they were sunken into the mud, going halfway up his shin. His movements were slower due to the terrain.


    "Come on!" The female shouted, as she charged in from the side, Mada lifted his leg strongly, flinging part of the mud across the entire area. However, none of it had hit his opponent, as she bent and bashed her hand right into his side.


    The spikes were lodged deep into his skin, and great pain was felt.


    "Are you going easy on me, because I''m a woman or something?" The person asked.


    "Oh, trust me," Mada stated with his foot still in the air, he swung it to the side, hitting her just across the arm causing her to move slightly, but she wasn''t knocked down and just felt that her arm was a little sore.


    "If I get a hold of you, or if you stayed still, then I would happily beat you until all of your teeth were gone, right before I killed you!" Mada screamed, twisting his legs and getting them out of the mud one after the other.


    He was swinging his body in the air, trying to use his techniques to get out of the situation and close the distance between the two.


    With each of the hits though, they were blocked by the fist techniques.


    "You sure have bad luck," The attacker stated. "The Flowing Force n rely on the link between their footwork and techniques. And you, the main disciple, specialize in kicking techniques, but in the terrain we are in now, you''re far slower, and can''t even get the full force of your attacks in!"


    Mada could hear what she was saying but wanted to ignore it. He knew that he was in a disadvantageous situation but so what. It was the situation he had to deal with.


    ''If my brother was in the same situation, he would be able to get out of it, so I need to do the same too!''


    He could see the attacker bringing both of her hands forward charging at him. She seemed to have next to no problem moving through the thick mud. In the first ce, the Lethal Bite n used fist techniques.


    In terms of gathering strength for her attacks, it was still enough for her to attack.


    "This is the end!" She screamed.


    A kick was perfectly timed by Mada, as it swung through the air, but that was all it had managed to hit; the air. He could see it as if in slow motion, as she had ducked under the attack and had a smile on her face.


    She rushed in, and then sprung up, hitting cleanly with her gloves Mada''s chin. Blood flung up in the air, and Mada''s body was lifted in the air.


    ''Crap, am I going to die like this? For a while now, it''s felt like my luck has run out.'' Mada thought. ''I didn''t care about the n stuff, or the other main disciples. I just wanted¡­ what did I even want, why am I still thinking of my brother in a time like this, when my life is on the line?''


    Images were shing in Mada''s head of his life, his life while being under Gunther''s shadow. Always seeing him go off, always seeing him being praised. Always seeing those in the n respecting him on another level.


    Yet what was it, was it jealousy, did Mada want to be praised instead? Did he want the eyes on him, or was it something else. Even if his talents were acknowledged, would he be happy about it?


    ''I guess I won''t find out why my mind is so messed up in the first ce.'' Mada thought. ''I wonder if the White Dragon''s mind is just as messed up as mine?''


    All of these thoughts were running through his head, as his body continued to fall to the floor. He knew that a follow-up attack was on its way, so then why, why hadn''t it happened yet.


    Using his strength, Mada tucked in his chin, and that''s when he could see; a sword slicing through the air, cutting right through the head of his attacker. A de he was familiar with.


    20:16


    Mada eventuallynded in the mud, and lifted his body, and when he had done, the fight was already over. The man who had sliced his attacker, was walking towards him.


    "What are you doing here brother, why are you here?" Mada asked, shocked, stunned, not even understanding if this was a dream or not.


    "I''m here for you, idiot," Gunther replied.

 Chapter 395 Blood Eye

    Chapter 395 Blood Eye


    ??Mada couldn''t exin why his brother was here. Sure, he was part of the academy and worked for them, so he would have an idea of which student was heading off to which portal.


    Even then though, that didn''t exin why his brother, who had always ignored him and said nothing to him, would go out of his way to protect him.


    "That person, they were from the Lethal Bite n you know!" Mada imed.


    "I know, I was watching for a while," Gunther replied. "Strange things have been happening in this academy for a while. Which is why I thought it would be best to keep an eye on you. I didn''t want to intrude on your fight, so I waited until it looked like you couldn''t handle it anymore."


    Hearing these words, Mada''s whole body was shaking, he was unable to even control his heartbeat.


    "Because I''m not as good as you right?" Mada replied. "That''s why you intervened, and followed me, because you thought I wouldn''t be strong enough to defeat the beasts inside. Because I''m so weak that I''m someone that you need to protect!"


    Mada hated it, hated that he had been saved by Gunther. The person who was always ahead of him, always praised. Mada had been trying to carve his own path, his own way, which was why he even stuck to the Flowing Force n''s foot techniques instead of sword techniques like his brother did.


    "You brat, what are you even going on about?" Gunther replied, confused, and ced both of his weapons away. "You think I did this, just to make you look bad? The reason I saved you was simple. I don''t want to bury you, not see any of our family cry."


    This response, Mada didn''t know how to feel. He was a little annoyed still, at the fact that only Mada was the one that saw this as apetition between the two of them. That he was alwayspared to the other, but the response was a simple one¡­ did his brother really care for him?


    "The life I have, is not one that you want," Gunther stated. "Carry on your own path, and don''t worry about the n heads too much, let me deal with that stuff, you just do what you want."


    ---


    Safa was locked inbat. She was walking on arge stone-like bridge that was covered in clouds along the way. Most of thend was hard to see, or where one could stand or not due to therge clouds.


    However, because of her god eyes skill, when using light magic on her eyes, she was able to sense things and she knew her attacker was waiting for her in in sight. The students, before going off on their assessments, were given real des instead of wooden ones to give them a chance to fight against the real beasts.


    With the spear in her hand, she had thrust it into the smoke, to hear it ng against arge object that pushed her away.


    "I thought I was going to deal with this whole thing rtively quickly and easily. I never expected that I would have to put up somewhat of a fight."


    The attacker leaped out from the smoke with a curved sword in their hand. Their whole body was sparkling. In order to stop this, Safa ced her feet firmly on the ground and thrust her spear forward.


    It had perfectly hit, but the Qi and force of the attacker was a little strong, pushing Safa back. She braced herself as she could see the attacker swinging the sword through the air.


    She lifted her spear, blocking the strike from above with the pole, and then moving it to the side as she shifted her feet, blocking the attacks again, but right as she blocked one hit, a fist came, hitting her to the side.


    It was a powerful hit, and she could feel the side of her ribs breaking.


    Her whole body flung, hitting part of the stone bridge, the side of the wall. Her body felt like it was on the edge of falling down into the cloud of smoke, not knowing what was really there or what was beneath.


    ''I need to get up, and I need to be careful, this area, it''s so dangerous!'' Safa thought.


    She could see her attackering towards her, running across the grounds, and before he had reached her, right out from one of the clouds was a winged beast with ws at the tip.


    It looked like a grainy bat, it had crashed right into her attacker, sending him to the ground. The two of them looked to be having a scuffle as the giant bat creature tried to bite the attacker.


    He was pushing back with his sword, and eventually managed to reposition so he could stab the sword right through its neck. As he kicked the body off, he was looking for his target and soonid his eyes on Safa again.


    ''That beast¡­ might have saved my life. It allowed me to reposition myself and get up off the ground.'' Not only that, but Safa had also used her magic to heal the broken bones in her side.


    Noticing how strongly Safa was standing, the attacker tilted his head to the side.


    "I was sure I felt something break, but never mind that. You seem to be quite lucky, but with your poor Pagna warrior skills, you won''t be able to live for much longer."


    Safa focused as she pointed out her spear, the iris of her eyes started to light up a faint white light.


    "It''s a good thing that I don''t just know how to use Pagna skills!" Safa shouted. ''It''s time I use the skills that I''ve learned!''


    It was time for Safa to show the power of Light magic.


    ---


    In another dimension, and that was filled with mysterious nts that hadrge shaped balls at the end of them, and giant trees with simrrge shaped balls. Liam had run into a particr person.


    An old-looking man, with a short ck-haired ponytail, and stubble covering his face. He didn''t seem to be the type of person that cared about his appearance, but there was one thing that was questioning Liam.


    "Why did he recognize this person so much?''


    "Wait, are there meant to be other people in the assessment?" Liam asked. "Only students and teachers are meant to be in this ce, does that mean, you''re one of the teachers, is that why I recognize you?"


    The man had jumped off from therge tree, and lifted his straw hat. His hand was holding onto the hilt of his de.


    "I''m no teacher, but it''s no surprise that you recognize me," the man said.


    That was when it had hit Liam. He could see the sharp eyes, the straw hat, and his rxed demeanor. This was a person that many from the Dark Faction would know, because it was a member of one of the main five ns, and not just any member, but a Vice n Head.


    "You''re Royo Kien, from the Lethal Bite n, the Vice Head of the n, the second inmand!" Liam said, struck with awe. His words were said in excitement. "You''re one of the strongest in the Dark Faction, and would be just under Lisa in strength!"


    "Hey hey, don''t shout too loud, and don''t act like that, otherwise you''re just going to make my job a little harder," Royomented. "And besides, you have something wrong. Not always, the one who is the strongest is the head of the n.


    "There are sometimes those that don''t wish to lead, or the only strength they have is fighting, and I would put myself in that category. I''m sorry about this, I hate to have to kill a fan, but hopefully it''s a good warrior''s death for you."


    "Kill a fan?" Liam repeated those words, his lips quivering, he was sure he hadn''t misheard it, and it would exin the tingling sensation he could feel, the moment he had met this person.


    "Hey, hey! Kill me?" Liam shouted out. "That''s pointless, I''m a nobody, I''m from a small n, and I''m in the initial stage, you''re a middle-stage warrior! Isn''t it like against one''s code to kill those weaker than you."


    "It is for some," Royo answered. "But it''s not really a problem if no one finds out about it, and right now, I don''t see any witnesses."


    Liam knew he couldn''t run, but could he beat a middle-stage warrior, that seemed impossible. At that point, he drew out his sword, and threw it in the air ready to use his juggling arts.


    When looking at his sword in the air, he could see stters of blood, and two arms detached from a body.


    Royo was by his side, his sword already having sliced down.


    ''Those arms, they''re f*cking my arms!'' Liam thought.


    "I will make this as painless as possible," Royo said, lifting his sword up, and thrusting it forward, the tip of it piercing right into Liam''s eyepatch, blood soaking through the wound.

 Chapter 396 Kill You With My Toe

    Chapter 396 Kill You With My Toe


    ??Safa was watching her opponent carefully on the bridge, she held her spear firmly, thinking back to everything her teacher had taught her. Unfortunately, during thest month or so, she hadn''t had a lot of time perfecting her skills.


    Instead, she had been focusing on magic, but she was sure of it, the magic that Raze had taught her, the book of spells he had given her to learn, they weren''t useless.


    ''Raze was able to top the main disciples even though he was a lower stage than them at the time, and that was all because of magic, so I should be able to do the same.''


    The attacker rushed in with a sword held in his hand, and he went to strike from above with a powerful blow. She could feel the attack was filled with Qi.


    ''Watch the movements of energy in his body following.'' Safa carefully looked at every detail, and then lifted her spear above, blocking the attack.


    Her feet buckled from the power, and she felt another kick to her side, hitting her and sending her to the edge. Her body was hurt, but she continued to look at the attacks and flow of Qi again.


    This time, a blow to the side. She shifted back while hitting the sword away with her spear but was a little toote. Part of the sword had made arge sh on her arm.


    Safa continued this process, getting hit by her attacker, while watching everything carefully with her god eyes, the special talent she had been given. However, the wounds were building up, and a lot of blood was being lost on the floor.


    "Do you really want to do this?" The attacker asked. "You would rather struggle and die a painful death, rather than a simple one. It''s quite clear that you are going to die either way, with all the wounds it looks like you can hardly stand!"


    It was true she had been cut pretty badly. What she had also done was figured out his attacks.


    ''With the god eyes, I can see the flow of Qi moving. It''s slightly different depending on which attack he uses. Because of that I can predict where he''s going to strike. Even if I''m a bit slower than him, I can fully block the attack.''


    Safa went ahead to test this theory as her attacker charged forward again, and then with the spear, she thrust it forward. She had hit the sword which was swung from above, at the perfect point to hit it back.


    The attacker quickly gathered himself though and then went to swing from the side. This time, Safa had ducked before the attack even finished and managed to move out of the way.


    She rolled on the floor and was now behind the attacker, but he quickly turned around since he was unhurt, but was a little perplexed by the situation.


    "You''ve somehow managed to figure out my movements, you are talented. It''s a shame though, that it hade at the cost of badly wounding your body. Even if you know what I''m going to do." The attacker bent his knees slightly, andunched forward swinging the sword from below.


    Safa could see the movements of energy and swung her spear down, but the power knocked her spear up, causing her to fall backward. As soon as her body hit the floor though, she back-rolled and went straight back up onto her feet.


    "You''ll buckle soon enough!" The attacker said, charging forward again.


    "I guess, it''s been long enough, this is my chance! Full Restore!" Safa shouted, and a light went over her whole body. In that moment, the cuts on her body, the bruises and more all started to return to the way they were once before.


    The attacker''s pace was slowing as he could see this, it was something he had never witnessed before. He had seen wounds healing at a fast rate, but this was beyond fast.


    ''I am now a 3-star mage, and I can perform stronger level spells! You can hurt and attack me as much as you want, but I will just heal myself again and again!''


    For Raze the Dark Magus, the number one type of mage that he hated to go against were Light Mages, and it wasn''t because Light was naturally strong against Dark Magic.


    After all, Raze had a number of other Affinities he could use, but it was because fighting Light mages were tedious. They could constantly heal themselves, and heal the others around them.


    They were the most difficult and the ones that took the longest to kill, and if you gave a Light Mage long enough, they would eventually find a way to win.


    With her full strength, Safa moved forward, and she could see that the attacker was going for a thrust this time, but she wanted to get a big hit in. She moved to the side, and the sword had pierced through her stomach.


    With the spear, she had shoved it forward, and had hit the attacker''s shoulder. With her strength, she had pushed the attacker back and the sword hade out from part of her stomach.


    Immediately she ced her hand on the wound and started to heal it up.


    "You damn monster!" The attacker said as he pressed firmly against the wound on his shoulder. "You need to be taken in, and your body dissected. How is it possible you can do something like that!"


    Annoyed at the wound he had received, the attacker charged forward again. Leaping from his position, and aiming right for the head.


    "I can do more than heal!" Safa shouted.


    She had already thrust her spear forward, before the attacker could even reach her, and at the edge of her spear, it started to light up. A bright light was emitted, covering the entire area.


    The attacker waspletely blinded, unable to see in that moment, his vision impaired. Before he knew it, there was a sharp pain, and soon he could no longer see at all. As the bright light started to fade, Safa was holding onto the spear, with it having been lodged deep through his head.


    She was huffing and panting, having put her all in the thrust. Using the two-step shift she had learned, as well as the other spear techniques with her full strength to end the fight there and then.


    She had other spells she could use, but she knew that her Light magic wasn''t so destructive, at least the spells she knew. So it was best to finish this with her martial art skills and use the magic as a support.


    Pulling her spear out, the body fell to the floor.


    "I did it¡­I managed to beat someone who was at a higher stage than me¡­I did so using the magic that Raze had taught me."


    Almost immediately she fell to her knees. They bounced on the hard ground. She was too relieved to even feel the throbbing pain.


    "I wonder, if Raze saw me, if he wouldpliment me for what I did." Safa''s face was turning a little red. She imagined the body of her older brother patting her on her head, saying the words, ''You did a good job.''


    Soon she had to shake her head though, as she stood up and walked over to the body.


    "Why did I even get attacked? Is the same thing happening to the others? They could be in danger, and need healing quick! I have to get to them, I just hope that they are all alright."


    ---


    Royo, the vice head of the Lethal Bite n, wanted to finish his duties fast. He didn''t like the idea of fighting someone in the initial realm. It was against many of his principles. If others found out about this, he would have to hold his head down in shame.


    However, it was an order from the n head, so he did what he needed to do. He wanted to make it painless, charging in he shed his sword down, removing the student''s arms.


    Right after following up, Royo went to thrust his sword through the student''s head. It pierced through the eyepatch, it went further in, until his sword felt a slight resistance.


    "You''re using the tip of your skull?" Royo said, having stopped his attack.


    Liam had tilted his head forward, making the edge of the de that had already cut through his eyepatch, hit the bone of his skull, of his eye socket, trying to stop the de.


    It wasn''t that Royo couldn''t continue to cut through, it was just that he was so impressed that he had stopped.


    "You trying to live even now, even with the state you''re in?" Royo asked.


    Liam was bleeding rtively heavily from his arms, and his bad eye, it was in pain as he was looking at the ground.


    "I lost my eye once, do you think losing my arms will do much!" Liam shouted back. "Whatever I lose, I''ll find a way to fight back, so If you don''t kill me now, I f*cking kill you with my big toe if I have to!"


    Liam pushed with his legs, pulling away, but he felt like it was the inevitable, how could he beat a vice n head? And with no arms. What he was surprised at was the fact that Royo didn''t give chase.


    "I was trying to be nice," Royo said, cing his sword back in his sheath. "I was trying to give you a quick end, with your arms like that, you will now bleed to death."


    Liam could feel it, his vision was blurring, his legs they felt weak, and his whole body, it was feeling incredibly chilly but there was one more odd sensation.


    "My neck," Liam said, as he could feel a strange heat inside. "Why, does my neck hurt!" Specifically, it was a certain spot, the back of his neck that was in pain.

 Chapter 397 A Meat Shields Strength

    Chapter 397 A Meat Shield''s Strength


    ??Simyon''s arm was throbbing with pain, where he had been struck by the old woman. It was a sign of just how strong her attacks were.


    Right now, Simyon had a rare-ranked metal body. While he was a stage 4 warrior, they had been consuming the new pills trying to reach the 5th stage, and trying to increase his body''s strength, but he and Liam had yet to reach it. Either way, the metal body was not something humans would usually have, and it was the trait that weapons would have in terms of their strength.


    The ranking system of the metal body was then split into the same ranking as rarity of items, and right now, Simyon had a rare body. If it wasn''t for this, then it was quite possible that his whole arm would have been sliced off.


    "The Lethal Bite n has ordered my death, then what about the others, are there those attacking them as well?" Simyon asked.


    "I think you should worry a lot more about yourself, kid, before you start worrying about them!" The old woman continued to run across the hard ground.


    Each step she took made sure to avoid the green-colored substance. When they were close enough, a burst of Qi allowed her to leap across the area and swing their sword aiming right for Simyon''s neck.


    He braced himself, as he widened his feet, and summoned the Qi from his body. The sword swung out, and struck right against his neck making a loud nging sound.


    The sword had rebounded off as if it had hit arge solid rock.


    "Impossible!" The woman eximed, confused as to why Simyon''s head wasn''t rolling on the floor.


    While close, she went to strike again, and Simyon managed to lift his hand up in the way this time. When the sword struck his forearm, the same nging sound was heard as the sword had rebounded back again.


    "My attack hit you before, so why is your body so hard right now, what type of arts is this!" The woman eximed.


    She then jumped back and skidded across the floor. If her current attacks weren''t working, then she would just need to produce an even stronger attack. For Simyon, his body was now being reinforced with the Qi of a fourth-stage warrior. Before, the attack was unexpected, so only his rare metal body was defending the attack.


    But just like how one strengthens a sword, or sharpens its attack by adding Qi, one could also do the same to strengthen his body, which was why her attacks weren''t getting through, even though she was a warrior at a higher stage.


    Rushing in, she charged forward and swung her sword, hitting Simyon right in the stomach. He was pushed, skidding across the ground, until he nearly had fallen into the river of green goop behind him.


    He was still unsure what the green liquid could do and didn''t think it was the best thing to find out so soon.


    The attack was strong, but it still hadn''t torn through his skin, it had caused some internal injury to him, he was hurting inside, but he would put on a brave face.


    "You have an unusually strong body, but it seems that all you can do, you can barely keep up with my attacks right? It''s only a matter of time, your strong body can''t keep you alive for that long!" She eximed.


    She was right about that, with each block, Simyon was using his Qi, and eventually his Qi would run out. He wanted to use the power of his clothes, but the woman from the Lethal Bite n was far faster than him at attacking.


    "Alright, let''s see how long you canst!" the woman charged in again, and struck with the sword nging against Simyon''s body.


    The loud ng was heard, but she soon followed up with a strike hitting other parts with the sword again and again.


    "All this is like taking down a big rock, if you hit it enough, then cracks will start to show!" The woman shouted, striking Simyon''s body again, and again.


    "This useless hard body!" She shouted. "All this is good for is taking a beating. You make a great training tool! What''s the point of being able to take all of this beating if you can''t strike back!"


    Out of frustration, Simyon went to reach out, he tried to grab onto her, and freeze her with the glove, but he managed to grab nothing but the air.


    "My body is not useless!" Simyon shouted back as he turtled up, protecting himself. The hits weren''t cutting him but they were swinging his body from side to side each time he got hit.


    "My body is a shield for the others, the strongest shield! I will use my body, to protect the others, and help them anyway I can!"


    "If I want to be helpful, then I at least need to specialize in one thing! So call me what you want!" Simyon stated.


    His body, it was bing more grounded, his will, it was bing more focused, and he wasn''t realizing it himself, but his body was no longer swaying from side to side anymore.


    The hits, they were hurting less and less as well. His skin, it was hardening even morepared to before.


    [Elite Grade Body, has been achieved]


    The earring on his ear, it glowed slightly, as his body hardened. With the next strike of the sword, it had chipped.


    She swung it again, and arge crack had appeared on the sword, and then when she swung the sword from above hitting the top of Simyon''s head, the de hadpletely smashed in half.


    "His body¡­ it''s gotten even stronger, but how is that possible in the middle of the fight? Aren''t these just students of the academy? How could my sword not cut him!"


    Frustrated, she threw the sword away. The Lethal Bite n, they were strong in other techniques anyway, and if she could just hit him into the green liquid then maybe it would be fine.


    She charged in, shifting her feet perfectly. Simyon continued to turtle up, and right when she was in front of him, both of her fists had thrust forward, bashing right into his stomach.


    His back had arched slightly, bending outward, but Simyon''s feet didn''t move into the green liquid behind him.


    ''She must know this liquid does something, if she''s trying to push me into it, I can''t fall in!''


    Not only that, but it was the perfect opportunity, Simyon went ahead and grabbed both hands, holding right onto her shoulders. He firmly gripped into ce, and one glove started to chill and freeze the edge of her arm, while the other glove, it was starting to spark slightly.


    "All of this that I have right now, the body, and the gloves, is thanks to him. It''s thanks to him that I have made it this far, and it''s thanks to him that I can be a warrior that can protect people from getting hurt from bitches like you." Simyon smiled.


    He activated the power of the gloves, holding her as hard as he thanks to him. It''s thanks to him that I have made it this far, and it''s thanks to him that I can be a warrior that can protect could, her body was being shocked from the right side, while her left side was starting to freeze slightly.


    She was in great pain, and had already used up a lot of Qi attacking. Although Qi was lost from Simyon with each hit, he had hardly moved. His attacker was using up a lot more Qi with her strikes, and now she was in a weakened state.


    While holding onto her, Simyon started to squeeze harder and harder, as if he was trying to tten her body.


    "Arghh!" Simyon shouted. "So what do you think, for someone who''s just a meat shield huh, I''m pretty good!"


    The gloves'' magical power was continuing to activate and although not immensely strong with everything going on, the woman was going through great pain.


    However, she soon noticed something amiss, the green slime behind, it was growing in size. It was gettingrger, and arge mound of slime had appeared right behind Simyon.


    A shadow was cast over the two, and the green slime was falling off revealing arge centipede-like creature with multiple segments of its body.


    "Haha!" the woman managed tough. "If you don''t let go of me, the beast will kill you, and I promise I will kill all of you and your friends!"


    The ice was growing on her body, reaching the top of her neck. Just a bit more and her entire body would be frozen over dealing with her.


    "I can¡­ take the hit!" Simyon eximed, not moving from his spot.


    "You idiot, we''ll both die!" She cried out.


    The beast had its eyes locked on the two below, and immediately charged itsrge head toward the two of them. It had tworge deadly ws that wereced with the green slime. From the slime that had dropped off its body, the nearby rocks it had hit, they hadpletely melted.


    Simyon could hear the sound of the beasting closer, but he had to believe in himself. The head reached out, and right from above, arge fist had hit the beast on top of the head. It was arge powerful strike.


    The head fell back into the green slime river, with a hole in it, and the rest of its body started to sink. At the same time, the woman from the Lethal Bite n was able to witness what had happened in her final moments as her body started to heel over.


    Finally, Simyon could let go, and he fell to the floor.


    "You did a good job, kid." A familiar voice said, having arrived.


    Simyon, looking up, could see that it was none other than Dame, who began to inspect the woman who was frozen.


    "Crap, this doesn''t look like the Vice n Head either. I know you just been through a lot, but we need to move, one of our group is in big trouble."

 Chapter 398 A Pain In The Neck

    Chapter 398 A Pain In The Neck


    ??Simyon was rtively worn out. Sure, his body had just advanced to a new stage. After several beatings from Liam, he had expected it to happen sooner orter, since he could feel his body growing stronger.


    However, it seemed that what he needed was someone who was truly trying to kill him, and at a higher stage. His body had taken a beating, and he was physically as well as mentally drained.


    Which was why he thought that maybe the person who was in front of him might have been an illusion of some sort.


    "Crap, this doesn''t look like the Vice n Head either. I know you''ve just been through a lot, but we need to move; one of our group is in big trouble," Dame eximed.


    Hearing these words from Dame, he shook his head, as Safa had appeared in his mind.


    "Wait, what do you mean by that? Why did youe here then if the others could be in danger? What about Safa?" Simyon called out.


    His worry had caused a spark of adrenaline to surge through his body, and now he was standing up on his two feet once again.


    "Did you think I had a choice?" Dame replied back. "You should be thankful that I came in time to save you from that beast, or you might have be food for him. Although he might have found you a bit hard to chew and just spat you back out."


    Simyon wanted to shout and argue back, but that''s when he could see others running in the distance, all of them with red headbands on top of their heads.


    "Other students?" Simyon raised an eyebrow.


    There were three in total, and they were running at quite the fast pace, using every bit of Qi they had. When they eventually arrived at the scene, they were huffing and panting, and now Simyon could get a good look at their faces.


    "Wait, you''re Tinson, and¡­ and¡­ the others!" Simyon eximed, remembering only one of their names.


    "Hey!" Violet retorted back. "The others, do we call you Raze and his two backside whippers?"


    "Calm down," Tinson said, holding his hand out. "Now is not the time to be fighting against each other."


    "He''s right about that. Dame, what is going on? Why are these guys with you, and what do you mean we''re in danger? What about Safa?" Simyon asked.


    "Dame?" Joe replied, with his finger on his lip. "I thought his name was Pink. Now I''m really confused."


    The students were getting out of hand, and Dame just shook his head.


    "Look, follow me, let''s get out of here, and I''ll exin the situation as we go."


    All of them nodded and quickly followed Dame as he headed to the exit of the Dimension. On his way, he exined the situation to the best of his abilities.


    What Simyon realized all of them had inmon was that each one of them was attacked, and there was amon link: all of them were from the Lethal Bite n.


    "The one that attacked me, he told me that there were attackers sent to others, so I decided to exit out of my dimension as quickly as possible," Dame continued to exin.


    "I had no clue who was in which dimension around the academy, and I needed to get information. The teachers that were guarding my portal, I¡­ persuaded them into telling me where the other dimensions are.


    "I went in and rescued these three, and now I''ve rescued you as well."


    Now Simyon was understanding the situation a bit more, and he was a bit worried about how Dame managed to persuade those who were protecting the dimensions.


    It was quite likely that the Academy would find out about this, and if that was the case, then this could very well be the start of the battle against the others.


    "But when I defeated the Lethal Bite n member, you looked at her, as if you were trying to find out who she was, are you looking for someone?" Simyon asked.


    "Yeah, I am. Among the attackers, one of them is the Vice n Head. From what these guys tell me, he has power either equal to Feebie, or maybe even more so. If that''s the case, whoever hase across him, they don''t have much time to live."


    Out of those they hadn''t met yet, there was Mada, Ricktor, Safa, Liam, and Raze. Now, Simyon was really worried.


    He stopped talking so they could just focus on getting out of the area as soon as possible, but he had to ept a reality: a lot of time had already passed.


    ---


    Liam''s body was wavering; he was stumbling back and forth, his vision blurry, his body cold. Blood was stilling out from his wounds, and he could hardly feel pain.


    He was fighting against himself, doing anything he could to just stay awake, to continue standing, but that was why something was strange.


    The back of his neck; there was arge pain, it was pulsating, stinging the back of his head every once in a while.


    "I told you, I didn''t want to do this. So, let me kill you in one strike; you have already fought hard enough, that is good enough for someone like you," Royo imed.


    Liam went to reach the back of his neck, but realized that it was something that just wasn''t possible.


    "Why the heck are you talking like someone high and mighty, like you''re doing me a favor? I''m just a student, I''m just a kid, and yet you followed orders to kill me, don''t you go talking like that, you sick freak."


    "You know what you can do? Suck my balls," Liam managed to gather enough strength to give a smirk, as he could see an irritated face of Royo.


    "Very well, this world can do with one less crude mouth," Royo eximed as he went to reach for his sword.


    At the same time, the pain in Liam''s neck started to grow more and more.


    "Arghh!" Liam screamed in pain, and right on cue as he screamed, in the air in front of him, a red spark had appeared.


    It had appeared at the top, and slowly it was drawing around, forming arge oval circle. As the red spark moved in the air, a line followed, and when the two ends met back up, what was in front of them was a portal.


    Immediately, a metallic foot came out from the portal. The foot had red glowing markings running up through its body as itnded in the grass.


    Following along was the rest of the metallic body. A single exoskeleton suit, with red markings of energy surrounding it in particr ces.


    When the full body stepped through the portal, it closed behind him. The strange man that had appeared started to look around the area.


    "That''s odd, I don''t see the mage here, and what has happened to you?" The man asked, as he looked at Liam''s poor state.


    "You came in here through a portal; who are you?" Royo shouted. "As Vice n Head of the Lethal Bite n, I order you to state who you are and why you are here."


    "Me?" the stranger pointed at himself. "I guess it is polite to state one''s name. My name is Zon Grain, and it would be wise if you didn''t attack me."


    While saying those words, Royo was already moving. He didn''t know why, but he felt like with this person in front of him, he needed to get an edge, the first strike in.


    He pulled out his sword, gathering his Qi in one point for a quick sh. Royo''s body zapped right past Zon, and past Liam as well, his sword held in his hand, but the sword itself, it was broken in half, torn.


    Looking at his neck, Royo could feel something trickling. It was red in color, and slowly it started to go around his entire neck.


    In Zon''s hand, he had a de that was glowing red in color, not a solid metal but looked to have been made by nothing but pure energy.


    The energy sword quickly disappeared as if it was never there.


    Liam turned his head, and he managed to catch the Vice n leader''s head falling to the floor, and right after, his whole body dropped.


    ''Royo, from the Lethal Bite n, was killed just like that!'' Liam thought. ''I didn''t even see what happened, I didn''t see either of their strikes, they were both too fast.''


    ''Who is this person, how could they kill a Middle-stage warrior, not just any but quite a skilled one just like that! Wait, why is he even here, why did he appear out of nowhere?''


    Now Liam was worried; it was quite possible that one tough enemy had just been reced with an even harder one.


    Zon turned around to look at the student.


    "You, you were with that mage before, in that ice ce, why aren''t you with him now? Why are you in a different dimension?"


    "Mage?" Liam''s voice was weakening, as he was trying to listen to the questions, his body continued to waiver until he fell right on the floor.


    Zon just stared nkly at the fallen child on the floor.


    "It appears that the kid is dying," Zon stated as he walked over to his body.


    He then started to hover his hand on top of his body, a red glowing from the palm of his hand.


    "At this rate, he will die in less than a minute from blood loss. He''s my only link to the mage at the moment. I have no choice but to save him, but doing so will mean he won''t be the same as he was before."

 Chapter 399 Have We Been Here Before?

    Chapter 399 Have We Been Here Before?


    ??[User''s heart rate is steady]


    [User''s body functions have been restored]


    A strange, soft female voice resonated in Liam''s head. It sounded human, yet unfamiliar to him.


    ''Is this the heavens?'' Liam thought to himself. He could remember what happened, how he was going up against Royo.


    ''My arms were chopped off, and my eye, well, what was left of my eye. At least he took out the already bad one, right?'' Liam tried to cheer himself up.


    ''I guess I''m dead now,'' he thought. ''That guy, that strange¡­ I don''t even know what he was or what he did, but at least Royo''s dead as well. That way I can rest in peace.''


    [System has synced up with user 100 percent.]


    The voice sounded in Liam''s head again, and soon his eye started to open. The dark view changed, and now he was staring at a strange brown ceiling. There was a contrast, a change in colors, due to the light shining in.


    "Am I¡­ Alive?" Liam asked.


    Immediately, as if on instinct, he had gone to touch his face. He could feel it¡ªthe skin, the eye patch still on his eye.


    "Wait, I can feel it."


    Looking down, he could see his fingers. He could feel them as he slowly closed and opened them toward his palm.


    "Both of my hands, I have both of my hands. This has to be a dream, right? Why do I have both of my hands?"


    [This is not a dream.]


    The same female voice said in his head.


    "What do you mean this is not a dream? Who are you, where are you?" Liam turned around, and when he did, he could see the outside fields.


    He was still in the same dimension as he was before. A field full of nts with fluffy strange balls at the end of them. He himself appeared to be in arge hollowed-out tree of some sort, but there was nothing around him.


    [I am the system known as Vyka. I amprised of nano machines that are now a part of your body.]


    "Part of my body! I think I''m starting to go crazy; I must be in some type of secret technique of the Lethal Bite n."


    [You are not; your brain function appears to bepletely normal. It is understandable that you are in a panicked state.]


    [From what I have gathered, my existence in your world would be an impossibility.]


    "Impossibility," Liam repeated again.


    He looked at his hands, and it certainly did seem to be that way. He couldn''t exin how his arms had grown back, nor how the rest of his body was fine.


    He had recently learned of things like magic from another world, so maybe it isn''t so crazy that there are things from other worlds as well.


    Standing up, Liam started to jump up and down a few times.


    ''Whatever the case is, I don''t think this is a dream. It''s clear that I''m alive¡­ after all that training, I can''t believe that I managed to lose. I guess it''s expected if I was going against the Vice n Head. Just my luck, to end up like this, and end up crazy.''


    [I would like to inform you again that you are not crazy. I am a system that has been designed to help you.]


    Right then, under the eye patch that Liam wore, on the right side of his vision, he could see something that looked like a screen.


    [Pagna Warrior Stage 4]


    [Swordsman]


    [Elephant arts - Proficiency medium]


    [Juggling arts - Proficiency High]


    [Marick n Sword arts - Proficiency High]


    Liam could see it all, all of the techniques and arts he had learned so far. The Marick n was his own swordsmanship techniques. Butpared to what the academy had to offer, they were practically nothing.


    Then there was the Elephant Strike and the Juggling arts, two of the techniques that he had learned from the Pagna library.


    ''But how will this even help me? You said you were some type of assistant, right?''


    [I have scanned the information from your brain and processed the technique that was disyed by the Lethal Bite n Vice Head, Royo.]


    [The strike used was Quick Bite sh. Video ying now in slow motion.]


    Just like that, Liam''s vision started to change, and now he was seeing a wireframe hologram of his fight.


    He could see himself standing on the field, and Royo''s movements in slow motion. He was moving step by step, his hand on the handle of his sword.


    Then the move was made¡ªthe burst of Qi from the toe bursting right up to the sword, and it being pulled out, shing apart Liam''s arms.


    Seeing the sight again caused Liam to shiver, but he rposed himself because he could see it all. Everyst detail, he could even stop the showing as he wished. If he wanted to, he could even view the situation from another angle.


    ''That''s quite impressive; you can slow down everything that I''ve seen before¡­ What else can you do? Is part of the reason why my body is better because of you as well?'' Liam asked.


    [Correct! Your body isposed of nano machines that are able to multiply by using the minerals in your body.


    [As long as there is internal or external energy, then your body can always be healed back to the state it''s currently in.]


    [I can analyze situations and fights, allowing you to know what the best techniques are to be used in your situation. Your vision has been improved as well as your overall strength.]


    "Wait!" Liam interrupted the other. "Does this mean that I''m no longer a Pagna warrior, that I can''t increase my stages?"


    [That is incorrect. I am an assistant; I can do many things, but you are still human, you are still alive, and you can still die.]


    [What you call a dantian remains untouched and is the energy I spoke of. If your energy isrger and stronger, I am able to progressively do more things for you.]


    [Speaking of, the Quick Bite sh skill has been fully analyzed. Would you like to learn a lesser Version of the Quick Bite sh skill?]


    "A lesser version?"


    [Your body is currently not strong enough to perform an exact copy of the Quick Bite sh; therefore, a lesser version can be learned.]


    Liam was so busy asking about the questions that he didn''t realize something. This system had just informed him about learning a skill¡ªa skill that would take months to learn and years to perfect, just from simply watching someone else use it.


    Could it be that the system could do this for all techniques? Just by watching, Liam would know how to use arge number of techniques and decide which one was best to counter the others.


    ''What is this thing¡­ what type of gift have I been given?'' Liam wondered.


    He could only think of one thing, or one person¡ªthe mysterious man who had appeared during that time.


    ''With this, I can get stronger, right? I can catch up to the others; I might even be able to get stronger than Raze! Yes, I ept, teach me the skill!''

 Chapter 400 A New Person

    Chapter 400 A New Person


    ??The moment Liam said yes to the system, he could feel a tingling sensation coursing through his entire body. It felt like a thousand needles were pricking him from the inside.


    This tingling sensation went all the way through his body, until it eventually reached the top of his head. His brain felt like it was being tickled from the inside, from the front all the way to the back.


    "Arghh, stop it, stop it!" Liam said, almost wing at his own head as he fell to his knees.


    [Once epted, the process cannot be stopped.]


    The feeling continued on, but only for a short while after, until he heard the voice once again.


    [The skill, Quick Bite sh, has now been learned.]


    The sensation had gone from his body, and standing there, Liam felt no different from before. His body didn''t feel lighter, nor had the world around him opened up. It wasn''t the same as when one would reach the next stage. When this happened, it felt like they had entered a whole new body of a new person.


    "Should I try the skill then?" Looking around the hollowed tree, Liam had eventually found his sword propped up against the side. It hadn''t been destroyed because in the fight, his arms had just been sliced off. Picking it up, Liam did notice something¡ªthat it felt slightly lighter than before.


    [Your body has a stronger starting pointpared to other Pagna warriors. The nanobots inside you give you superior strength and speed.


    [Since the nanobots inside are also a part of you, if you infuse them with Qi, you will be able to perform at a higher level.]


    The smile on Liam''s face couldn''t be contained as he held his sword and decided to step out of the hollow tree. When looking around, he noticed he was still in the same fields, the same area, but he couldn''t see blood on the ground, dead beasts, or Royo''s body. If he wanted to get back, it would be difficult because he didn''t even have any reference as to where the portal was.


    Still standing there, he ced his sword by his side, inside the sheath.


    "So, how do I do this then? Do I just select the skill?" Liam asked.


    The interface appeared underneath his eyepatch once more, giving him the options. He just needed to think about the skill, and he could see it light up.


    Just like that, he was starting to feel something in his body, his brain¡ªthe actions¡ªit was as if they were moving on their own. His body started to crouch down. The Qi wasing out from his dantian, and right after, the sword was pulled out, and arge diagonal sh appeared in front of him.


    The grass strands were sliced, even though the sword hadn''t gone through them from where he was.


    ''This sensation.'' Liam looked at his own hand. ''This is a lesser version of the strike, and it was still so powerful?''


    [Correct. Once you train your body and have the right quality of Qi, your skill will automatically be upgraded to be used.]


    [When using the skill through the system, there is a slight dy. A suggestion would be learning the feeling and movement of the skill on your own, so you can perform them as needed.]


    Everything¡ªit felt like fantasy to Liam right now. He had been struggling so hard before, and now it was all at his fingertips.


    ''Some people would think this was cheating, but I''m just going to use every advantage I get to get ahead of everyone in this world.'' Right there and then, Liam started to open his mouth wide and let out a belly ofughter.


    "Mahaha, Mhwuaha!" Liam cheered, until the ground started to vibrate near him.


    [Warning, warning, a nearby creature has been detected.]


    Turning his head to where the sound was, Liam could see it¡ªarge creature the size of a house. It was on all fours and had a rtivelyrge head that looked like a giant shield with a pointy nose at the front.


    ''I almost forgot that this was a dimension filled with creatures and monsters.''


    The beast started to drag its front legs through the field of grass, and before he knew it, it began to charge right at him.


    [Suggestedbat mode on.]


    In his eyepatch, Liam could see it¡ªthe skills it was suggesting him to use. For now, he would go with the flow and trust it. When the beast got close, the system told him to dodge, and that''s what he did¡ªrolling to the side. The beast continued to charge forward, trying to slow down, tearing up the grass beneath its feet.


    Right before Liam had rolled though, he threw his sword up in the air, because what he was using was the Juggling arts. Jumping up, he grabbed onto the sword and then stabbed it right in its back¡ªa strike filled with Qi. The next suggestion from the system was to leap off the beast, which he followed.


    Then, the moment his feet touched the ground, the system told him to use his new skill, the Quick Bite sh. Drawing his sword out, the sword shed right at the beast''s neck underneath it. The Qi was enough to cause the beast to lose its life as its body plopped onto the floor.


    [The enemy has been defeated. Your Qi levels are running low.]


    ''Freaking hell, you''re even telling me about how much Qi I have, and I can see the Quick Bite sh; it''s faded in color.''


    [Yes, this means you currently do not have enough Qi to use this skill at this moment. If the skill is forced, a lesser version of it will be performed, and it might harm the user.]


    [For example, the nanobots might no longer be able to perform healing if there is inadequate Qi.]


    ''You keep getting more and more impressive by the day! Haha, this is the best cheat ever. It''s something that I can easily hide from the others.''


    ''When I get back, I can just imagine them saying, "How did you get so strong? You''re a genius who managed to learn a skill just by looking at it!"


    ''And then, Safa will jump to me, asking me to teach her my ways!''


    The grinning form Liam couldn''t stop. He had been through a lot, facing Royo, his poor heart¡ªhe felt like he was going to die multiple times, and finally, for everything he had been through, it felt like he was now rewarded for it.


    ''Wait, you can heal me, right? Doesn''t that mean my eye is better? I should be able to take off this eyepatch as well then.''


    Liam went to raise his hand and was about to rip off the eyepatch to see. How long had it been since he could see with both eyes?


    "I would leave that eyepatch on if I were you," a voice said from behind. "I mean, unless you want everyone to know you''re now different."


    Turning around, Liam''s eyes were now on the mysterious man d in metal armor¡ªthe man known as Zon, the one who had turned Liam into what he was now.

 Chapter 401 Let Me Speak!

    Chapter 401 Let Me Speak!


    ??In the sandy dimension, Feebie was looking at the trail of blood on the ground. She noticed the general direction it had headed in.


    Although Raze had somehow managed to escape, she still had an idea of where he might have gone.


    ''That one is full of dirty tricks,'' Feebie thought to herself. ''He might even be able to do even more than this. Why would someone like hime to the Dark Faction Academy?''


    Feebie stood up straight, wasting no time as she ran through the desert area. She had gone out of the civilized buildings and was now scouting out.


    Once in a while, she would bounce on the ground a couple of times, pushing the sand away before jumping up high in the air.


    Here she had a wider view and was looking to see if she could spot Raze anywhere. She continued to do this, searching in several areas.


    ''The sand, it will have covered up the traces of more blood. I only know the general direction he went in, but he could have changed where he went after that as well.''


    ''This is going to be quite difficult to search for him.''


    At the same time, the one thing she didn''t want him to do was escape, so with her search, she was making sure she still had an eye on the original area, seeing if Raze had gone past, so she had to move forward a bit at a time.


    ''The kid also knew the Noctis n skills as well. Is that why he''se to the academy, maybe to get revenge, but that still doesn''t exin the strange powers he had either,'' she thought to herself.


    Her keen eyes were still gazing over everything, but she was clearly deep in thought about Raze''s true identity and his true power.


    ''He couldn''t have just learned the Noctis n skills himself. Someone had to have taught him, but there should be no one left alive in the Noctis n.


    ''If I can, the best thing to do would be to take him alive. I need to bring him to Murkel and inform him about what is going on.


    ''I''ll just tell Murkel that he needs to leave the pleasure of working with him to me.''


    When Feebiended in the sand this time, the ground started to rumble underneath her feet. Before she knew it, appearing out of the sand above her was a giant sandworm. It had several different sections of its body, a wide-opening mouth that had razor-sharp teeth continuing through the rest of its body.


    As it jumped over her, the shadow was cast, and she widened her feet.


    "All of you, get away, you''re not the one that I want!" Feebie jumped up in the air, and with her fist, she punched the giant worm. Its body bent inward before it was sent up further into the sky, almost touching the clouds. It started to fall back down, and whennding in the sand, blood was pouring out from its mouth.


    ''This search is more annoying than I thought, and it''s just making my blood boil even more. When I see that White Dragon, I might not be able to contain my own anger.''


    Continuing to search through the sand, she started to think about the others as well. Those that she had sent from the Lethal Bite n.


    ''Royo is on the move as well. He should be done with his task fairly quickly. I told him once he had finished off his target, toe meet me here.''


    ''Some time has passed now, but I didn''t see him enter through the portal. Is it possible that he ran into some trouble?''


    She started to shake her head at this thought.


    ''Royo might even be stronger than me; it would be impossible for any of the students, even if they were all together, to give him trouble.''


    ''The only thing I can think of is him.''


    The image of the Vice Principal had now entered Feebie''s mind.


    ''If he wasn''t there back then, then we wouldn''t have had to go through all of this. I would have been able to kill Raze right there and then! Is it possible he protected him, knowing that he is someone from the Noctis n?''


    So many thoughts were running through her head. For a while now, things felt a bit strange, and she wondered if it was the students'' doing.


    Everything hadn''t been going their way from the start, from when he had arrived.


    Just up ahead, she soon saw another camp of sorts from those that lived here before. It looked simr to the other area.


    With sandstone buildings,rge green trees, and this one even had a river that seemed to run through one of the pathways. It looked quite shallow.


    ''If I was a little rat like him, then I would choose a ce like this to hide where I would have cover.''


    Walking through the ce, Feebie was keeping an ear out, trying to see if she could hear anything, a sound, a breath.


    "You''re here, right?" Feebie shouted, her voice echoing and bouncing off the nearby buildings. "I know you''re here, you little rat."


    "They may call you the White Dragon, but I know you''re nothing like a dragon, you''re just a stinking rat, who bears its teeth and strikes using dirty tricks!"


    Tensing her fist, she threw it out to the building right next to her. The whole structure exploded, with piles ofrge sandstone going flying off in the distance.


    The entire building apart from the base of the structure was no more.


    "I guess if I was you, I wouldn''te out either. I mean if you did, this is exactly what would happen to you," Feebie imed.


    She was waiting for a reply, for something, but again, there was no answer, so she stood there and let out a big sigh.


    "You know, there is an easy way to force yourself out. I killed a few beasts on the way here. If I continue to do so, a dimension boss will appear. If I beat it and leave this area, how long do you think you can survive in here?


    "After a certain amount of time, the portal will close up, and you will be trapped in this world. Oh, and by the way. I have sent some of my n to deal with every single one of the other students.


    "I''m pretty sure by now, all of them are dead."


    Feebie smirked, and right then, she could hear the sound of heavy wheezing.


    She immediately turned around, and when she did, she could see Raze standing right by the shallow river, in the center path, looking at her.


    "Finally, the rat hase out, but why, why didn''t you just keep on hiding? Is it because of what I said about your friends?"


    Raze looked at Feebie; his cultivation was still out, his Mana, it was next to nonexistent. What could he do in this situation?


    cing his hand on his throat, Raze grabbed it slightly harder, allowing him to speak a few words.


    "I¡­ want¡­ to¡­ talk," Raze finally said.

 Chapter 402 Feebies Fear

    Chapter 402 Feebie''s Fear


    ??Feebie was so stunned by what had urred that she stopped dead in her tracks. She stood there, looking at the person she had been chasing for a while now, and her reaction couldn''t help but bring a smile to her face.


    "Look at you, you have to hold your throat just to talk!" Feebieughed. "I can''t believe with the situation as it is, you have decided to face me. Is this some useless pride you have?"


    "I could understand if you were from some great n, but you''re a no-name rat. You should have just hidden and died like the coward you are."


    Raze was unable to smile, and Feebie was right; he had to tense his muscles with his hands in a strange way just to get some of his voice out.


    "A No-name... I''m starting to understand, that''s more of the reason why you''re trying to get rid of me, right? Because I was able to best your n and the others, me, a nobody."


    "If none of you can get rid of me, then what does that make you guys? For you, who saw me as nothing but worse than dirt, you are the ones that will be below my feet."


    When Raze finished his sentence, he let out a few coughs here and there. He extended his hand away, allowing him to breathe a little easier.


    "A lot of talk for someone who''s dying. Is this really what you wanted yourst words to be?" Feebie asked, swirling her hands and gathering the wrappings around them again.


    She was reinforcing her fists with Qi, simr to how she had done before.


    cing his hand back on his throat again, Raze was ready to speak.


    "A n, you were talking about, you recognized my move from before, the one I used... it''s from the Noctis n, right?"


    Feebie was slightly taken aback by Raze''s words. She had somewhat expected this because, in the first ce, she knew it was true. However, for hisst words to be talking about this? Why? What would it help now?


    "Why would you be asking me about that n? Surely, you should know more about it than me, since you are the one that''s using their techniques, unless you just happened to stumble upon them from nowhere?"


    The smile on Feebie''s face started to grow. "Oh, the heavens, I''m right, aren''t I! That''s what happened; you just happened to stumble upon them, and here I thought you were someone special."


    "Being sent here, some type of special one that was raised to take us all out! But I was right; you''re a nobody. I should have known a thief like you would do something like that!"


    This reaction, Raze was wondering what it was, but it was clear; a member of one of the five main ns had a hatred for the Noctis n.


    In his mind, it didn''t make sense. There were statues all over the Dark Faction of the original creator, the founder.


    He was the one who had made the Noctis n, so why would she feel this way, and her reaction, it was almost as if she was afraid of Raze.


    ''I didn''t expect it to be like this; I thought that I could at least learn more about the Dark Faction Founder or the Noctis n, since she seems to know something.''


    Raze pressed his hand against his throat again. "So I guess this means that you won''t be answering any of my questions then?" Raze asked.


    "You can carry on speaking if you like." Feebie let out a single loudugh. "I enjoy watching you torture yourself and speak in pain. It eases my heart."


    "Did you really think I would answer your questions anyway? What is the point when you''re going to die?" Feebie asked.


    Raze looked at the ground, releasing his hand from his throat again. He took in a couple more deep breaths, and while still looking at the ground, he ced his hand around his throat.


    "I guess, we have both made our decision," Raze replied.


    At that moment, Feebie had spent enough time talking to Raze. There was nothing else she needed to find out, and gathering even more strength into her fists, she was delighted.


    Before, she thought she might need to keep him alive for information about the return of the Noctis n, but if that wasn''t the case, then she could freely get rid of him.


    Maybe she was jumping the gun a little in her assumptions, but it was what her heart truly desired.


    She burst from her position and continued to run toward Raze. Both of her fists by her side, she could see that Raze was barely moving; he was hardly reacting to it at all.


    That was until he lifted his head, and in doing so, a smirk could be seen across his face.


    "I have done a lot of bad things in the past, and I am truly deserving of death, but let me tell you this now, today is not the day that I die!" Raze eximed, cing both of his hands by his side.


    Feebie hesitated for a slight moment, but she continued forward.


    ''No, he can''t have anything else left up his sleeve; I can tell his energy has run out, everything, he''s used everything up!''


    Within range, she did what she could and shifted her weight as she threw both of her fists forward, one heading towards Raze''s head, the other towards his heart.


    A sure-kill method to get rid of him. As the fists were about to reach his body, tworge red des came swinging down, stopping the fists dead.


    Bursts of energy blew out in the area, kicking the sand away from both sides as the powers collided.


    Feebie was struggling as she could see her fists stop moving.


    "What is going on? Who are you? Why are you here?" Feebie eximed as she tried to push forward.


    "Oh, that''s a little strange; most people tend to recognize me. They say I stand out quite a bit; maybe you need to get a little closer look!"


    Feebie looked up at the one who had just stopped her attack, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere to halt the strike.


    She had dark-colored slightly red-pigmented skin.


    ''Wait, if someone was strong enough to block my attack like this, they would have to at least be a middle-stage warrior... and this skin color, I have heard of someone like this before.''


    Feebie''s eyebrows furrowed.


    "You''re Alba, from the Crimson Crane! What are you doing here in a Dark Faction dimension? No, not just that, why are you helping a student of all people? What is your rtion to him?"


    Feebie didn''t understand; the Crimson Crane was the top wander group. Having as much strength as the major ns in any of the factions.


    So why would their leader be here, and why would they be helping a student, none of it made any sense.


    "Ah, you see, this guy here, he finally used his token, his favor that we owe him, so for now, he''s kind of the boss, and he''s told me to kill you," Alba replied, smiling back.

 Chapter 403 A New Goal

    Chapter 403 A New Goal


    ??After dispatching her attacker, Safa had spent some time in a tower of sorts. The dimension she was in was strange. The footpaths wererge stone-like bridges that seemed to be in the air.


    She assumed this based on the high clouds she could see covering several of the areas. It was also why during her fight, she was deadly scared of falling off the wall edge. The bridges connected to each other, and every once in a while, as one would walk, there would be more pathways one could choose from to head to an unknown location.


    There was no way to tell where they would lead to, at least not for her. However, after being attacked, she had decided to stay cautious. Every once in a while on the same bridges, there would be a tower of sorts attached to the side.


    They were fairlyrge, and the design of them reminded her of what she had seen in the Demonic Faction. The roofs were nted, and there were several sections that would go up higher and higher.


    Entering inside, there wererge staircases and an empty open space. There was next to nothing inside of them, apart from barrels by the side. She had gone over to the empty barrels to check if there was anything inside, but there was nothing.


    ''I''ve heard this is the case with these dimensions. It has signs of a world with life at one point. Of life simr to that of humans, but now there is nothing left, although from time to time, special items can be found.''


    Thinking of special items, Safa held onto the pendant around her neck. It was one of the enchanted items she had been given by Raze, but Raze himself hadn''t exactly told her its use unlike the others.


    She wondered why that was, but she didn''t question it. During the fights, it had yet to help her as well.


    Thinking of this, she continued to go up the stairs and eventually reached the top floor. From here, she went through sliding wooden doors that led to a balcony on the outside. She thought she might be able to get a better view of things there.


    "This dimension is quite beautiful in a lot of ways," were the words that came out of Safa''s mouth. She could see the intertwining bridges, some of them going over and under from each other, but she was still unable to see any realndmass. A part of her wondered what would happen if she took a leap of faith and had decided to jump down through the clouds.


    Would she fall to her death, get caught by something on the way, or would she even be transported to another ce?


    "I wonder what happened to this world, and the people that lived in it; I wonder if there was a way to see it," Safa thought to herself. Before, she only wished for a life where she would be happy to fill her belly.


    It was the reason why she had pushed herself to try her best to study at home. It was the only thing that had gone through her mind, wishing to better her situation, to go a day where she didn''t need to think about food.


    Now that she was a Pagna warrior, in the academy where food was the least of their worries, until thest assessment, she was starting to think; what was it that she wanted to do?


    Raze was obsessed with gaining power for one reason or another. Simyon and Liam, the two of them had always wanted to be a Pagna warrior. A while ago, all she wanted to do herself was follow her brother and protect him.


    It was why she was happy to go with the flow, but Raze¡­ although he looked like her brother, he was no longer her brother. Due to the life they lived at the moment, she felt indebted to him and wished to help using her powers of magic, but what was it that she was interested in?


    Maybe now, she could start to think about her own wishes.


    ''When I was younger, I taught myself to read, from the thrown-out books I collected. Most of them were history books, about the past of Pagna, and some just seemed like fantasy books, but a lot of what I read, some of the worlds, felt like these ones.''


    When looking out, images started to appear in Safa''s head. She was trying to make a connection with those fantasy stories and the dimension she was in now, imagining what it would be like if the life inside it was thriving.


    Soon though, the images of the people, they were filled with terror. In her mind, she saw beasts attacking them, part of the structures they had built up being destroyed, and the people around her dying.


    Finally, it resulted in what she was able to see now.


    ''I wonder what happened to these worlds and the old civilizations. It would be good to know what happened in these worlds. After all, if there was one thing I learned from those history books, it was that we can learn from the past mistakes that we had made.''


    ''If we don''t know what happened to these worlds and how they had fallen, then there is a good chance that the same thing can happen to ours as well.''


    A loud screech was heard in the air; hearing this, she turned to her right and could see a winged creature with a pointed heading right at her. Immediately, she pulled out her spear and pointed it toward the beast.


    "I didn''t quite get to try out my other magic spells just yet; I wanted to try out a few more. I know one thing I definitely want to do, and I don''t want to disappoint Raze; I don''t know why, but each time he teaches me magic, I feel like there''s a heavy expectation on me, as if he''s relying on me!"


    Holding out her spear, the tip started to glow slightly. A magic spell, infused with her Qi; it was something for her to test out. Something that hadn''t been taught to her, nor was it in the books; she was figuring out how tobine things on her own.


    Outside in the world of Pagna, deep in an area filled with dark hills, there was a dimension portal that was open. Standing on the outside, there were two staff members from the academy, as well as a man standing with his arms folded, wearing half a mask covering his face.


    They were covering the portal, that was until, holding onto their arm, was a dark purple-haired female. She was holding onto her hand slumping.


    "Help, help me! I was attacked in my dimension; I need help quickly!" The girl called out, as she moved closer towards the teachers.


    "A student, she has the red headband, but she''s not from this dimension?" The teachers said, as they went forward to check on the person anyway.


    As they reached her, one of them quickly started to check on the cut on her arm. While the other was looking at her suspiciously.


    "You''re one of the Red Headband students taking part in the current assessment. If that was the case, then shouldn''t there have been teachers waiting outside the portal?" One of the teachers asked.


    "When I got out, just after being attacked by a beast, there was no one there." The female student imed.


    The teacher looked closer at the wound; the cloth was cut, and the wound was arge single strike.


    "This wound¡­ it doesn''t look like it was done from the ws of a beast; it looks more like it was a cut that was made," the teacher suspiciously said.


    "Arghh!" A grunt was heard from behind them.


    When the teachers turned around, they could see the man in the mask had fallen to the floor, and arge hole was seen dented on the outside of the chest. Standing there was a man with long ck hair.


    Afterwards, the man dashed forward, and with one of the teachers, he grabbed onto their head, and with a twist, turned it more than 180 degrees; a loud snap was heard, causing the person to fall to the floor.


    Immediately after, with the teacher right next to her, he readied his fist punching it again with a powerful blow denting the chest causing the next teacher to fall, and just like that all three of those guarding the portal had fallen.


    "Is it really necessary to kill them all?" Violet asked as she stood up putting pressure on her wound; it was a real one after all.


    "You have to remember, these teachers were the ones that allowed us to take part in that assessment from before," Dame replied. "They were happy for your lives to mean nothing. If we don''t get rid of them, then we will be the ones taken."


    Right then, from over one of the hills, Simyon, Joe, and Tinson were seen rushing over. They were waiting until their n wasplete and were now rushing over.


    "Alright, we can''t waste any time; let''s head into the portal before someone ends up dead," Dame said.


    The group agreed but couldn''t help but look at the dead bodies. Violet felt a bit bad because the teacher was trying to help her, but she remembered the words of Dame. As the group was running past the portals, trying to head inside.


    That was when Simyon had stopped at the body just by the portal, the masked man. He was looking at his chest, and the wound in particr.


    ''Arge indent¡­ isn''t that the same as the students that were killed in the assessment, wasn''t it Dame that took out this person?'' Simyon thought, getting a shiver running through his whole body.

 Chapter 404 A Larger Issue

    Chapter 404 A Larger Issue


    ??Simyon couldn''t keep his eyes off the dead body on the ground as he analyzed the wound. He turned his head, thinking about looking at the others, that was until Dame called out to him.


    "Simyon, I thought you were in a rush to help the others, can you stop standing around?" Dame asked.


    Unable to look away and concerned about the others, he had decided to follow, but not without deep concerns on his mind.


    ''Come to think about it, we never did find out who really killed those students. One thing was for sure, it wasn''t Raze. I thought it might have just been one of the other main disciples, but the more that I think about it now, there was no reason for them to.


    ''At least, theirter actions didn''t make it seem like it was them. Could it really be, were those killings all Dame?'' Simyon started to think.


    The more Simyon thought about it, the more his mind was starting to spiral.


    ''I actually don''t know much about Dame in the first ce. Sure, he''s helped us a lot, especially when ites to training. But what do we know about him?''


    ''We know he belongs to the Demonic Faction, but why is he even helping Raze in the first ce? Does the reason even make sense? The two of them might be close as well, but is that closeness linked to us?''


    ''It''s quite possible Dame, who has more of an instinct of a traditional Pagna warrior, would get rid of us in a heartbeat if he were to cause trouble towards his goal. And all of this. It felt like it was more Dame pushing Raze into going against the academy in the first ce.''


    ''It''s almost like he has a secret agenda of sorts, a reason to take down the Dark Faction.''


    Whatever the reason was, Simyon had decided that it was best to keep an eye on him and not be so trusting of him after all. Because he doubted that this was something that Raze knew either.


    While Dame was on their side, he was a good ally to have, but if he went to the other side, then he would be a formidable enemy to face that knew everything about them.


    The entire group had entered through the portal with Dame being thest person. When stepping into the new dimension, they found themselves on a hard stone-paved ground.


    It wasn''t just any ground as the pathway was only a certain level of thickness and had walls on the sides; on top of that, there wererge smoky clouds in the area.


    "This is one of the strangest dimensions I''ve been in," Joemented.


    "I would have to say the same, this one is certainly unique," Damemented. "Anyway, we should search the areas close to here. If one of us were attacked like the rest of you, I guess they would end up staying close to the portal entrance."


    In his mind, Simyon was hoping they would run into Safa, rather than Mada, Ricktor, Liam, or Raze. He couldn''t help but stop worrying about her.


    ''I promised that I would protect Raze, and I''m thinking about his sister,'' Simyon thought, bashing the top of his head.


    "Hey, hitting yourself that weak isn''t going to help your body get stronger; if you want to train while moving, I can hit you along the way," Dame smiled.


    Before Simyon would have thought of it as a mere joke, but after suspecting him of the worst, he was imagining being hit on his head and arge dent appearing.


    While the group was searching and looking through the area, Tinson couldn''t help but ask a question that was ying on his mind as well.


    "How long do you think we have?" Tinson asked. "Until the academy finds out about the missing staff members."


    "I would suspect that they would assume most of the students would spend a day analyzing the beasts in the dimension beforeing out again. So we should have at least till tomorrow.


    "If no students return to the academy, with their fellow teachers, in a couple of days, I''m sure they''ll know something is up, and I don''t think we can bluff it this time."


    Searching the area, after a while, they had eventuallye across a tower. This tower was differentpared to thest couple they had walked past because at the base, they could see that there were some fallen beasts.


    From the look of things, they had dropped down from above, hitting part of the roof sliding down before crashing onto the floor.


    "It looks like these beasts, they fell from above, so they were killed in the air. It means someone is up there," Dame said, as he shot off, and started to jump on one roof tile after the other going up the floor with ease.


    "I think we''re going to take the stairs," Tinsonmented.


    "Don''t worry, I''m with you guys," Simyon replied.


    After taking the stairs above, Simyon was the first to walk out on the balcony, and immediately his eyes wereid on a certain ck-haired beauty. With the clouds behind, he couldn''t help but mutter the words.


    "An angel¡­ maybe," Simyon mumbled.


    Shaking his head, he soon rushed over.


    "Safa, you''re here, you look¡­ you look really good, I mean like you look really really good, you''repletely fine."


    What Simyon also noticed were there were some dead beasts on the balcony as well. Counting those he had seen below, he could only guess.


    "Did you defeat all of these?" Simyon asked.


    "I did," Safa replied. "I did get hurt a few times, but with what I can do, you know I''m back to a hundred percent." She smiled. "Dame was just telling me about what happened."


    "Right, we were all attacked by the Lethal Bite n, it''s thankful that they didn''t seem toe after you as well," Simyonmented.


    "They dide after me," Safa replied.


    "They did!" Simyon was a bit stunned, and soon embarrassed.


    With how many beasts she had defeated, as well as how good she looked, he thought she had to have had a stroke of good luck and not run into one of their members.


    "She managed to defeat the person all by herself; she is a lot stronger than you think," Damemented. "The rest of you should learn from her, since I had to save you all. Regardless, she''s not the one that we''re looking for."


    "Right," Safa replied. "The person you mentioned, they didn''t match their description, and I don''t think I would have been able to defeat a middle-staged warrior."


    "Yeah, the vice n head is a man called Royo," Tinson answered. "He looks like your typical middle-aged man but always wears a pointed straw hat."


    "Then we need to get out of here quickly; it''s good that another one of us is Safa," Damemented.


    The group agreed, and they were quick to leave the ce. After leaving the dimension, they were on the search for one of the next locations. Here they needed to perform their act again, getting rid of those on the outside.


    As they did the same act, Simyon made note of the victims again. He wanted to ask Safa if he was just going crazy or not, but he knew that it wasn''t the right time, not now, while Dame could hear.


    When they finally entered the next dimension, the group found themselves on a field, a field filled with grass andrge trees in the distance, but at the tip of each de of grass, there was a strange fluff ball.


    It was the same as the giant trees that had round-shaped balls instead of leaves at the end of them.


    "We need to hurry; I''m not too worried about Raze and the others, but if Liam ran into the vice n head, it''s quite worrying we haven''t found him yet," Dame stated.


    In this dimension, they would soon learn, though, that they would have more questions than answers appear for them.

 Chapter 405 A connection between worlds (Part 1)

    Chapter 405 A connection between worlds (Part 1)


    ??Deep in the forest-like area, Mada had gotten over the fact of what had happened. That he had been attacked, and the one that hade to save him in the end was none other than Gunther.


    The two didn''t say much, but it looked as if Mada was ready to just walk off, leaving his brother be. There was nothing he could do anyway.


    "Hey, where do you think you''re going?" Gunther asked, pointing one of his swords towards his brother.


    "Where do you think? I''m continuing the assessment, and going to fight the beasts in here, to keep growing. I need to get stronger," Mada replied.


    There was more that he wanted to say, he wanted to get stronger to catch up to Gunther, but didn''t mention that bit out loud.


    "Do you seriously think beating these beasts is going to get you stronger? You can see that their level is 3 or 4 at most. The level 4''s might give you a bit of trouble but not enough to help you get to the next stage.


    "This assessment is useless, and I can''t believe after what''s happened you''re just going to continue."


    Mada stopped in his tracks, and the vein on his forehead was growing in size.


    "So what do you suggest I do, if you''re just going to shut it down, shouldn''t you have a suggestion!" Mada shouted, turning around.


    "I was going to make a suggestion, something the two of us have never done before," Gunther replied. "Fight me."


    "Fight you?" Mada waved his hand in the air. "Forget it, you''re a middle-stage warrior, I already know you''re stronger than me."


    "And that''s exactly what you need, someone stronger than you. I''ll level my power, so it can give you a challenge but at the same time, I won''t pull my punches so you still feel the fear of death.''


    "If you fight me, you should be able to learn a thing or two, so how about it."


    Fight against his brother? He had only been watching him from afar. Honestly, this was the most the two of them had ever spoken as well.


    ''If I showckluster skills, he''ll just continue to ignore me. He might think even less of me, but this is also a chance for me to prove myself¡­ should I really be doubtful of all the hard work I''ve put in?''


    ''I''ve gotten stronger, we Red Headband students have been through things none of those in the past have been through. If we were topare ourselves at the same age, I should be ahead of him.''


    "Fine, but if I get the chance to hit you, don''t me me if it hurts," Mada stated.


    The two of them went at it in the forest, and Gunther was careful to use the right amount of power. They had fought for a while but eventually, Mada had run out of Qi, which was to be expected.


    That''s when the two of them had decided to rest by one of the nearby trees, sitting down.


    "You did good," Gunther stated. "And I''m not just saying that because you''re my brother. You need to remember what you did today, and keep that feeling."


    "And try to just worry about yourself. I know you''re probablyparing yourself to me like it''s some sort of contest, but even above me, there are so many that are stronger.


    "The only person you shouldpare yourself to is you. As long as you''re stronger than the person you were yesterday, then everything will be alright."


    After finishing his little pep talk, Mada stood up from where he was, and started to walk away.


    "Are you leaving?" Mada asked.


    "I thought you would have been happy with me going," Gunther replied. "Anyway, yeah, I can''t be gone from the academy for too long. As for you, I think it''s best after a short while that you just return back to the academy as if nothing happened."


    "You mean after someone from the Lethal Bite n tried to kill me? Shouldn''t we make a deal out of this? We''re one of the five major ns as well!" Mada replied back.


    "I don''t think this is the academy''s doing, I think this is a personal grudge of sorts. Right now, it''s better for the Dark Faction as a whole if we don''t have any internal fighting, otherwise the other factions will jump on us if they know of this."


    "It''s just a suggestion, at the end of the day, you do whatever it is that you want to do."


    ---


    Dame along with the rest of the people he had tagging along with him had entered a new dimension, and just like the others, they were in search for the student that would be present in this one.


    The field was vast, and they decided to split up slightly in groups as they went on their search. They didn''t split up fully because there was a big worry above their heads.


    The Vice n Head of the Lethal Bite n, Royo, could be in here. They needed to stay in sight of each other, being able to call Dame at any chance.


    "If we really do run into Royo, do you think we can beat him, with all of us?" Tinson asked.


    Tinson, Joe, and Violet were with Dame, while Simyon and Safa were searching through the fields elsewhere.


    "If he''s a middle-stage warrior, it will be a tough fight, I will need everyone''s help," Dame answered. "But now that we have her, I have a trump card."


    The trump card in question was the statue. It needed magic to activate which was why Dame was searching for Safa and Raze.


    For Dame though, he thought going against Royo would be a good test of his capabilities, but if he was too weak then he would need to use the statue.


    Eventually, the group hade across dead beasts on the ground. They had been shed, killed with a single strike clearly by a skilled user.


    They continued to search the area, that was until Simyon shouted from the other side.


    "Guys, I think you shoulde over here quickly!" Simyon yelled.


    Dame looked over, and he couldn''t see anyone there. There were no others standing next to him, so why would Simyon call them if they hadn''t found Royo or something else?


    As the group got closer, Dame noticed that Simyon was looking at the ground, and the dreaded thought had entered his mind.


    ''Is he staring at the dead¡­ I hope it''s not one of our own,'' Dame thought.


    When the group arrived though, they were surprised to see that it wasn''t anyone they knew, instead it was of a man''s head, with a straw hat, and a body not too far from it.


    "That''s¡­ that''s¡­ it''s Royo!" Tinson pointed. "That''s definitely him, I''ve seen him in person before, but how is he dead, who killed him!"


    For a moment, Dame wondered if it could have been Raze, but the kill, it was too clean. For a person to kill someone like this, they had to have overwhelming powerpared to the other individual.


    A death like this, it would be someone who was on deity level.


    "There''s something else," Safa said, staring at the ground.


    When they came over, they could see a pair of arms on the floor.


    "I think¡­ these belonged to Liam," Safa stated.

 Chapter 406 A connection between worlds (Part 2)

    Chapter 406 A connection between worlds (Part 2)


    ??Safa knelt down next to the chopped-off arms, lifting one of them up in ce. She had to see if what she was seeing was real.


    She recognized the clothing that was worn.


    "Wait, how do you know this belongs to Liam?" Simyon asked.


    "These hands, of course, I would recognize them," Safa replied. "They were the hands that had tried to touch me¡­ many, many times."


    Hearing these words, Simyon didn''t know whether to get angry or be upset because of what he imagined Liam had tried to do, but if his arms were like this¡­


    "Does that mean, Royo, he killed Liam?" Tinson asked.


    Everyone was stunned into silence. If Liam did go up against Royo, there was no chance for him to survive, no matter how much stronger he had gotten through their training.


    "Don''t count him out just yet," Dame replied. "Those might be Liam''s arms, but then where is his body, and if we look at Royo, it''s quite clear that he''s dead as well.


    "The markings, the clean cut on his head, it''s not something any type of beast could do, at least not one in this type of dimension."


    "I think there''s a good chance that he could still be alive. We shouldn''t give up until we''ve found a body, and everyone, let''s stay close together."


    Dame didn''t want to tell the others why he wanted them to now stay close together; he was worried it might frighten them more.


    One thing was clear, the person who had beaten Royo was incredibly strong. The statue would have to be used, and even then, who knew what would happen.


    The group continued their search, and Safa herself had decided to use her god eyes. She was currently also carrying the pair of arms on her back, tied up by a ripped part of clothing from Royo''s body.


    If they found Liam in a certain state, she was sure she would at least be able to heal him and put him back together.


    While using her god eyes, she soon noticed something. In the fields of grass, there were dead beasts. The energy from their bodies was still present because she could see that there was a crystal still inside those that were dead.


    For some reason, whoever had killed the beasts hadn''t pulled out the crystal.


    Going ahead, the rest started to follow. As they were moving upward in the grassy hills, they had reached the peak of one, and in a sunken area ofnd, down below, they could see a certain individual with a sword held in his hands.


    Around him, there were several beasts dead, at least five of them.


    "Liam!" Safa shouted out.


    Liam was midway, practicing the strike that he had performed via his new system and was trying to perform it on his own. When he heard his voice though, he turned around to take a look at the group of people that were running toward him.


    ''System, can you confirm, I''m not seeing things, are they real?''


    [I can confirm that what you are seeing is not an illusion; they are certainly real.]


    "Wait, you look fine, you lookpletely okay?" Simyon said, staring at his arms in particr.


    "What, did you wish me dead or something, so that''s one less rival to get in your way?" Liam replied.


    "No, I mean¡­" Simyon wasn''t even in the mood for jokes because just moments ago he really thought Liam was really hurt, and a part of him was actually upset by what had urred.


    Safa then went to pull the arms out from behind and dropped them on the floor.


    "Those!" Liam replied, scratching the back of his head. "Why have you been carrying around someone''s arms for? I''ve never seen them before, as you can see, my arms are perfectly intact and working fine."


    Liam was awkwardly moving his arms through the air. It seemed like they were working fine, but it was also quite clear that he was hiding something as well.


    "We saw the dead body of Royo," Dame stated. "That''s where the arms were as well. I''m not sure if you know, but that was the Vice n Head of the Lethal Bite n, a middle-stage warrior."


    "Now, I''m okay with epting that these arms that we found, in a dimension where there is only meant to be us, aren''t yours, but I can''t ept that you were the one to beat him¡­ what killed him, or who killed him?"


    Liam was hoping he could avoid this conversation, he didn''t even think it was going to happen. After taking out a few more beasts, he was ready to leave this portal and see how the others were doing.


    "It wasn''t me," Liam replied.


    "Well, no shit it wasn''t you," Simyon replied. "Who was it?"


    "Look, it''s really hard to exin because I don''t know what really happened myself," Liam stepped back, feeling the pressure. He felt like he was being interrogated.


    "I did meet Royo, I saw him in front, he said he was here to kill me, on the orders of the Lethal Bite n Head."


    This was expected since all of them had gone through the same thing.


    "But, before our fight could even get underway, and I could strike him down, a portal had opened in front of us, a red portal.


    "The next thing I know, and this guy, in a full metal suites out and kills the guy."


    Hearing the story, Dame thought there was no reason for Liam to lie. It sounded impossible for portals to just open up, but Dame knew someone who was quite capable of doing just that.


    The more important question was, who was that guy.


    "Why did he help you?" Safa asked. "You don''t think it was a coincidence that he appeared in the middle of that fight between you two, do you?"


    Once again, Safa''s question was met with silence. They were starting to wonder what Liam was holding back from them.


    "I''m not sure, but when he saw me, it seemed like he was almost disappointed. Like, I wasn''t the one that he was looking for."


    "He said something else that worried me a bit as well, he said that he was looking for a mage."


    Safa, Dame, and Simyon all looked at each other. They remembered when Raze had told them the truth about him; he had told them he was what they had called a mage.


    If someone close to Raze, like Liam, had met with someone and was disappointed, then it meant one thing.


    "This person, I think they might be looking for Raze," Safa eximed.


    "And we''re not sure if he''s on our side or not, we should hurry again. There are still multiple dimensions that we have left to check."


    Nodding along, it was time for them to head out, and they were thankful that Liam had somehow managed to survive that ordeal.


    As they ran, Liam stayed at the back of the group.


    ''It''s the right thing, keeping what I am now a secret from them, right?''


    [I cannot answer that question for you, as I do not know what will ur in the future or the reactions of others.]


    Liam thought it was best to keep it to himself, but he was worried about something else as well as he went to rub the back of his neck.


    ''When he appeared the time before, my neck was hurting. I''m wondering if he''s keeping an eye on me. If I''m being tracked and leading him right to the one he wants.''

 Chapter 407 The Appearance Of The Dark Magus

    Chapter 407 The Appearance Of The Dark Magus


    ??Feebie''s fists were shaking as they pushed against the two swords. Only a few meters ahead of her, she could see her target, the one she had been chasing for a while now.


    ''So close, I''m so close to getting rid of the White Dragon, he''s right in front of me, and then, and then, this person gets in my way!'' Feebie tried to push forward hard, but equally, the same force of Qi was being pushed back.


    "I know who you are, but do you know who I am!" Feebie shouted. "I am the n Head of the Lethal Bite n! The Crimson Crane are a wandering n."


    "If you go against me, and get in my way, then it will mean the Crimson Crane will no longer have privileges of stepping foot in the Dark Faction!"


    Alba couldn''t help but smirk, first the Light Faction dering them as an enemy, then them putting the Dark Magus in their care just put them even more so on the hit list.


    After that the Behemoth n and their troubles. They could still stay in the Demonic Faction but not without having trouble looking behind their back.


    The only ce that was still okay for them to be in was the Dark Faction, but now it looked like trouble was brewing here as well.


    ''Dark Magus, are you trying to start trouble with the whole!'' Alba thought in her head.


    "As I said before, it''s not up to me, the one who is calling the shots is him!" Alba''s swords started to glow slightly brighter red in color.


    They were charged, and she pushed forward causing Feebie to flip in the air and jump backward. Most of the energy continued forward until it crashed into a building behind.


    While Feebiended back on the ground, not hurt, but extremely agitated.


    "What do you mean he''s your boss, how could a mere student be in charge of the Crimson Crane, what could he have done to make you follow his orders!" Feebie shouted.


    None of it made any sense, even if he had rtions to the Noctis n, the Crimson Crane were practically a neutral group.


    "I''m thinking about it now myself," Alba mumbled, as she looked back at Raze, a weakened white-haired student, from the corner of her eye.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Not too long ago, Alba, as well as the other members of the Crimson Crane, were in the city of Repton in the Demonic Faction.


    They were in the usual ce, on the third floor in a private room filled with mats, and as usual, Alba was busy drinking away, with the rest of the Crimson Crane.


    "Is this okay?" Cronker asked, sitting at the table, his arms were folded. He didn''t participate in the drinking like the rest of the group was.


    In fact, he still had a ck mask that was covering his upper face.


    "What do you mean," Tilon stated, with hisrge shield on his back. "We''ve been through a lottely with everything that happened with the Light Faction elder, and then the Behemoth n, we should be able to just rx."


    "Tilon''s right!" Froma said, holding up a drink with her face bright red. She had only drunk one ss, but she was never one who was able to hold her drink, mainly due to the small size of her body.


    "What I mean is, we have a reputation to uphold," Cronker stated. "Before this, we were going full steam ahead, making our reputation known. Working as mercenaries for other kingdoms, or taking on troubling dimensions that needed to be closed.


    "Our reputation has increased though," Renomented. "Although, whether in a good or bad way is hard to say."


    "Right," Cronker replied. "Although I''m notining about that. I just don''t understand why for thest week we have done absolutely nothing but just stay in the city."


    As soon as Cronker finished his sentence, Alba ced her drink on the table making a small bang. A wave of Qi had gone out, hitting all of the others slightly.


    "It was a request made by none other than the Dark Magus, who is a member of ours," Alba exined.


    "Correct, a member, but one in name only," Cronker retorted. "If any of us were in trouble, then we would all go to help them out in a heartbeat. That is what makes our n special and uniquepared to the others.


    "We care for each other like that of a family. If we were in trouble, do you think the Dark Magus would help us? I think you know the answer, which is why I find it hard to understand why you are treating him so well."


    Kizer then stood up, and pulled out therge de from his back. It was shining with power and the moment the others saw it they started to p and cheer.


    "I believe that this is reason enough. This is a weapon that was created by the Dark Magus himself. It has increased my power beyond what I imagined, and it''s the same for Reno as well."


    "If we all have such great items, and exclusive pills that he creates just for us, then it doesn''t matter who we anger, we will be at the top."


    "The other factions have looked down on us for a long time. We, the Crimson Crane, have changed that slightly, but still, they allow us to go into each faction because they see us as nothing."


    "But we will show them, that us wanderers who paved our own path, will be able to shine above them."


    Everyone had long stopped listening to Kizer''s speech and had continued to drink as they were enjoying themselves. To which his face had turned red, and he soon found himself sitting back down on the ground.


    "What Kizer says is partly true," Alba replied. "But what he said was important. When I think about him, and it''s the same with Dame as well, I believe the two of them feel the same way, as if they want to pave their own path."


    Cronker knew it was a conversation that he wouldn''t win; he wouldn''t be able to change Alba''s mind. She had already made it up, but he just couldn''t help but vent his worries.


    "He is someone we don''t know much about, and I feel like, this favor that we promised him, in return for these items, based on what he has done, and the trouble he has caused so far, it might be a favor that puts us all at risk, and beyond what we expect."


    The time was ticking, the Dark Magus had imed he would be back to them around the end of the month, so they would expect him at any moment.


    "Excuse me!" A bell rang on the other side of the sliding door. "A guest has arrived to meet you."


    "A guest?" Alba raised an eyebrow. "Let¡­ them in."


    The door was slid open, and the worker stepped to the side. At that moment, a man wearing a strange zer-like costume walked in, with bright white hair on his head.


    As he stepped in, his breathing was unnatural and heavy. When the door closed behind, Cronker couldn''t help but ask.


    "Who¡­are you?"


    "I''m¡­ the Dark Magus, And I''vee to ask for that favor."

 Chapter 408 This Is More Than A Favour

    Chapter 408 This Is More Than A Favour


    ??After taking the Cursed Qi pill, Raze knew he had a limited amount of time with all of his mana. He had already overexerted himself, especially in the state that he was in.


    There was one fact he had toe to terms with, and that was, he was unable to beat the current head with the state he was in.


    It was hard for him to swallow; he had used his trump card, his magic, but it wasn''t enough. With what mana he had left, he decided to escape.


    Using his wind magic, he covered up his tracks in the sand and pushed himself further than he could go, but there was a problem; he had run out of mana once again.


    He found himself at the edge of a new town, filled with houses made of sandstone and a river that ran through the center of the living area.


    ''She wasn''t even hurt by everything that happened, I''m sure that the n Head will catch up to me in no time. Even if I hide, I won''t be able to beat her,'' Raze thought.


    Thinking about this, an idea clicked in his head. Maybe he couldn''t beat them, but there were others he had met and knew that they could, that were far more powerful he hade across.


    ''I can escape this ce and return the same way I did in the underground assessment. I have the coordinates to the cave in the Demonic Faction¡­ and if I want to return here I can do the same as well, but I need mana, I''mpletely out.''


    Looking in his hand, there was another option; it was a regr mana pill that Raze currently held. He had just taken the cursed one; if he was to take another pill to restore mana after, then the blowback would be quiterge.


    ''I remember the pain I had when using the astral projection skill. It felt like I was about to faint, my whole head was splitting apart, but I have no choice.''


    Drawing the magic circle on the ground, Raze got to work. Sure, he could just use a portal and escape from this situationpletely, but he wanted to make Feebie pay for putting him in the situation he was in now.


    He didn''t want to let her go. After finishing up, the magic circle, the pill was taken, and he was off.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feeling the effects of having used a second pill, Raze was in incredible pain, but he was determined to move further and further.


    He couldn''t waste his time, and he was finally outside the room where the rest of the Crimson Crane were present.


    The door slid open, and all members were focused on the one who had just entered. When they saw the man enter, they thought it was quite the young student.


    He oddly had white hair, but none of them recognized the person who had entered.


    "I''m¡­ the Dark Magus, and I''vee to ask for that favor."


    After hearing these words, theughter and cheerfulness in the room had be incredibly quiet. They looked at what they thought was a simple student in front of them, and tried to match it up with the words he had spoken.


    "The Dark Magus¡­ this is him, wait, it can''t be right?" Lilly asked.


    None of them had seen the true face of the Dark Magus. He would always wear the dark robe when he was around them, and the effects of the dark robe shrouded the face of the certain individual.


    There was one trait of the Dark Magus that they had managed to spot a couple of times, and that was his white hair that would peek through once in a while.


    "The Dark Magus was a kid, the one that defeated the middle stage warrior, and made this, how is that possible!" Kizer thought, holding his sword.


    It wasn''t just that, through the sound of silence, they could hear the person in pain. With each breath, it felt like he was struggling and hurting.


    He was currently covered in sweat as well, so they were a little hesitant.


    "Do you think this is him, it could be someone just trying to trick us," Cronker whispered.


    "It has to be him; he asked about the favor," Alba replied. "Reno, what are you doing, hurry up and see to him."


    Rushing over, Reno was using what he had at his disposal to help Raze, but as he approached, even in the state that he was in now, Raze pushed his hand away and took the items rather than them being applied to him.


    ''That''s the Dark Magus alright¡­ he acts just like him,'' Reno thought.


    Raze went ahead and took the Qi pill, as well as the strange liquid that was given to him. He had joined the others at the table.


    He felt a little better, but his head still felt like it was trying to split itself open. It made him wonder, what would happen if he was to take more pills while he was in this state.


    Would it be certain death, would his brain just give out on him? It was an effect he didn''t know about since he hadn''t tested it out.


    Reno was still concerned about why the Dark Magus was breathing like so after the medicine, but he assumed, if there was one person that would know how to improve his condition, wouldn''t it be himself.


    Just what happened to him, and what life did the Dark Magus live, outside that of what he did with the Crimson Crane?


    Some of the other members couldn''t help but continue to stare at the Dark Magus. With him wearing his dark robes, he was so mysterious to them before.


    They wondered what type of person was hidden behind, and some had guessed that he might not even be human.


    He did do non-human-like things after all, but now he just looked like a weak child.


    "You havee to us in this state, and judging by your strength the person who has done this to you isn''t weak," Albamented. "And you have decided to request that favor now of all times, do you mind telling us what this is all about?"


    Raze was still breathing slowly.


    "I think his throat is damaged; it''s hard for him to speak, just give him some time," Reno stated.


    Right after, Raze lifted his hand and held onto his throat.


    "I''m being targeted; my life is being targeted," Raze answered.


    "Oh, so you want us to simply protect you from this person, or get rid of them?" Alba asked.


    Raze shook his head.


    "Remember, our promise, that I was to take charge of the Crimson Crane, as if it was my own," Raze replied, and took in one deep breath.


    "I want the Crimson Crane toe with me, and help me fight against the Dark Faction''s Pagna Academy."


    Immediately, everyone''s heart felt like it had skipped a beat, as their eyes had widened. Just what reason did the Dark Magus have to do such a thing?


    And just as Cronker had said, this favor was beyond that of which she had imagined.

 Chapter 409 A promise is a promise

    Chapter 409 A promise is a promise


    ??The entire Crimson Crane group was still trying to get over the fact that this person in front of them was the Dark Magus. His smooth skin, his smaller body frame that had yet to fill out, as well as theck of deep wrinkles in certain ces, all pointed to him being at least a student.


    An older teenager who had yet to be a full adult. This was the person they had been working with, this was the person they had been fighting against literal demons to keep by their side.


    There were quite a few that were a little unhappy with the fact that they had done so much and gone against so many to get him on their side before. One of them was Kizer, but he had been convinced after receiving a new item from the Dark Magus, and he had done his best to try to convince the others, but it was hard for them to see.


    Nheless, they would listen to Alba because she was their leader, the one they trusted, and the person who had allowed them to get so far.


    Now, though, after hearing the words out of the Dark Magus''s mouth, they all thought this was a step too far. "We can''t do that¡­ can we?" Tilon asked, his voice fluctuating slightly high at the end, as he wasn''t so sure if the others felt the same way.


    "Of course we can''t," Cronker answered. "The Dark Faction Pagna Academy isn''t like the other academies; the principal of that ce is the head of the Erupting Fist n.


    "They are the strongest n in the whole of the Dark Faction. This isn''t like when we went up against a single Elder that belonged to a n in the Light Faction.


    "Do you even understand what you are asking us to do, Dark Magus? Right now, we might as well be dering war on the entire Dark Faction!"


    It was more dire than Cronker even realized, since he was unaware that currently five main disciples had been in the academy, the five major ns of the Dark Faction had been keeping a close eye on the academy.


    It wasn''t a question of if the other ns got involved but more so when.


    After hearing Cronker''s exnation, they all turned to look at Raze, to which he had nodded slowly, understanding he knew the situation.


    "I don''t think that the Dark Magus would try to enter a fight he thought he could lose," Kizer replied.


    "Yeah, which is why he''s asking us for our help!" Elivin replied. "You know, we could end up dying because of this, and even if we fail, and somehow manage to escape, we''ll be hunted by the whole of the Dark Faction."


    Many at the table nodded their heads.


    "So it seems like we are in agreement that we can''t do this," Cronker stated. "Going against the Pagna Academy is not something we can do on behalf of someone else just because of a favor."


    So far, Alba had been keeping quiet. She had her finger on her chin and was stroking it back and forth. Cronker was a bit worried as he saw this, wondering what she was thinking and why she hadn''t just outright refused the Dark Magus straight away.


    "Don''t you think the Dark Magus has a reason to do this?" Reno said. "At the time, when the Light Faction Elder attacked, I''m sure of it, if he wasn''t there, I would have lost my life, and the reason we had run into them was coincidence on my part."


    "As Kizer stated before, the Dark Magus has fought by our side, he knows our strength, so I assume that he has some sort of idea of how to face the academy."


    "Not just that," Kizer added. "If we pull this off, won''t we practically have taken the Dark Faction down ourselves? We will have a ce we can permanently stay, where we don''t have to worry about the Light Faction or the Dark Faction, and our names will be ced in history books to be read on."


    "We will be Pagna warriors with a legacy left behind."


    These words had ignited quite a spark in many of their lives. A legacy, a name to be remembered, these were some of the main reasons why people became Pagna warriors in the first ce.


    "In order for it to be a legacy, we need to seed, and I very much doubt that can happen," Cronker replied.


    The group seemed torn, some of them undecided, and when this happened, they would often look at their leader for an answer.


    Now all eyes were on Alba. Seeing how it was her time to talk, she ced her hand down by her side and had arge smile on her face.


    "I want to ask you all a question. If I was to ask you to go up against the Dark Faction Pagna Academy, would you follow me into battle?" Alba asked.


    Nearly everyone nodded with reassuring grunts immediately.


    "I mean, I would have some questions as to why you would want to do such a thing, but I would agree, of course," Cronker answered.


    "Exactly, my favor was he could take control of the Crimson Crane as if it was his own one time. The Dark Magus''s request is the same as if the request was from me, so I expect all of you to treat it that way."


    After finishing her talk, there were no more arguments between the group, they now knew what they needed to do.


    In that instance, she started to walk towards Raze and looked down at where he was sitting.


    "You''re in that state for a reason; I''m hoping that you aren''t asking us all to fight to the death for some petty reason such as revenge," Alba stated. "I hope you have something bigger in mind.


    "The favor you asked for is bigger than I imagined, so I hope you can create even better weapons than I imagined as well."


    Looking up, Raze managed to break a smile as he gave a nod.


    "Very well, from now on until we finish this task, you can be the boss," Alba said. "So when are we going to do this? It will take us quite a while to head to the Dark Faction."


    While Alba was mumbling along and making ns, Raze had stood up and walked to an empty part of the floor; he started to draw away.


    "The Dark Faction aren''t hostile towards us so it should be easy to enter. The problem is entering the academy; maybe we coulde as guests?" Alba said, talking to Cronker and devising a n.


    That was until a blue glowing light was shining on her back. She could hear a strange ominous floating sound from behind.


    Slowly she turned around, and all of the eyes of the Crimson Crane, they were all stuck on the sight in front of them.


    The glowingrge oval shape that was floating in the air.


    "It''s a portal," Alba said. "The Dark Magus, did he just open a portal? How is that even possible?"


    Raze lifted his hand to his throat as he gave themand.


    "We leave now."

 Chapter 410 Eliminate the Lethal Bite Clan

    Chapter 410 Eliminate the Lethal Bite n


    ??Entering through the portal, the group exited, and Dame was thest one to enter this time. When theynded in the new dimension, Dame and the rest found themselves among an area filled with sand.


    "These dimensions really do vary a lot, huh," Liammented. "I mean, this is so different from the world I was in."


    "It was the same for me as well," Simyon replied. "We only heard and knew about dimensions from others but never really experienced it ourselves."


    Safa went and grabbed a part of the sand. As she did, a strong gust of wind blew out the particles.


    "All of these are clearly different worlds from Pagna. I wonder what happened to them," Safa mumbled.


    The strong gust of wind had hit each of them, and it was then that Dame realized that there was something more than just wind blowing out toward them; he could feel energy as well.


    "That''s Qi, there''s a strong energy of Qiing from the distance," Damemented.


    The others looked out, trying to see where this Qi energy wasing from. Unlike Dame, they could hardly feel it; it was so faint.


    Safa, using her God Eyes, could see that Dame was right. Although she couldn''t sense it with her skin, she could see it.


    "They must be really strong then, right?" Tinson asked. "If we can feel their Qi, but not actually see them."


    "You''re right," Dame answered. "It means that a strong fight is going on, and it''s most likely the n Head. If they''re still going up against her and are alive, then it has to be Raze!"


    Wasting no time, the rest of the group went on to follow Dame as they sprinted forward, all of them wondering what sight they would see.


    ---


    Feebie couldn''t understand what was happening, but all she knew was that there was now a person in her way, and she needed to get rid of her to get to her target.


    She charged forward and jumped in the air, throwing out her fist. Large visual Qi emitted behind her, looking like that of a giant bite mark.


    Equally, Alba bent down slightly, and her two swords continued to glow red. She charged forward and swung her sword.


    In the air, the two powerful visual Qis shed, letting out waves of Qi and stirring up the wind.


    Raze, who was close to the fight, had to lift his hand up to stop the sand and dust getting into his eye.


    "I am a member of a main n of the Dark Faction and you still dare to stand in my way!" Feebie shouted, firing fist after fist.


    They were tough blows, but equally, Alba was able to block each one of them with her sword. Slowly the Qi was starting to rise over her body as well.


    "You know, I''m getting sick and tired of you telling me who you are!" Alba shouted, swinging from above. Her blow was blocked, and Feebie''s legs buckled into the ground.


    "You make it sound like I''m a nobody as well, I''m the leader of the Crimson Crane!"


    Putting more Qi into the strike, Feebie had to raise both hands to stop the attack, and seeing an opening, Alba thrust her sword forward, piercing right into the center of Feebie''s stomach.


    Her body went through the air until she crashed into a building, causing the bricks and more to crash on her, but momentster the sandstone was seen flying in the air, and Feebie standing on top of the rubble.


    She used her wraps on her arms to wipe the blood off from her mouth.


    "You''reparing a n like mine to a wandering n! Your reputation is known only because of your uniqueness, a small n full of strong warriors, all of them warriors.


    "Ours is a n that is full of history, legacy, and one that is full of power. There''s arge difference between a n like mine and yours; you will see!"


    Feebie started tough, but behind herughter, she was filled with thoughts. Whether she liked to admit it or not, Alba was certainly strong and skilled.


    Whether or not more skilled than her, time would tell, but she didn''t want to bother waiting; what she didn''t want was her target to disappear.


    ''Come on Royo, what is the hold up? I thought you would be done by now and here to support me. If you were here, you could hold off this B*tch, and I could get the White Dragon.''


    "Raze!" A voice called out.


    From the side, Feebie went to have a look at where the voice hade from, and she was surprised to see a group of people together.


    Not just any number of people; she had seen them before and recognized the red headband that they had on their heads.


    "More students, what are you doing here!" Feebie shouted.


    Dame stood in front of the others, the one who had called out, surprisingly, was Tinson. He was surprised to see him and see everyone else.


    "Hey, it looks like you were right, he really was fighting against the n Head!" Simyon said, his anger boiling into his fists.


    He wanted to run out and help, but he hadn''t done because Dame was there with his hand held out.


    "If you guys look closer, it looks like Raze has his own help right now," Dame stated.


    Safa, Liam, and Simyon couldn''t believe it. They had recognized her from before. The others hadn''t put two and two together, but they could tell that this was the Crimson Crane.


    ''What are they doing here?'' Simyon thought. ''And why is she defending Raze?''


    Feebie was looking at the other students in disgust at first, but she figured that it was just more for her to take out.


    Soon, though, the smile faded from her face, as a realization was starting toe over. Her hands started to shake with anger.


    "How¡­ how are all of you here¡­ that''s impossible," Feebie asked.


    "Oh right," Dame answered. "You must be talking about your n members that you sent after us, right? Unfortunately, all of them were taken out. It looks like the Lethal Bite n isn''t that impressive at all, to be taken out by a bunch of students," antagonizing Feebie. The look on her face right now was what he had been waiting for and what he wanted to see.


    "A bunch of students killed our n members, that''s impossible. Where''s Royo? Where is he!" She shouted.


    It wasn''t all of the students currently present, so there was a chance that they hadn''t run into Royo yet either.


    "Royo, the one with the pointed straw hat, thest I saw him, he was dead," Dame almostughed.


    Of course, he wasn''t the one responsible, but what he wanted to see was her reaction. Dame still remembered very well the smug look Feebie had the first time she had appeared down in the underground cer.


    And when she had set the students upon all of the others.


    "That''s impossible, it''s all lies, it''s all lies. I will kill you all for your lies!" Feebie roared into the sky.


    "I was never worried about them," a weak voice said.


    Looking in the distance, she could see it was Raze holding onto his throat again.


    "You keep talking about your n, about your legacy, but after I''m done, there will be no legacy left, and no one will remember the Lethal Bite n ever existed!"


    Shouting those words, right at that moment, jumping from the river, jumping from the side of the other houses, and appearing from different areas, were the rest of the Crimson Crane; all of them had arrived.

 Chapter 411 The Mystery Man

    Chapter 411 The Mystery Man


    ??The other members of the Crimson Crane had been there the whole time; after all, all of them including Raze himself hade into this dimension through the same portal.


    Their reason for hiding in the first ce was all because Raze had asked them to. He wanted to talk to Feebie and try to find out more about this Noctis n, the original Dark Faction group.


    In the end, it looked like he wasn''t going to get an answer, and when his life was on the line, Alba had stepped in.


    However, the others didn''t move. For one, they could see that Alba on her own had the situation under control and didn''t need their help.


    The other reason was that they needed Feebie and them to be in the right position. If all of them had appeared at once, there was a good chance that Feebie would know she wouldn''t be able to win the fight.


    And if she decided that her best option was to escape, they would lose the element of surprise in taking down the rest of the Pagna Academy.


    Out from the river, standing by the side of Alba was Cronker, and his ck clothing was soaking wet.


    "Hiding in the river wasn''t the best idea," Cronkermented.


    "I told you so," Alba replied.


    "Yes, but it was the most unexpected ce," Cronker answered with his face turning slightly red, luckily hidden behind his mask.


    The rest of the Crimson Crane members had practically formed a circle around Feebie. It wasn''t aplete circle, but there was enough distance between each one of them to cover the area in case of an escape.


    "Hey, did you hear what they said?" Fromamented, holding out her bow.


    "Yeah, she''s the n head, and she was nning on killing a student," Llily replied. "Honestly, I don''t really know what''s going on here from what we heard, but it''s clear the Dark Magus is in trouble."


    They were all listening in on the conversation Raze had. What had be a big surprise to them was the fact that Raze was a student.


    The legendary Dark Magus that was being sought after by the biggest ns in the Demonic Faction was just a student at an academy.


    They were imagining the look on the n Head''s faces when they found that out.


    Still, they assumed the Dark Magus must have done something for it all to y out like this.


    "Haha, haha!" Feebie started tough out loud, cing her hand on her face. "This has to be all a dream, the members of the Lethal Bite n dealt with, the whole of the Crimson Crane n now here in front of me, to deal with this situation.


    "It has to be a dream."


    "Is¡­ she okay?" Violet asked, staying close to Dame and the others down below.


    "I think she''s having a breakdown," Dame answered. "The fact that Royo, her right-hand man was defeated, although the n is stillrge in number, now with the way it is, it will never be the same again."


    "The Lethal Bite n has lost a lot of power, all for what, because she was chasing revenge on a single student, and that student was a no-name with no n."


    "If it was any other situation, or going up against one of the other ns, she could ept it, and expect it, but this situation, it was something she never expected to happen, something she was confident in and now it resulted in this. epting defeat, when not expected and to someone who has never experienced it, is a hard thing to do."


    Feebie, seeing the situation as it was, wasing to a small realization and felt like she needed to get out of there.


    She saw an empty spot to her right and ran full force ahead. In doing so, though, Lilly, the spear user, had dived in front and twirled it in the air before mming it down in the sand, pushing arge gust of wind toward her.


    "I am the Lethal Bite n Head, did you think I was so weak that I can''t take care of one person!" Feebie shouted.


    Charging forward though, an arrow came from one of the rooftops. She sensed its power and used her fist to spin and knock the arrow away.


    At the same time, though, Lilly had charged forward and thrust the spear, hitting her right in the stomach.


    It had shoved her right back, her feet skidding through the sand until she was back in the position she was before. It had hurt, but not as hard as the hit she had gotten from Alba.


    Looking up at the rooftop, she could see the bow and arrow user who had struck her.


    "I think you might have forgotten something, we are the Crimson Crane, this is our entire n," Alba stated. "As you said, our n is small, but we are stronger than your typical n when working together and we cover each other''s backs."


    "Escape is impossible, I think you should make this less tiring for ourselves and just give up."


    However, Feebie refused to give up, and jumping from her position, she decided to head in another direction this time.


    It was Tilon who was present, and he held up his shield, blocking the tworge fists that had hit him.


    It took everything just to block the attack, and he could even feel slight pain. However, Kizer, who was close by, had quicklye from the side and struck her.


    She had blocked with her hands, but her body went flying again, before she had even crashed into a building, this time, Elvlin with her ive, lifted it up and struck her right in the stomach, sending her to the ground.


    ''This fight, it''s extremely different from the Light Faction Elder,'' Raze thought. ''I didn''t notice it back then, but the Crimson Crane are all really strong warriors.


    ''The reason they struggled was because they were dealing with the Elder''s Lightning magic, which they didn''t understand.


    ''Magic plus Pagna skills make the whole Pagna warrior stage thing unreliable but here it''s quite urate. Many middle stage warriors against a single one.


    ''Although I wonder how they would fare if they were to go up against the Neverfall n Head.''


    The image in Raze''s mind still hadn''t disappeared from what Belil was able to do. The entire city practically being blown away.


    It was quite likely that Murkel, the Dark Faction Academy Principal, would be in the same position as well.


    The group by the side continued to watch Feebie struggle; she was fighting desperately, and they were also seeing the Crimson Crane use a number of unique and interesting skills.


    Skills and techniques they hadn''t seen before. Since they had mostly been limited to Dark Faction and n skills, it was the first time they were witnessing so many open Wanderer skills that could be picked up.


    They were learning a lot just from watching the fight go on, but there was one person in particr that was learning more than the others, as he was taking in all of the information.


    "You''re catching all of this, right?" Liam asked.


    [Affirmative, I am analyzing all of the techniques and skills being used and will store it in your database. Lesser versions of the skills will be made that are suited to your body.]


    "Thank you," Liam replied.


    "Did you say something?" Simyonmented.


    "Ah, just thanking us for being able to see all of this, it''s amazing to see what we might be in the future."

 Chapter 412 The End Of A Clan Head

    Chapter 412 The End Of A n Head


    ??In the same dimension, while the battle between the Crimson Crane and Feebie was continuing, there was a certain individual that no one was aware of.


    Past the river that split the town into two halves, on top of one of the buildings, further than one could see with their eyes, there was a man standing on top of one of the buildings.


    One of his hands was up against the side of his eye, and he was watching everything carefully.


    "It doesn''t look like they will need my help with this one," Zonmented. "They should be able to handle the situation, and as for the mage, he seems to be alive for now.


    "If I intervene in this situation, then I can''t be sure if you are the right one or not to help me. Get stronger, and get out of this situation yourself."


    "For now, things should be a little safer for your group, so you will have time to grow, as long as you don''t go ahead and do something stupid."


    After saying those words, Zon turned around and threw a device onto the floor. It was rectangr in shape.


    It popped open, having two pairs of legs and looked like a little spider. From the top of its head, it started to shoot aser out, and with that, a red portal had appeared in front of them.


    Zon looked behind him for a moment at the fight that was continuing, before deciding to step forward. A short whileter, and the spider device had jumped through, with the portal closing up behind them.


    ---


    Feebie was huffing and panting. She might have been more skillful and had better techniquespared to most of the Crimson Crane, but fighting so many members at once was draining for her.


    While they all were at full strength, and it was clear they knew what they were doing.


    ''Because all of them use different weapons and techniques, this is even harder than going up against a special formation group.''


    ''Surely formations are built of all of them knowing the same art. Allowing them tobine their skills to produce stronger techniques.''


    ''Something like this, where everyone has a different art, it should be weak, but as Alba stated, it''s strong because they''ve fought together so many times before.''


    Now, with Feebie weakening, Alba thought it was time.


    She turned to Raze to look at him.


    "It''s up to you, you saved our lives, and we made a deal. It''s clear she is out for blood, but I just wanted to make sure if you really wanted to start this, start this war, do you want me to kill her?"


    Alba had said it herself, after everything that had already happened, they had no choice. Raze nodded, giving the order.


    To which Alba ced her two swords out, stretching her arms. Slowly a red Qi started to cover them from the tip, and it extended all the way to the base.


    Right after she made an X shape as she charged forward.


    "X marks the spot!"


    Alba shouted as she shed in a big X shape. The visual Qi showed arge red X appear in the air and in the sand.


    It was a powerful hit that caused Feebie to spurt out blood from her mouth, but she was still standing.


    Right after, Alba bent over in a low position almost crouching across the floor.


    "Adrenaline Rush!"


    She pounced from the floor, lifting her sword, shing it against Feebie''s arm. Right after, she struck again, with the other sword, and it was still blocked by Feebie.


    The strikes went on, again and again, and Feebie was able to block them each time. Right now, there was no support from the other Crimson Crane members; they were just watching their n Head get to work.


    The strikes, they were getting more powerful with each hit, and not just that, but they were building up speed as well.


    At first, Feebie was able to block them elegantly, now her body was swaying, the frown on her face was growingrger as she was stopping hit after hit.


    ''This is humiliating, I''m really going to lose here. My legacy as the Lethal Bite n Head will be that I died in the middle of an initial stage dimension to wanderers and a no name.''


    While blocking the hits, her arms were feeling more numb by the moment. She started to think what was the cause of her downfall, who was it all due to.


    The answer, it was quite clear, it was all because of him. Her eyes were locked onto Raze at that moment.


    ''It''s you, it''s you, if there''s anything I''m going to do, I''m going to get rid of you!'' Feebie screamed in her head.


    Lifting both her arms, Feebie decided to take a strike to her center, but it was expected. Covering it with Qi, she didn''t get knocked back as far.


    Then her hands mmed into the ground. It had interrupted Alba''s technique with the shaking and the explosion of sand hitting her in the face.


    Alba was ready to protect herself, but Feebie wasn''t in front of her.


    "Oh no!" Alba turned around and could see Feebie had run right past her.


    She was heading for Raze. There was still one person protecting him though, and that was Cronker. Jumping up in the air, he held his daggers.


    They wereced in Qi, and he swung them down. When he did, they had cleanly gone into her shoulders, but he was surprised by this.


    He thought she would have blocked the attack, or used something to stop it. Instead, his attack had worked.


    That was because Feebie had allowed it to hit her. She then, with her fist, had grabbed onto Cronker''s arms and threw him as far as she could behind her until he crashed into another building.


    Feebie was too far, moving too far ahead now.


    "Crap, I should have known!" Alba bit her bottom lip.


    When a person was fighting with their life on the line, or knew that they were going to die anyway, they would fight extremely different.


    Feebie knew she had lost this battle, so what were a few wounds to her? What was using up all her Qi in an attack worth?


    Feebie just needed to get away from them for a moment, so she could reach her target.


    Raze was right in front of her, and still in his weak self, but Feebie was hurt as well. Blood wasing out from her mouth from the direct hit from Alba and the fighting from before.


    And she had just been stabbed by the two daggers from Cronker.


    "I''m still strong enough to take you out!" She shouted.


    To which, Raze held out one hand toward her, and then with the other, ced something in his mouth. As he swallowed it down, swirling darkness appeared out from the palm of his hand.


    ''Your Qi, it should be weak enough for this to finish you. I''m happy that I could at least kill you with my own hands!'' Raze thought.


    ''Dark Pulse!''


    Out from the palm of his hand, a single beam that would have just been deflected, or hit away from her fists. It had shot out, and went right through Feebie''s head.


    Arge hole appeared in her forehead as she copsed right there to the ground.


    Falling to the floor, Raze stood there looking at her, and noticed something else himself, his vision was blurring, and his legs¡ª


    they were failing before he knew it.


    ''I took a third mana pill, before my body could recover, right after taking the Cursed pill¡­ my head¡­ am I¡­ going to die?'' Raze thought, as everyone there witnessed him copsing onto the ground, unmoving.

 Chapter 413 A special gift

    Chapter 413 A special gift


    ??Raze was lying there on the floor. It was so unexpected that no one had run over to him. No one was there to catch him.


    The one saving grace was that he had fallen onto sand of all things. What was more shocking to them was that Feebie, the n head of one of the five major ns of the Dark Faction, had been beaten.


    It was something they thought they would have only heard about in passing or in the news, but here they were, seeing it in person, and in a way, all of them felt like they were a part of it.


    The sight was so shocking that no one had moved, that was until Safa started to trod through the sand and went straight for Raze.


    "Raze!" Safa cried out as she continued to run.


    Alba recognized the girl, as she had seen this group before. Everyone let her pass as she went and grabbed Raze.


    She held up his head from the floor and tried to get a look at his condition. What was worrying her was the fact that she could even do this in the first ce.


    If it was the Raze she knew, if he was still present, then surely he would tell her not to touch him. The fact that she was holding onto him right now was a big worry for her.


    "I think you should go and help that girl out," Albamented. "See if you can help awaken our little master. I need to talk to Dame."


    The person she was speaking to was none other than Reno. A man who was in charge of the group''s medicines and supplies before they had brought on the Dark Magus.


    He didn''t think there would be much he could do, but he decided to head off to check on Raze anyway because he was also curious as to what had happened that made him this way.


    Alba soon jumped from where she was with Cronker following her by her side and was now in front of Dame.


    Simyon and Liam had run off from the rest of the group to check up on Raze as well; they were just a step behindpared to Safa.


    Now that the other students present had a closer look at Alba, they were starting to figure out that her description of dark red pigmented skin and a strong enough warrior to defeat the n Head, it could only be one person.


    "The head of the Crimson Crane!" Tinson shouted.


    "Did you not hear Feebie shouting about the Crimson Crane a couple of times? Man, you''re a bit slow," Joe added.


    Seeing the reaction of the cute students, Alba couldn''t help but wave with a soft smile on her face, but when she turned to Dame the smile turned into a look of annoyance almost.


    "Are you not worried for the kid, or should I say, the DM," Albamented, making sure not to mention the other name in front of the students.


    Dame saw this as a sign that it might be best he talk with her away from the others. After telling them to rest up or go see if they can help in some way, the three of them walked over to a nearby building.


    They entered through the door into a dark-lit room, and the first sound that was heard was Dame letting out a big sigh.


    "If that''s how you feel, you should try to put ourselves in our shoes," Cronkermented.


    "Well, honestly, I never thought I would see you, and in a ce like this. I knew Raze would¡­ the Dark Magus I guess I should say, struggle with the leader with the state he was in, but I thought he would have some type of n to get out of it," Dame replied back.


    "And he did have a n, a good one that caused him to seed. If anything, in a way, we were the ones that failed him, which is why he''s in that state now," Albamented.


    There was silence among the group for a while; that was until Cronker couldn''t take it anymore.


    "You and the Dark Magus have been traveling for a while; thest thing I thought the two of you would be doing was being in some type of academy! And what''s with that disguise you have on?"


    Dame had taken it off now that they were away from the others. It begged the question though how they knew it was him even with the disguise on.


    "Since the two of you have been traveling I assume, you know about the Dark Magus''s ns, about him wanting to take on the academy," Alba asked.


    Dame more than knew about it; part of it was his n, to help build up their group even more. To expand their influence.


    "I do, which is why I''m struggling a bit. We''ve gone too far now; the Lethal Bite n Head was killed. It was meant to be the signal for us to start this battle and be ahead of them having already taken out one of them."


    "However, the way Raze fell, I''m not sure if he will wake up any time soon."


    "It was unordinary," Alba replied. "If someone''s knocked out it doesn''t take long for them toe back. He might be tired and just sleeping, but even then, it could be a day or so till he gets up again."


    "You guys should know by now that Raze is a person that is able to pull off the impossible with his powers and tricks," Damemented. "If we were to start this fight without him, I''m not sure we can win against the Dark Faction."


    "He has his ways, but for me, even with all the help and having to protect him, I''m not sure what to do."


    At that point Alba grunted,ining. "I need a drink; in this situation at least. Anyway, why don''t you go ahead and exin to us. Why are you even attacking the Dark Faction? Why is the Dark Magus even here?"


    "If we''re going to help you in this, then we should at least know."


    Dame thought about it for a while, but he felt like they were right; they at least needed to know some of it.


    Dame didn''t exin much in terms of the Dark Magus and his origins, just that he had followed him once and it led him to the Dark Faction Pagna Academy.


    From there, a series of events unfolded. Raze seemed more interested in the Dark Faction and wanted to know more but was limited.


    At the same time, he was also being targeted due to him being a no name. Dame left out that he had been attacked by another group.


    From there, the targeting never stopped on Raze''s back, to the point where all of them had even been put in a deadly assessment where the students were forced to kill each other.


    This was thest straw. The students were sick of what the academy was doing, and Raze was sick of being targeted.


    Due to what happened in the assessment, he had been made a target by Feebie, the Lethal Bite n Head anyway. She wanted him dead whether she went against the academy or not.


    In a way, the whole situation came about because there were multiple interests and reasons to go against the academy. So it was more of a timing thing, and whether it was the right timing or not, they were being forced into actions earlier due to Feebie.


    "I see, so the Dark Magus is from the Dark Faction, that makes sense," Albamented after listening to the whole tale.


    "The situation which Raze was in, it felt like he had no choice. The world has always been more cruel to no namespared to others."


    "Maybe he should have chosen a different path and just be a wanderer as well. I wonder why he was so obsessed with staying in the academy?"


    "With everything he had done with you and helping out the Neverfall n, I''m sure he could have chosen a different path and abandoned it."


    That was something that Dame didn''t know too much about himself, but he had to assume a couple of things. The markings in the cave where Raze would reside sometimes, the misty ce. It was clear he was looking for answers, but about what he didn''t know.


    "Well, I actually had something to give Raze as well. Last time, he gave us some material to work with, and his weapon, his Ghost de, it''s been improved and ready, and I have to say, this is something I wish I could have kept for myself."

 Chapter 414 Raze Healed back at 100 Percent!

    Chapter 414 Raze Healed back at 100 Percent!


    ??The weapon had been brought in by Tilon. Surprisingly, it was hidden behind therge shield he had on his back; when he took it off, it was attached to the other end.


    Wrapped in cloth, it was slowly ced on the floor.


    "Is that really a good ce to put it? What happens if your shield breaks, and then it breaks the sword?" Dame asked.


    "Ha!" Tilonughed. "Someone would have to break my Qi reinforced shield to break it. I have yet to meet someone who can do so."


    "Besides, if the shield is broken, then doesn''t that give a reason for the Dark Magus to make my item next?" A cheeky smile appeared on his face.


    "To be honest, if someone could break this sword, I don''t think they would be in this realm," Albamented.


    Dame knew what she meant by that; she was referring to those in the Divine realm, but how could a weapon be so special.


    When the cloth was unraveled, immediately a strange power could be felt from the weapon in front of his eyes. A slight orange glow could be seen in the reflection of his eye.


    "This¡­ is not the same Ghost de that I know," Damemented.


    The de itself was almostpletely ck in color. From the hilt, even to the sharpened de was like that of obsidian.


    However, running through the de was a single line in the center. Branching on this single line were several swirls making it look like a mystic tree was growing up the sword.


    All of it was glowing with a strong orange color.


    "This de, is it made out of Aldantium?" Dame asked.


    "I thought you would recognize it; it''s one of the hardest and rarest materials known in Pagna. Do you think someone could break it now?" Alba asked.


    "But why? Why do you have such a powerful weapon for Raze, why would you give him something like that?" Dame asked.


    He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. So there had to be a catch. Especially with the give and take rtionship they had with the Crimson Crane.


    "That''s because the materials belonged to him in the first ce," Alba replied. "I just got a well-known cksmith to work on it for me, which was not easy to find. I''m hoping the next shipment of pills can be on the house because of that."


    "He got those items, but where, and when would he have the time?" Dame went into a mumble.


    It was then that Alba realized something herself. Although on the outside, Dame and the Dark Magus appeared close, their rtionship couldn''t be that close. There were things that the Dark Magus didn''t bother telling Dame, or at least kept it from him.


    Wrapping the weapon back up, they had decided to ce it back with Tilon for safekeeping.


    "It will be a nice surprise for him, and give him a nice edge when he wakes up," Albamented. "Speaking of, maybe we should check if he''s up right now."


    The group, talking for a while, headed back out, and could see the students still gathered around Raze. Reno was no longer around him, and when Alba made eye contact with him, he just shook his head giving them an answer.


    "He''s not waking up then?" Alba asked.


    "I used some potent poison on him; that should kickstart him, but nothing seems to be working. The good news is that he has a pulse and is breathing, although barely breathing."


    "So what do we do, who''s in charge now?" Cronker asked. "You told us to treat his order like he was the boss, and now the boss is silent."


    "Hey, he gave us an order, remember, to help him take down the Dark Faction Pagna Academy, so that''s what we will do, and what about you, any bright ideas?"


    The question was ced on Dame.


    "We might have to just head back and see what happens. In the academy, there were those that thought it was best we followed the rules.


    "Amir, the Vice Principal, he knew that Feebie had a target on our back. If we exin we were attacked, and the other main disciples can back us up on that, as long as they''re alive, we might still be okay."


    "But won''t questions pop up then?" Alba asked. "About where is Feebie eventually right. The n will ask about it, when they find out Feebie is dead, they''ll start to wonder how is that even possible, and all of you will either be brought in for questioning or killed on the spot."


    "And I''m hoping it''s not thetter. With Raze the way he is, it might be best to keep him here though."


    The group was thinking about it, but while doing so, they could see Safa was shaking her head and lifted both of her hands in the air.


    "That''s it, I don''t care anymore," Safa dered. "I don''t care if he doesn''t want me to do it. I can''t stand him being in pain, even now he can''t breathe properly."


    Safa ced both hands across Raze''s throat, and soon she started to use her magic, in an attempt to heal him. His body started to glow slightly, and as soon as they saw this, Simyon and Liam were telling the others to give them space and to go elsewhere.


    They didn''t want them to see her magic at work. It was still a secret after all, even between allies and not their secret to share.


    The glowing around Raze''s throat was strong, and slowly his breathing got better. More oxygen was being let in.


    No longer did it feel like he was in pain, and his heart rate started to settle as well. Just from this, Safa could tell that her magic had worked.


    It had healed Raze back to what he was. However, although his breathing got better, he seemed to still be asleep.


    Doing this, she tried to use her magic in other areas. Trying to heal any part of the body including the head she could, to try and get Raze to wake up.


    None of it was working though, and it seemed like it wouldn''t work.


    "Hey, you already did a lot," Dame ced his hand on Safa''s shoulder. "Look he''s a lot better, even his face looks calmer now he can breathe."


    It was hard for her to be satisfied with this, but it was what they needed to be.


    Now, what they needed to figure out was how to move forward without Raze. So far, the only n they really had was to head back to the academy.


    Staying here too long and some of the other students return, a party would be sent out looking for them.


    "We should return to the academy," Dame stated. "And, Cornker, you''re good at staying hidden, right? You should stay with us and report back to Alba when you can, while the rest of the Crimson Crane stays with Raze until he wakes up."


    "Hey, but we still haven''t even figured out how you are going to fight all the n heads and the principal!" Cronker asked.


    Dame just smiled back.


    "That one is for him to figure out, and now that he''s all healed up, I can''t wait to see how much stronger he is when he wakes up."

 Chapter 415 The Academies Bluff

    Chapter 415 The Academies Bluff


    ??The mask was ced back onto Dame''s face, transforming his looks back to his student self known as Pink.


    The group had reached the portal entrance where they had entered from and they had one more person with them, Cronker from the Crimson Crane.


    A member of the Crimson Crane that hid in the shadows attacked with his dagger and was well known for his assassination styled arts.


    ''If it''s him, he should be able to stay out of trouble, and even if he''s found, he should be able to escape.''


    "I believe my job is the highest-risking one here," Cronker said with his arms folded. "Therefore, when the Dark Magus is awake, I shall be the first person to request a new item from him."


    Nodding along to his own words, it was the only thing that would somewhat satisfy him.


    "Everyone remember, they''re most likely to investigate the dimensions that we entered. Each one of you is to state that you faced a member of the Lethal Bite n and managed toe out alive," Dame announced.


    It might be hard for them to believe that the students managed to beat full-fledged members of the Lethal Bite n, but in the cases of some of them, it was true.


    It was also the only way to exin the death of the guards by each portal, to pin the me on the Lethal Bite n.


    If they tried looking for answers, it would be impossible because the Head and Vice-head of the n were dead.


    Once they found this out, this was where the problems would start, but at least they would buy some time.


    ''I still haven''t achieved the Middle stage just yet, but I can tell I''m close. I need to breakthrough before any of this kicks off,'' Dame thought, stepping through the portal.


    Once they had reached the other side, Cronker said thest few words to the group.


    "Try to stay together; otherwise, if you''re in trouble, I won''t be able to protect you." Just like that, right in front of them, it looked as if Cronker had disappeared from their eyes.


    But they were sure he was around somewhere watching them all.


    "Man, I hope we get to be that skillful someday," Tinsonmented. "Watching everything has been quite amazing."


    ''System, did you manage to catch that?'' Liam asked.


    [Negative, the user''s skill level is too low to catch the movements. I am limited by the user''s perception skills]


    ''Are you saying I suck too bad?''


    [Affirmative]


    ''If you had balls, I would be kicking them right now.''


    Walking back to the academy, they all had to admit they were nervous. Their leader in a way, the one that was in charge of this pushback against the academy, was in some type ofa.


    They were nervous to say the least. Sure, they now knew that Dame was some type of powerhouse, but could that save them if they were made suspects?


    Eventually, they had reached the Academy, and the staff at the front looked at each other for a few moments with raised eyebrows.


    "Where are your respective guides, why are you all together!" The staff dered.


    "An emergency matter hase up," Dame replied. "We met each other on the way, after being startled; we would like to report this matter to the Vice-principal!"


    Dame was very careful with his words. He wanted them to think this was a matter not too important for the Principal, but of importance that the Vice-principal would be asked toe out.


    On top of that, the Vice-principal knew the history between the Lethal Bite n.


    One of the staff members had told the group to wait outside, meanwhile another rushed in to get more information on the situation.


    A short whileter, he had returned.


    "Follow me," the staff member stated.


    While following the staff member they walked across therge courtyard, and in the distance, they could see the other students, the new first-year students training away.


    They were practicing the first skill books they had gotten from the library. Just a few months ago, they too remembered being in their ce.


    It felt strange that they were doing this, while they were always fighting with their lives on the line.


    They carried on forward until they had reached the main academy building. Then they continued until they reached arge empty hall.


    The hall was filled with dark tiled floorboards, and upon entering they could see Mada and Ricktor present, standing there with their hands behind their back.


    At one end of the hall, there was the Principal Murkel, the Vice-


    principal as well as Gunther as well.


    The students stood next to the others and started to line up side by side.


    "These two only arrived a few moments before you, and they stated that they had something to report as well," Amir, the Vice-principal,mented. "Please inform us why you were not escorted back by the Erupting Fist n members."


    The others looked at each other ncing, too nervous to speak. It was in this situation where Dame felt he needed to take the lead and take charge.


    "There was a situation in our dimensions. We did as asked, and when entering we were fighting against beasts, but for some reason while in there, there were other members inside."


    "I was attacked and found out that they were from the Lethal Bite n. I did my best to fend them off and managed to defeat them."


    "When exiting, I found that the guards as well as our escort had been killed. I was worried for my ssmates and rushed over."


    "We eventually met up, and it seems that they were all in simr situations."


    The Principal and Vice-principal seemed to be taking in what was said before eventually asking another question.


    "And to you, Mada and Ricktor, is it the same, did you experience the same thing?" Amir asked.


    They didn''t answer immediately because going into this they didn''t know what to say. Mada was ready to repeat the words that his brother had told him, but the situation had changed.


    "It''s true," Mada blurted out.


    "It is the same for me. I found the n''s symbol on their clothing. The Lethal Bite n targeted us for some reason," Ricktor answered.


    Hearing this, Murkel let out a big sigh.


    "I will run an investigation into the Lethal Bite n. This is uneptable. I will try to get an answer from Feebie and see what she says about this, but I have a question, have any of you seen the student Raze."


    The group swallowed their saliva that was building up into a lump before every one of them shook their heads.


    "This could mean he is still stuck in the portal," Amir stated. "I am a bit worried about it. Feebie seemed to have a grudge based on what had happened before. I wonder if this is the reason why she sent her n members to go against you."


    "He is an important student for us. If I may, I would suggest that I go into the dimension to go look for him." Amir suggested.


    "Agreed, bring him back quickly, and see what''s up," Murkel ordered.


    Dame was a little worried, would the Crimson Crane now have to go up against the Vice-principal?


    ''Well, who knows, maybe we''ll be able to just take them out one by one this way as they investigate.'' Dame thought.

 Chapter 416 Stuck In Another Dimension

    Chapter 416 Stuck In Another Dimension


    ??The Red Headband students that had returned were told to be on standby back at the base. What Dame did notice was after entering the Red Headband sleeping quarters, just outside guarding the entrance to the main courtyard, there were a lot more teachers.


    There weren''t just new Red Headband instructors, but also a number of guards including more men with masks on their faces, members of the Erupting Fist n.


    Right now, on the second floor, everyone was stationed in one room, and that included Mada and Ricktor.


    "It''s clear that they are keeping an eye on us, that they don''t want us to leave," Damemented. "Although we have bought some time, the situation is a bit more difficult than what I imagined."


    "And what exactly is that situation?" Mada asked. He was sitting in a seat, picking off parts from the corners of the wooden desk and throwing them onto the floor, frustrated by everything that was going on.


    "We had agreed to help your damn friend to go up against the academy, so where is he, what is he doing? The academy has already targeted us!" Mada imed.


    "I thought you were on the fence," Simyonmented.


    Mada stayed quiet after that, not sure what to say. Even he was undecided, whom to trust, what was best. The one thing he would do is keep his mouth shut because he did feel slightly indebted to Raze for the food back then and ending the dreaded assessment early.


    "I would like to know, where is the young leader that I agreed to follow. In this tricky situation, is there some type of n?" Ricktor asked.


    Dame didn''t want to say it, but right now, they were in the n. He expected them to go out and search for Raze, but he never expected the Vice-principal himself to go out and check.


    ''When they get no word back from the Lethal Bite n, I wonder what their actions will be then? If a fight does break out, I wonder how the Crimson Crane will handle it as well.''


    Amir had entered through the portal; he continued to be in the same pose with his hands behind his back. He looked around at the sand-like world to see if there was anything he could notice.


    The first thing that came into his sight was the building structures in front of him, and how they were partly destroyed. Jumping from his position, hended right by one of the destroyed structures.


    "It''s quite clear that there was a battle in this ce, but the wind, it''s moved the sand all over the area. Any tracks and such will make it quite hard toe by. I wonder if there''s still anyone alive."


    Amir looked around the nearby area even more to see if he could find anything at all, but either the ce had been cleaned up, or it was long lost.


    "There is a way I can confirm if anyone is inside here or not, without having to search the entire dimension."


    The Vice-principal jumped arge distance out from the normal structure andnded in the sand. Soon, he could feel arge rumbling underneath his feet. The sand was shaking, and it was getting darker right beneath his feet.


    The sand sunk slightly and popping right out from underneath it wererge razor-sharp teeth. Lifting his foot up, he swept it down, letting out arge strike.


    His body hovered in the air for a few moments before he kicked the air, moving him to the side, and the beast, the sandworm he had struck, had been killed just like that.


    "Let''s speed things up a bit!" Amir stated as he lifted his leg and swung it through the air. The giant mounds of sand in front of him disappeared.


    The sand flowed, moving like a wave in thepletely opposite direction, revealing underneath therge mounds of sand more earthworms with theirrge bodies.


    They started to wiggle and tried to burrow themselves deeper into the sand. Before one could, though, Amir was already standing on top of them, with his foot ready to strike.


    "Let''s see how many of you it takes until your bosses out," Amir smiled.


    Going from one earthworm to the next, it only took a single technique to get rid of them. He was killing all of those that were hidden, and then finally he had gotten what he was looking for.


    The entirendscape was changing in front of him. Sand was swirling around the areas and were uplifting into the sky creating a type of sand vortex.


    The giant beast looked like it filled the entire sky. Slowly, the sand was falling off leaving arger body. A sandworm, but this one had fourrge limbs on its side pointed and sharp like a spider.


    "So you''re the dimension boss of this ce. This will be a loss for the academy, but what I will gain out of it will be a lot more favorable."


    Shaking urred throughout the dimension, and it was felt by the Crimson Crane. They had moved from their position in search of another area that was built up with buildings.


    At the same time, the body of Feebie was ced in the river, with heavy rocks to stop it from floating up, making it harder for anyone to find the body.


    Meanwhile, Raze''s body was ced on the cold floor, but he looked peaceful as he slept away.


    "It''s still hard to believe, this is the Dark Magus that we were searching for, right?" Alba said to the rest of the group that was practically staring at him. "He''s just a kid."


    "I don''t find it hard to believe that this is the Dark Magus," Reno replied. "What I do find hard to believe is that he is just a kid. The way he talks, the knowledge that he has, and the conviction to his goal, it is beyond that."


    "And that''s why he''s still a good ally to have."


    Right then, dropping down from above on the outside, Froma, who was on lookout, had entered.


    "Alba, I think you shoulde out and have a look at this."


    Alba rushed out and jumped to the rooftop. As they did, they looked in the distance and from afar, they could see the giant beast in the sand.


    Both of them knew what it was straight away, without a doubt that was the dimension boss.


    "Wait, what summoned it, does that mean someone is in here with us?" Alba asked.


    Just then, they witnessed therge giant creature that could be seen from afar like that of a tornado, get hit by something. It was too small but its entire body squashed down.


    The body of the giant beast wavered in the air before it fell to its side on the floor.


    Right in front of their eyes, the dimension boss has been killed.


    "The dimension boss, it was just killed!" Froma stated. "That means the portal on the outside, it''s now closed, right!"


    "Not just that," Alba replied. "Most people think that the dimension gate from this side doesn''t close until everyone exits it, but that''s not the case."


    "There''s just arge window. If we stay here too long, the portal from the inside will close as well."


    Now all Amir had to do was stand by the dimension portal, and whoever was inside woulde to him.

 Chapter 417 The Strength Of An Army

    Chapter 417 The Strength Of An Army


    ??With the dimension boss beaten, Alba was biting the fingernail on her thumb as she was trying to figure out what was the best thing to do.


    "Reno, what do you think? Usually, I have Cronker advise me on these types of things, but he''s not here," Alba asked.


    "Hey, why Reno?" Tilon asked. "Do you think Cronker and Reno are the only two smart ones or something?" Tilon said, banging his shield on the ground so hard that a loose sandstone from above fell and hit the top of his head.


    "Alright, go on," Tilon replied, going back to sit down while rubbing the top of his head.


    Reno continued to evaluate Raze before giving an answer.


    "The worry we have is that we have to look after Raze. Will he wake up before the portal closes? From the look of things, I doubt it," Reno replied as he was tapping the side of Raze''s head, but there was no reaction at all.


    "We saw what Raze can do. It''s clear he can open portals to other dimensions, but we also don''t know all he is capable of."


    "There''s a good chance if that portal closes up, we might be stuck in here."


    "I see, I see, so we should head to the portal," Alba stated with her finger in the air like it was some type of genius n she hade up with.


    "Well, then we have to think about the enemy, right? How many are there that are in here? This is an initial stage realm. That means to defeat the dimension boss the warriors don''t have to be at a particrly high stage to defeat it."


    "But from what you saw with Froma, how did it look?"


    Alba was imagining how she would take out the beast herself. From the look of things, maybe it was a level four beast and it was taken down in one hit.


    "At a guess, a high-stage middle mid-warrior, is that the saying?" Alba replied.


    "A high Stage 8 warrior," Reno replied.


    He himself was a stage 7 warrior that had recently managed to break through to stage 8 but was in the low stages. Alba was around a high mid-stage 8 warrior herself.


    But the differences within the stages were higher. Stage 9 warriors; low, mid and high, there was a big difference between them as well.


    "Of course it''s hard to tell just from seeing one move, but I would say it was at least that," Alba continued.


    "Right, and we don''t know how many of them there are. While fighting, will we really be able to protect the Dark Magus¡­ sorry, Raze. I think we should use Raze from now on since it''s an identity he wants to keep secret."


    Scratching her head, Alba was now even more confused about what to do. If they stayed, the portal might close and they had no way out.


    If they went to fight, they might be overpowered and have difficulty protecting Raze.


    "I just want a solution."


    Reno smiled hearing this.


    "Just send a couple of members that work well together to scout out the area and report back."


    Looking at the members avable, it didn''t take long for Alba to decide.


    "Alright, Lilly and Tilon, a nice spear and shieldbination. If the opponent looks easy enough, maybe deal with them, since we will have to either way to get out of this.


    "If there''s too many, thene back here."


    Tilon stood up from his position, and Lilly made sure her hair was tied up properly as she held onto her spear. The two of them agreed as they gave a nod.


    "Remember, we don''t have any more pills from the Dark Magus at the moment. So there will be no second chances," Alba stated.


    The Crimson Crane had been helping Fixteen sell the pills they had, and just before arriving, they had attempted a few raids on portals where the pills were needed.


    They always wanted to leave some for emergencies, but thought when meeting the Dark Magus they might be able to get more from him.


    They never expected to just be sent off straight into battle like they had been.


    Before moving out, Tilon ced the sword wrapped in cloth down by Raze''s side, although he was confident in his shield to protect such a weapon.


    The words of Dame yed on his mind. It was such a precious thing, and thest thing they would want was for it to get into the hands of the enemy.


    With that, the two of them were off. Froma, who was still on top of the building and looking out, informed the two of the direction of where the beast was taken down.


    They would inspect the area first before heading to the portal.


    Quickly traveling with their foot techniques, they were able to cover arge distance easily and found themselves in the fighting area.


    The sand hills that would usually naturally form had all been pushed away. It looked like a crater the way the sand had moved.


    And what was left on the ground were the dead bodies of the beasts.


    "Look at this!" Lilly called Tilon over. She then proceeded to stab the dimension boss right in a certain spot making a fist-sized hole.


    Then with her hand, she reached in and pulled out the level 4 crystal.


    "The crystal was still inside," Tilon said.


    "Exactly, although in middle-stage dimensions, something like this is easy toe across, it''s still something that we wouldn''t leave. Especially a dimension boss crystal, since they are a little more special."


    The dimension boss crystals, although still at certain levels, tended to have a little more powerpared to regr crystals when being used as Qi pills.


    Some had stated that even certain techniques would improve, or techniques they were unable to use before could now be used.


    "With how many beasts are here that have been killed, and so quickly, it''s most likely to be more than one person, right?" Tilon asked.


    "I''m not too sure about that," Lilly replied, "We''ll just have to see."


    The two of them continued to move, and eventually, they had returned to the first sandstone-built housing vige but it was differentpared to before.


    The buildings in the area, all of them had been destroyed; they were ttened. Even therge tall trees, they had been hit and forced into the sand.


    "This wasn''t like this before when we arrived, right?" Lilly asked.


    "No, was there some type of infighting that urred in the group, why would they just destroy everything in sight?" Tilon asked.


    They looked around the area, and they noticed it was leveled, the area was so t that they could even see the portal in the distance, but there was no one standing in front of it, or a group of people ready to attack.


    "It was so I could spot thoseing here a bit easier," a voice said, as they gentlynded around ten meters away from them.


    "Now, in an area that is meant for staff members and students only, I manage toe across warriors, and middle-stage ones at that. It is quite clear that something is amiss here."


    "So are you going to talk, or are we going to have to fight?"

 Chapter 418 Not Just A Vice Principal

    Chapter 418 Not Just A Vice Principal


    ??Immediately, Tilon pulled the shield from his back, cing it in front of him with arge grunting sound.


    "I don''t think talking is really an option. The one thing we need to do is to make sure that the Dark Magus is protected, and his current state is a secret!" Tilon dered.


    "It looks like I have received my answer!" Amir stated, pushing off one foot from his position. A giant wave of sand exploded behind him.


    It looked like the sea of sand was being split in half. When he got in position, he lifted his foot forward and stuck it out like a spear, hardened and encased in Qi. The attack shot straight ahead, hitting the shield with force.


    ''Argh, there''s so much power and force, is this person really a stage 8 warrior? Is it possible that they could be a stage 9!'' Tilon was using his own Qi to push back, but his whole body still slid right across the sand.


    He needed to be ready for a follow-up attack, but that was when Lilly came in with her spear. She spun it in a circle in the air before thrusting it forward.


    The Qi lingered, creating a visual circle that pushed forward along with the tip of the spear.


    Seeing this, Amir lifted his leg up high, to the point where the tip of his foot was right next to his face. He then mmed it down, slicing through the visual Qi andnding on the tip of the weapon, causing Lilly''s spear point to hit the floor.


    "Shield rush!" Tilon shouted as he came from the side and bashed Amir right off Lilly''s spear tip.


    Amir stumbled but quickly started to do somersaults in the air andnded back on his two feet, with his hands behind his back standing there.


    "Be careful, Lilly, this guy, he''s incredibly strong," Tilonmented.


    With the two of them, they thought if they hade across someone at the same strength as Feebie, that they would be able to make do, but it didn''t seem to be the case at all.


    "It looks like you were wrong about your guess from before as well. It wasn''t a small group, but just a single man that dealt with all of that," Lilly replied.


    "So what do you suggest we do?" Tilon asked. "If the situation was too tough, we were asked to head back."


    Lilly, with her spear in her hand, started to spin it rapidly. It was blowing the sand all over the ce, and the spear itself was lighting up as well.


    "The thing is, I don''t think he''s just going to let us go!" Lilly shouted as she mmed her spear on the floor.


    The attack shot out, and even though Amir was over ten meters away, the attack sent a surge of energy his way.


    Amir moved to the side, jumping out of the way of the attack, and jumped from side to side. It was hard for the two of them to follow with their eyes.


    "You guys are pretty strong; you''re not just some low-rate middle-stage warriors!" Amir eximed as he finally went for the attack, sending out a kick.


    Tilon blocked it with his shield, and Lilly thrust her spear forward.


    The spear was kicked out of the way as Amir''s leg was just as strong, or if not stronger than the spear itself. When going in for an attack on Lilly, though, Tilon was there with his shield blocking each attack one after the other.


    The two of them were doing just enough to hold back Amir, but there was a clear difference in facial expressions between the two.


    While Tilon and Lilly were struggling with what was going on, Amir looked calm. They were being pushed back, and it was obvious who would get worn out first.


    "I need to break this stalemate!" Tilon shouted as he ced the shield underneath his feet and then jumped on it.


    The shield mmed into the floor, creating arge field of sand to be kicked up.


    "Lilly, get out of here and call the others for help; I''ll hold him back for as long as possible!" Tilon shouted.


    Usually, she would argue, but she knew it would be pointless, and Tilon''s sacrifice would be in vain if she were to do such a thing.


    So she decided to rush off, running as fast as she could. She even ced her spear on the ground and then vaulted herself forward arge distance across the sand.


    When the dust finally settled, Tilon was there looking at Amir, who was still standing in his confident state.


    "Who are you? You''re not one of the n Heads, are you? How are you so strong?" Tilon asked.


    Amir smiled in response.


    "I could ask you the same thing. I know every n Head, and those that might be able to give me trouble in the Dark Faction, and yet I don''t recognize you or your friend."


    "Anyway, it''s interesting to know that there are others."


    "Well, a word of advice." Tilon kicked the edge of his shield, lifting it in the air, and he caught it, bracing his shoulder against it. "You should finish me off before they arrive; otherwise, you''re going to be in a lot of trouble."


    Amir then jumped back, and as he did, he continued on until he was standing in front of the portal. He wasn''t directly in front of the portal, but still around fifty meters in front of it.


    "Me attack you? No, it''s fine; go ahead and follow that girl, go to the others, and bring back your friends, however many of them there are."


    "This is the reason why I''m here in the first ce. I want to see who is exactly here and why," Amir stated.


    The distance between the two wasrge; if Tilon ran now, it would be hard for the other to catch up. It seemed as if the stranger''s offer was a serious one, but why?


    A feeling of dread was felt inside Tilon''s body.


    Was he so confident that he believed he could take down the whole Crimson Crane members on his own?


    "Who are you?" Tilon shouted.

 Chapter 419 Information on DM

    Chapter 419 Information on DM


    ??Back in the city of Repton, in the three-tiered red-roofed restaurant, a staff worker dressed in cloth had decided to pay one of the VIP rooms on the second floor a visit.


    "This rowdy bunch, they usually are making a new order every thirty minutes until around 2 in the morning!" the woman imed, standing just outside the sliding doors.


    "It''s been well over an hour since they''ve ordered anything. I wonder if something happened. I better check up on them; they do tend to leave quite a bit of coin behind," she grinned on her face.


    "Excuse me, but I was just wondering if you would like some extra snacks or beverages," the woman asked after giving a polite knock, but there was no answer at the door.


    She knocked again, but still, there was no answer, and that''s when she started to find the whole thing a little strange.


    There was no loud noiseing from the other side, no mming tables, or foulnguage being used as the group cursed each other.


    "They couldn''t have slipped out, right? I would have seen them exiting, and they''ve never left without paying the bill before."


    The woman''s name was Shirley, and in the VIP rooms, they had their own dedicated server. Shirley had been serving them for some time now, and recently she had been paying extra attention to them. That was why she found the whole thing odd. In the end, she had decided to slide the door open herself, and her eyes were met with a room filled with no life at all.


    "They''re gone, they''re all gone!" Shirley almost screamed. The drinks weren''t empty, and there were still snacks out on the table. There was also no sign of a forced exit of sorts, which made her wonder how they had even disappeared.


    Quickly, she went to talk to the other workers, asking if they had seen any of the Crimson Crane, but not a single one of them had seen a thing.


    "Is this going toe out of my pay?" Shirley started to nervously think, but before that, she thought that there was something else she needed to do.


    Heading downstairs to the main dining area that was filled with a number of tables, she went to the corner of the room where there was a man sitting on a table on his own.


    He only had one dish in front of him that looked to be untouched and one drink as well. When she arrived, she quickly knelt down and whispered into his ear.


    "That certainly is odd," the man said. "I will contact the others and see if they know anything, but I''ve been keeping an eye on the exit; they can''t have just disappeared."


    Some time had passed since the Crimson Crane had been missing, and after a search had started across the city, the news had eventually reached a certain person''s ears who went far and wide.


    In the tallest tower in Repton, there was a man, in his extravagant silk clothing, sitting in his chair with his view of the city.


    "So you''re telling me the Crimson Crane just vanished like that!" Bubblemented.


    "Yes, sir, we had been keeping an eye on them like you suggested, and they have been staying in the city and had gathered just recently, but now all of them are gone, and not a single person has seen them."


    Bubble was thinking; it all seemed strange. Why did the Crimson Crane gather in Repton and do nothing? What Bubble was interested in was the new member, the Demon that had taken down the Behemoth n and the Dark Magus.


    He wanted to know if the two were the same, and so many people wanted to know about the Dark Magus. So what better way than to keep an eye out on the people that knew him.


    "There are reports that a young man with white hair had visited them just before, but it appears that they are missing as well."


    It was quite clear that they had no information at all. In the middle of his thoughts, Bubble and his worker could hear amotion going on outside.


    The sound of loud grunting and destruction going on in his building. Just as Bubble stood up to try and find out what it was, his doors were burst open.


    They had broken off their hinges and mmed into the side of the wall.


    "Gentlemen, is there really a need for such an entrance," Bubble said, holding up his hands by his face, worried that he was going to be attacked at any moment.


    Bubble, with his wealth, had hired some strong wanderers outside to protect him, and now looking at the doorway that led outside, they had all been defeated.


    Now standing there instead were two men, dressed in thick clothing, one with a dignified beard covering his face, looking rtively old.


    It was the same for the man next to him. They were dressed quite oddly with their boots and trousers, and both of them were even wearing a shirt.


    The whole thing looked quite ufortable, and what was even more worrying for Bubble was he didn''t even know who these people were.


    Surely, someone strong enough to take out his hired guards he would know, yet they were unrecognizable.


    "We have a request. We have been told that you are the one that knows the most information in this world, which is why we are here to ask about the Dark Magus!" the old man with ash-


    gray hair asked.


    "I can tell that rejection is not an answer by how crudely you dealt with my guards," Bubble said, still in a rtively calm manner.


    "But if you wished, you should have simply just asked me. You see, I am not one to keep information. I gain my wealth by spreading it. What you know about the Dark Magus is what I know.


    "Everything is in the reports I have given. I am afraid I might have disappointed you."


    The one thing Bubble didn''t want to happen was for these two to force their hand on him, to try and get information.


    But what he was telling was the honest truth. "It seems we have made a mistake then," the gray-haired man said, looking at his partner.


    As quickly as they hade in, they were quickly going to leave. Bubble found it surprising that they would believe him just like that.


    "Could I ask you a question?" Bubble called out.


    His worker by his side stared at him with hisrge eyes, thinking he must have been a madman. The people who had just killed all of their guards were leaving, so why call out to them?


    "From your actions, if you are looking for the Dark Magus, do you n to recruit him, or get rid of him?"


    "If you knew the answer to that, then we would have to kill you," the man replied.


    "Well, I must say then, you have a lot ofpetition. A lot of people are looking to do both; you aren''t the only one, and you aren''t the only ones that have requested information about the Dark Magus from me."

 Chapter 420 Every one wants the Dark Magus

    Chapter 420 Every one want''s the Dark Magus


    ??Bubble and his workers had checked the whole tower to see what damage had been left. Nearly every guard looked to have been dealt with swiftly.


    There was next to no damage at all done to the tower. Which was strange because for one to be able to finish off another so easily, it meant there needed to be arge difference in power between the two.


    What Bubble did find out through his investigation was the fact that quite a few people from the tower as well as his other means of work had been asked the same questions.


    They had even paid his factories where he would print the newspapers out to spread across the town and city, asking them the same thing, for information on the Dark Magus.


    Finally, after a tiring few hours of trying to get things back to normal, Bubble had returned to his seat.


    "The Crimson Crane missing, several mysterious groups asking me about the Dark Magus, but at least with the other groups, I knew who they were, those two old men, I had no idea who they were!" Bubbleined.


    "Based on their power, do you think they might havee from a different realm?" Charles, one of Bubble''s closest assistants, asked.


    "You mean, those two, you think they were Divine stage beings?" Bubble scratched his head. "We would have to look into it if they were."


    "But then that begs the question right, why would Divine stage beings be looking for the Dark Magus? Is there some fight going on above?"


    "Have they realized that the items he creates will even help them? Or maybe they just seerge potential and are trying to get a head start."


    Thinking about it more, if Bubble wanted to look into it, he would have to try and find out about the Divine beings that had transcended into the upper realm recently.


    However, recently for something like that could be several hundreds of years. As it took a long time for one to reach the Divine Stage.


    "The Dark Magus, the Dark Magus, everyone wants to know about the Dark Magus, heck even I want to know about the Dark Magus, who is he!" Bubble shouted.


    At that moment, the doors, which had just been fixed, were mmed open again. They didn''t quitee off their hinges, but they did hit the wall.


    "Tell me what you know about the Dark Magus!" a voice immediately said.


    To which Bubble just pped his head and dragged his hands until his eyes nearly fell out. However, ignoring the request, he started to look at the person.


    This time, the visitor was someone that he did know. "Rayna, from the Neverfall n, what are you doing here?"


    "I believe I already made that clear, I want to know what you know about the Dark Magus," Rayna asked.


    "Look," Bubble sighed. "I only know what I''ve already published, that and the fact that the Crimson Crane is currently missing somewhere."


    "The Crimson Crane is missing?" Rayna replied.


    This was information that Bubble hadn''t revealed to anyone yet because he didn''t know if it was rted to the Dark Magus or not.


    "Listen, I don''t care what you know about the Dark Magus," Rayna stated. "What I really came here to tell you was anything you do know about the Dark Magus, you need to stop reporting on it instantly."


    "I want you to keep a tight lip on everything. Or if you do find any information that ites through me first."


    Bubble never intended to step on any n''s toes. So he was careful to reveal only certain information that would sell well but not reveal any big secrets.


    The way Rayna was talking to him now, it felt like it was a request, simr to what other ns have made of him in the past.


    "I''m sorry, but that might not be something I can do, even if it''s a request from the Neverfall n," Bubble answered.


    "What!" Rayna replied back, clenching her teeth.


    "Look, there have already been so many groups asking me about the Dark Magus, including the Behemoth n."


    "All of them I''m sure will go to great lengths just to get information from me. Besides, you warriors have your groups already, those that gather secret information."


    "You all will know more about it than me. Keeping a public news reporter quiet isn''t going to do anything, and the way I''m feeling right now, if I kept anything I knew about the Dark Magus, then I would be dead in a heartbeat."


    Rayna''s anger started to calm down, the more she thought about it. Knowing full well that Bubble was right.


    There was still news about the Dark Magus though, that no one knew. About how she was to marry him, and he was soon to join the Neverfall n.


    "You said the Crimson Crane was missing, was the Dark Magus with them?" Rayna asked.


    "I don''t know, they werest seen at the usual ce. That''s truthfully all I know, that, and some white-haired young man had visited just before they disappeared," Bubble answered.


    Rayna''s eyes had widened at that moment. She had seen the real Raze and what he looked like. The description, there weren''t many that would look like him, and it seemed to match.


    ''Did he have something to do with their disappearance, is something going on, and he didn''t tell me about it, his future wife!'' She thought.


    The reaction from Rayna, it also didn''t go unnoticed; he could tell that she knew something, and it had something to do with the young white-haired man.


    "A lot of dangerous people are after the Dark Magus Rayna," Bubble stated. "I know he''s part of the Crimson Crane, and they managed to protect him well so far.


    "But I''m not sure how much more they can protect him. The interest in him is rising; I think it might grow to even more than just the Demonic Faction.


    "He will need a lot more than the Crimson Crane to protect him."


    Rayna turned around, having received as much information as she needed. She was on the search now. ''More protection than the Crimson Crane, well, if he bes my partner, then he will have the Neverfall n protecting him as well.''

 Chapter 421 The Groups Name That Should Not Be Said

    Chapter 421 The Group''s Name That Should Not Be Said


    ??Getting a head start, Lilly had flung herself forward through the sand, arriving at the small vige. She quickly rushed in and headed straight into the entrance where the others were waiting for her.


    "Emergency!" were the first words she shouted, springing the others into action. "At the portal, there was this man, he''s all by himself but he''s really strong."


    "Me and Tilon were fighting against him, but we couldn''t hurt him. Tilon''s still fighting, we have to hurry, we need to fight him together, just like we did against the Light Faction Elder!"


    The others had concerned looks on their faces. They could tell by Lilly''s reaction that the situation was dire. They expected this going up against the Dark Faction.


    Even Alba could hear Cronker in her ear, saying he told her so.


    "We still need to look after Raze though; we can''t bring him to the battlefield," Alba suggested, while thinking of what the next best thing to do was.


    "We have to hurry; otherwise, Tilon will be¡­"


    "I''m here guys, don''t worry," Tilon said from the entrance.


    Everyone jumped from their position in shock like they had seen some type of ghost, but it was Tilon, and strangely he wasn''t hurt.


    "Tilon, you''re safe, wait, you''re right behind me, what happened?" Lilly asked, thinking that she might be going crazy.


    "It was the man we were fighting against. He moved away from me, headed back to the portal, and said I could go," Tilon replied, gulping after finishing his words.


    What the man had done was an extreme disy of confidence, and it was worrying for them.


    "Just how strong is this guy?" Alba thought.


    "Do you really think that there are many that are strong enough to take out the entirety of the Crimson Crane?" Kizer asked. "The most likely thing is, he doesn''t know how many there are of us, nor does he know our strength."


    Alba had to admit it was most likely the case. Although she was a standout figure of the Crimson Crane due to her rare features, the same couldn''t be said for the others.


    Especially in the Dark Faction where their status was a lot less knownpared to others.


    The fact that both Tilon and Lilly came back fine, with a few of them, they should be able to beat this person.


    "Whatever we do, we have to fight, especially if he''s protecting the portal. All of us, gear up and be ready for battle. Reno, stay here with the Dark Magus, look after him, I trust you, okay."


    With two members less of the original Crimson Crane group, Alba was hoping it would be enough. It had to be.


    Amir was waiting patiently in the sand. He was standing still like a statue, looking at the sight, and then through the torn-down vige, he could see them appearing.


    A group of six, all with different weapons,ing towards him. They didn''t rush forward; there was nowhere for them to hide due to the destroyed city. They could only face Amir head-on.


    When the group was around twenty meters away, he raised his hand, as if to tell them to stop moving forward.


    "There are a lot more of you than I thought. It is only growing my curiosity more as to what happened here. Was there a portal break somewhere else that led you all in?" Amir asked, but it wasn''t a question to them.


    It sounded more like he was rambling to himself.


    "As I said to the two before, we don''t have to fight."


    Alba found this hard to believe. "If you just wanted to talk, then why kill the Dimension boss, leaving our only option toe here?" she asked.


    "That was to see if anyone woulde out," Amir replied. "The situation is a difficult one, and these dimensions at times can be as big as other worlds."


    "Do you expect me to search the entire ce while also keeping an eye on the portal? By myself, that is impossible; the only way was to do what I did."


    "And now that I have a lot of you here, I shall ask you a question. I am looking for a student that belongs to the Dark Faction Pagna Academy, a sharp jaw, rough around the eyes, and he has white hair. I don''t suppose you have seen someone that matches this description?"


    The Crimson Crane members grunted. They all knew the description matched Raze, but why was he here after them?


    Did the academy care so much about a single student? It might just be standard procedure, but the measures seemed extreme, and the same with the person who had been sent.


    Unless they knew Raze''s real identity, which had somewhat clicked in Alba''s head.


    "This ce is vast as you said, it would be hard to run into others here," Alba shouted.


    "Ah, well, I know he''s here; we assigned him to this portal, he has to be here. I''m just wondering whether or not he''s alive," Amirmented.


    "If he is, I really need to bring him back to the academy. He is a student, after all."


    Alba kept thinking; Raze wanted to go against the academy, so while he was in the state he was in now, she couldn''t bring him back.


    "It seems you know something, so I might have to fight against you," Amir said to the silence.


    "Do you really think you can take us on, and what''s so important about a single child anyway?" Alba replied back.


    She knew it was quite clear that the man knew something was up. The group of people being here.


    The question, it made Amirugh.


    "I thought something like this might have happened, and I can''t believe it did. It was as I suspected; that kid, he''s from Alter, isn''t he? In fact, I knew as soon as those others had shown up to see him."


    Alba had heard of Alter before. A specialized group that was able to help ns with almost any problem. Raze belonged to that group of people?


    Is it why he was able to make such precious items and pills, but Alter never shared out their secrets. Thinking along these lines, it was quite possible that Raze was a rogue.


    "Are you from Alter?" Alba eventually asked.


    "Me?" Amir replied. "No, I''m from another group, one that you might have never heard of, the Bonum Society."


    The Crimson Crane members raised an eyebrow; none of them had heard of such a group before.


    "It''s normal to not hear of them; most who do end up dead."

 Chapter 422 Thats Fighting Talk

    Chapter 422 That''s Fighting Talk


    ??Alba tensed her hands around her weapons after hearing those words. Because it was clear as day that they were threatening words.


    The other members witnessing this did the same, and the first one to fire away was Froma as she let go of the arrow.


    It flew straight ahead in the air, bringing arge current with it. Amir moved his head to the side, avoiding the blow, and the arrow continued until it went through the portal where they had entered from.


    "Well, whoever''s standing on the other side right now, I''m pretty sure they might be dead," Amir said.


    "I don''t think it''s the right time for you to be making jokes, old man!" Kizer shouted from above, drawing his sword.


    He had a few on his back, and this time the sword he drew was arge great sword with a blue-colored hilt. The sword smashed down and directly hit Amir''s leg.


    The two of them were shing, and more sparks of Qi came from the two of them as they were facing each other.


    "Oh, you are stronger than the other two, you have quite a lot of power," Amir stated.


    Right in the middle of their confrontation, that was when Alba as well as Elvlin had appeared by the side, Alba with her dual-curved red swords, and Elvlin with herrge ive that was too big for her body.


    Both of them came forward and proceeded to unleash arge strike, hitting Amir right on his body. It was a clean hit with only his Qi to defend him.


    His body went flying in the air, and he had flipped over backward before getting his footing back.


    "Do you remember me!" Lilly said as she thrust her spear forward.


    Amir quickly kicked it away but noticed her attacks were relentless, and when he went to strike back, Tilon was right there blocking the attack.


    In the middle of fighting the two of them, Froma had jumped in the air and unleashed three arrows that had hit Amir.


    He had blocked two of them but one had pierced his shoulder with blood dripping down from it. Right after, Kizer had returned with his attack, with a sword strike from the side, and the same with Alba who was relentless.


    Out of the two, Amir needed to decide which strike to block, and kicking out his leg, he blocked Kizer''s hit. Alba''s two swords struck him in arge X, causing blood to appear out of his mouth as he skidded across the ground again.


    Quickly, he lifted his legs and rapidly started to kick, unleashing arge amount of energy towards Kizer and Elvlin who were following up, and they had to back away.


    However, there was one thing that was clearpared to before. The Crimson Crane, now nearly all of them present, were doing well fighting against the single person, even though he might have been stronger than all of them.


    "You said some pretty threatening words back there," Alba said. "Knowing that, the other one was part of Alter and with what he can do, I thought you might have some special powers."


    Amir was holding onto his chest looking at the situation. Out of all of them, he was trying to figure out who would attack first.


    Using his hand, he pulled the arrow out from his shoulder, the tip covered in blood, and threw it on the floor.


    "What, did you think everyone that is part of a group has some sort of special power?" Amirmented. "No, I''m not like them."


    "I have my own strength, but I have to admit, I''m quite surprised by all of you and how well you fight together. I think I''ve heard of you before, the Crimson Crane, right?"


    "Oh, you make me blush," Alba replied. "I worked hard to try and make our n name something that could be shared and known around the world. The fact that you know it, it does make me proud."


    "Well, information gathering is meant to be our forte; it would be disappointing if we didn''t know a group asrge as yours."


    In the middle of his speech, Froma started off once again firing three arrows out. With a sweep of his leg, he had broken all of them, and immediately he could see Kizer had charged in.


    The moment his footnded, Amir swung it back and focused all of his Qi to his foot. It bashed right into Kizer''s sword, breaking it in half.


    Just as Amir was going to follow up with another kick, though, Tilon was there with his shield to block him from getting hurt, and then Alba was dealing with the rest.


    "Kizer, don''t hold back," Albamented as she rushed in.


    She came up from the side and was swinging her swords widely one after the other. Amir was on the back foot as he kicked them away and was able to block most of the attacks.


    He was carefully watching from behind just in case there were more sneak attacks, but Alba, being the highest stage warrior out of them all, was a handful herself.


    "Come on, you were confident in taking us all on, even when you saw us, but now I can see that there is quite a struggle on your face as well!" Alba stated.


    It seemed like Amir himself was too busy to really answer the question, but using a strong kick, he shifted Alba back for a second giving him time to breathe.


    "Why do you want the kid so bad, has Alter hired you to protect him?" Amir asked.


    "And what about you, are you just trying to kill him because he belongs to some other society, just like that damned woman as well!" Alba eximed, going in for another attack once again.


    "You have no idea!" Amir lifted up his foot and mmed it on the ground, the whole area started to shake violently. "You have no idea what you''re stepping into. The ns, everything, the whole Pagna world is na?ve to the things going on in this world!"


    Everyone was stumbling from the shock, but there was one person that was ready, Kizer had jumped into the air again, but this time, rather than his broken blue sword, he had a sword with a dragon-like design by the hilt, and the guard was orange in color.


    "If you want him so badly, then have a taste of what he can make!" The sword started to glow up, the sword created by none other than the Dark Magus.


    Kizer didn''t like using it too much due to its effects, but it was the perfect time to finish off someone like him.


    Amir spun his body, gathered his Qi, and both the sword and his leg shed again. The shockwave created shifted the rubble and broken trees like an agent storm pushing them to the side.


    The intense amount of power caused Amir to cough up blood slightly, and nearly his whole body felt like it was going to be crushed.


    Lifting up his other leg from the ground, he pushed Kizer in the stomach. It wasn''t a move made to hurt him but just to get him away.


    When pushing away, the rest of the energy from Kizer''s attack had gone into the ground, shaking the entire area even more so.


    Amir now looked weak; he wiped the blood from his mouth and stood up. Rather than cing his hands behind his back though, he ced them to the side.


    "You asked me before if I was special in some way, right? I didn''t think I would need to use this."


    His hands were stretched out from the side, and right in front of all their eyes, it looked like his skin was splitting apart.


    It was ripped, being shed from his hands and was falling onto the ground. Blood wasn''t falling off though; instead, a strange ck casing was surrounding both of his hands.


    At the same time, one of Amir''s eyes was being covered over in a strange yellow color, and parts of his face were hardening with a scaly exoskeleton as well.


    One of his hands now looked like a giant w of a beast. At the same time, his other hand looked to have been going through some type of transformation as well.


    It was broken apart, long and dangling in the air, like some type of tentacle, but the tentacles started to wrap around themselves and formed into a solid object, arge giant de made of the same stuff the rest of his body was.


    Alba and her group being around as long as they have done before, knew exactly what this was.


    "You''re a hybrid!" Alba gritted her teeth.

 Chapter 423 Run Out Of Time

    Chapter 423 Run Out Of Time


    ??The Crimson Crane had been a group that had been going on for a long time. Although they didn''t look particrly old due to their cultivation and their Qi, they had a youthful radiance about them.


    They were a group unlike others that didn''t have a history, which was what was so impressive about them in this day and age.


    They had to build up their n''s reputation and their name from scratch. It was one of the reasons why they fought so well together.


    Going through the hard trials they had also achieved this together. During this time, they had run into those known as Hybrids.


    They were people who got trapped in other worlds, the other dimensions that were just full of beasts. Once in a while, a partial portal would open. People got sucked in, or they wandered in with the portal closing on the other side. When the dimension fully opened, there would be warriors that woulde across them.


    This situation was a rare one, and no one really knew if there were more hybrids. Because after all, if a portal door did close, after a dimension opened, how would one venture inside and find out.


    However, there was one thing that was known about Hybrids, and that was their vast strength. The powers of the beasts they hunted.


    A strong essence of the beast crystals inside their bodies, along with the Pagna warriors who cultivated.


    Everything about Hybrids was improved. If a cultivator had a strong body, then their body would be improved further.


    The super strength of beasts would be added to the already strong cultivator, and their already strong Qi would be further enhanced.


    The thing was, there was another trait that was passed on with hybrids, and that was their bloodthirstiness. Beasts attacked each other on sight.


    They attacked humans and anything they could see. It was why portal breaks were so dangerous, and it was why Hybrids were even more dangerous.


    "He turned into a Hybrid, everyone be careful!" Alba shouted.


    After finishing his transformation, Amir moved from his position, and with therge cleaved hand, he whacked it right against Kizer.


    The sword had been lifted up, and protected him, but his whole body went flying back in the air. Tilon tried his best to grab him, but he too was pushed back, and the two of them tumbled across the ground.


    Froma pulled several of her arrows and fired them toward Amir. When the arrows came close, the hard outer skin moved over Amir''s body.


    It was as if it had a mind of its own. When it moved, it went to block each of the arrows. They didn''t pierce the skin and just fell onto the floor.


    Seeing what had happened to Kizer, Alba moved towards him in frustration. She ced both of her swords in the X formation, and when getting close, unleashed her strike.


    Lifting his wed hand, Amir stopped it, the des moving in between his fingers; he held her there still as if it was nothing.


    "You might not know a lot about hybrids considering there aren''t so many that are out there," Amirmented. "There are a number of factors that make one hybrid even stronger."


    "One of them is the level of the Pagna warrior. No matter what stage, if a warrior is made into a hybrid, both parts of the body will support each other."


    "A second-stage warrior would even be able to best a fourth-stage warrior. But you see, there are other factors as well."


    "The beast that has merged with the body, how strong is it? And what about the mind and skills of the user is part of the question," Amir exined.


    Alba''s eyes were opening so wide she thought that they were going to pop out of her head. She couldn''t believe it. All of the information she had heard about Hybrids, all of them had lost their minds, yet here Amir was able to speak.


    "You''re shocked, aren''t you? This is just a small part of the world that you know nothing about!" Amir stated as he pushed her away with his strength.


    When Alba skidded across the ground, she could see Elvlin going in with her ive.


    "Elvlin!" Alba called out. After witnessing a small part of his strength, she could already tell this wasn''t like the time they had gone up against the Light Faction Elder.


    It was as clear as day; they weren''t able to win this.


    The ive was swung from above, but Amir used his leg, and he kicked it hard to the point where it had gone out of her hands. It went flying out into the distance and lost in the sand somewhere.


    "I still have my warrior techniques as well; don''t you forget. Me, who perfected attacking with my foot techniques, was blessed with strong Hybrid upper body parts, the perfectbo."


    The giant cleaved hand went striking down. It was ready to go right across Elvlin''s chest. At this point, it felt like it was the end, and no one could reach her.


    However, the cleaved hand started to change, breaking down into tentacles, and had formed around her, grabbing onto different parts of her body, attaching, sticking like glue to her throat and hands.


    "I told you all before that we didn''t have to fight," Amir said. "All of you were the ones that brought it on yourselves."


    "If you are working for coin, for Alter, then it is not worth risking your life. Just tell me where the boy is. I promise him I will do Directly support the authors on WebNovel!


    him no harm, I just have to ask some questions."


    Alba was wondering what to do; she didn''t want her n members to die, especially now one of them was held in the enemy''s hands.


    But how much could she trust this stranger? She didn''t want to do anything without Raze, but was it worth losing someone?


    In the middle of her thoughts, arge arrow came out striking the substance between Amir and Elvlin.


    At the same time, Kizer hade back, fiercer than ever, his sword glowing. This time, he thrust it forward as his two feet shifted.


    The visual Qi made it look like there was fire in the air. At the same time, Tilon had smashed the ground, bringing up dust everywhere in the area.


    From the other side, Lilly also relentlessly stabbed at the arm bit by bit, until all parts connected to Elvlin were let go.


    Immediately, Alba snapped out of her daze, dashed forward, and grabbed Elvlin.


    "Crimson Crane, everyone, this is not a fight we can win; disband and regroup!" Alba shouted.


    Everyone knew what to do; it was theirst hurrah because they had alle to the same conclusion as well, that they weren''t able to win this fight.


    Running off, they had split up into different directions, and Amir could see this. He looked at the back of them all but didn''t do anything.


    "Well, I at least was able to confirm one thing," Amir stated. "That Raze is here somewhere."


    Slowly his body started to revert back to the way it was. The hard ck skin was shrinking, the color in his eye was reverting to the way it is.


    When he was finally back to his normal human state, instead of chasing after the others, he looked at the sky.


    "We''ve all run out of time."

 Chapter 424 Trapped In Another World

    <h4>Chapter 424 Trapped In Another World </h4>


    ?When Alba and the Crimson Crane had split up, they had gone in different directions. This was to give them time. For one, they were hoping Amir would be hesitant in who he would pick to chase, and then finally when he had made a decision, it would be toote.


    The thing was, from what Alba could see, Amir didn''t decide to give chase at all; he just stood where he was while he went out of sight of them all.


    ''It''s just like Tilon said back then, he didn''t give chase to the other two as well. What is he thinking, or is it because he knows we have toe back?'' Alba thought.


    Without saying much, she knew the others woulde back to the ce where they had left. The ce where Raze currently was.


    When she arrived in the small vige-like structure, it didn''t take long until she had seen the rest arrive as well, one after the other.


    "Did he chase you?" Lilly asked.


    "No, I didn''t see him go after me," Tilon replied.


    "I don''t think he chased anyone," Alba suggested as the group were in the middle of discussing it.


    "He might have not chased anyone, but I lost my weapon," Elvlin looked at her empty palms. The ive that she would use hadpletely disappeared, lost in the sand somewhere and too close to where they were fighting to try and get it back.


    A few of her teammates patted her on the back, and when Tilon finally arrived, he let out a big sigh.


    "Look, I really didn''t want to do this, but if it will cheer you up. The Dark Magus was meant to make me a shield next, but you can have my slot since you lost your weapon."


    "Wait, who said the Dark Magus was going to make you a shield, wasn''t that just your delusional big head of yours?" Lilly replied back.


    The lighthearted atmosphere where they would joke with one another, Alba was happy it was still there after what they had been through, a clear loss on their end.


    Heading inside the room, Alba was hoping that maybe Raze would be awake. In doing so, she could get some answers to just what was going on, or a direction, but she could just see Reno still sitting by his side on the floor.


    "Judging from the faces of you all, it looks like the enemy was quite difficult," Reno asked.


    "Yes," Alba answered.


    "Was it because we didn''t have me and Cronker?"


    "No, even if we had everyone, I doubt we could have bested him. He was a high middle stage warrior, I don''t think he was high 9 stage or anything like that, but he was a hybrid."


    Reno''s eyes widened, and that''s when Elvlin clicked her fingers.


    "Right, that''s the same reaction we had, but imagine you actually seeing the man transform in person, and then having to face him, that wasn''t good at all," Kizermented.


    "Yeah, my arrows wouldn''t even pierce his skin," Froma said.


    "And he stopped Alba''s attack with one hand, and I lost my ive," Elvlin joined in.


    Reno could only imagine the strength of the person they had faced when hearing their stories. It did make him wonder, as a question had popped into his mind.


    "Wait, if he was able to overpower you all like you said he did, then how are you all still alive?" Reno asked.


    A shudder went through some of the members'' bodies. They thought back to the fight when they had gotten closer, when they had made eye contact.


    At times, it felt like the hybrid could have done more; he could have followed up with attacks, but it was almost like he was trying to show them the difference in strength.


    "This wasn''t like the hybrids we know of," Alba exined. "He waspletely sane, aware of his actions. Usually, a hybrid would go into a frenzy attacking everything."


    "Part of what makes them so difficult to fight is their relentlessness as they just push and push forward, trying to kill everything and anything they see, but he wasn''t like that at all."


    "Like you said, he let us live for some reason, and I don''t know why."


    Alba was looking at Raze, justying there. He was certainly someone who attracted the attention of weird people.


    "Maybe, I''m thinking that if Raze was handled by him, he would be in good hands, he would be safe from the Academy, but I don''t know and that''s the issue," Alba exined.


    The others knew how they were feeling. Why would someone let them go just like that? Even for Pagna warriors, not even hybrids, usually they would be chased down and forced to spit out the location of another.


    "Have you ever heard of a group known as the Bonum Society, in the years you have been a warrior? It was something he had mentioned."


    The group looked at each other, but nearly all of them just shrugged their shoulders.


    "It''s strange, right? I mean, the whole thing, and a group we''ve never heard of, even the fact that Raze can do these things. It makes me wonder if so many strange things have been happening in our world this whole time.


    "We thought we were at the top, knew everything, but it''s starting to feel like we know less and less about our world, that the top is further away than we thought."


    The top, reaching the pinnacle, had always been Alba''s goal. Very few of the group knew the reasons why, but because she had helped them in their time of need, they were happy to help her progress with her goal.


    "What I''m wondering is if the portal closes, will we be made into hybrids as well?" Lilly asked.


    "Can that even happen? Hybrids are meant to be a form of beast and warrior," Reno exined. "With the dimension boss dead, new beasts don''t seem to appear.


    "Although we have no data, so we can''t be sure that can happen."


    In the middle of their talking, Kizer had been noticing something, an odd cracking noise. He had looked up a few times, trying to see what it was, but was unable to tell, but the noise continued and continued.


    Then when he looked up again at the noise, he could see that part of the top bricks had been lifted up and appeared to be floating slightly.


    "Hey!" Kizer punched Tilon who was next to him and pointed up. "You''re seeing this too, right?"


    Tilon looked up, and could confirm that Kizer wasn''t imagining things, and soon everyone was looking above.


    Immediately, Alba and a few others rushed outside. Froma wasn''t standing guard like she usually was since everyone was talking.


    They thought this might be some type of power, but it was nothing like it at all. When looking up, they could see that the sky had changed.


    It was still blue, but now it looked slightly warped, as if the clouds in the air were going towards a single point, and the buildings next to them, all of them, everything including the sand was being dragged upward.


    It was happening at an incredibly slow rate though, one would have to pay close attention to even see that it was moving.


    "What is happening?" Froma asked.


    There was only one thing that Alba could think of.


    "I think, the portal¡­ it must have closed."

 Chapter 425 Breaking Through The Barrier

    <h4>Chapter 425 Breaking Through The Barrier</h4>


    ?Looking around, they could see it was mostly the area they were in that was affected. The strange warp in the air, filled with a light blue color, was centered right above them.


    As they looked further out of the vige, they could also witness that the top of the sandstone had yet to be pulled from its structure. So the strongest force of pull was directly from underneath them.


    "The portal''s closed, did you just say the portal''s closed!" Froma shouted. "Then how are we meant to get out of this ce, and how would you even know the portal''s closed?"


    "It''s just a guess," Alba answered. "We''ve never been inside a dimension when it''s closed, so no one knows what really happens."


    "One thing is clear though, no one from Pagna is able to get into this ce. Maybe this is the reason why, because the whole dimension copses in on itself."


    Alba''s words weren''t calming her n members down one bit. Instead, there was a series of gulpsing from them all.


    "She''s right, we''re stuck in here then, and if it copses does that mean we will copse with them," Tilon expressed his worry, which was shown on all of the team members'' faces.


    "We still have Raze, remember, and look carefully at everything," Reno saiding out of the room. He had used some extra cloth that was wrapped around the sword to attach it to Raze.


    Then he wrapped it around his own waist and was carrying him on his back. Meanwhile, he had the weapon that was meant for Raze held in one of his hands.


    "He got us in here, remember his fight with Feebie. It was clear that the two had faced each other before, so he has to have a way at least to get back to the Demonic Faction, I wouldn''t worry about things too much."


    "Worry about things when there''s a giant hole, and a hybrid stuck here trying to kill us, I think we have the right to worry!" Tilon eximed.


    "Look at the structures, they''re breaking at an incredibly slow rate, and the outer area isn''t even affected. It might take months before the whole thing copses, I would think Raze would at least wake up by then," Reno imed.


    There was another issue though; they couldn''t stay here for months. Although their main priority was to look after Raze until he woke up, they were meant to head back to the academy and help the others.


    They could be in danger right now, and they had no clue because their informant, Cronker, was on the other side.


    "Wait, are we sure that the hybrid is still in here with us?" Lilly asked. "If you think about it, he was defending the portal, right, he was standing right next to it."


    "Maybe it was because he knew this was going to happen. If the portal has closed, then wouldn''t he just go right through it before it happened."


    The words did make sense, but Alba feared that the hybrid was adamant on getting Raze for one reason or another. Possibly he had a way out of the ce as well.


    Not just that, but if the portal was closed, how long had it been since it had closed? They had been running away, and were inside the housing structure talking for a while.


    The sky above could have changed slowly; maybe the portal had closed right after they had escaped.


    "There''s only one thing we can really do. I think right now, we have to at least check if the portal really has been closed or not."


    "I know the other man is after Raze, but I think we should all travel together and stick close. If he catches us on our own, we could be killed on sight," Alba ordered.


    Even though he had let them go once, who knew why or what the reason was. It was better to be cautious, and she didn''t want to lose anyone right now, while strange things were happening in the ce.


    ---


    When the fight between Amir and the Crimson Crane had ended, he had thought about whether to chase the others or not.


    The issue was, he knew that the portal would soon be closing. His mind was muddled; should he try to find Raze?


    He was confident that Raze was a member of Alter, due to Charlotte and Himmying to meet him. He had seen them before.


    At first, Raze didn''t interest Amir much; he was most likely just a low-ranking member attending the academy, as time went on though, Raze''s strength as a Pagna warrior was growing.


    A growth he had never seen before, and strange happenings that defied what would happen to a warrior were taking ce.


    All of this led to Amir having more of an interest in Raze. It led him to believe that he might be more helpful to the Bonum Society.


    In the middle of his thoughts, with his calm demeanor, he heard a little zap noise, and turning around after his transformation had ended he could see that the portal had closed.


    Right after, he looked up at the sky, and could see a change was happening.


    "This isn''t good. I don''t have a way out of this ce myself," Amir said. "While in this dimension, I don''t have a way to contact the others as well."


    Now Amir was even more perplexed with what he needed to do.


    "I was also warned about this by the society. The most dangerous position for any Pagna warrior to be in was to be in another dimension once the portal closed."


    "I might have just condemned myself. It''s best to try and find a ce toy low for a while."


    Amir finally left his position, in search of another building structure or more to keep himself hidden, waiting for what the oue was to be.


    ---


    Eventually, the Crimson Crane, when getting closer, slowed down their stride. They were scouting the area, trying to see if the hybrid man was hiding anywhere, waiting for them toe out.


    "I can''t see him; the ce is pretty open, unless he''s buried himself in the sand or something," Tilonmented.


    "I don''t think that''s the reason," Kizer rubbed his foot across the sand and could feel heavy sandstone underneath.


    "The vige areas have sandstone underneath; there''s just ayer of sand on top from the wind."


    "But this is where the portal was right, and I''m not sure about you guys, but from the looks of it, the portal is no longer there," Froma pointed out to where the portal once was, where her arrow had gone through, and they could see nothing.


    It was what they had feared; now they were stuck here. How long until their hunger struck them? How long until the dimension was destroyed, and how long until Raze woke up again?


    "Come on guys, let''s go back; it''s dangerous being out here in the open. Who knows if that guy is hiding here or not," Alba said.


    The moment the whole group turned around, they all could see something strange urring in front of them.


    Sparks were going off in the air. They continued to grow in size until arge beam of energy had urred, and right in front of them, they could see a circle portal opening up.


    When it did though, immediately a person stepped through the portal, wearing a white-colored robe with gold clothing, and on the top of his hooded head was therge letter I.

 Chapter 426 The Dark Mage weak?

    Chapter 426 The Dark Mage weak?


    ??The moment the portal started to open, Alba''s instincts had kicked in. Rather than seeing this as an opportunity for them to get out of here, or to possibly see if those from the academy had found some way to help them, she had decided to run back and get the others toe with her.


    Due to the fighting between Amir and the Crimson Crane before, a lot of the rubble that was on the floor had been pushed back by the shockwaves. Because of this, they had piled up, creating high hill-like structures, mixtures of sandstone trees and sand.


    When she moved, the rest moved with her. They weren''t quite as quick on the ball as she was, but they just decided to follow their leader.


    Peering through the gaps in the structure they hid behind, they saw a portal open up.


    "Hey, what are we doing back here, shouldn''t we run through the portal?" Tilon asked.


    "And what, just take it to some magicalnd filled with snow? We have no idea where those portals will take us," Lilly replied.


    "Not just that, we know that no one has figured out how to get back into dimensions once the portal has closed," Renomented. "Remember, we were all surprised that Raze could do such a thing in the first ce, which means we can''t just trust whoes out of that portal."


    They first saw a single man step through, or at least the shape of a man with his broad shoulders. It was hard to tell due to the hood that was covering his face.


    Immediately though, the clothing they had on their body looked strange to them. All of it, white with a gold trim, and on the top of their hooded head, arge I.


    They wereing in one after the other and had some type of structure and order. As they came in through the portal, they were lining up and waiting for the others toe into the world.


    In the end, there looked to be around fifty people. Once in a while, there was one that came in that looked slightly differentpared to the others.


    Rather than a rounded hood, his hood would have a sharp point. These ones seemed to be giving the orders to the others, telling them to move and stand back.


    Then there was thest person who entered through the portal. Wearing a well-fitted zer covering his body. It was in the same fashion as the others but no hood.


    His light-haired face and neatly shaven beard could be seen by all. On the pocket of his zer just above, he had the same symbol as the rest of them.


    "Their clothes," Kizer whispered. "Doesn''t it kind of remind you of what the Dark Magus looked like when we first saw him as well?"


    The others had to agree, and there was something else that was simr to the Dark Magus. After everyone had entered through the portal, it had closed up behind them.


    "These people, they''re different from us," Albamented. "We should be careful; we have no clue what it is that these people can do or why they are here."


    "I don''t know if they''re rted to the Dark Faction or what, and if they can do the same thing as the Dark Magus, I don''t think we stand a chance against them."


    The members, in their heads, were already imagining a battle with multiple Razes. The strange powers they had seen him use, and the weapons he had created.


    It would be near impossible with how many of them were present.


    "Alright, everyone!" The man in the zer spoke. He wasn''t shouting, but his voice was being projected loudly to the point that everyone could hear him, including the Crimson Crane.


    "I don''t want to spend longer than a week on this project. Do as you usually do, split up into groups and search the area.


    "Any artifacts that are above the unique level are to be reported to your team leaders, and the team leaders are reported to me. You know the rest of the rules!"


    "I know I am not usually out on these expeditions with you, but due to a certain incident we had in the past, I have been called out, but please just get on with your task as you usually would."


    After the man had finished his words, he then ced both of his palms towards the floor. Right after that, a strong gust of wind blew out of them, and his body was lifted into the air.


    The wind had stopped blowing out of his hands, but he was still in the air; he was practically flying.


    "What in the heavens is this!" Elvlin''s mouth was left wide open.


    They had heard of Divine beings able to fly on weapons and such. Or travel hitting the air to give it the image as if they were flying, but there was an important fact in both of those.


    When in the air, they had to be constantly moving; if they were just to stay still, then gravity would affect them and pull them down to the ground.


    Right after, the palm of his hands he used to propel himself, and the man in the zer was off in a particr direction.


    "Isn''t he heading to where the Dimension boss was defeated, I think that''s where we spotted it," Tilon mentioned.


    "I think you''re right," Lilly agreed.


    "Well, that''s good, he seemed to be the head of these guys, and most likely the strongest, and he''s able to do things that we haven''t even seen Raze do," Alba mentioned.


    The group continued to watch, and groups of ten mages with their captains, were heading to different areas.


    They had all split heading off into another direction one by one; that was until there was one group of ten mages left in the current area they were in.


    "Alright team, fan out, don''t let any stone be left unturned! You heard what Eston said; we need to be done with this dimension in an entire week."


    "It makes no sense," one of the other mages replied. "If we look at the sky, this dimension will still be open for at least two months. Why do we have to rush this search?"


    "Didn''t you hear, thest team that got sent out, they were wiped out and killed by someone."


    "Wait, are you serious? Isn''t that impossible? I mean, unless another guild has figured out how to enter these types of dimensions."


    "That''s why Eston is here; you know he works under Idore; he''s a 6-star mage, so we should just listen unless we too want to be killed."


    Listening to everything that was being said and what was going on, Alba eventually let out a rtivelyrge sigh.


    "You''re worried, right?" Reno said. "I can tell what you''re thinking. From the look of things, these people can use powers that are simr to that of the Dark Mage."


    As Reno was saying these words using their powers, the groups were moving rubble without even touching them. While others were using a mixture of other powers, doing the same.


    "You''re worried, what if the Dark Mage is just one of these people that had shifted over to our side of Pagna? What if he was on the run because he was far weakerpared to the rest of these guys?"

 Chapter 427 Warriors Vs Mages

    Chapter 427 Warriors Vs Mages


    ??"Hey, hey, hey!" Kizer said, shocked to hear Alba''s words. "Are you really thinking that? I mean, you did so much to get someone like that on our side, and now you''re thinking he''s nothing special."


    Her stomach sank when Kizer had said those words out loud, but after seeing what she had seen today, she couldn''t help but think that way.


    "Everything we knew about the Dark Magus, the strange powers he had, his ability to open portals, and his ability to craft special items, these were the things that made him special," Alba exined.


    "There was no one like that in the world of Pagna that could do it. Now that I think about it more, it would make sense. These dimensions are linked to other worlds in the first ce.


    "Just because we have never heard reports of people being found in these other dimensions doesn''t mean they didn''t exist. More so than likely, the reason why Raze can do different things to us is because he is from these other dimensions and is like them."


    "The powers that we have seen these guys do are the same as the Dark Magus''. He helped us defeat the Light Faction Elder, but if it was just him on his own, he would have failed as well."


    "Then we meet the Dark Faction Academy Vice-principal, who is an incredibly strong Hybrid. And the Dark Magus even fell to the Lethal Bite n head."


    "I can''t help but think, what if someone who was extraordinary to us might just be someone ordinary from the other world, someone who we happened toe across."


    With these thoughts, she was doubting her decision-making. She had agreed to all of the favors of Raze because she thought he was special and worth keeping.


    "I understand how you''re feeling," Reno replied. "It''s normal to have doubts, especially when we''ve been pushed into a situation like this, but we aren''t ones to break our promises, so for now, let''s keep it."


    Shaking her head, she knew that they had to get out of the current situation they were in. It was only a matter of time until the mages started to search the area they were in as well.


    There were seven of them, and eleven doing the search. They could take them out one by one, surprise attack them.


    Or they could try to sneak out of the area. If they did, they might run into others as well. Simrly, if they fought back, then they could end up going against around fifty of them.


    "There looks to be nothing in this area. Honestly, I think a vige used to be here, and it just gotpletely destroyed," the mage said. "All we''re doing is moving rocks from one area to the next."


    The leader with the pointed hood moved towards the center and ced his hand on the ground.


    "If a vige really was here, then sometimes artifacts are underground. Tombs that might even have lingering beasts protecting them. Let me see if I can catch any movement," the man stated.


    The sand gently moved around him as his eyes were closed.


    Seeing this, the Crimson Crane members were wondering what their best move was.


    "I think we should get out of here and hide, unless we want to face an army of those guys, hide as long as possible until Raze is awake," Alba ordered.


    Right then, all of them felt something strange, a slight shifting underneath their feet. It was subtle. Not arge amount of movement and was only for a few seconds.


    All of them looked at each other at that moment. To which immediately Alba started to gather the Qi around her swords.


    "There are people here, quickly send the signal!" The squad leader ordered.


    "Ignite, twirl of fire!" He shouted. Immediately, from the palm of his hands, arge me erupted and was spinning out like a vortex going straight for where the others were.


    It wasrge in size and crashed into the debris and sandstone, causing an explosion.


    The Crimson Crane members covered themselves as they jumped to the side, and the debris went off in all different directions.


    When the dust settled, they finally could see the mages, having turned around and looked at them, and all of them in in view as well.


    Right then, before they could stop anything, one of the mages had shot into the sky arge light beam. It continued going up, and then when it reached the sky, it exploded looking like fireworks.


    "This isn''t good, this isn''t good at all!" Alba said.


    She had turned around, thinking of running, but the moment she did, arge wall had interrupted in front of her.


    Meanwhile, several beams of energy were shot the group''s way. She swung her swords, hitting the beams of energy which exploded on impact.


    The attacks were strong, like powerful shots of energy, but they didn''t quite harm the Crimson Crane members.


    The shots of energy went to each of the members, but Reno somewhat had his hands full holding onto the sword, and with Raze on his back. Coming in the way and blocking the attacks that were sent was none other than Tilon.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got your back," Tilon mentioned.


    "They''re warriors, and they seem to be strong ones, be careful!" The squad leader ordered.


    Ice started to form from the side, as one mage had his hands on the floor. It had encased Elvlin''s feet, holding her still.


    But Kizer, mming his foot on top of the ice with Qi, managed to shatter it.


    "Thanks for that one."


    Lilly with her spear, she had tried to make an exit for the group, stabbing therge wall behind them. She had obliterated and shattered it, but the moment she had destroyed it, it started to rise again blocking their way.


    The Crimson Crane were still under fire by arge number of different spells. They weren''t powerful like that of when fighting a middle stage warrior; it was more difficult for them.


    They had no idea what these spells could do. How much they would hurt, or the nature of them. It was tricky for them to deal with.


    It was like fighting against the Light Faction Elder, different versions of them, and although they were all weaker than the Light Elder even in terms of magic, it was annoying.


    "What do we do!" Tilon asked.


    Alba stood in front of them, all the beams of energying towards her. She swung her de, hitting them one after the other, and then jumped from where she was.


    They continued to attack her in the air, as she pounded all of the beams away with her Qi-infused swords. Shended right on top of a mage, swinging her de.


    The strange clothing almost rebounded her swords, but she pushed forward with even more Qi, stabbing right through the chest of the mage.


    It was bloody; the mage''s mouth was filled with blood before he passed out momentster.


    Without hesitation though, the other mages nearby continued to use spells attacking them.


    Alba spun her body with her des, creating a tornado of Qi of her own. It deflected the spells used against her, as she had rushed back with her group.


    "If they want to keep us here, then there is only one thing we can do; we have to fight back. Let''s show them the strength of us warriors!"

 Chapter 428 An Army Of Mages

    <h4>Chapter 428 An Army Of Mages </h4>


    ?"I''ll go for the one with the pointed hat; the rest of you cover each other!" Alba shouted.


    If there was one thing that was quite clear with these mages, it was the fact that they were organized. Their strength wasn''t that strong, but they were able to cover each other''s backs.


    There were simr things that other ns did with formations and techniques that were meant to be used by one or more people.


    So, in this case, Alba thought it was best to go for the leader of this little group.


    Lilly charged in with her spear, but it was hit by the side several times by a strange beam of light energy. It just veered the tip of her spear to the point where it would touch the floor, and right after that, it was frozen on the ground.


    It was only for a few moments, but it gave an opportunity for them to try and strike; thankfully, Tilon was there with his shield, which was able to mostly block everything that was sent their way.


    A few ice attacks hadnded on his shield, freezing it slightly, but with an almighty roar and burst of his Qi through his weapon, he was able to break it to pieces without damaging his weapon.


    When Alba charged towards the pointed hat squad leader, he had jumped and pushed himself back with wind magic. At the same time, he swung his hands through the air, creating wind slices that were aimed towards her.


    "Are you running away? Come and fight me directly!" Alba shouted.


    "Running away? All you warriors are as barbaric as the next. A mage fights with distance, in order to create an evenrger spell!"


    Lifting both of his hands above his head, arge fireball could be seen. It was the size of an entire cart. He then hurled it straight at Alba. It was as if a meteor wasing right at her.


    When Alba''s foot touched the ground, instead of jumping to the side or trying to run back, instead, she kicked off her foot and went forward. She tucked in her chin towards her chest and ced both swords by her side.


    On the other side, the mage hadnded back in the sand and was looking at the area around him.


    "It''s unusual for us to run into warriors, but it has happened on the odd asion. It''s a good thing that they upgraded the mages to 3-star that are on this expedition."


    The squad leader himself was a 4-star mage, with themander Eston being a 6-star mage. There wouldn''t usually be this many star mages in an expedition like this; it was only due to thest events.


    When looking in front of him though, he expected the fireball to hit the ground, but instead, it was still floating there in the air until arge cross shape could be seen in the fire.


    It had split apart into four different sections, anding right through the center of the mes was Alba.


    "Your powers confused us for a bit at first, so we were a bit hesitant, but let me tell you we aren''t by any means weak!"


    When Albanded on the ground, she kicked off her leg and spun. Both her des were ced together as she shed right past the squad leader.


    He was standing there in ce; he couldn''t even see her movements, and the top half of his body fell onto the ground.


    Right after, Alba didn''t move straight away; instead, she was staying in her position, and a sweat mark could be seen running down the side of her face.


    ''I used up a lot of Qi dealing with that attack, and the fight with that Hybrid from before. We haven''t really had time to rest; the rest of them¡­ I wonder how they''re doing.''


    Alba turned to look, and there was a smile on her face. Just like her, the trickiness of the spells they were going against, they were getting used to it.


    Kizer was charging in, wildly swinging his de one after the other, and he felt a rise in strength. The more enemies he went up against, the stronger the power from his weapon.


    Swinging his sword to the side, he managed to knock two away, killing them on the spot.


    Froma was offering support, constantly on the move, jumping and firing her arrows. At first, when her arrows hit the mage''s robes, they looked to have bounced off in some way.


    However, as time went on, it looked like whatever barrier was protecting the mages from her arrows, it was starting to fade away.


    Now she was able to urately hit them, and with nothing protecting them, she was taking them out one by one, until all 11 of the mages that they had gone against were dealt with.


    The Crimson Crane group, all of them were a bit tired, but were satisfied with the result.


    "It looks like we managed to do it in the end," Kizer said, digging his sword into the ground and leaning up against it.


    "Sorry I couldn''t help out much," Reno said. "I was a little worried that Raze would get hit in all of that mess."


    "I couldn''t help much either, since I lost my weapon and all," Elvlin said. "They were quite tricky to get close to."


    "It seemed like fighting from a range was their forte," Fromamented. "And that they had fought against warriors like us before, whereas it was the first time for us, for that, I would have to say I think we did pretty well."


    "You sick scum!" A loud voice shouted.


    When they turned their heads to look at the situation, they could see almost a sea of white heading their way.


    They were standing around thirty meters away from them, and it wasn''t just in one direction either. From all the different areas, there were more mages that were heading their way.


    The Crimson Crane and Alba grouped up in the center, with their backs facing away from each other so they could cover all of the sides.


    "This is¡­ it''s all the groups that had gone out before; it looks like they''vee here, there''s around forty of them here," Reno said.


    Alba was thinking about the situation. Together they were strong, and now there were even more of them, and their group was worn out as well; was it something that they could handle?


    Now there were four of the pointed-hooded mages as well.


    "That attack in the air from before, of course, it was a signal," Reno added. "I was so thankful that we had gotten out of the current situation that I had forgotten about it."


    "At least, theirmander or whatever he was doesn''t seem to be here. I wonder what he''s doing?" Renomented. "Do you think these guys will be so nice as to let us talk this one out like the man from before?"


    The mages started to gather magic, swirling around their hands, a flurry of different lights and colors were showing from all over.


    "I didn''t think so," Albamented.

 Chapter 429 You just made it worse

    <h4>Chapter 429 You just made it worse </h4>


    ?The Crimson Crane group had struggled fighting against 11 of these mages. Although a lot of that was due to them never fighting these types of opponents before.


    Now, with them going up against more than forty of them, they could all tell that it was going to be troubling, more so than they ever imagined.


    "Ha, ha, ha!" Kizer started tough; he could feel his special sword pulsating with power. The power from the weapon was surging back into him.


    One of the traits of his weapon was, after all, the more opponents that he was going against, the stronger it would be.


    "Tilon, just protect us for a while, and I''ll be sure to wipe these guys out for us in one hit; we''ll show them, these freaks, the strength of a Pagna warrior!" Kizer lifted his sword in the air and held it with a single hand.


    Then he ced it down on the ground behind him as if he was dragging the weapon. The downside of the weapon itself created by the Dark Magus was skills couldn''t be used more than once.


    Including that of even footwork, but what choice did they have in this situation.


    "Attack!" the mage squad leaders said, pointing out.


    A flurry of different spells went through the air, and in some cases, the spells werebining together, to make a whirlwind of mes and lightning strikes.


    There were even beams and lights of energy that wereing across them all.


    That was when Tilon lifted his shield up in the air with a single hand,rge and rectangr in shape, ck in color it started to flow with all of his Qi energy.


    "My job is to protect the Crimson Crane, and that''s exactly what I''m going to do, and Kizer, your job is to cause as much damage as you can, so do it!"


    Tilon mmed his shield on the ground, and a line of energy had spread around the group. Just as the attacks came their way, the energy exploded up from the floor surrounding them all.


    All of the attacks that were hurled toward the members were being blocked by this power. Tilon still had his hand on the shield, but Lilly, who was standing behind him, could see something was up.


    Tilon was huffing and panting, and his grip on his own shield was getting weaker by the second.


    ''Tilon''s been blocking attacks non-stop,'' Lilly thought. ''Even before when we fought that Hybrid, he hasn''t been able to catch a break. This is probably the hardest fight we''ve ever had to face, and I have no way to help him.''


    She looked at her spear, which was designed to create pinpoint damage in a singr area. In a fight like this, and against so many, what could she do?


    Worse than that, she thought Tilon couldn''t hold out much longer.


    After the initial attacks were blocked, the attacks didn''t stop but the scale of them did. The technique that Tilon had used came to an end, and the rest of the Crimson Crane were left protecting themselves.


    Meanwhile, Kizer started to run from the position he was in, the sword continuing to drag on the floor.


    "I''ll protect you!" Alba said, as she stayed in front, rapidly swinging her dual des, hitting all of the spells. The problem with spellspared to the techniques she would face, at times her Qi couldn''tpletely block the attack.


    Cutting through a fireball, the lingering power would still hit her in areas, the same with lightning or ice, but no matter what pain she was in, she still had to help.


    When the two were around ten meters away from the closest of the mages, Kizer gave the order.


    "Now!" Kizer shouted.


    Immediately, Kizer swung his weapon from the ground; it had sliced through the sandstone underneath as if it wasn''t even there, and a giant sweep of energy was unleashed.


    Therge power burst from the weapon was being added to his own Qi; it was an attack that could deal with half of the enemy with ease.


    One of the squad leaders that were in front of all of this, though, then pulled out a rounded circle device that looked a bit like a coin.


    He flipped it, and when itnded on the ground, arge barrier had appeared.


    The attack, all of the energy, started to move towards this barrier. Rather than stopping the attack, it was almost sucking all of the energy in.


    The energy looked like it was being wrapped into a single area until it hadpletely disappeared just like that.


    Kizer stood therepletely still; he was too stunned to even notice the attacks that were stilling at him.


    Alba had to jump in his way and continue to hit the attacks away.


    "Kizer, we''re still fighting, what are you doing just standing around!" She screamed.


    "But my attack, how¡­ I don''t even think middle-stage warriors could stop something like that," Kizer mumbled.


    It certainly was strange, Alba had to admit. The mages they had gone up against before were unable to do things like that, so how did they stop such arge-scale attack this time?


    Were there even stronger mages that they were fighting against? But that wasn''t the case at all.


    The squad leader had bent down to pick up therge coin from the floor and looked at it glowing.


    "The Mythical item Lucky Block. Fifty percent of the time it can block any attackpletely by absorbing its energy, while fifty percent of the time it does nothing.


    "There is a big differencepared to those thate from your world and our world, and that is the number of items that we hold and that mages have created for us.


    "We are blessed by Idore, The Noble, and his items. Our strength doesn''t juste from the star level we hold but the items that the Grand Magus has created for us!"


    The squad leader wasughing to himself.


    Both Kizer and Alba were heading back to the others, as they could see they were starting to get overwhelmed by the attacks.


    They still weren''t getting badly hurt, but an opportunity wasn''t arising, and it looked like there wasn''t going to be a chance for them to break out of this.


    "We just need an opening, one thing to go our way, I thought Kizer''s attack was going to be that, but¡­" Alba decided she needed to do something herself, but it would use up thest of her energy.


    Readying her sword, that''s when she saw something from abovee in between them. A personnded right in front of her.


    It wasn''t a person in mage clothing though, but it was one in Pagna clothing instead.


    With his iron leg, he kicked the sky, destroying most of the spells out of the way.


    "I bet you wished these people would have talked it out rather than fight, and it looks like I was right about you having the kid," Amirmented with a smile.


    It was strange, the hybrid they were fighting was now in front of them, although not in his hybrid form. What was he doing here, and why did he just stop their attacks?


    "Are you here to help us?" Alba quickly asked, wondering if it was another enemy they had to worry about or not.


    "I''m sorry, but I might have brought more trouble than help," Amir said, looking up at the sky.


    When looking up herself, Alba could see a man in white and gold-trim zer just floating above, slowly he wasing down to the ground bit by bit.


    As he wasing down, the other mages were letting up with their attacks. They didn''t want to hit themander after all.


    Right then, themandernded in front of the other mages in the sand and looked at all of the others that were present.


    "My my, I never expected this, I never thought that there would be more than one, but a whole party in this ce. I wonder how this even came to be."


    "Are you sure you don''t know anything about thest expedition, the death of our people?" Eston, themander asked.


    "You brought themander!" Alba stated.


    "As I said, I might have brought more trouble rather than help. I was trying to get away from him and ended up here."


    "I guess there''s no choice now though, I''ll just have to go all out. Protect the White Dragon!" Amir stated as his body started to transform.

 Chapter 430 The Truth has been Found

    <h4>Chapter 430 The Truth has been Found </h4>


    ?Those in Pagna felt like they were in a tricky situation. After the meeting with the Principal and Vice-principal, the other students had been told to head back to the Red Headband base.


    The thing was, while at the base, the security had been increased. More of the masked men were outside, and all of the students had been told to gather and remain in one room.


    They were given a big executive room on the second floor. A room that the teachers and instructors would stay in at times.


    "What is all this, the teachers have such a soft and luxurious bed, this ce was in the building the whole time!" Liam said as he bounced on the bed a few times.


    "Do you really think that''s what''s important right now?" Simyon replied.


    Liam was still bouncing on the bed. He had never felt something so soft before.


    "What do you mean, they had this the whole time, and the teachers hardly stay here, apart from the ones that are watching us."


    Dame looked at the door. There was a single entry point, and he ced his finger on his lips. There were tworge windows that faced the outside.


    Just outside that, though, one could see a line of six guards, all of them wearing masks. It was almost as if they expected the group to escape.


    They knew what Dame''s gesture meant, that there was someone on the other side of the door as well, so if they were to say anything, they should be careful.


    "It''s been a while though, do you think Raze is okay?" Safa asked, being vague. They all knew the situation he was in.


    "Yeah, he should be good, you know he always pulls through in tough situations," Damemented, walking away from the door and heading to the window.


    There was one worry on his mind; it had been a long time, and the longer they spent without Raze, it meant they needed to get ready to act out at any moment.


    However, he noticed something, that Safa was moving her hands about and had her eyes closed quite a bit. She also managed to get the book from her room beforeing here and had been studying it a few times.


    He was wondering what she was up to, when she eventually started to draw something on the floor in front of them all.


    "What is going on, have you gone mad without your brother?" Madamented.


    When the circle was finished being drawn, Safa sat down and ced both of her hands together. Since the magic circle had been drawn, there was no need to cast out a spell just for her to use her magic.


    Light Magic touched the circle and it lit up; when it did, it started to expand out further and further until this energy passed through each of their bodies.


    It was soothing for them all. A gentle feeling that brought calmness in all of their hearts.


    "We should be able to speak freely now; this is a suppression spell so it drowns out what we''re saying, but we should make it quick, otherwise, I think the silence will make them suspicious," Safa exined.


    Both Ricktor, Mada as well as Tinson and his group were quite dumbfounded. Was there a skill that could do such a thing, what did she mean by spell?


    Although Safa wanted to hide her magic powers away from the eyes of others, the situation was too serious. At the moment, all of their lives were at risk, and everyone was in this together. All of their lives were at stake.


    "Well, what I want to know is why did they put you guys with us, I mean aren''t you the Principal''s son?" Simyon asked.


    "That might be the reason why," Ricktor replied. "He might think it is good if I keep an eye on you, that I will still be loyal to him."


    "And are you?" Liam instantly asked. They still weren''t sure they could trust the main disciples and with good reason as well.


    "I would appreciate it if you didn''t call the Principal my father, because he does not see me as his son anymore," Ricktor exined. "I''m sure you would know."


    Ricktor went to set his eyes on Simyon, and when he did, he gave a little wink.


    "A certain incident made him somewhat disown me; I would rather not get into details, but to him, only my strength matters to the n; there is no family bond."


    "If we can speak freely, then I want to know if Cronker with us?" Dame asked.


    In the corner of the room, as if appearing out of the shadows, a small thud was heard, and then he had appeared.


    "I am here; while you were in the meeting as well, I managed to snoop around and find a few things out," Cronker said. "They went to check up on the Vice-principal, and it seems that the portal is closed."


    Everyone with wide eyes started to look at each other. What did this mean for Raze? What did this mean for them, and what were they to do now to get out of the current situation?


    "The portal''s closed, but that''s just from our side right?" Tinson said. "Doesn''t that mean, there''s still a way for them to get out?"


    "But we know who went after them," Violet added. "It was the Vice-principal. That means that the dimension boss was defeated; was it done on purpose? Maybe it was even done by those that were helping Raze to try and keep them there."


    The thing was, there was too little information for them all to go on. It just put the worry in their chests even heavierpared to before.


    "We shouldn''t panic," Dame said. "If we need to fall back anywhere, then I know a ce we should head to, at the back of the academy, past the forest down the cliffside, in the valley of fog, there is a cave. If anything should happen, all of us should head there."


    Dame knew Raze could create portals, so he wasn''t so worried about him; he was more worried about his group. If they went to the area of fog, and the academy didn''t give up their chase, then what would happen?


    ---


    Cronker was right with his information he had gathered, and this information had, of course, reached the ears of the Principal Murkel.


    "So, the portal has closed, and it''s been quite some time since it has done so. There is a chance that something happened to Amir after all then," Murkelmented.


    "On top of that, we have received information back from the Lethal Bite n. At the moment, they haven''t received an update from the n Head Feebie nor their Vice Head Royo."


    Hearing all of this, the Principal sat in front of his wooden desk and was stroking his soft beard slightly.


    "Is it really possible for a bunch of students to orchestrate something like this? To have the power to do something like this?"


    "Perhaps not on their own, but there is one thing that''s for sure. The students have to be involved in this somehow."


    "I guess it''s time to get some answers from them. Make sure the students remain where they are, and we shall do everything in the academy''s power to get answers from them," Murkel ordered, standing from his seat.

 Chapter 431 The only one, Ortian Guild

    <h4>Chapter 431 The only one, Ortian Guild</h4>


    ?The Crimson Crane was in trouble, no doubt. None of them had been heavily injured by the attacks they were dealing with, but they were running out of Qi, and energy in general, fast.


    On top of that, one of the opponents they were going up against had just started to use items. Strong magical items, and it didn''t seem like they were the only ones.


    How many of the mages that they were going against held these items? They wouldn''t know, and if things continued going on the way they were, then there was a good chance that they wouldn''t find out.


    Alba, the leader of the Crimson Crane, felt a high level of responsibility. She was the one who had made this promise with the Dark Mage; she was the one who knew the risks, and the rest had followed believing in her.


    ''No matter what, I have to make sure the otherse out of here alive, even if I have to use every single cell of my blood energy!'' She thought, gripping onto her sword.


    That was until a certain man had dropped down in front of her. From his clothing alone, she had instantly recognized him, but it didn''t make any sense to her.


    Would an enemy she was practically fighting till death with have their back facing away from her, and not just that, why would they block all the attacksing their way?


    There was a good chance that the individual was just blocking the attacks so they didn''t hit them, but then why use such arge sweeping leg move?


    That was until she saw themander, slowlying down, the man known as Eston, floated down andnded in the sand.


    Things were moving so fast that Alba didn''t know what to do at this moment, and then, the words hade out of his mouth.


    "I guess there''s no choice now, though, I''ll just have to go all out, protect the White Dragon!" Amir stated as his body started to transform.


    "The White Dragon?" Alba turned her head and looked at Raze being carried on Reno''s back. He had white hair. He was the only one in the group with white hair.


    On top of that, she knew the Vice-principal was looking for Raze.


    Right as Amir''s body was starting to change, his arms were forming, the ck substance was moving around his body.


    Attacks from the mages could be seening his way. Alba was closest to Amir, and she needed to make a choice straight away.


    ''My instincts, everything is telling me that this man, he doesn''t want to harm Raze. The fact that he let us go back then as well.''


    ''I''m not a hundred percent sure, and I never can be, but in this situation, the enemy of my enemy is my friend rings true!''


    Alba shifted where she was, a red streak was left in the ground from her foot as she twirled around and swung with her sword.


    Arge red sh was made in the air, breaking the attacks from all of the mages.


    Even the mages were taken back by this a bit. If they were fighting against other mages, they would struggle to find many that could deal with so many in this situation.


    It was the first time they were dealing with Pagna warriors that were at this level.


    "I''ve made my choice, I used up a lot of Qi blocking that attack. I was saving just enough to run away if that was the only thing left to do, but now with that attack, I''ve chosen to fight, it better be the right decision!" Alba said.


    Amir''s arms had formed, the w marking, and as for his tentacle-like arm, instead of forming into the giant cleaver like he had done before, instead it was thick by his arm and extended out until forming a cylinder-like shape with an opening at the end.


    It was something that Alba had never seen before.


    Pointing therge barrel-like object at the mages, arge condensed round beam of energy came out right from his arm.


    It went fast in the air and hit a mage right in the head forming a hole through him, in that moment the mage fell to the ground dead.


    ''What is that thing, was that projectile Qi that he just used, but that''s impossible. That amount of Qi control is meant to only be possible by Divine stage!'' Alba thought.


    Everything about the attack, and the strength though, certainly made it seem that way.


    "Impressive, but I still believe you made the wrong choice," Eston said as he lifted both of his hands.


    Strange leather strapping he had around his forearms started to glow. He swung his arm to the left, and arge gust of wind was felt on Alba.


    She felt no pain, but her whole body shifted to the side as if it was being pushed by some type of invisible force. Right after Eston shoved his hand out.


    From the palm of his hand, arge vortex of wind erupted. It wasn''t just wind though; within the wind itself, there looked to be sharp strikes.


    Instantly it had hit Amir, and lifted him in the air, as it did the sharp corners of the vortex hit his body constantly. The vortex then continued to move and as Eston ced his hands on the floor.


    The vortex of wind mmed Amir onto the floor. The opening of the vortex was still sharp, like a thousand des all of them cutting and shing as they touched Amir''s skin.


    "You people have no idea who I am," Eston said. "There is a reason why I am one of themanders of Idore''s Noble Guild!"


    Eston the mage had a past, before he had joined the Noble Guild. Being a 6-star mage was quite an achievement, and he was a mage that had gained many achievements.


    One of these was being in a military guild called Ortian. It was a guild that had only ten members. With it being part of the military, they were forced to go on dangerous missions from time to time.


    Missions that only over 6-star mages could handle. The Ortian Guild became one that had menacing power. It was one many wished to join, but there was only one way one could join the Ortian Guild.


    A mage would have to rece one of the members, that meant a person had to kill one of the Ortian Guild members in order to be a part of them.


    This is what managed to make the guild and the strength of them rise higher and higher. However, there came times where members wished to leave the guild.


    Maybe the fighting life wasn''t for them anymore, or they had a family to look after, but leaving the guild was even more difficult than joining.


    All members of the guild had a pact that if one wanted to leave, then they would have to face all nine other members of the Ortian Guild at once.


    If they were sessful in beating them all, the guild would disband, and they were free.


    For a long time, those that had tried to leave, all of them ended up dead. That was all apart from one.


    Eston had received an offer from Idore, using the strength of his items, he had left the guild, annihting all other 9 members.


    All of the strongest 6-star mages in existence. That was Eston''s strength, that was the type of mage that they were going against.


    "I am the only person to ever leave the Ortian Guild!" Eston shouted as the vortex grewrger.

 Chapter 432 A Mages Ace

    <h4>Chapter 432 A Mages Ace </h4>


    ?The story of Eston and the guild he used to be in was widely known by those in the Noble Guild that he worked with.


    They felt that as long as they had amander like him on their side, no matter what they faced, what type of beasts, or warriors came in their way, they would be able to deal with the situation.


    With the way things were going, it certainly seemed that way. The vortex''s attack that wasing from his arms wouldn''t let up and was pushing Amir down hard into the ground.


    Even the sandstone underneath the sand could be seen ripping apart. The sandstone around the area was disappearing in front of their eyes.


    "Everyone, we have to do what we can to help him!" Alba shouted.


    The Crimson Crane weren''t so sure about the order, but they weren''t sure about a lot of things these days, so as usual, they would leave the decision-making up to Alba and follow her lead.


    The group was on the move, rolling over. Lilly jumped on Tilon''s shield, who gave her a little push, and she headed straight for the vortex.


    At the same time, Kizer lifted hisrge sword and was ready. He was limited with the amount of tenacity he had left that he could do, but even swinging it normally with Qi gave him great power due to the number of opponents around.


    Then, Alba instead, rather than attacking the vortex, had decided to head straight for the circle of mages that were surrounding them, and she wanted to start with the ones with the pointed hoods.


    ''These guys are the squad leaders and are most likely to have the troublesome items on them. I need to get rid of them first!''


    Alba jumped from her position, attacking the spells heading her way, andnded right in the center. Immediately she struck the mage closest and she had her eyes on, the pointed hood man closest.


    "We have a reputation as a n in the world of Pagna for a reason, and I''m going to show you why!"


    Back in the center, where the vortex was being unleashed by Eston, the other Crimson Crane members had used their attacks to try and disrupt the vortex.


    Their strikes were powerful, and in using them, they managed to disrupt the vortex. The strong winds blew apart, but as it did, the sharp strong winds went out in all directions.


    As it hit the sandstone on the floor, it cut them up, and the attack had hit some of the Crimson Crane members. Elvlin was scratched across the cheek. Lilly had arge cut across her arm. Several of the strikes were going toward Reno as well, but that''s when Tilon came in at thest second holding up his shield.


    Some of the strikes cut his leg, causing his blood to soak the area beneath him, but he still stood there.


    With his attack being stopped, Eston looked at the ones that were responsible. When looking down though, he could see the Hybrid with his long-barreled arm pointed right at him.


    Amir fired out arge Qi attack. Tapping the side of his arm, a barrier appeared and the attack had beenpletely blocked.


    Although the smile on Eston''s face was no longer there. "What are you all doing? Get rid of the others, I will deal with the monster!"


    Eston floated back down rather quickly and started to create a sharp ball in his hand. It was swirling all over, constantly moving.


    The ball was thrown right into Amir''s stomach again. "You have a pretty strong body to have not been killed by myst attack!" Eston said. "But, this is easy work for me! I have done much harder things."


    Amir''s feet were holding onto the ground, and although the strange ball was attacking him constantly like a sharp razor knife, where the attack had hit, his hard ck skin was in ce.


    "You know, you being here, you got rid of your one advantage you have, and that''s because of getting too close to a warrior!" Amir shouted.


    He bent down and delivered arge kick right under Eston''s legs. The attack had caused him to flip and fall to the ground.


    Eston could see Amir''srge w hand following up, and just before it hit, he threw out his own hand, bringing out anotherrge vortex of power.


    The two blows shed, and wind attacks as well as Qi were sent out in the resounding areas.


    The Crimson Crane were used to this by now avoiding a lot of the leakage from the two fights, but even some of the mages were being hit by the magic that Eston was using.


    Amir continued with his strong punch, but he saw that it had hit nothing but the ground, and that Eston was already on his feet.


    "I am quite a bit faster than the others you see. You shouldn''t be worrying too much about me." Eston imed as he threw his arms in the air.


    Out of the power of his wind, it looked like a giant sword had appeared in the sky. It swung down, splitting the air itself apart.


    Seeing this, Amir bent both of his knees and then jumped from his ce; his barrel-like arm had changed to a giant cleaver.


    Swinging it, he crashed into the sword, breaking it apart.


    After which, his eyes were locked onto Eston. "What do you think is going to run out first, your magic or my Qi? I bet you don''t know much about Hybrids, do you?" Amir stated.


    His hand, after destroying therge wind sword, was already turning back into that of arge barrel-like shape.


    After that though, Amir moved his other hand, and that started to break down as well. Both of his hands were changing shape, and they started to form together.


    In doing so, they were creating an evenrger barrel-like object with a bigger opening on the end.


    "The amount of Qi I have, due to what I am, is far more than that of an average warrior, and I wasn''t an average warrior to begin with!"


    The end of his barrel started to light up, and the attack width and range seemed toorge for Eston to just go away.


    He activated both of the bracers on his arm, which created tworge barriers in front of him, and he started to move his hands in the air, now creatingrge barriers of wind as well.


    Out from the barrel, Amir''s Qi was fired. Arge st went out of constant energy.


    It broke right through the barriers, and now only Eston''s magic was holding up the attack.


    The energy continued to hit Eston, and the others were unable to see a thing. The whole ground was shaking in the area.


    The power felt from nearby made them feel sick.


    Finally, the attack from Amir hade to an end. His arms started to split back apart, turning into what they were before, and he looked ahead, surprised to see his opponent still there.


    "I guess you were a strong mage yourself."


    Eston was on the ground, huffing and panting for having used so much of his mana. He had managed to stop the attack without getting a wound on him, but at what cost?


    It seemed like the fight would be over, and the two of them hadn''t even been fighting for long.


    "You have no idea, no idea what I have been through!" Eston shouted.


    "And why would I?" Amir replied back. "I don''t know you; this is the first time the two of us have met."


    Gathering some energy, Eston eventually stood up from the ground.


    "A lot of people thought I left my old guild, was able to defeat the other members because of the items that Idore gave me as part of the deal of joining him," Eston smirked.


    "But, that wasn''t it at all. I only received the items from Idore after joining. Which means, I was able to take out 9 6-star mages, all by myself, do you have any idea how?" Eston asked.


    Amir honestly had no idea what this man was talking about, but the reason he was cautious himself was that after such arge move like that he did, he was a little vulnerable; he just needed a little more time to gather his energy back.


    "It''s because of one thing." Eston ced his hand on his chest at that moment, and all of his magic was gathered in one ce, around his heart, his magic core.


    "Breakthrough!"

 Chapter 433 A Mage Breakthrough

    <h4>Chapter 433 A Mage Breakthrough</h4>


    ?The word "breakthrough" for a Pagna warrior and a mage meant two different things. For a warrior, it was when one was stuck at a stage and needed to do something different than they normally would to go onto the next stage.


    The mostmon times one would be stuck in their cultivation were through the different stages: Initial, Middle, and Divine.


    However, every person was different, meaning the times when they would need to break through might be more oftenpared to others.


    For a mage, a breakthrough wasn''t a spell; it was more so a type of technique, something that only a few mages could do and had managed to achieve.


    A breakthrough allowed one to activate all of the magic in their core around their heart. The core would essentially break in that moment, exploding magic all over the body.


    This would make them immensely powerful, but there were a few things to note. Because a breakthrough involved the breaking of a magic core, the powers obtained would be rted to one''s magic core and its base.


    The other thing was the state onlysted a certain amount of time. Although powerful, they no longer had a core that could be used to control magic in the conventional way.


    Which meant, after the breakthrough state was over, a person couldn''t perform magic until the magic core was repaired.


    This would happen naturally and was nothing for the mages to worry about, but if one couldn''t defeat their enemy with a breakthrough, it certainly meant it was their loss.


    Every breakthrough was different for every mage, regardless of if they had the same core or not, giving them strange powers.


    Right now, Eston was performing that very same breakthrough.


    "Breakthrough!"


    The magic core surrounding his heart expanded and broke out, and mana was unleashed throughout his body.


    A faint white glow could be seen lingering over his body. His eyes started to glow slightly to the point where one would find it hard to see the color in his pupils.


    "I guess it takes a monster in its own right to defeat another monster!" Eston said.


    Seeing this transformation, Amir needed to do what he could and transformed his hand into another long barrel, firing out a Qi shot.


    In response to this, Eston opened his mouth wide, and arge amount of wind back had hit the Qi, to the point that it had been sent right back.


    The attack crashed right into Amir, exploding on impact. However, Amir was strong in his form, and he continued to charge through with his unique body.


    "You kept going on about how I don''t understand who you are or what you have been through, but it''s the same for me. You have no idea what I am capable of!" Amir eximed.


    He burst with power forward, right at Eston. Before he could reach him, though, Eston had raised his hand and then lowered it to the ground.


    At the same time, a massive amount of force was felt on Amir, mming him into the ground and breaking the floor underneath him.


    Just like before, Amir was unable to move, but there were worse things he had to worry about.


    Hanging above in the air were several swords shaped by his wind magic. They had just appeared behind him, hanging around his back.


    Right then, a sword went right down and pierced right through Amir''s back.


    "It hurts right? You said I had no idea how strong you are, well why don''t you show me?" Eston asked.


    Another sword flew from where Eston was and pierced right through Amir''s hand, breaking through the hard ck armor.


    "Wind at high speeds and velocities, condensed, is a very, very dangerous thing!" Eston said.


    He lifted both of his hands, and being pushed by the wind magic, like some type of telekinesis power, he was lifted into the air.


    Right after that, the swords that were hovering in the air followed, each one of them rapidly started to move and slice apart Amir''s body.


    As they moved and flew in the air, he was getting cut all over, one ce after the other, and blood was dripping from the sky, falling like raindrops.


    "Alright, time for the more serious stuff!" Eston said.


    With Amir still in the air, Eston''s own body started to float up at an amazing speed, to the point he was now above Amir.


    The power he had, the mana, it was as if he had never been fighting or hurt in thest attack, and his next attack was just even more proof of that.


    "Double vortex!" Eston shouted.


    From his hands, tworge vortexes twirled and intertwined with each other like dragons before they crashed into Amir''s body.


    He tried to fight it with his Qi, tried to fight it with the rest of his power, but it was doing nothing until he was mmed on the ground.


    The rest of the tornado followed, pushing Amir further and further. The power of such an attack caused the wind to ripple out in the area.


    It lifted the other mages off their feet, sending them back. The Crimson Crane, who were close as well, were unable to fight it as they started to slip away, being pushed out, and at the same time, Reno could do nothing, as Raze was flung from his back.


    He bashed on the floor, being hit across the sand a couple of times until the attack had eventually stopped.


    Estonnded back on the ground next to therge hole he had created; he was unable to even see where Amir was.


    The power was still glowing around him; he still had plenty of strength to use.


    "Come on then, do I have to do everything myself? You guys, get rid of them!" Eston shouted.


    The mages, in their daze, snapped out of it and began to attack.


    Meanwhile, Reno was doing his best to look around; he was twisting and turning his head until he could see Raze.


    He ran over as fast as he could; Raze''s bodyy t out on the ground. Reno had arrived and could see he didn''t look to be in any harm.


    "That''s good to know," Reno said, looking at Raze''s face.


    "Watch out!" Tilon shouted, diving in again. A number of lightning, fire, and ice spells hade their way; his shield took the brunt of the attack, but his grip was weak and flung in the airnding in the sand.


    Now Tilon had nothing left to protect them.


    The mages that were near them continued to use their spells as well.


    Tilon tried to get up, but his body was hit by a me ball in the chest, causing him to kneel off and part of his body to be shredded.


    "Tilon!" Reno called out, but he felt something pull his leg, a giant nt growing from the sand dragged him out.


    The two of them could do nothing, and when more spells came their way targeting all of them. They had also gone past them.


    In particr, one lightning strike-like spell had continued past, hitting Raze''s body.


    Reno witnessed it light up right there and then. "Crap!" Reno shouted, he managed to leak some of his power onto the nt burning the tip like some acid, and then started to make his way over.


    "If he''s like this, and gets hit any more, he could die, I have to protect him!" Reno said to himself.


    When moving closer though, something was felt as he took a step. The sand around Raze, it was swirling in a circr motion.


    Another step closer was taken by Reno, and a strange power was felt, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.


    The third step was taken, and arge pulse of energy, simr to that of a heartbeat, spread out like a ripple.


    ''Is this¡­ing from Raze?'' Reno thought.

 Chapter 434 Kill Everyone

    <h4>Chapter 434 Kill Everyone </h4>


    ?Everything around Reno almost went silent. He didn''t quite know what was happening to his senses. Every step he took forward toward Raze, he could feel a stronger surge of power.


    Yet, what was this power? How could one emit it when they were still asleep like Raze currently was? He still hadn''t gotten up from the floor; he was still lying there just sleeping.


    ''I have to continue to take another step forward, I have to keep going forward, but why, why is it so hard to force my body to? It''s almost as if it doesn''t want me to!'' Reno thought to himself.


    It was a crazy thought to have, and he could see the mages almost trying to target him soon. So, ignoring his fears, ignoring what his body was trying to tell him, he continued to take a step forward.


    Another step through the sand, closer than before, and the strange feeling had intensified. Every cell was vibrating in the other direction, trying to pull him away, and the sick feeling was growing in his stomach.


    Still, trying to ignore his gut feelings, he got one step closer, and that was when he learned that it was just a step too far.


    "You¡­" The sound around Reno had almost drained. The look on the mage''s face, the color of the sand, all of it was draining away from him, and all he could hear was a soft whisper of a female voice.


    "You, stay away¡­" The voice said.


    Before Reno could do anything else, before he could properly act, he felt a great pressure on his chest. He was unable to see anything; all he could hear was the voice.


    As it pressed on his chest, he felt arge surge of power in the area. His legs were lifted up from the ground, and he saw his entire body go in thepletely opposite direction.


    "Reno?" Tilon''s head was tilted, confused by what he just saw. No one was next to him; he still had at least another five meters or maybe more before he would reach Raze, so what was going on?


    Right then, Reno''s body crashed into Tilon, sending them both tumbling into the sand. When they finally stopped, Reno managed to look up and nced towards Raze''s body.


    "What was that?" Reno asked, feeling his heart racing and the strong power through him. His whole body was covered in sweat.


    It was the first time, in a long while, since he had felt a type of true fear, and his body was reacting to it. Everything had somewhat returned the color and the sound in his ears, but now he was even further.


    "Hey, hey, hey, what happened? Did themander guy knock you away?" Tilon asked.


    Themander seemed to be observing the rest of the Crimson Crane. After dealing with Amir, he was trying to see who was the most troublesome to get rid of, and his eyes hadnded on Alba.


    She had managed to kill another one of the squad leaders with her skill and perseverance and was now battling with another.


    "I guess, with her gone, there isn''t really any more that can trouble us," Eston thought, lifting up his hand and pointing it toward her.


    The glow started to surround his hand until he was interrupted by a cry.


    "AHHHH!" A mage screamed from the side.


    Turning his head, Eston could see the mage that was screaming; his arm was bent the wrong way, his bones were sticking out, and blood was on the floor.


    Yet, there were no warriors next to him; he was only standing next to other mages.


    The mage was in incredible pain, screaming at his broken bones, before arge force was felt on his knees. A loud cracking sound followed as he fell to the ground, his knees caving in and his legs bending the wrong way.


    Lastly, a twist of the head silenced the screams, as the rest of his body fell to the floor.


    The mages next to him took a step away, unsure of what had just happened.


    "How did he¡­ how did the mage die? It looked like someone twisted his head. Is it a type of spell?" One of them guessed.


    They were looking towards the other warriors. They were the only enemy they were going up against. So it was only right for them to think that this attack had urred from them.


    Yet, they were scattered and so far away, at least from the mage that was hurt in question. Soon though, the startled nature of them changed, and they started their attack on the Crimson Crane members again.


    They had their hands held out, ready to cast spells, that was until one mage met the same result again. This time, his fingers twisted, breaking apart, then it went to his wrist, snapping, right before his head was caved in and blood sttered in the air.


    The mage had fallen to the ground, another one suffering a cruel fate.


    "What is going on? Is it some type of ghost?" Some of the mages started to point their hands and spells right where thest victim had died and continued to fire away.


    Yet, it did nothing but disturb the sand in the area, leaving a hole in the area.


    "Did we get rid of it?"


    "Get rid of what, the sand?"


    "The ghost that''s killing us!"


    Using this as an opportunity, Kizer swung his sword and managed to slice a few of the mages apart, while others were lifted in the air from the outburst of the attack.


    "Whatever it is, it seems like it''s on our side!" Kizer said as he continued to fight.


    However, Reno, who was still next to Tilon, wasn''t so sure about that.


    "What''s going on? I''ve always considered you the smartest out of us, so do you know why is everyone getting taken down by some invisible force?" Tilon asked.


    Reno wasn''t quite so sure either, but he couldn''t forget the strange feeling he felt, the voice that sounded in his head, and then the push right after.


    ''Could it be¡­ is this alling from Raze? But how could he do such a thing while being unconscious?'' Reno thought.


    He didn''t want to say it out loud, for it sounded like a madman, and even from the things he had seen so far, it still felt like this was out of the realm of possibility.


    That''s when he was keeping a close eye. There had to be a link; not everyone was getting attacked.


    The spells continued heading towards the Crimson Crane members, and now with Reno''s powers, he was the one blocking the attacks that were going to hit Tilon, but he was still worried about Raze.


    That''s when he saw a mage lifting its hand, pointing it at none other than Raze. The magic started to flow, and just before he could finish his spell.


    His elbow popped up with part of the bone ripping through the skin, and right after that, a loud crack was heard, and an indent was seen on the chest.


    Blood filled the mage''s mouth before falling to the ground.


    "I can''t believe it, anyone that''s targeting Raze¡­ is being killed. What is this, is this his doing?" Reno''s hands were shaking, and he didn''t even realize it.


    ''No, it was that voice, that female voice, what is going on here?''

 Chapter 435 We’ve Been Waiting For You

    <h4>Chapter 435 We''ve Been Waiting For You</h4>


    ?The link, the link that all of the mages were looking for and that Reno was trying to find, he felt like he was the only one who had figured it out so far.


    ''The ones that are being attacked are those that are aiming their spells at Raze who is still on the ground. Some might not have directly aimed it at him, but anything that seems to be going in his general direction or line of fire, they''re getting killed.''


    The force being used to do such a thing was immensely strong. Reno had felt it firsthand, but he was also wondering why he had been spared.


    Was it because whoever was protecting Raze right now knew that they weren''t enemies? If so, why not let hime close, or why give such a warning? And what was it about this mysterious voice that shook Reno to his very core.


    As things continued, more mages were getting their heads twisted, blood appearing on their bodies, or being hit away.


    As the mages were radically using more spells next to those that had died and were continuing to attack all of the warriors in sight, panic was setting in within the warriors.


    "What is going on, why are our people getting hurt?" One of the squad leaders was also trying to observe the situation.


    Before this, he was getting ready to deal with Alba. He still had the special coin in his hand, but now there was a bigger issue at hand.


    And that''s when he had a theory as well, something was clicking in his head.


    ''One of their people, he hasn''t tried to go close to the body. Just before all of this happened, it looked like he was desperately trying to protect the white-haired kid on the floor.'' The leader thought.


    This was when another thought had urred in his head as well. ''Now that I think about it, didn''t that hybrid say something as well, to protect the White Dragon? Could he mean the person on the floor, is there something special about him.''


    Through his observations, it didn''t take long for him to figure out what was going on as well.


    "Be careful with your attacks on the one on the floor!" the mage warned. "It seems like the unconscious one is involved."


    The mages heard the word, and it spread to the others, but they couldn''t quite believe it. That was until one of the mages wished to test the theory out by holding out their hand.


    The moment they started to cast magic, their head was twisted, and they fell on the floor.


    It appeared as if the death of the mages was getting faster as well. Since more people were trying to attack Raze.


    "It''s true, so what do we do then?" One of the mages asked.


    "Maybe if we get closer we can do something!" One of the mages called out and rushed in.


    As they did though, the same thing happened. They witnessed his head being twisted, and he soon fell on the floor.


    Right after witnessing that, no one wanted to do a thing. They didn''t want to try casting a spell near the body on the ground or move close to it, and they all took a step back.


    "What is going on, is no one willing to attack?" Eston said, his voice trembling with anger. So much the magic from his glowing body pushed out again.


    The mages close by had to use magic to protect themselves or lift their hands to stop the gust of sands from going into their eyes.


    "Fine, if no one else can do it, then I guess I will just have to do it myself!" Eston said, as he raised his hand.


    When he did, the magic continued to flow out from his body strongly, in all areas. The glow around him started to extend out, and he could see part of it flickering.


    Almost as if areas of his aura were being hit, but nothing was getting to him.


    "It looks like I''m too much for whatever this is, so let''s kill the kid!" Eston said.


    Right before the spell was unleashed, he felt something wrap around his hands and pull it to its side.


    Right after that, arge fist came out, and a kick hit him right in the face.


    The kick was filled with Qi, causing his body to skid and scrape across the floor. With his wind powers, he stabilized himself up and looked at who had just done the damage.


    "You, are you still not dead yet!" Eston shouted.


    Amir hade out from the hole that had been made for him. His body was reverting back to what it was. The hybrid parts of himself were going away, including his tentacle hand that he had just used.


    Finally, all parts had disappeared, and it looked like all of the wounds that had been made on his body from the attacks before had disappeared as well.


    "A hybrid''s body is a lot more sturdy than you think, I will live from an attack like that." Amirmented.


    Just as he finished his sentence though, Eston flicked his finger and a wind sword had gone right through his body from behind.


    Blood was soaking him once again. It didn''t take long for Amir to fall on his knees again.


    "If I beat you when you were at your strongest, what makes you think that I can''t just beat you, with the way you are now?" Eston said, as he prepared his hand again and faced it toward the man on the ground one more time.


    However, this time, he was a bit stunned because he could see two people next to him.


    Reno and Tilon had run over to Raze''s side.


    "Hey, I thought he was the cause of all this, howe we didn''t get hit away like you did earlier?" Tilon asked.


    "I could feel it when that guy used his powers. It seemed to suppress whatever it was that was helping him. We need to check if everything is fine with Raze and get him out of here!" Reno exined.


    Reno went to pick up Raze; he wanted to grab him and tie him up before the others realized it was safe to attack him again.


    When he went to touch his skin though, he could feel his fingers slipping slightly.


    When looking at them, he noticed that there was a thin film; his thumb and tips were smudged in ck.


    "Is this residue from his body... the impurities," Renomented.


    "Impurities, wait if that''s impurities from his body doesn''t that mean?" Tilon looked at Raze''s body on the floor.


    While asleep, some crazy things were happening to this person but, how could that even be.


    While looking at his own fingers, Reno noticed something else as well. Raze''s finger, it was twitching.


    It continued to twitch bit by bit, and a surge of Qi pulsed from his body again.


    ''This feeling, it was the same as I felt the first time when I came closer to Raze, this immense power.''


    The pulsating continued like a heartbeat, a power surging through both Reno and Tilon.


    ''I thought it was that mysterious being from before, but what if that power I felt before... it was actually Raze!'' Reno thought.


    And that''s when he could see it, a small smile appeared on his face.


    "It took you long enough¡­ you''ve caused us a lot of trouble while you were asleep."

 Chapter 436 Escape the Academy (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 436 Escape the Academy (Part 1) </h4>


    ?Inside the Red Headband base on the second floor, all of the students were gathered in a single room. They had somewhat formed a n for what was to happen next after finding out that the portal was closed.


    A contingency n was needed if Raze never returned. Otherwise, all of them would be in major trouble.


    In their minds, they were thinking things would be okay. They were the ones that were attacked by the Lethal Bite n. They hadn''t done anything wrong.


    Staying in the room though, Cronker had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of the group again. He then looked out of the window.


    There was a group of those with masks on their facesing toward them, and they appeared to be talking to the current guards that were looking after them inside.


    "It appears we have a problem, from the way they are acting they have found something out," Cronker said.


    "This isn''t good, it''s as I thought," Dame said as he headed to the door in front of him.


    "Listen up everyone, remember what I said, the best ce to head to is the forest. Right by the edge of the furthest side there is the fog, if you head down there, there should be a cave and from there we can decide what to do," Dame stated.


    "It seems that something must have happened to Raze, and this whole situation might have blown before it even started.


    "It''s up to you what you want to do, you can either follow me now out of this ce, or stay here. You guys should be fine.


    "If you stay, you don''t have a lot to worry about. Even if the Academy runs an investigation, nothing that happened was your fault in the first ce.


    "And if they need a person to me, then you can me me. Say that Dame Narfous, from the Demonic Faction, the Neverfall n was the one that forced you."


    At that moment, Dame removed the mask from his face revealing to all in that room who he was. Many had seen his face before, but they had no clue about that name.


    Hearing it though, Mada and Ricktor couldn''t help but click their tongues. Now they realized why this student was so young.


    "That family name, are you rted to the head of the Neverfall n?" Ricktor asked.


    "I am, but I am no longer aligned with them and just with Raze, anyway, I have given you a scapegoat, the rest is up to you."


    Out of all of them there, Dame was the only one if he was caught it would cause a lot of trouble. So no matter what, right now he had to make a move.


    Lifting his arm up, the ck gauntlet started to slowly appear. Then, gathering his Qi, he took a step forward, and burst into the door.


    Dame''s entire hand had gone through the door, and when he pulled it forward, the door was ripped off its hinge and on the other side was one of the guards that was covering the door.


    Dame''s hand had gone through his body as well. Swinging his hand, the door and the man were chucked to the side, and he was quick to move into the hallway, getting rid of the others as well.


    Safa was ready to move, and went ahead, so did Liam, but Simyon quickly grabbed Safa''s hand.


    "Hey, he''s giving us a chance to just carry on at the academy, I''m not so sure, if we should just follow him," Simyon whispered.


    The sound of fighting was going on outside, Dame was clearly making a mess, and Tinson and his group had decided to follow Dame.


    They had a hatred for the academy to the point they couldn''t even live normal lives. They were scared with every assessment something would happen to them since at two of the assessments that very thing had urred.


    Following along was Ricktor and Liam, and Mada had hesitated for a few moments but had decided to follow Ricktor as well.


    It was to the point that the only two that were in the room were Safa and Simyon.


    "What are you talking about Simyon, Dame has been with us for a while now, he''s helped us out time and time again, and we need to help him out now as well, if Raze was here he would do the same thing," Safa stated.


    Simyon had let go of Safa''s hand, but he couldn''t stop thinking about what he had seen. He was sure of it, Dame was the one responsible for the student''s death that had started the whole infighting below.


    Sure, Raze had done some Dark things before, but there was always a reason behind it. He would never just act out like so for no reason.


    It made him wonder if Raze knew the truth would he still be working with Dame.


    "Look it''s hard to exin but¡­"


    Just then, straight from the window, a masked warrior hade crashing through.


    "It looks like the students are trying to escape!" The man drew his sword, but at the same timeing from the side with a dagger was Cronker.


    It had sliced right under his neck, killing the other warrior in one blow.


    "I understand your concerns, but the world of Pagna warriors is moreplex than you could imagine. As you get older you see certain things more and more," Cronker exined. "But I can tell you one thing.


    "Out of those from the Neverfall n, Dame is not one of the bad ones. He may do things that seem like they are a little too far, but trust me, he sees you as on his side.


    "If he wanted to escape this ce on his own, he could have done it long ago, but he knows the position some of you are in.


    "So he is taking responsibility. Now decide, as I promised I would protect you."


    Safa looked into Simyon''s eyes. After hearing these words, he was a bit more convinced and nodded and the two of them were off.


    The entire group was traveling but it felt strange to them because they were traveling right toward the main academy. Where their attacks wereing from.


    With Cronker, Dame, and Ricktor, the three of them had managed to get rid of most of the guards that had been sent. So there would be a dy in the reports.


    They had a small window before the principal found out. They needed to get out of the area as quickly as they could.


    When they were just about in front of the academy, they were getting ready to jump up on the walls, and head to the back of it as quickly as possible, but the walls were high.


    Dame could scale them quickly and so could Cronker, but not the rest of them with their skills.


    That was until there was one person standing in front of the academy.


    "What are you doing here," Mada said, gritting his teeth as the entire group stopped.


    "What do you think I''m doing, I''m helping my brother get out of here, before he gets himself killed. All of you, follow me," Gunther ordered.

 Chapter 437 Escape The Academy (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 437 Escape The Academy (Part 2)</h4>


    ?Gunther stood in front of the academy main gate, the ce where the group needed to head inside. He was dressed in his gear from head to toe, and even both of his weapons were seen on his back.


    This was a man who had helped and caused issues for the group before. Gunther, having found out that Raze used demonic energy and more had decided to keep things to himself.


    However, at the end of the day, he was working for the academy under the fact that he was a member of the Flowing Force n, just like Mada was as well.


    Right now, they were unsure, why was he here, was he really here to help them?


    "Hey, that''s Gunther, he''s one of the principal''s right-hand men in this ce, right!" Tinson said. "Crap, are we going to have to fight him?"


    Cronker was traveling with the group, staying between those at the back, hunched and hiding his presence.


    He was a middle-stage warrior, the only one of the group that could possibly face Gunther.


    "It looks like I finally get to see your face, I knew something was up with you," Gunther said. "And I knew you guys would end up in this situation. You''re heading to the forest right,e on, I''ll take you directly there through the academy."


    However, as Gunther gestured for them to move forward, nearly none of them did. They were afraid and were ready for a fight.


    "What are you waiting for, if you take too long then the principal wille and get you!" Gunther imed.


    Even then though, his words sounded as if it was a trap to them. That was until one person had decided to vouch for him.


    "It''s okay, we should follow him, we can trust him," Mada said.


    "Well, of course, you would say that," Liam stated. "The guy is your brother."


    "Well, although brothers, or rted doesn''t mean they are close, and that is the case of his family, I can guarantee it," Ricktor stated.


    What Mada didn''t want to do was state his reason why, but he knew he could trust Gunther. If his brother had wanted him dead, then he would have let the Lethal Bite n take him out.


    Why save him back then to take him out now?


    "He won''t harm me, I trust him," Mada said, running forward.


    It only took one, and after that, Dame had decided to give it a shot as well. The two of them did have a conversation before, and based on what he knew about Gunther, he didn''t really seem the type to care about the academy so much.


    It was almost as if there was an ulterior motive as to why he was here.


    Once Dame followed, it didn''t take long for the rest of them as well. Entering the academy through the gate, Gunther continued on a path through the building that would lead them straight to the back door.


    "How do you know we were heading for the forest?" Dame asked.


    "There was a time when I had eyepatch boy spy on you, and to report to me just what was going on with you guys," Gunther replied. "He was my inside man."


    Hearing this, immediately both Simyon and Safa stared at him with a mean look.


    "This was before we were friends, you remember before I made that promise to you guys!" Liam said.


    The two looked away and grunting, and continued to run forward.


    "I assume there''s something there that allowed you to get out of this areast time, and you know, with the White Dragon disappearing and thening back with you, it was pretty easy to figure out."


    "It''s a good n," Gunther stated. "In the reports that I have found, no one knows of an exit or entrance in that ce. Get out of this ce, live your life as warriors, it might be best if you don''t stay in the Dark Faction too much either.


    "Murkel is a powerful man that has connections everywhere."


    Gunther wanted to ask something else, out of those traveling with them he was surprised to see Ricktor was with the group. It made him wonder just what had happened in the assessment before that had brought them all so close together.


    "It looks like we''ll never get to have that fight to find out which of us is stronger," Dame joked.


    "Right, but you''re an initial stage warrior and I am at the middle stage, the fight wouldn''t exactly be fair," Gunther replied.


    "You would be surprised, as days go by, it looks like more and more people are breaking that barrier between stages.


    "Techniques, skills, strength, items, and deep dark secrets that people have over each other. I could be one of them."


    "Well then, just live so we can fight, and hurry up."


    The group had finally reached the back gate. Gunther had ess to open the door and using his key he pushed it open for the rest of them to get through.


    While watching them go into the forest one by one he thought back to the entire reason why he had epted this job.


    He had been stuck in the middle stage trying to increase his strength further. The reward from the Crimson Crane, for finding out the Dark Magus, he believed he could use the reward to advance his cultivation further.


    When the reward was taken down, honestly, Gunther wanted to leave the ce almost immediately, but because of one individual he had decided not to, and in a way, he was d he didn''t.


    "I''ming with you," Gunther said. "Not the whole way, but I''ll escort you to the edge, we never know what''s going to happen."


    The entire group continued to run through the forest, they were going further and further, and as they were approaching therge open edge cliff face, Gunther had heard something zip above them.


    His footsteps were slowing, but it was toote. By the time the whole group had exited out of the forest and were at the cliff''s edge they could all see a long-haired individual in ck cloth staring at them all.


    *p *p *p


    "You have done extremely well to be able to escape this far, but what was your n, to jump off this cliff and let fate decide what was going to happen to you?" Murkel, the principal asked.


    "The fact that all of you are running, must mean that all of you have something to hide. I didn''t believe it, I was just going to ask you a few questions and let you go."


    "But now, all of you, in on something, what could it be? What secret could be so big, that even a member of my own n would decide to betray me." Murkel said, and when he spoke these words he was looking at Ricktor.


    The two of them stared at each other, eye to eye yet there was no facial expression change. No emotion between the two.


    It appeared what Ricktor said about Murkel not really treating Ricktor the same was true.


    "And Gunther, for you to aid them, just what type of treachery has been going on right under my nose, this entire time." Murkel''s power was starting to grow from his back.


    The situation they were in right now was the worst that it could be, and Dame had no idea how they were going to get out of this one alive.

 Chapter 438 A Dark Mage

    <h4>Chapter 438 A Dark Mage </h4>


    ?All members of the Crimson Crane were struggling heavily. They had been fighting for a while now, exhausted and having used uprge amounts of Qi, with arge number of enemies still to deal with.


    On top of all of this, there was Reno, who had been given the task to look after Raze. He had him tied up on his back for a while. He hadn''t been in much of the fight but everything was mentally exhausting for him.


    He had been avoiding strike after strike that wereing his way, and when the Dark Magus was hit, a panic was settling in him. It was more than just a task that had been given to him by his leader, but he felt like he had a responsibility.


    And then, crazy urrences had started, people dying left and right and himself being pushed. There was a lot that had been ying on his mind, all up till this point, where Raze''s eyes were now open.


    "Your eyes." Were some of the first words that hade out of Raze''s mouth, as he lifted his upper body off the ground. "They''re watery, it seems like you''ve been through a lot."


    Raze could remember what had happened just before, his head and mind were clear. He had passed out. After using the Cursed Qi pill and then several Qi pills after that, his mind couldn''t take it anymore to the point it hadpletely given out on him.


    He remembered summoning the Crimson Crane, so it wasn''t such a surprise that he could see Reno, but why were his eyes watery?


    That was an answer that even Reno couldn''t quite answer himself. Maybe it was everything the group were going through, or the responsibility he had, which was now lifted off his shoulders.


    Besides, even if the Dark Magus was awake, what could he do? After all, he was just one person. A person who could do the same things as the others, and in Reno''s mind, he couldn''t get out the worry that Alba had.


    What if the Dark Magus was just a normal personpared to all of these that were different to them, someone who was on the run. The fact was, now that Raze was awake, it wouldn''t change much.


    Standing up from where he was, Raze was looking at the situation, trying to observe as much of it as he could.


    ''The Crimson Crane, they are fighting with mages, and the Vice-principal is here as well, it looks like he''s been hurt.'' Raze''s eyes were set on the man standing next to him and the glowing off his body.


    He was surprised to see something like that, and knew instantly what it was as well.


    ''The mage, they''ve performed a breakthrough. Which means they are quite skilled.''


    With everything the way it was, and him trying to analyze everything, he hade to a conclusion.


    ''Things have be a lot worse than I ever expected. The mages are here, but I don''t seem to be their target. The one thing that I know for sure, is that the Crimson Crane must have done a good job protecting me from all of this.''


    Looking at the mages as well, Raze was familiar with therge golden I that was on their hoods and clothing. It made him tense up for a few moments but he thought there was something more important at hand.


    "You have protected me and all of the Crimson Crane has protected me well." Raze stated.


    Reno started to wipe his tears away. He never realized before, but for some reason the Dark Magus'' words right now, they were so soothing to him, and were quite calming. A confidence was building up in him.


    He wanted to mention about the strange ghost that had protected him but thought it wasn''t the right time for now as he used his sleeve to continue wiping his tears.


    "We tried¡­ but now we''re in this situation. I''m sorry, I need to do my best to help them." Reno answered, as he started to gather his own Qi.


    He had been out of the fight for a long time.


    "It''s okay." Raze said. "I owe you a favor, and I always pay back my favors. I''ll get rid of them, I''ll get rid of them all for you."


    Some of the mages that were close by hadn''t moved in. They were still a little worried after noticing what had happened before, but they couldn''t help butugh at the oundish im this mysterious white-haired man had made.


    "You get rid of us all, good luck with that!" The mage held out his hand, and fired out a quick and sharp fire spell. It left and the me came directly at Raze.


    Seeing this, Raze lifted his hand, and Dark Magic started to swirl into the palm of his hand. With his hand, he caught the fireball of magic. Slowly the darkness was eating at the fireball and when Raze clenched his hand into a fist the fireball hadpletely disappeared just like that.


    The mages seeing what had just happened, were looking at each other in disbelief, they were stunned and shocked.


    They had frozen in ce and their skin was turning slightly paler.


    ''What''s going on?'' Alba thought, as she took a step back from the squad leader she had been going against. ''Why are they acting that way. Sure he stopped their spell, but many of us can, and surely that''s something that they can do as well.''


    That''s when she heard a wording off from the squad leader in front of her.


    "That''s¡­ Dark Magic, he knows Dark Magic."


    To Alba, and the rest of the Crimson Crane they just saw everything in one boat, as all types of magic and had no clue why seeing someone use Dark Magic was so surprising.


    Lifting his hand up, Raze then pointed it toward one of the mages.


    "Dark Pulse!"


    A beam of energy went out, slicing right through its head. The mage''s body fell to the floor dead on the ground.


    "I guess this is your first time, fighting against a Dark Mage, right?" Raze said.

 Chapter 439 Raze Awakened

    <h4>Chapter 439 Raze Awakened</h4>


    ?"What are you losers doing just standing there staring at him!" Eston shouted, "Get rid of the mage, he''s on their side!"


    Eston was deeply confused; he was surprised to see that the person they were protecting was a mage, and not just any mage, but a Dark one at that. But it was even more reason for them to get rid of him.


    If his mind was clearer, then maybe Eston would have ordered them to just injure him, and once injured, he could question why a Dark Mage was with a bunch of Pagna warriors; he was sure Idore would want to know about that.


    The thing was, he could see that Amir, who had been stabbed through the back, was on his feet again, and the Crimson Crane, although weak, all of them were still somehow alive, and it was frustrating him.


    "If you were still alive, then you should have just stayed down and pretended you were dead!" Eston shouted.


    Amir was holding onto the cut that was made on his stomach, applying pressure onto the wound. His body, being differentpared to others, was still trying to heal it.


    "Do you really think you have time to worry about me? I think you guys are unaware of who you might have just woken up."


    Of course, Amir didn''t know much about Raze. He knew his skills during the time he was a Pagna student, and knew that he was a part of Alter, but seeing him use magic as well, there was something about him.


    It made Amir wonder, this situation with the Crimson Crane, everything that happened so far, was it because of this one person? Was all the events of the world revolving around him? If that was the case, then this person might be a bigger deal than anyone envisioned, and he was betting on that.


    Standing there, Raze looked at the mages; they heard the order that had been made and a number of different spells started to be cast one after the other. Smoke and sand swirled in the air, and running right through it was none other than Raze himself.


    He was wearing the special zer on his body, his face wasn''t covered and he was charging right at the group with Dark Magic swirling around his arms.


    He got close to one of the mages and pulled down on one''s hood; as he did, he lifted his hand smashing it right in the face. Dark Magic and Qi obliterated his face, exploding the mage''s head before it fell to the ground.


    Right after that, the second descending step was used, pushing him forward, and Raze struck with his Qi and attack. Arge burst of Dark Magic went out, hitting two or three people.


    As a mage was close to the side trying to use another spell on him, Raze then emitted a Dark Pulse to the side. A dark beam went right through their stomach.


    Right after that, Raze flipped in the air, performing another of the descending steps. As he was spinning back down to the ground, his whole arm was now covered in lightning magic from the tip of his fingers right down to his shoulder.


    Hended, punching his fist right on the ground. In doing so, the lightning went out, shocking those in the area. Usually, such a spell could be avoided by some, but it was almost impossible.


    The lightning strike had extended out at an incredibly fast speed and spread incredibly far. This was all because Raze wasbining his Qi with his magic.


    The powerful punch spread out his Qi that was surrounded with lightning magic and now nearly all of those next to him, around thirteen or more mages, were affected.


    Using his magic, one of his swords had appeared in his hand, and he threw it forward with great strength. It broke right through the barrier created by the robes the mages were wearing and stabbed two of them right through the stomach.


    It was the lightning sword that was used, and right after it started to electrify them, causing them to fall on the spot.


    Raze had only been fighting for a few moments, yet he had managed to cause a giant impact.


    "What is going on¡­ who is that person!" The squad leader shouted.


    Alba, who was going against the squad leader, wanted to ask the same. Thest time they had met Raze, he wasn''t this strong. What had happened to him?


    ''The skills he''s using, it was like when we went up against that Light Faction elder, but it seems very different..'' The more Alba thought about it, the more it started to click into her head.


    When they fought against the Light Faction elder, he was able to use the strange power or his Pagna skills, but what they were all witnessing Raze do right now, was magic and Pagna warrior skillsbined.


    Not just that, but Raze had been restrained by his damaged vocals. He had been condensing his Qi to be perfectly used, just the right amount, forcing it through. He was able to channel his Qi more efficiently and now, he couldbine his Qi with any of his magic almost perfectly as well.


    His powers had also grown; he was now a 4-star mage, and while in his state and being healed by Safa, something else had urred as well. More impurities had left his body; Raze was already at the peak of the 6th stage.


    His body had yet to reach the middle stages, yet somehow more impurities had been removed, and he felt lighter and stronger than before.


    He could feel his body was lighter, his Qi was stronger, and using his skills due to his own training, he knew the perfect amount of Qi to use with next to no waste.


    Before, when Raze was an early initial stage warrior, he predicted that with his magic he could justbine the two numbers and that was what level he was at. If he was a stage 3 warrior with his stage 3 magic, he could perhaps face someone at stage 6.


    Now, Raze was a strong stage 6 and had 4-star level magic. Although his calctions might not be urate since those in the middle stages varied in strength, Raze now certainly had the strength of a very strong middle stage warrior.


    Standing there, he clenched his fist a few times. Landing right in front of him, chucking up all of the sand, Eston had appeared.


    "I never would have thought, the one that had been asleep this whole time would be the biggest threat, it''s time to get rid of you!" Eston stated, still in his Breakthrough state.


    Eston, a 6-star mage, with his Breakthrough powers, was now going against the newly awakened Raze, and he still hadn''t shown everything he had just yet.

 Chapter 440 Your specialty?

    <h4>Chapter 440 Your specialty? </h4>


    ?Eston was overflowing with power; he had been in his breakthrough form for a while now, and it was expanding out even further to the point where all the sand next to him had been pushed to the side, creating mounds.


    The other mages, knowing how much power Eston had, decided to move away from what was urring. They were still keeping an eye on the Crimson Crane members.


    Most of the Crimson Crane were together, with Reno and Tilon apart from the rest but staying close, and Alba, who had been in confrontation with one of the squad leaders before, now both of them looking at the fight that was about to take ce.


    Amir even took this opportunity to move over to the side where the other Crimson Crane members were, but he didn''t run away or escape; instead, he was staring at the center, for the oue of what was about to take ce.


    The mages themselves were casting spells, readying to protect themselves from the outspill of the fight that was about to ur. While the Crimson Crane members, if they tried to run turning their back, they were more likely to get hit and hurt.


    Eston took a second look at the person in front of him, gazing his eyes up and down. He could tell he was young, and in the world of magic, it meant a person didn''t have much time to study things.


    "Dark Magic, a magic that only has one purpose, destruction, there are no other uses than to destroy things. Well, let''s see how well your magic can do against this!" Eston shouted.


    Arge vortex of wind came twirling out from his hand and went straight for Raze. Using his Pagna footwork, Raze tried to avoid it. Therge vortex had missed him, but the others watching knew that wasn''t the end.


    ''No!'' Amir thought. ''Your Pagna skills are still that of a stage 6. If he was able to catch me with his magic, then he will be able to catch you as well.''


    What Amir thought was true; the vortex twisted like a snake and went straight ahead, hitting Raze from behind and lifting him up in the air.


    Right in front of him, Raze could see that there were several swords made out of wind as well. They came down from the sky ready to pierce him, to which Raze swung his arm in the air.


    "Dark Linger."


    The Dark Magic lingered in the air, forming a type of barrier, but the strong wind magic still pierced through. They had grown smaller in size and lost a lot of their power, but they continued.


    When they went and touched Raze''s body though, his magic zer had reacted, blocking the attacks with a barrier.


    Quickly, Raze spun his body toward the vortex, and then readied his hand; now he was using wind magic of his own. He used his fist as he punched down, breaking the vortex sending him to the ground, but right after that, several wind shes were hitting him from the side all over.


    The attacks were strong, hitting his body again and again. A strange sound would be made as the barrier of his zer was activating, stopping most of the magic, but there was next to nothing he could do.


    "It looks like I was right; my magic is stronger than yours. You might have been impressive earlier, using your martial art skills along with your magic, but it seems that only helps you look good when all of the mages are considerably lower in magic power than you," Eston exined. He split his hands apart, and now tworge swords made of his wind magic appeared behind him.


    The des were crossing themselves like an X. Not wasting any time, Eston swung his arms, and the attacks wereing towards him.


    Quickly, Raze used two of the descending steps as he flipped in the air, and then pushed himself forward while doing so; he thrust both of his hands forward.


    "Dark Cannon!"


    A constant beam hit the wind des. They were stopped meters away from hitting Raze, and the wind power was wearing away as the Dark Magic was breaking it down, but at the same time, the Dark Cannon was being pushed back.


    It continued to be pushed back until Raze knew he was going to be hit. He had to move his hands and cover himself with a cross. The wind des crashed into his body, breaking.


    When they did, all of the broken parts of the wind swords started to move as if maized to Raze''s body, and hit him all over. The barrier from his zer was unable to block all of these hits.


    They were getting cut up, and so was Raze''s body. He was getting hit one after the other. cing both of his hands on the ground while being cut on his face, on his hands, Raze had encased himself in ice.


    In doing so, the rest of the attacks had hit the ice surrounding his body and had broken apart. The attack had stopped, but Raze was clearly hurt all over from the attack.


    "Haha, it seems that you know lots of different types of magic and are quite knowledgeable with arge amount of spells as well," Eston said, surprised. "For someone so young, you certainly are talented."


    "It makes me wonder, why would you go ahead and learn Dark Magic of all things? You should know as well, if one wants to get stronger quicker, it''s more important that they specialize in one type of magic."


    "Knowing so many, and so little about them, is useless in battle."


    Raze steadied his fist and started to look around the ce. He was searching for something, and Alba could see this.


    "I never thought that I could beat you with just magic. Like you said, I''m just a 4-star mage, and you are a 6-star mage using your breakthrough power. Why would I ever think I could beat you with magic?" Raze said.


    "I am not like who I was in the past; my specialty is no longer magic. During my time here, I have learned many things!" Wind blew the sword that was on the ground.


    It was the lightning-enchanted sword that had been used earlier in the fight. Raze had lost some swords during his fight with Feebie; they had been broken, so he didn''t have many left that he could use.


    But he needed a sword because the strongest skills in his arsenal were sword techniques.


    "Oh¡­ what''s this, are you a magic swordsman? Is that your specialty? Well, very interesting," Eston said, lifting his hands up; once again, ten des made of wind had appeared behind him.

 Chapter 441 Need something to Contain My Strength

    <h4>Chapter 441 Need something to Contain My Strength</h4>


    ?Eston continued his barrage, and he had done so from a distance. Every time he used his powers, wind magic would be forced out of his body, making it hard for anyone to approach him easily.


    The ten swords flew away, and Raze immediately swung his sword before the swords came to him. In doing so, arge red sh hade out.


    "Crimson sh!"


    Raze was using the Devil''s Formation with his wind magic to create a strong wind attack of his own. When it hit the sword, it had broken it apart, but there were more swords on his way.


    Raze continued to swing his sword, creating Crimson shes of his own, and then with the remaining swords, he swung his arms, hitting them away. The ten swords had be next to nothing, and now he had directed a Crimson sh right at Eston.


    Seeing this, Eston flew forward, and arge cannon of air came out from his hands. It had destroyed the Crimson sh instantly, and the air had hit Raze, sending him flying off his feet.


    Right from above, anotherrge cannon of air was shot out; Eston was above. Raze tried to cover himself with his sword, but his whole body was chucked into the ground.


    A loud bang was heard, and vibrations shook the floor as Raze''s body indented the floor, creating cracks around the area.


    "What a foolish, foolish child, I am amander in Idore''s Noble Guild for a reason! I''m sure you know of me; I am Eston, the only person who has ever left the Ortian Guild. You never had a chance against me, even with your martial arts and Dark Magic," Eston imed.


    Lifting both of his hands in the air, two more vortexes were growing in his palm. It was therge move that was used against Amir that had pinned him into the floor, and unlike Amir, Raze, although a magician and a Pagna warrior, was not a hybrid; this attack could very well kill him.


    Alba was grinding her teeth when she saw this. So far, Raze was putting up a good fight, and a better fight than any of them could do in their condition.


    "Haha, it looks like your only hope is going to die, and then the same will happen to all of you!" The squad leader stated.


    Out of anger, Alba jumped up in the air with her swords. Seeing this, the squad leader reacted, firing out two lightning bolts from his hand. Alba was able to block one of them, but the other had hit her.


    It caused her to wince in pain, but she bore through it as she shed her sword down. In doing so, it was met with an electrical current that was created by the squad leader''s two hands.


    Both of his hands were producing an electric current, and both of Alba''s des were stuck in it.


    ''My Qi, it''s almostpletely gone; otherwise, my sword strike would have gone right through this!'' Alba, still angry, lifted up her foot and kicked the mage in the stomach, sending him tumbling in the sand.


    She then turned to look and could see therge attack being prepared. Raze looked like he had tried to move, but he had been picked up by wind and hadpletely been surrounded in it.


    He was swinging his sword trying to attack the wind that was keeping him in, but it wasn''t working.


    ''I thought he had a n when the sword reached his hands.'' Alba thought. When looking at the Dark Magus and the sword in his hand, an image had appeared in her mind.


    There was a time when she had seen him do a devastating attack; it was against the Dimension boss they had gone up against. It was clear Raze had more power than this before, and he was stronger now, so why wasn''t he using such things?


    The answer had soon be quite clear. Raze, wishing to get out of the trap that he was in, just waiting to be destroyed by arge attack from Eston, he desperately held up his sword and gathered his Dark Magic.


    He surrounded it with his Qi, using both, but before he could even swing the sword down, it had crumbled; the Dark Magic powered with Qi hadpletely destroyed the sword, making it fall apart.


    ''Wait, is that it, is it his power, is his strength too strong, that the sword can''t handle it?'' Alba thought.


    Images of Raze talking in the cave underneath came to her head. When he had obtained a special material, he had asked for a new sword. There was a reason he had asked; there had to be one.


    It was as if he could foresee this happening, his weapons not handling such strength. It wasn''t amon thing to happen to warriors, but Raze was not a regr warrior.


    Scanning the desert floor though, that''s when she could see it, the sword that they had created for Raze. It had moved quite a distance away because of the constant attacks, but it was right there.


    ''I need to get him that sword!'' Alba ran straight to the cloth in the sand.


    While doing this, the mage could see her, and with his hand out, he activated his lightning attack hitting her bottom right foot. She was too weak, and tumbled to the ground at that point, rolling over.


    "It seems like you have something nned; did you think I would just let you do what you want?" The squad leader stated.


    Alba was reaching out to the weapon ahead of her. She needed to get it to Raze, but if she turned her back again, then the mage would continue to attack her.


    While looking at the weapon wrapped in cloth though, a certain individual had picked it up from the ground.


    "It seems you were after this," Amir said, pulling out the Dark sword that was pulsating with power up and down its center.


    "I assume, this is for him," Amir said as he turned around, his arm had transformed into therge ck mass it was before, and with the power of Qi, he hurled it right at Raze.


    The sword flew through the air and broke through the tornado that was surrounding the area.


    Noticing therge amount of energy, Raze had turned, and just in time, he grabbed onto the hilt. His feet were dragged across the floor a bit, but now he had the sword in his hand.


    "This is¡­ the ghost de¡­ the new ghost de," Raze said, as a smile started to appear.

 Chapter 442 My Specialty Is Dark Magic

    Chapter 442 My Specialty Is Dark Magic


    ??Due to someone surviving an attack of his before, Eston wanted to make sure this was a one-spell kill. He needed to, in some ways because eventually, his Breakthrough form woulde to an end, and if he didn''t get rid of all the troublesome ones, he would need to rely on the others to handle matters, and they didn''t seem to be doing well so far.


    So he trapped Raze with his wind magic and had been casting up a strong spell, storing up his magic; it was finally ready.


    "Vortex Crusher!" Eston swung both of his hands to the ground. The giant vortexes of wind started twisting around each other, producing strong currents before they had be one heading right to where Raze was.


    With the new sword in his hand, the smile on Raze''s face grewrger, but he could tell that an attack wasing from above.


    ''I don''t have time to perform the descending steps, but I have to do what I can to stop this attack.''


    Raze then lifted the sword above his head with both hands. He inputted his Qi into the sword, and he had done so in condensed form, what he had managed to learn from his time with an injured throat and using his skills.


    Condensing his Qi down, he supercharged the sword. The effect of the ghost de made it so the sword was glowing with even more power than before.


    Right after that, Dark Magic was swirling around Raze''s body, around his arms it covered the sword until it waspletely ck in color.


    "Dark Edge Magic Sword Arts, the Second Formation, Eclipse Strike!" Raze swung his sword down right at the time the Vortex Crusher spell had hit.


    The top of his sword had hit the point of the attack, and the Dark energy was unleashed right into the air.


    A giant shockwave went out, blowing the sand a kilometer from where they were. Some of the mages fell from their feet and were chucked backward.


    While the Crimson Crane members had to keep their ground with what Qi they had left.


    The power pulsated out and went through their bodies. Such pure energy swirling in the air, they had never felt it before.


    "Did he do it?" Froma asked, trying to peek through the dust. "Did he win the fight?"


    "Well, that other one looks to still be fine," Elvlin pointed at the sky.


    They could see that Eston was unhurt and was slowlying back down to the ground. The glow around his body was still there.


    The mages, seeing this, were rejoicing; they were almost cheering for victory, that was until the sand had cleared up a bit more, and they could see that Raze was fine as well.


    He stood, holding onto the sword in his hand, unharmed apart from the wounds he had received before.


    "You!" Eston said; his entire body was shaking. "You managed to stop that, what sort of magic was that!"


    Raze smirked in response.


    "You should know, right, that was Dark Magic, but not just Dark Magic, it was mixed with a little bit of something else!"


    Raze wasted no time, as he swung his sword creating another Crimson sh, but this was bigger than thest one, and it came out from his sword far faster as well.


    Eston had to lift both of his hands creating tworge shes of wind to hit the single red one, and with that, Raze was now incredibly close and right next to Eston.


    "You must be getting tired, right, but for me, I''ve only just started!"


    Dark Magic was spiraling around Raze''s sword, intertwined making a strange pattern. He then went ahead to strike right at Eston''s body.


    The wind magic around his body was acting like a barrier; it was blowing his sword away, but that didn''t matter to Raze because he wasn''t aiming for the sword to directly hit him.


    The attack from the sword, the Dark Magic started to intertwine and tangle around Eston''s legs and arms. The special sword technique used a strange sense of Qi mixed with magic, and Eston was unable to break free from it.


    "The first Dark Edge Sword Art Formation, Shadow Bind," Raze stated.


    The Dark Magic was taking away his wind barrier, while the strange wrappings were holding him down.


    "Finally, I can now hit you directly as well!" With his free hand, Raze gathered a fist that was covered in Darkness.


    He shifted his feet and swung it right into the face of Eston. It was a clean hit; blood spattered out of his mouth. His body would have gone flying, but it was unable to due to the Shadow Bind Formation.


    Lifting up his sword, Raze then took the first descending step. His defying Qi made Eston''s body shudder. It was the first time he could feel such strong Qi going through him.


    The sword was lifted in the air again using both hands from Raze. Just as he swung it down, the bindings had be undone by Eston, and he managed to use his wind magic to push him away.


    Eston''s back hit the floor, and his head was covered in sweat.


    His heart was racing because he was just thankful that he was able to get away at that moment.


    When Eston tried to lift his feet and move from the ground, he noticed though, it was encased in Ice. As he tried to attack the ice, his whole body felt a jolt as it was being electrified.


    The electricity that was hitting him wasing from none other than the White-haired mage, who was walking towards him with his sword covered in darkness.


    "Do you remember what you said to me before, about how you are the only member of the Ortian Guild? I know your story... and I know who you are currently linked with, which is why I couldn''t lose this fight."


    "As you said, you are quite the famous person, aren''t you, for someone like me to know your name? Well, let me tell you something, I''m sure you have heard of my name as well."


    Eston was in a troubling situation. He was being overpowered, despite his items that gave him extra power, despite him using his breakthrough form, he was going to lose this fight.


    He didn''t understand the words going through this young one''s open mouth. If he knew someone with such strength, then surely he would have remembered him.


    "I am... the Dark Magus," Raze dered.

 Chapter 443 He’s Something Special Afterall

    <h4>Chapter 443 He''s Something Special Afterall</h4>


    Eston''s heart was racing even faster than it was before as soon as he heard the words "Dark Magus." Everyone in Alterian knew of the person.


    He was the most famous and infamous person in all of Alterian. The reason why his heart was racing was because he believed it.


    If Raze had simplye out and imed that he was the Dark Magus, then Eston would have thought nothing of it, even if he was a mage that used Dark Magic.


    It wasn''t like he was the only one; there were plenty of criminals that had turned to using Dark Magic, some even trying to copy the fame of the Dark Magus.


    But it was what they had been through. With Eston being who he was, being as strong as he was, the number of people that could beat him, he could probably only count them on both of his hands.


    Narrow that down to the number of people that knew Dark Magic that could beat him, then in his mind, it was only one.


    It didn''t matter that it was really abination of Pagna skills and magic. To him, he had lost to another mage, one that used Dark Magic, and the only thing that made sense was if this man really was the Dark Magus.


    Looking at him from his sitting position, he was now looking at Raze in apletely different light.


    "You said that mages should have a specialty; well, I guess you could say in the past, I was quite skilled in magic, and now I''m skilled with the sword as well," Raze imed.


    The more Raze spoke, the deeper Eston felt his heart was going to sink. His most powerful attack was stopped; he had been tied up by strange powers, and his entire mouth was sticking... and now learning that this person was the Dark Magus, he had to get out of there.


    ''I have to run, I have to live!'' Eston ced both of his hands on the floor, and with all the wind magic he had left, he sted himself out from his position.


    The ice broke from underneath him, and he started to run away.


    "Retreat, everyone retreat, it''s the Dark Magus, it''s the Dark Magus!" Eston called out.


    The other mages had heard the cries from Eston. Just like him, if anyone else was making these ims, they wouldn''t have believed it, but since it was theirmander, the strong and powerful Eston, they all started to join him.


    They gave up trying to fight with the Crimson Crane, and all of them were using their powers to get away.


    "What is happening?" Lilly asked.


    "I''m not sure, they''re all saying the Dark Magus''s name... why are they reacting like this?"


    Alba was now by Reno''s side; she hadn''t given chase to the squad leader as he ran for dear life and was just as confused by the sight of what was urring as everybody else.


    "Did you hear what they are saying?" Reno asked.


    "Yeah, I''m not sure if I''m imagining it or not, but all of those people, they''re running away now. Ever since they heard his name, the name that we have been spreading, the Dark Magus?" Alba replied.


    She was confused; could such a name really strike this amount of fear in these people? The Dark Magus was a name known in Pagna as well, but it was of a talented Alchemist, not someone like this.


    Based on his power, sure the Dark Magus was strong but to create this much fear, it made no sense to them.


    "I''m afraid, I can''t let any of you escape. I can''t have Idore finding out about me just yet," Raze said, as he looked down at the ground.


    He hadn''t broken through to the middle stage, to the 7th stage, but he had evolved from his current 6th stage self, and he had learned to control Qi even finer than he had done before.


    What this meant was there was something that Raze had unlocked which he hadn''t been able to do for a while now.


    Raze stomped his feet onto the ground, performing the first descending step, he moved onto the second, a dash with his back foot.


    The third was performing a jump back. The Qi was building up, growing with each step. The fourth step was produced, kicking off both feet.


    Then, the fifth and sixth step, jumping from side to side. At this point, the Qi in Raze and in his weapon was so strong the whole area was already shaking.


    At the same time, Raze was preparing the movements for the Eclipse Strike.


    The seventh step was produced as he jumped in the air; the eighth step, he spun until his body hit the ground.


    When hended, the Qi shook the floor once more behind him and to the ground in front of him. The amount of Qi that finally needed to be controlled was growing.


    The ninth step was produced, it was a kick along with a spin, and finally, there was one more step of the Descending Steps, the tenth Descending Step, aplete stop.


    All of the built-up Qi in that moment was surging in Raze''s body; from his toe, it went through his body like an electrifying jolt into his weapon. The sword was covered in a dark eclipse, and the moment he stopped, Razebined it by swinging his sword from above.


    "Ten Descending Steps, Dark Edge Eclipse Strike!"


    A giant wave encased the entire sky. For a moment, one area of the world looked like it was encased in darkness.


    As Raze swung his sword down, a vile wave of Dark magic and power followed his sword and struck forward.


    It left his sword and took out everything in its path, consuming it all. As the attack hit the mages, they disappeared in a blink, and the attack had finally reached Eston, making his body disappear too.


    Like a giant pulse, the dark wave attack was seen, and taking everything with it, even destroying the sand in front of them, it looked like almost a part of the world was destroyed.


    "I think¡­ we might have been wrong about him," Reno said, looking at the sight. "I think the Dark Magus¡­ is a very special person."

 Chapter 444 The One You Should Be Talking To

    Chapter 444 The One You Should Be Talking To


    ??Raze stared at the sight in front of him; the energy from hisrge-scale attack had dwindled down to nothing. The sand on the ground had disappeared. The mounds in the distance were gone. All that was left was part of the ground, deep thick sandstone. The sky was still there in front of him and in the very far distance, mounds of sand.


    Still, there wasn''t a single person left, or a single body, and looking at it all, he could only think of a certain phrase.


    "Eston, you were strong, but you were unaware, the sky that you always looked up to, that which was above you, the Grand Magus, there is another sky even above them.


    "Although in my case, for me who was dragged to the bottom of the pits and always had to stare at the sky. I will drag everyone down below me, so my view is that of the top."


    These words meant a lot to Raze, and in this instance, it felt like it was the first part of his revenge. Eston yed a big part in Idore''s Noble Guild. He wasn''t his right or left-hand man, but still someone high up in the Noble Guild. If anything, this matter certainly would affect him.


    Looking at the sword again, Raze liked the energy he could feel. It was a good sword, even with all of his Demonic Qi and his mana, the sword was still intact and it was able to even increase the output of his attack.


    ''It makes me wonder what it will be like once it''s enchanted with a new effect as well. This is a sword that will be able tost me a long time¡­ maybe even one that will help me aplish what I was wishing for.''


    Looking at the sword made him think back to the fight. The reason why he was able to aplish such a strong blow, all of it was mainly due to himpleting the Ten Descending Steps.


    ''Dame wasn''t wrong when he said, those that could master all of the ten steps would be able to beat anyone. This might even be proof of it.''


    For a while now, Raze was able to perform thest two steps, the 9th and 10th, but he was only able to perform them individually.


    For him, who was a master of controlling mana, when it came to controlling Qi, due to the feelings being quite simr, he was also a master at that as well.


    That was what allowed him to learn so many of the steps so quickly. A technique that would take years to learn or only by the very talented toplete, Raze was able to do it because he had spent all his previous life doing such a thing.


    However, Qi and mana were not exactly the same, and it was difficult for him to connect thest two steps, that was until Raze started to refine his Qi down even more.


    In the state he was in ced by Feebie, he had no choice but to control each time the perfect amount of Qi he was sending through his body, otherwise it would affect himself.


    After learning how to use every inch of power from Qi to its utmost best, after Safa had healed him, it allowed him greater control, enough toplete all ten of the steps.


    ''My power has grown by arge amount. That woman would be rolling around in her grave if she knew how much she actually helped me.


    ''I said I would turn your punishment into a reward for myself.''


    Turning around from the destruction he had caused in front of him, now he was heading back to the others.


    The Crimson Crane members couldn''t help but try to piece together everything that happened. They continued to stare at the aftermath of his attack.


    It was something they could only imagine woulde from a top-tier middle stage warrior, or a Divine being. More so, they were still confused.


    Mysterious attackersing from a portal, with powers simr to that of the Dark Magus, and once they had learned of who the Dark Magus was, they just went and vanished.


    There were too many questions, and they weren''t so sure they would get answers either.


    However, there was one thing that they all had witnessed that they did understand, and that was the Ten Descending Steps.


    "That footwork he did before thest attack." Alba mumbled. "Do you know how hard it is toplete all ten Descending Steps? I don''t think that there''s anyone in the Demonic Faction that can do such a thing. All those that can must be at the Divine Rank."


    "I think you''re right." Reno said. "And this guy, he''s still at the initial stage and has those strange powers. As I said before, he really is someone special, right?"


    The rest of the Crimson Crane hade together. They were trying to check if anyone was severely hurt.


    The one that had been affected the most was Tilon, but it was expected with his fate being that of the defender for the n.


    As they were in the middle of checking over everyone, they finally saw Raze approach them. For some reason, everyone felt different about him now.


    The Dark Magus was a mysterious figure to them all, shrouded in mystery, but there was one thing that they were confident about.


    That they, as a n, with their strength and reputation they built up, were a bigger deal than the Dark Magus.


    It was why some of them even felt that they were doing too much for the Dark Magus. That was until now. The figure looked bigger than ever, and they no longer thought of him as just a young man.


    "Thank you for making this weapon for me." Raze stated. "It held out well, and I have to thank you all for protecting me while I was in the state I was in as well."


    With the first words from Raze''s mind being thanks, the tension left them slightly, but he was still curious about a number of things.


    Looking up, Raze could see the sky swirling around, almost absorbing the world that they were currently in. It wasn''t the first time he had seen something like this either.


    "Why were those mages attacking you? What happened after I had passed out?" Raze asked.


    It was the first time the others had heard this word, the word ''mage,'' but they knew who he was referring to, and it was as Alba suspected, he knew what they were because he was just like them.


    "If you''re wondering, your friends at the academy have escaped out of this ce, but for us, we''re kinda trapped in here," Alba exined. "Everything started to change after the Dimension Boss was beaten."


    "The portal was closed, and before we knew it, they had entered."


    Everything so far was following the same pattern that Raze expected. Somehow, the mages of Alterian must have found a way to enter dimensions that were closed to the world of Pagna.


    This fact must have been hidden by Idore and his guild and therger society of Alterian as a whole. Since it would give him an advantage.


    "But why would you stay here if you defeated the Dimension Boss?" Raze asked, confused.


    That''s when the rest of the Crimson Crane members stared at a particr man who was brushing sand off his clothing.


    "I think you and I have quite a bit to talk about. Perhaps that includes your status as a student at the academy," Amir said.

 Chapter 445 You Are More Special Than You Think

    Chapter 445 You Are More Special Than You Think


    ??Raze looked to the Vice-principal and noticed him straight away. There were a few run-ins while at the academy that the Dark Magus had with him.


    What he didn''t know was why he was there and what his involvement with everything was in the first ce.


    ''Does he know about the fact that we killed Feebie? If he does, then doesn''t that make him the enemy?'' Raze thought.


    The only reason why he was still calm at the moment was because the Crimson Crane weren''t reacting either. It seemed after everything that had happened, no longer did anyone want to fight anymore.


    "I came here in search for you," Amir stated. "When the other Red Headband students returned, they had informed me that members of the Lethal Bite n had aimed for their lives."


    "I had assumed that they would aim for yours as well, and with you not returning, it seemed I was right. I knew Feebie had a direct grudge with you. Do you mind telling me, did you happen to see her?" Amir asked.


    Before answering, Raze was trying to measure everything up. Sure, the Crimson Crane were exhausted and tired, but if they truly had to, they could muster up something.


    Looking at Amir himself, he didn''t seem to be in the best condition either. The issue was that Raze had used up a lot of Qi as well. The move, although devastating, using all of the ten steps, was not something he could do repeatedly.


    "Yourck of answer already gives me an answer," Amir said. "She was always too rash when it came to these situations."


    "If you hadn''t done it, then it would have been done by someone one way or another," Amir said, letting out a big sigh.


    Raze was a bit confused. For such arge matter, the killing of a head of one of the five main ns in the Dark Faction, the reaction was abysmal. It was as if he didn''t really care.


    "What''s your part in all of this? Judging by the reaction of the others, you were the one that killed the Dimension Boss. Why did you personallye just to get me, and why aren''t you shocked by everything that''s happened?" Raze asked.


    "Didn''t I say that we had a lot to talk about?" Amir replied.


    "Your growth has be outstanding to me honestly, and that was the real reason why I decided toe fetch you."


    "You see, I bet you yourself don''t really understand how special you are, do you?"


    Hearing this, Raze''s heart almost skipped a beat. Too many thoughts were going through his head. Did Amir know that he was the Dark Magus, or did he know about the fact that the current body he had wasn''t really his?


    "I can see the confusion on your face," Amir said and looked over to the Crimson Crane members. "I have said this to you before, that there is so much in this world that you really don''t know about. I thought you, Raze, were a bit different with you being a member of Alter."


    Immediately Raze took a step back and magic started to swirl around his arm. Those that knew about Alter were two types of people, the ones that were in Alter itself, or those in the Bonum Society.


    Right now, Raze was trying to keep the power of his dark magic a secret. So if that was the case, he would have no choice but to eliminate Amir.


    "Calm down, do you see me trying to start a fight with you? I have changed my view while observing you many times," Amir exined, raising his hand.


    "I knew you were part of Alter, the moment those other two showed up. They should have been more careful, or perhaps they were trying to figure out who was a part of the Bonum Society in the first ce."


    Raze''s eyes widened; it was as he expected. This man, the Vice-principal of the Dark Faction Academy, was part of the Bonum Society.


    ''I should have expected this, if Alter is arge organization that has its hands everywhere. Then the ones that Alter are weary of, the Bonum Society should be equally as big.''


    A memory had entered Raze''s mind, though, of the night he was attacked.


    "Was it you, were you the one that had sent that person to kill me, and that letter?" Raze asked.


    Amir looked at the ground for a moment, averting his eye contact before turning back.


    "That was to be expected, after all, I''m sure you have figured it out. Our two sides have been at each other for years."


    "I couldn''t have someone spying in our academy right under our nose, but I want to make things clear. My stance back then, and my stance right now has changed."


    "Tell me something, Raze¡­ are you from Alterian, or are you from Pagna?"


    The question Raze was trying to figure out. Why was the Vice-


    principal asking such a thing? Did it matter what way he answered? Would it change something?


    If anything, with Amir being a part of the Bonum Society, maybe he could get the answers he was looking for.


    "I¡­ am from Alterian, I am a mage," Raze answered.


    This was what the members of the Crimson Crane had expected as well. Most likely he was a mage with the things he could do. After all, no Pagna warrior could do such a thing.


    Apart from the Light Faction Elder they had witnessed.


    "I expected as much. You see, that was the mistake I had originally made, and this is why I was saying you are more special than you realize," Amir went on to exin.


    "I originally thought you were someone from Pagna working for Alterian. Sending in reports where you could, but as time went on strange things were urring."


    "You, a Pagna warrior, were growing at an exceptional rate, you were winning more fights than you should have done, and things were happening that didn''t quite make sense."


    "But that''s when I got my answer, perhaps it was because you are not a Pagna warrior, but you were a mage from Alterian. But this was so hard for me toe to a conclusion to, do you know why?"


    While listening, the only thing Raze could think of was that it should have been a simple conclusion. Especially since Amir already knew about mages and Alterian.


    "As I thought, you are a very confusing one," Amir said, scratching his head. "It''s as if you have been chucked in the middle of all of this with no exnation as to what is happening at all.


    "Did you only join Alter because they were the first ones to find you?"


    It was a rhetorical question; little did Amir know how right he was. Raze was in the middle of everything and had no idea.


    "Those from Pagna are unable to learn magic. If they do, then the Qi in their body will strike their heart," Amir exined.


    This exnation matched with what Raze had experienced with Safa. She had nearly died, and if it wasn''t for the fact she was learning light magic¡­


    "Simrly, those from Alterian are unable to form a true Qi dantian. However, they can use mana to supplement their Qi, allowing them to still use martial arts."


    "But what this means is a person is only able to perform martial arts or use magic; they can''t produce both of them together."


    The realization had hit Raze; why Amir had been calling him special.


    "But you, young child, after watching you for so long, and seeing what you just did. You are able to perform both correctly, you have a magic core and a dantian," Amir stated.

 Chapter 446 A special gift

    Chapter 446 A special gift


    ??At the academy itself, things weren''t easy for Dame and the rest of them. They felt like they had no choice but to run away.


    At least Dame did; he had given the option to the others to not follow him. The academy had no idea about the nned uprising, and they wouldn''t, but if they found out what n he was from and the fact that he was from the Demonic Faction, they would very well pin all of the me on him. In the end, everyone hade to escape with him, and they had been able to get some help from Gunther. A middle-stage warrior who worked for the academy and was a part of the five major ns, the Flowing Force n.


    However, their luck was against them. Just as they had entered therge open cliff-top area that would lead them down to the valley of fog, none other than the principal himself, Murkel Dockthron.


    The strongest man currently in the Dark Faction, the head of the Pagna Academy, and the one known to be closest to moving on to the Divine Realm.


    "It''s a shame; I told you all that you were our treasured students, the next stars of the Dark Faction, and yet here you are all trying to escape?" Murkelmented.


    "What was it, tell me, was it thatst assessment? Did we push you too far? You see, we had no choice; our faction''s position is important, you all need to look at the bigger picture.


    "In two months'' time, the Martial Arts Tournament will begin, and we need to show that we have growing strength, or our faction will be nothing. People already think of us as the weakest faction, so we had to resort to measures like these."


    The students didn''t know what to say. They understood the principal''s words, but they had already made up their minds.


    Many of them felt like they would have already been dead if it wasn''t for Raze. They were realizing that the ns treated them as expendable, and it was the same as the academy.


    Although the principal''s words might be true, he was essentially also saying if they didn''t perform, they would get rid of them.


    "Just¡­ let us go," Simyon eventually said. "I joined the academy so I could be a stronger warrior, so I could protect the people in the viges and towns from getting hurt."


    "From creating another me. I just wanted to make sure fewer people suffered. I don''t want to take part in these political games. I¡­ I¡­ I quit the academy!"


    Hearing the words from Simyon, Dame couldn''t help but smile in that situation. It reminded everyone of their resolve.


    "That was well said; we all quit the academy, so get out of our way unless you want a fight!" Dame stated.


    "I thought there was something different about you; I can tell which student you are. Do you think I couldn''t see you were using demonic energy as well?" Murkel stated. "It appears that someone from the Demonic Faction had corrupted the students.


    "I also need the students for the Martial Arts Tournament, so I have been put in quite a predicament. I shall beat some sense into all of you, and as for you from the Demonic Faction, I will eliminate you."


    Right after Murkel had finished talking, Dame threw a fist in the air. It was a short burst of impact. The air currents rippled where his fistnded.


    They were still a few meters away from the principal, but he knew his attack would hit due to the effects of the gauntlet.


    A Qi st went through the air, and right at the principal, just before it hit him, he swung his arm quickly, hitting the attack away.


    "Projectile Qi? No, that''s impossible; that attack was far too weak to be projectile Qi; it seems you are quite interesting but not enough for me to keep you alive!" Murkel stated.


    "Come on, we have to help him; if we all go in, it''s only one person, we can do something!" Tinson imed.


    Charging in, his two friends helped him from behind. Joe and Violet followed.


    "They''re going to get themselves killed; we have to support them!" Simyon stated.


    After he ran out, so did Safa and Liam.


    ''With my system, I can use Royo''s strike, or I can use one of the Lethal Bite n''s skills that I observed as well. I should be able to do something and catch the principal by surprise.


    ''These are skills from the top warriors in Pagna; they should be able to do something, right?''


    At the same time, Ricktor and Mada had felt the same way. With all the distractions, the others could get in; if they could get one good hit, then maybe Gunther or Dame could finish the person off.


    However, for Liam, something happened as they were approaching. [Warning, the target is too powerful; suggestion retreat, retreat now!]


    ''What, even with all my skills!'' Liam thought.


    "You idiots!" Gunther called out, but he knew it was toote to do anything. Ideally, rather than creating a distraction for the two of them to get a hit, it should have been the other way round. While Dame and Gunther were fighting, it would have been best for them to just escape, and they would try to find a way out of here.


    Gunther knew, winning against the principal was impossible.


    Murkel looked at all of the students in front of him, with their Qi sharpened and bursting, like wild fangsing at him.


    Not moving from his spot, his pure Dark Qi started to linger out from his back. It went from his feet and continued to grow.


    It looked like visual Qi, and it appeared to be consuming the entire area of all light and color. It expanded out in arge size, covering the entirety of the students.


    They were moving too forward to even avoid it, and it was just Qi, so what could it do? The moment the dark Qi touched their bodies, though, there was an instant reaction in all of them.


    They felt incredibly weak, arge feeling in their stomach was churning, and all of their bodies started to sweat.


    Their energy felt like it was being zapped from their bodies, and before they knew it, they had fallen to the floor.


    Murkel started to walk forward past the students that were on the ground. He walked past Ricktor, who was gritting his teeth as he looked at his father.


    ''Damn it, now that I''m at the fifth stage, I thought something like this wouldn''t happen, but even now, I just can''t resist his Qi!'' Ricktor was angry at himself, and seeing the scene, he felt kind of silly.


    Even with the mysterious Raze, did they really think they could go against the principal? Perhaps just once, Ricktor wanted to go against his father.


    "So did you have any ns in case we were caught by the principal?" Gunther asked.


    The only two that were still able to stand were Gunther and Dame, but even Dame was being affected.


    "I do¡­ there''s something I have¡­ a gift from somebody that''s really special," Dame replied.


    Murkel continued to take his steps forward. When he heard the sound of something from behind, and could feel arge immense amount of Qi.


    Immediately he turned and raised his hands. An erupting volcano fist wasing his way, and using his Qi, Murkel had no choice but to stop the attack.


    As the fist was caught in Murkel''s hand, shockwaves went out in all directions, even uprooting some of the trees in the forest.


    The bunny beasts scattered in the area, and the whole valley was rumbling from the sound of the single punch.


    Murkel looked at the fist he was holding, a powerful strike but not just a powerful strike.


    ''That was a move from the Erupting Fist n, why would one of my own attack me? And the only person who has a fist this strong is the vice-head.''


    Looking at the end of the fist, Murkel was in for even more of a surprise, because he wasn''t holding onto flesh. Instead, he was holding onto stone embedded with Qi.


    What he was looking at was a moving statue that had an immense amount of power.


    Safa on the ground with the statue in her possession knew what to do.


    "What is that thing?" Gunther asked.


    "It''s the gift I was talking about; it''s now or never!" Dame shouted.

 Chapter 447 Where To Go Raze?

    Chapter 447 Where To Go Raze?


    ??Raze had listened intently to what Amir was saying. What made him special, or what made him differentpared to others.


    It was the first time he had heard of such a thing in his life. During his time as a mage himself, there was a time where he thought himself as talented.


    He had worked hard and studied magic all by himself, but when joining the world of mages, he realized that he was far behind others.


    So he put in more work than anyone else because of his love for magic, the magic that broke him away from his cruel life. He returned the favor by learning everything he could.


    Even then, though, it was hard to say it was due to talent that he got to where he was. In the end, he was even unable to surpass the others he needed to.


    So he went and resorted to the only thing left, Dark Magic. Sure, some might have said he was talented in Dark Magic, but the truth was, it was just because no one was able to study it as extensively as he could.


    It was his way of surpassing and surprising other mages by using Dark Magic. Right now, was the first time he had ever felt like he was different or specialpared to others.


    ''Is it because of the body I am in currently, the body I am in now, is not of Alterian. If I was to answer Amir''s question differently, or more correctly the fact would be.''


    ''I am someone from Pagna, with the knowledge of those from Alterian. If what he said is true, there had to be a reason why I managed to survive. I had no dantian before, and had made a magic core first.''


    ''Or was it because of the state this body was in the first ce. There are too many variables to think about, but it''s a good fact to know.''


    "You know a lot about Alterian, and it seems Alter as well. I have a few questions to ask myself," Raze stated.


    "What are the links between your society and Alterian, and what about Alter as well? Why do some of the items have the marking of Idore the Noble? Why are his magesing here in the first ce, and what do you know of the Dark Faction founder!"


    There were so many mysteries and leads that Raze was currently following, going down to try and figure out a way back to Alterian, but even more so, Raze didn''t just want to kill and defeat the Grand Magus, he wanted to tear down everything they were doing.


    They were involved in this world, in the world of Pagna, he could feel it, and Raze wanted to slowly creep in the fear, getting rid of everything, causing them to panic before eliminating them all.


    While thinking this, his fists were tensing rtively hard until his knuckles went white.


    "You have a lot of anger in you," Amir answered. "Those questions you are asking, you will know more than I do about that."


    "I only know the state of Pagna, my focus is on helping Pagna. You are right, Alter and the Alterians seem to have a connection, what that is or if they are working together it is beyond my scope."


    "The Council of the Bonum Society might know more, and I don''t think I have to tell you, to talk to them you would have to join the society.


    "However, now that you are linked to Alter, I very much doubt they would even let you in through the front door."


    Raze couldn''t help but scorn at theck of information. The same with Alterian, all of these groups were holding information at the very top, hiding it from those at the bottom.


    They would inform the bottom of just enough to give them a reason as to why to fight. A cover-up to the truth of things.


    "Then why not kill me, if I am in Alter and you are in Bonum Society," Raze asked.


    "Because I think you will be able to help Pagna. From the way I see it, these mages are slowly invading our world of Pagna, first our dimensions, but what happens when they can freely travel to Pagna?"


    "From what I have seen with you, you seem to have arge hatred for the mages. You should know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it is more beneficial to keep you alive."


    There was no lie to that, it wasn''t that Raze wanted to get rid of the mages, just the Grand Mages, and since their two goals aligned for now.


    "So this is a good story between you two, and it''s really hard for me to follow, but I was wondering, Raze is it, rather than Dark Magus?" Alba asked. "Are you even able to get us out of this ce?"


    The Crimson Crane had been standing by the side for a while. The conversation, of societies and groups, it was hard for them to follow, and Alba wanted to look into it more as soon as she got back.


    "A word of caution," Amir interrupted. "I want to say with your special case I believe you have the potential to grow stronger than the principal, but with the way you are right now, you do not stand a chance."


    "If you were to head back to the academy, he will look into matters. The death of the Lethal Bite n, it will cause the Dark Faction to be in uproar, and they will need to pin the me on someone.


    "To put it simply, if you go back now, you will die."


    The Crimson Crane members couldn''t believe it. After they had just witnessed what the Dark Magus was able to do, Amir was still saying that.


    Amir himself was strong, and he had seen what the Dark Magus could do, so he was the most likely person to be able to gauge the strength between the two of them.


    "I will head back to the academy, and I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure that all of your fellow students and friends stay alive. I have some sway over the principal; he will listen to me."


    Listening to it, Raze was wondering, was it okay to trust the Vice-principal with such a thing. He had helped them before.


    ''When¡­ did I start worrying about the others so much.'' Raze thought to himself with a slight smile.


    "If you don''t do as you promise, then you will be added to my hit list as well," Raze said looking directly into Amir''s eyes.


    It sounded like a light-hearted joke, but Amir could see the conviction through his eyes and his words, he was serious.


    "Wait, but if you''re not going back to the academy, then where will you go, where can you go?" Alba asked.


    Thinking about it, there were a couple of options. Raze could head to the Neverfall n. There was Rayna who would look after him along with the n head.


    He was extremely powerful and would be good protection, but being there would limit him in his investigation.


    If he could, right now he still wanted to stay in the Dark Faction, and if that was the case, it only left him one choice.


    "I will head to Alter."

 Chapter 448 The Special Trio

    Chapter 448 The Special Trio


    ??Gunther, being a middle-stage warrior, could sense Qi better than the others in the area, and even though he could see what was happening, he was still having a hard time believing it.


    Not only was a statue moving by itself, but even more so, it had Qi to match up to a higher-stage warrior. Perhaps the stone statue had even more Qi than him.


    The one thing he did know was that it was on their side, and just maybe with the three of them, they would be able to best the Principal.


    "Are you sure that statue can hold up?" Gunther asked as he was channeling his Qi through his weapons.


    The Qi was turning into visual Qi, and even as he moved through the air, droplets of water looked to being off from his weapons.


    "That thing is the strongest one of us here; if it can''t, then we''ll all be dead anyway!" Dame answered.


    His words weren''t lies based on what he knew. The statue got stronger as those whose blood was used on the statue to create it.


    After the other main disciples had died, new blood was put into the statue; one of those was Dame himself, and the other was Raze.


    The other trait of the statue was that if those whose blood was marked got stronger, then in turn, the statue would get stronger as well.


    The statue in front of them had the mighty power of high initial stage warriors, and the skills of them as well.


    "Attack him!" Dame shouted.


    The statue wasn''t listening to Dame''s response, but happened to, at the same time, pull its fist and used another technique of the Erupting Fist n.


    It twisted its fist, and as it went through the air, it sounded like a volcano was erupting. The other students'' bodies were shaking as they were looking at what was happening.


    At the same time, Gunther swung both of his swords from above, and his visual Qi made it look like a waterfall was crashing down.


    Then there was Dame, who with the strength of his item, gathered all of his Qi to one point to deliver a devastating attack.


    All three of these attacks were to hit the Principal at the same time. As they shed, the mass amount of Qi created a ripple in the air.


    It was floating, and the air was distorted. As the Qi passed the bodies of those on the ground, they felt even more sick and overwhelmed; they were finding it hard to breathe.


    The good thing was, it had onlysted a moment, and when they looked up to see the oue of all three of their attacks, their hearts skipped a beat.


    "This man¡­ can he even be stopped!" Mada imed.


    The Dark Qi Murkel was using, that was spread in the area, was still encasing the floor, reaching the students, making it so they didn''t get up.


    But then, not moving from his spot, his visual Qi alone had created two waves of just pure energy next to him. One had stopped the punch from Dame; the other had stopped the de strike from Gunther.


    ''He stopped it, with just his Qi alone, he didn''t even use his body!'' Dame thought. ''This isn''t right¡­ I heard the rumors about his strength, but I thought it was exaggerated; this man right here, he might be as strong as my father.''


    If he knew that, then Dame would have never tried to do such a thing. Even with Raze, he thought it would be an instant loss.


    There was one strike, though, that Murkel had stopped with his hands; it was the other fist from the statue.


    "Your strike was the most threatening; it appears that our n''s attacks are the strongest." Murkel shoved his hands ever so slightly, in one go.


    He moved the statue''s fist maybe a centimeter, but with that movement, something odd had urred. Cracks were appearing in the statue; they were breaking all over the statue, until itpletely cracked, falling into nothing but rubble.


    Dame looked at the statue; his attacks didn''t work, the statue was done for. As he said before, it meant that it was the end for them.


    Immediately after the attack was done for, the Principal turned to Gunther and ced his hand on the de and then pushed him away.


    Gunther went flying until he crashed into a tree. "You should stay at the academy and know your ce; you''re lucky you''re part of the Flowing Force n," Murkelmented.


    Right after that, he grabbed Dame''s fist; everything felt like it was going in super speed for Dame; he was unable to do anything at all.


    Before he knew it, he had been mmed onto the floor, and Murkel''s foot was right on his chest. Qi was oozing out from the bottom of it, surprising him to the point where he was unable to do anything just like the others.


    "You Demonic Faction scum,ing here right under our noses! This is uneptable. Remember you came into our territory so I have every right to kill you as I please," Murkelmented.


    "Get¡­ your foot¡­ off him!" A voice said from his side.


    When Murkel turned around, he was quite surprised. Even though his Qi was running rampant, surprising all of the students, there were three of them that had managed to stand up.


    It wasn''t the main disciples, like he would have expected either, or those that were the highest stages.


    Instead, it was the two no-names, and the one with the eye patch.


    "Why¡­ would you three be able to stand up, under these circumstances, how can that be?" Murkel raised a curious eyebrow.


    For each of them, they had their own set of unique circumstances that had allowed them. Safa had realized that she could gather the light magic around her body.


    Doing so allowed her to resist the Qi that was suffocating her. Now she stood up well, but whether she could fight or not against the Principal was another story, but she just wanted to help.


    Then there was Liam; for him, his special System that he had obtained had managed to figure him out. It gave him a message, stating that it could help find a way to make it easier for him to get through this.


    The cells in his body, it stopped them from reacting to the Qi, and now he was fine since the Qi wasn''t directly attacking him, and he could stand.


    Then there was thest one, Simyon. As he stood, his legs were shaking, his body still felt strange. The power was suppressing him.


    However, he had forced himself; he had been through so many trials, so much pain, that he was getting used to resisting against things he didn''t want to do.


    The pain of when he had to suffer with no sleep, food, or water. The pain that he had to suffer to make his body grow stronger and stronger every day.


    All of that was nothingpared to some Qi. Forcing himself, he stood through it and was on his two feet.


    "I told you already, I quit this academy, and I''m going to get out of here no matter what!" Simyon stated.

 Chapter 449 Why Isnt he Back!

    Chapter 449 Why Isn''t he Back!


    ??Murkel still had his foot carefully ced on top of Dame. He could feel the person trying to fight back, a different type of Qi rising, but it was easy for Murkel.


    All he had to do was force more Qi into his foot, and in doing so, he would overwhelm himpletely.


    "Can you stop trying to unleash that disgusting Qi?" Murkel asked as he continued to look at the three that were standing up.


    It wasn''t just the attention of the principal, but in particr both of the main disciples couldn''t believe it as well.


    ''How are they able to stand, is there some type of technique to get over this feeling?'' Ricktor thought.


    While running through Mada''s mind was a number of things. ''It''s them, it''s them three that always hang around with the White Dragon!'' Mada thought. ''Why are those three so special?''


    ''Is it really just because they hang around that other one, and where the heck even is that guy at a time like this.''


    Thest thought that Mada had, after thinking it he was a little disgusted by himself. In a situation like this, he even found that he was thinking about the White Dragon.


    He didn''t know if there was anything he could do; the situation was an impossible one for them all to get out of, but when thinking of impossible things, he had witnessed Raze aplish them again and again.


    At this point, Gunther had gotten out from the tree; he was hurt, but there was norge wound on his body. As he pulled both of his swords, he looked at the children that were standing.


    "What are you doing? You should take this chance to escape," Murkel stated. "I never thought that these students would end up meaning so much to you?"


    Gunther was conflicted after shing des with the principal. If he knew they couldn''t stop him and everyone was going to die anyway, should he just escape?


    Then his eyes set on a particr person who was on the ground.


    "I''m sorry, but I agree with what that kid said before. If he''s quitting the academy, then I''m here to give you my resignation!" From where Gunther was, he swung both of his des sideways.


    As it cut the air, once again it looked like his attack was cutting through with a giant de of water.


    When the attack came right at Murkel, he swung his hand downward, shing right through it and breaking it.


    "Now who''s not the one thinking; if I was to simply move, then all of these kids, they would have been killed. Anyway, I only need a few of you for the martial arts tournament; let''s see who looks the weakest out of you."


    Staring at the kids that were standing, Murkel''s eyesnded on the no name that was sweating and legs were shaking.


    "You, no one will care about you; I will take you out." Murkel lifted his foott off from Dame and ced it on the floor.


    When he did, his Qi had hit Dame''s body, rolling him to the side. He continued to walk forward, and simr to the first step of the descending step, Qi was being dispersed in the area.


    He continued to move closer and closer to Simyon. Both Safa and Liam seeing this, charged forward trying to stop him, but when the principal took another step, a wave of Qi hit them in the face, spinning their bodies and causing them tond back down on the ground.


    "You quit, fair enough, I ept, which means you are no longer needed!" Murkel said, as he went to throw out a fist.


    At this point and time, the only thing that Simyon could count on was his tough body. He would take this hit and hope for something to happen.


    "It''s not your time to die Simyon!" A voice shouted from the side.


    In a rush, Dame had crashed into Simyon''s body, pushing him to the side. The fist had hit Dame right in the stomach.


    Arge red strike mixed with dark st was seen going right through his body on the other side in the air. It was a powerful hit meant to kill in one blow.


    Arge amount of blood came out of Dame''s mouth, and then the rest of the force of the hit sent Dame in the air.


    His body continued to fall until it hadpletely fallen off the edge of the cliff and into the smoke.


    "I didn''t realize that he was so quick to die." Murkelmented. "I wanted to at least know what n he was from."


    Simyon was on the ground, looking at the scene in front of him. Dame was nowhere to be seen, and arge pile of blood was on the floor.


    ''Did he just¡­ did he just take the hit for me?'' Simyon thought. ''At thest second, he came and pushed me out of the way¡­ he didn''t even attack back and just took the hit¡­ he saved my life.''


    There was arge conflict in Simyon''s head and an incredible feeling of guilt. For a while now, Simyon hadn''t been trusting of Dame. He wasn''t sure if he was a real ally or not.


    Now, just then, it seemed that Dame had sacrificed himself, all for Simyon.


    ''I''m¡­ I''m such an idiot!'' Simyon fought grinding his teeth.


    His eyes were welling up, and the lump in his throat was gettingrger by the moment.


    ''I''m such an idiot; I can''t believe I didn''t trust him, and then he goes and does something stupid like that. That damn idiot, that damn idiot! What am I supposed to do now!'' Simyon thought.


    A strong hit from a middle-stage warrior, and a direct hit, then falling from arge height, there was a low chance that Dame had survived, but there was still a chance.


    In Safa''s mind, maybe if she got to him, there would be some way for her to save him. With her skills, she would be able to do something, right?


    However, how could they get away now? The statue was defeated, Dame was defeated; he might already be dead, but who knew.


    They were all useless in front of this man. "I have to, though, I have to." Slowly Safa was shifting back, shuffling more and more.


    Then, the eyes from Murkel were set right on her, making her stop dead in her tracks.


    She wanted to move, and this time it wasn''t the Qi that was affecting her.


    "Let me ask you, madam, are you nning to quit as well?" Murkel asked, tensing his fist.


    Safa''s lips started to quiver; her body was shaking as she was unable toe up with the resolve to even answer.


    ''What do I do in this situation? I can''t make him angry¡­ I have to survive, right¡­ but will he even let us go?'' She started to think.


    Her mind was conflicted with thoughts, and it felt like every single one of them was just waiting for their deaths.


    Right from the fog, in that moment though, a figure was seen jumping up, and it hadnded right in the center between the students and Murkel.


    "Murkel Dockthron," Amir said with his hands held behind his back. "There has been some interesting changes happening, and it seems you have been doing a lot on your end."


    Murkel was surprised, not to see Amir, but to see where he hade from.


    "I suggest that we stop this at once and bring the students in; there is a lot that we need to discuss," Amir said.


    Seeing Amir though, there was one question on a certain student''s mind. She had gained the will to speak.


    "Where''s¡­ where''s Raze!" Safa shouted.

 Chapter 450 Who Do You Care For Raze?

    Chapter 450 Who Do You Care For Raze?


    ??Raze had gathered all the information he needed from Amir, and with it, there was one thing that needed to be sorted so the deal between them wasplete.


    Currently, Raze was drawing the magic circle in a sandstone area, inside one of the houses. It was so the markings wouldn''t be blown away.


    Everyone was inside waiting for him because they needed him to get home, and that included Amir himself as well.


    Just as he was finishing it up, Raze wanted to say a few more words.


    "Remember part of the deal," Raze said. "I''m sending you back and out of this ce, and you promise to do what you can to protect them."


    "I''ll do as you say and stay out of the Academy until I''m confident enough that I can take on the principal."


    Amir continued to watch Raze draw his magic circle, and so did the others, but even after observing, they couldn''t make any sense of what he drew or did.


    For a while now, Amir as well as the Crimson Crane members had more questions. Why did Raze fight against the mages, what was he doing in Pagna as well?


    It just felt extremely hard to speak to him at times because he was so focused on one thing, but Amir did ask one question.


    "You seem to care for these people. I''m surprised someone from Altieran who hasn''t been here so long has an attachment to them, rather than attachment to those of your own," Amir said.


    After finishing up the circle, all it needed now was a bit of magic. Standing up, without erasing it, there was a smile across his face.


    "Those people have done me no harm, and instead all they have done is get hurt because of me, yet despite the danger, they still continue to support me."


    "They might think that I''ve abandoned them; they might be wondering why I haven''t turned up or waiting for my return, and I don''t care what they think about me."


    "If I can help them from the shadows, then that will be enough for me. They have already given me some good memories to forget about the bad."


    For the first time, as Amir and the rest of the Crimson Crane looked at the one known as the Dark Magus, he seemed approachable, but instantly the smile faded away, and the strong demeanor had returned.


    "It''s okay anyway," Alba replied. "Remember, Cronker is with them as well. If he thinks he can''t help in any way, then he isn''t one to risk his life since he thinks with his head."


    "But he will continue to do his duty even if we aren''t with him. So he will be there for a bit of support at least."


    Raze was a little worried about that. Although he could send Amir back to the academy and the Crimson Crane back to the Demonic Faction, he couldn''t really get Cronker toe back. Not without him appearing himself or sending the Crimson Crane into enemy territory.


    Alba said it was fine, since the group spentrge amounts of time apart before so it wasn''t something for him to worry about; she was just happy that her and her group could get out of the dimension.


    Raze activated his magic, and with that, the portal had opened in front of their eyes. It was still amazing for them to see.


    The dimensions were seen as great dangers or great dangers to the ns and here there were people that could just open them with a few drawings on the ground.


    "I will keep my promise to you," Amir said as he took a step forward. "Your n to join Alter, to dive in even deeper is a dangerous one."


    "I can tell you are not the type of person to align with anyone, so your involvement with Alter is just a facade, but be aware of a few things."


    "The deeper you dive in, the harder it will be to get out when you need to. However, when you find out the truth that you are seeking I hope we can be on the same side."


    "Before then though, the Bonum Society will see you as an enemy, as they won''t be made aware of anything that urred between us."


    "I hope the next time we meet on the battlefield that it''s not as enemies because I''m a little afraid, to be honest, that if we foughtter on, then I would lose."


    "Well, I don''t n on dying, so you might be right about that one," Raze replied as he witnessed Amir step through the portal, and it closed behind him.


    It was unnerving not knowing what was going to happen on the other side. It had been a long time since he had to just trust people, but there wasn''t really any other option he had.


    Looking at his face, Alba walked over and stood in front of him. She had an inkling of what he might be thinking inside that head of his.


    "Raze... it''s okay to call you that, right?" Alba asked.


    "It''s eptable," Raze replied. "But when we are in public, it will be better to just refer to me as the Dark Magus."


    Raze still wanted his name to spread. He wondered if the name had reached those he wanted it to yet, only time would tell with that.


    "Right, you know, you, and the Dark Magus, all of it, are part of the Crimson Crane. I know that you already agreed to join us."


    "But it was for a mutual benefit. What I want is for you to be more officially part of us and treat us like a n."


    "Sure you can still keep the Dark Magus business to yourself; you can still do what you need to do. I see that you have a lot going on, but do you know what else it means to be in a n?"


    Alba was waiting for an answer, but Raze didn''t have one for her.


    "Being in a n, at least our one that has few members, means we are like a family. We help you when you''re in need."


    "All of us, without realizing it, went beyond just our promise and protected you, and I know you wanted us to help you take down the academy."


    "When the timees, we''ll still help you do that, but only if this rtionship goes both ways. When we need your help and when you need ours."


    With that, Alba ced her hand out. Although Raze didn''t like touching people, he did find it slightly easier touching womenpared to others.


    There was a reason for that, which he didn''t want to remember.


    "This is twice today I have had to put trust in others. In the past, there were two things that happened to these people."


    "Either those I trusted ended up betraying me, or they ended up dead."


    Alba smiled in response.


    "Well, so far we might have died twice if we didn''t trust you, and I think it''s safe to say the same for you."


    Alba was the one who went forward and grabbed onto Raze''s hand. As the two of them shook it, she smiled away, and it didn''t feel too bad.


    "Before I send you off, there''s one more thing I need to do in here," Raze said as he pulled out the Ghost de and the level 4 crystal he had on him.

 Chapter 451 A Way To Beat The Principal

    Chapter 451 A Way To Beat The Principal


    ??The Crimson Crane were wondering what Raze was intending to do with the Ghost de that they had given him. The weapon was already incredibly powerful, but why would he pull out a certain crystal?


    ''Ah, that reminds me, Reno exined that he uses these crystals to create the weapons. So he''s nning to enchant the weapon himself?''


    Thinking about it, Alba couldn''t help but speak up about the situation.


    "Wait, won''t the weapon strengthen more with a higher quality crystal?" Alba asked.


    "It would," Raze replied. "But with my current capabilities, I could only enchant it with a level 4 crystal in the first ce. Anything higher I would have to increase my own power."


    Although Raze had the knowledge of a 9-star mage, he did not have the power and was only at the 4-star level. So he thought he might as well give his weapon the best enchantment.


    "It''s hard for us to even get crystals higher than the 4-star level due to the limited ess with middle stage realms, but I think we could get you at least a level 5 or 6 crystal for you to use.


    "From what Reno told me, once you upgrade the weapon, it seems like you can''t upgrade it again. With a weapon as good as that, don''t you think you should wait?"


    Raze looked at the sword again. It certainly was extremely powerful, and Alba was right. The enchantment he would give it now would be impressive but that was in terms for those in Pagna.


    If he was to go against other mages or the items Idore and the higher members of his guild had, it wouldn''t be able to hold up.


    The question was, how long would it take for Raze to reach that level, or increase his star level. He would either need high-level crystals, higher than this level 4 crystal or to absorb those that were stronger than him.


    ''I somewhat regret not absorbing Eston and the other mages now, but it would have been a difficult thing to do. Fighting all of them would have worn me out, and the Crimson Crane were already worn out.''


    ''But I would need something like that to ur again for me to increase my star level.''


    Raze should have been happy with his progress. Increasing one''s star level especially as it got higher would take years, yet he was doing everything in the matter of months.


    "What you said, it makes sense, so what do you want in return?" Raze asked.


    To which Alba just shook her head.


    "I told you, we''re in the same n. You said you would still go to Repton and create weapons for us once in a while. Maybe juste along with us to one of the dimensions and help us get the crystal yourself."


    "And for now, keep the level 4 power stone and use it for something else."


    Raze thought it was sensible. The strength of the sword was already strong due to its other effects, and he hoped that he wouldn''t run into more difficult opponents like he had just done so that he couldn''t be patient enough to wait.


    In the meantime, he could increase his strength in other ways, but while he was here, it was better for him to use the power stone.


    If he did enchantments on this level on the outside, it would certainly cause a portal break to ur, and Raze had an idea of what he wanted to do with the power stone.


    "I need to stay here a while, but before sending you guys back, I thought there might be something of interest to you," Raze said. "I didn''t want to speak about it while Amir was here."


    "But these portals, they tend to have items scattered across in the dimension somewhere. You remember likest time, so they should be of some use to you."


    "But I''m a bit worried that more mages mighte through the portal the longer we stay here."


    "I don''t think we have to worry about that too much," Reno answered. "We heard the mages speaking. They were meant to be searching this ce for a week top to bottom."


    "It seemed like they were looking for something here as well. I think as long as we don''t spend longer than a week here, they won''t get suspicious about what happened."


    That was good news to hear, and it confirmed Raze''s suspicions as to what the mages were doing here in the first ce.


    Since the same thing had urred in the other dimension he was in. What he was more curious about was what happened to the dimensions after that fact.


    Why was the sky warping and taking everything in? He was unsure if it was a natural urrence or something done by the mages themselves.


    Either way, it wasn''t a mystery for him to solve.


    With that, the Crimson Crane split up and decided to search the vast dimension.


    In the meantime, Raze got to work drawing his enchantment on the ground, and he had ced the level 4 power stone on the ground himself.


    ''In situations where I have to face people one on one, I do quite well. Worst case, I''m always able to escape like I did against Feebie.''


    ''However, recently I have fallen into situations where I''ve had to face many at one time.''


    ''Those mages, if they were more prepared, they could have stopped my attack, and then I would be facing a number ofrge spells at once.''


    ''The Noble Guild will have a flurry of items as well, and the same with Alter. If I go up against them, I should better prepare myself.''


    With that, the ingredients to make a Qi pill had been ced on the ground, and a spark of lightning formed on both of Raze''s hands before he pressed it into the ground.


    The ingredients all swirled as they mixed together, and a pill had formed in ce of the circle. It was bright blue in color, almost glowing, and had sparked the ground slightly.


    It also had the marking of DM on it, a signature of the Dark Magus.


    ''A level 4 Qi pill for myself.''


    [An Elite Grade Lightning Qi pill]


    [This pill will fully restore one''s mana]


    [An additional buff will be granted. All spells will have an increased range and have the chance to affect others close to it.]


    ''The pill works like the Cursed pill, but there''s no time limit. It also won''t have the nasty side effect, so I''ll be able to take other pills along with this one, so the same thing doesn''t happen again.''


    ''This wille in handy if I have to fight multiple people at once again.''


    Thinking about the fight with Eston, and thinking about the match he had with Feebie, this time Raze wasn''t strong enough to take both of them on.


    It was annoying him, but he remembered something when battling with Eston.


    ''There is one way for me to increase my strength, if I was to run into another battle or forced to go against the principal, a way I could win right now.''


    ''If I was to find out how to breakthrough with a Dark Core.'' Raze thought.

 Chapter 452 Stepping into the World of Pagna

    <h4>Chapter 452 Stepping into the World of Pagna </h4>


    The Crimson Crane had split up, some of them heading off to areas on their own, while others had gone to try and explore the more habitable areas in search of something good.


    It was quite good news for some; Elvlin had managed to find her ive, so she was no longer weaponless, although a thought did cross her mind on whether or not she should just throw it away.


    Since she wanted a new weapon courtesy of the Dark Magus. He was a busier person than they imagined, so the amount of times they would meet with him and he could create a weapon for them they believed to be limited.


    So at the moment, everyone was fighting to get in line for him to create a weapon for them, and not having one was a good excuse, but she decided to keep it because she honestly didn''t know how long it would take.


    The rest of the group didn''t find much. They assumed it was because the academy had been in charge of the dimension for a long time.


    Whatever was of use in the area must have already been taken away, but while Alba and Reno were walking together, she had spotted something in the sand.


    Lifting it up, she gave the round object a rub a couple of times, clearly showing what looked like arge thick coin.


    "This was what that mage used to stop our attacks," Albamented. "This mighte in handy for us."


    "Yeah, although we haven''t much in the dimension itself, some of the mages had dropped some handy things. It''s not like Pagna warriors; they hardly have anything like this," Reno replied.


    Although ns did find items from different dimensions quite frequently, the use of them was rtively rare.


    This was because either the ns didn''t know how to use the items or it just didn''t fit their taste and style. The special weapons they did find that could be used were more so swords, rare armors, and ornaments.


    Things that could enhance their strength hand in hand with their Pagna abilities. The other thing with these items as well was they tended to belong to the n rather than any individual.


    Such precious items would be kept at the n''s bases and would only be used if they were directly attacked or in extreme circumstances.


    Rather frequently a new head would be selected, betrayal, or the death of a head would ur, which was why things were decided this way. So not all would be lost with the death of a leader.


    As they continued to search the dimension, there was something that had been ying on Reno''s mind for a while.


    "I kept quiet about it while we were around because I thought you would have mentioned something, but since you didn''t I didn''t mention it either," Reno said suddenly.


    It had almoste out of the blue for Alba, but she had a pretty good idea what he was referring to.


    "I wasn''t sure if we should tell him or not, and it''s because I''m not even sure if he knows about it," Alba stated.


    "Right, just what was that protecting him? It''s clear that it isn''t something the mages had, and when I was struck by that thing¡­ the powering from it, it felt more like it was a type of Qi," Reno rubbed the center of his chest.


    Out of every attack that had urred, out of everything they had faced. The thing that was most fearful for him was still the invisible force that had taken him out.


    The power, although wasn''t strong that was used, when touched it felt extremely powerful.


    "If it''s not something he is aware of, isn''t there more reason to tell him?" Reno repeated. "You talked about being family, isn''t it something that you would mention to us if it happened to us?"


    "You''re right," Alba replied. "I guess I was just a little frustrated. I thought we had reached somewhere in this world, you know."


    "Climbed to the top, or at least close to it, and then I learn there''s so many things that we don''t know, and it feels like we''re passing one of those things onto the Dark Magus."


    After searching the area for a while, they had eventually all returned to where the Dark Magus was. When they showed him what they had found, Raze actually told them all what the items do and how to activate them.


    That''s when Raze looked at the item that Alba had given him.


    "This is probably the best of the lot. It''s a fifty-fifty chance on whether or not it will block an attack; it''s a mythical level item," Raze exined and handed it back.


    "All you need to do is flip it, even if you try to force an oue it will flip itself, and depending on if itnds on heads it will block the attack.


    "Be careful though, the timing of flipping the coin needs to be carefully adjusted. Mages would still be able to attack you while the coin is being flipped."


    Raze said, giving it back, as he was moving to the magic circle on the floor.


    "Wait, you''re just giving it to me, don''t you want to keep it?" Alba asked.


    "You found it, and you helped me. You deserve the rewards here, and besides, there are better items than that in the world."


    "I have to focus on increasing my strength and use items as ast resort. If I rely on items now it will only make me weaker. If I get as strong as I possibly can and then enhance myself with items, then I''m sure there will be no one that can stop me," Raze exined.


    The hunger they were used to, it was back, and it was then that Alba had decided to speak up.


    "There is one more thing I wanted to speak to you about," Alba said. "It was something that happened while we were attacked."


    Alba and the rest of the Crimson Crane went on to exin what they had seen. Detailing what had happened to the mages, and Reno had even gone to talk about his own experience as well.


    They thought Raze might have been surprised, and although he was initially, it was almost as if he had an idea of what it was.


    "Did any of you see what this figure looked like, this ghost?" Raze asked.


    The members shook their heads.


    "No one could see it, not even the other mages, but there was one thing, I guess," Reno exined. "The voice I heard, it was soft-spoken, almost whispery."


    "Every time I think about it, I get this strange cold feeling in my body, but it was definitely a female''s voice."


    Although there weren''t a lot of details to go by Raze was sure of it, it could only be the bloody women he had seen a few times and Safa was able to see herself.


    ''I guess it''s still around then.''


    "Don''t worry about it for now, it''s something I have to deal with," Raze thought, letting out a big sigh.


    The Pagna warriors, the Bonum Society, Alter, Alterian, The Pagna Academy, and the Dark Faction founder himself, there were so many things that he had to deal with.


    Including the mysterious person that was attached to him along with the death of his current family and why they were being targeted.


    There looked to be a lot he needed to go through just for him to get to the Grand Magus that he was trying to deal with.


    "I have to tackle them one at a time," Raze said as he activated his dark magic, opening up the portal in front of them. "For now though, I need to deal with Alter, and getting to them."


    "I wonder what the Grand Magus''s reaction will be, once they find out Eston''s dead, and if they decide to make a move themselves."


    Pagna, the center of multiple worlds colliding. There wasn''t just Alterian and Pagna to worry about, but more people were soon getting involved and stepping into the world of Alter fully, Raze would get closer to knowing the truth.

 Chapter 453 Alter Otherworlders

    <h4>Chapter 453 Alter Otherworlders</h4>


    The morning sky was out, and the city was covered in a nice orange hue. Raze was walking through the busy street of people, listening to the sounds of people haggling for produce or just having a general chat with one another.


    He himself was wearing his stylish zer that made him somewhat stand out, but in a city as big as this one, there were countless people that had a strange sense of fashion.


    At the moment though, he also wore a hood over his head, covering him up somewhat, but it wasn''t his usual enchanted hood that would cover his face; he had it clearly on disy.


    With this look, not many people knew it was him or the Dark Magus. Very few people had seen him inbat with the zer, one of them being the head of the Neverfall n, and one of the main disciples that he was technically wedded to, although there had yet to be a ceremony.


    ''I have to be careful while I''m in the city of Repton to not run into her. I can''t be dealing with the whole Neverfall n mess right now, not when I have no clue what''s happening to those at the academy,'' Raze thought.


    How many times had he been in the Demonic Faction, and in this city in particr? It had be a sort of safe haven for him.


    For some reason, there weren''t many operators of Alter in the Demonic Faction and he was certain there wouldn''t be those from the Dark or Light Factions either.


    So it had be somewhat the perfect ce for him, but even here he had to keep his head low from others.


    The city of Repton was where Raze had transported the rest of the Crimson Crane back to. Allowing them to continue what they needed to do, but he didn''t n to stay in the city long.


    Because his aim was to meet those from Alter, to work his way deeper into the organization than before. He could grow stronger, find out more, and possibly get items that would help those out at the Academy.


    But he didn''t know enough about the Dark Faction or the world of Pagna in general to get from one ce to another, so the current situation was a little troubling.


    Taking a right, Raze had entered into a small Inn. There were few people, it was an odd time of day for drinking, but there were those that would enjoy a snack or two as usual, and a few people that didn''t mind drinking no matter what time of day it was.


    At the back, Raze sat at a square table, but there was a particr person that was also sitting at this table.


    "You know, I''m still not quite happy about this," Fixteen said as he ced arge pouch on the table.


    Raze took the pouch, opening it up, seeing a number of gold and silver coins that were inside. He then quickly hid it away with a flicker of his magic.


    "I know, did you manage to get any information?" Raze asked.


    Fixteen reluctantly shook his head and folded his arms.


    "The Dark Faction seems to have gone onplete lockdown. Apparently, it was hard to get information on the Dark Faction even before this."


    "Thest piece of information we got was that there was an impressive rising star called the White Dragon, but since then, it seems that all informants can''t get any information at all. So as it stands, I don''t know the state of Dame or the rest of them," Fixteen said.


    It wasn''t particrly news that Raze wanted to hear. When Raze had arrived at the Repton he had asked the Crimson Crane for a couple more favors.


    One was to meet Fixteen; upon their meeting, Fixteen had be somewhat aware of what was happening.


    Him and Raze seemed to be on the same wavelength as both of them were wondering if they could get any information about what was happening at the Academy.


    In the meantime, Raze would supply more pills to the expanding business that Fixteen was conducting on their behalf.


    Raze had done this as the ingredients were supplied to him, and this was the advance payment he had received. The payment would help him fund his travels and anything else he might need to do.


    "Look, I want to make this clear, we owe Dame a lot, a lot of us do. He''s stuck his neck out for us multiple times. A lot of people think he''s a useless man with no ambition, but that''s just not the truth."


    "Well, part of it is, but either way, if you''re going to help him or rescue him at some point, then we want to be there when it happens. This is something that we won''t be left out of," Fixteen said.


    Raze understood, shaking his head, building up allies at this point, it was bing natural to him. After all, his true enemy, the Grand Magus, were groups with giant guilds themselves.


    And he had a feeling that at some point maybe the world of Pagna and Alterien would be going at each other.


    "My other request, are things going well with that?" Raze asked.


    "Sure, sure, 3 in the evening, just meet at the same spot here and it will be done," Fixteen answered, getting up from his seat and leaving.


    There wasn''t much for Raze to do, so he took a long rest until the meeting time, and he had returned to the Inn sitting in the same spot and ce Fixteen was at.


    This time, he was the one that was staring at the door waiting for the visitor to arrive.


    ''After this, it''s time to get out of here and to head to the Dark Faction¡­ but where should we go, maybe it will be best to ask him.''


    Entering through the door, was a short man, with a scruffy beard and arge backpack on him. He looked to be around his fifties.


    As he entered the ce nervously, he was looking around until he eventually found out where he was going to be.


    Coming to the corner of the room.


    "I believe, I have a meeting with you at this time," The man said.


    Raze gestured, allowing him to sit down, which he had done so.


    "I heard that you had a request for a guide in one of the dimensions. Your friend paid me quite generously," The man said. "I was a bit worried that it might be a setup for something else."


    Raze looked the man in the eye for a few moments and then pulled down his hood. The old man was quite surprised to see that his client looked rtively young.


    "You don''t recognize me, do you?" Raze asked.


    The man took a deeper look, but no recollection hade to mind.


    "I apologize, in my time I have met a lot of people, so it''s hard for me to remember them all," The man replied.


    Right after, Raze had reached into his inner coat zer, and had pulled out a round device, pressing a button on it.


    At that point and time, a buzzer from the old man started to vibrate as well. He pulled it out and the two of them ced it on the table.


    "It seems you kept your promise, Graft. You didn''t remember my face and you didn''t tell Alter about me," Raze stated. "But this time I need you, I need you to take me to Alter."

 Chapter 454 Meeting With Alter

    <h4>Chapter 454 Meeting With Alter </h4>


    A slight panic had set into Graft as memories were starting to resurface in his mind. He took a look at the man who was sharply dressed in front of him.


    When looking at his face, although there was no iron mask on it, one had suddenly appeared and everything had snapped back to him at once.


    "You''re him... the one from Alter, that time in the Behemoth n''s Dimension!" Graft asked, he spoke in a strong whisper to make sure no one else was listening.


    Because he was afraid. Already once, he had escaped death from this particr individual. The whole reason why was because Graft, a wanderer that had been working in the Demonic Faction, was a member of Alter and so was Raze.


    The reason why he was spared though, was because he already knew that there were Otherworlders, those that knew how to perform magic in this world, but he did not know what the man in the iron mask looked like.


    Yet now, right in front of him was the face of the man, he said he would never remember, never tell a soul about.


    "Did you... decide to get rid of me, to clean up loose ends?" Graft eventually managed to muster again. "I guess, I should have expected this much."


    "The payment was too good for a simple job, and I got pulled away from my greed. At least you allowed me to see my family."


    "Calm down," Raze said, interrupting Graft before he got any wilder thoughts in his head. "I already told you what I wanted, I need a way to get in contact with Alter, I need to get in contact with my squad."


    Graft paused for a second. He felt relieved that the person in front of him didn''t wish to kill him, but there was great confusion.


    With the great power he saw, he was sure that the person in front of him would be a rtively high-ranking member in Alter.


    So then why was heing to him asking him for help and asking for a way to contact his squad?


    "You need my help, but how would I even be able to contact your squad leader if you don''t know yourself? Every squad is a bit different in the way they decide to operate, did your leader not tell you how to meet him?" Graft asked.


    Raze thought about thest time he had met with Himmy and Charlotte. It was confusing, it was only then that they had upgraded him from a field agent, that was just meant to supply information and continue their daily lives to a squad member and had given him this device.


    Yet they hadn''t told him anything else.


    ''Is it because I was a member of the Academy? Perhaps they assumed that I would be there for two years so if they wanted to evere and see me for something, they would be the ones that came to visit me,'' Raze thought.


    "My situation has gotten a littleplicated, you see my original squad, they are currently in the Dark Faction. At the moment, I have no way to get to them, or a way to contact them."


    "You know that there aren''t many members of Alter in the Demonic Faction, which is why I thought that you might be able to help me in a way."


    Graft started to rub his beard and was nodding along. It was true, although Alter was arge organization that was well known between the factions as a group of helpers, the one area where they had next to no members or a base of sorts was the Demonic Faction.


    Raze had remembered this detail and it looked as if it would be put to good use in order to convince the other party in front of him.


    "You work usually as an informant you said, helping those in dimensions, so I thought you could best help me," Raze continued.


    Graft was still trying to observe the situation a bit. He was confused, in a way.


    ''The person who had approached me, they were from the Neverfall n, and not just that, he paid me 10 silver coins to meet with this man.


    ''Who is this person from Alter? How does he have such wealth to do something like that, and have a connection with a high n like so? Maybe I''m overthinking it and he just paid the Neverfall n member.''


    ''But still, although we from Alter are well-paid, not to this extent. Maybe the man will beat meter and ask for money. Or did he perhaps sell the items that we came acrossst time.''


    A slight bang was heard on the table, as Raze had ced both hands on the edge. It was clear he was getting a little impatient in the middle of Graft''s thoughts.


    Thest thing Graft wanted to do was anger the one in front of him.


    "Sorry, I apologize, good sir," Graft said, bowing his head. "I was trying to think of the best option. As you said, there isn''t really much help we can get to move from here to the Dark Faction."


    "At the border there will be trouble as well, as they are quite stringent in their checks, apart from when the martial arts tournament is on.


    "I guess if we were to get in touch with your squad on the other side, it would be possible for them to set up something so you can pass over and join them safely."


    Getting in contact with them would mean getting in contact with Charlotte and Himmy. He wanted to meet the two of them anyway, so it didn''t seem like a bad choice.


    "Then let''s go with that," Raze said with umph, thinking the whole thing was over, but judging by the narrowed shoulders and how Graft was retreating back down, it didn''t seem to be the only thing.


    "I apologize, but I have no way to get in contact with squad leaders. I am a low-ranking member of Alter myself."


    Raze was beginning to think this whole thing was a waste of time. At this rate, it would have been better for him to just head to the border, and force his way through.


    Then when in the Dark Faction just search for Himmy himself.


    "But¡­ my squad leader can. As you know, I am based in the Demonic Faction, based isn''t the right word but our current mission is based in the Demonic Faction.


    "I can contact him, and he can get a hold of Himmy for you, and then we can escort you there."


    The proposal made sense to Raze, so he had no objections.


    "However¡­" Graft added. "My squad leader won''t just get in contact with the other side just based on my word. I told you, It''s not as if I have a high say within our group."


    "So you would have to meet him in person and ask for a favor."


    Raze let out a slight sigh, but he thought it mighte to this. Meeting another Alter squad or group of people. Would he be meeting otherworlders?


    Someone like Himmy who wasn''t even from Pagna or Alterian, or would it be different people altogether?


    "Alright, then take me to your squad leader." After saying these words, Raze remembered well the warning from Amir.


    Alter could very well be the enemy, and meeting with more of them could be putting him closer into the center of the fire.

 Chapter 455 A New Alter Squad

    <h4>Chapter 455 A New Alter Squad</h4>


    Before breaking off with Graft, there were a few details that Raze needed to give to even set up the meeting. Raze had suggested evening with Graft and meeting him in person, but Graft had to insist that it wasn''t the right move.


    Those from Alter were already quite secretive about their tasks and jobs, and in this case when they were in the Demonic Faction where they weren''t supposed to be in the first ce, they were even more secretive.


    Graft would have to use his own method to get in contact with his leader, and then he would turn on hismunicator and try to find Raze when they were ready.


    In terms of the information that Graft had asked for, a lot of it was something that Raze couldn''t even give. He had asked for a squad name, which Raze didn''t know.


    So in the end, the only thing he could say was his squad leader''s name which was Himmy, and he didn''t even have a second name.


    Either way, Graft said that it would probably be enough. Worst case, the emblem coin that he had would be proof that he was a member of Alter and they would do their best to help him.


    With that, Raze had returned to the inn that he was staying at. He had bought some materials for himself to create more DM marked Qi pills for himself.


    Those that he could use in battle rather than sell, and once he was done he had decided to lie down and rest for a bit on his bed.


    ''I feel bad¡­ I get to just lie here like this, while I have no clue what is happening at the Academy?'' Raze thought. ''I never imagined that I would feel this way again.''


    ''I was right, it was easier to break off all connections and just focus on the task, because now there is more to lose as well.''


    ''When I get to the Dark Faction, I should be able to find some information about what happened. From there I can continue on.''


    While staring at the ceiling, Raze reached into his inner pocket and pulled out the Alter connection device, he ran his finger over the indented "I."


    "Idore, so far you''re the one that has the most involvement in this world of Pagna it seems. I wonder if the others know what you''re doing."


    ---


    Graft, with everything at hand, had done a few things to contact his leader. He had made a post on the job bulletin board.


    A ce where n members would ask for help from others in dimension raids, or even if they just needed someone to help guide them.


    It was a ce Graft frequently visited as part of his job. Since he spent most of his time guiding ns and wander groups.


    When putting in a request, a specific one needed to be made. It was a fake request that would alert the ones he needed to, to go to a certain location.


    Out away from the city of Repton, Graft had traveled across the hard orange dry ground, and had reached one of therge mounds.


    It was a valley, a canyon that went fairly deep. In the mounds, he started to venture down until he had reached the bottom and patiently waited.


    It didn''t take long, that''s when eventually dropping down from above, were several people one after the other.


    The first, arge dark-skinned man, who was all muscle. He wore next to no clothing other thanrge pants revealing his well-chiseled upper body.


    The front half of his hair was shaved as well right down the center only leaving half of his ck hair.


    Right after that, a thin woman fully clothed with darkened blue hair, and arge brown leather hat,nded on the ground.


    On her back, was a long object with a thick base and a long thin barrel. It wasn''t a melee weapon, nor was it something that would be seen in the world of Pagna.


    For it was a weapon that specialized in shooting projectiles at an extremely far range. However, walking around with it in public, many would think that it was just an ornament.


    After that, jumping edge to edge from the cliff rocks was one that did look like a Pagna warrior, dressed in the same traditional cloth those from ns would wear.


    This one looked quite young, a teenager at most, but one with arge burn mark that went across the side of his face.


    Looking above, Graft could see one more, there was another male, dressed in Pagna clothing, with light-colored hair that was swept back.


    The man had a cleanly shaved beard but looked quite well-


    aged as most warriors. Instead of jumping down though, this one was floating slowly down onto the ground, and just before his feet touched the floor, the dust was pushed away.


    Finally, there was one more, who had slowly climbed down, and had eventually reached the bottom. He had dressed just like any Pagna citizen.


    Not warriors dressed in elegant cloth, but just wearing everyday clothes that looked fairly shabby, with arge sheet above him.


    "Sir!" Graft said, giving a quick bow and salute. The person he had done this to, was the veryst who had arrived, the leader Marcus Ford.


    Although his clothing was shabby, his body was extremely lean, well-trained, and his jaw was sharp. His hair was rtively short.


    "I didn''t expect the whole group to turn up, I thought that you would all be busy," Graft stated.


    "Well, it was unusual for you to call me, I thought that you might be in some type of trouble. Things have been going smoothly for us, and it''s kinda worrying me a bit."


    Graft was a little nervous, but in the end, he had informed him of the reason as to why he was called here.


    "Another person from Alter, that is strange that they would be in the Demonic Faction. I don''t believe any other teams were stationed here," Graft said standing up straight.


    "I guess, we should help out our fellow people who are of the same cause as us. It is always troubling to be alone in this situation. Did he state what squad he was from?"


    Graft shook his head.


    "He didn''t, but he stated that his squad leader was a man named Himmy."


    Immediately, a smile appeared on Marcus''s face.


    "Of course, of all people''s squads, he had to belong to his. This will be nice; it will be good of him to owe me a favor."


    "But still, it is a bit strange. Why would a member of Himmy''s squad be here? A member of his team shouldn''t be here."


    That was when the man with blonde hair spoke up.


    "There was a report that a new member had recently joined Himmy''s squad. It was a mage."


    Usually, due to the size of Alter, one wouldn''t keep track of members and such, but those from the same world liked to keep track of those who joined Alter.


    This was just in case it was someone that they might know, and it was the same this time around.


    "A mage, huh¡­I guess I can see something happening. They are quite annoying at times to deal with. A mage belonging to Himmy''s squad, huh? Well, maybe we should give him a little test then."

 Chapter 456 A Weapon From Another World

    Chapter 456 A Weapon From Another World


    ??Raze''s eyes shot open, fully awake. The sun was shining through the windows, and the curtains to the room hadn''t even been drawn.


    It was clear it was the next day already, considering he had been falling asleep when the sun was starting to set.


    He quickly got out of his bed and touched the side of his head.


    ''It''s been a while since I''ve been able to peacefully just sleep away. This might sound a bit crazy, but I guess I feel safer being in the Demonic Factionpared to all the other areas, even with the mess I''ve caused.''


    Getting up, Raze began to do a few stretches. He was quite surprised that he still had gotten some sleep after he had been passed out for so long.


    As he increased his Pagna stages, warriors needed less sleep; they also needed less food, among other things, but he had somewhat shut his mind off after everything, not wanting to dwell on too much.


    He had be quite good at blocking out particr memories.


    ''At some point, I will need to head back to Alterian in my spirit form and see how the others are doing,'' Raze thought. ''It would be good to get an update on their end.''


    ''I should also tell them that I might not be able to visit as much as I like, since there is more work to do on Pagna, and if I join up with Alter, who knows how much they will be looking over my shoulder.''


    The Demonic Faction was his sanctuary, and the specially made cave was the ce he would often use. Since using the spiritual form, his real body could still be attacked.


    In the Dark Faction, he would have to keep this in mind as well.


    Heading outside of his Inn, there was still some time before he was to meet up with Graft and see if there was any more information on the other members of Alter.


    Raze had propped up his hood but was still wearing his sharp zer; his face and hair could clearly be seen, but since wearing the special magic robe, he had just preferred wearing a hood on his head more.


    Walking down the marketce, unlike in the Inn, he didn''t feel as safe, as he was twisting and turning his head.


    ''The Behemoth n, or the Neverfall n, if I run into them in thesest few days, it''s going to be a pain.''


    The reason for currently searching the marketce was to see if he could spot anything nice he could use. He was scouring the items with his hand hovering over them, seeing if anything would react.


    There was a good chance that if he was in trouble with Alter, that he could be going up against a number of mages.


    With his zer, he could store magical items freely and use them, possibly to try and escape.


    After going from market to market, there wasn''t much he could find, and he had let out a ratherrge sigh.


    ''I guess the auction is the best ce, but I don''t want to cause a scene while I am here, or people to know me,'' Raze thought.


    "What''s wrong?" The small old man behind the counter said. "Did you not find anything you were looking for?"


    Raze shook his head, taking a second look at the items; most of them were handcrafted trinkets, most likely made by the man himself.


    Some items had more affinity to magic depending on the crafter. It was strange because Raze couldn''t find the link. Since there was no magic in Pagna, why could some crafters from Pagna create more items that had good affinity with magic?


    Whatever the reason, it was clear that this man wasn''t one of them.


    "I know!" the man said, looking to his left and right before covering one side of his mouth with his hand and leaning forward.


    "Are you looking for some special items, right? Well, I have some items made by DM right here." The old man reached into his pocket and pulled out three different colored pills, each one with the marking of DM on them.


    ''For a second, I was excited when he said special items,'' Raze thought, taking a closer look. ''But all he wanted to do is sell me my own product, at least he is selling the real thing.''


    "I can give you a special price, five silver for one of these pieces!" The old man said.


    Raze nearly wanted to blurt out. Five silvers seemed exorbitant for what he had used. If only people knew how much the base ingredients cost for these things.


    "I''m okay," Raze said as he shook his head.


    "Hey, you have no idea what you''re missing out on!" the man said. "Do you have any idea what these things can do? ns from all over areing trying to get a hand on these things."


    "I know, and unfortunately, I am not that skilled," Raze said with a smile, turning around and walking away.


    Now the old man was the one that made out a loud puff.


    "I thought because of his body he was a skilled Pagna warrior. I guess I just met an amateur that doesn''t even know how precious these are."


    Walking away from the marketce, Raze continued as he headed toward the Inn where he was to meet Graft.


    He was ready to reach in and push the door to head to the inside when he noticed something.


    ''It''s quiet¡­ the inside is incredibly quiet¡­ usually at any time of day you can hear people talking and making sounds.''


    Looking at the street he was on, it was still busy with people, so why was it so quiet inside? Reflectively he decided to take a step inside the ce.


    When he did, his suspicions were true. The whole ce waspletely empty. There wasn''t a single person inside.


    There were still seats, a bar, and the other rooms.


    ''The door was unlocked as well, so I doubt it''s just a temporary closure that''s going on right now.''


    Little did Raze know, through the second-floor window, on another building, a particr female wearing a hat was looking down at arge round object; she was looking down her scope that magnified the view of Raze.


    "I have him in my sight, should I take the shot?" Tanya asked.


    "Yeah, take the shot, but make sure it''s not a fatal one," Marcus ordered.

 Chapter 457 A Joke Gone Wrong?

    Chapter 457 A Joke Gone Wrong?


    ??The woman named Tanya was using a weapon from her world, a weapon known as a sniper rifle. Right now, she had carefully aimed up the sight at the target in front of her.


    They were just in the building over, so it wasn''t exactly too far for her to hit her target, and due to how close they were, she could even choose where she needed to hit.


    "Alright, you ordered it, here it goes."


    She steadied her aim and pulled on the trigger. Immediately, a loud bang was heard throughout the area.


    The people were looking up, wondering where the noise wasing from. When they stared at the rooftop, they could see a man with short hair in shabby clothing.


    "Sorry, just some construction work going on here and we dropped something, carry on with your day!" Marcus said with a smile and a wave to the people.


    Although they could see the long object being held by the woman, no one paid it any attention. It simply wasn''t a tool from their world, not something that they would use.


    After the people carried on with their day, Marcus immediately wanted to know an answer.


    "So, what was the result?" Marcus asked.


    Tanya was stunned for a moment; she had seen everything clearly, she had lined up for her bullet to go right through the shoulder of the man that had entered.


    "He''s unharmed, the bullet, it looked like it bounced off him, or he was protected by something."


    Looking inside the house through the windows, their target was certainly on guard. He had moved more into the center where their view was blocked, and he was holding onto a sword.


    "He didn''t notice it, he didn''t notice we were here, how did he manage to block a bullet?" Tanya asked.


    Another man, with long blonde hair, middle-aged, stood by Marcus''s side and had observed the situation.


    "Graft said he was a mage, correct?" Ban, the mage of the group,mented. "It appears that he has quite high level enchanted gear on him.


    "He didn''t recognize the bullet nor did he react with magic, but the clothing he has on him must not be ordinary. I wonder where he got his hands on something like that."


    "Yes, you''re right," Marcus rubbed the bottom of his beard. "An item like that, if he had discovered it in one of the dimensions, he should have reported it to Alter.


    "Of course, Alter could have given him permission to get something like that as well, but I doubt someone who has just joined Himmy''s group would be allowed such a thing."


    "There is another way," Ban said. "It''s possible he could have enchanted the robe himself. If that was the case, he must be quite a high-level mage."


    The fact that Himmy might have a golden goose in his group was annoying Marcus a bit, so he decided.


    "Let''s test this one a bit more then." Marcus moved, and so did the others after him.


    Inside the Inn, the bullet had been blocked, and Raze could tell where the attack hade from, but he was confused as to what had just happened.


    ''A piece of metal thrown at an incredibly high velocity. Is it magic, or could it be something else?''


    Just then, the sound of a door being broken wide open was heard, and Raze could see a young man in cloth jumping out from the second floor toward him.


    The young man had a sword in his hand, and it wasced with Qi.


    Raze pulled out his own sword and hit it to the side. But the youngster quickly lifted his sword up several times and continued to attack one after the other.


    ''Who is this? hy would a Pagna warrior suddenly attack me? Is it the Behemoth n, or did Graft hire some people to try and get rid of me?'' Raze thought as he continued to block the sword.


    He was doing so rather effortlessly; the person in front of him was a fourth-stage Pagna warrior. Skilled for his age, certainly, but with Raze''s strength and everything he had been through, it was nothing.


    ''If they were from Alter, then my device would have gone off, and no fool would attack me!'' Raze then straightened his sword and delivered arge blow to the sword.


    It was so strong that the youngster had no choice but to let go of his sword as it flew in the air and pierced the wooden wall to the side.


    When Raze went to strike again with his sword, he heard several loud bangs, and instantly small objects had hit the side of his sword.


    They were powerful, moving it off course. Looking to his right, he could see that a few people had entered from the window.


    One person, in particr, had a ck object held with both of his hands; it looked rather familiar to him.


    ''That looks like the same thing that Himmy had!'' Raze thought.


    Not just that, but Raze could see the wind flowing off from the others that had entered, and he was sure of it, that it was a mage with them.


    A mage, with a person that could use magic, he was sure that it couldn''t be a coincidence, so he could only guess where these people were from.


    "What is this? I thought this guy was a mage, and then he manages to best you, Ponto!" Marcus said.


    "He''s skilled, he has to have fought with a few warriors already," Ponto said, jumping over and getting his sword from the wall.


    Seeing the situation and how it was, Raze stood there with the sword in his hand, ready to act at any time.


    "You guys¡­ you''re from Alter, right, so why attack me!" Raze asked.


    There was clear anger in his voice, and Marcus thought he had every right to be angry. He just wanted to y a little with Himmy''s new member, but he was starting to realize something as he felt his hand start to tremble slightly, an energying off.


    "If you attack me, then you are my enemy, and I kill my enemies!" Raze eximed as his sword started to light up as he ced an immense amount of Qi into the Ghost de.

 Chapter 458 A Person From A Different Story

    Chapter 458 A Person From A Different Story


    ??Attacked, tricked, ambushed. These were a few things that Raze had experienced too many times, and even in the academy, where an area was meant to be safe for them, he still suffered.


    Whatever these people wanted from him, the way they went about it didn''t please him at all, and he was ready to show it. The strength was burning through his weapon, and nearly all could feel it in the area.


    At that moment, Raze lifted his feet up, the first descending step was being used. He mmed it onto the ground, and the wave of Qi went out to all of those around him.


    They felt the immense power that hade out from him, rattling them slightly.


    "Are you sure that is what you want to do?" Ban asked, stepping forward, circles of water were forming in the air above him, and they were swirling about.


    Raze recognized this instantly; he was right, this person was a mage, and just like him, they were at the 4-star level.


    Not just that though, on the second floor of the establishment, another door had opened up, and arge dark-skinned man showing his muscr, chiseled body had appeared from above.


    Looking around, Raze could see five targets around him: the woman with the strange long object held in her hand, the man with the smaller object that looked like Himmy''s, the mage, the young Pagna warrior, and the mysterious dark-skinned man who had just appeared from above.


    "We outnumber you, and you have no idea about our strength. It is not a smart thing to do; you should have clearly known that we weren''t trying to harm you," Ban stated.


    "You say I don''t know your strength?" Raze replied with a smile. "It''s the same for you; you have no idea of my strength either. And I disagree; it appeared as if you were doing everything trying to harm me."


    Seeing the situation be tense and a fight soon to break out, Marcus needed to do something; he ced his weapon away. The gun he held, he had ced it into a special strap around his waist, and then moved the shabby piece of cloth clothing he had and flung it over to hide the weapon.


    Right after, he held his hands up peacefully while also pulling out another small white object. Proceeding to press the button on it, Raze felt his inner jacket start to vibrate.


    "I''m sure you must know what that means; we are from Alter," Marcus dered.


    The sound of another door was heard creaking, and looking up, from the same room therge man hade out from, Graft had nervously exited his room as well.


    "I believe you met one of our squad members already; Graft had informed us that you needed our help," Marcus exined.


    "I apologize for what we have done; perhaps my little test had gone too far. I''ll be honest; when I heard you were part of Himmy''s group, I just wanted to have some fun with you."


    "I apologize if this joke seems to have gone too far."


    Raze had yet to put his sword down. He had reverted his Qi back into his body as soon as Graft hade out. He had his suspicions this would be the case, but whether they would help him or try to force him to do something was a whole other thing together.


    Which was why he was still holding onto his sword.


    "Look, you need our help to get in contact with Himmy, right?" Marcus said. "So don''t let this stupid little idea of mine be the reason why we can''t help you, alright."


    Raze thought about it for a moment, and it was true that they weren''t attacking him now. If he had decided to try and get rid of this team, it could bring more enemies that he didn''t need, and would make it harder to go to the Dark Faction.


    He soon put his weapon away, and the rest let their guards down as well that were around him.


    "But man, I thought they said you were a mage?" Marcus imed. "But you''re really skillful with your sword. Were the reports wrong, are you a warrior instead?"


    "I am a mage," Raze answered.


    Which was a disbelief to everyone in the room. Apart from Ban who was keeping a close eye.


    In order to ease the tension, the Inn was allowed to open again and operate as normal. In the meantime, they were ced in a special room for VIP guests around the back.


    It was to serve food and drink; it wasn''t fancy like other ces, but at least it was private.


    Raze was sitting down at the table, next to Graft of all people, and by his right, was Marcus, who he found out was the leader of this Alter squad.


    They were spaced away from him, a request made from Raze himself, but everyone had eyes on him.


    "I guess before we talk about business, I should introduce my team to you all," Marcus imed.


    "As I''m sure you know, squads of Alter can have a variety of people from all over. For instance, yourself, you''re from Alterian if you''re a mage."


    Raze nodded.


    "Well, Ban here is a mage as well from Alterian. Then we have me, Marcus, and Tanya; the two of us are from the same world as Himmy, your squad leader.


    "And you also have the young Pagna warrior and Graft. Both of them were originally from Pagna but are a part of our squad."


    Raze noticed something in that moment; when introducing everyone, he had stated what worlds they were from if they were in the same world, but there was one person he hadn''t mentioned.


    "Thestrge man is named Shing; he is not from the same ce as us. I believe he said that he was from somewhere called Earth."


    "You know honestly he''s probably the most interesting out of all of us. In his world, there are those that have special powers, and they can range from anything."


    "It kind of reminds me of magic, but it seems different, like it''s only one power that they can have, and he tried to exin it to us that it works from some type of mutant cells, but it''s hard for us to exin."


    "Anyway, as for his power, he can harvest the power of spirits, pretty spooky, right."


    "Harvest the power of spirits?" These words had caught his attention.


    It also made him wonder, was it the reason why the man known as Shing had been staring at him hard this entire time?

 Chapter 459 A Type of Agent, The Deleters

    Chapter 459 A Type of Agent, The Deleters


    ??For a while now, almost since Raze had gotten within a few meters of therge man, he could feel his heavy gaze.


    No matter where Raze moved, he was being watched by him like a hawk. Honestly, the man known as Shing hadn''t said a word yet either.


    So Raze thought that maybe this was just a trait of those from his world. After all, he didn''t know about the norms of every culture, but now he realized that it might be something different.


    ''His power is to do with Spirits? Although that is very vague, it could be a number of things,'' Raze thought. ''Even in magic, it was hard to confirm things like that of a spirit existing.''


    ''Which was why I was a little unpersuaded when I heard that there was a book that would allow one to reincarnate or transmigrate, yet it existed.''


    ''My soul, or mind, or whatever it is, is in the body of another, so things such as spirits must exist to an extent. The reason why this person is looking at me, which one is it?''


    ''Is it because you can sense that my spirit doesn''t belong inside this body? Or is it something else, can you maybe see what is clinging onto this body, the bloody woman that has been following me.''


    "Shing!" Marcus called out. "Don''t stare; we have already upset this person enough, we don''t need to do more. He is a fellow member of Alter."


    "An Otherworlder, we of all people should know how hard it is to fit in, and somehow he has ended up here in the Demonic Faction, tell me how did thate about?" Marcus asked.


    Thankfully, Raze had already expected this type of question to be asked. Although he could intimidate Graft into not asking, the same wouldn''t be said for an entire squad.


    "I was in a troubling situation in another dimension. I had no choice but to try and escape. When opening up a portal, I just needed to get out; I managed to create a portal to the Demonic Faction, and now I''m stuck here.


    "Thankfully, my device went off, and I managed to run into Graft; I thought there wouldn''t be any other members here."


    The group listened to his story, and they knew what mages were capable of. A slight nce was shared between Marcus and Ban. It was to try and confirm if something like this was possible, and Raze noticed the slight nod from Ban.


    "Wait, so you only got into the Demonic Faction now?" Ponto asked. "So your squad is in the Dark Faction, right, but then the Qi that you were using, and the step you used, doesn''t that belong to the Demonic Faction?"


    Raze shrugged his shoulders.


    "I honestly don''t know much; what I learned was from the manuals that I picked up. I was sent to an orphanage when I first arrived in this world and learned the techniques from a teacher there."


    Ponto, who was a Pagna warrior himself, was finding it hard to believe. How could one learn skills so fast? The only thing he could think of was that because he was a mage, he was supplementing his mana for Qi.


    Which was why it was more powerful, and he had quicker progress than most warriors would have.


    As Raze exined his story further though, it was when Graft realized something. Raze was in the Demonic Faction before.


    His story couldn''t be true because they had met up, so how was he able to join Himmy''s group? Why did he need their help now if he could go between areas before?


    Still, he would keep his mouth shut.


    "Alright, alright enough with the interrogation," Marcus interrupted. "I know Himmy personally, and you have the Alter Badge. We can confirm if you are a part of his group or not; I''m sure he would know."


    "What I want to know is what type of agent are you? Himmy was never the type to ept just anyone into his group; that stubborn man," Marcus asked.


    Raze was wondering what he meant by the question and eventually answered with what he thought was right.


    "I was a field agent and then became a squad member."


    Hearing the answer, the rest of the members looked at each other.


    "How long have you even been in Alter for?" Marcus asked.


    "About a month or two," Raze answered.


    This answer made the others more aware now; they were starting to understand a bit more.


    "Now I see; well, you see in each group there are different types of members."


    "We all have our roles within the group."


    "Some are just information gatherers; others are scouts or experts on items. Then you have fighters and supporters."


    "In cases of mages, they are in a more unique case because they can fit into nearly any field. So it really depends on your specialty."


    "But as you work up in the group, it decides where you can get promoted to. If you are a powerful fighter, one of the top positions you can earn is to be a Deleter."


    "A Deleter?" Raze repeated.


    "Yes, they are Otherworlders like us; they live on the 6th floor of the Alter base, which I assume if you''ve only been with Alter for 2 months, you''ve never been to either."


    "These Deleters are the strongest members of Alter, and they have the name for a reason. They clear up any traces of Alter existing if need be."


    "They are the strongest and will get rid of anything. Especially those that try to, you know, betray us and run away with our secrets," Marcusughed as if it was no big deal.


    But it interested Raze greatly; just how strong were these Deleters? Since they came from other worlds, they weren''t Pagna warriors.


    But were they strong enough to deal with those like the principal, a number of things and thoughts hade to his head.


    "Anyway, you should talk to Himmy about it when you get the chance because it''s a good way to move up in the group once you know your role more," Marcus exined.


    After Marcus had finished his exnation, there was a sudden movement, from one man, Shing, who was sitting opposite Raze on the table.


    His arms had been folded until now as he pointed out right at Raze.


    "You¡­ shouldn''t be alive," were the only words that Shing spoke just then.

 Chapter 460 A Dead Man Walking

    Chapter 460 A Dead Man Walking


    ??Right after Shing spoke, there was silence in the room, but what had broken out of that silence was Marcus, who had gone into augh.


    "Oh,e on now!" Marcus said. "Just because he survived a shot from Tanya doesn''t mean you should be going around and saying things like that to our guest now; you should know better."


    Shing''s finger was still pointed at Raze, and he didn''t know why, but it was quite infuriating to him. To the point where he wanted to just get up from where he was and snap it. However, Raze remained calm.


    ''Well, those words confirmed it; he certainly knows something about me. The fact that he says I shouldn''t be alive, is he referring to the real me?''


    "I''m not saying it because of that," Shing added, and it was the first time Raze was fully hearing him speak. He wasn''t illiterate, but he himself had his mind full.


    "You know my powers; I can see something hovering over this one; he has the power of death surrounding himpletely," Shing continued.


    Marcus thought about it for a bit; he knew Shing wouldn''t just say this out of the blue, and it couldn''t be something strange that only mages had because Shing didn''t say the same thing about Ban, who was in their group.


    Right now, Marcus was considering just ignoring it, that was until Raze spoke up himself.


    "I am interested in your power. I want to know, what is it that you can see? How does your power work? Honestly, for some time, strange things have been happening, so I hope you can help," Raze asked in a polite and soft manner.


    Now, Marcus wasn''t getting involved as this was all down to Shing, and it wasn''t really rted to Alter business and seemed to be more of a personal matter.


    "My ability, as we call it, or power is a mixed bag," Shing answered. "My eyes, they can see a lot more than just the current world in front of us.


    "I can see almost another world with my powers. One that oveps with ours. This world, though it oveps, it doesn''t change anything in our world or affect it to arge degree.


    "However, when a person dies, and I can see the ovepping of the worlds, for a short period of time, I can borrow the power from those that are ovepping."


    "The way I think of it is, there is an energy that is in every living life; when the living life ends, a part of that energy is moving to a different world that we can''t see.


    "Surrounding you, these energies, from this ovepping world, they are surrounding your body, around your heart.


    "Your body, it almost feels like it''s not from this world."


    "That makes sense though, right?" Tanya interrupted. "Just like us and him, he isn''t from this world."


    Shing shook his head.


    "You all feel the same, just as anyone from Pagna. Your bodies do not ovep with another world; your bodies are present."


    After listening to Shing talk, Raze still didn''t know why Shing saw him in this way? Was he looking at Raze''s original soul?


    Was it attached to the body at hand, which was why he gave off the same feeling as those that had recently just died? How did that spell even work?


    "I see," Raze said. "Is there anything else you can see with those eyes of yours¡­ something else."


    Raze didn''t want to borate because he wasn''t sure what it was, and all of these people in front of him were strangers.


    He could imagine them going off and informing Alter, and then needing to be on the run for the rest of his life because of this.


    As Shing stared further and activated more of his power to be in tune with this ovepping world, that''s when he could see it.


    Wrapped around Raze''s neck were two extremely long arms; they were soaked red and almost covered in blood.


    As Shing tried to look more, he was unable to see the face, as a heavy darkness appeared. It was scratched out, shrouded, and impossible to see.


    "There is something, or someone attached to you, but based on you asking this question, it seemed you already knew about this," Shing said.


    Everyone in the room started to feel shivers run up and down their body. They didn''t know much about Shing''s powers, only seeing him do strange things when the time was needed once in a while.


    Or knowing the way of where to go in a particr dungeon for some reason, but one of the reasons why they didn''t ask about his powers so much, it was simple; it was because it freaked them out.


    Right now, Shing was saying that he could see something in the room, that the rest of them couldn''t. It was sending all of their senses into hyper mode.


    When he made them aware, it was almost as if they could feel it as well in the room with them but could do nothing about it.


    Marcus was ready to change the subject; he had found out what he needed and now needed to work on getting in contact with the relevant squad and figuring out a way to take this individual back to the Dark Faction but then it was Raze who continued the conversation.


    "Shing, your powers seem great, and just then, it felt like you needed to increase your strength to see this figure, correct," Raze asked.


    Shing didn''t hesitate as he gave a nod.


    "Then is it possible, is there a way to amplify your powers even more so? So you could see what this thing is that is following me, maybe find a way to talk to it?"


    This might be Raze''s only chance to find out about the Bloody Woman. Was it because of his demonic energy? Was it something that connected to him when he used the Demonic Cultivation technique?


    Or was it possibly something that had been with him since using the transmigration spell, and he was only made aware of itter on.


    There was also another possibility, that it was something that was stuck with the original Raze for one reason or another, something that no one knew about but him.


    "I can do that; over the years of using powers, I realized that there are certain items that can be used that will enhance my powers."


    "These items can be pricey though, and I warn you I can''t guarantee that there will be some type of result."


    "That''s fine; I will pay for whatever items you need, and I understand that there is no guarantee," Raze added.


    "Well, I don''t mind what you guys do, but can you keep it away from us," Marcus said. "All this talk is making me a little frightened."


    "Shing, give a list of items that are needed to Ban and Graft; the two of you can go around the city of Repton gathering the items. I''ll get in contact with your squad leader Himmy; there should be an easy way for us to head over to the other side."


    With that done, Raze was ready; this was his chance to find out what has been protecting him, and possibly why.

 Chapter 461 Meeting Another Mage

    Chapter 461 Meeting Another Mage


    ??Raze wasted no time leaving the special private room they were in and heading back outside to the busy, bustling streets filled with people and warriors.


    They were currently heading to the marketce first to see if they could get a list of the items; some of them they knew would be impossible, such as level 3 power stones, but Raze said not to worry about that. He would simply get them at the auction house, or worst case, if they didn''t have any, he would just ask Fixteen, since the Crimson Crane was most likely to have left the city already.


    "Other than needing three level 3 power stones, it looks like we also need certain types of herbs and nts as well as a special type of urn; there are instructions as to what the urn needs to look like," Graft exined, looking at a sheet of paper.


    "Don''t you think it would have been easier if Shing were just brought along with us, rather than to have you twoe along?" Raze asked as they finally entered the busy market area.


    It was a square with rows of market stalls that would go up and down. Some of them were selling grilled food as well as a number of other items.


    The amount of times Raze had been here, in this area in the city, was several, but he had only been here a few times.


    "Shing tends to stand out," Ban exined. "Due to hisrge size, we get unwanted attention. He is extremely helpful on tasks and in dimensions, but most of the time he stays out of sight, and it''s pretty hard to hide him."


    After checking the first few stalls, it didn''t appear they had what they were looking for, but after asking some of the stall workers, they had pointed them in the right direction to get the herbs and nts needed at least.


    That was when Ban decided to ask questions that had been on his mind for a while.


    "So you really are a mage from Alterian?" Ban asked. "With the sword by your side and your skills, I thought you might have been a Pagna warrior."


    "But then that zer you''re wearing has a strong enchantment as well."


    "Yes, I am a mage," Raze replied. "I went to the central Academy; as for the zer, it was a gift."


    "Ah, I see," Barlus nodded. "I guess you came from quite a noble family then, to receive a gift as great as that. You did seem quite young, so it would make sense for you to be at the academy."


    "I feel quite bad for you; it''s rare that we get young ones that happen toe over to the other side."


    Ban continued to talk as Raze looked for the items through the market, and Graft double-checked that they were the right ones.


    "I myself was an up-anding mage; I was part of The Glory Guild."


    Raze was just about to reach out to grab one of the nts that was confirmed to be the right one, but then his hand hesitated for a moment after he heard the guild''s name.


    Soon after, it moved again as he grabbed the nt.


    "How much?" Raze asked.


    "Oh, that there is quite a popr nt with the alchemists; it''s at least two silvers," the woman stated.


    Graft was ready to try and barter, or check whether that was the true price or not. He tended to go from one stall to the other to confirm and get the best price, but before he could, Raze had already handed over two silver coins and handed the nt over to Graft.


    "No discount¡­" Graft was quite disappointed. He usually prided himself on getting the cheapest price possible for his squad, and he wanted to show off his skills.


    He never realized until now that he actually got joy from getting the price down from the original.


    This continued onwards as they got the items from each area one after the other, and Raze didn''t waste time bargaining. He had umted a great amount of wealth already from selling the pills marked with DM, so none of this mattered to him.


    He also had no way to spend his money because he was at the market. Rather than wasting time, or having someone else snap up the things he needed, he would just pay whatever they asked for in this situation.


    After searching the whole of the marketce, they were unable to find the level 3 power stones, so it was time for them to head to the auction.


    While on their way there, Raze decided to bring up a conversation, a word that had been bothering him for a while now.


    "You said that you were from the Glory Guild, right? Isn''t that the Guild that belonged to Enaxx?" Raze asked.


    "I thought you would recognize it," Ban replied, his nose held up high in the air and his chest puffed out slightly more. "The guild belongs to one of the Grand Magus."


    "Grand Magus?" Graft asked, as he knew about the mages but didn''t know about this particr group of people.


    "They are the strongest and most admired by all of the mages in Alterian," Ban continued. "Which is why me being in their guild is a big achievement. These mages have greater strength than any middle-stage warrior."


    "They are most likely even greater than those that are at the Divine level, although it''s hard for me to say since I''ve never met a Divine level being, at least not at their full power."


    For a second, Graft noticed the expression on Raze''s face when Ban was talking; it certainly wasn''t one of admiration by any means.


    "You are quite a young mage at the academy; I was wondering what star level are you at?" Ban asked.


    It was rare for him to meet another mage. He hung around too many that didn''t understand his greatness or what he had achieved, so he was happy to finally speak to someone for once.


    "I''m a 4-star mage," Raze answered. "I was a 3-star mage when I got here but managed to upgrade to a 4-star."


    Ban''s hand was shaking slightly as he was surprised to hear the answer. Someone so young reaching such a high-level stage, was that possible?


    "How long has it been since you jumped to this world?" Raze asked while Ban was still startled by this fact.


    "About a year now," Ban answered.


    This meant that there was a particr fact that Ban didn''t know, that the Dark Magus ording to the world was no more.


    "Then, I''m sure with you being in the Demonic Faction for a while you have heard of a particr name that has spread around these parts right?"


    In an instant, Ban knew what he was talking about.


    "Right, how could I not, the Alchemist who has been calling himself the Dark Magus. It''s unlikely to be anything but a coincidence, but I can''t help but think, what if the Dark Magus had jumped to this world, what would happen then?" Ban asked.


    "Right, I wonder what would happen."

 Chapter 462 Things Dont Add Up

    Chapter 462 Thing''s Don''t Add Up


    ??Arriving at the auction hall, Raze knew the right person to go to, as he had been here before with Reno. When he was with Reno, though, he still had the specially made hoodie that covered his face, so he doubted the auction man would recognize him.


    As he was walking ahead, though, and went to enter the auction house, there was a man at the gate, a guard meant to check everyone''s credentials. After all, they didn''t want a bunch of people to waste their time.


    "Stop, do you have an appointment inside? If not, then you must make an appointment before you enter. If you wish to get your items assessed and in the auction house, there are plenty of assessors based outside," therge man said.


    "I hate these types," Graft replied. "But I guess we have no choice."


    Or so he thought. Just as the two of them were about to turn away, they could see Raze continue to walk forward. Ban was watching, wondering what he was going to do.


    "Don''t tell me, is that kid going to¡­ attack him, but using magic is forbidden when we''re not in a dimension!" Ban said, although it was more of a general rule. Most mages in Alter knew how much magic they could use before it would attract attention, and what people didn''t see didn''t hurt them.


    When Raze approached the man, he moved his hand rather quickly, holding the back of his head, and pulled it close to Raze''s face. The man was too slow to even react to his hand.


    "I don''t have an appointment, but I wish to see the Auctioneer. Is that okay?" Raze asked.


    The man was a Pagna warrior himself, a 3rd stage warrior given the task of guard duty, so he could tell instantly that he was no match for this person. So he could do nothing but smile as he answered.


    "Please, go ahead."


    The three of them carried on forward, and Graft looked at the man, who was covered in sweat. It was quite clear that he had received a fright.


    "Right, I almost forgot that you also knew how to use Pagna warrior skills," Banmented, now that they were inside the auction house. "Although, I''m not so sure if us agents of Alter should be just brazenly going into ces like this."


    "I wasn''t meant to be an agent that was in this ce anyway," Raze answered. "So I am just acting like any Pagna warrior would."


    Graft knew Raze was right about that. In a world where strength meant everything, one''s stage level was their status, which allowed them to get more ess to whatever they wanted in this world.


    Still, there were things that both Graft and Ban were realizing that didn''t make quite any sense to them, but they kept their thoughts to themselves for now.


    When Raze met the man he was looking for, a frail man with rounded sses, he called out to the Auctioneer.


    "I wish to do some business with you. Do you have three level 3 power stones at hand by any chance?" Raze asked.


    The auctioneer was startled for a bit, but he quickly regained hisposure. It was more often than one would think that a powerful warrior or rich merchant would force their way into a meeting with him.


    "I do, but I''m afraid that they have already been listed. If you want those items, you will have to wait until the auction."


    This wasn''t the answer Raze wanted. He needed to get out of the Demonic Faction, so the quicker he dealt with this other issue, the quicker he could leave. Reaching into his special pouch, he then pulled out three gold coins and chucked them over to the Auctioneer.


    Treating them like the most precious gems in the world, the auctioneer quickly grabbed them, careful not to drop them. Held in his hands, they were reflecting off the sses he was wearing.


    "This should be over anything you would get for those crystals if they were listed. That should cover it, no?" Raze asked.


    "Certainly, sir!" The auctioneer nodded. It was his lucky day. It didn''t make sense; those who were wealthy enough to overpay for level 3 crystals by such an amount would easily be able to get their hands on it through other means.


    This type of thing would never happen, but it was all because of the circumstances being right. Raze needed them, and he didn''t have time to go hunting in a dimension or patiently waiting for them.


    "I''ll fetch them for you right away." The auctioneer was only gone for a couple of moments as he handed the crystals over in a container to Raze. After taking the crystals out, Raze handed the container back.


    It was clear by the way he handled them that these weren''t precious power stones to him. He had handled things like these all the time, which led the auctioneer to wanting to ask a question.


    "Sir, may I please know your name? If I do, I can ce you on our VIP list; you won''t have trouble getting into the establishment, and if you ever need something, we can reserve it for you. We can even send a list of items that we receive."


    Raze thought this mighte in handy, but it couldn''t be him. He would need Fixteen to be a member of the auction to get things, and that was if he wasn''t already.


    "My name, the money I gave you, part of it, is payment for me not to give my name. I was never here, and I never bought these items," Raze answered and turned around to walk away.


    The auctioneer knew when to keep his mouth shut, so he gave a polite bow and walked away. Now Raze had all the items needed to help Shing use his powers; it was time for them to head back.


    While walking back, Raze was walking at a fairly fast pace in front of the other two, and Graft and Ban couldn''t help but look at each other as they wondered what they had just seen.


    "Hey, have you ever seen a kid act like that before? I mean, just walk in and be so demanding?" Ban whispered.


    "Actually, I have. Many Pagna warriors, due to being raised by high ns and their family status, get this young master syndrome. They believe they can walk in and have anything they want in this world," Graft answered. "Although, the way he did it waspletely different.


    "He was forceful and got straight to the point; he didn''t ponder nor use a name. Instead, he was direct with what he wanted and just got out. It wasn''t like a young master but more like a master himself."


    "Right," Ban nodded.


    "Not just that, but I am curious. How can he just use three golden coins like that? Sure, the payment from Alter is good, but not that good, and he hasn''t been in Alter for long."


    "And that''s what I wanted to say as well," Banmented. "How has he be such a good Pagna warrior and learned their skills in such a short amount of time? How long did he say he was here? Two, maybe three months? Things aren''t adding up."

 Chapter 463 You Might Die, If We Do This, Raze’s Warning

    <h4>Chapter 463 You Might Die, If We Do This, Raze''s Warning</h4>


    The Alter group that belonged to Marcus were ustomed to constant movement. Tensions were high within these groups, and for good reason; they were here secretly, after all.


    There was arge,cking presence of Alter in the Demonic Faction. One wrong move, and they would disappear with next to no support to help them. So, they needed toy low for the entirety of the time they were here, which also meant moving a lot.


    Graft headed to the job board, and on it, he could see a particr request that he was looking for. Pulling it off the board, he tore it down, ripping it up after. Now he knew where they needed to go.


    There wasn''t ack of inns in therge city. Repton had a number of visitors that woulde from all over and needed a ce to stay, so it wasn''t a surprise that their next meeting ce was another inn.


    When entering this one, it wasn''t particrly empty like thest. They headed up to their rooms, and all three of them entered, seeing them all huddled up in a rtively small room.


    There was a single double bed, one desk, and that was it. The whole group was standing about, and not much light wasing into the room due to Shing standing next to the window and his body blocking most of it.


    "It looks like you made it; that was far quicker than I thought," Marcus stated. "I thought Shing said the items were rare and expensive. I thought you might even have to do a few favors to get what you needed."


    "Anyhow, enough with that. I managed to get in contact with Himmy, which is good news."


    Hearing this, Ban and Graft were ready to act. All of the strange thoughts that were circling in their heads, they were starting to think that maybe this person wasn''t from Alter after all.


    It was quite possible that he had just killed an Alter member and stolen his emblem. It would exin a lot, with his story not adding up.


    "All is good. Himmy confirmed that you are indeed part of his squad," Marcus said. "And he is happy to help bring you into the Dark Faction. So, after you''re done with whatever it is you need to do with Shing, we can head off."


    The news came as a surprise to both Ban and Graft. Everything was fine, which meant that Raze had been telling the truth this entire time. They were sure that Marcus would have given a description of Raze to confirm.


    "Is it okay if I pay for another room so me and Shing can have a bit more privacy, as I am unsure of what is going to happen?" Raze suggested. He didn''t want something urring like thest few times he had met the bloody woman.


    Whenever they would meet, there would tend to be deaths that would ur.


    "Sure, I don''t mind that, but I''m not sure you are aware of this, but our funds are a little low, you see. We spent quite a bit at the Inn to clear the ce out," Marcus exined with a nervous smile.


    Tanya pped the back of Marcus''s head right then and there.


    "You idiot, you said you convinced them, not paid them!"


    "I convinced them with money, isn''t that the same thing?" Marcus replied back. "Either way, I''m happy for you to go ahead and do your personal business, but you will need to pay for it yourself."


    "That is not a problem," Raze said as he looked at Shing, who leaned off the wall and followed along with Raze.


    As soon as the door shut behind them, Ban couldn''t help but make ament.


    "Yeah, he really wouldn''t have a problem; that guy''s a walking money bag."


    "What do you mean?" Ponyo asked. "Did something happen while you were out?"


    Both Graft and Ban looked at each other as they went ahead and exined everything they had seen. Not only did they exin everything that had happened, but they even went on to talk about their suspicions.


    They went on to say why they had these thoughts as well.


    "That is strange, but I heard that mages that learn Pagna arts tend to learn them faster," Ponyomented. "Because if they have arge amount of mana, they can essentially be the same as higher stage warriors. He would still have to learn the skills though."


    "I suppose you are right," Ban replied. "I also heard the same as well. Mana and Qi are quite simr in how they are used, so a mage can even learn skills faster. But then what about the money? He''s so young, how can he have so much money?"


    "Well, maybe he robbed someone," Tanya replied.


    Graft didn''t think that was out of the question, thinking about what he saw in the dimension that time, and there was also the times and connection to the Crimson Crane. Perhaps those were the reasons why, but he needed to keep his mouth shut.


    "It''s not our problem to deal with," Marcus replied. "It''s Himmy''s, and besides, we have been asked to step out of the Demonic Faction, so all of us will be traveling with him when he''s done."


    After paying for the room next to him, Raze and Shing had entered. Shing sat down about a meter away from Raze and started to mix the items up, including crushing the level 3 power stones.


    He continued to do this, and eventually everything became a paste that he had put in a bowl. The paste itself was glowing, and Raze could feel the power, but he thought it was strange to be consumed this way.


    It looked quite simr to the potions that the mages would make but was slightly different.


    "This here, after I consume it, will temporarily increase my powers. It allows me to connect with the world we cannot see even more so. It is only a temporary measure, though," Shing exined. "I might be able to see this person attached to you; I might be able to speak to them, but my real body will be here, and I will be talking to you so you can hear."


    Listening to it, what Shing was about to do sounded simr to the astral projection technique that he knew.


    "When I connect with these people as well, sometimes it is harder for me to connect the next time, so this will be a one-


    time thing, and this is very dangerous depending on who I connect with."


    Raze understood and gave a nod.


    "If all goes well, I promise I will reward you for this."


    "Alright, before we start, I want to ask, is there anything you can do to increase your connection with this person? Think, how did you know this person existed; what did you first do?"


    This wasn''t hard for Raze. Whenever he performed the Demonic Cultivation Technique, especially in the Demonic Faction, his connection was the strongest.


    "There is; I will start that now¡­ Thank you for doing this¡­ And I promise you, I will do whatever I can to protect you."


    Those words caused Shing to hesitate for a moment as he lifted the bowl to his mouth, but a smile appeared; this was exciting for him. Now he was curious as to what this would be.

 Chapter 464 A Meeting With The Blooded Woman

    Chapter 464 A Meeting With The Blooded Woman


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    Dark Magus 464


    If there was one thing that Raze hadn''t done much of, it was cultivating through the normal means. Usually, cultivating a specific type of energy into one''s dantian was the normal way for one to progress.


    Bit by bit, one was trying to increase the amount of Qi they had in their bodies. Expanding it so it would break and allow them to go to the next stage. But due to the number of experiences Raze had, he was able to increase his Qi using rare power stones that one wouldn''t acquire at their level, and there was also the Extraction technique.


    However, it wasn''t as if there were no benefits to Raze cultivating. Whenever he did do such a thing, he was able to be more in tune with his energy, allowing him to sense flow better not just from himself, but from others that used it as well.


    Still, despite this, he had steered away from using the standard Demonic cultivation technique that was known as the cycle of life and death because of what could appear, that was until now.


    ''You always tried toe out before, to connect with me when I didn''t want it, but now I''m trying to connect to you, so you bettere out, and I have some questions for you!'' Raze thought, closing his eyes.


    He took in a deep breath through his nose, his hands were shaped in front of his stomach as he gathered the energy into a ball-like shape. When he took a breath in, his hands expanded slightly drawing more energy into him, and when breathing out, his hands moved closer together, then it was time for the imagery in his head.


    Shing, who was sitting opposite him, had drunk the solution but knew it would take some time to work, but already he was seeing arge difference with his eyes. The whole area was almost changing to him.


    The other world was brought forward, and the room felt like it was being filled with a mystic deep fog. Voices began to whisper into his ear; he couldn''t quite make out the words.


    The energy was rising inside of Shing, and his eyes were starting to glow with a slight white. Almost instantly the room had changed for him; when looking at the floor it felt a bit rough.


    Moving his hands slightly down, he could feel something rough to the touch, and a foul stench entered his nose.


    ''This world¡­ is it really the same one that I usually see¡­ or is it a world that''s brought by her,'' Shing thought.


    Right now, in the room of mist, the ground was littered with the dead. Bodies looked to have been piled on top of one another on the floor. Even the floor underneath Shing¡­ he was sitting on the pile of the dead.


    When he moved his hand, everything felt so real to him, even though he should be in the same ce as at home.


    ''I have taken this solution before, and my powers have increased, but it has never done this. It feels like the reality around me has changed. This can''t just be because of my powers; it has to be because of hers as well.''


    When looking ahead, Shing could see it; opposite him, Raze was sitting down, but hanging over his body were two long thin hands. They were wrapped by the side of his neck but continued downward until they were touching the floor.


    Soaked in blood, only pale skin could be seen on the other side. When trying to look at where the hands led to, there was arge amount of ck hair, and finally, when it led to the woman''s face, there was nothing.


    As if scratched out on a piece of paper, Shing was unable to see what it was, or who it was.


    "Is she there?" Raze asked. He was focusing on continuing the technique, but he had gotten to the point where he could speak at the same time. "She is, isn''t she? Ask her why is she attached to me, what is her purpose, and what does she want?"


    Shing was getting ready to repeat what Raze had said; he opened his mouth but then she had spoken already.


    "I''m not death!" The voice said, it was deep, but feminine while still sounding like a whisper, but one thing, it was clear for both of them to hear. "What is this? Is this because of your power he can clearly hear me? You have an interesting power."


    The bloody woman''s hand was raised, and a finger pointed out toward Shing, it was stretching and moving toward him but stopped midway in the room as Raze was beginning to be a little unstable.


    "Don''t touch him." Raze said.


    "Oh, you can''t see me, but it seems you can feel my intentions. I knew the two of us were so simr. This pile of dead bodies that you see, you must have killed the same amount right?" The woman began tough.


    "Just answer my question, what do you want from me?" Raze asked.


    "What do I want from you, what do I want from you, what do I want from you?" the woman repeated and started tough once again. "I am stuck with you¡­ so you have to live¡­ stop doing such dangerous things and tiring me out¡­"


    Based on the information she gave, Raze could only tell a couple of things; she needed him alive, and she was with him for one reason or another. It didn''t seem like she would borate, and in those cases when people did that, it was usually because they didn''t want the other person to find out why.


    "Alright fine, then tell me, how did youe into possession of me, how did the two of us meet?" Raze asked.


    The woman''s voice sounded like she was in the middle of a thought as she was humming and erring. While this was happening, something was urring with Shing as well. The solution he had taken, its power was already taking effect, but it was growing inside him.


    He was able to see more, and as he looked at the woman in front of him, the scratched-out face, it was starting to fade away slightly, disappearing bit by bit, allowing him to see more and more.


    He continued to look, and that''s when it stared right back at him, and the body of the bloody woman stayed stiff.


    "Can you see me?" The woman asked.


    Shing said nothing, as his powers continued, and he felt like he was frozen.


    "Can you see me¡­ me¡­ me¡­ my face¡­" The woman asked again.


    To which Shing looked away, and right there and then it was as if the woman had gotten her answer.


    "ARGHH!" A mighty scream echoed in the room, and her arms had utched from Raze as she went forward, but at the same time, Raze had drawn his sword from his sheath and covered it with his Dark Magic.


    ''I don''t know what works against this thing, magic or Qi, so I will just have to use both!''


    He swung it forward, and it felt like it connected with something in the air, a sh of power. As it expanded out, the entire scene in front of them disappeared, and Raze no longer felt resistance against his sword.


    He swung down, and it hit the Inn''s floor. The Qi attack caused arge explosion, destroying it and creating arge hole underneath.


    Immediately, the others from the other room rushed inside as they went through the door, breaking the side of the wall.


    ''What is going on!" Marcus shouted, and all of their weapons were on Raze.


    "No wait!" Shing shouted, getting up from the floor. "He just¡­ saved my life."

 Chapter 465 Leave No Witnesses

    Chapter 465 Leave No Witnesses


    ??For once, Raze thought that maybe when using the life and death cultivation technique that things wouldn''t go so strange, but it appeared that was not the case. There was a giant hole in the ground leading to the bottom floor.


    The attack was rtively strong, even the bottom floor had been destroyed, and amotion was already starting. The only thing this time was the fact that Raze hadn''t killed anyone by ident.


    "What do you mean he wasn''t trying to kill you!" Tanya shouted, holding up her rifle and pointing it directly at Raze''s head.


    "There are only you two in here, and he''s the one with the sword in his hand. There''s no way you''re telling me that you did that."


    Ponyo, the Pagna warrior in the Alter group, was on his knees, looking at therge hole from below. He was quite amazed by the strength of the attack and destructiveness. While looking down, there were quite a few people who were looking up.


    They could see the Inn owner getting angry and pointing above them as well.


    "Guys," Ponyo said, but his words fell on deaf ears.


    "No, it''s true," Shing said back. "It''s hard to exin, but I think he just saved my life right now."


    "The key words you used right there is think?" Ban replied. "Who knows, this young one might know illusion magic as well."


    "Guys!" Ponyo said once more, but no one seemed to listen.


    That was when Marcus got involved. He felt like he was having a headache as he pressed his fingers up against his nose and eyebrow.


    "Look, why don''t we all just-"


    In the middle of his sentence, Marcus moved back fairly quickly. He had fast reflexes and pulled out his gun from underneath his shirt. In that instance, he pulled the trigger, and it went right through the head of the person that had attacked him.


    Immediately, the man fell to the floor. The loud bang noise made everyone else now look at what just happened. They could see in the room they were in, a man in Pagna clothes with a gun in his hand, bleeding from his head.


    "Did I just¡­ kill a Pagna warrior?" Marcus said.


    "I believe you did," Ban replied. "And there seems to be more on the way."


    "That''s what I''ve been saying this whole time!" Ponyo shouted.


    Pagna warriors that were staying in the establishment were wondering who had made such a mess. They had gathered by the door, and one had jumped through the hole, swinging his sword at Marcus. In the end, the result was what it was.


    "Why are they attacking us? We weren''t the ones that caused this mess," Marcus shook his head.


    "He killed him, he killed him with that strange device, get him!" One of the warriors shouted, pulling out their sword, and the rest of the Pagna warriors followed.


    "Killing the man that attacked was our fault, and you know how warriors are," Ban exined. "Any excuse to flex their skills, and a chance not just to use their powers, but in the Demonic Faction, maybe even steal some coin."


    As the attackers rushed in, Ponyo was the first to enter and struck, trying to sh at them all. His sword was blocked by one, but soon another sword came swinging down; before it hit, another bullet, this time from Tanya, had hit the sword, knocking it out of the person''s hand.


    ''That weapon is quite the strong one,'' Raze thought as he continued to watch what was going on.


    For once, it felt like the situation was getting out of hand, and it wasn''t particrly his fault, at least partly.


    "This situation is going to be aplicated one," Marcus said as he continued to rub the top of his nose again. "They have seen us use things that we shouldn''t have, and unless we want a Deleter to get rid of us, we need to get rid of all witnesses."


    Marcus immediately lifted up his gun at that point and pointed it at the rest of the warriors; he fired one shot after the other, and with great uracy, he hit them in the head one by one.


    As soon as they were hit, they fell to the ground instantly dead. The warriors that wereing forward had stopped and frozen in ce. They had no clue what weapon it was that they held and were worried that they would be next.


    When Marcus went to fire again though, one of the warriors was able to stop the attack with his sword. He held it strong, reinforcing it with his Qi.


    "Oh, that''s quite a skillful one," Marcusmented.


    However, right after stopping the hit, arge ball of water appeared over the man''s head. It stayed on tight, and when the warrior tried to breathe in, he was unable to, other than just water.


    ''This is Ban''s doing,'' Raze thought. ''As suspected, he specializes in Water Magic, which is quite annoying to deal with, although it is interesting to see how they deal with this situation.''


    Raze continued to watch the group, and surprisingly, the one that was most effective was Marcus. He was the group leader for a reason, but it was mainly due to the weapon in his hand.


    Eventually, all of the Pagna warriors had been dealt with in the room, a floor of several dead were in the ce.


    "This is not what I expected on thest day of all things," Marcusmented. "Are you some type of bad luck charm or something?"


    Marcus was, of course, referring to Raze.


    Right after the group dropped down, going to the first floor through the hole, and Raze followed. They could see some people cowering under the tables, while even the Innkeeper was hiding behind the bar as well.


    The ones that had attacked them were Pagna warriors that dedicated their life to martial arts and to fighting. They had a sense of risk just being warriors, but the rest that were in here, they were non-warriors.


    The regr citizens that just lived in the world of Pagna.


    One of the frightened had gotten up off the ground and immediately ran toward the door, as they had done so, another loud bang had urred. Before the person reached the door, they had fallen to the floor.


    The people screamed in the room at the loud noise and the death of one of their own. Now no one was foolish enough to try and go toward the door, but that was the goal all along.


    The one that had taken the shot was none other than Tanya.


    "I hate that this had to happen," Marcus imed. "But we can''t get word that those from Alter were in the Demonic Faction, it will causerge problems for us all."


    Right then, Tanya lifted up her weapon, Ponyo grabbed his sword firmly, Shing bashed his hands together as he had recovered, ready to use his powers, and then Ban had both of his hands lifted up ready to cast whatever spell that he was about to do.


    "What are you doing?" Raze asked from behind. "These people, why are you killing them when they aren''t even trying to fight back at us?"


    "What? Do you have a problem with people dying, and killing?" Marcus asked.


    "I don''t have a problem with killing," Raze answered. "Especially if it''s those that deserve it."

 Chapter 466 Another Solution

    <h4>Chapter 466 Another Solution </h4>


    The tension in the room was palpable. People were extremely frightened, some shaking, others clinging to each other tightly. A few were biting their nails so hard they started to bleed at the tips of their fingers.


    These strangers had killed the Pagna warriors inside and weren''t letting any more outside. In that moment, they were praying for anyone, anything toe and save them, and that''s when they could see the unlikely discourse taking ce between the very group that they were all frightened of.


    "What? Do you have a problem with people dying and killing?" Marcus asked.


    "I don''t have a problem with killing," Raze answered. "Especially if it''s those that deserve it."


    Raze was acutely aware of the feelings in the room; when he looked at them, he imagined how others felt. These people, uninvolved and just enjoying their lives, were getting punished because of their strong actions, even more so, his strong actions.


    When he had firste here, Raze was too obsessed with his revenge and this being a new world that he felt detachment from those around, but he was realizing that all of these people were real people.


    As he interacted with more of those from Pagna, he realized he had no issue with dealing with those that were already prepared to risk their lives or those that deserved it, but not those that got involved unnecessarily.


    This had always been the case for him. At times, there might be a time where he had no choice but to kill those in front of him because they were getting in his way. They themselves might have not been bad, but it was the consequence of his revenge.


    What he never did, no matter how far he went, was kill those that didn''t need to be killed. It was never something of joy, and if it could be avoided, he would do so.


    "Do I have to exin?" Marcus said as he could feel the energy rising in him. He was a little worried about this strange mage. They had disyed their powers to him clearly a few times, and yet he still was ready to fight them all.


    There were only two reasons one would do that: they were overly confident they would win in a fight, or they were aplete idiot, and he hadn''t had enough time to decide which one Raze fell into.


    "We are not meant to be here, we were never here, and if there is any trace of us left behind, then it could causerger trouble. You know the greater goal that Alter has? Because of what we do, the world of Pagna can still exist in the state it is in today."


    "At first, it''s hard toprehend what we do, but when we realize it, it is just like being in the middle of a war, there are those that you have to take out to make sure everyone else is fine."


    When Marcus spoke, it sounded as if he was speaking from experience, but not of anything that he had ever faced in Pagna, but perhaps something more from his world that he had gone through.


    "And what would they report, that they saw you using strange weapons that shot out projectiles. They will hardly be able to describe what they saw, and you already said that you were leaving," Raze argued. "Their words won''t be enough to stir anything, but do you know what''s even stranger?"


    "The fact that everyone in this Inn had suddenly died. People die in Pagna over disputes, that is normal, but not regr citizens. If you want more investigations and trouble, then you are doing the right thing."


    Hearing those words, Marcus gave a little smirk. "You think you''re a smart one, right? With your fancy words, you said it yourself, people from Pagna die any day. They will run an investigation, and there won''t be a trace that we were ever here, and they will never suspect we were here.


    "And besides, they have heard too much in this conversation. We have to get rid of them now."


    Marcus lifted his hand again and shot out a bullet, but standing in its way was Raze. When it touched his chest, the bullet fell to the floor. He was confident since it had managed to stop Tanya''s bullet, which seemed more powerful, that it would be able to stop Marcus''s as well.


    "You''re wrong, the people didn''t hear a word of what we were talking about, I cast a silent spell and created a dome around us, only we could hear what we were saying," Raze exined.


    Ban looked at the outside and reached out his hand; he could feel the wind currents moving through his fingers.


    "He''s telling the truth," Ban answered.


    This had caught Marcus by surprise, a surprise that a person so young was thinking ahead in a situation like this.


    "Even if they haven''t heard what we said, my point is still valid. If you really wish to stop us, then you need toe up with a solution. You can very well say what we are doing is wrong, but it is a result of the current problem, soe up with a solution or try to stop us."


    "But if you battle with us, that will be starting a war with the whole of Alter, and you might be stuck in the Demonic Faction."


    It was a battle of intense stares, and they were all wondering what was going on. This white-haired kid, why was he sticking up for them? Moreover, they wanted him to somehow convince the others even though they couldn''t hear what was happening.


    "There is a spell I can cast, a spell that will make them all lose their memory. They will fall asleep, and when we leave, if they wake up, they won''t remember what we look like or what happened.


    "Either way, this result and your result produce the same oue."


    "Is it true?" Marcus turned to look at Ban. "Is there such a spell?"


    "There is¡­ I don''t think he''s lying," Ban answered.


    There was silence for a moment while Marcus was thinking on whether or not to trust Raze. If this didn''t work, then Raze would have to leave these people be, because helping himself out was more important to him.


    But at least he could say he tried to stop the others.


    "Alright, go ahead and activate your spell. As you say, killing them all could causerger problems, not just with the ns but the kingdom itself as well," Marcus then pped his hands. "Come on, get to work."


    Raze started to draw arge circle on the ground. He called to the people to gather them up in the middle in one area so he didn''t have to draw asrge of a circle and began to go ahead with the runes. But while doing all of this, there was still a problem he needed to solve.


    ''I understand why Ban thought I could do this; it''s because of my zer and its Light Magic properties he must have sensed, but I still have a problem because this spell requires Light Magic to work and I don''t have Light Magic.


    ''So right now, this spell is impossible for me to cast!''

 Chapter 467 A Successful Plan

    <h4>Chapter 467 A Sessful n</h4>


    Using his trusty piece of chalk, Raze was gliding it along the floorboards. The people had huddled in the center; there were around fifty of them, all of them a different age, different stages of their life, and different reasons as to why they were there.


    Raze was no longer producing his wind spell that would silence words. As he continued to draw with the chalk, he could see a young girl who looked as if she was barely a teenager.


    She had been holding onto her mother, and as Raze was drawing some runes, she whispered a few words.


    "Thank you, mister," the young girl said. "I don''t really know what happened, but you''re doing this... to save us, right, from those bad people."


    The mother quickly ced her hand over her daughter''s mouth and turned around for fear that others would be listening.


    "Don''t turn your head," Raze sternly said without lifting his head, looking at them. "If you turn your head, they will know you said something or something is up."


    Thinking about the young girl''s words, he was wondering, are Alter the bad guys? These in Alter certainly didn''t think of themselves that way, but it was clear that the Bonum Society was against them.


    Amir had told Raze to enter their base and find out what Alter is really like, but with this going on, he could just describe it as a bad situation with a few rash people. It wasn''t enough to say that these were bad people.


    Otherwise, it would mean he was also a bad person as well. ''Who am I kidding myself, I knew I was no saint for a while now.''


    "Also, you shouldn''t be thanking me yet; I don''t know the oue of what this whole thing is going to be," Raze said as he continued on.


    The rest of the Alter group was sitting over at a table nearby. They had pulled up chairs and even went ahead and got a few drinks from behind the bar. To them, they were treating this as if it was just another day.


    "Ban, I want you to keep an eye on that mage and make sure he doesn''t do any funny stuff," Marcus exined. "You know how the new guys are like. They are the most likely to switch over to the other side or try to attempt to steal a few things from us."


    "They have no experience or really know the effects of their actions just yet. And this one seems to be a covert one."


    Ban nodded as he kept a close eye on Raze, who continued to draw on the ground and was finally done.


    "Everyone!" Raze said, standing up facing the group of people. "Right now, I am going to cast a spell, one that will make you all fall asleep. Before that, each of you will see a bright sh of light. This will mean that the spell is working."


    "Everything set here has worked, and you will all fall into a slumber. When you wake up, you will have no idea what has happened, from before you entered this establishment."


    "You will be asked questions of what happened, but none of you will know. I hope all of you will not be frightened of having lost your mind and be happy that you can live today and continue to live your lives. Take this experience as if something can happen at any time, and live your life to the fullest."


    With his back turned away from the others, Raze elicited both of his hands, and from his fingers, a sh came out. It lit up the magic circle. It started to light up beneath their feet, and right after, the whole area started to light up.


    It was so bright that even those from Alter had to cover themselves. When the light finally died down, they could see the rest of the people still there in the center. A couple of them were lying on the floor, as if passed out.


    Then slowly, one after the other, they all started to fall to the ground, closing their eyes, breathing in as if they were all sound asleep. When all of them had gone down to the floor, Raze turned to the rest of the Alter group.


    "The spell was a sess," Raze stated.


    "I can see that," Marcus said, getting up to his feet and pping his hands. "Alright, let''s not waste any more time. It''s time for us to head back to the Dark Faction. You will meet up with Himmy, and we will head to the base from the Dark Faction route."


    All was well, but Raze couldn''t help but look at Ban, but not a word was said, and eventually, all of them had left the Inn, heading through the streets and en route to the Dark Faction.


    Inside the Inn itself, around ten minutes had passed, and that''s when one person finally spoke.


    "Do you think it''s okay to open our eyes now?"


    "I think it''s been long enough, right? They won''t return?"


    "Yeah, and even if they return, we can just pretend everything worked out."


    Slowly, from their state, they started to lift themselves one after the other. As they did, everyone had thankful smiles on their faces, knowing full well what they had just escaped.


    "That young man, I nearly missed his wink," one of themmented.


    "I did miss it, but when everyone else was falling down, I just didn''t feel right, or that it would fit in, so I copied everyone else. Otherwise, I was worried I would drop dead like the others."


    "I was wondering why he was exining everything to us, but he did do something with that bright light."


    The young woman from before hugged her mother tightly.


    "That white-haired man, he saved us right, right?" she asked.


    "I think that man did, I just hope he doesn''t get in trouble for it himself," the mother replied.


    While in the city, the group had managed to find a cart and a merchant that would head to the border of the Dark Faction. There were some merchants that dealt in more than one territory, and the wanderers could also head to different factions as well.


    But there was a process to these things. Either way, they had decided to hire a cart to take them there as it was more rxing than running on foot, and it would avoid undue attention on them as well.


    Outside of the cart though, Raze was sitting away from the others, next to the man who was escorting them and controlling the horses.


    Pushing through the curtain that covered the back, Ban came out.


    "Driver, get some rest; I have ridden a few shares of these myself."


    The driver wasn''t going to say no; if someone wanted to do the job for him and he still got paid for it, he was more than happy. As the driver went in the back with the others, he quickly went to shut his eyes, and now at the front of the cart, there was Raze and Ban, the two mages together.


    02:00


    "Back there... I know what you did," Ban said quietly, but Raze could tell he had activated the silent wind spell as well so the others behind couldn''t hear.


    "You do¡­ then tell me, why haven''t you told them about it?" Raze asked.

 Chapter 468 Secret Revealed?

    <h4>Chapter 468 Secret Revealed? </h4>


    While performing his little trick, there was always a worry in the back of Raze''s mind. He knew that it might be seen through by Ban. From the information he knew, Ban was a 4-star mage.


    Knowing this, Raze had drawn the memory loss formation using a circle that only a 6-star mage would know. On top of that, he hid the real magic circle formation of the light show that was activated by his lightning magic.


    Doing so, he wanted to make it seem like it was magic, and using a formation that Ban might not understand. It was possible that Ban would have asked questions while he was doing his work, raising the suspicions of Marcus and the rest of the group, yet he did not.


    Which was why he thought he had gotten away with it, until this point right now.


    In response, Ban smiled. "You can rx a bit; I''m not expecting to fight you, and if the two of us were to sh, I imagine I would lose. Your Pagna skills are great, and you can use magic. You might not be able to use both at the same time, but it means that you can attack close and far away. On top of that, you have very special clothing."


    A level-headed mage came as somewhat of a surprise after the number of hot-headed people that Raze hade across.


    "You should keep up thoughts like this; you will live longer," Raze replied.


    It was a quick remark that caused a smirk to appear on Ban''s face.


    "You know, I knew straight away, as soon as you started to talk about the memory loss spell, that there would be an issue. That is something that can only be done by a 6-star mage, and on top of that, one would have to have the affinity in Light Magic to top it off."


    "It''s not an easy skill to do. You probably thought I wouldn''t know about it or notice because I''m a 4-star mage, just thinking; this is a spell that I haven''t done research in, especially since my specialty is in water." Raising his hand, Ban made a swirl of water appear in the air.


    He moved his index finger in a swirling motion, and the water swirled around with it. "But did you forget already, I''m part of the Glory Guild. There have been times when I have seen that spell used myself."


    An instant reaction had acted in Raze; as his hand twitched and tightened, he quickly rxed it and decided to look away from Ban and instead just concentrate on the dark orange scenery in front of him.


    "My point is that I knew that you were going to fail from the beginning, yet I decided not to say anything and was wondering what you were going to pull off. These guys behind us, they understand the basics of magic but not much more than that. Let me show you something."


    Ban then pulled out a device that looked like a stick from underneath his sleeve. It only took a moment, but Raze noticed the marking of ''I'' on it, and it was clear it had magical powers.


    "This is an item that some of us at Alter have, and have you noticed something?"


    Raze was unsure what he meant; he knew it was a magical device but didn''t see anything strange at all.


    "This whole time we have been talking to each other in Alterian, not in Pagna."


    For a moment, Raze''s mind was almost blown. He hadn''t realized it himself, since everything flowed so easily. He only noticed it when looking at different markings or writing and such.


    "You see, this device allows it, so those from other worlds can understand each other. It''s quite amazing, as someone doesn''t need it for long, it''s something like one''s brain naturally gets used to it after a while and we can all speak Pagna fine."


    "But those who are new here, they have to use this device. Everything they say is in their ownnguage butes out in Pagna to the rest of us. In terms of spells though, for some reason, these things aren''t tranted."


    "When a magic is cast, I don''t know if it disrupts the device just for a moment or what, or maybe it was even designed that way, but those guys would have had no clue what you were doing."


    The device was quite amazing, and Raze assumed that it worked both ways. The mages that had appeared in the dimension, they understood what was being said most likely because they had the same device.


    "This is good information," Raze mumbled.


    "Right, I mean, there are some people that try to learn thenguage themselves rather than rely on magical devices, fearful that these things can control your brain. I mean, letting a speaking magical item''s magic into the inside of you, and allowing it to change your chemistry up there, is not something that everyone is happy about."


    "But everything you said still doesn''t exin why you aren''t helping your squad out. Why didn''t you tell them the truth?" Raze asked again, trying to put more pressure.


    Was this man really a spy, working for Bonum, or was Raze just thinking too much into it and he was a mage that wanted to help out a fellow mage.


    "Because I''m from the Glory Guild," Ban answered. "At that point in time, when I saw what you did for those people, and the arguments you made, I was feeling something inside me."


    "The deaths of those around me for the greater cause are something that one will have to learn to ept. And the tasks we do, we have to understand that we are small pieces in the grand scheme of things."¡Â=


    "But at the end of the day, I was part of the Glory Guild that worked for the Grand Magus. We are one of the good guys, and back then, I didn''t feel like one of the good guys, you did, so I decided to help you."


    "The Glory Guild, part of the good guys," Raze repeated to himself as he slightly shook his head. It was an unbelievable concept for him to have, especially with the Grand Magus being at the top.


    This was the view though, the view of the general public of Alterian and what those in the guild had thought, and anyone who was against them would be an enemy regardless.


    "Well, thank you," Raze answered.


    Right up ahead, they could see a city; it looked like an outpost that was based on the base of a valley of mountains. If one looked to their left or right, they could just see what looked like a field of mountains, and the only thing that stood out was the city itself.


    "It looks like we''re here; I hope all goes well in the city," Ban answered. "Otherwise, we might have to climb those mountaintops to head to the Dark Faction, but I''m sure all is well."


    Just then, Raze had his hand open in front of Ban. When he went to look down, he could see three different colored Qi pills in his hand.


    "A gift for keeping it a secret," Raze stated.


    Ban took them and looked at the Qi pills. "But these are what warriors take."


    "Their effects work on mages as well," Raze answered. "Just keep them for when you need them."


    As Ban continued to inspect the pills, he soon saw the small marking of ''DM''.


    "DM?"

 Chapter 469 A Path To Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 469 A Path To Trouble</h4>


    For a short while, Ban looked at the DM marking. He had seen a few pills but not many since it wasn''t something he bothered with taking himself. From those he had seen, he had never witnessed a marking like this on them. However, that was all he thought it was, just a marking, and he ced them in his inner pocket for safekeeping.


    The group had managed to enter the city with ease. There were some Pagna warriors on the outside from one of the Demonic ns, not one that Raze had seen before. The members of the n in the city were quite recognizable, since all of them had a band on their shoulder.


    The city itself was different from Reptum. The floor was paved with round stones and uneven at parts, and the buildings by the side were close together, a mixture of wood and a different hard rock type of material. The architectural style was also more in, being more upright and standing. However, the streets were extremely wide, allowing for multiple carriages to go through as well as people, and there seemed to be nearly just as much here as there would be in Reptum. Only the characters were more diverse.


    "These ces are a wanderer''s Paradise," Marcus exined. "You know, all of the factions are at each other''s throats, so if you''re from a n that doesn''t belong, then you need to get permission from the relevant factions to even enter.


    "However, for wanderers that belong to no n, we can stay at cities like these that are on the very border."


    "If it''s on the border, though, doesn''t that mean that it''ll get attacked a lot as well?" Raze asked.


    The group continued to pace through the city, and Raze was still taking in the sights. He could even see several warriors looking from above; they were standing on rooftops just observing the situation. It certainly felt more militarizedpared to any of the other ces that he had been to before.


    "You are right, disagreements tend to happen, but very rarely do fights ur in the city. Usually, a sh will happen on thend somewhere before it even reaches the city," Ponyo, the young warrior, answered.


    "However, there is no doubt that there are those that just ignore the norm and start trouble here, which means this ce right here is cheap, and warriors just like Marcus are very cheap."


    Marcus went to give the young warrior a stare of death, but the othersughed at thement, knowing fully well that it''s true.


    "This city is perhaps one of the safest points of ess to the Dark Faction," Ban exined. "Because we''re not actually at the territory border. You see the valley of mountains that go on and on from this point.


    "Well, there is a tunnel that goes through the tunnel that takes you all the way to another city, and that city is upied by the Dark Faction. Fights just don''t ur here because of this issue.


    "Although I do hear of deaths urring in the tunnel from time to time, never has there been an outright war or battle that has urred."


    Raze thought the whole thing was interesting, to say the least. He knew on Alterian there were several disputes between different nations. There was arge struggle as Mages became an ultimate power.


    Yet one thing that the Grand Magus did manage to do was the fact that their existence had stopped the disputes. They weren''t the ultimate government or seen as above them, but working with them nearly all matters were settled.


    Yet Raze still didn''t care what happened to the rest of Alterian, regardless of what good their existence did. They needed to be rid of for the wrongdoings they had done.


    "The Lethal Bite n is the one in charge of this city right? Is it someone we should be careful of?" Tanya asked.


    "Yes," Marcus answered instantly, as the group walked past two men in cloth with the yellow armband around their bicep.


    "You have to remember, all the ns that are in charge of the borders have to be strong and have arge say in each faction because at the end of the day, they are the first line of defense."


    After walking around for a while, Raze could see them stopping at a fairlyrge building, and people who were entering inside wereing out with different packages that were wrapped up.


    Marcus had entered on his own, informing the others to wait on the outside. After a short while, he had returned, and he had a circle emblem held in his hand.


    It was the size of one''s palm, made of a metallic bronze and had an X in the middle. When Marcus arrived, he handed it over to Raze.


    "What is this?" Raze asked.


    "That is the marking of a Wanderer. With that, you will be able to enter and go out of different areas, but in some cases, they''re quite tricky to get," Marcus exined. "If you are a wanderer who was born in the Demonic faction, then you would have to go through the process in the Demonic Faction to get one of those things.


    "The process for wanderers is different depending on where theye from, and since you are not originally from the Demonic Faction, it would have been near impossible for you to get one.


    "Which is why I contacted Himmy to send one over, and of course just sending it it would have been stopped if there weren''t some other methods involved," Marcus exined.


    Right now, in Raze''s hand, another great tool had been added. Speaking to the others so far, Wanderers could enter any faction including that of the Light Faction. If there was some business there, he could perhaps help.


    Or maybe even learn their cultivation technique and teach it to Safa. With that, she should grow her light magic powers.The Dark Factionw orked well for Raze''s magic core so he assumed it would for her as well.


    ''Right¡­ Safa and the others,'' Raze thought as he quickly used his magic to ce the emblem away.


    For a brief moment, the weight of their sess hung palpably in the air, unspoken yet deeply felt among them. As Marcus voiced his relief, Raze sensed the tension dissipating from the group. With each step away from the city, their spirits lifted, andughter and chatter filled the air.


    "I suppose your mission was a sess," Raze ventured, breaking the buoyant atmosphere with his question.


    "A sess, indeed. For me, a mission is sessful if we make it out alive," Marcus replied with a hint of gravity. "I hope you won''t need to return here once you''re with Himmy''s squad. But fate works in mysterious ways."


    Raze pondered Marcus''s words, his thoughts swirling around a particr detail mentioned earlier. With a specific inquiry in mind, he directed his question to the group.


    "Do you happen to know which n oversees the city on the other side of the tunnel?" Raze inquired, his curiosity piqued.


    Ponny, without hesitation, provided the answer. "Yes, it''s the Lethal Bite n," he confirmed, adding anotheryer of intrigue to their journey.

 Chapter 470 A Fake Emblem?

    Chapter 470 A Fake Emblem?


    ??There were many times since entering Pagna that Raze didn''t know whether to feel lucky or unlucky. Situations would ur that allowed him to grow and progress, while at the same time there were also situations that felt like they were meant to hinder him.


    At times the bad could turn into good situations, but considering how things went so far, and how he was in the Dark Faction right now, he had a streak of bad luck and this felt like one of those times.


    ''I should have known,'' Raze thought. ''After learning that the Factions use strong and some of their best ns to defend them, that the Dark Faction would have one of the five major ns protecting the border.


    ''Out of all of them, it had to be the Lethal Bite n.''


    The group could see arge queue that was filled with hundreds of people. The people themselves varied, some looking like regr citizens, others Wanderers, but there didn''t seem to be many n members.


    At the other end, located at the very back of the city, was arge mountain. The back side of it almost was a part of the city itself, and stationed in front of it, quite a few makeshift and open buildings had been made.


    There were a number of n members that were checking things over. Judging by how fast the queue was moving, they would at least be here for three more hours, but that did give Raze some time to think as well.


    ''The Lethal Bite n, none of them would recognize me apart from Feebie herself,'' Raze thought. ''It shouldn''t be a problem. I also wonder what the state of the n will currently be in. Since Feebie, the head, and vice head of the n is no more.


    ''I doubt the news has spread but it should make things easier to move. It also gives me another idea. With the n Head gone and the ce in chaos, there might be a chance to take a few items for myself, to help me progress in my journey and get ahead.''


    The group waited as they slowly shifted forward, getting closer and closer to the tunnel. Since there were many people around them, they had stopped talking about things such as Alter and just went on to conversations about food and other ces they had visited while they were here.


    What Raze did notice was that therge weapons that they had been carrying in the open and around the area for a while, they now had them in crates and had tied them to their backs.


    Marcus in particr was the one that was carrying them and had been doing so with ease. Which was strange, since he wasn''t a Pagna warrior; it seemed he had more strength than the usual individual, and his reflex back at the inn was fast enough to dodge a strike from the Pagna warrior.


    It was clear that he wasn''t a normal person.


    ''Otherworlders are centrally interesting, and the fact that there are more people than just from that of Alterian and Pagna is something I need to keep an eye on.''


    After waiting for an hour it seemed like they were now halfway through the queue, but the queue had also equally increased in length behind them, and that was when something could be heard from up ahead.


    "What do you think you''re doing!" A loud voice shouted.


    Right after a crash was heard, and a man could be seen being kicked to the ground. One of the n members from the Lost n with the colored armband had mmed his foot into the ground right next to the man''s crotch who was on the floor.


    "This Tag right here." The Lost n member dangled a piece of Iron with an X mark in the center on a piece of rope. "This is a fake, why would you be carrying a fake, are you a Pagna warrior that is trying to sneak out of the Demonic Faction?"


    The man was already nervously sweating and was pushing his hands onto the floor, scooting backward.


    "No, I promise, I have always been an adventurer and got a recement Tag a few days ago. I thought there was no problem with it, it must have been the regtors, they must have given me a fake they had in stock or something."


    "The regtors are handled by the Lost n, now you are tainting our name by saying we made a mistake!" The n member shouted. "You must be a spy, who has somehow entered from the Dark Faction and now are trying to return, we can''t let you escape!"


    Right then, the man on the ground''s expression hadpletely changed. It was right then that he gave off the ground with his two feet. The Lost n member had chased right after him, and jumped with his sword by his side.


    When the n member swung his sword, the other man had drawn a de from his back and stopped the attack. However, the powerful Qi sent him flying and sliding on the ground close to the group of people.


    "Hey hero guy, don''t get involved this time," Marcusmented. "If we did, this n as our enemy is definitely not something we want."


    Raze never had any intention of getting involved in the first ce with this. He had no idea if this man was really a criminal or not, and he wasn''t directly involved. There was a reason these things were happening to them.


    Just as the man got off from the ground, one n member had appeared from behind and stomped him in the back while the other who had been chasing him, appeared shing his sword right at his neck.


    Some of the people trying to exit out of the city squeezed as they saw this sight, others covered their eyes, while some thought it was just the normal oue.


    After the person was dealt with, two people came to drag the body away. Then there were some cleaners from the city that had arrived to clear the blood up, while the process of moving forward trying to get out of the ce continued.


    "Are we going to be okay?" Raze asked as he brought out the emblem he had. It looked different to the one the other man had, as his was round in shape but he figured it was because his was given by the Dark Faction.


    "Honestly, I have no idea whether or not it''s a real one or a fake one," Marcus answered. "But we promised we would take you out of here, and we need to get out of here ourselves."


    "Ha!" Tanyaughed. "Why don''t you just tell him the truth."


    Raze was wondering what Tanya meant by this, she then reached in and pulled out an Emblem from her pocket. It was round in size and had an X marking on it. At the same time, Ponyo pulled out his as well, and so did the rest of the group.


    "We all have the same Emblem as you, so to put it simply if they don''t let you in, we''re all F*cked." Tanyaughed, and their turn was soon approaching.

 Chapter 471 Locking The Way

    Chapter 471 Locking The Way


    ??Raze honestly didn''t know whether to feel better or worse at the fact that all of the other squad members had the same emblem as the rest of them. It was quite clear that they didn''t regrlye in and out of the Demonic Faction.


    If anything, it sounded like they had entered fine, but now it was their first time trying to head back, and after what they had just witnessed, everyone felt a little nervous.


    It was strange though, Raze wasn''t used to this. He liked to n things out, make sure things worked a particr way, and know what he was doing. Not just leave things up to fate.


    As the group were drawing closer and closer, Raze was going through a number of scenarios in his head for what they could do.


    ''There''s arge number of members here, it appears they''re working in two groups, there are those sitting down in their seats, around 12 in number, and then the guards in total are about another twelve, six and six, next to the entrance of the mountain.


    ''I can run through and perhaps use my Ice Magic on the floor making it harder for them to reach us. The entrance looks dark so I doubt they will be able to see what we can do.''


    Attacking them and escaping to the other side could cause problems. Although they were of different factions, if a report came through in order to avoid trouble or a war, Raze was sure the Lethal Bite n would try and do their best to stop them and offer their heads as a type of peace offering.


    ''We could try and lie our way through and avoid a fight altogether. They didn''t buy that man''s lie, but the best lies are the ones with a hint of truth to them¡­ I could use their name. If I was to use the Neverfall n''s name would they be hesitant and let us through? But then, will it cause the others to ask questions, they believe I''ve only been in the Demonic Faction for so long.


    ''And if I need to have some way to confirm it, it might lead to thating out.''


    For a moment, Raze''s face felt a little hot.


    ''Come on!'' Raze shouted at his own head. ''This young body sometimes affects my mind more than I can imagine.''


    In the middle of all of his thoughts, it was finally their group''s turn.


    "Next!" The man shouted.


    The group walked ahead together and had arrived at the desk. There was one man sitting down who had two armbands around him. And the others stood fairly close to the rest of the members.


    "State your reason for traveling to the Dark Faction!" The man at the desk shouted.


    Marcus gathered everyone''s emblems since they were the same anyway and ced them on the table.


    "We are a group of wanderers that are traveling together. We originally met in the Dark Faction and have been staying in the Demonic Faction, mainly in the city of Repton. We wish to return to the Dark Faction," Marcus exined.


    The man picked up one of the emblems on the table and started to inspect it. He then lifted it in the air, the light sparkled off the emblem for a few moments. Raze was sure that the released demeanor that the others had was starting to fade.


    It felt as if he could hear their hearts trying to jump out of their chests.


    The man then ced another one of the medals down on the table and went to pick up another.


    "Inspect their belongings while I check these."


    Marcus was more than happy to, as he unstrapped the wooden crate on his back, and Shing who was carrying the others'' belongings had done the same. The Pagna warrior came over taking a peek at the guns that were on the inside.


    "They are some special ornaments that we have gathered from the Demonic Faction, but they hold no power, you can check it out," Marcus exined.


    The man seemed to do just that as he picked up the gun and the bullets, while holding them they just seemed to be oddly shaped pieces of metal in his eyes.


    "Everything is fine on my end," the warrior reported.


    "Yeah, all is good on my end as well."


    Now that was sorted they just needed the okay from the head warrior that was still checking each and every one of the emblems, and as he got another one in his hand he was checking them out for longer each time.


    Tanya was starting to tap her foot rapidly on the ground and had folded her arms. Ponyo could feel his lips starting to dry.


    In the middle of his inspection, another warrior hade over from the side, jumping from an unknown location. They were all too focused to see where he hade from.


    When hended he took a look at the group, and then leaned in and started to whisper to the leader.


    At that moment, they all thought they were done for, something had happened that made it so they had figured everything out. Raze felt the same way as well and took a step forward.


    "Close the tunnel!" The head warrior shouted.


    Immediately the twelve men who were next to the tunnel, they all started to pull the levers that were positioned behind them. They were pulling them one after the other and the levers would rise back up.


    Each time they pulled them using their Qi the levers were heavy and from the top of therge whole entrance a metal door wasing down.


    ''Crap, did they really find something out!'' Raze thought. ''We have to act now, I have to do something before the door closes, otherwise I will have to resort to the other option.''


    Just as Raze was going to mark his move, it was as if a mechanism had activated in the wall, and halfway through the door shutting down it mmed on the ground. Raze''s hand was reached out pointed toward the door, and for a moment he thought about using his Dark Pulse to try and blow a hole through the door, but decided against it.


    Marcus''s eyes himself were lingering on the weapons in the boxes. He knew that their life might be over now. Things happened to Alter''s like this all the time, but he might as well try and live a little longer.


    The man stood up, and looked at the group.


    "I''m afraid a serious matter has urred, and we have locked down the path to the Dark Faction!" The main leader shouted. "We, the Lost n, have the responsibility to do whatever it is we can to protect you all, everyone please head indoors to the closest buildings possible and stay put until we say so."


    The words and thought of the group, they weren''t matching up. They weren''t being suspected of fake emblems, so what had exactly happened? Or what was happening.


    Listening in, the noises from behind, in the distance they sounded like terrifying screams, and it wasn''t just one or two people, the sound wasing from hundreds.


    "Everyone, until the situation is over, I repeat, stay indoors!" The leader shouted.

 Chapter 472 Trapped in the City

    <h4>Chapter 472 Trapped in the City </h4>


    After the order was given by the Lost n, everyone at the scene started to run inside, including those that were queued up and trying to leave. Through the thick iron door lock, there seemed to be no hope in them getting through, and there was something else atrge here.


    Seeing how everything was going, the group had decided to follow some of the others and had entered inside one of the closest buildings to the right. When entering, they noticed that it was a clothing shop.


    At the front of the shop, there were racks of Panga-styled clothing on the right, left, and even center of the ce. While at the back, there was machinery and tables where workers could focus on making more clothing.


    And then at the very back of the room, there were tworge wooden containers that had arge amount of heating from them. In the ceiling, there was an open area to allow the heat to escape.


    One of the cloths had been dipped in and pulled out, and the color of the clothing had changed.


    When the people scattered inside, many of them hid behind the clothing or the items, while Marcus and his group as well as a few curious others had stayed close to therge open windows at the front, staring at the stone-cobbled street.


    "When that gate closed, I thought it was because we did something," Tanyamented.


    "Why would they close the gate because of some wanderers trying to get through," another manmented, who was in the queue at the time. "If you are found to be doing something bad, they will just deal with you."


    "The fact that they closed the entrance to the Dark Faction means that they don''t want anything getting to the other side. This is something bigger than that."


    As they continued to watch the outside, they could see the Pagna warriors running through the street and jumping on rooftops. Many of them already had their weapons drawn in their hands.


    The sound of screaming could still be heard, and just so everyone could try to have an idea of what was going on, everyone had gone silent. Afraid that if they made a sound, they would be the next ones to get attacked.


    ''This feeling, I''ve felt it before.'' Raze thought as there was a slight tingle in the tip of his fingers.


    Staring through the ss, that''s when they saw it, a creature with a round-shaped head the size of an elephant, but with no eyes, had leapt on one of the warriors. The head itself appeared to have no eyes, but it did have one thing that was far more deadly.


    It opened its mouth revealing sharp razor-like teeth. Its saliva dripped on the warrior on the ground and started to melt his clothes and burn his skin away. They could hear the scream of the warrior.


    As the mouth opened up wide, with a struggle, the warrior grabbed his sword. He gathered his Qi and spun it in his hand pushing it through its head. The sword went through the beast and could be seen appearing on the other side covered in its juices.


    The sword appeared to be melting but at the same time, it had done its job, the creature was lifeless, its head fell down lying open for the man, causing him to grunt in pain for a few moments more beforepletely losing his life.


    Everyone looking through the window had witnessed it, and one person in question had a foul stenching from him. Looking at where the smell wasing from, they could see that a young man had a pool of yellow water from where he stood.


    "What is wrong with you, what did you do!" A woman shouted. "How could you do that in a ce like this, the entire shop can smell what''s happening." She covered her nose, and was worried a momentter that she was going to throw up.


    However, those next to the window didn''t me the man for reacting the way he did. A normal citizen had just seen a nightmaree to life, someone who would normally never experience such a thing, those that thought it would never happen to them, they could see it.


    Another person, so shocked by what had just happened had decided toe by the window and immediately as she saw the body she raised her hands to her mouth. She could see itsrge head, its thick brown skin-colored body with its sharp bones and muscr structure along with its thin and hairless tail.


    It was an animal that didn''t exist in this world, in the world of Pagna. It was clearly a beast.


    "If there are beasts here, and the screaming is still going out there, that means that this is a portal break," Marcus mumbled to himself.


    Now he understood why the exit was closed, because if they failed to stop the portal break, they at least wanted to stop the beasts from going over to the Dark Faction.


    Otherwise, it would lead to the deaths of many, but more importantly for the faction, would make them appear weak as they couldn''t deal with a portal break.


    Now Raze understood why the feeling was so simr. The only real portal break he hade across was the one that he had summoned himself in the academy, using his magic powers.


    "Get that man out of here!" The woman shouted from earlier, still covering her nose. "I''m going to be sick, he shouldn''t have done such a thing in such a ce."


    "Hey!" One of the others snapped back at her. "Be quiet or we can be in serious trouble."


    "What! The only trouble we are going to get in is for stinking so bad because of this man!" She pointed at him and lifted her foot up.


    The man was still frozen, crouching by the window looking outward. When lifting her foot up, she was ready to kick him herself until just as she went to kick the man, a loud crash was heard through the window.


    A beast the size of a dog could be seen flying through the air and hadnded right on top of the woman. It opened its mouth up and took a clean bite, ripping off arge part of her face.

 Chapter 473 Think Fast!

    <h4>Chapter 473 Think Fast!</h4>


    Marcus''s guess was correct; this was indeed a portal break, and it was a particrly rampant one as well. Arge number of beasts had stormed the city, and it had happened all too fast.


    Warriors of the Lost n were fighting at the entrance against the beasts, as the portal hadn''t opened within the city itself. The beasts, strange creatures withrge heads, had overwhelmed the city.


    They were strong, powerful, fast, and their saliva seemed to have a melting property in it, allowing them to stop most weapons. If weapons were coated in strong Qi, they could resist the saliva, but this wasn''t something that could be done against many.


    With the beasts having entered the city, they were reacting to any signs of life, taking them out. Another thing to note of the beasts themselves, it was almost as if they had no eyes.


    No eyes could be seen on the top of their round heads, leaving them attracted to sound. The warriors had figured this out, but it was hard for them to spread the news around to the rest of the city quickly.


    In one of the city''s shops, a particr woman was making arge amount of noise due to a stench of a specific person who was hiding in the same ce. As she continued to make noise, one of the small beasts that were nearby had leapt through the window and had entered, biting off the woman''s face, killing her in an instant.


    "Arghhh!" A loud number of screams in the shop had urred.


    The people were unable to help themselves as they could see the blood; quickly, many had reacted. Inside the shop, there were also other wanderers, those that were warriors but not part of a n.


    They quickly reacted, drawing their weapons, and started to hit the beasts, stopping them one after the other. When stabbing the beasts as they opened their mouths, some of the saliva exploded out and hit a few of those that had attacked.


    The saliva quickly burnt part of their clothing, reaching their skin and continuing to burn through. The warriors quickly used more of their Qi, and it seemed to stop the saliva from reacting more. It made it clear, though, that they needed to be careful even when attacking such a creature.


    The small creature that had entered was now dead.


    "There are more of them heading for the shop!" A man shouted and went to run toward the back of the shop. The rest of the people inside had done the same, turning their backs.


    Meanwhile, the wanderers that were inside had no choice but to fight, and it was the same for Marcus and his group. As the creatures burst through the windows, Marcus rolled to the side and dropped the crate from his back.


    The creatures burst inside the room, and some of them turned around to face the group.


    Shing, therge man, gathered a fist and punched one at the side of its body. It flew in the air, crashing into a clothing rack and dropped to the ground.


    With his fist, Marcus punched the crate open and pulled out therge rifle and threw it over to Tanya, who caught it in her hand. Right after, he threw small packets towards her to catch as well.


    Marcus himself quickly opened up another pack and rolled again as one of the beasts came at him. Pointing the gun toward the creature, he started to fire away, aiming at its head.


    Loud bangs were heard in the room, vibrating, but they couldn''t quite understand what was happening. All they could see was darkened blood sttering out from the beast, but along with the blood were its juices that came out from its mouth.


    It went toward the group, but quickly Ban flicked his hand, using Wind Magic, he managed to force the spit to fall to the ground. Wind Magic was easiest to use in front of people since it was hard for them to see or notice that something was amiss.


    Right after, Ponyo rolled with his sword, shing one under its neck, and then leaped, avoiding getting covered in its juices. At the same time, another loud bang was heard by Tanya as she had shot one in the head.


    It had exploded, but Shing was confident in his body as he moved in the way of its blood, blocking it from hitting some of the other people.


    "With the situation as it is now, and with all these people, are we going to have to use the memory wipe trick again to make them forget?" Tanya asked.


    The people were still stunned as the dead beasts were on the floor. They had been saved by this group of mysterious people but were still frightened that they would get up at any moment.


    "I don''t think that''s a situation we should be worrying about right now," Marcus replied. "We will deal with thatter."


    Looking out of the window, the loud sound of the guns had attracted multiple beasts to their area, and now they were outside heading toward the one particr shop.


    "I have another question to ask," Shing said, wiping the blood off his body. "Where is Raze?"


    Looking around the ce, they couldn''t see him, nor did they even witness him fighting against the creatures. The only conclusion they coulde to was that he had left in the middle of the fight.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Raze had exited from the back of the shop and quickly went to the highest building in the city. It was a bell tower. As he climbed it using the small edges and his Pagna skills, he reached the top and was hanging out, holding onto part of the bell tower with one arm, looking at the rest of the city.


    ''Those beasts will just keeping, I could sense it. There''s something much more dangerous that needs to be dealt with here.''

 Chapter 474 The Power Of A Water Mage

    <h4>Chapter 474 The Power Of A Water Mage </h4>


    The Alter group could see arge number of creaturesing toward the building they were in. The street was already filled, and there was no sign of warriorsing to help them.


    Outside on the street and in the nearby buildings, many people watched the situation unfold. They could see a number of beasts circling around, almost fixating on one building in particr.


    "Alright, for some reason it looks like they''ve selected us as their targets," Marcus said, setting up a station by the window. He held his gun out and knelt, gaining more stability.


    "Everyone assume positions. Tanya and I will attack them from the windows. If theye in through the door or any other opening, both Ponyo and Shing will fight them. As for all of the rest of you that can fight, you will have to protect yourselves if theye in!"


    The other wanderers heard these words and prepared themselves. Although Marcus wasn''t their leader, his demeanor, his orders, and his confidence made them believe that his orders were the best chance they had at survival.


    "Ban, you know what you need to do. You''re ourst line, so be careful¡­ maybe you should try to work out of sight. In fact, maybe you should try to find the other one and see what they are doing," Marcus ordered.


    Seeing how Marcus was quite calm about everything, Ban decided to head out. He moved toward the back, and when he reached the area where the dyeing equipment was ced, he looked up.


    "I think it will be best if you guys move from here," Ban suggested. "You never know what might fall ore from above."


    He moved his hands slightly, causing part of the water in the dye to bubble up and explode. A small scream came from the group nearby. They cowered and started to shiver but soon saw that there was nothing there. On top of that, the man that was talking to them was no longer there.


    Everyone had set up their positions in the shops, and the beasts started to charge forward. Marcus carefully aimed along with Tanya, and the two of them started to fire away.


    Marcus was urate with his hits, but the gun needed at least three bullets to take down one of the beasts. Its head would fall and skid across the floor, but right after that, another beast would jump up in the air.


    Tanya pulled the trigger, sting the creature in a single shot, and started to quickly reload her weapon, while Marcus did the same. His weapon was quicker to reload, and he started firing again, but the sheer number of beasts that had entered the ce was too much for them.


    Marcus quickly took cover behind the door, and the beasts charged right in. After Ponyo thrust his sword and stabbed one right in the center, when he pulled it out, he quickly moved to the side to avoid the juices from the beast from hitting him.


    Right after, many more beasts started to flood into the area, and now all everyone could do was try and fight as many of them as possible inside the shop. The warriors had resorted to attacking beasts inside the ce.


    "What is going on? Why are so many beastsing over here? Are they being attracted to the scent of their own dead, or is it something else?" Marcus was getting a little worried about the situation.


    Because if the n couldn''t deal with this in time, then what could they do to get out of this as well?


    On the rooftop, Ban had arrived. He had used the water to cause a distraction and then flew himself up to the top so no one could see. Now he could get a view from the street below.


    "There''s the sound of fighting going on all over the city," Ban observed. "The ns are in full force fighting back, but many of the beasts are gathering in this area. It looks like we''re going to need some help from up here."


    Moving to the edge of the rooftop, Ban lifted his hands, andrge balls of water started to appear. He then threw them onto the ground, crashing into the beasts. At certain speeds, water had great strength and was heavy, so it would be like one was being hit with the force of concrete.


    Lifting up therge ball of water, Ban then swung his arms down, and the water mmed on more of the beasts, defeating them before they would even enter.


    "The path of water!" Ban shouted, and a swirl of water came out from his hands, sweeping up the beasts and taking them from their legs up, and then lifting the beasts in the air.


    Waves of water continued to lift the beasts into the air, dropping them to the ground.


    "Those inside can deal with them, and I will make it as easy as possible for them," Ban thought, but as he continued to use spell after spell, he was starting to weaken. His mana was running low due to the sheer amount he was going against.


    "I''m getting tired¡­ but more beasts keeping¡­ I need to do something. At this rate, I won''t even have the strength to find Raze."


    Thinking about the other mage, a thought had popped into his head. In his inner pocket, he had three pills.


    "He said that these things would work on mages, right? If I used them now, how much would they help me?"


    Seeing more beastsing from the left and right of the street, he thought that it couldn''t hurt to at least test the pills out. He opened his mouth wide and gulped all three of them in one go.


    It didn''t take long for them to take effect as his body broke them down, and energy was rising inside of him.


    "What is this? All of my mana is returning, and it feels like I''ve taken a few buff potions as well!" Ban was swirling more water in his hand. "That mage, how did he get his hands on such things!"

 Chapter 475 Dealing With The Biggest Problem

    <h4>Chapter 475 Dealing With The Biggest Problem</h4>


    The captain had arrived at the front gate of the city. It was already a mess when he had arrived; the wall and gate had been crushed. The gate itself was half dissolved and lying there on the floor.


    Buildings left and right had been partially destroyed, and a number of beasts were circling in on those from the Lost n.


    Around thirty of them had gathered at the front gate. Most of them had swords held in their hands and were forming a formation shaped like a star. Points guided toward the beasts.


    Arge number of beasts were already dead on the ground in front of them, but there were still more toe. After fighting for a while now, they were tiring out. Some of them had suffered a few injuries that felt like burn marks on their bodies as their clothing had melted away.


    "Stay in formation, stay strong. If they break us, then everything will fall apart!" one of the men shouted.


    Several of the beasts came towards them, and skillfully, the man at the front of the point shed the beast and moved to the side, cutting up another. Like a well-organized train, those that were behind the initial attacker swung their swords, and skillfully, sword after sword was going through the beasts'' bodies.


    They were able to kill arge number of beasts this way and suffered minimal injuries. At the same time, it didn''t expend much Qi because of the way they were fighting in this special formation.


    Because they were in a star shape, it allowed each area to do the same and to cover them from all sides.


    This was the specialty of the Lost n, and it was what made them so special and trusted with the task of defending one of the borders of the Demonic Faction. Although it wasn''t where their main base was, they were still a considerably strong group.


    Not too far from the group, there was the squad leader and head of the n base here, the man known as Neil Watt. He was recognizable by the two bands he would wear, and not too long ago, he was checking on those trying to enter and leave the city.


    He had rushed here as soon as he could to see the trouble because right at the front of the gate, there was a beast that was bigger than all of the others, and it was slightly different as well.


    Its head looked simr in design to what the rest were fighting, but it had tworge fighting wings that were covered in feathers unlike the rest of its body, which was just flesh.


    On its shoulder, there were also tworge round bulging shapes sticking out with sharp teeth. They looked somewhat like heads but had no neck and didn''t seem to loose either.


    Then there was just the general size of the beast. Compared to the others, that was simr to that of a tiger; this one was three times the size, close to that of an elephant.


    Neil had two swords in his hand and had a few teeth marks on his shoulder. He had blocked a direct attack, but the top of its sharp fangs had entered part of him. Now, there were two fist-sized shaped holes from which he was bleeding.


    The beast swung its wings a couple of times and floated in the air, but it stayed in its ce. When it did, the gust of wind had hit Neil. He covered his face, and then he heard the cries of the beast as it moved toward him.


    Although he couldn''t see because of the dust, he knew the dangerous attack that wasing and kicked off with his foot with Qi to the side. He swung the sword in his hand down, hitting the wing, but it appeared to just simply bounce off its body like it was steel.


    ''What is this thing? Is it the dimension boss? Has one arrived through the Portal so soon, or is it just a strong beast?'' Neil thought.


    Regardless, there was a problem, and that problem was that he had no way to hurt the beast in front of him, but there were many ways for him to get hurt. As the beast was turning around, Neil soon noticed something.


    Some of the beasts were moving away and heading deeper into the city. Seeing this, he lifted his foot on the ground and took a deep breath. His foot mmed into the floor with Qi, and arge explosion urred.


    "Stay here!" Neil shouted at the top of his lungs, using the Qi to extend his voice wider.


    The beasts, hearing this in the distance, turned around and started to move back towards the group that was fighting and towards Neil himself.


    ''These creatures, they don''t seem to have great eyesight, so they''re relying on their hearing. We have to make a lot of noise to get them to stay here. We can continue protecting the people, and hopefully, we can make it until the n sends more support.''


    Readying his swords again, Neil was ready to take on therger beast by himself. He knew the wings were hard but was sure that there had to be a weak spot somewhere in the beast that was easy to hit.


    "If I want to find it, I just have to face it head-on." Neil held his swords in a cross, and when the beast charged in, he did the same, running straight forward.


    He kicked off his feet and started to spin his body, aiming for the mouth. The beast had opened its mouth wide as well.


    The swords of Neil nged against the teeth of the beast, but it appeared to do nothing even as shockwaves of energy were sent out. The beast continued to try and bite down, its head shaking, and so was Neil''s own body as he was fighting back.


    "Thest thing I want to do is get eaten right here!" Neil shouted, trying to push with all his strength, but it wasn''t working at all, and that''s when he could see a person through the gaps, from above, for just a moment.


    Right on top of its head, arge force of Qi was felt. Neil''s sword broke, and his body flung out from the teeth as they were crushed together. The head of the beast crashed into the ground.


    Neil was on the floor, having been chucked away from the force that he felt, and when looking at what happened, he could see a man standing there with white hair.


    "That young man¡­ wasn''t he here with that other group?"

 Chapter 476 A Cursed Pill

    <h4>Chapter 476 A Cursed Pill </h4>


    Lifting up one hand, Ban sent one of the beasts soaring into the air with a tidal wave of water. They shot up like a volcano had exploded, and then with the other hand, he formed a column of water, pushing the beast and crashing them into the wall.


    He continued to do this one after the other, eventually jumping down into the middle of the mess of beasts. Seeing theme toward him, he made a series of motions, and then with both hands pushed forward.


    "Surf!" Ban called out.


    A literal wave of water rose from the ground and swept the beasts away. It pushed them back down the street they hade from, into more hallways.


    Those in their buildings were unsure of where all of this water wasing from and quickly made sure to keep their doors shut. Some had water seep in for a short while, but managed to close their doors in time as beasts struggled and were unable to find their footing.


    Some had been swept into other buildings, but the water and struggle of the beasts gave them a chance to use their weapons to finish them. The water also helped as it diluted the juices that woulde from their bodies, leaving them to have less effect.


    Even those that were hit by the juices and felt a burning sensation could quickly ce it in the water to wash most of it off.


    ''This power,'' Ban thought, looking at his own hands. ''My mana, itpletely restored back to what it was. I felt like I was about to lose everything, and now I have all of my strength back.''


    ''And those other pills, it gave me a boost. My cast time was faster, even my thinking time allowing me to cast spells faster as well. These pills¡­ I never knew they could have such effects.''


    As Ban thought about it more, he realized something. He had heard simr effects of certain pills. The effects that he had heard about were those rted to Pagna warriors though.


    The Alchemist that called himself the Dark Magus. He had created pills with such effects that they were sought all over the Demonic Faction, and that''s when he remembered the marking on the pill as well.


    ''I am a fool, I didn''t even notice that the DM marking on them meant that they are pills belonging to that person. It is interesting though, that these work on mages as well. I wonder how that young mage happened to get such pills, and how he knew they would work.''


    ''From what I heard they are expensive, but then again, he does somehow have the means to pay for these things.''


    Since the situation was cleared up, and from the look of things, they had mostly cleared up in the shop as well, Ban decided to enter again, as he had noticed something while he was above.


    When entering through the door, immediately a number of people turned, but the fearful look on their faces had disappeared when they saw it was a human, and he could tell why.


    A couple of warriors had ended up killed along with a few citizens who were unable to get away. Clothes were all over the floor, racks bent and knocked over, and bodies of dead beasts on the ground as well.


    "I didn''t go looking for Raze," Banmented. "There were arge number of beasts outside. I''ve managed to deal with them, and I noticed something else as well. You should avoid using your weapons that make loud noises."


    "These beasts, it doesn''t just look like they have no eyes, I''m pretty sure they don''t. They''re attracted to loud noises, which is why we were drawing more attentionpared to other ces."


    When exining this, Ban made sure to say it close to Marcus. He didn''t want the regr people inside to hear; otherwise, they might fully me them for using such weapons and try to turn on them.


    "I see, I should have figured it out, the tool I used to save my life was just ending it quicker. As for you, Ban, you did a good job; I saw how many were out there. It appears as if you have gotten stronger," Marcus said, giving Ban a pat on the back.


    He didn''t want to tell the truth that it was due to the items, so he kept it to himself for now.


    Just then, another beast hade from around the corner from the outside. It turned its head to look at the others, and Marcus had immediately by reaction pointed his gun out and aimed right for its head.


    "Wait!" Ban called out. "I''ve made a silent barrier; it won''t be able to hear us, but if you fire that thing and it goes outside, it will just attract attention. Let''s just let it pass."


    They looked at the beast for a while, and soon it moved its head in a particr direction. It had noticed something and started to run through the streets. It climbed the building, and it was off and out of sight.


    "It looks like you were right," Marcus smiled.


    "Let''s go look for the young one; who knows, he could be in trouble, and then Himmy and him could owe us a few favors. I have a feeling he might have gone in the direction of where that beast headed off as well," Marcus said as he walked ahead.


    Ban was willing to follow them as normal, but when he went to take another step, he suddenly felt all of the energy drain from his body. His legs were weak, his sense of mana had almost disappearedpletely, and he fell to his knees, covered in sweat.


    "What''s wrong!" Tanya asked.


    She touched him and noticed his skin was slightly cold.


    "It''s okay, I think I''ll be alright; this is just a small setback," Ban answered, thinking that this could only be because of the pills he had taken.


    ''These pills, if they have something like this¡­ are they cursed pills? Like a cursed potion, but if that''s the case, these things, they can only have been created with Dark Magic.''


    A dreaded fear had set in, Ban at that moment. Maybe it wasn''t a coincidence. This Dark Magus that was an Alchemist and created these pills, a mage that used Dark Magic and carried the same name; it was starting to link up more and more.

 Chapter 477 Trying Something New

    <h4>Chapter 477 Trying Something New </h4>


    Neil, the current captain of the Lost n in the city they were in, found himself in a tight spot. Unable to injure the strongest beast that had attacked the city, he had resorted to trying to attack its softer body parts.


    In his mind, this was the inside of the beast, and what better way to attack the inside than attacking it right through its mouth. He had no choice but to directly charge, but he soon found out that the strength of the beast was far stronger than his.


    He was battling against its powerful jaws, but it felt like no matter how much Qi he ced into his muscles, he was going to be mped down on and be food for the beast.


    That was until a powerful force came from above, flinging him out before the teeth could mp down, and he was sent skidding across the floor.


    Looking up at what could have happened, there was only one answer: a man stood there with a strange sword in his hand, glowing with orange energy that was turning brightly in his hand.


    A person with white hair, a young man whom he had witnessed before.


    ''He attacked the beast¡­ but he was with the Wanderer group, right¡­ was it a fluke, or just a powerful attack that didn''t do any damage?'' Neil was trying to think.


    One thing was clear: the beast was clearly not dead. It was getting up off the floor and was sweeping its head in the air back and forth. It galloped, its wings pushing the wind, but the young man stood there strong.


    "Hey kid, get out of there, run, or you''ll be killed! That beast is not something you can deal with," Neil shouted at the top of his lungs and started to get off the floor.


    However, the young man continued to stand there, unafraid of what was toe. The beast pushed its legs against the floor, and then charged forward with its mouth open.


    Neil was too far away from the beast to reach the young man and help. When the beast got close, he saw the young man lift his sword up and swing it right in front and on top of the beast''s head.


    The sword bashed down, and when it hit the top of its head, its mouth closed and mmed shut, while it stopped in its tracks as if it had hit arge wall. Waves of Qi were forming in the air and pulsing out.


    This was all Neil could see, and the fact that the young one hadn''t moved an inch from his position.


    ''How¡­ how is it possible, how could a single person do such a thing!'' Neil thought.


    Some of the men at the side were watching as well; due to the noise andmotion they were creating, the beasts that had been attacking them were no longer doing so. They had moved closer to the main fight that was urring with therger beast, but due to waves of energy, they were too afraid to get close.


    "That''s not right," Raze said. "The feeling, it isn''t quite right, the feeling in my hand."


    The beast went to attack again, swinging its head, and Raze hit it to the side with a powerful strike along with his Qi. Its head swung, and it continued to swing, trying to bite at Raze.


    Each time, Raze just swung his sword, hitting the head away again and again.


    ''The feeling, what is the feeling, why can''t I get it to work right?'' Raze thought.


    Each time Raze struck the beast, a pulse of Qi energy was seen bursting through the air.


    As Neil continued to watch, he noticed something strange: first, it was where the Qi wasing out from. It wasn''ting from the sword itself like most when using a skill with Qi.


    Instead, it wasing out from the back of the sword; it was exploding like a pulse from the hilt. At times as well, the energy that wasing out from the sword seemed to be different in size,rger or smaller than the other.


    ''It''s getting better, but I just can''t get it right!'' Raze thought as he went to thrust the sword this time.


    He had gathered his Qi in the hilt of the de, and Dark Magic was starting to surround the bottom of the sword, swirling around. As Raze thrust his sword at the beast, it crashed right into its chest.


    The blow of Qi exploded out of the back of the sword, but the Dark Magic had broken and disappeared.


    The attack had caused arge, deep thrust in its neck, and blood was dripping onto the floor. In response to this, the beast then flew in the air with its wings, but looked down at Raze on the ground.


    "That attack!" Neil''s eyes opened wide. "It managed to pierce the beast''s skin. All of my attacks didn''t work before, but why does it feel so strange?"


    While watching the young warrior, there was something that just felt off to Neil, something not quite right, and it wasn''t just the confidence in his strikes.


    While the beast was flying in the air, that''s when he could see Raze continue to thrust the air, using the same attack as before, and the realization had hit him.


    ''He''s practicing¡­ he''s practicing right now in the middle of battle; is his power so much stronger than the beast that he is able to do that?'' Neil wondered. ''Could he defeat the beast at any time, and what attack is he even trying to do?''


    After picking up speed in the air, the beast had set its eyes on Raze, and as it swirled in the air one more time, it dived straight down toward Raze.


    Looking up at the beast though, Raze had arge smile on his face as he held the sword.


    ''I''ve figured it out, the fourth Dark Edge Magical Sword Art formation: The Void Pulse Formation!''

 Chapter 478 A New Dark Edge Sword Art

    <h4>Chapter 478 A New Dark Edge Sword Art </h4>


    The mighty beast swirled about in the air, picking up more speed. It was moving in circles, faster and faster, and when it had finally picked up just enough speed, it decided to fly down, speeding right towards Raze.


    Despite all of this, Raze was calm. The powering from the beast had to be immense, but in his eyes, it was at a stage 4 at best. Most of the beasts in the area had to be at stage 3.


    He had defeated a stage 4 beast a while ago, and that was when his magic powers, including that of his Qi, were weaker. He had advanced far, now at the peak of that of 4 star.


    Not only that, but after killing the mages that had invaded, the effect of his special ring had taken ce, giving him more dark energy than before, and he was now using the Dark Edge Sword Arts, which worked extremely well with his Dark Magic.


    Raze bent down at his knees and ced his sword down at his side; he gathered his Qi into the hilt, and doing the same, magic started to form. Floating in the air, a ring of Dark Magic was swirling around the handle of the sword.


    ''The Dark Edge Sword Arts, all of them are unique and can be used in particr situations,'' Raze thought. ''The first sword formation is used for restricting one''s opponent. It mixes Qi and magic to create powerful bindings that wrap around the target based on the sword strikes used.''


    ''The second formation, the Eclipse Strike, is powerful. Something thatbines the sword with Qi and magic and unleashes it in a single swing down with both hands. It creates a singlerge line of pure power.''


    ''The third formation, it''s quite aplicated strike, the Nightmare Veil Formation. I haven''t tried to perfect it yet, and this isn''t the best time for its use, but in this situation, the fourth strike is best.''


    Raze had memorized most of the strikes, but there were the odd tidbits that needed to be sorted and perfected for perfect use. When trying to just use the movements, many of them felt awkward to him.


    Controlling Qi and magic at the same time was difficult, and he realized that it wasn''t his magic control that caused the strikes to not work, but it was his Qi control. After what Feebie had done to him, his Qi control had reached a higher level, and not only could he produce all ten of the Descending Steps, but now he was also able to perform the fourth Dark Edge Sword Arts formation.


    The Void Pulse formation.


    This was only in theory as Raze noticed he was still unable to perform it. When fighting against the beast in front of him, he thought it was the perfect chance to use the fourth formation.


    ''The beast, although there are many ways for me to beat it, times like this are perfect to learn new things. Another tool in my pocket I can use to defeat the Dark Faction Pagna Academy Principal is the Dark Edge Sword Arts!''


    Layering around the circle of Dark Magic that Raze had created was his Qi, and right then, he thrust it forward. The tip of the de hit the head of the beast straight on.


    The moment it made impact, arge pulse of Qi and dark magic exploded just from behind the weapon itself. It was propelling forward as the energy sted right from behind.


    The floor on the ground behind the sword was crumbling, and the sheer power had caused Neil''s body to be lifted in the air, and for him to tumble back.


    The swordpletely pierced right through the center of the beast, ripping it apart in a single strike, and Raze had to push the rest of the body apart with his wind magic so he wouldn''t get hit by the remainder of the body.


    The momentum of the beast flying caused parts of its body to fall to either side of Raze onto the ground. The energy of Raze''s attack hade to an end.


    The single pulse of energy was over. Raze still had his sword in a thrusting position with one hand.


    When the others went to look at the situation that had urred, they could see part of the beast''s body on the ground, but they noticed the center part of therge body waspletely missing.


    They were unable to even see the head among the parts that were visible. The only conclusion that they coulde to was that the attack that had even been produced by the Pagna warrior hadpletely destroyed it so it couldn''t be seen anymore.


    Raze finally got out from his stance and looked at his de; he could feel the power.


    ''That was a strong piercing strike,'' Raze thought to himself. ''The Eclipse Strike covers the entire sword, almost smothering the target with power, whereas this is more like a piercing strike of energy.''


    ''Not just that, but it uses the energy to propel the sword, rather than using the energy on the sword like the Eclipse Strike.''


    ''To be honest, although the strike is powerful, if it was being used with another sword other than this one, it might have destroyed the swordpletely. It only worked because of the strength of the sword itself.''


    It was a lesson to Raze in a way; maybe the items and equipment he was using weren''t ready for all of the Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    Now having figured out how to use the fourth formation, Raze looked at the rest of the beasts. They almost were as stunned as the rest of the people who had witnessed what had happened.


    It was clear to Raze one thing though; he didn''t think this was the Dimension Boss. He imagined that it was just a strong beast among these, but he was confident even if he was to meet the Dimension Boss, he could also defeat that.


    At the moment though, he couldn''t feel a strong presence in the city, so most likely the portal was a distance away from the city.


    Still, there was one more thing that he had to do.


    The beasts started toe to, and as the warriors were making noise, they turned their heads and were ready to jump on them.


    At that moment, Raze had gone to where the beasts were surrounding the others, and cing his hand on the floor, he had cast a spell.


    "Silence."


    The wind magic expanded out, in the area around the beasts, and in doing so, they could now no longer hear anything, apart from noise within the bubble of air, unless they got out from the bubble.


    Raze had carefully made it so it would trap the beasts but not go further than to the warriors. It was quick, and bewildered, the beasts had all stopped in confusion.


    The warriors had no idea what was going on, only that the beasts started acting strange once he had arrived where the others were.


    "Alright, let me help you get rid of the rest of these guys now."

 Chapter 479 A Path To The Other Side

    <h4>Chapter 479 A Path To The Other Side</h4>


    While traveling through the city, Raze had been observing the beasts and how they acted. At times, through different dimensions, he would encounter the same type of beasts he had beaten before.


    That wasn''t the case this time, but through entering arge number of dimensions with challenging beasts, he had learned that it was best to observe the enemy first.


    There were a number of interesting things that a beast could present: another form, a special elemental power, or an unusual trait that could be used against them.


    On his way here, he had figured that these beasts didn''t have direct eyesight the same as themselves, and instead were relying on sound. With this, he had alreadye up with a n to get rid of the majority of them, but he needed to get rid of therge threat first.


    After getting rid of the beast that posed the most threat to the city, Raze decided to act again. He knew he couldn''t save every person here; it would be impossible and a waste of time for him to take each beast one by one.


    The better option would be to save those of the Lost n and allow the rest of the members to help clear the city.


    After Raze hadnded in front of them and used his silence spell, he quickly moved and shed down, defeating the beast with ease. As he turned, he went directly to the other and swung his sword again.


    With his Demonic Qi and the new ghost de, he found his de was dealing with each beast rather easily, and the strange juices and blood that woulde out of the beasts weren''t affecting his sword at all.


    Even if any did stter and try tond on him, his special zer was doing a good job protecting him.


    It didn''t take long, and with another swing of his sword, thest beast had been defeated. Raising his hand, he cleared the wind spell that was active to make sure that no more suspicion was being raised.


    "Wow, that young warrior defeated them all!"


    "Yeah, and he defeated the one the captain had struggled against as well!!!"


    "What was with the beast? Why did they suddenly stop approaching us? Was that to do with him as well?"


    "Maybe they could sense his Qi or something."


    Raze, done with the task, soon walked up to the warriors who were standing there; he could overhear them still speaking about him.


    "Young warrior, what n are you from? For you to be so strong, we saw you using the Descending Steps, so you must be from the Demonic Faction!"


    Raze didn''t have an answer to their question and instead decided to take another route to get them off his back.


    "You guys, you should clear the city," Raze answered. "There are still beasts inside that are attacking. They seem to be attracted to noise. So if you can use something to distract them, or take them out silently, that would be best."


    The warriors looked at each other; due to just getting out of one situation, they had forgotten about the bigger picture.


    "He''s right!" Neil said, approaching from behind. "We might have finished up here, but the fight is still far from over; everyone enter the city!"


    With that, Neil and the rest of the Pagna warriors were ready to leave, and Neil took one more look at the warrior before he finally left, leaving Raze be, and the area in front of the main gate clear.


    "Well, I better not waste these power stones; they can at least be put to use," Raze said.


    The warriors were able to clear the rest of the beasts from the city easier than they had expected. There weren''t many left inside due to the strength of the wanderers that were already inside.


    They had dealt with arge number of the beasts somehow, iming that there wasrge water that had disrupted and split the beasts up, also causing them to be startled, giving them a chance.


    Neil didn''t really understand it, but was just thankful that the damage was kept to the minimum. For a moment, he told everyone to remain inside while they continued to sort things out.


    That was when he got word from the other members of the Lost n. That they had found the location of the portal break and were dealing with it. Whether that was getting rid of the portal or trying to keep the situation under control, he didn''t know.


    Other than that, the city didn''t have to worry anymore and could continue to operate as they did before. A support group of warriors from the Lost n had arrived, low-ranking, and Neil was still in charge.


    They helped the public get back up on their feet and were helping them with the repairs of the city. With all of that, it only took half a day for them to get back on their feet, and before they knew it, Marcus and the rest of his group were in the same situation as they were, lining up to exit out of the city.


    "That was quite a surprising event, but all turned out well in the end," Ponyo said with a smile.


    "I''m not sure about that; right now we''re just back where we started in the same situation!" Tanyained. "They''ve opened up the route again but are still doing the same checks as before, and we still don''t know what we have, whether they''ll work or not."


    Marcus was still reluctant about a few things, for one, the fact that there were those that had seen them use their weapons, but due to the situation, there were too many members of the Lost n for them to try and do anything.


    The safest option was to just get out of the ce.


    "Perhaps while everything was happening, we should have tried and forced open the route, but if we didn''t help with the situation in the city, then maybe things would have been worse for them and us," Banmented with a smile, quite pleased that he was able to do something honorable.


    Finally, the group had reached the front once more, and all of them had ced down the emblems the same asst time. It was almost an exact repeat ofst time, with Neil, the captain, lifting the emblems up in the air.


    As he did so, the emblem in his hand, right behind it, he could see the white-haired young warrior.


    "These are all good; you may pass!" Neil ordered.


    Quickly, Marcus and the others picked up their emblems from the table, and with that, they continued to walk, entering the entrance of the cave. Finally, they were going to head back to the Dark Faction, and Raze was going to meet Himmy and Charlotte, but they would be heading to the Lethal Bite n.


    At the table where Neil was, one of the n members by his side hade over closer.


    "Captain, you let them through¡­ even though those were¡­"


    "I know," Neil interrupted. "The fact is, without that young man, we wouldn''t be alive, and this city might havepletely copsed. Yet, he never asked for any reward, nor did he even try to seek us out for one, so therefore this is his reward."

 Chapter 480 The Dark Faction On The Move

    <h4>Chapter 480 The Dark Faction On The Move </h4>


    The Dark Faction Pagna Academy had gone through arge number of changes this year. Unexpected things had urred that none of them could predict, and all the academy could do was react to all of the situations that were taking ce.


    Currently, the new first-year students were still going through the first trial. They had picked books from the library and were learning the techniques within them, but things felt unsettling for them.


    The teachers were doing their best to observe them, to watch how they were doing and giving them guidance, but their focus didn''t seem to be quite there. To them, it was clear that the focus was on something else, and this odd feeling they had, they were right about it.


    Currently, inside the main academy, something that didn''t happen very often was taking ce again, and that was a meeting between all of the Main ns in the Dark Faction.


    It appeared that Murkel had some news to inform them all about what was going on.


    "What did you say!" Gavin shouted, mming his fist on the round table, shaking it to the point everyone could feel his power behind the fist.


    "I am afraid it''s true," Murkelmented. "Feebie, as well as Royo, from the Lethal Bite n, is no longer. At the moment, they are going through the selection of a new leader."


    The news had been delivered; there had been rumors and suspicions but no one really knew the reason why, and since the news wasing from Murkel himself, it appeared that he knew a bit more about the situation.


    "And, do you care to inform us how you know of this information?" Crine asked. "I''m sure you are aware I have heard of some things."


    Gunther, being part of the Academy himself, had informed his head n leader Crine from the Flowing Force n. At the time, it was the only way Gunther felt like he could protect himself.


    Having already worked to go against the others, he hade up with an excuse stating that he just wanted to protect the students after what had urred. The best lies were always those with some truth to them, and the n which he had mostly abandoned his duties with, he had to ask for their help.


    "Yes, I am sure you are aware from thest assessment there were some unfortunate oues, one of them being the main disciple Lisa losing her life. It appears that Feebie had a grudge against the young White Dragon; we don''t know much with what has urred but it appears that one of the students that had infiltrated was actually part of the Demonic Faction."


    Everyone''s fists tensed up a bit as soon as they heard these words, but they didn''t say anything because the matter was no longer small.


    "I''m sure you all saw that the White Dragon used Demonic Energy himself. I am unsure if he is part of the Demonic Faction or not, and the person who we had before, he is no longer alive.


    "Of course, if we ask the Demonic Faction about this, they will just deny everything, and with no information to go on, or what n he is a part of, we can''t dig into a further investigation."


    It was a lot to take in, but these things happened from time to time. The big news that they had to actually focus on though was the death of the current leader of one of the big five.


    "I think Feebie got what wasing to her, chasing after a student. If you ask me, I don''t think that the Lethal Bite n should even be a part of our group anymore. We are an alliance of strength!" Samantha eximed.


    "One of the pirs has been knocked down, and for the vice head to be taken out is a big blow. Royo was a big part of what made the Lethal Bite n."


    Murkel was thinking about it quite a bit, and he finally decided to speak up.


    "It is one of the reasons why I have called you today; this is not a matter of the Pagna Academy; this instead is a matter of the Dark Faction. The Lethal Bite n holds a strong position in the Faction.


    "Because their headquarters is on the border of the Demonic Faction, due to what has happened, I think it''s important that we keep a close eye on the situation as well."


    "So what is it that you are suggesting, do you wish for one of us to take over the Lethal Bite n''s headquarters?" Gavin asked.


    "Not take over," Murkel replied. "The Lethal Bite n has their own pride, and even without their leaders, although their strength can no longer beparable to us, they have arge force that can be utilized well."


    "I suggest that one of us, or a high-ranking member of our n, is sent over. We will inform them it is just while they are gathering things together."


    The leaders all looked at each other, trying to think who would take up the position over the other. It was a chance in a way for them to grow, but a lot of them had their own things going on as well.


    "I will send someone there," Gavin suggested. "The Moon Shield n has been affected by what has happened quite a bit as well with our main disciple. I believe they will be more inclined to take our help because of this, and there will be fewer problems."


    The others had next to no reason to object. What Gavin said had made sense, and even more so, out of all of the leaders, Gavin and the Moon Shield n were perhaps the least hungry for power and were just happy with their position.


    "I would like to ask something since we are talking about the Demonic Faction and Faction matters, how are the students doing, have you chosen who will be selected for the Martial Arts Tournament?" Samantha asked.


    "I have indeed," Murkel answered. "At this moment, every single one of them is currently training with Amir, to give us the best possibility of winning. The three no names have shown the greatest power.


    "Our opponents also know nothing about them. Safa, Liam, and Simyon. On top of that, it hase to no surprise that I have chosen the two main disciples. Ricktor and Mada. These two also have grown in strength by arge margin and seem to be improving at a quick rate every day.


    "It is a shame about the White Dragon and the losses we have incurred, but with that, the five have been selected, and we will focus on them. They will be the pirs of the Dark Faction."


    They were strong words said by Murkel, the principal, but Crine was thinking otherwise. Knowing more of the story from Gunther, he knew the three no names were awfully close to the White Dragon.


    Raising their strength was all good and well for the tournament, and winning it would be a great achievement to get the other Factions off their back, but they could very well just be raising a future enemy.

 Chapter 481 Fight For Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 481 Fight For Yourself</h4>


    With everything that had urred, all of the second-year students that belonged to the Red Headband group were allowed to return. This was thanks to Amir''s convincing words to Murkel.


    No one quite knew what he had said that day, but he had managed to calm down the principal into making a decision. Not only that, the students were only asked very simple questions about the events that had urred, and they weren''t really probing either.


    The students themselves didn''t want to ask about it because it felt like they had gotten away with murder for the situation they were in.


    Although it wasn''t all bells and whistles for the group. The second years were to stay in the main academy. They weren''t allowed to interact with any of the other students or teachers other than those that had been assigned to them in the main academy.


    They also weren''t allowed to leave but would still be given regr training. Rather than like students, they felt like prisoners.


    As for the area they would train in, it was an area of the academy they hadn''t been in before. Little did they know that the academy had more than one area that was filled with beasts for the students to take part in assessments in.


    An area simr to the one located at the back of the academy that led to thend of flog. There were also two more areas to the side that had a forest filled with the same type of beasts.


    These were smaller, and apparently were a ce where the teachers themselves would use to train if they were learning techniques. The openness of the area was ideal for them, since there was less risk of them damaging things than in the actual academy itself.


    Currently, the second-year students were training away, but they had split up because they all had their own individuals that were helping them, things that Murkel the principal was aware of.


    He believed that the only person that was currently training the students was the Vice-principal. With the principal being the head of a n, he was busy with a number of other matters and even had to leave the academy from time to time, so things were left to the Vice-principal, which allowed him to do some things.


    In the forest, in one open area, Gunther was present. He had both of his swords out filled with Qi, and looking ahead of him, he was staring at his opponent who was huffing and panting and had parts of his clothes ripped up.


    "You would have died four times already if I was taking this seriously, you need to fight as if your life is on the line because it is on the line," Gunther said.


    "Are you just trying to piss me off more!" Mada shouted back. "You don''t say this crap when Ricktor is fighting against you."


    Currently sitting on the ground and cultivating was Ricktor. He was taking a break.


    "That''s because you and him are two different people, and the way you two fight is different, the only thing you two have inmon is that you''re young masters with the privilege of being one, so shut up and fight!" Gunther imed.


    The two main disciples had been training with Gunther, who had been pushing them more than he would have done if they were any other students. Coming from the same ce as them being a main disciple, he thought he was best to guide them.


    In the same forest, in another area, there were three Red Headband students standing next to each other, Tinson, Violet, and Joe. These three were listening intently as they stared at their teacher wearing a ck mask covering the bottom part of his face.


    "The fighting that I will be teaching you might not seem the strongest, but I assure you, in every n, it has its uses. You are lucky in a way that you are from the Dark Faction because although I am a wanderer, my skills are most suited to those that have the morals of the Dark Faction," Cronker exined from the Crimson Crane.


    He had remained absent from the fight with the principal because he had quickly analyzed that his assassination-type skills would be useless in the particr situation. With everything going on, he was sure that the Crimson Crane were safe but would have difficulties meeting him.


    So in the meantime, he wanted to do his part. These three students had been neglectedpared to the rest because they weren''t as strong as the others. It had reminded Cronker a bit of his past, so he took them under his wing for now, teaching them the same techniques and skills that he knew.


    Lastly, in the forest, there was the final group. Amir was standing there in the center, there appeared to be no one around him apart from the trees in his sight. That''s when the first rustling could be heard, and Safa hade out from the bushes and charged at full strength with her spear.


    She shoved it forward, and Amir had avoided the strike by lifting his leg up in the air. As he threw it down, though, therge leg had hit something solid, and it wasn''t Safa. Instead, Simyon was there with his two hands held up, his feet digging into the ground, and he was baring his teeth as he took on therge leg had hit something solid, and it wasn''t Safa. Instead, Simyon was there with his two hands held up, his feet digging pain.


    Safa went to strike again as she shoved her spear forward towards his stomach. It looked as if arge amount of Qi was about to emerge from him, but that was when a de could be seen floating in the air.


    Grabbing onto the de and swinging both swords, Liam was there and had gone to strike right at the back of Amir''s head.


    Moving his leg off from Simyon, he lifted his other leg and performed a sweeping kick in the air. Its strength had hit Safa''s spear, and it had crashed into Liam''s de, at least he thought it had.


    Although his leg had hit the de, it had hit nothing but the de, and instead with the other sword, Liam had quickly done a first strike swiping his de right across the Vice-principal''s stomach, it was a clean hit.


    The first one that they had managed after the fight. Thankfully, Amir''s Qi was still far stronger, and was able to block the hit.


    "That was good," Amirmented. "I think that is the first hit you have sessfullynded. Your teamwork is great, and Liam, you have improved immensely each time we go through this. Now, instead of working together, you will need to try and improve your individual strength."


    Before going on one by one though, Safa had a question on her mind. "About Raze¡­"


    Before she could say anything else, Amir interrupted her. "I have told you not to mention that name. I already assume he is alive; when you will meet him again I do not know, but all of you have to rely on your own strength."


    Safa seemed a little down by this, but that''s when Simyon thought he could ask a question, one that wasn''t about Raze.


    "And Dame¡­ did you ever manage to find his body?" Simyon asked.


    Amir shook his head to that one. "There was no trace of him whatsoever; it appears the principal''s Qi had gotten rid of himpletely. It is best if you think of him as dead."

 Chapter 482 It’s Impossible, The Dark Magus Is Dead?

    <h4>Chapter 482 It¡¯s Impossible, The Dark Magus Is Dead? </h4>


    Inside the tunnel, crystals were lodged into the side of the wall lighting up the area. The cave was wide, allowing for arge number of people as well as supplies to go through the area.


    What somewhat came as a surprise was it didn''t include the watch of guards or those belonging to one family or the other. Inside there were only those travelling, making it act more like a neutral zone more than anything.


    The Alter group were peacefully making their way through the area, somewhat looking back at what had just happened.


    "My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my throat." Tanya held her chest. "We already had a number of worries, with the weapons we were carrying and being outsiders, and I don''t know if you noticed but he looked at our emblems a lot longer than the others."


    "I did notice that." Marcus said, holding up the emblem himself. He had seen the real thing a few times, but to his eye he couldn''t tell the difference. "Whatever the reason, whether these are real or fake, they let us through, and we aren''t nning to return to the ce."


    "You''re going to say no next time right?" Ponyo asked. "I mean, I understand why we had to agree this time, but we''ve kind of done our service. In the first ce, I use Dark Qi, so I was always worried every time I fought."


    "They should think about it a bit more. When they do these things, we have been sent away so we''ve done our duty, a new team can deal with the Demonic Faction if need be."


    That''s when Marcus turned to look at Raze who was trodding along the back, walking with Ban, although the two of them had been silent, not saying anything.


    In Raze''s head he was making several ns, of how things could go once he reached the Lethal Bite n base, and what would happen onward from there when he was passed on from there.


    "Unfortunately for you, we are just escorting you." Marcus imed. "Who knows, maybe Himmy and the rest of your group will be called to head to the Demonic Faction, so even though you have been here, you might have to return."


    "I thank you for helping me out, when the timees, then I will deal with the situation." Raze answered politely and shortly.


    He was quite pleased that his time wasing to an end with the current group. Further, the matter where they had their disagreements, Raze felt like it was only a matter of time until they found out his identity, or that he would have a sh with them, and the time wasn''t right.


    He hadn''t gained new found strength, learned about Alter, or gained more items either.


    Ban raised his hand and clicked his fingers, when he did there was no sound heard. Raze knew what this meant immediately, he had used the silence spell and now wanted to speak to him without the others hearing.


    "I wanted to talk to you about the pills that you had given me." Ban exined. "They might have saved me back there, and saved a lot of people because of their power, but you never mentioned to me about a drawback when using them."


    "I didn''t?" Raze replied. He honestly wasn''t expecting Ban to be using them so soon, and if he told him the effects he just thought that maybe there would be more questions he needed to answer.


    "You''re quite the trouble maker aren''t you. Anyway, I wanted to warn you about these pills. You see, the drawback, I don''t know if you know, but most potions that are created don''t have a drawback."


    "They just do what is intended to do with the materials that have been used. Enough power is drawn from them, but this isn''t the case when items or portions are enchanted with Dark Magic."


    "We were informed of this by Enaxx. If that is the case it means the pills that you handed me are cursed pills. Now these ones aren''t so much of a problem, but you never know what items will be a problem."


    "If you can help it, I would avoid items that are made by the Dark Magus."


    "These items are made by the Dark Magus?" Raze asked while turning his head away. He was afraid he might be making an expression that he couldn''t hide. He could feel the corner of his cheeks rising a bit.


    "Yeah, I mean the Alchemist Dark Magus in Pagna, with the markings and stuff, I put two and two together, and I have a suspicion that it might be the actual Dark Magus as well."


    "Really!" Raze asked with his voice, and his head still pointed away, trying not to make eye contact.


    "It sounds like you''re holding in yourughter a bit." Banined, sounding a bit annoyed. "Think about it, it''s not outside the realm of possibility. Magese here from Alterian all the time, and what if the Dark Magus came here?"


    "He might be selling his cursed pills to try and make a move and take over all of Pagna, if that is the case, then I have to report this to Alter as soon as possible."


    Taking in a deep breath, Raze needed to calm himself, it was hard to hear someone talking about himself when he was that person and was really right there, but thest line by Ban he needed to avoid that.


    "There is one hole in your idea though." Raze said, facing him this time. "You probably don''t know this, because you came here a lot earlier than I, but just before I came here there was news, the Dark Magus is dead."


    Instantly, Ban had stopped in his footsteps and was just staring ahead. It was words that he couldn''t believe. He was part of the Glory Guild. Him along with Enaxx were given the task to take out the Dark Magus.


    At some point, Ban thought he might be able to return, and in doing so he could help them take out the Dark Magus.


    "You can''t be serious, how did it happen, who was responsible for taking out the Dark Magus, which of the Grand Magus did it." Ban asked.


    Raze had continued to walk up ahead trying to catch up with the gorup as he gave his answer.


    "It was all of the Grand Magus. It was stated that they were all there that day, to face a single target, and they had sessfully defeated him together." Raze answered.


    Since he hadn''t heard the reports himself, and only knew that he was here and not in Alterian, he had to make something up that he thought they would report. It was the truth that all five were there, but the Grand Magus would never report the fact that Raze had killed himself.


    "I see, I guess that''s the only way they could take out such a foe. Regardless, I think you should still be careful of the pills and this person. It could be someone following in his footsteps who has been sent here." Ban informed.


    After finishing their conversation, they continued through the cave, and could finally see the bright light at the end of the tunnel, shining in their eyes.


    "It''s time." Raze said.

 Chapter 483 From One To Another

    <h4>Chapter 483 From One To Another</h4>


    Exiting from the other side, the group along with several others had a far easier timepared to when trying to leave the Demonic Faction. All of those that hade from the Demonic Faction would be sent towards the left side.


    Here they had entered a grand building where a group of people would have to wait for a while. The building itself was a structure that was amazing for one''s eyes. The flooring was made of a special type of marble while having carvings on the floor of several different names.


    To the left and right, there wererge paned colored windows. They could see the outside and the general public walking through the street, but due to the colored windows, it looked different.


    On top of that, even the ceiling was impressive, havingrge paintings that covered it from end to end. The paintings themselves mostly looked like battles. There was often one person going up against many.


    Inside the building, there wererge benches where one could wait before they were allowed to leave the room. Around him, there were multiple members of the Lethal Bite n.


    They had the same Pagna clothing as most, but rather than having their sleeves go up to their wrists, they were cut slightly short, between the elbow and wrist,ing halfway down the forearm.


    ''It''s good, I walked past a few of the members, and it appears as if none of them noticed what I looked like. At the first assessment event, there was only the Lethal Bite n head that was there as well as some merchants.''


    "I still have to be careful, but in terms of just the Lethal Bite n members, I don''t have to worry so much."


    A few basic questions were asked, but it all seemed more like a following of a procedure. For two factions going against each other. They seemed to have trust in the other side doing the necessary checks.


    If anything, it more so looked like they were just keeping a tally of how many people were entering and leaving. What Raze did notice though was, just like the Demonic Faction, the Dark Faction was strict before sending people off to the other side as well.


    "We hope you all enjoy your time here at the Dark Faction, and stay out of trouble," one of the men said at the front as he pushed open the tworge arching doors.


    For the second time, light had beamed in their faces as they had a first look into the city, that was where the base of one of the top ns in the Dark Faction belonged to.


    Immediately, Raze was quite impressed by the architecture he could see. It was more simr to thest city but did have a different feeling to it.


    Most of the floor was paved with smaller individual stones on the ground, and they had wide winding spaces for one to walk. Most of the structures were a type of beige color, and close to one another.


    Once in a while, arge structure could be seen with statues that had been carved in the front of them along with pirs, but what stood out above the city entirely was that in the distance there was a sight that could be seen no matter where in the city one was.


    ''Is that the Lethal Bite n base?'' Raze thought.


    Almost like a pyramid in the center of the city, there wererge staircases that led up to a site that was taller than any of the surrounding buildings. Just like the otherrger structures, this too had grand giant pirs in front of it, and the space of the room inside, one could only imagine.


    It reminded Raze of the academy in a way, if it was up high and floating in the air.


    "Will you look at that!" Marcus said with a noticed face and his arms wide open. "It looks like you were waiting for us. Where are the flowers?"


    Marcus had seen a particr individual who could be spotted out a good distance away due to therge hat and his trench coat, and by his side wearing a beret hat was the one that would always follow therge man.


    Himmy and Charlotte.


    "You know flowers are more difficult to get here," Himmy replied back. "I am happy to see that you are here."


    "Happy to see that I''m here, or happy to see that we helped out your squad member!" Marcus imed, as he looked toward Raze.


    Stepping forward, Raze could confirm that this was indeed Himmy and Charlotte. It had taken him longer than he had thought, but he was back in the Dark Faction, and he was now with Alter.


    "Look, you owe me one for this," Marcus said.


    "Why? Did he cause you any trouble?" Charlotte asked. "I thought you were heading back anyway, so taking one extra with you shouldn''t be considered a favor, right."


    Marcus was wondering how to handle that because Raze didn''t really bring any trouble, nearly everything they would have had to face either way. Apart from a particr incident.


    "You owe me one," Marcus just said, looking at Himmy again. "It was nice being with you kid; you are a little green behind the ears but after a few months with the group, I''m interested in seeing what you will be."


    It was time for the two groups to split up, and before that Raze wanted to say a couple of words to the others. First, he had approached Ban.


    "You are a righteous mage who has his own morals; I hope you stick to it," Raze said.


    Ban gave a nod in response.


    "Right now, you are a master of the water element; I suggest you learn the lightning element as well, and learn a fewbination spells, if youbine the two together, you will be ahead of most mages you wille across."


    Before Ban could even say anything, a little offended that someone younger than him had given him advice, Raze had moved on to Shing.


    "Thank you for what you did for me. If there is something you need from me in the future, I will be happy to help you."


    Shing responded with a smile, and with that, the two groups parted ways, waving at each other. Marcus and his group weren''t going to spend time in the city as they needed to head to the Alter base to give a report.


    Whether Ban would report his suspicions or not, Raze was unsure, but he had done all he could from his end, and in the first ce, he wanted people to be aware of his name. He just didn''t expect to have another problem other than Alter and the Grand Magus to worry about so soon.


    After the other two had disappeared, Charlotte and Himmy started to walk off, and appeared to be heading down the streets to a certain location.


    "Raze, I never expected to visit you here of all ces!" Charlotte said, her voice rtively cheery. "But for you to end up in the Demonic Faction, crazy things must have happened, right."


    "Right," Himmy added. "Let''s skip all the small talk; why don''t you exin to us how this all happened, how did you end up in the Demonic Faction, and why aren''t you at the academy?"

 Chapter 484 The First Mission Of Alter

    <h4>Chapter 484 The First Mission Of Alter </h4>


    nning had been upying Raze''s mind for a while now. He was constantly thinking about the next step, so he was pretty prepared for Himmy to ask this question. If anything, if the question wasn''t asked about how he ended up in the Demonic Faction, then he would have found it even stranger.


    "There was an incident at the academy," Raze answered.


    "No, shit, Sherlock," Himmymented as he lifted his hand to his mouth and pulled out a small brown stick. There was nothing on the stick itself nor at either end, but Raze had seen him do this a few times. Now he just had a prop in his hand instead.


    "Stop using phrases that no one understands," Charlotteined, giving Himmy a small kick on his shin that must have still hurt, but Himmy acted as if it did nothing. "What he means is, we can see that you''re not at the academy, so what exactly had urred?"


    "There was an assessment," Raze answered, one where they ced students underground to fight against each other. They gave us no food, no water, and made us kill each other, and some students were so hungry they resorted to eating each other."


    "I was in a situation where it was life or death, so I used my magic to try and get out of there. In doing so, I ended up in the Demonic Faction, and I was stuck there. The item you gave me, belonging to Alter, I had used that and got in contact with the other Alter team belonging to Marcus, and that''s how I ended up in the current situation."


    The group decided to stop in the middle of the street. There was a shop that had a few seats on the outside. Himmy took a seat and gave a few coins, to which the owner brought out a few sticks of meat for them to eat.


    A te was passed over, and the three of them slowly started to eat what was given to them. While Charlotte was eating her stick, she lifted her hand to cover her mouth. It was quite clear that she didn''t want Raze looking at her, so he turned his head away.


    "Your situation is quite the sh*t one, pardon my French," Himmymented. "It seems that the academy has gone to some drastic measures because of the uing martial arts tournament. Honestly, I had heard the Erupting Fist n was going around to all the ns asking for some type of permission, so now it makes some sense."


    Somewhat, the start of Raze wishing to go against the academy was the assessment, which is why he had used this as a basis.


    "I guess there is a real question though, what is the reason you called us? You could have stayed in the Demonic Faction, or maybe lived your life as a wanderer." Himmy asked.


    "I was ufortable with the Demonic Faction," Raze answered. "It still hasn''t been long since I havee to this world. The academy was my way of learning how the Pagna world worked, and now this has happened."


    "Alter is a ce with Otherworlders; in a way, it feels like it''s the only ce where I can feel safe. I don''t really have anywhere to go, and I was made a squad member."


    Himmy continued to look at Raze as he told his story. There was one thing that was bothering him, and it was the fact that Raze had answered almost immediately, as if he had an answer already ready, and as if he had expected the question toe.


    "Your posting as a squad member, I invited you honestly because I thought it would be handy for us to have someone on the inside of the academy for information. Since the n heads seem to go to the academy once in a while."


    "Are you saying no then?" Raze asked.


    "I didn''t say that, just saying the reason why I originally asked you to join the squad," Himmy answered. "You are a squad member, and I guess you can join our team of investigators, so you can travel with us, and from time to time we will need to head in and report to the main base."


    This was what Raze was hoping for; at the main base of Alter, there would be answers, including maybe how to go to the other side. If all hell broke loose, he still had the item that would allow him to summon a Divine one as well. It was his wild card because he didn''t know what exactly would happen.


    "We currently have a mission now, but in a way, you are somewhat rted to this," Charlotte said nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "We were going to have youe on the team after youpleted your time at the academy. You would be stronger then, helping us out. We were hoping the current mission we were on would bepleted by then because you''re kind of a suspect."


    Hearing these words, Raze was pretty sure he knew what case they were on because there was only one thing he would be a suspect in.


    "You are smart, so I''m sure you have figured it out," Himmy said. "We actually got changed to another mission. Wepleted that, and then they put us on the mission again. Do you want to know why?"


    "Because the other team that got involved, they were all killed."


    This just confirmed his suspicion. Himmy and Charlotte were investigating the mysterious deaths that had urred in his town. The one that included his family and himself.


    town. The one that included his family and himself.


    "I have to ask, has anyone tried toe after your life, or your sister''s?" Himmy asked.


    "While at the academy, not really, but that might be because I was in the academy," Raze answered.


    Himmy pulled out a little pad and a long ck piece of tool. He started to write on sheets of paper, making small notes, and ced it back in his pocket.


    The deaths, with what had happened, Raze thought the special demon that followed him might have something to do with it, but he was thinking that was less likely as well. And then there was a chance the original Raze was behind it, but he hadn''t found out much about the original Raze, as it appeared his sister also didn''t know much.


    "I expected as much. Honestly, the reason why we''re here at the moment is because the group that was killed running the investigation was killed right here in this city. So it looks like we are going to be here a while."


    "As for your suspicion, you''re pretty much cleared as a suspect, but remember that you are still a target, so anything could happen. But I would like to wee you to the group and wee you to the first mission. The rest of the members are waiting; I''m sure they will be interested in meeting you."


    With what had happened with thest group, Raze was a little worried about meeting the rest of these members, and what might happen the longer he stayed in the Lethal Bite n, what would ur.


    "I guess if we want to leave this city quickly and head to Alter, I better find out who is behind these deaths as quickly as possible."

 Chapter 485 A New World Arrives

    <h4>Chapter 485 A New World Arrives</h4>


    In the center of the Lethal Bite n, there was therge building that was ced up high above the grand staircase. Reaching the very top would be easy for Pagna warriors, but regr citizens would have a tough time.


    Which was why they hardly saw new people going up and down the staircase, but that wasn''t the case today. People who were nearby walking through the streets pointed at the staircase as they witnessed something odd.


    A man, fairly short in size, barely visible, was carrying a round shield on his back that wasrger than himself. The image made it look as if a slow-moving turtle was heading up the stairs, as the person used their hands and legs to climb the stairs.


    What was odd was how the shield was also ced on his upper back, covering most of the top of his head. Because if the man was to ce the shield lower, then it would hit the floor and it would be near impossible for him to move.


    Eventually, the man had made it to the top, and the guards that were on standby had walked forward. When they had arrived and saw who it was, immediately they bowed down, lowering their heads in front of him.


    "We greet the Vice Head of the Moon Shield n, Bargo Gunner!" The two guards said in sync.


    "Ah yes, yes!" The short man said with a smile, lifting his head. He had a full, healthy beard, and his face was a little red. It would be strange for it to be red from the climb, so it seemed to just be a part of his normalplexion.


    "I have been sent here to help you with matters until things are sorted out, but most likely you will not need my help, so if there is a nice ce for me to rest, that would be nice," Bargo said.


    After Raze had agreed to continue his journey as part of the group along with Alter, it meant he would be working with others and the rest of Himmy''s group. It did make Raze wonder whether there were other people in Himmy''s group, since he seemed more like a lone warrior.


    The group had arrived at an Inn, but rather than heading inside or to a room, instead, they took a step around the side alleyway and were climbing up the staircase that would go around the building. From the look of things, they were heading to the top.


    "I need to tell you about these members you are meeting; in truth, there is only one or people in our team. Our team is smaller than most," Himmy exined. "And honestly, most of the time it''s just me and Charlotte that travel together as I need her expertise to work on a number of jobs requested by the ns."


    "As for this person on our team, she usually works alone, but since this case has been bothering us for a long time, she has been brought on board as well, and she is¡­ what can I say."


    "She is different from us," Charlotte exined as she stopped at the top of one section of the stairs they had already reached the third level.


    "What do you mean different?" Raze asked. "We are all different from each other; do you mean something like Marcus''s group, that maybe she is from another world?"


    Himmy''s and Marcus''s world, which Raze still had yet to find the name of. Then there were those from Alterian and those from Pagna. Recently Raze had also learned that there were people like Shing, who was from a ce called Earth where people had a single ability which varied by arge amount.


    "Is she from Earth?" Raze asked.


    "I see you have learned about otherworlders," Himmy said as he continued to move forward. "She is not from Earth; to be honest, she''s the only one of her kind in Alter that is currently in this world, that is why she is different from the rest of us."


    Since she had gone on missions on her own and was able to survive away from the group, Raze assumed that she had to be strong, but these people from other worlds made him wonder just what power she had.


    Finally, the three of them had reached the very top, the rooftop of the building. In the distance at the edge of the building, a female, d in the Pagna clothing that the locals would wear, had her back turned away from the others.


    All Raze could see was her short-cut hair that went a little past her shoulders.


    "You know in our world we have a saying, that it''s rude to talk about someone behind their back," the voice said as she turned around. Raze could finally see her face; she had tworge eyeballs, her face was perfectly symmetrical, oddly so.


    If anything, Raze could say her face was too perfect, as if it had been altered, and that''s when he could see something, rising up just from the bottom of her neck, a slight red glow.


    He had seen this before, and seeing this woman was reminding him of something.


    "It is nice to meet you, Raze," the woman said as she walked forward. In doing so, her footsteps were heavier than usual, enough that Raze could tell the difference as she walked forward.


    "My name is Anna," the woman said as she continued to walk forward, and reached out her hand toward Raze for a handshake.


    "It is nice to meet you¡­" Raze answered; his hand was hesitant to reach out. Although it was easier for him to deal with a woman''s touch, it was still hard; since he had done it with Alba recently, he was about to reach out until the woman spoke.


    "It''s okay," Anna said. "I can tell that you are anxious; your heart rate has increased considerably, and the palms of your hands are sweating slightly. I do not wish to make you ufortable; I was just performing a female greeting."


    "This is great!" Charlotte said, bringing both of her hands together. "The two of you are getting along well; I thought that there would be a problem between the two of you, but I guess I didn''t need to worry after all."


    Now closer, Raze could see the glow even more, and when Anna had raised her hand, he could see the red glowing from just underneath her sleeve as well, and that''s when it had hit him, there was someone that looked somewhat simr.


    "The observations that you made¡­ how were you able to do that?" Raze asked.


    Anna smiled as she gave her answer.


    "That''s because I''m notpletely human and part machine. I know your world doesn''t have something like this, so I bet you''re quite surprised."


    When she said these words though, she had analyzed something else.


    "Wait¡­ you are surprised, but you don''t seem to be very surprised¡­ have you met my kind before?"


    Raze didn''t know how to answer this because it was only a guess. When in another dimension, he had met a man with a metallic suit that was made out of advanced machinery.


    He was extremely powerful, but the only thing he knew about him was his name, Zon.

 Chapter 486 A Weapon From Another World

    Chapter 486 A Weapon From Another World


    ??Raze hadn''t run into Zon for a long time. It had been a while now, but he remembered the strange man''s name and appearance because of one reason: he was immensely powerful.


    Raze knew in his state he couldn''t beat him, and from what he had heard, he had bested both Dame and Gunther, a peak and middle-stage warrior, both together. The reason why he appeared or wanted to meet with Raze wasn''t clear.


    Now right in front of him was Anna, a person that was most likely from the same world.


    "Himmy said that she was the only known person from her world. If she finds out that I know something about a strange man, then maybe she will press me for questions. I did meet him in another dimension and not in Pagna.


    For now, while I don''t know what Zon wanted, I will stay quiet about it," Raze thought.


    "Sorry that I am not too shocked," Raze answered. "I suspected that there will be otherworlders from my talk with Himmy, and he had warned me beforehand. If anything, I was surprised to see that you look like you do."


    The answer seemed to be eptable to Anna, as she didn''t ask for any more details, and instead, Himmy was the one to take the lead from there.


    "Alright, that''s enough of introductions. I would like to continue with the task that we have been given. We have been chasing the tale of these deaths from n to n for a while now with no results, and it seems the other Alter group that reced us seemed to have gotten somewhere."


    "Wait!" Charlotte said. "What makes you think that the other group of Alter found out something?"


    A smirk appeared on Himmy''s face as he shook his head in disappointment.


    "You have been with me a while and you still don''t understand. The fact is that we are still alive, and they are dead, means they got further than us. Although my condolences are with the other group, mypetitive side is making me feel somewhat sick. You know I was good at my job back in the day, or at least I thought I was."


    Charlotte rolled her eyes. Too many times she would hear Himmy ramble on about the number of cases he had solved, catching mass murderers, and solving cases that no one else could get to the bottom of, but it was just hard for her to grasp that someone could do such things with no magic.


    And he hadn''t gotten to the bottom of this case yet.


    "Anna, let''s go over the details. I imagine you have gathered and downloaded all the information to do with the case and what the other team have reported," Himmy asked.


    "Of course," she answered.


    "Wait, can we talk somewhere morefortable, maybe somewhere we can sit down?" Charlotte asked.


    Immediately, Anna got into a sitting position, and she was soon hovering in the air, as if she was sitting on an invisible chair. It was really impressive she could even keep such a position. It was something not a normal human was able to do.


    "You can sit on myp if your legs are tired; I function quite well as a seat," Anna stated.


    The response from Charlotte was pping the top of her forehead. She needed to be careful with Anna, who was very straightforward and took things typically like that of a robot.


    "It''s alright, no one can hear us here anyway," Charlotte replied.


    "Before we continue, what I do want to do is talk about Raze and try to gather more information," Anna dered while looking his way. She had gotten out of her awkward seating position and was now stood back upright.


    "You are the only survivor of these deaths. In a household usually there is not a single survivor. It''s quite impressive, but you stated that you knew next to nothing. In order to find those behind this, I believe we need to know the reason they are doing such things, and I havee up with two conclusions.


    "The first is a test. The reason why it might have been so hard for us to keep a trail of what is happening is because the killings could be done by a special item. This would also exin how they were able to defeat an Alter team.


    "An item that allowed them to kill in such a way, it might be that they are testing such a thing and trying to find out its other uses. That is the first conclusion I havee to.


    "As for the second one, I believe that they might be trying to perform a ritual of sorts."


    "A ritual, that''s interesting, what makes you say that? From all the deaths we have noticed so far, there hasn''t been any markings or such at the scene," Himmy asked.


    "In the past, there seems to have been simr cases along ns. They have attempted things with items and rituals, trying to get those from the Divine realm toe down.


    "This is amon trial among the ns. If they are able to get the Divine realm beings down to the regr Pagna realm and still having them obtain full power, then they will have strength in this world and ruin the bnce of the realms.


    "The sacrifice of multiple people to obtain such a power or make such an item is quitemon. As for why they might be after Raze and his sister, it could be because they needed them to be dead toplete the ritual, or they might have seen something they shouldn''t have.


    "Either way, in both of the cases it would make sense for them to go after Raze''s life. If we take these possibilities, maybe we can find something that will lead us to the next location before they start the killings again."


    Himmy nodded. They were all just theories for now, but while they had nothing, theories were a good thing.


    Raze was also taking everything in, and it made him think of a theory himself.


    ''The ns try to get those from the Divine realm down to Pagna. I guess they mean so in a permanent way. Although I have the item that will allow one to do this, it''s not permanent and only for a limited amount of time.


    ''But it makes me wonder, the book I used to transmigrate did something simr, and there is also the spirit following me? What if that spirit is also something from the Divine realm? At the moment, it''s just something that doesn''t have the full power to be used?


    ''Am I just a vessel for it, is that why it''s trying to protect my life, because it''s the only way it cane down here?'' Raze thought.


    "That''s the conclusion we cane to with the information we have," Anna continued. "There isn''t much information that you don''t already know that had been submitted by the new team. They persisted before all details could be passed over."


    "Then I guess that is everything then," Himmy said, stretching his arms. "As I suspected, we''re going to have to head to the crime scene of where the Alter team was killed and try to find something.


    "This is going to be a fun first mission for you, Raze, and since it is your first mission, I have something to give to you."


    When Himmy walked over, he reached into his trench coat, and as he did, he pulled out a rtively heavy object and ced it in Raze''s hands. He didn''t know what it was before, but he had seen this item several times.


    "What you have in your hands right there is something called a gun."

 Chapter 487 A Bad Detective

    Chapter 487 A Bad Detective


    ??"I know you have your magic and your Pagna martial arts, but there are certain situations where that can be more handy than either of them," Himmy said as he handed over the weapon. "It might be tricky the first time you use it. It''s loud, and the weapon will kick back. Also, it will be hard to aim if you don''t practice with it, but you don''t have time for that.


    "Some people in my world would say I''m irresponsible for handing you such a thing without showing you how to really use it, but you''re a quick learner, I guess. You''ve seen how I use it."


    Just then, Himmy pointed out with the weapon and went through a few of the basics, as he went through thest step of pulling the trigger.


    "This weapon can help save many lives, but it can also take many as well, and don''t go showing it around or using it willingly. You''re in the Dark Faction now, so some people will know what that thing is, especially the Bonum Society."


    Raze ced the item away in his zer using its magical properties. Although he knew it was strong, he couldn''t imagine it being better than his magic and Qi, but what he did think woulde in handy was as ast resort.


    There were times when maybe he would run out of Qi and Magic. If that was the case, then he would still have the powerful weapon to rely on.


    There was a linger in the air of a particr word though, the Bonum Society. ording to Alter, they were looking for a god-tier item, but as to what it could do, he didn''t know.


    He wondered if Bonum wanted to summon these Divine beings down as well, or was it something else. For now, there was still too much information he didn''t know.


    The group continued to walk through the city, and Raze kept his eyes on the warriors that were scattered about. They would walk past as if doing protocols or head area to area doing tasks.


    The sound of them training in particr sections of the city would be heard once in a while as well, and Raze could recognize some of the techniques being used since many of them had been used against him.


    "You look differentpared to before," Charlottemented. "Your eyes, they seem to have aged quite a bit. They''re deep. I know it sounds crazy since it hasn''t been that long since Ist saw you, but you just look different."


    Charlotte was staring at Raze quite a bit, and he certainly was differentpared to before. He was walking more upright, he was morefortable, and he even seemed confident.


    All of these traits were something that she had noticed before in him, but they were just amplified this time.


    "And also, your zer, it''s a magical zer, right!" Charlotte said, quite pleased. "I can sense its power. Did you enchant it yourself?"


    For a moment, Raze was going to deny it. This was not his handy work, and iming that he had done something himself when the talented mage wouldn''t get credit was against his morals and something he didn''t want to do.


    So he decided he would just say yes, but when opening his mouth, the words just wouldn''te out.


    "The zer is enchanted," Raze finally answered. "A lot of things seemed to have happened between the times we saw each other."


    Leaving it at that, the group continued to walk until they had reached arge stained ss building. It looked simr to the one that Raze had first entered when the ns were sorting out the wanderers and others into groups.


    Upon entering inside, the area was incrediblyrge. The floor was paved with marble inscribed with names, andrge paintings could be seen above.


    There were benches that spanned across the center of the room with people who were in prayer.


    "Are you sure we''re in the right ce?" Charlotte whispered. It was so quiet inside she was afraid to even make a noise. Noticing this, Raze immediately cast a silent spell around them.


    "You can speak freely; they won''t be able to hear us," Raze informed them.


    Himmy was quite surprised by this and almost looked at Charlotte, wondering why she hadn''t done such a thing. There were times when such a spell would havee in handy.


    "This is definitely the right ce," Anna informed them. "The Alter group had originally stayed at an Inn, but then moved their base of operations to this building. There are many people that believe in the Sun God Rylon, so theye here to pray for good fortune and good weather for their crops.


    "The building houses the workers of the Rylon Religion, and it also was where the Alter group stayed, until their death."


    Walking around, Himmy was looking for a particr person to talk to. The Rylon workers were covered head to toe in a bright yellow robe, but judging by how they were talking and doing their work diligently, they weren''t the right people to talk to.


    But that''s when he could see a disgruntled cleaner. A man who was mopping the marble floor, an ordinary citizen just trying to make his way.


    Himmy had approached him with his tall self towering over the man, who gulped just at the sight of him.


    "I wanted to know, around a week ago,st Friday it would have been, we heard that there was an incident that had urred here, do you mind speaking about it?" Himmy asked.


    The man somewhat ignored Himmy as he moved to the side and continued to mop the ground.


    "A lot of things happen in this ce. Things happen every day, scuffles, people enter running away from other people. There is gossip, and even theft; you will have to be more specific than that," the man said as he continued his work.


    "What I''m talking about is an incident that perhaps wouldn''t happen in this facility every day. A group of five people, all of them dying in the room that they were staying in," Himmy said, pressing hard.


    For a moment, the man had stopped moppingpletely, frozen in ce, and then he continued working on the floor. That small moment was all he needed to know that the man knew something.


    "I don''t suppose that we could have a look at that room, can we?" Himmy asked. "Or if you are inclined to give us more details about what took ce."


    "I know nothing," the man said. "I''m just a simple cleaner, and as for getting into those rooms, you can forget about it. Only staff of the facility and those who get permission from the Meisters can enter."


    "Meisters?" Raze asked.


    "Meisters are the head of the religious organization in certain areas, or this building in particr," Anna answered.


    "Look, you should know as well as I do that they''re not going to speak to us," Himmy said. "So can''t you do us a favor?"


    From his hand, Himmy had a single silver coin and was trying to hand it over to the man, but he turned his head and continued to work.


    "Wait, if the others managed to stay here, why can''t we do the same?" Charlotte whispered.


    They took a step back, leaving Himmy to deal with the negotiation in all of this, but Charlotte was never sure of Himmy''s actions.


    "Because we don''t know who is involved. It could be the religious group, the n that is currently here, or anything. Even small individuals, so we need to be careful and make sure as few people as possible know we''re investigating," Anna exined.


    The group waited for a while as Himmy was trying every trick in the book to get the cleaner on his side. He was also thinking about giving up and trying on another target, but there was one thing about Himmy that made him a great and a horrible detective: it was his stubbornness.


    He wanted to convince this man no matter what, and that''s when Raze had enough. He took a step forward and approached the two that were still talking.


    He then extended out his hand.


    "Will this be enough for you to take us to where they were staying?" Raze asked.


    When opening up his hand, Raze had a golden coin on show, and the man''s eyes lit up instantly.

 Chapter 488 Praise The Sun

    <h4>Chapter 488 Praise The Sun </h4>


    Not letting the golden coin linger any longer, the cleaner instantly snatched it and ced it away into his pocket. There wasn''t even a chance for Himmy to react; it was as if he was going up against a great Pagna warrior, the man was so fast.


    "If you had done that in the first ce, then we would have gotten somewhere a lot quicker," the cleaner stated and cleared his throat. "I can''t take you there now, otherwise, they will see where we''re going. Wait for about an hour until service is over."


    "The staff members will leave the main room, and I can sneak you guys into the room where all the trouble started," the cleaner exined. "Just sit at the back seats or something and don''t stand out too much."


    The cleaner was trying to distance himself away from the others, and when they had eventually stepped away from him, there was a spring in each sweep that he made, along with a giant smile on his face.


    The group had sat at the very back of the bench. The ce was rtively empty, since it was the middle of the day, so they were a few meters away from anyone else and just continued to look at the cleaner.


    "What happened? It looked like Raze gave the man something, and then suddenly he was over the moon," Charlotte asked.


    "From my analysis, Himmy was failing drastically at trying to persuade the man. His attempts at giving the man a gift or a bribe for him to speak didn''t work, but when Raze had done the same, it was a sess," Anna clearly exined.


    "Yeah, well, I guess that''s what one would expect to happen if a gold coin is given to them," Himmy replied as he reached toward his mouth and pulled out the stick, letting out arge puff of air.


    "A golden coin!" Charlotte repeated, her mouth nearly hitting the floor. "Do you know how much that is worth? How did you even get such a thing? For us to use a big expense like that, it has to go through the base¡­ but I guess that was your own money¡­ you didn''t steal it, did you?"


    A number of thoughts were going through Charlotte''s head, most of them of worry. Although Alter didn''t have many rules, and groups were mostly allowed to operate however they wished within those rules, there were morals, and most of those in Alter trying toplete the ultimate goal of keeping Pagna safe wouldn''t want to work with hardened criminals.


    "We need to solve this case, and we need not waste time," Raze answered. "I saw that Himmy''s tactics weren''t working. During my short time here, I have learned that, in our world and this world, there is one thing that is very convincing to others."


    "That is currency. Currency is created, even in this world, to control those in Pagna. It might be the only thing that the ordinary people have over the Pagna warriors that are needed. As for where I obtained it from, in the Academy, there are many disciples that are heirs to their ns."


    "They have many valuables and have a lot of wealth. I had gained close connections to a few of them and received rewards in the process. So I have some wealth."


    No one questioned Raze too much, but they did have their own thoughts in their heads about what he could have possibly done to receive the money because it was no small amount.


    ''It couldn''t be!'' Charlotte thought. ''By favors for the other members, could he have...'' Her face turned bright red as she started to get all sorts of thoughts in her head, and Anna sitting next to her just shook her head several times.


    The group waited patiently and listened through the talks of the religious group. There wasn''t much for them to devise in what they heard.


    "We must all praise the sun! For it gives us everything in our lives. It is above all and is the power that separates those above us, gives power to the things we eat, giving the energy on the itself, and the energy that everyone uses including the warriors."


    "We worshippers of the sun will be granted great strength when the timees."


    Unlike the others who didn''t seem to be paying attention to the words spoken by the worshippers, Raze tried to decipher it a bit more. This religion''s belief, unlike many others, didn''t focus on the life past this one but instead focused on the current life.


    From the sound of things, they were hoping to be granted great strength. It wasn''t clear what that would be just off of listening to them. It could be wealth, health, or literal strength, maybe even spirituality.


    ''ording to the information Anna gave, she stated that many of the ns were trying to get those from the Divine realm toe down with their full power,'' Raze analyzed. ''What do they think of religious groups like this one?''


    ''They must have a goal as well, and I can''t believe that they are so na?ve that they don''t know of the items that have the great powers to affect the world. These religious groups aren''t linked to the ns and have their separate beliefs.''


    ''They''re linked to the regr people of Pagna. The citizens, the emperor, and the kingdoms. The other half of the Pagna world, that has remained silent. It''s possible that they could be a suspect in this as well.''


    ''Trying to gain a strong power that could protect them from the Pagna warriors if they ever chose to try and rule over the continents with an iron fist.''


    There was a reason why Raze thought like this. In his world, there were different beliefs that many people had.


    Some focused on doing good and being rewarded in the afterlife. Some were a means of living and a cleansing of the body, but others at times were spread for an individual''s agenda.


    The Grand Magus were behind one of the religious groups back on Alterian. One that hadn''t existed when he was young but had grown quickly into one of the biggest groups in Alterian. If their name was mentioned, he was sure that even Charlotte would know of the group.


    It was thest scandal that Raze was able to find of their corrupt lives. Although he didn''t find any wrongdoing of the religious group itself, only that their activities were being funded by the Grand Magus. For some reason, it seemed like they didn''t want him to out them.


    It was why they were chasing him harder than they had before, but Raze never thought that people would believe him in the first ce.


    ''It bugs me a bit, what did they think that I knew that they wanted to stop from getting out.''


    The ceremony was over, and the people were standing and started to leave the room, including the workers. As they left and were walking away, from the side they could see the cleaner calling them over.


    "A sun god," Raze mumbled to himself. "It would be pretty frightening fighting against something like that."

 Chapter 489 Expand The Dark Guild

    <h4>Chapter 489 Expand The Dark Guild</h4>


    In the world of Alterian, in the underground living areas that divided the two people, there was an abandoned site. A building that was oncerge and grand and had its time above ground, had sunken below.


    A path had been built on top of it, blocking them from seeing the above apart from the view at times when drains, among other things, would be opened up.


    In the destroyedrge building, a regr meeting that was to ur was going to take ce, as two people started to approach the destroyed building, carefully stepping around the flooded wooden nks on the ground.


    When reaching the center, neither of them said anything as they waited patiently. They looked at the center area in front of them, which had been cleared.


    One of the hooded figures, Kelly, noticed that things had changed since thest time she had been here. The center area where the Dark Spirit would appear, the broken and torn-up items had been removed.


    Since only the two of them would arrive here to meet, she had a good idea of who had done such a thing.


    ''Is this the way he shows his devotion to the Dark Magus, by making an area for the Dark Spirit to summon easier?'' Kelly thought.


    It was the meeting day that the spirit said he woulde again and again, but Kelly was deep in thought after thest meeting she had with the Dark Spirit. The things that happened at the Academy had practically changed her life in more ways than the Dark Spirit could perhaps imagine.


    At school, many people were starting to acknowledge her. No more did they treat her as someone who wasn''t deserving to be there and waved and said hi. She had even received a few gifts from some of the students.


    It was no doubt because those that day, who had seen the power of the Dark Spirit for a split second, or seen how friendly he was with the others, wanted to get close to him.


    The thing was, no one knew who he really was, and Kelly was almost certain.


    ''That Dark Spirit¡­ I don''t think it''s just a spirit or creation of the Dark Magus, but could very well be the Dark Magus itself, maybe something that even has the memories of the Dark Magus.''


    ''I should keep this theory to myself though, who knows how he will act if he finds out.''


    Already the actions of the other man were starting to worry her. She could see him tapping his foot on the ground at first. It was getting faster by the second; once in a while, he would even kick the dirt underneath his feet.


    Right now, he was pacing back and forth in the same area, and was mumbling to himself, giving out a few exasperated grunts. Finally, when over an hour had passed from the usual meeting time, he couldn''t take it anymore.


    "What is going on here!" Harvey shouted. "Where is the Spirit? Why hasn''t it arrived!"


    "We don''t know much about the Spirit," Kelly answered. "Only that it carries the will of the Dark Magus. It is quite possible that for whatever reason, they are unable toe at this time.


    "I think it might be best that the two of us focus on our current goals that he has handed to us."


    The words from Kelly seemed to have calmed down Harvey a little as he stopped pacing back and forth, but there was still clearly the air of disappointment over his head. She felt like it was right to keep the theory she had in her head.


    "I see, you are right. We don''t know the circumstances that might have urred. The Dark Spirit could be trying to spread the ideology even further and increasing its strength. I''m sure you felt itst time, the Dark Spirit''s magic power seemed to be growing," Harvey added.


    Judging by the extent of what Kelly had seen it do, she had to agree.


    "Did the Dark Spirit mention anything to youst time, since you spent quite some time with it?" Harvey asked.


    "It did not," Kelly answered, but she was thinking about thest words spoken to her. Telling her, if there was a chance for her to try and get out of the situation she was in, being involved in all of this mess, that she should get out."


    "The Dark Spirit seemed to have gotten whatever it was that was needed but told me to continue on with my goal."


    "And how is that proceeding?" Harvey asked.


    "Difficult," Kelly answered. "There are certain situations, but I think things will be cleared up in a week or so, and I will be able to get an answer. And how is your task proceeding, with finding out about the Grand Magus?"


    Harvey turned away and spat on the ground; the question had aggravated him.


    "It''s the same for me, I''m stuck currently. I have a lot of eyes that are watching me at the moment so I have to be careful, very careful."


    With that, Kelly thought the meeting would be over. They had spoken, and it didn''t seem like the Dark Magus was going to turn up, but that''s when Harvey threw something over to her.


    It glided through the air, and she managed to catch it. When she looked at what it was, there was an address on a street. It had been a while since she had gotten one of these cards.


    "There is another task that the Dark Spirit gave us, the creation and the expansion of the Dark Guild. I have still been looking for members, and there have been reports and hints around this person in particr."


    "I told you before, there are eyes on me. You should head over quickly, before others get wind of this. I have dyed the information for now."


    From time to time, Harvey would ask Kelly to go and recruit members to the guild. Some refused to join, others foundfort in bing part of a group, but ultimately they would lose their life or get caught.


    Leaving only the two of them left. Sometimes Harvey didn''t even ask Kelly for help and just went himself, but when this happened, or when Harvey would mention it, most of the time the person wouldn''t arrive at a meeting.


    And that''s for the ones Kelly knew about. Since Harvey was loyal to the Dark Spirit and wished to expand the group, it would be better for her to try to convince others to join them.


    She wanted toin about this; she, after all, had her studies to attend. She had to focus on school, andstly, there was the extreme issue at hand of getting caught. If it happened, her entire life would be over.


    Not to mention, most of the time she would meet others that knew Dark Magic, their first interaction wouldn''t be a friendly one, as their instinct was to attack any strangers approaching them.


    "Don''t fail this!" Harvey said, as he was already leaving the ce. "The expansion of the Dark Guild is an important one, and the day wee out of the shadows will be the day the sun disappears."

 Chapter 490 A New Member

    <h4>Chapter 490 A New Member </h4>


    Although worried and reluctant for everything that could happen, Kelly still decided that it was best for her to go, and as soon as possible. These meetings with the Dark Guild took ce on the weekend for her anyway when she had free time, so it was possible.


    "He is right about another thing as well, the Dark Spirit did tell us to increase the members of the Dark Guild. I''m sure the more people we have, the more we can help in the future as things go on."


    Following the location on the street, she found herself in one of the least affluent areas of the town. It was always the case when she did go to these ces.


    It was very rare that someone who was living the high life in the city would resort to learning dark magic.


    Still, the ce was certainly better than the underground slums where they would meet up. It was still located above ground close to the outskirts of the main city. It was harder for one to travel to the area as there was ack of public transport.


    Not only that, but the things such as basic lighting were void as well. It was strange because when Kelly turned her head, one could see the vastrge tall buildings that lit up and shined an array of different colors.


    While in front of her, she was looking at a two-storey building that was crumbling paint, ster, or something on the side. There was even an outer staircase that would lead one up from the first to the second floor, and the doors weren''t that far from one another, suggesting the small size inside.


    Coming to the ce Kelly had done what was taught to her. She had used local services to find the correct dress, making sure that none of her personal devices had been used.


    At the same time, she currently had nothing on her that could identify her. If things went wrong. From the look of things though, the area was void of people and there was no one keeping watch of the ce. She had even taken a couple ofps around the block to see if there was anyone nearby keeping an eye on the ce.


    "Alright, it doesn''t seem like I''ll need to worry about any outside interference, but that''s only half the battle, now to try and not get this whole apartment destroyed."


    Heading to the apartment, Kelly was wearing a hooded robe that covered most of her head, and even then, she had a scarf that was pulled up from her neck, covering her face.


    The robe that she was currently using was even specially enchanted to cover her face if one tried to look directly at her, but again, all of this was just a precaution. She turned her head before arriving at the door, the first one on the ground floor, with the number one hanging on its side, ready to fall off at any moment.


    "I guess it''s always better to approach these things like a salesperson rather than a thief." Kelly lifted her hand and gave a small knock. She was careful not to knock too hard, so the other neighbors wouldn''t hear what was going on.


    She waited, but there appeared to be no answer at all before knocking again a little louder. Waiting for more time, nothing had happened. Thinking that she might not be in, Kelly waited on the street, carefully watching the door.


    A few people from the apartment block hade and gone, but nothing had urred at the room she was looking at, room 1.


    "Why are things always like this when ites to these things," she sighed.


    Approaching the door, she felt like she had no choice as she hovered her hand where the lock would be, just over the handle. In this case, the best magic for her to use in this situation was a small amount of Dark Magic.


    As it seeped out of her hand and touched the door, the destructive magic was doing its work. The outside of the door was fading away, almost like an acid, and this continued forward until it had reached the other sidepletely.


    With a little push, now the door could easily be opened.


    "I hope this person won''t mind, and I hope I won''t have to pay for this door." Kelly thought as she pushed herself in.


    Immediately when she walked through the front door, she was greeted into a kitchen/living room area. It was small and open and a single space. With her hand on the door, she pushed it back, closing it behind her, and she was ready to use her magic at any moment because she didn''t exactly like what she was seeing right now.


    The entire room was dark, it was void, and there was a musty smell. Something that made it feel as if it wasn''t lived in. It wasn''t trashed like some type of thief; if anything, it was almost the opposite.


    Everything had been ced away, it was neat and tidy, and looked as if the ce wasn''t lived in at all. In the main room, there were two more rooms. One door straight ahead, that she assumed would lead to the bedroom, and a side door that led to a small bathroom.


    "Let''s check out the least likely room for someone to be in," Kelly thought as she headed to what she assumed was the bathroom, or where she would ce one if she had designed the apartment.


    She slowly pushed the door open.


    "I''m sorry for intruding," Kelly said speaking, worried that she might be walking in on someone. Maybe they just had a bad stomach and had been on the toilet that whole time.


    Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on what way one looked at the situation, there was no one inside, leaving her left with no choice but to check the main room.


    "Hello!" Kelly said again, leaving a little tap before opening the room. When she did, the first thing she immediately heard was a small high pitched noise.


    "Meow!" The noise came through.


    Opening the door, and looking down, Kelly''s eyes wereid on a ck cat. The ck cat was staring directly at her and was continuing to meow, and it was rather a fat cat as well.


    "Oh, you must belong to the owner, right?" Kelly asked as she looked down at the cat.


    Due to itsrge round size, all she wanted to do was kneel down and pick up the cat, squeezing it tightly, but the cat was acting rather strangely. It was continuously meowing at her and with its paw, it was hitting her leg again and again.


    "I''m sorry, I''m not your owner, I know you might be afraid, but I promise I''m on your side. Do you know what happened to your owner?" Kelly asked.


    Looking into the room itself, unlike thest room, this was incredibly strange. In the corner of the room, there was an automatic water and cat food feeder as well as a litter box. They were both around half full but allowed for the cat to live at least another week if necessary.


    What was shocking was the room itself though; on the floor there were imprinted markings, it looked like a magic circle on the ground had been burned. Everything on the walls, papers, as well as magic-like books were thrown all over the ce and torn up, even the bed sheets had w marks as if done by the cat.


    "What happened here?" Kelly thought.


    When asking this question, as if on cue, the cat jumped away from Kelly, and then jumped onto the bed. With its paw, it started to hit a strange book thaty on top of the bed several times.


    "Wait¡­ can you understand me?" Kelly asked.


    As if on cue, the cat gave out a meow.

 Chapter 491 A New Language

    <h4>Chapter 491 A New Language </h4>


    Kelly had to make sure she wasn''t imagining things and jumping the gun, as she shook her head to recalibrate what she was thinking. Magic was spectacr; it could do a number of things and contributed to a number ofrge advances in the world, giving them what they had today.


    However, one of the things that wasn''t possible was fullmunication with other animals, a way to speak to them or decipher what it was that their noises they made were trying tomunicate.


    However, she also knew that animals could be very smart; they could often understand people''s emotions, their bodynguage, and understand a rtivelyrge number of words. So it was possible that this was just one of those cases.


    "I know you want me to go to the book, but right now I''m more curious whether you can understand me or not," Kelly said out loud.


    With that, a response had urred with another meow, and the cat had even tilted its head off to the side as if it was observing her.


    "If you can understand me, then meow twice for yes, and once for no," Kelly asked.


    Immediately, with no hesitation, the cat meowed, and then proceeded to make a second noise right after that, following up.


    "No, it could still be a coincidence, I need more than this," Kelly said. "Raise your paw."


    Immediately, the cat raised its paw.


    "The other one!"


    The cat responded following the actions again, and Kelly went into a frenzy as she repeated orders one after the other.


    "Meow again, spin around, jump up, lie on your back, lick your paw!" Kelly continued to order, until the cat had eventually got fed up and ran toward the edge of the bed and leapt, jumping right towards her, and with its ws extended out of its hand, it gave arge swipe right at her face.


    Immediately, Kelly raised both of her hands.


    "Lingering Wind!" A wave of magic wind had urred, and the cat was now floating in the air, with its fur all puffed up.


    "I''m sorry," Kelly said as she reached out and grabbed the cat by under its arms, holding it steady. "I just couldn''t believe it, but it appears you can really understand me."


    Right after, the cat climbed on top of the side of Kelly''s arm, and went up until it was sitting on the side of her shoulder. Then, with its paw, it had pointed straight ahead to the book on the bed once again.


    "I understand, you want me to look at the book, right?" Kelly moved forward toward the magic circle on the ground, or the markings left behind by the magic circle. Just in case something was inherent that could still activate, she had stepped around it.


    In doing so, her foot soonnded on a small notebook. Moving her foot off the book, she could see a name written on the front of the book.


    "Sophie¡­is that the person that lived here?" Kelly said.


    In response, the cat meowed twice once again.


    "Is that a yes?"


    "Meow, Meow!" The Cat answered.


    "Well, for now I don''t have a name for you, as it doesn''t seem like your owner is in at the moment, is it okay to call you Sophie?" Kelly asked.


    To which the cat responded with two meows again, almost smiling.


    Finally, she had gotten to the bed, and nting herself down on it, the cat went on the bed as well. Standing next to the book, Kelly knew the cat was keen for her to see it. She picked it up and immediately she could feel residue of magic.


    ''This is a magic item¡­ or at least it was. I can feel strong powering from it, but the power is fading, even now while it''s in my hand.''


    When looking at the front of the book, there wasn''t much sign as to what it was. It was ck in color, with a fewrge indented circles, swirled and patterns. It reminded Kelly of some of the magical item books she had seen obtained from other worlds.


    It was part of her university studies. Opening up the book, she could see writing all over the pages; it was Alterian writing. The book was clearly being deciphered on the go.


    Reading the words on the book, Kelly continued to flick through the pages, and as she did, it didn''t take her long to figure out what it was. Suddenly, her eyes opened up wide as she looked at the ck cat.


    "Now I know why you can understand me," Kelly said, to which the cat''s eyes had almost be teary at that point.


    Harvey had returned to the police station in a rtively bad mood. He had been looking forward to this day for a while now. Things at work weren''t going the best for him.


    Due to one of the cases he recently handled, more eyes were ced on him. The suspect had died once again, rather than being captured. It was something thatmonly happened on Harvey''s cases.


    The good news was, they were more bothered about them finding out information left behind by the Dark Magus, an order that had been received from the top.


    However, Harvey himself, had been looking into other things; he had been looking into the Grand Magus, as tasked by the Dark Spirit.


    He had made note of all of the guilds that seemed to have close connection to the Grand Magus. Investigating the guilds ran by the Grand Magus''s themselves would be tough.


    On top of that, he doubted that they would get those close to them to do the dirty work; that way there would be a longer lead heading back to them, and they could always me it on the others.


    Through the investigations, Harvey had found one of the guilds that worked with the Glory guild, which had been destroyed.


    The police force had run an investigation and had brought in a number of items from the scene as well as reports. It wasn''t a case he was working on, so he and his team were analyzing it themselves.


    As Harvey walked past one of the screens, he could see one of his staff members have strange text on hisputer from the scene.


    "What is that?" Harvey asked , approaching from behind. "You''ve been staring at that for a while now."


    "Yeah, I know," the officer replied. "I was using theputer''s database to try and analyze it against Alteriannguage and text, but nothing ising up. On top of that, I even had an expert look at it.


    "They think that it''s some type ofnguage, but it''s not anynguage that we have found on Alterian before. It''s the first of its kind."


    "What, like some type of Ancientnguage that''s just been found?" Harvey asked.


    "Well, that''s the thing, it''s not Ancientnguage, judging by what it''s written on, and the age of the tools used. Although they aren''t the typical tools we would use, it seems like it''s only a few years old at most."


    Harvey looked at the strange writing for a while. There were times they woulde across text form other worlds they wouldn''t understand, so it was quite possible this was the case as well.


    What was bothering him, was where the text was found, and why no one had bothered to try and decipher what it meant. Usually there was a team that worked on these things in case it was important evidence.


    "It could be nothing, but send it over to me," Harvey ordered.


    Next time he met the Dark Spirit, he would hand it to him; who knows, maybe it was useful to him.


    "There is one word on here," the officer replied, as he scrolled to the bottom of the scanned image. "This was written in Alterian."


    The words at the bottom spelled out, P A G N A.

 Chapter 492 Stink’s of Murder

    <h4>Chapter 492 Stink''s of Murder </h4>


    As the cleaner of therge building, the man knew his way in and out of the ce, and he also knew the worshippers'' schedule, so he was fairly confident that he could take a group of guests to where they needed to be.


    Not only that, but even when a worshipper in bright yellow robes had made eye contact with him and the others.


    The cleaner just ced his hands together and gave a polite bow without much being said, and soon they were in a hallway that had a number of doors stationed next to each other.


    "Why are there so many rooms?" Anna asked. "Isn''t this just a pce of worship, it''s not an inn, or anything like that."


    The cleaner pulled out a ring that had arge number of keys on it. He was carefully moving key by key around the ring trying to find the right one to open the door.


    "If a person is a true follower and is going through tough times, they have permission to stay here," the man answered. "People go through ups and downs in their lives, and through donations, the religion can offer things like this to their followers."


    "Honestly, it seems to work out, since the most time an individual or a family ends up staying in these ces is about a week before they move on."


    "On top of that, the Meisters, if they are travelling from one area to the other to pass on their wisdom, they will stay here as well."


    With his exnation over, he had found the right key, and a click could be heard as the door was unlocked.


    "I know what you guys might be looking for, but I think you''re going to be disappointed," the man pushed the door open, and one after the other, all of them had entered the room.


    It was a fairlyrge space, there was an enormous bed with a luxury quiltid on top of it. A fancy wardrobe, as well as a number ofrge ornaments such as porcin vases and more.


    The room was big enough for arge family to fit in, but there was only a single bed.


    "I thought as much, you guys are disappointed, right?" the cleaner asked.


    Himmy decided to sit down on a chair that was ced on the other end of the room after looking around for a while and took off his top hat, cing it on the table.


    "Do you mind leaving us be, anding back in an hour or so?" Himmy asked. "We need to think about what to do now, sir."


    The cleaner was happy to oblige, as he closed the door behind him. Following the door closing, Himmy let out a big sigh.


    "Is this even the right room?" Himmy asked. "The whole ce, it looks untouched. As if no one has even been in here. It''s quite clear that there was a clean-up operation."


    "I can confirm that this is the right room," Anna replied. "Although they have cleaned up what is visible to most of the human eye, for me I can still see that there are traces of blood¡­ and not just a little bit of it."


    "This is the room where all members of the other Altered group had been killed in."


    Himmy ced his finger by his nose and started to massage his head while it was closed. He was thinking about the best course of action, while the others continued to look around the room for anything they could find.


    Eventually, he stood up as well and tried to investigate. At times, when people did a clean-up job, there were things that people left behind.


    "I''m confused slightly," Himmy said. "We know that the Alter group is no longer here, because their deaths were reported, right? And we learned that it was in this room."


    "That means there has to be a trail, who cleaned up this room, maybe they can tell us something, or perhaps those who knew about the deaths."


    "The information was delivered by the Lethal Bite n. The members themselves might know something as well," Anna answered.


    Himmy was reluctant to go straight to the n. He was worried that the target they were chasing would be aware that they were being chased.


    "There are also traces of magic that have been used as well, was there a mage on the Alter team?" Raze asked, touching the fabric of the rug.


    "Wait, you can feel that, I can hardly feel anything," Charlotte said as she came over and touched the rug as well.


    When moving to the position where Raze was, she could see he moved his hand back, but right where Raze was touching she could feel a faint trace of magic as well.


    It was something that was impossible for her to notice without putting her hand on the area itself.


    "How did you?" Charlotte asked.


    "I''m a 4-star mage," Raze answered. "So my magic sense has increased quite a bit."


    "4 stars!" Charlotte gasped. "But how did you manage to grow so quickly!"


    Charlotte herself was still a 3-star mage. She remembered being above Raze in her magic capabilities, but now for him to be better than her.


    "I had gone through a lot," Raze answered. "At the academy, we managed to get our hands on high-level power stones that I used to cultivate my magic quicker than normal, I guess I was just a bit lucky."


    Anna, who was sorting through ornaments with a keen eye and across the other side of the room for a moment, turned her head back to look at Raze, she paused for a moment before continuing as she had been doing.


    "The other team did have a mage. It looks like we''re stuck with just this though," Himmy confirmed, standing in the center of the room.


    "If magic was used, then maybe the Alter group had put up a fight, and if that was the case I would imagine this room to be in a worse state than it actually is at the moment.


    "So the only thing we can do is go ahead and talk to the Lethal Bite n, talk to those that had seen this room, and ask what they saw."


    Himmy was sure of the direction they would head but there was still an issue.


    "We can''t just head in there and ask to speak to the ones that did the clean-up though, right?" Charlotte asked.


    "Right, I think I have an idea for that," Himmy said. "These ns, they''re always looking for strong recruits, and we have two strong people with us.


    "I was thinking, me and Charlotte will approach the n the conventional way. Stating we are from Alter and investigating. Maybe we will find out something like this."


    "However, it will mean they know Alter is on their trail if the person behind this is still here, and that''s where you twoe in," Himmy pointed at both Anna and Raze with two separate hands.


    "You two will be members of the Lethal Bite n, through the selection. From the inside, you will dig up whatever dirt it is that''s needed."


    "Joining the Lethal Bite n?" Raze repeated nervously, thinking that this wasn''t a good idea at all.

 Chapter 493 A Lead To Death

    <h4>Chapter 493 A Lead To Death</h4>


    After leaving therge religious building, as usual with these types of things, Raze as well as the others had left with more questions rather than answers.


    The important thing was that they had a n on how to move forward. There was a slight tingle that Himmy could feel on the tip of his tongue.


    "I think we''re close this time," Himmy said, stretching out in the open air. "I think we might be able to catch them, or whatever it is, and I''m sure if we do, you''ll have some questions as well."


    Raze knew this was being directed at him, and he did. Why target the original Raze''s family? What reason? Was there any involvement from them at all, or was it just coincidence?


    "We have our n now anyway; you and Anna, head to one of the n''s recruitment bases. These ns are always looking for strong warriors, so it shouldn''t be so hard. Try to find out what you can from the inside," Himmy asked, pulling out the stick from his mouth.


    "Meanwhile, we''ve got a lot of stairs to climb."


    The group agreed and were ready to split up into their two separate ways, but Himmy had a few more words for the new pairing.


    "You two, try your best to get along, and stay out of fights as much as you can," Himmy stated.


    Raze had no intention of fighting against Anna, not unless she would try to get in his way or his goal.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Both Charlotte and Himmy had reached the bottom of the base of the Lethal Bite n, where staircases from four sides would lead up to the center area of the base.


    Around all sides of the base, there were guards that would stay sharp protecting the area, and as expected when they had arrived, the guards were quick to act as they ced their hands by their side and weren''t shy in showing their Qi.


    "This is the base of the Lethal Bite n, what business do you have here!" One of the guardsmen shouted.


    "There is an incident that had urred," Himmy answered. "At the Rylon Religion Building, where a certain group of individuals had passed away.


    "I''m not sure if you''re aware or not, but that group of individuals were rted to us, the group known as Alter. We would like to speak to your leader about setting up a meeting of sorts to go through a few details."


    The two guardsmen looked at each other for a moment. The expression on their faces showed that there was some concern.


    Being in the field, Himmy had learned to pick up a thing or two about people''s body reactions and traits that one would have, and he had certainly picked up on this one.


    ''Is it because they heard we''re from Alter, or is it something else? In that sentence, it''s clear that they were startled by something.''


    "Please wait here," one of the guards ordered. "We will get back to you as soon as we can."


    The Alter name wasn''t something that Himmy wanted to use often, but they were a group of people that were respected in the Light and Dark Factions for helping ns with a number of situations.


    Since this situation involved their own and wasn''t a n dispute, or at least they hoped it wasn''t, they thought they would be more inclined to help.


    A short whileter, the guard had returned, agreeing that they were allowed to be let inside. Not much was said apart from the two of them to follow.


    They walked up therge staircase leading Himmy and Charlotte to stop for a few moments.


    "This is tough on someone''s knees like mine," Himmymented, breathing.


    "This is... not easy for me either," Charlotte stated.


    Eventually, the two powered through it as they had reached the top. From down below, they noticed that the building looked to be just ced at the very top point.


    Now they were here, they realized that there was actually a considerable amount of ground space. A few of the warriors were training to the side using the ground space, and there were even trees.


    They continued to follow the guard until they had entered inside the giant wide building, which hadrge pirs beaming up to the top on the outside.


    Upon entering, they had immediately entered arge hall that veered off into different sections. There were tworge spiraling staircases that also led to the center and the other floors.


    However, the guard went straight to the first room on the right. Inside there wasn''t much that was spectacr; it was more of a storage room with several crates, a desk, and a few chairs.


    On the front of the desk, there was a sheet that was meant for counting stock.


    ''This is unusualpared to how we''re usually treated,'' Himmy thought.


    Even if they weren''t n members from arge guild, they often were still treated as guests. Due to generations of Alter helping out the ns, the elders of the ns always told them to treat Alter nicely.


    Often when visiting, they would be offered a tour, followed by some food before they got to the talking parts of business.


    This time though, there was none of that, and when looking at the person sitting at the desk, it didn''t even seem to be someone of importance that was part of the n.


    "I am sorry for the dy," the man behind the desk said, standing up and shuffling the sheets of paper in front of him.


    "Currently, our leader as well as the top-ranking members of the n are extremely busy. We apologize that they are unable to meet you at this time. I am Limpo, a squad leader of the Lethal Bite n," the man introduced himself with a small bow.


    "I heard of your matter, and I can give you details, but I suspect that you might want to talk to those that were at the scene?" Limpo asked.


    "You are correct, we wanted to know if there was anything that was missing that could help us find out how this has happened," Himmy answered.


    Limpo stroked his hand across the table for a moment and then stopped. The moment he did, he started to speak.


    "Although I can bring those people over to you, I believe there is something more important at hand," Limpo answered.


    "We have of course been running an investigation into what happened ourselves. We are arge n and deaths urring on ournd are troubling to us more so than anyone else," Limpo exined.


    "However, something has urred, which drew all of our attention away, and is still drawing our attention now, but that''s beside the point."


    "Our reports indicate that there were four people that had entered the Rylon Building, yet it also states that there were only three bodies found."


    "What!" Himmy shouted so surprised he mmed both hands on the table, and before he knew it, the two guards had their fists pointed to the side of his ribs, ready to act at any moment.


    "Precisely, we haven''t had time to search for the fourth body, that is even if there is one, but it is quite possible that there is still one member of this group that is still alive."


    Before meeting Raze, there were no survivors. The pattern, the way people died, it matched all the same, and then there was Raze, the only survivor, but now there was a chance that there could be one other survivor.


    Himmy needed to use everything he had to find this person.

 Chapter 494 The Fate Of The Lethal Bite Clan

    Chapter 494 The Fate Of The Lethal Bite n


    ??The information they had just obtained was crucial to the task. Himmy knew in his old world, after a person was dered missing, the longer time passed by, the less likely they were to find a particr individual.


    That was in his own world, where there weren''t crazy martial artists or beings with power, never mind people moving and transitioning from other worlds.


    "I think it would be best if you informed us of everything you know right now and handed over whatever information you have," Himmy asked with a stern voice. He wasn''t asking, but more so telling.


    A gut reaction urred on the squad leader''s face. It was clear he didn''t like the disrespect of this stranger who wasn''t even a Pagna warrior, but he took a deep breath before giving his answer.


    "I''ve already told you everything we know. One member of that group that you said you belong to, their body wasn''t found."


    "We were unable to run our own investigation. I am telling you this because we won''t be able to aid you in this search. I hope this is something you can handle."


    It was annoying that the n wasn''t fully cooperating, and Himmy didn''t know if the n''s words were true or not.


    Did the leader just not wish to see them, not to respect a past tradition, or was there honestly something going on?


    Rather than argue, they needed to find this next survivor, that was part of Alter, and hopefully didn''t have any of their memories missing.


    "Very well, then I hope you will give us full cooperation as we search this city. I assume, with deaths happening right on your border, in your very own city, you have been keeping an eye on those that havee in and out," Himmy asked.


    "I will inform the n to aid you to the best of their abilities." The squad leader then went and pulled out a wooden emblem that was the same size as one''s hand.


    Throwing it over, Himmy caught it in the air. He could read the Pagna writing that said the words Lethal Bite n; there were small markings in certain areas at the top and bottom of the small nk.


    "As long as you show that to our members, they will aid and answer any question to the best of their abilities, and one more thing."


    "If you do find out who is responsible for this, or where your friend has been brought to, I suggest you inform us immediately."


    "We are too busy to help with the search and wander around aimlessly, but you are dealing with a killer that has harmed your people already. Once you have found them, report back to us, and we will deal with the situation."


    Gripping onto the wooden nk hard, Himmy ced it in his coat.


    "We are stronger than we look. We can deal with it ourselves," Himmy answered.


    "Are you sure about that?" The man replied. "I''m sure thest group of your friends thought the same, and look at where they are."


    "Your Alter group is special for helping ns all over with certain situations. This time you havee to us; I believe we are more skilled when ites to fighting matters."


    "The one thing that we wouldn''t want on our hands is more deaths."


    Grunting, Himmy gave his final answer as he turned around to leave. Not even wishing to be escorted by the guard.


    "Very well, we will inform you, but you better act regardless of who is behind this, otherwise, we will."


    After exiting out of the main base of the Lethal Bite n, now Himmy and Charlotte needed to descend down the stairs.


    They were slowly moving bit by bit, and that''s when they were starting to find that walking downstairs was in some way a lot more difficult than walking up.


    Although less tiring, it was using more muscles and putting more weight on their knees.


    "You had to get thest word in, right? Don''t you think they might hide information from us because you''re acting like a grumpy old man?" Charlotte asked.


    "You mean information that they''re already hiding from us," Himmy replied. "The fact that they want us to tell them when we find our own member after not caring themselves... it''s making my nose itch."


    "Their actions aren''t making any sense, unless they are trying to cover something up, or are worried that their n might be involved."


    "Also, did you notice, all of the n members there acting a bit strange? Disheartened, I wonder if this is rted to our own task."


    Charlotte had noticed the odd actions as well. Even when inside the main building, there was almost ack of order or a panic on all of their faces.


    "Anyway, now we know, are we going to get Anna and Raze in on this?" Charlotte asked.


    "No, stick to the n. Maybe they''ll find out something bigger that will help us. We have one genius and one mage, and they have the same."


    "Ha!" Charlotteughed out loud. "Geniuses don''t call themselves geniuses."


    ---


    The odd feeling that Himmy and Charlotte both felt, they were right to feel that way. There was discourse that was happening within the n, all because two of the top members had been killed.


    Feebie, as well as Royo, the Head and the Vice-Head, were taken out.


    This left squad leaders, deputy ministers, generals within the faction, and distant family members, all of them scrambling together to try and find out who would be the next head.


    There were arguments from all sides, and unless most of them could agree with who would be the leader, there would be a civil fight within the n.


    However, the Lethal Bite n wasrge; it would take out the entire city, and due to their position on the border, if the Demonic Faction found out about this as well, it would be an easy target for them to pick and strike.


    Shouting and arguing wereing from all sides, and those supporting them were being used as pawns in this battle.


    The n members themselves feared that any day they could be asked to fight the person that was right by their side.


    While everyone chucked insults at arge giant round table, Bargo, who was sitting still, started to yawn slightly.


    "Bargo, as a guest from the Moonshield n, perhaps you should select the next head!" one of the ministers asked.


    "Me?" Bargo said, pointing at himself. "It is not my ce to choose the workings of your own n. I have been sent here to keep the peace."


    "You must work on this yourselves, and if there is no peaceful option, then you will be removed."


    The words of Bargo, who had been sent by the n Head on order of the Erupting Fist n''s head, carried a lot of weight in their words, causing them to gulp.


    "I do have to say, it feels like this matter will take a while, and I am fairly bored you see," Bargomented. "So, I will go for a stroll and check up on some things in the city.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t leave the city... but I did see a nice recruitment center. It might be nice to see what talent neers have!"

 Chapter 495 A Spoiled Mage

    Chapter 495 A Spoiled Mage


    ??Bargo had left the main building; there was nothing for him to do there, and he was more so hoping he wouldn''t have to do anything.


    If a fight did ur, he was unsure if he could even stop them from shing, since he was only one person. Sure, he was strong, a middle-stage warrior, but that wasn''t enough against an entire n.


    Anyone who thought they could go against a n in their own base had to be a little messed up in the head.


    Regardless, Bargo was now walking through the streets, picking up his feet in a joyful manner. He was using his ears to follow a specific area, and that was the recruitment barracks.


    Arriving, the n members greeted him, some of them he had shown his que to before he had been let in, and he eventually was in a sand outdoor area where the members were training.


    Many of them were using weapons and bringing out a few items for the new recruits to be tested on.


    "This is more exciting, I love this type of stuff!" Bargomented. "Who knows, maybe I will see someone talented that I want to pick up myself and bring them to our n."


    "Of course, sir!" One of the Lethal Bite n members replied. "You are our guest, but please don''t take all of our recruits; we do still need some for ourselves."


    The Lethal Bite n members weren''t too worried since these were just outsiders being hired. They weren''t really members of the Lethal Bite n.


    It would be incredibly rare to see anyone talented at these things, so they would just let the old man watch and do his thing.


    ---


    Raze and Anna were both walking around a meter away from each other through the city. The two of them were looking for a recruitment center of sorts.


    ns regrly were hiring new members other than those who were raised in the n. Often though, these members that would be brought in would do guard duty for the cities or even just the local tax collection for them.


    They weren''t directly involved in n affairs or got the chance to go to the Pagna Academy at a young age due to the tough selection process.


    This was what the two of them were aiming for: to find a type of trail that was going on somewhere in the city, and it didn''t take long for them to find it.


    There was a queue leading up to the n''s barracks. The building had been built out of stone like most of the city and was on the edge of one of the outskirting walls that surrounded the city.


    From the outside, no one could see what was happening, other than the sound of loud grunts and chants from those that were training on the other side.


    Seeing the long queue, Raze and Anna had no choice but to line up, something that Raze felt like he had done just a couple of days ago.


    "There are more people than I thought lining up for this. I thought bing a Pagna warrior wasn''t a path that everyone would take," Raze spoke.


    "You are certainly one that iscking information in many areas," Anna replied. "Although what you said is correct, have you seen the current state of Pagna?"


    "Education is not free for the young. Their facilities are a mix between being advanced in one area and neglected in others."


    "Even for the regr citizens, the cost of education is something only for the privileged. These people in front of you are desperate; they have nothing and need a way to earn coin, that is why they are here."


    "I suppose you are just like the others of your own kind. Raised by a good family, given good food to eat, while disliking the education that was forced upon you as a child. Meanwhile, others would do anything to be in the same situation as you."


    Immediately Raze turned and red, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked right into Anna''s eyes.


    "You should be careful of what you say when you don''t know a thing about me," Raze imed and turned away, staying in the line as it progressed forward.


    Anna was right in her assumptions most of the time. Because mages in Alterian were part of an upper ss, 99 percent of the time her guess would have been urate, but it wasn''t the case this time.


    After having calmed down slightly, it did remind Raze of something. If what she said was true about those in Pagna, there was something he had yet to find out the reason behind.


    Why could he, Safa, and Simyon know how to read and write? The three of them weren''t from prestigious families.


    Safa was one to study and hit the books, so maybe having one out of three no-names learning how to read and write wasn''t out there, but the fact that all of them did.


    ''Simyon did tell me a bit about his past, but it was hard to bring up. And I won''t force it out of him. People have their own secrets that they want to keep, and that''s the same for me as well,'' Raze thought.


    Pushing forward, they had reached the desk, and Anna and Raze both gave their names. For this, Raze had just ced his name down as Liam, since it was a fairlymon name.


    The same was done for Anna as well. They didn''t put a family name down since they didn''t have one.


    "I''m warning you two now before you take part in this assessment," the man said. "We are one of the top ns that belong to the Dark Faction. We look for a higher tier of recruitspared to the other ns, so if you''re just some nobodies off the street, you can just forget it."


    Raze could see some of the people dressed in rags still moved forward and headed inside the building. There were also a lot of wanderers as well.


    Perhaps changing their position from a person of higher to something more sustainable to them, and then they were them.


    A group of people that were undercover.


    "You don''t have to worry about us," Anna said as she ced her hand on the table. "We are strong enough for your n."


    Lifting her hand, a deep print mark was left on the wooden table, something that could only be done by Qi, at least that''s what most of the Pagna warriors thought.


    "Fine," the man said, as he gestured for the two of them to go forward.


    "A word of warning to you," Anna said as they made their way inside the barracks. "Let''s forget about what I said. I made an assumption based on the data I knew."


    "There is a reason why I work alone, and it''s not just because I speak my own tongue. I will always do what allows us toplete the task."


    "However, the captain has stated that at times because of that, I don''t think ahead. Iplete the mission one step at a time, with the chance of a 100 percent certainty."


    "That is why I work alone. Because of the trouble that follows me around. I won''t protect you if you need protecting; you will need to look after yourself, and by being next to me, you could get into trouble."


    Raze looked down at the ground. "You bring trouble?" shes in Raze''s head of the countless number of things that had urred, including the amount of deaths that had happened in his short time being here went through his head.


    "You''re speaking to the wrong person," Raze said as he continued to walk forward. Death followed Raze everywhere, whether he liked it or not.

 Chapter 496 Someone Crazier Than Raze?

    <h4>Chapter 496 Someone Crazier Than Raze? </h4>


    After registering, the participants applying to be part of the Lethal Bite n totaled around twenty, including both Raze and Anna.


    After learning of the strict requirements, many had turned around or simply hadn''t shown up, not going forward with the small test that would follow.


    Being a Pagna Warrior was never an easy task to do, and many, at thest moment, knowing that their lives could be on the line, had backed away.


    It was true for the opposite as well; knowing this might be the only thing they could do, they had stayed.


    All of the participants were lined up in a row, standing on the sandy field.


    On the field itself, it was filled with a number of items, weapon racks at the back of the ce filled with real weapons rather than wooden ones like the academy would have.


    Then there were also giant boulders that had been ced on the field, two of them in total.


    ''These Pagna warriors sure do love their tests wherever they go,'' Raze thought. ''But I guess it would make sense for them to do something like this. They need to filter out those who aren''t worth their time.''


    On the other side of the participants were members of the Lethal Bite n. There were ten of them standing on the other side, with the leader of the group wearing a pointed helmet made out of metal, standing slightly in front of the others.


    There was also one more who stood out because he was the only person who was sitting down. A short, rather plump man with his arms folded and arge grin on his face.


    "What is this!" The leader of the group was pping a piece of paper in his hand as he looked at the results that had appeared. "Why do we have three no-names that have applied for us? Who did this!"


    Immediately, one of the guards from behind came forward and ced his fist on the ground while kneeling on the floor with one knee.


    "That was me, sir. The orders from the base were to try to get as many applicants as possible, as you know what type of situation we are in," the man answered with his head down.


    The leader''s face was shaking with anger. "Is this what the Lethal Bite n hase to? We are one of the top ns there is, and we are now epting no-names to even take part. Do you know what that would do if a no-name was part of our group?"


    "We would be aughingstock of the other ns. Our reputation would fall, saying we have to rely on these animals! The three no-names on this list,e forward now!"


    Raze and Anna stepped forward; the two of them had only ced their first name. Honestly, Raze didn''t think it would be a problem, and perhaps he was being too naive.


    It had been a while since someone brought up or tried to use the fact that he had no name against him since he had already proven himself with the skills of his de.


    When turning his head to the right, he could see another frail man, his long hair nearly covering his entire face, and his clothing with holes and covered in dirt.


    "You over there!" the captain pointed as he hit the sheet of paper several times. "I''m guessing this is you. Did you not even have the decency to give yourself a first name? You just called yourself Man! Mr. Man, all three of you get out of my sight; we won''t be epting any no-names into this group."


    There was a sour taste left in Raze''s mouth. Perhaps his blood was still boiling slightly due to thements Anna had made, but the man in front of him was reminding Raze a lot of how the mages acted to those that didn''t know magic.


    To take it a step even further, there were then those who lived on the surface and how they would act to the Dwellers underneath.


    Although Raze was sure joining the Lethal Bite n wasn''t too important for the goal of trying to find out the killer, to be rejected before even doing anything...


    "Don''t you think your view is short-sighted?" Anna said.


    Out of all the people to say something, Raze was surprised that Anna spoke up. Shouldn''t their number one thing be to stay out of sight, blend in? There were other ways they could finish the mission.


    "Recently, I heard that there is a rising star in the Dark Faction, the hope of the Dark Faction, and that is the White Dragon," Anna imed.


    Raze''s legs slightly wobbled hearing the name. The nickname that had been given to him, here of all ces. Lifting up his hand, he ran it through his hair.


    ''Maybe I should use some magic to change my hair color¡­ otherwise, this could cause serious problems in the future,'' Raze thought.


    "The White Dragon. I also believe that they are a no-name as well. The Pagna Academy, the rising star who managed to show greater strength than the five main families."


    "I believe times are changing. The academy epted the White Dragon, so you should at least test us before you say anything."


    The man who was berating them just a moment ago was biting his lip. He had opened his mouth trying to say a few things, but no words came out.


    Everyone knew the tale of the White Dragon in the Dark Faction. It had spread even further out to the other factions about what had urred.


    However, there was one detail that was hardly reported on, or wasn''t the focus, and that was that the White Dragon was a no-name.


    "Is that true, is the White Dragon really a no-name?"


    "Come to think of it, I did hear about that as well, but I guess everyone was just focused on finding a new star!"


    "That can''t be right, can it?"


    The people who were taking part in the assessment were talking, but those that were part of the five major ns knew more details of the story.


    They knew it was more true than anyone because it had been a greater shock for them, since their main disciples had been the ones to lose.


    ''Those damned useless main disciples, they have ruined everything for our n!'' The man thought.


    Just as he was about to say something, another n member from behind had run up and started to whisper in one''s ear.


    The man looked back for a moment before turning back around.


    "Very well, you make a good point. Let''s start the assessment and prove yourselves here!" The man said, waving his hand to the tworge rocks.


    "To join the Lethal Bite n, every one of our warriors must know at least how to use Qi, but not just use it¡ªuse it in a way where one can show its destructive powers!"


    While the examiner was exining, Anna started to walk forward towards the rock. The details of what one had to do hadn''t even been exined yet.


    She had quickly made a fist and, throwing it out, it smashed right onto therge rock. Cracks appeared all over, and the rock shattered and fell to pieces.


    The eyes of the warriors nearly popped out of their heads the moment they saw this.


    ''Hey, hey, you''re showing too much power!'' Raze thought as soon as he saw this. ''Crap... I guess she was right, this woman is trouble.''

 Chapter 497 A Crack In the Rock

    <h4>Chapter 497 A Crack In the Rock</h4>


    The test was a simple one. The rocks in question, that were ced, were special rocks that had a unique property allowing them to absorb Qi.


    There was a limit to how much Qi they could absorb, so the test was for those taking the assessment to make a simple mark on the rock.


    If they were to hit the rock with their Qi and it was too weak, then the rock would absorb all the Qi and only their strength would be used, resulting in no mark being made.


    If a person was able to condense their Qi to a single point, then a marking could be made, or if one just had arge enough amount of Qi, due to the limit of what the rock could absorb, a mark would be made.


    In Anna''s case, though, she didn''t know how to use Qi. Her body was more advanced than most, and when she went to throw her fist, she had done so with pure strength.


    The rock had crumbled, and she turned to the leader.


    "I analyzed what the assessment was going to be. I have damaged the rock, so therefore I have passed, correct?" Anna asked.


    The assessor''s jaw was ready to hit the floor. Destroying a rock like so, it was something probably only a peak initial stage warrior or a middle stage warrior could do.


    He soon moved up to the rock and looked at it.


    ''It must be a dud, something must have been wrong with the rock, right, right?'' He told himself.


    "I know what you''re thinking," Bargo, the plump man, said, sitting down. "But even if they are lucky, they have still passed. So let them through. Besides, I''m sure you have more than this nned."


    The man was at a loss for words, and if it were anyone else but a no name, he would have been jumping to the moon, stating that they had discovered someone so strong willing to join the n. It was just unbelievable to him.


    "You are right. Stand to the side for now while we continue the assessment," the man ordered.


    Anna did as was exined, while the head warrior continued to exin the rules to everyone. There was only one stone left, so they would have to take the assessment slowly.


    ''That went better than I thought. I guess she has survived this long for a reason,'' Raze thought. ''She wasn''t lying when she said she takes one task at a time and only looks ahead rather than trying to think of the consequences after.''


    ''I wonder what the oue of this whole thing will be.''


    The non-wanderers and just the local people were failing as they hit the stone one after the other. Some of them knew how to use Qi, but it was at the very basic level.


    As for other wanderers who seemed to be around the second stage and third stage level, when hitting the stone, they were leaving small marks and passing, allowing them to go through to the next assessment.


    Then it was the person known as ''Man.'' It was his turn. He approached the rock, lifted up his hand, and shifted his feet, throwing a fist full force into it.


    The Qi was powerful, it was good, and when he lifted his fist off the stone, an imprint of his knuckles could be seen on the rock.


    ''That was quite good. What was he, at least a stage three warrior?'' Raze noticed. ''But then why is he dressed like that and in that current state.''


    The other wanderers that were at the same stage were well-equipped. They could make money entering dimensions, fighting beasts, and selling the crystals. It should have been the same for this no name as well.


    "It''s a pass," the head warrior was reluctant to say, mumbling the results under his breath.


    Raze continued to watch as he joined the three others along with Anna, who had passed the selection so far.


    ''It is not my ce to worry about others or to try and find out the situation they are in. I just need to enter and find this killer. After that, we can head to Alter and learn of the situation.''


    More people took the test one after the other, with only one more person getting through, making it a total of four who had passed the assessment, which meant Raze was thest person to take part.


    "Alright, everyone," the head warrior said, turning to the four who passed. "I''m going to exin the second part of this assessment. After you pass this, you will officially be a guard of the Lethal Bite n."


    "Each of you will go up against one of the guards in a friendly match. We have tested your Qi, and now we need to directly test your skill. The person you face will tell you if you''ve passed or not."


    "Erghh, wait a second," Raze said, with his hand raised. "You''re already exining the rules to the second assessment. Did you forget about me?"


    The head assessor, turning around, did so somewhat for a couple of reasons. No one had passed in a while, and thest person left was a no name.


    Two no names had already gone past, which would have been as rare as a red moon. So a third passing, and one that looked as young ashim, he never expected to pass.


    "Right, just go ahead and take the assessment then," the man waved his hand.


    The head warrior almost immediately went back to the others, exining the rules. It was clear that he didn''t expect much from Raze, but this was perfect because, unlike Anna, Raze didn''t want to stand out.


    Although the head warrior and the other n members seemed to not be paying much attention to Raze, there was one person who was sitting in his chair, with arms folded, Bargo.


    Reaching therge rock, Raze ced his hand out, and instantly he could feel the Qi that was coating him being drawn into the rock.


    ''I watched the others carefully, so to not stand out, all I need to do is use stage 3 Qi. That should be enough.''


    Bracing himself, Raze was ready as he ced the Qi in his fist and then threw it out. He didn''t use all his strength; he held back quite a bit, and his fist had cleanlynded right on the rock.


    His knuckles were flush with the surface. Slowly Raze lifted his hand off, and when he did, he saw no mark on the rock whatsoever.


    ''Did I hit the rock too weak? Did I hold back too much?'' Raze started to think, shaking his head. At least one of them was in the n; maybe Raze could go ahead and join up with Himmy and Charlotte if that was the case.


    One of the n members came to look at the rock, and they saw no new markings. Raising his hand, he was ready to call the result of the assessment.


    "Fa-"


    "Pass!" Bargo said. "That one passed."


    The n member was wondering why Bargo would say such a thing. He walked over to try and speak with the elder from the other n.


    as him, but he didn''t damage the rock?"


    "Didn''t he?" Bargo replied, as he gestured his head towards the rock. Now looking at it from behind, the n member could see arge crack and dent made in the back. It was the only one on the other side of the rock.

 Chapter 498 The Power Of A System

    <h4>Chapter 498 The Power Of A System </h4>


    Looking at the rock in front of him, Raze couldn''t see any visible markings. His Qi didn''t affect where he had hit like the others, so at that point, he thought he had already failed.


    It didn''t matter to him though; one person getting through into the Lethal Bite n was enough. They could just carry on as they were doing, and Raze could help the investigation in other ways.


    Which was why it hade as a surprise to him when he had heard the words pass. "I passed?" Raze asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Noticing that the n members were looking at something from behind the rock, he was ready to go take a peek, but before he could, one of the n members stopped him.


    "You have sessfully passed, so please go ahead and join the others before the exnation is over, otherwise the leader will get disappointed."


    It wasn''t too much of a big deal, so Raze went off and joined the others. The head assessor was a little shocked to see someone elsee and join, but he had already had several surprises, so he just kept his anger in and exined thest few details.


    Back at the rock, one of the n members moved over and started to inspect the rock more.


    "How can something like this ur, were both of the rocks we gathered damaged in some way?"


    "If you ask me, I think both of the rocks were in good condition," Bargo finally got out of his seat and moved over to also have a closer look at the rock.


    "The first one, the way it was smashed, it was as if it had been hit by a mass amount. Did you see the way it shattered? That means that the attack was almost purely a physical one and didn''t use Qi," Bargo exined.


    "A physical attack that can destroy a boulder, then are they at the middle stage?"


    After each stage, one''s body would improve tremendously regardless of Qi, due to the impurities that woulde out of one''s body. Longer lifespan, greater strength, greater speed. This was even the case at the lower levels.


    To destroy a whole rock, they could only assume this is the case.


    "There are some n techniques that focus on strengthening the outside of the body in different ways," Bargo exined. "It is possible that they are from one of these ns. Even in our factions, there are hidden sects and ns that decide to hide themselves away from the troubles of factions.


    "We see them enter the world once in a while. What I''m more interested in though, was the person that had just passed."


    Bargo moved to take a look at the other side, and as he expected, there was no marking from the fist that was used.


    "I''m not even sure if that person themselves knew what they had just done. The Qi was so finely condensed that it shot out through the rock, allowing next to none of it to be absorbed and then exploding upon the exit.


    "The Qi, to be condensed to that level, I''m not sure it''s even something that I can do," Bargo stated. "To do this, one''s Qi control has to be at an extremely high level, and the strangest thing is¡­ I can tell that young man isn''t a middle stage warrior."


    The details of the event had been exined to all of the participants, and Raze had only gotten the tail end of the rules of the assessment.


    It didn''t matter since it was fairly simple. Each one of them would just fight against an official n member, and the member would determine whether or not they had passed.


    "I will go first," Anna volunteered herself.


    She stepped into the center of the sand, and when she had done so, the head assessor looked back at the rest of the n members, looking for someone to step up, but no one seemed keen to.


    They were a bit worried about what might happen to their bodies.


    "Come on, how can you call yourselves n members of a top-ranking n!" The assessor shouted at them. "We know that the rock was damaged. You just need to disy your skills."


    Eventually, after hearing those words, one of the n members went forward, drawing out a sword.


    "I will take her on," the man said, taking a fighting stance.


    Anna then went ahead and from the rack toward the back, she also pulled out a sword as well.


    The fight was about to start, and Raze couldn''t help feeling nervous himself.


    ''Wait a moment, if she is all aboutpleting the task, right now she''s going to think to pass, she needs to win, and to do that, she might just go ahead and kill the guy!'' Raze thought.


    With this thought in his head, Raze thought it might be best if he interfered with the fight with a little of his wind magic, just in case things got out of hand.


    The fight had begun, and the Lethal Bite n member started to swing his sword about. He was using his Qi and using techniques that were known to the n.


    In response to this, Anna swung her sword as well, and was matching the hits, deflecting each of them as they came towards her.


    From the outside view, it all looked a bit strange because although she was deflecting each hit, it looked sloppy in the way, as if she was being overwhelmed.


    Then finally, the n member got in close and used a fist technique. He twisted it through the air, and the hit had narrowly missed her head as she moved out of the way.


    ''I wonder, although she isn''t showing them up, will they pass her just on these aspects.''


    It was at that point though, after the punch was thrown, that thingspletely changed around. The sword techniques that were continued to be used, she was now stopping thempletely, but it wasn''t just that; the n members started to notice something else as well.


    "Is she¡­ using the same techniques... but how is that possible? She wasn''t doing this before, and she''s not a member of the Lethal Bite n."


    For the member taking part in the assessment, it was as if he was fighting against a mirror. At that point, she then started to ready her fist, and it was in the same position as the n member had done before.


    Images shed through his head as he saw the fist of what had happened to the rock, and before it was thrown out, he panicked.


    "Pass¡­ you pass, you are an official member of the Lethal Bite n," the n member said.


    "What!" The head assessor mmed his foot into the ground. He couldn''t believe it. To him, who was watching, sure, it looked like the woman was getting into her stride, but she wasn''t overwhelming the other person.


    He was hoping that the n member would kick it up a notch and show them the Lethal Bite n''s strength, but instead, he had imed it as a pass.


    "The position is just for a guard, and not for an official member," the n member stated. "So, I have assessed that it is enough for a pass."


    These words allowed him to get away, as the assessor couldn''t say much.


    "Fine, then go ahead with the next fight."


    One of the other wanderers who had passed stepped forward, while Anna hade back to where the others were, and now they were watching the next fight take ce.


    "I thought you were going topletely overwhelm and beat him," Razemented.


    "If I did that, there is a chance that they could just deny me due to jealousy. I could read the looks on their faces. Analyzing their facial reactions, the head assessor seems to want to fail us at any chance he can get.


    "So I thought it was best not to give them a reason to, and disying their own skills against them was the best option."


    Anna was simply amazing. Raze, even himself, wouldn''t be able to just copy skills after seeing them. He would have to at least study them in detail.


    But out of that sentence, there was something that stuck out.


    "You can analyze facial expressions?" He asked. "So you know what they are feeling."


    "That is correct, I can confirm with 98 percent certainty at times how one is feeling, and I can also tell if someone is lying," Anna said, looking straight at Raze.

 Chapter 499 Why Are You Lying?

    <h4>Chapter 499 Why Are You Lying?</h4>


    This little piece of information that Raze had received had just unlocked a whole new rtionship between the two people. Something that could tear thempletely apart.


    Raze didn''t know much about Anna, only that she was from a different world. So he had no clue about the extent of her abilities. Just like the people he had met so far, the powers, the changes in their body and structure, everything was just so different, but he never expected that someone would be able to read the facial expressions of others to determine how they were feeling.


    It felt so advanced that Raze almost thought that she would be lying.


    ''I should calm down for a moment,'' Raze thought as he saw the result of another Wanderer''s fight in front of him.


    The n member had bested him, hitting him onto the ground, but in the end, he still dered the fact that he had passed, and now they were moving onto another Wanderer that was taking part in the test.


    ''Why would she tell me this now of all times? Is it to gauge my reaction? Right now, I should just take it as truth because if she is telling the truth, then that means she would have caught on to my lies already.


    ''Especially the lie about me not meeting anyone from their world.''


    The other thing that was bugging Raze was if she knew he was lying, why not mention it in front of the other members from Alter.


    The second match against the Wanderer had ended, and it was the same result as thest. The n members were just too skilled and strong for them.


    In showing their resilience and skills though, the n had decided to ept them, and now out of all the contestants toe forward, it was the one with no name, who just had written ''Man'' down.


    When the tattered clothing man stood in the center, he had decided not to grab any weapon at all and waited for his opponent.


    One of the n members was about to move forward from the lineup, but that''s when the head assessor who had beenining the whole time had moved into the center himself.


    "It''s not good to stay idle for so long. I also need to get a few swings in," the head assessor said, pulling out his sword.


    "This isn''t good for him," Annamented. "I can tell from his facial expression that he is going to do everything he can to fail the other man. Even if he shows decent skill, it''s most likely the head assessor will decline him."


    Seeing what had urred, Raze was a little disheartened. He was hoping that he would go up against the assessor after his words and treatment to them about no names.


    Now, though, he was picking on practically the weakest-looking member out of the group and lineup, which were typical of these types of people.


    ''Sometimes, I wonder how these people even manage to rise. I guess the world is always full of bad managers and leaders who seem to have failed upward somehow,'' Raze thought.


    The fight had begun, and immediately the head assessor had charged forward and had thrust his sword rather than swing it.


    The man took a jump back, as if he was expecting this to happen and avoided the attack, but watching had made nearly everyone flinch.


    "Hey, hey, isn''t that n member going a bit far?" one of the Wanderers who had passedmented.


    "Yeah, I mean, he thrusted the sword, if the man wasn''t quick enough to dodge that, then it would have pierced his stomach. If that was to happen, then he could have easily been killed as well."


    It wasn''t just that; it was the fact that it was the first strike from the Head assessor. He wasn''t treating the life in front of him with any respect at all because in his eyes, it was just a no name.


    The same feeling as one would get when killing an ant, it was no different to him.


    He then came in again and swung his sword a few times. The other person was only able to narrowly avoid the strike; in doing so, small cuts were appearing all over his body. He was bleeding as the sword continued to strike him in areas one after the other. The man was moving well though, but there was just a smile on the assessor''s face.


    "You''re good, good enough to be Wanderer," the head assessor said, and then he started to shift his feet, adding Qi to his steps as well.


    "However, you aren''t good enough to be in the Lethal Bite n."


    The assessor had picked up speed as he moved straight from the side; he struck his sword down, and the man had avoided it again leaning back.


    At that point though, with the other hand, the assessor had pulled back his long dangling hair. Lifting up his de, he was ready to strike. That''s when Raze, who was standing from the side, swiped his hand. At the same time, the sand blew from the bottom of the ground and had shifted upward, blocking his sight. At the same time, the shifting of the sand had moved his feet slightly. The man, being held by his hair, then knocked the other hand away and gave a hit to his face. It was a clean hit that caused blood to drip from his nose.


    The assessor was getting his foot ready, but then felt a force moving it, shifting it. By chance, it looked like the tattered man stepped on the assessor''s foot, and anotherrge hit hadnded right on his face, knocking him to the point where he fell on the floor and dropped his sword to the ground.


    ''Helping out another to do the damage that I wished for is not so bad,'' Raze thought.


    Honestly, he was quite surprised by the fact that the man had acted upon everything that had happened. Some would be hesitant if they saw an opening that was unexpected, but the man was relentless in delivering his attacks.


    While on the floor, the head assessor picked up his sword ready to strike again until another figure behind him said a few words.


    "Pass!" Bargo stated. "To be able to knock out the head assessor that can be nothing but a pass. There is no need to continue and have feelings involved in this."


    The head assessor wanted to shout andin. He turned to the old man watching and decided to let it go. His word was less than the other, and he was an important guest after all.


    Taking his sword with him, with a strop in his steps, he walked back to the lineup.


    "Have¡­I been forgotten about again?" Raze said awkwardly.


    The head assessor had walked off somewhere, and with those that had passed, they were wondering what they were to do now.


    "Don''t worry, young one, I haven''t forgotten about you," the old man said. "I am happy toplete yourst assessment, but please take it easy on me, I am not like the others."

 Chapter 500 The Fear Of Death

    <h4>Chapter 500 The Fear Of Death </h4>


    Raze strode into the center, drawing one of his swords. Having broken and lost most of his enchanted swords except for the Ghost de, he''d bought a new one.


    It wasn''t anything special; it didn''t even have an affinity for magic. But with his wealth, he''d purchased the best de the market offered, ensuring it could at least handle the Qi he could wield.


    When he got the chance, he would have to try and make a few more swords to suit his different magic.


    Unsheathing his sword, he held it before him and assumed a stance. No particr feelings arose as he faced his opponent.


    In his mind, he was just another member of the Lethal Bite n, and all he had to do was impress the assessor until he uttered the word "pass."


    ''I won''t be able to use techniques like Descending Steps that are obviously used by the Demonic Faction, nor will I be able to use my magic. But my Qi is still at stage six, and I''ve further refined it as well.''


    ''That should be enough for me to pass this assessment.''


    Little did Raze know, his opponent wasn''t just anyone; it was the Vice Head of the Moon Shield n, one of the top ns in the Dark Faction.


    "Start!" Bargo announced.


    Raze charged in, performing the ssic two-step shift, and struck with his sword from above. He carefully limited the amount of Qi he used, ensuring it was only at the third stage.


    ''The other Wanderers were around stage two and three, so if I just perform at that level, then I should pass as well.''


    Bargo met Raze''s strike, their swords shing. When the two made impact, however, an almost invisible force was felt. Bargo''s sword was pushed back slightly before moving forward again, hitting the sword a second time.


    It was only a small movement, like a bounce of the de. Raze didn''t dwell on this and continued to strike, using moves he remembered seeing at the academy.


    Each time, Bargo would continue to block the attacks, but the odd urrence was happening with every hit of the sword; his own would bounce back slightly.


    Inwardly, while Bargo remained focused, he had a wide smile.


    ''So it wasn''t a fluke. This young kid, with each strike, is using a highly condensed amount of Qi. I''m matching the amount of Qi he''s using, but because his is condensed more, it''s causing an after-strike effect and my sword to bounce.''


    ''Now that I''ve confirmed you''re quite the talented one, it''s time to step it up a notch.''


    When blocking the strikes that came from Raze, Bargo was now scraping his sword rather than directly hitting. It was somewhere halfway between a block and a parry.


    Not only that, but he increased the amount of Qi he was using, stopping the bouncing effect immediately. Before Raze knew it, his whole body was being pulled forward with each of these blocks.


    It felt like a vortex was sucking him in towards his opponent, and then, with a quick step, Bargo used a foot technique and mmed into Raze''s body with his shoulder.


    Raze nearly tumbled but managed to regain his footing and made sure his sword stayed out in front of him.


    "You perform your sword techniques perfectly, almost like a textbook. You''re talented in many ways, but that''s all you''re doing. You''re just performing the techniques from your mind and not really thinking about how to use them to fight," Bargo exined.


    Raze already knew that, because he wasn''t able to fully fight his way, but he was impressed.


    ''I''m surprised the Lethal Bite n has regr members that are talented like this. How he uses his techniques is impressive.''


    Raze continued his strikes, and Bargo continued to block them the same way. He was carefully observing what was happening and trying to figure out a way to attack his opponent.


    His thoughts led him back to his fight with Feebie. When going up against her, he had lost as well, and the answer to his defeat was that he needed more strength.


    Whether that was learning more techniques from the Dark Edge Sword Arts, gaining more Qi by increasing his stage level, or increasing his magic star level, these were his answers. But there was also another option: for him to be a better fighter as well.


    It was the first time, as he went head-to-head, that he felt like he was actually learning.


    With each strike of his sword now, rather than fullymitting, Raze was scraping his sword rather than fully atttacking and following up with another technique. To everyone watching, it felt like the tempo suddenly increased as the swords continued to sh against each other.


    "Very good, very good," Bargo called out, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You''ve learned how to deal with this situation very fast. But this whole time, I''ve been defending. I guess it''s time I attack now!"


    Bargo blocked Raze''s next strike, but this time, he poured more Qi into his de. The force of the impact sent Raze''s sword flying. Before Raze could react, Bargo followed up with a swift thrust, aiming for Raze''s center.


    ''This attack, it has full intent behind it! I have to block it!''


    With this thought in mind, Raze instinctively channeled more Qi, empowering his body and allowing him to dodge the strike entirely. Bargo, caught off guard by the unexpected maneuver, stood frozen for a moment, his sword outstretched.


    ''Did he just... use more Qi?'' Bargo thought, a hidden smile ying on his lips as he looked at the ground. ''So this whole time, I wasn''t the only one holding back.''


    The realization ignited a spark in Bargo''s eyes. Heunched back into the attack, swinging his sword with a wider arc and a significantly increased flow of Qi. Raze, determined not to reveal his full strength, defended himself using the same scraping technique Bargo had employed earlier.


    ''This guy is powerful,'' Raze thought, his muscles straining with each block. ''But I can''t use too much more Qi. If I do, they''ll know I''m a higher stage warrior, and I don''t want any questions.''


    However, the relentless assault was slowly pushing Raze to his limits. Bargo, sensing Raze''s struggle, wasn''t aiming to win anymore. He was testing Raze''s potential, pushing him to reveal his true capabilities. The earlier attack, where Bargo stopped his strike mid-motion, was a test as well. Most wouldn''t have been able to react and adjust their attack on the fly. But Raze did, proving his adaptability andbat awareness.


    As the fight continued, Raze''s body grew numb from the exertion, the limited Qi he was using offering insufficient support. A sliver of fear crept into his mind. ''I''m worried this guy might kill me if I don''t start fighting back,'' he thought.


    Suddenly, a soft voice, almost a whisper, echoed in his head. "That''s not nice," it spoke. But it wasn''t a physical voice; it resonated directly within his mind. A shiver was sent down his spine.


    "If he''s trying to kill you, then I''ll kill him!"


    The voice sent a jolt through Raze. He recognized it instantly ¨C the Blooded Hand woman!

 Chapter 501 Breaking a rule

    <h4>Chapter 501 Breaking a rule</h4>


    The fight was still ongoing as Raze heard the voice, and he immediately needed to act. In that moment, it was no longer about conserving his strength but instead about taking action.


    He used his Qi to quickly push himself back a sufficient distance away from Bargo. Seeing this, Bargo blinked a couple of times.


    He wasn''t expecting such fast movement, so he was unable to properly discern what had urred, but when he looked at Raze, he was in for the biggest shock of all.


    "What are you doing!" Bargo shouted out, his voice slightly shaky.


    He could see that the person taking the assessment had their own sword held up against their own neck, as if they were going to take their own life.


    ''Did I push this one too far!'' Bargo thought. ''But to resort to this, does he have anxiety about losing? Does he think he has failed the assessment and decided to go this far?''


    Whatever the case, Bargo didn''t want to lose a potential talent. So he needed to proceed with caution.


    "Just don''t move closer!" Raze shouted out.


    Knowing what the blooded woman had done before, he couldn''t just take her words as words. He needed to treat them as fact.


    He knew she had the ability to kill outside of his body, which was why he had decided to resort to this.


    ''Why did she act now? She hasn''t done this before. Is it because of what I did with Shing? Was that a mistake? Communicating with her, has the connection between the two of us grown to the point that she is freely acting right now?'' Raze thought.


    In the end, it was the only option he could see to try and stop her from acting.


    ''I''m sure you can hear my thoughts, since the two of us are sharing the same space,'' Raze said inwardly. ''If you dare try and do something, then I will take my own life.''


    ''You wouldn''t dare¡­ I know you¡­ you would never give up, not at your own de,'' the woman replied.


    It was quite true. Raze had done everything he could to get a second chance, and to ruin it here, he would rather take his chances trying to eliminate everyone in the city than take his own life.


    ''You can''t act rashly!'' Raze echoed in his own mind. ''If you kill this man in front of you, then the whole cityes after us, the whole n.


    ''There is a good chance that me and you won''t be able to survive this. I am doing everything for the sake of my survival, and you said that you would be doing the same, so don''t do stupid things!''


    Raze was waiting for an answer, to hear her say it was okay, and while waiting for the answer, the others that were on the field were getting a little impatient.


    "What is this?" The head assessor from before said. "A damned no-name is threatening their own life just to pass; this is ridiculous."


    The head assessor started to walk forward, and fear could be seen in Raze''s eyes. There was one person there that knew this was true fear.


    The head assessor suddenly felt the back of his shirt being grabbed, and before he knew it, he was looking at the sky.


    "Did you not hear him? He said to stay still!" Anna ordered as she mmed him to the ground and pinned him down.


    The hit was fairly strong to the point where the head assessor feared that his back might have been broken.


    Immediately, seeing that Anna had attacked the head assessor, the other n members came forward trying to surround her.


    "Don''t attack her; she is merely looking out for herrade!" Bargo shouted. The others instantly stopped, and at the same time, straight ahead, Raze had ced his sword down with relief.


    He had been given an answer, one that satisfied him enough to let down his guard.


    Seeing this, it appeared as if Bargo was satisfied as well, to the point that he soon let out a loud bellyful ofughter.


    "What an interesting group of people, I must say!" Bargo imed. "You all pass, and I believe we should all get some rest."


    "Let''s not dwell on what happened, at least for now. Let''s wee our fellow members into the Lethal Bite n and have themplete their duties."


    Anna, hearing this, had let go of the head assessor, who was beyond annoyed, but the other n members also took a step back.


    It was then that Raze noticed something: they seemed to be following the small pot-bellied man''s orders, rather than the rest.


    ''I should keep note of him; he seems to be more important... and I guess I''m on his good side for now.''


    "Come on, bring them into the barracks and let''s get everyone ready! Wee to the Lethal Bite n." These were words Bargo never expected to say, but he could tell there was distaste in the head assessor''s mouth.


    Hopefully, if things went well for Bargo, this would be in his favor. If he could dissuade these talented individuals from joining the Lethal Bite n and instead joining his Moon Shield n, it would be a big win for him.


    ---


    Himmy and Charlotte wasted no time running an investigation. They had gone to the border to make note of those that had entered and left.


    ording to the n members, they checked all the supplies that came in and out due to it being on the border of the Demonic Faction.


    So they were sure that the person in question they were looking for, a young man by the name of Barred rton, hadn''t left.


    It was one step forward; at least they knew the name of the person who was presumably still alive, but they still didn''t have any more leads other than that.


    "The person who''s still alive, it seems that they are a mage," Charlottemented. "I checked the list just to make sure."


    "You''re right, but why are you mentioning this to me now?" Himmy asked.


    In his hand, Himmy was ying with the Altermunication device. He was hoping that it would activate if they were within the area, narrowing down their search.


    The issue was whether or not their targets knew they were from Alter as well or just removed all items from him. There was also another option: the person was already dead.


    "Well, if he''s a mage and he knows he''s in a serious situation, do you think he might try and leave a clue behind to let others know where he is? He should know that Alter will be investigating this," Charlotte exined.


    "Are you suggesting that he would use magic, even though it''s forbidden?" Himmy asked.


    Charlotte couldn''t help but smile. "You know hardly anyone follows that rule. It''s more of a guideline; just don''t use a crazy amount of magic. I believe in this situation, whether Alter deals with him or his kidnappers do, he would rather take a chance."


    "Go ahead and do what you need to do to find him," Himmy answered. "Rules are meant to be broken; otherwise, I would have never invited him onto the team."

 Chapter 502 The Dark Faction’s Plan

    <h4>Chapter 502 The Dark Faction''s n </h4>


    The news had been passed on from the Pagna Academy that Feebie, as well as Royo, were dead. Not only had the head of the n, the one that was well-known throughout thend, but also the one that would rece her if anything happened.


    It was a bigger hit than most would realize, especially those not part of the n. That was because Royo was the main power force.


    He was the ace that the other ns didn''t know too much about because he was considered even stronger than Feebie.


    It was more so due to her connections with the rest of the Elders within the ns that she had obtained her position and her decision-making.


    So how did ite to be that the great Lethal Bite n was now in this situation, Elder Conner thought, shaking his head.


    Elder Conner was an old man with a beard so long that it hit the table that he was sitting at. He had been in the n longer than most of those that were at the table.


    Being a middle-stage warrior, he had lived a long life and was able to witness the growth of strength to the current strength of the n.


    Never did he believe that something like this would ur.


    "We have been trying toe up with a solution for weeks now, and yet we have still selected no one to lead us!" One of the Elders spoke up, with anger in his voice.


    Right after saying those words, several of the others started to speak up.


    Looking around the room, there were many that thought they were deserving of the position. Feebie''s uncle Harbour, for one, who was minister of the Current city they were in.


    He had been in charge of running things in the city, making sure the n grew and had a good inflow of cash.


    "If you wish to put yourself forward, I will tell you all again, you must have a n of what needs to be done with the n!" One of the elders stated. "We can''t just have anyone taking over."


    "Right now, our power has diminished, with the state that we are in, we can''t just select a new leader with no n."


    The Elders like Conner were too old to lead the n. They had reached the peak of their strength. They wouldn''t grow any stronger, which was why they wanted a brighter future, helping guide the n with their choices.


    That''s when Harbour stood up, and the rest went silent as they listened to what he had to say.


    "Due to the incident urring in the academy, it is clear that the other ns are aware of our situation. It is not something that we can hide and try to raise our strength in secret."


    "I fear if we do note up with a solution, that we might even be reced. More than anything you should know that Murkel from the Erupting Fist n is afraid that if the Dark Faction shows their weakness, then the Demonic Faction will attack."


    Some in the room broke out in a sweat as they imagined a visit from Murkel himself. It was thest thing that they wanted.


    There were times when the Erupting Fist n head had acted a bit rash.


    "Which is why my suggestion is to take in arge number of talented wanderers. We are close to the border of the Demonic Faction, because of that wanderers frequently pass through our city to head over to the other side."


    "Many of them are strong; we can''t keep underestimating wanderers like we did in the past. We only have to take a look at the Crimson Crane to see that example is true."


    "We have enough funds to offer them a lucrative offerpared to what they would regrly get. We shall be arge force with strong warriors."


    Some were nodding in agreement at the table at Harbour''s idea. He hadn''t been left in charge of the city for nothing. He was one that fixed multiple issues when things had urred.


    They thought it was a good n, and with him being the older brother of Feebie, he wasn''t exactly untalented when it came to fighting, it was just when he waspared to Feebie.


    "Isn''t there a big problem with that?" A slim man said, raising his hand. The man in question was known as Niang; he was in charge as the Head of n Unification.


    It was a fancy title, but what it meant was he was in charge of all the ns that were directly owned by the Lethal Bite n.


    Large ns often had sub-branches that were based in other cities. Ones that had imed loyalty to therger ns or had a family connection as members left to start up their own Pagna ns.


    Still, due to these ties, they were linked to the Lethal Bite n who would monitor them. At times, extremely talented individuals from these lesser ns would be scouted and sent to join the Lethal Bite n.


    Niang was good at his job, as he was known for having a sly tongue. Being able to quell anger and rebellions within the families when times were looking tough.


    No one knew how he really did it, but often he would do such things without a massive amount of chaos or deaths.


    At times, because of his skill, even when the n had other problems that needed to be dealt with, they woulde to him.


    Often even within the n, many would be fighting for Niang''s favor. Because they feared that if they didn''t gain his skills, they would be used against them.


    However, there was one person Niang was never able to persuade or work with, and that was Royo with his overwhelming strength.


    For some reason, he seemed to be loyal to Feebie. And because of it, Niang''s influence was more feared on the lower levels, that was until now.


    "I believe that you have already started implementing your n across the city," Niang imed. "I have read the reports; they haven''t been doing very well at all."


    "Each day you have been running recruitment, but at most one or two warriors get added. Yet none of them that have been added have made it into the main n''s power."


    "My guess is you wanted results and then when you came to this meeting, we could see how your nning is working out, but it doesn''t seem to be the case."


    At this point, it felt like Harbour needed to back down because it was true. Although there were talented Wanderers like the Crimson Crane out there, none would join the Lethal Bite n.


    Especially since they had to work their way up. Harbour recognized himself that it would be a difficult task, since their own members within the n would be too stubborn to see their strength and try to nurture them to the top.


    If anything, the official members of the Lethal Bite n might even try to get rid of them if they showed too much talent, but it was the only n Harbour coulde up with.


    "Thank you for bringing this to light, Niang," Conner said. "However, Harbour hase up with a solution. What we need now is to work on where solutions can be improved upon."


    "We can''t just shoot down every option; otherwise, we will be stuck in limbo like we are now. I want solutions, not just for people to shoot down everything that is put on the table."


    As if waiting for those words, Niang stood up with arge grin on his face.


    "I do have a solution, one I think is the best one for the n yet." Niang answered.


    The displeased elders, as well as the high officials within the n, were keen to listen once again as they stopped their murmuring.


    Maybe now they would see his genius in how he managed to solve several matters before.


    "I didn''t want to speak of this because before the Vice Head of the Moon Shield n was here, but now that he is not present, I will speak freely."


    "I suggest we make contact with one of the Divine Realm warriors."


    Gasps were heard, and heads spun among each other once they heard this.


    "If we summon a Divine being down to the n to aid us, that will give us the strength that we need and will put us back on equal footing with the others."

 Chapter 503 The Planner Plans

    <h4>Chapter 503 The nner ns</h4>


    Niang''s suggestion was causing great ruckus in the Lethal Bite n''s headquarters. The Elders were looking at each other, wondering if his suggestion was genuine. It was something none of them hade up with before nor thought it was something even possible.


    "Someone, a Divine being, if we could make contact with them and really do that, then all the ns would do such a thing; there is no reason for them to even listen to us in the first ce," one of the Eldersined.


    He was a bit disappointed in the great Niang''s n after everything he had heard.


    "Do you really think that I woulde up with a solution that I was unable toplete?" Niang replied. "I would not want to look like a fool; I would never speak up in front of everyone."


    "I have my ways; of course, I can contact those from the Divine realm, and I have a way they can help us."


    There was a whisper among them as they discussed the options. Even if this was viable in some ways, it seemed dangerous. A Divine beinging down would have the strength of a top-tier middle-stage warrior at best, due to the world restrictions.


    It was still enough to eliminate the n if they were to anger them, and just because they might have once been from the n didn''t mean they would be obliged to help.


    They were more concerned about the affairs in the realm that they actually lived in.


    "I know you might not be open to discussing your methods out in the open since this is your n, but please expand on a few of the queries we have," Conner said. "Why would a Divine being even help us?"


    "Right, this is the greatest difficulty, correct?" Niang replied. "Other ns have had sessful attempts at contacting the Divine realm, but why would they help us? Well, let''s just say I have a way that whoeveres down, they are able to utilize their full power here."


    "I''m sure this offer for them would be more than rewarding. Many of those in the Divine realm would ept this deal. I hear that for some, it is a difficult life for them in the other realm."


    "However, if they had the full strength of their power in a ce like this, then they would easily be able to have free rein in this world. I''m sure they will feel indebted to us and help us when the timees; this will not only let uspete with the other factions but help us in the overall conquest of the entire continent."


    There were quite a few people in the room that had worked with Niang before, and they took his words as truth. If he said that this was something he would do, then certainly it was something that he could do.


    However, there were risks in his ns, and it was the same with Harbour as well.


    "We have two solutions on the table; both of them have their ws at the moment. Harbour needs to bring more proof that his recruitment is strengthening the n.


    "Meanwhile, Niang''s n is mostly theory. We need you to make sure that this is an option. I would like to ask those in favor of Niang''s n to raise their hand, and those in favor of Harbour''s n to raise theirs."


    For most at the table, it wasn''t whose n they thought was better, but who they had already made alliances with.


    If they were to stick with a certain individual, what positions they would get in return within the n and the powers.


    There were few that were impartial. At that point though, the sides were equally split.


    "Very well, both of you, bring results of your ns to the table next week. We can''t dy any longer; after that, we will select the new leader of the Lethal Bite n and go ahead with their idea," Conner announced.


    ¡ª¡ª


    With Charlotte using her magic, she was able to detect lingering pieces of magic through the city. She continued to move through the districts as she could feel her magic growing stronger in certain areas.


    Until it had eventually led to arge manor. There was an iron gate in front, which blocked them just outside of the front garden full of weeds.


    Then on the other side of the garden, was the manor in question. Right now, they were standing on the stone pavement and realized something.


    "There''s no one in this area of the city. It seems like it''s run down or something," Charlottemented.


    "I''m sure Anna would tell us the history, like this was the old part of the city before they built the new part. Perhaps a part of the city before the n took over. We are quite far from the mountains as well, as far as we can be," Himmymented. "So you''re sure that you can sense there magic being in there, right?"


    "I''m positive. So what do you want to do? Should we head in and try to save the mage ourselves?" Charlotte asked.


    "No," Himmy replied. "We will do as the n asked us to. We will report back to them, saying that we have confirmed the member of Alter to be here.


    "It''s been a few days since he''s disappeared, so an hour or so won''t hurt; he will still be here."


    "But what if they kill him in that time? Shouldn''t we focus on saving them now that we know they''re here?"


    "This could be our only chance at finding out the truth of the whole matter," Himmy exined. "For one, just because you can feel magic doesn''t mean he is still alive."


    "As for the second matter, if we find him, we won''t confirm finding out who is behind this whole thing. If we inform the n, I want to see how they react, and we can try to find out why the n was behind this whole matter."


    Charlotte didn''t like this part of Himmy, willing to sacrifice lives toplete the case. She didn''t agree with him but knew he wouldn''t be convinced, and he was her leader.


    Heading back to where they hade from, they had entered the main base of the Lethal Bite n and informed the same man as before.


    "I promise we will get our best people on it," the man said.


    In response to this, Charlotte and Himmy decided to head to the manor before the Lethal Bite n team would get there, to see just who it was that they would be sending.


    At the barracks, the new recruits had joined and had been given their uniforms. They went through a presentation of sorts that exined the duties of the n, as well as the chain ofmand of who they would follow.


    Also, where they needed to be at each time, every day, for their orders. Right now, all of them were getting changed into the Lethal Bite n uniform inside the barracks buildings.


    Meanwhile, Bargo, as well as the head assessor Ivor, had just finished the paperwork when he had received an odd call.


    "Are you sure¡­ you want us to do this?" Ivor replied. "No sir¡­ we will get it done for you."


    Hanging up the receiver, Niang turned to Bargo at his side.


    "What''s wrong?" Bargo asked.


    "They just asked us to take the new recruits on a mission¡­ telling us to rescue someone trapped in the old Stone Estate. It''s a bit odd, as we don''t tend to get these types of missions," Ivor exined.


    Bargo stretched out his hands.


    "I guess it was right to have a look at these barracks in the first ce; it seems interesting things are urring."


    "Yes, what is even odder is the fact that they want us to take the new recruits, the wanderers of all things... but I guess if the two of us were to go with them, there would be no problems," Ivor replied.


    Just as he was about to get up, the receiver went off again. Picking it up, his tone of voice was a lot more stern, and his body shot straight up.


    "Sir Harbour, of course, I am happy to answer you," Ivor said.


    "I have no doubt that you must have just received a request right now. I need you to do me a favor; you have to make sure,no matter what, that youplete this mission with the new recruits."


    "Certainly, sir!" Ivor replied, and the call shortly hung up after that.


    Strange things were urring one after the other, and Ivor had no idea why.


    "That was a call from the base?" Bargo asked.


    "Yes, they wanted us toplete this mission no matter what, but if they wanted to, it makes no sense that they are also forcing us to use those useless no-name recruits."


    "Don''t worry, those recruits are talented; you should know. Is your back feeling any better?" Bargo winked.


    Little did Ivor know, Niang, back at the main base, had received information about everything.


    "At first, I was a little startled to get a report that someone was looking for an individual, and it led them to the Stone Estate," Niangmented. "But it does not matter. Harbour will send in the new wanderers that have been recruited toplete the task.


    "However, they will certainly fail, and all of them will be eliminated. He is just doing my job for me. This is killing two birds with one stone."


    "My task will beplete, and Harbour''s wanderers will all be eliminated."

 Chapter 504 A New Look

    <h4>Chapter 504 A New Look </h4>


    Ivor was nervous because this task seemed to have a lot of pressure on him from the higher-ups. They were watching this case carefully.


    The first call he had received was odd, and the second one was even stranger. Truth be told, he was already walking on a tightrope.


    Since they had been doing this recruitment, Ivor had been strict in his assessment, only letting a few people pass. He had been asked to be more lenient, but he had just lost it when he saw the no-names in front of him, disrespecting the name of the Lethal Bite n.


    Currently, Ivor was outside, weapon strapped to his side. Next to him was Bargo, who was standing in a rxed manner, always smiling as the sun hit his face.


    Then there were three new n member guards in front of him. Two females and a single male wearing the Lethal Bite n uniform.


    These were those that had been selected as part of the guards the other day. Eventually, out from the barracks, those whom he had been waiting for had walked out.


    Two of the wanderers today that had passed the assessment walked towards the center, after that, there was the one known as man.


    His long hair was tied up, and with a change of clothes, he looked rtively nice, but his sunken face from malnutrition was still visible.


    Right behind him was none other than Anna. The clothes she was wearing now were more revealingpared to the heavy garments she had on before.


    However, there wasn''t the same glow that Raze had seen initially when first meeting her. Apparently, this was only active when she was using her powers, so she could cover herself up and look like just any other person from Pagna rtively easily if she wanted.


    Thest person to exit out of the room was Raze, and there was quite a big noticeable change when he hade out.


    "Oh!" Ivor ced his hand under his chin and was analyzing the persons in front of him up and down. "I have to say, you cleaned up quite well.


    "No longer do you have that strange ridiculous outfit on you, and your hair, it suits you more."


    Raze didn''t say anything as he went to line up with the others, but the Wanderers who had seen him couldn''t stop staring.


    Now Raze was wearing the Pagna uniform instead of his protective zer; he still had his regr sword by his side, but the biggest change was Raze''s hair color.


    It wasn''t a particrly hard spell to make small changes. Creating a circle and stepping into it and activating it with magic.


    It had changed his hair color now to ck. However, it wasn''t a strong spell either. Meaning if Raze himself used a mass amount of magic around him, or was hit with arge spell, it would reveal his hair color anyway.


    He would then need to cast the spell over and over to change it back to ck. A magic spell that had next to no use forbat. Simply changing his hair color wouldn''t make it so no one knew what his face looked like either.


    However, in this situation, where the name the White Dragon had spread, he thought it was best to change it for now.


    "Alright everyone, we are a team of ten, and we have been tasked with an important mission!" Ivor exined. "Apparently, a guest of sorts has been kidnapped, and they have located them at the Stone estate."


    "I know you have just recently joined, and this type of task might not be something you are used to, which is why I will be joining you on this task."


    "I will be observing as well," Bargo added.


    A quick nce was given by Ivor for Bargo interrupting him. It was a pain to have someone from another n so close in this situation.


    Raze, standing, was a little annoyed; after joining up, he thought maybe they would be heading to the main base of the n. There he could find out some information about these deaths, but nothing had urred.


    "What is Himmy doing?" Raze asked.


    "Don''t worry, he has a clear head on him that focuses on the goal; he is a stubborn person." Anna answered. "Let''s just continue on as we are at the moment.


    "If we make some big achievements, then maybe we can make it to the top," Anna replied.


    Although Raze did want to get this whole thing over and done with, he was worried that those at the top might potentially know him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Himmy and Charlotte had quickly made it back to the Stone estate. They were waiting at another abandoned building that was stationed opposite the manor.


    From the look of things, the building used to be a type of drinking establishment. Pulling up a couple of chairs, Himmy sat down and stared out of the broken window.


    "Did you sense that they were still inside the building?" Himmy asked.


    "I could still sense a trail of magic that is lingering from the building," Charlotte answered.


    Reaching into his coat pocket, Himmy had pulled out the Alter device; he had pressed the button one more time, but only Charlotte''s had activated, and it didn''t seem like it was connecting with anything else.


    "Let''s turn these off for now. We don''t know how much information these kidnappers know; it would be best we don''t out ourselves as those from Alter," Himmy suggested.


    Charlotte did as she was asked, turning her device off, and now it was a waiting game. How the Lethal Bite n would react to all of this was.


    It was going to tell a lot to Himmy.


    "You''re trying harder than before on this case," Charlottemented.


    "Of course I am," Himmy replied. "Alter took us off this case thinking we were doing an ipetent job. They then send in another Alter team, and look what happens to them."


    "After that, theye asking us to reopen and investigate the case again. I''m going toplete this task and show them what''s what!"


    Himmy got up from his seat, as he took a look out the window; he could see a group of those in Pagna uniform, not just any uniform but the Lethal Bite n approaching the gate, ten of them in total.


    "Hey, isn''t that¡­ Anna and... I think that''s Raze, he changed his hair color!" Charlotte gasped. Quickly, she was trying to wonder which hair color she preferred on him, white or ck.


    "Well, now we know, it''s quite clear that the Lethal Bite n is trying to hide something," Himmy stated. "Anna and Raze should have just joined the n.


    "If that is the case, then why would they send them on a mission straight away? It''s clear that they don''t care about the ones that have been sent."


    "And if anything, they would more likely want to use people that they don''t mind disappearing."


    That wasn''t the only thing that was worrying Himmy; he was surprised to see the n just walk up to the front gate. Were they trying to announce to everyone that they were there?


    Shortly after that, they had already jumped over the gate and were going inside the building.


    "Come on, let''s follow them, and find out just what''s in store inside."

 Chapter 505 A Black Heart

    <h4>Chapter 505 A ck Heart</h4>


    Ivor had led the group to the suspected location. Whening to the area, there were some questions by the Wanderers as they noticed the ce looking run down.


    "Before the Lethal Bite n had made this city their base of operations, there was another n that was here. A battle had urred on the border, and the whole city was destroyed."


    "What you are looking at now is what''s left of the city. This is the old part. People aren''t really allowed to live or stay here, but those that are unable to find a ce to live, or have funds to pay for an inn, mighte here from time to time."


    For Raze, it sounded like the perfect ce for people to escape to, ormit crimes if needed. He would frequently try to visit and find ces like this.


    "We are here!" Ivor raised his hand, and the group had stopped just outside the front gate.


    "Are you stating that this is the manor in front of us?" Anna asked. "If that is the case, then shouldn''t we have approached it from a more hidden angle?"


    "Right now, we are standing in front of it. We have no idea howrge the enemy is, their strength, or anything about them, yet we are approaching them head-on."


    It was a clearint from Anna, which infuriated Ivor even more. He already didn''t like the fact that he needed to do this and that she had passed.


    "Yeah, shouldn''t we do some scouting in this situation, maybe we could send someone who''s light on their feet in first to get an idea of the situation," one of the Wanderers said.


    The Wanderers were already starting to formte a n as they talked and discussed among each other. Although they had never done a task like this.


    "Enough!" Ivor shouted as if there wasn''t a care in the world who heard him. "This is why I thought it was best I came on this task with you.


    "All of you know nothing about the Lethal Bite n. We are one of the top ns in the Dark Faction. We have great strengthpared to the other ns."


    "Just by mentioning you''re a part of us, there will be those that will do your bidding just not to anger you, and you want our n to do something like scouting, trying to attack the enemy from behind! How weak do you want to make us look!"


    Frustrated would be too weak of a word to describe the look on Ivor''s face, but Raze was ignoring it because what he could sense now that he was this close, was magic.


    Why in all ces would there be magic lingering out from the building? Things weren''t looking good, and he feared that another situation simr to the Light Faction Elder might ur.


    "But they have someone kidnapped, do they not?" Anna asked. "It''s possible that they could use the hostage against us, making it difficult to fight."


    "Not just that," Raze finally chimed in. "Aren''t we the Dark Faction? I thought the Dark Faction''s principles were to do whatever it takes toplete the task."


    "We are not the Light Faction; it doesn''t matter if we stab them from behind or throw sand in their eyes."


    Listening to it all, Ivor just couldn''t stop shaking his head before he finally answered.


    "First, you''re right; in the end, only the winner of this thing has say, but there are times as one of the top ns that we have to show our power. Show how we''re different from the rest of the other factions that we don''t need to resort to actions like those."


    "As for the second point, whether the hostage dies or not does not matter. We are not here to save them, but to teach those that have done this a lesson so something like this can never happen again."


    Ivor then jumped over the gate and asked for the rest to follow. The group was now making their way down the cobbled path straight to therge front door.


    Bargo had been listening to things and kept his mouth shut because in this situation, he agreed with Ivor a lot. The n wouldn''t care about the hostage.


    If the hostage was killed but so were all the kidnappers, he knew that they would im it as a sessful mission as well.


    Walking up to therge manor, Ivor was standing at the front proud and confident. Thinking that anything that came at him he could defeat with the flick of his hand.


    ''I wonder what makes him so confident when he had just lost to Anna here?'' Raze thought. ''Still, I should be careful if there is another mage.''


    Reaching in, Raze then pressed his Alter scanner, turning it off. Not wanting any surprises if they were to ur.


    Anna seemed to have caught wind as well and had done the same. When they had reached therge door, there wasn''t even a stop in Ivor''s footsteps as he continued forward and pushed the door open.


    It swung with ease, making a creaking sound into the main reception. Upon entering, tworge winding staircases could be seen heading up to the second floor.


    Several doors on either side leading to different rooms, but most importantly, the inside of the ce was rtively dark.


    With few lights hitting from the windows that were on the sides.


    When Raze took a step onto the marble floor, he could feel something hitting him, almost suffocating, tightening around his chest.


    ''Now, this is a new feeling,'' Raze thought as he looked at his ring. His magic core, and his specially crafted ring that now helped him to wield the strength of all of his elements, it was reacting.


    ''The Dark Magic that reacts to death, this ce reeks of it.''


    Once everyone was inside, they took a quick look around, until Bargo turned to look at the door.


    "It appears that we have been followed," Bargo mentioned.

 Chapter 506 A step of Blood

    <h4>Chapter 506 A step of Blood </h4>


    The uneasy feeling within Raze was growing stronger. The fact that he could sense magic before evening into the building was unsettling for him.


    Now that he was in the building itself, the feeling of magic in the air grew even stronger.


    ''Is there a mage in here? Are they friend or foe? For most that I meet, I have to treat them as foe. They could be one of the kidnappers for all I know.''


    ''But if they use magic, will I be able to best them just using my warrior skills.''


    At the moment, the group was doing a simple inspection of the ground floor of the manor. The warriors didn''t spread out far from each other but would alert the others if they saw anyone.


    This was all on the order of Ivor, of course. So far, no one had found anything yet.


    ''Anna is a member of Alter, and she might be extremely strict about the use of magic in certain situations. I also don''t know her strength just yet. From what I''ve seen, she will be a difficult one to deal with if I have to fight her.''


    Out of all of these worries though, these weren''t the ones that were giving him the biggest problem. Therge unsettling feeling wasing from his core.


    It was running slightly wild with the ring on his finger pulsating. It felt like a pair of eyes were hovering over his shoulder.


    Whenever he would turn, there was no one there though. Yet it felt like someone was always with him.


    ''This feels different from the blooded woman as well, but it could easily just be that her strength has increased in this ce, which is why I can sense her more, right?''


    Raze thought, expecting some type of answer, but there wasn''t an answer at all.


    The other reason why he felt like it was unlikely to be the blooded woman was because the eyes felt like they were looking at him from afar rather than close, like the woman felt at times.


    In the middle of all these thoughts, Raze heard words from Bargo that had startled him.


    "It appears that we have been followed," Bargo said.


    Everyone turned to see where he was looking, it was from the door they had entered from. It had only slightly been left open, but they couldn''t see anyone.


    Then the door was pulled open, and two figures were standing there.


    "You have good senses," a man with arge trench coat said, walking through the doors with his hands up. "We mean you no harm."


    Ivor quickly came over along with the rest and drew his weapon, pointing it toward the two.


    "How many of you are there in this ce? Where is the hostage that you took!" Ivormanded.


    Anna and Raze noticed the two straight away, as of course they were from Alter, Himmy and Charlotte.


    "Do they look like the kidnappers to you?" Annamented. "These two came from the door we entered from and don''t even have any weapons on them. Besides, they don''t even look like martial artists."


    "You never know, the Lethal Bite n is a n that specializes in fist techniques in the first ce, and it could be the same!"


    Himmy let out a big sigh hearing this.


    "I don''t even have Qi, so even if I was to hit you with full force, I bet I would be the one with a broken hand. As for who we are, we are the ones that made the request to rescue our ally that is stuck here in the first ce."


    Himmy''s exnation was twofold. One, it was to tell those pointing their swords at him why he was here, and it was to inform the others from Alter as to why they were here.


    "It appears that a group of our friends we were searching for, one of them survived and was linked back to this ce. We made the report and the n said they were sending some people over to aid us¡­ I didn''t expect them to kill us."


    The new members were quite embarrassed after hearing that, they were even holding their weapons weakly after.


    "Alright, say we believe you," Ivor states. "You guys need to stay at the back and report that we''ve done a good job; thest thing we would want is the clients themselves getting killed."


    With the two intruders that were following them out of the way, Ivor was quick to continue his search, and just as he was about to ask everyone about what they had found, Raze had pointed at the top of the staircase.


    "Up there¡­ they''re on the second floor," Raze answered.


    "And how would you know that? Can you see through walls as well suddenly?" Ivor asked.


    "Just¡­ trust me on this one," Raze said.


    Since the group hadn''t found anything on the first floor anyway, Ivor went to travel up. Raze stayed close to the group at the back; it looked like an excuse as they were focused on protecting Himmy and Charlotte.


    When they looked back at the others, they had smiled at each other while Himmy gave Raze an awkward wink.


    ''I guess things are working out in the end, so the one that''s been kidnapped is a person from Alter¡­ could that be the magic that I felt from before? That exins that, but what about this huge lingering feeling.''


    Since Raze was the one that told them to head upstairs, constantly Ivor was turning back to look at him for direction.


    Raze continued to point as they were now in arge hallway with a number of doors. As they continued to go through, Raze had led them to anotherrge double door.


    When they reached it, all of the warriors, Ivor, and Bargo were on high alert. Because seeping through the bottom of the door, they could see it, there was blood, and there was a whole pool of it as well.


    ''What''s happening on that side of the door!'' Raze thought.

 Chapter 507 Inside The Room

    <h4>Chapter 507 Inside The Room </h4>


    While going down the hallway, the group had discovered a few instances of blood. Most of it was dry.


    They weren''t experts, so they had no clue how fresh the blood was, but now, having finally followed where Raze was leading them, they hade across a double door.


    Right underneath the double door, their feet were standing in blood. It was arge amount, and the fact was the blood itself was still wet.


    Everyone was rmed, but focused at the same time. Being a warrior, being a wanderer, it wasn''t their first time they had experienced death or seen it.


    The sight didn''t make them sick to their stomach; it rmed them for what they might see inside. The group''s weapons were drawn again as they readied themselves.


    "Does this mean that Barred rton is already dead?" Charlotte asked. "Were we toote?"


    "We don''t know that yet, but we should be careful," Himmy replied.


    Ivor didn''t say anything, which was surprising. Instead, he looked back at everyone and gave a single nod.


    In response, the rest of the team nodded back as well, confirming that they were ready. Right after, rather than silently going in, using a strong kick filled with Qi, Ivor knocked the door, breaking it off its hinges.


    He didn''t care if there were people on the other side, and in some cases, he was hoping it would hit someone.


    Ivor burst into the room with his sword drawn, and the rest fluttered out into the room in a semi-circle shape. Only Charlotte and Himmy had stayed behind the group as they had entered the room.


    "What is all of this!" Charlotte asked.


    All of this in the room were shocked at the sight in front of them and the stench that had immediately hit their noses.


    Up against the walls in the corner of the room, there were bodies of the dead. They had been shed, torn up, and across their chest, an explosion from the inside appeared to have urred.


    It was like their heart had exploded on their bodies. The bodies were piled up on the side, and now they knew what the blood was.


    However, that wasn''t the only thing they could see. In the center of the room, there was a man who appeared to be in his twenties. A strange mechanical device was attached across his chest, round in shape that strapped around to his back.


    His eyes¡ªthey were glowing slightly, and both Charlotte and Raze could see it; there was a lingering of magic above him.


    As for the strap that was connected around his chest, at the end, they could see a tube linked to it, it was bending down and went into a chalice that was ced on the ground.


    The chalice appeared to be made out of a type of dark rock. Crudely crafted, as if someone had only used a dagger to try and get the same shape of the item.


    As for the cup part at the top, that was still made out of ss, and slowly it appeared to be filling with blood.


    "You people¡­ you are from¡­ you''re from the Lethal Bite n!" Ivor said.


    When Ivor entered, he had nned to strike down those that had captured the prey, but when entering, he was confused.


    The young man sitting in the chair had to be the kidnapped victim, but then why were the people in the room wearing the Lethal Bite n uniform?


    What of all the dead bodies in the room? Just what was going on?


    "I need an exnation now; we have been ordered by the Lethal Bite n toe and rescue the individual!" Ivor asked.


    "I don''t think it''s so smart to be asking questions!" Himmy shouted. "The man in the chair is the one that we have been looking for; we need to get him out as soon as we can."


    Inside the room, there were five men wearing the Lethal Bite n uniform. They looked at the intruders that had entered, and one in particr just had one order to say.


    "No one is allowed to see this, get rid of them all."


    Immediately, one of the Lethal Bite n members had exploded with speed, and with a dagger, he had shoved it right through one of the wanderer''s necks.


    It was too fast for the wanderer to react; his life had vanished just like that.


    "What are you doing!" Ivor shouted.


    Before he knew it, another one of the Lethal Bite n members hade towards him. The dagger was thrust towards his throat in the same spot.


    But a sword had reached out, and managed to hit the dagger in question before it had finished off its target.


    "Pay attention, Ivor!" Bargo shouted. He was the one that had deflected the sword, and with Qi, he gave a strike back.


    The attacker had jumped back with his dagger avoiding the hit, a little startled.


    The others in the room all went to attack. In particr, one had gone after the neer called Man.


    Man tried to react to the strike but was too slow. When a fist came to hit him right in the head, Anna had grabbed onto the fist, and then with a single hand lifted him in the air and threw him up against the wall.


    "Thank you," the man said.


    "Don''t thank me; just stay alive, all of these guys in this room are quite strong," Anna replied.


    Three of the Wanderers that were with the group had already perished, and slowly they had backed up so they were still surrounding Himmy and Charlotte.


    "The woman is right," Bargo said, as he looked at the opponents in front of them.


    Their gaze was cold as they stared with weapons in their hands, as if this was an easy task for them.


    "This is surprising, why is a middle-stage warrior here?" One of the attackers said. "They said those that mighte to us would be easy targets for us."


    Bargo didn''t know what to do in this situation, even though he was a vice leader; these people in the room, they were deadly.


    Meanwhile, Raze, he hadn''t made contact with any of the attackers yet; his mind was far too focused on the chalice on the floor.


    ''The powering from that thing, it''s growing¡­ what''s going to happen when it''s filled¡­''

 Chapter 508 Let Me Use My Power!

    <h4>Chapter 508 Let Me Use My Power! </h4>


    The five Lethal Bite n members in the middle were certainly not low-stage warriors. Bargo could tell that right from the start when he had blocked the attack.


    Each of them had to be either peak initial-stage warriors or low-ranking middle-stage warriors, but there was more to it than that.


    They had this underlying strength that felt like they were also being boosted.


    Immediately, they surrounded the group that had entered, with two of the warriors jumping over the entire group and standing by the door.


    "I feel like you have already realized that you are unable to win this fight, but having you run away will also be very troublesome for us," one of the warriors said, throwing out a fist.


    Quickly, Anna had moved in front of Himmy where the fist was targeted and grabbed onto the wrist. The man was able to try and attack her with her dagger, but she hit it away with her other arm, letting go.


    From the other side, she could see that the other warrior was going for another sh aiming for Charlotte.


    At that point, Anna quickly moved over, putting her arms in harm''s way. When the dagger hit, it pierced through but only about a centimeter until it had hit something hard.


    "You, are you even using Qi? Why is your body so hard?" The man questioned, as he could see within parts of her clothing they were glowing red slightly.


    Since she was at the back, Himmy and Charlotte were too slow to react to the talented warriors, and it was true for the no-name man as well.


    Situated at the front were Raze, Ivor, and Bargo. They were going up against the other three remaining warriors.


    They had already taken out the rest of the new members of the Lethal Bite n that hade in, leaving only these alive.


    Although Ivor was trying to strike at openings while Bargo was protecting them with his skillful swordy, it was proving rather difficult for him.


    He was a third-stage warrior himself and was out of his depth in this situation. So for Bargo, it felt like he was more so fighting two on one while trying to protect the other.


    ''These two are a handful, but I can deal with two of them at once. If any moree at me, though, it will be a big struggle,'' Bargo thought.


    He didn''t quite understand what was happening. He was sure that there were five attackers, and if the other attackers were as strong as the one that he was facing, then they should have dealt with the others by now.


    Yet, Anna, the new recruit, was dealing with two from the back, and Raze was fighting with one of them head-on as well.


    With his sword by his side, he struck with great strength at the warrior. Each time he blocked a hit, he could feel his form almost breaking as he was being overwhelmed.


    Spinning through the air, he went to attack with a fist, but Raze quickly was able to move away, and with his own hand, struck him in the stomach.


    The warrior kneeled for a second, but rposed himself before another attack struck him.


    ''How is this person so strong and beating me? I''m sure I have more Qi than him, yet when we strike, his Qi is breaking through mine.''


    Raze was going up against a middle-stage warrior, and in most cases, the one that was able to have arger amount of Qi would win out of all strikes.


    However, due to Raze''s way of condensing his Qi, it was allowing him to perform strikes that condensed in certain areas, giving just as much power in these areas.


    ''I already fought against the head of the Lethal Bite n. Struggling with a person like this at this stage is something that is not eptable,'' Raze thought.


    The main issue was though; Raze was still refraining from using his demonic techniques and magic.


    As things were starting to y out though, the man that was facing Raze had been hit too many times in their bout, and he thought it was only a matter of time.


    "Come join me with this one; he''s troublesome!" One of the warriors called out.


    One of the two that were fighting against Bargo had suddenly jumped and went to strike Raze from the side. Caring for his life more than hiding his techniques, he used the Descending Steps to quickly push away and push in, delivering another strong strike.


    Raze''s sword shed with the dagger, and the sheer power had brought one to their knees, but a strike from the side from the other attacker had appeared, and Raze needed to pull away as he spun back.


    ''Fighting two of them at once¡­ is more annoying than I thought, but I definitely improved to the point I can now fight two low middle-stage warriors at once. Beating them is another thing.''


    What Raze''s eyes were more concerned about though, was the cup; he could see it slowly filling, and as it did, one of the points of the corner of the cup started to glow red.


    He continued to keep an eye on it, while taking care of two of them, and that''s when the second point of the cup was starting to glow red. When all three points were glowing, Raze feared whatever it was they were trying to do it would be activated.


    With a strong sense of Qi, Raze used the Devil''s formation, the waterfall strike, and hit one of the attackers away.


    "Himmy, do I have permission to go all out?" Raze asked.


    The words that were shouted made no sense. Bargo and Ivor were fighting for their lives, with everything they had and were struggling.


    Why would Raze say something like this, and even more so, why would he ask permission of the stranger that they had just met?


    "Permission denied!" Himmy shouted. He had his hand fairly close to his side.


    He was watching Anna fend off the two and was trying to think about what to do, but using magic here, where a strong sense of magic was already present, Himmy felt like it was too dangerous, and something that maybe even one of the Deleters would have to be sent to clean up.


    Charlotte hadn''t used her powers either because of this reason.


    Ivor, trying to ignore what he had just heard, went for a strike; now it was him and Bargo against one, but his hand was hit away, and arge strike was delivered across his face causing his knees to buckle, and he was sent wobbling to the floor.


    ''These people,'' Ivor thought, holding onto his face. ''I didn''t notice it before, but I''m pretty sure I recognize them. They are some of the strongest and most talented members in the Lethal Bite n. What are they doing here and why are they doing all of this?''


    Bargo then managed to get a clean cut on his attacker''s leg. A sh across it, causing him to stay in pain.


    "Now, I finish you!" Bargo went to stab forward, but before he knew it, his sword was hit to the side with the dagger.


    And another strike went for his neck, but he had managed to dodge it in time.


    "What the¡­" Bargo looked around the room, and the situation had changed quite a bit. Now Anna was going up against four.


    Raze had three people fighting against him, and Bargo and Ivor were going up against three.


    Once again, Ivor recognized these people as well. All of them high-ranking within the Lethal Bite n, most of them close connections with the one known as Niang.


    "This is going to be a lot harder than I thought," Bargo said.


    The warrior opposite him smiled.


    "You think."


    The warrior came forward, thrusting his dagger. Bargo blocked the strike, and he could see another oneing from the corner of his eye. He continued swinging his sword, blocking the second one, but a third strike came from the other side and pierced right through his shoulder.


    Bargo didn''t flinch and instead kicked the man''s knee, sending him shifting on the floor back.


    Still, blood was soaking down his right side now.


    "If that young one is holding back¡­ I hope he stops soon," Bargo mumbled to himself.

 Chapter 509 Let Him Use His Power!

    <h4>Chapter 509 Let Him Use His Power! </h4>


    Anna was doing fairly well fighting against two of the warriors. With her solid body, she didn''t have to worry about getting hit with the dagger so much.


    Her body was able to withstand the attacks without taking too much damage. Still, she would avoid taking head-on strikes and fist attacks.


    The techniques used by the n''s fists seemed to be stronger than the dagger. However, more people had entered the room.


    They stormed in, split up, aiding those that needed help, and now, it meant in front of her, Anna was dealing with four instead of two.


    The trouble was increasing, and so were the hits on her body. She had blocked two of the daggers and then received a deep hit right in her stomach; her feet were lifted in the air for a moment before she grabbed onto one of the heads of the attackers in front of her and swung her head back.


    Another attack came from the side, and in a desperate attempt to help her, the no-name man threw his sword out.


    When the sword hit, it had practically bounced off his back because the Qi being used by the warrior was far superior.


    However, it was enough distraction to allow Anna to back away slightly and wipe her mouth. When looking at her hand, she could see a smudge of blood.


    ''It''s been a long time since this has happened; their hits must have pretty strong Qi,'' Anna said to herself.


    The attacks were relentless; they could feel that Anna was finally on the back foot, and they didn''t want to give up.


    Anna pushed forward, knocking the strikes away and positioning her foot, but then another came rtively close with a fist aimed right at her head.


    That was until the warrior could feel something. He lifted his hands to cover himself, and following a loud bang, was heard.


    The man was then hit by Anna''s fist, sending him sliding across the room and back into the hallway.


    "What was that before¡­ that stung a bit," the warrior said, shaking his arms about. Looking at the floor, he could see a small piece of metal.


    Then, through the people they were targeting, one of them was holding a strange device in his hand that was pointed at the others.


    "Well, the gun didn''t work, which was somewhat expected," Himmy said, pulling the stick out of his mouth. "But using weapons like these won''t disturb this world."


    Right after saying those words, Himmy started to target another one of the warriors; he fired away, giving openings for Anna to do her work, and it seemed to work, as she pulled the head back of one of the warriors and smashed it right on his throat.


    However, the bullets weren''t doing a lot of damage as the Qi in those that were attacking was strong enough to protect themselves from the bullets; it was just short bursts of pain for the warriors.


    Raze, now having to go up against three of the warriors, was struggling even more. He swung his sword and would be able to hit them away with his strength and techniques, but they would keeping at him.


    He was carefully stepping away and was trying to keep an eye on the chalice that was filling up.


    "Himmy, give me permission!" Raze shouted again.


    Usually, Raze would just take things into his own hands, and he was thinking of doing that, but he wanted to be on Alter''s good side.


    Going against them would cause a whole bunch of problems.


    Right next to him, Bargo was now fighting against three; simrly to Anna, he could block the attacksing from two, but once in a while, he would get struck by a third.


    Ivor had tried desperately to help, but he had been grabbed by the face and thrown right into the ground.


    Slowly, he was getting up, and could see there were now several more wounds on his body. He had been stabbed in the leg, in both shoulders, on the arm, and more.


    Yet still, Bargo was standing strong in the face of it all.


    Bargo stayed in his position and blocked a punch head-on, holding onto a fist. He then swung his sword, hitting another in the way.


    When a third dagger strike came at him, he went forward, allowing it to stick in his arm as he kicked the attacker in the stomach.


    "Arghh!" Bargo shouted. "This was not what I expected when I signed up for this. I knew there would be some fun, but not this much fun."


    Ivor lying on the ground, his body beyond hurt for him to even do anything, he felt useless. So far, all he had done was get in the way of the others.


    "Sh*t!" Ivor was beyond frustrated. "What are you doing!"


    Now, Ivor had turned to look at the man named Himmy, the one that Raze had been looking at.


    "I don''t care what it is, but if it will help us win this fight, give him permission to use his power, old man!" Ivor screamed at the top of his lungs.


    It was a scream that came out of the will of pure survival, words that were said in hopes that something could be done.


    Right then and there, Raze could see it as well; the third gem on the chalice had lit up. More blood had poured into the chalice. Still, nothing was happening just yet, but with no more lights to light up, he was sure that something would happen soon.


    Himmy, though, despite hearing what was being said and Raze''s request, didn''t say anything.


    Anna was blocking the hits from the three warriors, and carefully aiming, he went to pull the trigger again. That was until he heard a clicking sound.


    He reached into his inner pocket and released something.


    "I''m out of bullets," Himmy said, frustrated.


    Now, without Himmy helping out Anna, she was on the back foot again. He looked around the room.


    He could see Anna struggling, the man named Bargo barely holding on, with Ivor wounded on the ground.


    And Raze, although doing well, it wasn''t enough to push back those that were attacking him.


    Himmy was looking at the situation and could see what was happening with the chalice. He wasn''t stupid; he hade up with the same conclusion as Raze had done.


    Whatever it was that this group was trying to do, they were close to getting it done.


    ''Even if I allow them to use magic, will anything change? All of these warriors are incredibly strong. It was no wonder thest Alter group got eliminated.''


    ''We''re hanging on by a single thread right now.''


    Himmy looked to Charlotte, who had been by his side the longest, and she had given a little nod while raising her hands.


    "If we''re going to lose this anyway, then I might as well go using everything we have," Charlotte answered, as if she could read his mind.


    "You''re right," Himmy replied. "I''m quite a stubborn person when ites to things, and in the first ce, I was never one for rules."


    Raising his hand in the air, Himmy let in arge amount of air and yelled out the following orders.


    "All members of Alter, you have permission to use everything in your power!"

 Chapter 510 Power Unleashed

    <h4>Chapter 510 Power Unleashed</h4>


    "All members of Alter, you have permission to use everything in your power!" Himmy shouted.


    Reluctant to give the order due to the situation they were in, Himmy was afraid that a massive amount of magic in a singr ce might cause more than just a portal break.


    If that were to ur, the Deleters from Alter would be sent, and they would all have to face the consequences. In the situation they were in though, it looked like all of them would lose their lives.


    So who was he to hold them back? Would he really allow his team members to die in this situation without giving it their all?


    "I don''t know how the situation will change, but I don''t want to leave this world with any regret!'' Himmy said to himself.


    As soon as the word hit Raze''s ears, he was ready. Two warriors wereing straight at him, one of them from the side while the other was in front.


    Raze ced his hand to the side of him, opening it up. Between his fingertips, sparks could be seen forming. As for his other hand, he swung his sword from above.


    Midswing, his sword was shrouded in magic and had suddenly changed from the regr de he would use to the Ghost de.


    Inputting his Demonic Qi, the sword started to light up with an orange glow. The sword shed on top of the sword, and the extra added power of the Ghost de came into effect.


    The blow caused the middle stage warrior to be sent back; he was bent at his knees as he skidded through the floor by the immense power.


    At the same time, with his other hand, Raze had unleashed a Lightning spell, hitting his attacker right in the stomach.


    The spell caused the man to flip due to the jolt in his body as he fell to the ground. Then,stly, right in front of him, he could see the third warrior.


    ''These are middle stage warriors; from a simple attack and a Lightning attack, they won''t be taken out just like that, but these hits have given me time!''


    Raze stomped the ground with his foot, activating the third descending step, and then continued until he pushed off with the second step.


    From the second step, Raze was then ready.


    ''Charlotte is here, so I can''t use Dark magic, but I can still use this technique just with my Qi and add a little boost!''


    Lightning started to form at the hilt as Raze had gone for a different magic tobine with his Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    He then thrust the sword forward toward thest warrior; a pulse of lightning appeared from behind the sword.


    It crashed and hit the two warriors who had gotten up from the first blows, trying to strike Raze, stopping them again.


    Then the thrusted de pierced right through the warrior''s heart. Arge hole was in ce from where Raze had attacked.


    The warrior''s Qi was useless; the thrust was too fast for him to defend against. The middle stage warrior had been dealt with in a single blow.


    Pulling out his sword, Raze then turned to look at the other two that were attacking him.


    "That''s one dealt with; now I need to get rid of the other two."


    Therge attack of Qi along with magic had disrupted the room for the moment. The power had continued through the warrior and had hit part of the wall, destroying it.


    Such power had caused all of them to have a look at what was happening.


    Ivor turned his head, with his mouth wide open, while Bargo was doing the same.


    ''I knew he was holding back and hiding his power, but to hide this much of it, he dealt with three of them straight away¡­ why did he wait until now to do such a thing!'' Bargo thought.


    ''That damned no-name, who is he? He can''t just be anyone!'' Ivor thought.


    After feeling the power and witnessing the attack that had just urred, the rest of the attackers in the room at that moment decided to change targets.


    The most dangerous person in the room was clearly the young one. They had left their positions, left those that they were going after, and all decided to go straight for Raze.


    At that point, Raze lifted his hand into the air. A trail of blue lightning was going from his shoulder all the way up to his fingertips.


    "This reminds me a lot of when we went up against the Light Faction elder," Raze mumbled to himself. "Back then, the Crimson Crane members, all of the middle stage warriors as well, had no idea how to handle it, and I''m pretty sure these guys won''t know either!"


    Raze''s hair started to fade color as magic powered through him. The tips of his hair faded from ck to white.


    His hair floated in the air as the lightning continued to grow, and when they were close enough, he mmed his hand onto the floor.


    A mass amount of lightning currents went across the floor, hitting all of the warriors that hade close to him.


    They were shocked, frozen, and paralyzed in ce, not a single one of them being left untouched.


    [Lightning attribute 29 >>> 32]


    On top of the skill working out well for Raze, it appeared that due to his Lightning attribute hitting so many people, it had increased in strength.


    While stunned, Raze went forward and swung his sword, slicing one of the warriors'' heads right off, rolling on the floor.


    ''If there were no eyes watching, I would have absorbed their energy. So many middle stage warriors, it might have been enough to finally kick me out of the initial stage, but there will already be too many questions after they have seen what I''ve done.''


    Standing from his position right there and then, Raze started to swing his sword, producing the crimson sh from his de.


    Mixing in his Wind magic along with his Qi and Ghost de, the attacks went out everywhere, hitting all of the warriors across their chest, arms, and heads.


    The Lightning magic was still under effect for them, and now without having to move from his position, he had dealt with them all as they had dropped to the floor.


    "It seems the kid must have grown quite a lot after the academy," Himmymented. "You know magic as well; why don''t you do something like that?"


    Charlotte said she had her hands ready to cast a spell to support Anna, but she was so taken away by what she had seen that she had stopped.


    Raze was only one star above her in terms of magic, so how was he able to cast spells so well and use it with his Pagna skills? It was a sight she had never seen before.


    No one in the room had seen it before.


    "Wait, I know!" Ivor shouted as he looked at Raze''s back with his white hair. "The descending steps, that''s a Demonic Faction technique, isn''t he¡­ isn''t he¡­ with his hair."


    Looking at Bargo, he was waiting for an answer, and Bargo had figured it out as well.


    "The talented young warrior, who uses Demonic Techniques but resides in the Dark Faction, and with the trait of white hair, I think you''re right, he has to be the White Dragon," Bargo answered.

 Chapter 511 Stop The Chalice

    Chapter 511 Stop The Chalice


    ??A single person had managed to defeat a room full of middle-stage warriors belonging to one of the top ns in the Dark Faction.


    If one were to tell them that they were an initial stage warrior themselves, then no one would believe it, but those there knew that it was true.


    Seeing how it was all done, Bargo and Ivor had assumed it could only be one person. Bargo heard more direct tales from his own leader about what had urred that day with the White Dragon.


    The tale that he had heard, how the person used the descending steps, it matched up with the appearance, and it was the only thing he could think of.


    "I never thought magic and Pagna skills could be so strong. I know there have been some warriors in the past that have caused trouble using both." Himmymented.


    Himmy was limited to his knowledge that he had learned through Alter, and it was the same for Charlotte. To both of them, they could only assume that Raze had a mana core.


    And he was using that to supplement the Qi in his body to produce Pagna skills, so just like others, they could only use Magic or Qi at once, but not both skills at the same time.


    Yet Charlotte had seen magic being used at the hilt of the sword. She wasn''t sure if any Qi was used or not, since she wasn''t a user of Qi herself.


    "It looks like you managed to recruit a mighty member to our group this time." Annamented as she walked past. "The others might get jealous if they learn of his strength."


    "Right, and if Alter learns of his strength, he might even be in charge of his own team in no time. If only he held a better position in the Pagna world."


    Himmy''sment was rted to many captains'' positions in the world of Pagna. There were those that were skilled atpleting missions from around the continent, like Himmy and Marcus.


    Then there were captains of teams that held high positions in the world of Pagna. These could be leaders of merchants, mercenaries'' guilds, and more.


    Strength alone wasn''t enough for Alter to consider one for a promotion; they had to prove their worth, and with Raze''s strength, if he was in a high position, they would no doubt give him a higher position in the organization.


    Little did they know he was already part of the infamous n the Crimson Crane, or the fiance of Raya from the Netherall n.


    Both of these positions would have already been high enough for him if they were to be made aware of these matters.


    Sheathing his sword, Raze knew there was something else that they needed to deal with and sort, and that was the mage and the Chalice.


    Just then, one of the n members that were strong rolled over.


    "You guys were toote." The man said with hisst breath.


    All three gems on the Chalice had been lit up for a while now, and the whole thing was starting to glow.


    ''That Chalice, the time is activating! I''m worried what''s toe because that Item looks extremely simr to the Chalice that I have, and if it can do simr to what mine is capable of, then we are all in trouble!''


    Swinging his sword, Raze felt like he had no choice. He knew they wanted to save the Alter member, but if there was a chance to stop what was happening by killing the one in front of them, then it was worth it.


    Swinging his sword, a Crimson sh was released from it. It flew through the air and was heading right for the young man in the chair.


    As the attack got closer, the young man opened his eyes, and he was glowing bright light of faint blue. It was the same color as the Chalice.


    The attack was stopped andpletely disintegrated in front of him, and the Chalice was lifted into the air as it started to vibrate.


    The whole of the young mage''s body started to shake more and more, and his body was lighting up.


    ''This is too dangerous, arge amount of magic is being filled into this room!''


    In order to protect himself, Raze switched from his uniform to the trusted zer that gave him at least some level of protection.


    Right then, the glow exploded from the man. A bright white light encased the whole room. The wave of power had hit the others like Ivor and Bargo first.


    They were swept off their feet and flew into the walls of the room.


    The same happened with the others including Anna, Himmy, and Charlotte. The blue energy had hit them all, and although not powerful when the light started to fade, every single one of them was passed out on the spot, lying there on the floor.


    Now in the center of the room, the young man, with parted ck hair and green-colored eyes, was standing.


    The wounds that were on his body from being tied up, and possibly tortured, all seemed to disappear, and the radiant energy that wasing off him was still shining bright.


    Slowly the energy surrounding his body started to fade away more and more.


    "I have descended, it seems like I was forced to descend, and I''m not even in a body of my own," The man spoke. "At least they have forced me into the body of a young one.


    "And my powers, it seems like they are slowlying into this new body. Will I be able to have the same type of power as I have up there?"


    The man in the center looked around the room. He could see the bodies of the dead all over. What they had done to get him to where he was.


    While looking around the entire ce, the man''s gaze set on a single individual that was on the ground. The individual was slowly lifting up his upper body, seemingly in pain.


    "You''re still awake?" The man said. "Arge amount of my power was unleashed when I descended. The power is too much for mere mortals to take, so how were you able to take it?"


    The man was walking, and he was walking towards none other than Raze himself.


    Raze on the ground was staring at the being in front of him. Surrounding his body, it no longer felt like mana; this more so felt like Qi.


    If Raze''s guess was right, his worst fears had juste true, and the Lethal Bite n had sessfully managed to summon a Divine being.


    In this situation, what was Raze meant to do? He couldn''t imagine himself beating the top of the middle stage warriors, never mind a Divine being.


    ''There might be a chance though, he was speaking about not being at full power yet¡­ is it possible could I best him?''


    "What was it that protected you from the Divine Qi?" The man continued as he walked forward and then stopped looking straight ahead.


    "Oh now I see, it wasn''t your own Qi that protected you. That blooded woman, did she escape down to here as well after losing that fight?"

 Chapter 512 A Divine Warrior

    Chapter 512 A Divine Warrior


    ??There was one thing that Raze was certain of: the person in front of him right now was not the mage from the Alter group.


    If anything, he would be surprised if the one in front of him knew any magic at all. The ultimate question was rolling in his head: was this a Divine being in front of him?


    ''It''s quite clear the body has been taken over by someone, and that someone seems to know the blooded woman is attached to me by its words.


    ''How does it know the blooded woman? Are these two from the same ce? Is the blooded woman actually someone from the Divine Realm as well, then?'' Raze started to think.


    "Haha, it seems you don''t know much, and yet someone has tried to attach to you and has failed," the man continued tough.


    Everyone in the room was still passed out by the strange power that had entered. So the only ones aware of the conversation that was happening right now were Raze and the person in front of him.


    "I can''t help but feel sorry for you. As you can see here where I am currently, I haveplete control, although my full power isn''t here yet. I wonder though, what exactly happened in this room, and why I have been summoned," the man casually looked around the room.


    Right now, Raze felt like he had to be careful. One wrong word, saying something to upset this person and he could lose his life, and for real this time. There would be no second chance like he had experienced.


    "Are you nning to take my life?" Raze said, not a shiver in his voice. Although he wanted to live now, he had expected long ago that at any point and time there was a chance that he could pass.


    "We have sessfully summoned you here,pleted the task for you. Don''t you think as a reward letting us go free might be eptable?"


    It was a clear lie; Raze wasn''t the one who summoned him, but how would the person in front of him know any better? Since he was the only one that could speak, he could say whatever it was that he wished.


    "You are right, I do owe you for bringing me into this realm without much trouble. It''s been a very, very long time since I have visited the world of Pagna, I would like to explore and see what has changed," the man said as he walked past Raze, saying nothing else.


    The tense situation that Raze was in seemed to be over. For a moment, he thought about maybe using his own chalice to summon a Divine Warrior to try and help him, but just because one was summoned didn''t mean they would listen to you.


    That''s when the sound of the footsteps had stopped, and the man turned around.


    "I think we might be meeting again in the future, so I believe I should give you my name. It''s Mosak, and may you be kind enough to give me the name of my savior," Mosak asked.


    Raze wasn''t so sure if he should give him his real name or something else. At this point and time, he had decided to somewhat not lie as he gave his answer.


    "People know me as the White Dragon," Raze answered.


    Almost immediately, Mosak''s face turned red.


    "I can''t believe you were able to say those words with a straight face, but very well, White Dragon, I look forward to meeting you again, that is if you''re still alive," Mosak continued to walk and left the room. As he did, the dense heavy feeling that covered the entire area was being lifted. The energy wasn''t like anything he felt before.


    It wasn''t like Mana, it wasn''t like Qi. It was so suppressing that Raze thought he would be in the same state as others if he wasn''t being protected.


    ''Was it really the bloody woman that was protecting me, or is it that zer that I wore?''


    Seeing the situation as it was, Raze changed back to his Lethal Bite n uniform, but he kept the ghost de by his side this time.


    Eventually, since the person had left the room, everyone''s eyes who were still alive started to open. They could feel a great pain in their heads as they slowly got up to their feet.


    "What happened?" Himmy asked. "Where is¡­ where is he?"


    Himmy was looking at the empty chair. He thought Raze might have killed him, but then surely there should have been a body yet there was nothing.


    "We were unsessful in stopping them," Raze answered. "It seems whatever it was that they were nning it managed to work. The person from Alter, now is someone elsepletely."


    There were only a few words but Himmy and Charlotte were able to decipher what was being said, but the same couldn''t be said for Bargo and Ivor who were getting up as well.


    "What were they trying to do with that person? What was it that they were sessful about?" Ivor asked. "You guys should tell me at least; it''s my n that is involved in this."


    Seeing Ivor''s hot temper, Bargo pulled him away.


    "I don''t think it''s best you speak like that now," Bargo said. "We are not in the position to say such things, and our lives could very well be in their hands."


    Himmy knew what the normal thing to do in this situation was; it was to get rid of those who had seen them act and use magic. It was clear now that Raze and Anna weren''t part of the Lethal Bite n.


    "I have something else to inform you on as well," Raze stated. "I''ll be honest, I''m not sure if this matter is rted to the deaths that were urring or not. Or at least not directly rted.


    "I believe that the Lethal Bite n must have found some use of those from Alter and got rid of them all, leaving one of them alive to pull them into this situation.


    "It might be pure coincidence that they were investigating something in this city when all of it urred to them."


    "You''re right about that," Himmy replied, with his finger on his chin. "So what you''re saying is, there is still more that needs to be done, we need to find more information, more evidence to build arger case profile."


    "Right, but if what has urred really has urred I don''t think it''s a good idea for us to poke the Lethal Bite n," Anna mentioned. "A person of great strength would be able to eliminate all of us."


    "I''m not too sure if that person will help the Lethal Bite n," Raze replied. "From the way they were speaking, it didn''t seem to be the case."


    "Yes, but you can''t say for certain, right?" Anna replied, looking directly at Raze. "You can''t say with a hundred percent certainty that person won''t help them."


    It almost seemed as if Anna was still hinting at something.


    ''Could she be trying to¡­ no, that can''t be right.''


    Either way, Raze decided to say what was on his mind anyway.


    "I guess since we are unsure, maybe there is still a use for these two, as they are members of the Lethal Bite n."


    Right now, Himmy knew what Raze was suggesting but was wondering what was on his mind, because there was a certain look in Raze''s eyes.


    ''The Lethal Bite n has been a pain for a long time. Their n head and even now they have put me in situations where I have been close to death. It''s time to get rid of them permanently, delivering a big blow to the Dark Faction,'' Raze thought.

 Chapter 513 Turmoil in the Lethal bite Clan

    Chapter 513 Turmoil in the Lethal bite n


    ??Niang was in his office in the west wing of the grand building. It was his safe hold in a way, as he had managed to gather many of his supporters within the n from the east wing.


    There were multiple ways he had brought them over to his side, through favors, bribery, and he had even resorted to ckmail. Niang was confident that there wasn''t an area of the n where he didn''t have his ears and eyes.


    It was why he knew about the n that Harbour, Feebie''s brother had suggested with the wanderers and why he had the hard numbers. Now all he had to do was wait.


    "The tricky part in all of this is we don''t know who is going to be summoned. I''m certain that the n will go well, but who will be drawn to the tool, the whole thing is a different story. Either way, I have multiple ways to convince them if ites to it." Niang was smirking to himself.


    A knock was heard from the outside, and after Niang allowed the other to enter, the door was slid. A member of the Lethal Bite n gave a polite bow while also checking over his shoulder before delivering the news.


    "I''m sorry, sir, but it appears those at the stone estate have failed!"


    Niang''s mouth was left wide open. If he had something in it, it would have dropped onto the table in front of him. Soon the shock had been reced by anger.


    "But how, how is this possible, was there something wrong with the item?" Niang asked. "Speak properly and clearly, and don''t spare a single detail unless you want your whole family to be punished."


    The man quickly got on his knees and bowed until his head touched the floor.


    "I have confirmed the matter multiple times beforeing here, sir. I''m not sure about the item itself, as it''s no longer there, but when one of our men went to check up on the situation, he found all of the warriors involved dead!"


    This time, Niang''s eyes widened.


    "Dead, so they were killed! Was it the guards? I know that Harbour had sent the new recruits to deal with the situation, but it couldn''t have been them. They were the strongest middle-stage warriors the n had to offer."


    "They couldn''t have been killed just by some random people that had been chosen through an assessment. Maybe¡­"


    A dreaded fear had taken over Niang. Perhaps if the item was missing, then maybe it was a sess, and as for the deaths of the others, it was due to the Divine warrior summoned.


    If it was a cruel Divine warrior that didn''t care for the world, perhaps it just killed those in front of them and went on its own way.


    However, what Niang didn''t realize was that there was more left for him to say.


    "It certainly seems that may be the case," the warrior continued to exin. "Bargo, and the head of one of the barracks, Ivor, both havee back from the expedition. Although they were unable to save the one that had been kidnapped, they are alive and well."


    This had just thrown Niang''s most likely theory out of the window. "That still makes no sense, I know that Bargo is the Vice-head, but even he wouldn''t have been able to go up against them all. Could it be, could Harbour have possibly predicted what I had nned, and had sent stronger men?"


    It was troubling for Niang; the whole thing was because now he was in an unlikely position to be the head of the n. Not only did he have no proof of being able to call a Divine one down, Harbour had gathered evidence of his n working since the mission was somewhat a sess.


    "I guess that means it leaves me no choice." Niang ced both of his hands together in front of him, hiding his facial expression and then raised his eyes just above. "It seems we have to go to our backup n. Drastic measures call for this."


    "We should also look into Bargo and Ivor, maybe Bargo won''t tell us much but Ivor certainly will."


    The man stood up from his position and gave a slight nod.


    "Should I inform everyone to move onto the next n?"


    "This is an important matter, so I will do it myself." Niang said as he got out of his seat and headed for the exit.


    The main base of the Lethal Bite n wasrge, with multiple doors and areas where different departments would work. What he needed to do before making his move was make sure that everyone was aware.


    Then when they arrived at the meeting table, the Elders that even supported Harbour would have a hard time doing so.


    ''I don''t know what trick you used to defeat my warriors, but I will use what you think is a winpletely against you and turn your whole world upside down. I will get the position that I deserved.''


    While the two of them were walking down one of the hallways, another warrior was also walking down the hallway, in the same clothing as the other Lethal Bite n members.


    As the man drew closer, Niang stopped in his steps along with his fellow n member.


    "Your face is not one I have seen before." Niang said. "I know all the servants and members that visit the east wing. No n member would just freely wander around these areas, state your reason for being here."


    The n member on the other end didn''t reply. Instead, his shoulders started to shake.


    "Is¡­ everything okay?" Niang''s assistant asked.


    "Is everything okay? No, it''s not okay, it''s not okay until you''re dead!" The man shouted and charged forward with a dagger in his hand.


    A mass amount of Qi wasunched as the man had pounced from his foot.


    Niang''s assistant had never thought such a thing would ur. One they were in the base, and second this was a member of the Lethal Bite n.


    No one would willingly betray the n or target a higher member unless they had already forfeited their life.


    Judging by the person''s skill, they were quite talented as well. The assistant was unable to react as his shoulder was grabbed and he was pushed to the side.


    Right then, the dagger had pierced right through Niang''s heart. It was sharp. The man had felt it go through his skin with rtive ease as if there was no Qi resistance at all.


    "I did it." The man said with a face full of tears. He pulled out the dagger from Niang''s chest. As he did, he stepped back and could see the de full of blood.


    He continued to move back and saw it dripping from Niang.


    "Has that made you happy?" Niang asked. "Did you do this for some stupid reason such as revenge? Trying to take out a n member that has so much more important things to do in this world!"


    As Niang shouted, the wound on his chest, the skin started to heal up, and it was the same with his heart. The dagger had reached his heart, but the insides of Niang were starting to form back to what they once were as well.


    "You mere mortal!" Niang said as he drew a small sword from his side and pointed it toward the attacker. "You are dealing with a god. Did you ever think you could harm me?"


    The sword lit up, bright white light of energy and shot out, hitting the man right through the chest. Arge hole appeared, and the man instantly fell to the floor dead.

 Chapter 514 A New Leader Is Decided

    Chapter 514 A New Leader Is Decided


    ??A day had passed since thest meeting between the main members in the Lethal Bite n. Usually,rge meetings like so were infrequent within the n, but due to the current situation of having no leader, time was short for them.


    A telling sign was the fact that Bargo from the Moon Shield n had been sent. Everyone was gathering in the room, and the one in charge of the meeting was Elder Conner, who had been part of the Lethal Bite n the longest.


    He looked as he witnessed Niang sitting on one side. As he had entered, a couple of ministers of the n as well as another Elder were seated rtively close to him. Conner noticed the smile on his face.


    ''He seems quite confident. I assume that he has some evidence or he managed to sessfully summon one from the Divine realm. That is quite an impressive feat in itself,'' Conner thought.


    Those in the Divine realm were able toe down to the Pagna world anyway. It was just that their powers were limited. To them, at the lower realm, it felt stifling. To not be able to use their full power, none of them wanted to stay in Pagna for long.


    Equally, when Conner looked at the other side, he was expecting Harbour toe with a disappointed look on his face, but instead, he had walked in rather confidently as well.


    It was unexpected. If both parties had produced results, and the vote was a tie again, Conner didn''t know what to do, since it was worse for the n the longer this went on.


    The sides were fragmented, and even the regr n members were starting to get into scuffles as they were divided.


    "Does anyone know where Bargo currently is?" Conner asked.


    Each looked at each other with strange looks until Harbour eventually answered.


    "Bargo did stay at one of the barracks; he said he would meet us here at the base though. Has anyone seen him?" Harbour asked.


    The question had no answers. Giving out a big sigh, Conner thought there was no need to waste time. Hopefully, Bargo would no longer need a reason to stay here after they were done today.


    "Very well, we shall continue the meeting from where we left offst time. I expect everyone here to listen well as they cast their vote. Harbour, since you are already standing, please continue ahead with the results that you have produced."


    Clearing his throat, Harbour was confident as he answered.


    "Our careful curation of Wanderers as well as talented individuals in the city and around it has been sessful.


    "We have made sure that our assessments are done in a fair way to curate the most talented of warriors. Recently, a team of newly recruited individuals had been tasked with a mission, a rescue of someone who was kidnapped within our walls."


    "Although they were new to the n, many of them sacrificed their lives as they fought extremely hard against the enemy. In total, three survivors out of eight that were sent hade back."


    "This is just one instance of the future of what the Lethal Bite n can be and how it won''t disrupt the current flow of the n."


    Sitting back down in his seat, Harbour was confident in his results but more so, he was confident in theck of results that would appear on Niang''s end.


    Summoning a Divine warrior, even if sessful, he imagined it would cause more problems for them than good.


    "I see, I see, well Niang, we all heard your theory fromst time. I hope you have been able to produce some results that you will be able to show us all?" Conner asked.


    This time, Niang had stood up and gave a respectful bow to all of the elders in the room.


    "I have not been able to deliver on my n," Niang answered.


    There wererge smiles on Harbour and his group''s side as this was great news for them all.


    "However, I believe that the situation of who should be leading the n no longer needs to be brought into question. For the one that you know as Harbour hasmitted treason."


    The eyeballs of everyone at the table had expanded wide, nearly popping out of their heads, and instantly Harbour stood up on his two feet.


    "Lies, you are spouting nothing but lies!" Harbour shouted. "You should know that it is a great offense to use someone of my status of such things, and it means immediate expulsion from the n."


    "Exactly, this is why you should know that my words are not lies at all," Niang answered as he looked to his side and nodded.


    The man next to his side stood up and pulled out a scroll.


    "Huyng Fai, Tonar Sen, Kilfele Don," the man read out several names one after the other, and all of those in the room knew the names well.


    That was because they were a force of strong middle-stage warriors that the Lethal Bite n had been curating for a while now. It was the core of their strength.


    "All of these individuals have been found dead inside the Stone Manor."


    Great shock and gasps were heard around the room. What had just urred seemed impossible; how could so many great warriors from their n perish just like that?


    "Evidence has been gathered, and their bodies have been brought back from the manor. A mission request had been brought to our attention from the special group known as Alter."


    "At the time, Harbour had used his power to force his newly assembled members to take on the mission. I was worried about the task and had ordered the warriors to follow them. The task was handed to us by Alter after all, and as the previous n heads have told us, we should always treat those from Alter well."


    "They reported back that along with the special group, Bargo, as well as Ivor the Barracks leader, were sent along with them. Even though the report that Harbour had sent forward didn''t show these things at all."


    Harbour clicked his tongue as he heard this. He had learned to forge this from Ivor when he hade back and had told him to stay silent about it. Otherwise, it would diminish the results he had produced.


    But how did Niang know all of this as well?


    "Not only that, but a call was recorded from Harbour that was delivered to Niang, that they were to do anything that was possible to make this mission a sess."


    "I have received a report that they had sessfully gotten rid of the kidnappers; their bodies have also been brought back. However, the warriors had been found out.


    "They had seen that it wasn''t due to the Wanderers that this task was a sess; it was due to the Moon Shield n along with Bargo."


    Loud gasps were further heard, and Harbour was worrying now; if the story went on, they would all fall for Niang''s words. Everything he was saying was just a story made up on the spot, with some truths mixed in.


    But these were the stories that were the most truthful.


    "Where''s the proof!" Harbour asked, with a tightened fist.


    "Not just anyone could have defeated our n''s middle-stage warriors. The facts that I can prove are that Bargo went along with your Wanderer team.


    "Our middle-stage warriors are dead. It''s simple toe up with a conclusion. In order to get those on your side, you are working with the Moon Shield n."


    "Bargo had brought powerful warriors along with him on the mission to make sure it was sessful just as you ordered. And in doing so,pleted the mission.


    "This is treason!"


    Conner sat down shaking his head; he could see that Harbour wanted to argue back, and he was sure Niang had proof to back up what he had said so far.


    But he also gathered what was just filling in the gaps and conjecture.


    "As of right now, it seems that Bargo, who was sent from the Moon Shield n, is missing. This does make it seem rather guilty that he has suddenly disappeared, and you confirmed to us that you knew he had arrived," Conner added.


    "Whether you are guilty or not is another matter; what we need is to stay strong. We need a leader that we can trust. With the information we have, this might not seem fair to you, Harbour, but we should cast a vote!"


    Conner had dered it; right there and then, a vote needed to be cast, and hands were raised first for Harbour, and there were far fewer thanst time. Some had even raised their hand then ced it down after seeing that they had already lost.


    Harbour was clenching his fists. How could those who were loyal to him be swayed by conjecture? He had been working hard for the n for a long time in his sister''s ce, and just a few words to defame him led to this?


    "Then it is quite clear that the next current head of the n will be Niang. However, I will also make it clear that for now, this is a temporary position. If more proof is provided from Harbour''s side, then we shall have another voting across us all," Conner stated.


    However, Niang''s devious smile still hadn''t gone off his face.


    ''Did you think that was all I had? I make sure that no matter what, I always win against my opponent, no matter who they are. It''s time to take over the n, and you shall learn that you should have just given me this position in the first ce!''

 Chapter 515 Losing Everything

    Chapter 515 Losing Everything


    ??Niang knew the higher-ups of the Lethal Bite n were fickle. They had been in a fickle state for a while, but Niang had given them hope in a couple of ways.


    For one, the team of middle-stage warriors was curated by him and his supporters. It was something he had up his sleeve for a while since he had been nning to take over the group even when Feebie was in charge.


    However, Feebie and Royo were too great forces that were even more powerful and influential than his team of middle-stage warriors.


    The influence was so great that there were still many that supported Harbour even after the passing of the two. But that was because in the mind of the Lethal Bite n, whoever was the leader, the team of middle-stage warriors would still belong to the n.


    They still had some strength left in the n, and now at a meeting of all sorts, that strength of the n had been taken away. A seed was nted in their minds that it had been taken away by Harbour.


    It didn''t matter if they thought it was true or not; all they needed was the doubt. With that in mind, now what could theytch onto? Hiring wanderers into the n that had great strength?


    This was something that was quite sickening to the older generation of the n. Something that they didn''t like in the first ce.


    It was okay with them as long as the true power was still held with those brought up by the n, but would that be the case now?


    If that were to happen, they would rather increase the strength further and go ahead with Niang''s n of trying to call a Divine warrior to them.


    That was how stubborn the n members were and how fickle their loyalty was as well. The vote was cast, and Niang had gotten what he wanted, somewhat.


    As long as Harbour still had some power, there was always the chance of bouncing back, and now it was time for his final part of the n to y out.


    On the side where Harbour was, one of the ministers who had put his hand up to vote for Harbour had raised his hand and stood up.


    "I have something to say on this matter as well," the minister of one of the districts within the city imed. "I did not want to speak of this before, but I can confirm that Harbour did indeed work with those from the Moon Shield n. He had colluded with them. I have a written order from him to allow them into the city discreetly."


    Immediately, Harbour''s eyes had gone red.


    "Baronor! Why would you say such a thing? Why would you make up lies right now of all things!" Harbour imed.


    "Let him speak!" Connor shouted and bashed the table. He too was furious because the evidence and ims were stacking up against Harbour.


    As someone who had been in the n for the longest of times, the one thing he couldn''t stand was treacherous behavior.


    "Yes sir, I have the documents to prove this fact as well. I didn''t speak before because I was afraid that Harbour would be elected. If he was the leader, then he would punish me for speaking out against him. I was afraid for my own life!"


    Right there and then, another one of Harbour''s supporters stood up, raising their hand as well, and when he opened his mouth, the sudden noise drowned out all around Harbour.


    He didn''t understand what was happening. Why would those that had just supported him speak out against him? Why would they suddenly say all of these lies?


    His head was swirling as he could see the vicious looks all around him. He was starting to feel ill as his whole body was covered in sweat, and finally, after a lot of speaking, reports, and a few hours had passed, a decision had been made.


    "It has been decided," Connor stated. "That Harbour has been expelled from the n and will no longer have any rank. He is demoted to a citizen of the city.


    "At the same time, due to his efforts, the treasonmitted by him means that every rtion to Harbour will be culled. They are to be executed, but due to your family history, we will offer them the chance tomit suicide!"


    Harbour''s head continued to twirl and spin, it did so more and more.


    "My family¡­ my wife¡­ and child¡­ you were to get rid of them as well?" Harbour then looked up at Niang. "Getting the position from me wasn''t enough for you¡­ you had to take everything away from me, didn''t you, didn''t you!"


    Harbour climbed on top of the table andunched himself right at Niang, but before he could make it across, many of the Elders as well as the rest of the n had subdued him, pinning him to the table.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Himmy, Charlotte, Anna, and Raze were all enjoying a drink at a local establishment. The night sky was out, covering the city, and it had nearly been two whole days since the events at the Stone Manor.


    Afterpleting the task, they had sent Ivor, the no-name man, as well as Bargo back to the barracks to report and continue as they had been doing.


    They were to be reported as dead. This would allow them to move freer in the city, and they were hoping they would get an updated report on the matter from the others.


    "I went to the barracks earlier, and it seems the ce is full of warriors," Annamented.


    "That might exin why they didn''t meet with us yesterday," Himmy said, taking in a big gulp of his beer and wiping the foam away from his mouth.


    "Do you think they''ve been captured then? What should we do then? Won''t they be tortured to speak, and what if they find out that we''re alive as well?" Charlotte asked.


    It was something for all of them to think about, but from what they had found out, it was unlikely that they would meet up with the others for their meeting tonight.


    While waiting patiently, the door to the inn was opened rather loudly as the door mmed open. Standing right there was a man with ruffled clothing who was constantly huping as he had entered the room.


    His face was a little red.


    "Kick me out¡­ kick me out¡­ What do they mean, kick me out?" The man said as he stumbled to the bar.


    He had caught everyone''s attention, and some of those around were whispering about him because he was someone that they had recognized.


    Who wouldn''t recognize one of the top officials of the Lethal Bite n, Harbour?


    As he stumbled his way, he had found himself at a seat right at the bar.


    "Drink please!" Harbour asked.


    "You''re a mess, man," the barman replied. "But it''s my policy to not turn away customers until they''re passed out, and then they get chucked on the sidewalk. As for you though, Coin, give me some coin!"


    Harbour started to search his pockets as his body continued to sway, and he was hupping away, but he was unable to find anything.


    "I promise, I''ll pay you, just give me a drink," Harbour asked.


    "Sorry, no coin, no drink, no matter who you are."


    Among the people, the news had spread that Harbour was no longer a member of the n. He was amon citizen, so things such as disrespect didn''t matter.


    Although they would usually still be careful since he was a talented warrior, but in this state, maybe a toddler could even push him over.


    "Please," Harbour asked again, his voice cracking. "Please¡­ I have to¡­ I have to¡­ I can''t¡­ I need to forget." Tears were rolling down his face, part of his shirt was already soaked. He had broken down a few times already before.


    The barman was about to shout back at Harbour, until a person next to him appeared, cing a couple of silver coins on the table.


    "I''ll pay for the rest of his drinks for the night."


    Himmy was looking at the bar, and he was wondering when did Raze leave his seat and go over, and why would he go over for a stranger.


    At that point, Raze sat next to the man and took a drink, and the two of them drank away.


    "Thank you, stranger¡­ I¡­ I need to forget¡­ I just need to¡­ heal the pain a little bit," Harbour answered. "I know it''s stupid, but this is the only thing I can do."


    As drinks went on, Raze didn''t say much, but Harbour couldn''t hold in his feelings as he went into a trail of mumbles.


    "Why¡­ why did they have to kill them¡­ why couldn''t they have killed me¡­ my wife¡­ my son¡­ all of it!" Harbour started to break down.


    Eventually, Harbour had ordered another drink, and when he did, he looked to his right and the ck-haired man sitting next to him.


    "Why are you buying me drinks¡­ Do you know who I am? Because right now, it''s useless. I don''t have the power to help anyone," Harbour stated.


    "Why did I buy you your drinks? I noticed when you came in," Raze answered. "The look in your eyes, I know them well; you are a man that has lost everything, yet is in no power to do anything about it."


    "That look, the way you are acting now and feeling now, I know very well how you feel," Raze answered.


    Hearing those words, Harbour let his forehead fall to the table, and the tears from his eyes dropped to the floor.


    "That damned n is now in Niang''s hand! I would rather have the whole Lethal Bite n destroyed than be in the hands of that man! If there was one wish I could have granted, with everyone who betrayed me, who didn''t believe my words, I would want it all destroyed to the ground!" Harbour imed.


    Raze thought back to the situation he was in. At the time, he had felt the same way. He wished for someone to give out a hand and reach to him. Even if it was the stranger or the devil himself.


    However, it never happened, nothing happened no longer how long he waited, so he needed to get up and do it himself.


    "Very well," Raze said, thinking about the time he was in the same situation. Back then, what were the words that he wanted to hear most? After that, he got up from his seat, and said the words he wanted to hear, "I''ll do it, Your wish will be granted."

 Chapter 516 A Reason To Attack (Part 1)

    Chapter 516 A Reason To Attack (Part 1)


    ??When Raze got up from his seat and started to walk away, it was only then that Harbour had somewhat realized what was being said.


    "Grant my wish," he mumbled to himself, and then turned around to see the back of the individual. He reached his hand and got to his feet. "Wait¡­ what do you¡­?"


    As soon as he got up to his feet, his whole world started to warp and spin. He could feel an instant churn in his stomach, and as he took a step forward trying to move with the spinning world, he had fallen onto the floor and passed out.


    "Alright, that''s it, to the streets with him!" The barman said, as if he was already expecting it to happen.


    Turning around, Raze walked over to the man, and the other members of the Alter group had got up to head over to him.


    Himmy looked to be talking to the barman, exining that he would deal with it before joining the rest of the group that had made a circle around the man on the ground.


    "Do you know this guy or something?" Charlotte asked.


    "No, I just thought he needed a drink to get his mind off things," Raze answered.


    Anna was taking a deeper look at the side of his face that was visible, since the other half was pressing into the ground, and she had some notes.


    "Harbour Dines, he was practically the head of the city for the Lethal Bite n. Dealing with n matters mostly when the n Head was away," Anna answered.


    "Oh, so we managed to get our hands on quite an important figure then," Himmy raised an eyebrow thinking they had gained a stroke of luck.


    But those seated nearby had overheard them talking and worried about what might happen to them had decided to speak up.


    "It''s not good news if you stay next to him, you know," the man said. "Harbour is not an important figure anymore. I''m surprised you haven''t heard; it''s been spreading around everywhere. Apparently, he betrayed the n, so they kicked him out and executed his family."


    "Well, allowed them tomit suicide," another added.


    "Same difference," the man continued. "He is a target now of the entire Lethal Bite n. So it would be best to stay away from him."


    Hearing these words, it was at that moment that Himmy had picked him up off the ground and ced him on his shoulder.


    "Someone who has hate for the n that we''re looking into, this will be of good use to us," Himmy patted Harbour on the back a few times and carried on walking.


    The others in the Inn just shook their heads as they looked at the sight. Thinking that the group of people must have thought they had nine lives to do such things.


    Eventually, Himmy had brought Harbour back to the Inn that the group were staying at. Since he was dragged behind Himmy''s shoulder, the other guests as well as staff didn''t have a look at who was brought in.


    Otherwise, they would have turned them away at the door. Once inside, they waited patiently for Harbour to wake back up as they had a number of questions to ask.


    "Don''t you guys have a spell that can like cure him of the alcohol in his body?" Himmy asked.


    "There is one," Raze answered. "But I don''t have Light Magic, so I''m unable to use it."


    Because of that, all they could do was wait, and eventually, Harbour wasing to. He lifted his hand to his head as it was still spinning slightly and pounding constantly.


    "I think it would be best if you have a drink of water," Himmy said.


    Looking to his side, Harbour took the drink and started to gulp it down, but after doing so, he had a jolt.


    "Wait a moment, who are you guys, you aren''t from the Lethal Bite n, are you sent here by Niang to kill me!" Harbour was backing up, his back hit the backboard of the bed and the Qi was rising.


    When looking at all of them though, he did remember one individual, the young man with the ck hair who bought his drink.


    "You can rx, we are the group from Alter, and we were the ones that made a request to save one of our own, but things seem to have gottenplicated," Himmy exined.


    Harbour needed a few moments to get his head straight as he pressed his hand out. He started to think; he remembered reading the report because he had sent the team out to do such a job.


    "I see¡­ but if you are looking for information about what happened, I am afraid I can''t help you, I no longer have my position," Harbour said, his head sinking into his chest, and memories of what had happened were surfacing again.


    "We know, don''t worry about that, which is why we wanted to speak to you," Anna added. "We had tagged along with the mission. So we know what had happened.


    "Three men should have returned known as Ivor, A no name, and Bargo. They were meant toe back to report to us, but mission. So we know what had happened.


    "Three men should have returned known as Ivor, A no name, nothing has urred yet."


    The Alter group were unaware that Harbour had lost his position due to the same mission and what had happened in the group.


    They thought they were separate matters, but Harbour did know, and he was wondering what had urred as well.


    "You are waiting for a report¡­ but all three of those that you are asking about, they are said to be missing within the n. It is said that they have run away, but my guess now is, most likely Niang has captured them."


    Judging from Harbour''s words, Himmy had the same feeling, that these people were captured for whatever reason.


    The thing was, what did they do now? It wasn''t as if these were people of Alter; it didn''t matter, and going into the base to try and find out more would be a risk.


    "I have a question to ask," Raze said. "Are you aware of what your n was trying to do, summon a Divine warrior, and has a Divine warrior appeared at the n?"


    These words had shocked Harbour considerably. How did this group know so much? What was going on? All of it was confusing.


    "Wait¡­ wait¡­ I have a feeling that¡­ our matters might be rted, let me exin to you what has been happening within the Lethal Bite n and what has happened to my position."


    Usually, Harbour wouldn''t pour everything out to strangers, but he had never been in this type of position before. He had already lost everything and had no one to talk to.


    To exin himself of what had urred or who to me. The group listened to everything, and they had quickly managed to put the pieces together.


    How Niang was most likely behind the summoning of the Divine warrior, and how he had used the opportunity of the death of the warriors to his advantage to take over the n.


    "As far as I''m aware though, Niang failed in trying to summon a Divine warrior," Harbour answered.


    This is what Raze was looking for, the only thing that had been troubling him, but now he had nothing left to hold him back.

 Chapter 517 A Reason To Attack (Part 2)

    Chapter 517 A Reason To Attack (Part 2)


    ??Raze certainly knew that the Divine warrior was sessfully summoned. From his conversation, though, he had suspected that he wasn''t one to help the Lethal Bite n, and now he had his suspicions confirmed.


    There was no Divine warrior protecting them.


    "I guess that solves that, there isn''t much for us to do," Himmy said, sitting back down in his seat.


    "What do you mean, didn''t your group say you were with the team at the time!" Harbour shouted. "You can say that you saw no one from the Moon Shield n."


    Himmy justughed.


    "Do you really think they will believe our word over those that are high up in your n? They will just suggest you told us to say such things."


    "Our job is to run an investigation, and we have found out why the Alter group that originally arrived here are dead, that''s it. What did you expect us to do, to go into the n and get revenge for you?"


    Harbour clenched his fist; in some ways, he did think that, but what could these people in front of him do? They weren''t even warriors.


    It wasn''t as if they could take on the n. The only thing they could do was try to back him up with words and their words, but why would they believe them?


    "Isn''t there more to discover?" Charlotte asked. "I mean, the n could be the reason behind the other deaths in the other cities, but we still haven''t discovered that yet."


    For Charlotte, she felt a little guilty that the man in front of them had lost his whole life and family due to their matters.


    "Don''t be so soft-hearted," Himmy replied. "We did what we needed to do to survive; those men were only killed because we were trying to protect ourselves and one of our own!"


    Himmy knew why Charlotte was saying these words; she had done this a few times on their missions, and he had to reason with her.


    Out of his anger though, he had let something slip that Harbour noticed.


    "Wait, what are you saying, it was you, you were the ones? Were you the ones that defeated the middle-stage warriors!" Harbour asked.


    It sounded unbelievable, the group in front of him didn''t seem anything special, and there were so few of them. Only the top ns could do such a thing?


    "We were," Anna answered before Himmy could evene up with an excuse for them. "But it was only because the group of warriors had taken one of our Alter group to try and summon this Divine warrior."


    There was a lot of anger that was rising in Harbour, but it was diminishing as well. He wanted to me the group in front of him for everything that had happened.


    For his family''s death and his loss of position, but he soon realized that wasn''t the case. Niang had set everything up.


    He was sure of it; if this didn''t happen, then he had already prepared a number of ways for him to receive the position of Head of the n.


    Instead, he decided to think of things differently as he looked at the group in front of him.


    "If you were able to take out the powerful n members, then can''t you get rid of Niang, to take out the Lethal Bite n!" The anger in Harbour was rising again.


    The thought in his head, thest thing he could do in this world.


    "Can you please grant me my wish; I''ll give you whatever it is you want!"


    Once again though, Himmy just let out a chuckle.


    "I am sorry for your loss, and I mean that, but you are being deluded. What can you give us in your position when you can''t even afford a drink?"


    "Eliminate a whole n? We are not a Vendetta group, we are a group that helps deal with missions that no one else can. This is not a mission we have been assigned nor is it one that has any upside for us."


    Clenching his fist, Harbour''s knuckles had turned white, and he started to bite the bottom of his lip trying to hold in his tears. Blood started to drip down onto his chin and onto his sheets.


    "Great, another thing I''m going to need to pay for," Himmy mumbled, looking at the blood.


    "Can I ask you a question," Raze said in the middle of the silence and the sobs, when saying these words he wasn''t looking at Harbour though, he was looking at Himmy.


    "We are allowed to act within our own means, outside of Alter, correct?" Raze asked.


    "As long as it doesn''t get in the way of our other missions and stay within the rules. You can act as you wish in Pagna," Himmy answered.


    "So¡­ if I was to attack the Lethal Bite n, not as a part of Alter, would that be okay?"


    Himmy for the first time in a while was left with his mouth open slightly. Attacking a whole n? As far as Himmy knew, no one in Alter was a part of the Lethal Bite n.


    But had he ever heard someone in Alter say something as crazy as this, as attacking an entire n.


    "I told this man that I would already grant his wish. If there is nothing stopping me, then I will take out the n. In the meantime, I will try and find out if they are really behind the deaths," Raze answered.


    There was only one thing that was somewhat holding Raze back, and that was the fact of whether or not the Divine warrior was part of the Lethal Bite n.


    Now that he had gotten his answer, taking out the n would be helping him weaken the Dark Faction.


    "This is a big n; there are countless numbers of middle-stage warriors. You could end up getting killed," Himmy answered. "And if you fail, and someone sees you, you will be a wanted person; this may cause Alter to be in a difficult position, and they might do something about this."


    "I''m not saying you can''t, but you need to be aware of the risks."


    Raze looked at his hand. Arge number of middle-stage warriors. It was perfect for him; if he used the extraction technique, then that could be just what he needed to finally reach the middle stage that he had been stuck at for a while.


    With his magic, he might just be strong enough to deal with the Academy Principal then.


    "Very well then, I will help you achieve what you asked," Raze stated, looking Harbour in the eye. "But I have to tell you, there will no longer be a Lethal Bite n for you to go back to."


    Wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his hand, Harbour was listening to every word seriously. If someone before, while he was in the n, said that they could eliminate the Lethal Bite n, he would have called them a madman.


    He couldn''t call this person a madman right now because all of his hope was on this single individual.


    "I said this before, but right now, I would rather have the whole n eliminated; they let my whole family die after everything I did for them! The way it is now, I would rather there be no n!" Harbour shouted.


    "Alright, let''s get this done," Raze said as he walked towards the door. "And don''t worry there will be no one left alive to report this, so it won''t bring us trouble."

 Chapter 518 Im A Mad Man

    Chapter 518 I''m A Mad Man


    ??Raze had gotten all the answers he needed, and he had even made the resolve to act before all of this; now he was ready to get rid of one of the thorns in his side that had been bothering him for a long time.


    ''Even after death, your whole n has given me too many troubles, I need to pull the nt out by its roots,'' Raze thought to himself.


    As his hand reached out to the door handle, Harbour, who was stilling around and trying to figure things out, shouted out.


    "Wait, are you heading there right now, in the morning while the sun is still out? What''s your n, how are you going to take them out?" Harbour asked.


    "That''s for me to worry about." The door was then opened, and Harbour had immediately got out of his bed, touching the side of his head.


    "Then, I''ming with you. If you''re doing this whole thing just for my sake, then I should at leaste with you and do what I can," Harbour eximed.


    It was naive of Harbour to think that Raze would do something solely for him. This man was a stranger; if it weren''t for the fact that it aligned with many of his goals, he wouldn''t be doing this at all.


    "Fine, but you have no say in what I do or how I do it."


    When Raze gave that answer, for a second, Charlotte looked at Himmy for a moment before she had decided herself.


    "Raze¡­ I''ll support you on this as well," Charlotte said. "You''re going up against an entire n. Even if they''re in a weakened state, it''s going to be hard to do on your own."


    "I know you''re strong, but if I''m there, I still think I might be able to help you."


    Charlotte, a mage who was older than Raze, for some reason, since meeting him, she had been drawn to him and what he could do.


    She wanted to see just how Raze exactly was going to pull this off. Right now, it was almost as if she was about to witness a Grand Magus going into battle.


    Mages would sell part of their soul to witness such a thing, and she had the same feeling right now.


    "Charlotte, how are you exactly meant to help him when you''re not a warrior yourself?" Himmy asked.


    "Rules are meant to be broken, right? That''s what you say at times," Charlotte answered.


    Himmy let out a big sigh, feeling that his words were now being used against him. He took out his weapon and ced it on the table.


    "Look, I''m not like the rest of you. I have nothing special, so all I can do is investigate matters and keep Alter from going after you guys if you cause a mess. I only have this weapon, and I''ve got no bullets, so I''m practically useless."


    "Just don''t go dying on me."


    Charlotte smiled in response, but then felt the presence of Annaing up from behind her.


    "Are you joining up as well?" Himmy asked.


    "If I hadplete control of this task with no consequences, then from the beginning I would have gone straight to the Lethal Bite n base and asked their leader for answers."


    "These three, they all have a different goal on their mind. I will make sure we find out whether or not the n is behind the other incidents."


    For some reason, knowing that Anna was going with them as well settled Himmy''s heart slightly. He knew that she would save Charlotte if things got too bad.


    "Alright then, I''m turning a blind eye to all of this. So you better get the job done, and if you die, I''ll go down to hell myself and kill you again for putting me in this position."


    There were no more words to be said, and Raze had already left the room. Harbour followed, and the other two had also decided to follow.


    A small group of four was now heading to the Lethal Bite n.


    ''Raze, what makes you so confident that you can take on an entire n yourself? I saw some of your power¡­ but are you even stronger than that? Just what happened to you? Who are you? Is it possible that you are actually a Divine warrior yourself?''


    ''Perhaps the fact that you are a mage from Alterian was a lie in the first ce, and the deaths in your town were the same as what was happening here. Either way, Alter will have an incrediblyrge interest in you after this.''


    ---


    Walking through the stone city, Raze was just walking as if it was any other day, but he had therge building in sight, above the grand staircase.


    As they were getting closer and closer, Harbour, who was starting to sober up, was continuously asking the same question.


    "So what''s the n? How are we going to get into the base? Are we going to try to sneak in, disguise ourselves as those from Alter asking for another mission, or are we going to try to find out where Bargo and the other warriors are hidden?" Harbour asked.


    Right now, the group was walking a straight path, and they could see the staircase in front of them, along with two guards that stood by either end.


    They were getting more and more worried that Raze was just going to walk in.


    "Do you want me to tell you what I''ve learned about you Pagna warriors, especially those in the higher ns?" Raze asked. "It''s the fact that you are all arrogant and overestimate yourselves."


    "If we were to sneak in and attack the leader, once he started struggling, the whole n woulde to save him."


    "But if we attack from the front and get rid of you one by one, they''ll think whoever attacked from the front like so¡­" Stopping his speech there, Raze wiped his hand in front of his face, and an iron mask appeared on him.


    It was the same mask he had used when entering the dimension in the Demonic Faction to hide his identity, an iron mask with his ck hair. It was enough.


    "They''ll think I''m just a mad man," Raze answered.

 Chapter 519 To The Middle Stage!

    <h4>Chapter 519 To The Middle Stage! </h4>


    "A madman?" Charlotte repeated, not too sure what Raze was getting at. In her missions, she didn''t deal with too many Pagna warriors in a confrontational way. She was more on the support side, like when she had arrived at the same city when they had first met Raze. Even the incident that followed after with the deaths of the warriors wasn''t something she was ustomed to.


    "Hmm, a disguise. Should we have brought disguises as well?" Anna thought as she looked at Raze.


    They had now gotten too close to the staircase for the guards not to notice them; a group of four walking was cause for concern to anybody.


    In the meantime, Harbour hid behind the others, not wanting to show his face.


    "Hey, don''te any closer, state your reason for¡ª"


    Before the man could even speak, Raze had dashed forward using one of the descending steps and shed his Ghost de right through his throat, killing him in one hit.


    He then moved to the other before they could react and stabbed them right through the stomach, holding onto the back of their head and throwing the person to the ground behind them.


    Just like that, Raze had killed two of the guards, and he had started his fight against the Lethal Bite n.


    After dealing with the two of them, he started to make his way up the staircase, continuing to head to the top.


    "AHHH he just killed the Lethal Bite n guards!" one of the citizens that were in the nearby square shouted.


    "What is happening? Is someone attacking the Lethal Bite n?"


    "That''s crazy, who would do such a thing, and in broad daylight!"


    Raze continued to go up the stairs, and not knowing what else to do, the others had chosen just to follow him, from behind.


    Harbour, in particr, was looking at what Raze had done.


    ''The guards, they were just initial stage warriors. Even with my strength, I could have done the same thing to them, but to do things with such conviction, with no worry and hesitation?'' Harbour thought. ''He almost has a stronger resolve than me, the person who asked him to deal with the n.''


    ''I have to ready myself; this is only the beginning and things will get a lot worse from here.''


    The staircase was a long one, and due to the scene that Raze had caused from below, the guards from the n that were spread around the city had gotten word of what had happened.


    They had arrived at the scene, and could see the suspects moving up the stairs. Immediately, they decided to run after them.


    As one of them leapt up, Charlotte gathered both of her hands and thrust them forward. The power of the wind pushed him in the center and caused the man to fall.


    His body hit the stairs, and he was falling back down.


    One of the warriors had dived forward thrusting the de, but Anna had hit him by his wrist so hard that he dropped the dagger onto the floor.


    Right after that, she kicked the man in the chest. It was a powerful kick that sent the man falling right down to the bottom of the stairs and crashing into the other guard members.


    All of these people were easy for them to deal with because they were all initial stage warriors.


    As three more were running up, that''s when Harbour had turned around to face them, stretching out his hand, his fist covered in Qi, and he was unleashing it, revealing it behind him.


    For a moment, the mening to attack had stopped as they were covered in sweat, and realized who was in front of them.


    "Today is the day the Lethal Bite n will fall," Harbour announced. "You guards, you only do what you are told. A lot of you have no loyalty towards the n."


    "If you wish to live, then I suggest you turn around, otherwise you will have to face my fist."


    Seeing who was in front of them and knowing full well what had urred, they could only imagine that this was revenge. Harbour was getting revenge on the n for killing his family and kicking him out of the n.


    "What do we do?" One of the guards asked. "We aren''t strong enough to take him out!"


    "But he''s just a washed-up ex-member, he doesn''t even have the strength to punish us anymore! If we get rid of him, surely we will be promoted and rewarded with riches!"


    One of the men was convinced by these words and thrust his sword. Harbour decided to meet this head-on as he threw out a fist.


    When his fist touched the sword, it started to shatter, breaking, and the fist continued hitting the man right in the skull.


    A crack was heard, and the man continued to tumble down the stairs; when he had fallen to the very bottom, his body was unmoving.


    He was dead.


    "I have told you all my intentions¡­ the Lethal Bite n will fall today, and anyone who still ims to be a part of it¡­ will perish," Harbour''s words, his great strength, had convinced the guards to back away.


    No longer were they giving chase, and they were close to the top of the staircase.


    Two guards had run out from the door well, and Raze had swung his sword, hitting their swords, but the great strength of his Qi had pushed them off the sides, causing them to fall as well.


    Finally, they had reached the top tform, and they could see the building ahead of them. It was farrger than they thought.


    Almost like a castle with multiple winding rooms and different areas.


    "Let''s split up," Raze suggested. "You, look for Bargo and Ivor, as well as that no-name. They might know more about this whole thing; we need them alive."


    "I''m guessing you have a good idea where they might be, so guide them," Raze was speaking to Harbour.


    "Wait, you''re going to go on your own, but I wanted to help you," Charlotte said.


    "Splitting up and leading the people inside will help me," Raze answered. "When you''re done, just go to the ce where you hear the most noise."


    The others wanted to argue, but in the first ce, this was Raze''s idea to attack the way he was attacking. It was clear he didn''t want them with him.


    The group nodded, and Harbour had a few words.


    "Watch out if you meet Niang; he''s a frail old man from the looks of things, but I have no doubt he will have a few tricks up his sleeve.


    "If you can, leave him alive so I can see him suffer myself," Harbour said.


    "I can''t promise," Raze answered.


    With that, the three of them went off, trying to go around the side of therge building.


    While Raze looked at therge door to the front entrance of the ce and continued walking forward.


    ''With them gone, I can fight with everything I have and use my Dark Magic, and I can absorb as many people as I want¡­ it''s time to be a middle-stage warrior.''

 Chapter 520 Take My Life

    <h4>Chapter 520 Take My Life</h4>


    There were several things that Raze kept note of while in the Pagna world, and one of them was theirck of technologypared to other worlds. Rather than it being less advanced, it almost felt like it was being limited on purpose.


    There weremunication devices, but they were limited to certain buildings or areas. Which was why Raze knew another thing: by heading to the base and getting rid of anyone who was there, they were unable to even be aware of what was going on. Theycked full awareness, and he was going to use this to his advantage. His hand was ced on therge thick doors in front of him.


    Seeping out his Dark magic, it started to destroy everything it touched, including the lock on the other side. Right after, he pushed the door open and he was led into the main reception room.


    "Huh, who are you?" One of the guards asked. A strong hit to the stomach caused the man to bend over, and then lifting him by his head, Raze threw him into one of the other guards. Soon after with his sword, he started to swing it widely all over the ce.


    The attacks didn''t have the full strength of his Qi, but he was mostly using his wind magic to supplement his attack. The attacks flying through the air had made rather bad cuts on those next to him, making it hard for them to escape. While some of the attacks continued on and had hit the walls, shaking the ce. Grabbing onto one of the first men he had injured, his body started to shrivel up, to the point where it was almost nothing but bones. Letting go of the person, Raze could feel the energy being added to him.


    "Even inside the base, most of them are 3rd stage warriors. Even absorbing the whole room of guards isn''t going to be enough," Raze thought.


    In the middle of his thoughts, several doors from the left and right, the second floor burst open, and more and more n members wereing into the room. "I guess middle stage warriors are still a rarity, even for a top n, and most of them have already been hurt. I guess I will just have to make do with what I can and see if the stronger onese!"


    Raze threw his hand out, and a spark of lightning had hit directly one of the warriors in front of him. Due to the effect of his lightning affinity, it hit two more people next to him as well, sending them on their backs. "Either way, getting to use my magic in a situation like this will help me out."


    Harbour was leading the way with the others; they had entered through a side door. Upon entering, there were guards in this area as well. Even outside the door on the outer tform. He was ready to deal with them, but before he could, Anna had shifted and taken them out.


    She had twisted their necks, snapping them on the spot, dealing with them silently. What was odd for Harbour was the fact that he sensed no Qi at all when it was done.


    "I could have taken them out, you know," Harbour said.


    "Yes, but using your techniques would have caused quite a bit ofmotion. In order toplete our job with ease, it will be best we make as little noise as possible," Anna answered.


    Heading inside, Harbour had a good idea of where Bargo and the others would have been kept. There was a temporary holding cell where n members would be held before trial if they were part of the n. He hadn''t visited the ce because for one, he never expected Bargo to be there in the first ce, or for them to treat him the way they had done.


    Second, one of his supporters was in charge of disciplining n members and kept a record of everyone who went in and out. If someone hade in, he would have been informed, or at least he thought so. It turned out on the day they cast their vote to kick him out, Niang had more people under his finger than he realized.


    Heading inside the ce, there were few guards; they had even seen some that were running in apletely different direction heading towards something else. They assumed that Raze was causing the chaos that he had promised. That was when they had finally reached the red door.


    "The red door that leads to the underground cers is just up ahead. We have to be careful. If these guards spot us, they will inform Niang straight away, or they might even kill those that are held hostage," Harbour exined.


    On the way there, Charlotte had picked up a sword from the ground and threw it forward. When she had done so, the sword oddly went straight and wasn''t dipping at all as it moved through the air. The sword had pierced right through the side of one of the guard''s throats and continued to go forward, piercing the second one.


    The sword had collected two men like it was some type of meat stick and eventually they had fallen to the floor.


    "What¡­ was that?" Harbour blinked twice. It didn''t seem like a Pagna technique. He had been watching the orange-haired girl for a while, and she didn''t seem to be using any Pagna techniques he had seen. Then again, it was the same for both of the women he had been traveling with.


    When they got to the door, the door was locked by a mechanism on the other side. Harbour was looking for some type of key that would be with the guards. However, Anna raised her hand and pointed out her index finger. It started to change color, turning a bright red.


    She pushed it forward, and it went through the door as if it was melting butter. She continued and then shifted her hand upward, and a red line could be seen on the door. Then with a small push, the door was open.


    "Who¡­ are you people?" Harbour had to ask since he had never seen such strange powers before.


    "You should know," Charlotte replied. "We are from Alter, and everything you see has to be kept a secret, unless you want to die."


    Harbour smiled as he started to descend down the stairs.


    "If our task ispleted and everyone is dealt with, then you can have my life," Harbour answered.

 Chapter 521 The Strongest In One Place

    <h4>Chapter 521 The Strongest In One ce </h4>


    At the end of his hand, Raze held onto the head of another warrior, his body shrinking in front of him, until he had be nothing. Letting go, he dropped him onto the floor.


    "That deals with all of them then," Raze said as he looked at the entire room.


    There had to be around thirty or more who hade to attack him in the main reception. Hismotion had caused quite a bit of noise, and since he was in the n''s base, they had arge number of members.


    On the ground, every single warrior had been absorbed using his extraction technique. He could feel their Qi being added to his, swirling around in his body.


    ''I used my Qi to fight more than my magic with these guys because the extraction technique, when used, restores and adds to my own Qi,'' Raze concluded. ''Using it allows me to keep on fighting with next to no trouble at all, and I might need to save my mana because I''m worried.''


    Right now, Raze had decided rather than going left or right, he would head up one of the two winding staircases that led to the second floor.


    He walked past all of those he had defeated. ''Everyone I''ve fought against so far, not a single one of them had posed any trouble. Were Feebie and the middle-ss warriors at the summoning ceremony the only strong ones in the n? I refuse to believe that.''


    Raze had reached the second floor, and there was arge hallway that led to the back of the room. The hallway itself was decorated with a number of vases and paintings on the wall with more doors to the left and right.


    As he walked down, he didn''t bother opening any of the doors; he just continued to head forward.


    ''I refuse to believe that one of the top ns only has this much strength. They must be somewhere, and my gut is telling me they''re behind this door.''


    Reaching the end of the hallway, Raze was now staring at a semi-ovalrge double white door. The outside of the door itself had golden iys. Out of all the doors he had seen in the base so far, this one by far looked the most luxurious, which was why he was sure he had hit a jackpot.


    ¡ª¡ª After Anna had sessfully unlocked the red door to the underground cell, Harbour rushed forward. For too long had the others done the work that he wished to do.


    As he reached the bottom of the stairs, there were more members of the Lethal Bite n. One he quickly shifted with a foot technique and then grabbed him by his chest.


    He mmed him against the wall, knocking him out in an instant, and as for the other, Harbour had quickly spun his body and hit one of the men''s heads with the back of his fist.


    It had caused the man''s head to go flying, crashing into the bars, killing him almost instantly.


    Going back to the first person he had injured, he lifted his foot and stomped down, making sure there would be no signs of life.


    "These people, they are helping Niang. I have no mercy for them," Harbour said.


    The holding cells were small, it was only onerge cell room because they would only stay here for a few days at most while waiting for trial, so it didn''t take them long to find the people they were looking for.


    Anna went straight to one of the doors and lifted the metal bars, flinging them to the side. All of them entered and could see three people sitting on the ground.


    "Sir Harbour!" Ivor shouted out.


    Bargo looked up at them, wincing in pain, with bandages covering his right side.


    "There is no longer the need for you to call me sir. You have to exin what happened?" Harbour asked.


    "It was a trap!" Ivor shouted instantly. "We came here from the barracks to make the report as we had been asked to directly. When we entered, we were told to wait in a room, and then, Sir Niang had entered.


    "He started to interrogate us, we reported everything as he did to you, and then he imprisoned us here. Bargo tried to fight back, and this is the result."


    "Are you saying Niang did this!" Harbour was a bit shocked.


    The wound looked like a fairly bad one, but it wasn''t just that. Bargo was from the Moon Shield n, a n that focused on defensive techniques.


    From what he knew, Niang wasn''t much of a fighter, he was just smart with his head, using people around him, so how could he do such a thing in the first ce.


    "Wasn''t there three of you?" Anna asked.


    "That no-name¡­ I don''t know how, but he managed to escape before we even reached the cells, so I have no clue where he went," Ivor answered.


    "How did you get to us? You couldn''t have possibly gone against the whole n?" Bargo asked as he was helped up to his feet.


    They were well aware that they had most likely snuck in and needed to leave quickly.


    "That''s because of the young warrior named Raze. He is attacking them straight ahead and is going for Niang; he has been causing quite the mess," Harbour answered.


    Bargo thought as much, after remembering what he had done to those middle-stage warriors beforehand. As to why they were here, he had no clue.


    "Wait, did you say he was attacking them straight ahead¡­ if he''s after Niang, this could be bad," Ivormented. "Right now, the reason why there are so few guards is because they''re having the passing ceremony."


    Everyone looked at each other as they had no idea what that was, all apart from Harbour.


    "We need to hurry quickly and head to Raze now; he''s in serious trouble!" Harbour said as they rushed up the stairs.


    "Wait, what is this passing Ceremony, why is it so dangerous?" Charlotte asked.


    "The Ceremony''s not dangerous; it''s just the fact that the ceremony is taking ce," Harbour answered. "It''s the selection of a new n head. They are officially making Niang the n head."


    "Which means, right now, all of the Elders, the top members of the Lethal Bite n, have all gathered in one ce to congratte Niang. The strongest people in the Lethal Bite n will all be in one ce."


    ¡ª¡ª At the same time, Raze had done the same as before and pushed the door open. In front of him on the ground was a gold-clothed walkway. Bright light shot in from the ss windows at the back, and on stage, he could see a few people standing.


    However, inside the room, there were at least a hundred members standing on the left and right side, all who had been looking at the stage.


    As soon as they heard the door, though, they had turned around to see who had just rudely interrupted such an important celebration.


    "So this is where you all were," Raze said as he raised his sword in the air and held it with both of his hands, turning his de almost obsidian ck.

 Chapter 522 1 Vs 100

    <h4>Chapter 522 1 Vs 100</h4>


    As soon as Raze had opened the door, he could sense the gazes that were staring right back at him. It was quite clear they saw him as an intruder, and in response to that, each one of them was building up the Qi in their bodies, ready to strike.


    Judging by the people he could see in the room and the strength that they all had, he was sure that he was in the right ce.


    ''Most of these guys in here are high stage initial warriors or at the middle stage. It looks like I''vee to the right ce.''


    Raze ced both hands on his Ghost de above, and Dark magic started to encase the sword, turning it obsidian ck.


    ''While this group of people is distracted and unsure of what is going on, it''s the best time to attack!''


    "Dark Edge Magic Sword Arts second formation, Eclipse Strike!" Raze swung his sword down and activated his most powerful magic, his Dark magic.


    The blow struck down on one half of the room. Some of the warriors tried to gather their Qi to strike back; others tried to move out of the way, but therge attack was powerful. The Qi, added with the magic, engulfed the entirety of one side of the room, even destroying the walls behind it. The attack had continued on beyond the walls, and from the outside, people were able to catch a glimpse of the attack in the air before it dissipated.


    Raze ced the sword to his side and looked at the carnage he had caused. One half of the grand room, the floor waspletely destroyed, light was being let in now from the destroyed walls. Most of all, though, arge chunk, at least one third of the warriors that were in the room, were no longer present.


    "Who is that man!" Niang shouted from the stage, looking down, as he heard the elders, the minister, and the high officials by his side.


    Just moments ago, he had received the title as Head of the n, and now he was officially the head, but a stranger hade in and attacked on the first day.


    "All members of the Lethal Bite n, eliminate him!" Niang ordered with every bone in his body shaking in anger.


    Raze readied himself as he watched the warriorse right at him; one of his hands was starting to spark, while Qi was being gathered in the other, making the sword turn a bright orange.


    "It''s good that attack didn''t get rid of too many of you, because I need the rest of you!" Raze dashed forward and cast a lightning spell at the men closest.


    As it hit the center of their bodies, it shocked two to three by the side. Thoseing from another side, Raze swung his sword, performing the Crimson sh, letting out a flurry of attacks.


    The warriors, being more decent than the ones that he had faced so far, were able to block them with their skills and fight back against it.


    However, that wasn''t what Raze was aiming for in the first ce.


    The first group that had attacked them, he had ced his hand on their head and while fending off the others with one hand, he was absorbing the Qi and the energies of the others.


    Seeing this, some of the warriors had leapt up and started to strike from above. Raze had promptly let go of the drained warrior and jumped backward.


    As he did, he had ventured over to the destroyed half of the room, and he felt his foot tap one of the already perished warriors.


    "It looks like I need some more help; let''s just slow them down a bit."


    "Ice Wall!" Raze cast with one of his hands, and as with the spell''s name, a wall of ice had appeared between the two.


    Raze knew that the ice wouldn''t hold them; they were strong enough to break through it, but he needed to do something else.


    Leaning down on the one that had perished, Raze''s Dark magic surrounded his whole body.


    "Recreate!"


    The shrouded Dark magic started to form into a human shape, and just as Raze had predicted, using their skills they had smashed the ice apart.


    The moment they came through, the Dark magic warrior that had been made, had leapt from his position, diving right into the rest of them.


    The sword struck theirs, and it had sted one of the warriors as if a Dark Pulse had been used on it. However, the rest of the warriors stabbed, hit, and punched the Dark magic with their Qi, easily dealing with it.


    The Dark magic was being torn apart, and that''s when Raze had made the order.


    "Destroy!"


    The Dark magic exploded into all directions everywhere, hurting multiple of the warriors that were nearby, and while they were being hurt and trying to take cover, Raze still wasn''t letting up.


    He got in close to one that had been injured on the leg, grabbed them by the head, and mmed them into the floor. Immediately, he started to use the extraction technique.


    "Don''t worry; none of your lives will be going to waste; the years you dedicated to training yourselves to getting stronger and stronger, all of that will go to me!" Raze eximed.


    Niang, Conner, and more of the elders and high-ranking officials were stunned by what was going on. Their warriors weren''t even able to make a mark on this single individual.


    They were using the n''s technique that had been honed over centuries, yet this man was using techniques they had never seen before, being able to cast lightning and ice powers.


    "Who sent this man? Why is he attacking our n?" Conner imed.


    "I don''t think that matters right now!" Niang said. "If he gets rid of everyone in this room, and nothing is done to him, then there won''t be a n left!"


    -------


    After leaving the cell, the group had headed from the side of the building they were in and had now entered the reception.


    They had stopped for a moment as they looked at all the defeated n members that were on the ground.


    "What happened here? Is this all that neer''s doing?" Ivor asked. "It can''t be; how can a single person take out so many from our n?"


    "Middle stage warriors are capable of taking out an army of initial stage warriors, especially of this caliber," Bargo exined.


    "Does that mean that man is a middle stage warrior?" Ivor asked.


    Anna was trying to analyze the room, to try and find out which path Raze had taken, and she had found the way as she pointed out the top of the stairs.


    As they continued to follow Anna, Bargo was thinking about what Ivor had said because that was the thing; he was sure Raze wasn''t a middle stage warrior, but then how could anyone exin what was happening.


    "We have to hurry; although we have gone past a lot of n people, the real troublesome ones will be in¡­" Harbour''s footsteps started to slow down.


    He had seen the room up ahead; one of the doors was left open. He walked in with all the others and could see the light shining from the broken wall down onto the iron mask.


    While Raze stood there in the center, with nearly the entire Lethal Bite n defeated, the only ones that were still standing were those on the stage.


    "He''s really going to do it¡­ this man is going to take out the entire n!" Harbour said to himself.


    Raze ignored those who had just entered and instead looked to the stage of warriors.


    "No¡­ still not enough, they weren''t enough, I need the rest of you," Raze said as he pointed his sword right toward Niang standing in the center.

 Chapter 523 Taking Off The Head

    Chapter 523 Taking Off The Head


    ??Harbour, Anna, Charlotte, Ivor, and Bargo had all entered the ceremonial room. It was a room created by the Lethal Bite n for celebrations and usually to honor those moving up in rank.


    Today was one of the biggest days in the Lethal Bite n''s long history as they hade to a decision as to who they wished to make their leader.


    When they entered the room, it was nothing like thest time Harbour had seen it. How could a room filled with so much death feel like a joyous asion?


    Most of the bodies were shriveled up beyond recognition. Parts of their limbs cut and torn, injured.


    Standing in the center of it all was none other than Raze.


    "He did all of this?" Bargomented, being surprised. He was wondering if this was something even the n Head of the Moon Shield n would have been capable of.


    Perhaps so, but in such a short time frame, was a different story entirely, and even more so when looking at Raze. Apart from the blood on his clothing, there didn''t appear to be a scratch on him.


    Standing on the stage in the room was Niang, the new n Head, a few of the Elders including Connor, and several of the supporters that were deciding people in bringing Niang to the position he had achieved.


    However, as Raze was taking care of the n members at a fast speed one after the other, they were dumbfounded with not a single one of them jumping in, and before they knew it, all the warriors in the room had fallen.


    "No¡­ still not enough, they weren''t enough, I need the rest of you," Raze said as he pointed his sword right toward Niang standing in the center.


    "Who are you, who sent you to do this to our n!" Niang shouted, his head still shaking with anger. As he shouted at Raze though, he could see behind him the group of people that had just arrived.


    "Harbour?" Niang called out with a raised eyebrow. "And the others you brought with you¡­ it was you, you were the one that sent this man to attack us, is he from the Moon Shield n, huh!"


    Harbour couldn''t believe it, even now, in the situation he was in, Niang was still keeping up with the lies that he had made.


    But, there couldn''t have been arger smile on his face right now.


    "You are a fool, that has brought this upon yourself," Harbour imed. "All of you standing there, you all brought this upon yourself."


    "You didn''t believe a word I had to say and just trusted the twisted words of this vile man that is now the head of the n!"


    "The Moon Shield n? Do you really think a member of the Moon Shield n can wield this power? Someone that we didn''t know about other than the n leader?"


    Those on the stage looked at the man below. Due to his mask, they couldn''t see his face, but one thing they could tell was based on his body shape, he didn''t seem to be the Moon Shield n leader.


    But who else could it be, who could Harbour have connections with to be able to bring so much chaos to the Lethal Bite n?


    "Everything seems to just be a string of fate, as you can see, I rescued Bargo and Ivor, the Vice Head of the Moon Shield n, and the n member in charge of the barracks that I sent here.


    "Do you care to exin why they were locked up in our cells!"


    Connor''s gaze was staring at Niang from the corner of his eyes. Originally, they had believed that Bargo had run away.


    It made him look guilty of his crimes, and Connor thought it might have been a n set up by the other ns. Yet, why would Bargo be here now of all things.


    "Do you have an answer?" Connor asked.


    "An answer?" Niang replied as he moved closer to Connor. "Do you think this man down there had the right, after bringing someone that took down our entire n? He has brought the n to ruin."


    "If he was the leader, look what would have happened."


    "Are you really that clouded in your own judgment, living in your own world!" Harbour shouted. "All of this has only happened because of what you have done."


    "You went too far. You could have just kicked me out of the n, but instead you even went after my family. All of what is happening today is a result of your own actions!"


    A thread of guilt was overflowing in Connor right now. When they had the meeting, the evidence was stacking up against Harbour overwhelmingly. To the point even those that supported him had crossed him.


    When did it happen, when did he fail to notice that Niang had so much influence over the n? It had to be something that was brewing for a long time, even during the reign of Feebie and Royo being at the top.


    "I''m sorry for what has happened, Harbour, my negligence in the n matters has failed the whole n-"


    In the middle of his speech, a dagger had appeared right through Connor''s throat, out to the back of his head covered in blood.


    "Shut up!" Niang said as he pulled out the sword, and Connor fell to the floor. "Are you saying that my reign that has only been so small is a failure?"


    "I am at the helm of the Lethal Bite n that will make history. Our n will be the biggest it''s ever been and will lead the Dark Faction to conquer all other factions and unite the continents."


    "I was able to unite the Lethal Bite n, by taking out all of those that were useless and not loyal to the cause, and I will do the same with the rest of the Dark Faction. I will not have someone tarnish the name of the new Lethal Bite n while I am at its head."


    Harbour shook his head. It wasn''t at the sight of the Lethal Bite n Connor losing his life. Because Harbour wanted to take that from him as well.


    In his mind, he med all of the Lethal Bite n for not looking into matters. He did everything for the n, gave his whole life to the n, and they repaid him by killing his family.


    However, he shook his head at the reason for all of it happening, and Niang''s goal in all of this, it was truly saddening for him to hear.


    "You''re right, you will be remembered in the history of the Lethal Bite n as the one who was at the head when the Lethal Bite n was no longer and fell to oblivion."


    Harbour was screaming at the top of his lungs that his throat hurt, he was so saddened by his words that tears were streaming down his face again.


    "You said you will grant me my wish¡­ so please, grant it for me, get rid of that man!" Harbour demanded.


    "Don''t worry, I was already nning to," Raze answered. "He is the current head of the Lethal Bite n, and as long as there is a head, the n will always exist."


    Raze crouched down, holding the sword by his side, and his Qi started to pulsate right by the hilt.

 Chapter 524 A Surprise power

    Chapter 524 A Surprise power


    ??"What are you all doing?" Niang said as he flung his dagger by his side, causing the blood to drop to the floor.


    "These people in front of us have taken out most of the Lethal Bite n. If we don''t deal with them now, then the whole n will fall.


    "Centuries of history will fade. He''s been fighting non-stop; surely he''s tired by now. Get them!"


    Those standing on stage were shocked that the Elder Connor had just been killed. The oldest member of the n.


    The n had already lost so much, and they were struck by what Niang had done, but two things drove them.


    One, the fact that the n''s whole existence was on the line, and the second thing was Niang doing the same thing to them.


    They rushed off the stage and quickly went down to the targets below, but they weren''t just going to let them attack Raze.


    Bargo, although injured, drew his sword and deflected one of the swords. Anna charged forward and grabbed two of them by the wrist, flinging them onto the floor.


    Charlotte had even cast a heat spell along with a wind one, causing a vortex of mes to hit one of the warriors in the stomach.


    Enough powers and such had already been revealed. The case for hiding the powers was dealt with. Lastly, Harbour had joined the fight, as he gathered his fist and dodged a blow, pulling one of the Elders and hitting them right in the face.


    Before they would fall down, he grabbed the Elder again.


    "None of you had to go that far; you killed my family, and against one of your own! After everything I did, you guys had no right to decide that!" Harbour shouted.


    "Are you saying you wouldn''t have done the same?" The elder replied. "If we had found the same type of evidence of Niang, you wouldn''t have ordered the same if he had a family."


    It was the usual Pagna way. The offense of one person was a whole family''s offense. Not just that, but if one were to leave any survivors, then it was always a cause of retaliation.


    You had to pull up the whole problem by its roots; otherwise, it would just grow back.


    "You lost nothing, while I lost everything!" Harbour shouted, hitting him right in the stomach.


    Bargo and Harbour were now back to back, as there were more from the stage, and these were quite skilled warriors unlike the rest that they hade across so far.


    "We can handle these; everyone else seems to be holding their own as well. Apart from Ivor," Bargomented, as Ivor was busy hiding behind the orange-haired girl with magical powers.


    He was cheering her on and being a lookout for her, since her senses weren''t as sharp, but he wasn''t directly getting involved in the fighting himself.


    "Do you think that the new guy will be okay?" Harbour asked.


    "The leader, he''s a middle-stage warrior, and a low one if I''m correct. His strength should be no less than those that had attacked us at the stone manor," Bargo answered. "If that is all he needs to deal with, then that young one will be fine."


    "I''m worried though, after everything he had seen us do, and everyone in here, Niang still doesn''t look afraid. He might be a weak middle-stage warrior, but I just feel like he has something up his sleeve!" Harbour eximed.


    Raze looked at Niang''s devious smile, and with the sword by his side, he gripped the hilt tight. His Qi was starting to gather and pulsate around the hilt of his weapon.


    ''If he''s a middle-stage warrior, then using just the Dark Edge Sword Arts without the magic should be enough!'' Raze thought.


    Shifting his feet forward, Raze used the descending step to leap right at his enemy. He had made it from his position almost right up to where Niang was.


    "The fourth Dark Edge Sword Arts!"


    The Qi was gathered in the hilt of the weapon rather than the de.


    ''Let''s get this over with, in one hit!'' Raze thought.


    ''The Void Pulse formation!''


    Qi pulsated outward from the back of the weapon. The mass amount of power had hit some of the attackers that were dealing with the rest of the group from behind, causing them to fumble.


    However, the power of the thrusting attack was dealt with from the front, as Raze''s sword had gone right through Niang''s chest.


    It had pierced right where his heart would be; the sword had broken through, and Niang''s face was one of pain.


    "With this, the Lethal Bite n will fall, and one of the five pirs that hold up the Dark Faction will start to crumble," Raze spoke.


    Anna looked over as she twisted another attack and pushed their head into the ground once again.


    "Ah right, I forgot, I was meant to interrogate the leader to find out if he was part of the deaths in the other cities as well¡­ it looks like that won''t be possible right now," Anna said to herself.


    Niang, his face one of pain, soon started to change though to one of smiles.


    "You¡­ want to take down the Dark Faction, what grand ambitions you have," Niang managed to speak out.


    "Take down," Raze replied to him. "No, that''s not exactly right¡­ It seems my enemy has arge force, one that has its eyes everywhere. I don''t want to take out the Dark Faction; I want to control it and make it my own."


    "Then it seems like our goals are the same, too bad you won''t seed." Niang had a smile on his face, and with his hand, he had reached down quickly to his side.


    Raze pulled out the sword from his chest quickly. Something wasn''t right; he should have been dead by now, but that wasn''t the case.


    If stabbing one through the heart wouldn''t kill them, then he would just have to go for the head.


    As Raze went to strike though, Niang already had his sword in his hand. It was shining brightly, a white glow to it, that hurt his eyes.


    Before he knew it, from the tip of the de, arge beam of energy fired out. It hit Raze instantly, pushing him back, right down to the ground.


    His hidden zer had activated immediately, creating a force field around him; it was blocking the beam of energy from the sword and had eventually stopped.


    Niang held the glowing sword in his hand, radiating with power, and as for the wound on his chest. Through the cut cloth, one could see it healing visibly to the eye.


    It was as if the wound was never there in the first ce.


    "You thought you had killed me; did you think your sword, with your strength, could do such a thing?" Niang started tough, holding onto the sword.


    Harbour, seeing what had urred, knew he was right, Niang was hiding something.


    However, back in the center of the room, Raze was unhurt as well; he was looking to the floor, holding onto his face.


    "If it wasn''t for the effects of the zer, that would have been dangerous," Raze looked up, his hand still holding onto his mask.


    Half of it had been destroyed by the attack. Letting go and cing his hand by his side, his mask fell onto the floor, revealing his entire face.


    "You have a few hidden weapons I see, but you have no idea what I''m capable of," Raze chuckled off his Pagna clothing, and magic covered his body as it was reced, revealing the finely crafted zer that had saved him.


    "Let''s see who has more surprises," Raze smiled.

 Chapter 525 The Truth Of The Man Behind The Mask

    Chapter 525 The Truth Of The Man Behind The Mask


    ??With Raze''s mask having fallen, everyone could see what the attacker looked like. Of course, those that had traveled with him had all seen his face before, but it was the first time for Niang.


    "All of this trouble is caused by you. I''ve never even seen your face before, and how can someone so young cause so much trouble!" Niang screamed.


    The wound healing on Niang''s chest didn''t go unnoticed by Raze. He had seen such things happen before, and he had a few guesses in mind as to what it could be.


    ''An enchanted item, one at a high rank, or is it possible that this person knows Light magic. From the look of the sword as well, it seems to be producing Light magic. It''s quite the strong sword as well, at least at the Mythical level¡­ it''s quite possible that the healing effect and the attack are alling from that sword, if I can just pry it away from his body.''


    Niang pointed the sword at Raze again, and momentster another beam of energy shot out directly towards him.


    Swinging the sword down, Raze was able to stop it using his Qi and his Ghost de. It was strong enough to take the attack.


    ''I can''t just rely on the enchantment of my zer, enough attacks and it will soon run out.''


    The sword was still pointed right at Raze, and soon several shots of white beam energy came at Raze. Using his footwork, he started to run across the sides.


    He had to swing his sword once in a while to stop the attacks, but Niang was quite smart.


    He was attacking ahead of where Raze would be, almost predicting where his movements were. Not just that but the attack beams could vary.


    Niang was able to let out small short bursts allowing him to unleash more attacks. Raze blocked a few, but some had hit him, and his zer had activated, blocking the hit.


    Right after, Niang unleashed a longer beam of energy; Raze was unable to strike back and held his sword in ce.


    It hit the side of the sword and his body was being pushed back. Raze was trying to push with his Qi to move himself forward but it wasn''t working.


    While one hand blocked the sword, Raze with his other hand free, shot out a lightning bolt. It scattered across heading right for Niang, but as if to protect him, the energy from the sword shot out hitting the lightning and getting rid of it before it reached his body.


    The beam attack had stopped pushing Raze back, but all the progress he had made in getting closer to Niang was reset.


    ''That sword can even block magic attacks¡­ but it didn''t block the Dark Edge Sword Arts. Can it not block Qi, and can only block magic? Then what if I do this instead!''


    More beams of energy came Raze''s way, and swinging his sword in the air, he was able to block nearly all of the attacks.


    The others who had been dealing with the elder monsters and more had sessfully dealt with them. They were easy to deal with after everything that happened, especially the disruption from Raze''s attack.


    However, they were able to do one thing sessfully, and that was to somewhat wear out the attacking group. Now the rest of them were watching from the edge of the room.


    They were staying out of the way as the light beams from the sword were shot out in all different directions. They imagined if they were to try and join the fight, they would just get in the way and lose their life fairly quickly.


    As Raze got closer again, he was pushed back with a longer beam of energy attack. He skidded across the floor while trying to force his way through.


    ''Raze¡­ doesn''t have enough Qi; that attack is stronger than the Qi he can build up. Even if he is good at condensing his Qi, it''s still not enough.'' Bargo thought watching from the side.


    ''This is his limit, as he''s only an initial stage warrior!''


    Once again, rather than lightning, Raze tried ice this time, throwing it like a spear. It had disrupted the light attack, stopping the beam of energy, but was stopped by the sword''s power.


    Right after though, Raze didn''t stop there; he continued to swing his sword using the Crimson sh and added the power of his Wind magic. He swung it in front of him again and again as if he was trying to strike down a wall.


    A flurry of attacks went through the air and had gone right at Niang.


    Using his sword this time, it was as if he knew it wouldn''t stop the attack, so he swung it. The attacks the sword did it, it managed to stop them, but the sheer amount of attacks Raze has swung it was impossible to stop them all.


    Niang''s body was getting cut up left and right. Large marks were made on his body, chunks of flesh had been taken out, and blood was dripping from his wounds.


    Eventually Niang swung the sword himself, and arge line of white energy hade out from it. It headed straight for Raze who had to roll on the ground and move out of the way of the attack.


    Now he could see Niang standing there, with several wounds all over his body. However, right in front of everyone''s eyes, the wounds, they were closing up, his body was regenerating in front of them, as if it had never happened.


    "Can you keep up this fight forever! It''s only a matter of time until you run out of energy!" Niang eximed. "I wanted to deal with you the easy way, but you are bing a problem for me."


    With the sword glowing by his side, Niang was finally moving from the stage and was heading down to where Raze was.


    ''Everything I''ve tried so far hasn''t worked, but I have by no means given it everything I have. Out of all the magic in my possession, although Light magic is weak against Dark, my Dark Attribute by far is stronger than any other attribute of magic I hold.''


    Magic started to swirl around Raze''s body, and as the intense amount of magic grew, the color from his hair was starting to change again.


    The ck was fading, and the white was starting to show. Holding the sword with both of his hands, Raze was ready to unleash another devastating attack.


    Yet, by the side, seeing the new look of Raze, and the white hair that had appeared on his body¡­ there was a sudden realization that was setting into Harbour.


    ''White hair¡­ the young appearance and how strong he is¡­ he''s the White Dragon, isn''t he?''


    Rather than words of admiration or astonishment like the others when they had discovered Raze was the White Dragon.


    Harbour felt something else instead, his fists were starting to tense as he began to think things through. The words of his sister.


    ''That damned White Dragon is ruining everything for me.''


    ''There''s a troublesome one that is running the bnce at the academy¡­''


    ''It seems like too much trouble is urring, I''m going to have to get rid of him myself..''


    ''Don''t you think taking Royo is too far!''


    ''This White Dragon, I don''t know why but at times when I look at him I get this feeling. I need to have Royo by my side¡­''


    Feebie had been talking to Harbour like she was obsessed with this person, the White Dragon. Thest words she had spoken to him were that she was going to deal with him, and now she was dead.


    ''Could it be¡­ the person that is helping me right now¡­ is the one that killed my sister!''

 Chapter 526 Raze Pushed To The Edge

    <h4>Chapter 526 Raze Pushed To The Edge</h4>


    Seeing the white hair on his helper, a string of memories came back to Harbour. All of them, conversations he had with his sister, thest leader of the Lethal Bite n.


    It was because of her death that a string of events had urred¡ªthe selection of a new leader and Niang wing his way to the top.


    "Is that man¡­ is that man really the one that my sister had a grudge on?" Harbour thought. "He fits everything she said, and how many people at a young age have a full head of white hair? There can''t be many out there."


    "Am I now helping my sister''s killer?"


    Harbour knew straight away he should rephrase that word because it wasn''t that he was helping him; more so, he was getting help from his sister''s killer.


    "All of this started because he killed my sister¡­ my family, the loss of the n, all of the chain of events," Harbour clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white again.


    He was thinking that maybe he had it all wrong. That the one he should be angry at, and the one that he should be going against was the White Dragon.


    It was what his sister would have wanted. However, another image started to appear in his head, and it was of his family¡­ thest moments he had seen them before heading to the n.


    Because he was unable to even see them in theirst moments, not even having permission to give them a proper goodbye, and all of that was because of one person.


    "No, I have no idea what situation led the White Dragon to go against my sister. That business is her business. He had no hand in going against my family; the only one that I wish to see perish today is Niang, so I will continue to cheer on the young man!" Harbour thought, confirming his resolution.


    With Raze having fought so much in the fight so far, he was finding the strange healing effects of Niang extremely annoying, so he decided to go for a bigger attack.


    Lifting up his sword, he was ready to use the Eclipse Strike.


    "I have plenty of Qi, and Charlotte is here, so I can''t use my Dark magic, but I think this will be enough!" Raze thought.


    While the sword was lifted above his head, he decided to risk it. He ced his foot on the ground and mmed it on the floor, using the first step of the descending steps.


    Right after that, he continued to go through the motions of each of the steps one by one, the Qi building up. At the same time, he was carefully using them, avoiding Niang''s shots with the beam.


    "You''re like an animal moving around like that; just stay still!" Niang shouted as he constantly fired out several sts.


    A couple had managed to hit Raze, but his zer had activated, protecting him from the hits and beams of energy.


    However, Niang, getting more frustrated, shot out arger single line of energy from his sword. It wasing out like aser and now was chasing Raze.


    "If he hits me with that...it''s going to hurt even more, but I''m only on the 6th step; this will just have to be enough!"


    The beam of energy hit him, and at the same time, Raze swung his sword down, performing the Eclipse Strike. A mass amount of Qi used on the Ghost de managed to overwhelm the attack that hade at him.


    It consumed it and carried on going forward. The attack was sorge that it had covered the whole of Niang''s body and continued forward, destroying the wall behind him.


    It was a devastating attack that shook the entire ce. When the attack disintegrated, they could see the result. There was arge giant sh going through Niang''s body.


    It went from his waist to his shoulder. It looked like part of his body was going to fall to the floor due to therge cut that had been made.


    Yet there was no blood dripping on the floor; instead, the inside of his body, where the flesh and organs could be seen, were stringing together.


    Forming back up and pulling part of the dismembered body back in one ce until Niang was back in two again.


    "I don''t think that''s something that Pagna warriors can usually do," Anna said. "Although I could be wrong; I might need to update my data."


    "No, you''re right," Ivormented. "That isn''t something a Pagna warrior can do; what did Niang do to his body?"


    Although Raze had a lot of Qi, all of the Dark Edge formation attacks took up a lot of Qi to use and magic. Which was why he was always reluctant to use them unless he was sure he could finish off his opponent.


    During this fight, the 4th formation, the Void Pulse, and the Eclipse Strike had both been used, and both of these times he had failed.


    If it was a fight against a more normal opponent, he would have killed Niang at least three times, but this was no normal opponent for Raze.


    "You¡­ you¡­. although I can heal, it still hurts, you..." Niang shouted out.


    With the sword still in his hands, he then grabbed it and did something no one expected. He held it toward himself and stabbed it right through his stomach.


    It went through his body, to the other end, and was lodged to the point that only the sword guard and the hilt could be seen.


    However, just like with all of the attacks, the wound had healed up, his skin was healing over the sword, and the power was still glowing, to the point that Niang''s own body was now glowing as well.


    He was shining a bright golden glow just like the sword.


    "The Lethal Bite n, in the first ce, are more known for its fist techniques rather than its sword techniques, so let''s see how you fare with this!"


    Niang threw out his fist, and a beam of energy came out straight at Raze. He was too slow to raise his sword in time; the attack was faster than thest.


    Before it touched his skin, though, just like the times before, his barrier activated due to his specially made zer, but when the strike had hit, like ss, the barrier had shattered.


    "It''s protected me from too many hits; it needs time to restore its magical properties."


    This didn''t go unnoticed by Niang, and taking this opportunity, he started to punch the air again and again with all the speed he could of an eighth stage warrior.


    Raze lifted his sword trying to protect himself from the hits, but his body was being pounded by the energy. It hit his leg, his stomach, his face, his head.


    The beams of energy were hitting him every. It was as if he was directly being hit by the fists himself right in front of him.


    Blood spurted out from his mouth as several solid blows hit him in the stomach.


    "He''s going to lose this fight; we have to help him!" Charlotte said.


    Another strong hit had hit his stomach, lifting Raze up on his feet, and blood gushed out of his mouth onto the floor.


    "Forget covering this crap anymore; I''m sick of getting hurt!" Raze said as magic surrounded his arm. It was covered in ck magic.


    "Dark Push!" Out from his hand, arge wave of dark energy surged forth, pushing away the Light magic attack.


    It continued to propel forward through the air until it struck Niang. The attack left a tingling sensation on his skin.


    Startled, Niang''s rhythm of attacks halted momentarily, but the sword''s healing effect did its job, and he no longer felt pain on his body.


    Instead, he focused his attention back on Raze, who wiped his mouth. Still holding the glowing sword in one hand, Raze''s other hand was cloaked in darkness.


    "What was that¡­ he just used?" Harbour asked.


    The others weren''t so sure; they assumed it must be one of the many powers he had disyed in the fight so far.


    "If he could use something like that, then why didn''t he do so from the beginning?" Ivor questioned.


    Charlotte was the only one who knew, her eyes glued to his hand.


    "He''s using¡­ Dark Magic," she mumbled to herself.

 Chapter 527 Five Minutes, To Win

    Chapter 527 Five Minutes, To Win


    ??During the fight, Charlotte had noticed a few things, but she thought that she must have been imagining things or mis-seen them.


    Now, there was no doubt in her mind about what she could see Raze using, and thest spell he had just used; it was Dark magic.


    To those who weren''t from Alterian, it might not seem like a big deal, and it was just any other type of magic being used, but Charlotte knew the truth.


    "When I met Raze back then, he was just a 2-star mage, and now he''s a 4-star mage. He grew incredibly quick."


    The thing was, Charlotte had seen Raze use Dark magic before. In their first meeting, and Himmy had witnessed it as well.


    She had seen him use the spell, Dark Pulse, but that was it. The spell was a simple one that many, even those who didn''t have the Dark Attribute, knew of.


    Now, though, she had witnessed an incredibly powerful Dark Spell, a 4-star level spell.


    ''How could he even know such a spell? Sure, he could have increased his magic power and still use a spell like Dark Pulse, but he knows more spells.''


    ''As far as I know, I haven''t met another mage who knows how to use Dark magic, so how could he have even learned such spells? Unless he came up with them himself.''


    If that were the case, then Raze would be a genius. Spells were based on years and years of research. Sometimes, spells would take generations toe up with as the knowledge was passed down from one person to the next.


    However, out of all the things she had seen, the fact that Dark magic was used, or a 4-star spell was used, wasn''t the most concerning thing.


    It was the strength of the Dark magic itself. More mana meant bigger spells, but the real strength of spells was how much affinity one had with that magic element.


    For Dark magic to ovee what she could tell was Light magic that wasing from Niang and the sword, the Dark magic had to be incredibly powerful.


    ''The reason why Dark magic is ouwed and banned in Alterian is because the way to increase its affinity is by taking lives. For him to have gotten his affinity this high already¡­''


    ''He couldn''t have been entering dimensions non-stop and killing beasts¡­ he must have also killed humans. Just how many lives could he have taken.''


    The strength of the Dark magic was making the entirety of Charlotte''s body shiver, and she had no clue what to think of the situation anymore.


    Before, it was a small matter that she wouldn''t report to her superiors because she didn''t want to make a big deal out of the matter.


    Through her interactions with Raze as well, he seemed rather nice, but who knew what his true intentions or mannerisms were.


    If she were to report this, just how would Alter react?


    With Raze finally using his trademark Dark magic, he was more confident in the fight ahead. Niang had recovered and threw out another fist technique, punching through the air.


    At that point, Raze decided to match it, performing the two-step shift; he threw his own hand out and performed a Dark Pulse.


    Combining the two of them, he was using the move he had created: the Dark Strike. A beam of energy came out of his fist, dark in color just like what Niang was doing.


    The two energies met in the center and hit each other. As they did, the energies lingered in the air for a few moments before they disintegrated into nothing.


    The whole room was warping, and the power was passing through those who were watching.


    "I have no clue what these powers are, but I''m sure if we were hit by them, or were in the middle, we would perish," Bargo imed.


    Once again, the flurry of punches had begun from Niang, and in response to this, Raze had ced his sword into the ground in front of him and started to throw out his fists as well.


    Each time, he was shooting out Dark Pulses to match the attacks that were sent by Niang. The two powers were colliding with each other, destroying them.


    When the two powers would collide, shockwaves would be sent out each time, but it didn''t bother the two of them as they continued to attack.


    What Charlotte didn''t realize was Raze''s Dark magic, although strong, wasn''t as strong as she thought. The reason why Raze''s Dark magic was able to go against the Light magic was because of his Qi.


    He was using his fist techniques with Qi, plus the added power of Dark magic, to make the attack more powerfulpared to what it would be.


    If he was just using Dark Pulse, the Light magic would be too powerful, and he would be losing out.


    As the two continued to fight this way, it looked like there would be no winner, and it would be more of the case of who was to run out of magic first out of the two.


    ''I can''t keep this up; that sword is still giving him power even now. If I don''t do something else, then it will cause arge problem,'' Raze thought.


    Thinking about it, he needed to wonder what he could do to win this fight. His opponent could heal, so how could he win the fight?


    He no longer had the mana to cast the Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    "I still have the mana pill; that will restore my mana for more time. Itsts five minutes instead of one, but¡­ the issue is even if my mana is restored, I need a way to win this fight."


    As he was thinking things through, he could onlye up with one answer. He thrust both of his hands together at that point, using thest of the magic he had avable.


    "Dark Canon!" Raze cast.


    Arger beam of energy erupted, and rather than face this by punching early, Niang punched the dark energy straight on, destroying it.


    "I''m surprised you still have so much energy, but you must be tired now," Niang imed.


    Looking at Raze, he could see that he had the sword picked up back from the ground, but not only that. In his other hand, he had the dark-colored pill.


    Taking it, he gulped it down, and soon he could feel the energy restoring inside the rest of his body. His mana had returned¡­ but it would onlyst for five minutes.


    On top of that, mana used wouldn''t be restored; it was just back to the way it was.


    "Four formations," Raze said. "In total, I have learned 4 of the 8 Dark Edge Sword Arts formations. Whenbined with Magic, these formations are even stronger."


    Niang had no idea what the person in front of him was talking about, but he could feel a rise in energy from him for some reason.


    Instead of fighting up above, confident in his strength, Niang decided to step off the stage and was ready to go for Raze.


    "1st formation, Shadow Bind; the second formation, the Eclipse Strike, and the 4th formation Void pulse. I haven''t been in a fight where I could use this until now."


    Raze lifted his sword up, just so it was under his eyes, and then glided his hand across the sword. As his hand moved, Dark magic started to linger on the sword.


    "The third formation, Nightmare Veil!"

 Chapter 528 Nightmare Veil Formation (Part 1)

    Chapter 528 Nightmare Veil Formation (Part 1)


    ??The Dark Edge Sword Art skills were techniques that were produced by the Dark Faction founder, who, just like Raze, was someone from another world.


    These techniques were incredibly special since they had two ways to use them: the regr way with just Qi, and an added way with magic.


    Because of this, it was hard for Raze to perfect the skills. It had been a long time since he had studied something and didn''t quite understand how they worked.


    Which was why he was only able to learn up to the 4th formation out of the eight formations so far. However, during his fight against one of the dimension''s bosses with incredibly hard skin, he had used the 4th formation, the Void Pulse Technique. He had yet to use the 3rd formation. There hadn''t been a time when he could use it.


    Niang had survived the 2nd and 4th strikes so they were useless, and the first formation was just a bind; it didn''t actually do any damage.


    Which left him with no choice; he was now performing the 3rd formation.


    "The third formation, Nightmare Veil!" Gliding his hand across the sword, Dark magic encased the Ghost de, this was until he reached the very tip.


    Right after, Raze then swung the sword in a circr formation like that of a clock, and from the sword itself, the Dark magic was fading into a mist, a dust.


    That dust was covering the area in front of them, turning into a very thin fog. The colors in front of everyone were now slightly darker, even with the light shining in from the destroyed buildings.


    "This is your big trick?" Niang said as he continued to move forward and waved his hand through the mist. In doing so, it did nothing.


    It had dispersed the particles slightly, but the faded color just seemed toe back after. Seeing how it was fine, Niang decided to just go for it and charged straight at Raze.


    In response, Raze swung his sword, and when he did, from the end heading straight for Niang, was what looked like a giant lion.


    It had appeared right at the end of his swing with its ferocious teeth. For a moment, Niang was startled by what was in front of him, and he had decided to punch it with his fist technique.


    On impact, the lion was hit right in the face and exploded. As it did, remnants of Dark magic touched Naing''s body causing great pain to his skin.


    His glowing body started to heal the wounds, but before he knew it, all sorts of different creatures were starting to appear.


    Lions, giant six-legged creatures, even humans without heads were appearing,ing straight at him.


    Niang had no choice but each time having to use his fist technique to punch them. They wereing at a fast speed, and he needed to act.


    In the middle of it all though, Raze had appeared right there. Right after Niang had punched a giant spider creature, Raze came swinging his sword and had managed to cut him right on his chest.


    Niang was pushed back, as he moved away, his body still healing, but now the dark creatures were stilling after him.


    Those that were watching, they could see the creatures as well.


    "I don''t understand what is happening, I''ve never seen a sword technique like this before!" Ivormented. "A sword technique that can produce creatures¡­ beasts from other dimensions!"


    Bargo was paying special attention, and he thought he had some of the technique figured out. Great talents could create images out of their visual Qi when they struck.


    Striking in a certain way with an image in their mind could make the strike more fierce, and the Qi being used would then be visualized behind the strike.


    Each time Raze struck his sword in a certain way, the mist in the air, along with his strike, was allowing him to produce frightening creatures out of his visual Qi.


    What he was confused about though, was how the visual Qi, even though being used so far away, was still causing damage to Niang.


    This was an answer that only Raze knew. It was because he was using magic as well. If he was just using visual Qi, it wouldck power in the Nightmare Veil.


    These creatures would only have a lingering Qi effect. Still, the idea behind the technique was to battle with the use of images.


    It was in human nature to react to things they could see. It was hard for them to believe what they were seeing wasn''t real.


    In this sense though, the creatures weren''t just made with visual Qi but magic as well. Giving them more bite when they were destroyed or when they would attack.


    While using a psychological way of fighting, Raze was mixing in his own attacks.


    "This is useless!" Niang said as the wound across his chest hadpletely healed. "These creatures may hurt others, but they can''t harm me!"


    Three beasts came at him at once, and Niang punched one right into the other with his Lethal Bite technique. They exploded part of the magic hitting their bodies, anding right through the veil of beasts was Raze himself.


    He swung his sword down striking from above. Niang managed to avoid this slightly, allowing for the sword to just go through his shoulder.


    Rather than pulling out the sword, Raze had decided to do something else instead. He let go of the hilt and ced both hands on the floor.


    In that moment, Ice magic had activated and held onto Niang''s legs tightly. From above, more creatures hade to attack Niang that he hadn''t dealt with yet.


    Staying in ce, he went to strike them all; in the meantime, Raze had pulled the sword out of Niang and close to him, started to strike again and again, cutting the outside of his body one after the other.


    As Niang went to strike him, Raze lifted his sword up, cutting off his hands. At the end of the day, even though Raze was an initial stage warrior and Niang was a middle stage warrior.


    Niang was a lower stage middle stage warrior, with argeck of skillpared to others. The only thing he had going for him was the special sword in his body.


    "Keep harming me; you know it will mean nothing. Even if you destroy my head, I wille back to life; even if you destroy my heart I will stille back!"


    Niang''s body was a wreck, his arms had been sliced off, and the Ice magic had continued to rise until it had reached his waist.


    Now he was frozen in ce full of cuts and wounds healing, as well as the sword in his stomach.


    "If you try and touch that sword, it will explode and destroy you, but I will still live!" Niang said with a smile.


    The words, it was unsure whether he was telling the truth or not, but Raze didn''t care.


    "I didn''t n to just kill you anyway; from the beginning, all I wanted to do was to get close to you because your power is going to be mine."


    Raze said as he extended out his hand and grabbed the top of Niang''s head.


    ''Let''s see if the extraction technique will work with your healing powers.''

 Chapter 529 Nightmare Veil Formation (Part 2)

    Chapter 529 Nightmare Veil Formation (Part 2)


    ??One of the main reasons Raze had attacked the Lethal Bite n in the first ce was to breakthrough, to be a middle stage warrior.


    He had been struggling for a while now and had reached the peak of the initial stage. His power was still growing, but he hadn''t broken through to the middle stage.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he might have been the strongest 6th stage warrior in the whole of Pagna, no, in the history of Pagna.


    There were a few ways one could grow stronger and try to break through to the next stage, but there was something that Raze had that made it easier for himpared to others.


    That was the deadly extraction technique. So skilled at using the technique, Raze could even use it in the middle of a fight to drain his enemies somewhat.


    The more energy one had, the longer it would take to fully drain them. Which was why most of the time, it wasn''t something he would use in battle.


    Yet in this battle, it might have been his key to victory and advancement.


    Raze held Niang''s head, and energy started to drain from him into his own dantian.


    "Even if your body will heal, it takes some time for it to repair itself," Raze spoke. "There were two things I needed to do this."


    "First, I needed to get closer to you. With your newfound power, you were able to shoot Light magic out. The worst type of magic that I could have gone up against."


    "My magic powers were running low so you forced me to use a pill. However, still, I knew you would run away the moment I got close to you, which was why the best option in all of this was the Nightmare Veil."


    "It left you open, allowed me to attack you, and damage you to the point where you were unable to escape; a few seconds was all I needed to hold you in ce."


    As Raze was exining, Niang noticed something. The power of the sword was trying to heal him, but it wasn''t working. The glow from his body was fading away, and his hands that had been cut off weren''t regenerating.


    "Then I used my magic to keep you still, and now here we are. Right now I''m taking your life energy; your body''s not damaged. I wonder how the sword will react, or even more so, whether or not the sword can keep up."


    The glow from Niang''s body hadpletely faded, and right after just like many of the others that Raze had used the extraction technique on, his entire body was shriveling up.


    His eyes were sinking in, his muscle structure was getting smaller, and then eventually, just like with all of those if the extraction technique was used too much, his heart stopped beating.


    Letting go of his head, Raze waited for a moment, waiting for the sword to act up, to heal the enemy in front of him once more.


    After a few seconds though, nothing had urred. ''Hmm, I still had two minutes of Mana left¡­ I wasted a precious pill on this one. The Nightmare Veil was more effective than I thought.''


    The ice that was holding up Niang melted, as Raze took away his power, and the body fell to the ground. The sword was still stuck in his body.


    It hadn''t disappeared, and the strong radiant power could still be felt.


    "It should be fine, right?" Raze said to himself.


    Just in case, he cast Dark magic over his hand and held on to it, pulling out the handle. Now that it was out of the body, Raze knew for sure Niang had died.


    Slowly he started to ce his Dark magic away and held the sword firmly in his hand with no magic at all.


    ''A new sword to add to my collection; after losing the other swords, this will be good to have.'' Raze thought as he held the Ghost de in one hand and the new Light sword in the other.


    ''I don''t know any dual sword techniques so it''s pretty useless to me to use it that way. Besides, having one hand free for magic is always handy.


    ''Regardless, I will be able to switch out what weapon to use depending on the situation I''m in.''


    While holding the sword, Raze was sure of it; the weapon was a special one. Either an enchanted one or one that had been retrieved from another dimension.


    It carried at least Mythical power. To see what it could do, Raze was ready to use his magic on it. That was until he felt something rumbling in his stomach.


    A great pain was burning up from his stomach and was rising to the top of his throat. It felt like his insides were stabbing him.


    As it climbed up his throat, he fell to his knees.


    "What happened, is he hurt from the fight!" Ivor asked.


    The others rushed to him, wondering if there was anything they could do. They had seen him getting hit from the light a few times, and he was bleeding out blood from his mouth before.


    As they got close though, Raze opened his mouth and a wave of ck blood spewed out onto the floor. It spread out violently, sttering down.


    Right after, Raze''s entire body was covered in sweat, but not just any sweat, there were ck beads of sweat running from his body.


    Then even worse was starting toe; from the corner of his eyes, rather than tears, a ck substance wasing out, including from his ears.


    "This is¡­ he''s breaking through!" Bargo realized. "He''s going to the next stage."


    After Raze had absorbed the energy from Niang, it was enough. His dantian was pulsating with power, until it could take it no more and had exploded from the inside.


    The energy was taking a while to settle. Now his body was healing up the dantian to allow it to be stronger than before, while also getting rid of more impurities from his body.


    Making him be less like that of a regr human, and closer to that of a god. Reaching the middle stage was one step from the Divine stage where power was unimaginable to them.


    Yet there was something that was worrying Bargo as he looked at Raze.


    ''How many impurities does he have in his body, for this much ck blood toe out from him.'' Bargo thought. ''This makes sense when a person breaks through to the first stage, and even as they go up.''


    ''As a person goes higher and higher in stages, though, a fewer amount of impuritiese out of one''s body. Yet here, there''s still so much. Just what type of body does this person have?''


    Regardless, as Raze''s body was going through an extraordinary amount of pain, trying to twist out whatever dirt it could from his body, he had a smile on his face.


    ''The middle stage, I''m finally going to have reached the middle stage, I will be a 7th stage warrior, with this, my magic, and the new sword I have obtained..! I am getting closer to having power that will help me deal with the Principal¡­ and then¡­ it''s your turn, Grand Magus!''

 Chapter 530 A Middle Stage Warrior

    Chapter 530 A Middle Stage Warrior


    ??The ck blood continued to pour out of Raze''s body, creating a pool underneath him. If a regr person had this much blood under them, one would think they would have bled out by now, but Raze was still on the ground, allowing everything to flow out of him.


    The others could only stare at what was happening as it took ce. They continued to watch in silence until he finally stood up from the ground. His footsteps only rippled slightly in his own blood since part of it had dried up.


    That was how long he had been going through the process, but when he stood up, Raze felt a great strength in his stomach that flowed through his entire body. All of his senses were heightened, including the smell in the room.


    Clenching his fist, just like all of the other times before, he could put even more strength into it, something that he wasn''t even sure was possible.


    ''This is what it feels like to be a middle stage warrior?'' Raze thought. ''This feeling of strength, of being a new person in a new body. It''s quite addicting, I can see why Pagna warriors start to crave the growth and power of their body.''


    ''It''s quite simr to how I felt every time I discovered something new in the world of magic. I have to be careful that this sense of feeling and power isn''t something I strive for other than my revenge¡­ I need power toplete my revenge; I am not getting my revenge to gain power.''


    Going down to the ground, Raze picked up the special sword off the ground. He had just dropped it before going into his strange state. When picking it up, the blood fell back onto the ground from the sword.


    It didn''t look natural, as if the sword was trying to clean itself.


    ''If it''s an enchanted weapon with Light magic, then it will be difficult for me to see its effects, but if it''s just a magical weapon in the first ce, I can see what this thing can do.''


    Raze brushed his other hand against the sword, activating his magic, and as usual, he could now see exactly what the new weapon could do.


    [Mythical Grade Item]


    [One-Handed Lux Sword]


    Looking at the sword itself, it had the traits of weapons used in a kingdom. The sword guard was fairly thickerpared to others. The de itself had quite a wide width before it went up towards the point at the end.


    On top of that, the de itself looked like it was double-edged. It had an olden historic feeling with the craftsmanship that could be seen on it. With a single look, one could tell it wasn''t a sword that belonged to Pagna like that of the Ghost de he had.


    [While holding onto this weapon, it synergizes with the user''s other healing capabilities and items by 200 percent.]


    [While holding onto this weapon, it synergizes with Light Magic-based powers, increasing their effect by 200 percent.]


    ''The zer that I am wearing has healing capabilities and also has a defensive barrier; it''s been enchanted with Light magic. So if I use this weapon, they will increase in power as well.''


    [While holding the weapon, all Dark powers will be weakened.]


    ''There isn''t a percentage amount, as with some things in magic, things aren''t always certain. But it''s expected; this sword has such strong Light magical powers that it will affect my powers. Of all things, it will affect my strongest magic power, Dark Magic.''


    ''It seems that the best way to still switch between weapons as I use them. Since using the Ghost de increases the output of my Demonic Qi and I can use Dark Magic skills to perform the Dark Magic arts.''


    However, it didn''t stop there; there was one more special trait of the sword to be seen.


    [Upon death, the user will be given a second chance.]


    ''A second chance, that is vague, and I wonder if it can be activated more than once after it''s been used. I''m already on my second chance¡­ but I''m hoping the skill of this sword will never have to take ce.''


    Thinking back to his fight with Niang, Raze was thinking a couple of things. The healing powers were incredibly strong. It was either this second chance effect of the sword that was constantly being activated by Niang.


    Or that Niang already had incredible healing capabilities for another reason, and the sword was boosting it. There was a third option Raze was considering as well.


    That perhaps the sword had gotten weaker. During their fight, he had absorbed the energy while the sword was inside of Niang, and some of that power he possibly might have taken inside him.


    ''The Light magic attribute is something that will be incredibly difficult for me to obtain, and even if I do obtain it, it will be even harder for me to raise its affinity due to me having a Dark Core, but the effects of the Mythical sword are too much to not use; I shall keep it.''


    Raze swung his hand, and the sword magically disappeared in front of the others'' eyes. Now they could see that he was finally done; the group began to move in closer.


    They hesitated as they saw his dried ck blood on the ground; the only one that didn''t care too much was Anna, as she went to look at the dead body of Niang on the ground.


    "Ah, I messed up." Anna said, scratching her head. "I don''t think there''s a single person left alive in the Lethal Bite n that can answer our query. We won''t have a clue whether or not they are behind this whole thing, of these deaths urring around the whole city."


    "Well, there is one way to know, if we have defeated them, then won''t it mean the deaths around the city will now stop?" Charlotte answered. "We can just stay away from Alter for a while and say we''re still investigating the matter."


    Raze only cared about the mission in the first ce because he wanted to go to Alter to obtain more information. He felt like they would harbor something about the Grand Magus.


    However, if that didn''t work, at least he would be led to an area filled with powerful weapons. What he didn''t expect was to finally reach the middle stage and get a new weapon for himself.


    "Congrattions, by the way," Bargo said with a smile, holding onto his injured shoulder. "It seems that you have sessfully be a middle stage warrior, and based on your performance, quite the strong one as well!"


    Anna and Charlotte were pretty clueless when it came to these things; they knew that the stages were a level of strength, but would never be able to fully understand the level of aplishment Raze had just achieved without being a warrior themselves.


    "Thank you," Raze answered.


    "About your mission, there might be some files in the base that you can look around for that might give you your answer about what Niang was up to and what he was behind," Harbour answered, looking at the floor when he said this.


    He was fairly quiet until he raised his head and looked Raze straight in the eye.


    "I have a question to ask you¡­ were you the one that killed my sister?"

 Chapter 531 A World Mess

    <h4>Chapter 531 A World Mess</h4>


    There had been something heavy on Harbour''s chest for a while. With the defeat of Niang, he thought he would be happy. His family had gotten the vengeance that he had sought.


    He was unable to do it through his own hands, but then again, he felt like if he had never met Raze drinking that night in the first ce, his vengeance would have never seeded.


    In part, he felt like the word was giving him some type of justice. Yet, the pain was still there, and there was something nagging at him more than it ever did before.


    Before approaching Raze, he kept repeating in his head that it was fine. There was no need to know the truth; he had gotten what he wanted from this stranger and had nothing to give him in return¡­ and yet for some reason, the words had left his mouth before he realized it.


    "Were you the one that killed my sister?" Harbour asked.


    For everyone that was there, the question came out of the blue. Charlotte and Anna knew about where Raze was before, at the academy.


    "His sister, who''s his sister?" Charlotte couldn''t help but whisper.


    "ording to the information I have, Harbour''s sister was Feebie Dines, the leader of the Lethal Bite n before all of this started," Anna answered.


    Bargo, hearing this, had to think there was a reason Harbour had brought this up; he wouldn''t have just brought it up out of the blue.


    That''s when he himself realized, if this person was the White Dragon that they thought of, shouldn''t he have been at the academy? Why was he away, and why was he in this city currently?


    "Your sister is Feebie," Raze repeated. "I¡­ was the person that killed your sister, but everything I did was to protect myself."


    When hearing the answer, Harbour felt a smilee up on his face.


    "No wonder you are so strong; if you were able to best my sister, then of course it''s only right that you were the one that defeated Niang as well."


    "She was always hot-headed, and I told her it was her worst trait. That was why I always took over matters to do with the city."


    "I wonder if the meeting between all of us is just fate, or someone from above pulling all the strings of what we are doing. For some reason¡­ your answer has brought me some peace."


    Right after finishing his talk, Harbour went on both of his knees and ced his hands on top of them before bowing his head down.


    "You granted my wish when I was at my lowest point. There was only one thing I wanted more than ever, and it felt like an impossible task, but it has beenpleted because of you."


    "Regardless of your reasons for doing so, you have done me a favor. As I said before, you are free to do with me as you wish. My life is in your hands now, because it was a life that I had already given up on."


    Harbour raised his head, and then ced it on the ground three times after saying these words.


    The scene had reminded Raze a little of Simyon when he had promised loyalty to him as well.


    Hearing these words, Ivor and Bargo looked at each other, their eyes slightly wider, and Ivor felt his palms sweating slightly.


    While in the cell underground together, the two of them had talked about the situation and meeting with the Alter group.


    Bargo had suggested that after their job was done, it was quite possible that Alter would deal with them. They had never seen such things, items, and powers before and never heard of such tales.


    If that was the case, then there had to be a reason why, and Bargo hade up with the idea that they must have killed every single person that had known about them.


    This was why Ivor was gulping right now.


    "We need to decide what to do with these people; they have all witnessed too much," Anna said, looking at the three Pagna warriors.


    Bargo didn''t even bother thinking about putting up a fight; Raze would be even stronger than when he fought against Niang.


    "Honestly, Himmy is meant to be in charge of these things, so I''m not really sure what to do. We could bring them with us back to him¡­ but I can tell you the most likely answer," Charlotte answered.


    She was kind-hearted, too kind-hearted, Raze thought. Himmy would suggest for all of them to be dead, and Raze could tell she would rather have them just escape.


    "These people, they can be of use to us still," Raze answered. "I think if Alter was to overlook their position and get rid of them, it might cause even bigger problems.


    "For one, we have Bargo who is the Vice Head of the Moon Shield n, one of the top five ns; having him as an insider can be valuable."


    "Then we have Ivor, someone on the ground that can help with particr situations, andstly¡­" Raze looked down at Harbour.


    "We have Harbour, the person in charge of the city, on the border of tworge factions."


    Harbour looked up at Raze and wondered what he was trying to suggest.


    "My position¡­ I no longer hold it," Harbour said.


    "Why? Because the Lethal Bite n took that position away from you?" Raze replied. "Don''t you realize, that there is no longer any Lethal Bite n here.


    "And, me as the person who took down the Lethal Bite n, is now stating that you will be in charge as the head of this city."


    Harbour felt like he no longer had a purpose in his life. With his family taken care of and his revengeplete, there was nothing left for him to do.


    He had promised that his life was Raze''s, and if this is what he wanted him to do, then so be it.


    "If you wish for me to look after this city, in your stead then, I ept!" Harbour eximed as he bowed down again to Raze.


    "I think that won''t be too much of a problem," Anna said as she was overhearing things. "Himmy and Alter should be able to agree to all of this, and besides if there is no one in charge of the city it will be chaos."


    "The only person that I''m not too sure about is Ivor."


    Ivor was nervously scratching his head. Even he wasn''t sure and thought Raze trying to save him was a stretch, but he just kept his mouth shut and was thankful.


    "I can help with that," Bargo said. "We can state that the Moon Shield n has made it so Harbour is still the head of the city. It looks like I should stay here a while until you get things up and running again."


    "Before we make matters official I have one thing to say to you," Raze said as he moved in closer to Bargo. "If a timees, where something like this urs, and the Moon Shield n might have to go against me¡­ then it would be best you convince them to stay out of it."


    Raze was thinking of when he would go against the principal. Part of the barrier were the five ns, with one taken down, if he could get one to no longer support the principal it would make the task a lot easier.


    "I will try my best, but I can''t promise anything," Bargo answered. "Just like with Harbour, I know you have done a big favor for me today. Who knows what would have happened to my life if it wasn''t for you."


    "I wish to just rest for the remainder of my time on this."


    With all decided, the team decided to search the rest of the building to see if there was anything else they could find on the matters involving Niang.


    However, all they did find were several burnt documents and ashes. It looked like it had happened a day or two ago as well.


    There was no evidence that they could use, and with that, they had returned to Himmy at the Inn, to inform them of everything that had happened.


    Charlotte, who passed on the story with Anna adding in details, did omit the type of magic that he had used, and the powerful sword that was obtained as well.


    Beforeing to meet Himmy, Raze had asked Anna if she would keep quiet about the sword, and her reply was, ''as long as she got what she needed from him.''


    They didn''t talk about it much before entering and telling the rest to Himmy.


    They were sitting at a table, and Himmy was continuously rubbing his forehead.


    "I can''t believe¡­ that you did all of that. I thought that you might have gone to just deal with one person, but you''re saying the whole n was eliminated." Himmy then started to rub his eyes even more as he started to think about things.


    "Do you think¡­ we will be punished by Alter?" Charlotte asked.


    "How can they be punished by something if they don''t know about it? For now, the world will just know that Harbour hadmitted vengeance and eliminated his n."


    "We took advantage of the situation and asked him to join the group, by helping his family rest. I can make something up along those lines, so that should be fine. What I''m worried about is the ripple that this will cause for the Dark Faction."


    "What is going to happen now, and how are they going to protect this ce?" Himmy asked.

 Chapter 532 Spread Over The World

    Chapter 532 Spread Over The World


    ??After much thought and sleeping on it for the night, Himmy had something new to tell the others. He had asked all of them to gather in his room to inform them of his decision.


    "What happened yesterday is impossible to keep under wraps for long. I''m sure either sooner orter, Alter will ask us to make some type of report." During his talk, Himmy was constantly pulling the white stick out of his mouth.


    Raze could tell that he seemed quite stressed out by this matter. In some way, seeing this, Raze had gained some respect for his squad leader.


    Too many times he had been in positions when he was younger and rising in Alterian that he had seen superiors take out their stress on those below them, or pass on the workload to them.


    When praise was due, they would be happy to take all the credit, but if it was the opposite, then quickly it would fall to those below him.


    Not once, though, had Himmy seemed to tell the group off for what had urred.


    "Which is why I''ve decided it''s best if I head back to Alter, and to do so alone. If I make a report, there is no need for all of us to go, and if we all go, they''ll question each one of us and it will be harder to get our story straight. So I will be away for a while, and in the meantime, you guys should stay in the city and try not to cause any trouble."


    With those words said, he didn''t even leave time for the others to ask any questions, and Himmy had already headed straight for the door.


    Before exiting, he turned around to look at the others.


    "Charlotte, while I''m away, you''re in charge of these two, I''m trusting you."


    "Me!" Charlotte said, pointing to herself, but nothing else could be done as Himmy had already left.


    Charlotte then turned to look at the current two members. Anna was a well-known troublemaker, so much to the point that Himmy would allow her to go on solo missions.


    She was always sessful in her missions but based on the reports she had given, there was more trouble than they would have liked.


    Then thetest member, Raze. He had the strength to take down a whole n by himself, and Himmy wanted her to be in charge of them, how would this even be possible?


    "Why don''t we just head to the Lethal Bite n base. I''m sure Harbour and Bargo might need our help with setting up a few things," Charlotte suggested. "Besides, I should tell them what their role will be in Alter and how they should act.


    "The do''s and don''ts."


    There was no reply from the others, which she took as a yes.


    "Well, this is going to be fun," Charlotte sighed.


    Keeping what happened under wraps was impossible, just as Himmy had suggested. Multiple warriors had died, those warriors had families that were in the city.


    Not only that, but there were the guards that were stationed around the city as well. It was clear as day that the n that looked after the city was now no longer.


    The people were in fear because they lived on the border; they were afraid that this weakened state would allow for them to be attacked soon.


    Which was why Bargo and Harbour were quick to make an announcement. The general public was fine with Harbour being the head of the city.


    He had been doing a good job so far, and not just that, they were afraid. People had learned what happened to his family and now knew what happened to the Lethal Bite n, putting two things together and his current position they thought he was the one responsible.


    However, people knew he didn''t have the direct power, so all sorts of rumors were swirling about, and the most likely rumor was that the Moon Shield n had helped to get rid of the Lethal Bite n.


    Because of this, Harbour thought it would be best to just get rid of the n name altogether. The Lethal Bite n was no more.


    Those that would be running the city would just be part of the city''s government run by him. This was for the best, until now.


    One of the first groups to find out about the matter was the other major ns in the Dark Faction, and once again an emergency meeting between the current leaders had been called in the academy.


    In the main building, sitting down in a dark hall full of wooden floors. The leaders were sitting in their seats with some of their trusted men by their side.


    The leaders were sitting opposite each other apart from Murkel, who sat facing to the door, looking at the others to his left and right.


    "What has urred at the Lethal Bite n is somewhat what I predicted would happen," Murkel imed, cing both of his hands together.


    "You predicted that the n would fall?" Samantha asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "When the head of a n falls, there are always those that will fight to take charge of the position. A civil fight was always expected which was why we had sent Bargo in the first ce.


    "To make them aware that we were watching things. If they did anything, then we would act. What I didn''t expect was the whole n to be taken down," Murkel said.


    "Then I have to ask?" Crine, leader of the Flowing Force n interrupted. "Is the rumor true, did The Moon Shield n really have a hand in taking out the Lethal Bite n, was this your order Murkel?"


    Murkel didn''t have to answer that because Gavin interrupted straight away.


    "It is not true. Bargo was present and currently they say they are dealing with the matter to give confidence to the people, so hopefully the Demonic Faction won''t attack."


    The other n leadersughed. Who would have thought they would be in this position with one of the top ns falling? They had quickly be aughingstock.


    The more important matter was the Demonic Faction and what their move would be now that they knew strength at the border had been weakened.


    "They won''t attack," Murkel answered. "I am quite confident about that."


    "There are two reasons as to why they won''t attack. The martial arts tournament is right around the corner. They are unaware of our Faction''s full strength and due to how close it is they will use the tournament to test matters."


    "This is why the tournament is now more important than ever for us to show our strength. As for the second matter, remember the Lethal Bite n was eliminated."


    "One of the top ns of the Dark Faction had been eliminated, but who was it done by?"


    Gavin was a bit slow, as he didn''t quite understand what Murkel was getting at.


    "What does it matter?"


    "It does matter because the Light Faction and the Demonic Faction are well aware that this wasn''t done by them, but done by someone in the Dark Faction. Which means that they will consider this as our strength.


    "What I want to know is, who, or what n was strong enough to take out the whole n, even if it was in a weakened state, and I''m sure they''re wondering the same thing."

 Chapter 533 The Hardest Quest

    <h4>Chapter 533 The Hardest Quest</h4>


    The news had first hit the Dark Faction, but the next set of people to hear the news was none other than the Demonic Faction, and eventually, the news would have traveled to the Light Faction as well.


    All of the factions had their ways of gathering information. They would often have members in other factions working for them. For some people, coin was more important than loyalty to the n and people that brought them up.


    On top of that, nearly every n could utilize the wanderers that would pass through each of the factions with ease. There was no loyalty when it came to them.


    Thenstly, there were some ns, as well as information gatherers like that of Bubble, whose sole purpose was finding out information.


    One n in the Demonic Faction in particr had found out about the news, the Neverfall n, one of the most feared ns even in the Demonic Faction.


    Belil Narfous, their leader, was having a meeting with his elders, and they were sitting in an extremely heated room on the bottom floor. Most of the others were sweating apart from him.


    "Things are finally changing after so much time has passed," Belil said with a smile on his face. "It appears that things are happening all the time."


    "Do you think that the Lost n will react, aren''t they in charge of the border closest to the Dark Faction?" One of the Elders asked.


    "They won''t act," Belil said confidently. "Right now, most of the aggression on the Demonic Faction is from the Light Faction not the Dark Faction.


    "On top of that, I heard that the Lost n had its own troubles recently with a portal break. Besides, you know how the Demonic ns are like, we have to be careful of each other, rather than the other factions.


    "If the Lost n attacked and the Dark Faction put in a lot of effort, there is a chance that one of us will just eat them up."


    There was quite arge difference between the Demonic Factionpared to the other factions and that was unity. The Dark Faction and Light Faction had managed to unite together.


    The Light Faction through a council of sorts where they would vote on matters. The Dark Faction was through Murkel''s overwhelming powerpared to the others.


    The Demonic Faction was different, there was no unity. Perhaps the only thing that was unified about them was that they lived in the same area and had a disliking for the other ns.


    In a heartbeat, if one of the Demonic ns showed weakness they would be taken over, yet at the same time, it was this worry that had kept them so strong.


    "I''m not interested in that anyway, what I''m more interested in is setting a date!" Belil turned and looked toward Rayna. "I need to know, when is the big day, when will you two be getting married."


    "Sir," One of the Elders asked. "Aren''t there more important matters, like the uing martial arts tournament."


    "Nonsense, how can that be more important than one of my daughters getting married?"


    Rayna''s face was turning bright red, and she didn''t really know how to answer. She hadn''t been in contact with Raze for a long time. The only way she knew how to get to him was through the Crimson Crane, and even their activities were split.


    The Crimson Crane were no longer in the Demonic Faction, and as usual, the wanderers had gone off to do their own thing, splitting off into different areas.


    "I will try my best to give you an answer soon, father¡­ please just give me a bit of time," Rayna answered, with no idea how to get an answer.


    Inside the stone city, where the Lethal Bite n once resided, things were starting to run smoothly once again.


    The image of a well-functioning city had to be kept up, and in a way to show strength the one thing that they didn''t close was the path from the Demonic Faction into the Dark faction.


    People wereing and going as they had been doing before.


    In the city itself, there was also another group of people that were operating as normal.


    In the singrrge building that had a spire that raised higher than most of the city, the Rylon Religion were busier than ever.


    The people that had been living in the city were afraid slightly and had beening in looking for a new hope and a way of protection.


    Standing at the center, in their bright yellow robes, were the Meisters were doing another ceremony.


    "May we all praise the sun!" the Meister said.


    Those sitting in the long benches stood up and gave a little bow, repeating the word "Praise the Sun." Before, heading back out the exit of the church.


    However, there were a few people who hadn''t left. They stayed standing and were looking at the others that had remained standing.


    They were a group of six of them. Some of them in armor, some in Pagna clothing but what they all had inmon was they were wanderers.


    Not only that, but they were rtively well-known wanderers who each knew each other.


    There was a reason for their gathering today, and the Meister in yellow standing gestured for all of them toe forward.


    As they moved, they turned their heads giving nces to one another and had eventually stopped right in front of the Meister.


    "What is the meaning in this, I thought this task was a solo task. You didn''t state that we would be working together," One of the wanderers asked.


    "He''s right, usually we would make our own team of people that we trust if you want us to work together, and it says something else that you did this, it means you didn''t trust us."


    Reaching into the sleeve of the robe, the Meister then pulled out a pouch and threw it over to the five in front of them.


    As they opened up the pouch, inside they could see 3 gold coins.


    "That is the downpayment for this quest I have given you, and it is only ten percent of the fee if you are able to sessfullyplete the task," The Meister exined.


    The amount of money they were being paid had shut them up. No matter what the task was now, they would ept it.


    However, the amount was extremely high, making them consider one thing, just how dangerous was the mission?


    "I won''t keep this just yet," One of the females said. "Not until you tell us, just what this task is. We answered your call."


    The Meister had a big grin on their face.


    "Even if you don''t ept it, you can keep the coin. As a gesture of the Rylon Religion.


    "The task can be seen as an easy or difficult one, but it is more one that needs to be done in secret."


    "You see, our society had given a certain individual belonging to the Lethal Bite n an item. To be exact, it is a sword known as the Lux Sword."


    "Your job is to retrieve it. As you know, the Lethal Bite n has fallen, so you must find out who has it, and obtain it from them at all costs."


    Retrieving an item from an individual, there were many ways to do that. The job seemed too simple.


    It was worrying for some, but the sheer amount of coin for what sounded like an easy task had taken them over, including one individual.


    "I''ll do it," Elvlin answered, a well-known wanderer from the Crimson Crane.

 Chapter 534 The Wrong Words

    <h4>Chapter 534 The Wrong Words </h4>


    Charlotte, along with the rest of her group, had arrived at the Lethal Bite n base at the top of therge staircase. For now, Harbour was utilizing a number of wanderers along with workers to renovate the ce.


    He wanted to get rid of anything that reminded him of the old Lethal Bite n, as it was no more. At the same time, there were a number of repairs that needed to be done on the ce from before.


    Thankfully, because Harbour no longer held any sentimental value over the belongings of the n, he was freely spending funds and selling the past n''s treasures. He was using this to support the payment of other wanderers mainly since they were now protecting the city and the n base from attacks.


    Heading to one of the rooms in the back on the first floor, Harbour was standing there giving orders to a bunch of wanderers that were moving treasures that shined brightly covered in gold and jewels, and that was when Charlotte and her group had approached from behind.


    "Are you really okay with getting rid of all of this?" Charlotte asked. "I know you no longer wish to rebuild the n, but these treasures are things that your family have gained over time; it''s part of your lineage."


    "Part of the n that murdered my own family line, which I no longer have a continuation of," Harbour replied. "Besides, most of these treasures never belonged to the n in the first ce."


    "The Lethal Bite n weren''t some noble n that had been raised making treasures of their own with skilled craftsmanship. They were a n that focused on fighting with their fists and stole the treasures from other ns after subduing them," Harbour exined.


    Charlotte knew it was quite a touchy subject so she decided to leave it at that, but now that she was here, what else could she say and talk about. It seemed like Harbour was well underway of doing things on his own, and even if she could help, what could she exactly do?


    She started to twiddle her thumbs wondering if they should just rest until Himmy returned; she had already informed all of them individually about their Alter duties, and they understood it well, but that was when Raze had spoken up noticing something.


    "You seem to have something else on your mind, much more important than these treasures, what is worrying you?" Raze asked.


    Harbour looked at Raze once again; he had changed his hair back to ck rather than the standout white, which was probably a good thing. Most middle-stage warriors would be known by the world in some way, at least in their faction, but the legend of the White Dragon was a small one.


    An achievement from a student at an academy, and nothing else had urred since then. Practically speaking, he was an unknown middle-stage warrior and it was best if he kept it this way for as long as possible.


    "You have good insight; it''s almost as if you can read my mind," Harbour replied. "Right now, Ivor is handling the guards and the barracks around the city. Making sure it''s calm. In a situation where a n ispletely destroyed, some warriors see this as an opportunity to attack."


    "Whether that be other wanderers, or even smaller ns that surround the area. Then, Bargo at the moment, is keeping an eye on the mountain tunnel between the Demonic Faction and the Dark Faction."


    "But do you really think the Demonic Faction will attack?" Raze replied. "The Demonic Faction has no idea who took out the Lethal Bite n; one would at least have to assume they had greater strength than the Lethal Bite n, I think they will be wary of an attack."


    "When you speak like that, you really don''t sound like a child," Harbour replied. "Talking about these matters to one with such a young face is troubling, and how much strength you have is troubling as well."


    Charlotte and Anna thought the same; it made no sense other than the fact that he was a genius, but with his upbringing and background, it still didn''t quite fit with them.


    "Regardless, we can never be so sure with the Demonic Faction, as the ns work individually, and there might be individuals seeing this as an opportunity to attack. To prove their worth to a faction or a n. So we just need to be careful for now."


    It was understood, and Raze started to think about it. While they were here would they suffer an attack from the Demonic Faction? If that happened, what was he to do?


    There was one thing that he was keen to try out, his new weapon, along with his new middle-stage power. He hadn''t even been able to train on the outside of the city at the moment.


    Perhaps now he was a middle stage warrior, he might be able to unlock more of the techniques from the Dark Edge Sword Arts as well.


    "Oh, if you head to the second floor, one of the rooms that was used by Niang as his sleeping chamber, I managed to grab what I could from his strange research that he was doing."


    "I ced everything there was in there. I took a look through it myself but there was nothing I could really find, but thought that your group might want to have a look through them as well," Harbour imed.


    Charlotte was happy because this gave them something to do, and with Anna on the case, she would be able to sort through the files fairly quickly.


    The group headed to the room, and the chamber wasrger than they thought. The amount of documents wasrge in size as well going from books to scrolls, and some of the items were even damaged.


    Either way, they had got to work as they began to go through the files. Raze and Charlotte were looking at one side of the room as they eventually were looking through the same box of documents together.


    While reading scrolls, out of the corner of her eye, she continued to peek at Raze.


    ''I want to ask him about the Dark magic he learned, how did he know those Dark magic spells, and how did he even increase to the 4-star level so quickly.


    ''Is there something that he knows? And, when I watched him fight, I''m not sure¡­ but was he able to use magic and his Pagna skills? That''s the most mind-boggling thing.''


    It was astonishing for Charlotte, as Raze seemed younger than her, for her to ask for help, but because she wanted him to guide her she also didn''t want to offend.


    "Raze about what you did," Charlotte eventually spoke up without making eye contact continuing to shift through the documents. "I wanted to ask¡­ the Da¡­ the Da¡­ the Da¡­"


    Images in Charlotte''s head started to appear; she felt like magic was acting on her, and she didn''t know if it was her imagination or not. She remembered just how powerful Raze''s magic and attacks were when fighting against Niang.


    "Yes.." Raze asked.


    "Can you¡­ can you teach me how to be a better mage!" Charlotte asked.

 Chapter 535 A Question Of Terror

    <h4>Chapter 535 A Question Of Terror</h4>


    The words that hade out of Charlotte''s mouth were the truth. After seeing what Raze was able to do, it was clear he had more knowledge than her. Even when he was a two-star mage, he had given her advice on how tobine her spells together, something that wouldn''t normally be typical of a lower-star mage.


    However, before asking him to be a teacher, she wanted to learn his true nature. Was it like people on Alterian said? All of those that practiced Dark magic were pure Evil, and there was no hope of them returning back? Yet, she was unable to ask that question first through fear.


    "Teach you magic, your core is Wind-based magic correct?" Raze asked. "If that''s the case then I know a few things. My family was always quite skilled at Wind magic so I studied it a lot growing up."


    Right now, Raze was trying to establish a backstory for himself through conversation. These wereplete lies, but was standard for a mage who had entered the Central Mage Academy, and one of good backgrounds that could exin quite a few things.


    "That''s great, I mean of course, we can''t just practice out here, but from time to time, we can talk and discuss spells and such, and if we have a mission that requires us to enter another dimension, then I will respectfully take you as my teacher," Charlotte said giving a bow.


    It was then she realized just like Harbour, she felt like she was talking to a senior mage rather than someone who was younger than herself.


    The two continued to look through documents, and now Raze was the one that had nced at Charlotte.


    ''She still hasn''t said a word or asked me about the Dark magic I used. I wonder why she''s trying to avoid the subject?'' Raze wondered. ''If she keeps quiet that''s good, but she would never suspect me of being the Dark Magus, since the Dark Magus is an old man.''


    "You two stop flirting and get over here," Anna said, holding onto a scroll that she had opened up.


    "We''re not flirting!" Charlotte replied with a red face, but Raze himself didn''t deny it as the two of them walked over.


    When looking at the scroll, Charlotte had noticed something instantly; on the scroll itself, there was a drawing of a Chalice, and it was the same chalice that they had seen in the stone manor.


    "A drawing of the Chalice, I guess this is how they managed to find the item in the first ce or something," Charlottemented.


    "You were so focused on the drawing that you missed out the other main issue," Raze answered as he moved closer to the scroll and took it from Anna''s hands.


    Raze then pointed toward the writing above and below the drawing of the Chalice.


    "Ah¡­ it''s Alterian! It''s Alterian writing!" Charlotte eximed. "That document is in Alterian writing."


    Both Charlotte and Raze started to read the descriptions and the words down. Anna had called them over for this reason exactly.


    As Raze pulled the bottom part of the scroll, he noticed that there was also a drawing of something else, and it was something he had seen before as well.


    It was the strange strapping that was wrapped around the mage in the chair, that was feeding blood into the Chalice.


    After reading everything that was on the scroll now, Raze and Charlotte had an idea of what had urred.


    "I see now," Charlotte said. "These words are written as to what the Chalice is capable of doing. Both of them being special items.


    "It''s instructions on how to use them. The second drawing informs them that they must use the blood of onepatible for the Chalice to work."


    "So all of those bodies that we saw in the room, were they those they tried to use the Chalice on?" Anna asked.


    "It seems so, it doesn''t give specific details as to what makes a person special, but judging by the fact that the Chalice had finally activated, it might be that they just needed a mage."


    Raze thought that was quite the strange item. To summon a Pagna warrior from the Divine realm one needed a mage''s body.


    Maybe all of the Chalices were like this, or perhaps that was just the requirement of the equipment for just these two items.


    Either way, he was finding more links between the world of Pagna and the world of Alterian which was worrying him somewhat.


    Pagna had a deep history, so for how long were these two worlds even connected? At least over a hundred years, perhaps even longer.


    While the two sides were living in their own worlds, they were greater powers at work.


    "What I want to know is why the instructions are written in Alterian in the first ce," Raze stated. "That means it was someone from Alterian that did this. The fact that it''s written on this scroll, means that they intentionally were trying to inform the Pagna warriors of what these items did."


    "You are right, but it''s written in Alterian," Anna replied. "So if this got into Niang''s hands, then how was he even able to decipher this to know what to do. Out of all of those in the Lethal Bite n, there was no one from Alterian."


    This was certainly the case, at least there was no one that Raze had managed to notice.


    "This is important information and news, but it looks like we won''t be able to go further now that Niang is dead," Anna stated and looked at Raze when saying those words, as if it was his mistake for killing the other without finding out more information.


    "I will keep this for now, and inform Himmy when he returns, out of everything I searched so far, there was nothing of interest that could help us," Anna imed.


    It seemed like that was it for the group, and they could spend the rest of the day as they were, but instead, Anna then looked Raze in the eye.


    "Since it''s the day of answering questions for yourself, then I think now is a good time for you to finally answer my question.


    "You have seen someone of my kind before¡­ is that correct?" Anna asked.

 Chapter 536 An Ass

    Chapter 536 An Ass


    ??Ivor had been traveling around the city, heading from barracks to barracks. He had given different people roles after assessing what they were able to do. At the same time, he was the one who would tell them what they were meant to do in case there was trouble in the city, the way Harbour wanted to deal with them.


    It was safe to say that it was the hardest Ivor had ever worked, because there was a fear in him.


    Walking through the streets, he was heading to the next barracks location. Here there was to be another assessment of new recruits with good pay to join, trying to get in the people and wanderers just like the time before.


    He was walking fairly fast-paced through the city, trying to get there quickly.


    ''I have to prove my worth to Harbour, and that way it will prove my worth to Alter as well!'' Ivor thought, quickening his steps even more. ''Otherwise, if they think I''m useless, then they will just get rid of me!''


    Ivor felt he was let off by the skin of his teeth. What value did he really have, and why of all people, did the no-name White Dragon decide to spare him and try to convince the others to keep him alive?


    He didn''t know the answer to that, but he didn''t want to give them a reason for getting rid of him.


    Upon entering, Ivor could see some of the old Lethal Bite n members giving an assessment to the wanderersing in.


    The barracks were set up simrly to the others with a training area section inside of it, with a sand-like flooring. The applicants were about to go through the tests such as the Qi stone assessment.


    There were very few of the old Lethal Bite n members that were still present who had been in the city at the time.


    They weren''t really official members, or those that had grown up with the n but those that had been selected to be guards.


    They had their lives spared, and they didn''t even know it, and now they were helping with the recruitment process.


    As Ivor went in, he could see the assessor standing on one side, and the applicants lined up. The assessor was going through the list of names he had been given.


    "What is this!" The assessor shouted. "We have no names taking part in the assessment. Do they think that we are just letting anyone in because of what happened!"


    "That''s right," one of the ones waiting to be assessed said, looking at the no-name standing next to him. "I''m starting to have second thoughts if they''re letting people like this in, Even if the pay is good, I still have part of my pride."


    A lot of the applicants wereining about the two no-names that had been allowed to take the assessment and the assessor himself didn''t seem to be pleased.


    Seeing this, the assessor had already made his choice. "The no-names will not be taking part in this assessment, that is an or-"


    "Wait!" Ivor shouted as he continued to walk.


    The assessor noticed Ivor since he had been granted a higher position now within the n. Seeing how everything was, it was bugging him slightly.


    "You can''t just go doing that on your own, every person deserves a fair chance," Ivor exined. "If they are able toplete the tests, then just like everyone else, they are allowed to join the n."


    "This is not the same Lethal Bite n, this is a new n entirely, so that pride that you speak of should be thrown out."


    Seeing Ivor talk, the applicants still didn''t like the words that were being spoken. Some of them had decided to even turn around and leave, no longer taking part in the assessment.


    However, most of them seemed to stay as well.


    "Sir, if you do this, it could lower the quality of those that will apply, not only that but the other ns will disrespect us. Those with no name, have no morals. They have no history or aplishments that they can stick up for or be proud of. They are lifeless."


    Ivor held up his hand stating that it was enough, and he didn''t want to hear anymore.


    "Right now, remember what I said, we are a n that is starting from fresh. We also have no history from today, so it''s only right that we can also ept no-names," Ivor replied.


    "And trust me, you will be surprised, there are some powerful no-names out there that can change the wholendscape of ns with thousands of years of history."


    "What does history and legacy matter if one cannot protect it," Ivor said as he replied and was smiling at himself.


    As for the people he had in mind, a few of them did appear.


    ''I don''t understand these people, how can they grow up so ignorant of the world,'' Ivor thought to himself. Looking at the assessor had gotten him so angry, and he wondered what type of person could even act like that.


    With the assessor seeing more light and a bit disgruntled, he decided that it was best for them to continue on the assessment anyway.


    They turned to the warriors that had applied and they were ready to start. Since things were going well here, Ivor was ready to leave.


    "That was nicely said," one of the men looking at the floor imed, and right after he pulled out a sword and swung it right to Ivor''s neck stopping him from moving any further.


    At the same time, several of the other warriors had stabbed and killed those next to them in single hits, and another had chucked the assessor''s head to the ground so forcefully he had been killed on the spot.


    Just like that, the only one that was left alive was Ivor.


    ''These warriors, the way they took them out, they''re really strong¡­ Are they at least middle-stage warriors? What are they trying to do?'' Ivor screamed in his mind, but he didn''t dare shout out anything.


    That was when one person with a ive in their hand started to walk forward.


    "Our sources tell us that you might know something, so can you please kindly tell us, where is the Lux Sword?" Elvlin asked.

 Chapter 537 Zon Grain

    Chapter 537 Zon Grain


    ??Raze was left a bit speechless by the sudden ask of the question. He had been wondering for a while now when Anna would ask him what she needed to.


    And he had wondered for a few reasons as to why Anna hadn''t called him out for his lying when he had met up with Himmy.


    Out of all times, why did she think now was the perfect time?


    "I can give you an answer to your question," Anna said, even though no one had spoken a word. "To put it simply, we have finished with all our tasks.


    "There is nothing left for us to focus on, and right now Himmy is currently not here."


    This had answered one of Raze''s questions. Anna was also wary of Himmy. If there was one person that they needed to keep their secrets from, it felt like Himmy was the man.


    Charlotte hadn''t said anything to him, and neither had Anna, so Raze needed to make sure.


    "So what you said before is true, you can tell when we''re lying then," Raze said with his hand on his chin, deep in thought.


    "Wait, what!" Charlotte shouted. "You can tell when we''re lying? I never knew this. I knew you could do other things, but tell when we''re lying..."


    "I can tell more than that," Anna answered. "I can look at the finer details of a person, the rise in body temperature, heart beat, and pick up on usual cues. Which is why I can tell that you were flirting with Raze earlier."


    Charlotte''s face went red once again. "We weren''t flirting, I think you need to check if your head is alright or not!" Charlotte eximed as she grumpily started to put away all of the documents they looked at back into their boxes.


    This was something between the two of them, so she would make it appear as if she wasn''t interested even though her ears were tingling and listening.


    Anna noticed this, but she didn''t care as she went to look at Raze again.


    "Now please state to me, what is it that you know about my kind, or what experience have you had in the past," Anna asked.


    "Before that, can you tell me why you don''t wish for Himmy to know about this? This might affect both of us, and affect me in a negative way, so I think I deserve to know," Raze answered.


    Anna was looking Raze up and down constantly, her eyelids weren''t even closing as she looked at Raze not wanting to miss a single part of the reaction.


    "That is because I am part of Alter now," Anna answered. "Although we all have a degree of freedom in the group, ultimately we are part of Alter."


    "My search for those of my kind is a personal interest of mine and doesn''t seem to be anything that Alter is interested in. There is a chance that Alter may see that I care about my own personal goals more than Alter, and I believe that will be bad."


    "I am happy to speak about this with you and Charlotte because I can tell both of your characters. Right now, you were honest when you asked this question, as for Charlotte, she will never say something if there is a chance it will harm someone she likes."


    "And it appears that she likes both me and you, so she won''t tell a word of this to Himmy."


    Even though Charlotte wasn''t looking at the two directly, her ears were burning red as she heard these words. She was meant to be the current leader of the two, and she was being treated like this.


    What Raze had learned from this was how he and Anna might have not been too different. They had their own goals and were just part of Alter to achieve them.


    What was worrying him slightly was how from the way Anna was speaking, she was afraid of Alter, that''s why she kept things a secret.


    He had seen her strength, and he was sure he hadn''t seen the full extent of it either.


    "I promised that I would give you an answer, and it seems like you know what I want to keep away from Himmy and Alter as well. So I will tell you," Raze answered. "However, the answer I give you, it might not please you."


    Anna nodded as she was ready to hear anything rted to the matter. "I am a person you can trust, at least in terms of keeping my mouth shut," Anna stated.


    "I have met a person that is like you, like you assumed. It was while I was at the academy. However, it was a coincidence meeting and even till this day I have no idea why he appeared before me."


    "Also, I am not sure if he is in Pagna or not. Because while I was at the academy, I had met him in another Dimension, it was through a portal exploration."


    Raze could see these words had disheartened Anna quite a bit. It was the first time he had even seen arge change in her facial expression.


    If Raze had seen him in another dimension then Anna''s goal of finding one like her in Pagna wasn''t going to be the case.


    "Can you at least exin to me, who the person you met is, the details of him?" Anna asked.


    "The man had a robotic suit covering his entire body. It seemed to be made out of amethyst material. Over his body there were several sources of red energy circles."


    Each time Raze was saying more words, Anna''s eyes were starting to light up more and more. It was clear that she knew the person that he was describing.


    "The man, he didn''t tell me why he appeared in front of me, but mentioned his name, as Zon Grain," Raze answered, remembering his name well due to the impression he had made.


    "Zon Grain," Anna replied, as a single tear from her left eye had dropped. "So he was alive."

 Chapter 538 The Lux Sword

    <h4>Chapter 538 The Lux Sword </h4>


    At times Anna seemed robotic, and even the way she spoke and analyzed situations along with being able to do arge multitude of different things made her seem more like a machine than a human.


    In Alterian, technology did exist, and it was more advanced than what they had on Pagna. However, it wasn''t highly developed due to the use of magic.


    Most of the time, technology would work in line with magic, so there weren''t ways for it to be fully utilized on its own with other sources of energy.


    The civilization''s technological side was almost stumped because Alterians believed it was more important to work on magic.


    So Raze did know about machinery and technology which was why he was making theparison with Anna and the fact she was advanced in many ways.


    Yet through their conversation, Raze was seeing more emotion from Anna, and it was the first time he had heard a slip of the tongue from her.


    "You thought he was dead?" Raze asked. There was something else that sparked his interest about Zon when he found him.


    Not just his strength or the world where he was from, but the fact that through their conversation, it was almost as if Zon was expecting the two of them to meet again in the future.


    Anna lifted her head, and wiped away the single tear that came from the side of her face.


    "I know you want information, if I give it to you, will you be able to tell me which dimension you found him in? There is a chance he could have gotten out ande back to Pagna as well," Anna said in an upbeat voice.


    "The dimension no longer exists," Raze answered. "The dimension''s boss was defeated, and in fact, I only met Zon after that fact. However, I believe there is something he wanted from me, so if you are able to tell me who he is, maybe there will be a way for us to find him."


    Raze had no fear when speaking now. Knowing full well Anna could tell when he was lying or not, he was now using it to his advantage.


    "It doesn''t matter anyway, the matters of our world and this world aren''t closely linked like that of Alterian. It''s maybe why so few havee here," Anna stated.


    "Our world is in the middle of a civil war between two sides. There are those like me that are enhanced in multiple ways."


    "I was part of a special unit, called the Red Fortis. We were an elite unit, small in number tasked with eliminating the biggest threats on the other side."


    "What would take entire armies to achieve, we would be able to do with a few, and the leader of that unit was Zon Grain."


    "He was the strongest of us all, a person that was making big changes to the war, but then it was said that he was a traitor, he was a person that switched sides."


    "Everyone in our unit believed that it was true, and that it was the case because he was no longer seen. No one saw him, and assumed he either betrayed us or deserted us."


    "When I came to this world, and learned of the possibilities, I thought that it was quite possible that the same thing had happened to him, that had happened to me, and it seems it was true."


    "He didn''t betray us, he just got sucked away... I have to find him and find out the truth of the matter, and maybe together we can¡­"


    The story was interesting to say the least, and Raze had no reason not to believe her, but he couldn''t help but think there had to be something more.


    After all, Zon didn''t seem like he was obsessed with going back, but something else, but maybe that something else was for a way back.


    For one to travel to different dimensions and worlds of their choosing. What was thought a random urrence on Alterian in discovering dimensions might not be random after all.


    Especially, since those that were part of Idore''s Noble Guild are able toe to dimension when a boss would be defeated.


    "All I can add to what I have already told you, is that when Zon met me, it was as if he needed me for something. However, whatever it was he was looking for I was unable to give it to him," Raze answered. "That''s the most information I can give."


    Anna started to walk up to Raze at that point and got extremely close, before she bowed down her head until she was looking at the floor.


    "Thank you so much... thank you, to know that one of my kind is here, and that it is the great ally Zon, you have allowed me to know more than I ever expected," Anna said.


    Charlotte had to blink a few times as she looked at this scene. She had never seen Anna bow down to anyone. She had never acted this way toward Himmy or other members of Alter. This was a first.


    Then her eyes started to wander onto Raze and a soft smile was left on her face.


    "Raze... you really are an amazing person. How is it every time you meet someone you can cause this big change to happen," Charlotte softly spoke to herself.


    The sweet moment was quickly ruined, as the door burst open. The door had broken off its hinge as the man had entered at an rming rate.


    "Harbour!" Charlotte shouted, still startled from the sudden noise.


    "I don''t know what to do! Raze, I think you might be in trouble as well!" Harbour shouted. "In the reception of the Lethal Bite n, there are intruders that have entered."


    "They have Ivor held hostage, a sword pointed towards his neck. They are asking to speak to someone, asking about some type of Lux Sword!"


    The Lux Sword was the name of the newly acquired sword Raze had received from Niang. Niang had never said its name, and Harbour didn''t recognize the sword either.


    "If someone knows the name of that sword, it means they must know the original owner as well. I''m very interested in meeting this person," Raze thought. "If they want to know where the sword is, maybe I should give it a test run."


    Stretching out his hand, Raze made the Lux Sword appear. It shined, glowing in his hand as he made his way to the reception.

 Chapter 539 A Powerful Weapon

    <h4>Chapter 539 A Powerful Weapon</h4>


    The group was always prepared for an attack to ur at any moment. The city, in the eyes of others, was now weak and a prime target for many.


    "Who are they, and why did theye with Ivor?" Charlotte asked as she ran alongside the others.


    She felt a little bad because she could tell that Anna, Raze, and Harbour were all running at a slower speed just so she could catch up. She wasn''t a Pagna warrior after all, and Anna was some type of enhanced superhuman in the first ce.


    "At first, I thought they were from the Demonic Faction, but I don''t recognize any of them as being from the Demonic Faction. I was a bit startled when I saw Ivor, and they asked for something called the Lux Sword, but now, thinking back to it, I think they were some high-profile wanderers," Harbour answered.


    This gave Raze a bigger idea. He doubted it was the Demonic Faction as well. They didn''t act like this; they wouldn''t sneak in and then take a hostage ore to the base.


    They were here for one reason only, and that was the sword. The fact that they knew the sword''s real name meant Raze had a few questions for them.


    Just up ahead, they could see the double doors that would lead down to the reception. Raze still had the Lux Sword. The very thing they were looking for was in his possession.


    "I do have a small favor to ask," Harbour said nervously. "We have already used a lot of our finances to repair the base. If you could pay attention to try and not destroy the room, that would do me well."


    "I will try," Raze answered. "But I might not be able to control my strength."


    Saying those words, there was an underlying smile. Raze, now a middle-stage warrior, wanted to see what he could do. He pushed off the ground, and the floor tile beneath him had cracked, but not just directly beneath his foot; around a meter in the opposite direction from where he was running, the tiles on the floor had broken as he boosted off ahead.


    Harbour looked at the ground and immediately wanted to cry, but noticed the amount of destruction.


    ''His Qi is impressive to do that. Sure, many middle-stage warriors with a kick off their foot can destroy the tile around them, but is his Qi still so condensed that it broke multiple... I might as well say goodbye to that room now.''


    After reaching the main reception room, Raze could see those below, and he wasted no time as he jumped from his position in the air, heading straight down.


    The room was filled with six wanderers and one with a sword held up against Ivor''s neck. They all were staring at the man that wasing down right in front of them.


    "What the heck!" The wanderer known as Neon said, who was holding the sword up against Ivor''s neck. "Does this person not care that we have hostages!"


    It didn''t seem to be the case, as one of the wanderers, known as Axe with a giant axe, gathered all the Qi he had, and swung it matching Raze''s sword.


    The two shed in the air, and a shockwave was sent through the room. Right where Axe was standing, the floor was tearing apart beneath his feet. Axe was turning as he struggled to fight against the Qi, and that''s when he noticed.


    Right at the edge of his axe, there was a crack. It started small and then spread out, shattering the axe into pieces. With that out of the way, Razended on the ground, then shifted and delivered a punch right in his stomach, sending him flying back and crashing into the wall.


    "I''ll do you all a favor because I''m feeling a bit nice today," Raze said, standing there as he held the glowing sword by his side. "I won''t use all my powers."


    The wanderers who had just witnessed what had taken ce were stunned, and in more ways than one. They were all middle-staged warriors, maybe not the strongest, but to see one of them get taken down so quickly and in a battle of pure strength against a warrior that specialized in strength was something else.


    As for Raze himself, he was serious when he said he wouldn''t go all out. For one, he wasn''t using the Ghost de, which would strengthen with his Demonic Qi. If anything, the Lux Sword was only cold when Raze was being more defensive.


    At the same time, he wanted to see how much his body had improved, which was why he was going to just use his Qi for this fight, and not even the Dark Edge Sword Arts techniques.


    Right after, another wanderer swung out what looked like a ck chain; it had wrapped around Raze''s free hand, and immediately she started to pull forward, doing so Raze stood his ground, shifting his feet, and pulled back.


    The wanderer was overwhelmed with the strength and was nearly dragged forward so much so that she almost fell to the floor, but as she was falling, she threw out another chain from her hand and was using this more like a whip.


    Raze then smashed his sword right against the chain, hitting it straight to the floor, destroying more of the ground.


    "I knew it, I knew we should have waited to do renovations to the ce!" Harbour screamed. "If I thought there was going to be a fight, then why did I do something like repairing this ce first?"


    Another wanderer had attacked Raze with his sword, but Raze was able to defend from the strikes easily as he hit them away, using what he had learned from Bargo. While fighting, Raze was noticing something.


    ''This is interesting, since they are middle-stage warriors like me as well, their speed is as good as mine. The amount of Qi they can use is simr as well, but I''ve noticed my Qi is more refined and condensed, allowing me to strike with more precision.''


    ''Leading to my attacks seeming more devastatingpared to the others. At the same time, their techniquespared to what I have learned, and those that I have fought arecking, to the point where this is a very easy fight. This is nothing like when I was struggling with going up against more than one middle-stage warrior.''


    Raze knocked the attack of one of the swordsmen to the side, and then pushed the warrior into Axe, who had gotten back up and decided to strike with his fists. Raze at that point was hit with one of the chains.


    It came around like a whip hitting his side, and that''s when the attack had just bounced off his body. It had moved away with a strong force, not even leaving a mark on his body.


    "What¡­what happened just there?" The woman with chains thought. She was hopeful as they had finally managed tond a hit on the mysterious man, and then there wasn''t even a wrinkle on his zer.


    ''I see, I could feel the energy of the sword reacting,'' Raze realized. ''This is the boost of the sword and the zer working together, 200 percent extra protection from blunt and magical attacks¡­ against middle-stage warriors, right now with this sword in my hand, I can''t even get hurt.'' Raze smiled.


    He had received a very powerful item.

 Chapter 540 A Familiar Face

    <h4>Chapter 540 A Familiar Face </h4>


    Harbour and the others had stayed on the second-floor staircase and were overlooking what was happening below. Based on the panic on Harbour''s face, they had initially thought they would all have to get involved, but seeing how things were now, even with 6 middle-stage warriors, Raze was able to handle them all.


    Not just that, he wasn''t lying; he wasn''t using the full extent of his powers. "Although he has just reached the middle stage, his strength is that of an 8th stage warrior, a mid-eighth stage warrior at least!" Harbour said, surprised.


    "Your naming sense sucks," Charlotteined. "Middle-stage warriors, rank what, 7th, 8th, and 9th, but between those stages, you basically have low, mid, and high, is that right?"


    "Ergh, yeah, I guess we''re just used to it. Right now, Raze, having just gotten into the 7th stage, which is known as the middle stage for warriors, should be a low seventh-stage warrior, but he''s showing the strength of a mid-eighth stage warrior," Harbour exined, which made them understand a bit more.


    Since the first few scuffles against Raze weren''t sessful, now the middle-stage warriors were cautious, and even Neon had let go of Ivor, allowing him to run to the side of the room.


    The hostage seemed useless to them since Raze showed no hesitation in his actions when attacking.


    "That must be the sword right!" Neon called out. "Now we understand why they were willing to pay us so much for this mission. They knew how hard it was going to be."


    "You never know," the woman wrapped the chains around her arms. "It might be that sword that''s giving him these strange protection powers. If we can get the sword off him, it might be a lot easier."


    There was another thing that the wanderers were wondering as well as they circled Raze, ready to attack; there was one of them that hadn''t attacked from the group just yet.


    "Are you going to sit around, or are you actually going to join in the attack this time?" Neon said, looking at Elvlin.


    To the wanderers, Elvlin, being from the Crimson Crane, was the most infamous out of all of them, and they assumed that she had the most strength as well. Yet, for some reason, even though there were chances, she hadn''t attacked.


    "Right," Elvlin answered as she ced her ive in front of her. She continued to look at the young man in front of her. She had been looking at the attacker ever since he had entered, and rather than looking at the weapon in his hand, she was looking at his face.


    ''Why does this person''s face feel so familiar to me?'' Elvlin thought. ''But no matter how much I rack my brain, I can''t think of who this could be. I wouldn''t forget a strong middle-stage warrior like this. This person''s strength, it feels like I''m going up against Alba.''


    Shaking her head, she tried to forget about this nagging feeling that was at the back of her mind. Instead, she was focused on the sword.


    ''I can feel the strong energy from that sword, no doubt it''s helping this person in the fight. With the attack against Axe, it just shows how strong that sword is. If I manage toplete this task and take the sword for myself, I might either be able to sell it for a better ive, or just use it instead of what I have now.''


    ''I won''t have to wait or rely on that Dark Magus to make me a weapon.''


    Holding her ive once again, she was ready to attack this time.


    At the same time, three people charged in: Axe, Neon, and one of the other swordsmen. They weren''t used to attacking together or in formations because they weren''t from regr ns like other warriors, but they knew attacking together would make it more difficult for the other to defend.


    "This fight is now going to be a lot harder than you think," Raze said as he looked directly at one of the swordsmen.


    Right as they lifted their sword performing a special technique, Raze could see the chaining out at the side, ready to hit him in his ribs. It was the same for the other attackers.


    "Now that I know it''s hard for you to hurt me, I can focus on attacking at full force!" Raze swung his sword down in front of the swordsman and met his sword straight on.


    It was the Devil''s Waterfall strike formation. The strike was powerful, and as it hit the sword ahead, Axe''s fist, the chain, and another sword had all hit him at the same time.


    Immediately, the effect of the zer had activated, and the sword glowed up even more. The power surged, and all of the attacks felt like they had just hit an insurmountable wall. It wasn''t strong enough to push them away, but it didn''t matter.


    Raze had struck without hesitation in front of him, breaking the man''s sword, and then he shed his sword again right across his chest, sttering a diagonal line of blood.


    Immediately, the others jumped back; this wasn''t their fellow n member, they were all in this job for themselves. They wouldn''t protect him but instead saw this as a chance.


    "This worked earlier, so it might work now; instead of attacking, I''ll wrap around the sword instead!" The woman with the chains had sessfully wrapped it around the sword.


    And the others by the side saw this as a chance; they could attack once again. They were ready to head in, but before they did, there was one that had moved faster and was already there before the others.


    When Raze turned around, he could see therge ive right in his face; he didn''t have time to use a proper technique and instead just swung the sword to match the ive.


    The two shed, and a massive amount of Qi started to ripple through the air, pushing the others away slightly. This battle of Qi was slightly strongerpared to all the other shes before.


    There was no telling who would win this sh of attacks.


    From above, Anna was doing an analysis of the person who had just attacked. "That warrior might be troublesome if Raze is still nning to hold back," Anna stated. "That is Elvlin from the Crimson Crane, the biggest and considered the strongest Wanderer n there is."


    "Yeah, I noticed as well," Harbourmented. "Should we go and help?"


    "I don''t think there will be a problem; it doesn''t seem like any other members of the Crimson Crane are currently present, he can still handle this himself."


    While the strong sh was still hitting Raze, he was noticing something; the zer, even now, as the attack was hitting him, was taking some of the hit, drawing the power away from the strike.


    The Lux Sword along with the zer were proving to be incredibly strong.


    ''My attack is weakening, that sword, I have to have it!'' Elvlin thought, but still, there was something about the person in front of her. Now they were so close, she was wondering what it was that was bugging her.


    With the two of them being close, she wasn''t the only one that had a strange feeling while looking at the person in front of her.


    "Elvlin," Raze called out.


    Hearing that name flicked a light switch in her head; now she knew where she had seen this face before. ''He''s¡­ the Dark Magus.''

 Chapter 541 A Stinging Dark Pain!

    <h4>Chapter 541 A Stinging Dark Pain!</h4>


    The nagging feeling that Elvlin had since she had seen their attacker had finally be clear, but she was wondering if it was better if she never realized who this person was in the first ce.


    After a direct sh with the young man, and him saying her name, she knew for sure, this was the Dark Magus.


    "Da-"


    "Don''t say my name," Raze instantly stopped her from doing so. There were people watching and next to no one had put things together.


    There were those in the room that knew him as Raze Cromwell, there were those that thought he was the White Dragon, and he even had the name the Dark Magus. On top of that, in the Demonic Faction, he was known as a real demon after taking out arge number of the Behemoth n.


    Not a single person had put together that all of these people were a single person, not yet and he wanted to keep it that way for the time being.


    "But Elvlin, I assume you have been tasked with a mission of sorts, if it''s not one of the Crimson Crane, then I suggest you tell everyone else to back away," Raze stated.


    The other wanderers had yet to strike again. After seeing the sh with Elvlin and her hesitation they waited.


    They could tell from the power she was the strongest and they were also confident now, that with her they couldplete this mission, but if for whatever reason she decided to turn away from it then she would fail.


    ''This is the Dark Magus, but how!'' Elvlin thought in her head. She had remembered thest time she had seen him fight. She was unable to witness much of what he had done when going up against Feebie the Lethal Bite n leader but she had a good idea of his strength.


    ''He was an initial stage warrior, with strange powers, but he hasn''t even used strange powers during this fight. The Qi energy he is using now is that of a middle stage warrior. So how did he manage to get so strong that he could do all of this?''


    ''He is definitely stronger than me now if we were to go head to head on our own. He might be the youngest middle stage warrior out there as well¡­ but there could be one exnation for all of his strength at the moment.''


    Elvlin''s eyes were now glued onto the glowing sword that Raze had held. She could feel its power and with the mission paying so much to each individual it had to do something.


    Could the Dark Magus have gotten so strong in a short amount of time, or was the more likely scenario that the sword was the reason for his strength, if that was the case.


    "Hey, it looks like there''s some history between you and this person!" Neon stated. "We need to know, are you going to fight him or not. This guy is clearly too strong for us to take him out on our own, but I think we have a good chance if you go into this thing wholeheartedly."


    The other wanderers agreed, but it was only if Elvlin was going to take part in the fight, if not then they would back down.


    Once again, her eyes were glued onto the sword.


    ''They''re right, if we take him out here, I can get the Lux Sword for myself. The reward doesn''t matter too much from the church with the sword and going back to the n, I can have the other Crimson Crane members protect me.''


    ''This will help increase the n''s strength.''


    "Raze if I remember correctly," Elvlin called out. "The sword in your hand, is the Lux Sword, it''s a sword that doesn''t belong to you which is why we have been requested to take it back. So if you don''t mind, then can you give the sword to us."


    Elvlin was hoping since the two of them were in the same n, there was a chance that maybe Raze would agree and just hand the sword over.


    "The way you just spoke to me," Raze replied as he held out the sword and pointed it to Elvlin. "I sense that If I don''t decide to give you the sword, you''re going to try force it out of my hand?"


    Elvlin''s eyebrows furrowed as she held the ive tighter. She had helped the Dark Magus a few times already, even though they didn''t know him that much.


    She had practically risked her life for him on the orders of Alba, and this man didn''t want to do one little favor for her.


    "Attack!" Elvlin ordered, as she rushed forward ahead of everyone else, and performed a sweeping attack.


    Raze swung his sword as well, matching it, stopping therge ive from hitting him just by his feet. He was pushing back and that''s when he could see the othersing towards him as well.


    While blocking the attack from Elvlin, he could see severaling at him, and lifting up his hand the edge of his fingertips started to spark.


    "Do you think he needs help now?" Harbour asked.


    "There''s no need," Anna answered. "I''ve sensed a whole change in his demeanor, it seems he''s done taking it easy."


    Right out from Raze''s hand a bolt of blue lightning came out and hit Neon''s body. It shocked next to him touching Axe as well.


    The only attack that managed to hit him then were the chains from the other Wanderers, but it bounced off his zer like all of the other attacks before.


    ''There it is, that strange power that he can use!'' Elvlin thought. ''That''s what I was worried about, but If I can keep him busy, then they will be able to attack again. I know he has strange powers so I can look out for it.''


    Scraping the ive across the floor, Elvlin then lifted and bashed her ive from above, Raze carefully blocked the attacks, but they didn''t stop there and he was continuing to stop the heavy attacks.


    Even with his newfound middle stage, he was having some kind of trouble. After all, this was one of the members of the Crimson Crane.


    As the attacks continued though, Raze was getting more frustrated and he felt another chaine towards him. Although he knew that his zer would protect him he decided to grab it.


    As soon as he did, the chain started to freeze. Each lock was covered in ice and growing fast.


    Elvlin wasing in again for another strike, and Qi energy started to wrap around the sword, intertwining.


    ''First formation, Shadow Bind!'' Dashing forward Raze, hit away the ive, and continued to swing. Visual Qi started to swirl around Elvlin until itpletely covered her body. It restrained around her and was holding her tight, even with her strength she was finding it hard to break free.


    ''Oh that''s very interesting, since the Shadow Bind skill uses Qi as well, the binding has gotten stronger now I''m at the middle stage.''


    However, his face wasn''t one full of smiles, as he looked at the fellow Crimson Crane member.


    "One of the things I hate more than anything in this world.. is betrayal.. and you were going to kill me for this sword."

 Chapter 542 We Are Like Family

    <h4>Chapter 542 We Are Like Family </h4>


    The pain of being betrayed, Raze knew that well. One of his close colleagues, Ibarin, the current head of the central Mage Academy, was one who had betrayed him.


    Doing whatever they could to climb up, and in turn was a person that had ruined his life, and for what, for something as simple as a position?


    Whening to Pagna, Raze wished to trust no one. Those that did him well would end up hurt, and those that he did end up trusting would just hurt him in return.


    Having those close to him like Simyon and Safa, had started to make him think that he could be less cautious around others, but right now, a member of his own n that had helped him several times, was ready to give all that up over an item.


    As Raze walked closer to Elvlin, she could feel her heart beating, it was trying to pop out of her throat. There was this strange aura around his body.


    ''His Qi, it''sing out of his body and covering me... and it''s not just that, there''s something else as well, why is there such strong bloodlusting from him.''


    Elvlin couldn''t help but gulp down her fear. She had forgotten that she was even being restrained by the technique because she was trying to do everything she could to remain less visible.


    If she moved, at that moment it felt like she would be sliced immediately, but if she didn''t move her life would be done for immediately.


    At this point though, the others had broken from the paralysis with the lightning attack and hade right at Raze.


    Seeing this, he swung his sword, doing a spin. As he did, the sword was shrouded in magic and quickly switched to the Ghost de.


    A new sword was in its ce. It started to light up as an immense amount of Qi was ced in it.


    ''Crimson sh!''


    Arge line of Qi energy along with Raze''s wind magic exploded from his sword. It wasrger in sizepared to before, and hit both Axe and Neon cutting right through them.


    The attack continued hitting even the roof of the building they were in making a clean cut.


    "AHHH!" Harbour ced both of his hands at the side of his head. The ce was getting even more ruined by the second, thankfully the cut was so cleanly made that the building wasn''t falling apart.


    Still, it would be a further cost to his repairs.


    After the sh was made by the sword, two bodies that were in the air, had split in half, falling to the ground and sliding. No longer part of thend of the living.


    Now that only left two more wanderers, the woman who used the chains and Elvlin herself. However, the woman with chains had taken the attack as an opportunity.


    She had yet to see the power of the Crimson sh, nor did she know that her allies would be down for the count, but being so close she had gone to stab Raze with a dagger.


    Lifting up his arm, the dagger went right into his shoulder, pushing him until he had eventually stopped.


    Immediately Raze grabbed onto the woman''s hand, and held it tightly.


    "Did you think I didn''t notice you? I could tell the effects of my zer were already worn out, especially now I''m not using the Lux Sword but I wanted to see something."


    As Raze held onto her hand at a fast rate, she could feel her life perishing away. Her flesh was fading away, and letting go she fell to the floor lifeless.


    Watching, Harbour was thankful that was the way Raze had dealt with the attacker. There were no hard feelings here for the warriors.


    They took on the mission, and would easily kill those to get it, all just for coin. That was the way the world was.


    After absorbing the energy Raze was trying to feel the new Qi that had been added to him. It felt like a drop in arge well.


    ''The effects of the extraction technique are even smaller now that I''m at the middle stage. Although the extraction takes their Qi, it doesn''t take the same equivalent to what they had. This means I''m a long way off.''


    Right after, Raze switched back to the Lux Sword and turned to look at Elvlin, the bindings had already been undone from Raze''s techniques but she hadn''t dared move, nor had she tried to attack Raze like the others.


    That was when something interesting had urred. The zer was repairing itself as it lit up slightly green in color and the wound underneath that had been made by the dagger, that also had healed almost in an instant.


    ''This sword is handy in more ways'' than one, and switching between them worked out well.'' Raze thought.


    Finally though, he had to deal with onest person, a person he knew who had decided to try and take his life for the weapon in his hand.


    "Don''t do it." Elvlin eventually said her lip quivering. "I realized my mistake, I shouldn''t have attacked you. I didn''t attack you after because I knew what I did was wrong, I was just taken away by the sword for a moment."


    "For a moment?" Raze replied. "And that moment would have taken my life. If I was weaker than all of you here, would you hesitate to take me out?"


    "You know, there is a big issue with those that are unfaithful, that betray others. Once they have made the mistake once, in the back of one''s mind they have already broken that trust, and it can never be mended."


    "Each time I would be wondering, will they try to take my life again? What if someone offered you more, or what if you ended up growing stronger than me? For these reasons I can''t forgive you."


    Elvlin''s words weren''t convincing at all, she needed to either use her mouth or try to fight out of this, but she doubted that she could run away, so instead she had onest thing she could use.


    "If you kill me, Alba won''t forgive you, the entire Crimson Crane won''t forgive you!" She shouted, and a smile started to appear on her face, as confidence was rising in her.


    Did she forget, she was in one of the most powerful ns. This was something she could use.


    "Alba treats all of its members like family, if you kill me, She will hunt you down with the others. And if you think she would treat someone like you on the same level as those that have been with her from the beginning then you''re wrong!"


    This was it, this was the way Elvlin would get out of this. When she left she would need to speak to Alba about the whole thing, but for now, she had secured her safety.


    "Like family huh?" Raze said, and immediately he swung his sword as fast as he could right through her neck. Her head rolled onto the floor until it eventually stopped.


    "If that was the case, then why didn''t you see it that way?" Raze said.

 Chapter 543 No Break

    <h4>Chapter 543 No Break</h4>


    The others had been watching the entire time, leaving everything that was going on to Raze. He had a handle on the matter, and these were intruders that were after his sword.


    So they thought he had every right to handle the situation, and thankfully Raze was stronger than those attacking him, so much so that if he wanted to, he could subdue every single one of them.


    One had to be incredibly skillful or more powerful than their opponent to be able to do such a thing. Which was why, inside them, they were all a little shocked when they had witnessed what Raze had just done.


    Immediately, Harbour pped his forehead as he shook his head.


    "He took out¡­ the Crimson Crane member, this can''t be good." Harbour mumbled to himself.


    "Right." Anna replied, looking at the head on the ground, she was analyzing, making sure it really was the Crimson Crane member and everything was telling her it was.


    "The current state of the n has enough trouble as it is. If the Crimson Crane tracks down their member''sst location, that will lead them to here and they will start to ask questions." Anna exined.


    "Won''t this be really bad for Raze then as well!" Charlotte said, holding onto the rail, gripping it tighter. "They might now be after him as well, giving us more enemies."


    "That might not be the case." Anna said as she began to walk down the staircase. The rest decided to follow now that all the intruders were dealt with.


    "After all, no one knows who was responsible for this apart from us. So they might never learn of who had done such a thing, but I think the n will certainly chase after the individual." Anna exined.


    "Which is why I thought he would at least spare the Crimson Crane member to make it easier on himself." Harbour added.


    They had finally reached the bottom floor and were having a look at the rest of the Wanderers that had been part of the attack.


    There was nothing noticeable on them, apart from Charlotte and Harbour finding quite a few pouches filled with gold coins.


    Harbour took them and ced them right in his back pocket.


    "It''s because of you that this ce was destroyed, so I only have some right to use these to finance the repairs." Harbour said, looking at the dead.


    "You need to stop doing this." Anna said as she approached Raze, who had oddly been standing in the center.


    He was still in the same ce and position as he was when he had struck Elvlin, not moving or saying a word yet.


    "Doing what?" Raze lifted his head and looked over.


    "Killing everyone that is involved, even I''m not that reckless because it could help us with the mission or task." Anna exined. "If you had left one of them alive, we could have asked them why they were after you, or more importantly, who had sent them to attack in the first ce."


    "Now all we know is they are after the sword in your possession and most likely will keep paying people to take it from you."


    "And the Crimson Crane might be after you now as well." Harbour said. He was currently looking over Ivor who was exining the state of the barracks that he was in.


    How the other applicants had all been killed and he was forced to guide them here.


    Charlotte went to look at Raze who was still standing in the same ce. He had his head back down, staring into the ground, and she couldn''t help but wonder, what was he thinking.


    ''I killed a member of the Crimson Crane, I killed a member of the n that I was in.'' Raze thought and had repeated in his head a few times.


    ''However, this person tried to target me, tried to take something from me, even though the two of us were in the same n, they were the ones that betrayed me. Who knows how far they would go.''


    ''It''s good I got rid of a problem while it''s small. It makes me wonder though, now with this happening, how will the Crimson Crane react.''


    ''If I was to meet them, I would admit to them what had urred. I will tell them everything, and from there they can decide how to act, whether to attack me, or continue on with our rtionship.''


    ''Either way, I will need to be ready in strength to go up against them. I was able to fight against five middle stage warriors just now, and didn''t use my full strength.''


    ''However, the Crimson Crane are far more talented than this bunch.''


    A part of Raze wondered if he had made an enemy that he didn''t need to make, but only time would tell with that.


    "I''m going to call some people to clear the area." Harbour mentioned. "I''ll just say some people attacked, but for now, I think we should be a little careful."


    With that said, while the room was being cleared, Charlotte and Anna had gathered once again in one of the reception rooms.


    It was a library of sorts with seating areas and more all around them. Raze looked to be just sitting down, lost in his mind.


    While Anna was picking up books, flicking through them before cing them back then. She was continually doing this with one book after the other.


    "It is important to ask," Anna said as she picked up another book. "The fact that a member of the Crimson Crane was dealt with, is this something that I should mention to Himmy, or keep quiet about."


    When asking this question it was directed to the current leader of the group, Charlotte.


    "So many things have happened while he was away." Charlotte said, shaking her head and covering her eyes. "I thought so much had already urred."


    "Honestly, let''s just keep it between us and not make this a big deal. Like Harbour said, no one knows about it, and no one knows that Raze has the special sword either."


    "If Alter were to find out about the sword they would want to keep it for themselves as well¡­ so it''s best we don''t link these things to Alter."


    "Which means Raze, while you are a member of Alter, it would be best if you hide that sword. Otherwise, you might get other agentsing after you."


    Raze understood that, and after learning of the effects of the Lux Sword, he certainly didn''t want to give it away.


    Just as the group were resting and were calm once again, Raze could pick up the sound of running. Just like before, bursting through the door, Harbour was there with his hands on his knees, out of breath almost.


    Some wouldn''t believe he was a middle stage warrior himself with how often he was out of breath when he came to see them, but that was just how desperate he was to deliver this message.


    "Everyone, it might be best you get out of here¡­ it''s the Demonic Faction, they''re attacking." Harbour said.


    The group just couldn''t get a break.

 Chapter 544 Making Another Legend

    <h4>Chapter 544 Making Another Legend </h4>


    Arge tunnel through a series of mountains was what separated the Dark Faction from the Demonic Faction. It was the easiest route to get from one side to the other unless someone wanted to travel through the rough terrain.


    At the moment, in the Dark Faction at the end of one of those tunnels, arge-scale fight was taking ce.


    The sound of shing swords, techniques, and the smell of blood filled the air, as several people were fighting with everything they had.


    Bargo, the vice head of the Moon Shield n, was at the center of it all. Swinging his sword, he deflected an attack from the enemy, and then stabbed him right through the chest.


    With the sword through the body, Bargo charged forward with a roaring scream before he punched the boy with a fist full of Qi, sending the body flying off his sword and crashing into another group of attackers.


    "This situation isn''t good at all," Bargo said as he took a look around. They were few in number defending the ce.


    They had a number of around twenty, while the enemy was at least fifty in number.


    Not only that, but those who were defending were nearly all wanderers. Some of them had even run off not wishing to risk their lives as soon as they saw the attack ur.


    Others stayed, having taken the gold, they were honoring their duty. However, it didn''t matter so much.


    Because they were a group of wanderers rather than a n, it was difficult for them to work together. While the Demonic Faction members attacking weren''t really working together, they were wild in their attacks and quite strongpared to the wanderers.


    "I need to help them!" Bargo said, moving forward. As he took two steps, a curved de came right for his face.


    Bargo lifted his sword in time, fending off the attack but waves ofrge Qi were urring. Bargo looked at his attacker, whose face was covered in scars and had white bandages wrapped around his head.


    Immediately from the single confrontation, he could tell this person was a cut above the rest.


    "Is it you, are you the one in charge of this attack? Which n are you from, the Lost n, the Behemoth n?" Bargo asked.


    "Oh, a person who can stop my attack and isn''t afraid to talk." The man said, licking his lips. "You must be the person who made the Lethal Bite n fall. It seems there has been a lot of civil distrust among your grouptely.


    "But you fool, if you think I was acting on behalf of any of those ns then you would be dead wrong!"


    The man pulled hisrge curved weapon away and charged forward, delivering a strong diagonal sh. The ground tore up as Bargo was pushed against the ground.


    "I am Slicer! The head of the Flesh n! And taking over and increasing the territory of the Demonic Faction will put our name as a n not to be messed with!" Slicer eximed.


    This was one of the worries that Bargo had, which was why he had stayed to help Harbour with matters. Although maybe the big ns that controlled the Demonic Faction were smart enough not to act, the same couldn''t be said for the smaller ns. Slicer was from a smaller n, a person trying to prove themselves. Seeing this as an easy opportunity.


    They weren''t thinking of the consequences or how the Dark Faction would react. Either way, with the state they were in at the moment, it was quite likely that they would all perish if this continued on.


    ---


    After getting the news from Harbour, Raze and the others were already heading to the location of where the trouble wasing from.


    They had decided to take somewhat of an alternative route as they had entered arge building with stained ss windows.


    Raze remembered this ce well since it was one of the first areas he hade to when he had first entered the city.


    "Wait, what are we going to do?" Charlotte asked, rushing in front of them. "We need to think about this, remember we are part of Alter, we are not part of this n or any faction."


    "If we keep involving ourselves in this n mess, we''re going to make enemies of everyone. The Dark Faction, the Demonic Faction, Crimson Crane, the wanderers."


    "If too many people are on our back, Alter might just abandon us, or worse decide it''s better for them to try and get rid of us!"


    Charlotte felt somewhat guilty because they were the cause of all the mess that had urred, but now they were getting in too deep, and Anna seemed like she was just going with the flow.


    She was the current leader while Himmy was away so she needed to think for the rest of the group.


    "She''s right," Harbour said. "I didn''t inform you guys of what was happening because I expected you to help, it was so you could leave this city."


    "I already told you before, I gave you my life, and you saved my life. You have already granted my wish, saving this city that is already doomed is not part of my wish."


    Harbour said, but he was frustrated. He knew if no one stopped these people, a lot of the citizens that he looked after in the city would perish.


    "You thought I was doing this for you?" Raze stated. "You have to understand, ultimately I do things for my own purpose, if there is no benefit in it for me, or it puts me in a worse situation, I would never act."


    Right there and then, Raze started to draw something on the ground, Charlotte realized what it was, it was a magic circle, but when reading it she had a raised eyebrow.


    This wasn''t magic cast forbat, this was simple magic that was used by merchants, factories, and so on, why would Raze be doing something like this.


    "You''re right, I made a mistake before, now we don''t know who is after the Lux Sword, but I have a n. With what I''m going to do, we can get those people who want the sword toe after me, and stop the attack of the Demonic Faction."


    Casting his magic, the magic circle underneath his feet started to light up. From the bottom, a change started to ur to his zer.


    It changed in front of their eyes as it went from ck with a white trim, turning into different shades of yellow. The main focus of the color looked a lot like those from the Rylon Religion.


    After that, Raze lifted his hand and the iron mask was put on his face along with his ck hair, and he then extended out his hand and the Lux Sword was with him once again.


    "I''ve realized being in this world of Pagna, that the warriors like to make legends. Legends are what draws people, and as a tactic to make them stay away.


    "So today, let''s make a new legend, of the Sun warrior." Raze said, letting the Lux Sword glow.

 Chapter 545 The Sun Warrior

    <h4>Chapter 545 The Sun Warrior</h4>


    Looking at Raze, as he stepped out of the magic circle and walked forward through therge empty building towards the battlefield on the other side, he looked like apletely different person.


    His hair was ck, covered by an iron mask, and rather than his glowing Ghost de he held the special Lux Sword that was beaming with light.


    Then there was his fancy zer that stood out even morepared to before, standing there in bright colors. It wasn''t something that even many Pagna warriors would wear, but rather those from the Rylon Religion, and that was precisely where Raze had gotten this idea from.


    "I have a feeling that Raze has already made up his mind," Anna said as she followed from behind. "I think we''re just going to get another show likest time."


    The others were inclined to agree, and this was a good thing for Harbour. As soon as Raze opened the door, a flying body came his way.


    Immediately he moved to avoid the body, and it continued forward, hitting Anna. She had managed to grab the injured man by the clothing around his chest.


    He was already done for, so she threw him on the ground to the side and stepped forward, witnessing the chaos at hand.


    The fighting was rough, going on in front of the cave opening on the stone flooring. The wanderers were being overwhelmed, almost backed up into a corner, and there was quite arge number from the Demonic Faction present.


    "Let''s deal with this situation in a nice way," Raze thought as he slowly walked over to the Wanderer and Demonic Faction n members that were fighting closest.


    Right in front of Raze, one of the wanderers was beyond tired, covered in cuts all over his body. The Demonic Faction member shifted forward, trying to strike with his sword.


    Right at that moment, Raze swung the Lux Sword down, hitting the sword into the ground. He then quickly lifted the sword and bashed the man with the side rather than the sharp edge, sending him flying back in the other direction.


    Lifting his sword up again, Raze attacked the man next to him, putting more strength this time, breaking his swordpletely, and with a fist, Raze hit him from under his chin, lifting the man in the air before dropping him back to the ground.


    "Thank you¡­" the wanderer said to his strange savior, who he could only see a strange mask on his face.


    "Who are you!" one of the Demonic Faction n members shouted, noticing that Raze had taken two of them out.


    He then rushed forward, grabbing one right by the face and mmed them into the ground. Swinging his sword at the same time using the t edge, he swatted two people away, swatting them as if they were flies.


    "That man, he has to be a middle-stage warrior, but what is with that uniform!" one of them called out.


    It wasn''t only the fact that Raze was dealing with his opponents with ease and fairly quickly; his weapon and outfit were attracting a lot of attention.


    All of them had questions on their mind; was it possibly one of the other n leaders, maybe it was someone else.


    Seeing all of this, they gathered that there was only one person that was with them that could go against this new foe, and that was Slicer.


    Stopping his relentless attacks, Slicer jumped back to reposition himself with the rest of his n members and turned to look at Raze, pointing hisrge curved de at him.


    "You have some skill, but you''re wearing a ridiculous outfit! Who are you anyway!" Slicer asked.


    "Who am I?" Raze lifted the sword into the air, and ced both hands on the sword itself. He had used this strike once before to take out a middle-stage warrior by surprise, and since he had shown ack of skills, many would be underestimating him.


    As he held the sword, rather than encasing itself in his Dark magic, sparks started to cover the whole sword.


    ''The Dark Edge Sword Arts works best with Dark Magic, but I have also learned how to utilize the skills with some of my other magic. Lightning being the most adaptable, this will be the start of another legend!''


    Raze then swung his sword down, performing the second formation Eclipse Strike. A massive amount of energy exploded out from his sword, covering the entire area in front of them.


    The range of the attack was too wide for them to avoid, and the attack was slightly blue in color due to the lightning attack.


    As it came out of his sword, it hit and consumed every member while the bulk of the strike had gone right through Slicer.


    The power of the strike had faded, and now the other wanderers could see the aftermath. At the cave entrance there was a cut now on top of the hole, like a ravine.


    As for Slicer, his body was on the floor along with most of the Demonic Faction n members, but his, in particr,pared to the rest of them, was slicedpletely in half.


    The others'' skin was darkened, some of their bodies were still twitching from the leftover magic, but there was one thing that was clear; they were no longer alive.


    Not all of the Demonic Faction n were caught up in the attack. Those that were fighting against wanderers on the side were still alive, and the initial ones that Raze had hit, were starting to get up from their injuries as well.


    After seeing what had just urred though, they had instantly stopped attacking, and were looking to each other for guidance.


    Their n head, the strongest of them, had just been eliminated, and even more so, it had been done in a single attack.


    "Who am I?" Raze shouted in a booming voice. "I am the person who took out the Lethal Bite n, and this territory now belongs to me."


    "I have the power of this Lux Sword in my hand, I have the power to stop anyone from attacking this territory. If more from the Demonic Factione, they shall meet my wrath again. I am the Sun Warrior!" Raze shouted.


    In some circumstances, Raze would have found what he was saying ridiculous, but in this situation, he knew what he was doing, and he had been following how those from Pagna speak.


    "The Sun Warrior, he took down the Lethal Bite n!"


    "Did you see his strength? It has to be true. Now it makes sense how it suddenly fell. Of course, Harbour couldn''t do something like that."


    A slight pain was felt in Harbour''s chest as he heard those words, but he knew they were true.


    "The Sun Warrior, we have the Sun Warrior in this city. If that''s the case, it might be one worth staying with."


    The wanderers had arge smile on their face, meanwhile, the Demonic Faction n members were starting to head back.


    For fear of their life, they were heading toward the cave exit. Seeing this, some of the wanderers wanted to go after them.


    "Stop!" Raze shouted after the wanderers. "Let them go, let them spread the name, so they know what is in store for them if they were to try this again."


    On that day, just as Raze had predicted, a new legend was spread that day, reaching all areas of the continent of Pagna.

 Chapter 546 The World Event

    Chapter 546 The World Event


    ??What Raze had predicted had be a reality. The news of the Dark Faction being attacked had spread, but what had spread more was the person who had defended it, the one that was known as the Sun Warrior.


    The Light Faction Elders had learned of this, and they were quite relieved that the Demonic Faction wasn''t able to get an upper hand on them.


    In their minds, they believed that the Demonic Faction, after having wiped out one of their cities and sessfully defending an attack, was getting a little too confident, and this had put them in their ce.


    The Dawnde n was at the center of the discussion taking ce, especially since they had lost one of their Elders.


    At the base of the n, in arge oval building that let in light from above, the Elders were sitting down cross-legged opposite each other, and in the center of the room was Beatrix Highborn.


    "We understand that you have been in seclusion after your loss to the Demonic Faction; it appears your strength has risen quite a bit," the Elderplimented.


    Beatrix gave a slight bend of the knee before answering. "I have taken what had urred as a lesson to continue to strive forward. I am confident that I would be able to best anyone from my generation."


    "Certainly," the Elder replied. "Dame, I believe, was part of the same generation, but you had bested him and everyone else at thest martial arts tournament."


    "It''s because of your victory in the past that the Light Faction has been able to avoid confrontation. If your student is to win again, then it will solidify our position. Because we won thest martial arts tournament, it will take ce in the Light Faction as well."


    "Which is why I need you to continue your growth. You are the shining star of the Dawnde n. I''m sure you have heard of the news."


    "The Dark Faction has the student known as the White Dragon we need to be wary of, and now they have someone known as the Sun Warrior as well. It''s quite possible that these two will appear."


    "Meanwhile, the Demonic Faction also has this rising Demon character, and the Dark Magus himself is one to worry about."


    "In terms of students, the ck Tiger is who we need to worry about from their end. We will pass on any data we have before the tournament is to take ce."


    It was quitemon during the time of the martial arts tournament for names to be spread through the continent. It was a way to try and get fear to rise in others.


    The tournament was where they would learn if they were true or not.


    The Light Faction only had Beatrix at the moment, but they had their ways and secrets of their own to win the tournament.


    From the Light Faction, the top five from the academy would be selected along with Beatrix''s student from the Light Faction.


    If things went their way, winning twice in a row while the enemy was in their territory was the perfect time for them to get rid of the others.


    ---


    What the world didn''t know was that in the Demonic Faction arge change was taking ce that no one had any idea about.


    The Splitting Fang n was a powerful n in the Demonic Faction. They focused on new techniques not seen before and were on the rise.


    Many would have imed that their power was no less than the other threerge ns in the Demonic Faction: the Neverfall n, the Behemoth n, and the Lost n.


    Their history was small, and they had to prove themselves in many ways, one of these ways was through a talented student known as Mantis, or his more well-known title was the ck Tiger.


    He was the top student at the Pagna academy located in the Demonic Faction. The most talented they had and was most likely to lead the Demonic Faction to victory, at least in their minds.


    The Splitting Fang n was built in the middle of a jungle at the edge of a cliffside. Outside the entrance had arge carving of a tiger with teeth growing out of it.


    It was a rural ce, away from multiple cities and wasn''t a city of its own. Because it was an area that was dedicated just to growing stronger.


    Yet, if someone was to turn up to the entrance today, they would notice a stark difference. One of therge teeth had been destroyed.


    Going further into the n''s base, the warriors were cut and beaten, lying on the floor. This continued on to the inside, where the leaders, the head of the n, and more, every single one of them were defeated.


    Mantis, the ck Tiger, was standing in the center of the n leader''s room. The seat that the n head would sit on was broken, and he was knelt down by the side of it, wiping blood from his face.


    "I can''t believe it, who in Pagna could take out the Splitting Fang n, with just three people?" Mantis said as he wiped more blood from the side of his mouth.


    The man''s footsteps moved closer, but Mantis had already fought as hard as he could along with the others; he no longer had the energy to fight back.


    "We are from the Bonum Society, and we need you, young one, to be a lot stronger than you are. At the state you are currently in, you are guaranteed to lose.


    "You will be our greatest weapon."


    ---


    Elsewhere in the Demonic Faction, the Neverfall n had also received news of what had taken ce in the Faction and were discussing a number of things.


    "Sir, no one qualified for the tournament from ours this year, it might look bad on the n," one of the Elders spoke.


    Belil waved his hand as if it was no big deal. "That doesn''t matter, if we really want to take part, we can always challenge one of those selected before the timees, and I''m more interested in the events of the world."


    Belil then looked at Rayna, one of the only family members of his that always turned up to these meetings, but when she saw his smile, she knew what he was going to bring up, because it was brought up every single time one of these meetings took ce.


    "Now don''t give me that face," Belil said with a small pout. "In fact, what I wanted to do is give you a congrattion gift on your marriage."


    Rayna gulped because she already had received one of his wedding gifts, and it was the destruction of part of the Light Faction. She was worried what another gift might be.


    "I''m sure you have heard, recently a n that went by the name the Flesh n had gone and attacked the Dark Faction; they were dealt with as expected, but this meant that there was a region in the Demonic Faction that was ungoverned.


    "We, the Neverfall n, have taken over it, but I wish to give it to you. I want you and the Dark Magus to start your own base there. It''s not the best town, but I''m sure you two can make something of it, especially if you make your own sub-n under the Neverfall n."


    This certainly was big news. Rayna getting territory in the Demonic Faction was cementing the power of the n even further.


    "However, I have to say something, where is this husband of yours because my patience is starting to get a little thin."

 Chapter 547 In The Wrong Faction

    Chapter 547 In The Wrong Faction


    ??Himmy had done as he stated; he had returned to therge mushroom base of Alter that was ced in the middle of a valley, between the three factions.


    After returning, he did his usual filling in his reports and as expected, they wanted some more direct information from him.


    Which was why he needed to visit one of the Programmers to inform them of everything that was going on.


    Currently, Himmy was sitting in a dark floored room with single lights that were avable here and there. He was sitting at arge desk that was lit up in a light blue color opposite one of the Programmers who had both of their fingertips touching.


    "Based on all the information we have gathered, we havee to the conclusion that this matter does not rte to the incidents that have urred before this. However, we are afraid as of this moment we have no way to progress further."


    Himmy was quite relieved. He thought that they might get in trouble for interfering with the natural world of Pagna a little too much.


    At times it felt like Alter really cared for what they did, and others they would just toss them aside.


    "Then what is the next task for our squad?" Himmy asked.


    The Programmer started to move his hands on the table, and files were moving left and right until he eventually stopped.


    "As of this moment, we think it''s best if you just remain on standby with your team. We still believe that this matter is quite an important one and could be rted to an item that is at least at the Legendary or God level."


    "Right now, our agents are spread thin, but this is of such importance to us we might need to call you at a moment''s notice. If you wish to continue your duties as you have been doing, that would be for the best."


    Himmy noticed something about the Programmer''s words; he had revealed the importance of the mission to him? It made him wonder if these words were said on purpose, or just because the Programmer was fairly new.


    But now he had an idea why they had been on this task for so long. An item that had the ability to kill at such a high level.


    God-level items would certainly involve higher Alter members if it was toe to it. If anything, the task being left to their lowly team was a bit of a red g, but perhaps it was just because they were to look into matters.


    "Things are also getting a bit dangerous for me; can I request a bit more firepower for the future? And more ammunition." Himmy asked.


    Once again, the Programmer flicked his finger on the tables a few times, and part of the table lit up green.


    "Your request has been granted, please go ahead and collect them when you are free."


    Himmy stood up from his seat with a smile on his mouth. Right now, his current task was as close to a break as he could get.


    When this happened, he often allowed his members to continue to do as they wished, and would only contact them when needed.


    He was sure the others would be happy with this as well.


    ---


    Somewhere in the Dark Faction, a city existed right by arge river. There was arge bridge that crossed two areas and it was flourishing with markets and trade.


    The city had a great amount of wealth, and the wealthiest of individuals who lived in the Dark Faction would often stay at this city.


    It was one that belonged to the Moon Shield n. The n had started in the city that was given the name Moon city.


    No one knew which came first, but everyone knew the name. Because once a month when the moon shined brightest it lit up the river, making it a beautiful scene for all to see.


    The Moon Shield n being one of the top ns also had control of many of the portals in the area, one of the portals in question being a middle stage portal.


    Something that the n used frequently to improve their strength while also obtaining higher-level crystals to increase the strength of their warriors.


    Off to the side of the city, there was an area that was sectioned off. It was a coliseum of sorts. Once an area frequently used by the Moon Shield n, and was once the area where one of the martial arts tournaments was held.


    But now, it was mostly barren apart from members of the n that would stand guard around the side of the coliseum and inside it.


    They were covering the area because this was where the middle stage Dimension was currently at.


    Inside the dimension, today it was being used by a special guest.


    Two members were stuck in a deep thick swamp where thick dark green liquid covered up to their knees. A dark-skinned woman stood back to back with a man that held arge shield.


    They were careful until a ssh in the water urred. Standing into the water was a giant serpent body that was winding.


    On its face, it opened up spreading out like gills and oddly it had little arms on its serpent-like body.


    into the water was a giant serpent body that was winding.


    On its face, it opened up spreading out like gills and oddly it had Alba, the leader of the Crimson Crane, went to strike with her swords, but the beast was quick to move, avoiding the attacks.


    She tried to move her feet but it was difficult, and then the beasttched twisting around her arm. It opened its face and went down to bite but before it could with her other de she stabbed it right into the mouth.


    At the same time from behind, Tilon was bashing his shield against the same type of serpent, only this one was a bit bigger in size. He hit it again and again but was finding it difficult.


    That was until he saw Alba up in the air above, whonded and sliced the beast from behind.


    "These middle stage dimensions are tough, and not just because the beasts are stronger, but because the terrain is more difficult as well." Alba exined as she went ahead to get the power stone.


    "I heard that in some middle stage dimensions, even an initial stage warrior wouldn''t be able to set foot in such a ce due to the terrain." Tilon replied. "Which reminds me, why did we choose here? Wasn''t there quite a big cost?"


    "We chose this city because we can''t just stay stagnant, we have to keep improving, and besides, this n is one that is based on shield techniques like yours. So I think it''s a good fit if you can learn something here."


    "We might even be able to get materials from the n if we hunt for them enough. Then the Dark Magus can create you a special shield."


    Tilon was looking forward to that. It had been decided that he was next on the list to receive one of the Dark Magus''s items.


    As Tilon was busy extracting the power stone from the beast, he could see something ssh in the water. Another beast wasing straight for his face.


    Right as it was about to bite down on his nose, it was grabbed by the neck, and with a crunch blood sttered over his face.


    "Rayna!" Alba said, turning around. She could see one of the Neverfall n''s heirs holding onto the beast''s neck, but why was such an important person from the Demonic Faction in the Dark Faction?


    "I need your help, I need to find the Dark Magus as soon as possible, it''s an emergency!" Rayna imed.

 Chapter 548 An Awkward Conversation

    Chapter 548 An Awkward Conversation


    ??Alba was stunned for a moment as she looked at Rayna. She had to pinch herself on her arm just to check if she was seeing things.


    She had only met with Rayna a few months ago, and it was the first meeting between the two. Honestly, she was surprised back then, and to constantly run into a person like this was quite shocking.


    "Wait, you know if you''re found here, what will happen to you? The Dark Faction will be after you, they could kidnap you and ask the Demonic Faction all sorts of demands," Alba said, already looking over her shoulder.


    "It''s not anything to worry about," Rayna replied. "Besides, the Dark Faction are fools if they think like that; they should know that the Demonic Faction ns don''t care for hostages no matter who they are."


    "If we are captured by the enemy side, then that is just our fault and our situation to get out of."


    Alba let out a nervous chuckle. She had only been in the Dark Faction for a short while, but she had already forgotten how crazy the Demonic Faction members werepared to the other two factions.


    "Anyway, what is the reason that you want to find the Dark Magus so bad?" Tilon asked as he ced the shield on his back.


    Tilon was getting a little nervous because he wanted the Dark Magus to make his shield next. Thest thing he wanted was for him to be swept off his feet somewhere before it was his turn.


    When the question was asked, Rayna could feel her face starting to warm up slightly. "It''s a... it''s a personal and important matter!" Rayna imed. "I did a lot to find out where your members were. You were the only active Crimson Crane members, so do you mind telling me where the Dark Magus is?"


    Both Alba and Tilon looked at each other. With them having already made so many enemies, Alba thought it was a good opportunity to start earning some favors as well.


    "We actually don''t know where he is, but we might be able to help you find him. If I were to take a guess, he''s most likely in the Dark Faction at the moment," Alba answered.


    Tilon''s shoulders shrugged down as he heard this, but Alba gave him a quick pat on the back. "Don''t worry, we''ll turn in these powerstones for some rare materials to the Moon Shield n."


    "Then when we meet the Dark Magus, he can make your shield as we go to him."


    Tilon''s face lit up in an instant, and now oddly the three of them were traveling together.


    ---


    In the city where the Lethal Bite n resided, there were no more problems from their neighbors of the Demonic Faction. No more attacks urred, and the city could now focus on rebuilding itself.


    If anything, the city was now better than before, due to the fact of a single person, the Sun Warrior. There were those that were now moving into the city, wishing to join the new n that was being named the Sun n.


    It was led by Harbour, but everyone thought the n head was the mysterious sun warrior that had appeared. Those that had yet to belong to a n were hoping for a fresh start for their students.


    It was the same with wanderers that wished to have a backing of the n. Now that the Lethal Bite n was no longer part of the major ns in the Dark Faction, people were hedging their bets that the new Sun n would be next.


    Charlotte and the rest had stayed in the city watching over things and the buzz that could be felt in the air.


    "You don''t even know what you''ve done, do you?" Charlotte said as she took a sip from her drink. The three were sitting outside watching a queue to the barracks. They were trying to join the newly made n.


    "I did what I thought was best at the time, and it will cause us no more trouble," Raze said, sitting in his ck and white zer with his ck hair.


    The fact that he could just sit outside on a day like so, he knew that no one could recognize him for who he was. In the world of Pagna, many people had ck hair in the first ce.


    They had been in the city for over a week now, and they were all waiting for a particr person, and that''s when they all could feel something vibrating on them.


    "Hey, did you miss me!" Himmy said, opening up his arms wide as if he was expecting a hug from one of them but no one had even got up from their seat, or even acknowledged that he was here.


    "Some coworkers you are." Himmy folded his arms and took the white stick out from his mouth. "Anyway, I have some good news for you all."


    "As of right now, we are all jobless!" Himmy said with arge smile on his face.


    Charlotte was so shocked she had dropped her cup letting it roll off the table but Raze quickly caught it, cing it back on.


    "Anyway, what is going on? This city is a lot more lively than when Ist saw it." Himmy asked.


    Through conversation and a sit-down, Himmy had exined what he meant by them being jobless; it was more of a break than being jobless. While at the same time, Charlotte exined what had happened here while Himmy was away.


    Still, she left out something very important, and that was the fact that Raze was the Sun Warrior. She just mentioned that a warrior had saved them from an attack and was the cause of all of this mess.


    She looked at Raze to see if she would get some appreciation for this, but he seemed to have no reaction at all.


    "What this means for all of you is you are free to do as you wish. I know all of you have your own things going on, so take a break, spread your wings, and when I need toe find you, me and Charlotte wille just as we did before," Himmy answered.


    A part of Raze was a bit disappointed. He was hoping that he would have been able to go to Alter to receive a few items or knowledge about a few things.


    Yet it seemed that right now, it wasn''t the right time for that. Which made him think, what should he do now?


    After Himmy had said everything, it was time for the group to say their goodbyes. If the others were wandering aimlessly he didn''t want to be a part of that, so the group decided to split up.


    With that, Raze thought it was best for him to get supplies as he decided his next move to another city.


    ''My strength, is it enough to take on the principal? If it''s not, I could focus on increasing my strength further and go for another one of the Dark Faction ns, or I could enter a dimension to get a crystal and try to increase my magic.''


    As Raze continued to walk though, he noticed that there was someone by his side, who had been following him.


    "And what is it that you want?" Raze asked.


    "Nothing, just to stay by your side," Anna exined. "I have no tasks so I can focus on finding my own kind. You met with Zon once, so maybe if I stick with you, there is a chance that I can meet with Zon again."


    Raze hadn''t been with Anna for long, but he knew one thing about her already, it was that she was quite stubborn and it would be nearly impossible for him to get rid of her.


    "I will be doing my own matters that might not fit in with Alter''s, everything you see with me, you are not to report," Raze immediately said.


    "Of course, we are off the job and I would say the same for me," Anna replied.


    With the two of them walking in the middle of the street, a particr trio had walked past them, and one of them took a second look, and moved directly in front of Raze.


    "Wait¡­ is it you¡­ is that you?"


    When Raze looked at who was in front of him, his eyes were glued to the woman.


    "Alba¡­"

 Chapter 549 Important Words

    Chapter 549 Important Words


    ??Raze had no idea where he was to go next to advance his strength further than before, but he was clear about one thing in his mind.


    If there was one person that he didn''t want to meet at the moment, it was Alba, the leader of the Crimson Crane. Out of all the people that he could have run into, he wondered why she was here right now, in front of him.


    So much so, that when he said her name, he was stunned, and his eyes hadn''t even noticed that Rayna was standing right by her side as well.


    "I knew it, I was right!" Alba said with a smile on her face. "It is you, you look quite differentpared tost time, you seem to have matured, or maybe it''s just the dark hair, and what''s up with the hair anyway? I kind of liked your white hair."


    Alba had her hand on her chin as she looked at Raze up and down, making sure not to get too close, respecting his difort of being close to others.


    As usual, she had this cheery,id-back nature to her. If anything, Alba was perhaps the only person Raze had met that he lowered his defenses around.


    Even to the point where he was willing to shake her hand. That was why he didn''t want to meet her.


    Raze had already made up his mind, after killing Elvlin, that he would inform Alba if he ever ran into her. As Elvlin said, Alba treated her n like family.


    It was why they never chose to expand the nrger than its current members. Everyone they invited was strong and someone that they trusted to bring into their close members.


    He was sure that if she found out what happened to Elvlin, Alba would do whatever she could to find out what had happened to her.


    Raze, having been in the same ce before, knew how much of a torture that would be on one''s mind. Which was why he intended to tell her the truth of what happened.


    What would ur after that, he would have to deal with, but he had already made up the resolve to do this in his mind.


    What he didn''t expect was to see her right now, before even stepping foot outside of the Lethal Bite n.


    "How did you know where we were?" Anna asked.


    The two women and Tilon were a bit surprised to see the person talking to them. They didn''t even know they were with Raze because they hadn''t seen many people around the Dark Magus, and were unsure who this person was.


    Not only that, but usually before asking a question, a person would introduce themselves, yet Anna hadn''t done anything of the sort.


    "Ah, it''s nice to meet you, we are¡­"


    "I know who you are," Anna interrupted Alba before she could finish speaking. "You are Alba from the Crimson Crane, the leader of a popr wanderer n, and as for you, you are the daughter of Belil Narfous, the head of the Neverfall n."


    Immediately, Rayna looked around to see if anyone had overheard; luckily, no one was paying them attention. There weren''t many who would know what she looked like, but would know of her name, so she was quite taken aback by it all.


    However, part of Alter members'' training was to remember key figures in the world of Pagna and how they affected things.


    Back at the Alter base, there were files on certain individuals, descriptions of what they looked like, and in some cases, even photos and data on each individual.


    Anna could never forget a face, so she knew who these two were in an instant.


    "Don''t worry about them too much," Raze said. "These are people I know; they haven''t just approached us out of the blue. However, I would like to know as well, how did you know we were here?"


    A little worry crept into Raze''s mind; if they could find them, then others who were after them could find them as well.


    Maybe he hadn''t cleared his tracks as much as he thought he had.


    "Actually, it was luck," Alba replied. "Rayna came to me because she had a request and she wanted to find you¡­ Ra¡­ Raze."


    Alba had quickly corrected herself because she was unsure what name the Dark Magus was currently using and who knew about his other identity.


    Judging by the quick shake of the head Raze had done when she had said Ra, she had quickly changed the use of the name.


    "I got in contact with all of the Crimson Crane members to see if they had heard or seen anything. No one had a clue, but I was a little worried because Elvlin didn''t reply, and thest known location she was at was here."


    "While trying to find out about her, we ran into you. It seems to be our lucky day." Alba smiled.


    The happy smile she had on her face was stabbing Raze slightly in the heart even more. Because he was about to ruin her happy expression.


    ''It was just as I thought. She is worried about Elvlin, at least a little, but I doubt she ever believed that Elvlin would be killed.''


    For a moment, Raze stayed silent as he took in everything she had said. He was thinking in his mind if he should still go through with his original n.


    He didn''t have to do it here, and right now. What if he were to do it at another time?


    Not just that, if Alba attacked him, could he best her right now? Maybe with the help of Anna, it would be certain victory.


    ''Since when have I been worried about the consequences.'' Raze smiled to himself and tensed his fist. ''I already decided, this woman deserves to know the truth. That''s the least she deserves for helping me out.''


    "Okay, okay," Anna stated. "I see that you have met him, but then why are you here right now, what is your reason for wanting to meet Raze? Why would someone from the Demonic Faction be here to meet someone who is from the Dark Faction."


    "Anna!" Raze called out in a heavy tone; it was a warning to her. "We agreed."


    Raze was referring to the conversation that they had not too long ago. How his affairs and Alter affairs wouldn''t collide.


    If she wanted to stay with him, she needed to stay out of his business unless it involved Zon.


    "I''m sorry, I am just a bit worried, I can sense her pulse rising," Annamented, while looking at Rayna.


    Still, Raze wasn''t worried about Rayna; instead, he looked directly at Alba. He reassured himself as he was ready to speak.


    "Alba¡­" Raze called out. "I have something important that I need to tell you about, and I promise everything I''m about to say is the truth of the matter, but it''s fine if you don''t believe me."


    Alba''s ears started to perk up as she could see Raze''s serious expression on his face.


    "Raze!" Rayna immediately shouted, interrupting him. "I have something important to tell you. We need to get married, now!"

 Chapter 550 A Marriage?

    Chapter 550 A Marriage?


    ??Raze was just about to inform Alba of something that might ruin the rtionship the two of them had: the partnership between the Crimson Crane and the Dark Magus. They had been of significant use and help to Raze since he had arrived at Pagna, but in the end, his morals, which he wanted to uphold, took precedence over the importance of his rtionship with them.


    That was until Rayna interrupted them and blurted out a few words. His mind had almost gone nk.


    "We need to get married, now!" Rayna shouted.


    She couldn''t find the right time to speak these words or how to phrase it, and after going over multiple different ways she could say these words, she ended up just shouting it out.


    Many who were walking the streets had overheard and turned to look.


    "How sweet it is to be so young!"


    "She is a brave one to shout that out at the top of her lungs; do you think it''s a type of disagreement that''s going on between them?"


    Hearing the words of the passersby was causing her face to turn a shade brighter than it was before, and she eventually was too ashamed and looked to the ground.


    "I can''t believe someone of my status¡­ it''s so hard to say a few words," Rayna mumbled to herself.


    Alba was constantly turning her head because she couldn''t believe it either.


    "Wait a moment, this was the whole reason why you were looking for him, this is why you were searching, because the two of you need to get married!" Alba had to ask just to make sure, but judging by how Rayna was acting, it all seemed to be true.


    Thinking about this matter a bit more, though, there was now another worry on Alba''s mind. The Dark Magus was a part of the Crimson Crane n.


    If he was to marry Rayna, who was in the Neverfall n, then what would happen? Wouldn''t that cause them trouble? There was no way the Crimson Crane could contend with the Neverfall n if they wanted to take the Dark Magus.


    ''As a leader, it looks like I might have to let him go,'' Alba thought.


    Raze, hearing about the marriage, started to remember what had urred in the Demonic Faction thest time. He knew that this wasn''t pressure from Rayna, but from her father.


    It had slipped his mind with everything else going on because it was the least important thing that was on his list of things to do.


    ''It looks like the cat''s out of the bag,'' Raze looked at Anna. ''She must be incredibly confused and wondering how I even know all these people and how it came to this.''


    ''I won''t have to worry about her though; she is mostly concerned about finding Zon, and she is sure to stay on my good side until that happens.''


    Thinking about this, Raze felt like even though Anna from Alter was by his side, he could just speak as if he wanted.


    "But, I''m currently in the Crimson Crane," Raze said. "I have made amitment to their n before any others. If the two of us were to get married, wouldn''t it ruin that rtionship?"


    Rayna lifted her head and shook it rather quickly.


    "No, it wouldn''t," Rayna answered. "If anything, it would strengthen our rtionship. Some ns grow in power through marriage and rtions, and this would be the same."


    "You could still be a part of the Crimson Crane no problem."


    Although Rayna said this, Raze still wasn''t so sure about that just yet.


    "Besides, my father, he doesn''t want me to carry the name of the Neverfall n; instead, he has given usnd as a wedding gift in the Demonic Faction. Here he wishes for the two of us to create our own n, as a subdivision of the Neverfall n, so it wouldn''t be a problem at all," Rayna exined.


    The idea of havingnd in the Demonic Faction was quite pleasing for Raze to hear. The Demonic Faction was the ce where Raze could run to when he had his troubles.


    Having his ownnd and area to be protected was music to his ears, but making an entire n sounded like a lot of work as well and didn''t sound as if he would have as much freedom.


    But he could also have Rayna do most of the duties rted to that.


    "That is interesting," Alba said with her hand on her chin. "It seems like the Neverfall n can expand their influence in the Demonic Faction, ruffling fewer feathers this way.


    "Especially if it''s treated as a separate n, but by being a subdivision, it also states that whoever tries to mess with you will be messing with the Neverfall n as well."


    "If this works, it might be the first time a sessful subdivision n exists in the Demonic Faction. In the past, I have heard the other ns tried to do this, but they would be eliminated before there was a chance."


    "Which is why there''s this status quo in the Demonic Faction," Alba exined.


    It was certainly interesting, Raze thought, but those words meant that as soon as they were married and upied the area, there was a chance that they would be targeted as well.


    ''In this situation, is being targeted a bad thing though?'' Raze thought. ''Isn''t it a chance to grow stronger as well?''


    There was just one more question on Raze''s mind before he spoke.


    "Is there an easy way toe through between the Dark And Demonic Faction? I only just got back to the Dark Faction after all," Raze exined.


    "We have our ways," Rayna answered. "But the wedding ceremony is a big event. Most likely all the Demonic Faction n heads will be invited.


    "The after events of the ceremony willst a while, but then, the martial arts tournament will have started. If you really want to head back to the Dark Faction, that will be your easiest time, and once we''re done, I don''t think my father will bother us anymore," Rayna answered and bowed down again. She felt like she was inconveniencing the Dark Magus.


    Still, after giving it some thought, since Raze didn''t know what his next step was going to be, he hade up with an answer.


    "Fine, I will head back to the Neverfall n with you. We can get married," Raze answered.


    Rayna slowly lifted up her head; she couldn''t believe it. Was it really going to happen? She was already trying toe up with something to tell her father, but instead, she heard the Dark Magus say yes.


    ''The past Dark Faction founder had a close rtionship with the Neverfall n,'' Raze thought. ''It might be best if I were to have a close rtionship with them as well.''


    "I can''t believe it," Alba smiled with her hands on her hips. "You are bing quite the influential character. At the rate you are going, it might be best if you were the leader of the Crimson Crane, rather than me."


    Hearing Alba speak of those matters made his mind snap to what he needed to say before.


    "Actually, Alba, there is something I need to tell you," Raze stated.

 Chapter 551 Prepare The Wedding

    Chapter 551 Prepare The Wedding


    ??Anna nced hard at Raze and reached out to try and grab his arm. Before she could even touch him though, he had pulled away.


    The others watching had made note of this.


    ''It seems like the two of them aren''t that close if she doesn''t let her touch him,'' Rayna thought.


    Seeing another woman by Raze''s side traveling with him, several questions hade up in her head. Thankfully though, they had all experienced Raze''s distrust of touching others, and it seemed like there was no exclusive favor with this particr individual.


    "I just wanted to warn you that this might not be the best time or the best ce to bring up the matter that you are talking about," Anna suggested.


    The group was on the side of a general walkway. The city was full of people as well. Who knew how Alba would react to certain news.


    Then again, it might be better to tell her out in the open because she would be less inclined to act.


    "Let''s take a seat," Raze said, pointing to one of the shops where people could drink and eat outside.


    When getting to the table, Alba had gone to buy everyone a few drinks and had returned and noticed that the seating arrangement was a little strange.


    They were at a regr rectangr table, and often in cases, they would have two people sitting on either side. Yet, Anna and Rayna were sitting on either side of Raze, to the point where there was no more space for Alba to even squeeze in if she wanted to.


    "Why am I being the one left out?" Alba took her seat on the other side. And felt a little bad for Raze at this point, and was wondering if there was some type of contest going on between the girls.


    "I am to stay by Raze''s side during this journey as I have promised him. I also do not know the two of you well, which is why I have chosen to sit on this side," Anna exined.


    "As for Rayna, she is now Raze''s wife. It wouldn''t make sense for the two of them to be apart, which is why the seating arrangements are like so. It would be impossible to have a conversation now with you joining us side by side; it is what it is."


    Alba''s eyebrow was twitching; she was finding it hard to converse with this Anna, and she was receiving no respect considering who she was, which was something she wasn''t used to.


    The truth was, Anna had picked these seats in case Alba decided to attack Raze after revealing all of the information.


    With Rayna as well being Raze''s husband, she thought she could protect him.


    "It''s okay," Tilon said. "I''m a big guy anyway, so it''s good that I have more space on this side."


    Alba, ignoring everything else, then looked at Raze, as she was waiting for him to speak. He hadn''t even taken a sip of the drink she had brought him.


    "I will be blunt so we get to the point, but I wish for you to allow me to exin everything as well," Raze stated.


    Alba gave a nod in response.


    "You said you were looking for Elvlin, and she wasst in this city. That is correct, she was in this city, and she''s dead," Raze said.


    "What!" Tilon stood up from his seat, but before he fully extended his legs, Alba ced her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.


    "Stay down!" Alba shouted.


    It was a forceful push. The anger already in her body, she was holding in reacting because she feared something else; how would Raze know of this fact.


    "I know because I was the one that killed her," Raze said again.


    Alba''s facial expression didn''t change; instead, she was just staring right into Raze''s eyes, not looking away for a moment.


    While Tilon tried to stand up again from his anger, but could feel the pressure from Alba still pushing him down at that moment.


    "You dog!" Tilon shouted. "We helped you so much, all members of the Crimson Crane including her, how could you do such a thing, and tell us straight to our face, what kind of sick person are you!"


    "If you are going to speak like this and not listen to what I have to say, then I will leave. And we can continue with you just knowing that, and the two of us being enemies with each other.


    "I already told you to hear me out before you react."


    Raze had both hands on the table ready to leave.


    "Just shut your mouth right now Tilon," Alba said. "We need to hear him out like he said."


    cing his hands back down, Raze went on from there. He exined to Alba what had urred during their time here.


    Even about taking on the Lethal Bite n. Andstly, how Elvlin with a bunch of other wanderers had taken on a quest to steal a sword from him.


    At the time, Raze had given them a chance to all go away from this. Yet Elvlin had still decided to attack once recognizing him, wishing to take the sword.


    Anna confirmed what Raze had said as truth, not sure how much that would help since she was on Raze''s side in the first ce.


    From there, it was silence. Tilon not daring to open up his mouth and thinking about all the times Elvlin and him had spent together and Alba just staring at the table, her chin leaning on her hands.


    "Elvlin, she was such a fool. Why did she have to push for greed? Weren''t we meant to climb together in the first ce?" Alba mumbled to herself.


    She looked up at Raze at that point and was ready to say something, but Raze was the first one to speak.


    "Whatever had urred, it doesn''t change the fact that I killed one of your close teammates. Nothing will ever change that."


    "If you wish for us to be enemies or you want to get your vengeance for what happened then so be it. I no longer have to be part of the Crimson Crane n.


    "If you also want to get rid of the rtionship we have through other means, then that is fine as well," Raze was talking about the selling of the pills as the Dark Magus.


    "I just wanted you to know the whole truth at least."


    Alba let out a big sigh.


    "It is a sad day indeed for the Crimson Crane, but Ipletely understand what had urred. No matter what, Elvlin will be treated as a respected member of the Crimson Crane."


    "We shall hold an appropriate funeral for her and inform the others¡­ but I will not hold you ountable for what had urred."


    "In a lot of ways, I me myself. The Crimson Crane didn''t see you as a full member of our group. If they did, they wouldn''t have dared to attack you for their gain."


    "If you can continue to be in the Crimson Crane as you have done, with what has happened, then I will be happy to continue our rtionship."


    Death, amon urrence within the Pagna warriors, but just because it wasmon didn''t mean it didn''t hurt.


    More than anything though, it was important to keep a calm mind. Raze knew this, so many times how he wished he could do things a certain way to get his revenge, but it would have only made it worse.


    "I would like to continue the rtionship," Raze answered. "As well as a token, I see that Tilon has been holding onto some items; if there is something that he needs made, then I will be happy to do that as well."


    The bridge between the two groups, part of it had been cut, and now he was trying to mend it. The Crimson Crane had helped him a lot, and they could still help him more as time went on.


    "Tilon will give you all the items you need; we don''t n to return to the Demonic Faction for now. So when the time is right, we will meet again and you can supply us with the new shield at that time," Alba exined as she stood up.


    Alba then turned around ready to part ways, but she still had one more thing to say.


    "In the future, if something like this happens again, could you try not to kill them and leave the punishment to me? If you do, I will be forever grateful," Alba asked.


    Raze looked at her arm, and she could see it shaking. The rtionship between the two now would never be the same as it was before, but Raze had to live with that.


    "I will try," Raze answered, and turned around.


    He, Anna, and Rayna, would now head back to the Neverfall n, as there was a big event that they needed to deal with.

 Chapter 552 Two Days

    <h4>Chapter 552 Two Days </h4>


    The conversation had gone as well as Raze thought it could with Alba. There were some details that she had asked during his exnation.


    As to whether or not she had anyst words, was there a body that they could still find, and so on. What was left of her was given to Harbour, including the equipment.


    Details of where she could find Harbour were also passed on as well. As for therge rucksack filled with items, materials, and power stones given by Tilon, Raze had stored them away in his zer.


    When he had time, possibly when waiting for this whole wedding to start, he would do his best to create them a great item to use.


    He still needed to keep up his part of the deal, and he was a man of his word. Still, he knew that there was some resentment there from Alba about what had been done.


    "They say with time things heal, but there are some things that can just never be forgotten," Raze said.


    "Huh, was there something you wanted?" Rayna asked.


    The three of them were bouncing up and down as the cart went across the bumpy road. They were currently inside a carriage belonging to a merchant.


    They had already passed the tunnel from the Dark Faction back to the Demonic Faction. Apparently, the Neverfall n had their hands in some merchant''s pockets, allowing them to be used as transport between ces.


    Not just that, but then the merchants had their hands in officials and warriors that were stationed at certain areas allowing them toe through and leave as they pleased.


    Not that it would have been a problem for Raze to leave the Dark Faction since he had Harbour in his back pocket, who was now in charge of one entrance.


    What this did make him wonder was whether or not Alter had a method like this as well. He was still curious as to why, of all the ces, was it most difficult for them to have people inside the Demonic Faction.


    "Just thinking of how this whole thing will turn out," Raze said, not even looking at Rayna.


    At this point, she was feeling a little guilty over the whole situation. It was because the Dark Magus had gotten involved with her, saved her, as well as a bunch of other things that he now had to marry her.


    If she had a bigger say in the Neverfall n, like her brothers, then maybe she could have rejected the idea of marriage, and now this young man was being forced into it.


    "I was wondering, how has my brother been, is he doing okay?" Rayna asked.


    This had caught Raze''s attention as he lifted his head.


    "For now, I''ve lost contact with those in the Dark Faction. Your brother is strong and has been a good guide to me, though," Raze answered. "If possible, it would be good to maybe see him after this."


    Raze needed to return to the academy; that was more of his ultimate goal, while gathering strength enough to defeat the principal. Since he was now a middle stage warrior, when he had time, he could learn possibly some more of the Dark Edge Sword Arts that he had yet to touch.


    Eventually, the bumpy ride wasing to an end and they had made it to the Neverfall n base, or at least the outside of it where therge wall surrounded the ce.


    Rayna chucked the merchant some coin, and he quickly hurried back to wherever he hade from.


    Anna stood there looking up at the wall.


    "I have to warn you, Raze," Anna said. "We from Alter are not meant to be in the Demonic Faction unless asked, and it''s not a ce that many from the Dark Faction like to go to in the first ce.


    "We shouldn''t spend a lot of time here. If Himmy needs us for a task, and he can''t find us, it might cause some problems."


    It was something to make note of, and thankfully Raze didn''t expect to stay here for long.


    Entering the ce, Anna had next to no problems as a guest. She was just seen as a Wanderer warrior. What was surprising, though, was that she was able to deal with the heat with extremely great ease.


    When going down lower and lower through the floors, Anna wasn''t struggling at all; there didn''t even appear to be sweat on her face.


    "I''m sorry, but only invited guests are able to head down lower," Rayna informed. "You can wait for us on this floor. There should be some training rooms or seclusion rooms for you to wait in.


    "We''lle find you when we''re done."


    Anna didn''t seem to have a problem as she walked across the giant chains and jumped off. Right after that, Raze and Rayna continued down to the meeting room that was ced below.


    ''The heat, it''s not getting to me as much as thest time I was here. It''s because I''ve changed now, this is the feeling of being a middle stage warrior.''


    Not only was it easier, but Raze could feel the sheer power of the heating from the bottom. It felt simr to how he was cultivating, and part of it went inwards toward him.


    When they reached the bottom floor, arge ck steel door was in front of them. Rayna gave it a heavy push with both of her hands.


    They weren''t entering the meeting room, but were entering the cultivation room of the head of the n. Intense heat filled the area, and a pathway led to an oval ce where Belil was sitting with his back facing toward Raze.


    Thest time he was here, Raze was made to fight with another, and that was how all of this proposal business had urred in the first ce.


    Rayna entered, and the door closed behind them. When walking forward and finally entering the circle area, she went and sat down on her knees gesturing for Raze to do the same.


    "n Master Narfous, I have arrived with the Dark Magus! The one known as Raze and the one you have been looking for," Rayna exined.


    Belil stood up from where he was and turned around, looking at the two below. The upper part of his muscr body on show, only with a pair of trousers on his legs.


    "What''s this? It hasn''t been long since west met, but I can feel it already, you managed to be a middle stage warrior!" Belil said with arge grin.


    Rayna looked at Raze with surprise. She wasn''t paying attention and was unable to tell. More so than that, she never would have imagined it.


    "I am impressed!" Belil continued. "Maybe one day, you might even be able to fight against me... and also your hair, you''ve changed it, it''s ck¡­ I prefer it ck, it suits you better."


    "Thank you," Raze said, giving a small bow, not really knowing the formalities of what to say or do.


    Still, Belil just found it funny as heughed.


    "Now that you are here, we can get the grand event on the way. Your wedding will happen in two days; it''s a big event so we will borrow Repton city, and not only that I will make sure that every n Head in the entire Demonic Faction is present!


    "They must be for such a grand joyous day, unless they wish to upset me further."


    Of all things, Raze never thought that he would be involved in something that would be bringing the strongest in the Demonic Faction all to one ce.


    "Two days!" Belil said again. "Be ready."

 Chapter 553 Big Prep

    <h4>Chapter 553 Big Prep</h4>


    Rayna still felt bad about everything that was urring for Raze. It was the only way she could think of saving him, and he was being dragged along through all of this, and all of it at a young age.


    Unlike her, who was one of the heirs to a great n and had to follow rules, Raze wasn''t. He was a free individual not rted to any n.


    Many people in Pagna wouldn''t see it this way because to them, status, power, wealth, getting stronger meant everything to them.


    But to Rayna, at some points, she was quite jealous of the no-names, the wanderers that could do as they wished. Even if they were looked down upon and pushed around.


    If anything, she was sure she would be more like Raze, having great strength and being able to protect herself. Still, because of everything that had urred, now he was being ced in the same position.


    ''I guess I should be thankful for one thing.'' Rayna thought as she was sitting still in a seat and several maids around her were working away.


    She was currently in Repton city rather than the Neverfall n, going through a trial makeup session. Everything was being paid for by the n.


    ''The fact that father is letting me and Raze take care of our ownnd, if we are to start a n of our own, then it means we will also have more freedom.''


    ''And besides, if it was witb anyone, I''m thankful that it''s him.''


    As she started to think about Raze with his narrow-focused eyes, her cheeks started to flush.


    "Oh dear, if this happens on the wedding day, we''re going to have to get more powder." The woman said as she continued to pat down the cheek.


    There was another reason that Rayna was in Repton, and it was all to do with the wedding. She was to focus on and organize the events.


    Her father had set up a nner for her, while he sorted out some other details, but she was running the rest of the wedding.


    She didn''t dare get Raze involved. She couldn''t stand if he had to force himself to do such things, so she let him be at the n base.


    ''It means leaving him and that Anna girl that is traveling along with him, but I just hope the two of them are alright¡­ and she stays away.''


    In the end, after a lot of huffing and puffing, Rayna decided to stand up from her seat.


    "I think this looks perfect; I will be back in a couple of hours to sort things out. I think I forgot something at home!"


    Rayna had already left the room before her makeup artist and nner could even say anything.


    "Who does she think she''s fooling? She hasn''t stopped mumbling about another woman," The nner said, putting her hands on her hips. "Oh well, jealousy is a beautiful trait for one to have, right."


    "Yeah, but when you''re marrying one of the strongest families in the Demonic Faction, you have things to worry about. I wonder who''s marrying the youngdy."


    This was the question on everyone''s mind. News had already spread through the Demonic Faction of what was about to ur.


    It was a big moment, but from someone as prominent as the Neverfall n, they thought that they would have known the person being married, the n in question.


    Marriage was a good way to expand rtionships. They didn''t expect the person to be from one of the other mainrge ns, but even a middle-sized n adding their strength or having them in their pocket would be handy.


    Yet, no one had a clue who the groom of the wedding would be. Everyone was trying to get to the bottom of it, and that included Bubble, the infamous reporter.


    Back at the Neverfall n base, Raze and Anna were around the middle floors of the Neverfall n base. They were keeping an eye on the training rooms and had just been watching things for the time being.


    The other members knew Raze was a guest, but had no clue that he was the one that was going to be marrying Rayna.


    In the center of a circle, the Demonic Faction n members were practicing their n''s techniques. They weed the guests to watch.


    Currently sitting on a stone bench by the side of the room, Raze wasn''t studying those in front of him, but instead was looking at the book.


    It was the Dark Edge Sword Arts. He would constantly read how the technique was to be performed and then shut his eyes imagining himself using them.


    After a while, though, his head was starting to hurt. He was fatiguing, and he rubbed his eyes, closing the book, watching the training session in front of him.


    "What''s wrong, don''t you understand what''s written in the book?" Anna asked.


    "I understand it well," Raze said. "However, understanding and performing are two different things. Just because I understand the logic behind it doesn''t mean I am able to perform it."


    "Isn''t that just another way to say that you don''t understand it?" Anna replied back.


    Raze just shook his head. There were many fundamentals of the world that people understood, at least the basic understandings of it.


    Such as how our feet stayed nted on the floor despite the space being out there. They understood what was hitting their face was the wind and the air.


    They understand why we need to eat to survive, but did they understand why that was the case? The techniques of the Dark Edge Sword Arts required a person to understand even further.


    At times it felt like he was skipping steps or the book was poorly exining things.


    ''The next formation, the Phantom Edge Formation, isplicated.'' Raze thought in his mind.


    "Are you afraid?" Anna asked. "That if I was to read the book and perform it in my first attempt, I would be better than you?"


    Raze was a little dumbfounded by Anna''s revtion because all of the techniques required Qi, and to perform it fully, they needed magic; it would be impossible for Anna to perform.


    "I can see why you are looking at me like that," Anna said standing up, and she looked at the students.


    They were twisting their fist performing a special Qi strike created by the Neverfall n. A sharp twist of the fist was needed at the end with an explosion of Qi.


    The strike''s strength and effectiveness could be heard by the p at the end. Like the sound of a loud whip.


    Anna watched it a couple of times, and then bending her knees, she readied herself and threw out her hand just like them and twisted it right at the end.


    A loud bang responded in the room after, that was deafening to everyone, far louder than any of them could hear.


    "As long as I can understand something, or have seen something, I''m pretty sure I can perform it," Anna said with a smug look on her face.


    At that point, Raze was wondering if maybe letting her see the book wasn''t such a bad idea.


    "Hey!" one of the students called out. "Did you just use the Falling Fist technique, that technique belongs to us. You might be a guest of our n, but you can''t just steal our techniques like that!"


    "How did you perform that, who taught you that, if you don''t inform us or if you hide the truth, it will be death for you and your friend!" The man called out.


    "Death?" Raze said, standing up.

 Chapter 554 Razes Past Secret?

    Chapter 554 Raze''s Past Secret?


    ??Although Raze had been in Pagna for a while, there was always something that surprised him. It was how arrogant these people were about their techniques.


    Most of it was due to the ns having a long history of trying to perfect their techniques. Part of being in the n was learning those special techniques so if those techniques and skills got out to the world, then that n could lose power.


    ''It makes me think of patents in our world.'' Raze thought. ''Although I couldn''t imagine how that would work in Pagna? If there was a dispute, would they have to fight it out to see who really invented the technique?''


    Shaking his head, he needed to resolve the situation that was possibly about to get out of hand. Anna was his partner after all, and it could easily end up reflecting on him as well.


    "Calm down," Instructor Dil said, a middle-aged well-groomed man with a perfectly cut beard that made his jaw even more chiseled, as he came over.


    "But sir, I''m saying this for the sake of our n. These outsiders could have stolen technique books or anything. We have no idea why they are even here in the first ce!" The studentined.


    Dil stroked his beard ever so gently, making sure he just touched the edge to not ruin his beard.


    "You are right, it''s certainly strange that you were able to perform that technique with such precision. You are clearly not a member of the n after all, you will have to inform us how you came across this technique or why do you know such a thing?" Dil asked.


    Anna let out a smallugh.


    "I wasn''t taught this by anyone. I simply just did as you had been instructing the others. I watched you and your students perform it, and then performed it of my own."


    To demonstrate this, Anna performed the punch again, making the loud sound ring out. Now that the other students had stopped practicing the punch, they could hear it clearer than they could before.


    "That''s impossible," Dil said. "Otherwise, you would be some well-known genius that is spread throughout thend. If what you say is true, then perform this."


    Dil readied his fist and pulled his arm back over his shoulder with his elbow pointed out toward Anna. He then swung with full force, performing a chopping strike.


    The movements looked simple, but to produce great sound and ce Qi into the attacks, this was a deadly technique that could be used in fruitful situations.


    ''This is quite good to watch this.'' Raze started to think. ''It might allow me to increase my own arsenal of skills as well.''


    The Dark Edge Sword Arts couldn''t always be used and they weren''t general techniques to be used in a fight either.


    Right after Dil demonstrated it, Anna got into the same position, and swinging her arm down, the same snapping sound was heard echoing in the room. She had performed it perfectly.


    "This proves it!" Dil shouted and pointed. "You really have gotten your hands on our techniques. You must have stolen them and been practicing them in secret, and now you dare to show it to us in this ce."


    "If you won''t admit to your mistakes, or tell us who told you all of these, then both of you will just have to be ced in the cell, and suffer! Students take them away."


    Anna''s fingers were twitching. The students were approaching her, and she was ready to grab onto their hands and take them out when possible.


    That was until Raze moved to her side.


    "Don''t attack them," He whispered. "We can just stay in the cell until Rayna or someone elsees and exins the situation. Things will be easier this way, and remember you''re not on an Alter mission."


    At times, through his age, Raze realized that sometimes it was best to just go through the path with the least amount of resistance.


    He was sure the misunderstanding at some point would be cleared up.


    The students came over and grabbed both of Anna''s wrists, leading her. She could easily break out but listened to Raze.


    "I can walk myself, I have no reason to run away," Raze said as he lifted his hands before they would touch him, and continued to walk along with the others.


    A short whileter, the two of them found themselves in a lower part of the Abyss of the Neverfall n. They were behind solid iron bars and led down a hallway until the two of them were ced behind even more solid iron bars.


    There was only one cell, and there was no one else present in the cell. It was stationed in the corner of a cave down a hallway that led them up a staircase leading them to the main part of the Abyss.


    There was where a guard stood as well.


    An hourter after the events with Raze had urred, Rayna had returned to the base. The only reason she had done so was to find Raze in the first ce.


    The moment she got there, she started to ask around if anyone had seen them, and it eventually led her to the round training room.


    The others were continuing practicing their techniques time and time again, and she had eventually approached Dil.


    "Young Lady, we wee you!" Dil said, bowing down and all of the other students followed as well.


    "Rise," Rayna said immediately looking around. "I heard that two guests of the n were here not too long ago, have you seen them around?"


    "Ah, those two?" Dil said with a smirk on his face. "It seems that we have caught a couple of thieves, young miss. They have been stealing our n''s techniques, so we decided to ce them in the cer for the time being."


    Rayna was frozen for a moment.


    "You¡­ ced them in the cer¡­ you ced my guests in the cer!" Rayna repeated and raised her voice, then raised her hand and swung it right across Dil''s face.


    It crashed, causing Dil to spin in the air before hended on the floor.


    "Do you have any idea who you just imprisoned!" Rayna shouted.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Back in the cer, Raze was sitting up against the rock, trying to get some rest before he would study his Dark Edge Sword Arts again.


    A cell wasn''t bad, especially after he had spent several days underground for the assessment before, this felt like child''s work. Yet there was always something on the back of his mind.


    "I¡­ need something else to wear," Raze mumbled. As he tugged on his zer.


    "What''s wrong?" Anna asked. "And don''t tell me nothing is wrong, you know I can tell the details in your facial expression.


    "Ever since you were made aware of this wedding, you keep having the same look on your face again and again," Anna asked.


    "If I told you the truth, you wouldn''t believe me," Raze replied.


    "Did you forget who you were speaking to?"


    "Good point," Raze said, letting out a sigh. "The wedding has brought up memories for me¡­ because before this, I was married once as well."


    Anna looked carefully as she heard Raze''s answers; she looked for every detail she could and could tell. He wasn''t lying at all, but how could that be?


    How could someone so young have been married before?


    At the same time, down the hallway, having just entered the ce, yet to reach the cell, Rayna was there.


    ''He was married before¡­''

 Chapter 555 Hatred Of The Grand Magus

    Chapter 555 Hatred Of The Grand Magus


    ??Raze was sitting in the cell along with his newly found partner from Alter, Anna. She wasn''t like the others he had met from Alter.


    If anything, she was more like him, someone from another world that had ended up in Pagna, and had no choice but to enter Alter for freedom and information on finding those that were like her.


    Maybe this was the reason why Raze found it easier to be honest with her. Because she was in the same situation in this foreign world to them both.


    Thinking about these things, Raze continued to y with thepel of his zer.


    "How can that be possible?" Anna asked. "You''re so young. Is it because you were from a noble family in Alterian? Did they force you into a marriage with another family?"


    Anna was just pulling ideas from the air with what she knew, and there was something else she had picked up. With her hyper-sensitive ears, even though Rayna was a skilled middle stage warrior, she could hear her faint breathing not too far away from the cell.


    Yet, Anna decided not to say a thing. She didn''t know why, but the appearance of Rayna annoyed her somewhat, so she thought it was best for her to hear this, and see how she would react.


    "Ha!" Razeughed. "You said the same thing again, but you have no idea anything about me. My blood isn''t part of some royal lineage."


    "I was born in the slums. I''m sure many different worlds, maybe even yours, had a difference in status between the rich and poor, but Alterian was even worse than that of Pagna."


    "In that world, there were those that lived below, and those that lived above. We never even got to see sunlight; the food we ate, the lives we lived, it was as if the two came from different worlds."


    Now Anna had realized, the words she had said before, why they might have angered Raze. Now, seeing the seriousness of the matter, she wasn''t in the mood to crack jokes, and decided that she would just listen.


    "You don''t have to tell me," Anna said. "But if it can clear some of your pain, or something you want to say, then I will listen and keep my secret the same as before, to never tell a soul!"


    She raised her voice when she said thest sentence, just so the one that was overhearing would know as well. In her mind as well, she wasn''t breaking her promise with Raze either.


    Raze continued to flick thepel on his zer.


    "If I wore this tomorrow, it wouldn''t be right to wear it to the wedding, something that was made by her," Raze said, staring into the air.


    After a few moments, he clenched both of his fists that were hanging over his legs.


    "You''re right, sometimes it is good to speak of it, and I need to remind myself why I am doing what I am doing. Once in a while I tell these stories to myself to help me remember¡­ as for telling someone else."


    "I don''t think I ever have done so. Still, I have to remember, I have to at least tell myself so I never forget why I''m doing this."


    The words from Raze felt so heavy to Anna, even though he had yet to tell his tale. It was odd; it made her wonder how someone could have gone through so much so young.


    "I don''t know how much you know about our world, but where I am from, there are magicians that have great strength, you can think of them like Divine Warriors.


    "But there is also a status even above them, those that rule thends and worlds, the governments and practically are seen as heroes by everyone, we call them the Grand Magus."


    "And my goal, the reason why I am doing everything, is to get rid of every single one of the Grand Magus, every single one of them that wronged me!" Raze gritted his teeth as he said those words.


    "These are the five people I hate most in this world, the people that others treasure so much. There are some things that happened in my life that made my hatred grow for them."


    "When I was younger, a mage used to visit me frequently, down below. I would be forced to do services I didn''t wish to do."


    "I don''t remember much about him, apart from his clothing having the marking of a golden ''I''. Later, when the Grand Magus were created, one of them was named Idore.


    "A strong mage but mostly known for the items he could craft, and each one of them would have the same marking of the golden ''I''."


    "Still, although all of that happened, I managed to change my life; I became part of the upper world and left the world below behind. I changed my life and had be a professor at one of the top academies."


    "It was then that there was an opportunity for me to be the next principal of the Academy. I was ced with my friend, Ibarin."


    "However, a raid was made in my office, and illegal substances were found. I was ced on trial, and the person who I thought was my friend, testified against me."


    "It was as clear as day that I was set up by him, but I had no proof. In the end, I lost my position, and lost my job, while Ibarin became the principal, and not only that, due to his further achievements, he had also be a Grand Magus."


    Anna didn''t want to say it, but things seemed to follow Raze around. Interactions on two separate asions and both of them bing Grand Magus. His enemies happened to be the strongest from his world.


    There was something else as well; if he was a professor surely he would be an old man. Yet once again, looking at his face, Anna could tell that no lies were being spoken.


    "When I lost my job, I myself felt lost, but there was still one person by my side, one person who had stayed with me the entire time no matter how hard things got."


    "That is my wife. No matter how tough things got she stayed by my side through it all; she supported me. I ask myself why, why was I so obsessed with finding proof that Ibarin had framed me."


    "If I just left that matter alone, then maybe things would have been okay¡­"


    Raze lingered for a while, his head sunken in, but when he lifted his hand, just clenching his fist, a crackling sound could be heard as his knuckles clicked.


    "It was because of everything that happened with her, I had be what I am today."


    "I was a fool, to think that there was kindness, and to put my trust in others. I would have never imagined that all five of the Grand Magus were working together."


    "Listen carefully, because I will tell you the reason for my hatred of all of the Grand Magus!" Raze glimmered with his Dark magic lingering slightly out of him.

 Chapter 556 Razes Wife

    Chapter 556 Raze''s Wife


    ??In Alterian, a string of events had urred. One of the top professors at the Central Mage Academy, the biggest academy and best in the world, had been fired.


    Due to his achievements in the magic field as well as his many years of service, he wasn''t imprisoned and was only let go.


    Around a month had passed since these events had urred for Raze, and currently, with a ck hood over his head and a beard that had grown around two centimeters in length, he was walking through the rain.


    The neon lights reflected on the pools of water as Raze continued to walk. He could see couples walking hand in hand enjoying theirpany.


    Others buying gifts for loved ones, and some children just ying with magic spells they had learned.


    With his hood up, at least no one knew who he was. It was a way of life that he had to get used to in the city.


    Heading back to his apartment block, he had finally arrived home. On the 11th floor, he got off and looked to his door to the right.


    It was covered in crude words written all over them. Marked in a type of red paint. Messages telling him to leave, to get out of the city, that he was sick, and that he should just go ahead and kill himself.


    Walking forward, Raze lifted his foot before nting it on the floor; he could see a magic circle had been ced. With a twirl of his finger, he broke the magic circle.


    ''How could people go so far as to even nt something like that? If I didn''t see it, or didn''t know how to disrupt the magic circle, that could have hurt.''


    cing his hand on the door, it eventually opened, and a faint glow of a magic circle could be seen on the door. An enchantment that Raze had put himself, to stop people from getting in.


    Walking through the door, immediately a strong scent of food wafted into his nose. Yet, Raze had next to no reaction as he walked through the living room and went to the kitchen.


    Here he sat at his dining table, in his soaked clothes, and stayed sitting in ce.


    "You''reing hometer andter every day," Sabrina said as she ced the food on the table and walked behind Raze.


    cing both of her hands on his shoulders, the water moved out from the clothes and gathered, floating to the sink and draining away.


    She then sat opposite him and looked directly at him.


    "Were you investigating again?" Sabrina asked.


    Raze looked at his wife''s eyes. They were golden-colored to him. Perhaps they were actually a hazel brown and his affection for her made them glint a slight gold, but to him, his wife was more precious than any type of gold.


    She had light-colored brown hair thatplemented the look in her eyes, and everything about her was soft. Her voice calmed Raze down in an instant.


    Her gestures, her mannerisms, everything just made him feel at ease, and now, he started to feel bad as tears rolled down his cheeks.


    "It''s because of me that you have to live a life like this," Raze said, wiping his tears away. "It''s because of me¡­ if you were with someone else, then you wouldn''t have to go through all of this."


    "Raze," Sabrina said, grabbing both of his hands and pulling them forward. A soft glow started to ur, giving Raze a tingling feeling.


    This was the power of Light magic, a sensation that made anyone feel at ease.


    "None of this is your fault. I know you didn''t do what they said. I''ve known you for years. If anything, now it''s better than before because without you working so hard on your job, the two of us can spend more time together."


    "But, you''ve been going out all night, investigating. Trying to find out the real person behind those illegal substances!"


    Sabrina was right. After losing his job, the first few days Raze had spent it grieving. He had lost his passion, his research, and the joy of teaching others magic that had saved him.


    Most of all, he was betrayed by a dear friend. After the grief period was over, Raze instead was ovee with anger.


    What reason did Ibarin have to lie? It was clearly to gain the position of principal, but even more so than that, the circumstances of the whole thing were suspicious. So much so that Raze needed to get to the bottom of it.


    Who was behind selling the illegal substances in the school? If he could gather evidence then all of the pain that they had gone through would disappear.


    "If I find out who did this, then we can go back to how things were. Right now, I can''t even go out on the street without my hood covering my face!" Raze shouted back. "Our home, every day there are magic traps and writing all over the outside."


    "Even today I found a magic circle; what if you got hurt, then what would happen? Not just that, but you lost your job as well, all because of your rtion to me!"


    Not even Raze could have predicted that things would have turned out this badly for them. After losing his position as Professor at the university, the principal promised to keep the matters under wraps.


    The old principal. It was a bad look on the Central Academy in the first ce, so it was the best option for both of them.


    It was why an official trial in the Mage''s court never urred either. Yet, somehow news had gotten around.


    Reports were made that spread over the entirety of Alterian. It became a serious matter.


    Many top officials, government powers, and mages sent their children to the academy. Thinking that he was the one behind such disgusting acts, many wanted his head.


    They wanted him to be executed for his crimes. After word had gotten out, his wife had lost her job as a magic tailor.


    Raze as well, no matter where he went to try and get a new job, everyone would reject him. There wasn''t a person in the whole of Alterian that didn''t know what he looked like at the moment.


    Sabrina had said that with time these things would pass, that there would be a new piece of news that they would find, but that never happened.


    The reports continued, and the rumors were getting out of hand, exaggerated. People found out where they lived and worse.


    Raze knew the type of person the old principal was, at least he thought he knew what he was like. He didn''t think he would do this, which was why now he was obsessed with finding out the truth instead.


    Right now though, it was hard for him to trust anybody, apart from his wife.


    At that point, Raze didn''t touch any of his food as he stood up and looked at the door.


    "I''m sorry everything is my fault, but I''m going to fix it."


    As Raze went to rush out the door, Sabrina stood up and hugged him tightly from behind.


    "No Raze¡­ we are married, we''re family which means we do this together. Your problems are my problems as well. I''ll help you with all of this."


    It was hard for Raze to say no in the past; it was his number one weakness, and when his wife would say something, it was even harder for him to say no.


    How he wished so much that day, he would have just said ''No'' to her.

 Chapter 557 (Updated Correct ) Stranger Danger

    <h4>Chapter 557 (Updated Correct Chapter) Stranger Danger </h4>


    Thanks to a lot of persuasion from Sabrina, Raze had decided to rest up that day rather than head outside for the night in an endless search.


    She didn''t know quite what Raze was doing, only that he was trying to find evidence of what had happened at the academy.


    She saw him set off for the day bright and early and waited a bit before doing her own task; right after that, she decided to leave herself.


    Closing the door behind her, she saw the paint on the door, and with a wave of her hand, the paint started to disintegrate and fall away.


    It was easier for her to clean, but no matter how much she cleaned the paint, it would only return.


    Quickly, though, she took the elevator downstairs and headed off into the bustling city center. Unlike Raze, she could walk freely, without the staring eyes and the pointing.


    After walking down the pavement, she entered a shop that had a sweet fragrance. It was a magical tailor shop, where one would weave special materials and make the best equipment for the mages in thend.


    It was more than just enchanting; that these workers did, one also had to keep up with the trends. This was and pretty much always had been Sabrina''s job, but this wasn''t her usual workce.


    When walking to the front, there was an older gentleman behind the desk. When his eyes met with Sabrina''s, he quickly nced away and looked to be in a bit of a panic.


    Quickly, he moved from behind the counter and started to push Sabrina back out the door.


    "I''m sorry, ma''am, but I can''t conduct the interview today," the shop owner imed.


    "Wait, you don''t have to push me," Sabrina replied. "I can juste back another day if you''re busy. I have a lot of experience, and I''m not in a big rush."


    Although that was a lie. Raze''s job paid well; he was a top professor, after all. So they had money for the time being, but they also had a lot of expenses because of where they were.


    On top of that, Sabrina didn''t want to just rely on Raze; after all, they wanted to build a future together. She wanted to get gray hairs and feed the pigeons by the greenery side by side, without a worry.


    Not work every day to death; so she needed to get a good job.


    "It''s not that, ma''am. If I had known who you were, then I would have never offered you a job here in the first ce. I''m sorry, but if customers knew I let you in here, then it would fall back on me. Please understand!


    "The world is sensitive today; one wrong thing, and there will be videos online telling people to boycott my shop. Please don''t do me any more harm!"


    It was after those words she felt herself just being pushed back. She no longer resisted, and in doing so, there was quite the heavy shove right out the door.


    She continued to fall until she tripped and fell into a puddle of mucky water from the rainst night.


    Her clothes were a mess, and people just stared and looked, not even offering a helping hand. Soon, though, she lifted herself off the ground and decided to sit on the pavement edge, still not cleaning the mud off from her clothes.


    "What do I do¡­this is harder than I thought. Nearly every job is going to do a search into who I am," Sabrina said to herself. "How am I meant to help Raze as well?


    "I thought I could get a job at this tailor because that''s where they make the uniforms at the Central Mage Academy. Maybe I could have learned a thing or two about what really happens."


    While sitting there covered in dirt, she soon could feel magic encasing her whole body. Based on the magic, she could tell that it wasn''t meant to harm her, but the muddy substance from her clothes was being lifted out and flown away.


    Right after that, she turned and could see a light orange-haired man, in a top hat and with a cane in his hand. The cane had the head of the eagle on it.


    "I hope you don''t mind, I just hate to see such a beautifuldy just covered in mud," the man said.


    Sabrina stood up and bowed down to the man, thanking him.


    "Thank you for the help, but I could have done it myself," Sabrina said as she moved her finger, giving her clothes a glow of light magic. The bottom of her dress puffed-up fluff.


    Now her dress looked better than new and was shining brightly.


    "Oh, you are quite skilled in magic; you could have cleaned your dress yourself. I apologize; it seems I was too rash. But forgive me, why were you covered in mud? Was it¡­some sort of hobby?"


    Sabrina''s face went bright red, and immediately started to shake her hands.


    "No, no, I just fell aftering out of that shop there; I was just a little shocked." Her smile turned upside down as she looked into the pool of water again.


    "You seem down, is it something I can help with?" the man asked.


    "Not unless you can give me a job," Sabrinamented. It was an offment; she didn''t actually mean it, but frustrated she was just speaking her mind.


    "Actually, I just might be able to help you. I own quite argepany, you see, that has several departments, and with your magical skills, I''m sure we can put them to good use!"


    Sabrina''s eyes lit up right at that moment. They were shining even brighter as her light magic was activating.


    "Thank you so much, thank you, thank you!" Sabrina continued to bow. "I''m happy to do anything, even start from the bottom!"


    "That''s great, well shall we head off? I was heading to the office today; I guess you can start your first day today," the man said.


    "Thank you, good¡­ err, sir, I''m sorry I don''t even know your name," Sabrina asked.


    "Ah, right, my name is Gizin," the man answered.


    The name Gizin rang a bell in Sabrina''s mind almost immediately; this was no ordinary man.

 Chapter 558 A Famous Name

    <h4>Chapter 558 A Famous Name</h4>


    While Sabrina was following the man in the top hat to the location, she was still having trouble trying to remember why the name stuck out so much to her.


    She was sure she had heard the name before, yet why would she know a name and not what the man looked like? The reality of everything that had happened to them recently was taking a toll on her, and it was making it harder for her to think.


    She wasn''t too worried though; after all, she was a talented mage. She herself knew that she would do well in battle, often Raze had tried convincing her to be a professor of her own since she had so much skill in the field of magic.


    She was a 7-star mage, just off the pinnacle that a few at the very top achieved, but she wished for a quiet life doing what she enjoyed, which was tailoring and design.


    So following a stranger didn''t seem too dangerous for her because she was in the top one percent. There wouldn''t be many that could best her in battle.


    Finally, as they took a turn down a street, she could see it up ahead. Arge ss building that went almost as far as her eyesight could see in width.


    It was at least thirty floors tall as well. The reflective ss didn''t allow one to see what was inside, but the name on the side of the building was clear.


    [Green Magic Pharma]


    The name had hit Sabrina instantly. She had seen thepany name on many daily items that could be sold in every convenience store or mega store.


    "Wait, Gizin, the CEO of Green Magic Pharma, why didn''t you tell me who you were, I can''t believe I''m in the presence of such a great man!" Sabrina bowed down again showing how thankful she was.


    This man wasn''t an extremely powerful mage, he was a talented mage that had managed to reach the 6th star, yet his name was known worldwide because of hispany.


    Thepany focused on medicine for mages. Potions that could be used to restore mana, to help recovering addicts that had suffered from bad items of magical spells.


    And even healing damaged magic cores and more. Due to their position and having so many great items, they were said to be one of the most powerfulpanies in the world.


    Which also made Gizin one of the most powerful people in the world as well. He knew all the top officials, and often countries would fight over setting up his new businesses there since it would increase the value of one''s country.


    "Where''s the fun in that?" Gizin said. "Lucky my face isn''t as well-known since I just run apany. Sure there are those that will know me, but I''m not a celebrity like those 8-star mages."


    "Nonsense, what you do for Alterian is a lot more than what they could do, it would be an honor to work for you¡­ but is there going to be an interview process for the job?" Sabrina asked.


    She was nervous because this had already happened a few times just like with the tailor shop before.


    Sabrina''s resume was good. She had a lot of experience and usually many would fight over having a talented 6-star mage like her.


    Yet when they searched up her name, due to her having Cromwell and the news reports digging up information, they would find out about Raze as well, and that''s when they had to let her go no matter what.


    Which was why she was nervous that the same would happen again.


    "An interview, there will be no need for something like that," Gizin replied. "You already proved yourself back there. You are a talented tailorist, while at the same time have strong Light Magical powers."


    "You are quite perfect for the new line I am looking to develop. I want to create enchanted clothing that has healing effects."


    "I believe this will help those greatly with chronic illnesses that can''t be cured, and would be preferred by people that don''t wish to take medication every day. There is also research that states it causes fewer side effects."


    "If anything, I should thank my lucky stars that I ran into you today. So shall we head inside and look at where your new office will be?" Gizin pointed forward.


    With a smile on her face, Sabrina was happy to follow, as she was ced in her new role with one of the toppanies in the world.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the meantime, Raze was currently in the busy city, but he was further on the outskirts rather than in the center.


    Here there was less wealthpared to the central part of the city, but still avish luxury lifestylepared to those that couldn''t even afford to enter.


    The reason he was here was because he had been tracking a certain individual for a while. Raze was sitting in a shop having ordered a drink and was looking through the window.


    Here he could see a man who was standing by an alleyway. People woulde and go, but after a while, some would stop.


    There would be an exchange of sorts and after that nothing else.


    This was one of the people he had tracked, Raze had asked those that were already addicted to some of the illegal magic smoke that they were taking.


    He then went from there to their local dealers, but he knew they wouldn''t know enough, he had to keep moving, further and further, and here he was.


    ''The people that are approaching him are the sellers, one of them goes to the school, but they know nothing as well.''


    Finally, after a while, the man was done, and now he was on the move again.


    Raze continued to follow him, even this man in question that was passing on the product to his sellers, he didn''t have confidence would know enough.


    He needed to go to the source, where were these productsing from. Otherwise, he would find no rtion.


    ''The students were just selling what they bought from here, I can bring them in, but then they will just say I was the one that sold it to the students.


    ''Who knows how many people Ibarin has under his control.''


    As Raze continued to follow him, he eventually saw him stop, and that''s when he could see it.


    He looked at the area they were in, and could see a building. It looked like a regr warehouse of sorts. Packages wereing in and out constantly.


    There was nothing suspicious about it, but there were many that knew magic standing on the outside like guards.


    ''They have mages standing outside a warehouse. Hiring protection is quite normal in case these ces get raided, but aren''t they at the 4-star level? That''s quite high for a ce like this, and what would a person selling the product have to do with a ce like this.''


    Raze wasn''t a fighter, he was a researcher, who knew strong spells but didn''t know how to use them inbat well.


    If he could, he would avoid forcing his way in, which was why he had done some research on his phone until some records hade up.


    ''This building¡­ it''s owned by the Noble Guild¡­ the Mage Guild that is run by Idore.''

 Chapter 559 No Backbone Giving Up

    Chapter 559 No Backbone Giving Up


    ??Seeing the building in question belonging to Idore, it gave Raze a shiver through his whole body. Images of a golden "I" on a cape shed through his head.


    He shook his head violently, trying to forget those images of his younger self.


    ''Idore now runs one of the biggest guilds in the world,'' Raze thought to himself. ''His influence in crafting has helped him gain arge influence in other countries, and he is being seen as a peacemaker for giving everyone the same amount of ess to his enchantments.''


    ''The guild will own a few buildings here and there, but are they getting their supplies from the Noble Guild then? Is he and Ibarin behind this together then?''


    Raze thought about what he could do, seeing the situation, but the wall felt extremely high to climb. It would be hard for him to sneak in, and if Idore was involved, how would he even bring this case to light?


    ''I should just forget about everything,'' Raze thought as he turned his head and headed back home.


    ¡ª¡ª Uponing home, Raze had walked in and sat by his table with a ss in hand. A strong heavy smell burnt his nose from the alcohol as he lifted it and gulped it down.


    He didn''t savor the taste, nor even bothered himself by the slight burn. He was just drinking away, to forget.


    How long had passed, he had no idea, but Raze had stayed in the same seat until he saw the door opening and Sabrina entering inside.


    "Oh, you''re here!" Sabrina said with a smile, that was until she saw the alcohol bottle on the side and Raze sitting there with a nk smile.


    She rushed over and took the bottle, cing it back in the top cupboard.


    "You''re doing this again; what happened, I thought we were over this. The fact that you''re finally here before me, what happened."


    For some reason, even though Raze had already drunk half arge bottle of 50 percent alcohol liquor, he was finding it hard to even feel anything.


    His emotions were too strong, so instead, he decided to let it out.


    "I found a link¡­ the people that were selling the drugs at the school, they got their supply from this random person, who seems to be getting his supply from arge building that belongs to the Noble Guild," Raze answered.


    Now Sabrina understood the problem. The Noble Guild was all the reports could talk about, that was until Raze''s incident urred.


    Not only that, but she had even heard stories of the Noble Guild trying to recruit Raze but he had declined on the spot, saying he cared more about the research of magic than creations.


    "You could still do something you know," Sabrina said.


    "What do you mean, how am I meant to do something against the Noble Guild, Idore is in talks with the world government trying to set up some type of super system with them at the moment.


    "We''re on the brink of world peace because of him. Even if I was toe up with something, they would just shoot it down."


    "But you don''t have to condemn the Noble Guild, or take down Idore," Sabrina answered, taking a seat next to Raze and holding onto his hands.


    "You know, you''re an important person as well. You''re an 8-star mage, you are even better than the top 1 percent out there. Just because you don''t have the same ambition out there as them you took a humble role as a professor.


    "However, you are an 8-star mage with no backbone whatsoever. You can just head into the factory, get enough evidence to at least clear your name, people will support you."


    Raze took his hands away and just shook his head. Getting into the factory would possibly mean hurting others, and he didn''t want to do that.


    He had hurt someone with his magic long ago and didn''t want to do the same.


    In order to steer the conversation away, Sabrina started to tell Raze about her day, and how she had managed to get a new job of all things.


    His face was uplifted as he listened to Sabrina talk about everything that happened. Seeing her smile, seeing her glow, right now it was the only light he had in his life.


    ''It''s fine¡­ if things stay like this¡­ it will be fine, as long as I have her,'' Raze thought to himself.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Six months had passed since Sabrina had gotten a job at Green Magic Pharma and she was fitting in well. At first, she was a support for the team developing the magical gear, but after a while she had be the head of the entire department.


    She was even more talented for this line of work,pared to just being a tailor as she hade up with a number of enchantments that could help make people''s lives better.


    She was fitting in and due to her position, at her meetings, she would still see Gizin once in a while.


    In terms of her position and him as her boss, there was nothing wrong. He paid her very well, even giving her royalties for some of the designs she would make.


    Gizin was also a good boss, treating his staff well and taking them out on trips, as well as being understanding when things went wrong.


    There wasn''t a bad thing she could say about him or the job, but there was still one problem that she had, and that was Raze.


    Even though so much time had passed, things weren''t getting easier for him. The attention had gone off him, but still, there were those that would paint on the outside of the house.


    On top of that, it was impossible for him to find a job, due to his history. Sabrina would have asked Gizin but she was worried that she would lose her position as well.


    With her wage she could allow for the two of them to survive, but she could tell he had lost his purpose in life. He couldn''t even freely enjoy going to the library or get his hands on the most advanced ces of magic because they were no longer essible to him.


    Each day she could see him breaking further and further and it was tearing her apart, she just wished that there was something she could do.


    "Alright everyone, good work today!" Sabrina said, pping her hands.


    She was in a design studio with her team with multiple drawings and different fabric materials ced all over.


    Her team, which consisted of about twenty-five people, turned to look at her, they bowed down saying thank you, and left soon after.


    Going to herputer she gave a sigh and was ready to sign off.


    "Well, maybe my surprise gift I have for our anniversary will please him," Sabrina smirked. "I just hope he hasn''t found it, although he hasn''t exactly been snooping around the house."


    While looking at her screen and their orders, she noticed something that caught her eye. As she clicked around a bit she finally got to the page she was looking for.


    ''We have the Noble Guild as some of our customers now as well. Some of our supplies they get delivered are to that warehouse that Raze was talking about that time¡­ Maybe¡­ I''ll be able to find something if I head there under the guise of a delivery?''

 Chapter 560 A Wife Who Will Never Give Up

    Chapter 560 A Wife Who Will Never Give Up


    ??Unlike before, Raze didn''t go out every day in search of trying to get to the bottom of his case. A lot of time had passed, and Ibarin''s position as the Principal of the Academy just got cemented more and more.


    Raze had kept up with all of the news of the academy at least, and big changes were happening to the academy and himself as mages were getting recognized more and more for their power.


    More focus was being ced at the academy. The reason why Raze didn''t step out of the doors was in case he would go mad trying to search for something again, he was afraid that maybe he would act out, and use his magic to harm others for the sake of his goal.


    Yet today was just one of those days, a report with Ibarin conducting an interview hade on, and in order to clear his mind, he had decided to step into the outside world.


    It was a sunny day, the skies were clear blue with few clouds in sight. For a moment, Raze had to cover his eyes, he had been cooped up inside for such a long time that it startled him.


    Beginning his walk down the street, he had his hood up over his head. With his hood down, not as many people would recognize him anymore.


    Since he hadn''t been in the news or was an important figure in the TV scene for long anyway, not many would remember what he looked like.


    For him though, it had be a habit, and it was as if he was hiding from everything, a protective wall to avoid all the problems.


    As he walked down the street, he looked at people talking in the coffee shops, groups huddled together ncing at him and whispering words to each other.


    ''Are they talking about me¡­ did they recognize who I was¡­ but it wasn''t me, I didn''t do it¡­ I didn''t do it, I was set up!'' Raze thought in his head.


    The images of those talking around, they were turning dark, smiles on their faces as they surrounded, pointing andughing at him.


    Quickly, Raze needed to quicken his pace as he got out of the busy city area, and went over to a more quiet part of the city.


    A local park built in the center of a building. It was gated, allowing him to go inside he could see people ying with their pets, and sitting on the benches.


    ''It''s still hard for me to go outside.'' Raze thought as he took in a few deep breaths.


    Another reason why he didn''t go out as much was because of this. Raze couldn''t hear the others but his mind would go rampant with thoughts.


    He assumed the worst, assumed what they would think about him, and what they were talking about. Even if he was able to apply for a job, his heart would race and he could get far too tensed up thinking about what they would think about.


    Walking forward, Raze had found an empty bench and decided to take a seat. It lit up slightly when he sat down and a cooling effect was emitted from the bench.


    It was filled with magic, cooling him on the summer day. For a moment he felt a little at peace, but it was only for these few moments.


    "Hey, did you hear what happened today, they found a person practicing Dark Magic!"


    "I did hear! They say two officers were killed, and they were 3-star mages as well!"


    Not too far from where Raze was, he could see a group of teenagers talking to one another. They were sitting in the grass discussing thetest news.


    Since he could hear what they were talking about, he didn''t get the same feeling as before, but Raze didn''t dare look their way, and just continued listening to their conversation.


    "Yeah, I heard that the mage wasn''t that strong, yet he managed to fend off a police squad, is it because he was using Dark Magic?"


    The conversation continued between the kids, and Raze was listening to it in and out.


    He knew the answer because Dark Magic was taboo, not even talented mages knew of its capabilities or how to handle it.


    Essentially those who practiced Dark Magic had the upper hand because other mages didn''t know what the spells were capable of.


    A lot of mage battles, one needed research into the magic and prior battles. Even himself hadn''t researched a lot into Dark Magic.


    ''I wonder if I was to go against a Dark Mage, what I would do to battle against one.'' Raze started to think, trying to keep his mind upied off of things.


    Although he was a pacifist when it came to using magic to battle, he still didn''t let that stop his imagination. Just like a kid after watching their favorite battle shows.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After looking into things the other day, Sabrina had made a call to her team, asking if she could visit one of the warehouses they made deliveries to.


    The warehouse in question belonged to Idore. It wasn''t exactly her department but she was in a high enough position to request going along with one of the teams.


    They were visiting, hoping to talk about a trade of crafted items to be embedded into the clothing to make them more powerful.


    Things like buttons, markings, and so on. Right now, she was in the warehouse that was busy moving a number of products and was heading out to the team.


    "Sabrina, are youing? I thought you were interested in the talks," one of the other team heads asked.


    "Ah, it''s okay, I was more interested in the warehouse itself, you go ahead, and then I''ll leave when you guys leave as well," Sabrina imed.


    With that, Sabrina was now on her own in the warehouse. Here she could see by the doors there were talented mages that were standing there.


    High-level mages that didn''t look like typical workers. Then there were regr workers and magic workers helping with the movement of equipment.


    ''Well, if I was to take a guess at where somewhere like this would hide something, then it would have to be¡­.''


    Looking around she could see one door that didn''t lead to the outside, and two guards were standing there.


    Not a single person moved in and out.


    While blending in by looking around with her head, she moved closer to the two guards that were keeping an eye on her.


    As she got close, she cast a spell, whipping her finger away. The Light Magic entered both of their eyes and they soon started to feel sleepy, almost instantly.


    ''I''m a talented 7-star mage, my magic can get through most of the others as my mana overwhelms them.''


    Quickly with a little bit of Ice Magic she froze their feet and part of their back to make them appear as if they were still standing guard.


    Right after that, she ced her ear against the wall. She couldn''t hear others on the other side and gave it a slight push.


    Entering through the door, she closed it behind her, and continued to look in the ce.


    It was a separate room filled with wooden crates. There were no markings on the crates as for what the items were.


    "Why would they separate these items from the others?" Sabrina thought.


    Walking over, she went to the wooden crate and propped open the top, pushing the lid slightly off, and she could soon see what was inside. She didn''t even have to touch the items.


    She could tell, it was illegal magic inhaling items, and there were hundreds of them.


    ''Raze was right¡­'' Sabrina thought. ''If I can just get the police toe here, and we can get the people involved, this will clear him of all the crimes they used him of.''


    ''We might not be able to link it to Ibarin, but we can at least clear his name.''


    Not wanting to do more, she ced the lid back on, trying to make it appear as if she had never been here. After all, she didn''t want to be found out and then they clear the ce before they were even able to run an investigation.


    Turning around though, she crashed right into someone.


    "What.." Were the only words that came out of Sabrina''s mouth.


    "You are not meant to be in here," the voice said.


    ''How did I not sense him, I was using magic the whole time¡­ and why is he here¡­ why is Idore himself in this Warehouse!'' Sabrina thought.

 Chapter 561 Learning About Dark Magic

    Chapter 561 Learning About Dark Magic


    ??Raze had stayed in the park for quite a while, listening to the conversation of the teenage mages until they had eventually left, and now the night sky was out.


    No one hade to sit next to him, maybe because of the aura he was giving off. One could feel a disturbance in the air if they came close.


    As for what Raze had been doing the entire time while he was there, he had his mind upied in deep thought. He was thinking about what the teenagers had spoken about and was imagining himself going up against someone who knew Dark Magic.


    ''This is extremely difficult to imagine, I haven''t met anyone that was able to use Dark Magic before, so whatever I am imagining isn''t a realistic way for me to counter. Because of the variables that are involved.''


    His mind was upied with the teenagers'' arguments, who were questioning what would happen to Alterian if there was ever a high star Dark mage? If a lower star Dark Mage can defeat higher star tiers than them, then wouldn''t a Dark Mage be the strongest mage there was in existence?


    ''If I really wanted to get to the bottom of this case then the best thing to do would be to do some research into Dark Magic¡­ but how would I even do that, and is that even allowed?''


    ''It''s a taboo to learn Dark Magic, but to study about it surely that''s a different matter.''


    Raze thought about it some more. If he wanted to find out about Dark Magic, there wouldn''t be a lot he could do. There were the restricted books in the librarys held in the Central Mage academy, but that was somewhere he couldn''t go.


    The other option would be to talk to those that had learned Dark Magic as well. Figure out how they came across it. However, those people were quite scary to Raze. They had gone off the deep end, desperate to learn it to cause damage to others.


    Involving himself with them, he just imagined that there would be another article waiting to be written about him if he was found out.


    "I guess I should just forget about it. It''s a stupid thing to think about in the first ce. There will never be an 8-star Dark Mage," Raze said as he stood up.


    That was when he had truly noticed that the sky was now ck. With what time it was, he thought he should hurry home.


    ''It will be a first that she is back before me,'' Raze thought. ''I don''t want to worry her.''


    Making his way back, Raze had arrived at their apartment room and he noticed something. At the front door, there were a few painted words.


    It was the same profanity that was written, aimed at him since the incident in red paint. He had suspected that it was someone from the apartment since this continued, someone wanting them to leave.


    However, Sabrina had stood her ground, shouting back at them. They were all friendly with them one day, and then turned on them the next. The reason why Raze noticed it, was because he hadn''t seen it in a long time.


    ''Usually, every time Sabrinaes back, she cleans it away with her magic. She thought I didn''t notice, but I''m quite sensitive to mana,'' Raze thought.


    Opening the door he didn''t think much of it. As he walked inside, that was until he could see that there were no shoes in the entrance. Taking his own off, he started to walk into the apartment.


    "Sabrina!" Raze shouted. "Sabrina, are you here!"


    Raze looked in the kitchen, the living room, he even gave a small knock on the toilet door, before opening it, yet there was no one.


    "Well, she might be out with her friends after work, I''ll just send her a message to see if everything is okay." Raze did that and continued on his day,


    Usually, by this time he would treat himself to a drink, but for once, with his mind full of thoughts of Dark Magic, and Sabrina not being home at the usual time, he had decided to leave it.


    ''She hasn''t read my message.'' Raze checked his phone and decided to give a call instead.


    It was unusual, Sabrina would often reply back, or even let him know in advance if she had something. When calling, the phone didn''t even ring out. This was almost an impossibility.


    The phones in Alterian ran on mana, as long as it was on a person they could always have it working. Sure there was a chance that she might have lost it, but there were many other things that were strange.


    The day she lost her phone she hade hometer than usual? And not even informed him beforehand like she usually would do. It was already extremelyte.


    With this in mind, Raze had decided to write out a note. Just in case Sabrina came back while he was out so she wouldn''t worry like him, and he headed out the door in search of her.


    In his mind, Sabrina would be seen between their apartment and her work, it was a fifteen-minute walk. Going through the area, Raze went into every shop he could see on the way, he took a nce to see if there was anyone he could see.


    "Is there something I could help you with, sir, a seat perhaps?"


    "No, I''m just looking for someone," Raze answered. "You haven''t seen a woman here have you, light brown hair, usually wearing a light-colored jacket thing, the one with the wrap that you can tighten the waist."


    Raze was never good at fashion; he had no clue what the words were for the type of jackets, not like his wife.


    "There are a lot of people thate here, but I can''t remember anyone like that."


    After getting his answer, he continued going into every shop, asking the same question. At times there would be those that matched their description, but they weren''t the person he was looking for.


    Suddenly in the situation he was in, his anxiety wasn''t hitting him. He was talking to others which he hadn''t done in years, and it was because there was something more important at stake for him.


    In one of the restaurants he had entered Raze was even sure someone had recognized him and was whispering but he didn''t care as he continued forward, but he had failed.


    "Arghh, it hurts, it hurts!" a voice was heard.


    It was from one of the local parks. A ce where kids would ride magical devices.


    Going over to the noise, Raze was ready to look anywhere right now, even the whole country.


    He was considering even flying up in the air and searching even though there were rules about that. When he entered the park, he could see kids were gathered around one of the kids.


    They had had an ident on one of the rails, and their leg was twisted. When Raze pushed through the crowd he heard a soft voice.


    "Don''t worry, this will heal up all good and well. There won''t be any pain or scar."


    When the woman was done, she stood up and turned around and now her face was directly looking back at Raze.


    "Sabrina, here you are, you''re here!" he said as he quickly hugged her tightly. He then pulled her away and was holding her,


    "Is everything okay, are you alright?" Raze asked.


    "I''m fine¡­ but¡­ I''m sorry." Sabrina said, touching her head. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 562 Even With a Loss Your Still The Same

    Chapter 562 Even With a Loss Your Still The Same


    ??Raze was pacing back and forth in his kitchen, biting his thumbnail. He was continuously just moving four steps ahead before doing a turn and moving the other way four steps again.


    "Is everything okay?" Sabrina asked with a golden smile on her face.


    Looking at her, Raze couldn''t help but scratch his head as he continued to pace back and forth.


    "Of course it''s not okay, of course nothing''s okay, you somehow lost your memory!" Raze shouted. "And, I can''t believe that you would just trust me like that, ande back to someone''s house that''s practically a stranger, were you always like this?"


    Not too long ago, Raze had been looking for Sabrina all around the city; he was unable to find her when he happened across her in a local park, healing one of the hurt teenagers.


    After that, it didn''t take long, but Raze convinced her that he and she knew each other. He mentioned her full name, and asked what she could remember. ording to her, she was a worker at a tailor shop.


    The tailor shop in question Raze knew, it was the one that she worked at when the two of them had met. When he had just be a teacher at the academy, and needed some clothes.


    However, she had no clue who Raze was, her memories were reverted back just before the two of them met.


    He promised that the two knew each other, bringing out his phone he had shown pictures of the two of them together. After that, she had agreed to go home with him where he had shown more proof.


    Wedding photos, time spent together, letters that they had written to each other including videos and more. It was enough to convince Sabrina but he felt like she was already convinced.


    "I trusted you from the beginning," Sabrina said, holding her hand next to her chest. "My magic core, it reacted to yours, I don''t think it would have for no reason, and it turns out the two of us really did have a life together."


    "But every time I look at all these things on the table, and see everything, it hurts my heart that I can''t remember what happened, I''m sorry."


    "Don''t say those words," Raze said, turning around. "You can''t apologize to me, you can''t. If anything, I''m the one that should be saying those words."


    Raze had fallen to his knees and he was grabbing on tight to the side of Sabrina''s thighs. His tears soaking into her dress. While in this position, Sabrina couldn''t help but stroke the top of Raze''s head while using her Light magic, trying her best tofort him.


    After a quick sob Raze tried topose himself, he got up off the ground and sat and cleared the table of all the memorabilia between the two.


    "What we need to figure out is how this happened to you," Raze said. "Everything had been fine for a long time, so why now of all times?"


    Sabrina ced her finger on the bottom of her lip as she started to think.


    "Well, I will try to look at this from an outsider''s point of view because right now I kind of feel like an outsider, so forgive me if I speak or say things that might hurt you."


    Just as always Sabrina was her gentle self.


    "Has anything changed recently that would cause this in your lives?" Sabrina asked.


    The most recent change between the two of them was Sabrina''s new job.


    "Your work, but that was six months ago, and you had no problems. You would often return saying how good your work colleagues and boss were."


    "This event did happen after I finished work, or at least during work, ording to what I know right?" Sabrina said. "So we have to keep it open as a possibility, but like you said, why would someone want to do that to me, did the two of you¡­ sorry, did the two of us have any enemies? Those that would want to hurt us?"


    What immediately sprung to Raze''s mind was the constant magic circles that were left in front of the door, and the painting on the walls. There were a lot of people that wished him dead, and perhaps his wife because of it.


    Many of the parents at the academy as well.


    ''What if they found out who Sabrina was, and tried to harm her because they couldn''t get to me¡­''


    "It seems there are people you can think of," Sabrina answered.


    "There are too many, to the point where it would be hard to pinpoint a single person, especially if we don''t know anyone at your work," Raze answered.


    Sitting down the two of them thought about it some more, and that''s when Sabrina came up with an answer after letting out a big sigh.


    "Well, if we can''t think of who had done this, then there is one thing we can do, and something that we would need to do either way," Sabrina said. "We should focus on getting my memories back."


    "If I recall, there is a Light spell that can heal up any lingering magic that has been used. This has to be a spell or an enchanted item of sorts. So let''s just get rid of the spell."


    Thinking about it, Raze realized it was the perfect solution. The spell that would need to be used, was a high-level Light magic spell, and Sabrina was a 7-star mage, one that specialized in Light magic.


    If there was one person that could get her memory back, it would be herself.


    "But I don''t know the spell to do that, and the spell that would need to be cast would be at a high level," Raze answered.


    "Unfortunately I don''t know the spell either which is why I didn''t want to mention it, but the pictures that you showed me before, that''s the uniform of a teacher right. Couldn''t you enter the academy and get the spell book that would contain that information?" She asked.


    Thinking about it, that was possible. The central library would certainly have the spell book. The thing was, Raze would never be allowed in the school after what had urred.


    Sneaking into the ce would have been impossible for him as well. This was such an important matter, that Raze felt like there was no choice.


    "I suppose I can ask someone for a favor. There is someone that might be able to help me," Raze replied.


    "Then I''lle with you!" Sabrina stood up.


    "No¡­ I don''t want to cause you any more trouble, if you can, can you please just stay here, keep the doors locked. I''ll go first thing tomorrow, I should be able to catch him," Raze answered.


    That night, due to Sabrina and Raze''s state, the two of them had slept in different rooms. Sabrina had taken the spare room.


    For Raze it was hard for him to sleep because he couldn''t stop thinking about what he needed to do and worrying about Sabrina.


    ''There''s one more thing that keeps bothering me¡­ Sabrina is a 7-star mage. Not just anyone would be able to take her memory without her knowing or by force. She wouldn''t be tricked¡­ so just who did this!''

 Chapter 563 A Meeting With An Old Friend

    <h4>Chapter 563 A Meeting With An Old Friend </h4>


    The next day had arrived, and Raze was surprised to see that Sabrina had cooked some food for the two of them. The ce was a mess with cupboard doors left open and tes mismanaged, but it went down to not being able to find something.


    "It''s strange, right?" Sabrina said as she ced her hair behind her ear, her cheeks blushing slightly red. "I know that I was probably the one that organized everything, where the tes go and the sses, yet I still couldn''t guess where I would put them."


    Sabrina was right, she had organized everything, maybe some people didn''t know themselves as well as they thought.


    Walking over, Raze sat down and ate the food in front of him. "You didn''t have to do this, I don''t want you to force yourself into doing anything for my sake."


    "Can you stop being stupid," Sabrina said. "You think I was doing this because I feel sorry for you. I always do what I want and not what others tell me, and if you have really been with me so long, then you would know that as well."


    Raze had no argument against her; it was always hard for him to win a war of words with Sabrina, which maybe was what made him fall for her in the first ce.


    Even when picking the type of clothes to wear at the tailor shop, Raze wanted to go for the cheapest thing he could get. After learning about his profession, she had forced him to buy what she thought suited him for the type of job he had.


    After then, he practically made up multiple excuses toe in and see her in the tailor shop every day. Sabrina had caught on to what he was trying to do, and she was the one that bit the bullet and asked him out.


    Getting up from his seat, he opened the door and looked back at her. "Remember what I said, stay in here for the time being, we''ll get your memories back."


    Leaving the door, Raze had another thought in his mind. ''All this time, you have been the one protecting me, shielding me, bringing me up. I was the type who didn''t like to do things that they didn''t want to do. I''m sure you forced yourself to smile when you didn''t feel like it, just to cheer me up. It''s time that I do things I don''t want to do for your sake as well.''


    ¡ª


    Raze was taking the sky train; he had been on his phone sending messages back and forth for a while. His hands were tense, his heart was racing.


    [Next stop, Central Mage Academy]


    It was just past the morning, so there weren''t many on the sky train. As the students would have gotten to the academy bright in the morning for their lessons.


    When he got off the stop, the long wide pathway to the school gate was in front of him, and a man in a long zer that touched the floor, with round sses on his face was standing in front of him.


    "Ibarin¡­ you''re here," Raze said as he walked forward but stopped, not getting too close and just looking at him.


    "It''s good to see you¡­ and see that you''re well," Ibarinmented.


    Raze was biting his tongue; there was so much he wanted to say and ask. Why did he lie back in the courtroom, was it him that had set him up? Did the position mean so much to him?


    If he had just asked, told Raze that he truly wanted to be principal then he would have happily given it to him, the person who he called friend.


    "I think it''s best if we talk inside, in your office," Raze asked.


    "I can''t do that, Raze, you know I can''t," Ibarin said. "If the students see you, and the parents get wind that I let you in the academy, then I could lose my position, I could lose everything."


    "Please," Raze asked, clenching both of his hands. "I don''t even care what happened¡­ I''m asking as a favor, the two of us used to be work colleagues, I saw you as a friend. I''m not asking for much, but I''m just asking for an hour in the academy at most, and I will be on my way."


    Ibarin didn''t answer straight away as he was thinking about it, but eventually gave his answer.


    "I''m sorry, I can help you with other things, but I can''t let you take a step in this academy, you are banished from this ce," Ibarin answered and turned around.


    The moment he did, the air sliced right by the side of his face. His long dangling hair he could see threads of it cut and falling to the floor.


    "I have to go into the academy; there is something that I need. I was asking nicely for old times'' sake, but if you are refusing me, then I will fight!" Raze stated.


    Ibarin turned around. "You want to fight¡­ you, the pacifist Raze will fight?"


    Lifting up his hands, Raze was already casting arge amount of his wind magic, and his mana was spewing out of his body.


    "Do you think you could win?" Raze asked. "Because, I have nothing to lose!"


    The look in Raze''s eyes, it was scaring Ibarin. Could he really win against Raze? During his time at the academy, he lost out to him in every aspect. Raze''s knowledge was undisputed when it came to magic.


    At that point, Ibarin realized as he could feel his hands trembling he was scared of Raze. The whole time, although Raze was quiet, kept to himself and was a peaceful person, there was this underlying fear.


    Raze wasn''t the type of person that aimed for power or fame. He didn''t care even when he had reached the 8th star. Something only few mages could reach, but what if that changed?


    What if Raze was determined like others, what would happen then?


    "Very well, you cane in, but bear in mind I will remember this, if anyone sees us, I will say that you forced me."


    Raze didn''t care as the two of them went in. The more time the two spent with each other, the more Raze feared he wouldsh out at Ibarin and perhaps start a real fight.


    He wasn''t here for a fight though, he was here for something else. After talking to Ibarin he had informed him he wanted to go to the major library. The two had gone to Ibarin''s office, after he had handed him a set of magic keys.


    This allowed him to open the door to the main library. "When I leave, I''ll ce the keys back in your office, and you''ll never know I was here."


    "I hope I don''t see you again," Ibarin said.


    "The same for me," Raze mumbled to himself as the door closed.


    Searching the library, it didn''t take long for Raze to find what he was looking for. He had worked at the central academy for a number of years, so he knew what he wanted and he found the spell he needed in question.


    ''With this, Sabrina will be able to get her memory back, although I am worried about what we might discover.''


    With the book found Raze was ready to leave, but before he did, he passed a certain red door in the central library.


    ''That''s where all the prohibited books are kept. The Central Mage Academy is also a ce where history is kept, the good and the bad. In there, there would also be some books about Dark Magic as well, right?''


    Raze found himself drawn to the red door, right now he had the keys to go inside. Before he wouldn''t have dared to look the books behind the door unless he had a purpose.


    Ever since he had heard those kids talking about Dark Magic, he had it on his mind for a while.


    Before he knew it the key was in the door and with a turn, the door flung open. A room filled with all sorts of different books.


    Heading inside, it didn''t take long for him to find the books rted to Dark Magic. There weren''t many, around five books or so, and some of them just looked like scribblings on a scroll rather than anything official.


    "These are just for research purposes, it''s not like I''m actually going to learn Dark Magic," Raze thought as he took everything there.

 Chapter 564 Healing The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 564 Healing The Truth</h4>


    After getting everything he needed, he held the pile of books and scrolls in his hand and decided to head to the office. It would be a long time until Ibarin would find out he had taken books from the prohibited section.


    Hardly anyone checked the books in that ce. Even when entering, it was only to ce another book there. With the Central Academy being the ce it was, with many of the most talented mages in the world gathering in one ce and being lectured, there was a high level of security.


    The only reason Raze was able to get in was because he had met the principal himself, Ibarin. With his talents, he could possibly sneak in, but it was far too risky.


    And one had to remember that Raze was an 8-star mage. A number that could be counted on both hands, which was why it might have been only something he could have done.


    With the keys in hand, he headed to Ibarin''s office, checked to see if he was in before entering, and found no one present, which he was at least thankful for.


    Ibarin purposely didn''t turn up, perhaps because he didn''t want to see Raze again, and the feeling was mutual between the two. After cing his keys away, Raze continued to walk around the rest of the Academy, and before he knew it, as if on autopilot, his legs had taken him to his old ssroom.


    There wasn''t a lecture going on in his old ss specifically at the moment; it waspletely empty.


    ''Did my legs just guide me here out of habit? Now that it''s recognized where we are, it''s taken a step in the same building?'' Raze thought.


    Wandering in, he looked to see if much had changed, but it was nearly all the same. Everything down to thest detail. He hadn''t been gone long, after all.


    There were some differences though, the items he had on the desk were cleared. The posters that would be ced on the walls, everything that had been set up in his way, had been removed, leaving no trace of Raze, as if he was never here to begin with.


    ''Originally, I was so obsessed with finding out why Ibarin had done all of that. Why had he taken away my perfect life, my joy of research, and teaching the students that same joy.


    ''I would go out every day searching for an answer. I was so fixated on trying to get my old life back¡­ I nearly lost Sabrina as well.''


    Having taken a nce at the book, Raze was confident Sabrina would get her memories back. So he would have her by his side again, but he had nearly lost her, the old her.


    Whoever had removed her memories, they could have easily killed her afterward, and that was something he didn''t want to happen.


    ''Sabrina is the only person that hase into my life, after everything that happened in the past, as long as she is okay, then everything will be fine.''


    ¡ª¡ª


    Getting back to the apartment, there was a sigh of relief that had ovee Raze. He was worried that Ibarin might have ordered the local police or a guild to take care of him, reporting the fact that he hade back to the academy, but there was no such thing that had urred.


    Maybe because if that did happen, then there would be an even bigger case or report on the Academy''s hands and that would just fall back to Ibarin''s ipetence.


    Raze was already imagining the headlines, a single mage manages to force the principal to his demands, enters academy. That would only look bad on him.


    ''Maybe I should have just done something like that.'' Raze grinned to himself, but quickly shook his head at such foolish thoughts.


    Entering the apartment, he was happy to see that Sabrina was still there. She had a smile on her face as she saw Raze.


    "It looks like your mission was a sess then!" Sabrina said.


    "Yes." Raze answered as he ced the pile of books down and handed over the one that she needed.


    "It looks like you got more than what you needed." Sabrina said.


    "Ah, these are just for my own research. Not being part of the academy anymore, it''s the first time I''ve been able to study something that''s so in-depth." He stated.


    Sabrina got to work opening the book. It would take some time understanding the ins and outs of the spell. Especially a high star one. After that, she would actually have to draw up the magic circle, and possibly get the items required for it.


    ording to Raze, it shouldn''t be too much of a problem because Sabrina had arge amount of wealth umted from her job to use.


    "You know Raze, I just have to tell you, I''m looking forward to getting my memories back. While you were away, I looked over the photos again, the future me¡­ if that is the right term¡­ I guess not really, but anyway, she looked really happy, and I can''t wait to experience that again." Sabrina said as she stuck her head back into the books.


    In the meantime, Raze had decided to pick up the few books that he could find that talked about Dark Magic as well as the scrolls. Some of the books were passed down techniques, talking about a few spells here and there.


    One of the books was done by a past professor that leaned more into the side of researching Dark Magic. It talked about the basis of having a Dark Core.


    The reason why Dark Magic was ouwed, and many people knew this, it was the requirement for one to get a Dark Core in the first ce, or increase their affinity in getting a Dark Core.


    ''This does make me wonder, even just learning a little bit of Dark Magic, seems to throw mages off. ording to the spells that I have seen as well, Dark Magic has a basis of destruction.''


    ''It''s almost a magic that is exclusively used for battling¡­ and killing.''


    Looking into it more, what also interested Raze was in the research, it was stated at times that Dark Magic research could even be found in other dimensions.


    In particr, there were talks of finding Cursed items that had a side effect when being used on the user in some way, and the link to Dark Magic with that.


    Looking up, he could see that Sabrina was already drawing the magic circle on the ground. She was a quick learner and had already figured out what needed to be done.


    "Wait, aren''t any items required?" Raze asked.


    "Not for this spell, I can just use my light magic. I''m not enchanting anything and my powers should be sufficient, I have a lot of Mana after all. Anyway, all is done¡­ I have to say Raze, if there was one thing I was thankful for, it was meeting you all over again, and getting to fall in love with you again, I can tell you are a kind-hearted man." Without giving a chance for Sabrina to reply, she activated her magic and the circle started to light up.


    It lit her own body, oveing it with a bright glow that soon started to fade away along with the magic circle, and Sabrina opened her eyes.


    "Did it work¡­ Can you remember me!" Raze said with excitement and worry.


    "It worked." Sabrina answered as tears rolled down her cheek, but they were tears of happiness between the two of them.


    Quickly, Raze came forward and the two embraced in a tight hug. They held onto each other for a while and slowly started to waddle as if they were doing a dance.


    "I thought I might have lost you forever, I''m so happy that it managed to work." Raze said. "I''m sorry for ignoring you that whole time, I''m sorry for you having to deal with someone who just felt bad for himself. I was just being selfish and never thought about you."


    "Raze¡­ I know what you are like, I know no matter what, you will always look out for me." Sabrina answered. "But there is something I have to tell you, I remember everything¡­ including what happened to me."


    "And the one that got rid of my memories, it was the leader of the Noble Guild, Idore." She answered.

 Chapter 565 Going Behind His Back

    Chapter 565 Going Behind His Back


    ??Sabrina went ahead and recalled everything; she remembered everyst detail now that she had gotten her memory back. She was investigating the warehouse that belonged to the Noble Guild and what she had discovered in all of those crates.


    When she turned around, thest person she expected to see was Idore. He didn''t say much to her but ced a round item on top of her head. After that, she couldn''t remember anything, apart from waking up in the park and losing her memories.


    "There were so many crates there! We''ve uncovered a bigger operation than we thought. This isn''t just simply selling illegal substances to kids, with how much supply was there, they could be sending this all over Altieran!" Sabrina said.


    "Just calm down for a moment," Raze said, gesturing for her to sit back down. The two of them had been sitting as Raze heard everything she had to say.


    "Alright, I know it''s just... you see these things happening on TV all the time, I just never thought I would be involved in it," Sabrina said.


    Raze didn''t like this at all. Everything made sense to him now, the strange feeling he had. How could anyone catch Sabrina by surprise with her magic skills, the only answer was for someone to be better skilled, and there were few who matched that criteria.


    Now that it was clear it was Idore, another 8-star mage, it made sense, but right now, Raze didn''t want it to make sense, he didn''t want it to be him.


    "Was Ibarin and Idore working together then, or did Idore''s product just happen toe into contact with the school?" Raze started to wonder.


    "It could be possible that this is his Guild''s doing rather than his own," Sabrina clicked her fingers afterwards. "That wouldn''t make sense why he cleared my memory then. It''s clear he wanted to hide this fact. But still, it''s hard to imagine, right?


    "I mean, Idore is world-famous, head of the Noble Guild that has a boatload of money due to his enchanted items, would they really need to sell illegal items as well to increase their markup?


    "I mean if this was found out, it would ruin his whole image of being a noble, and I just can''t see Idore doing that."


    Images shed in Raze''s mind again, causing him to touch the side of his head as if he was going through a migraine.


    ''That''s not true at all, although many on the outside would see it that way, including you, Sabrina, I know that he is capable of dark things, something like this would be child''s ypared to what he did in the past.''


    In the end, Sabrina let out a big sigh. She knew it would be tough, if she went out there and made a report, the police would do next to nothing.


    They wouldugh it off, thinking that it was just some delusional mage trying to get their five minutes of fame.


    "I just thought of something, I don''t think if we reported this anything would happen, but what if someone of equal influence reported this," Sabrina suggested.


    Raze wasn''t quite understanding what she meant.


    "What if I talked to Gizin. He''s also one of the most influential people in the world because of his healing products.


    "If he was to report this it would be taken as a serious matter. These problems are going on withpanies that he is dealing with. He will be more inclined to investigate the situation so it doesn''t fall on him.


    "I know him well, he''s done a lot for me and trusts me, so if I get to speak to him and convince him I''m sure he''ll help out," Sabrina said.


    She was excited by her n and development, but when looking at Raze he didn''t seem to share the same excitement, and instead wasn''t even looking at her in the face.


    "I think¡­we should just forget about this whole matter," Raze answered. "Let''s not drag ourselves into this when we don''t have to.


    "Right now, Idore thinks that you have lost your memory. He thinks that his operation is safe, and while he thinks that we are safe as well from him doing anything to us."


    "What!" Sabrina mmed her hands on the table. "Don''t you have any backbone! He removed my memories, if it was anyone else, then they might have been lost forever.


    "He also might be the person behind ruining your life. We have to go after him, we have to do this. Are you scared, that you might have to fight him, that he might attack us, you''re an 8-


    star mage as well you know!"


    Sabrina was practically huffing and puffing at this point she was so vented up with frustration.


    "I am scared," Raze admitted as he turned and looked at her directly in the face. "I don''t care about what happened to me, I don''t care


    about it anymore. The one thing I''m scared about more than anything is losing you!"


    Sabrina immediately sat in her seat after that and folded her arms.


    "Ah crap, and now I feel bad, when you put it that way and say something so sweet¡­"


    ¡ª¡ª


    After much discussion, in the end, Sabrina had agreed. That the two of them would leave the whole thing be, that they wouldn''t go to Gizin or the police, and forget that this whole thing had ever happened.


    The next day, Sabrina was at work as usual. She had her hands on a giant square tablet which doubled as an interactive screen.


    Several designs were ced in front of her, along with information on enchantments and what could be used and what was needed.


    Higher-tier products needed her own involvement because it needed a high-star mage to perform them. At times, even Gizin would be required, since he also was a light magic-based mage.


    It was said that those with Light Magic cores were kind-hearted people that was how they got said cores when learning magic in the first ce.


    "Sabrina are you okay, you haven''t touched the screen for even a second?" one of her work colleagues said.


    "Yeah sorry, I just got a lot on my mind," she replied back.


    She was thinking about things, the anger inside her was building up. Because of Idore, Raze had to go back to the academy and get the book.


    He had to revisit the ce that had tortured him for thest few months, and now, they would be tortured again and again.


    She knew Raze was a pushover, a person who needed to be forced to do things. She couldn''t believe that he had done something and knew how hard it would be for him.


    ''I''m sorry Raze but this is something I have to do, for my sake and yours, I don''t want you to keep living in guilt over me, I will make sure everything goes away.''


    With those thoughts in her mind, she exited out of the room and ran up the stairs. She then gave a knock at the main door, until she heard the words ''Come in.''


    Letting herself in, she was now looking at Gizin.


    "I have something to tell you, sir."

 Chapter 566 Catching The Leader Of The Noble Guild

    Chapter 566 Catching The Leader Of The Noble Guild


    ??"I''m sorry," Sabrina said, bowing her head, which she had already done numerous times throughout her talk. "I know this matter isn''t really one that directly involves you, but just thinking about the implications and how it could affect the whole of Alterian, I didn''t know who to turn to."


    "This matter is too big for me to try and just turn to the police or turn to news stations, because of who is involved in all of this."


    Sabrina had gone ahead to exin the details of what had urred a few days ago. She had changed her story a bit. For one, she didn''t want to involve Raze, so she had never mentioned his name or the fact that this was originally connected to the Central Academy.


    Instead, Sabrina exined that she had already found suspicious activitiesing from the facility that they worked with. A member of the Noble Guild was the one supplying the products to a seller, and these were going into all sorts of ces, including the Academy.


    Of course, she as a person would have hated it if she was wrong, and there was a high chance that this was just done by someone working in the factory or someone in the Noble Guild who was looking to earn some money, so she investigated further and that''s when she was stopped by Idore herself.


    Thankfully, she knew something was wrong, and had used a healing spell on herself allowing her to regain her memories.


    Sitting at his desk, Gizin had a look of deep concern on his face, his wrinkles in his forehead deepening.


    "No, you were right toe to me," Gizin said. "I know what you''re thinking, and if what you are saying is true, then this is something that could be spread even further. Perhaps one of the biggest scandals in all of Alterian. To think that someone so important was involved in the matter."


    Gizin soon started to rumble in his desk drawer, scrambling away at the papers underneath. Sabrina was unsure if he had found what he was looking for as he had pulled nothing out, but instead just ced both of his hands on the table and looked directly at her.


    "Have you told anyone about this matter yet? You haven''t gone to the police or anything like that?" Gizin asked.


    "No," Sabrina shook her head. "This is why I''m sorry, I didn''t think they could do something like that, but I know in your position, they might listen to you more."


    "Yes, yes," Gizin nodded. "What I need to do myself before I go, is gather evidence. Since we''re doing business with the warehouse in question it shouldn''t be hard. It''s good that you haven''t told anyone."


    "If you had, it''s possible that the news could have spread to someone that Idore or the Noble Guild knew. Right now, while he thinks your memory has been removed, it''s best to make our move."


    Sabrina was happy to hear this, giving small nods moving the conversation along. What Gizin said was simr to what Raze had said, which was giving her more confidence.


    "Just continue as you have been doing for now," Gizin ordered. "Let me deal with the rest, and I''ll update you along the way."


    Before leaving the room, Sabrina bowed one more time saying her thanks, and left with a smile on her face. She had been having a fight in her own mind, whether or not she had done the right thing by getting Gizin involved, and she didn''t feel good about going behind Raze''s back, but she now felt like she had done the right thing.


    "I know Raze would leave things as they were, he always did, that mage is the one that has no backbone. As usual, I''m the one that needs to look after him, sometimes he''s like a kid, other times he''s like a wise old man, but maybe that''s why I like him," she smiled to herself.


    The next few days things had been going as normal for Sabrina and Raze. She turned up at her work and did as she usually would. Once in a while, she would make eye contact with Gizin, and give him a small nod.


    She was wondering if he had any more news but the fact that he didn''t call her in for a meeting meant that she wouldn''t push it, and as for Raze, he was bing more adjusted to his current way of life.


    He no longer went out on long crusades at night looking for the enemy, and he didn''t stay secluded in the apartment. He was going out more during the day.


    While at home one day, though, Raze was looking at his calendar, and that''s when he saw that a specific day had been circled.


    "I¡­ almost forgot¡­ that day I should do something, and get something."


    ¡ª¡ª


    One day at work, though, Sabrina had finally been called up into the office. She knew she had no big meetings, so she could only guess that this was to do with her meeting.


    Heading into the room, there was the deep look and wrinkled forehead that Sabrina had seenst time.


    "Is everything okay?" Sabrina asked.


    "Ah, yes of course, of course!" Gizin answered with a smile. "I just wanted to update you on the situation. I investigated the matter with a team of trusty employees and it looks like what you have found is true."


    "Right now, we''re working with the police forces to obtain strong evidence to be used in court, and to bring him down. This is like you imagined, and it goes far bigger than we thought. However, I''m still worried about something."


    "Still worried about something, worried about what?" Sabrina asked.


    "I''m worried about you," Gizin replied. "As we''re in the investigation stage, it''s possible that Idore might figure out that you were the one that reported all of this. Of course, I doubt he has any idea, but just in case, I want no harm toe to you. I think for now it''s best that you stay at home for the next few days. Take time off work, while we wrap up everything, just stay at home, understand?"


    This was a normal reaction from Gizin, during her almost year now she had worked for thepany she had always seen him act this way. His nice manners, and his caring nature for his employees.


    It was the same person that had offered her this title in the first ce. He had done a lot for her, and she didn''t want to bother him anymore.


    "Understood," she answered.


    Staying at home, Sabrina hade up with an excuse that some holiday was given to her employees. She still hadn''t dared tell Raze the truth of the matter, she wanted it to be a big surprise for him when it was all over and done.


    Maybe she could just turn on the TV one day and she could see the tears down his eyes, and she could im she was the one that had done it all and was behind it.


    Regardless, the two of them could spend some good time together again at home. A couple of days had passed by, and that''s when something had urred that had surprised her.


    "I need to go out and collect something," Raze said. "I won''t be out long, do you mind just staying in for a bit?"


    The phrase of words was a bit strange. Usually, Raze would ask Sabrina toe out with him, but instead, it was almost he was insisting on her staying behind, because of this, Sabrina, used to what had happened in the past, decided to give him some space.


    "I didn''t realize you were getting so sick of staying with me already," Sabrina folded her arms and pouted.


    Raze didn''t say anything else but headed to the door and left. Sabrina''s pout had changed into a smile after that.


    "That guy, he''s not good at keeping secrets at all," Sabrina thought as she looked at the calendar. "I guess he didn''t forget."


    ¡ª¡ª


    Raze had gone to a few shops. After all, it was a special event for them. He had picked up what he needed from each of them, cing them in a box after.


    "I think she''ll be happy with this, I don''t want to keep her waiting," Raze said as he headed back to the apartment room.


    He wandered up the stairs, and eventually reached the outside of the room, his hands holding onto the special box shaking slightly.


    ''I don''t know why I''m so nervous,'' Raze thought as he went ahead and pushed the door open.


    In doing so, as the door swung open, his eyes were locked onto the ground. His grip around the box loosened and it dropped to the floor, crashing to the ground and dropping everything within.


    Staring at the ground, Raze watched as the red substance crawling like a dragon was inching its way forward to him. The red substance being blood, and the person lying on the ground next to it.


    "Sabrina!" Raze shouted, but she wasn''t alone, a man stood right by her side.

 Chapter 567 The Last Breath

    <h4>Chapter 567 The Last Breath </h4>


    Raze''s eyes immediately locked onto the sight of blood in the room¡ªa sight he had never expected toe home to. After all the troubles they had gone through, things were finally looking up for the two of them. He had decided to leave the past behind, to focus on what he had now, and enjoy his time with her. But now, she was lying on the floor, in a pool of blood. Raze couldn''t even discern where the wound wasing from; all he saw was her lying motionless.


    "Sabrina!" Raze screamed again, his gaze shifting to the man standing by her side. He was just a dot in the corner of his eye, but his mind started to wonder looking at him.


    How had he gotten into their house? How had another person managed to sneak up on her, despite her being a high star mage? Was it Idore, had he found out she had gained her meteorites back?


    Observing the man, Raze noticed his strange ck clothes, tight-fitting, paired with special boots, and a ck scarf wrapped around the top half of his face, concealing his lower features.


    The only things visible were his short ck hair and his sharp, narrow eyes. Although only a small part of him could be seen, the image was strikingly familiar to Raze because he was a figure that appeared on TV a lot.


    ''That''s Trubin, one of the most feared mages in the world!'' Raze thought. ''Different mages focus on different things through their life, some focusing on research like Raze. Others focus on Enchanting like Idor, but Trubin was a battle mage.


    ''A mage who perfected his skills in fighting. He learned the deadliest types and forms of magic. He was one of the most feared mages in the world, working for the strongest nation in Alterian, part of their Military Force, and had racked up many achievements.


    ''So why, why is such a person in this room? Why does this person have blood on their hands, the blood of my wife?''


    Raze''s anger could no longer be contained. He lifted his hand and swung it sharply, casting wind magic through the air so sharp, so razor-thin that it wasn''t visible to the human eye.


    As it approached, Trubin swung his arm, hitting the wind magic and stopping it. Yet he soon saw several more shesing through the air. Trubin had to act quickly as he continued to deflect them, and then twirled both of his hands, casting a small vortex of wind magic of his own.


    Defending this, Raze started to twist his body around, and chased it in the wind. When the two vortexes of wind from Trubin hit Raze, both of the attacks blocked each other out.


    shes of wind were going off in different directions, yet none of it was damaging the room around them, nor was sound escaping. Raze recognized this as well, another spell.


    A spell that was to keep attacks restricted to one area, and to make sure there was no sound so others would hear. All of this had to be set up by Trubin himself.


    Trubin stopped his attack and had to think quickly about the situation, because he was startled.


    ''This mage is not weak by any means!'' Trubin thought. ''He''s another 8-star mage, and just like me, his specialty is wind magic. If the two of us were to fight, it would be tough¡­no, it''s most likely I would lose.


    ''I already used up a lot of magic setting up the spell on the apartment, and fighting against her. I don''t have the strength to take on another 8-star mage, this is something that was out of my predictions. I wonder why, someone so great, with so much strength I have never heard of before, but that is not something for me to worry about now, I have to get out of here.''


    For a moment, Trubin looked at Sabrina on the ground.


    ''My job here is done.''


    Trubin formed two condensed des out of wind and boosted himself from the ground, diving right towards Raze. Seeing this, Raze instinctively moved out of the way and when he turned to look out of the door, just like that, Trubin was gone.


    Raze probably could go after him and would be able to find him, but he wasn''t a mage that had fought many battles; he had just studied theories on how to fight. More importantly, he needed to know if Sabrina was okay.


    "Sabrina!" Raze rushed over, not caring that he stepped in her blood, and lifted her off the ground. He could see her hand was ced over her chest, her hands slightly glowing, and her eyes weak but slightly alive.


    "Raze¡­" Sabrina said weakly, her voice faint. "I saw the whole thing. You finally did it, you finally showed some backbone and attacked him. You did good¡­you did good fighting against someone as strong as him¡­"


    "Don''t talk, don''t waste your energy, I''ll get you to the hospital fast they can heal you, they can make you better!" Raze shouted.


    Sabrina weakly shook her head.


    "No, Raze, you know, I''m the strongest Light Mage we know¡­


    Those at the hospital can''t heal me. The only reason why I''m still alive is because of my magic. My heart¡­it''s already beyond healing. Once my Mana runs out, then, that will be the end of me."


    The tears down Raze''s face couldn''t stop falling. They were dropping down onto Sabrina, but she didn''t flinch or care; she wanted to look at Raze for as long as possible from this downward view.


    "Why¡­why did he do this, why was he here?" Raze asked.


    Perhaps Sabrina could have answered him, but what would that change, and she didn''t want him to go after him. She could tell her time was short, so instead, she wanted to use herst few words to say something else.


    "I''m sorry I''m leaving you...I''m sorry what worries me more than anything, is that right now I''m worried how you''ll be able to go on without me. I''ve been very selfish in my actions."


    Raze couldn''t believe Sabrina could say such a thing, but his tears, his throat had welled up too much to the point he couldn''t even speak.


    "There''s something I''ve been making for you, I had it ready a while ago. I hid it in theundry room." Sheughed. "I knew you would never find it in there, when was thest time you ever did any of your ownundry?


    "Head inside, look in the cupboard, and that is my gift to you. I worked hard on it, so you better look after it, alright! With this, I can be happy that I can still help you in some way."


    The glow from her hand started to fade away, the magic from her was disappearing. She was holding onto thesest moments, Raze was here for them, but there was nothing he could do.


    Being an 8-star mage in this situation, her magic core was already destroyed, her heart pierced, there was no healing it.


    "Raze," Sabrina said as the glowpletely disappeared from her hands. "Enjoy the gift, Happy anniversary."

 Chapter 568 Passing On A Gift

    <h4>Chapter 568 Passing On A Gift</h4>


    In the prison, Anna had listened to every detail told by Raze. She could tell it was a story he had recounted countless times, not missing a single detail of what had urred. His vivid description, while exining, was proof that it actually happened, or at least he truly believed it had. As for his current youthful state and presence in Pagna, it didn''t seem like the right time to inquire about that¡ªnor did it seem crucial in the grand scheme of things.


    The tale seemed to be at its end, as Raze continued to y with thepel of his zer without saying more words. At this point, Anna thought she might just bend the bars and escape, but then Raze continued.


    "The final gift from my wife, what was in theundry room," Raze said, "was this zer that I''m wearing right now. She had made it for our anniversary. It''s a pretty big gift with the host enchantment personally done by her, while the crafting was all done in her spare time at work as well.


    "It''s the most important thing I have of hers."


    It was the first time Anna could see this expression on Raze''s face. It wasn''t anger, but sadness was creeping in. She didn''t like this look; she preferred him when he was angry.


    "So you said at the start you hated all these Grand Magus, right? From your story, I can guess that Idore and Trubin became Grand Magus due to their positions. I understand your hatred for them¡­and maybe Ibarin as well? The principal who cheated you out of your position, but why hate the rest of them? Or is it just because they are all part of the same pack?" Anna asked.


    The saddened look on Raze''s face quickly disappeared as he tensed, gripping the cloth on his knees tighter.


    "At the time of all that had happened, the Grand Magus didn''t exist just yet. An idea was brewing between countries'' governments for a solution of peace, and this idea was put forward by Idore."


    "As for the idea, it was the birth of the Grand Magus. An elite group of people even above the countries, all with the power to change what could ur. All of them had advanced their magic to the 9-star level, the pinnacle of what was achievable for magic, there was no one who could contest them anymore. Idore with his magical creations, Ibarin as the head of the Central Academy."


    "Trubin, a mage who had no second thoughts about killing and could silence anyone who disagreed with them, and Gizin, thergest supplier of both legal and illegal magical substances."


    Anna''s eyes widened when she heard that.


    "You mean¡­ he was involved in your wife''s death!"


    Raze nodded in response.


    "I found outter that she had told him about everything behind my back. It had caused Gizin to inform the others and act before anything happened. All of them were working together to protect this magical throne that they had built."


    "And believe it or not, that wasn''t the end of my suffering I had with them. Enaxx, another one of the Grand Magus, as well as more run-ins had urred with them, but that is not something that should be remembered for today¡­right now, I want to remember the good memories."


    The sadness and anger had turned into a smile on Raze''s face as he stared at the ceiling.


    "I will do anything to get revenge on these people, they don''t deserve to live a happy life from the top, with no fear that anyone can take them down. Right now, I''m on a path of regaining my strength, and this new strength I have found in Pagna. I''ll use it to beat them."


    "This wedding I will go through, and Rayna is a nice woman. It''s a shame that it appears she is being forced into this marriage on her side, but because she is with me, if in the future she does find someone she wishes to be with, at least I won''t get in the way of her doing that. The only thing is, it wouldn''t be right for me to wear this."


    There was silence in the cave-like prison cell once more, and eventually, Rayna realized that she was in an awkward position having overheard everything. So, she lifted up her feet and stomped them on the ground a few times, making it clear so that the others could hear her.


    Then continuing to walk down the hall, she appeared in front of the two of them with a key, cing it in the cell and unlocking it.


    "I apologize for what has happened to you both. My father hasn''t informed the members of who you are; he seems to want to keep it as a surprise for the big day."


    "I''m so sorry that this has happened to both of you," Rayna said, giving a polite bow.


    Both Anna and Raze dusted off their clothes as they stood up and headed out of the room.


    "It''s okay, it gave me time to think, I have been quite focused on one thing and one thing only so all is well," Raze said.


    Rayna was finding it hard to keep eye contact with Raze. For one, she had heard everything that was said, including thement of him calling her a nice person. She didn''t understand it, but the words at the end, of him allowing her to do what she wanted, were causing her to just want to yearn for him more, yet it didn''t feel right.


    "Be prepared for tomorrow. The wedding will be in Repton city, I''ll be getting ready in Repton, while you will be leaving from the Neverfall n, so the two of us will meet there.


    "Fixteen, since he knows you, will be helping you out with what you need to be doing, but there is something else you need to be careful about as well, both of my brothers will be escorting you as well."


    Raze had heard about Rayna''s brothers. Two figures that were extremely powerful in the Neverfall n, and in a lot of ways from what he knew, acted more like their father, doing as they wished because of their great power.


    "I will," Raze answered.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The next day had arrived and Raze and Anna had stayed in one of the rooms closer to the top of the Abyss. It was cooler therepared to the rest of the ce. It wasn''t just Raze and Anna getting ready for the wedding though, as the whole base was making preparations as well.


    They would being to Repton with him, some entering the city, others standing by on the outside. Since the whole n was getting ready, it felt a little like they were going to war, rather than going to a wedding.


    Entering the room, was Fixteen who managed a smile at Raze and had something in his hand.


    "What''s this?" Raze asked.


    "Special clothing that has been prepared by the young miss," Fixteen answered. "She thought you would feel morefortable wearing it."


    Stretching out the clothing, Raze could see it was an elegant dark red colored cloth, closer to brown. There were swirling patterns on the sleeves and around the waist winding up.


    It looked great and suited the look of a Pagna warrior. Not only was there cloth, but there was also a special mask for him to wear as well. Allowing him to keep his identity secret.


    "This is needed since this will be a marriage between the Dark Magus and the Neverfall n, your identity is to remain a secret."


    Raze was happy seeing the items; Rayna was certainly thoughtful.


    After changing into his clothes and cing the soft mask on his face that covered just the upper part of his face and not his mouth, he was ready.


    "I guess I''m getting married today."

 Chapter 569 A Family Meeting

    Chapter 569 A Family Meeting


    ??cing on what would be his wedding uniform and his small ck mask that covered the top half of his face, Raze was ready. His hair was still ck, and looking at the reflection of his face in a bucket of water, he was quite happy that his identity would still be somewhat concealed.


    "There are a few things I should tell you before we get moving," Fixteen said. "Firstly, Belil will be standing on the tform that is in the center of the city. It has been purposely built for this day in the market square.


    "The area has been cleared so there will be those watching you from all over. However, you don''t have to worry, Belil himself will be on the stage, and both of his sons will also be there to escort you.


    "Even if anyone nned to attack, it would turn out to be an absolute failure, unless all the other Demonic ns had agreed to team up."


    Raze had sat down and was in the middle of his cultivation. Rather than cultivating his Demonic energy and Qi, he was using the dark essence technique trying to grow his magical powers.


    He had advanced quite a bit as a Pagna warrior, but his magical side wascking somewhat. So, in his spare time, he would do this, tending to avoid using the Demonic cultivation technique for fear of what might happen.


    "Why, do you think there will be an attack? Should I be prepared for that?" Raze asked.


    "No, no of course not," Fixteen answered. "This is a joyous asion, however, there is one thing. On stage, the announcement will be made of who you are, that you are the Dark Magus.


    "Your name has spread in the Demonic Faction, a skilled Alchemist that sells items that can greatly increase the power of a warrior. At the same time, some believe that the Dark Magus is also the rising demon in the Demonic Faction, since the issues with the Behemoth n and the Crimson Crane.


    "Because of this, there might be some outrage from the other Demonic ns, particrly the Behemoth n. I don''t think they will do something so crazy as to attack you with Belil by your side but in the Demonic Faction, you never know. If that does happen, just stick close to Belil."


    Since Raze himself had be the Dark Magus in Alterian, he hadn''t relied on others in a long time, but he recognized Belil''s powers and it was possible there would be many like him today.


    "Wouldn''t it be better to just announce that Rayna was marrying a nobody? Why need to mention that he is this Dark Magus person?" Anna asked.


    She kept note of the name being mentioned as well. When this whole thing blew over, she would have liked to know the full story. It would be best for both of their sakes to know what can and can''t be said to those at Alter.


    "Because marriages need to mean something, especially when involving the heirs. It has alreadye as a surprise that she isn''t marrying someone from arge n and someone that isn''t a n head themselves.


    "However, marrying the Dark Magus...might be too big of a step up. Some might think this is too unfair and the power is too much in the Neverfall''s hands. Which is why the idea is to split and treat Raze and Rayna as a separate n which will be announced today as well, along withnd for you to look after."


    Nodding along, Raze understood that any world with a civilization had its strange politics that they liked to y.


    "There is something else I want to tell you," Fixteen added. "It''s about the Heirs of the Neverfall n, the two brothers that you are about to meet. Whatever you do, no matter how much they annoy you, it''s best to not offend them.


    "The two of them have great power in the n, to the point they are able to act like leaders of the n themselves. They are in some cases just as strong as other Demonic Faction n leaders, but they are ruthless in their actions as well.


    "Belil puts his full trust in them. Whenever he needs something to get done, or someone eliminated, these are the two that he would call on."


    For now, though, the group were to wait, and eventually, at the entrance, the two in question walked through confidently, their heavy boots hitting the ground.


    Immediately the first foot that came into the room, a resounding amount of Qi flowed in. It hit the entire cave like the heavy heat did on the lower level floors. Immediately, Fixteen looked ufortable.


    While Anna and Raze were just fine.


    The first of the brothers to walk in front was tall, with a handsome face and a flute ced in his waist. He was wearing dark grey clothing, and half of his head had been shaven while the remaining hair was ck in color and had been tied up flowing down to his waist.


    This man was Han Narfous, the eldest son of Belil, the head of the n.


    "It''s a pleasure to finally meet the one that my sister is going to marry."


    Han had great manners as he stood there straight, tall, and upright, looking directly at Raze. He wasn''t ignoring him, but in some ways, it felt like he was analyzing him.


    "After today we will be family, right!" A loud, energetic voice shouted out. Walking in from behind him, was another figure that looked simr. The brother, Fing Narfous, the younger brother of the two and slightly shorter.


    In his hand, he carried a gourd that had a small red strap around the top. He came in casually and took a swig of the drink, cing his arm around his brother, leaning up against him.


    "You know what would be nice? It would be good to decide a pecking order between us brothers to see who''s stronger, right? Let''s see." Fing walked forward, pushing off his brother, and took a closer look at Raze trying to evaluate him as well.


    Meanwhile, Raze was looking at the two of them, trying to figure out, from the two of them, which one was stronger, and which one he had to worry about more.


    For now, it seemed like it would be the impulsive brother, Fing.


    "Hey, what is this?" Fing asked, his facial expression changing and pointing at Raze. Specifically, he was pointing at his mask. "We''re going to be your brothers and you won''t even show us your face?"


    "This was a request of the n head for him to wear at the wedding," Fixteen interrupted, worried things would get out of hand.


    "Hey, do you have to speak for him? He can speak for himself, and are we even at the wedding?" Fing asked. "If it was up to me, he needs to take this mask off!"


    Fing moved from his position, and with a w-like fist, struck right at Raze''s face, but Raze was able to grab him by the wrist in time, holding him right in front of his face.


    "Oh, you caught that, and you didn''t even use any Qi?" Fing noticed.


    "You didn''t use any either," Raze replied. "So I didn''t think it was a real threat."


    "Oh really," Fing said as the Qi started to explode out from his body, and he struck Raze right in the stomach. It was harder and faster than he anticipated, flinging him into the air, and causing him to crash into the rocks of the wall, shaking almost the entire building.


    "What are you doing!" Fixteen shouted. "The clothes, he is an important part of this event."


    "Calm down, if he was to die from that, then he would never have been joining our n in the first ce. Besides, I didn''t hit him too hard," Fing answered.


    Getting up from the pile of rocks, Raze wiped the blood from his mouth.


    ''That was a strong, skillful hit, the Qi was condensed to the point where it injured me internally. Even though I''m now a middle-stage warrior, that strike was still strong.''


    However, Raze remembered the words spoken by Fixteen. This wasn''t a fight, nor was it the time to show one''s strength.


    Walking over, Raze didn''t say much and stood in the same position.


    "It''s okay, I''m alright. I will be good for the wedding."


    "Ha!" Fingughed. "I hit you and that''s your answer? Sorry, but I don''t ept someone like you. I don''t like those that just do as they''re told and don''t fight back. Don''t you have any backbone?"


    Fingshed forward toward the mask, again, and just likest time, Raze caught him by the wrist.


    "Backbone...I guess she would have wanted me to show something."

 Chapter 570 The Brother’s Are Trouble

    Chapter 570 The Brother¡¯s Are Trouble


    ??For the second time, Raze had held onto Fing''s hand, stopping his attack before it reached his face. The first time Raze had simply grabbed onto the hand, because what he said was true.


    Due to there being no Qi, he believed there was no real intention behind the attack, and he took Fixteen''s words to heart, to not cause trouble, not on a big day like this.


    Now though, Raze holding onto his arm for a second time, knew what would being if he didn''t do anything. A special person would always say he had no backbone, and after losing her he had changed that day.


    Making a fist with his hand, Raze gathered his Qi, and threw it out in a singr hit. He didn''t know any fist techniques, but he was skilled in using his Qi and was now a middle stage warrior.


    The blow had hit Fing right in the stomach, the flow of power and impact resounded in the whole room, shaking parts of the rubble. Yet Fing, wasn''t lifted off his feet, nor had he moved from his position still letting his wrist be held.


    "Argh, Shit!" Fing let out, lifting his head. "That freaking hurt, that really hurt. How the heck did you do that?"


    Fing was smiling, his words weren''t really matching up with what he was saying, but he really meant it. The blow delivered by Raze had pierced him, hitting him hard in one point of his body.


    You see, Fing''s body was special, being reinforced with his Qi, even when fighting against some middle stage warriors, he would feel next to no pain at all. Many of the Neverfall n were like this, due to the intense heat that would require them to constantly use their Qi on their body to survive.


    They had some of the strongest bodies in the world of Pagna. Which was what left Fing to wonder, why did the blow hurt so much? The answer, it was because Raze was incredibly skilled at condensing his Qi to one point, after his troubles he had with his damaged throat and breathing.


    "Oh, I''m starting to like you, I''m really starting to like you! Let''s see how you handle this!" Fing quickly shifted his feet and hit Raze''s hand away.


    Raze was keeping an eye on Fing, ready to fight back, he went to stomp on his foot to keep him still, but Fing lifted it up avoiding it and ducked his whole body then with both of his hands, he had hit Raze in the stomach again sending him flying in the same direction as before.


    Right after it looked like Fing was ready to chase after him, but that was when Anna stood in his way instead.


    She could see the movements of his fist, and readied with her own movements, fancy footwork, caused her to spin her body a couple of times, and as she did, she performed a back fist, aiming to hit Fing perfectly on the side of his face.


    However, this had failed, because Han had grabbed onto Anna''s hand this time, and with a forceful push, he moved her hand away.


    ''That woman, she came up with the perfect counter against Fing''s attack.'' Han thought, and then he looked towards the area where Raze was.


    Raze had appeared out from the rubble again, and this time drew the ghost de that was glowing with orange energy. Seeing this, Han believed that Raze wasn''t much of a fist fighter but more so a swordsman, and the confident look on his face, despite feeling Fing''s strength twice, Han could tell it still looked like he felt like he could win.


    "Both of you are very interesting." Han said. "How could warriors that we didn''t know about before, be so strong and skilled. Are you really from the Demonic Faction? Or are you some talented individuals that the other factions have been hiding."


    "Don''t be so foolish!" Fixteen said, interrupting the situation, he had enough of the fighting, and was a little annoyed they were doing such things on such a day. "Are you saying that Belil, the head of our n couldn''t even tell if these people were spies. That he would allow a member of his own family to marry someone from the other side."


    "Fing, you should be able to tell through his attack, that the Qi he used was Demonic Qi."


    Fing shrugged his shoulders, still a smile on his face.


    "Yep, it was Demonic Qi alright, that''s for sure. Anyway brother, I like the guy, I like the guy a lot, he didn''t seem to care who we were and still decided to fight us, even now it looks like he''s ready to fight us."


    Han also nodded as if he was giving his approval as well.


    "Seeing his face is not important, but what is important is the character you have. If you are a part of the Neverfall n, we can''t just have anyone join us, even if it is our father''s or sister''s wish. Who knows when that man might be going senile."


    In a lot of cases, other members of the n spoke about the head like so, they would be executed immediately. Even family members didn''t get the privilege to talk about the leader like so. It just went to show how valued these two''s positions were in the n.


    This wasn''t something Rayna, or Dame could get away with if it was them.


    "You." Han said, directing his gaze in the direction of Anna. "Are you part of this man''s n, are you in the same group?"


    The conversation was slightly amiss, and a misunderstanding was urring but that was because both Han and Fing had no clue who Raze was. They didn''t know he was the Dark Magus because they never would attend the meetings set by the n Head and Elders.


    They just knew what they needed to do today, to bring Rayna''s husband to Repton, and they were to protect him if anything urred.


    "We are part of the same group." Anna answered.


    "I guess that means we will be weing a new sister into our ranks as well." Hanmented. "In the future I would love the chance topare our abilities."


    That chance was unlikely toe, because both Raze and Anna had other ns. Once this wedding was done with, they would be off back to the Dark Faction, how or what they would be doing there they hadn''t thought that far once, Raze just wanted more allies and shields to hide behind if things went wrong with Alter and more.


    "You can put down your weapon." Fing said. "I won''t pry into why you''re wearing that ridiculous mask. I''m just happy that the person joining us isn''t aplete nobody that''s all. In this n we do as we feel, and we have to have the power to back it up."


    "I act as I want, and whatever happens is my responsibility to deal with not the n''s. No one is going toe save you if you get into a tough situation. So just because you will be a part of our family don''t expect us toe running to help you."


    A tough environment no doubt, Raze thought. Now he understood perhaps why Dame wanted to leave the ce. Sure it was okay for ns to have these types of rules, but when family was involved as well, it was likely that Dame and Rayna had grown up in the n with no love at all, and only the n rules to follow.


    "Alright enough chatter, now that it''s all sorted, we need to head to Repton, we''re going to bete." Fixteen ordered.


    Nodding along, Fixteen and Anna stood either side by Raze, while the two brothers walked out in front. Exiting out of the Neverfall n, and heading for the city of Repton where the big event would ur.

 Chapter 571 He Is My Son!

    Chapter 571 He Is My Son!


    ??When leaving the Neverfall n, the entire area felt surreal. Because each time Raze would enter the base, he would see arge number of members training on each of the different floors.


    This time, it was mostly a wastnd; there were a few token members that had been left behind as well as elders of the n on the lower floor, butpared to the loud noise of training, the entire thing felt so empty to them.


    Raze had exited from the ce, and now with the entire group, they were rushing across the wastnd heading to the city of Repton.


    The two brothers were doing their job diligently, they didn''t rush off in advance to where everyone needed to be. Instead, they stayed at a pace that even Fixteen, who was an initial stage warrior, could keep up with.


    At the same time, Raze noticed with a keen eye the brothers were constantly leaking out part of their Qi in their steps. He didn''t know why at first, but from the look of things, it was their way of checking if anything was amiss.


    However, no troubles had urred as they went toward the city, and finally, they could see the outline of the structure in their sights. There were no walls stationed around it, but the massive amount of building structures that could be seen always stood out, and if it was night time, the amount of redntern lights as well.


    Still, the ce looked incredibly different to how it usually would, because Raze could see arge number of Pagna warriors standing just outside of it. Members wearing the Neverfall n uniform were standing in front of them, conversing with each other.


    Some standing up, some sitting down, but they each had their weapon on them. As if they were ready to go into battle at any moment.


    "Why are the n members outside and not inside?" Raze asked. "Aren''t they allowed in the city?"


    "A lot of them are already in the city," Han answered. "The important ones anyway. If you haven''t noticed, they aren''t the only ones outside."


    With his head, Han was pointing at the east and west entrances as well as a number of other entrances. They could see that there wererge groups of Pagna warriors standing there as well, just like the Neverfall n, only they were wearing different uniformspared to the others.


    "The city has been cleared for the big event. There are next to no people inside, just Pagna warriors, but because of the influence of the n, and Belil''s invites, nearly every n in the Demonic Faction is here," Fixteen answered. "Inside, there will be the important members of the Demonic Faction all gathered to see your big day."


    "While on the outside, there will be n members ready to enter and strike if anything happens. I told you before, the Demonic Faction is not like other ones. No one really knows what is going to happen, so they have to be prepared for anything."


    "There is a chance if your wedding goes wrong, or not how Belil intended it to, there will be arge war right in this city. Right now, Repton has be arge meeting ce, with your wedding as an excuse."


    Hearing those words, Raze was slightly worried that something might ur. Fixteen said to put his trust in Belil and the brothers, but with the way things were urring, he wasn''t so confident in doing that.


    When they reached the group of Neverfall n members, those sitting down or conversing had stood upright and got into formation. They quickly gave a bow to the two brothers along with the others as well.


    They continued to walk forward until they had entered through arge arching gate. There was no wall, but the gate that arched over and was hollow with no doors signified when one would enter the city.


    "Whoo!"


    Immediately as Raze entered the city, loud cheers and ps were heard. The whole ce was shaking. Walking through the streets, there were several people gathered in the alleyways, as well as on the buildings on the left and right.


    They were standing on the balconies, they were standing on the rooftops, all of them cheering at the arrival of Raze. It was hard to believe that they were all Pagna warriors, all gathered in one ce.


    "They''re all cheering; I was expecting a few boos here and there," Raze mumbled.


    "You think? Doing such a thing would make it clear that they are against the wedding, and right now, they have no reason to be," Fixteen answered.


    They knew from looking at Raze in his current costume that he was the person of honor today. That and the fact that Han and Fing were by his side. There would only be one person that was heavily protected today.


    As Raze carried on walking down the streets, confetti was thrown through the air towards him, people continued to cheer but murmurs could be hearding through.


    "Has anyone had a look, who is it that is getting with Rayna!"


    "He''s wearing a mask, I can''t tell who he is, why would he wear a mask?"


    "Maybe the Neverfall n are shy about who he is."


    "Ha, I don''t think they would be, but it is strange, they''ve managed to have next to no rumors about who her husband is going to be."


    "He must be quite the looker if he managed to get her, and he has to be strong to get Belil to ept as well. I guess we will at least find out what n he is in today."


    As Raze continued to walk through the streets with the pathway cleared for him, he could see the updated market square. The stage was built out of refined wood. A tform just for their grand event.


    It was covered in elegant red cloth for the asion, and even had a red runway that split and led up to the stage allowing a person to go from the left and right.


    The market square was cordoned around the sides. With a crowd of people watching the event as if they were in an arena waiting for arge spectacle, but just standing in front of the stage, were the n Heads, of the most feared ns in the Demonic Faction.


    Therge mountainous man, known as Sha Mo was standing present with a club touching the floor. At the same time, the leader of the Lost n, who was wrapped in ck wraps covering his entire body apart from his single eye, Lince was present. Then there was the leader of the Splitting Fang n.


    The oldest looking of the lot with a thick heavy grey beard that went around his entire body. Oddly though, he was covered in bandages around his arms and legs and had a few cuts on his face that looked to be healing.


    This man was the leader Yunro, and it wasn''t his normal look.


    ''I''ve met the strongest in the Dark Faction, and now today, I will meet the strongest in the Demonic Faction,'' Raze thought.


    "My son!" Belil shouted in a loud voice. "You are finally here, why don''t youe up and introduce yourself to the world." Belil smiled.

 Chapter 572 Tell Them Who You Are

    Chapter 572 Tell Them Who You Are


    ??''My son?'' The word repeated in Raze''s head the moment he had heard it. Because it wasn''t a word that he had heard much when he was young.


    Growing up, he didn''t even remember having a mother, and as for his father, it wasn''t a word that was used once. The rtionship between the two was difficult to say the least.


    Which was why there was a knee-jerk reaction from Raze the moment he had heard it. His heart was undecided on whether or not it was a good feeling, because he truly didn''t know.


    Regardless, the eyes of the crowd weighed heavily on him. Staring and watching him as he made his move.


    "Don''t worry, those guys are all bark and no bite," Fing said. "They aren''t going to touch you, let''s go up on the stage."


    Fing casually had his hands in his pockets standing by the side of Raze. Walking toward the stage, he had a smirk on his face while looking at Sha Mo, the n Head of the Behemoth n.


    On the other side, Han had his hands held together behind him. He didn''t even nce at Lince from the Lost n.


    Their reputation had taken a recent hit as they had allowed one of the ns through the border onward to attack the Dark Faction.


    It was a small hit in their reputation, as many understood that they had just suffered from a portal break of all things.


    The brothers were right though, none of them dared to act and just gave looks while Raze walked past. Trying to figure out who this person was.


    Anna, along with Fixteen who had been following the group for a while decided to head away. More urately, Fixteen had pulled Anna.


    "We are not allowed to be on that stage with them, no matter how strong you are, it''s best you pull away and listen to me," Fixteen whispered.


    Anna, having evaluated the brothers'' strength and knowing full well who else was on that stage, had decided to stand down.


    Although she did things rashly, that was only because she was confident in her strength. In this situation, she couldn''t say the same, and if dead, she wouldn''t be able toplete her mission either.


    Belil was standing straight and for once, he had a ck soft cloth on that the Pagna warriors would usually wear. Most of the time when Raze met with Belil, he would have no top on at all.


    Still, his muscr chest that looked as hard as diamonds was still on show. It seemed like the clothing was purposely designed to show this.


    "We have sessfully brought the big man of the day," Han said, standing by Raze''s side looking out to the crowd, while Fing did the same on Raze''s other side.


    Now all of them were looking out into the crowd.


    "I''m sure many of you are curious as to who is marrying my beloved daughter and only daughter of the Neverfall n!" Belil shouted. His voice echoed so loudly with Qi that every corner of the city was able to hear his voice clearly.


    "I have had many requests over the years, and I have declined many because I only have one daughter, and I don''t want to give her up just to anyone.


    "Which was why I was surprised myself, when she was the one that actually suggested the marriage to me, which just goes to show you all how great of a person my son really is!"


    These words had just made the crowd even more curious as to who the person could be. Already the other ns were checking each other to see if anyone of significance was missing, yet all of them were present.


    The n members kept thinking if it wasn''t this person then it had to be this person. They continued to go down the list until they no longer had anyone else that they could select.


    "So, before the bride is toe out, then I will let him introduce himself to you all, go ahead and speak, my son!" Belil shouted while looking at Raze.


    A little perplexed, Raze looked at Belil and wondered what he meant by this. Did he want him to make up an identity, tell him he was no one, or tell them the truth about who he was?


    He wasn''t a mind reader. If he said something wrong, couldn''t this affect the whole of the Demonic Faction?


    In the end, though, Raze realized through his short interactions, Belil was a man that meant what he spoke. Whatever Raze introduced himself as, he would be fine with.


    Taking a step forward, Raze walked to the edge of the tform. The two brothers were only a step behind, keeping their duty to protect him.


    ''I had slowly been letting out the name through the continent. Hoping to gain their attention, but I also hadn''t been fully divulging as to who I am or announcing where I was.''


    ''Because I was afraid I wasn''t strong enough to stop them. Now I have been able to gather arge amount of strength and backing in this world through rtions as well as wealth through the sale of my items.''


    ''The sales have yet to expand even further, but I will be able to continue to grow. So I should allow them toe at me, I will face them and using them I will continue to grow my power.''


    With these thoughts in his mind, Raze gathered his Qi in his throat and belly, as he spoke he tried to imitate what Belil did. His voice would echo but not as loudly as Belil but still to the extent that everyone in the market square could hear what he was saying.


    "I am known as the Dark Magus!" Raze stated. "I am a member of the Crimson Crane. The Dark Magus who is part of the Crimson Crane, and the Alchemist who has been selling items throughout the Demonic Faction."


    These were the only words Raze spoke. Everyone knew the Dark Magus was already part of the Crimson Crane. This was part of his protection for a while.


    They also knew the items which came from him, by now every n had gotten their hands on at least one pill, and knew just how effective they were.


    Yet no one had an idea what the Dark Magus looked like and now they were setting eyes on him for the first time, with his ck mask, and ck hair.


    Now, the image of what they could see of him was being burned into them as they tried to remember this important figure.


    "The Dark Magus, I heard of him, how did the Neverfall n get their hands on him!"


    "Didn''t the Crimson Crane also leave the Demonic Faction. I heard they were scared of what the Behemoth n were going to do to them because of what happened."


    It wasn''t just the public that had found this new information interesting. Among those in the crowd, they weren''t just n members of the Demonic Faction, but groups that were farrger operating without them knowing.


    Members of the Bonum Society had appeared at the grand event, as well as a new group from Alter.


    "Make a note, we have found the one that is calling themselves the Dark Magus, and is using his name. However, he looks nothing like the description that was given."

 Chapter 573 Exchanging A Promise

    Chapter 573 Exchanging A Promise


    ??"With this wedding, if the Dark Magus joins the Neverfall n, won''t that mean they will now have ess to all of the items he creates as well?"


    "You''re right, at any moment they could decide to take away the items that are being sold, or keep the best ones for themselves."


    "That shouldn''t matter though, the Neverfall n is part of the Demonic Faction, and right now the Demonic Faction has to worry more about the Light and the Dark Faction."


    "They won''t stop selling the pills, they will continue to distribute them to everyone."


    "Ha, but then what about wealth? Won''t this at least increase their standing in the entire world? With arge amount of wealth, they could even start to make the kingdoms move at their call. They might be a power that is unchecked."


    "I think you''re all forgetting another issue. Didn''t you hear what the Dark Magus imed and what we know is true already? He is part of the Crimson Crane, not the Neverfall n.


    "This rtionship, we don''t know how it will pan out for both of them in the first ce. The Crimson Crane is a Wanderer n¡­ but they might not be anymore after today."


    The crowd was busy talking among themselves about everything that had been announced, and for sure the news would spread further than the Demonic Faction.


    Who the neer was, and not only that but the possible influence he would bring to the Demonic Faction.


    The talks continued and continued, until the loud bashing of a gong was heard. The ringing sounded out, hitting everyone in the area, causing their mouths to shut.


    Their heads turned in the direction of the vibration as they heard the loud gong once more, and their eyes were now glued to a single person that had entered the market square.


    "Who¡­ who¡­ is that?" one of the crowd members asked, his head feeling a little lightheaded because he wasn''t sure if he was seeing straight or not.


    No one in the crowd was. They were staring at a radiating captivating beauty. Her long raven hair tumbled down her back in soft waves. It was a stark contrast to the pristine white of her dress.


    The gown itself was a masterpiece. Wispy whitece cascaded over a fitted silhouette, which was enting the elegant curve of her figure.


    The back of her dress dragging along the floor was covered in a deep red. It trailed behind her as she walked like a crimson me.


    On top of that, her makeup was wless. A hint of roseate blush that went with the red of the back of the dress, and then there was the soft smile that yed on her lips.


    This wasn''t the Rayna that people knew, this wasn''t the daughter of the Neverfall n that they knew.


    Walking, her beauty had stunned them all into silence. She continued confidently looking straight up at Raze.


    ''I know your past¡­ I know that you have felt true love before, and I''m not sure if I can rece what was once in your heart, nor if what I feel is the same as what the two of you had.''


    ''But for some reason, when hearing your tale about the woman you deeply cared for, I wished that maybe, just for a moment, you would care for me in that same way.''


    ''So I decided to try my best, for just a moment, maybe I could sweep you away, and make you feel that way for me.''


    These were the thoughts going through Rayna''s mind, as she reached the top of the tform. She walked over to Raze and looked at him.


    The two stood opposite each other, and while looking at his face she was trying to figure out what it was that he was thinking, but had nothing.


    There wasn''t a single word that came out of Raze''s mouth.


    Belil was the one with the biggest grin on his face, and out from his hand he had two red rings. He handed one to each of them.


    "Once these two ce each other''s rings on one''s hand, they will be together!" Belil announced.


    "I know a lot of you have your questions and concerns, but you should all know what I am like by now. The Dark Magus here is a great person."


    "As I said before, he is not a person that I chose, but is a person my daughter chose. You can see by how much effort she put in today, how much she truly loves this person."


    This was a first for Rayna, hearing her father talk about her in this way. She had hoped it was his true feelings, and weren''t things he was saying just for the sake of pleasing those below that were watching.


    "These two are their own people, the Dark Magus will not be a part of the Crimson Crane. From today onwards their loyalty is not with the Neverfall n, and this is true for both of them."


    "They must survive in this Demonic Faction, just like the rest of the ns must do! Myst gift to both of them is a piece ofnd the Neverfall n recently obtained."


    "I hope everyone treats my word as fact from today!"


    The n members in the crowd were mumbling to each other. What Belil had said had somewhat appeased them.


    Yet they couldn''t help but feel that the Neverfall n either way had gained control of a strong ally, and now being married it would be hard to trust his word.


    If someone had a problem with the Dark Magus and attacked them, then even just knowing that there was a chance the Neverfall n would get involved would deter them.


    Who would even dare to put Belil''s word to the test? For now, they would just have to believe him.


    At the same time, Raze was happy with this. A small link to the Neverfall n was all he wanted. Maybe one day he could ask about the rtionship between the Dark Faction founder and their n with this.


    Right now though, Raze was in a happier mood than he would have thought. This day, he thought it would bring up bad memories, but when in the prison he had remembered more of the good times he had spent with Sabrina.


    "Thank you," Raze said, staring right into Rayna''s eyes.


    "Thank you¡­ for what?" Rayna turned away, her makeup hiding the redness of her cheeks at this moment.


    "For the outfit, you got it specially made for me, correct? Thank you for that," Raze said, as he lifted up the ring.


    "You know, where I''m from these rings are important, they''re a promise to one another. I don''t make promises a lot, because I never intend to break a promise I do make."


    "Does this count as a promise?" Rayna whispered. "Even if it''s not real."


    "A promise is a promise," Raze said as he ced the ring onto her hand, and she did the same back.


    "This is proof of the promise. Since I have made a promise with you, I will protect you," Raze said.


    "Ha!" Rayna turned away. "You, who''s weaker than me, I should be the one saying that to you."


    After the exchange of rings, there was loud apuse all around. The ceremony wasing to an end, and it was soon time to party for the rest of the group the whole night.


    But cutting the apuse short a loud booming voice interrupted them.


    "Wait!!!" Sha Mo shouted. "You are the Dark Magus, you are the one that injured my people and refused my offer back then!"


    "Now that I know this, I can''t just let you go. For what you did, I will forgive you, as long as you give me a hand," Sha Mo said, gesturing to him with his other hand, intimating that he should cut it off.

 Chapter 574 What Happens After Marriage?

    Chapter 574 What Happens After Marriage?


    ??Sha Mo, the leader of the Behemoth n, and as their name suggested, they were an incrediblyrge n.


    Not justrge, but they were the biggest n in terms of memberspared to all of the other ns in the Demonic Faction.


    Usually, size didn''t equal strength, but the Demonic Faction weren''t exactly known for having weak n members, which made them one of the most frightening forces in all of Pagna.


    No one wished to start a fight with them, whether they thought they could win or lose, just due to the sheer amount of members.


    At the same time, Sha Mo himself seemed to getrger the more members he had. He wasn''t just tall but was thick like a sturdy immovable mountain.


    He hade to the event out of respect for the Neverfall n. The Demonic Faction only existed because all of therge ns were in a type of treaty to not attack each other, but now with Belil making a move like so, Sha Mo was wondering what he was nning.


    He had been listening to the event, wondering who his daughter had been married off to, and when he had heard the name the Dark Magus, his blood started to boil.


    Originally, Sha Mo had requested the Dark Magus toe and join his n. To do whatever was necessary and even use force.


    He didn''t care that Raze had belonged to the Crimson Crane; he was used to taking what he wanted, and it was only one member.


    With hisrge force, he could imagine supplementing them with powerful Qi pills; it would make his army even more devastating.


    Which was why he was so keen on having him. Yet, the Dark Magus had not only refused the Behemoth n, he had even attacked and killed their members.


    The Crimson Crane had defeated the Behemoth n in a battle. It wasn''t an all-out war, but it was still embarrassing.


    Rather than wishing to have the Dark Magus on his side, from then on, Sha Mo had promised to himself that it was better if he was to get rid of this person.


    If he ever found out who the Dark Magus was, what he looked like and who to go after, he would kill him where he stood, and now he could see him right now.


    Yet, Sha Mo had been keeping his anger inside him; he had done so for a while, all because of who was on the stage. Belil and even his two sons.


    It was rare to see all three of them in one ce, yet here they were.


    "Did you hear me!" Sha Mo shouted. He had been holding in his anger for a while, but how could he see the Dark Magus so happy, so joyous, after the disrespect he had given to him.


    Raze didn''t reply to the man, as he looked at Sha Mo. He was trying to eye him up, to see whether he stood a chance in a fight.


    The Qi was emitting from his body, and made the air feel incredibly heavy. Usually, it was just due to the pressure of Qi, but Raze almost felt as if his body was physically being pushed to the ground and he had to use his own strength to stand up.


    "I won''t ask for your head, even though I should due to what you have done, and how you have been hiding like a rat!" Sha Mo shouted. "Which is why, a hand will do, that will quell my anger, and I shall ept this marriage to go through."


    Hearing these words, it was Rayna that was the one filled with anger, she took a step forward ahead of Raze.


    "You are threatening him, who is now part of my family!" Rayna said. "He refused your proposal and now you are trying to force him to give his hand, to be disadvantaged in his whole life."


    "All I see is fear running in you, fear that his strength is too much for you to handle."


    Usually, Rayna wouldn''t dare to say such words, but she knew what wasing next.


    Immediately, Sha Mo lifted hisrge club, and it was covered in Qi to the point that the club had turned ck. Pure condensed Qi covered the club and it was swung down right at the stage.


    Ready to destroy the whole thing and anyone who stood on it. When the club bashed down, the Qi exploded up in the air and out in all different areas.


    It sounded like a loud explosion that could be heard from the entire city. Yet, the club hadn''t hit the stage, instead, Han was standing there with one of his hands held out.


    Ripples were continuously flowing through the air, right at where the club was. This was a battle between two Qi''s being used in different ways.


    It was the first time Raze had seen such a thing, and he decided to keep a close eye.


    ''Even though I have reached the middle stage myself, these two are on a different level to me. Was the other brother taking it easy on me, or is Han just that much more powerful?'' Raze thought.


    The Qi from the attack and the blocking of Han started to affect those in the market square that were standing close by.


    They were falling to the floor, almost passing out.


    "Enough!" Belil shouted in his loud bellowing voice.


    In an instant, Han stopped his defense and jumped back on stage, while Sha Mo didn''t pursue attacking any further either.


    "I understand the issues that you have raised, I respect you Sha Mo, the business that you have with the Dark Magus, and the business you have with the Neverfall n, will be two separate things as I stated before.


    "The Dark Magus is not part of the Neverfall n, and my daughter will go off with the Dark Magus iming new territory."


    "You are free to do as you wish, and act how you want then!"


    Raze was starting to remember the brother''s words, how everyone in the Neverfall n had to act on their own, and based on what Belil was saying they might be right.


    Protection from Belil, he couldn''t count on it.


    "Today though, is a joyous day and a celebration of my n and my family, so I will not have you ruin it. If you wish to pursue this further, then I will get involved as well," Belil stated, staring right into Sha Mo''s eyes.


    The two of them continued to stare into each other''s eyes for a while, until Sha Mo let out arge grunt, almost like a pig''s snort, and walked back to his ce with the other leaders.


    "This is a joyous day, today we shall all celebrate the marriage of these two young ones right here!"


    Belil lifted his arms up and in response, the whole area cheered and the celebrations started. The drink bottles were pulled out, food started to be served, and the whole city was a lively ce celebrating the big day.


    Belil then came over and walked to his daughter and new son.


    "Tomorrow, I will take you to the new town you will be in charge of. You two will be on your own then, get stronger, and be a sword that I can use¡­ or die and be forgotten."


    "As for today, there is a room rented out in the Red Dragon Inn. You two will sleep the night, and I hope to have some grandchildren!"

 Chapter 575 Sleep Together?

    <h4>Chapter 575 Sleep Together? </h4>


    The celebration in the city was a big one. ns from all over were celebrating and they weren''t shy about spending their coin.


    The businesses run by the regr citizens were working hard on delivering choice food, entertainment, and more. A wedding of this scale was only something that would happen once in a lifetime.


    On top of that, although Sha Mo didn''t get what he wanted today, there was still a chance that he could get something in the future.


    Arge jug of alcohol sat in front of him, lifting it up he gulped down almost a single mouthful before wiping the foam away from his mouth and cing it on the table.


    "I guess today is still a big day for the Behemoth n, everyone make sure you collect what is needed after today''s event!" Sha Mo ordered.


    "Yes, sir!" The other n members said, lifting their drinks in the air.


    Repton City was the biggest city in the Demonic Faction, and the n that was in charge of it was the Behemoth n.


    Because of that, they would be getting a cut from every establishment and its sales today, which allowed Sha Mo''s mood to calm down a little.


    As the celebrations continued into the night, people started to venture into their own sections of the city including Anna, who no longer could stay with Raze, for the time being, but she was sure that she would catch up to him eventually, and what were the chances that Zon woulde and meet him during such a day.


    With it all, Raze and Rayna had decided to retire into therge and well-established Red Dragon Inn. Arge tiered pond filled with special fountains led up to the grand staircase.


    Standing by the entrance door were the two brothers. ying guard duty was a job they rarely did. There wasn''t a price that could even make them do such a job, but it was a request from their father so theyplied.


    Inside the Red Dragon Inn, and on the top floor, Raze and Rayna were the only two that were in a room together.


    Rayna was sitting on the edge of the bed, while Raze was drawing the curtains to have a bit of privacy from the outside.


    "They''re quite loud still, my guess is they will continue till the morning, so it might be hard to get some sleep." Raze moved from the window and onto the other edge of the bed.


    "You know we don''t have to do it." Rayna said, her face red and still looking away. "I know in a traditional sense it''s a requirement¡­ but this is all just to help the both of us out. My father won''t be able to tell if we did or didn''t."


    Raze was silent for a while, and Rayna was afraid that her heart was beating so loud that he could hear it. She took deep breaths trying to calm it down, but none of it was working.


    "Thank you¡­" Raze answered.


    It summed up Rayna''s thoughts. That Raze didn''t have any feelings for her, but that was fine for her, it would be fine.


    Still, she slipped off the wedding dress when heading to the bathroom and changed into soft gold silk clothing.


    Raze had gone after her and done the same. He then quickly went under the bed sheets and closed his eyes.


    Rayna proceeded to do the same, but her heart was still unable to settle.


    "Is this your first time sleeping with a woman?" Rayna asked.


    "No." Raze answered still with his eyes closed.


    "Oh¡­ no wonder you''re not as nervous, it is the first time for me." Rayna answered as her voice went quiet towards the end.


    She had almost forgotten, right now Raze wasn''t wearing the mask. So she was able to see his youthful face.


    She thought that he was like her, everything they were experiencing today was a first for them. Yet that wasn''t the case, Raze was an old soul, a soul that was even older than her.


    Even if the two of them were to get together, to have true feelings for each other on Rayna''s end, it would be only her that was experiencing everything for the first time.


    The lights were dark, and Rayna could feel that there was arge space between them. Rather than lying on her back, she shuffled so she was on her side.


    She was in a giant bed. Around 6 more people could fit in between her and Raze right now, and perhaps even more.


    Created for the various sizes of Pagna warriors like that of Sha Mo.


    ''The distance between us is so far, you don''t even feel like being next to me, why do you have to sleep on the edge of the bed?''


    Since the day Rayna had been saved, she had been drawn to this person. Right now, Raze didn''t even have his ck hair, instead it was white in color.


    It was the same as when she first met him. Her heart started to beat again, and before she knew it, she was shuffling over, inching her way moving closer, and closer to him.


    Each time she got closer she could feel her heart pounding harder. It was even a little painful for her. Taking a big gulp in she started to move again, and now that she was close, in the darkness she could see something.


    Raze''s bottom lip, it was quivering, it was shaking. While sweat was running down the side of his head.


    It wasn''t noticeable from afar because the rest of his body wasn''t moving, he was frozen still, like a heavy weight was on top of his chest.


    "Get off¡­ me." Was the small mumbles that Rayna could hear.


    The quivering of his bottom lip started to shake even more, and the pillowcase had turned a shade darker from the sweat.


    ''Is he having a nightmare, and a pretty terrible one as well¡­ I should wake him up.''


    Sitting up, and moving the quilt off from her body, she waited a few more moments before doing so. Wondering if Raze would get out of this state himself.


    Yet the quivering didn''t stop, and the sweating continued.


    "Raze¡­ Raze.." Rayna called out a little louder. "Get up¡­ you''re having a nightmare!"


    Saying these words, they had no reaction at all, so she just decided to do what was only natural. With her hands she grabbed onto the side of his body and started to give him a shake.


    "Raze wake up, you''re starting to scare me now!" Rayna said.


    After a couple of pushes, Raze''s armstched onto Rayna''s, before she knew it she was forcefully pulled forward, but it wasn''t the sweet romantic moment she had hoped for.


    Instead, Raze''s hand went right around her neck.


    ''Holy crap, his grip is strong, he''s using a lot of force!''


    Rayna immediately needed to use her own Qi in order to protect herself otherwise her throat would have been crushed.


    Before she knew it though, it wasn''t the only thing she had to worry about.


    The veins on Raze''s arms were bulging, they were moving up and down his arm as if they were alive, and at the same time, Rayna could feel her energy quickly fading away.

 Chapter 576 This Is Your Land

    <h4>Chapter 576 This Is Your Land</h4>


    The higher stage a warrior was, the more they were in tune with the Qi in their body. In an instant, Rayna could feel the Qi moving away from her.


    It was draining out of her body and was going into the man in front of her. She was no fool, being in the position she was in the Demonic Faction, she knew instantly what technique this was.


    ''The extraction technique... but I''ve never heard of anyone being able to extract energy this fast before!''


    The grip was tight around her neck. It was clear even in his sleep Raze was using all of his force. She tugged her head back but it was useless.


    Still, there was one thing that she could do, but she was reluctant to try it.


    ''If I can''t pull away, and he''s not waking up in the middle of all of this, then I''m just going to have to hit him!''


    It was ast resort; she was a highly skilled middle-stage warrior. Attacking someone in their sleep, who wasn''t prepared for an attack, could easily kill someone.


    Yet, as more of her energy was draining away, she felt like she had no choice. Lifting her fist to the side of her head, she started to channel Qi into her fist. It was slightly harder than it would usually be due to the extraction technique.


    Then, looking at Raze''s face, she looked slightly down toward his stomach.


    ''I''ll hit him there!'' She swung her fist out, aimed right down. ''I''ll knock the air out of him!''


    Before the fist couldnd, a strong force was felt hurtling right in the middle of Rayna''s chest. The great force had broken her out of Raze''s grip and knocked her off the bed and onto the floor.


    Immediately, Rayna repositioned herself so her feet slid across the wooden floorboards, and got into a fighting stance. She wasted no time, by activating her Qi as if she was ready for battle.


    "Who''s here, who dared to attack me right now!" Rayna snarled, baring her teeth like a wild animal.


    However, looking around the room, she was unable to see anything with her naked eye, but that didn''t fool her because she could still feel a sinister energy in the air.


    "I might not be able to see you, but I know you''re here!" The sinister energy wasing toward her. She could feel the tingling sensation on her entire body.


    At that point she had no choice, gathering the Qi in her foot, she decided to m it down with all her force. The entire floorboards were ripped apart and crashed, including that below the bed.


    Arge part of the room''s floor had been damaged and the bed along with Raze and herself all fell into it,nding on the floor below.


    There was panic outside of the Inn, as people came rushing inside.


    "Whoa¡­ what happened here?" Fing asked, looking at all of the mess and destruction. "Rayna, I didn''t realize you would cause all this mess on your first night. What type of freaks are you?"


    Rayna''s face was turning bright red, how could she possibly describe the situation when she didn''t know much of what had happened herself.


    Still, she rushed over to where Raze was, and grabbing the nket covered his real face so no one could see, along with his hair.


    "What''s going on?" Raze asked, seeing mostly darkness.


    "I''ll exin it to youter."


    The two of them had moved rooms and had moved into one with two separate beds. Rayna had exined that Raze had a nightmare and had attempted to strangle her.


    He seemed quite shocked at this, but she didn''t mention further than that for now. Instead, the two of them decided to go to sleep, because they both felt like they would have more to worry about the next day.


    When the morning sun rose, the two of them headed into therge main reception where a dragon carved out of gold stood in the center.


    There were several members of the Neverfall n in the reception as well, all standing up firm. Then on the other side, they could see that Belil had entered with open arms.


    "I heard you two caused quite a disturbancest night," Belilmented with a smile. "That''s good though, if you have that much power in the middle of the night, I can only imagine the amount of power my grandson will have as well!"


    The two looked at each other for a moment before continuing to follow Belil.


    It was time for them to leave the city, as Belil was sending them off. He had a final gift for the two of them, and Rayna was already fully aware of what that was.


    Joining them in their walk were Anna and Fixteen, but there weren''t many others. The two brothers had already left, and so had many of the Pagna warriors.


    While walking through the city, they were able to see some of the destruction caused. There were some rowdy warriors, as well as those that had perhaps drunk a little too much causing them to cause a bit of mayhem for the city.


    At the same time, many of them were starting to leave as well as the regr citizens starting to return now the grand day was over.


    After leaving the city, there were carriages waiting outside for them. A private one was reserved for Raze, Fixteen, Rayna, and Anna.


    While Belil traveled separately in another carriage. Which gave some time for them to talk.


    "I should tell you about what is about to happen," Fixteen spoke. His voice in a serious tone. "Right now, we are heading to where the Flesh n was once located.


    "You might have heard of them recently; they were the n that had attacked the Dark Faction but failed, and in that failure, they lost everything including theirnd.


    "As for the n that had taken it over, it was the Neverfall n."


    "Belil ns to give thisnd and town to both of you as your gift. It will no longer bend belonging to the Neverfall n, butnd belonging to the Dark Magus."


    "The n Head has asked me to join as your advisor in running the town and as your advisor I want to make you aware of a few things."


    "Belil is true to his word, he will treat you as an outsider, but owningnd in the Demonic Faction is something only some Pagna warriors could hope for. You have your foot in the Faction and are bing arger part of it."


    "You need to start making your ce in Pagna so that you are in a better position to protect your items and the rest of your business."


    Hearing Fixteen out, Raze thought things were certainly working out for him. Land where he could safely hide from the others in, a town to call his own.


    Maybe if he could use the people, he could carry an army of his own. After all, those he was going against had armies of their own, and the Dark Faction leader was unable to do anything even with the entirety of the Dark Faction.


    The carriage hade to a stop, and exiting out of it, they could hear Belil''s voice instantly.


    "Thend of the Flesh n now belongs to you!" Belil said with open arms. "And with that, I will take my leave, but be careful, the Flesh n owned a Dimension, there is a good chance that it would be a good excuse for a certain someone toe attack you."

 Chapter 577 This Is My Town

    <h4>Chapter 577 This Is My Town </h4>


    Getting out of the cart, Rayna, Anna, Fixteen, and Raze were all left on the edge of the town to assess their new environment.


    Belil had barely said a few words to them and they didn''t even have time to take in what they were looking at before he spoke.


    "Enjoy my gift well, and when I need you I wille find you," Belil said, offering only those few words before getting back in the carriage and swiftly leaving.


    The carriage that had brought Raze and the others didn''t linger either. The driver quickly snapped the reins on his horses and continuously looked behind his back as he left in the distance.


    "This is interesting," Rayna said, trying to keep upbeat about the situation.


    Anna bent down and dragged her fingers through the hard ground. "This ce is not good," Anna stated.


    "This ce now belongs to you, and it''s not a ce that you can just abandon," Fixteen hurriedly said, a little worried about the reaction because even Fixteen didn''t think it would be that bad.


    "The ground, it''s hard to grow any crops at all. The terrain, it''s essentially a dry desert and there doesn''t seem to be anything in sight, nearly all of thend is t around the area, and it''s in the middle of nowhere," Anna continued to borate.


    "If this town was to get attacked, then there would be no cover due to how out in the open they are."


    The more Anna spoke, the more Fixteen was getting worried. Although Raze could do as he wished, abandoning such a ce would put him in the bad books of not just the Neverfall n, but also the Demonic Faction as a whole.


    "It''s not that bad," Raze said, walking forward. He wasn''t lying either. Compared to the conditions in the lower world back on Alterian, this wasn''t too bad. "Let''s have a look at the area first and see what we have to deal with."


    The town of Flendon was originally built next to a ratherrgeke. At one point the town was quite prosperous and was known for its beauty.


    Many woulde to the town just to visit theke. However, for some reason, rain started to never fall on the town of Flendon.


    It no longer was a vibrant tourist city, and they struggled to even create any produce. The people that lived there were those that were originally born in Flendon, and were too poor to move.


    They made do by working on passing carts, mostly manualbor for others. Once in a while, the workforce would even have to leave on expeditions to help work when other cities needed more help, then they would bring the ie back to the town.


    That was all they were good for as a workforce. At the same time, the other cities took advantage of them, never giving them enough coin to save up and move out.


    At the same time, since they were abor-intensive workforce, they couldn''t just leave their families behind, although some of them did.


    The town itself had several buildings mostly built in a crescent shape that was originally once around theke.


    The buildings were primarily made of wood, but they were run down with destroyed roofs, and such. They were tightly packed together with narrow alleys, butrge walking paths.


    At the edge of what used to be theke, there was a house that was two stories taller than the others, it was wide in size, and colored with a bright oak on the outside.


    However, just like all of the other ces, it was rundown. When arriving at therge building, an old man wearing sses, frail, was there to greet them with two others.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, DM!" The man said bowing down. He coughed a couple of times as he lifted his head. "The Neverfall n has instructed us that you will be setting up a warrior base in this town.


    "It will be a pleasure to have you, I am Mayor Yarlston."


    "What happened here?" Raze asked.


    The mayor went on to exin how his duty was to report to the central government of the kingdom that resided in the Demonic Faction.


    He was part of the general popce, but due to his position, he worked quite closely between the n''s warriors that would reside here and the people.


    Unfortunately, when the Flesh n had moved out to attack the Dark Faction, the unruly people who weren''t Pagna warriors who had a bit more strength than others started to cause a mess, and they were powerless to help them.


    Raze did remember, stating that the general Kingdoms and Empires liked the Warrior n''s because at times they would act as a type of force or army that could stop the general public from getting into trouble as well.


    Heading inside following Yarlston, they learned the state of the entire city. Yarlston stated that there were a group of buildings that the n had used but not an actual base.


    Still, it would be a ce for them to sleep. He also told them everything about the town and how they would receive their ie and the bright history of the ce.


    The group were in a meeting room, where arge map of the town had been pinned. It also revealed the location of the Portal which was behind the town.


    However, the good thing was there were no other ns behind them, apart from the territory of the Light Faction but that was far in the distance.


    Meaning if anyone was to attack them, at least it would be from the front.


    "What did Belil exactly n for the two of you to do in this town?" Anna asked. "From the looks of things, he has sent you to a town with no prospects of growth."


    "At the same time, the mayor has even stated, no wanderers venture to this area unless they are lost or stranded. There are no longer any members left of the Flesh n here either."


    "For you two to establish a ce in the Demonic Faction, it would be easier for the two of you to venture and take over another n."


    Rayna didn''t say anything back to Anna, as she usually would have done, but she had to admit she was right. Why did her father give her this gift, and then separate the two of them from the n?


    "Maybe that is an option," Fixteen said with his finger on his chin. "I have to admit, at some point, Sha Mo wille and attack you. That''s if he''s not on his way here right now. With everything here, maybe your father is trying to tell you when is a time to retreat and give up as well."


    Rayna was thinking about it for a while, that was until Raze was the one that had spoken up.


    "Fixteen, do you have some funds, the money from DM?" Raze asked.


    Fixteen nodded.


    "I do but some still needs to be collected, and we don''t have an extremelyrge amount, you haven''t made anything in a while."


    "First, use whatever we have to buy the people some food, and buy ingredients to make more pills. People should never have to feel hungry if there is plenty of food to go around. Use the money of the Dark Magus and let''s turn this town around." Raze said with a smile and a n in his head.

 Chapter 578 Everyone will be your Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 578 Everyone will be your Enemy</h4>


    Due to the selling of the special pills Raze had made, he was rtively wealthy, but most of his funds were kept with Fixteen who would pass them on once in a while.


    He had been the brains behind the operation. Using the Crimson Crane as well as a group of those that he trusted to sell them to specific merchants, rather than directly.


    He did this because he knew that the merchants would mark up the price, driving more people to try to find the source material as well.


    Because the demand outstripped the supply, he now had a list of customers he could already sell to whenever he wished.


    The hardest part was getting his hand on the Dark Magus to get him to even make the items to begin with.


    With the funds that they had, though, Fixteen listened to Raze and crates of food were being delivered. They had gone to the next biggest city in order to buy supplies, and they had arrived.


    Mayor Yarlston was extremely pleased with this and asked his people in the town hall to go to work, handing out the food.


    There were queues waiting to grab what they could of the food. For the first time, many of them were able to eat and still had food left for the future days.


    The three of them headed outside and were now standing by the food. They were there just in case any problems urred and would deal with it themselves.


    Many of the town''s people knew that Rayna was from the Neverfall n; they had heard who had arrived, so they didn''t dare to try anything.


    After all, these were regr citizens in the first ce, not Pagna warriors.


    "Do you know what you''re doing?" Rayna asked.


    The others looked at her, surprised she would ask such a question, then again, she was technically Raze''s wife so she should be able to speak to him as directly as she wanted.


    "He''s giving the people food, isn''t this a good thing?" Anna replied. "He just arrived as the new warriors entering this ce, and now the people will see him in good favor."


    Fixteen was the one that was shaking his head at that point. "If it was that easy to solve, do you think these people would still be in this situation in the first ce?" Fixteen replied. "I actually agree with Rayna''s line of thinking, I didn''t stop you Raze, because I thought you might have some type of n, but I''m not sure you know how dangerous this is."


    "Dangerous, how could this be dangerous?" Anna asked, looking at the weak people. She imagined even if they were all to fight her at once, she could kill them all in an instant. It wouldn''t even take much effort.


    To her, there was no danger at all.


    "People are fickle, right now, they will be appreciative of what you have done, but there will be those in the Town House that will think you are just showing off your wealth for one," Fixteen exined.


    "Jealousy is a powerful thing," Rayna added.


    "On top of that, say something happens, where you need these funds yourself, or you are unable to supply these people with food and take it away from them."


    "They will forget about all the good you did, and aim their anger toward you. You will be a point of hatred for them. Someone easy to me for their situation being bad."


    "You know, people don''t like to see others doing better than them and often want to drag you down to their level. So unless you are nning to look after them like this forever, I don''t think it''s a good idea."


    Honestly, Raze hadn''t thought that much about it. He was no leader of a city, nor a leader of a corporation in his past life; he had no knowledge about this stuff.


    To him, it wasn''t going to be such a hard task, because he nned to reform the entire city using his magic. It was what Alterians were able to do, reform things using the energy of Mana, to create a sustainable ce.


    It would be harder for him to do since he was just one mage and it would be easier if he had more elements along with being a higher star.


    After setting up the basics, the people could get to work and be self-sufficient. This might be a city in his name, but he had no intentions of staying in one ce either, this was just a safe ce for him, and for now.


    "I never nned to just give them everything. I just hate to see people hungry, and when I have the means to change it, then I might as well make their lives a little better."


    "If what happens happens, then let them be angry at me, I don''t care about that. Things will be easier for them that way." Raze answered.


    While watching, Mayor Yarlston walked over and gave a bow, thanking Raze for everything he had done. Even he had been sacrificing a lot of funds that were sent to the town in order to provide some sort of relief for the people.


    However, the Flesh n from before were taking too much of their funds using the basis of protection. It was the first time a Mayor had a n spend money on them, rather than they providing the money.


    "I wish to let the people know of your kindness and make them aware of what you have done," Yarlston stated. "Which is why I wanted to ask, what n are you from, what n has decided to reside in the city of Flendon?"


    Rayna and Raze looked at each other. Belil had already stated that she wouldn''t be part of the n anymore, so they couldn''t use their name.


    "You''re part of the Crimson Crane, yes? So I guess this would be a base for the Crimson Crane?" Rayna answered.


    Raze had no problem with that; he had agreed to still stay in the Crimson Crane after all. The issue was, could him just being a member really use their name like so?


    "I think it might be best if we get in touch with them," Raze said. "Besides, we need some people that can protect this ce, and they have something that they want from me anyway."


    Thinking about this, Raze thought it also might be best if in the future he had created an item where he could contact them easier.


    Amunication device like that Alter had, but better and worked at a far range. It would be impossible for him to create an entirework, but he could link each individual device using magic.


    "You have a way to get in contact with them Rayna? You were with them before," Raze asked.


    "I do, I will let you know that you asked for them, and toe here as soon as possible."


    ---


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Dark Faction the Crimson Crane were walking through one of the many cities, across the hard solid ground flooring.


    They had moved here because one, they wanted to stay away from the Behemoth n after causing some trouble for them.


    The second, was to expand the sales of the Dark Magus''s product now to the Dark Faction as well.


    What they were unaware of, was therge news and event that had unfolded. How the Dark Magus had married into the Neverfall n.


    "Hey, that''s Alba right?" One of the warriors said, looking at her walk past.


    "Yeah, it is, what are they doing here, isn''t it confirmed that they are now part of the Demonic Faction?"


    Alba had overheard these words, and her heart started to flutter. What were these rumors that were being spread? Were they no longer being considered wanderers?


    If that was the case, then the situation for them, now being in the Dark Faction could turn out very bad.


    "Yeah, I heard that the Dark Magus was under their protection, and the guy married into the Neverfall n. That means the Crimson Crane are now a group under the Neverfall n."


    While walking down with Froma by her side, they soon could see a group following them from behind, and soon more warriors started to appear in front of them.


    "This isn''t good¡­ this isn''t good at all," Alba said to herself.

 Chapter 579 Magic To Fix the World

    Chapter 579 Magic To Fix the World


    ??After the residents got their fill of food, they were more upbeat than usual. There were still supplies that would keep them going for a short amount of time, but nothing permanent for now.


    However, things naturally already started to have a somewhat positive change in the city. Repairs on some of the households, therge holes in the road that would get a cart stuck once in a while, the people were starting to get to work.


    They had more energy than before, and it allowed them to work on the serious problems that would help out their family situation.


    It was by no means perfect, there was still too much worry in the town''s peoples'' minds.


    The one saving grace for Raze and his group was the town''s poption was low at that of around three thousand people, otherwise, his funds would be used rather quickly.


    At the moment, Raze was in one of the close-knit houses that the Flesh n once used to use. It was a mess and full of trash all over the ce, so he needed to do some cleaning.


    With his magic, he swept out the rubbish with ease, and there was something else he did. He tore down the walls between the five houses, to make it arger singr house.


    He then ced reinforced beams in certain areas to make sure that the floor didn''t copse giving him a muchrger area to work withpared to before.


    ''With the remainder of the funds, I''ve asked Fixteen to try and buy supplies to build up a n base. Eventually, we will need to get more people on our side, just like that of the old Lethal Bite n.''


    ''It''s a shame that I can''t use my connections with Harbour to help me, but with him being in the Dark Faction, it would be impossible.'' Raze thought.


    It would take some time to build such a ce, so Raze would use this temporarily, and they could use it for other things in the future as well.


    He did think it was a shame there were some types of magic he had yet to gain affinity with, such as Earth and Fire. Using these two, he could have built structures himself.


    This was the other issue, in order to have the town thriving and growing with crops, one of the main sources needed was water, and he had yet to gain affinity with Water either.


    "Which means for now, there is only one thing I can rely on, and that is the crafting of these pills." Raze said as he ced his hand on the ground.


    Magic circles lit up all over the area, mass producing pills, one after the other.


    After creating arge amount of pills, Raze was on his way to deliver them. He had asked for the help of a few young men who seemed to have nothing to do.


    They smiled, giving Raze a bow and helped him without question. Everyone around the town already knew the man with ck hair and the small mask was the Dark Magus, so they were willing to help him.


    Eventually, they had reached the townhouse, which was where Fixteen and the Mayor were discussing a number of matters that needed to be dealt with one after the other.


    Heading inside, the pills were ced in the corner of one of the rooms, while Raze and Fixteen went to one side to talk about them.


    Raze noticed that Fixteen was constantly shaking his head, there must have been countless problems with the town.


    Thankfully, in terms of politics, Fixteen was dealing with nearly all of it.


    "You''ve made a lot this time¡­ this is good." Fixteen said, looking at the items. "With the sales, do you want me to help with supplies for the city?"


    "Do the bare minimum." Raze ordered. "And store the rest, while handing some to me for my journeys. Also, don''t forget to treat yourself as well."


    "I want the town''s people themselves to be the ones that repair and fix this city. If they do that, they will appreciate it more, and look after it. They will be less inclined to leave as well."


    "The main focus for now is to keep them from being hungry and make sure the poption doesn''t lower. With these pills, you said you wanted to sell them in the Dark Faction and the Light Faction, but will they sell? Especially since they know they''re from the Demonic Faction and now with our standing?" Raze asked.


    "Of course, they will." Fixteen ced his hand across his chest with absolute confidence. "The effects of the pills are too great, everyone else already knows that."


    "The other factions can''t afford not to buy them, otherwise it will be an advantage that the Demonic Faction has over that of the other Factions, they wouldn''t want to be left behind."


    "Is there a chance that this will make the Demonic Faction hate us?" Raze asked.


    The look on Fixteen''s face was as if the answer was obvious. His lips and cheeks were rxed for a moment.


    "You mean hate us more. Right now we have the Behemoth n on our back, everyone wants a piece of you and they think you''re being favored by the Neverfall n."


    "One of the issues I was talking with the mayor about was the neighboring ns. Some of them are thinking of testing or taking over the city, since they know that there aren''t warriors here."


    "Even with Rayna''s strength, they believe they can do something. So, they''re asking for payment, but we don''t even have any coins for that."


    Raze thought about it for a while and eventually came up with an answer.


    "If the Crimson Cranees, it might solve the issue with the smaller ns. For now as aplimentary gift, hand them some pills free of charge. Tell them as long as they stay friendly they will continue to get the supplies."


    "When the situation changes we''ll pull back and start charging them. Right now, they''re bullying us, but we are in a weak state so we need toply."


    "Right." Fixteen said, surprised Raze hade up with quite a good answer. "There is still one issue, the Behemoth n, are not just going to ept a payment of pills, they truly hate you."


    "Which is why we need to get ready." Raze answered.


    Before leaving the town hall, Raze met up with Rayna. They had discussed the matters at hand, and she had decided that she would be the one to travel to the following ns.


    If she made her presence known, they were less likely to try something. It also showed importance due to the person sent.


    It was also her way of helping in the situation, because she had no idea or ns of what to do with the city.


    In the meantime, Anna had also gone to the location of the portal that used to belong to the Flesh n, she was scouting out the level of the portal as well as bringing out some crystals.


    Now that left Raze to work on his next project, which was the special shield for Tilon from the Crimson Crane. As he had worked away, making a couple of failures with other materials, an announcement had been made.


    "The Crimson Crane, they have arrived!" Someone shouted from the other side of the door.

 Chapter 580 What will become of the Crimson Crane

    <h4>Chapter 580 What will be of the Crimson Crane</h4>


    It had been a couple of days since they had been in the new town. Things were progressing somewhat, and Raze was doing research on enchantments. Since he knew he was soon to meet the Crimson Crane, he decided to go ahead with one of their requests and that was to create a mighty shield for Tilon next.


    The best way to get its ranking up was to use Dark Magic, but that would mean the item would be cursed and the result of the item status unpredictable. Last time though, when creating enchantments he had condensed his magic further to create a better effect.


    Surely, there had to be a way where he could make his enchantments at the higher tier at a more consistent level, other than just using higher magic enchantments and higher tier spells.


    ''From what we know, three things are most important when enchanting: the power stone being used, the equipment being enchanted, and the level of the enchantment itself. If I can boost one of these aspects in some way, then I can increase the enchantment.


    ''There is one more thing though, somehow, Dark Magic seems to ovee these restrictions, but the results are random from what I know, yet Dark Magic hasn''t been tested to an extremelyrge extent... if I can do some more testing.''


    Since there wasn''t a lot of funds left until more pills could be sold, Raze had purchased the cheapest power stones, along with the cheapest shields possible.


    With these, he would test a number of different ways using his Dark Magic to create higher tier items. Hoping that he could find a pattern of creating higher tier items consistently.


    So far Raze had created three shields, all of them cursed with his Dark Magic, but he had no luck so far, and that''s when the announcement had been made.


    "The Crimson Crane are here, we have brought them to you, Sir Magus, as you have requested." A man shouted through the door.


    "Sir Magus?" Raze mumbled to himself. "That has a nice ring to it, better than those ''Supreme Magus'', and ''Dark Magus'' at times sounds too fearful."


    Opening the door, Raze could immediately see Alba and Froma standing on the other side. The two of them looked a little tired and worn out. Parts of their body were bandaged up and they looked to be rtively tired.


    Raze lifted his hand, and had two red pills.


    "Take these; it will make you feel better, ande in," Raze suggested.


    The two women didn''t hesitate to take the pills. The door was closed behind them and they could feel the effect of the pills working almost instantly.


    They had long run out of the special supply that Raze would give to them.


    "I assume that you managed to receive the message from Rayna then, about what has happened and why I wanted to talk to you?" Raze said as he went back to his station.


    He had several pieces of paper out on a table, and an ink pen. He was conducting experiments so he needed to keep note of the results of the trials, as well as what he had done before.


    What was more sessful so he could strive towards the right path. Alba and Froma had also noticed the shields in the corner of the room, and an ominous feelinging from them.


    "You arrived quicker than I expected," Raze said.


    The two of them pulled up chairs that were ced randomly in the room and sat down. It had been a while since they were able to just sit down.


    "That''s because we were already on our way to the Demonic Faction," Alba said. "From the look of things, you have no idea what''s been happening to us."


    Raze took a closer look at the two''s wounds.


    "You were attacked."


    "Yeah, because of you!" Froma waved an angry small fist. Her red cheeks were puffier than usual. "You could have sent a message that you were going to announce to the whole Demonic Faction that you were part of our n!"


    "Ah right," Raze realized what trouble they would have been through now. The two of them knew about the wedding because Alba was there when it was mentioned.


    However, the fact that Raze would announce he was part of the Crimson Crane, he didn''t quite think how it would affect them. The whole of the Light and Dark Faction would now consider the Crimson Crane proactively a part of the Demonic Faction.


    "We have been fighting almost non-stop for thest two days, thankfully we didn''t run into anyone too strong," Alba exined. "When we reached the Lethal Bite n, what do they call themselves now? Anyway, they helped us through the passage, and the Lost n were very weing to us as well."


    "We received the message from Rayna but that was when we were finally in the Demonic Faction anyway, so we decided to head straight here."


    While speaking, Raze could tell the annoyance in her words. He was starting to wonder if Alba regretted the decision of teaming up with him since their group had just received trouble after trouble and even a death of one of their members.


    "Anyway, I guess we do need to talk because what does this mean for our n?" Froma asked.


    "Right," Raze said. "It was the reason why I called you here because I wanted to discuss things with you. Is it okay that the rest of the group isn''t here?"


    "A message has been sent out to everyone, they aren''t as recognizable as me so they won''t have as much trouble," Alba answered. "I reckon the other members will trickle in slowly here eventually."


    This was good because Raze might need the whole of the Crimson Crane''s help if they were to defend against an attack from the Behemoth n, but this is what he wanted to discuss.


    "I know you have treated me well, which is why I have been busy making the weapons that you have requested, trying to create the best for your n," Raze stated. "Regardless of what you decide to do, I will make the weapons and equipment I promised you."


    "However, the situation is what it is right now. I imed I was a member of the Crimson Crane because that was true. Also, this might sound like an excuse but I felt like I had no choice."


    "Belil wanted to make it clear that I wasn''t part of the Neverfall n, I could tell he wanted me to say I was the Dark Magus as well. Either way, people would have treated you the same."


    "In turn, because this town has been given to me and Rayna, and I am part of the n in my mind it belongs to you as well, but if you want no part in it, then I will dere I''m no longer part of the Crimson Crane, and the two of us will sort this out ourselves."


    Froma looked at Alba, knowing she had a tough decision to make. Their leader had to be thinking about it for a while. It was unusual for them to be pulled into so many things by one person.


    "You know, our group has been wanderers for a while, with no ce to make our own, trying to make a name for ourselves. Eventually, I had nned to cement our position, it would have been impossible to have a ce without joining one of the Factions, I just hadn''t made our mind up yet which Faction to join," Alba smiled.


    "Since things have turned out this way anyway, we might as well start here, and get a head start. The Crimson Crane will be part of the Demonic Faction."

 Chapter 581 A Way To Get Everyone Back

    Chapter 581 A Way To Get Everyone Back


    ??Forma would usually be surprised by such a decision being made by the leader. All members of the Crimson Crane followed her for different reasons, but just as mentioned before, all of them felt like they were family members, and in a way, Alba was the leader of the pack.


    What she decided, they would follow, and they would help her toward whatever goal it was that she had in her mind.


    "I''m happy that you said that," Raze said with a soft smile. "It makes things less difficult for me in the situation we are in. I''ll get Fixteen to inform the Mayor that the town of Flendon will now be looked after by the Crimson Crane."


    The infamous name of the Crimson Crane, he hoped would bring a sense of trust in the town and theirmitment to such a ce. It might even draw warriors toward them.


    "Well, the others shouldn''t be too saddened by this, we have traveled a lot for a long time, so I guess we can finally settle," Forma said. "But we won''t be a typical n right?"


    "Right," Alba nodded. "Unlike other ns with a history and an aim to improve their standing and martial arts, we are a n made up of wanderers that have kind of forced our position."


    "It just means that it is unlikely we will get people wishing toe to us to learn our martial arts since what we can learn is all out there."


    "It''s not some type of n secret."


    "That isn''t inherently a bad thing," Raze added. "If people want to join the n it will be for different reasons and besides, I would want to differentiate between those in the n and the members of the town itself."


    "I think your idea of keeping the n members small and like a family, it should stay that way. The Crimson Crane can be an elite n different from the others, while others will just be guards of Flendon."


    Judging from therge smile on Alba''s face, she liked the proposal of this. The n wouldn''t be changing much, other than the fact that they had a ce to call home.


    But calling a ce home would mean they were no longer wee in the Light and Dark Factions.


    "Since this city belongs to you, its earnings will be split with the Crimson Crane as well. I would like to reward the Mayor as well," Raze suggested.


    There was no need for him to bring Fixteen, because Fixteen was running his own group of Sellers with those he trusted and they were getting a big cut of the Qi pills that they were selling.


    "Money from this city?" Forma asked. "When we walked through¡­ the city looked half destroyed, what kind of money could you even get from this ce? The most you could do is train people and force them to be some type of mercenary."


    "I n to change all of that, you don''t have to worry, I have my ways," Raze said, lifting his hand.


    Seeing the things Raze could do, Alba trusted him on that part, and it wasn''t as if the Crimson Crane had to worry about finances.


    They could easily just travel to the areas close by.


    "I heard the town also has a Dimension, so we could always use that to earn some ie by getting the crystals," Alba stated.


    Hearing that, Raze thought of something else that he just might be able to do to increase the ie of the town more.


    But for now, he would leave things as they were because his n could cause more issues than fix them and they still had the Behemoth Guild to look after.


    "While you are here, it would be good if you could find anyone that is willing to fight to protect such a ce. Test them, and if you think they can do well, then hand them one of those shields," Raze suggested.


    Forma didn''t like the fact that Raze was ordering Alba around. It felt so strange to her, but she was inclined to listen.


    Because she didn''t have a better n, and thend,the area, it belonged to Raze and Rayna. It being part of the Crimson Crane as well, it felt like it was more so in name only.


    "Before that I wanted to speak to you about something," Alba said. "We still haven''t gotten in contact with Cronker, who was looking after your friends back in the Dark Faction."


    "Honestly, I thought you wouldn''t have stayed here long, but now you have this town to look after, what are you nning to do, how are you nning to go to the Dark Faction now?"


    It had been a while since he had thought about the others. He would be lying if he said he wasn''t worried about them.


    He trusted them with Amir who was a member of the Bonum Society.


    "Getting to the Dark Faction is not the issue, but dealing with those that we need to is. There''s not an easy way to get them out in the Dark Faction where there are enemies all around us."


    In response to this Alba let out a small hum, as if she wanted to say something. She didn''t for a while, collecting her thoughts, and then finally spoke.


    "There might be a way you can save them. A way for you to help them without even setting foot in the Dark Faction and bringing them back here to you," she said.


    Raze lifted his eyebrow for a moment. He was about to get back to his work with the shields but this was intriguing him.


    There was such a way, all of the ways he could think of required magic. Perhaps he wasn''t thinking outside of the box enough.


    "Look, we are now officially part of the Demonic Faction right?" Alba stated. "Which means, we can also take part in the Martial Arts Tournament."


    The Martial Arts Tournament was something that was mentioned multiple times at the Pagna Academy, and was what allowed him to build up hatred towards the Dark Faction in the first ce.


    "But I''m not a member of the Demonic Academy," Raze replied.


    "You are young enough to be a member of the academy, but there''s no need for you to join, you just need to convince the Demonic Faction to send you as a participant.


    "The event always takes ce at the ce wherest year''s winner was, and this time it was in the Light Faction.


    "They won''t be able to send arge force into the Light Faction because it''s not their territory, so it''s a perfect time for you to free those that you have been looking for."


    "You might not getpletely what you want, but at least you can know your allies are safe."


    The Martial Arts Tournament, with Raze being a Middle-stage warrior, should be easy for him to win, but if he was going as part of the Demonic Faction,


    It would also mean he would be up against his allies in the Dark Faction. Would it be something he could pull off? While all the factions were carefully watching them.

 Chapter 582 Better Enchanting

    Chapter 582 Better Enchanting


    ??The Martial Arts Tournament was something Raze had thought about, but there were many things he would need to do to enter it in the first ce.


    For one, the use of strong magic would change his hair color back to the bright white it once was, making his identity clear to the others.


    Sure, they could change some of his facial features with masks and prosthetics for the day, but he still believed his white hair would be a clear giveaway.


    However, thinking about it, if he was just going up against other students in the tournament, then it wouldn''t be something he would have to worry about so much.


    With his skills alone, he should have been able to best the others. It was how to get the others out of thereter, which would have to be nned on a day-to-day basis to see what the situation was like.


    Then there was the fact of bing one of the selected students in the first ce. Students had already been selected from the Demonic Faction Academy to participate.


    He would need to convince the Demonic Faction that he could take their ce, and right now, one of the deciding ns that would be involved in all of that, wasn''t exactly friendly with them either.


    Thinking about this, Raze had continued to make shield after shield and had just finished the fifteenth one, cing it on the side with all the others.


    [Umon Cursed Shield]


    [A small percentage of damage blocked by the shield will power the one holding the shield.]


    [Curse: If the shield is destroyed, a small percentage of power will be taken away from the user.]


    ''Using a level 1 power stone, with enchantment on this low-level equipment, most of what I made were Umon Cursed Shields. These aren''t horrendous because the cursed effect isn''t really strong.''


    Looking through the bunch of shields he had created of different shapes and sizes, there were also the Rare shields as well.


    [Rare Cursed Shield]


    [A small percentage of damage blocked by the shield will power the one holding the shield and heal them.]


    [Curse: If the shield is destroyed, a small percentage of the power will be taken away from the user.]


    What was interesting to Raze was that the curse was still the same even though the shield ranking had increased along with its effect.


    Still, he had no sealed items despite creating fifteen, and still through his methods of testing, he had yet toe up with a way to push the Dark Magic to create even higher-tier items.


    ''All the tests so far I have done have beencking. I could still create the shield for Tilon with what he has given me, but it might only reach the Unique level, and at the moment, I would like it if the people that are by my side at least had Mythical level items and higher.''


    It was something Raze had been thinking about for a while, but he had continued on his research.


    Just as Alba had said, the Crimson Crane members had trickled into the town one after the other. A few of them looked roughed up, while others werepletely fine.


    As they entered, Alba would inform them of what had urred and what was going on right now. The members epted the fact, the ones attacked even more so, realizing it might be the only option for them.


    When Reno had arrived in the city, he had dropped by, looking at Raze''s work, and looking at the notes he had made.


    It was a weird mix of things, some of it was written in Pagna; others were scribbles and symbols he didn''t understand.


    "I wanted to ask, is it possible to ask Fixteen to add a list of herbs to his order when he next goes and buys some supplies?" Reno said.


    Out of all the Crimson Crane members, Reno felt like it was easiest to talk to Raze, and this went both ways for them.


    "That should be fine. I''ll let Fixteen know so you don''t have to go through me," Raze replied. "Do you mind doing me a favor as well?"


    "Those shields over there, hand them over to Alba. She knows what she needs to do, but just in case, she is to hand them to the people willing to fight and be guards of the city."


    "It will do them well in a tough situation and is better than what they are currently using."


    Reno went over to the shields. There were far too many for him to pick up.


    "Tilon is not going to be happy that others are getting items before him. He''s jealous every time he sees my tool as well. Which I thank you for as well, of course."


    Raze let out a big sigh at that moment.


    "It''s not that I don''t want to, it''s taking time because I want to create a good weapon for him. Unlike with Kizer''s sword, or your Pestle, he only has one quality shield, and they are hard toe by.


    "I can''t just trial and error it twenty times and hope for the best, we only have one shot."


    Now, Reno knew what the strange notes were and why there were so many shields.


    "I wish I could help you, like you, I am a researcher myself, but this isn''t really in my field. Speaking of though, isn''t there anyone that can help you?"


    "I know that you are different from others, but there were those that attacked us in that dimension as well. Doesn''t that mean there are those that will know about this stuff?"


    "Of course, not saying that you''re not an expert yourself, but at times it is good to have a team look over things. I''m sure you know it can speed up the process when you notice discrepancies or things that already don''t work."


    There was no one Raze could speak to, hardly anyone in Alterian looked over Dark Magic, and for the few mages that came to Pagna, that would be unlikely as well, but Reno''s speaking did give Raze an idea.


    ''Wait a moment, although I gathered the books about Dark Magic from the central academy, that''s not the only ce that keeps information about Dark Magic.''


    ''On top of that, it has been a long time. Who knows what research has been funded in Alterian to go with weapon crafting.''


    ''It has been a long time since, and the meeting date is tomorrow as well. It might be best to visit Alterian and find out what''s going on.''


    "I have another favor to ask of you," Raze said. "Tomorrow, make sure no matter what, no one disturbs me andes into this room."


    "Not a single person, if they do, they will regret it, and I won''t make any items for them whatsoever. Tomorrow will be a very important day, and I don''t know how long I will be, so until Ie out, no one should be allowed toe in."


    Using the astral projection technique, it was time for Raze to head to Alterian as the Dark Spirit.

 Chapter 583 Who’s in Charge Of The Crimson Crane?

    <h4>Chapter 583 Who''s in Charge Of The Crimson Crane? </h4>


    The next day arrived, and the message from Reno was sent out to everyone quite clearly about what was going on.


    A lot of people had questions, but most thought it was because Raze was working on an item of sorts and didn''t want his concentration to be broken in any way, shape, or form.


    His threat was dead serious. After the members of the Crimson Crane were informed about what was going on, they all decided to meet up in one of the inns.


    In front of them, they had sses that were just filled with water and nothing else.


    "This ce sucks!" Kizer said, lifting the ss and mming it back on the table. "Can''t even get alcohol in this town."


    "We did so much to build up our reputation and now we''re practically at the bottom of the food chain."


    "Hey, don''tin," Tilon said with his arms folded. "At least you have got something out of the Dark Magus¡­I''m still waiting, and I can feel it, it''s close, soon I''m about to get a mighty shield that will put everything to shame!"


    The smirk was gettingrger andrger on Tilon''s face, thinking about it. These days, he had been quite bipr, because at times his patience had worn thin, to the point he would regrly get into fights with the other members and it would be quite physical as well.


    "I can''t believe it though, Elvlin¡­ she''s gone, and Raze was the one behind it," Lily said. "How¡­ are we just ignoring this fact and even in the city because of him, at this rate, it doesn''t even feel like you''re the leader anymore, why are you following him so much!"


    "Hey!" Reno called out. "We know who our leader is, and remember the Dark Magus is now a part of our group like family. If this happened to any one of us, we would all do the same."


    "But I wouldn''t have killed a member of our family," Lily replied back.


    Everyone felt like they were treading on eggshells, apart from Lily, who was speaking her mind at this point. They looked at Alba, wondering if she would have a fierce reaction, but instead, she was far calmer than they expected.


    "I exined to you all what happened with Elvlin, I even managed to confirm it with the Wanderers in the area as well. It seems she let greed affect her first."


    "And I think you''re missing a big part in all of this, Lily. I allow you to speak freely and say as you wish when you''re in front of me, but be careful when you''re in front of Raze."


    Lily scoffed and turned her head to the side. Why would she be careful of a member that had just joined?


    "You haven''t met him recently, have you?" Reno asked. "For those who have, they would understand Alba''s words. Currently, he''s already a middle stage warrior."


    Several of those at the table, their eyes widened, learning of the fact. Someone was able to be a middle-stage warrior so quickly, from thest time they had met Raze.


    Not only that, but they knew he had great power already,bining his strange powers with his Pagna skills, so just how strong was he now?


    "There maye a point in time, where it''s better for us to be on his good side than on his bad side, and I think it''s toote to back down from our rtionship now¡­ it will only do us worse."


    After finishing their conversation, they thought it was best that they got up. The Crimson Crane were heading to the dried-outke, where they were training the new guards of the town.


    There were around a hundred people that were willing to fight. The young men of the town that had been looking after their families by taking physical jobs in other cities.


    These were the ones that had been handed the shields that Raze had managed to create, of course, there wasn''t enough to go around to everyone just yet.


    As for why the Crimson Crane members were there, it was to train them. They were training them how to fight, as well as how to use Qi.


    Not everyone could be talented in learning Qi, and not everyone could be a Pagna warrior. However, many of those in the town didn''t even have a chance to learn.


    Maybe because the n only selected the talented students or the ones with the most money. Either way, now the n was teaching them for free.


    They wouldn''t be members of the n, but would be protectors of the town.


    On the way there, they also walked past the new building that was being used by Raze, and just outside, they could see a woman covered up in long tattered clothing walking towards the door.


    "Wait!" Alba shouted. "You''re not allowed to go in there."


    "Did you forget to tell everyone?" Froma asked.


    "I told the Mayor as well as Rayna, and they said they informed everyone in the town. No one would dare enter," Reno thought.


    The woman looked at them, staring them nkly in the face for a moment, and then proceeded to walk toward the door again.


    "I said stop!" Alba shouted again. She could only imagine how angry Raze would be after his stern warning. All of the Crimson Crane could only imagine.


    Whening close to put her hands on the woman though, Alba was grabbed by the wrist and soon she could see the sky.


    She was heading toward the floor but managed to ce her legs on the floor, saving herself from being humiliated and thrown into the ground.


    "Who are you? Why do you want to go in to see Raze so badly?" Alba asked, and was more curious about this person''s strength.


    "Who am I?" Anna replied. "You don''t need to know that, just know you are in the way, so move."


    The rest of the Crimson Crane members were quick to surround Anna, ready for a fight, but they were all worried because it was right outside where Raze was working away.

 Chapter 584 Behind Sealed Doors

    <h4>Chapter 584 Behind Sealed Doors</h4>


    "Wait!" Alba eximed, her voice cutting through the tense air.


    The members of the Crimson Crane, a nomadic group known for their resilience and cunning, were poised to defend their leader, Alba. Their loyalty was unwavering, especially after the recent assault that had almost taken her down. Yet, at hermand, they halted, their weapons still drawn but their movements frozen.


    "Don''t you remember, the two of us met before?" Alba asked the woman standing opposite her.


    As the adversaries stood closer together, Alba''s memory sharpened. She recalled the woman''s distinct temperament from a previous encounter. It was during a visit to the Lethal Bite n with Rayna in an effort to locate Raze. This woman had been at Raze''s side then, and here she was again, seemingly aligned with him.


    "Of course, I remember who you are and know who all of you are," Anna replied with a cold, dismissive tone. "You are members of the Crimson Crane, a wandering group that is infamous merely because you are wanderers. If you weren''t wanderers and part of a regr n, then you wouldn''t even be a name worth remembering."


    "What did you say!" Lily eximed, her eyes narrowing and her grip tightening on her spear. She was visibly agitated, her body tense and ready to strike at any moment.


    Alba''s query to the woman wasn''t just about recognition; it was driven by curiosity and concern about why she had been in Raze''spany all this time. The underlying dynamics of their rtionship were unclear, and the recent confrontation had only deepened the mystery, especially since Alba hadn''t felt any Qi during the attack.


    "You know that Raze is a member of the Crimson Crane, that he is part of our group," Alba continued, her tone even but firm. "And you are with him all the time. It''s curious to know why you are with him?"


    Anna''s connection to Raze was deeper than Alba had known. Unbeknownst to Anna, Raze was also known as the Dark Magus within the Crimson Crane, a fact that had eluded her despite their association.


    Anna struggled with the revtions about Raze. He was a man who seemed to lead multiple lives, existing in different areas and factions, which now included being a part of Alter, a mysterious and powerful organization.


    "Raze is a colleague of mine. He told me to gather crystals from the portal, which I have done, so I''m here to give them to him," Anna finally answered, providing a piece of the puzzle yet leaving much unsaid.


    Anna sensed the imminent threat from Lily and the rest of the group. Although she was capable of defending herself against a few middle-stage warriors, facing the entire group was a different challenge, and she chose to restrain her aggressive posture.


    "Now it makes sense, she was in the other dimension!" Reno eximed, snapping his fingers as a realization hit him. "That''s why she didn''t get the message."


    The air was thick with tension and unsaid words. Alba and Anna locked eyes, each searching for truth in the depths of the other''s gaze.


    "You know that''s not what I meant. What''s the rtionship between you and Raze?" Alba pressed further. "If we''re working together, don''t you think it should be something we both know?"


    Anna hesitated, caught off-guard by the direct question. Discussing her ties to Raze and Alter was not something she was permitted to do, and theck of a coordinated story between her and Raze made her even more cautious.


    The sudden arrival of Fixteen disrupted the standoff. Apanied by Rayna, his presence added a newyer to the dynamic. Fixteen looked from one face to another, sensing the charged atmosphere.


    "What are you all doing out here?" he inquired, his tone a mix of curiosity and admonition. "You all should know that Raze told everyone not to disturb him, and I guess that includes havingrge conversations just outside his door."


    Rayna chimed in, her voice firm yet conciliatory. "All of you should do what you can to help the city. For now, I have decided that I will stay on standby in front of the building, to make sure no one enters or causes a disturbance."


    With Rayna''s words, the group felt a silent order. Being Raze''s wife, her directives carried weight, almost as if she spoke with the authority of a queen.


    The group reluctantly began to disperse, their curiosity unsated and their concerns about Anna and Raze''s rtionship lingering in the air. They nced back at the door, each one pondering the secrets it concealed behind its silent fa?ade.


    -----


    Inside, Raze had made a number of preparations. For one, he had been making better Mana restoring pills out of higher-tier crystals.


    The Dark Spirit form used up a lot of Mana, and he needed it if he was to go exploring around in Alterian as well.


    Last time, it was a close call with everything that happened, and Raze didn''t want to go through the pain again.


    Still, he had also prepared one Cursed Mana restoring pill, just in case, and didn''t even want to ce a second one in the formation.


    Therge headache that he had experienced was causing his hand to shake even while putting the thing down, and in the end, he decided against it.


    ''It''s okay, if my spirit form dissipates it should be fine. I''ll let Alterian deal with the mystery instead of having that effect on me again,'' Raze thought.


    ''Besides, I don''t n on entering such dangerous ces where I will get into a fight again.''


    There were a lot of crystals, Qi pills, and magic circles drawn all over the ce, and Raze was pleased that he had knocked down the walls to create such a space.


    ''I''ve done this in the cave multiple times before, but now that I''m here I need to start creating safe ces in my own territory.'' Raze took a deep breath as he sat cross-legged on the floor.


    ''Let''s start the meeting of the Dark Guild.''


    The light lit up from underneath, and Raze was returning to Alterian.

 Chapter 585 The Dark Guilds Outing!

    Chapter 585 The Dark Guild''s Outing!


    ??Inside, Raze had made several preparations. He had been crafting better Mana-restoring pills using higher-tier crystals because the Dark Spirit form consumed a lot of Mana, which he needed for exploring around in Alterian.


    Last time, it was a close call with everything that happened, and Raze didn''t want to repeat that painful experience.


    He also prepared one Cursed Mana-restoring pill, just in case, but decided against cing a second one in the formation due to the severe headache it caused himst time.


    ''It''s okay if my spirit form dissipates; I''ll let Alterian deal with the mystery instead of experiencing that effect again,'' Raze thought. ''Besides, I don''t n on entering such dangerous ces where I will get into a fight again.''


    There were lots of crystals, Qi pills, and magic circles drawn all over the ce. Raze was pleased that he had knocked down the walls to create such a space.


    ''I''ve done this in the cave multiple times before, but now that I''m here, I need to start creating safe ces in my own territory,'' Raze thought as he took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the floor.


    ''Let''s start the meeting of the Dark Guild.''


    The light lit up from underneath, signaling Raze''s return to Alterian.


    ---


    The set time and ce for the Dark Guild meeting had arrived. Underground, in the familiar ruined building surrounded by them, Raze was ready to enter. He had missed one of the meetings due to everything he had been through. From what he had gathered, the Dark Guild was working on their own things before he arrived as well, so he wasn''t too worried. Honestly, if he didn''t meet with them, he could always go exploring himself.


    Making the connection to the Dark energy, he soon found himself appearing in front of them, in the center of the building.


    He looked around and could see two familiar figures wearing robes that heavily covered their faces. However, Raze already knew what one of the figures looked like¡ªKelly. He could tell the difference between the two since she was slightly smaller than the other member and had a slimmer figure.


    When Raze''s eyes, in his Dark Spirit form, set on her, he felt a tinge in his heart, a slight twitch.


    ''It seems she decided to still turn up in this world after all. I can''t force people but only inform them of what they are getting themselves into,'' Raze thought.


    When looking at Kelly, he could see something on top of her shoulder moving about, and of all things, it was a rtively fat cat.


    "A cat?" Raze spoke.


    "Wee, Dark Spirit!" Harvey said in a cheerful voice, and bowed, moving his arm across his chest. "It is good to see you after all this time, and I must say you are looking better than you usually would."


    Thement caught Raze off guard, but when he looked down at his own hands, he realized that it really was the case.


    The amount of energy that was contained in his body, the mana, was simr to what he had in Pagna. At the same time, the mana leaking out of his body was significantly lesspared to before.


    ''If I wanted to, maybe even without pills, I could stay in this world for a whole week if I had to,'' Raze thought. ''This is because I finally reached the middle stage. I was right, the higher the stage of the body, the better this technique is when going to the other world.''


    ''If I managed to reach the Divine level, would I practically be myself, would it be like teleporting to Alterian? If that was the case, I wouldn''t even have to worry about heading back to Alterian with my real body; I would be able to get rid of them without it.''


    "Yes¡­ my power has been growing. I feel that soon, I might be able to help you all directly. It''s good to see that both of you are doing well and haven''t been caught either," Raze said.


    When he turned around to look at Kelly, his eyes kept lingering on the cat. He hadn''t noticed it at first, but now he did. The cat that was on her shoulder, it contained traces of magic!


    Raze lifted his hand and let out a small trace of ck magic. Everyone remained still as they could see a floating piece of dark mist floating through the air, and naturally, it had then split into two.


    Part of it went to Kelly, while the other half had gone to the cat.


    "How can that cat know Dark Magic?" Raze asked. It wasn''t really a question to the others, but something he was asking himself.


    "Oh, this!" Kelly said, startled, and stretched out her hand. The fat cat then jumped off and went onto the floor.


    While on the floor, it sat and looked up at Raze before lowering its head onto the floor. It lifted its head up again and did this a further two times.


    Raze couldn''t believe it, but the cat was bowing to him. He had seen some crazy things in other dimensions, in Pagna and Alterian, but not like this.


    ''Wait, there are lots of videos online of people training their animals to do crazy things. It might be just like that article where someone trained their dog to do Nazi salutes,'' Raze thought.


    "Since she can''t speak for herself, I will add some context," Kelly cleared her throat, feeling her face getting a little hot, embarrassed by the situation.


    "This here is the newest member of the Dark Guild. Her name is Sophie¡­ the reason why she is in this state is because of a special book. She used it and managed to put herself in this state."


    "On top of that, she was also a user of Dark magic before."


    Raze was quite perplexed by the whole thing, but if there was a special book that could make him go into another body in another world, one that would put a person into that of a cat, seemed even less far-fetched.


    So, he decided to ept this fact quickly.


    "So, is she still able to use magic?" Raze asked.


    As if the order was given to the cat, with a paw, Sophie made a circle in the ground. As she did, the Dark magic lingered on the floor, destroying the dirt particles like a type of acid, disappearing from sight.


    "Oh, and quite a strong Dark Mage as well," Raze noted.


    Thinking about this and looking at the cat, he had a number of questions. For one, he wanted to know where she had perhaps found the book, butmunicating with an animal would be difficult.


    What he was also interested in, however, was learning what did they know about Dark Magic. All of these people in the room, and animals had learned Dark Magic, a forbidden magic one way or another.


    They had to have gotten their hands on information from somewhere; it was unlikely that they were just natural talent and knew how to use such a thing.


    "I have a question for all of you," Raze said. "In terms of Star level, what are you at, and how well-versed is your Dark magic?"


    Kelly was first to answer.


    "I''m a three-star mage, but my Dark magic skills aren''t sufficient at all. I would say the level of spells I could use are only at the first level."


    The cat had drawn four lines on the floor, indicating her star level, after that, she then drew another three lines beneath.


    This was quite good, which just made Raze more interested in the cat. When turning around, there was one more person to ask.


    "I''m a five-star mage," Harvey answered. "And my Dark Magic is also at the fifth star level as well."


    This was not an answer Raze was expecting. Although he was known as the Dark Magus, and he was a nine-star mage at the end of his life, he had only been able to get Dark Magic spells around that of the sixth star.


    This person was only a little less proficient in Dark Magic than him.


    "How did you learn Dark Magic?" Raze asked. "I think it would be best if we act like other guilds if we canbine our information about Dark Magic and share it together.


    "It will allow current and new members to increase their Darkness power."


    Harvey was nodding his head; it was an excellent idea, and his more selfish nature had never thought of things like that.


    "Then I believe I can help, due to my upation I am always aware of those that might have learned Dark Magic. That is how we found the cat Sophie and how we will continue to search for new members.


    "As for resources, as well due to my title, I should be able to get you plenty."


    This was more than Raze was expecting. He was thinking that he would have to go searching blindly, picking leads up on his own.


    Yet, the Dark Guild was proving more useful, even though it still wasn''trge in size.


    "Very well, then let''s head to where we need to be," Raze suggested.


    This suggestion had caused Harvey''s heart to beat frantically; his eyes were widening.


    "You mean, this isn''t just a task, you wish toe with me!" Harvey asked.


    "I wish to see what is needed and what is not needed. I am also in a bit of a rush, so I would rathere myself."


    Harvey bowed down to the Dark Spirit; he was over the moon about this.


    "The Dark Guild''s first outing is here!" Harvey grinned.

 Chapter 586 The Dark Magus is just an Alchemist

    Chapter 586 The Dark Magus is just an Alchemist


    ??In the town of Flendon, therge dried-outke was sunken in morepared to the rest of the town because it was once filled with arge mass of water.


    Due to it being empty for so long, wind had blown dirt and what looked like arge crater eventually started to fill up.


    Now, there was a gradual decline from the edge of the town like a hill, that eventually around a mile out curved back up again.


    In the center of theke, the area was mostly t, and it had be the perfect area for a group of two hundred people to start their training.


    The Crimson Crane were out, teaching different groups with their weapons of choice.


    "This is better than I thought," Alba said, observing the training that was taking ce with her arms folded.


    Each member of the Crimson Crane had taken a group of different people under their wing because each member specialized in a certain type of weapon.


    Each group was just learning one weapon and specializing in it. This was more simr to that of an Army rather than a Warrior n.


    If it was to protect the city though, it would work out quite well.


    "We had a lot of shields and I was worried since they were items created by the Dark Magus that we would have a problem with people fighting over them, but doing things this way has worked out better," Alba smiled.


    The training between the troops continued, but after their individual training, they started to form more group training and wanting to practice some sparring.


    Those training with a de or sword were to fight against those that had a shield and sword. When the sparring urred, something obvious was starting to ur.


    Those that were using the shields were doing far better than those with swords. Their strikes were stronger against the others'' shields.


    The hits were blocked yet the energy in the shield group just seemed to be slightly more, or quite a bit above the attackers.


    "What is going on?" Alba asked, scratching her head.


    "Maybe I''m just a good teacher!" Tilon proudly puffed his chest out.


    "What, so I''m a bad teacher?" Kizer replied since he was in charge of training the sword users.


    The two of them were intensely shouting out their pupils to try harder and do better, but no matter what the shield barriers were beating out the swordsmen.


    "I think it''s something more than that," Reno said, observing by the side. "I think it''s because of the shields, the ones made by the Dark Magus. It''s quite clear anything made by him wouldn''t be ordinary shields."


    What Reno said made a lot of sense, but the shields, they were of low quality at leastpared to what the Crimson Crane was used to.


    They could tell it was one of the cheapest shields that could be made. In order to test this theory, the two groups swapped for a moment.


    Kizer taught the new sword users, while Tilon taught the shield barers, then the two groups shed again.


    They continued to fight with what they had, and despite the people changing, the shield barers won again.


    "Well that rules out that it''s talent," Kizer said.


    "Maybe shields are just better than swords," Tilon replied.


    "Maybe, my sword should try and eat your face if you keep talking nonsense like that," Kizer drew his sword and the two of them looked like they were about to sh again.


    "He sure is amazing huh," Alba said. "To think his items can have this much influence. If the kingdoms and empires ever found out about him, they would do what they could to get their hands on him."


    "And he can do a lot more than that," a voice said from behind.


    They could hear creaking noises and something being dragged from behind. Upon turning they saw Fixteen with arge crate behind him.


    He ced it in front of the others who hade over, and instantly they could see what was inside.


    "These are Qi pills and you might notice they all have the marking of DM on them," Fixteen exined. "I didn''t sell all our products. I thought we would need them as well. Especially since we don''t know what''s going to happen anytime."


    Alba had almost forgotten about the pills. Not only did Raze have great skill in creating special items but also Qi pills as well.


    His value was only going up, and the Crimson Crane had him on their side. The thing was, just how much more could they hold on to him, or when would they no longer be of any worth to him, what would happen then?


    It was a break for the training soldiers, food was brought out to them, as well as an exnation of the pills as they were handed out to each of them to keep by their side.


    While sitting down eating, some of them started to be a little curious about things.


    "These pills, are they made by the Dark Magus?" One soldier was holding up the pill to the sunlight and could see the marking of DM.


    "Oh, that''s what the DM stands for, wait a second, weren''t they on the shields as well? Does that mean he was the one that made the shields?"


    While walking around, Alba picked up the shield and could see the marking of DM on it.


    "Oh see, he''s started to mark the equipment he''s making as well now."


    This had caused quite the stir talk about the Dark Magus. They all knew about him since he was the one paying for everything and had even fed them when he first arrived before the rest of the Crimson Crane.


    "Man, I guess the Dark Magus is a really amazing person then, right?"


    "An amazing Alchemist, he can''t really fight, that''s why these guys are training us."


    "He can''t really fight, what are you talking about? I heard that he was the new demon that was on the rise. He''s not just an alchemist but a good fighter as well. Don''t just say things like they''re fact."


    "That goes both ways, no report confirmed he was this demon, he''s just an Alchemist, I could kick an Alchemist''s ass¡­ that''s nothing special."


    "Are you mad, Alchemists are still Pagna warriors, so he would be able to tten you in a heartbeat."


    One of the soldiers casually put his hands behind his head.


    "Nah, I would still kick his arse."


    "Oh really," a voice said from far off. The group could see a womaning closer towards them from the direction of the town.


    "You know, if the Dark Magus heard you saying these things, he would drain every inch of your life away. Turning you into nothing but skin. So if you want to fight him, then go ahead," Anna said.


    She wasn''t lying when she said these words, and for some reason, it felt like the soldiers could tell as well, as they soon stopped talking about the Dark Magus.


    "What are you doing here?" Alba asked.


    "I''m just observing, seeing if I can learn a few things, that''s all, don''t mind me, and continue on."


    The two of them had gotten off on the wrong foot multiple times, and even now they were staring into each other''s eyes.


    It was quickly interrupted by a panicked man holding onto a type ofrge horn, shouting through it down below.


    "Everyone, everyone¡­ it''s the Behemoth n, they''re attacking!" The man shouted.

 Chapter 587 The Behemoth Clans Pillars

    Chapter 587 The Behemoth n''s Pirs


    ??Everyone in the town knew that an attack wasing at one point or another. Thanks to Bubble''s news industry, he had spread reports about what had happened on the day of the wedding.


    How Sha Mo had called out the Dark Magus, making it clear to everyone that he was his enemy and he would get rid of him.


    The quotes from Belil were also said, and although Bubble did his best to interpret them in the news report, everyone was more so guessing about his n.


    Was Belil really going to abandon a new member of his joint family along with his daughter?


    The Dark Magus was a famous Alchemist that could be useful to any of the big ns. Why would the Neverfall n allow such a person to slip through their fingers?


    Because of these types of thoughts, the citizens of the ce were hoping that it wouldn''t be true, that a fight wouldn''t happen on their grounds.


    "Everyone quickly, move to the town hall if you don''t want to get caught up in this mess!" Yarlston shouted. "If there isn''t enough space inside, make sure you stay indoors and keep an eye on what''s going on!"


    "Wait, we should be okay, right? We''re not Pagna warriors, we''re citizens, we''re protected by the code! They won''t attack us!" One of the citizens said in the middle of his running, as if he had made a realization.


    But his friend quickly pulled him.


    "Are you an idiot? Sure, that code exists, but you need to use yourmon sense. Who are we to the kingdom we are in right now? We are nothing to them."


    "They would much rather have a n like the Behemoth n in their good books. In the middle of fighting between two ns, if some people die, they won''t care about us or dere war on the Pagna warriors. So, let''s move so they can''t do such a thing!"


    A lot of the citizens were hoping that it wouldn''te to this for a few reasons. One, they liked the Crimson Crane since they had arrived.


    Although it had only been a short while, almost a week, they had never had the freedom to not worry about food. To work on their town, and even speak to others without worrying about what to eat the next day.


    Their minds were finally cleared just for an instant of a big worry? No n before had done such a thing, and if the Behemoth n defeated the Dark Magus there was no telling what would happen once they took over, maybe they would even be abandoned because thend meant nothing apart from one portal location near to it that they were clinging onto.


    After hearing word of what was happening, The Crimson n was quick on the move. They had ordered the group of two hundred people that they had been training until now.


    Asking them to follow, they were moving along through the town, heading to the direction where Fixteen was going along with one of the lookouts.


    "Are theying from just the one direction?" Fixteen asked.


    "Yes, sir, they areing from the north. I checked all the other areas and with the other lookouts, but they didn''t see anything." The young man was nervous, his legs shaking as they got closer to the edge of the city.


    Fixteen noticed this and ced his hand on his shoulder.


    "If they''reing from one direction, then we know where to go. You don''t need to lead us, head back."


    The young man bowed down, thanking Fixteen with tears running down his face, and quickly rushed off, running away.


    "The reason why they''re justing from one direction is clear, because they aren''t seeing this as a war or a battle, this is light work for them," Fixteen said, annoyed.


    The group wasn''t running to the edge; the Pagna warriors could have gotten there with ease, they were walking so the regr soldiers could keep up with them and so they didn''t waste energy.


    At the front, Alba and Fixteen were side by side.


    "How will they be? Is there any point even bringing them?" Fixteen whispered.


    Alba quickened her pace, walking further ahead just so none of the others could hear the two of them.


    "They haven''t had much training, about half of them can use Qi and are stage 1 warriors. Their equipment helps them out a bit here and there and with the pills, they can do something¡­ but if you''re expecting them to be the reason we win this war then you''re going to be greatly mistaken."


    "The Behemoth n isrge in size, but they are one of the top ns. Because they are thergest in size, people think that they allow just anyone to join."


    "But it''s more so that being the biggest n and having the reputation of one of the strongest, many of the strongest are the ones attracted to them."


    That begged the question just how many members would they be going up against. Running through the streets that were now empty, they hade out of the end.


    Where empty desert rednd could be seen, the Crimson Crane members jumped from where they were onto the top of a nearby two-story house and looked out in the distance.


    They could see the dust moving off far, and over the horizon an enormous amount of people.


    "Is that¡­ is that how many people they brought!" Lily shouted.


    "From the looks of things, there have to be about one thousand people," Reno replied.


    "One thousand, isn''t that too much for us to go up against, with our army of two hundred and us?" Tilon nervously said.


    "Hey, numbers don''t always win fights!" Alba shouted back at them, she was worried that the army below could hear them squabbling.


    Right now, the only people they could rely on were the Crimson Crane, so they couldn''t show that they felt this way.


    "We need to look at what is in front of us, can you see, there is no sign of Sha Mo, he hasn''t even bothered to be involved in this attack," Alba imed.


    "Right," Fixteen nodded. "If he did get involved then it would be embarrassing for him. The Dark Magus has spread his name mostly as an alchemist."


    "Everyone should be aware of the situation in Flendon Town. If he had to get himself involved, it would ruin his reputation."


    There was more Fixteen wanted to say when he looked Alba in the eyes, but he didn''t dare say it.


    Although Sha Mo hadn''t arrived, among those in the army that wasing towards them, there were two Elites from the ning his way.


    They were in line to take over the n if anything ever happened to Sha Mo, that was how strong they were considered.


    Strong middle-stage warriors, Yanin, and Polter. Two pirs that went beyond the Behemoth n''srge number wereing to attack them, which showed how much business Sha Mo meant.


    "This is why the Dark Magus called us back here, because he knew we needed to help defend this ce, so let''s defend it!" Alba said, drawing her two swords from her back.

 Chapter 588 Nothing Is A Coincidence

    <h4>Chapter 588 Nothing Is A Coincidence </h4>


    Therge number of members from the Behemoth n were slowly making their way to the city. They were walking as if it was just another mission for them.


    A few of them were even just looking at each other, casually talking about their day. Others were smiling as they saw the hopelessness in the eyes in front of them.


    To them, they were part of the Behemoth n, one of the elite ns in the Demonic Faction. A faction where only being the strongest mattered, and the strongest were the ones that dictated what happened in their world.


    And it was decided that the Dark Magus, along with anyone who tried to protect them, were to be eliminated.


    When the soldiers that had been rounded up by the Crimson Crane could now see the faces of those that wereing to attack them.


    One of them had dropped their sword and ran back toward the town hall.


    "I can''t do this, I''m sorry!" The man shouted.


    Shortly after, a few more were doing the same and started to break away, running back.


    "Hey, if we don''t do something then everyone is going to run away!" Lily said. "If that happens, we will have to fight all 1000 on our own, that''s going to be impossible."


    There was a limit to their Qi, and although they didn''t expect their small army to help them out in arge way, at least they could hold them off or distract them.


    "Leave them be, they don''t have to get involved in this, it''s us that they want!" Fixteen imed.


    "Where''s that damned woman?" Anna said as she was looking at the situation. "She is part of the problem, she should be here as well."


    After saying those words, Anna was already heading off in the other direction. As for who that woman was referring to, they could guess, because Rayna wasn''t here, despite the fact that everyone should have heard by now.


    "Where''s Raze?" Tilon asked.


    "He''s probably busy, he said for no one to disturb him, right? That''s probably why Rayna still isn''t here either, she''s probably protecting that door¡­ I''m sure Raze would have felt this, anyone could have."


    Fixteen was talking about the mass amount of Qi that wasing out from the army in front of them. So many warriors in one ce, all of them using theirrge amount of Qi, it was making them sick to their stomach before the fight had even started, and it was making more and more of their small army below leave.


    Their number of two hundred already dwindled to around 170 and the fight had yet to begin.


    However, on that rooftop, there was something happening to one person.


    "Hey Kizer¡­ are you¡­ are you okay?" Froma asked.


    Kizer''s head was faced down, therge sword was being held in one of his hands, and his whole body was shaking. Small noises wereing from his mouth, the rattling of his teeth like that on a cold winter day.


    "This power!" Kizer shouted, lifting his head, his eyes were glowing. "I can''t take it anymore!"


    Right after that, Kizer ran to the edge of the building and jumped. He had done so with such power that the end of the roof''s building had caved in.


    Now he was in the air, a single man was heading right for the front line of the Behemoth n. He held the swords with both hands, andnding on the ground he mmed it right on the floor.


    The strike of his sword was like a giant wave, several of the Behemoth n members were lifted into the air. While others had been taken out by therge Qi attack.


    The entire ground shook from his single strike.


    "What was that attack!" Tilon called out. "Was Kizer always that strong!"


    "No," Reno answered. "It''s not that."


    Right after the initial attack, Kizer was seen swinging his sword,rge Qi strikes wereing out, knocking waves of people at a time.


    He was the member with the strongest attack power of the group, and he was clearly showing why that was.


    "It''s his weapon¡­ Raze told me¡­ the weapon, it gets stronger based on how many opponents he''s going up against, and this is thergest battle we''ve seen. The power flowing through him must be too much for him to contain right now." Reno exined.


    "Damn it!" Tilon said, stomping his foot. "It''s the Dark Magus''s equipment again." Tears were almost flowing down his face. "If he had made my shield, I would have been able to show something as well."


    "Hurry, we can''t leave Kizer alone down there, the Crimson Crane, we all must attack!" Alba stated, as she rushed in, jumping down below.


    The other members followed while Froma stayed back on the rooftop, drawing her bow and firing out.


    The Crimson Crane ran across on the ground, and then when they met with the Behemoth n, they shed right against them. Alba was swift with her sword strikes, taking out those she could in a single strike.


    Then blocking hits from all sides, and trying to be aware of the scene in front of them.


    Tilon bashed others with his shield while also staying close to Lily so she could cover him with her spear attacking.


    Reno had joined the fight, infecting some, and then causing those to infect and spread poison to other nearby users. They were falling to the ground one after the other.


    "Archers get ready to attack!" Froma shouted. "They''rerge in number so you can''t miss, and even if you do, at least you''ll provide some support.


    "Right now the Behemoth n is attacking us, if we get through this, think of all the spoils, the weapons on their body, we''ll sell them and make this whole town prosper, and if we repel the Behemoth n, no n will dare mess with us!" Froma shouted.


    These words had instilled a small dream of hope within the army, and although the Crimson Crane were attacking them well.


    Not all were focused on the Crimson Crane, and the other members of the Behemoth n, charged ahead. They didn''t care if they weren''t real Pagna warriors or not.


    Those that held up a sword, a shield, or weapon, were enemies that were getting in their way in their eyes.


    The Behemoth n shed, punching against the hard shield. The attack was blocked and one of the Shield bearers nearly fell to the floor.


    As he skidded to the floor though he felt something strange. A great surge in power was rising in him, it was far more than when he was training with the others.


    When the attacker came again, the shield bearer remembered what to do and shoved his shield forward, knocking the warrior back and sending his punch back.


    "What the¡­ isn''t he a normal citizen, how did he just do that right now?" The Behemoth n member thought.


    Although a small percentage of power would be transferred to the user, this was proportional to the attack being blocked, allowing the stage 1 warriors to achieve a small breakthrough in that moment.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the city, over where Raze was situated, Rayna was standing by the door. She was tapping her foot away looking in the direction of where the fight was happening, not sure if what she was doing was the right thing.


    "Sha Mo wouldn''te himself¡­ so the Crimson Crane, they should be able to handle it." Rayna told herself.


    "What are you doing?" Anna asked as shended on the ground. "Get in there, and tell Raze to get out there and fight, and you join in as well. This is your town, and the regr people are fighting, so you should fight as well."


    "No!" Rayna shouted back. "This, he told us to not let anyone inside no matter what. It was a direct order, I''m sure he thought of this as well, that this would happen, we need to listen to him."


    Anna was getting angry, of course Raze thought this would happen but because of his order he had no clue what was happening, he could be in some strange meditative state and unaware of everything that was happening on the outside.


    "If you don''t get out of my way, I''ll force you to get out of my way!" Anna said and her fists were starting to glow slightly red.


    It was strange, Rayna had never seen this before, and she could feel no rise in Qi.


    Just as Anna went to go forward, she felt arge heaviness drop beneath her. She quickly avoided the attack and turned around standing next to Rayna.


    "That was good reaction from you."


    The man who had just spoken wasrge in size, almost another Behemoth that looked like they could be Sha Mo''s brother.


    Sturdy legs like tree trunks, the body of a mountain, and arge beard that covered most of his bottom face. His face was a little on the chubby endpared to Sha Mo''s but didn''t suit the rest of his body.


    The moment Rayna set her eyes on this person, she knew exactly who it was. Her heart started to flutter, she noticed this man.


    One of the two pirs of the Behemoth n, Yanin the Eater.


    "What are you doing here¡­ for Sha Mo to send you here, and why have youe directly here!" Rayna said.


    She didn''t want to give things away, but why wasn''t he in the main part of the battle? The building didn''t stand out, and for someone toe just to this location.


    "Hahaha!" Yaninughed. "Did you think it was a coincidence we were attacking now, and that I came here, I know exactly what is happening behind that door!"

 Chapter 589 Fighting A Pillar

    <h4>Chapter 589 Fighting A Pir</h4>


    As expected, therge-scale fight had been pushed back and had entered the town. The ruined houses were getting destroyed as members were getting flung into a house.


    The regr citizens were doing well, getting back up even after such a big blow, but they were just regr citizens.


    In one of the destroyed houses, a group had been chucked in. They were hurt, a few broken ribs here and there and heavy cuts.


    The Behemoth n wasing in, that''s when Froma quickly dropped through a hole in the roof, and quickly pulled out five arrows hitting the Behemoth n members and sending them flying back.


    "We from the Crimson Crane are still middle-stage warriors, even if you arerge in size, you can''t take a single hit from those like us," Froma said proudly.


    There was one worry though, therge numbers were a drain on their Qi.


    "You guys, if you can''t get up, remember to take the pills that we gave you, they will give you the energy to fight on, let''s do this!" Froma imed.


    In some ways, now that therge-scale fighting had been pushed into the town, it was easier for the weaker members to use it to their advantage.


    For one, the citizens that lived there knew the structure of the alleyways, the houses that they were inside, and they could ambush and n to attack in certain ways.


    There were more ces for cover, and in general just more ces for them to hide as well, making themst far longer than the Behemoth n had expected.


    The good thing was, nearly all of the public citizens had retreated back, expecting the fight to go on into the major parts of the city.


    They could defend with no worry, still, the numbers were going down fast. Their two hundred strong had already dwindled down to around 135 or so. Thankfully, spread across the city they weren''t able to see what was urring.


    "All of you have no respect for the lives of these citizens!" Reno said standing in a street, and rushed forward hitting the back of the head of several of the Behemoth n members before charging forward and hitting one with both hands in the center of the stomach.


    A green visual Qi could be seen emitting from him. "So I shall have no respect for you."


    All those that Reno had touched had blood oozing out of their mouths before they had then dropped to the ground.


    Rather than down on the ground, Fixteen had stayed up high on one of the rooftops. He could see one of the members climbing up top from the edge, arge grin on his face.


    He quickly charged toward Fixteen, who dodged the attack and pulled the de out from his side, he knocked the man''s sword away and then struck him in the chest hitting him off the rooftop and down onto the floor below.


    "Since I''ve been sent here, I wonder if the n head even sees me as no longer part of the Neverfall n," Fixteen sighed. "I promised that I would help Dame in any way possible.


    "My loyalty is with that stupid young master, but I have no clue where he is or what he''s doing, so all I can do is stay here and try to help the Dark Magus.


    Right then another warrior came, stronger than thest. Fixteen swung his sword and when the two shed they stayed in ce, their Qi battling it out against each other.


    Unlike the Crimson Crane members, he was only an initial stage warrior. There were bound to be a few of them that could give Fixteen some trouble.


    "Either way, it''s clear that you see me as an enemy!" Fixteen shouted, as he swiped in a green pill, in an instant the swing of his sword was slightly faster, and had delivered arge cut across his opponent''s chest.


    "I have swiped more of these pills for myselfpared to others, you have to look after number one after all," Fixteen walked to the edge of the rooftop.


    He was looking at the entire situation trying to get a feel for what was happening. They were only on the edge of the town, and hadn''t managed to push too far in.


    Some had given chase to the citizens that were fighting, but the main bulk of the fight was concentrating on the Crimson Crane members.


    There was one area of concern that was more troubling than any of the other areas. Still out in the field, Alba and Tilon had run into trouble and it was big trouble.


    Alba had arge cut on top of her head, blood dripped down almost covering her eye, she was huffing and panting.


    While Tilon, who was by her side, was also taking deep breaths. Seemingly, nearly everyone else around them now was ignoring them and were continuing on forward.


    "I heard a lot about you, I guess you are as strong as they say you are," Alba said, wiping her blood with her forearm.


    Right at that moment, arge curved sword swung from the side. It was too fast to avoid so she stuck both of her des up and crashed into them directly.


    Therge wave of middle-stage Qi rippled in the air. At the same time, Tilon with his shield had punched the edge of the de that curved around almost piercing Alba''s head.


    How she had gotten hurt the first time.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got you."


    Therge curved sword was pulled back, and the one holding onto it, Polter, couldn''t help butugh at the situation.


    Another one of the Pirs of the Behemoth n. Polter was just as tall as Yanin or Sha Mo. However, his figure was a lot more slender.


    He had long arms and legs and a square-shaped body. This matched his head that also appeared to be somewhat rectangr.


    With his long limbs that weren''t very thick in size, he could move them fast and his strange de worked well, since the attack of the weapon would be twofold which had caught Alba by surprise.


    "And you are not as impressive as I thought!" Polter said. "It appears what is said about the Crimson Crane is true. That you are only infamous for being a strong n among wanderers.


    "However, whenpared to that of the other factions, if you were a n, your name wouldn''t even be mentioned!"


    In the middle of his showboating andughter, Alba had jumped up, both her des covered in her red visual Qi, and performed arge cross-shaped sh in the air.


    As if he was reacting to it, Polter just swung his de from above, hitting the two weapons blocking them, and sending her way back on her feet sliding next to Tilon.


    "This is going to be difficult, Alba!" Tilon said. "It took the entirety of the Crimson Crane to take out one of the Elders of the Light Faction."


    "This man in front of him is no weaker than him, and it looks like the other members aren''t going to be able to help us, so how are we going to win this fight with just the two of us!" Tilon said, wishing right now that his shield would have beenplete. Maybe then he could have done something.

 Chapter 590 A Gift To Show The Whole World

    <h4>Chapter 590 A Gift To Show The Whole World </h4>


    As the fighting was going on in the town, the people were unaware of something that was taking ce, even before the fighting was urring.


    Because even if the citizens or Pagna warriors noticed the phenomenon, they would have just ignored it.


    Far up in the sky, and somewhat slow going through the city, were two small te-sized objects. The surface of them were shiny while being a faint colored yellow like that of the sunset.


    The color blended in with the sky at times, and the movements of the two objects were fast.


    These two objects had been in the sky of Flendon since the Dark Magus had arrived. They had been traveling all over between the people and staying far away in the distance observing everything.


    The reason as to why so many of those of Pagna would ignore it, or even if they had seen it would have no clue what it was, was due to them not being from the world of Pagna.


    At least not something that was avable to the public. Right now as the fighting was going on, one of these shiny objects was observing the battle between Alba and one of the pirs, and as for the other, it was based high up above, where the Dark Magus had been kept on the inside.


    These special devices were hovering around the town for a very specific reason because they were showing everything to a person on the other end.


    "This is amazing!" Bubble said, lifting his hands for joy, his golden silk sleeves rolled down to his elbow as he lifted his hands.


    Right now, Bubble was in his infamous special tower. As one of the best news informants for all of the factions, he needed to get information of what was going to happen.


    However, knowing that Sha Mo would make a move, Bubble also thought it was dangerous.


    In front of him, he also had tworge te-sized objects that were at least thirty inches in size and they were ced on two parts of his desk. From it, he was able to see everything that was happening in Flendon.


    "With these things I''ll be able to gather information from all over, without having a need to be there myself. This is great."


    By Bubble''s side, there were also two people that were wearing a strange metallic helmet. Sitting in a seat. These two were the pilots of the objects that were floating in the sky.


    "I didn''t trust the package at first, but they must appreciate my donations or something!" Bubble thought.


    The items weren''t creations of Bubble, and such technology was hard toe by in Pagna unless it was brought from another dimension.


    Yet one day, he had all of the items along with a set of instructions delivered to his door. He was too afraid to try it himself and had others try it first.


    After realizing its effects, he knew what to do with it instantly and had been going all over Flendon waiting for the big opportunity and here it was.


    "It''s a shame that these devices can''t be used to show others what is happening right now, but all I can do is make a report as quickly as possible, with the images, I could also have an artist team draw them out, and then copy it out so the whole world of Pagna knows what''s happening right now!" Bubble shouted with joy.


    Deeper in the town where the fighting had yet to reach. There were two women who were faced looking at one of the other pirs of the Behemoth n.


    Therge man known as Yanin. He had yet to make a move but had revealed important information to them.


    ''What he just said, does that mean, he knows that Raze is inside, right now?'' Rayna thought. ''But how is that possible, how could someone from the Behemoth n know?''


    ''And even if they did know he was inside, anyone would assume no matter what they were doing, if there was a fight to take ce on their doorstep that they would just leave their room.''


    ''Why would they choose to attack now of all times? None of this is making sense¡­ is there a traitor in the group as well.''


    Too many thoughts were running through her head, and Yanin wasn''t just going to stand there and let the two of them talk.


    From his back, he held onto what was shaped like a giant hammer. It wasrge metallic in size and had a blunt t end, with the other end being pointed.


    He lifted it up in the air, and when he did the visual Qi surrounding the area showed sparks at the back of the hammer weapon.


    He swung it down full force, aiming to crush Rayna right there and then.


    "I need to avoid this, and attack back!" Rayna said, ready to move to the side.


    In her vision though, she saw Anna get directly in front of the attack. With one of her hands, she pushed it in front of her face, and took on the blow of the hammer with full force.


    As the hammer collided with her, the ground beneath her cracked, but at the same time, parts of her body were lighting up red. Her whole forearm was glowing, her feet were glowing as she pushed back the attack.


    "Are you just going to stare, or are you going to hit that big lump!" Anna shouted.


    She had taken on a hit, a clean one from a middle-ss warrior somehow, and she seemedpletely fine.


    It wasn''t the time for Rayna to be amazed though; she ran up, and had her spear ready. It was what she specialized in within the Neverfall n.


    Swirling it in a circle, a demonic visual Qi was lingering, and she then stabbed the spear forward.


    Matching that, Yanin kicked with his foot towards the spear, covering it with Qi the spear was unable to pierce through and in a battle of Qi, Yanin won out moving and pushing his foot further causing her to slip back.


    Right after that, he lifted his hammer. Anna could feel parts of her quite injured from the attack; it was stronger than she thought, yet she pushed forward to deliver a hit to Yanin.


    However, Yanin ignored her, and lifted his hammer sideways swinging it.


    Rayna had only just got her footing when she could see therge blunt ending at her. Lifting her two hands she covered herself with as much Qi as she could, and was whacked full force into the air.


    At the same time, Anna had delivered a punch right to the center of Yanin''s stomach with arge amount of pure force hitting him.


    It caused Yanin to stumble but only take one step back. "That tickled," Yanin said with a big smile.


    Anna jumped back, she knew just from taking an attack and delivering an attack she was unable to win this fight on her own, the man in front of her was too strong.


    When looking at where Rayna was, Anna was surprised to see that the entire wall had been destroyed, Rayna had been hit, and had destroyed the wall, right to where Raze was inside.

 Chapter 591 Protect Him No Matter what!

    <h4>Chapter 591 Protect Him No Matter what!</h4>


    The Crimson Crane were continuing to fight. Due to therge amount of enemies in front of them, they had no choice but to start using some of the Qi pills that had been given to them.


    Part of their Qi was restored, and they could continue to fight for now, but how much longer could theyst?


    Reno swung his arms against a spear, hitting it to the floor, and then grabbed one of the warriors by the sleeve. He pulled him forward and chucked the body towards a wave of people that were chasing after him.


    Another had jumped up with a sword in hand, ready to cleave him in two until an arrow had hit him in the head, killing him on the spot.


    Looking up at the rooftop, he could see Froma had saved him, and she too had just taken another Qi pill.


    "The regr Qi pills are fine to take, but their effectiveness between time fades. To the point where they''ll stop working, we can''t just keep fighting.


    On top of that, the people that were fighting with us, they''re going to wear out before us. We still have the special Qi pills that can restore all our energy but only for a minute, and that would have to be ast resort."


    Reno then looked out into the distance, where arge amount of Qi could be felt. Ripples in the air were seen, and huge strikes were being delivered.


    "The only way we can turn this fight around is by defeating the pirs in this fight and crushing their morale."


    The solution was easy, but the task itself was hard.


    Right now, Polter was swinging his de wildly through the air,rge streams of Qi could be felt with every swing.


    It took both Alba as she swung her sword towards the attacks and Tilon with his shield to stop them. Alba would stop the bulk of the de, while Tilon would stop the point from hurting her even more.


    The attacks were relentless, and the two felt like they were ying some type of game where all they could do was block.


    "Alba, are you okay?" Tilon shouted as he shoved his shield above them, using a special foot technique to push up using the strength of his legs.


    "Just think about yourself, don''t worry about me!" Alba said as she jumped over the de attack this time. But when shended in order to help Tilon, she quickly extended her hands and dug her swords into the ground to somewhat stop its momentum.


    Her hands felt extremely numb as it was hit, and the weapon was more damaged than it was before.


    "It''s been fun looking at the two of you working together, but you haven''t even noticed I haven''t even used one skill from our Behemoth n yet," Polter smiled.


    Lifting his sword, his eyes then lingered onto Tilon. He readied his sword, and the visual Qi was fading in the air, disrupting it like mes.


    He dug his foot into the ground, and Polter spun his entire body, swinging his curved sword. This time, rather than it going towards Alba, it went straight for Tilon.


    Seeing this, he ced his shield into the ground, using both hands to shove it in, and then held on tight with both hands, gathering all of his Qi, making his body as condensed as possible.


    The moment the sword shed into the shield, Tilon was lifted into the air, and his shield was broken into nothing but pieces.


    "TILON!" Alba screamed.


    Elsewhere in the city, Anna had just seen Rayna suffer a devastating blow from another one of the Behemoth n''s pirs.


    When she turned to look at where she had exactly gone into, she could see now that Rayna had crashed into the very building where Raze was.


    "Now, it''s time for you to go as well!" Yanin swung his hammer once again.


    Rather than taking the blow head-on or looking for a chance to escape though, she had decided to narrowly move back. It missed her only just; it almost looked like it had brushed against Anna''s clothing.


    ''I can calcte the trajectory of the attack and avoid it, but I know my punches also do nothing to harm this man in front of me, so what is it exactly that I should do?''


    Anna said to herself. Continuing to avoid her attacks, she knew exactly what to do, the reason why she hade here in the first ce.


    She had jumped back and had entered the main room.


    "Noo!!" Rayna shouted. "What are you doinging in here, we need to get him away."


    Anna wanted to shout back, saying how ridiculous that would be. Clearly, if there were three of them, it would be better than two, and she doubted that Raze could say anything when the attacker was in the same building as him.


    Then she saw it, she saw what Rayna was looking at. Several drawings had been marked on the floor, Qi pills in front of them.


    Then, in the middle of the room, frozen as if not even a part of this world, not even knowing what was happening in front of him was Raze.


    He was sitting crossed-legged, his eyes closed as if he was in a type of zen state.


    Anna could tell that the way he was now, it was more like that of someone who was dreaming, but for so much noise to happen and not to wake up.


    In the middle of all of this, arge chunk of the front wall was bashed,rge chunks of the wall broken hit towards the others.


    Anna used what she could to hit the chunks of concrete away. Nowing through the door was Yanin.


    "Oh, just the person I have been looking for then. This is far easier than I thought, but It wouldn''t have been much of a match anyway; he''s just an alchemist after all," Yanin imed as he lifted up his hammer, and it was now pointed towards Raze.


    "No, I won''t let you!" Rayna screamed at the top of her lungs, running forward. Her sword was covered in all the might of her Qi.


    She screamed as she lifted her sword and directly hit against the head. The floorboards broke beneath her feet as she was pushing against the mass of power.


    Yet she wasn''t alone, because by her side, Anna with her hands was pushing as well, and several creaking sounds wereing from her.


    "Haha cute, but useless," Yanin eximed.


    The end of hisrge hammer started to glow, and then controlling his Qi, like a pulse from the tip of his weapon, the two of them were hurled and crashed into the ground in front of them.


    They were both badly hurt, unable to get up, but they were both also still breathing.


    "If you''re so desperate to die so quickly, then I''ll get rid of you first!" Yanin lifted up the hammer again and swung it down in the same spot.


    "Eclipse Strike!" Words were heard in the middle of Yanin''s swing.


    He soon saw a swording from below, covered in Darkness. The sword shed, and a mass amount of Qi and darkness was surrounding the entire hammer, pushing it back.


    Until Yanin lost out in power, his hammer was pushed up, and the strike continued upward, hitting the roof andpletely destroying it, letting the sunlighte in.


    Yanin looked at what just happened, and could see one man in front of the two of them.


    "You two did well, you made sure no one disturbed me."


    Looking up from the ground, Rayna could see her saviour, as his hair turned from ck, turning to white due to the magical power that had just been used.


    "Raze..!" She blurted out, with eyes full of tears.

 Chapter 592 The Man Who started It All

    Chapter 592 The Man Who started It All


    ??Raze had used the special technique he had learned from the Dark Faction founder to allow him to arrive in Alterian in Spirit form.


    Due to his increased cultivation body strength, his spirit body was more and more real in the other world while using this technique. Less mana leaked out while using it, and he had more powers than he did before.


    Still, there was always one worry that Raze had to be concerned about. Although it didn''t matter if the spirit was hurt, it could simply heal its body with more mana; this was not true for the real body.


    There was a reason why all the times before, Raze had continued to use the technique while he was stuck in a cave. It was due to the safety of it all.


    Using such a technique put him at arge disadvantage and in more ways than one. One of them being that it took up mana.


    Even if he went back to his original body, he would have less mana than before. On top of that, his real body was defenseless while in this state.


    He didn''t worry about those things for now; instead, it was the first time he was traveling with the other member of the Dark Guild, the person who was to have started this entire project in the first ce.


    The two of them had exited from thend below and reached the surface, already splitting up from Kelly and Sophie.


    Right after that, he noticed Harvey tap the side of his finger, allowing him to change his uniform. He was now in a magical zer just like that of stylish mages would wear.


    It was the first time Raze was seeing his face as well. Slightly rugged with short facial hair all over, stubble as if a person couldn''t be bothered to shave.


    On top of that, the underneath of his eyes was slightly dark as well.


    "Follow me for now. I''m pretty sure things will be able to go smoothly." Harveymented, existing out of the alleyway and going back to the main street.


    It was daytime this time in Alterian, with flying vehicles above,rge advertisements ying nearly on every single building in sight.


    It was always an odd feeling for him every time he came back here.


    "If you are expecting trouble it will be best that you let me know. I can only provide so much support in the current form I am in now," Raze said.


    Raze was still wondering who this man exactly was, why so obsessed to the point of creating the Dark Guild. How was he able to get information on other members that could use Dark Magic as well?


    "I''m happy that you came up with this n," Harvey said as he continued to walk. "I had always nned to do something like this myself, but only when we had arger number of members."


    "You see, we have had other members of the guild before, but most of theme and go. Me and that woman are the only two that have managed to survive so long."


    "If I was to lend them some of what I have, I was afraid that it might fall into the wrong hands."


    "And with you, you know that it''s absolutely safe," Raze asked.


    "Yes," Harvey said as they had stopped just outside a police station.


    Raze could read the sign clearly above. He was surprised why they were here of all ces.


    "This is where I work," Harvey said. "What better ce to keep materials than to keep it in in sight."


    Raze thought the same thing, which was why he had hid his stash at the academy. Harvey was part of the police force, so they could seize items in their building.


    They thought they were safely protected, unaware of who was working for them. This was a good position to be in for a number of reasons, and now Raze knew how he was able to learn Dark Magic as well.


    "So do we need to sneak in? Any spells that you need me to cast?" Raze asked.


    Harvey shook his head. "No worries, you are just a member that is helping me on a case. I have ess to everything in here; I''m the chief after all."


    Harvey started to walk in, and Raze followed behind. Learning he was the chief though, now he was even more curious as to why this person chose to idolize and follow the Dark Magus.


    With that, the two of them had headed on inside.


    Kelly and Sophie had left together, and she had mixed feelings as she took the train back to the academy. In some ways she was relieved that there was no need for her to go on a dangerous mission.


    While at the same time, she was a little upset that she wouldn''t be heading off with the Dark Spirit, going on their next adventure.


    "Oh right¡­I forgot to tell him because he left in such a hurry," Kelly said to herself with her hand held out. Sophie was licking it with her little pink tongue.


    Even though she was actually a human, she had many cat traits as well.


    "He told me to look into high-ranking mages that had disappeared a while ago. It seems like there was someone that fits who he was looking for, a mage that went by the name Nafob Alok¡­ I''ll tell him about it next time."


    Just as Harvey had said, both Raze and him were easily able to walk through the office with no problem at all.


    There were many officers that paid their respects to Harvey. Some asked who Raze was, but with a simple exnation, he was able to just walk in.


    This was what a higher position allowed one to do. Seeing this, it made him wonder though, how many people were under the Grand Magus.


    If Harvey could do something like this, then the Grand Magus were able to do this almost anywhere.


    Eventually they had gone to the back, into arge storage room, where evidence was kept for nearly every case they dealt with.


    "Everything that you need ispiled in one area, courtesy to what you need. Although it''s easy in this station, there are many other stations that might hold even more items."


    "I don''t have the same weight, and it''s not as easy, but I think we can work something out, I just thought it was best to go to this ce first."


    Raze nodded, he was more than happy and surprised it was this easy to get what he was looking for.


    Heading down the row of shelves at the very back to the right, just as Harvey said, there was everything to do with Dark Magic.


    There were half-torn scrolls, ripped-out pages, images, and even books. Picking up the books, Raze started to nce at them one by one.


    He was trying to see if there was anything he could find that would be of use to the situation he was in, and he had finally found it.


    ''Enchanting with Dark Magic¡­ there are so many details in here¡­ this is it, this is what I''ve been looking for.''


    Closing the book, Raze started to look at the details, and could see a name imprinted at the bottom.


    "Nafob Alok."

 Chapter 593 Where Did Dark Magic Come From?

    Chapter 593 Where Did Dark Magic Come From?


    ??The single book had gained a lot of interest from Raze. He was flipping the pages back and forth, looking at them in detail.


    So engrossed in the book, he was taking in the information there and then. He thought that he might have to figure out a solution of his own through the information of the book, but that wasn''t the case at all.


    In the book itself, the solution was there, the answer he had been looking for. A way to increase the strength of one''s enchantments, not using the three known methods already, and it was something that only Dark Magic could do.


    Because he was so amazed by the research, Raze took a look at the name. Wondering if it linked to any of the other books or knowledge about Dark Magic that he knew. However, he was unable to recognize the name at all.


    "It seems you found what you were looking for?" Harvey said as he came over, and ced down a box of extra materials concerning Dark Magic.


    These were materials that had yet to be sorted, and he was going through them himself before bringing them to the Dark Spirit.


    "Do you have anything else that was written by this person?" Raze asked, showing the book. "Nafob Alok."


    The book was worn, and even had a special type of wax put over it to preserve it. It was hard to tell how old it was, but it looked simr to books Raze dealt with as a professor that were hundreds of years old, maybe even longer.


    "I can''t say I have, but we have a database that logs all the items put in. I can get my team to look through pictures and see if they spot anything with that name. It might help us save some time as well."


    "That way, we won''t have to go to every station and raise suspicions and can go just to the ones that have the same name. From the looks of things, the book is fairly old, the older the text the more information there was on Dark Magic, at least that''s what I found."


    "There''s a reason for that," Raze replied. "Back in the past, at a time of frequent war while magic was still used, Dark Magic wasn''t considered so much of a taboo."


    "Practically everyone born who had be a mage would have to consider murder. Which is why the Dark Magic techniques are so deadly as well. A peaceful era had arrived, and shortly after there was the banning of all Dark Magic."


    "At first, it was just the banning of further study and prohibiting anyone to learn the magic, but during this time, the continents were still under control of a single emperor. The emperorter decided to execute all those that knew Dark Magic."


    "There was a culling and a burning of the text and most of the history that urred during that time, bringing us to the time today.


    "Of course, we don''t have emperors in this day and age, but at the moment we do have the Grand Magus."


    Using his special zer, Raze had stored the book away; he had gotten his answer but perhaps there would be more information.


    With the rest of the texts on the side, he took them all away as well. New spells coulde in handy for him to use as time went on.


    After taking away everything on the shelves, he decided to sort through the boxes as well.


    "I have a question to ask you, that has been bugging me for a while¡­ Dark Spirit," Harvey added at the end, but the words were almost more of an afterthought than anything.


    "It''s quite clear that you were looking for something, you aren''t just looking for these texts to help advance our Dark Guild¡­ why would you need all of this? If you are an acolyte of the Dark Magus, don''t you already know everything that is needed to know?" Harvey asked.


    This question made Raze wonder, how many people knew the real truth of the Dark Magus? In many Alterian eyes, was he just someone who had decided to go against the mages, learning Dark Magic.


    Was he a master of some kind wishing to bring back Dark Magic to the masses like that in the past? Very few, if any, would find it hard to believe if he stated he was just an old man by then, simply wishing to get his vengeance.


    Someone who was a master of Wind Magic, who dabbled in Dark Magic to help him achieve his goal. He was no grand master of Dark Magic, far from it, especially with his Wind Core.


    But¡­ perhaps in this life, he could be a master of Dark Magic.


    "The Dark Magus might not be exactly who you think he is. He isn''t some type of god; in fact, I''m pretty sure he is more like most of you. Someone who was hurt by the world and just wanted to find a way to hurt it back," Raze answered.


    "Just like you, though, I n to continue where the Dark Magus left off, The annihtion of the Grand Magus, so I myself have to get stronger as well."


    "I will study these texts, sort out what is useful information for the guild to have. Since I can''t be here for long, and won''t always be here for the meetings, I will leave things to you."


    Harvey''s heart was pounding when he heard those words. The expansion of the Dark Guild, a big change would being to Alterian; he could feel that they were at the tip of it.


    They were close to letting themselves be known to the entire world.


    "Sir!" A young police officer had barged into the room opening the door.


    "What are you doing Sine!" Harvey shouted. "I told you not to disturb me."


    "But¡­ there is an important message, those from headquarters are here again, I think they want an update on the situation from before!"


    "Well, tell them I''ll be with them in a second," Harvey replied back.


    This wasn''t a good situation, the people from headquarters wanted him to look into the Dark Magus, most likely working on orders from one of the Grand Magus.


    They would surely question a stranger being in the room with them. To stop anything going wrong, the Dark Spirit would have to stay in the room while he sorted things out there.


    The young officer looked down the hallway though. "Sir, they are here." He gulped.


    Harvey went to look at his side, telling the Dark Spirit to get out of there, or at least hide, but when he looked to his side, he was already gone.


    Vanished into thin air, he had left as quickly as he hade.


    Shortly aftering into the room, were the three officers from headquarters,ing into the room.


    Harvey was still looking around, trying to make sure the Dark Spirit wasn''t there.


    "Is there something I can help you with?" Harvey asked.


    Raze could feel it, the people walking down the hall having an immense amount of magic power. Worried that he would get caught and already having what he needed in his hands.


    He decided to stop the astral projection. What he didn''t expect when opening his eyes, was to see arge enemy ready to swing his hammer down at both Anna and Rayna.

 Chapter 594 Raze’s Attack Back!

    <h4>Chapter 594 Raze''s Attack Back! </h4>


    Raze had managed to arrive just in the nick of time, and all of it was due to a string of coincidences. He had to thank the police from headquarters foring in when they had done so; otherwise, he wouldn''t have left his Spirit form so soon.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he immediately used one of the strongest skills in his arsenal, the Eclipse Strike formation, not only just the Eclipse Strike formation but one filled with Dark Magic.


    When using this skill in the past, it obliterated everything in its path, and it was even how he had managed to catch the Behemoth n middle stage warrior in the past when he was just an initial stage warrior.


    Yet having used the skill just now on an opponent, it merely made him stumble back with hisrge weapon. He could tell from this alone that the opponent in front of him was a strong one, and one that he needed to take seriously.


    With his other hand, a blue pill appeared and Raze gulped it down, restoring part of his mana energy rather than his Qi.


    ''I haven''t used the cursed pill, I need to keep that for now, but I used quite a bit of mana when using the Spirit form, and now, I''m in a fight like this,'' Raze thought.


    Readying his sword again, he looked straight ahead at therge figure in front of him.


    "Ha, this is great, I never expected an alchemist like you to put up such a fight!" Yanin said with the strange hammer weapon over his shoulder.


    "I guess the rumors were true, the attacker with the Crimson Crane, it really was the Dark Magus, you are the one that they are calling the new Demon of the Demonic Faction, I guess you have some strength to back it up."


    Right now Raze had his white hair showing, he had used arge amount of magic along with his Qi attack, so appearances couldn''t be kept up.


    However, in the Demonic Faction, the name that had spread known as White Dragon had quickly faded due to the constant flow of new news that was going around.


    It was also a name that belonged to one in the Dark Faction not the Demonic Faction so no one assumed such a person would be here.


    "It''s a shame, someone so young, you have a lot of potential to grow stronger, but it will all be stopped here. You should have joined us when you had the chance!"


    Winding his feet, Raze held the sword by his side, Dark Magic started to gather by the hilt, as well as his massive amount of Qi.


    Right after, Raze used the first descending step formation, and then the fourth kicking off both feet and diving right ahead toward Yanin.


    "Void Pulse Formation!"


    The sword was thrust forward, and arge ripple of Dark Magic and Qi exploded from behind the sword pushing it right into Yanin''s chest piece.


    The attack was so fast, so unexpected for Yanin; it hadpletely hit him in the stomach. His legs lifted off his feet, Yanin felt the force lift him and carry him away.


    Like a giant boulder, he flew out breaking more of the wall that was already mostly broken, across the street and crashing straight through another building.


    Rayna and Anna had gotten up on their feet, and Rayna was left with her mouth wide open.


    ''Raze¡­ was able to do that¡­ I knew he had be a middle stage warrior, due to his strength, but to take out a fairly high middle stage warrior¡­ to deliver that level of attack.


    ''How much stronger did he get, and what were those techniques? I''ve never seen such techniques in the Light, Dark, or Demonic Faction.''


    While walking back to the two girls, Raze switched to the Lux Sword. It increased healing abilities and it also increased the recovery of his Qi and mana as well thanks to the enchantment it gave to his zer.


    Standing by the two girls, he was hoping it would have some effect on them as well, even if it was a little effect.


    "Exin the situation to me, is it Sha Mo, has hee to attack?" Raze asked.


    "It''s the Behemoth n behind this, yes," Rayna exined. "But Sha Mo is not involved in the attack himself."


    "He hase with around a thousand men," Anna exined. "The Crimson Crane are engaged with them along with 200 or so fighters, although that number has most likely lowered significantly now."


    "Those aren''t what we have to worry about though, the man that you just went against, he is one of the two pirs of the Behemoth n. They are the strongest in the Behemoth n, second to Sha Mo himself."


    The attack was something Raze had expected; he was just hoping there was more time. He didn''t know whether to be thankful that Sha Mo hadn''te himself or whether this was considered a big attack due to the two pirs as well as the amount of warriors involved.


    "Taking out a 1000 men, along with another one like him will be troublesome with the amount of Qi we have, especially since he''s not out yet," Raze said looking over at the destroyed buildings.


    A rumbling was being felt, and a powerful Qi was felt on every single one of them. It was pushing them down, making them almost fall to the floor.


    They could see Yanin, climbing out with pieces of wood, brick, and cement falling off his body. He had therge hammer held in his hand; the ttened end was glowing.


    The Qi was building up, and Raze could feel it. Wasting no time, the hammer was lifted in the air, and was swung down to strike the floor.


    Even though there was a distance of at least thirty meters between the two, it didn''t seem like Yanin cared.


    Raze quickly ced one of his hands on the ground, and giant ice pirs were created from the floor. Looking like the tip of an iceberg.


    Six of them grew from the ground between the two.


    Therge attack from Yanin shook the ground, and the energy went across the floor. It destroyed, ripping apart each of therge icebergs one by one.


    They fell to the ground bing nothing, and then Raze had no choice but to swing the sword to try and stop the attack.


    A massive amount of energy was activated, his zer along with the effects of the Lux Sword were at work, blocking the majority of the attack, but he still skidded across the floor.


    That was when Anna and Rayna got behind him, pushing each of his shoulders with Qi trying to stop him from lifting off the ground.


    It was a situation where Raze didn''t mind getting touched.


    Finally, he had stopped, and the mass amount of power could be felt going through Raze''s body. He could feel the taste of iron in his mouth, and the zer healing him.


    "This guy is a little tough¡­ I need you two to do me a favor, we need to beat this guy, but we have to keep him alive, we have to no matter what," Raze ordered.

 Chapter 595 Defeat The Pillar

    <h4>Chapter 595 Defeat The Pir</h4>


    Raze was thankful that he was wearing his specially designed zer and had used the Lux Sword because of it; his defenses were boosted, and the Qi from the strike that attacked him internally was healing up as well.


    If he had the Ghost de on him, perhaps the attack would have caused far greater damage. Now he knew he was in a battle where he was going against a true middle stage warrior.


    Not those middle stage warriors that had just broken through, but one who had a massive amount of experience in fighting and caused others to go into fear just by the presence of his Qi.


    Raze continued to hold the Lux Sword while looking at his opponent, who stood there slightly confused. After unleashing his attack, he expected it to go straight towards Raze.


    Yet it had hitrge physical objects made out of ice. This went beyond the world that they knew, creating something out of what was seemingly nothing. He had faced those with strong visual Qi that could create images and condensed forms of attacks, but this was entirely different.


    In this brief moment, it gave time for Raze to think.


    ''This man, he managed to take two of my strongest Dark Edge Sword Art attacks straight on, and he still is able to pull off an attack like that. These techniques use a lot of Qi and mana¡­ using the Lux Sword for a while will be best while I recover.''


    Looking at the great person in front of him, that was when Raze started to get an inkling that maybe this was the opportunity he had been looking for.


    "Rayna, Anna, I need both of your help; we need to take out this guy, but we need to keep him alive, no matter what."


    Stunned looks appeared across both of their faces. The two of them, even with Raze''s help, were unsure if they could even beat Yanin, and then im to keep him alive.


    That was much harder to do, with a battle of life and death on the line and against such a strong opponent¡­ to beat someone until they were in submission.


    The thing was, they didn''t have much time to think about it, as they could see Yanin now running right toward them. Even though he wasrge in size, his body was just as fast as any Middle stage warrior and he bulldozed himself into the building.


    His hammer was mmed down, and the whole building crumbled, falling to pieces. Raze had lifted himself into the air with his wind magic and done the same with Rayna and Anna.


    The two of them felt lighter and were being pulled by a force they didn''t understand.


    While in the air, and with Yanin''s back turned, Raze swung his sword, using his wind magic.


    "Crimson sh!" Raze struck out arge red sh in the air that hit the corner of Yanin''s arm piece. The sh made a small cut with a stter of blood but looked to not have done much as he turned around, looking at Raze and the other two in the air.


    "I think you have just revealed our location to the enemy, rather than seeding in an attack," Anna said.


    Swinging his hands, Raze pushed both Rayna and Anna to the side, and they were falling to the ground.


    He could see Yanin gearing up, ready for another attack, as he bent his knees to jump up, heading toward him.


    Getting the Lux Sword ready once again, this time sparks lit up around the sword.


    ''I haven''t just been sitting around doing nothing¡­ before when I tried tobine magic with certain techniques; it was quite difficult. I managed to produce the Crimson Strike, butbining wind magic with the Devil''s second formation.''


    ''The Dark Edge Sword Arts were made to work with Dark magic, but I also was able to use Light magic as well. With all of this, I''ve started to get the gist of learning how to use magic and Pagna Warrior techniques at the same time.''


    ''What I realized after getting the Lux Sword, which is based around Light magic, certain weapons allow the use of magic to bebined with skills easier, and other than Light magic, one of them is Lightning magic.''


    The lightning around the sword grew in size, sparking all around him. Just as expected, Yanin exploded with strength off his feet, jumping right at Raze who was staying above.


    "Crimson Spark!" Raze shouted out as he swung the sword. A giant stream of Qi mixed with lightning power came out from his weapon.


    As the attack approached Yanin, he swung his hammer through it; the attack broke but split, hitting every part of Yanin''s body. He felt Qi flow through his body but with the nature of lightning, giving him shocks all over his body.


    With his wind magic, Raze moved himself to the side; Yanin continued to go up high due to the momentum of his jump, but with his body electrified, he soon found himself falling out of the sky.


    Raze pushed himself with wind magic, getting to the ground before Yanin, and then, ced his hand on the ground again. An ice pir was being created, and he was breaking and sharpening the edge into a giant spike.


    It wasn''t sharp enough, so he quickly swung his sword, cutting the ice even further to try to sharpen it more, and Yanin was seen falling and tumbling to the floor.


    ''I''ve¡­ used up a lot of mana,'' Raze thought. ''I also realized when consuming the Qi pill, it had a greater effect thanks to thebined use of the zer and Lux Sword as well. It''s good to use both of these things passively, especially while I''m recovering.''


    Raze was starting to feel a harmony of things as they were working together in healing him. He was now standing in the middle of the street; he had witnessed Yanin crashing through the ice pir, but most of it was crushed by his weight, unsure of the impact it had.


    Running out from the two sides were both Rayna and Anna.


    "Can you please tell me if you''re going to do something like that¡­ my heart was beating so fast!" Rayna eximed as she came forward.


    Anna didn''t say anything, but having magic used on her certainly did feel strange.


    "I thought you said you wanted to just beat the guy, not kill him; what was with that Ice pir?" Rayna asked.


    "Don''t worry, I concluded from the attacks earlier, magic alone isn''t going to be enough to kill him," Raze said.


    A rumbling in the distance could be felt again as they could feel arge mass amount of Qi being used.


    Both Rayna and Anna still had the thought when they could see this, did Raze still n to subdue him, but why? The only thing they could think of in their mind was that Raze was going to use his extraction technique to absorb the strength of Yanin, making him stronger than he was now.


    If it was for that reason, then it would be worth it.


    "Rayna, Anna, it''s time now." Raze held out his hand, and the Lux sword started to change, turning into that of the Ghost de. "It''s time for all of us to go on the attack; if either you were holding anything back before, we need to use it all now, but just remember, keep him alive!" Raze said.


    Like a bulldozer, they could see therge Yanin rushing through the street,ing at all three of them.


    "Fine.. I''ll help you out, but you owe me," Anna said as she took off the cloth she was wearing on her body, revealing the true look of her body, glowing red with power.

 Chapter 596 You are my Experiment

    Chapter 596 You are my Experiment


    ??Anna stood there without the cloth on her body, yet she wasn''tpletely bare. A strange, tight-fitting material was on her body. It was shiny, making it appear as if it was made from a type of metal. Yet it couldn''t have been such a material due to how flexible it was on her body. At the same time, it was a dark grey in color.


    On the strange material that clung to her body there were lines and circles that were glowing red in areas, such as the shoulder, her elbow, and her wrist. All of these areas were now glowing bright red. The appearance reminded Raze of when he had first seen Zon, yet it was also slightly different at the same time.


    "I''ll help out, but I don''t think I''ll be able to fight like this for long¡­ I''m not like him," Anna said.


    Finishing her sentence, she rushed forward; a trail of red glow lingered in the air, and she was moving even faster than that of Yanin from the Behemoth n.


    She rushed forward and jumped, clenched her fist and threw it right at the head of the hammer. The red glow on her body ignited furiously; she was like a bright star in front of Yanin.


    The great force had pushed Yanin back despite his Qi, causing him to stumble; the moment shended on the ground, she ignited again and went for his legs, hitting him constantly each time.


    Yanin had lifted his hammer, trying to take the force of the hits, his body swaying slightly side to side from Anna''s punches.


    He then swung it on the floor, hitting the ground but managed to hit nothing but just destroy rows of houses in one direction.


    "Yanin!" Rayna shouted as she had gathered strength once again and used this distraction to her advantage, throwing out her spear and hitting him right in the stomach.


    His legs felt weak, and using this moment, Anna hade from above and mmed him with two fists above his head, sending him buckling to the ground.


    "You are not wee in my town; you will be a warning to Sha Mo, that he should have never underestimated us!"


    Lifting up the spear, the top of it bashed onto the top of Yanin''s head again, hitting it into the ground.


    This only further angered him, and the Qi around his body started to growrger andrger.


    When Anna came back to attack and delivered a strong hit on his shoulder, he no longer stumbled to the side. She quickly moved, trying to make another hit, but the red glow in her armor was starting to fade.


    While Anna''s power was getting weaker, Yanin''s power was growing stronger.


    "A mere alchemist, the daughter of a declining n, and a stranger, will not bring me down!" Yanin yelled, standing on his feet; his strong Qi aura pushed Anna away, her energy fading, and Rayna blocked herself while focusing to try not to get consumed by the rampant Qi.


    It was the most Qi she had felt in a battle. He had been fighting for a while, injured by all of their attacks including the Dark Magus''s, yet he still had this much Qi.


    However, as Rayna looked at Yanin, she could feel an even more fierce buildup of Qi. Looking on the floor, the dirt was moving away from her and toward Yanin, turning around, a force had been building up far stronger than she could have imagined.


    "Ten Descending Steps!" Raze had rushed forward afterpleting the build-up of the Ten Descending Steps; the Qi had umted, and the two women had done enough to buy him time to build up the steps.


    It was thergest issue with the steps, how long they took to build up. At the same time, Raze had the sword by his side, the Ghost de.


    It was glowing fiercely bright, and looked several timesrger due to the buildup of Qi, and around the guard of the sword, Dark Magic was swirling around.


    "Magic Void Pulse Formation!" Raze shouted, and dashed forward.


    He moved like a beam of light. Bursting from his feet, the bursting of magic and Qi from behind pushed him forward, and the sword had gone right through Yanin.


    Raze was now past Yanin''s body, and left behind him, there was a trail of blood on the ground. Following the trail of blood on the floor, there now was an entire missing leg where Yanin stood.


    With only one leg, Yanin was in the middle of falling, and Raze wasn''t done yet.


    His sword started to wrap around, and moving in again, he swung the sword in a snake-like shape.


    "Shadow Bind Formation!"


    Visual Qi along with magic restricted his body, holding him in ce.


    However, Raze was sweating, his chest felt like it was in incredible pain. He felt like he would copse at any moment and had to switch to the Light Lux Sword in his hand.


    In the middle of switching, he fell to his knees.


    ''Not enough¡­ not yet,'' Raze thought.


    Lifting his head though, he could see that Rayna had run up one of the buildings on the side, she jumped in the air, and started to spin her spear in the air rapidly.


    The Qi was flowing through her entire body, and she swung it down, hitting the end right on top of Yanin''s head.


    A loud bang like explosion went off; wind from the attack blew several of the roofs nearby, and at the same time, Yanin''s body was swaying, until he fell to the ground.


    Yanin, one of the pirs of the Behemoth n, had been defeated by three individuals the world had yet to really know of.


    At the same time, one of the small circling tes had seen everything. It had witnessed everything that had been used including the non-Pagna techniques, as well as a person that didn''t even seem like they were from this world.


    What was he to do now, how would he report this, how would anyone believe the words he wrote down without having witnessed it himself?


    He was stuck in a situation he never believed he would be, and now what was to be the result of Yanin¡­ why did Raze want him alive?


    After allowing the sword to do a little bit of its work, Raze had to dig the sword into the ground to help lift himself up.


    He had pushed himself beyond what he had expected, even using the strongest moves. The enemies were bing more difficult to deal with, and perhaps if he didn''t have the Lux and Ghost swords, this fight would have been a loss.


    Walking over, he looked at Anna, who had copsed along with Rayna, both of them somewhat lying on the floor with their upper bodies leaning up, looking at Yanin.


    "You two did well; you helped me out more than you think," Raze said.


    "You were the one that made our job harder by telling us to keep him alive, so now do what you need to do," Anna said.


    Thinking that he would absorb him, however, Raze instead pulled out a piece of chalk and started to draw a magic circle underneath his body.


    "This man will be the catalyst for my first experiment!" Raze said with a deep smile.

 Chapter 597 A New Creation

    <h4>Chapter 597 A New Creation</h4>


    Raze had finished drawing therge magical circle under the body of Yanin. Both Rayna and Anna were confused. They had assumed the reason he wanted to keep him alive was so he could absorb him with the infamous extraction technique, yet now he was doing something odd.


    Due to the situation as well, Raze had stopped worrying about hiding his magic from the others. The strength of the enemy was too much to worry about them, and his strength was growing at a rate now where he felt like he could deal with the situation as it came.


    The only issue was using magic, even creating magical items and the chance of a dimension break happening. Yet Raze also predicted that it was nothing he had to worry about.


    There were two reasons for this. The first was the fact that there was already a dimension nearby the town. From the knowledge he had gathered, never had there been a case where a dimension was at least 5 kilometers within each other. Perhaps because there was already a dimension from another world opening to this one, it was unaffected. Then there was a second reason why he was so confident.


    During his battle against Yanin, he didn''t hold back in using his magical powers, but now there should have already been a situation where a portal would have opened if that was the case.


    After finishing drawing the magic circle around therge Yanin, Raze continued drawing more circles and arger one in the formation. It was a good thing they were doing this in the street and that there was no one nearby due to the size of all the drawings he needed to make.


    In the bigger circle, there were two more circles that had been drawn with patterns on the inside, one with Yanin''s body inside it. Then Raze pulled out a power stone cing it in another one of the smaller circles within the bigger circle.


    Finally, Raze had also brought out arge ck shield and ced it in one of the circles.


    "That shield, I recognize it along with the high-level power stone as well!" Rayna thought. "When we were in the Lethal Bite n''s base, the Crimson Crane, that man with the shield, Tilon, they had given him the materials and shield for him to work on."


    Dreaded thoughts started to fill Rayna''s mind, but it still seemed impossible. Raze was the Dark Magus, an Alchemist that created Qi pills.


    It was only recently she found out that he also created weapons and that was what the Crimson Crane were after him for as well.


    What was all the setup for? Was she about to witness how the Dark Magus created his weapons and if so why was there a need for a life?


    Getting to the edge of the magic circle, Raze ced the Lux Sword away, having recovered a small amount of his mana, but it would be enough for what he needed to do.


    cing his hands on the floor, Dark Magic started to linger out, and therge magic circle lit up. It started from the very edge.


    When the edge lit up, the circles in the center started to light up as well around the items ced on the floor, including Yanin.


    ''The book, in Alterian, it has given a way, a way for one to increase the enchantment of magical items!'' Raze thought.


    ''In a traditional sense, the power stone, the item itself, and the magic used, these are the three limitations of the weapon one can produce.''


    ''Using Dark Magic transcends these limitations, but ites at a cost of the item being cursed, but in that book, there was another method.''


    ''A way to increase the enchantment rank of a weapon was to add another variable into the mix, and that was, of a strong life force!''


    This was the reason why Raze wanted to keep Yanin alive. A strong middle-stage warrior, surely the Qi in his body would be enough to strengthen the weapon.


    The reason he had never thought of such a method was because it was inhuman in a way. His experiments were going through the knowledge of other magical attributes.


    Having forgotten that the Dark Magic was based around death in the first ce. However, one needed to know a lot more than just the magic circle that was needed for such a thing, or a strong life force.


    There was also a specific technique that needed to be done in order to extract the life force and use it in the weapon creation process.


    As the magic circle lit up, Rayna and Anna noticed that Yanin''srge body was starting to shrivel up. Therge size was getting small, the skin sagging while getting tighter as well.


    "This, it looks just like the extraction technique!" Rayna said.


    When Raze had read through the book he had thought the same, and that was when he started toe up with a theory.


    Why was there a rtion between the Dark Magic founder and the Demonic Faction? How did the twoe to meet?


    At the same time, why could Raze perform the extraction technique faster than any of the other warriors or those from the Demonic Faction? How did the twoe to meet?


    At the same time, why could Raze perform the extraction the Demonic Faction?


    Was it because he was talented in Pagna martial arts? That was unlikely; all of his skills in martial arts came from his knowledge and control in magic. The simrities between them.


    That was when it clicked to him, the extraction technique that was known to be a warrior technique, what if it wasn''t a warrior technique.


    What if it was a magic technique instead? Taking one''s life force and adding it to your own, it sounded a lot like the Dark Magic Raze knew.


    And now, there was an enchanting technique that also required one to take the power from one person and add it to the item.


    The answer was, the extraction technique was originally created by those that practiced Dark Magic, and its main use was for this moment, to create powerful Enchanted Weapons.


    Yanin''s life was no more, and the crystal had disappeared, therge ck shield was now illuminating and pulsating with power.


    "What¡­ has he created?" Rayna said with her mouth wide open.

 Chapter 598 Finally, I Get What I Want

    Chapter 598 Finally, I Get What I Want


    ??The shield was pulsating with power. The crystal was gone, and the life force of Yanin was no longer. Everyone who was still fighting on the battlefield had no idea that one of the pirs had been defeated and not only defeated but was used as an ingredient when creating a weapon.


    However, there was one of the small circle objects that was still observing everything, that had witnessed everything. Bubble was in the safety of his own tower, covered in sweat.


    ''This whole situation, it''s unexinable to the people of Pagna. One of the pirs of the Demonic Faction turned into a weapon. People will never believe this¡­ and what about the weapon itself? If a life force like Yanin was used in it, just how strong will it be?''


    Looking at the shield itself and approaching it, Raze had arge smile on his face. He had used some of his final bits of magic to reveal what effects and state the shield was in, and he could safely say the whole thing was a sess.


    ''This is a much better result,'' Raze thought. ''I could have extracted the energy of Yanin and added it to my own, but I know that a small percentage of power from warriors is actually absorbed into my dantian.


    ''It takes a lot to increase each of the stages. Not only that, but great enchanted items can be a sure way to win a fight.''


    Raze was thinking about the Lux Sword along with the zer. These two items alone had increased his power several-fold, and there was one more reason for creating powerful items.


    ''Items can be handed to anyone to increase one''s power. It can fill the gap and the difference between people''s strength. With this, if I give it to those I can trust, then only more power will grow.''


    Grabbing onto the shield, Raze could feel in that moment he was quite weak. He had been fighting a tough fight, had used the Qi pills and expanded next to all of his mana.


    "This shield, is it for¡­ the Crimson Crane?" Rayna asked.


    "Yes, you remember the man, dressed in ck, the bulky square-shaped man. This is for him," Raze answered.


    "We need to deliver it to him as soon as possible, right?" Anna said. "Right now, there is still another one of the two Pirs that they are fighting against. I can tell that you no longer have the strength to fight against him."


    The thing was, it was the same for Rayna and Anna as well. The two of them had expanded all of their energy as well.


    "Deliver this to him," Raze said. "This should be enough to get them to victory, but we are still in a war; there is more that we need to do."


    Just as Raze said that, a group of Behemoth n warriors were running through the street with weapons in hand.


    They were yelling at the top of their lungs. When they came close, Rayna was able to tighten her grip on her spear and swung it, whacking one in the face.


    Anna charged forward and flipped them over her, sending them into the air and crashing back down onto the ground.


    "Right," Anna said. "There is more than just the Pirs to worry about¡­ is there a solution to this?"


    "Let''s head to the main battlefield and make sure they get their shield first," Raze answered.


    On the battlefield itself, the Crimson Crane had grouped up with the citizens that had been willing to fight. They were fighting together in groups of around thirty against the Behemoth n.


    They found this was the best way for them to instruct who to go for, and the Crimson Crane could just injure rather than defeat members themselves and leave the rest for the others to pick off.


    It was the best strategy they coulde up with; however, it also meant that they were unable to help Alba and Tilon.


    Tilon had been hit into the air, his shield that he was usingpletely shattered. Whennding on the floor, he didn''t get much time to rest either as Behemoth n members had jumped on him.


    With hisrge fists, he grabbed them by the head, smashing them into one another and continued to fight, but how could he help Alba now?


    Without him, surely she would be struggling, and he was right. Polter was wildly swinging his arms, hitting Alba, with each hit and block, it almost felt like it was getting faster.


    Polter was using Alba''s great swordsmanship against her. Her blocking the attacks, his sword felt like it was rebounding, and the momentum of the swing was building up until Polter had reached an incredible speed.


    Alba was already covered in cuts from head to toe, on the floor a trail of her own blood left behind from the marks on her body.


    Her arms were incredibly numb and heavy, ready to drop down at any moment, but the second she dropped them, her body would be sliced in half.


    "I can''t¡­ I can''t hold on anymore!"


    Through the crowd of people, Tilon could see Alba suffering from a bombardment of hits.


    "I am the shield of the Crimson Crane, I need to help her, I need to!" Tilon pushed one of the Behemoth n members to the floor, and right in front of him, Rayna had dropped down.


    "If you''re going to help her, then it''s best you take this!" Rayna said.


    Arge ck shield shaped like a giant V. On the outer edge, it was glowing oddly white, as if there was a power source on the shield itself.


    Then, on the outer marking of the shield itselfrgely engraved there was the marking of DM.


    "This is¡­ is this it¡­ is this finally it, is this the shield made by the Dark Magus!" Tilon said.


    "Just take the shield already," Rayna threw it in the air, and Tilon grabbed it on the other end. It was light, incredibly light to him.


    "Save your leader, do it now!" Rayna shouted. "And make the Behemoth n regret they ever came here!"

 Chapter 599 The Best Creation Of The Dark Magus

    Chapter 599 The Best Creation Of The Dark Magus


    ??Listening to Rayna''s words, Tilon needed to snap out of his daze. For a long time, he had been longing for a great shield made by the Dark Magus.


    Especially after seeing the great effects Reno and Kizer had with their weapons. If anything, he was getting annoyed with them being rubbed in his face every day.


    The anticipation was building in him, and now finally, he held the shield in his hands, but it needed to be used almost instantly.


    Tilon looked toward Alba. "Great Shield, right now I need your help more than anything!"


    Firmly Tilon held onto the shield, and used one of his well-known defensive techniques. He charged forward, driving his leg into the ground with it pointed in front of him.


    The pointed edge of the bottom of the V-shaped shield ripped through the ground with each step he took. The Behemoth n members, seeing this, went to strike the shield.


    They used their techniques, the Qi in their bodies, and hit the shield from the edge, but it did nothing. The shield felt just as light as if nothing was even attacking it from the other side.


    If anything, with each hit, it felt like Tilon was getting re-energized. All of the energy, all of the injuries and aches and pains he had, they were getting better.


    He had failed to notice it because he was on a one-track mind toe right to Alba''s side.


    Arge swing from Polter was made, and at that moment, Alba felt like she couldn''t lift her hands. They had given up on her, all of her energy was spent.


    When it was swung, she expected to no longer see life in her eyes, instead she had an almightyrge ng, in her right ear.


    "Tilon!" Alba said, she was surprised but didn''t even have the energy to really shout out his name.


    "I''m the shield of the Crimson Crane, so my duty is to protect you, at all costs," Tilon said with a smile.


    The hit had beenpletely blocked, but not just that, just like earlier despite the person attacking it on the other end being a powerful middle stage warrior, Tilon didn''t budge at all.


    It was almost as if the attack felt weightless.


    "You again, you''re back!" Polter noticed. He could tell he had a new shield but assumed it was just something that had been picked up.


    At that point, Polter started to swing his curved weapon constantly at Tilon this time just like he had done Alba.


    Since Alba looked like she couldn''t move anyway, Tilon would have to stay where he was if he wanted to protect her.


    Yet each time the attack was blocked by the shield. Tilon was moving it left and right with ease, and blocking each of the attacks.


    His body wasn''t swinging side to side, nor did Tilon have the appearance of difort on his face as he blocked each hit, and unlike before when taking the hits, he realized the strength that was building up within him.


    ''The shield it''s still so light, it''s as light as moving a piece of paper!'' Tilon thought while continuing to block every one of the attacks.


    ''Even when I get hit, the attacks aren''t pushing me back, it''s almost as if all the energy is taken away by the shield, but is that possible, is it possible for such a thing to exist?''


    ''And people might call me crazy if I think like this, but with every hit that I''m blocking, my energy is rising, in fact, my body feels like it''spletely healed now, maybe I have even more Qi flowing through me than before.''


    Just like the other Cursed Shields that Raze had created, this shield had the same effect. It was able to give energy to the user that was holding onto the shield.


    Tilon didn''t notice it before with the other attackers from the Behemoth n because he was far too distracted.


    Also, he was noticing it now because the strikes from Polter were far stronger than the others, he could notice a significant increase to his strength.


    As for another effect that was gained by the shield, it had a weightless effect.


    When one was using the shield it would be weightless allowing a person to move just like they could their own arm.


    This was why Tilon was able to easily block the hits. Of course, this also meant that it still relied on Tilon''s speed.


    If someone was faster than him, and didn''t block an attack he would still get hurt, but Tilon was used to lugging around a heavy shield all the time.


    A shield user to protect all of the others, he was faster than people gave him credit for and people were just realizing that now.


    On top of that, the weightless effect of the shield was permanent. It meant even when being attacked, taking hits, and so on it would always be weightless.


    Large scale attacks would be nothing, the weight of one''s hit, the force of one''s Qi, wouldn''t be transferred to the user.


    It was an odd thing to see because now Tilon was like that of a solid rock as he blocked each hit and with his energying back he was moving it even faster and faster.


    "Is this all you''re going to do, is that it!" Polter shouted annoyed. He was a little fearful.


    None of his attacks were getting through and he was starting to imagine just how strong this person might have been. It was quite possible due to the fight he had a breakthrough.


    Still, Polter was right, just defending and blocking was what could Tilon do, how could he win a fight. His attacks wouldn''t be strong enough to damage one of the pirs, Alba''s wasn''t either.


    "Tilon!" Rayna shouted after getting through and defeating a few more of the Behemoth n members. "I have a message for you, from the Dark Magus, listen carefully because right now, I''m going to tell you everything your shield can do."


    "That item is more special than you realize!" Rayna shouted.


    The item created by Raze this time, it wasn''t at the Mythical level.


    [Legendary Ranked Cursed Shield]

 Chapter 600 The Legendary Tiers Power

    Chapter 600 The Legendary Tier''s Power


    ??A message was being passed on from the Dark Magus Raze to Tilon through Rayna. Needing to sort out another problem, Raze had left things in her hands, and he made sure to tell her clearly what the shield could do.


    For this shield was the greatest creation of the Dark Magus yet. There were three tiers of items that Alter had considered worthy of their time and resources to gather and get.


    At the lowest of the three, there was the Mythical Rank; these ranked items were such things as the Earring and the Statue that Raze had created. Both of them were items that needed to be unsealed.


    This time though, Raze hadn''t created a sealed item; with the use of a powerful enemy, he had managed to create a Legendary ranked item, just underneath the God tier, and it had the powers to go with it as well.


    "Listen up, and listen well!" Rayna said, shouting as she continued to fight. She was weaker than usual so she was struggling a bit but carried on swinging her spear as she exined things.


    "The first thing...


    The first effects of the shield that she had exined to Tilon was what he had already figured out himself. The weightlessness of the shield including the increased power one would get for attacks that were blocked.


    What was also exined though, like that of the Lux Sword, the power wouldn''t just restore one''s Qi, but also heal the user using it as long as they continued to block the attacks.


    This was something that Tilon was unaware of, but then came the next set of exnations about what the shield was able to do.


    "Now that you understand this, I''ll exin how the rest of the shield works for you!" Rayna shouted.


    She didn''t mind if others heard because none of them would believe a word that was being said, even Polter that was attacking didn''t believe that all of this could be the work of one item.


    The only person that would believe it was the creator and the one using it right now.


    "The basis of the shield is the energy that''s stored in it from blocking attacks. Once the energy has been given to you as much as possible, as attacks continue to hit, it will continue to store more energy in the shield itself!"


    Tilon had already gone beyond the point where he was getting effects from the shield but was still blocking Polter''s attacks.


    If anything Tilon was confident and started to move forward while blocking attacks, aiming to get him away from Alba.


    "First, if the shield is mmed into the ground, a mass amount of energy wille out equivalent to what is stored, this will block attacks the moment it touches the ground at a far bigger range!"


    Right now, knowing this was useless, there was no way for Tilon to use it, and the attack range of the person in front of him was direct.


    It would be handy if they needed to block a bigger attack or multiple attacks at once; it still wasn''t a way for Tilon to use it.


    "While the shield is in its upright position, this is its storing mode, as it blocks attacks, mming it releases the energy.


    "However, if you turn the shield with its pointed end facing upwards, then it will reflect attacks used on it!"


    Hearing this, Tilon didn''t waste any time, knowing how strong the effects were he was putting his trust in the Dark Magus.


    Turning his shield around he blocked an attack, and right as Polter''s curved de touched it, he felt hisrge hand immediately get flung back.


    Not only did it get flung back but a mass amount of Qi had hurt him, he could feel pain on his hand, on his fingertips.


    ''What that woman is telling him¡­ is it true, was it really able to deflect¡­ my attack!'' Polter started to think.


    What if everything she was saying was true.


    "No energy needs to be stored to use the shield this way!" Rayna continued; she wanted to say something else, but she thought it was best to leave it till the end.


    "Lastly, there is one more thing the shield is able to do. If the shield is thrown, all the energy stored in it will be unleashed, and the edge of the shield will be as sharp as a sword!


    "No matter where the shield is thrown, it will alwayse back to its user!"


    Tilon had ced the shield back in the upright position and blocked another hit from Polter.


    A shield being used as an attack weapon, he had thought of barging and shoving the shield into opponent''s faces before but throwing it was unheard of.


    He was a bit uneasy; after all, throwing this great shield, it could also mean losing it.


    ''I need to believe in the Dark Magus, he wouldn''t lie and say such a thing to me!'' Tilon thought as he took the shield and hurled it.


    The edge of the shield was glowing pulsating with all the power that had gathered blocking Polter''s attacks.


    Seeing the shielding at him, Polter swung his curved de right at the shield but the pulsating edge had cut right through the sword.


    It went through it with next to no resistance at all; as it went forward it sliced right through Polter''s neck, his head started to fall to the side.


    Then, the shield changed direction and hade right toward where Tilon was standing. The shield ripped through the man''s chest and came right back to Tilon''s hand soaked in blood.


    Alba, with one of her eyes left open, she saw it, she managed to see everything.


    ''Even if the whole Crimson Crane were to go up against Polter, we would have lost, but with that one item, Tilon managed to defeat himpletely on his own, and with ease.''


    ''How could such an item exist¡­ right now, with that shield, it might be no exaggeration to say he''s the strongest member in the Crimson Crane.''


    Then another idea came into her head, wouldn''t it then be the creator of such a shield would be the strongest, and where exactly was the Dark Magus?


    Not only that, but Rayna had one more thing to tell Tilon.


    "That shield¡­ is also Cursed¡­"

 Chapter 601 Getting Rid Of 1000

    Chapter 601 Getting Rid Of 1000


    ??When seeing Tilon use the shield, there was a churning feeling inside of Rayna. She had mentioned all of the details that Raze had given him, telling him how to use the shield, yet she perhaps hadn''t mentioned one of the most important things.


    Due to the situation, and the fight at hand, Rayna thought if they didn''t use the shield, then they might have lost this fight against Polter.


    Raze could no longer fight, Alba was down for the count, and even if they all teamed up with their limited strength, it was unlikely they could take on Polter.


    So due to the situation, she had exined how to use the shield but didn''t exin the downside to the shield as well.


    "There''s one more thing I need to tell you." Rayna said as she rushed over; she looked at Polter on the ground confirming his death.


    The Behemoth n were hesitant to attack; now they had witnessed one of their strongest members to fall, and the vigor that was still on Tilon''s face.


    Tilon''s face was so joyous that he hadn''t even heard the words that Rayna had spoken before, iming that the item was cursed.


    He was over the moon of the new weapon that was in his hand.


    "Thest thing the Dark Magus wanted me to inform you of is the effects of using the shield; there are two things that you need to note." Rayna continued. "The first, if the shield is ever destroyed in battle, then it will kill the user."


    The smile was frozen on Tilon''s face just then. His head slowly turning to look at Rayna.


    "This shield¡­ if it''s destroyed, I''ll die, did you say?" Tilon asked again, to which Rayna nodded.


    The shield he had been using to stop every one of Polter''s attacks; if any one of them had destroyed it, he would have died.


    He started to think; if he was aware of such a thing, would he have used it willingly to block all the hits he had.


    It was almost as if one was using their own heart in a battle, blocking each strike hoping that it wouldn''t break. Sure, the shield was strong but nothing was unbreakable.


    "I¡­ can''t use this shield¡­ if I know that, how will I be able to use this shield now!" Tilon dreaded.


    "I believe the shield is strong." Rayna quickly answered. "You saw how it blocked all of the attacks before, so it will not be broken easily."


    This didn''t seem to inspire Tilon regardless of this fact. Knowing his life was on the line with the shield, he would be reluctant to use it.


    "There is one more thing as well; if the shield is not used inbat, it means that it will no longer store any energy, if that happens, within 24 hours of non-use, the shield will destroy itself."


    The strong energy that Tilon could feel, it had disappeared almost straight from his body. He felt light-headed and nearly fell to his knees, but his shield stuck in the ground and he was now leaning on it.


    "This thing¡­ if I don''t use it, it will just be gone¡­ does that also mean, if it''s destroyed this way, I will die as well." Tilon looked at Rayna hoping she wouldn''t move her head the way she had done, yet she still nodded it up and down.


    "Nooo!" Tilon screamed, falling to his knees. Wondering if having such an item was worth it, and regardless he had no choice now, he had to take the shield.


    Alba, who had overheard everything, made note of this. Many of the Dark Magus''s items were incredibly strong, but all of them had negative effects as well.


    Still, it was often like this in life; the items were still too good to give up. Especially if it gave Tilon such tremendous power like she had seen.


    Now, it was Tilon''s fate as he was stuck with the shield.


    "Don''t be so beat up." Alba said. "Even if you knew everything about the shield, tell me, would you still not have epted it? Think how much power it managed to grant you in the end."


    Thinking about it, the surge of power that Tilon had felt was amazing, and never in a hundred years did he think he would have the strength to defeat Polter on his own like he had done just today.


    Weighing up the pros and cons, he looked at his shield. "I guess the two of us are connected right now then."


    "Kill him!" one of the Behemoth n members shouted. "You heard what they said, destroy the shield and he loses his life, kill him."


    The short stoppage of the fighting was starting to ramp up. Even with the pir defeated, the Behemoth n were still high in numbers while the others looked defeated.


    "We need to regroup with the others and figure out what to do? We knew what the Demonic Faction is like even with taking out their lead ofmand, they will keep fighting." Alba ordered.


    Tilon grabbed Alba, lifting her over his shoulder, and ran through the crowd of attackers along with Rayna; he continued to use his shield to effortlessly block the attacks.


    As they were running back to the edge of the town, they were starting to realize just how many members were still remaining.


    "How are we going to get rid of them all?" Tilon said, even with his new shield.


    "We need to trust in Raze." Rayna answered; he said he would handle this, that''s why he isn''t here.


    When getting to the edge of the town, that''s when they could see it, Raze was standing on one of the rooftops, looking at the fighting happening in the town slightly behind him, and the main bulk of the attacking force in front of him as well.


    "To get rid of this many, there is only one thing I can do." Raze said as he pulled out a Qi pill, this time it was the Cursed Qi pill.


    Consuming it, he felt the energy restoring within him. It wasing back; when all the energy came back to him.


    Raze pulled out the Ghost de. The Dark Magic that surrounded it was forming a mist-like aura.


    At that point, Raze then stabbed the sword into the rooftop, and the ck mist started to spread out in all directions around them.


    A heavy mist was filling the entire battlefield, and soon parts of that mist started to form up. From the Dark Magic, creatures were being made.


    Other human figures holding onto swords in their hands were appearing in front of the army.


    "Third formation of the Dark Edge Magic Sword Arts, the Nightmare Veil Formation¡­"


    It was the same formation he had used when fighting the Lethal Bite n, only this time it was extended into a far bigger range.


    It wasn''t quite used in the same way, as swings of the sword would be the attacks of ferocious beasts and more. There was a lot more magic used in this attack; all the magic Raze could muster, it didn''t matter though because this was how he was going to end the fight.


    Lifting up his sword, he pointed out. "Attack."

 Chapter 602 What To Tell The World?

    Chapter 602 What To Tell The World?


    ??As soon as Raze said the word "Attack," the creatures made from his dark magic all started to move. With no real form but fighting figures, the Behemoth n members were confused about what to do.


    Some tried to attack the strange presence, their weapons going through them. Others attempted to ignore them but ended up getting hurt.


    After these strange creatures would get hit by the sword, the Dark Magic within them would practically explode, hurting several of them in the area.


    Seeing this, the n members were at a loss of what to do.


    The army felt like they were fighting against ghosts, yet those entities could certainly do them harm while they were unable to do anything else.


    Seeing all of the creations, the Crimson Crane members were left there, amazed. It was the first time they had seen one person doing so much in a grand battle.


    "The powers the Dark Magus has been showing us, they seem to just keep growing day by day," Reno imed.


    "I guess it wasn''t just me that thought that then. He is far stronger than when we first met him, and those strange powers he had like that of the Light Faction Elder¡­ they''re growing as well," Kizermented.


    The real thought on the Crimson Crane''s mind was just how could this even be possible. Even the most talented individuals in the world of Pagna never showed this much growth.


    "What are you all doing!" Alba shouted. "We know the effects of the pill he has just taken; this is our chance now¡­ this is our chance to strike back and send them away!"


    The Crimson Crane members smiled as they heard this; it was time to give them payback while they were distracted with what was going on.


    They did what they could, hurting the Behemoth n members, and the few eighty or so brave warriors from the city that were still alive even managed to catch Pagna warriors off guard with their attacks.


    Raze, who was on top of the rooftop, picked up his sword and swung it several times, creating images of more deadly creatures appearing.


    Mainly dark wolves woulde off from his swing and hit certain areas, hurting multiple of the men. With everything that was happening, something natural had urred with them all.


    It was fear. With the pirs gone and the great attack from this individual they didn''t understand, the thought was creeping into their minds.


    Over half of them had already been defeated, and if this continued, all of them could very well die.


    It was an umon feeling for those in the Demonic Faction, in the Behemoth n. But at times, charging in knowing that one would die in war, with that resolve, was fine, because they knew what they were expecting.


    Now, they were experiencing the fear of the unknown, and bit by bit, more and more from the Behemoth n started to retreat, until the full force was seen running away.


    "The Behemoth n¡­ they''re no longer attacking, they''re retreating!" One of the warriors said, lifting his sword, blood marks on his clothes and a grave wound on the top of his head, but he didn''t care.


    The people behind him had tears of joy as the sight unfolded in front of them.


    "We did it, we defeated the Behemoth n, we did it!" They continued to cheer loudly.


    "No, it wasn''t just us, the Crimson Crane and the Dark Magus, it was because of them two that we did it, that we protected everyone!"


    Huge cheers that shook the entire town were heard, chanting the Crimson Crane and the Dark Magus''s names, echoing until the public and the town hall could hear what was going on.


    Coming out from their hiding spots,ing out from the town hall, in the distance, they could see the smiles of the men that had fought hard.


    ---


    There was also one person who had just witnessed everything, every fiber in his body was shaking after all that he had seen in the battle.


    "Quickly!" Bubble shouted. "Get me sheets of paper and plenty of ink; I have to write down everything that I saw!"


    Like a madman, Bubble started to write the events, every detail of what he had seen, including the great shield, pills, magical powers, and more.


    The issue was, the more he was writing it down, the more far-


    fetched everything sounded. It was as if he was writing some type of fantasy novel, exaggerating the truth.


    The people, they would never believe the words that were written here, and they would think of it as an exaggeration. It would hit his reputation as a valid news outlet.


    Taking a deep breath, in the end, he had to make a decision, to report the matter in a way that the people could take in, that the people could understand, and report on the facts of what had urred that day.


    The Dark Magus can create not just Qi pills but items as well.


    The people in Flendon took up arms, and thanks to the Qi pills and support of the Crimson Crane, they managed to fight back against the Behemoth n.


    An army of a thousand strong including the two pirs of the Behemoth n had invaded, and it all failed because of a single individual.


    It all failed because everyone had underestimated the strength of the Dark Magus.


    The Behemoth n had not only lost a battle but had also lost two of the strongest members of the n.


    There was so much more that Bubble wanted to report, but the world wasn''t ready for it yet. As more people got information bit by bit, then Bubble could start informing everyone of what was happening.


    Even now, he was looking at the equipment that he was using.


    "There is still a lot that this world knows nothing about¡­ and I will reveal everything out there to everyone," Bubble imed. "Release the report!"


    ---


    The news from Bubble''s outlets reached every faction, every inch of the content, as people spread the news of what had urred.


    There was infighting in the Demonic Faction, and out of that infighting, an incredibly strong figure had appeared.


    One of those that had read the report had the biggest smile on his face. In the depths of his n''s base, Belil had a wide grin on his face.


    "Haha, Sha Mo had sent more people than I thought he would¡­ honestly, if I knew what was going to happen, I would have sent one of my sons to protect them!" Belil imed.


    "Yet, despite that, his two pirs were killed, and we all know what will happen once the pirs are destroyed, the whole thing wille crashing down with just a little push."


    "Both Rayna and the Dark Magus have done splendidly. I should reward them for everything that has urred!" Laughter continued from Belil as he wondered just how would Sha Mo react to all of this now.


    What would be of the Behemoth n? Regardless, all of that would have to wait because there was no more time left; the Martial Arts Tournament, where all three factions would meet, had arrived.

 Chapter 603 A New Start

    Chapter 603 A New Start


    ??After the battle with the Behemoth n was over, the town of Flendon was going through a change. For one, they were more confident about themselves. Having survived against the strongest in the Behemoth n, they no longer felt like their lives were threatened.


    Now, they were filled with energy even more so than before when the ce was in a sorry state. On top of this, a lot of the town was destroyed due to the battle Raze had with one of the pirs and the fighting that had urred on the edge of the town.


    Yet, it didn''t bother them too much anyway. For one, the houses were already a mess in the first ce, and in a lot of cases, it was going to be easier to rebuild than repair.


    With this newfound vigor, all they needed to get were supplies to work with and food. This wasn''t too much of an issue either.


    Due to the report that hade in about the Crimson Crane besting the Behemoth n, a lot of credit was put towards the Alchemist and his pills. Fixteen used this to his advantage to prop up the prices even higher.


    Using these funds, they could purchase more supplies than before, and if anything, their finances might never have to be a worry at this rate. They would soon learn that although the pills had a great effect, the battle wasn''t down to the pills.


    What had also urred were requests. Fixteen had received a number of messages from different ns asking for Raze to build them weapons as well. Some were paying quite a high amount.


    In this case, Fixteen honestly thought the ns were undervaluing the weapons'' strength with their offers. This might have been because they were unable to see the effects of the weapons themselves; most ns just wanted to test to see if they were of good quality.


    So Fixteen rejected them all, and Raze had stated that he wouldn''t be making weapons for them anyway. The weapons would be for his group and the Crimson Crane''s trump card against the other ns, while the pills would be what they would make for ie.


    Another phenomenon that had urred was ns in the area, as well as the local kingdoms, donating supplies to the town now as well.


    Just now, Fixteen had returned to the Townhall that was getting an upgrade in materials and size, and he had found several items stationed in the front, including timber and food supplies.


    "This is from the Rulga Kingdom, sir," one of the workers imed.


    "I see. We shall send them our thanks and tell the mayor to make a note of all of these gifts; I want to know who''s paying the most attention to us," Fixteen replied.


    The gifts from the kingdoms and empires were them trying to gain favor with the n. Knowing that a n now had strength to go against the Behemoth n, who wouldn''t want them on their good side?


    As for the gifts from other ns, when heading inside, Fixteen had opened up a recentrge crate; there were crafting materials as well as power stones inside, along with a little note.


    "Good job in wearing the Behemoth n; someone had to put them in their ce one day," the note read.


    Most of the messages from the ns were along these lines. It appeared that many had a dislike for the n and were just sending thanks for winning a battle against them. Typical response from those from the Demonic ns.


    Right now, the Crimson Crane was also spending time with the citizens themselves. There was an inflow of new citizens as well as old ones that had left the town before, thinking it was a safer ce to be.


    The Crimson Crane had also made sure to reward those that took part in the battle with coin and some of the treasures that they were all receiving. This just encouraged more to take up arms next time and wanderers like themselves to perhaps be hired in the future if need be for protecting the ce.


    Rather than training though, most efforts were going into rebuilding the city, making it more functional, sturdy, and easier to defendpared to before.


    "Hey, I''m a little worried with all this work we''re doing that Sha Mo is going toe and just destroy everything again," Kizer said. "Isn''t he going to be extremely pissed now that this has happened?"


    "Annoyed, yes," Reno replied as he applied some medical herbs and gave a red pill to one of the citizens who had a little ident during repairs. "However, Sha Mo won''t be able to attack."


    "Everyone in the Demonic Faction will now be concerned with one thing, and that''s the uing tournament."


    "You''re right," the citizen said, bowing to thank Reno. "A member of the Behemoth n is even taking part, and no one dares to cause trouble within the faction while at any time we could have a war with the other factions at hand."


    "Wait, if a war happens now that we''re part of the Demonic Faction, will we get dragged into this as well?" Froma asked.


    "Right, and if that does happen, then we need to be ready," Alba said. "We have seen what the Dark Magus''s weapons can do, Faction, will we get dragged into this as well?" Froma asked.


    "Right, and if that does happen, then we need to be ready," Alba but right now, we don''t even have supplies ourselves for him to create the best weapons for ourselves."


    "Once we''re done helping the citizens out, we should try to gather all the materials that are needed to create a weapon for each of us. The uing tournament will be a good time as the town will be at its safest."


    The others agreed; Alba, Froma, and Lily were the three left that didn''t have weapons from the Dark Magus yet.


    "Alba, didn''t you say something about Raze taking part in the tournament?" Lily asked. "And where even is he right now?"


    The town of Flendon had one portal; it was one of the reasons the Flesh n had stayed in such a ce and one of the ways they still managed to survive. In that very dimension filled with deep jungle and greenery, Raze was currently inside.


    He stayed there, sitting on the ground. In front of him, the body of arge beast with small limbsy dead. In his hand, Raze had a crystal that was glowing; he was absorbing its power into his magic core.


    ''I have managed to advance my Pagna body to the middle stage, but now, of all things, the knowledge that I already knew my star level has been left behind. I need to increase my star level, while also increasing the different attributes I have.''


    ''Hopefully, if Ie across different beasts, I''ll also be able to increase my attributes and gain new affinities with different types of magic, such as earth and water. It will help the town out well.''


    There was also another reason Raze was in here; flicking his hand, worn-out scrolls as well as books were ced in front of him.


    ''I will also use this time to learn as much Dark Magic as I can. I will be ready for anything that happens in this tournament, and I will make sure to bring back Safa and the others no matter what; that is the decision I have made.''

 Chapter 604 Becoming A part of the Tournament

    Chapter 604 Bing A part of the Tournament


    ??It didn''t take long for Raze to study the texts that he had received from Harvey in Alterian.


    Most of them were low star level spells that didn''t take much to grasp, at least for Raze, who had a high level of knowledge.


    Principles in the other attributes could be shared among others, and it wasn''t as if Raze was aplete beginner when it came to Dark Magic in the first ce; there just wasn''t arge amount of resources.


    Regardless, Raze was still able to learn a few new things that could be useful, and the time he had spent in the dimension wouldn''t go to waste either.


    cing all the texts away, Raze stood up, still surrounded by the greenery in the jungle.


    ''I guess it''s time for me to leave. I have gained quite a lot staying in this dimension; it has been helpful in my progress.


    ''It also has given me some time to figure a few things out as well. This break is just what I needed.''


    Raze hadn''t just been studying texts but also thinking a lot about everything connected¡ªAlter, the Bonum Society, the Pagna warriors, Alterian, and all of it, including the Dark Faction founder that had a deep connection to it all.


    ''Killing the beasts in this ce slowly after some time doesn''t seem to summon the dimension boss, so I''ve been in here for a few days.''


    ''That Martial Arts Tournament that Alba kept talking about, it should be starting soon¡­ I should be ready.''


    Thinking this, Raze was walking through the dense jungle, looking for the area he had entered from to also exit from as well.


    Many beasts in the jungle had seen him,rge and small in size, and each one of them had decided to scurry deeper into the jungle, avoiding him.


    Nearly all of them had seen what he had done; they could feel the presence of death on him and wouldn''t dare get closer.


    Eventually reaching the portal, Raze took a step forward and had left the dimension. In the dimension itself, it was as if signs of life had begun again.


    The beasts, the animals, and even the bugs all scurried out, doing as they usually would. It was as if they were holding their breath, and a sigh of relief had ovee them.


    If Raze was to take a guess, he would assume that he had been gone a week. It was hard to tell when one was in other dimensions, different worlds that had different cycles.


    Sometimes one would never even see the sun, or theplete opposite, and never see the sky.


    Regardless, when returning to the town, aplete transformation had taken ce.


    ''Am I in the right ce?'' Raze asked himself.


    Stood at the edge of the town, the buildings were made out of fresh timber with a nice coat of paint on the outside.


    The structures stood straight, and there was even cobblestone on the ground, ttened to make it easier for carts to travel.


    The city''syout was improved with a stable for horses, a docking station for carts, even though it was practically empty right now.


    The town looked better than even Repton, the ce known as the capital city of the Demonic Faction. This was because the world of Pagna had discovered new ways and techniques to build.


    There was next to no cost ofbor as the townsfolk and the Crimson Crane had been working on their own just to improve the ce.


    On top of that, a lot of materials had been given to them as gifts from the ns nearby and far.


    All of this transformation had urred while Raze was away, and Pagna warriors could do physicalbor ten times as fast as a normal man and for ten times as long as well.


    It was almost as if Raze had gone through a portal and was now in a new age, just like the first time when he hade to Pagna.


    The reason why he knew he was in the right ce was because of the townsfolk. They waved and said hello as they recognized him, and Raze himself recognized the river that was still empty.


    Not seeing anyone, he had decided to head to the town hall, assuming everyone would be there, and he was in for another surprise.


    The town hall was already arge building; it was now twice the size with a big clock in the center telling the time of day.


    ''Did they spend everything?'' Raze asked himself, already feeling quite tired. Perhaps as soon as he was back, he would have to start making more pills just so they had some sort of finances.


    "I might need to have a word with Fixteen," Raze mumbled to himself as he walked through the doors.


    Thankfully, the inside wasn''t asvish as the outside, but he could tell they were in the middle of decorations.


    The thought that they might have just run out of money and were waiting for him wanted Raze to turn around.


    ''I have no use for my funds anyway...I guess it''s good that other people are going to get to use it.''


    Going through several of the rooms, Raze had finally arrived at arge meeting room with a giant square table and several seats stationed around it.


    Rayna, Fixteen, the mayor, and the entirety of the Crimson Crane were inside. Their heads turned, and upon looking at Raze, they were all pleasantly surprised.


    "You''re finally back and just in time!" Alba said, gesturing him over.


    "Just in time for what?" Raze asked, cautious that they were going to ask him for more pills.


    "We''re talking about the Martial Arts Tournament; it''s in two days'' time, that''s when everyone will be in the mood for the big day," Fixteen exined.


    "We''re assuming you still wanted to take part."


    Raze gave a firm nod in response.


    "I''ve been preparing myself for anything that could possibly happen; I even stopped by in the city at theke."


    Fixteen was curious what Raze meant; why would he stop by theke? Regardless, he felt like his matter was more pressing.


    "Right, so I don''t think any of the Demonic Faction will have a problem with you taking part in the tournament; you are the right age after all, and we have established ourselves as part of the Demonic Faction now," Fixteen exined.


    "However, the issue at hand is that all of the participants for the Demonic Faction have already been selected. The only way we can participate is if one of the participants is unable to turn up. Which was why I was considering challenging the participants to a duel."


    Things like this also urred in Alterian from time to time among students, and he had heard of duels taking ce.


    "You know the Behemoth n have someone participating; you could go against them," Reno suggested.


    "I don''t think they would ept a duel and might just start a war just from us asking. If you want to throw the whole Demonic Faction into chaos, then go ahead," Alba stated.


    "Actually, we have someone who will be best for us, even if they try to resist: someone from the Necroshade n."


    Raze was scratching his head because he was sure he had heard that n name from somewhere before, but from where, and why would he know one of the Demonic n''s names?

 Chapter 605 The Necroshade Clan

    Chapter 605 The Necroshade n


    ??No matter how hard Raze tried to think, he couldn''t remember the name Necroshade or the n itself. Most likely, it was perhaps a name that he had just heard in passing.


    "If I can''t remember much about them, then it can''t be too important, but it''s still a n at the end of the day."


    "So you''ve decided to go with the easiest option, that''s a bit boring if you ask me," Kizermented.


    "Easy option is chosen because we need to figure out what''s best for Raze, the people, and the entire n," Fixteen added.


    "Wait a second, are Rayna and Fixteen now part of the n?" Lily asked, suddenly realizing. "I mean, if Raze is part of the n, and Rayna is now his wife, and these two were abandoned by the Neverfall n, have they joined us?"


    "We weren''t abandoned," Fixteen quickly added. "And... for me, I wouldn''t say we are part of the n. At the moment, we both have simr interests, and that is Raze."


    "My loyalty is with Dame, the young master from the Neverfall n, who is working with the Dark Magus."


    "It''s the same for me," Rayna added. "If the n were to ask me to do something, then I wouldn''tply. Unless it was to help out with Raze, but since we are all involved in this town, our interests just cross paths."


    There felt like there was a bit of tension between groups when that was said; even Anna was standing on the side of Rayna.


    It made Alba realize something in that moment as well. There were those that were supporting the Dark Magus and Raze, and then the Crimson Crane; they weren''t onerge group.


    "Can we continue with this meeting then and exin why we are going after the Necroshade n?" Fixteen said.


    He took the silence as a yes and continued.


    "Due to the infamy of the Crimson Crane n now having reached its peak, if we send a challenge to nearly any one of the other ns, none of them are going to ept a duel; they will simply just refuse."


    "So the only option we have is to turn up to the n''s base and demand a duel to take ce. If it doesn''t work out, then we only have one choice."


    Picking up a painting brush from the table, Fixteen clenched his hand, snapping the brush and revealing its stringly fibers.


    "Did you have to break the poor brush?" Lily asked. "We understood your point already." She then let out a sigh.


    As well as all of the other members, it felt like after just getting out of one war, they were going into another. Raze also had just defeated those in the Lethal Bite n, and now they wanted them to fight again.


    "In conclusion, the Necroshade n is the weakest of all ns, so with our power, it should be a walk in the park, and I suggested that we only bring a few members; otherwise, they might think we are going to do that from the get-go."


    With all that done, four people were selected to head to the Necroshade n, and they were traveling by carriage. Inside the carriage itself were Raze, Rayna, and Anna sitting on one side.


    Fixteen actually wanted Anna to stay as she was extremely helpful in the building process; she could analyze situations, structures, and had given them advice on how to craft better materials.


    Fixteen thought of her as a genius with a giant pool of knowledge, but she insisted that no matter what, she needed to stay by Raze''s side.


    Then, opposite him, there was Alba, who had brought along Lily, one of the Crimson Crane members who had been against them getting so heavily involved with the Dark Magus.


    "I¡­" Raze spoke and then cleared his throat. "I''m starting to realize that¡­ I''m the only guy here."


    "Right, you do seem to have some type of attraction to bring a lot of females to your side," Alba chuckled.


    "I''m Raze''s wife, it only makes sense, and I''ming as a representative of the Demonic Faction and the Town of Flendon."


    "And I''m the leader of the Crimson Crane, so I had toe," Alba said as well.


    As for the other two, they really didn''t need to be there. Raze thought, judging from the information he had gathered from Fixteen, if trouble did ur, he could perhaps take care of the ce himself. At least he believed he now had the strength to.


    Approaching the town, it was more standard looking of the Demonic Faction ns they had been to.


    It was a normal city built in a square formation with high walls to make it harder for invaders to attack. The city had gates where people would enter and exit from, with the gates down 90 percent of the time.


    As for the outside walls, they could see standard guards hired from the city, and also many n members that were standing clear on the outside in cloth rather than armor, protecting the city.


    When the carriage appeared, guards had first approached the carriage.


    "We are here on Pagna warrior business; could you please inform the Necroshade n that the Crimson Crane n hase to visit."


    The guard blushed as he looked at Rayna''s pretty face and quickly went to inform the men that were part of the Necroshade n.


    "Oh, so you''re part of the Crimson Crane now when it''s convenient for you?" Albamented as she got out of the carriage along with the rest of them.


    Raze was starting to p his forehead with his hand. There was constant bickering between all of the women in the carriage on the way there, including Anna, who just seemed to want to have an argument with everyone.


    And it didn''t stop now.


    "I''m just speaking for simplicity''s sake," Rayna added. "Let''s not oveplicate the situation right now, shall we?"


    Two guards dressed in dark purple garments came over. These were the members of the Necroshade n.


    "We have been informed to turn away anyone whoes to our doors! We are not epting any visitors due to our big journey that will be taking ce tomorrow!" The man spoke in a firm voice of confidence.


    The Necroshade n were a rising n within the Demonic Faction and had gained great prestige with one of their members taking part in the martial arts tournament.


    "Did you inform them who hade to visit?" Alba said, asking again. "I''m sure if we were from the Neverfall n, Lost, or Behemoth n, your leaders would havee out here rather than giving this type of response."


    "It looks like your n name has done us no favors in the end," Rayna stated.


    "This is an important matter; can you at least inform your n master that the leader of the Crimson Crane hase here herself?" Alba said, cing her hand on her chest and was even standing in a somewhat seductive pose, revealing more of the skin on her leg toward her upper thigh.


    The man stared at it for a moment but then shook his head.


    "No matter who you are, we will not allow any warriors that aren''t from the Necroshade n to enter our doors, especially a filthy wander n that hasn''t been recognized by many of the Demonic ns," the man said once again.


    Alba was furious at this point; she was used to the Wanderer ns being brushed aside, after what they had done she thought things would be different.


    That was when, though, Raze stepped forward past them.


    "We can either do things the easy way, or you will force us to do things the hard way, and if that means fighting against your entire n, then so be it."


    Raze stomped his foot using the first descending step, and a rush of Qi flooded the man, causing him to fall onto the ground and covered in sweat.

 Chapter 606 Now I Remember You

    Chapter 606 Now I Remember You


    ??The man was swept by the intense Qi that he felt, causing him to fall over. A simple guard of the n would be in the initial stage, and he had never felt such Qi before.


    On top of that, Raze''s Qi was incredibly condensed, making a person feel it far more than they usually would. Before the Necroshade n member realized it, he waspletely covered in sweat.


    "What are you doing!" Another member of the n shouted,ing to his side.


    There were a few more behind the gate that had rushed to the man''s aid, a group somewhat of a small squad.


    At the same time, the guards, along with regr citizens that wereing in and out, were looking at themotion that was urring.


    "Youe up to our n, and then do something like that!" A man shouted. "Are you trying to start a war on our territory?"


    "I didn''t touch the man," Raze replied. "I don''t get involved in people''s personal space like that. I was just making it clear who was exactly here to see him."


    Many of the guards didn''t know who the Dark Magus was and only knew vague descriptions of him. Raze wanted to keep it this way since the name was more important than the figure.


    Pagna was void of most technology, with a few strange odd bits here and there. Which Raze assumed was mostly due to the otherworlders'' interference such asmunication lines but only in certain buildings.


    Therge wedding event that had taken ce in Repton; only the leaders and high-ranking members were invited to witness the event.


    All they could go off were descriptions, of ck hair, and a youthful look. At the same time, Raze had even worn a mask on the day to conceal himself.


    Based on thetest report as well from Bubble, many ns still viewed the Dark Magus as mostly an alchemist. They found it hard to believe that he had taken one of the pirs down.


    "Are you trying to bully us into action!" The man shouted as they helped the other off the floor, his knees shaking.


    "You are on our territory!" The man pulled out his sword and went to strike it at Raze.


    Before he could get even close though, Alba had swung out her sword and swung it down. The metal had been cut cleanly, leaving only half the sword.


    While at the same time, there was a sharp point at the man''s neck, the tip of a spear. Looking down the end of the spear, Rayna was holding onto it.


    Both of them had acted quickly to stop him from attacking Raze. Yet, even in this situation, although the man didn''t dare move, he still smiled at them.


    The other man that had fallen to the ground was managing to get some of his strength back and was deeply embarrassed by what had happened to him.


    "Look at this!" The man said. "You can''t even do things yourself, that you have to hide behind two women to protect you, what type of man even are you!"


    "What does that even mean?" Lily said. "All of us could slice his throat before he drew a breath."


    Lily didn''t get involved. For one, she still didn''t really care what happened to Raze, and she knew the others could handle the situation.


    "Are you stupid!" Alba shouted. "You have no idea; we are the ones that are protecting you, you idiot!"


    Themotion was starting to cause quite the stir among those watching, and people were also starting to recognize Alba. Unlike Raze who had chosen ck hair, something that 90 percent of the people in Pagna seemed to have.


    Alba had dark slightly red-pigmented skin which was well known.


    "Stop!" A loud voice shouted out.


    Coming out from the gate, an old man walked out in the same dark purple clothing. His garments were slightly more elegant with woven patternspared to the others.


    There were also twelve more members of the n that hade out with him.


    "At least we''re getting somewhere; it looks as if someone important is finallying out," Lily stated.


    "I am Titus, one of the elders of the Necroshade n." The old man bowed. "We wee you foring all this way; please let''s head inside, where we can talk in our n base."


    The easy option of sorting out the matter would be not to fight, so drawing down their weapons, the group decided to head inside.


    The town was rtively small, around the same size as Flendon. However, the poption was farrger, perhaps housing around fifty thousand citizens in the ce.


    "I''ll be honest; we are quite surprised to see the Crimson Crane at our doorstep so soon after the events that you have been through," Titusmented.


    "Right, so I''m sure you know we havee here with a reason for visiting you," Rayna said.


    "Ah yes, I''m sure I can take a guess; is it to do with the Martial Arts Tournament?" Titus replied.


    Rayna was surprised that the old man knew, since they had sent no information beforehand.


    "It''s not hard to guess. Our n is not a big n; we are one that is growing. We don''t get many visitors, but we had recently gotten a lot of attention due to one of our members getting a position to take part in the Martial Arts Tournament.


    "The fact that you have turned up here with a young gentleman of your own, I think most people would take a guess at what you are trying to do, a new nes here, and now they are trying to take our position away."


    "You know, our n doesn''t have many achievements, and we finally have one, yet of course there are always those that wish to take it away."


    Titus turned to look at Raze; however, Raze didn''t turn away and stared back at him in the eye, until the old man continued looking forward.


    Some might have felt bad for taking the n''s great achievement of getting something, but at the end of it, there was more at stake.


    The Dark Faction practically had his new allies hostage on the other side. This could be the only chance to take them back, safely.


    The Dark Faction Academy, which had taken the lives of multiple students, and the Dark Faction that was connected to his goals, needed to stop.


    If the n thought it was painful to have this position taken away from them, then they knew nothing about pain.


    Entering the house base, it was arge single-floor building set up in a courthouse, connecting with hallways to other buildings.


    It was quite simr to how the Dark Faction Academy looked but on a smaller scale. Heading through the doors, they were now walking through the courtyard to have a meeting with the other members and the n head for their request.


    The fact they had gotten this far, things were looking hopeful.


    While walking to the main building, Raze had turned his head to the right, where he could see a young man in his twenties striding through the ce, curious about the visitors; he had looked at them.


    Raze''s eyes had met with the young man''s, and that''s when it had all hit Raze.


    "Now I know why the name of the Necroshade n was so familiar."

 Chapter 607 You Shouldnt Have Done That

    Chapter 607 You Shouldn''t Have Done That


    ??It was only for a brief moment that Raze had caught a glimpse of the young man in passing. The two had made eye contact, yet the young man had next to no reaction at all, other than that of curiosity for why people were being brought into the n, especially at such a big time.


    For Raze, though, it had jogged his memory as to where he had seen this person before, why he had heard the name of the n before as well.


    ''I never did get to pay him back. A lot happened back then. Unfortunately for him, I remember the faces of everyone who has tried to wrong me.'' Raze thought.


    Entering the main building in the center, the group was brought to arge mostly empty room with wooden flooring.


    There were scuff marks on the floor, as well as weapons and ornaments that had been hung on the wall. There was nothing that stuck out, and Raze could tell that they were more so items on show rather than those of practical use.


    "Please wait here while I get the n Elder. It won''t be long, and I shall inform him of your intention here," Titus said, giving a bow and sliding the door closed.


    In the room itself, they weren''t alone; there were n members standing in every corner of the room.


    "So what do you think, will they ept our proposal?" Alba asked.


    "More than likely, the fact that I am here and the Crimson Crane leader herself hase. I think everything should be okay," Rayna added.


    "Not if the apple doesn''t fall too far from the tree," Razemented, yet no one knew what he meant by those words.


    ---


    When Titus closed the door behind him, his expression from a smile had immediately changed. He walked down the hallways with a heavy storm raging above his head.


    Heading into another room, one that was darkly lit with only a few candles for light, Titus bowed his head. The candles gave the image of two others, one old man and one woman filled with grey hair.


    "I''m sure by now you two have heard of the news of who hase to visit us," Titus said.


    "We have," the woman, who went by Seran, answered. "Why when the opportunity for us to prove ourselves hase upon us, must someonee and try to take it away!" Her words almost had a hissing sound at the end of them.


    "We must be cautious," the n Head Hn said. "These are the people that managed to battle with the Behemoth n head-on and had taken out their pirs; they are by no means weak. How many of them are there?"


    "Three females and one male; he looks young, most likely the candidate that they wish to bring forward. However, it is Rayna from the Neverfall n and Alba herself who hase," Titus answered.


    The three elders sat there in silence as they thought about the predicament they were in.


    "They will most likely be here to propose a duel," Seran added. "Which means we have no choice; no matter what, we have to do as we can to make sure that the participant will lose the duel in question."


    "And if that doesn''t work?" Titus asked.


    "I heard that the Crimson Crane only won due to the Dark Magus''s pills that he had supplied to an army of two hundred. Right now, with only four of them, it will be our only chance to silence them," Hn answered.


    The n knew what needed to be done, and just in case the first n didn''t work, they had gathered all of the members to make them aware of what they needed to do.


    Informing them of everything for the sake of the n, after that, Titus, Seran, and Hn all went down the hallway to greet their guests.


    ---


    The group was patiently waiting in the room, to the point where Lily was getting extremely frustrated.


    "Does it really take this long just to go and get someone!"


    Right on cue, the doors slid open, and the three elders had entered. They walked over and sat down on the ground, gesturing for the others to do the same, and they soon followed.


    "I am Hn, the head of the Necroshade n. We are a n that has a long history but has never been able to shine like that of the top ns.


    "Yet, we had been blessed this year with a talented individual who has been selected by the academy to take part in the Martial Arts Tournament and to represent our n."


    "I can tell that you are here today to perhaps challenge our student for the position. I have to ask, is it possible that you return and try next year? We are willing to give you a few gifts for your journey."


    On cue, members of the n had entered, all of them holding ornaments and jewelry that could sell for a decent amount of coin.


    It went to show how much their reputation had increased now that they had bested the Behemoth n.


    "It seems that you are aware of our intentions," Rayna respectfully said. "Unfortunately, the tournament is something important to us as well, and we too have our reasons for needing to take part in it."


    While Rayna was speaking, some of the servants started to ce small tables in front of the guests, and they soon brought out herbal tea for each one of them.


    "I believe that a duel is also fair for both of us. We are not asking you to just give us your position that has been earned, but for our young talented individual to have a chance to take part. After all, what would be best for the Faction as a whole, is for those that are most talented to take part, wouldn''t you agree?"


    Hn and the other Elders nodded; they had to agree. Maybe if they were in the Light Faction, they would have considered what was fair, but the principle of the Demonic Faction was that the strongest were the ones that had their say.


    Disagreeing to the duel now that Rayna said this would be against the principles of those in the Demonic Faction.


    "Very well, you have made a request, and as you said, it is only fair. May the best student win!" Hn said as he raised his tea and took arge sip from it.


    He then ced the palm of his hand out, gesturing for the others to do the same. Out of respect, Rayna, along with the others, held up their cup and was ready to drink it, that was until Anna held onto Raze''s arm around his wrist.


    Raze''s heart took a deep beat for a second, but noticed the touch was incredibly cold, and for some reason unlike when others touched him, with Anna, it didn''t get his heart pumping the way it normally would.


    "They''ve poisoned your drink." Anna leaned in and whispered.


    Raze looked at the eyes of the Elders; he could tell they were waiting for him to gulp it down.


    "Is it only mine?" He whispered back.


    "I''ve analyzed what''s in the cup; yeah, it seems like it''s only in yours," Anna said again.


    However, what were they to do in this situation? Should Raze call them out for their actions? Should he just say he didn''t feel well and not ept the drink?


    In the end, he did neither. As he looked all of the Elders directly in the eye, he gulped the whole drink in one go, cing it on the table.

 Chapter 608 Remember Me?

    Chapter 608 Remember Me?


    ??When taking the cup, Raze didn''t let a single drop of it not go down his throat as he looked at the elders from the back, even after learning what the contents inside were.


    Anna was in disbelief. Was this man a child? Was he just trying to prove he could take the poison because she said there was poison in the drink?


    "What are you doing?" Anna asked. "That poison, it wasn''t designed to kill, but it was a poison that was designed to make your reaction time slower and your whole body groggy."


    Raze was happy to know that what he had just consumed wasn''t meant to kill him. It actually made him think of the n in a better light.


    ''I guess they are just trying to make it so their contestant wins the uing duel no matter what.'' Raze thought. ''That''s fine. If it was poison to kill me, then that would be another story.''


    Right now, as the liquid was inside of Raze, he was using the Dark Magic to destroy all of its contents. There wasn''t a trace of what he drank left, so there was no way that it was going to affect him.


    Right now, the n would work the same. Raze would win the duel, and after tomorrow, he would head to the Light Faction.


    Rayna could hear the sound of whispers. She didn''t know what was going on, but could continually see that Anna was leaning in and saying a few words.


    ''What is she saying to him that can''t be spoken out loud?'' Rayna thought. ''As his wife, I should be the one sitting next to him, but as the representative of this n, I''m stuck sitting here next to Alba.''


    Rayna and Alba were at the front, while the other three were lined up at the back.


    "Very well!" Hn said with a smile. "We shallmence with the duel immediately. We shall have it outside around the back; there is a beautiful flowing pond and an area that is used for some of our personal guests to train."


    "I hope you don''t mind, but is it possible I invite other n members to this event? I wish for them to use this as a learning tool."


    "This fight, whether win or loss, will benefit us greatly."


    This was standard with a duel, although Alba thought they would want to dissuade from doing this. She even felt bad; it was clear that Raze was going to win, and depending on how he won, he could embarrass the entire n.


    "Very well, if you insist," Alba said.


    The Crimson Crane and the rest of the group were led through one of the doors to head to the outside area. It was beautiful like they imed.


    Argeke-like pond water feature surrounded the entire outside of the buildings. There were several stones that were ced on the outside, ced in a way that fit in with the entire scenery.


    Clearly, a lot of thought had gone into the ce. The area of fighting was small. The color of the dirt was a hardened orange in one area.


    There was grass all around apart from the one area, as if someone had been practicing the same movements and never expanding too far out, or a path through the fields of grass that had been trodden on again and again, only it was in one spot.


    As they waited, n members eventually came out and began to gather around the site. There was something that Raze had noticed.


    Although they had imed this to be a good learning session, no teenage students or children that were part of the n were present.


    As everyone came out, Raze''s eyes had also caught the young man from earlier, and finally, the three elders along with their contestant had arrived.


    A teenage boy who looked to be around 18 years old, short hair that was spiked up. He had a good strong build and a confident look about him, but Raze could tell he was at the initial stage.


    "Pritter, enter the stage; this is the young man that has asked for a duel," Hl ordered.


    Pritter did as told, while the Elders continued to look at Raze''s condition. They were trying to see if the poison was having any effect.


    It would be subtle until one had tried to fight, but it didn''t help that they were nervous.


    "Don''t worry; remember, we always have n B," Seran whispered. "Everyone is ready at a moment''s notice to go through with the n; they know it''s for the sake of the n."


    Pritter got into position, and so did Raze. It looked like the fight was about to start. Everyone was a little tense for what was about to happen.


    However, that''s when Pritter noticed something. When he was looking at Raze, his eyes¡ªthey were staring at someone else. When following his eyes, he could see that he was looking at someone in the crowd.


    "Hey, I''m your opponent; why aren''t you looking at me?" Pritter asked.


    Raze continued to look at the young man in the crowd at that point.


    "Hey, stop looking at Fin!" Pritter shouted.


    "Ah, right," Raze said. "So that was your name. Now I remember, Fin. Everything ising together, the n, your name."


    In the crowd, the young man named Fin was unsure what was happening. Why was this man talking to him, why was he staring at him?


    He had never seen him before, so why was he staring?


    "I''m sorry, do we know each other?" Fin eventually asked.


    At that point, Raze had decided to get into a fighting stance, as if he was about to take part, but his eyes still stayed on Fin.


    "Oh right, I forgot you probably don''t remember me. Thest time you saw me, I was wearing an iron mask," Raze said.


    Fin''s stomach immediately sunk down below. His whole world was spinning at that moment. He was so stunned that he had even forgotten to take in a breath.


    There was a certain day in Fin''s mind that would repeatedly y out for him. Again, again, and again. One day, Fin had entered a portal in the Demonic Faction belonging to that of the Behemoth n.


    While inside, he had gathered a team and set his eyes on a certain ce. However, a man in an iron mask and his group refused to stand by and allow them to kill the beasts inside.


    In order to get all of the rewards for himself, Fin and his group had attempted to kill the others, but what he had witnessed that day instead was a massacre.


    The ones they were attacking, one man in particr, had ughtered everyone in his group. Killed them heartlessly. Fortunately, he had managed to escape in the middle of the chaos from a Dimensional Boss.


    That day never escaped from Fin''s memory, the man with the iron mask who had killed them all. Fin would wake up thinking one day he woulde for him, and that day would be now.


    "Alright, alright, let''s start the match!" Hn ordered.


    ''No wait!'' Fin shouted in his mind. ''If that is really this man, if Pritter loses this match, and we all attempt to kill them all¡­ he''ll kill everyone, I have to stop the fight, I have to stop the fight!!!''

 Chapter 609 You, pass on the message

    Chapter 609 You, pass on the message


    ??"I do remember," were the soft words that came out of Fin''s mouth. The nightmare that had urred daily in his head had be a reality; the person was in front of him.


    Yet doubts started to creep into his mind. What if this wasn''t him? Was the person that had attacked them back then really so young?


    Not just that, but maybe they were safe with their n? If Fin was going to die anyway, then the only way for him to protect himself from what was going to happen would be to kill him now.


    All of the strong members of the n were present, including the leaders.


    However, this thought almost quickly went out of his head as he made eye contact with Raze, and for that moment, everything was almost a blur.


    "Start!" Hn ordered.


    Pritter charged toward Raze, having drawn his sword trying to get a jump on him. Raze had yet to pull out his sword, leaving the Elders to believe that the poison had worked.


    Effortlessly, Raze avoided the strike. He grabbed onto Pritter''s head, and then with his might, lifted his body and threw him onto the floor.


    The back of his head crashed into the ground; a strike would kill an ordinary man. Thankfully, the student was a Pagna warrior, and he would recover from this.


    The crowd of onlookers were stunned into silence. For something like this to happen, there had to be arge difference in strength.


    Pritter was a fourth-stage warrior. How could this have happened? What they had just witnessed was the difference between a middle-stage and an initial-stage warrior, as well as a difference in experience and skill.


    Seeing what had just happened, Seran looked at the n Head and gave a slight nod.


    "We have no choice now."


    Seran had charged in herself quickly with her sword, and at the same time, everyone else did as well. Seeing this, the three women with Raze were ready to help, but he stopped them froming closer.


    "I''ve got this," Raze said.


    His hands were lighting up, and Dark Magic surrounded his entire body. The warriors were getting closer, close enough to hear the words he said.


    "The mes of Darkness, Expand."


    The Dark Magic that was swirling around his body pushed out in all different directions. They were shaped like mes, unlike the Dark Magic that he had used before.


    When pushed out, they hadtched onto all of the onlookers'' clothes, destroying them in an instant, and quickly it started to spread across their whole body.


    It was strange; the Warriors didn''t feel any heat, yet the properties of the ck mes were spreading the same, and one thing was sure, they could feel pain as it went from their clothes onto their skin.


    It was affecting most of the warriors in the area; the ones it weren''t affecting so much were the elders who were on the low end of the middle stage, but as the dark mes were extinguishing off their body, that was when the three women had made their move. Rayna and Lily, using their spears, stabbed right through their hearts, and Anna pulled Hn''s face forward and with a fist crushed his entire skull until he was no more.


    Many of the warriors were falling to the mes one by one, while at the same time, Raze was using his sword to strike them down, those that had managed to survive or didn''t get hit by the Dark Magic as much.


    ''That was a new spell, a 4-star spell, and was quite effective for that situation. However, it wasn''t as powerful as a basic Dark Pulse which grows with the Dark Magic affinity and can be used with martial arts.


    ''Something like this can''t be used with martial arts to make it grow stronger, at least not yet.''


    Taking care of the members one by one, there were eventually two that were left alive. The student that Raze had originally knocked out, the mes had expanded out beyond that of the student directly in front of him.


    Something Raze had purposely done, and there was one more, there was Fin, who had quickly retreated backward to the point where he had fallen onto the ground and the bodies in front of him, of those members that had charged forward, had been killed instead.


    It was at that point that Raze started to walk towards him, even cing his sword away by his side and looked directly at Fin.


    "Do you remember me yet?" Raze asked.


    Fin''s face was soaked with tears; the whole n was done for. Although not every member of the n had been eliminated, the n Head as well as its strongest members were all gone.


    There was next to no chance of the n recovering, especially in the Demonic Faction where the strong ruled.


    "I remember, I remember!" Fin cried out. "But why, why did you have to do this?"


    It was then that Raze said the same words he had said not too long ago.


    "The apple doesn''t fall too far from the tree."


    "Now I understood what you meant before," Anna said as she came over. "Your n can only me themselves for what happened."


    "I have no clue what happened between the two of you, but it''s clear that you know each other, but there is one fact. All of you guys here had coordinated an attack; it was quite clear that all of you had nned from the beginning to attack us as soon as the battle was lost."


    "The only person that didn''t know about this n was Pritter."


    Anna assumed that''s why he had been left alivepared to the rest, but she couldn''t really tell what Raze was thinking.


    "All of you would have killed us without a second thought, so why are we doing this? We are just doing what you would have done to us if you hadn''t done this; then you would have lived today."


    Anna was right in her assessment; Raze was going to leave them alone, perhaps give a little scare to Fin. Although he had tried to kill him in the past, he wasn''t a current threat.


    And looking at him right now, Raze thought the same way.


    "You will be left as the messenger of the n. You probably are the highest-ranking member in the n. You can inform the Demonic Faction Academy that Pritter is going to pull out, and in its ce, they will be sending a student that''s a part of the Crimson Crane."


    "You mean you''re going to let me live?" Fin asked, his voiceced with disbelief. Was he escaping death for the second time? Were there actually such things as gods looking over him?


    "You are the messenger, and keeping you alive will make sure that more don''t try to do what you did today. By keeping you alive, it will keep my hands clean."


    Walking away, Fin didn''t quite understand, but heter realized just like before, he lived each day with fear, and it was even greater than before.


    With that done, Raze had now be an official participant in the Martial Arts Tournament, and tomorrow would be the day¡­ the gathering of the three factions.

 Chapter 610 The Word Prepares

    Chapter 610 The Word Prepares


    ??In the Dark Faction, at the Pagna academy, the five major ns were arriving. They were to have a meeting based on what would happen tomorrow, to discuss the finer details.


    A lot of back and forth was also required with the Light faction on who they could bring in after all. There had to be a bnce when it came to these events; for one, they had to allow enough people for each faction to feel safe, while not allowing enough people for them to be able to n an attack. Although it had yet to happen, every faction knew that the best opportunity for a faction to attack the others and get rid of powerful people at the top was the Martial Arts tournament.


    Inside the faction, Amir, the vice principal, had gathered the participants into one of the private training rooms, where he had been helping all of them for the big day at hand.


    Simon, Liam, and Safa were all seated on the ground, their facial features had aged. They looked different from when they had entered the academy, and the story was even more true if one was able to look at the glow in their eyes.


    It was the same for Mada and Ricktor, two of the direct disciples of the five major ns, that had decided to stay with their ns, but what was the n going forward? What would they do if Raze wasn''t here?


    As they were, they weren''t strong enough to go against their own ns, for sending them to their death.


    On top of that, Cronker was also present, a man who had to hide in the shadows and could never be present in the room when the actual principal was there, afraid that he would be found out.


    Along with him, three more of the second-year students who weren''t taking part in the tournament itself but were part of knowing full well of everything going on.


    "All of you have been working hard for this day," Amir said, looking at each of them. "If this wasst year or the years before, I would have no doubt in my mind that any one of you would be able to reach first ce in this tournament.


    "However, my informationwork tells me that this will be dangerous for all of you. Still, I wanted to let you know that you have all managed to improve beyond regr means. I can safely say that you are the cream of the crop, but your opponents will be doing anything they can to win.


    "As for you, Cronker, along with your fellow three disciples, I have made it so you are also allowed toe to the event. They have allowed us to take as many students as we wish since they aren''t so threatening to the Light Faction."


    Tinson, Joe, and Violet hadn''t been taking part in the same training sessions as everyone else; they had been focusing on stealth techniques passed on to them by Cronker from the Crimson Crane.


    Knowing their strength wasn''t on the same level as the others, for them to still be helpful to the group, they wished to do something, bing skilled in assassination arts.


    "As for those from the Dark Faction, myself, the principal, as well as two other leaders from the Dark Faction will being with two others from each n. There won''t be arge amount of us to protect you.


    "And I shall warn you, my informants, with the information I have, this will not be a normal Martial Arts tournament."


    Amir wanted to continue, but he waited, allowing them to let everything sink in. They had worked hard, worked non-stop, no distractions, they did everything they could just to get stronger for this situation.


    "If all works out, this might be our chance to get out of the academy, including me."


    At the same time, the Light Faction was doing their best to hold the event. An arena was being built just for the very event. Preparations had finished a while ago, but being the perfectionists they were, they were getting every single detail they could correct.


    Wanting the whole ceremony, their disys of strength, and making sure if there were any problems, they knew how to deal with them.


    The n in question that was at the center of it all was the Dawnde n. They were one of the three major ns in the Light Faction and consisted of ten powerful Elders.


    However, they now numbered 9 elders due to one of them perishing to the Crimson Crane. One of the members, Beatrix Highborn, was the winner of thest martial arts tournament.


    Because of that, the next tournament was to take ce in the Light Faction and in the Dawnde n''s territory. It was more important to thempared to others due to the string of their reputation taking a hit recently.


    Beatrix had failed in an attack on the Demonic Faction, and the loss of an Elder. If they faced more humiliation with this event, then the other ns were likely to put pressure on them, telling them to step down.


    Beatrix walked through a heavy door, a beam of light shining in on the dark blue tiles.


    She walked as she could see another female with blonde hair, on her knees praying, looking ahead toward the ss pane windows.


    Hearing the footsteps behind her, she turned around to look at Beatrix in her white clothing.


    "Hannah, I was looking for you everywhere, this was thest ce I expected you to be," Beatrix said.


    "Why, am I not allowed to pray for good luck tomorrow?" Hannah asked, smiling back.


    Beatrix was only around a head taller than Hannah, but she was still able to rub the top of her head. The two of them had a special rtionship in the n; it felt like they were sisters even though not rted, but in truth, Hannah was Beatrix''s direct disciple.


    "We don''t need to rely on luck; we create our own luck with hard work," Beatrix answered.


    "Whether it works or not doesn''t matter then, right?" Hannah replied. "If it doesn''t work, then no harm done, and if it does work, then maybe someone can help me."


    "All there is up there are the Divine warriors, a ce where we all strive to be. Maybe. They will - bless you, and when we are up there, maybe we can pass on our blessings to others as well."


    The two of them smiled for a bit, until Beatrix pulled out a pendant. It was a light silver chain and round in size; she ced it around her neck for her. Without gestation, Hannah had epted it.


    "This is a gift from the Elders; they said they worked hard in getting it for you, and that it''s priceless. It would be good for you to wear it on the day," Beatrix said.


    Lifting up the pendant, Hannah took a look at it; it was made with white gold, with a golden center in the middle, in the shape of an ''I''.


    "With this pendant, the Elders asked me to pass on another message. No matter what, you must not lose," Beatrix said. "But for me, I will say, no matter what, you must not die."


    At the same time, after letting the others take the words in, Amir spoke to them all.


    "Tomorrow is the big day, and no matter what, you must do whatever you can to survive."

 Chapter 611 The Demonic Clan Meets!

    Chapter 611 The Demonic n Meets!


    ??There was no real leader in the Demonic Faction, just the stronger and weaker ns that everyone was aware of. However, there was a legacy.


    The Demonic Faction, being the way they were, wasn''t a faction per se, but due to the growing strength of the Dark Faction and Light Faction, they needed to do something otherwise risk getting wiped out.


    The Neverfall n was well respected because it was their leader who had brought all the major ns together to agree practically an alliance to go against the other Factions.


    There was still no clear view of which n was the strongest, but all of those that had been invited by Belil were considered the strongest.


    This consisted of the Neverfall n, with Belil at its head. The Behemoth n, the biggest n in the Demonic Faction, with their leader Sha Mo.


    Then there was the Lost n, with the leader Lince, whose true appearance was quite a mystery to most, due to parts of his body being wrapped around in ck.


    And finally, there was the Splitting Fang n, with the leader Yunro. Out of all the ns, the Splitting Fang n was the newest in age,ing up with new techniques but still following the philosophy of the Demonic Faction.


    Because of this, these four ns were at the center of representing the Demonic Faction and when situations urred like the Martial Arts Tournament, they were the ones that needed to make the decisions.


    To each of these four ns, they were surprised when a letter had been delivered to them, from the Necroshade n. When reading the details of the letter, some of them had smiles on their faces.


    Others threw the letter, not too bothered. While for a particr individual, his entire head was shaking with rage.


    Having returned to the town of Flendon, the sun was starting to set, and that''s when from the town hall, there was a visitor that hade in the middle of the night.


    Entering into the town hall, Rayna had recognized him straight away.


    "You''re from the Neverfall n, right? Has my father sent you to deliver a message?" Rayna asked.


    "This is a message from the Neverfall n, but it is not for you young miss, it is for the Crimson Crane."


    The Crimson Crane still hadn''t quite established a preeminent residence in the town yet, helping with the building. Instead, they had been staying in the grand town hall in several spare rooms the ce had.


    It was as if Mayor Yarlston foresaw this would happen, and they needed ces for guests anyway. A ce where they could treat them well without forcing them to one of the inns.


    Alba came over to take the letter; she and the others had a good idea as to what this would be.


    Opening it up on the spot, she read the contents.


    "Is it what we think it is?" Fixteen asked.


    Alba nodded.


    "It appears that our messenger managed to send his message; it''s acknowledgment of our candidate taking part in the tournament, and also a meeting ce for tomorrow," Alba exined.


    Rayna let out a big sigh.


    "I''m guessing there are further instructions as well."


    "Right, from our side, along with the client, we are only allowed to send two people along with us," Alba said.


    Looking around the room, they wondered which two would apany Raze, buting down the stairs having overheard everything, he had his own solution.


    "That shouldn''t matter too much," Raze said. "For what I have nned, instead I need to tell you about something else that you need to be ready for."


    The next day, the day of the first tournament, had arrived. Up bright and early, Raze had headed to the border of the city where a carriage was waiting for them.


    They were to travel to the meeting location where the other ns would be waiting for them as well. By his side was none other than Anna.


    "Are you disappointed that I aming along?" Anna said. "I guess it doesn''t really fit into the rules since I''m not part of the Crimson Crane."


    "I''m not disappointed. It just felt like the room had gotten incredibly heated over the situation, that was all. I know we had a deal, I don''t know when Zon might show up near me again, or if he ever will."


    "But there is a chance, and in return you don''t exin to Alter a thing of what is happening here."


    Anna nodded as the two of them moved along, and the tall, slight, dark red-pigmented-skinned woman was waiting by the carriage, but she wasn''t alone, Rayna was also there as well.


    "Even though I won''t be going with you, I wanted to see you off," Rayna said, her cheeks turning slightly red again.


    "I appreciate it," Raze mentioned. "If I could have brought three, I would have asked for you toe along. You have helped me in more ways than you can imagine."


    "I havee to enjoy seeing this city grow, so I will let you know, that after all is done with the Martial Arts Tournament, I will be back."


    Rayna wasn''t expecting a response like that from Raze. In a lot of ways, it was the first time she had heard him say so many words.


    Regardless, she smiled and gave him a wave as he, Alba, and Anna had entered the carriage on the way to the city of Repton.


    Everyone felt a little more tense in the carriage. Raze imagined that neither of them thought that they would ever be in a situation like this, and honestly neither did he.


    ''When I used that book, I didn''t think I would be involved in so many affairs in another world,'' Raze thought.


    Thinking about what he had been through to get to this point, the carriage was starting to slow down as they approached one of the main entrances of the city of Repton.


    Looking out through the window, Raze could see quite a few people had already gathered as well.


    Getting out of the carriage, an old gentleman, who had a beard that went down to his waist and was white in color, approached them.


    "I wee the Crimson Crane to this meeting," the old man said with a bow. "I am Elder Xank from the Neverfall n. I have been assigned to be the mediator in our affairs with the other factions, and also will be in charge of your program and our journey of travel."


    "Please let me introduce you to the other contestants that have arrived."


    Standing out in the barren wastnd, they could see four other students in a mainly ck with a red trim uniform. They were not wearing the standard uniform of their ns, and Raze had also been given a uniform to change into.


    Which he promptly did inside of his carriage beforeing out again to be introduced to the others.


    Along with the four students, just like with Raze who had Alba and Anna, each of them also had two members of their ns by their side.


    Before the introductions urred, Alba had a quick question to ask.


    "I heard that there would also be two heads of ns joining us on this trip, that have been allowed by the Light Faction, do we know who they will be?" Alba asked.


    "Ah yes," Xank said. "Lince from the Lost n will be joining us, and as for the other individual, it will be Sha Mo, from the Behemoth n."

 Chapter 612 The Demonic Five

    Chapter 612 The Demonic Five


    ??An instant sick feeling had entered the stomach of Alba after hearing that name. She was sure that the other two felt the same as well, and because of it she couldn''t help but ask a question.


    "Why has Sha Mo been selected for this, out of all the other options?" Alba said with a fake smile.


    She didn''t want to offend too much, especially with members of the Behemoth n being here; she had even looked over her shoulder to see if Sha Mo was around.


    "I am happy to exin," Xank said with a gentle bow. "Firstly, I should exin why Lince had taken the position. With the recent portal outbreak and allowing the Flesh n to go past to attack the Dark Faction, Lince believes it''s his responsibility to go over."


    "It is a chance for him to prove himself while also mending any bad rtions that had been caused with the Dark Faction."


    "Although we have heard that the old Lethal Bite n leader is no more, it is unlikely we will meet him, since it was a request of Lince we decided to ept."


    "As for Yunro, of the Splitting Fang n, he seems to have incurred some injuries of some sort. He stated that he wouldn''t be in the best condition to protect those that he needed to if it was the case."


    "Because of that, it left us with two options, either Belil, or Sha Mo. In the end, Belil declined the option of him going instantly, and when we told him that the only option was Sha Mo, he still gave his okay."


    The look on Alba''s face had dropped when hearing the conversation. Did Belil really not care about the Dark Magus or the Crimson Crane at all?


    He should know based on their recent history, what danger it would be for them to go along with the n head.


    "I can guess what you are thinking, but because Belil has given his blessing, you do not have to worry about Sha Mo, he knows where he stands with all of this."


    Regardless of Xank''sments, Alba still wasn''t happy with what had urred. Things just never seemed to be easy for them.


    With that exnation over, Xank walked them over to introduce them to the rest of the participants, holding out his hand as he called them one by one.


    "First, I should introduce you to Kaylie from the Seeno n," Xank said. "She is from one of the mountain ns; they have unorthodox skills that have impressed in the academy!"


    Raze gave a slight nod to Seeno. She had small scratches over her face, and half of a wooden mask with w marks covering her face.


    "Is this allowed?" Seeno asked. "I never saw this student at the academy¡­"


    "Jake here is from the recently joined Crimson Crane; he has bested Pritter from the Necroshade n in a duel to earn his position today," Xank exined. Jake was the fake name that they had used, rather than Raze or the Dark Magus.


    "He clearly has the strength to be part of your students and he is the same age as the rest of you. His registration was pushed through by all four of the great ns."


    Saying these words, none of the other students were going to argue with the fact. Especially since he had beaten Pritter. They knew Pritter''s strength well.


    News of his defeat wasn''t widespread because it was an action that no one had been expecting and only half a day had passed.


    "From the Lost n, we have Beret!" Xank said.


    "Umm, nice to meet you...I''m from the Lost n," Beret answered in a quiet voice that was hard to hear; he even moved his body facing away from Raze.


    Yet for some reason, Raze felt like if he was to get closer he might strike. Maybe because this person felt quite simr to Raze in a lot of ways.


    Xank also seemed to get a strange feeling from this student so he didn''t linger on him for long and moved onto the next student.


    "This here is Brack, from the Behemoth n."


    When Raze went to look at the student, he had immediately turned his head away. Although young like the others, his facial features made him look older due to the full thick ck beard he had under his chin.


    Just like many of those that were strong and came from a Behemoth n, he was well-built and taller than the other students, but his body was clearly mostly muscr.


    "We perhaps should move on from that," Xank said as he went to move onto the final student.


    "Here is quite the infamous student, known as the strongest in the DemonicFaction Pagna academy, and even imed to be the strongest in many generations, you might know him as the ck Tiger, Mantis."


    Raze looked at Mantis, and he was standing there in the same way as he was thest time. Although wearing the same cloth as before, the upper part of his uniform, half of it was dragged off revealing a side of his body.


    Arge w mark could be seen peeking out of his chest giving him his nickname.


    Mantis was also a student that Raze had met before when he hade to Repton with the others. He had returned to find that Mantis was close to finishing off Simyon that day and the rest of his friends.


    Raze had managed to gauge his power somewhat. He was immensely strong. Based on his talent he had the potential to grow even further.


    Whether or not he was at the same level as Raze, he found that hard to believe because Raze had many outside factors helping him, but looking at the ck Tiger, his eyes had strong confidence in them.


    ''From the looks of things, he doesn''t seem to remember me. I guess facially during this time I have changed a bit, and with my ck hair, people aren''t fully putting two and two together.''


    "With the introductions done, I have to remind you all, that these people by your side for the most part of the tournament, are not your enemies, but they are your allies.


    "You will need to work together! One of the reasons for our lossesst year was because our faction is not good at working together, unlike those from the Light Faction!" Xank said.


    "That won''t matter." A loud booming voice was heard from behind.


    Just the voice alone had covered everyone in sweat. Even Raze could feel a deep tingling sensation from behind him as he felt a shadow cast over him.


    Turning around, he saw arge figure, big with hair covering both of his arms, and covering most of his face.


    Although Raze had never seen this person before, he knew immediately who he was.


    ''So this is Sha Mo, the leader of the Behemoth n that has been giving me so much trouble.''


    Sha Mo slowly tilted his head down to look at the contestants until his eyes started to linger on Raze. On the day of his wedding ceremony, he was wearing a mask covering his face and so far no one had recognized him.


    "So you''re the reason why my Pirs fell," Sha Mo said, with not even a slight raise of his cheek. His eyes were filled with anger.

 Chapter 613 Enter The Light Faction

    Chapter 613 Enter The Light Faction


    ??Sha Mo''s eyes were focused on Raze; he wasn''t turning away from him for a moment nor was he bothering to look at the other contestants.


    Even Xank, who said everything would be okay initially between them, gulped as he wasn''t so sure anymore.


    ''How was he able to figure out who I was?'' Raze thought. ''So many people have seen me in the mask and seen me in person but haven''t been able to put two and two together.''


    ''Some might have had the thought, but would think they were crazy, so how did Sha Mo manage to figure it out? Is the Qi lingering out of my body?''


    Due to Raze being able to condense his Qi even further than that of warriors at the same stage as him. This skill only increased when he had reached the middle stage.


    He was so good at it, that even other middle stage warriors couldn''t tell what stage he was at because next to no Qi would leak out of his body.


    This was also the case for those like Belil and Sha Mo. The two of them would often just leak out a small fraction of it on purpose as a way to win a battle without lifting a finger at times as well, or to exert pressure.


    "I can''t believe it, how could someone so small like you take out my two pirs¡­ you certainly must have some secrets about you," Sha Mo said.


    Everyone could hear his loud and deep voice clearly. They could tell what he was insinuating. Was the student that had been epted on behalf of the Crimson Crane really the Dark Magus?


    "Just to make you aware, things like Qi pills won''t be able to be used during the tournament events, only in between the rounds that take ce," Sha Mo exined.


    "You''re lucky that I wish to see your strength with my own eyes, and for this assessment, it seems like you might be a big help."


    Sha Mo could tell, he knew that Raze was a middle stage warrior, and knowing that, he was confident that with him they would win this fight, and ultimately it was the reason why he had decided to leave him be.


    With his eyes finally off from Raze, there was one other person that had caught the attention of Sha Mo.


    "What''s happened to you¡­ you feel different, I''ve met you before as well," Sha Mo asked. His eyes were looking at Mantis, the ck Tiger.


    Yet even with Sha Mo asking him a question, he was able to stand there not nervous, while the other contestants nearby were showing some signs of weakness.


    "What a strange group of people we will have for the tournament this year," Sha Mo stated.


    "Yes, and it''s our duty, to make sure to protect them, and that they get out of the Light Faction without a scratch on their body."


    The voice came from the side, the slightly slender man, covered in ck bandages around his arms and the upper part of his face; this was Lince, leader of the Lost n.


    On his back, he had several different shaped spears on his back that were fanned out like a fan.


    "Great you are here!" Xank said. "Now that everyone is present, we can head off."


    Therge group had a total of eight carriages that were heading to the Light Faction. The Neverfall n, along with Xank, had two members present that were there for his protection.


    Then, in each of the carriages, there was the participating student, along with two members of their n in the carriages as well.


    So in Raze''s carriage, he had Alba and Anna, representing the Crimson Crane n. Finally, there then was a separate carriage each for Sha Mo, and Lince who were traveling on their own.


    During the journey, those in Xank''s n, as well as the other carriages would take it in turns to step outside and make sure the situation was fine.


    They were running at the same speed as the horses and keeping up, making sure nothing would get in their way.


    Then finally, they had reached the border of the Light Faction. There were warriors waiting for them and an inspection urred.


    The Light Faction checked how many people were present and matched it up with the list of people that had been sent beforehand.


    Right after that, they could continue on their way. While in the carriage, Anna, and Raze were constantly looking outside because the Light Faction was vastly different from the Dark Faction and the Demonic Faction.


    "There''s so much wildlife here, and followers withrge fields," Razemented. It wasn''t just that, but the people were living inrger houses, and they weren''t cramped together.


    Raze could even see strange machinery being used on the crops, machinery that felt as if it was too advanced for Pagna, helping them with their lifestyles.


    Stuff he hadn''t seen in the other two factions.


    "Ah right, it will be the first time both of you havee to the Light Faction, right?" Alba asked. "The Light Faction is definitely the nicest out of the three ces."


    "The general citizens seem happy here, and they have a closer connection with the kingdoms in this area. It seems the ns use a lot of their investments to help the town people grow as well, rather than just thinking about themselves."


    While hearing the story, Raze thought that there was a but in there somewhere. Why did wanderers exist, if the Light Faction was such a nice ce, then why didn''t Alba and her group decide to settle here?


    "However, it just isn''t a ce for everyone, especially warriors that don''t want to stick to the strict rules and morals that the Light Faction uphold," Alba continued. "There was just always a strange feeling when I came here, as if I was constantly being watched."


    Raze knew what she meant because he felt the same way the moment he had entered the Light Faction. While looking out the window, Raze had noticedrge towns and cities in the distance.


    And then he could see it up ahead, built slightly away in arge field in its own area away from the city, there was a giant coliseum, and arena that was made just for the martial arts tournament.


    "We''re here," Raze said.


    And, it wasn''t just them that had arrived.

 Chapter 614 The Coliseum

    Chapter 614 The Coliseum


    ??Originally, Raze was a little dispirited as he saw the carriages go past therge cities and towns. After seeing some of the farming equipment the Light Faction used, he wanted to see more that was disyed in the city.


    After all, thest Light Faction ce he had gone to was eliminated almost immediately leaving only rubble behind.


    There was something else that had bothered him about the Light Faction for the longest time as well, and that was the fact that the Light Faction elder they fought against knew how to use magic.


    Not only that, but he had a reaction when Raze had mentioned that he was the Dark Magus, as if he knew him from Alteian.


    Regardless, the carriages were now approaching, heading through therge entrances, and there were crowds that were surrounding the outside of the tform area, queuing up to get inside.


    Looking at the people, there were a mix of Pagna martial artists, regr citizens, and he even was able to see some higher kingdom officials.


    ''Out of all the people here, not just those from the Factions will be present, but I''m sure there will be people from the Bonum Society and Alter as well.''


    ''Alter didn''t have a big presence in the Demonic Faction, probably because the Demonic ns never would use their services that they offered to others.''


    ''The more I learn about Belil and those like him, I can imagine if they used strange powers he might just execute them, but Alter is meant to have a big presence in the Light and Dark Faction, they will definitely be here.''


    Which just meant Raze''s restriction of magic was even higher than it was before.


    The contestants as well as other factions were to enter through a separate entrance located at the back.


    Descending from their carriages, there were arge number of Light Faction warriors at the entrance.


    Even when they went inside into therge coliseum, there were Light Faction warriors at every single turn and corner.


    They were guided until they had entered a room that gave them a view of the arena. It was almost a separate underground box on the lowest floors of the coliseum that looked out onto the main field.


    Inside the room, there were plenty of furniture and refreshments for the group to have as well.


    "This will be the resting room for the Demonic Faction. All of those that aren''t taking part should return here and remain here.''


    "If we wish to leave, or need anything, please just give a knock on the door you have entered from, and someone wille to help you."


    "From here, you will all have a clear view of the fight that is happening."


    "Stationed around I''m sure you will be able to see boxes just like yours, the Light Faction and the Dark Faction will be present and away from you so you can have your peace," one of the female Light Faction members exined.


    The box they were in was quiterge; at least fifty people could sleep here, not just stay to watch the match.


    When looking out at the other boxes where the other factions were, there was a strange reflective ss on the outside.


    They could see out, but others when looking in could just see a reflection.


    ''I''m guessing that the others are in there, and they have no clue that I''m here.''


    "Question!" Anna said before the Light Faction member left the room. "Can I watch from the stadium? I just prefer the higher view."


    "Just you alone?" The Light Faction member was taken aback by the request and looked around wondering if the others wanted to go with her.


    From her knowledge, the only ones they needed to worry about were Sha Mo and Lince. They had also told her to keep an eye on Alba possibly.


    Yet, this person in front of her was neither of them, and the request seemed reasonable.


    "Of course, but if you wish to leave the coliseum, then please remember to speak to one of us," the woman said with a bright smile.


    Just like that, Anna had left Alba and Raze on their own, in a room full of other Demonic Faction members who all hated them.


    "That girl, I thought she came here so she could stay by your side," Albained.


    ''Right, which is why I''m confused why she asked to leave, maybe she saw something¡­ or someone,'' Raze thought.


    From where they were, they could see the stage filling up. The whole area could fill up to 150,000 people. There were clearly those that hade from all over the Light Faction.


    And not just the most powerful in the Light Faction would be present, but the Kingdoms, the Empires, and more would all fill the seats.


    They were now just waiting to be called out. While waiting to be called out, Raze was looking at the other students.


    Brack, Kaylie, and Beret were all warming up with their weapons. After a few swings, they would even meditate.


    Some even were getting tips from the other members that were in their n.


    The only ones that weren''t doing such a thing were Mantis and Raze.


    "Are you sure you''re going to be able to perform in front of this many people?" Alba asked.


    "People only get nervous if they care, and about the tournament itself, I don''t care," Raze answered.


    "Do you want to spar with me? I could serve as a good warm-


    up," Alba asked.


    "It''s okay," Raze answered, looking around the room. He still wasn''t able to shake off the feeling that arge amount of eyes were constantly looking at him since he had entered the Faction area.


    At the same time, Anna had done as she said she would; she had been given a ticket and entered among the crowd of people pouring in.


    With her eyes, she was looking everywhere until she had finally locked on to a group of people. "That''s Marcus Ford¡­ the head of the Alter n, that handed Raze over to Harvey, this isn''t good."

 Chapter 615 Bet Everything on him

    Chapter 615 Bet Everything on him


    ??It was the first time Anna had met up with Raze. She had a call from her captain Harvey telling them they had an important mission.


    They had traveled to the Lethal Bite n, and that was where Raze was handed over by none other than Marcus Ford, a captain of another squad who had been in the Demonic Faction for quite some time. Since he was here, he was more likely to recognize Raze or at least recognize his skills.


    On top of that, since she hadn''t been given a call and hadn''t seen Harvey, her squad wasn''t asked to be here, so if they were to see her, she knew there would be a lot of questions asked.


    ''Out of all the groups, they had to send out this one¡­no that''s not true. If it''s Alter, there will be more than just Marcus''s group, there will be quite a few ced in this giant crowd.


    ''Thankfully, they''re sitting on the opposite side, so they won''t see me, but I have to be careful that there could be others.''


    When going to sit down in her seat, a p of silk fabric, golden in color, wafted in front of her face. And she soon saw a young man sitting down right next to her.


    Next to him, another man was holding a drink and passing it on to the man wearing golden silk clothing.


    ''Who is this shy person?'' Anna thought. Using her system, she started to do an analysis, and she was surprised that she had gotten an answer. Because it meant that this person that was now sitting next to her wasn''t a nobody.


    "Ah, it seems that your eyes have recognized me," the man said, touching his forehead and getting into a posing position as if he was getting ready to be painted.


    "I am the infamous Bubble!" the man imed.


    A strange name even for the world of Pagna, but it was part of Bubble''s image to try and do anything he could to stand out and get his name out there, and it had worked, with everyone in all factions knowing of Bubble''s news reports.


    "So you are here to look at the event, I guess it would make sense, so you can report it to those that are unable to see it," Anna replied.


    "Correct, but what I also find interesting is this." Bubble pulled out a small piece of paper that had several numbers on them.


    Anna, looking at it, knew what it was because everyone had been given a sheet. They were betting odds. The whole reason why the event hadn''t started yet, the Light Faction with how righteous they imed to be.


    They were allowing the participants to bet on who they thought would win. In their morals, they saw nothing wrong with it, as it was all a form of entertainment.


    On their part, they thought it was fine as long as the event waspletely fair, and with the Light Faction running the event, they felt like it was extremely fair.


    "So, who do you think will win this time? The Light Faction seems to put a lot of hope into them winning the group category and also this person named Hanna on winning the single category," Bubble stated.


    Looking at the list of names, Anna saw the name ''Jake'' and she ced her finger on the sheet.


    "If I were you, I would pay attention to this person. If you put money on him, I''m sure you will get more than you imagined," Anna answered.


    Bubble thought it was interesting and before he decided anything, he wanted to see what the participants looked like first.


    After a few minutes, finallying out from seemingly a square in the ground, a tform was being raised.


    On the tform, three individuals dressed in long white cloth covering their bodies and wearingrge white masks that were three times the size of their heads covering their entire faces.


    "We wee everyone from far and wide who hase to today''s Martial Arts Tournament," a voice said.


    It wasn''t shouted but spoken calmly, and yet everyone could hear it due to the Qi that was being used when spoken.


    "The three ns of the Light Faction, the Aurora n, The Illumination n, and the Dawnde n, have been involved more than ever to make sure that this event is the greatest that it has ever been in history."


    "The events we have prepared will push the students of each academy to their limits. Showing us the growth of each of our factions."


    "This event continues, to also keep the peace between our free factions, that the Kingdoms, and the empires are all thankful for."


    "Before we go ahead and exin the details of what the event will be, I would now like to introduce the contestants of all of the ns today!"


    The front ss of therge booths that were ced on the ground floor was starting to lift. Each of them had a Light Faction warrior leading the students, informing them to follow in a straight line as they walked out onto the field.


    The crowd started to cheer as loud as they could, even harming their vocal chords at the event that only came around once a year.


    It meant a lot to the factions but it was also a time of excitement for all.


    Bubble when looking at the people that were entering, his eyes had opened wide.


    ''That''s¡­ I can''t believe it¡­ that''s him, I know that''s him because he''s in the same disguise as he was before, that''s the Dark Magus!''


    Looking at the sheet and seeing all of the participants of the Demonic ns, Bubble had figured out that the Dark Magus was the one that was known as Jake.


    ''How did this woman¡­'' It then clicked in Bubble''s head; he had seen her as well. She was one of the people that were fighting against the Behemoth n.


    At the same time, on the ground floor itself, as Raze walked out, it had been such a long time, but when looking across he could see them all.


    Those in the Dark Faction that he had been separated from. For some reason, when seeing them without even thinking about what he was doing, a smile had appeared across his face.

 Chapter 616 Is He Staring At Us?

    Chapter 616 Is He Staring At Us?


    ??Each group of academy students walked out without their leaders and allies by their side. Only a single Light Faction member guided them to where they were to stand.


    It was a big and frightening moment for many, in unknown territory, deep in the heart of another faction they had never been to before, while strangers were watching their every move.


    Turning around, their support was quite a distance away. For years, they had been taught that these people were their enemy, and for the first time, they wereing face to face with them.


    It was natural for the participants to start to look at each other, eyeing up theirpetition, but that''s when a certain individual realized that someone was staring their way.


    "Hey!" Liam nudged Simyon on the shoulder. "I have a feeling that some guy is looking at us over there. Do you think it''s another case of Ricktor?"


    Ricktor turned his head slightly and smiled while looking at Simyon.


    Simyon raised his hand to cover the sunlight hitting his eyes to try and get a better look. They were all staring toward the center, after all.


    "You''re right, he''s really staring at us. He hasn''t even nced at the Light Faction¡­ and have you noticed who''s with them?"


    Safa, Simyon, and Liam had all noticed someone else trailing at the back, and it was none other than the ck Tiger.


    A person who still struck fear into them all. Soon though, Simyon''s attention turned back to the man who was still staring at them and even smiling at them.


    "I think it really might be a second Ricktor," Liammented.


    "Wait, that person, doesn''t he look familiar?" Mada asked. Now they were getting closer, and the details of one face were appearing.


    At the back, Safa tapped the side of her head twice, activating her God Eyes.


    As if realization had hit him, Liam raised his hand and pointed out.


    "Wait, yeah, doesn''t that look like¡ª"


    A hand quickly grabbed his mouth from behind. Liam could instantly smell that it was scented and smelled like a type of fruit. This smell only came from one person.


    "It is him," Safa said. "It looks like he hase here for some reason, and he''s okay just like us, but we should keep quiet about it. No one should know it''s him."


    Honestly, it was hard for them to tell even though they knew it was Raze. The facial features had changed a bit since they hadst seen him.


    His body wasn''t as frail; he was more filled out, and his hair was ck. There was a sense of maturity about him, like that of the Elders they would meet.


    However, Safa had confirmed with her God Eyes the energy that was still around him. It was hard for her, but she needed to gulp down her feelings; otherwise, people would wonder why she was getting upset.


    Arriving from all three areas, the participants lined up one by one in a triangle formation, allowing each of them to look at each other.


    And then, something strange appeared when one of the Light Faction members, wearing therge masks, lifted their hands.


    Out from the floor,rge mirror-like disys appeared from the ground. They wererge in size, almost as big as a house.


    They were rising in the air, floating without any device to hold them up, and then stayed in ce facing the direction of all three areas.


    "The Light Faction has invested a lot in this event!" the announcer imed. "We have created new technologies which will allow more of us to enjoy what is happening directly on the field."


    Just then, six smaller mirror-like objects started to float through the air. As they did, they swirled around the contestants'' faces, and on therger screens above, they revealed close-ups of each of the participants.


    The crowd gasped in shock at what they were witnessing. They could seerge faces as if they were really there.


    They had never seen such technology before, apart from a few artifacts that might have been found in other dimensions.


    Bubble, who was in the crowd, was quite shocked by this.


    ''These are the same as the gift that I was handed as well¡­ was it the Light Faction that gifted me those? But then why would they, how would it benefit them,'' Bubble thought.


    "These are the brave participants that will be taking part in the events, and we will all be able to witness what is happening as if we were really there!" the man shouted.


    The crowd cheered louder than before. Many of them from the Light Faction were proud of this achievement of technology that was at their fingertips first.


    "I will announce the following rules to all those unaware of how the tournament works. There are three types of events that will take ce."


    "First, a team event. In this case, all participants belonging to a faction must take part. The events themselves can cover a number of things. Whether that''s going against each other, having a trial against something, or more."


    "The second type of event is still a team event, but participants won''t be taking part in their teams. The event will require the team to select one person who they think is best from their group to participate, earning points for their team."


    "Lastly, we have the solo event. In this case, it is the main attraction of the event, to find out who has raised the best student of all."


    After saying those words, the crowd erupted into cheers once again as excitement filled the area.


    The way it was exined to Raze on the way here was that there were actually two awards given out. One was an academy award, and the other was an individual award.


    Based on the results of the academy award, the event would take ce in that faction the next year. While the individual award proved who one needed to look out for in the future.


    However, in every event that had urred so far, the academy that had won the academy award also won the individual award. Because those individuals would be enough to tip the favor in the group events.


    "With all that said and done, the first event will begin immediately, and it will be an entire team event!" the announcer announced.


    "To start things off, will all participants apart from those from the Light Faction please leave the area. As hosts of this event, it''s only fair that we start things off!"


    The excited cheers continued rumbling the whole ce. Turning around and walking from the students, the five Light Faction students stood firm, ready for what was going to take part.


    ''The fact that they asked the other two of us to leave, does that mean the first event won''t require us going up against each other, then what will we be going up against,'' Raze thought.


    When looking at the Light Faction members, though, his eyes had caught items they were wearing. Nes, bracelets, headbands, and all of them had a golden ''I'' marking on their clothing.


    ''So it looks like this event isn''t going to be the fair event I thought it was going to be.''

 Chapter 617 The Light Faction Is Up

    Chapter 617 The Light Faction Is Up


    ??Returning to the area they were once in, Raze couldn''t stop thinking about the items he had seen. He knew there had to be a link between Alterian and the Light Faction, but for it to be such a big one...


    ''It doesn''t make any sense. I can''t be the only person from Alterian that knows about the markings of Idore. Those in Alter would be able to notice it as well. If that''s the case, why hasn''t Alter done anything?''


    ''Or is it possible that Alter are the ones supporting them in the first ce?''


    "This is a joke," Brack said. "All of the events are set up by the Light Faction. Doesn''t that mean all of the participants would have been able to train for it and know what''sing up? They clearly have an advantage."


    "Now, now, young Brack," one of the Behemoth n elders that hade with the young participant said. "This is simply the advantage of having wonst year''spetition.


    "Besides, the fact that they have decided to go first is their way of ying fair, allowing all of us to see what the first event will be.


    "If there is one thing I can say about the Light Faction, it is that they try to be as fair as possible."


    Raze would have to disagree, knowing full well what items they had on their body. Simr to a group of Grand Magus he knew, all of it was just for show in the end.


    Rumbling could be felt from underground as the event was to get underway, and immediately all of the students belonging to the Light Faction had gotten in a circle formation.


    All of them had pulled out their swords and pointed them toward the center.


    A small outline could be seen in the ground as something was being raised up from underneath. Large growls could be heard one after the other, and finally,ing into the center of the stage, they could see what had risen up from the ground.


    Arge beast stood on its tworge legs like a human. It was chained by its arms and legs attached to the ground.


    The chains were made of a special material, with an interlocking mechanism that twisted with the movement of the beast.


    The beast was especially ferocious, covered in thick armor on its shoulders and forearms with only gaps left in between.


    Everyone assumed it had to at least be a level five beast, and even the audience looked a little frightened at what had appeared.


    "Do not worry, people. Stationed are those from the strongest ns in the Light Faction. They will stay around the edge. If the beast evenes close, they will be sure to protect you! Not that it will be needed," the announcer stated.


    The relief on the people''s faces could be seen. With just a few words, a change in atmosphere was seen, showing how much they trusted the Light Faction.


    "Let the event begin!"


    As soon as these words were said, the chains fell off the beast with a click. Immediately, it charged forward toward the crowd, with the Light Faction members standing in its way.


    Immediately, though, the circle formation was quick to act. Three of the Light Faction students stood right in front of the beast having next to no fear.


    They lifted up their swords in the air, and at the right time, they all jumped up and swung down a strike full of Qi.


    It hit the beast, causing it to stumble backward, but the hard armor on its body protected it well.


    At the same time, though, from behind, two of the warriors had jumped at the back and stabbed their swords between therge pieces of armor, blood squirting out from its body.


    They didn''t follow up with more attacks but instead jumped back and continued staying in the circle-like position.


    "I suggest that you all pay attention to the Light Faction students," Lince, the leader of the Lost n, said. "The Light Faction has always worked well together."


    "Even though these members are not from the same n, they are still able to work with wless teamwork to take down an enemy that they perhaps couldn''t take down on their own."


    "Does that matter, though?" Beret asked, a student of the Lost n. "If they were toe across five strong individuals from the Demonic Faction, wouldn''t they still lose the fight?"


    "You should know that it won''t always be the case. There may be a time where you''re forced to face multiple members, and fighting more than one person at once is quite tricky. There is strength in numbers, isn''t that right, Sha Mo?"


    Sha Mo just gave off a little grunt, knowing full well that Lince was poking fun at him for having thergest n in the Demonic Faction.


    The fight against the beast was continuing, and they could tell that it was incredibly strong. When blocking an attack, there needed to be three members from the Light Faction to block.


    However, after another strike hit the gaps in its legs, the beast had slowed down, and then something amazing urred that was mesmerizing for the crowd.


    One by one, the Light Faction members were going in for the attack. They used their own special techniques of their n as they went and struck it one after the other.


    The beast looked as if it could no longer fight back. One sword skill after the other was being repeated, and it was speeding up.


    As soon as one student was done with their attack, it was time for the next. This level of coordination was even unseenpared to previous years.


    Then finally, the student named Hanna jumped up in the air. cing her hand over the sword, it looked to bepletely covered in white energy.


    She spun herself and shed right at the back of the beast''s neck, a deep cut was made, spurting blood towards her.


    She swung her sword, hitting the blood away before she could get it on her clothes andnded on the ground with the beast falling behind her.


    With the beast dead, the crowd erupted into roars once again. The students elegantly looked at the crowd and waved their hands with smiles on their faces.


    "Come on, is that really impressive?" Beret said. "They just killed a beast. When I shove their face into the ground, then they will see howme that was."


    "Hey!" Sha Mo interrupted. "If you talk like that, then you better be able to prove it when it''s your turn."


    The Light Faction students had returned to the waiting area without a single one of them getting injured. They made dealing with the powerful beast look easy.


    Raze knew very well how hard it was to go up against a level 5 beast. What he had just witnessed was the power of teamwork.


    "Now that we have seen what the Light Faction can do, our next group of contestants will be¡­ the Dark Faction!"


    Now, it was time for Raze to see just how much the others had grown with him away.

 Chapter 618 The Dark Faction, the Strongest?

    Chapter 618 The Dark Faction, the Strongest?


    ??The Dark Faction students were walking out one after the other, and it was the expected students that had been selected.


    Ricktor, Mada, Simyon, Safa, and finally Liam. These five were considered the strongest in the Dark Faction and were the ones participating in the event. Immediately as they came out, most of the crowd had started to erupt into boo''s. Anotherponent of having the event away from the other factions.


    The floating tes moved into ce, allowing an up close image with the special machinery used by the Light Faction. Seeing them one by one, there were those that were recognized and those that weren''t questions arose from both the Demonic Faction camp and the Light Faction camp.


    "I recognize two of them, they''re direct disciples of therger ns," Lince said, stroking his chin. He had moved forward and was standing next to Raze, who had gone up close to the screen.


    Sha Mo and the others didn''t seem too interested in the event. They were more bothered with stuffing their faces with theplimentary food given to them on the side.


    Lince, Raze, and the other participants of the Demonic Faction were the only ones paying attention.


    "Yeah, the other three I don''t recognize at all," Beretmented, the participant from the Lost n that Lince led.


    "Was our intel wrong? This year I thought there were five disciples all from the major ns in the Dark Faction, yet I don''t recognize three of them at all."


    While in the town of Flendon, Raze was learning more about the Demonic Faction. The Lost n in the Demonic Faction was quite special among those in the n.


    That was because they were aworking n, having members in disguise in other territories passing information to them.


    Using this information, they had ways to tear other ns apart or bring them over to aid them on their side.


    Because of this, it was difficult to gauge the Lost n''s strength.


    Although clearly something like information wouldn''t dissuade loyalty in the Behemoth or therger ns, for the sake of face or their own ns being ripped apart, it was quite possible that the Lost n could bring many to their side to aid them.


    It was interesting because Raze didn''t think anyone in the Demonic Faction would care to research the Dark Faction, but someone had to otherwise they would be far behind the other factions.


    "There are two reasons for this: either the Dark Faction is so confident in their members they decided not to use the other three main disciples, or despite everything these three are truly the strongest of the academy."


    When entering the main arena, the students got into position, drawing out their weapons. They were waiting patiently for the arena to rise just likest time.


    There was some preparation needed between each group. Some might have thought this was a tactic as the students'' faces appeared slightly nervous.


    Inside the Demonic Faction''s area, Alba suddenly made a request.


    "Is it possible if I can watch from the stage as well?" Alba asked, the Light Faction member.


    "I don''t see why not, but the seats are filled, so you might have to go in the second standing section."


    "That''s fine," Alba said, turning to Raze. "You''ll be alright here on your own, right?"


    Raze nodded. He knew what Alba was up to, and he needed both Alba and Anna to do their thing. He would be too busy with the tournament itself, so he had to rely on them to find some way, some path into rescuing and bringing the others over.


    "Don''t worry, I will protect him from the big bad wolf," Lince said, not turning around. Presumably, he was talking about Sha Mo.


    With that, Alba exited and headed straight for the area. Reaching the second area, she could see crowds of people standing, continuously making bets as time went on.


    Mostly on the Light Faction after seeing their performance. While she walked through the crowd, she eventually stopped and turned to face the arena.


    "I''m d to see you''re alive," Alba said, as if speaking to no one and just looking out on the field.


    "I''m happy to see you''re alive as well. It''s been tough." A blonde swept-back hair figure with a mask covering half of his face was standing right by Alba.


    "It''s good to have you next to me again, Cronker."


    Cronker had been in the Dark Faction ever since they had split up, promising to look after the Dark Faction students from the shadows.


    There were too many times when he thought he would have been caught. He had managed toe along on this trip thanks to Amir, but he was unable to be in the same booth as them, so he was in the main crowd along with the others.


    "A lot has changed in the Crimson Crane since you''ve been away, we have a lot to tell you, but they are good things for the n, we are stronger than we have ever been," Alba stated.


    "Right, I have heard some of the news, of fending off the Behemoth n. I wish I was there as well, to help you."


    Alba wanted to talk about Elvlin as well, but she wasn''t sure it was the right time. It was news that had reached almost no one''s ears, and it wasn''t important enough to share now.


    She decided to keep it in for now because she didn''t know how Cronker would react, especially if he knew who was responsible for it all.


    "I haven''t been doing nothing myself, there are three students from the academy that I have taken under my wing," Cronker smiled. "They are talented."


    "Oh, you took in disciples, have you trained them in the stealth arts like yourself then?" Alba asked.


    "That I have," Cronker answered. "They have absorbed everything, pushing themselves to be of some use. They can gather information, skilled in assassination, and attack weak points from the shadows when needed."


    "It sounds like you''ve made yourself your own assassin group," Alba smiled.


    "A group that is to be used by the Crimson Crane."


    The group certainly woulde in handy in the future, that was if they could get all of the students safely out of the ce.


    Now instead, she was looking at Raze''s friends, the ones he hade for.


    "About them, will they do well in this task? Are they safe, or is it best to try and get them out early?" Alba asked.


    Cronker smiled as he could see the whole coliseum shaking. The floor underneath the arena was rising once more, and the same beast that had appeared for the Light Faction was seening out from under.


    It was the same size as thest, chained like thest, and had heavy armor all the same. It certainly was an advantage going second, seeing how the beast acted.


    Which just went to show the Light Faction''s fairness in the event.


    "They are the most amazing students I have ever seen before. If it was up to me, I would put all my coin on them winning this event," Cronker answered.

 Chapter 619 Show Them Your Power

    Chapter 619 Show Them Your Power


    ??"So, what''s the n, boss?" Liam shouted out.


    Just like the Light Faction, the Dark Faction students had gathered in a circr formation around the beast that was rising around the center.


    Seeing this, even more boos hade from the crowd.


    "They''re just going to copy the Light Faction!"


    "Figures, that''s what those dirty pigs at the Dark Faction would do."


    "Hey, don''t say that, that''s not fair to the pigs, these guys are even lower than pigs."


    "Even if they do copy, do they really think they''ll be able to do the same thing as the Light Faction? That would be impossible," Bubble said, observing the situation.


    Anna felt the same way. What they had witnessed the Light Faction do, it had to be trained for, and she doubted the other academies would train for such things.


    "We''ve been ordered by the Principal," Safa said as she pulled out her spear. "To not worry about how long it takes, but to show the others up and show them our strength!"


    In the Dark Faction, people were also noticing that Safa, the female of the group, was taking charge rather than Ricktor or Mada.


    Not just that, but there was meaning behind the message. They knew that more points were to be awarded for how quickly the beast would be dealt with.


    This event was a time trial to see who could defeat the beast quickest. The Principal''s order was essentially to not worry about how long it takes, but to show them what we''ve got.


    The chains had been unleashed from the beast, and it immediately screamed into the air in anger. It then started to look around at who to go for.


    That was until Simyon spread his legs out and put two fists by his side, and unleashed arge amount of Qi flowing from his body.


    The beast, recognizing this, quickly turned its head to Simyon and started to charge right at him. It ran as fast as it could with its mighty size and force.


    Yet Simyon stood there still. The Qi was still wild all over his body until the head of the beast was approaching. Moving his hand out, the Qi that was fluctuating wildly around Simyon''s body condensed down, and he covered his head with both his arms in a cross shape.


    The beast''srge body crashed into Simyon, and the contestants flinched as they expected the young boy to go flying.


    When they looked back down on the ground, instead they could see that Simyon had only moved a meter or so back in the ground. He hadpletely taken the hit, and there wasn''t even a scratch on his body.


    If anything, the beast''s head had flung back and ricocheted as if it had hit a giant boulder.


    "What''s with the kid''s body!" Bubblemented ecstatically. "That is a level five beast, what took three Light Faction students, one boy was able to deflect the attack on his own!"


    Simyon''s body was now at the Unique grade; it was just as strong as a level five beast. Sure, he could have avoided the hit or tried to attack, but this was his way of showing off his skills.


    "Now it''s time for you two, go!" Safa ordered. She still hadn''t moved from her spot, and she felt like there was no reason for her to; she was watching everything from a bird''s eye view of what was to happen.


    "Do you think we couldn''t have figured that out ourselves?" Mada said as he was running forward; his visual Qi was flowing, a trail of water was appearing behind him.


    "You like toin; I thought you would have been used to her by now," Ricktor said as he ran forward with a sword in his hand as well, an erupting power exploding behind him as well.


    Both of them then jumped up in the air at the same time, Mada swinging his leg right at the beast''s head, and Ricktor swinging his sword.


    Both of them attacked the beast at the same time with their massive amount of strength, and the beast''s entire body was lifted up into the air.


    It was flying and about toe crashing into the side of the coliseum wall, that was until the warriors standing on the edge had pushed back with their powerful Qi, causing therge beast to move toward the center again and fall on the front of its body.


    "Those two¡­ they''re incredibly powerful attacks," Lince said, clearly surprised. "What the Light Faction did was impressive, but on an individual scale, they never showed power like this."


    "It''s almost as if they''re trying to tell us, at any point in time, just one of these students would have been enough to deal with the beast on their own."


    "And do you think we couldn''t?" Mantis had spoken for the first time in a while, seemingly annoyed by thement.


    What Lince had also noticed was that Raze was smiling at this fact. What could the reason be? Maybe it was because they were strong opponents, or there was something else.


    ''These guys, all of them, have been training hard, incredibly hard, and I haven''t even seen everything they can do yet,'' Raze thought.


    At that moment, he almost felt like a proud father seeing those around him growing and walking on their own two feet.


    They were clearly going to grow into warriors that wouldn''t need him protecting them.


    The beast was getting up from the floor; it wasn''t done yet, and due to none of the Dark Faction members continuously attacking the beast, it also meant they were taking longer.


    Each person was just waiting to show what they had, and now the crowd was quite excited to see who was going to show their power next.


    When the beast stood on its two feet, that''s when a third person hade running up. A boy with an eyepatch on his eye and red hair.


    He jumped up into the air,ing from behind the beast''s neck. Then with his hand, he covered his sword.


    Watching all of this, that was when people were starting to realize something.


    "Wait a moment, doesn''t this look familiar?"


    "No, it can''t be," some of them said, with their mouths left open, as they saw the next move.


    With the sword shrouded in Qi, Liam then did a quick sh right behind the neck of the beast. Blood sttered out aiming towards his face, but he swung the sword, hitting the blood, beforending on the ground, and the beast falling to the floor, and to its death.


    The crowd was stunned into silence at that moment. Because what they had just witnessed was a moment of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Someone from the Dark Faction had eliminated the beast in the same way as that from the Light Faction, but it wasn''t just simr.


    It was near enough to the same technique that Hannah had used¡­ how was it even possible? How could someone from the Dark Faction know such techniques?


    In the entirety of the crowd, there was one person that knew the answer.


    "He¡­ I''m sure of it, he has the system, but why does he have the system? Is he part of the Red Fortis? What is his rtion to them?" Anna said.

 Chapter 620 A Show Off

    Chapter 620 A Show Off


    ??The time ofpletion for this event was noted, and although the Dark Faction had defeated the beast quickly, it was still slower than the Light Faction all working together.


    However, it didn''t matter. Even though the Dark Faction students knew this, there was a smile on their faces when they walked back to the watching area where they hade from.


    In particr, though, there was a bit of outrage going on in the background. Many high-ranking members of the Light Faction had witnessed this, and the three men in therge white masks were all heads of their n.


    After making their announcements at the start of the event, they had returned to their own separate viewing area, a ce just above where their students were currently stationed, and just the three of them were on their own, sitting in their seats.


    On one of therge white masks with the image of a sun, there was Circle, the head of the Illumination n.


    "The moves that kid made just now, they weren''t just simple imitations; it was the exact same art," Circle said.


    "Yes," the man next to him with arge mask on his face, with several indents like craters on the moon, spoke up. This man was Kawak, the head of the Aurora n.


    "And the skill that was used was from none other than the Dawnde n. It seems that trouble just keeps on following you. Do you care to exin this yourself?"


    "You are using me?" a fierce voice replied, not even turning his head to look at the others. On hisrge mask, there was a line down the center that looked like that of a de.


    This man was the head of the Dawnde n, Ricar Highborn.


    "Why would I even dare to teach the enemy? If anything, right now, I think both of you are being foolish. It''s quite obvious that the child down there has done that to cause disturbances among each other."


    "Rather than focusing on the enemy, we will be distracted by this foolishness."


    "You cannot doubt, though, that child had not just copied but performed the same movements," Circle added. "It is impossible for him to copy after just witnessing what had urred once. Someone had to have taught him that."


    "It appears most likely that maybe not you, but there are spies in your group."


    There was a thought among the three of them, though. By chance, what if the move wasn''t stolen and taught on?


    What if the child really had just seen what had been performed in thest round and had copied it on the spot? If that was the case, then it would mean the Dark Faction has a genius among them.


    Liam''s ending performance had caused arge stir among the Light Faction that they had mostly even forgotten about what the others had aplished, which was incredibly impressive.


    The general publicmented on Simyon''s strong body and the fierce attacks produced by Mada and Ricktor.


    It was the focus of the Light Faction ns that were stuck on Liam.


    In the middle of their walk back, Safa hade close to Liam, who was smiling ear to ear.


    "Did you really have to go that far?" Safa asked. "You could have done a simple strike and then let Ricktor or Mada deal with it. You''re bringing too much attention on yourself too early."


    Everyone had learned of Liam''s skills by now. They don''t know why or how, but ever since returning from the dimension, he was able to pick things up incredibly easily.


    During training, there was one day where Amir had been giving him an incredibly tough time, and he had performed techniques that Amir had used himself, among other things.


    It was then that they had learned, Liam now had the power to practically replicate anything he saw, as long as his body was capable of doing such a thing.


    At times, what he would replicate also wouldn''t bepletely perfect, since someponents of the movement would be missing, but it was still an incredibly impressive talent.


    "Can you really me me? Look at them, all of them were looking at me, and I saw how they all reacted when that girl from before did that move," Liam said. "So I wanted to do something better."


    "If I can do the same thing as her, it shows it''s not as impressive, right, and now they''re all looking at me."


    Safa pped the top of her forehead, realizing that Liam had no idea what would happen now that he had used a move that was created by the Light Faction.


    ''Still, I wonder what happened. I knew he was good at copying, but to even copy moves that require a different Qi basis, what happened to you, Liam, what secret are you keeping from us?'' Safa thought.


    Up in the crowds, Anna was still stunned. She was intensely staring at every fiber of Liam as she saw him walk away.


    ''Everything is telling me that he''s not like us, but for him to do what he has done, and for his age, if he is not from our world, then he has to have the system. I need to find any way I can to get in contact with him,'' Anna thought.


    Eventually, the group had all returned to their own viewing area, and the first person they could see in front of them was Murkel Dockthron, the Principal of the academy as well as the leader of the Erupting Fist n.


    Along with him, there was Crine from the Flowing Force n, since his son was one of the major participants.


    These were the two main members from the Dark Faction that had been selected. However, just like with the other factions, each n was also allowed to bring two members to protect them.


    Since Safa, Liam, and Simyon weren''t from any prominent ns, instead of inviting members from their own ns, others had been picked.


    One of them in question was Bargo from the Moonshield n, who had just returned from the Lethal Bite n, after everything that had urred there.


    "Although you did not beat the others in terms of time, you did exactly as I asked," Murkel said. "Showing your strength this early on will strike fear in them."


    "Especially you, kid, you did the best out there." Murkel was staring at Liam when these words were spoken.


    "I am excited for how the rest of this thing will proceed now. I think it''s even great that the young woman still hasn''t shown her powers yet. They are sure to be troubled and being worn down even now."


    The feelings were mixed among the students. The tournament was a big deal for them, and being praised always felt nice.


    However, in their minds, they were more like prisoners being held and forced to fight for Murkel, someone who they saw as an enemy and wished to break free from.


    "Next up, we have the final Factioning out to take the assessment!" The announcer said.


    Immediately, they turned their heads to look out.


    "Now, we might find out just who we need to watch out for in this event, the Light Faction, or the Demonic Faction!"


    "The Demonic Faction!" The announcer shouted. It was their turn to take part in the assessment.

 Chapter 621 The Demonic Factions Turn

    Chapter 621 The Demonic Faction''s Turn


    ??Each of the Demonic Faction students walked out as the ss lifted up. They twisted and turned their heads casually as they looked around them, and just like with the Dark Faction, a loud amount of boos were being hearding from the crowd.


    Back at that moment, Brack turned to look at the crowd and lifted both his middle fingers at them.


    "All of you Light Faction bastards can suck my d*ck!" Brack said.


    Some of the crowd started to throw items they could find on them down below, but they were stopped by the Light Faction members that were guarding around the edge.


    "That was a bit crude," Kaylie said.


    "Oh yeah, well, do you want to suck my d*ck as well?" Brack asked.


    Kaylie decided not to say anymore as she turned her head away. It wasn''t going to be good to get involved with him, and she had to be careful.


    Brack was from the Behemoth n; she was from the Seeno n. There was too big of a difference in status between the two of them.


    Lince watched all of the students walking out, when another female, one of the high-ranking members in the Seeno n, stood by his side.


    "Do you think our students are going to be okay?" She asked.


    "If I have to be honest, it''s going to be tough for them," Lince replied. "Our students aren''t known for working well together. Every year there is some type of incident at the academy.


    "Some days I dream about the whole Demonic Faction academy burning and getting torn down. I''ll be honest, I''m surprised at how well the Dark Faction had done."


    "As I analyzed the situation, I realized something; they had one person that was the gel in their group. The female warrior."


    "With her giving all of the orders, they didn''t have to think about working together and just trusted a single individual to do the thinking for them."


    "Our team, it has nothing like that. The only reason the Demonic Faction works is because of our rule: the strong makes the rules."


    "The issue is with the students, they don''t even know who the strong is among them, and those that believe they''re strong don''t believe they need any help from others."


    Just at the start of the event, things looked incredibly differentpared to any of the other groups. For one, Brack stood in the middle of the tform where the beast would rise from.


    Beret and Kaylie were standing close to each other, leaving a big space for the beast to go to, and ''Jake'' and Mantis were standing far off on their own.


    In the crowd, there was another individual that was worried as well.


    "Do you think the Demonic Faction will have a chance, now that you''re part of the faction, you should be rooting for them, right, or I should say we?" Cronker asked.


    "Oh, did you not hear?" Alba replied. "One of the members down there is also a member of the Crimson Crane; we are taking part in this as well."


    Cronker ced his hand on his forehead, trying to squint and see further. He looked at the giant screen, but there still wasn''t anyone he could really recognize.


    "He''s changed a bit, he now has ck hair, but the person taking part is DM," Alba answered.


    It took a moment for Cronker to realize what the initials of DM were.


    "I guess if they have him, they will be okay, but I doubt that they will do as well as the Dark or Light Faction," Cronker replied.


    Alba had to admit the Dark Faction students were far more impressive than she thought they would be, or anyone thought they would be.


    However, there was one person she still didn''t see that they could top.


    "I know why you''re thinking like that, because you haven''t seen him in a while, but with that man on their team, I feel like it''s impossible for them to lose," Alba answered.


    ---


    Raze stood there out on the field; he still had his Ghost de by his side and didn''t even have it drawn, which was like many of the Demonic Faction.


    He had noticed some of the others looking at him, so he wasn''t sure if they were doing this just because they saw that he hadn''t drawn his weapon out either.


    ''There should be no reason for me to show my strength in this; they should be able to handle it,'' Raze thought.


    With that thought in mind, the underground panel started to slide and open up. Brack quickly jumped over the entire panel, casually waiting for the beast to rise.


    Just like before, heavy growls were heard as they were all witnessing the beaste to the top. Chained up just like before.


    "Hey, are there any rules about hitting this thing before the chainse off?" Brack asked.


    A heavy thud sound was heard behind him, and a dust cloud of sand came his way; the next moment a giant w had hit him by his side and sent him flying until he crashed into the wall by the side.


    "What is wrong with that kid!" Sha Mo shouted. It was almost embarrassing for him, wondering if he really was what the strongest in the Behemoth n had to offer.


    The beast''s chains had fallen off, and turning around it was looking at who to target. It looked straight at Mantis for a moment, it took a couple of steps forward and appeared to be sniffing the air.


    Right after, it seemingly ignored him and turned its head to Beret and Kaylie who were both stood next to each other.


    Kaylie pulled out a whip that she had in her hand; she held it by her side waiting for the beast. It soon charged at them, each step shaking the ground slightly.


    As it got closer, Kaylie then swung her whip out; at the same time, Beret had charged in with a dagger in his hand.


    The whip had collided, hitting him by his side, and sending him rolling on the ground.


    "Sorry!" Kaylie said.


    She had no clue that Beret was going to do that, and before she knew it, the beast was upon her, and she had no choice but to dive and move out of the way.


    Right now, everyone that was watching couldn''t help butugh; the entirety of the Demonic Faction was aughingstock.


    Having hit away most of the people near it, that''s when the beast turned and looked at one of the students dressed in the ck and red gear.


    It was Raze. The beast opened its mouth wide, letting out a scream before it started toe over and charged right at Raze.


    ''This beast¡­ what is it doing,'' Raze thought.


    He continued to stay just standing there, the beasting closer to him, but Raze didn''t want to act, so instead he conveyed his strong thoughts in his mind.


    ''Don''te near me¡­ don''te near me, turn around now!'' Raze screamed in his head.


    Energy seeping out from his body, a dark mist of blood was surrounding Raze''s entire body that couldn''t be seen by the eye.


    Safa, who turned on her God Eyes, could see it; death was surrounding Raze entirely.


    As the beast got within range, it slowed down its charge and started to settle down, and eventually stopped around five meters away from Raze.


    Everyone watching was left with the thought, why did the beast stop?

 Chapter 622 A Complete Mess

    Chapter 622 A Complete Mess


    ??The same type of beast had been used in each of the events so far; all of them were at the same level. And although they had seen some impressive things from the students so far when dealing with them, it was the first time the crowd witnessed this.


    The beast was running forward, charging towards a solo student. When it got closer, its heavy footsteps started to calm down until itpletely stopped.


    Now looking at Raze, the beast tucked in its head slightly toward its chest, giving off the appearance that it was almost bowing, or perhaps even begging the person in front of them.


    Yet that didn''t make any sense; how was that even possible? The crowd had quietened down just like the beast as they looked at this scene.


    Eventually, though, the beast lifted its head and started to look around.


    "What the, why didn''t that beast attack that student?"


    "Aren''t all beasts meant to be bloodthirsty? They kill humans on sight. This beast is from a portal break, right?"


    "The student probably just smells or something; some beasts have sensitive noses, right?"


    "Do you think the Demonic Faction knew this and nted something on him?"


    Soon, though, the crowd forgot about what they saw because the beast had set its eyes on Beret and Kaylie again, who were standing next to each other.


    It scraped itsrge feet across the floor and started to charge right at them.


    "Alright, this time, don''t jump forward; let me attack first!" Kaylie asked.


    "No, if I hit him on the head, then you pull one of its legs. I think that would be better," Beret replied. "Trust me; I''m the fastest person on our team."


    It didn''t matter, though, because in the middle of the beast running toward them, Brack, who had originally been hit and crashed into the wall on the side, had leapt up andnded right on top of the beast''s head.


    Now hanging onto the beast, he lifted his sword and continued to stab the beast in the back of the neck.


    "How dare you do something like that, die, die, die!" He repeatedly shouted as he continued to stab the beast.


    Both Beret and Kaylie saw this as their chance as they ran in closer to attack the beast with their techniques.


    Eventually, Kaylie had pulled the beast by its leg, and luckily, Beret had attacked the other leg at the same time, causing the beast to fall on its back.


    Brack flipped himself in the air, and on the way down with his sword, he stabbed it right through the beast''s face, causing blood to stter up, and the enemy was eventually defeated.


    Finally, the first event waspleted, as all three factions had managed to aplish the task, but there was no question about it; it was clear who had taken the longest and who would be considered being inst ce for the event.


    The Demonic Faction almost took three times as long as the others.


    Covered in blood, Brack was walking back to the viewing area and had passed both Mantis and ''Jake''.


    "Great job, you two, thanks for helping us out there, rather than just standing around with your hand on your dick," Brack said.


    "I thought you imed to be the strongest and best; wouldn''t the strongest and the best be able to do something like this on their own?" Mantismented back.


    While Raze had said nothing and just walked back along with the others.


    "The first event has beenpleted!" the announcer shouted. "With that, I can tell you the official results: in first ce, the Light Faction has received 5 points; in second ce, the Dark Faction has received 3 points.


    "Andstly, the Dark Faction has received 1 point forpleting the task buting inst ce."


    With the results of the first event dered, it was time for a break for the crowd, to gather some food and allow the students to rest up before the next event.


    More food was delivered as well as a number of Qi pills for them to use for recovering their energy.


    At the same time, the betting odds were updated, and it wasn''t looking particrly good for the Demonic Faction with everything that had urred.


    In the crowd itself, Alba and Cronker were evaluating the situation.


    "Do you still think the same way?" Cronker asked. "That they can win with just him."


    "Of course," Alba replied, her voice not as confident as the first time. "I mean, he''s just got handicapped with his teammates having lost a few brain cells here and there."


    "Well, people with a keen eye would have noticed a few things here and there," Cronker said. "Although the Demonic Faction''s students were a mess and would have done better if they were on their own, they had practically passed the assessment with only three people.


    "It''s hard to say whether the Light Faction or even the Dark Faction would be able to do that. Sure, Simyon''s body is incredibly strong, but does he have the strength to defeat the beast on his own?"


    "In their own crazy way, the Demonic Faction has shown some of their strength, and then there was that."


    Some of the crowd had talked about what they had seen with the beast cowering, but it wasn''t a big deal for many of them.


    They thought of it just as something strange that had urred, and would much rather talk about the impressive feats of the Dark Faction and the Light Faction.


    So they had seemingly forgotten about the Demonic Faction, other than them just bing aughing stock, and the same thoughts were being spread in the Light Faction room.


    "All of you did a great job," Beatrix said, looking at the five students. "Your hard work has paid off; from what we''ve seen, there should be nothing for you to worry about until we reach the individual stages."


    The five members nodded, but Hanna didn''t look too pleased.


    "What''s wrong? Is it because of that student from the Dark Faction?" Beatrix asked.


    Hannah nodded. "How was he able to copy me? It took me years to perfect something like that."


    "Nothing can beat the real thing," Beatrix said as she bent down to eye level with her student. "But if you are to go up against him again, then it''s best to use your techniques only when you need to. If he can really copy anything he can see just once, well, then only show them once, right?"


    At the same time, there was much discussion in the Dark Faction as well. Most of the adults were talking about the Light Faction and what to do with them.


    "It appears that the Light Faction is the only ones we need to worry about for these events then," Gavinmented.


    "Really? Do you think so?" Murkel replied. "What''s your evaluation, Amir?"


    "My evaluation," Amir was surprised to be asked this. "It''s still too early to tell. Safa has yet to show her skills to the people, and no one has really been pushed. Although the Demonic Faction performed horribly, it doesn''t mean much at this stage, especially when we haven''t seen two of them act yet."


    "Right," Murkel replied. "And I''m sure you felt it as well; one of them is making my stomach churn slightly."

 Chapter 623 An Alliance With The Enemy

    Chapter 623 An Alliance With The Enemy


    ??The Demonic Faction students had reluctantly returned to their viewing area. They were embarrassed, to say the least. They knew they had performed poorly, and toe inst ce, they were essentially theughing stock of the whole continent.


    The Demonic Faction was one that was feared by all; both the Dark Faction and Light Faction had always hesitated to attack them because they didn''t have confidence in beating them.


    So how could theye out with a result like this? Entering, Brack looked at Sha Mo for a moment and turned his head away.


    "I promise I''ll do better. Right now, I don''t deserve to be representing the Behemoth n," Brack stated.


    In the same vein, both Beret and Mantis had gone to their leaders and n members to talk about what had urred and try to figure out a way to improve it.


    It was only Raze who was left with no one, since Alba and Anna had both left him here alone.


    Sitting down in one of thefy armchairs, Raze looked out of the ss, or at least he tried to. Arge figure had blocked his way, casting a giant shadow over him.


    "Why did you do nothing?" Sha Mo asked. "If you had acted, we could have gotten the fastest time."


    Sha Mo knew Raze''s true strength, so it wasn''t an offment to make.


    "Does the tournament really matter to the Demonic Faction? Didn''t the Neverfall n already sessfully stop an attack from the Light Faction? They know our strength; even if we lose this whole thing, it would be fine, right? There''s no need to draw attention to myself," Raze answered honestly.


    The tournament itself was not his concern; finding a way out of here was, and the most likely best time to do that and get the Dark Faction away was right at the end of the event.


    "You know some of the meaning behind this event, I assume," Lince said as he took the seat next to Raze and looked out into the main stage of the arena.


    Sha Mo had decided to leave things at that and walked off, heading to the food section to stuff his mouth even more.


    "I was told that it''s a way to show the current and future strength of each of the factions. Which is why I stated it shouldn''t matter too much," Raze added.


    "Right, so you know that much, but you need to be aware of the entire situation of Pagna," Lince exined as he waved his finger in the air, drawing a circle.


    "You have three factions that are fighting against each other, all of them wary of each other. Yet not one of them ready to act out. If the Dark Faction attacked the Light Faction believing they were stronger, then their worry is, in the middle of the fight, that we would attack them, eliminating them and bing the winner."


    "This is the same situation since all of ournds border on one another. Each group can be attacked by another at any point in time."


    "So even if one group is stronger than the other, they aren''t confident to defeat two groups. However, there is a way to eliminate a faction and limit this risk. Do you know what way this is?"


    Raze thought about it for a while, considering the possibilities of what one could do, and he came up with an answer.


    "An alliance; two of the factions could agree not to attack each other and go for one of the others."


    "Exactly," Lince replied. "Maybe you''re smarter than I gave you credit for. You should also understand why we in the Demonic Faction are in the most vulnerable state when ites to this.


    "The Light Faction''s principles focus on honor. If they were to make an alliance, they would keep their word. At the same time, the Dark Faction''s principle is to do whatever it can to win."


    "While for the Demonic Faction¡ª"


    "They would never work with anyone to eliminate the enemy," Raze answered.


    Not just that, but Raze was starting to think maybe this was the reason as well why Alter didn''t exist in the Demonic Faction. It was too differentpared to the others. The scary thought was, with Alter in different positions in both the Light Faction and the Dark Faction, it very well could be something that was capable of being pulled off.


    "Exactly, and here lies the problem. There''s a reason despite this option being avable to them that they have never done such a thing. And do you know why it is?"


    This was something Raze was curious about because he didn''t have an answer for it. Until, he figured out the question that was asked at the beginning of all of this: why was the tournament so important to them?


    "Because even if they were to team up together, they wouldn''t have the strength to defeat the Demonic Faction," Raze answered.


    Lince rxed back in his seat even further with a big smile on his face.


    Lince rxed back in his seat even further with a big smile on "See, you knew the answer all along; you just needed to have a few prompts. There is another factor involved in all of this as well."


    "That is the fact that in the Demonic Faction, we have one of the strongest empires that use our services quite a bit."


    "They wouldn''t be too pleased if we were eliminated, but the same thing could be said for the kingdoms across the othernds. Getting rid of us would start a war among the regr people as well. Although we don''t tend to get involved with them, they arerge in number and technology is advancing with them."


    "They could be a bigger threat in the future. Either way, if we fail horribly at this tournament, it might start to spark the idea, among the people, as well as among the factions, that for one, we are weak enough to take over, and for the Empire that is under us, that we are too weak to protect them."


    "If the empire in ournd strikes a deal with one of the other factions as well, it will be over for the Demonic Faction."


    It was quite a bit for Raze to think about, but at the end of the day, what did he care about whether or not the Demonic Faction was eliminated? He just wanted to know the Neverfall n''s rtion to the Dark Faction founder. Besides all of that, if there was a chance, Raze might very well eliminate the principal, not giving them a chance to even team up with anyone in the first ce.


    "For the next event, can we please have each group select two participants!" The announcer stated. "As a hint for the next event, it will be best if you pick your fastest participants!"


    Two participants were to take part in the event, with only a single hint. There was time for each of the groups to discuss among themselves as they picked who was to take part.


    Following the past tournaments, it didn''t matter if the same person for each team was picked again and again, so they didn''t need to worry about that.


    "If I can make a suggestion," Lince said. "Can we have Beret from the Lost n take part¡­ and I think Jake from the Crimson Crane will do."

 Chapter 624 The Second Event

    Chapter 624 The Second Event


    ??Raze was surprised. Out of all the contestants and students they had, why was he selected? Due to him being a middle stage warrior rather than an initial stage warrior, his speed would be faster than most. So, it wasn''t a bad choice to pick, if a person had all of this knowledge in the first ce. But Lince didn''t know that the student called ''Jake'' from the Crimson Crane was the Dark Magus.


    ''I shouldn''t put it past him that he would be able to tell that I''m a middle stage warrior as well. These Demonic n leaders are quite a bit strongerpared to that of the Dark Faction, if we eliminate Murkel in the matter,'' Raze thought.


    "Beret is quite fast; our n focuses on foot techniques, unlike the other ns, to evade getting caught," Lince exined. "Do any of the other students have an objection?"


    Kaylie shook her head along with the members of the Seeno n, not that they would disagree with someone from the Lost n in the first ce.


    Brack wouldn''t mind taking part, but based on the type of event it was, it didn''t interest him, and as for Mantis, he only said a few things.


    "As long as they win, I have no problem. Just don''t make me regret not taking part in every single one of these events," Mantismented.


    Still, based on the results of thest event, why had Raze been selected?


    "Why me?" Raze had to ask. This wasn''t going along with his n of going unnoticed, and despite Lince''s lesson on the Factions, Raze still thought it was better for him toy low.


    Lince gestured with a finger as he stood up from his seat, telling him toe over, away from the ears of the others.


    When they were in the corner of the room, Lince started to speak.


    "I have a favor to ask you," Lince whispered. "I have had a bad feeling since we stepped into the Light Faction, and in the past, there have also been a number of deaths that have urred.


    "This time, it feels like due to our weakness in the first event, we will be targeted. I wasn''t lying when I said that I believe Beret is the best for this task, but I fear for his life."


    "Usually, the Demonic Faction ns don''t care about the life of the weak, even if they are their own blood¡­ but I can''t help my feelings."


    Not every student was a direct descendant of the n heads that were taking part. From the look of things, it seemed like none of them were, but that wasn''t the case for the Lost n.


    "I have asked you to join this because I feel you are different from the others, and this may be a gamble on my part. I don''t care if you win or lose this event."


    "The only thing I ask is that you protect Beret at all costs while out there."


    They didn''t even know the full details of the event, and people died every day. Raze had killed those that had family and friends as well.


    Beret was also a person who he knew next to nothing about. So, there was no reason for him to say yes; for all he knew, it could have been a trick.


    Which is why Raze said nothing. The ss door opened, and Beret and Raze walked out onto the field.


    While walking out, Raze looked in the direction of the Light Faction; he saw one female and a male walk out. It wasn''t the woman that had caught his attention from before. Both of these had thin rapier swords by their side.


    "Those two are from the Illumination n," Beretmented. "They use light weapons and focus on speed-based attacks, but their attacks aren''t the strongest because of that."


    The two contestants were Charlotte and Harmon. What Raze was curious about was the bracelets that they were wearing, which had a golden ''I'' on them.


    "The Illumination n is considered the weakest of the Light Faction ns; this should be easy for us," Beretmented.


    As someone from the Lost n, he had gathered a lot of information.


    "The weakest, so what is the standing of the Light Factions at the moment?" Raze asked.


    "Simr to the Demonic Faction, there are three ns in the Light Faction with great power. The Illumination n is at the bottom; then you have the Dawnde n, which contains Beatrix and her student Hannah who performed the finale strike on the beast in thest round."


    "There is one more student from the Illumination n, butstly, the Aurora n is considered the strongest and has one student taking part, Ulyn; that''s who I would look out for."


    In his mind, Raze was a little conflicted; the Light Faction seemed to have connections with Mages, so he had great interest in them as a way for him to head back to Alter.


    But his original task was taking care of the Dark Faction, who also had links to the world but more so, the people he had met in this world.


    When looking at the Dark Faction, he saw the two students that had been selected for this task; it was Ricktor and Mada.


    ''At least, if I run into these two, I won''t have to feel bad about hurting them.''


    "I can tell what that guy''s thinking already," Mada said as he walked out. "He thinks it''s going to be fine if he hits us."


    "That might note into y either way," Ricktor replied. "Firstly, if we run into him, we can''t just let him win; that would be disrespectful to him, and we need to know if he has the strength to help us."


    "Otherwise, we''re on our own, and besides, this event isn''t an outright test of strength; otherwise, they wouldn''t have given us that hint about selecting the fastest."


    The announcer, who was now nowhere to be seen, but they could all clearly hear the sound of his voice, was ready to talk.


    "Now that all of the participants are on the stage, I will be exining the following rules. There will be a number of Charging Rats that will enter the stage."


    "A beast that is known for its rapid speed, the time limit will be thirty minutes. Within that time, the team with the most power stones will win! The rules are simple, right?"


    "However, things won''t be as easy as it seems."


    The announcer clicked his fingers, and the entire stage started to rumble. Right in front of them, walls were being built up one after the other.


    The crowd, seeing this, were amazed at what was happening with oo''s and ah''s as they saw the walls, and they had alsoe right in between each of the individuals.


    The walls then started to move ande toward the contestants, forcing them to move positions if they didn''t want to be hit.


    They continued until the stage was finally done.


    "Behold, in this assessment, each member will have to also chase the beasts through a maze! And who knows who you will run into, friends, allies, enemies, or the crystals themselves; we wish everyone good luck!"

 Chapter 625 The Tricky Maze

    Chapter 625 The Tricky Maze


    ??The entire transformation of the area had only taken a few moments, and it all felt so strange. Not only were they seeing strange walls appear in front of them, disappear, and move about, but they also felt the very ground underneath their feet moving as well. They were being jumbled all over the area, to the point no one knew their position anymore.


    They had no clue where they were, and when it eventually stopped, the walls were so high up, and the space so narrow between them that they could no longer see the crowd or anything around them. It was a first for the martial arts tournament; they had never seen anything like this before. It was clear that the Light Faction was pulling out all of the stops.


    "Do you think the Light Faction are trying to show us how great their power is?" Gavin from the Moonshield n asked.


    "It''s hard to just outright say," Murkel replied. "The way they built this thing, and the strange small mirrors that are floating about, it feels like an artifact from another dimension, and a strong one at that."


    "Usually, the factions tend to keep these things quiet, so we don''t know their strength. Could you imagine what this item could do in the middle of warfare?"


    This was Gavin''s and every other member of the Dark Faction''s worry. Changing the state of the field in the middle of a war, that was a powerful item.


    And then the mirrors on top of that, being able to sneak in behind enemy lines and show what others were capable of. Thinking about it more and more, Murkel felt like he had made the right decision, to make the students go through what they had done. Otherwise, he had no doubt in his mind the Light Faction would have acted.


    ---


    Beret found himself in the middle of two grey walls, with only two options: to turn around or go directly in front of him where he could see an option to turn left and right.


    ''I nned to win this one all by myself anyway; that Jake seemed useless from the first event anyway.''


    Right then, part of the floor had opened up, and right in front of Beret, he could see a small Charging Rat. It was bigger than a rat, more like the size of a small dog but looked just like a rat apart from its beady, fully colored red eyes.


    It turned around, and the moment it saw Beret, it made a run for it straight ahead.


    "Haha, this is just my luck!" Beret shouted as he charged forward. He pushed off his feet which appeared weightless and was following the rat quickly. The mirror camera was closely following him from behind.


    "It looks like the first person to run into one of the Charging Rats is from the Demonic Faction; can they make up for theirst ce position in thest event!" The announcer eximed.


    Beret continued to catch up with the rat, and slowly he was making progress. At the turns, he was faster; he was so focused on the rat that he didn''t even know how many turns he had taken, that was until he could see a dead end right up ahead.


    "I''ve got you now!" Beret thought.


    The rat continued to run toward the wall though, and when it reached the wall, it dug one foot after the other and started to run up the wall.


    "Don''t think that''s going to stop me!" Beret then jumped from side to side of the wall, raising himself up.


    He started to think why didn''t he do this before; there was no need for him to go through the maze. At that point, he had seen the rat climb over and head back down.


    Just as he was about to reach the top, right in front of his eyes, a wall b appeared. A ceiling covering the top of the wall stayed in ce, and he had crashed his head right against it, causing him to fall back down onto the ground.


    "Oh so close!" The announcer said. "Unfortunately, this maze is designed to make it easier for the beasts and harder for the contestants."


    "If contestants try to scale the walls, they will be stopped; if they try to destroy the walls, they will be rebuilt! However, the beasts are able to scale the walls freely with no trouble at all."


    The crowd was enjoying the event more than they realized, and it was because of a few reasons. Due to the multiple screens in front of them, they could witness a top-down view, seeing when students were getting close to one another.


    At the same time, they were able to witness the other students taking part in the event from anywhere they were sitting as the screens changed view based on what was the most action-packed for them.


    And the crowd had witnessed something that made them break out in arge cheer because they had just seen the students Charlotte and Harmon meet up with each other.


    "It looks like we were quite lucky, right," Charlotte said with a smile as she lifted up her hand, and the bracelet around her wrist was glowing.


    "Right," Harmon replied, his hand was down, but his bracelet was glowing as well. "With the two of us, this whole thing should be easy, no matter who we run into."


    Elsewhere in the maze, Mada had been split up from Ricktor; he had seen one of the rats and had attempted to chase it, but it was too fast for him to catch up with.


    "I thought the maze would be to our advantage, but it''s harder with it," Madamented. "In the real world, we can userge range skills or set up traps.


    "Is this event designed so we work with our partner? With two of us, I guess one person can trap, and the other can get ahead."


    "I guess I should go looking for Ricktor and hope I don''t run into anyone."


    Mada started to run through the maze, just choosing random paths; there was no reasoning in his head, but he wasn''t outright sprinting either to conserve his energy.


    He continued to run but eventually slowed down his pace as he took a turn until he stopped staying still.


    "Oh look at this, it looks like there is another meeting between two contestants, and this time, it''s from the Dark Faction and the Demonic Faction."


    Right in front of Mada''s eyes, he knew who was in front of him straight away, and it was none other than Raze.


    Standing there, he saw Raze just walking by; he continued to walk forward, step by step.


    "Stop¡­ don''t get any closer, or I''ll attack! I''m just looking for the rats!" Mada shouted.


    The memories of Raze were flooding back into Mada''s mind. Of what had happened during his time in the Dark Academy.


    The amount of time he felt like his life was on edge, and the feeling right now, it was even thicker than before. Mada had once tried to kill Raze at night, and it had ended up with him in terrors.


    As Raze got closer, Mada just stood there; he did nothing, and eventually, Raze walked right past him as if he didn''t even exist.


    The crowd watching everything was left with confusion; for the second time in this event, no action was taken by the enemy.

 Chapter 626 Frozen Still

    Chapter 626 Frozen Still


    ??Mada stood in the same ce, staring straight ahead, and could hear the sound of footsteps continue. He heard them until he could no longer hear them, as the distance between him and Raze had grown.


    The sound of the footsteps was quickly followed by a loud set of boos from the crowd. They were heard from all over, and all of the other participants in the other areas had no clue what had urred.


    "What the heck, I thought we were going to see a fight between the Demonic and Dark students, what happened there, he just stood there, as if he had wet himself."


    "Why did he just stand there, wouldn''t it make sense for them to take out thepetition? If he injured him or beat him, then it would be one less person to worry about and more crystals for them to gather."


    "Yeah, and that was the guy in the Demonic Faction that had done nothing as well. What was that reaction? I thought that student from the Dark Faction was one of the strongest after we saw what he had done, so why was he so scared?"


    Most people were disappointed that they weren''t going to see a battle between two talented students, but the question had brought up a few to think about what had happened earlier as well.


    "Isn''t it the same¡­ isn''t that the same thing that happened with the beast as well? The beast was charging toward that student, and then stopped when he got close and now it happened again."


    "What are you saying, he can just stare his opponents into not fighting him?"


    "Wait, but he''s right, maybe it isn''t so much of a coincidence as we think it is. Why is no one willing to fight that person?"


    An air of mystery was appearing over the contestant known as Jake, but the crowd didn''t follow him too much, because with him just walking through the maze, they didn''t expect much from him.


    Mada lifted his hand in front of him, and he could see it was slightly shaking.


    ''After all the training I did, I still can''t face him properly. Ricktor told me to fight him no matter what, otherwise, it would look suspicious, but my body, it wouldn''t even listen to me.''


    ''What is that kid¡­ what is the difference between me and him?''


    With this thought in his head, Mada had to forget about the incident at hand, and before he knew it, he was running in the opposite direction away from where Raze had gone, looking for more of the Charging Rats.


    In the crowd itself, a particr group.


    "What do you think of that student, what trick did he pull?" Marcus Ford asked. One of the groups that were currently present that had been told to arrive from Alter.


    "What I saw was like a beast knowing what they were heading into, they could feel the danger," Tanya answered. "In the wild, those that stand their ground or make themselves look bigger could scare other animals away."


    "He had to be doing something like that."


    "I would guess the same," Ban, the mage of the group, added. "Whening to this world, I have had the exact same thing happen. A beast came towards me but when realizing my magic, or even moments before, it was as if the beast could sense it."


    "Oh, so then do you think he''s like you?" Marcus asked.


    "Like me¡­ as far as I know, there are no mages in the Demonic Faction, at least not like the others, if there was, I''m sure we would have gotten the order to confront them."


    At that moment, Marcus lifted his hand in the air and made a type of gesture.


    "Keep on the task; we need to see if we spot anyone. We can ignore the students for now. Although I am interested in this whole thing."


    ---


    The special mirrors were constantly moving around the maze, there was one that was always at a Bird''s Eye view, and others that were following each of the contestants so there would never be part of the action missed.


    At the same time, although the crowd was making noises when something would happen once in a while, the announcer was careful to say a few things that would stir up the fight further, and the enthusiasm in the students rather than give them too much information.


    For instance, when the two members of the Light Faction n members had met up, the announcer didn''t state anything, as it would be too much information he deemed.


    However, there was something that had urred, and it was a first in this event.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we have the first in the group to obtain a power stone, and is leading this event!"


    The mirror had switched to showing, Ricktor holding onto the dead body of the Charged Rat. He had the crystal in his hand as well. As for the rest of the scene around him it was aplete mess.


    The walls were partly destroyed, the ground as well. It was quite clear that a lot of effort had urred in order to catch the Charged Rat and it had worked.


    "These things aren''t difficult to beat, but one has to conserve their energy as well in case they run into the other contestants," Ricktor said as he threw the dead rabbit behind him.


    Then he could see part of the walls that had been destroyed, in front of his eyes, it was all returning back to normal. The wall was morphing the broken parts as well as the floors.


    ''The wall, it solid in the first ce, and it''s being healed rather quickly. A lot of effort would be used to break down a wall, and what''s the point if you don''t know what''s on the other side.''


    "They''ve thought this event through quite a bit¡­ I''m hoping Mada will be useful and capture some of these things as well."


    ---


    Beret was searching hard after losing the Charged Rat. He was on his way to find another and prove himself in thismotion. His n Head had selected him for this, and in order to not make him regret his decision he wanted to be the reason for them winning.


    As luck would have it, when Beret turned a corner, he had witnessed another Charged Rat.


    "You''re not getting away this time!" Beret charged off and had a bigger kickstart in his setpared to thest time.


    He was catching up with the Charged Rat fast and saw it take the next corner, as he chased after it, he knew as long as the next turn was a decently long hallway he would be able to get it.


    Turning the corner, Beret had his eyes locked into the Charged Rat, and he saw from above, it being pierced by a sharp metal pointy object going right through its body.


    "Would you look at that!" A male wearing white-colored clothing lifted up the dead Charged Rat at the end of his rapier. "The Charged Rat just came running right at us, how lucky are we."


    Looking in front of him, Beret could see two of the Light Faction students. He clicked his tongue, annoyed that they had managed to find each other in this situation.


    "Whatever, if you guys have to resort to methods and take others'' prey then go ahead, I can find plenty," Beret said as he turned around.


    "Wait, where do you think you''re going¡­ Do you really think you can leave?" The Light Faction student asked. "You know, there''s another way that''s easy to win this entire event, right¡­ if we were to take out all of the other participants."

 Chapter 627 Trapped In the Maze

    Chapter 627 Trapped In the Maze


    ??The two Light Faction students taking part were Charlotte and Harmon. Both of them were rapier weapon users that focused on a set of swift and fast movements, which was one of the reasons why they had been selected for this event.


    Out of all the groups, the crowd had witnessed the two of them meeting with each other first. Now, they had arger advantage if they found Charging Rats, or if they ran into anyone else, and they had already made the decision as to what to do if they encountered others.


    "Hey, are you really going to waste your time fighting me?" Beret asked, not daring to turn his back, worried that they would lunge at him. Sure, he was faster than most and had a number of techniques to avoid getting hit. But when someone burst with arge amount of Qi and lunged, they would catch up with someone who was just running. In order to avoid the hit, he needed to see what wasing at him.


    However, there was still a chance with his legs he could outrun them, but would running away really be how someone from the Demonic Faction would fight in this?


    Right now, Beret didn''t like his chances against two students that he assumed would be on the same level.


    ''I''m not cocky like the others¡­ although I do think if I were to fight these two I would still be able to win, what state would I be in after? If I take these two out then that just gives the Dark Faction a chance to win this, and I don''t have much confidence in my teammate either,'' Beret thought.


    In the end, rather than running away, he thought he could use his mouth to convince them to go their separate ways.


    "With the two of you, you should be catching these Charging Rats. Sure, you were lucky this time, but you should know these things are fast and you''ll need the two of you. If you waste time fighting me, then that will just mean the Dark Faction is going to win this thing. So let''s just go our separate ways."


    There was an uneasy smile that Beret could see on the two faces. It was quite clear that they weren''t taking his words seriously.


    "With the two of us, we will be able to deal with you quickly and with minor injuries, and then we will just continue going on to the others. Right now, the Dark Faction collecting crystals only goes in our favor, the more crystals they collect, then that''s just more for us to take from them in the end," Charlotte said.


    Beret spread his legs and had his hand by the dagger that was by his side, ready to fight or defend himself.


    "Two against one, I thought the Light Faction was all about fairness, wouldn''t a one-on-one fight be fair?"


    "Yes, if this was a duel," Harmonmented. "But the rules have been set out for this event, and we are doing everything within the rules, so there is nothing unfair about this."


    It was quite clear at that point that his words weren''t going to work. He drew out his dagger in front of his face, and then jumped, kicking off the wall, but he had moved backward.


    Immediately he turned around and started to run through the maze, getting a head start jump on the others.


    "What the heck, is this the frightening Demonic Faction? They call themselves that because they are meant to be demons, and yet he runs away in this situation!"


    The crowd was jesting,ughing at the student''s decision. They were hoping that they were about to see a fight.


    In the Demonic Faction''s base, Sha Mo grunted.


    "Your pupil is bringing shame on the entire Demonic Faction! He should have fought the two head-on, and even if he died, taken the two with him!" Sha Mo imed.


    "The Demonic Faction just needs to prove that we are the strongest, that we have strength," Lince answered. "Our n''s work, because of our legs and foot techniques, has managed to stop trouble for the Demonic Faction. In your eyes, we might be the shame of the Demonic Faction, but we see our position as a necessity."


    The two Light Faction students were finding it hard to keep up with Beret as he was indeed fast, but eventually, the maze didn''t work out well for Beret, because once he had taken a turn, up ahead, there was a dead end, and only a wall ahead. When turning around, he could see the two students fitting into the narrow hallway, blocking any way for him to exit.


    "Do you really think that I''m going to be so easy to defeat!" Beret shouted.


    Immediately, Charlotte dashed forward with her rapier and condensed her Qi to a single point, swirling her feet. Beret managed to avoid the attack and moved forward.


    His footwork was impressive indeed, but in that very same spot that he had avoided the attack, Harmon had thrusted his rapier as well. Lifting up his dagger, Beret blocked the attack, but the Qi was powerful, sending him back.


    Right after, Charlotte and Harmon continued a number of attacks. Beret avoided them using the space behind him, while blocking attacks as he could, but he could feel his hands getting numb.


    ''Their teamwork is amazing; they''re working in sync to the point where I can''t even find an opening.''


    Just like when the Light Faction was fighting against the beast, the two of them were speeding up in their attacks as well. Beret was a moment toote, and he had been stabbed with the rapier. It only went an inch into his body before he moved, but blood was drawn.


    ''These hallways, it''s like they were set up for them as well. I can''t use my footwork effectively because there''s nowhere to move, and nowhere for me to run.''


    Beret continued, getting pierced in his stomach, his chest, on his arms. It was getting harder and harder for him to lift up his hands due to the pain, and yet still, they were thrusting their weapons faster than before.


    Finally, as Beret continued to lose blood, he felt his back hit up against the wall. One of the rapiers stabbed him in the shoulder, going right through until it hit the wall on the other side.


    In his eyes, he could see a glowing bracelet on their wrists. He paid it no attention and instead was wondering if these were his final moments.


    ''Crap, after I trained so hard¡­ I just wanted to show I could do something. Everything was against me in this situation. The arena, meeting these two students instead of one!''


    ''I wasn''t able to do anything on my own¡­ this isn''t fair¡­ this isn''t fair¡­ why was it me¡­ why was it me, that had to meet these two¡­ and why did I have to have such a useless partner?'' These were Beret''s final words of regret.


    Harmon, with his rapier, went to thrust his sword right at the head of Beret. The tip was covered in Qi. As it was thrust forward, at the same time, the side of the wall broke and exploded, dust kicking up in the air, and the rocks from the wall hitting both of them.


    Both Charlotte and Harmon quickly pulled back slightly in the hallway, coughing up the dust. They looked in front of them, and they could see a figure step out through the side of the wall, which hadpletely been broken.


    "I sensed something disgusting was being used in this area, and it looks like I was right."


    In the Demonic Faction viewing area, Lince had a smile on his face as he saw who had appeared on the special mirror screen.


    "So, he did listen to my request after all."

 Chapter 628 A Demon Strikes!

    Chapter 628 A Demon Strikes!


    ??After a confrontation with Raze, Mada wanted to do everything he could to forget about what had happened. He was annoyed with himself, embarrassed, and even ashamed.


    Although he no longer cared about proving himself for the sake of the n, and the Flowing Force n head was watching, he still had his own pride, the pride of a warrior. To be ready to fight, to go against the enemy with everything you had learned, yet he was unable to even do that.


    He took that anger and vented it forward, chasing after one of the Charging Rats he had found.


    ''If I can''t catch up to it, then I just need to do something to slow it down!'' Mada charged forward and did a three-move motion.


    He was using the force of one attack and one formation to flow into the other, and with each movement, he picked up the speed.


    After three swift movements, it was the end of the technique he was using, and he still wasn''t going to catch up to the rat.


    At thest moment, Mada mmed his foot on the ground, his visual Qi made it look like a whirlpool had been created underneath his feet, and the Rat was getting sucked in.


    With this, he stabbed it with his sword, finishing it off, and quickly lifted it, obtaining the power stone, adding another point to his team.


    "It looks like someone has upset you," a voice said from behind.


    Turning his head, Mada could see that it was Ricktor. Meeting up with his teammate, he should have been overjoyed, and at least thankful that it wasn''t one of the others, but instead, he had a sour look on his face.


    "From the looks of things, you managed to meet someone before you met me," Ricktor then looked Mada up and down. "Yet there isn''t a scratch on you. If I were to take a guess, then it was him."


    "Why are you asking questions that you already know the answer to," Mada said as he continued walking forward, looking for more of the Charged Rats; it was the least he could do in this useless tournament.


    "Can''t you hear that?" Ricktor asked.


    Mada stopped for a moment, wondering what he meant. As he listened, he could hear it; the crowd wasn''t cheering, they were quiet then usual, yet filled with chatter among them.


    "It looks like someone might just be stealing the show right now. So we should use this time to get more power stones for ourselves," Ricktor said, staring up in the sky, in an unknown direction, wondering just what was urring right now.


    ---


    Ricktor was right; the crowd was cheering loudly just a moment ago as the two Light Faction students were ready to take down one of the Demonic Faction students.


    Yet seemingly out of nowhere, one of the Demonic Faction students had arrived to the others'' safety, and through the side of one of the walls of all things.


    His interruption had caused a stir among the people.


    "Hey, it''s that guy again, that student from the Demonic Faction... the one where strange things keep on happening."


    "Wait, you mean he''s actually going to do something now, even though he''s done nothing so far."


    "Who knows, maybe the other two will just cower away like all the other opponents. It''s quite interesting wondering what''s going to happen."


    "Cower away! You''re talking about the Light Faction that protects our towns and cities from beasts and Pagna warriors like them; they would never cower away!"


    "You''re right. Anyway, this is the student that has done nothing so far, so him arriving, he''s probably going to do nothing. This won''t change a thing; we will just witness the death of two warriors instead."


    Although most in the crowd weren''t worried, the same couldn''t be said in the higher viewing area, where the Light Faction heads were viewing the whole situation.


    "He destroyed the entire wall; did he really use that much strength on something so useless?" Cicle asked.


    "He had to have used quite the strong attack to break the wall, and our mirrors were focused on other situations we couldn''t even tell that he was there," Ricar, head of the Dawnde n,mented.


    "Both of you are missing the main issue," Kawak from the Aurora n said. "The wall has been broken, but it''s meant to quickly be rebuilt after. Somehow, his moves, or his Qi, it''s disrupting the wall that is meant to be rebuilt."


    "This student might give us more trouble than we think."


    There had been incidents on the stage already of students trying to attack the wall. In fact, that was the first thing Ricktor had done.


    With a fist, he had broken a hole through the wall, but shortly after, it had managed to heal itself. He figured it wasn''t worth the effort of destroying a wall unless one knew what was on the other side.


    The Charging Rats they were chasing didn''t have the strength to break a wall, and the amount of Qi required to tackle the wall quickly, it wouldn''t be worth it.


    Yet one person had broken through a wall, and Beret was staring at his back.


    "You''re here; how did you find me?" Beret asked.


    "Find you?" Raze took a nce behind him; he could see he was covered in blood, having been poked and prodded all over different parts of his body.


    The only area that hadn''t been hit too badly were his legs.


    "I didn''t find you; I found them," Raze said, pointing his Ghost de at the two.


    They couldn''t help butugh at the man in front of them.


    "What is it, just because another one of you has turned up, you think it''s fair now, it''s all over. It''s quite clear, whatever trick you used on that beast, it''s not working on us."


    The two warriors, they were unable to feel anything. If anything, they were feeling even stronger than before, as the items around their wrists started to glow.


    Raze''s eyes were focused on the two items.


    ''I could sense the magic in the air. It was faint, and those in the crowd wouldn''t be able to tell even if they were from Alter, but those are definitely magical items, and they were using them right now.''


    ''They were using them in a tournament that was meant to be about the Pagna warriors disying their skills; just what even is this entire tournament.''


    "I don''t like it, I don''t like the two of you, you''re not being fair," Raze said with his head held down.


    Both Charlotte and Harmon felt like they had enough; with their weapons by their side, both of them went in to charge forward.


    In response to this, Raze grabbed his sword and ced both hands above his head.


    ''If you hadn''t used those magical items, I would have never even bothered joining in this fight¡­ but I don''t like that his items are here to cause another death of someone that wasn''t meant to die!''


    As Raze held the sword, it started to be shrouded in his Qi, shrouded in darkness until it hadpletely turned ck.


    "If I''m going to have to fight, then I might as well show everyone what I can do!" Raze said as he swung his sword down.


    "2nd Formation, Eclipse Strike!"

 Chapter 629 Breaking The Walls

    Chapter 629 Breaking The Walls


    ??The sword waspletely encased in darkness, shrouded from the bottom to the top. There was a heavy feeling surging through the entirety of Raze''s body.


    Beret, who was sitting behind him, as soon as he could feel his Qie out from his body and to the sword, his body was having a natural reaction; it was shaking.


    ''This is Demonic Qi, I can tell, I can feel it, but I''ve never felt it so pure, so condensed in one spot before.''


    Beret didn''t pay attention to the new participant called Jake. A young warrior from a new n, out of nowhere, the Lost n were unable to gather any information about him, so he was assumed to be a nobody.


    His actions, his words, everything he had done, Beret was sure that he was a nobody, until right now¡­ the feeling.


    Raze swung the sword down, and the dark energypletely left his sword.


    "Eclipse Strike!"


    The power and Qi from the technique were unleashed in front of him. It ripped the ground apart and the walls to the side as the Qi wildly covered all of the area in front of him.


    The two Light Faction students were unable to stop their charge in; they had nowhere to turn, nowhere to run, and no matter what, they would be hit by the attack.


    The demonic Qi covered their entire bodies, and they were swept up from their feet.


    The mirrors had to quickly move out of the way, and now from above, they could see therge attack spreading out, destroying everything in its path.


    Destroying the outer walls and continuing on for several meters, getting rid of everything. That''s when the attack finally stopped.


    The crowd was left speechless, the warriors that were watching from their rooms were left stunned, and there wasn''t a single sound.


    Raze was standing around the center of the maze with Beret behind him, but now in front of them was apletely different view.


    One-third of the maze in front of them, all of the walls had beenpletely destroyed; they could see the open area of the arena in sight.


    "What was that!" Cicle shouted, banging his hand on the chair, breaking part of it onto the floor. "How could a student from the Demonic Faction be capable of such a thing, how can a person have such power!"


    "This is¡­ this is impossible!"


    The Dark Faction were having simr reactions inside. However, none of the elders spoke out loud; they were still stunned and observing the power.


    "I told you," Safa said, giving a nudge to Liam and Simyon that were watching by their side. "We don''t have to worry about anything. If my guess is right¡­ he was even holding back just then."


    "He was¡­ holding back?" Simyon asked.


    To which Liam nodded; he could tell through his system that Raze was restraining himself from trying tomit an attack too strong.


    "A demon, a real demon, the Demonic Faction have been able to raise a real demon! What are we going to do!"


    "Hey, there are plenty of people in the Light Faction and ns that can do things like that; stop panicking just because of one student, and we haven''t even seen everyone''s full strength yet!"


    "He''s right; this must be your first time seeing a warrior so strong or something."


    In the Demonic Faction itself, Lince couldn''t help but start pping on the spot.


    "Bravo, Bravo, that young student did great! With that disy, I doubt the Light Faction or Dark Faction will think that we are easy to deal with anymore," Lincemented.


    Sha Mo gave another grunt.


    "That brat should have just done that on the first event; I knew he had power, there''s no need to hide it from these fools!"


    In the arena itself, Raze was quite surprised with the level of destruction that had been caused. For one, he had tried his best to limit his body to that of the top of an initial stage warrior. If he used middle stage level Qi, he was worried that it might cause problems for the tournament.


    However, his condensed level of Qi, along with the technique itself, was powerful. Even though he hadn''t used magic, it had caused such destruction.


    Through the fallen walls, Mada and Ricktor were now able to see Raze as well. They stared and looked at him, and looked at a few of the dead Charged Rats on the floor from the attack.


    "I think it might have been a good thing that you didn''t run into him," Ricktor said. "Take back what I said; avoid fighting him at all costs."


    When Ricktor finished these words, the walls in front of him were starting to form up from the bottom once again.


    At the same time, the two Light Faction students were getting up off the floor. They had been hurt, but the sword sh didn''t directly hit them. Only the wave of Qi did. Their entire bodies were sore; when lifting up their upper body, they could see the destruction of the attack.


    The two of them had been split apart and pushed to either side, and now they could see the wall raising up between them.


    For both Charlotte and Harmon, they felt a sigh of relief that the maze was being rebuilt because they never wanted to see that man again.


    They could feel their bodies shaking, and just before the walls finished forming, the eyes of the Demonic Faction student looking at both of them.


    "You can move, right?" Raze asked.


    The walls had finished forming, and they were back to what they were before, apart from the wall to Raze''s side; it was reforming but slowerpared to the rest.


    The reason why was obvious to Raze; he had used Dark Magic when attacking the wall; its properties to destroy were interfering with what was being used to reform the wall.


    "I can still move; we can work together and find the Charged Rats," Beret said.


    "No," Raze answered swiftly. "You focus on finding the Charged Rats; find as much as you can, remember the spots you saw them in and go after them. I have something else I need to do."


    With those words, Raze walked forward; he walked down the hallway until he reached the end, then took a few steps to the right and stopped.


    "It was around about here."


    Beret, not wanting to be useless and feelingpelled to answer Raze like he would any n head, ran off searching, and thest thing he saw was Raze putting his hand on the wall and closing his eyes.


    ''These walls, the way they formed, and the way my Dark Magic interacted with it before, it has to be because it''s using some type of magic, and if these walls are made of magic, then there is something I can do.''


    While Raze''s palm was ced on the wall, his veins were erging and starting to bulge; energy from the wall was being passed onto Raze as he was using the extraction technique.


    Once the energy had gone away, Raze then gently pushed part of the wall, and it exploded into nothing but dust.


    It was an incredibly strange sight to see the wall just exploding like dust, especially seeing no movement or skill being used.


    Those in the arena were confused; they had no clue how it was even possible. As Raze went to the next part of the wall, he did the same thing, and just like before, it had exploded into dust.


    "Is he using¡­ is it the extraction technique!" Sha Mo shouted. "Who taught him such a thing? Isn''t he an outsider to the Faction?"


    "His energy, his techniques, a lot of them feel like Demonic energy, and now with this technique, I don''t think it''s right to call him an outsider," Lince replied.


    The scary thing was, as Raze was cing his hand on part of the wall and making it turn into nothing but dust, he was getting faster at it.


    He touched the wall, and a secondter it would turn to dust; he walked forward and continued moving, one wall falling after the other, he was clearly moving straight for something.


    He continued, and then, when he ced his hand on one wall and it turned to dust, on the other side, a white uniform could be seen, with the magical bracelet around his wrist.


    "I found you," Raze said.

 Chapter 630 This Does Not Belong To You

    Chapter 630 This Does Not Belong To You


    ??When Harmon from the Light Faction saw the walls go up, there was relief that had left his entire body. After suffering from therge attack, his whole body was tense and sore. He needed some time to recover before he could do anything.


    ''He hit us quite far away, and the maze is impossible to figure out in the short time this event goes on for,'' Harmon thought. ''So it''s best that I locate Charlotte, and the two of us team up again.


    ''Right now, we only have two crystals between us; I''m sure the Dark Faction will have more.''


    Finally getting up off his feet, Harmon could feel a great pain shooting down his entire leg. He used his hand to lean up against the wall. He was more injured than he thought from thest attack.


    However, that''s when he noticed something; he could hear a strange sound, a knocking that was getting slightly louder.


    He ignored it at first because the sound was shallow, and between each knock, there was a lot of time. But the sound of the knocks was getting louder and quicker.


    He pressed his hand on his chest.


    ''For a second, I thought it might have been my heartbeat. I should just focus on finding Charlotte.''


    Twisting his bracelet, he could see it light up and move in the air toward a location. Just as he was about to move, though, he could hear the crowd shouting behind him.


    "Move! Run! Get out of there, he''sing!"


    "Just run!"


    The crowd was screaming at the top of their lungs, but Harmon had no idea what for. Run from who, and what?


    A loud thud was heard from his side, and part of the wall had copsed into nothing but dust.


    "I found you," the Demonic Faction student said.


    ---


    Seeing the walls of the event being destroyed one by one like so, in a strange manner, there was slight panic in the Light Faction n Head area.


    "How is he able to do such a thing? That should be impossible for Pagna warriors!" Ricar said.


    At that point, Kawak stood up and turned around.


    "Carry on watching the match; there isn''t much time left, but I need to look into things."


    After finishing his words, in a sh of light, he had disappeared from the room.


    A short whileter, and Kawak was now in a deep dark room. Due to the darkness, it was hard to tell how big the room was.


    There was only a single ray of light, arge round ball, that had a glowing ring ced around it, and there were four men that were stationed around therge ball.


    "Are you aware of what is happening right now, what is happening above?" Kawak asked.


    "We have ess to the mirrors as well," one of the men in white replied. "We are aware, and I''m sure you are looking for answers."


    One of the men quickly left therge ball and went on his knees in front of Kawak as he went to give an exnation.


    "It appears that the student is using the special extraction technique that was created by the Demonic Faction."


    "All of that was done by that crude technique?" Kawak replied.


    "Yes, we knew this was a possibility, due to the structure of what the walls were made from and the Artifact. However, for someone to take down walls so fast, they must have a great grasp on the extraction technique, better than some n heads even."


    Kawak had gotten the information he needed. He was quite satisfied with the answer because he feared that it was possible that it was something else, and with that, he had turned around to view the rest of the event.


    ---


    Standing there looking at Harmon was Raze.


    Harmon''s bodypletely froze up. No matter how hard he tried to move, he couldn''t, and it wasn''t because of the injuries on his body.


    Immediately, Raze grabbed him by his neck and mmed him onto the wall. There was no resistance from Harmon, and even if he tried, he was sure that it would amount to nothing.


    Raze didn''t say anything and instead looked down at the bracelet that was still around his arm. cing his sword away, Raze made sure that his grip was tighter around Harmon''s neck.


    He then grabbed onto the round circle bracelet and tried to move it down, but Harmon''s hand was far too big to simply take it off, and there appeared to be no mechanism to take the bracelet off.


    "What are you doing?" Harmon asked; there was almost a slight panic in his voice. Why, in this situation, would someone go for the bracelet?


    Raze continued to tug at the bracelet, trying to take it off in some way, and Harmon''s heartbeat was going faster by the second.


    "You¡­ do you have any idea what''s going to happen to you¡­ you shouldn''t mess with things you don''t understand!" Harmon shouted.


    At that point, Raze stopped trying to carefully pull the hard bracelet down. Instead, he held onto the ring firmly and then pulled down, forcing the bracelet off. It had cut part of Harmon''s skin off while breaking a couple of fingers as well to allow the bracelet toe through.


    "ARGHHH!!" Harmon screamed.


    "Judging by your reaction, you knew what this did as well," Raze said. "I thought the Light Faction was all about honor; what you did back there and using things like this, for what?"


    "You could have ruined another student''s life back there, all for your selfish gains. I think you are the one that needs to be taught a lesson."


    Raze''s veins on his hand started to bulge again, and the energy was being drained directly out of the student. Raze was careful though; after absorbing all of that which was in his dantian, he quickly let go of Harmon, not taking any of his life.


    Right after that, he held up the bracelet, and could feel it pulling in a particr direction.


    Turning around, Raze went where the bracelet was pulling and ced his hand on the wall.


    "What did you¡­ what did you do to me?" Harmon screamed, knowing he could no longer sense the Qi in his body.


    He waspletely drained; his senses had lowered. He had no clue what all of this was.


    "I was always told the world of Pagna is a ce where warriors can die at any moment, and even students at this event lose their lives; be thankful that you haven''t lost yours."


    With those words spoken, the wall turned to dust, and Raze started to walk through. He was now doing the same as he did before.


    Each time he ced his hand on the wall, part of it would turn to dust, and he stepped through, heading in one direction in particr.


    The crowd could see exactly where he was heading to, as if he had x-ray vision; he was now heading straight for Charlotte.


    "RUN! Get out of there; he''ll get you too!"


    The screams from the crowd grew; they felt like they were about to watch a mass murderer reach his next victim as he got closer and closer yet none of them could do anything.


    Then, when Raze broke through another wall, he could see Charlotte in his sight.


    "No!" Charlotte said, her heart pounding out of her chest.


    Raze took a step forward, and the sound of a loud rm had gone off. The timer of the event; it was over.


    As Raze reached out, he felt four des pointed right at his neck, and several warriors from above.


    "This event is over; you are not permitted to move any further!"


    The Light Faction that were on the edge of the arena had alle down at once and now had Raze surrounded.

 Chapter 631 Taking Away From The Light

    Chapter 631 Taking Away From The Light


    ??Naturally, after obtaining one of the bracelets, Raze wanted to get the second for inspection. He wanted to see if they matched up or possibly question the students about who they got the items from.


    However, the mirrors were constantly following him, listening to what he said, and at the same time, he doubted that students at the low level would know much of anything.


    However, when he had finally reached Charlotte, the loud rm had gone off, and in an instant, the Light Faction warriors had alle around him.


    One pointed a sword towards his throat, two to his side, one behind his back, and there were a few warriors that were standing on top of the maze wall staring down at him as well.


    ''These guys were quick. I noticed theming, but I decided to leave things be. They didn''t have any killing intent in their Qi; they were just here to stop me¡­ I guess there are some things that they deemed as fair as well since they came as soon as the event was over rather than during the event, but that might just be because they''re being watched by everyone,'' Raze thought.


    "It''s okay, like you said, the event is over. I won''t do anything else; I will head back to the viewing area," Raze said.


    Yet, the Light Faction warriors didn''t say anything. Instead, the maze started to sink back into the ground and was returning to normal.


    All of the participants now could see what was happening; they could see Raze surrounded by the des pointed at his neck.


    Meanwhile, other Light Faction members came to the members and started to gather the crystals they had gathered, including picking up Harmon from the ground and starting to escort Charlotte away.


    "They should kill him!" Cicle shouted from the viewing booth. "That man is a danger. It''s clear his power is not that of a typical student. He must be a n Head under some type of disguise."


    "We should get rid of him now before he causes more mess."


    "Are you trying to dere an all-out war right now?" Ricar replied. "If we attack the Demonic Faction, the others will get involved, and there''s no telling that the Dark Faction will just sit by and do nothing. That isn''t a smart move."


    "It will also show that we''re afraid of his power. Besides, it''s not the way the Light Faction operates."


    After the two Light Faction warriors returned along with the others, the adult warriors finally dropped their swords, allowing Raze to head back as well.


    ''That was a close one; I thought I might have had to have gone all out. I even saw Alba and Anna getting ready in the crowd; it''s good to know that they''re ready to act at any point in time.''


    ''It''s also good to know that they didn''t ask me about the bracelet I took; not that they would be able to find it on me anyway,'' Raze smiled.


    When returning, the adults from the Demonic Faction were all smiling at him. Raze thought for what he had done, what he had shown, maybe the faction would be annoyed at him for almost starting a fight, but instead, they seemed pleased.


    "That is what you should have done from the beginning!" Sha Mo stated; even he had a big smile on his face. "That is someone who truly is acting like a Demonic warrior!"


    Lince had also approached Raze, giving him a small bow stating his thanks; he couldn''t do more than that because of his position. It would seem strange to thank someone so young.


    "I''m happy to know we have one more useful person for the single matchups at least," Mantismented, leaning up against the wall with his arms folded.


    "I was worried I would have to take them all out myself."


    Although Raze showed his power right there and then, there was no need for him to show it in the individual matches either, and that was even if they got to that stage.


    "Anyway, I wanted to ask," Mantis said, looking at Lince. "Through your information gathering, I thought the student we most needed to worry about was this White Dragon person."


    "But I haven''t seen them¡­ at least not anyone I know."


    Lince ced his hand on his chin and started to rub it a few times.


    "The only thing I can guess is that it''s one of the three from before; maybe it''s the girl that we didn''t see act. We should look out for them in the next events, and try to find out anything we can before the individual matches."


    Raze moved away from the two that were having the conversation. He found it strange when they were talking about the White Dragon, and they would never get to see the White Dragon because the White Dragon they were talking about was with them.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to announce the results of our second event!" The announcer imed. "After recounting all of the power stones, we have the results."


    "In first ce, it''s the Dark Faction. For this event, they will be awarded with five points, giving them a total of 8 points currently!"


    "In second ce, we have the Demonic Faction!"


    The room was quite surprised to hear the result. They didn''t care about the actual points, but more so their appearance in this event.


    Beret was then seen rubbing his head as Raze looked at him knowing full well that he wasn''t the one that had gathered the points.


    "I did as you asked; I ran and collected as many power stones as I could. It was the only thing I could do after you helped me out," Beret replied, his cheeks turning a little red.


    "Inst ce, we have the Light Faction, only earning them a single point!"


    "Which means, as we currently stand, the Dark Faction is in the lead with 8 points, followed by the Light Faction with a total of 6 points and the Demonic Faction with 4 total points!"


    The crowd pped out of respect, but they weren''t loud cheers; it was quite clear who they were supporting.


    "We will now take a long break before the next assessment; pleasee back for the next event!" the announcer imed.


    As soon as Harmon was brought in, he himself had asked to be checked by a physician. After the results of his check, the elders as well as many others were told toe in as they had heard the news.


    Eventually, even the n Head from the booth above had entered the room. He could see Harmon lying down with tears running down his face.


    "What''s the result," Cicle, head of the Illumination n asked.


    "It appears¡­ that his dantian has been damaged; there is not a trace of Qi, nor can he cultivate Qi into it¡­ in the state he is in now, he will never be a Pagna warrior again."


    Cicle''s whole body was shaking, and rather than taking out his anger in the room, he turned around heading back out into the hallway.


    ''That damned Demonic Faction student, who is he, what does he think he''s done to my n! I will do everything I can; I will find out everything about him and eliminate him before this tournament ends!''

 Chapter 632 Standing No Chance

    Chapter 632 Standing No Chance


    ??The Martial Arts Tournament was currently going through a break after two events had taken ce. Despite the Light Faction in second ce and not the front runner, the general public was still filled with excitement.


    Many of those watching the events didn''t know the true meaning behind the Martial Arts Tournament. They thought it was just apetition between the three factions as a type of peace. In some ways, they were right; they just had no idea how that peace was formed between them through the tournament.


    In their eyes, sure, they supported the Light Faction, but if any of the other factions won, then it would also mean them no harm. They would rather have something more exciting to view, and just based on the two events alone, there was a lot of excitement.


    During the break, there were those that remained in the stands, just rxing or chatting with each other, but most of them were currently empty as they headed to different ces within and outside the coliseum.


    In the giant coliseum halls, there was a number of stalls that were set up, selling food, taking personal bets, selling equipment, and more.


    There were even some Light Faction ns that were trying to recruit the general public into Pagna warriors or to use their services. Either as bodyguards during transport or a number of other things. These stalls continued to the outside of the area as well.


    At the same time, crowds of people had gathered outside. Those unable to get into the event wanted to know what had urred, and news was spreading of what had happened so far.


    "Wait, so the Dark Faction is in the lead¡­ is it because of the White Dragon we heard rumors about?"


    "I don''t think so. I''m not even sure if the White Dragon is taking part in this event. If they are, there isn''t really anyone that stands out¡­ they all kind of stand out, maybe that redhead a little more than others, but wouldn''t his name be Red Dragon rather than White Dragon then?"


    "Wait, you''re saying there''s a demon in the Demonic Faction. I heard the reports about someone like that, but then why is the Demonic Faction inst ce?"


    "It''s hard to exin. You would have had to have been there to see it. Trust me; maybe the Demonic Faction will lose all of these group events ande inst ce. But when the individual events ur, I''m sure they''re going to win."


    "Oh, speaking of that, what are the prizes? Aren''t there prizes that are presented by the Faction hosting the event, for the group and Individual scores, what are they this year?"


    "Actually, they haven''t been revealed yet¡­ that must mean the prizes suck and aren''t worth fighting over."


    At the same time, each faction in their watching booths had meals delivered to each of the members. Anything they requested would be provided for them in the meantime.


    Not only that, but there was one more thing that no one had expected to ur.


    "I hope you are all enjoying your meals," the Light Faction members said, standing by the door as they looked at all of the Demonic Faction members. "For the event, we have a special visitor that will be visiting all of the factions; we hope that you will cooperate with us."


    Coming in through the door was a man with light brown hair and golden silk clothing. He stood out as soon as he walked through the door.


    "Oh¡­ he''s here. I''m surprised they are working with him," Lince said. "The infamous reporter, Bubble."


    Standing right in front of all the Demonic Faction members staring at him, Bubble couldn''t help but gulp. He was out of hisfort zone.


    Very rarely did he report things first hand, but this was an opportunity he couldn''t miss. There was a reason why the Light Faction had invited him, wanting him to report about the events to everyone who couldn''t see them.


    However, Bubble wasn''t alone either because standing there, he had one of the floating mirrors that had been used in the arena by his side.


    When Raze went to take a look out the ss window, he could see that everything was being recorded right now.


    All of the other factions, they were watching and looking at the screen as well, as Bubble was in the room.


    ''I guess this is to stop us from doing anything to harm the reporter. Bubble, I''ve read some of the reports from him as well¡­ He''s been quite helpful in spreading my name,'' Raze thought.


    Of course, Bubble was trying to avoid eye contact with everyone, but he was constantly looking at Raze now and again.


    He had seen what he had done against Sha Mo''s army that had attacked, things that were unbelievable to the eye. And even in the event so far, he had done even more amazing things.


    Without a doubt, Bubble wanted to talk to him most.


    "I will be conducting an interview of how you feel about the event so far and talking about the rest of the event, so I hope you all can work with me well," Bubble said, bowing his head.


    He was a lot more wary of Pagna warriors ever since all of his guards had been taken down and two men had forced their way into his office.


    "I''ll first like to speak to the n Heads that have arrived here today." Bubble looked up at therge Sha Mo who just stared right back at him.


    There wasn''t a single chance that he was going to get him to speak, but instead decided to go to Lince.


    "We have the Lost n here today. Based on my knowledge, you are information gatherers for the Demonic Faction, so out of the groups today and from what you have seen, which group do you think will give you the most trouble?" Bubble asked.


    "The Dark Faction seems to have multiple good candidates this year, and we have yet to see the White Dragon."


    "If ites to group work or events that aren''t rted to just fighting, I believe the Light Faction will give us more trouble."


    The citizens watching from the screen were impressed with the answers. Many of them saw the Demonic Faction as brutes who didn''t care about anything but strength and climbing to the top, but to give such reasonable answers was surprising.


    After Bubble asked Lince a few more questions about the events, and then decided to speak to the students taking part themselves.


    Talking to some, they had given very short answers; Lince was the only person that seemed willing to speak to him.


    Bubble had evene across Mantis, the ck Tiger.


    "We have yet to see the ck Tiger''s skills in this event, the top student, do you think we will be able to witness something soon?" Bubble asked.


    "I don''t care for the group events, but when the single fighting event starts, then people will see," Mantis answered.


    It didn''t look like he was going to say any more, and that''s when Bubble had gone to Raze. The person he had seen, and the one Bubble had the greatest idea of his real strength.


    "And what about you? A lot of people after seeing your actions during thest event can''t wait to see you at the person vs. person event!" Bubble asked.


    Raze looked at Bubble and answered with only one sentence.


    "I have no ns to enter the person versus person event. I will step aside to give the others a chance to fight."


    However, Bubble saw this as a chance.


    "Did everyone hear that? This means that if you were to enter the event, then no one else would stand a chance?"

 Chapter 633 1 Minute

    Chapter 633 1 Minute


    ??The words spoken by Bubble were heard by the crowd; his voice was projected even louder to the outside of the arena and to the other factions.


    Right there and then, Bubble turned around and was already heading for the exit.


    ''That man,'' Raze thought as he looked at Bubble''s back. ''He twisted my words, he is quite good at getting people riled up. I guess he''s good at his job; he might be someone I can use in the future.''


    The crowd was angry with the Demonic Faction, especially with the contestant ''Jake.'' Thinking he was big-headed and ahead of himself.


    They already had a dislike for the Faction in the first ce, and now they had more reason to put their hatred on them all.


    After visiting the Demonic Faction, Bubble went on to the Dark Faction; he had done the same as before, asking a series of questions.


    Including who they thought was the biggest threat. Murkel had mentioned that he believed it was the Light Faction but also stated that he was quite interested in the student ''Jake'' after seeing what he had done.


    Yet Bubble was there to push things, to ask the questions on everyone''s mind, and he had first approached Mada out of the students.


    "During thest event, we had seen you confronted with the student known as Jake from the Demonic Faction. Was there a reason the two of you didn''t fight?


    "Could you sense that something was going to happen, just like what happened to the Light Faction?"


    Mada''s entire body was shaking after hearing the question asked. Everyone was watching.


    "Based on the event, there was no reason to fight him. I knew he was strong, but I am as well. It would have been a long, draining fight, and then we wouldn''t have gotten the position we did in the event."


    The answer was more than Bubble was expecting. It was impressive and was sure to clear some of the doubt that those in the arena had of Mada''s strength.


    This was because the answer given to him was Safa''s answer for him.


    After seeing Bubble interviewing the Demonic Faction, Safa quickly spoke to Mada, knowing what type of question that would be asked.


    ''I might have made myself look like a fool if it wasn''t for her,'' Mada thought.


    Bubble continued talking to all of the others, asking about their strengths and who they thought would be their toughest opponents.


    No one spoke highly of the Demonic Faction, but there was one more question on Bubble''s mind before he left.


    "This year, we have been hearing of a figure from the Dark Faction Academy, someone who went by the name White Dragon.


    "I assume that the White Dragon is one of the students here. Do you believe they are the strongest, and what do you think, do you think they could beat the Demon?"


    The demon was the new nickname that Bubble had given to ''Jake.''


    The adults that were in the room were unsure of how to answer this because the White Dragon''s name who was spread was no longer present.


    "I think it would be an exciting match," Safa answered. "I''m sure we have yet to see this demon''s full powers or how he fights, and it''s the same for the White Dragon, so if they were both to fight, I think they would be even."


    Bubble had finished his questioning and had a smile on his face; he was pretty sure now that the woman who had yet to show her powers, she was the White Dragon.


    Yet he had no idea how wrong he was or why Safa had said the words she had said.


    ---


    Finally, after interviewing the Dark Faction, it was time for Bubble to head over to the Light Faction. What was strange was when he had entered the ce, the atmosphere was a lot darker than the other areas.


    The students were standing by the side, up straight and proud, but there were no smiles in the air or excitement.


    "Forgive us," an elder of one of the ns stated. "We have just received news that Harmon has been harmed beyond the point where he will recover, so he will no longer be taking part in the uing events."


    "So if you could avoid asking questions to do with Harmon, that would be for the best."


    Bubble nodded in agreement and went ahead to ask the same questions as he did the others. They too had mentioned that they saw the Dark Faction as a greater threat, not really acknowledging the Demonic Faction at all.


    Seeing this, he quickly moved onto individual questions and had approached Ulyn, who was the highest-ranking student in the Light Faction Academy, under the Aurora n.


    "We have information that you are the strongest student in your academy. Out of everyone, is there anyone that you think will give you trouble?" Bubble asked.


    "The most trouble, in the Person vs. Person event, even students who are in the same n may go up against each other, and in the same Faction, if I was to say out of everyone, then I would say that Hannah, from the Dawnde n and disciple of Beatrix, would be the one to give me the most trouble." Ulyn answered.


    Hannah turned her head away when she heard the praise from her fellow teammates. These words were quite bold and strong, Bubble thought.


    To state that the only person that would give them trouble was another member of the Light Faction of all people.


    "You sound pretty confident about that. Then what if I was to ask you this?" Bubble said. "What do you think if you were to go up against the Demon? He stated he wasn''t going to take part. Is that why you didn''t consider him?"


    A short smile appeared on Ulyn''s face as he directly looked into the mirror that was broadcasting everything.


    "If I was to go up against him, the match wouldn''t evenst 1 minute," Ulyn answered.


    The crowd cheered, shaking the whole arena once those words were mentioned.


    In the Demonic Faction, there were some grunts that were heard from the adults, not liking that one bit. They turned to ''Jake,'' hoping there would be a reaction from him, but there was almost nothing.


    "It''s a shame," Lince sighed. "It seems you truly are against the idea of joining the individual stage of the tournament."


    "Although I don''t think the results matter too much. I think it would be a good show if we were able to turn the entire situation around."


    "I imagine if you actually tried, and you took the group stages and the individual stage seriously, we would have the chance to turn everything around."


    "People love a good underdog story," Lince said.


    He was hoping that his words would convince Raze to take part in the tournament more seriously, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking from just looking at him.


    Finally, therge mirrors that were disying everything as Bubble went around, it appeared he had one more room to go to.


    It was the room that was ced just above the Light Faction showing area, and here was where the three n Heads of the Light Faction were staying.


    "I have also been invited to enter this private room, as I believe there is something they want to show everyone." Bubble said to the mirror.


    He found it slightly strange talking to a mirror, but hearing his own voice being projected, he got quite used to it rtively fast.


    "Ah yes, pleasee forward," Kawak said, gesturing with his hand and moving to the side.


    "What I have here are the two prizes that are up for grabs in the Individual and Group stages."


    Immediately, Raze''s eyes were glued to what was on screen; he felt his heartbeat thump louder than before. His whole body had tensed up.


    ''What is that doing here!''


    Now, Raze had a reason to fight.

 Chapter 634 Precious Items

    Chapter 634 Precious Items


    ??The two rewards were ced on podiums in the room, both of them encased in ss on disy. The mirror was circling around the items, showing them off in all their glory.


    "These items may look in and simple, but I guarantee you that they are both rare artifacts that have been gathered from other dimensions," Kawak exined as he moved forward, toward one of the items.


    "This strange piece of clothing that you see here, smart and straight, colored in a brilliant white and gold pattern, when worn, has a healing effect."


    "Injuries, cuts, marks, and even internally when hurt, will be healed at a certain rate, all for just wearing a piece of clothing."


    The crowd started to chatter among themselves; they had heard of such items existing, but in the form of clothing that anyone could wear? They were sure that it was a precious item.


    Then, next to that item, there was a silver brooch, shaped in the shape of an X, with two finely crafted roses at the end of the heads, very small and detailed.


    "This item here can be attached and worn with the clothing from before or anywhere on your body, and it will restore a certain amount of one''s Qi while fighting!" Kawak mentioned.


    Once again, the crowd was impressed, and they were pleased that the Light Faction was being selfless in the rewards they were giving.


    Clearly, these precious items could end up in the hands of the enemy, yet they were being given away.


    "Pft, it''s all just an act," Mantisined. "If they were really that special, then they wouldn''t be giving them away."


    "What I''m worried about is if they have items like these to give away, there''s a chance that their students could be wearing simr things as well," Lince said. "That is if they truly work."


    Raze didn''t say a word; instead, he just stood there, staring up at the two items. His eyes widened, his eyes drying out, he didn''t even blink.


    For a moment, it was as if he had lost all bodily functions.


    ''Those items, they were both made by Sabrina¡­ what are they doing here,'' Raze thought.


    He could tell instantly when looking at them. He saw the designs Sabrina would do at her work, and both the brooch as well as the zer were both designs of hers.


    Raze hadn''t seen them on any of the mages that hade and gone; he hadn''t seen them on members of Alter or on the Noble Guild that had attacked.


    He was grateful that his enemies weren''t using the items she had created; they were meant for healing people, not battling in the first ce. But now he saw them.


    ''These belong to Sabrina¡­ I can''t let others have them... I need to look after them, I need to get my hands on them.''


    It was exined that one of the prizes would be given to those that did best in the group stages, and the other in the individual stages though.


    Which left Raze to wonder, how could he get those items? Even if he was nning to escape with the others stealing them in front of everyone, well, that seemed like an impossibility.


    ''The only way to get those items is to win this thing.''


    The break was over; the group, after seeing the rewards, the crowd was excited to see more, and it was still the team stages that were going forward.


    The next event had been called a singles event participating on behalf of the team. They had called for an opponent of strength to be selected.


    In this event, one person had to carry a heavy stone back and forth between lines several times, and the person who carried it the furthest distance in total would win.


    Of course, just like with the other events, the students were also allowed to attack each other. But with three people, it was hard; did one attack a student and leave one alone?


    In the end, Brack was selected from the Behemoth n, and he was up against Simyon from the Dark Faction, while finally, Ulyn was selected from the Light Faction.


    It appeared that there was no contest as to who the winner was, with Ulyn dominating the match. Although Simyon was strong, he was a bit slow,ing inst ce, and Brack second.


    Putting the Demonic Faction inst ce with a total of 7 points, the Dark Faction with 9 points, and the Light Faction in the lead with 11 points.


    The next event required a team of two, and Kaylie and Mantis had been selected as the rules stated teamwork would be needed.


    The event was a set of puzzles; one person would have to solve the puzzles blindfolded while the other had to instruct them.


    Mantis was blindfolded and just stood there doing nothing, despite Kaylie''s desperate plea. Lince was shaking his head; if he knew what event it would be, he would have never selected Mantis.


    He knew he was the type of person that was only interested in fighting, and there was no such fighting in this task.


    In the end, they hade inst ce.


    For the Dark Faction, Surprisingly, Liam and Safa had worked together, not showing much of their strength since it was an event that required little of it, and managed toe in first ce.


    Safa was clear with her exnation and was quick to solve the puzzles, and Liam had even resorted to a bit of cheating from time to time, as his system allowed him to see through the fabric to help him.


    The Light Faction did well with Hannah and her teammate working together, but they were unable to keep up with the Dark Faction.


    It was an impressive feat that showed there was more than just a talent in strength, but these two groups had a talent in mind as well.


    The current points stood as follows:


    Demonic Faction: 8 points


    Dark Faction: 14 points


    Light Faction: 15 points


    "The next event is thest group event," Lince said. "It looks like no matter what, even if wee in first ce in the next event, it will be impossible for us to win."


    "You said yourself, winning didn''t matter anyway; it''s all about the Single fights, the rest is just useless," Mantis imed.


    With that, Lince had made the decision, no matter what the next event was, to not put Mantis in. There had to be some level of pride, even if they couldn''t win, to actually want to win.


    "Thest group event will require three people from each group to take part! And the event itself is a mystery, so please go ahead."


    Lince was making the decisions so far, and looking at the group of people deciding not to pick Mantis, he had made his decision.


    ''If we want to win the single fighting events, it will be best to keep him on standby and conserve his energy,'' Lince thought.


    "Kaylie, Beret, and Brack, you three will take part in the final event," Lince decided.


    "Excuse me, Can I take part in the next event?" Raze asked, for the first time.

 Chapter 635 The Demon Takes Part

    <h4>Chapter 635 The Demon Takes Part</h4>


    Lince had ced Raze in the first group event because he had no clear information on the certain individual. He knew he was quite strong, and he wasn''t lying when he said he wished for him to protect Beret, who was from the same Lost n as him.


    He never expected the results that had urred, and for Raze to be as strong as he was. With this new information, Lince thought it would be best to have Raze take part in full force.


    He didn''t exactly like the words of the cocky students that had spoken up about the Demonic Faction. It was time for them to show their strength.


    And then, suddenly, the student ''Jake'' had offered to take part by himself.


    "Are you sure?" Lince asked. "Even if we win this event, there is no way for us to get the prize."


    It was the only thing Lince could think of as to why the student would volunteer himself. Maybe the child was bad at math and needed a helping hand.


    "I wish to take part in this event," Raze asked again politely.


    "I will drop out then," Beret asked; he still felt like he owed Raze for thest event, for saving his life. So he would do anything to allow him to do as he wished.


    "Very well, if it''s your decision, then go out there and do something special again!" Lince said, wondering what he would see this time.


    Lince wasn''t the only one that was excited to see ''Jake'' walk out onto the arena; as soon as the crowd saw him, the gossip had started.


    "It''s the Demon, he''s finally out, I was wondering when he was going to take part."


    "Why would they send him out now though, the Demonic Faction will be cedst even if they win this, it''s useless."


    "Hey still, don''t you think something crazy is going to happen, it always seems to be the case, and besides, we haven''t seen him against the others yet."


    Out on the field from the Light Faction, was Hannah from the Dawnde n, student of Beatrix, Ripper from the Illumination n, along with Charlotte, who had stopped in the middle of the field.


    "Keep moving," Hannah said. "I know how you might feel, after seeing him again, and what happenedst time, but once participants have been chosen, there''s no turning back."


    "If anything, take all your feelings, everything you have and put them into this contest, fight for Harmon."


    Although Hannah said words that might have convinced most, Charlotte''s heart was sinking deep down, and she could feel herself starting to sweat just from looking at Raze.


    On the other side from the Dark Faction, a trio that had worked well together had arrived, Simyon, Liam, and finally Safa.


    Both Simyon and Liam had shown impressive feats, and Safa had been a strong leader for the Dark Faction so far.


    Most of the Dark Faction''s sess could be attributed to her. The three of them nced in the direction of Raze and then quickly turned away to look at others.


    ''Them three, they''re trying too hard to avoid eye contact,'' Raze inwardly smiled.


    "So what''s the n with this thing this time, miss," Liam said, looking at Safa.


    "Honestly, I''m not too sure," Safa replied back. "I don''t know why he chose toe out... it might be best to stay cautious; we''ll try and follow his lead, and we don''t even know the rules of this event yet."


    The three participants from each side didn''t get too close to the center, standing away from each other. Then in the middle of the tform, a rtivelyrge concrete ball slightly bigger than a basketball popped up in the center.


    It was the same heavy balls that were used in one of the events before.


    "The final event is called King of the Hill!" the announcer stated.


    "All teams willpete to hold the ball off the ground. The total time for this event is thirty minutes. The amount of time one team has held the ball for, in total, will count toward the results."


    The instructions were simple, and Safa was already thinking of a number of strategies. One person could hold the ball while two protected them.


    However, that would mean two people would have to go up against six. Another method was to get the ball and throw it to each teammate as others got close.


    There was also the brute force method of beating everyone and then getting the ball for oneself, or protecting the ball, and lifting it when it was safe.


    The issue was with all her strategies she had no clue what to do because of Raze.


    "The match starts now!" the announcer shouted.


    The Dark Faction was frozen still; Safa had given them hand signals to stay behind; the first team to lose in the whole thing was the Light Faction.


    "Charlotte, go for the stone in the middle and hold onto it for as long as you can!" Hannah ordered.


    She was naturally taking charge as the strongest from her group. On top of that, she could tell that Charlotte wasn''t going to be much help fighting, due to her fear of a certain individual that was on the arena floor.


    In her mind, if they held it at the beginning for the longest amount of time, then the other two teams would have to fight for the remaining time.


    She then saw Raze head forward and pulling out her sword she shed with his. The two swords were filled with Qi, and Hannah felt her sword slightly bounce when they hit.


    She tried to strike quickly, and Raze blocked the hits. While the two were engaged in battle, she saw Kaylie fighting with Ripper, leaving Brack to go for the prize.


    ''What is going on, I thought the Dark Faction would stop him,'' Hannah thought.


    Heading right for Hannah, Brack delivered a kick right to her stomach, sending her away, and then grabbed onto the rock himself.


    It was now in his possession. Seeing this, Hannah backed away from Raze and regrouped with Ripper to try and help and get Charlotte; they needed a new n, now it was in possession of the Demonic Faction.


    When Raze and Kaylie went over to the center, they were cautious of the Dark Faction, but when Raze approached, he looked at Brack.


    "Hand over the rock," Raze said.


    "What, you want this¡­ are you trying to just get out of fighting?" Brack asked.


    "Hand over the rock," Raze asked again.


    Brack was a bit hesitant; sure, this was a team effort, but he had gotten the rock, he was the king. However, he realized holding the rock was the position most likely to get hurt.


    Either the best choice was the strongest individual holding the rock or the strongest individual protecting it, and since he didn''t want to fight with Raze, he handed the rock over.


    When Raze held the rock, he did so with one hand, showing his great strength and the sword in his hand. He then slowly started to walk over to the Dark Faction.


    All three members were unsure about what to do.


    "What do we do?" Liam whispered.


    "Wait!" Safa shouted in a whisper back.


    When Raze approached, he then threw the rock over to Simyon, who had caught it in the air.


    "The rock belongs to the Dark Faction," Raze said, turning back around. "And anyone who tries to take it, I will fight them."

 Chapter 636 I Gave You A Warning

    Chapter 636 I Gave You A Warning


    ??Brack had handed the stone over to Raze, believing it was in safe hands, and the next moment he saw it in the air, leaving his fellow teammate''s hands.


    "Oh... look at that," Brack said, speaking his thoughts out loud, and then saw itnd straight into the Dark Faction''s student''s hands.


    "The rock belongs to the Dark Faction," Raze said, turning back around. "And anyone who tries to take it, I will fight them."


    Both of Raze''s teammates were stunned; they had no clue what to do, and for a moment, it was the same for everyone at the arena.


    Safa, Liam, and Simyon, who was just holding onto the rock, didn''t know how to react. The Light Faction stood by the side, having regrouped, and didn''t know whether to go forward, and during this whole time, time was ticking.


    "What is that Demon doing? Is he just trying to confuse us all?"


    "Hey, I told you, man, I told you! When that student goes out onto the field, something interesting or crazy is always going to happen, but I have to admit, even I didn''t expect this."


    It was Raze''s teammates more than anything that were confused, especially Brack, who was the first to speak up and move toward Raze.


    "What are you doing? I got that rock, and I handed it to you because I trusted you, and now you''re handing it to the enemy, are you working with the Dark Faction or something!" Brack shouted.


    When he was around five meters away from Raze, he lifted his sword, pointing the end toward him.


    "I told you I will protect anyone thates close to this rock," Raze said.


    Brack hesitated for a moment, not moving in, but his frustration had reached its pinnacle.


    "F*ck it," Brack said as he charged forward with his Qi technique and drew his sword.


    Raze was already next to him by his side and had avoided the strike by leaning, then with the palm of his hand pushed Brack away with powerful Qi that lifted his body in the air.


    Brack floated for a few moments beforending firmly on the ground several meters away.


    "You traitor!" Brack shouted as he charged forward again.


    He swung his sword, each strike easily missing Raze. Now there was a clear difference being shown in the skills between the two.


    Raze wasn''t holding back in this aspect because he wanted to deter the others from attacking; he then did a simple two-step technique and shoved Brack away with his hands, moving him several meters in the air again.


    Kaylie had caught him this time, but he quickly shook her off.


    "Hey, if you want to do something, then help me get that stone, rather than just standing around!" Brack shouted.


    It was a strange sight to see, only one person moving forward and then getting pushed back each time.


    However, Hannah saw this as an advantage; while they had the numbers and there was insight, they had to make a move.


    "Everyone, aim for the stone!" Hannah ordered, and they all started to charge forward.


    With Brack''s words, Kaylie moved forward as well, thinking it was what the Demonic Faction would want her to do.


    Now it was up to Safa to make a decision.


    ''Raze, why are you openly protecting us right now? Is it because you want to make it clear that you''re our ally? Is this part of your n? But I can''t make sense of it.''


    Shaking her head, though, she could see all of them running toward Raze, and she had firmed up to make her decision.


    "Everyone, we will work together with that student, fight by his side!" Safa shouted.


    Immediately, Liam and Safa went by Raze''s side, all in front of Simyon.


    "Simyon, get back to the edge of the arena, so we only have to protect you from one area!" Safa ordered.


    As the group moved back, they now had to continue to defend.


    Brack was the fastest, and this time, Raze used his sword to block and attack, and pushed back with his Qi, causing him to flip in the air and fall across the ground.


    He then saw all of the resting toward him, and in that moment, he lifted up his foot and mmed it on the ground. Therge amount of condensed Qi hade out like a wave, hitting all of the students, giving them second thoughts abouting and slowing them down.


    "That was the first step of the descending steps!" Lince shouted from his viewing area.


    "Yes, and it''s incredibly powerful. I think he has given up hiding himself," Sha Momented.


    "Hiding himself?" Mantis raised an eyebrow when he heard that.


    "Yes, hiding the fact that he''s actually a middle-stage warrior," Sha Mo answered.


    Mantis''s demeanor changed as his folded arms fell down to his side, and the look of everyone in that room had changed.


    In the history of Pagna, in the history of all of the academies, had there ever been a student that was able to reach the middle stage?


    The fact that the Qi was so powerful on the first descending step, stopping the others was proof of that. However, there was one person it was unable to stop that continued to dash forward after Raze.


    Not being flustered, it was Hannah. Her sword was pointed forward, and Qi was surrounding her body. Her Qi made it seem like her entire body was a sword that cut through the wave of Qi that came out, and she was heading right for Raze.


    Yet in the middle of her movements, a sword swung to her side; she had to raise her hand and swung it out, shing.


    She skidded on the floor before seeing it was a red-haired student with an eyepatch.


    "What the, why did the sword make that noise?" Liam said as he swung the sword about in the air, checking if it was broken in some way. "Is your body like Simyon''s, is it broken or something?"


    Hannah looked at the man in front of her; it was the one that had copied her exact movements just like before; for her, this was her target, and just again, she had been stopped.


    "Look, I don''t know why this mysterious stranger that I have never met before is protecting us, but I''m going to use it to my advantage," Liam said.


    Both Simyon and Safa were thinking the same thing; it would be better if Liam just shut up; he wasn''t a good liar.


    "Alright, change of targets," Hannah ordered. "Get rid of the ones at the side, and then get rid of him."


    Hearing this, although Brack and Kaylie weren''t following her orders, they had looked to Safa by his side, and he could see them and the other Light Faction members looking to target her, while Hannah was dealing with Liam.


    At the same time, all of them charged forward and wereing from the side to go after Safa. Moving his feet, Raze swirled around in front of them and held the sword with both of his hands in the air; the sword started to shroud itself in darkness.


    "NOOOOO!" Charlotte screamed at the top of her lungs seeing this move before.


    "I gave you all a warning, yet you did not listen," Raze said.

 Chapter 637 Time For The Main Event

    Chapter 637 Time For The Main Event


    ??Sha Mo and Lince stuttered forward the moment they saw Raze''s hands lift into the air. They had seen him do this move before; everyone had, so they knew what wasing next.


    "Lince, if that kid kills my n members, I won''t be able to hold back!" Sha Mo said, tensing his fist as if he was ready to jump out and attack Raze himself at that moment.


    "He won''t do that¡­ I''m sure," Lince said, but his face wasn''t so sure. Sweat was running down his forehead. All he could think about was how Raze had saved Beret, but what if that was for his own goals, rather than because of his niceness? Just maybe he really would kill the Demonic Faction members.


    When they all came close, Raze swung his sword down, but he did so at an angle.


    "Eclipse Strike!"


    Therge attack swung in a line, and because it came at an angle, the others were able to see it and jump back. The attack was fast, though, and had crashed into the ground.


    It was tearing it apart, lifting part of the flooring up, andrge parts of the arena floor came out flying toward the students.


    Using their own weapons and Qi, they were able to block it, and finally, the attack dwindled down.


    Those watching from the arena could see the damage that had been caused. A good chunk of the flooring was gone, with arge cut that went at least a meter deep.


    However, one thing was clear, and that was that none of the students were hurt. The attack that they had experienced, they all knew what it was.


    Hannah went to look at the deep cut in the floor. "It was a warning to us¡­ that if we try to attack¡­ that he''ll finish us."


    Hannah heard the sound of her teammate copsing on the floor. She quickly went over to Charlotte, who was on her knees, to check if there were any wounds on her, but there was nothing at all.


    Her whole body was shaking, as if her soul had left her body in that moment.


    ''Going up against all of them, and with one person down and protecting the stone, it looks like even if I was to go all out and defeat that student¡­ we would still lose.''


    No one said anything, but it was as if everything had been decided. The Light Faction didn''t go further or closer to Raze and stood there.


    At the same time, the Demonic Faction didn''t go closer either. The time was just running down, with Simyon holding onto the rock.


    At times the crowd would speak, wondering what would happen. Maybe a fight woulde up, maybe Brack would get too frustrated and try to attack on his own again.


    Yet none of that happened, and the crowd didn''t react in a negative way. They didn''t shout out boos or words of difort for what happened because they all knew that none of them would have attempted to do it if they were in their shoes.


    And then, the timer had eventually run out.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the final event is over, and it perhaps went in a way that no one was expecting! It''s time to announce the results!" The announcer imed.


    "In first ce, we have the Dark Faction, in second ce, the Light Faction, andstly, we have the Demonic Faction!"


    "Wait, what!" Brack shouted. "You''re saying I held it for even shorter time than that puny girl."


    "It''s okay, it wouldn''t have made a difference anyway; there was probably just a few seconds in it," Kayliemented.


    "With that, the final results for the group stage are in! Inst and third ce is the Demonic Faction with a total of 9 points, then we have the Light Faction with a total of 18 points.


    "And we have the winner of the group stage, the Dark Faction with a total of 19 points!"


    After the winner was announced, the crowd gave their ps and a round of apuse. They weren''t cheering as many wanted the Light Faction to win.


    They thought for sure they would have won, but no one had expected the turn of events that had urred, and in a way, for some reason, the Demonic Faction member had given the win to the Dark Faction.


    Before everyone went back to their viewing station, Raze had a few words to say.


    "Look after the reward, and don''t lose it no matter what," Raze said.


    It was clear this was directed at Safa as she was the only one close enough to hear.


    While walking back, Raze thought back to his intentions. The Demonic Faction had no way to win the prize, so the only way to get his hands on it was to let the Dark Faction win.


    The prize would be given to the students, and in turn, it would make its way back to him. If it ended up in the hands of the Dark Faction, it didn''t matter anyway.


    Because he nned to get rid of them at some point regardless, so it would eventually be his.


    Safa heading back to the Dark Faction, she now had somewhat of an idea why Raze had done the actions he had done.


    Whether the Dark Faction members would understand or have an exnation, she wasn''t too sure.


    When Raze arrived back with the others, Brack kicked a chair so fiercely it flew into the wall and broke into pieces.


    "What the F*ck went on out there!" Brack shouted. "Are you going to exin yourself and exin what you did to us all!"


    Now that Brack had Sha Mo with him, as well as the rest of the Demonic Faction, he was a bit more confident in confronting Raze.


    "I have an exnation," Raze said calmly to them all. "No matter the result of thest event, we would have lost anyway.


    "For one, if I was to ask you, if you would rather have the Light Faction win or the Dark Faction win, which would you choose?"


    No one answered, but they knew that they felt slightly worse toward the Light Factionpared to the Dark Faction.


    They were pleased that the same group didn''t win twice in a row.


    "As for the second reason, through my actions, it looked like I had helped the Dark Faction. After what you said, I thought about it," Raze said, looking at Lince.


    "With this, the Light Faction will be confused; they might even think that we are working with the Dark Faction, giving them less reason to form an alliance."


    The fact that no one argued back on what Raze said meant he gave a fair exnation, and even Lince was impressed that he had managed to think that far ahead.


    But, only someone that was so confident that they could decide the winner or loser of the event could do something like that.


    Lince wondered if this would be the start of a rise of a new powerful n in the Demonic Faction.


    "None of that matters anyway," Mantis said. "Because now that the group event is over, it''s the singles fighting event, and you ain''t pulling any of that sh*t on me. If the two of us fight, I''ll rip you to shreds."


    Raze didn''t reply and went to sit down in his seat, but in his mind, he thought one thing.


    ''There''s no way I''m letting anyone else win this event!''

 Chapter 638 Single Matches

    Chapter 638 Single Matches


    ??Now that the group stage of the tournament had ended, it was time for the individual stage. Contestants would go up against each other in one vs one matches.


    It didn''t matter if one was from the same n; they would continue to fight until there was an ultimate winner.


    On the arena itself, there would also be two Middle stage warriors that would intervene if they ever felt like things would get too dangerous, or one side was overwhelming the other.


    They didn''t want any deaths to happen, but from time to time, when fighting withrge amounts of Qi and more, it tended to happen.


    However, Middle stage warriors were on another stagepared to the Initial stage students, so 90 percent of the time they could stop things before it went too far.


    "And now,dies and gentlemen, we will announce the matchups of today''s single events, feast your eyes on this!"


    Therge mirror that was transmitting the images to everyone so far in the air had changed, and it showed the names of each of the contestants.


    It was another impressive piece of technology for those in Pagna, but because they had already seen things beyond what they could imagine today, this didn''t seem too big of a deal.


    Ripper Vs Ricktor.


    Beret Vs Mada.


    Kaylie Vs Safa.


    Mantis Vs Charlotte.


    Simyon Vs Brack.


    Hannah Vs Liam.


    Jake Vs Ulyn.


    Already seeing the names, there was much talk among the crowd; there were quite a few fights that they were looking forward to.


    For one, they were interested in the student Safa from the Dark Faction. In all of the events, she had yet to use her skill or power, and now it would finally be revealed on the stage.


    Then, they were interested in Liam against Hannah. Although Hannah wasn''t considered the strongest member of the Light Faction students, she was the disciple of Beatrix,st year''s winner.


    So she was an incredibly strong member of the Dawnde n, and they had seen Liam conflict with her a few times by copying her skills.


    Then there was Mantis, the ck Tigerand known as the strongest from the Demonic Faction; they had yet to see what he was capable of as well.


    Finally, though, there was one match that everyone wouldn''t have been too interested in before but now would have their eyes peeled on every second.


    That was ''Jake'' Vs Ulyn. The man who had been given a nickname for his actions so far and showing his devastating power.


    Some thought that he might even be considered the strongest, and the Demonic Faction had just been keeping him a secret from what they had seen so far.


    Why they were excited, though, was because Ulyn was from the Aurora n, from the strongest n in the Light Faction and was considered the strongest out of the Light Faction students.


    A matchup this big, straight away, they couldn''t wait to see what the oue would have been. Especially after hearing the talk of Ulyn iming that he would be able to beat Raze with ease even after seeing what he could do.


    Just like many of the other expected strong contenders in the event so far, no one had seen truly what Ulyn could do.


    "Hey, so do we need to talk about this?" Simyon asked.


    "Talk about what?" Liam asked. "About a strategy on how to win your fight. You know there''s no point in that; we could even be fighting against each other, and if that happens, I won''t be holding back."


    Simyon''s eyebrow started to twitch; it had been a while since the two of them had fought each other.


    "Right, right, I haven''t given you a good beating in a while."


    As sparks started to fly between their heads, Safa came between the two of them.


    "Cool it, both of you, if you want to do well, then go ahead, but you need to not get injured and conserve some of your strength at least," Safa replied. "I can heal you guys and restore some of your energy but not all, and we have no clue about how this whole thing is going to go."


    Safa then looked toward Amir''s back who had been standing by the side of Murkel for the entire time.


    He had told them to be careful at the tournament; when she heard those words, she expected that something would happen.


    That was before they even knew Raze was here; she doubted Amir even knew Raze was going to be here, which meant something else was going to happen.


    ''The Bonum Society that Amir is part of, they could be nning to make a move in all of this, and who knows what they are trying to do, and I still have no clue what Raze is going to do as well.''


    For a while, Safa had been looking into the crowd, and there were just too many people making strange movements. She had managed to catch sight of Alba from the Crimson Crane.


    She had seen figures standing still not cheering in all of the chaos, and even others with their hoods up. It was too hard to tell what everyone''s goal was, or if they were here to just spectate on the future.


    However, the biggest variable of all was Raze and how he would y a part in all of this. Because she was sure whatever ns each group made, none of them were expecting to have someone as dangerous as Raze here because they had no clue about his danger either.


    Reaching down underneath her sleeve, Safa rubbed the statue she had as well. It was still their safety if they needed it.


    "I''m going to step out and get a closer look," Amir said, looking at Murkel. "There are enough people here to protect the students if need be."


    "And I''m sure the Light Faction won''t be doing anything; you can handle matters, right."


    Murkel didn''t say anything, but his silence was pretty much taken as a yes.


    Right then, they saw Amir turn, look toward the Light Faction member in their room and then head out of the door.


    More likely than not, Safa felt like something was going to happen, and it was soon.


    Just above the Light Faction viewing area, the three Light Faction n Heads were sitting back in their seats looking at the matchups for the fights.


    "I''m going to go ahead and assume that these matchups weren''t randomized?" Ricar said. "It doesn''t exactly seem fair, does it."


    "Fairness!" Cicleughed. "Either way, the strongest in this single event will be the winner; it doesn''t matter who they are matched up against, it''s not as if the fights have an issue."


    "Is that why you had set it up, for Ulyn to go against the student named Jake?" Kawak asked.


    Cicle paused for a second, clearly showing his guilt in the whole matter.


    "It''s better that we get rid of that man as soon as possible," Cicle said. "If he fights with more of the contestants, it will be more dangerous; we already lost Harmon."


    "Harmon is still alive, don''t talk about him as if he is dead,"


    Ricar added.


    "He is a member of my n; I think it will be best you keep to your opinions to yourself about him," Cicle replied. "Regardless, Ulyn is the strongest student from the Light Faction."


    "And Kawak, didn''t you say he is possibly the strongest student that we have ever had in the academy before, so there is no way he can lose, correct."


    Kawak didn''t reply instantly, as he thought back to a few conversations he had with him, and an image of him handing something over to Kawak.


    "In this tournament, there is no chance that he loses, even to that Demon over there. Ulyn will be the Light that shines brightest in the Light Faction; I''m sure of that. After today, no one will speak of the Demon''s name anymore."


    "It seems like it''s finally time," Lincemented. "Mantis, so far you haven''t exactly done anything for the Demonic Faction in all of this."


    "You are meant to be the pir of the Demonic Faction, so it''s time that you showed your strength."


    Mantis was leaning up against the wall, still with most of his chest bare to the outside.


    "You don''t have to worry about me; I will win this tournament no matter what. I can already tell from everyone I have seen so far, I am the strongest here."


    Lince would have thought it was just the confidence of a young student speaking, but he could tell through his words he truly did believe that, and there was something else as well.


    Lince could tell both him and Sha Mo could feel it. Something was different about Mantis; there was a reason, just like how the beast didn''t attack Raze in the first event, it didn''t even try to go for Mantis.


    "With all announcements made, we will now announce the first matchup!" the announcer stated, and two names appeared on the screen.


    "Jake, vs Ulyn!"

 Chapter 639 Ultimate Light Faction, Vs Demonic Faction

    Chapter 639 Ultimate Light Faction, Vs Demonic Faction


    ??With the first match of the event having been decided, there was major excitement in the air. There were practically fighting words between these two contestants, so there was some buildup in history.


    Right now, even though it was only students that they were witnessing, they felt like they were seeing a big match between that of the Demonic Faction and the Light Faction, that could very well be emting what would happen in the future.


    For one, Ulyn was the strongest student in the Light Faction, so there was a lot riding on his shoulders, whereas ''Jake'' wasn''t even considered the strongest from the Demonic Faction; there was a lot riding on Ulyn''s shoulders.


    This was felt the moment he left the Light Faction viewing area, as he felt cheers so loud it shook the ground beneath his feet. He looked to the crowd and lifted his hand in response to them.


    ''I can''t disappoint all of these people. I have worked hard every day, pushed myself to the bone every day for this moment. I climbed to the top of the Light Faction academy with honor.''


    ''Besting my skills and defeating everyone in my path with no underhand tricks, because I will be the one that is to sit at the top of all of this one day.''


    There were strong emotions stirring through Ulyn, and he then went to grab a hard solid object that was beneath the cloth that he was wearing. The solid imprint could be seen slightly as he held onto it for a few moments, bringing back memories in his head.


    Before the event had even started, Ulyn had been asked to meet with Kawak, the n Head of the Aurora n. It was an expected visit.


    Him being part of the Aurora n, and having a rtion to the n Head, he had been asked for a visit. The n Head Kawak and Ulyn were in the main room of the Aurora n.


    A room filled so bright with white, that it was hard to see details of anything else inside the room, or even find an exit. It was a space that felt unreal in the world of Pagna.


    Ulyn on the floor, kneeling to greet his n Head.


    "The uing event is very important for not just the Light Faction, but also the Aurora n," Kawak stated. "You have done well, to rise to the top in the academy, besting even Beatrix''s student."


    "Thank you, sir," Ulyn replied.


    "Last year, the Dawnde n seemed to get ahead of us¡­ they have been troublesome for us in a number of ways, that you will understand in the future as you rise in the n. You have done well to not ask questions and follow our code."


    "Which is why I wish to present you a gift."


    Kawak moved over across the white space, almost floating in the air. He then handed over a strange-looking circr medallion. When Ulyn took it, he could still tell it wasn''t an ordinary item, as he felt power simr to that of Qiing from the object.


    "Thank you," Ulyn replied. "Is this an artifact from another dimension?"


    "It is indeed. This artifact attaches to the user''s body and will benefit you greatly in your Pagna journey; you must wear it for the tournament," Kawak stated.


    Ulyn felt his heart almost skip a beat at that moment. "I thank you for this gift truly, and to hand me such a great artifact, but¡­ isn''t the Martial Arts Tournament, a ce to show our hard work and skill? To show the n''s techniques and what we have been doing at the academy the entire time."


    "Of course, to someone of your age, they would think of the Martial ArtsTournament as such a thing, and the general public believes it as well. The fact that you think of it like that means we have done our job," Kawak answered.


    "But if only I have an artifact, wouldn''t that be unfair?" Ulyn asked.


    "The Demonic Faction that will do anything to increase its power, and the Dark Faction that will do anything to win, both of these factions have an advantage because of their way of thinking, so isn''t it only fair for us to use something."


    "I understand it''s hard for you to think this way, with the rules of our n and the way our students have been brought up, so I shall give you peace of mind. If you wish to use your own power to win this tournament then so be it."


    "That item will only activate if you are in trouble, so if you are strong enough, then the artifact will never activate, and this is an order, not a discussion."


    Ulyn had taken his ce in the center of the stage thinking of all of that. If he was to use the item and win, and the people in the crowd knew what he had done, what would they think?


    If the item was discovered as well, his fellow Light Faction members at the academy, would they think that he had achieved this position due to the artifact he had on him, rather than his hard work? He couldn''t give all of that up.


    Raze stood opposite him, but just like he said in his interview, Ulyn wasn''t really focused on him. To him, the Demonic Faction student was just a stone in the way of his path.


    He drew his sword and held it lightly in his hand in front of him. ''So far, there are three that I have to worry about. After defeating this Jake, I will defeat the ck Tiger, the red-headed eye patch boy, and Hannah. With them out of the picture, I will rise and best Beatrix to be the new beacon of light the Light Faction needs.


    ''I will train the Light Faction to be strong and not need to use things like artifacts to win their fights!'' Ulyn thought.


    Standing opposite, the student held his sword by his side, with a single hand.


    "And now, for the first match an exciting match will prevail, who will win, nobody knows!" The announcer shouted, and a loud sounding horn resounded in the entire arena signaling it was the start of the battle.


    Immediately, Ulyn moved forward toward Raze, shortening the distance between the two. ''I will defeat him swiftly, showing the power of everything I trained for.''


    Whening closer, he noticed something, a buildup of Qi in the sword, but it wasn''t around the sword, it wasn''t all gathered towards the hilt. As he moved closer, the buildup of Qi was immense, and Ulyn had a bad feeling.


    Just as Ulyn got close enough, that was when Raze made his move.


    "The Fourth Formation, Void Pulse Formation!" Raze thrust his sword forward, and his Qi exploded in ripples behind the sword.


    When the sword was thrust forward, pulses of Qi were sent back behind him, and it had hit Ulyn right in the center of his chest. The powerful attack had cracked the artifact underneath the chest area and sent Ulyn flying through the air.


    His body was sent back too fast for any of the middle stage warriors to act, and he had crashed into the arena wall, falling to the ground, and passing out.


    Just like that, the match was over.

 Chapter 640 The Noctis Clan’s Power

    <h4>Chapter 640 The Noctis n''s Power</h4>


    A part of the arena wall had been damaged. Rocks had fallen from the concrete wall and hadnded on the ground, but the arena was built well.


    Leaving the crowd, who were further backpared to the thick wall, still safely in the stands. However, no one in the Light Faction had expected such a thing to happen.


    When the dust started to settle, they could see Ulyn lying there on the floor unmoving. His body was covered in dirt, and immediately the middle-stage warrior closest from the border went to check on Ulyn''s condition.


    ''His body was thrown too fast into the wall,'' the middle-staged warrior thought as he cleared the pieces of stone from the young student.


    ''No, it''s my fault. I thought that if an attack was to ur, I would have noticed it in time, and then would have reacted, stopping him from being hit into the wall, but I just never expected this to happen.''


    He wasn''t the only middle-stage warrior that felt this way either. The two on the field next to the battle, that were meant to intervene if they sensed any type of attack that would defeat or harm the other, hadn''t reacted.


    A battle between two powerful students and the strongest in the Light Faction. They were confident Ulyn would win, and even at the chance that he wouldn''t win.


    At least the fighting would go on for a while, a push and pull not knowing who would win. So how was it that a sudden attack from another student couldn''t be sensed by anyone, and now Ulyn was in this condition.


    "He is fine!" The middle-stage warrior shouted. "But, Ulyn is unable to continue the battle."


    Immediately, there were whispers among the crowd. It fell almost silent. Because they couldn''tprehend what had happened.


    Out of all things they had seen so far, this was the biggest shock.


    "My money," one of the crowd members finally said. "I bet so much on Ulyn winning. They said he was the strongest student the academy ever had. What the heck happened!"


    "The Demonic Faction, they must have cheated. Is that person really a student from the Faction?"


    Soon the stunned crowd could only think of one thing, that the fight that had urred, it was unfair. That the Demonic Faction had to have done something.


    It was the only way to exin everything that had happened so far.


    Raze looked at the student off in the distance, and a strange golden broken object was seen partly on the floor.


    ''Me cheating, yet the Light Faction has given their students magical items to use during this tournament. I haven''t even been using my magic in any of these fights.''


    ''I sensed the item almost immediately. Right now, with the protection of the crowd, the Demonic Faction Elders, and the Dark Faction, it might be my only way to get rid of items like that.''


    ''And I needed to win this fight. Who knows how much trouble that item would have given me if it was able to activate. I''m sorry I had to beat you in such a way.''


    Since the match had been dered over, Raze turned around and started to head back to his viewing station, and he was met with a storm of boos on his way back.


    ''It''s fine, I don''t mind being the viin in all of this, I will dly take that role,'' Raze thought to himself.


    Even more so, it made him wonder, so many members in the Light Faction had magical items. It was more frequent than that in the Dark Faction.


    He was sure of it, the Light Faction had to have a closer connection to either Alter or Alterian.


    "How did this happen!" Cicle shouted standing in his seat. "How was the best student of the Light Faction defeated in a single move? I thought you said you were incredibly confident, that he wouldn''t lose no matter what, Kawak!"


    "We are quickly bing aughing stock in this whole mess. Now that Ulyn has lost to him, there is no one on our side that is able to beat him!"


    Underneath the mask, although they couldn''t see Kawak''s expression, they could feel therge amount of his Light Qi that was expanding out from his body.


    It was making the hair stand on the other two leaders'' arms. They took a step away due to how ufortable it made them feel.


    "Now two of our students have been taken out," Ricar added. "I have to agree with Cicle, that student is big trouble for us all."


    "I don''t know what the Demonic Faction has done, maybe they inserted a demon into his soul, or have performed some forbidden technique to the point that he will die after today."


    "Whatever the case, we can''t just let this go."


    The issue was that this had urred at the grand tournament. They couldn''t do anything now in front of everyone, not unless the Light Faction were the ones to start a war.


    Were they confident that they could beat the others, not when they didn''t know the full strength of both of the other factions.


    If anything, this proved that the Demonic Faction, one of the ns hardest to infiltrate and get information of, still had strength that was unknown to them.


    "You''re right, he is a real danger to the Light Faction¡­ we will not let him leave the Light Faction alive, no matter what," Kawak answered.


    In the Dark Faction viewing area, many of the adults from the other ns were also shocked. They were nervous after seeing someone so powerful from the Demonic Faction perform such a feat.


    Did they have the strength to counter something like this? Was the Demonic Faction the strongest out of the three ns?


    "Don''t worry too much, didn''t we sessfully defend against a recent attack from the Demonic Faction, the Sun Warrior was the one that defended it, we also have rising talents in our territory rising every day."


    "You''re right, and we have those like the White Dragon as well."


    The students that had all seen Raze defeat Ulyn in one move all thought the same thing, they absolutely didn''t want to fight Raze even if it was for pretend.


    "He didn''t even go easy on the guy, do you think your body could withstand an attack like that?" Liam asked.


    "I thought it could before¡­ I''m not sure¡­ and what about you, would you be killed before you were even able to copy his attack?" Simyon replied back.


    Causing Liam to gulp, and he ced his hands down by his balls, holding onto them, pretty sure he was going to lose.


    In front of them, Murkel stood there with two of the n leaders, Gavin Rocksbored, head of the Moon Shield n, and Crine Runn, head of the Flowing Force n.


    "Did both of you notice the move that was used just then?" Murkel asked.


    "I didn''t think about it before," Gavin stated. "But I''m sure, that move that was just used, it was a technique from the Noctis n."


    "Right," Murkel replied. "And how would a student in the Demonic Faction know the technique of the Noctis n, from the founder of the Dark Faction."

 Chapter 641 Taking Out The Demon

    Chapter 641 Taking Out The Demon


    ??With the first fight ending in such a way, honestly, no one felt like the next set of fights could be so exciting. If anything, they had no clue who would even be in the final or who the winner of the single event would be in the end.


    It was clear in the betting circles that things had changed as many more were now betting on ''Jake'' to win the event altogether, regardless of the matches that had to go on.


    The next event was the student known as Ripper, who was also part of the Light Faction, going up against Ricktor.


    "The Light Faction really has to win this fight, right? Otherwise, won''t they seem to be the weakest out of all factions," a member in the crowd said.


    "I mean, they did well in the team event, right? Like they managed to get second only just losing out to the Dark Faction."


    "Yeah, but that was because the demon wasn''t taking part."


    A resounding gulp was heard among many in the crowd as they turned their heads to look in the direction of the Demonic Faction viewing area.


    They could already imagine it, what if the Demon had taken part in every single one of the team events. He probably could have dealt with the beast in the first event on his own quicker than the teamwork from the Light Faction.


    If the Light Faction were toe in a position even lower than that of the Dark Faction, then in the eyes of many, they would be considered the weakest now.


    It was amazing how a single person could change the flow of the matches so much.


    As Ripper entered the field, Raze from a distance noticed a round earring he had, and the small golden I marking that was ced on it.


    Every single contestant so far had been using items made from Idore, the Grand Magus.


    The effects of the items like that of the bracelets he had gotten were subtle. For instance, the bracelet was designed to increase one''s attack speed the more strikes a person made.


    It wasn''t by arge amount but in a match where students were equally skilled, it allowed them an edge.


    ''But... out of everyone I don''t think I need to worry about him.''


    Ricktor and Ripper had both taken their positions, and Ricktor lifted his sword up to his face, and a smile could be seen on the other end.


    When the fight started, the earring that Ripper was wearing glowed slightly and he charged forward. Ripper was fast, and had confidently struck a strike head-on.


    However, Ricktor hardly moved or performed any skill of any type, instead, he just blocked with his sword directly in front of his face.


    A great struggle could then be seen on Ripper''s face. He was pushing forward with all of his Qi, yet he couldn''t pull the sword away, nor could he push it forward.


    "What is this, are you cheating, why can''t I move my sword away!" Ripper asked.


    "Cheating, I guess you don''t know much about our Dark Qi, every type of Qi has a slightly different trait and use. Which is why Qi is suited for different techniques," Ricktor exined.


    "As for Dark Qi, it draws one in, if condensed down to a level, it''s hard for one to pull away if the Qi is overwhelmingly condensed to a single point."


    Ricktor started to push his sword, and suddenly Ripper was on the back foot. He could see the sword move from next to Ricktor and being pushed until it was in the center and finally it was moving to the point where the back of the de was touching Ripper''s own face.


    "You won''t be able to pull away, and soon you will be killed by your own sword, don''t you think that''s quite sexy," Ricktor smiled.


    A chill ran down the entire of Ripper''s spine, and Simyon who was watching felt his whole body shiver as well, feeling somewhat bad for the Light Faction student.


    The sword up against Ripper''s face was being pushed back more and more until blood was being drawn from the top of his forehead.


    Right at that point, the middle-stage warriors came forward and held onto both swords with their bare hands.


    "Stop¡­" the middle-stage warrior said, it was clear he didn''t want to intervene and was disappointed that he had to.


    "This match is over, the winner is Ricktor."


    The audience and the other factions hadn''t seen Ricktor do much apart from what had urred in the first assessment, but in a way, just like Raze, he had overwhelmed his opponent with ease.


    Showing the clear difference between the two, but Raze had no doubt. Ricktor was after all, one of the people that had given him the most trouble he had sinceing to this world, and he was one of the fastest in terms of growth.


    Even quicker than Raze somewhat. He wouldn''t be surprised with the performance that he had seen if Ricktor had also now be a middle-stage warrior.


    The scene that they had just witnessed certainly felt that way.


    After the match was over, the next took ce between Beret and Mada. For once the Light Faction and the crowd felt at ease not seeing one of their own losing time after time.


    "You''re the one that was shaking in his boots when you met Jake I heard," Beret said.


    "And you''re the one that had holes poked in him by the useless Light Faction," Mada replied back.


    Beretughed.


    "I guess we''ll see who is the king of losers."


    "I''m not a loser!" Mada shouted.


    The fight this time was more of what people had expected, not one person overwhelming the other. Both used their techniques and skills well.


    Beret was able to move around using his special foot techniques of movement.


    At the same time, Mada used kicking techniques mainly for his attacks, but eventually Mada''s attacks were what won him the match.


    His kicks, Beret couldn''t tell which direction they wereing from as visual Qi of water was flowing everywhere around him, and a strong kick to the head had taken him to the ground.


    Mada lifted his leg up about to finish the fight, but the middle-


    stage warriors had called the fight stating it woulde to the end.


    After that though, another Light Faction warrior took to the stage, and it was Mantis against Charlotte.


    As soon as the fight started, Mantis walked over, but as he did he noticed something. Charlotte, she hadn''t even lifted her weapon in front of her.


    Mantis looked at her in the eyes, he had seen this look before.


    "This woman is shaking and she doesn''t want to fight!" Mantis said to the middle-stage warrior by his side.


    The middle-stage warriors checked on Charlotte''s condition, she was cold to the touch. Perhaps if she wasn''t going up against someone from the Demonic Faction she would have been okay.


    But as she took to the stage, her mind was just filled with the moment where she had almost been confronted by Raze, and fearful that it could happen again, she couldn''t lift her sword.


    Now the Light Faction only had one hope, and that was Hannah.


    However, the next fight was to take ce, which was Safa against Kaylie from the Demonic Faction.


    A fight that the crowd was interested in, believing that she was the most likely person to be the White Dragon and might now be the only person who could take out the demon.

 Chapter 642 Safa The Genius (Part 1)

    Chapter 642 Safa The Genius (Part 1)


    ??Kaylie was a little nervous, even from the start of the event. Originally, she felt intimidated by all the big-name students that were around her. All of them hade from big ns in the Demonic Faction.


    Yet she had worked hard to earn her ce. Her hard work had eventually paid off, beating even those in the Neverfall n who were able to have Qi pills, herbs, and more to advance their Pagna warrior stages.


    Yet, from her humble n, she had managed to surpass it all. She was a talent the n was hoping for, a talent of 1 in every ten thousand.


    Yet, as she witnessed others fight before her, and witnessed everything going on, she realized that there were just more talented people out there, especially in the Dark Faction. She wondered what they had been through for all of them to have be so powerful.


    It wasn''t as if life in a Demonic Faction was easy by any means. Was it just that her opponents worked even harder than her... it was hard to believe.


    Finally, though, her name had been called up, and she went to take her one-handed sword. It was lighter than regr swords, and it flexed a little on impact. It was the special type of swordsmanship her n practiced with.


    The sword was flexible, and then snapped into ce and hardened when the end of the skill was used. Just before she stood out there, she gave out a sigh and turned to look at ''Jake''.


    "So, big shot," she said with a nervous smile. "Do you have any advice for me on how to win this match? I could do with a bit of teamwork help."


    She was never close to the students at the academy, so she felt that she and Jake were the same, since he was never a student at the academy. Maybe that''s why she had managed to ask him this question, a ray of hope, that was until she heard the answer.


    "If I were to go up against her, even I might lose, so don''t take a loss as too much of a big deal," Raze answered.


    The others who heard Raze speak wondered if this person from the Crimson Crane knew much about the student. As part of the wanderer n, maybe he had evene across her for him to say such a thing.


    Perhaps, this really was the White Dragon from the Dark Faction. As she headed out, Kaylie prepared herself. She took a deep breath and looked directly at her opponent; there was great confidence in her eyes.


    ''This girl is just like me, she has done well in the team events directing everyone, but she never did anything herself. Everything will be fine.''


    "The match begins!"


    At the same time, both of the students went forward. As they did, Kaylie was ready to strike with her sword, but suddenly Safa had stopped, and she took her spear and stabbed it directly into the ground.


    It had pierced the flooring and cracked, but the Qi channels broke the ground until it had broken right underneath Kaylie''s foot. Her sword swung, but it hit the air,pletely missed, while the side of Safa''s spear hit her directly across the face. It was a clean hit, but Kaylie managed to back away in time.


    Safa held her spear firmly and took a slow breath once again, channeling Qi from the outside into her.


    ''The principal will expect results; we will all have to do somewhat well in this tournament. We don''t need to win it, and we don''t know when Amir is going to act, but just in case, we have to be on the principal''s good side, so I will have to win this match,'' Safa said as she dived forward and started to strike again and again.


    Each time she threw her spear out, Kaylie could only defend. The crowd was getting excited as they saw a sh with swords and spear going on, but it was only the true masters who were watching that could tell something truly impressive was going on at this moment.


    "It looks like this might be a loss for us," Lincemented.


    "Really, apart from the attack at the beginning, I would say that the two of them are evenly matched," Beretmented.


    "Then you''re a fool," Sha Mo said, but didn''t expand any further on that.


    "You know, it would be nice if you could use this situation as a teaching tool for the students as well," Lince added, and then went on to exin.


    Safa continued to use her spear, hitting Kaylie side by side. Whenever it looked like Kaylie was about to get trapped and be done for, she just managed to break out of the situation, and this pattern seemed to continue.


    "Can you see her breath while she''s striking? You should pay attention," Lince imed.


    Even Mantis seemed to focus and perk up when watching, and finally, he had figured it out.


    "Is she cultivating Qi in the middle of a fight!" Mantis said.


    "Precisely," Lince answered. "Could you imagine? One of the major differences between a Pagna warrior and a regr citizen is the ability to cultivate. There are some humans that are never able to cultivate in their life, never being able to build a dantian and achieve the first stage."


    "It is something that requires an immense amount of focus and concentration. So much that nearly all warriors need to do such a thing sitting down in favorable conditions."


    "So could you imagine someone, so unfazed by the fight in front of them, being able to act, defend, and attack, and still being able to cultivate in the middle of the match? That is a talent that has never been seen before."


    "But, even if she can, what does that mean?" Beret asked.


    "It means in the middle of this fight, she is replenishing the Qi she is using in her strikes, and at the same time, she is constantly growing. If she can do this in the middle of the fight, she must be able to constantly cultivate wherever she goes, allowing her to grow stronger by doing nothing, with each passing second," Lince exined.


    Now, everyone understood just how impressive Safa was in this moment, but for Raze, he would have even taken it a step further.


    ''If Ricktor from the Erupting Fist n is a talent that is only found in 1 in 100,000 people, then Safa is a talent that is only found in 1 in a million. She had managed to progress quicker than I ever expected.''


    ''Not just in Pagna skills, in learning, in adapting to the situation. She is a quick figure, and a sponge that can almost absorb anything. Even in her skills with Light Magic, she would be considered a genius. Combining all of those things, it wouldn''t be an understatement that she could be just as strong as the Grand Magus.''


    Kaylie was now running out of Qi, while her opponent Safa stood there not striking any less sharply than she had been doing the entire fight.

 Chapter 643 Safa The Genius (Part 2)

    Chapter 643 Safa The Genius (Part 2)


    ??Kaylie continued to block the attacks as best as she could, moving her arms from side to side she could feel them getting numb each time.


    ''I know it, I''ve lost my chance¡­ if I wanted to do something, then I should have dived in at the beginning and used my Qi to attack, but now I barely have enough Qi to defend!'' Kaylie started to think.


    Meanwhile, her opponent was like that of a well-oiled machine, constantly attacking bit by bit, and then, the strength in Kaylie''s arms had almostpletely weakened. She was slow in raising her sword to block an attack, and the spear hit her in the head once again.


    It then quickly swirled around and hit her from the other side. Kaylie went to brace herself for a third attack, but the third attack never came, and instead, Safa just pulled back her spear to her side.


    Kaylie wondered for a moment, why didn''t the attacks continue, and then she noticed something.


    ''With those two attacks at any point in time, she could have used the sharp spear end¡­ but she didn''t. The middle stage warriors watching, they haven''t been intervening even though I could have suffered from death.


    ''Probably an order from their Light Faction superiors, a death of a Demonic Faction Student isn''t a big deal to them. The only reason why I''m alive is that this student doesn''t wish to kill me.''


    Knowing this thought in her mind, she hade to a decision and ced her sword down by her side.


    "I have lost this match, I no longer have the Qi to continue this fight, I forfeit," Kaylie said.


    For a moment, Kaylie thought she would feel shame, but the moment the match was announced as over, there was arge amount of cheersing from the crowd as well as a round of apuse.


    The crowd had truly enjoyed watching the two women fight, showing their skills and techniques, and the passion that Kaylie showed in not giving up. It was great entertainment for them, and the crowd didn''t want Kaylie to feel disheartened by the result.


    The two contestants gave each other a bow and started to head right back.


    ''I didn''t use any of my magic¡­ I have improved a lot,'' Safa thought to herself. ''Amir was a good teacher to us all. Raze, you can see it right, with our strength now, all of us, we can help you, we won''t keep you down like we did before¡­ you haven''t even begun to see the true strength we have yet.'' Safa smiled to herself as she made her way back.


    Of the first round of the singles event, there were two matches left, and the next matchup had been announced, it was Simyon, against Brack.


    "Brack!" Sha Mo said in a loud booming voice that stopped his student before he exited from the viewing area.


    "If you don''t win this match, and lose at the first hurdle, then don''t even bothering back to the Behemoth n."


    Raze thought the words were quite cruel to say to someone just before a fight. Maybe that was their way of encouragement as he had seen, but he couldn''t help who he was going up against.


    The two participants had entered the stage, and Simyon was confident. He had no weapons on his body and only had his earring and special gloves, both of them gifts made by Raze.


    "You Dark Faction suckers have been having quite the win streak, but I guess it''s my turn to ruin it for you all," Brack said. "Because this is a fight that I can''t lose!"


    Brack dashed forward, and he swung his sword from the top. Arge amount of visual Qi surrounded his sword in a deep dark red aura. Simyon stayed in his position and lifted his hand, blocking it with just his forearm.


    The sword crashed, and the sound of metal shing against metal was heard.


    "Your sword won''t make a scratch on my body!" Simyon shouted.


    Brack, shouting in anger, swung his sword again and again, using all the Qi he could. Unlike Kaylie in thest fight, it was quite clear that Brack wasn''t holding back and was putting all his effort into attacking.


    Each time, Simyon would just use his hands to block the sword strikesing his way.


    ''He really has improved,'' Raze thought. ''Not only has the level of his entire body increased, but he''s using his Qi to strengthen his body even further, then skillfully following the strikes of the sword and blocking the attacks with his hands. The sword won''t get through.''


    Brack didn''t give up, striking with an attack as powerful as hisst, but Simyon wasn''t just going to block all day. As he protected himself from the next hit, his feet shifted forward fast, and a heavy blow whacked Brack right in the face.


    Immediately blood was drawn, the hit was as if he had been whacked by a heavy blunt metal object. Yet Brack swung the sword again, taking the hit straight on.


    Yet, Simyon blocked the hit again and struck in his stomach. It was a strange sight to see because it was almost as if Simyon''s attacks were having no effect.


    Because no matter how Brack would get hit, he could still swing his sword, hitting Simyon or attacking him in some way.


    Simyon blocked the attack again and struck him in the stomach, blocked, hit him in his arm, attacked him again and again, to the point where Simyon hadn''t blocked an attack and the sword had stuck his neck.


    But his special body was able to protect him from receiving any wounds, all because of the special item that Raze had given him.


    Now, Brack was covered in blood, his face was swollen, part of his arms were broken.


    "I have to win this fight¡­ I have to¡­ otherwise, I''ll get kicked out of the Behemoth n¡­ and then what, what is my family meant to do! I have to win this!" Brack said as he charged forward.


    This time, Simyon didn''t even have to block, as he stepped to the side and a fist was nted in his face, sending him back and his body crashing to the floor.


    The middle stage warriors had seen enough.


    "The fight is over, Simyon is the winner."


    "No!" Brack shouted, getting to his feet, his face was almost unrecognizable with his nose bent to the side and covered in blood. "I can still fight¡­ I can still."


    When Brack went to walk, he had nearly fallen over. The middle stage warrior stood between the two and just shook his head at him.


    With nothing else he could do, all Brack could do was head back to the Demonic Faction location. Walking over, his footsteps were heavy, he had swayed side to side.


    Brack didn''t even hear the cheers of encouragement the crowd gave him, for continuing to fight even though he clearly was the weaker man, because he just feared what was going to happen when he returned.


    The moment he set foot inside, Sha Mo was the first to speak to him before anything.


    "Did you think my words were those of lies?" Sha Mo asked. "You, and anyone who has a blood rtion to you, are no longer a part of the Behemoth n."


    At that moment, it was almost as if those words were what had broken Brack. It caused his legs to give in, he fell to the floor, and more blood had poured from his mouth.


    His upper body was heavy.


    "My¡­ family¡­ I''m the only warrior from my family¡­ what are they¡­ meant to do."


    As Brack''s upper body felt too heavy for him, he saw it leaning forward and his face dropping to the ground, just before someone had caught him, and it was a person Brack would have never expected.


    "Ja¡­ Jake." Brack said.


    "If you need somewhere, then the Crimson Crane are always looking for talented people like you," Raze said.

 Chapter 644 A Special Eye

    Chapter 644 A Special Eye


    ??The specially made mirrors were really impressive, disying everything on the screen. Not only did they show everything for the viewers to see, but depending on how close they were, they were able to hear what was being said as well.


    This was part of the reason why many had support for Brack. They could feel his pain as he was fighting; they could tell that he had something important.


    Yet, that still didn''t change the oue; it just made them aware of his reason for fighting. Out of everyone there, Raze had also heard everything as well.


    When looking at Brack, talking about the protection of his family, it had reminded him of someone. While watching him desperately fight, with his face disfigured and full of blood, one name came to mind.


    ''Jake¡­'' Raze thought.


    Images shed in Raze''s head, of a particr person who had been by his side, simr to that of Sabrina, and an image shed back to when he had received a book from Charlotte as well, with the name Jake Dove written on it.


    ''I never had a loving family growing up, I had no idea what that felt like, but I have been loved, and know what it''s like to fight for those you care about.''


    Raze looked at his hands, and for a moment he saw them both covered in blood. When he looked on the ground, an image of Sabrina. When he blinked, it changed to a man covered in a thick deep green zer, his eyes weak and looking back at him.


    Then when looking at the fight, the situation, it was causing a wave of feelings toe over Raze. At first, Brack seemed just like those in the Behemoth n, only caring about power.


    However, it was clear there was a reason why Brack needed that power. When Brack returned and heard the news from Sha Mo, it was all the reaction he needed.


    Him no longer being in the n felt like it was the end for him, and more importantly, the end for his family.


    In that moment, Raze had reached out his hand, catching him before he fell, and decided to be his lifeline.


    ''If there was someone back then that could have done this for you as well¡­ maybe you wouldn''t have had to go through everything you had.'' Raze thought.


    "If you need somewhere, then the Crimson Crane are always looking for talented people like you," Raze said.


    The words had just left his mouth, words that he wished he could have perhaps said to someone he had called his friend, Jake, in the past. A way to protect him, a ce for him to be in.


    At that moment, Brack looked up, and for a moment, there was hope in his eyes when he looked at Raze. Maybe his family wouldn''t be doomed.


    He had heard of the great feat the Crimson Crane were able to produce against the Behemoth n. They were in no way small by any means.


    If they could protect themselves from the Behemoth n, then being part of them would protect him and his family from anyone.


    However, there was one person that would get in his way. The floor around Sha Mo''s feet was dark red. His visual Qi was seeping out of the ground and creeping his way to Raze.


    Before it got within a meter of him, Raze had unleashed his Qi as well out of his body, creating a type of barrier stopping it from getting any closer to him.


    The warriors in the room, not just the students, were feeling pretty sick, and that included the Light Faction warrior that was looking after them.


    ''Is there some type of infighting within the Demonic Faction?'' The Light Faction warrior thought. ''Although that is expected due to their nature. It''s what makes them so strong at the same time, but what''s so hard to believe is how the participating student is standing up to one of the n Heads.''


    Raze looked up directly at Sha Mo''s eyes. This was the person that had tried to kill him twice, just because he simply hadn''t gotten his way.


    It was safe to say that Raze didn''t like this person he saw in front of him. He hated people who forced people into positions after telling them no.


    "What do you think you''re doing, I have just kicked someone out of my n, and then you reach out your hand like some type of savior, and in front of me no less." Sha Mo asked.


    "Am I not allowed to do so? As you said, he is no longer part of your n, he and I are free to do as we wish." Raze replied.


    "And yet you chose to do it right now, you are ying a foolish game, kid, that could very well get you killed!" As Sha Mo finished his sentence, his Qi power raised and pushed past the barrier Raze had made with his own Qi.


    It moved closer to him, but ultimately stopped as a sword was ced down into the ground.


    "Do not be foolish, Sha Mo," Lince said, as he held onto the sword calmly. "We are not in the Demonic Faction territory; if you want to act, then do so when we get back, but now is not the right time, and not right now."


    "And you, ''Jake.'' Do you even have the authority in the first ce to do such a thing? Don''t give other people false hope if you can''t do things yourself; your leader isn''t currently here." Lince exined.


    Although Alba was with them, she was sitting in the stands. However, Raze was sure Alba would listen to him, now that they were in charge of Flendon town; they did need all the strength they could get.


    Still, it was a matter to be resolved forter; for now, Raze had done as he wanted to.


    Brack could now firmly stand, having regained some of his energy, and he said a few words as he went to sit down in one of the seats.


    "Thanks," Brack said, not looking Raze in the face, and softly.


    Sha Mo and Raze exchanged nces for a few moments before Raze decided to move to the other side.


    Right after, Lince lifted up his sword and got in a central position that was somewhat between the two.


    ''The leader of the Lost n, his power seems strong, and not lesser than that of Sha Mo.'' Raze thought. ''He also runs the intelligence unit¡­ from what I have seen, Lince seems to be the person who can be reasoned with the most and one of the most valuable positions in the Demonic Faction.''


    "Thest match of the first round will now begin! A matchup that many have been waiting for, Liam, against our very own, Hannah!" The announcer mentioned.


    Hannah and Liam took to the center of the stage; for the Light Faction, there was a lot riding on this fight since Hannah was the only contestant that was left from the Light Faction.


    ''Finally, I''ve been using this system non-stop!'' Liam thought. ''Now, it''s time for the world to look at me!''


    In the crowd itself, Anna was paying very close attention to the student named Liam.


    ''I have to confirm in this fight whether he has the system or not. If he does, I need to do everything in my power to get that one-eyed to speak.''

 Chapter 645 The Strongest Dark Faction Student

    Chapter 645 The Strongest Dark Faction Student


    ??Hannah and Liam prepared themselves, and for Hannah, not only did this mean a lot to her as thest contestant from the Light Faction, but also because of who she was going up against.


    ''I had trained for years to perfect the Moonlight strike, and then, he goes and copies it just like that. It has to just be an imitation; I will go ahead and show you the real thing!'' Hannah thought, taking out her sword.


    "Begin!" The announcer shouted.


    Immediately, Hannah lifted her hand and gathered her Light Qi. Right after, she started to move her hand along her sword, and the Qi looked to be transferring from her hand onto the sword.


    Now, the sword was glowing brightly. Wasting no time, she dashed forward and swung her sword. When swinging it, she struck against the sword in front of her, and the two of them shed in the center.


    Yet her eyes had widened when she saw the sword in front of her, because she could see that it too was shrouded in light. Now next to it, she was able to see clearly; it was almost an exact replica of her skill.


    No, she couldn''t tell any difference at all.


    "What, did you think it was a fake or something? I knew you would use this skill, so now you know it''s real, what are you going to do!" Liam asked.


    Hannah had to disregard her shock; she had to disregard her anger because she needed to focus on winning this fight.


    Right then, she swung the de again, with her sword still glowing from the Moonlight skill. However, Liam was blocking every strike.


    It was strange because Hannah was sure she was faster, and yet Liam was still able to block each strike because his body was slightly moving before she did.


    ''The system is telling me her movements before she makes them; it can read the flexation in her muscles, and it''s working well!'' Liam thought. ''But I''m not going to win the fight like this¡­ nor are people going to remember me as much with performances like Raze out there, so let''s try something.''


    Hannah''s skill had finally faded as the sword returned to its regr color. Right after, Liam was now on the offensive, as he thrust his sword forward.


    Hannah was able to react in time, blocking the strike, but the thrusts with the sword were consistent, aiming for spots on her body.


    It was hard for her to move, as she had to move her sword from side to side of the strikes which were tiring her out.


    While in the midst of it all, she had no idea what was going on, but the crowd was starting to realize something.


    "The skill that''s being used, doesn''t it look really familiar?"


    "Right, I feel like I''ve seen it before."


    "That''s because you have seen it before," one man said, shaking in anger. "That kid, he''s using the techniques from the Illumination n; he''s using the same moves that Charlotte and Harmon had used!"


    Now, the crowd had witnessed him using not just one Light Faction technique but two of them, and from two different ns entirely.


    It took a while, but Hannah had eventually realized it as well.


    ''So now he''s using more Light Faction techniques, how is that possible? Just how shameless is this man? If he wants to show the Dark Faction is the strongest, then use techniques from the Dark Faction!''


    Hannah swung her sword, blocking a strike from the bottom, and then swung it to the top. It hit the sword, making it heavy, and caused Liam to stumble to the side.


    ''Those in the Light Faction know the Light Faction''s weakness the best as well!'' Hannah said, having used the Half-Moon block technique.


    With Liam having tumbled, she dived forward with a thrust of her own, but using the Dawnde n''s techniques her Qi was covering a point and was splitting at the side through the air.


    When it struck, the sword hit the ground, breaking several of the rocks and causing a small fissure in the floor. Seeing this though, it was quite clear that she had missed her target.


    Now, Liam had gathered quite a distance between the two of them having avoided the strike.


    "That guy, he copied my footwork!" Beret angrily said from the Demonic Faction viewing area.


    "So it''s not just Light Faction skills, he can even copy Demonic Faction skills as well. Is there such a person that can exist?" Lince thought, watching it. "There has to be a limit; surely he can''t just copy anything he has seen before."


    Lince was now thinking along these lines since he knew no one in his n had taught such techniques, and there was a clear pattern; the student named Liam was only using techniques he had seen in the tournament so far.


    ''So what if he can copy movements that he''s seen before, that doesn''t mean anything; he is still someone that I must ovee!'' Hannah thought as she turned around and charged forward.


    She swung her de again, this time aiming for Liam''s leg. The leg she aimed for had disappeared from her sight, and instead, she was left seeing a pool of liquid instead.


    A foot was risen and hit her at the side of her head, smacking her across the floor. She bounced once before getting up and rubbing the side of her face.


    "I know that move," Hannah said. "I saw the student from the Dark Faction use that, the one named Mada."


    Hannah was right; the technique that Liam had just used was a kicking technique from the Flowing Force n.


    "You can copy techniques from your own n as well, so I''m guessing that means fighting against you is like fighting against every single person in the Dark Faction."


    When the crowd heard Hannah say such a thing, they realized that it might be true. Right in front of them was a student that had the Dark Faction, the Light Faction, and Demonic Faction techniques with him.


    The thing was, the Dark Faction was his own Factionso he would know all of the best moves produced by them.


    "If that''s the case, then I''m guessing you are the one that has to be the person that they call the White Dragon, the strongest student in the Dark Faction!" Hannah imed with her sword pointed out toward Liam.


    Liam couldn''t help butugh. "If you really think that was the case, don''t you think they would have called me something like a red dragon!"


    Hannah then swung her sword to the side. "It doesn''t matter, because beating you, if I beat you, then it means it will be the same, it will be like beating all of those in the Dark Faction, and I will beat you!"


    After finishing her words, Hannah started to run straight forward across the arena. She had hardly been hurt from the attack, pulling back her head at the right time.


    Hannah was extremely skillful but not in the shy ways like the others were. She was a person who knew the basics very well, but she had no idea what she was up against.


    As Hannah moved straight forward, Liam then ced both of his hands on the hilt of his sword and lifted it above his head.


    The pose jolted everyone that was looking because it was a pose they had seen before.


    ''Is this now, the Demon''s move he''s copying!''

 Chapter 646 The Copycats Weakness

    Chapter 646 The Copycat''s Weakness


    ??Hannah had charged forward straight ahead, receiving a good kick from Liam. She had realized something. Although the person in front of her was performing the same techniques as those that had been seen, there was a certain edge to them all that was missing.


    ''It might be the fact that some of the moves require a different type of Qi involved, and the person in front of me is using Dark Qi¡­ at least that''s what I thought originally until I saw him use a move by those in the Dark faction!'' Hannah figured.


    ''This boy''s Qi, his bodyposition, and more, are weaker than the others; he''s not as strong as his counterparts.''


    Hannah''s guess was right on. After all, unlike all of the others, Liam was the lowest stage warrior out of the Dark Faction group, still being a stage five warrior.


    Which was an impressive feat, but even with the system enhancing his body and optimizing the skills he should use, it couldn''t increase his Qi.


    Nor could it change the type of Qi used for each of the techniques. Still, it didn''t matter because he still was amazing even without these things.


    And he was going to prove it, as he lifted both of his hands in the air. The position others had seen him in gave them all a twinkle.


    They had seen the sight twice now, and each time, it had caused great destruction to the ce. It was part of the reason why The Demon''s name was given to him, but now it looked as if there was a person that could actually copy the Demon''s skills. If that was the case, they might very well be witnessing the most strongest Pagna warrior to exist.


    "Second formation!" Liam mumbled under his breath, unable to contain his smile. "Eclipse Strike!"


    Liam swung the sword down, and at the same time, Hannah jumped to the side. She used all the Qi in her left leg to try and avoid the attack as much as possible.


    She had jumped to the side, disregarding everything, but she didn''t get her footing whennding and had rolled on the ground before getting up.


    She then quickly raised her sword to block out any of the lingering power of the attack.


    ''I too have prepared for this. I''m not just going to be going against you because I n to win this thing; I thought about how to deal with this as well!''


    However, her lingering thoughts soon disappeared because no attack had hit her. When she looked at where Liam was standing, the sword had been swung down, but there was nothing.


    The flooring was in perfect condition, there wasn''t arge amount of Qi that had flown out of the sword, and now when she thought about it, she hadn''t even seen the sword covered in the Demonic energy she had witnessed before.


    At the same time, as Liam had swung the sword down, for the first time, he could see several messages appearing in his view.


    [Error, Error]


    [You do not have all the requirements in order to produce this skill]


    ''What are you saying? I thought you said you had analyzed the movements and Qi used in the skill; you said I could use it.''


    [It seems there areponents to the skill that even I, the system, cannot recognize. The skill has failed due to that fact.]


    Liam couldn''t believe it. He had seen moves performed by the teachers and was still able to copy their techniques.


    Although it would just be performed at a subpar level, only what his body could keep up with, but now it was stating that it couldn''t copy what Raze had done?


    ''What exactly was that move?''


    [Warning, an attack ising from your side.]


    [Rmended: Two-step shift, followed by a quick strike.]


    While Liam was in shock for his skill not working, Hannah had charged forward, her sword glowing once again, and vertically shed at his side.


    Thanks to the system and following its suggestions, he had used the two-step shift to move to the side, and then quickly struck at Hannah, who had blocked the hit.


    "It looks like you can''t copy everything you see, huh? I guess the Demon is someone that has us all beat," Hannah said.


    "Yeah," Liam replied. "That Demon is certainly special, very special!"


    Liam then skimmed the sword across Hannah''s and let go of the weapon himself. She quickly saw Liam jumping to her side and was wondering what had happened when she saw him right in the air.


    There was nothing in his hand, when suddenly another de was drawn out from Liam, and he had struck from above.


    Letting go of the weapon again, Liam now had another one in his hand.


    It was a strange sight for the crowd to see, and they were confused by what was happening. Liam was striking with two hands on a de, letting go, and then grabbing the other weapon and swinging it against Hannah.


    He was striking with all of his force each time, and grabbing the sword, he was using a number of techniques.


    What they couldn''t understand was how Liam was able to keep the sword lingering in the air for so long. While at the same time, perfectly catching them in ce for his next sword strike to be in ce.


    ''That Demon is so amazing that he created amazing items like this, that allow me to fight stronger opponents than me, like you!'' Liam thought as he struck from above again.


    The powerful hit had caused Hannah''s foot to slip. It looked like she was about to be hit, but quickly used the half moon to block the strike and backed up, making sure that Liam couldn''t follow up with any more strikes.


    ''My hands arepletely numb; that was like being surrounded by multiple Pagna warriors attacking me at once. If I was in there for longer I would have badly got hurt.''


    ''What even was that, strikes with full force using different techniques, my mind is breaking apart just trying to think of ways to block it each time.''


    Liam now held both of the swords in his hands. He was using the items that had been given to him by Raze,bining the use of the juggling arts, along with his system powers.


    Although his system could give him suggestions and optimal routes, it struggled when trying to include the powers of the magical earrings he wore that allowed him to attract and repel the two swords he had.


    It wasn''t a technique, and the system couldn''tprehend the use of magic like it could the Pagna warrior techniques.


    So Liam had to use his own way tobine his magical items, his Pagna warrior capabilities, and his system together toe up with this attack.


    A flurry of techniquesing at a person from all sides, if Liam was a stronger warrior, then Hannah would already be down for the count.


    "Alright," Hannah said, standing up and cing her sword down by her side. "I think I have all your tricks figured out. I''ve evaluated for long enough; it''s time for me to win this fight."


    Anna watching the fight, she was sure of one thing now, that the kid really was using the System. However, after analyzing the fight herself, she was now sure of one thing.


    ''That one-eyed boy is going to lose.''

 Chapter 647 Moving With The Plan

    Chapter 647 Moving With The n


    ??It was clear from everyone that had been watching the fight so far that Hannah was on the back foot. They didn''t me her for struggling with the many different techniques that were being used.


    If anything, they were surprised how she hadsted so long. The one saving grace in the match so far was that she hadn''t received any serious injuries.


    She had a few cuts on her clothing and a mark on the side of her face, but that was all, and now with a new determined type of look on her face, she was ready.


    ''Come on,'' Liam thought, holding swords in both of his hands. ''I''ll take you out in my tornado of skills once again. I''m not strong like the others, so this is my way of winning!''


    Liam was ready for anything that was toe at him, and he saw Hannah running forward once again; she ced her hand over the sword, and it started to glow with power.


    Charging in, she then started to randomly swing her de in the air; it was a skill or technique, it was unclear, but she wasn''t even close.


    Right as she got close, she then hopped from side to side.


    "Three Moonlight Hops!" On the third jump, her Qi exploded until she had hit Liam and sent him skidding across the floor.


    Liam was able to block with both of his swords at the right time, but he was still affected by the impact. Right after, he could see visual Qi, a tornado as Hannah spun her body.


    She then struck a heavy blow from the side again. This time Liam was unable to take the full brunt despite blocking the hit and fell to the floor.


    He kicked himself quickly, getting up though, until he saw Hannah spinning her single de.


    "Full Moon Strike!" her sword moved in a full circle motion and had caught the edge of Liam''s weapons and had forced them to leave his hands.


    He tried to retract them with his magic, but the Full Moon Strike hit the weapons away again, and right after, she went to use another technique.


    "Piercing Light!" Hannah said as the sword was thrust towards Liam''s neck. The sword continued forward until a ng noise was heard.


    It wasn''t from Liam''s swords as they weren''t in his hands; instead, it was from the middle-stage warrior that was standing on the side.


    They had interfered with the fight, and had blocked the strike, meaning a winner had been decided.


    "YEAHHH!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers, as for the first time, someone from the Light Faction had actually won one of the single events.


    Not only that, but they remembered Hannah''s words. This was an incredibly skillful person from the Dark Faction that knew all of their techniques.


    Yet Hannah wasn''t just able to stop them all; she was also able to best the person in the end. It was most likely this was the White Dragon and the strongest in the Dark Faction.


    Seeing this gave them a boost in confidence, and the cheers continued again and again.


    "You might be wondering how you lost," Hannah said as she ced her sword away and looked at Liam on the ground.


    "I figured, you are so talented that you can copy anything you can see. At the same time, you have the skills to even ess what are the best skills to use in certain situations."


    "But you can only do that with things that you have seen. Our Dawnde n has been around for a very long time, and I know a number of skills."


    "Even skills that are considered low level, I know how to use and optimize them to the best level. Instead of assessing the situation and letting you have time to progress everything, I used them non-stop, confident in my skills being better than yours and beating you."


    There was arge sour taste in Liam''s mouth. After all of the training, after all of the perks of the system he had, he still had ended up losing, while the others had bested him.


    However, Safa, watching, thought he had done extremely well; it was just the opponent he went up against this time, was cool-headed and extremely skilled.


    There wouldn''t be any in the world that would be able to deal with the situation as she had done.


    Regardless, it was the end of the result, which meant Liam and Hannah would have to go their separate ways and head back to their viewing stations.


    Anna, having watched everything above, had her own thoughts about the whole thing. She had confirmed that the young boy was using the system.


    ''The boy lost in the end, but he wasn''t killed. Which means if the two of them were ever toe face to face again, the boy wouldn''t lose the fight again.''


    ''For that is the nature of the system. It''s unfortunate that the girl does not know that, and that she will never be able to best the boy again.''


    Having seen enough from the outside view, Anna decided it was best for her to head back inside, to where Raze was.


    She had some things she wanted to ask him, answers that she needed to know now.


    The announcer had stated that there would be a short break again until the next event. The arena needed to be repaired among other things, but before that, they also had made an announcement for the next set of single matches.


    Simyon Vs Mantis


    When Simyon saw his own name and who he was up against, his stomach started to hurt a bit from thest time the two had met each other.


    It was quite obvious he would remember him, and what if a person mentioned that he had been in the Demonic Faction, what trouble would that ur?


    He just had to hope that Mantis wouldn''t have mentioned such a thing, considering he hadn''t mentioned anything so far.


    Safa Vs Hannah.


    The fight after that was between two talented individuals who had outshined themselves on thest stage. Some thought it woulde down to who had the better strategy against the other.


    Then finally, there was only one more bout to announce. Due to there being seven people in this event, one of the fights had to be a three-way.


    Mada Vs Ricktor Vs Jake.


    There were some turns of the heads about this matchup because for one there were two individuals from the Dark Faction.


    However, some thought this might be the only way to make such a fight fair because that was just how much of a threat the one known as the Demon would be.


    Out in the crowd itself in one of the standing areas, Amir hade out, after leaving the Dark Faction area, and had looked at the screen with the disy in names.


    "It makes me wonder with this happening, what those kids will do," Amir said as if he was speaking to himself.


    Soon though, a hooded man came over and stood by his side.


    "I have no idea what he is thinking," the hooded man said. "But the fact that you are here means you want me to make my move soon, correct?"

 Chapter 648 The Issue With The System

    Chapter 648 The Issue With The System


    ??The matches had been made, and during the break period, it was the time when most people would make their bets on who they think would win.


    Throughout the event, multiple times their views had changed, and it was getting harder for them to predict things.


    Many had assumed that no matter who the Demon went up against, he would win, but now the event was pitting the Demon against two of the Dark Faction students.


    No doubt in their mind would the two of them work together to fight against themon enemy. The Dark Faction students had also all proved how strong they were in the events so far.


    They were almost a level above all of the participants they had seen apart from the Demon. So now, it was giving people some doubt that the Dark Faction could pull a win out of this one.


    "The people still have no idea," Bubble smiled to himself. "I have made a small fortune today with my bets due to my insider information.


    "If people knew that a middle-stage warrior was going up against two initial stage warriors, no matter how strong they were, then 90 percent of them would select the middle-stage warrior; that is how much of a difference there is between the two stages.


    "Not just that, but the real identity of the one named Jake¡­Thinking about it, if it gets found out, I might have to n my escape route in case anything too bad urs."


    Looking to his left and right, he was also wondering where the woman had gone who was by his side. He had been listening in to her conversation, and she also seemed to be quite knowledgeable.


    He noticed her strange reactions as she was keeping an eye on Liam instead. He wanted to ask her some questions, but it was a little toote.


    The person Bubble was thinking of was Anna. She had seen enough up close with her own eyes, so she had decided to head back to the Demonic Faction viewing area.


    She didn''t bother to greet anyone in the room as she walked and eventually went to Raze''s side. She did stop for a brief moment as she looked at Brack, who was sitting in one of the seats heavily injured; there was even a Light Faction Physician that was providing treatment.


    When approaching Raze, Anna wiggled her index finger toward him, as the two of them went toward the corner.


    Sha Mo and Lince noticed this, but they decided to ignore matters, at least while there were the Light Faction members inside.


    "The boy with the eye patch that was fighting just before, do you know him?" Anna asked. "And remember I can tell if you''re lying or not. I saw how you looked at those from the Dark Faction before. I also know from Himmy that you were originally stationed at the Dark Faction academy."


    Raze knew that Anna could tell when he was lying or not, and he didn''t n to lie to her. The issue was, why was she interested in Liam of all people?


    "I do know him; he is someone I was closer to when I was in the academy. Is there something wrong?" Raze asked.


    "Yes, there is¡­do you know, that boy must have been in contact with Zon as well, or at least someone from the Red Fortis army," Anna imed. "In the match, all of the skills that he had used, they were uses of the system.


    "The system that is only granted to Red Fortis members."


    For a moment, Raze was going to deny that Liam had met with Zon; he was a Pagna warrior of all things. But when he thought about it more, it was a possibility.


    When Raze had met with Zon, it was in another dimension, and in that dimension, Liam was present as well.


    Liam didn''t say he had ever met such a person before, but perhaps Zon had done something to him. It would also exin the level of skills he could now copy.


    "I don''t know if he has this system thing or not. Liam has never mentioned it, nor has he ever mentioned his meeting with Zon.


    "But it is a possibility, the dimension I was in when I met Zon, Liam was present as well."


    This wasn''t the answer that Anna was hoping for, and it annoyed her even more because she could tell that Raze was telling the truth.


    "If you n on rescuing that boy, and bringing him to the Demonic Faction, then I will do everything I can to help you, I need that boy alive, and I need him to answer questions," Anna said, turning her head toward the door, as she could see another entering.


    "What is this, are you all here to give your dear student some support?" Lince said as he gave a small respective bow to Alba, who had just entered the room.


    "You know that we used to be wanderers, the Light Faction has some people that I wished to speak to, and yes of course, I want to congratte ''Jake'' and support him in the next fight," Alba answered walking over.


    Coming over, now all three of them were in the corner of the room, far away from hearing distance of the others.


    "I wanted to make a report. Cronker has been keeping an eye on activity going on in the arena. Several groups of people have started to move.


    "He doesn''t know who they are, but there are strange movements ever since the Single matches started to begin. He is ready and on board whenever you need him," Alba informed.


    Raze looked into the crowd; he could see they were starting to return to their seats, meaning that the next event was about to start.


    "If that''s the case, then I''ll need you to do me that favor that we talked about beforeing here," Raze said. "Make sure everything is ready."


    Alba said nothing else and just walked away; Raze already knew her answer.


    "Leaving so soon," Lincemented.


    "I have given my words offort, and besides, I don''t feel toofy with your prying eyes looking at me," Alba winked.


    "You should take it as apliment that I am unable to keep my eyes off you," Lince said.


    "Yes, then you should also take it as apliment if I remove the eyes from your body."


    "What the!" Beret jumped from his seat, but Lince ced his hand on his chest and shook his head.


    "This is just a friendly conversation between leaders; there is no need for you to act out," Lince said.


    Before leaving, Alba kissed the palm of her hand and closed her door. Lince then looked to the other member of the Lost n that was present and gave a slight nod to him.


    "Beret, It might be best that you let the physician see you as well. Who knows what''s about to happen," Lince stated.


    Right on cue, as everyone hadfortably gotten to their seats, an announcement was made.


    "The first match of the second round will nowmence; will, Mada, Ricktor, and Jake please make their way to the stage!"

 Chapter 649 Ricktors Secret

    Chapter 649 Ricktor''s Secret


    ??When Liam had lost his fight, he wasn''t seriously injured in the bout. He had some sore muscles and was tired, but the system that was a part of his body quickly healed that.


    It was almost as if he was no longer human. There was already a difference between Pagna warriors and regr humans in the first ce, but Liam was now even further apart from that.


    Despite all of this and everything he had, he still ended up losing his match again. Once again, he was unable to achieve what he wished.


    ''The memory of Raze that day, when he took on the main disciples, it''s still in my head, and everything he said that day¡­ I wanted to make a scene like that today, but instead, I just ended up embarrassing myself.''


    Liam started to kick the ground; he was so embarrassed, he was too confident in winning, and now he had to face the music.


    The moment he stepped into the Dark Faction viewing area, the sound ofughter was hearding from one person in particr.


    "What happened, did you lose your balls in the middle of the match, is that why you lost!" Simyon said. "Oh wait, maybe it''s because your opponent had no balls to begin with, which means your balls must be more useless."


    Liam was shaking in anger, but all he could do right now was take in everything that was being said to him because it was all true.


    "I swear¡­ I swear you have no idea who I just went up against!" Liam replied back. "It''s clear that she''s the strongest in this entire tournament, that''s why I lost."


    "If you went up against her, and anyone else, everyone would lose. If she wins this tournament then it will just prove my point."


    "And if she gets eliminated by Safa the next round, then is it confirmed you''re the weakest out of all of us?" Simyon asked back.


    To which Safa elbowed Simyon in his stomach. When she did, though, Simyon hardly jolted and it was Safa''s elbow that was a little red.


    "I need to remember your body isn''t like what it used to be, but you should be quiet about that," Safa said.


    The good thing was that all of the students were able to freely talk amongst each other away from the adults. They weren''t really concerned despite what they did about them escaping or not.


    Perhaps it was because Murkel was in the same room as them, and escape seemed impossible with him keeping watch.


    "I know, I know, I was just poking fun. You think if I had lost my match and he won his, he wouldn''t be doing the same. He would be going on about how I have no balls, so I needed to give him some of his own stuff while I can."


    "I''m serious though," Liam said. "Maybe I made some mistakes and stuff in the fight, but I''m not lying, she''s strong. Safa, I would watch out for her when you go up against her, I''m sure that she''s got more to show."


    "It doesn''t matter," Safa answered. "We have all already shown enough. Now the Dark Faction students are seen as a strong force, you can see by Murkel''s face that he''s already satisfied.


    "If I lose the next fight, ande out with next to no injuries that will be for the best for everyone."


    Liam was still thinking about the match he had, he was sure if the two of them were to fight again, that he wouldn''te out as the loser.


    The sound of two pairs of footsteps were heard from behind as they had been listening to the conversation.


    "So what is it that you want us to do?" Ricktor asked. "You have taken the role as leader of this small group for a while now and we will be going up against him next."


    Safa looked at the screen, seeing the two of them would be going up against Raze.


    "Just don''t get seriously injured, but don''t make it look like you''re just going to forfeit that wouldn''t make sense," Safa said. "We don''t want to draw suspicion."


    "The easiest way to make something look realistic is by fighting for real. I''m sure the judges that are on stage will stop the fight before it gets serious," Ricktor answered.


    Safa could see the look in Ricktor''s eyes. He wanted to go full force against Raze for what had happenedst time. There wasn''t hatred or revenge; it was more so to test oneself.


    However, when looking at Mada, there was silence. He was clearly deep in thought. Safa had no telling what would happen to the two of them.


    "Remember, even if the physicians can''t do something, I might be able to, so if you want to go all out, then be my guest," Safa said.


    After seeing everything Raze could do, she was sure that he would be able to best the two of them with ease anyway.


    He was most likely to use one of his special moves right off the bat to end the fight early. Safa didn''t know why, but she had figured the items that the Dark Faction had obtained, Raze wanted them.


    It had to be the same with the other item for the singles match; that was why he was taking part.


    Safa had held ande close to the item, and she could tell it was a magical item. So they had to be special for Raze to go after them.


    "The first match of the second round will nowmence; will Mada, Ricktor, and Jake please make their way to the stage!"


    Ricktor started to move, but as he did, he looked at Mada who was behind him, who was still.


    "Come on, this might be thest time we fight," Ricktor imed.


    "Doesn''t that mean, you think we''ve already lost as well?" Mada replied.


    "I''m just stating the facts, I don''t fight if I think I''m going to lose," Ricktor said. "That is a principle that I truly stand by, which is why I need to go out there and get my answer."


    After pausing for a few more moments, Mada eventually decided to walk with Ricktor. They went past the Flowing Force n head, as well as the other adults who had given some words of encouragement to the two.


    "Go show them the Dark Faction is best!"


    "If you beat the Demon, then there will be nothing for us to worry about!"


    "The Dark Faction will be considered the strongest, winning the group and individual stage! It will be a first in our history!"


    The two continued walking, and just as they exited out from the ss, Ricktor heard the voice from one man in particr.


    "Ricktor."


    Ricktor stopped and turned around, looking at his father, looking at the principal.


    "You have worked extremely hard, in this fight, I expect you to use all of your strength, you know what I mean by this right?" Murkel asked.


    "You mean I haven''t so far?" Ricktor smiled.


    "You think I couldn''t tell that you had reached the Middle stage. Go out there and win," Murkel ordered.

 Chapter 650 Madas Rage

    Chapter 650 Mada''s Rage


    ??Raze walked onto the stage and up ahead he could see both Mada and Ricktor enter together. He saw them walking side by side, not splitting apart.


    ''This is a three-waypetition, but I guess it''s expected that the two of them would team up together. Although I don''t know how they are going to fight. I assume they have alreadye to the realization that I am me,'' Raze thought.


    He remembered how the two of them had half-heartedly sworn their loyalty to help him when they were faced with the underground troubles.


    Raze had provided them food that allowed them to continue living, and in turn, they sought revenge against their own ns and to help Raze.


    The thing was, Raze knew that in desperate times people were willing to say anything. Very few actually kept their word.


    At the end of the day, the two students in front of him, both of them were direct disciples of the main ns that made up the Dark Faction.


    ''I can''t lose this fight, and going up against two of them might be tough, but if they are thinking of conceding, I shouldn''t hurt them too badly,'' Raze thought as he brought out the ghost de.


    "Thest person left standing will be dered the winner, so let''s fight!" The announcer shouted.


    Raze didn''t charge in like he did before, nor did he hold the sword above his head. The audience were expecting something spectacr from just like what had happened before, finishing a battle in record time.


    However, there was a reason for him not moving, because Mada had raised his hand.


    "I forfeit from this fight," Mada dered.


    Ricktor nced at him when he heard these words, but Mada didn''t even bother to look at him and just walked back.


    "Wait, the other guy just forfeited, before even trying to fight!"


    "That was the guy that didn''t fightst time as well, he must be scared."


    "Yeah but with two of them, they would have a better chance fighting against the Demon. Now that he''s left he''s just abandoned his teammate!"


    "Hey, I want my money back, I betted on them two, and now they do this, now the fight is just a regr one on one, of course the Demon is going to win."


    "But if you think about it, at least he''s made the fight fair now. If it was the Light Faction, that''s something I would expect from someone like them."


    As Mada walked back to count himself out of the fight, the ss lifted up.


    "What was that, boy!" Crine, the head of the Flowing Force n and Mada''s father shouted. "You have done nothing every time you go up against that man, and then you abandon your allies!"


    "I abandoned him!" Mada said as he looked up at his father into his eyes. But the Qi from him was seeping in and pushing him down; he felt as if his heartbeat was slowing just looking at the man.


    He wanted to tell him, what the ns did was far worse in the underground assessment. Students eating each other and deaths treated like nothing.


    All of the ns had abandoned them, and if Mada hadn''t survived that back then, then would his father even care about him.


    His father had never cared about him and had always stared, looking at Gunther. There was so much Mada wanted to say, but he didn''t.


    Because doing so could very well mean death.


    "There''s no reason for me to fight him, there''s no reason for me to get hurt, I''m sorry I disappointed you," Mada eventually said and continued to walk.


    "You''re just as useless as your mother, both of you are worse than bugs."


    All of the blood had immediately rushed to Mada''s head at that moment. The buildup of everything he had wanted to say for so long.


    "You f*cking piece of scum!" Mada shouted. "Someone so disgusting like you, doesn''t even deserve to mention her! If anyone should die in this world, it should be you!"


    Instantly an intense Qi filled the entire room. The adults felt sick to their stomachs almost falling. The Light Faction warrior in the room tried to head to the door, but even moving his own feet was trouble.


    ''He said it,'' Safa thought as she had fallen to her knees along with the others in the room. ''There are words that should never be spoken to those that are more powerful than you, words that should never be spoken to one''s n head.''


    ''Right then, Mada just wished for the n head''s death¡­ it will be impossible for Mada to get out of this alive now, why¡­ why did he do it?''


    In Mada''s mind, there was a buildup of frustration that he had his whole life. During this tournament, he felt inequity and started to think.


    Was there really any part of his life that he had enjoyed? Everything he had done was for the n, to please his father, and yet there was nothing in return.


    The risk, the fear for his life, the disappointment, not once had Everything he had done was for the n, to please his father, and yet there was nothing in return.


    The risk, the fear for his life, the disappointment, not once had he done something he had done, until today, and the root cause of it was this man.


    Mada felt as if he had already died once in the underground assessment, so if his life was to be taken again it didn''t matter, at least he got to curse the old man.


    "You foolish child!" Crine swung his arm, and his Qi went out like arge wave. Even though Crine was at least a couple of meters from Mada, it had hit him, lifting him off his feet and forcing him to crash into the wall.


    The blow crushed part of the wall, and blood spilled out of Mada''s mouth, but the attack didn''t stop there. The visual Qi like a wave seemed to linger in the air, holding Mada up, and now it was suffocating him.


    "All those who wish me death, haven''t lived to tell the tale," Crine stated. "You are only alive because of me; you should be thankful that you are even in this world. I created you, so you must do what you are told, but someone as weak as you is useless."


    Simyon, Liam, and Safa were all on the ground because of the immense amount of Qi. The only ones that were unaffected were Murkel and Gavin.


    They wanted to help, and maybe using their own Qi they could force their way toward Crine but then what. Could they take out three Main n leaders, as well as other high-ranking n members in the room?


    It was impossible, so all they could do now was watch what was going on.


    The veins on Mada''s neck were bulging, as he couldn''t breathe. He could feel his head screaming to try to take in some air, but nothing was working.


    Mada looked at his final moments staring at Crine, Murkel, and Gavin who had all turned around to see the chaos, only to notice something in the background.


    ''What''s¡­ that.''


    A loud crash resounded in the room from behind him, ss shattered onto the back of Gavin and Murkel. Seeing the shards that had fallen onto the floor, they could think it could have onlye from one ce.


    Crine turning around to look at this disturbance in the room, saw a man standing on the edge of the arena.


    "Sorry, it looks like my attack missed," Raze said.

 Chapter 651 Adults Vs Students

    <h4>Chapter 651 Adults Vs Students </h4>


    With Mada exiting the field, now it was just Ricktor and Raze on the arena floor. Seeing the Dark Faction students perform so far, some believed that it would still be an interesting fight.


    If anything, they might be able to see the Demon perform another spectacr move they hadn''t seen before.


    "Let''s get this started!" Ricktor said with a smile on his face. With one hand, he gathered Qi and seemingly pulled the air forward.


    The image of an explosion erupted, and he was propelled forward at a shocking speed. With his sword, he swung it down, and Raze swung his up.


    The two of them shed, and Qi channeled out from the attacks, sending a shockwave out. The dust was kicked up on the floor, and even the Middle stage warriors by the edge of the arena had their hands out.


    They had forced some of the Qi out of their bodies in order for the crowd not to feel uneasy.


    At that moment, though, the ones that were most shocked by what had just happened were the Middle stage warriors that were on the field itself.


    ''Such arge amount of Qi... are these two really Initial stage warriors, if they''re not, then how are we going to stop this fight!'' The Light Faction Warrior thought.


    Both of the swords were pushing against each other, and Raze and Ricktor were looking into each other''s eyes. Both of them were thinking back to the first sh they had.


    ''Back then, he was a higher stage warrior than me, but I was able to use magic to help me win the battle. In front of everyone here, I won''t be able to use magic, and it looks like this time... we''re at the same stage.''


    "I feel like you have figured it out," Ricktor said.


    A battle of Qi was continuing with it pulsating from either side of the individual. It was something that hadn''t happened in any of the matches before, causing the audience to stand up on their feet.


    Unlike Ulyn, who had gone flying, Ricktor was holding his ground.


    "What, the fact that you''re a Middle stage warrior as well. You must have been working hard, I guess you have a goal," Raze asked.


    "Correct, when your goal is several times stronger than you, it causes you to grow quicker."


    Raze knew that very well because the Grand Magus''s powers would be beyond his at the moment. There was always this fear for Raze, what if he were to run into them right now?


    Would he be able to best them? This fear, this drive is what forced him to grow stronger every day without wasting a single second.


    Ricktor then lifted his hand in the air again. The Qi was gathering, and it looked almost as if he was going to pull the air to propel him further again.


    However, Raze had yet to use any techniques at all; he had simply blocked an attack and was just using his Qi to stop himself.


    "Give me your best shot, I need to see what I can take, so I know if I can go against him," Ricktor imed.


    Seeing what was about toe, Raze thought about his next move until he could sense something. His eyes widened, and he wasn''t the only one.


    Ricktor lowered his hand, lowering the output of his own Qi. He then pulled his sword away and started to swing it at Raze.


    To which Raze was blocking each strike. They shed carefully, disying their skills, hitting one another while looking.


    Once in a while, they would sh in the center like they had done before.


    "You can feel it right, there''s arge amount of Qiing from the Dark Faction viewing area," Raze said.


    "I can... it''s so incrediblyrge that it''s seeping through, even to here. Something must be happening," Ricktor replied.


    At that moment, the image of Safa had appeared in his mind. In doing so, he struck slightly harder with his sword when shing against Ricktor''s.


    The condensed Qi was pushing Ricktor''s sword, but he wasn''t really fighting back because Ricktor had a n as well.


    As he blocked each attack, he was carefully taking a step back. Both of them were on the same wavelength.


    From the crowd''s perspective, they could see the Demon pushing back Ricktor more and more until they were right up by the viewing mirror.


    ''The Qi is incredibly strong here, is it Murkel, has he found out something? I need to see.''


    At that point, Raze ced the sword by his side and spread out his legs behind him. Ricktor had seen this move before.


    The Qi was being condensed into the hilt of the de, and Raze wasn''t looking at Ricktor; he was only looking right past him.


    Ricktor leaped to the side, and right after Raze unleashed his strike.


    "Dark Edge Sword Art''s Fourth Formation, Void Pulse!"


    The Qi exploded behind the sword and shifted him forward touching the ss. The attack pinpointed to one area, and the hard casing viewing area that was meant to not be destroyed had shattered in that moment.


    Once again, everything had happened so quickly that the Middle stage warriors were unable to act.


    "He just broke the Dark Faction viewing area!"


    "Is this a deration of war of the Dark Faction?"


    "Come on, it was an ident he was trying to get the other warrior with his move, but the other one predicted it because we''ve seen it before."


    "You might be right, but what does this mean, will the match be suspended with the viewing area being broken like that?"


    After Raze had delivered his attack though, he then stood right by the opening, looking at everyone in the room; he didn''t turn to look at Ricktor nor did Ricktor attack him.


    "Sorry, it looks like my attack missed," Raze said.


    Safa, Simyon, and Liam couldn''t believe it. They were too focused on what was happening in the room; they had no idea what was happening with the match outside.


    When they needed help, when they were in a desperate situation, Raze had somehow still managed toe through, and now fearlessly he was staring at three of the Dark Faction leaders, including Murkel.


    The immense amount of Qi was stilling off from Crine, and Mada was being held up on the wall by the visual Qi.


    Now Raze knew where it wasing from but had no clue what had caused it all.


    As he stood there though, the viewing cameras came in over Raze''s shoulder, and now everyone could see the situation in the Dark Faction viewing area.


    Mada, blood leaving his mouth, covering the bottom of his clothes, and one of the faction heads dealing with him.


    They could only guess it was because of him giving up the fight.


    Now seeing the Demon standing there, they wondered what he was going to do, what was the Light Faction going to do that was hosting the event either.


    "You sure know how to make an entrance," Murkel said. "But don''t you think you''re getting ahead of yourself, standing in front of us like that."


    Raze looked at Murkel and then looked right past him, ignoring him.


    "This is a fight for students, don''t you think adults should stay out of this mess? Unless you want to take his ce," Raze asked.

 Chapter 652 Causing Big Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 652 Causing Big Trouble</h4>


    The confident words from the Demon were unheard of from the crowd. Everyone, including the citizens, knew the strength of the n heads and those at the top of the pecking order.


    The regr citizens always lived in fear that they might disrespect a simple Pagan warrior and lose their life over it. Many, if they knew a n head wasing to visit, would just stay indoors for fear of angering a certain individual.


    Those that were Pagan warriors knew this even more so, and for those that were lower ranking, the n heads were treated like royalty. No one would dare go up against them.


    Yet here was a single person who showed no fear at all, and he was starting to live up to his nickname, the Demon, but even more so, they supported what he said.


    Cheers erupted in the stadium, shaking the whole ce.


    "Yeah, can you believe it, a n head has to threaten a student of all things. That wasn''t what this tournament was made for in the first ce."


    "And how could a person attack their own student? We all know why he didn''t want to go up against him, maybe the n head is afraid that the Demon will beat him instead!"


    "Ha, could you believe it, if a n head took part in this tournament and lost against a student."


    The loud words reverberated, being echoed throughout the arena and filling the ears of Crine himself. His aura had moved away from Mada, dropping him to the floor.


    Once again, everyone in the room felt like they could breathe, they could move freely and were able to stand again.


    "You''re being extremely stupid, kid, setting up a threat against someone like me," Crine said as he walked forward, while Raze still stood on the edge looking in.


    "You should know, we don''t take part in these things because there is arge difference between me and you. Right now, you might think that you are as high as the sky in the high, but you should know that Heaven exists above that sky."


    "Heaven?" Raze asked. "For those that punish students like you, the only ce you are deserving of is below my feet!"


    Loud cheers erupted again as the mirrors disyed everything. For a moment, it didn''t feel like they were watching a fight, but an intense drama that was going on in the Pagan warrior world.


    "Those words, it looks like you want me to grant you your wish!" Crine said. He ced his foot onto the floor, and his Qi had swollen the ground. Even though it was solid, it rippled as if he had stepped into a puddle.


    Lifting his foot up, water flowed through the air. The visual Qi made it so the water felt like it was really there in front of them. It was clearly an extremely high-level skill that was being used, and Raze knew it as well.


    ''Without the Lux sword, and the zer, or my magic, stopping something like this might be extremely difficult to do, but with him attacking me like this right now, I will have the upper hand,'' Raze thought, a small smirk appearing on the corner of his face, but he quickly tried to hide it, straightening his face instantly.


    The attack swung through the air, and the light-colored water had turned solid dark blue and was glowing with intensity. Crine was still incredibly far away, but he knew his attack would hit.


    As the kick reached its ending point, a hand reached out and grabbed the tip of Crine''s foot. Immediately, a spark of Dark energy shed, and in an instant, all of the water faded.


    It looked as if all of the visual Qi was absorbed or destroyed in that moment. As for the person who was holding onto Crine''s foot, it was none other than Murkel.


    ''He stopped an attack of one of the other main n heads with a single hand like that. Even with Magic, that''s not something I''m capable of doing. Is the difference between the two of us still this high? Was I still underestimating him?''


    That was when Raze remembered the title he had been given in the Dark Faction, the one closest to reaching the Divine Stage. Although the other factions didn''t really know each other''s strength, so it was hard to say if Belil or those like Sha Mo were close to reaching the Divine stage.


    The name wouldn''t have been given to him for no reason.


    However, the Light Faction n heads that were watching everything with therge mask on their faces were also surprised by everything that was happening.


    "What should we do? Should we stop the match, fix the ss, and start over again?"


    "More important matters are at hand. How do we quell the anger of both of these groups? They could be battling out with each other at any second."


    "The fact that a Dark Faction n head has tried to attack another student during a tournament that we are in charge of, if we do nothing, then there will never be an end to all of this."


    "Maybe it''s best if we do stay out of this. The tension between the two of them will be good. Originally, we were going to try and strike a deal with the Dark Faction. If we formed an alliance, then an attack from two sides would make it incredibly hard for the Demonic Faction to act.


    "But with the strength the Demonic n showed today, that might not be the best idea. A war between these two, if we can create a big reason for these two to fight, it might just work out, so I say we do nothing."


    Murkel had blocked the attack and then threw Crine''s foot back on the floor quite aggressively. It was quite clear he was upset by what had urred.


    "The Demon, as they call you, don''t you have someone else to deal with. I have stopped the trouble on my side; now you must do what you need to do," Murkel stated.


    Before Raze could even reply, he had sensed someone wasing from his side, and he could see that Ricktor was running at him. Ricktor was running at him even before the warning that was given by Murkel.


    Lifting up his sword, Raze deflected the attack but was pushed back against the ground. It was a powerful blow made by Ricktor, a serious one.


    Now Raze looked to be on the back foot as he defended strike after strike, and eventually, the two of them met in the center; Raze was pushed to the middle.


    ''Good job, Ricktor,'' Safa thought. ''I have no clue what would have happened if the two stayed, and the Light Faction didn''t seem to be doing anything yet either. Right now, no one has a n on how we should get out.''


    Ricktor then jumped back and gave Raze some space; right after that, Raze charged in for the first time in the match. He then used the fourth descending step, kicking him forward, and swung his sword down.


    It was filled with Qi; the sword lit up, but it wasn''t any of the Dark Edge Formations that he knew; it was a simple swing, and that''s when Ricktor had gone flying in the other direction.


    He took a tumble; his body bounced off the ground a few times until he crashed into another part of the wall, only partly breaking it. He then fell to the floor andy there, waiting until he heard the news.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems the Demon has done it again; give it up for Jake, as he is the winner!"


    After seeing what Jake had done, the crowd was very pleased as they continued to cheer, and one corner even started to chant the word Demon.


    As the winner was dered for the fight, Raze looked at his weapon. ''That attack I put a normal amount of Qi in it; he shouldn''t have gone that far¡­ I''m sure of it, this was an act by Ricktor.


    ''He kicked off the ground to make the attack seem more powerful and bounced himself, then crashed his body into the wall. To make it look believable. I thought there was a chance he wanted to do it at the beginning, but it seemed like he wanted a fight.''


    Raze wasn''t wrong in his thought as at the start Ricktor truly did want a full-on fight with Raze, but after seeing what he had done, how he was still able to help Mada even though he was on the field, and how he had the guts to threaten a n head to their face, he knew they needed him.


    ''We will need you in top strength, if you''re going to try and get us out of here by taking them down,'' Ricktor thought. ''So I will allow you to be in top strength.''


    Getting up, both of them headed back to the viewing area, feeling unrestricted by the result of the event.


    "We will now be moving onto the next fight, the shining star of the Light faction Hannah, against the backbone of the Dark Faction team, Safa!"

 Chapter 653 Raze’s Inner Struggle

    <h4>Chapter 653 Raze¡¯s Inner Struggle</h4>


    Raze had returned to the Demonic Faction viewing area, and he could see the smiles on the faces of the Demonic Faction; they were quite sadistic. Some of them were chuckling to themselves, and a few had even given Raze a thumbs up for what he had done.


    "The two of us may not see eye to eye, and I hate his guts, but he is truly someone that belongs to the Demonic Faction in nature," Sha Mo said to himself, making sure not to say it too loud so others would hear.


    The reaction in the room was because of the threat Raze had made directly to the Dark Faction, smashing right through the viewing area.


    "You should have taken it a step further and used a skill to hit one of them; now that would have been impressive," Mantis said.


    "You sure talk a lot about threats, but there is a difference between you two," Beret said. "That guy doesn''t say things that he''s going to do, he just does them."


    Mantis could see the eyes of many in the room, including the other students; it was almost as if they had admiration for this person. A look he had seen the others have towards him when he was dered top student and given the nickname the ck Tiger.


    "You''ll all see at the end of this, his fame increasing is good for me, because when I best him, it will only increase my legend, as the legend who took down the legend," Mantis answered, but next to no one was listening to him.


    Raze took a seat in his normal ce, and he could see Alba had returned back to the room. She had given him a slight nod, confirming something between the two.


    It went ignored as Lince came to sit next to Raze once again.


    "I thought we might have had to jump ande in and try to save you back there," Lince said. "If you were to battle against a n Head, or he was to ept your challenge, do you really think you could have won? Would you have really gone up against him?"


    "I would have," Raze answered instantly. "Right now, while being surrounded by so many Middle stage warriors and the other factions, it''s the safest time to fight someone at a strength greater than yours.


    "If I lose, I''m confident you or the Light Faction would stop things, or the Dark Faction themselves wouldn''t go as far as killing me. As for whether I think I could win or not, I think it''s possible against him, but I''m not sure about the other."


    Lince had gathered who he meant by the other, because he had caught the attention of all the high-ranking Demonic Faction members. The move by the Flowing Force n Leader was extremely powerful, and it had been stopped by one hand.


    What was interesting to note was Anna, who was in the room, had been reading Raze while he had given his answer; she could tell everything he said was true, even the fact that he could beat the other n Head.


    She could see that had also riled up some feathers among those in the Demonic Faction.


    ''That young boy, he is not afraid to make anyone his enemy; what Beret said about him is true, he just acts, and it''s hard to tell if everything is one whole calcted n or not,'' Anna thought, but she was sure it was thetter based on the meeting they had just before they were to take part in the tournament.


    "Will the two participating in the tournament pleasee to the stage!" The announcer shouted.


    There was a short break between thest fight and the current one, mainly due to repairs that were taking ce in the Dark Faction viewing area. Some also believed that the organizers, the Light Faction ns that were in charge, were deciding what to do with the Dark Faction, and in the end, they had done nothing after the repairs were done.


    There was no time forints from the crowd, and they knew that theirints wouldn''t amount to much; instead, they were just going to focus on the fight right up in front of them.


    Seeing Safa walk out, Raze ced his hand on his face and changed his seating position as he looked at her.


    ''His heartbeat rose, and he''s looking more anxious. He felt this way when he saw members of the Dark Faction; it''s clear he knows all of those participating,'' Anna thought. ''But this person, it''s different for him.''


    ''If I remember the reports correctly, she was his sister, and someone who was made a field agent for Alter. For someone who he cares for so much, I wonder why he''s trying to hide it.''


    Anna, through her very own system, was seeing a side of Raze that no one could see. This side was what had caused Raze to act in the first ce. When he could feel the immense amount of Qiing from the room, he instantly felt like he needed to do something in case she was in trouble.


    Memories of Sabrina wereing back to him, and of Jake, and he didn''t want it to happen a third time, not while he was there and he could do something. Then after seeing Mada held up like so, he had made the decision.


    ''I still wasn''t so sure about whether I could rescue them or not from the Dark Faction; if there was a chance, I was going to take it, but leaving them in the hands of the Dark Faction, there''s too much risk, I will get them out of that situation.''


    Raze could see at times, the Middle stage warriors on stage were too slow to act, and that was uneptable. If something was to happen right in front of Raze during this match and he could stop it, he would do so, risking everything.


    cing his hand on his chest, Raze had a few words. ''I''m not sure if it''s even this old soul in me that wishes for me to protect her anymore¡­ it might just be me.''


    In the Light Faction viewing area, Beatrix had watched her student leave the stands. She could feel the immense amount of weight that was on her shoulder as the only Light Faction contestant left.


    It wasn''t meant to be this way; sure, she wanted her student to do well, but Ulyn was always the favorite.


    ''There are only two ways for you to win this event: during it, to oveerge obstacles now and grow, or to ept the help of the n Heads.''


    Beatrix thought about moments ago what had just happened before Hannah had entered the stage. The two of them gave each other eye contact for a few moments, and then she reached under her clothing and pulled out the ne from over her head.


    She handed it back to Beatrix, the gift that had been given to her before this tournament had started.


    "Using this, it would be cheating, wouldn''t it."


    "What!?" Beatrix replied with a nervous look on her face.


    "I thought you didn''t know, but I guess that answers it. I had an inkling of what these items would do, that everyone in the Light Faction would hold, but it wouldn''t be fair to rely on that power. I wish to win this battle with my own strength, and in doing so, be the strongest in the Light Faction."


    "My opponent will take me on fair and square, so I have to do the same," Hannah said, heading out.


    The two of them had met in the middle of the stage, Safa with her spear, and Hannah holding her sword in front of her.


    "There''s a rumor you know, that the person I bested before might not actually be the White Dragon, and that it might be you. I hope I get to see that," Hannah said.

 Chapter 654 Anything For My Brother

    Chapter 654 Anything For My Brother


    ??Every time Safa heard the name the White Dragon, a smile appeared on her face, one that she was unable to hide from the others. This just made people think even more that she might be the secret weapon that the Dark Faction was holding.


    However, the reason for her smile was simple.


    ''All of this talk of the White Dragon, and yet no one realizes that he is on the other side, that he is the one that you have given the name the Demon as well. How long has the Raze from Pagna been here, and how many legends has he passed down in this ce.''


    ''It just makes me smile to see so many people talking about him. I know he''s not my brother, but while in that body, and the actions he takes looking after me, it feels as if he is another brother I now have in this life.''


    Not replying to the taunts by Hannah, she held her spear, and the match had begun.


    Hannah had started right off the gate; she charged forward, jumping from side to side using a special Dawnde n technique. One of the same foot techniques she had used against Liam, which she had kept in reserve untilter.


    When close, she had swiped her hand over the sword, making it glow as she had done many times before. When they were a few meters apart, Safa lifted up her spear and dug it into the ground.


    Arge crack appeared, going through the ground, and perfectly, Hannah''s foot had gotten caught right inside. Before she knew it, another spear attack came toward her, but Hannah performed the half-moon block and hit the spear away.


    Hannah expected another strike to ur, so she changed her Qi in her foot and pulled it out, backing away.


    "Right, you''re from the Dark Faction, doing anything you can to win, so you are happy to use tricks like these rather than fight me head-on," Hannah imed.


    "Tricks?" Safa replied. "Everything on the battlefield is fair game. I''m not using anything else other than what I have on me."


    Hannah came in again, and this time leapt up to avoid any strange attacks on the ground and swung her de, performing more techniques of the Light Faction.


    With her spear firmly nted on the ground, Safa made sure to firmly nt her feet on the ground, and with the Qi channeled in the spear, she hit the sword strikes away.


    Hannah''s movements were elegant, a light trail could be followed behind the sword in the air, attacking Safa from as many angles as possible.


    At the same time, Safa swung her spear hard, hitting each of the strikes away. The two of them stayed in the center, battling weapon against weapon.


    The crowd was getting excited as they cheered for both sides, and it appeared as Safa had gained arge number of followers after the past events, although most of them were male.


    "You notice it, right?" Gavin, head of the Moon Shield n, stated.


    "Of course I do, you might be a master of defense, but it doesn''t mean you are the only one that can see certain things," Murkel replied back. "At any rate, it appears that she will lose¡­ which is a shame."


    Liam and Simyon were listening in on the n Heads'' conversation; they were wondering why they would say such a thing when the fight was so early on.


    "You two should notice, right?" Ricktor said. "This entire time, even her first strike, all of them have been in a defensive manner. The attacks from Hannah are swift and fast but not a single attack from Safa has been focused on striking."


    "Is this part of her strategy?" Simyon asked. "To wear out her opponent and then strike when the other is tired."


    "What, you think everyone fights like you?" Liam asked.


    "It might be, but she won''t win like this; very few could do something like what you are describing. Because there are very important things that ur in a fight," Ricktor exined. "When one is attacking, they get in a rhythm of sorts. A buildup of momentum that allows them to use their techniques with less effort."


    "Think about it, when you are using your techniques on a giant rock one after the other, you are less inclined to get tired. However, when fighting against an opponent, everything bes much more difficult. Right now, Safa is just a rock to the other side."


    They both understood Ricktor''s exnation. The thing was, more than anyone, both Liam and Simyon knew Safa''s real strength and knew that she would know this and wouldn''t do such a thing.


    They could only think of a reason as to why she would do this.


    "It''s a shame; if Safa actually fought with everything she had, it would be a good match and she would have a good chance at winning," Liam said. "Maybe something will happen that will spur her on to try in this fight."


    "She won''t," Simyon replied instantly. "If what we''re thinking is right, then you should know she will lose this match. She told us that we aren''t to use a lot of energy, that we need to be ready for anything and that includes herself."


    "She will never be dragged into a fight with Hannah properly, because the answer is simple, she cares about her brother too much, and wouldn''t do something to trouble him or get in his way."


    Large strikes were taking ce on the battlefield from Hannah, and the Qi buildup was increasing from one to the other. For a moment, then, Safa blocked arge attack and made her hands look weak.


    To this point, everyone was just seeing a relentless attack in the center, and one relentlessly blocking. That was when Safa let go of the spear, dropping it to the ground.


    When Hannah came in for another strike, the middle stage warriors came and stopped the attack with their swords.


    "The winner has been decided; Hannah will go on through to the final round of the singles event!"


    Tears of joy appeared in the crowd; they couldn''t believe it. From losing nearly all of the Light Faction participants, to now being able to enter the finale. Now they could hold their heads up high, regardless of who won.


    There was a Demonic Faction member and a Light Faction member, and now there was only one more match left that would determine the final one that would enter the final match of the singles stage.


    On the other side, Raze breathed a sigh of relief, his muscles released, and he went to a more natural sitting positionpared to before. He was happy that he didn''t need to do anything; it would allow for his n to work more.


    Because if he had to enter during the match with Safa, there really was no n on his mind.


    "And so, here is the final fight," Amir imed in the crowd. "You must keep a close eye on this. That boy might be strong enough to release it out of Mantis, and if that is the case, that is when we will strike."

 Chapter 655 A Strong Pain

    Chapter 655 A Strong Pain


    ??The next fight was about to start, and Simyon was getting ready. Just before he headed out, there were words of encouragement going on from his side.


    "Remember, if you lose this match, basically it means you''re at the same level as me," Liam imed. "Because the person I lost to got in the final, which means she''s better than you for getting that far, and I had lost to one of the best."


    "What are you on about?" Simyon replied. "It doesn''t work like that; in this tournament, I will have already achieved a higher position than you, no matter what."


    Sparks, as usual, were flying between the two, and then Safa, who had just lost, hade in the middle. When she had returned from her loss, Murkel didn''t seem to care much.


    To the public, it was a good matchup, and no one felt less of seeing her skills. The only thing was, they didn''t think that Safa was the White Dragon, and had assumed Liam, who she had bested in the first match, was most likely the person in question.


    "Remember what we discussed," Safa said. "We shouldn''t push ourselves so far in these matches. We might need all your abilities and powers."


    Simyon didn''t nod and instead turned his head around. He felt like it was disingenuous of him to give her an answer. Because when the ss door lifted, he looked straight ahead at Mantising out from his side.


    He had arge scar across his chest, perhaps a scar made from him battling against a beast. He wore his clothing strangely, with half of it off and tied around his waist showing some of his muscles and more.


    ''I''m sorry, but when I look at this person, I remember when we met him in the Demonic Faction territory. How he had taken us all out, and I was unable to protect you, I was unable to protect anyone. Back then, Raze was the one that helped us¡­ but he won''t always be there to help us¡­ I need to do something today, I can''t just let him win.''


    Heading out, Simyon looked at Mantis. They stared into each other''s eyes, and eventually, he spoke out.


    "Do you remember me?" Simyon asked.


    "Do I remember you?" Mantis replied as he drew his hand out, covering both of his hands around his fingers; there was strange ck casing. The ends were extremely sharp and pointed and it only covered the fingers, nothing else.


    It was the same on both hands, a strange weapon that was sharply used in fighting, if anything, it appeared as if it was something custom.


    "Remember you? Why would I remember someone that was so weak; of course, I don''t remember you," Mantis said.


    Simyon didn''t know if he was lying or trying to make him angry on purpose, but it worked, and as Simyon took a fighting stance with his hands, the power of the ring was surging through his body, added along with his Qi.


    "Alright¡­ then I''ll make sure you remember me this time," Simyon imed.


    "Fight, begin!" The announcer shouted.


    As soon as the fight began, unlike the matches before, Mantis didn''t charge in, and neither did Simyon. Instead, Mantis was slowly walking towards his opponent, and Simyon was doing the same from his end.


    "It''s time for me to show everyone here what I can do, as everyone has been waiting for this!" Mantis imed.


    When he came close, Mantis lifted his hand in the air. The area was extremely dense around where he lifted his hand, and Simyon didn''t keep his eyes off the strike.


    "Brace yourself, let''s see you protect yourself from this!" Mantis eximed as he threw the w into the air.


    Simyon lifted his forearm, stopping the attack, and the wed hand hit his skin. Sparks went off as if two swords were folding against each other. Pushing through, Mantis dragged his hand, and the w fingers hit the floor.


    Arge w mark was seen through the air, continuing forward, heading straight for Simyon.


    ''I didn''t protect the rest of my body with Qi; I can only rely on my body!'' Simyon thought.


    As the Qi energy from the w mark continued, it hit Simyon''s hard body and pushed him back. His feet skidded across the room until he had just about reached the edge of the arena. He hadn''t crashed into the side of the arena wall, but it was extremely close.


    A slight smell of iron had entered Simyon''s nose, and he could see dots of red blood on the floor.


    ''My chest, it was cut, but the attacks, they weren''t that deep, and it doesn''t hurt that much¡­ I can tell he put a lot of strength into that attack. Which means I can win this!'' Simyon thought to himself.


    Immediately, he started to run along the ground and headed right toward Mantis with no fear; he was confident now in his body.


    As the two came close, Mantis exploded and leapt, swinging his ws from the side. Simyon blocked the attacks with his arm and then went to strike the hit in the air. It was filled with Qi and would have been a solid hit, but it crashed into nothing but the air.


    Mantis was quick and nimble and was already attacking from the side. He swung his arms multiple times, and Simyon was able to gather his Qi on his side. Sparks went off his body as if the whole thing was made of metal and hadn''t pierced the skin. Quickly, Simyon went to attack, hitting the air again, and even kicking the air, but not a single thing was hitting.


    ''Crap, I need to figure out a way; I need to figure out how to hit him somehow, no matter how many attacks I block, I can''t win this if I don''t hit him!'' Simyon thought.


    At the Dark Faction area, as they were watching everything, Safa was deeply concerned.


    "He wants to win this fight, why didn''t he listen to me?"


    "Hey, I don''t me him," Liam said. "If I was in his shoes, I would have done the same thing. Don''t you remember what happened? We should let him get his revenge."


    The worry for Safa was that Simon might not be able to. There was something about Mantis, there had to be a reason why he was considered the strongest.


    Since the small attacks from Mantis weren''t working, he had flipped in the air backwardsnding on the ground, then when running forward he dragged his ws through the floor. They were cutting it as if it were made from butter, and then he swung it up.


    Simyon blocked the attack, but the sharp ws ripped through his skin, drawing blood once again.


    "This battle is already ended; I will tear you apart bit by bit!" Mantis eximed.


    His attacks, they were like that of a wild animal; he was quick, nimble, and attacking from all sides. The students that were watching were wondering how they would deal with such a thing, and they were finding it hard toe up with an answer, and that was if they coulde up with one.


    As Mantis was moving throughout, he flipped back again, ready to draw up anotherrge attack breaking through Simyon''s defense , that was until he felt something in his chest. An extreme pain that jolted his whole body.


    Simyon, for a breath moment as he managed to catch a break, looked ahead. He opened his arms that were bloody, but none of the wounds were extremely deep. Simyon wasn''t tired either.


    He just needed to use his head to figure out how to win this battle, but looking at his opponent, he wondered why he wasn''t moving, and then he saw that Mantis had ced his hand on the floor, and he was sweating.


    ''Is he tired, is his constant attacks and his stamina the answer to all of this, then maybe I can do something.''


    Mantis ced his hand around his chest, and he could feel a thud going through his body. With each thud, his entire body was hurting more and more. He looked up ahead, and his eyesight was starting to blur.


    ''It will go away right, it will go away just like it did before.''


    Mantis started to think back, back to when he was at the n, back to everything that had happened. His memories were fuzzy in his head, and now his head was starting to hurt in pain as well.


    Shaking it, it was slowly starting to go away. However, it wasn''t the first time that Mantis had experienced pain like this, and now it seemed like it wasn''t going to be thest either.


    ''Back then, when that happened¡­ What did those guys do¡­ why am I in pain whenever I push myself, My heart¡­ it''s hurting again¡­ what did those people¡­ do to me.'' Mantis thought.


    From the arena, there were quite a few keeping an extremely close eye on the match.

 Chapter 656 The Only Chance

    Chapter 656 The Only Chance


    ??The two kept fighting, and when Mantis came in, something strange happened. Simyon saw it as his opportunity and started to strike at Mantis non-stop. Mantis felt something from his back.


    Getting back up from his position, Mantis could feel the pain going away from his body. His muscles started to rx, his headache was disappearing, and he could see the opponent in front of him clearly again.


    ''Why did I feel that pain, why did my chest hurt, is it when I get excited during a fight, or when I use too much Qi?'' Mantis thought to himself. ''I had to give more power than I thought I would; this person''s body is incredibly strong. I wonder what he went through or what art he did to go through something like this¡­ but that''s not my concern, my concern is I just need to take you down.''


    Mantis ran with his fingertips dragging through the floor again. This time when he lifted his hand, part of the floor came up from underneath. Parts of the concrete shattered, all going toward Simyon.


    He stayed focused and standing as pieces of the flooring hit him and broke apart, and with focus, he could see Mantis straight ahead. He went for it, throwing his powerful fist.


    At the same time, Mantis was able to lift both of his hands to block the attack. A loud nging noise was heard, as usual, as if metal was going against metal, but with it, a shockwave, a pulse almost, was seen in the air, and Mantis was sent back.


    He flew back in the air for a few moments, with his feetnding firmly on the ground. He hadn''t been pushed back a great distance like Simyon had been when attacked, but it was clearly still surprising for even Mantis.


    ''This person''s hits are heavy; if I get hit by it, I won''te out of this fight with no damage at all,'' Mantis thought.


    The issue was, to win this fight, he would have to head straight into danger.


    The distraction technique didn''t work for Mantis, so the only thing he could do was go on the attack again. In doing so, the fast movements and strikes from all sides had continued.


    Mantis struck strangely with each blow and quickly moved from one side to the other. Simyon was doing well blocking them, but his body was being pushed on the floor from side to side, and he looked helpless, as if it was only a matter of time until he would be ripped to shreds or bleed out.


    As Mantis continued attacking from side to side, he eventually grit his teeth, biting down as hard as he could.


    ''Not again, it''se back again¡­ is it really because I''m trying too hard in this fight, is this just happening to me because I''m weak.''


    Mantis pushed through as he attacked from side to side moving, but Simyon was noticing something this time as he kept an eye out.


    ''Something''s wrong; the attacks aren''t as strong or sharp as before. Is this my chance that I was looking for? Not yet, now is not the right time.''


    Simyon continued to swing his arms using his strong body and reinforcing himself with Qi, blocking each of the hits.


    Then Mantis could feel it, the pain was shooting from his chest all over his body, it had frozen up, and so did the attack that was mid-air.


    Breaking from a blocking stance, as if waiting for this moment the entire time, Simyon had wound up his fist back, condensed the Qi in his strike, and swung it, hitting Mantis right in the stomach from below, delivering a strong uppercut, lifting his feet in the air.


    A small shockwave was seen through the body due to the impact, and blood had evene partly out from Mantis''s mouth.


    Before Mantis could go further in the air, Simyon knew something was up because his opponent still wasn''t reacting.


    ''I was right, he must have some type of stamina issue; he tried too hard to finish me off, and his body is getting blowback. This is my chance; I can''t let this opportunity go away.''


    Jumping from the ground, Simyon grabbed Mantis''s hand and then smashed him onto the floor. It was a hard hit, breaking part of the floor. Immediately after, while still holding onto his opponent''s hand, Simyon stepped right on top of Mantis''s chest.


    Mantis had managed to grab Simyon''s legs just in time, but part of the impact was felt, and more of the flooring broke with the heavy hit.


    ''He can still move; I need to take him out before he can recover!'' Simyon tensed his fist and went to throw it at Mantis''s head, but changed direction at thest moment and sted it right into his stomach.


    Arge amount of air was thrown out of his body, and veins could be seen on Mantis''s neck; a hand was over his face, ready to block the attack, but Mantis had made the wrong call.


    Simyon lifted his hand again and started to gather his Qi.


    ''Maybe I won''t be able to beat him before he recovers, but I can still win this fight if I get the Warriors to intervene and bring it to a stop.''


    Simyon was right with his thought because both of the middle-


    stage warriors that were on the arena floor looked at each other. They were wondering if enough damage had been taken to warrant a stop.


    Was the student''s life in danger, and was the other person able to make aeback? As another hit sted into Mantis''s stomach, they nearly moved before they remembered the words of the n heads.


    That they were to intervene only at thest moment, and if a death was to ur, it wouldn''t be their fault at all.


    Simyon continued to hit Mantis more frequently with less power as he was getting desperate.


    ''Why won''t they stop the fight, and why are Mantis''s eyes still burning with fire!''


    While Simyon was continuing to hit Mantis, the pain from his chest was starting to spread. He could feel it concentrated on the shoulder des on his back, and something underneath his skin was beginning to move, trying to break out.

 Chapter 657 The Eyes Of A Beast

    657 The Eyes Of A Beast


    Mantis didn''t understand the incredible pain he was feeling on the back of his body. Something felt like it was trying to crawl from inside his body, to the outside. Yet, it was almost as if he didn''t have much time to worry about these things.


    Because there was an onught of Qi-filled fists that came down on him. Simyon readied his fist again and mmed it right into Mantis''s ribs; he heard a cracking sound and could feel part of the bone fracture or break.


    "You don''t remember me, you don''t remember what happenedst time, I guess you''ll remember me after today!" Simyon said as he went to punch again, and broke another couple of ribs with his fist.


    The fight had be extremely one-sided, and all they could see was a Dark Faction student hammering down on a Demonic student. Many in the crowd were wondering the same thing: why wasn''t the fight being stopped?


    "Our top student is producing this kind of result!" Sha Moined. "For someone who talked a lot, he isn''t showing a lot with his fists¡­maybe I was wrong about the feeling I had."


    Raze wondered the same thing. Everyone could somewhat feel it; there was something about Mantis that was different, an underlying strength that had even caused the beasts to not even bother to attack him.


    If anything, Raze was a little worried for Simyon. ''He was the first person that openly talked to me, and much like Safa¡­the two have been by my side since the start of my entry into Pagna. Even though Simyon had seen me do certain things, he had kept his mouth shut. He is young as well, not like me; he is someone that deserves to continue living in this world¡­I guess that''s where my worry ising from.''


    When Simyon went to deliver anotherrge strike toward Mantis''s ribs, he felt something strange. He had punched in the same ce, and in doing so, the cracking sound was heard, but Simyon could feel the full impact, of part of the rib bone breaking¡­just like he had done before.


    ''Am I imagining things,'' Simyon thought; he had somewhat stopped his onught of punches because there was great confusion in his mind. ''That rib, I thought I had broken it with myst hit, yet I could feel that I hit it and broke it again, but it''s the exact same spot, did his body heal from this, how could that even happen.''


    Just to make sure, Simyon continued to punch the same spot, dealing more damage, and each time, Simyon could feel the bone breaking, and when he kept a close eye, he could see the muscles and body of Mantis acting strangely.


    With the next hit, Simyon had even caused part of the bone to pierce part of the skin, but visible to the human eye, and in real-time, he could see the bone going back into his body, his skin healing up, and it returning back to its perfect condition.


    ''What is this, how can he heal so fast, is this magic¡­or is it something else,'' Simyon''s heart was beating faster, a deeper worry was taking over him.


    Winding up his fist again, he went for a punch and rather towards the stomach, or feinting the attack toward the head, he actually went for the head this time, and Mantis was ready for him; he grabbed onto Simyon''s fist and held it tight.


    Simyon yanked his hand away, or at least tried to. ''I can''t¡­I can''t pull my fist away, he''s gripping onto it so tight.''


    In that moment, Simyon finally had let go of Mantis with his other hand. The one that had held him the entire time, to make sure he didn''t get away. When pulling away though, he saw it; Mantis'' eyes alive and well, they had narrowed like a beast''s and were looking straight at Simyon.


    ''Those eyes¡­I remember them, I remember seeing them before. The same eyes that took out my town, and my sister!'' Simyon thought.


    A surge of power was going through him. Perhaps before, as soon as he saw something that reminded him of such beasts he would have run or pulled away, but instead he saw something in front of him that he believed he could take out.


    He went to punch with both of his fists; they were aiming for the head, but Simyon''s fists didn''t reach Mantis''s head. Instead, they were just short and weren''t moving any further.


    A stinging pain could be felt in his abdomen, and looking down, both of Mantis''s hands with his sharp ck fingernail equipment had dug into him. They lifted him in the air slightly, stopping him from reaching.


    "You, are just in my way!" Mantis said, as he stood up on his feet still with Simyon''s arms tacked to his arms; he had jumped off his legs and then pulled one of his hands out, and swung it upward delivering arge w strike across Simyon.


    When the attack hit, Simyon''s body detached from the ws, and bounced off the floor several times until he had crashed into the side wall.


    The dust was filling the area; they could see Mantis standing in the crater that was created from the punches of Simyon. Suddenly the match had turned around at the click of the finger, and they wondered how it was possible.


    However, when the dust settled on the other side, they could see Simyon standing there. He had cuts on his arms and across his body, but he still looked strong as he stood there.


    "This body was made to take a beating, because it''s the only thing I can do!" Simyon imed. "This body was made to get rid of the monsters, to take the hits of all those that suffered, if I can''t take a beating from a human then what about those beasts, so I will take all your hits and I will do the same now!" Simyon shouted.


    Simyon looked up from his position, and ced both hands by his side. The crowd cheered him on; they were impressed by his determination, the words he had spoken.


    A lot of them had lost those they cared about, to beasts as well, so they resonated with his words, the reason why he wished to be a Pagna warrior, and they were impressed with his ability to stand in this moment.


    "Bring it on!" Simyon imed.


    When looking ahead though, Mantis wasn''t in sight; he had already moved and was right by his side. Seeing this, Simyon had just enough time to get both of his hands to block the attacking.


    As it hit him, he was hit across the arena, bouncing on the floor and crashing into the side of the wall. Yet, he was quickly back on his feet.


    "Again, again!" Simyon shouted. "I will take as many hits as it needs, I''ll take all the hits to get rid of someone like you!"


    When Simyon looked across the field at his opponent, who was breathing slowly, he was in a slightly more crouched position. There looked to be no form at all to his fighting, and his hands by his side.


    All Simyon could see in front of him wasn''t a participant, but instead it was a wild beast. Just like those that killed his family.


    "I won''t run away again, even if I die here, I will get rid of you!" Simyon imed.

 Chapter 658 Stop The Match!

    <h4>Chapter 658 Stop The Match! </h4>


    Simyon had a strong stance; his body was holding out, and he failed to fall. If he fell, then that would mean he would let the monster that was in front of him win. As he stood there, he was looking at Mantis ahead who was walking slowly toward him, and just like before, he had disappeared from sight.


    ''Is he going toe from the left, the right..'' Simyon looked up at the shadow cast, and it was from above.


    Lifting both of his hands, he could feel the ws ripping through his skin, and his feet sinking into the ground. Right after, arge kick was delivered to his side.


    Mantis was striking again and again, faster than he was before and the hits seemed to be more powerful. Unlike before, Simyon was unable to follow the hits and block it with his hands; instead, he was just tilting his body up.


    Lifting his shoulders and spreading the Qi through his body. Until, Mantis delivered a powerful attack that broke through his defense, causing his whole body to be chucked into the air and for him to bounce around the arena floor.


    When he stood up, his entire clothes were covered in blood, part of the flooring where he would bounce had blood as well, yet he was still able to stand.


    "He has to stop, we need him to stop the fight!" Safa shouted from inside the viewing area. She no longer cared if the leaders heard her or not.


    "Stop, but he is putting on a strong performance," Murkel answered. "All of the Dark students have put on an extremely good performance, and imagine when it''s revealed that the ones that were able to do it, were mostly a bunch of no names. All of the ns will fear us for what we have achieved."


    Right now, Murkel along with the other adults in the room didn''t care. They didn''t care for Simyon''s safety; of course, they didn''t because he was just a no name. A tool for the academy to use, with no family to upset or to back him.


    ''Amir isn''t here¡­he is the only one that we might have been able to speak to¡­so what do we do.'' Safa''s eyes were watering up.


    Even with the extent of Simyon''s wounds, if he came back, then at least she could heal him with her light magic, but if he went too far, if he was too hurt, even she would be unable to do something.


    With each powerful hit from Mantis, the crowd cheering in excitement, but something strange was starting to ur. As they saw Simyon continue to stand up, continue to fight and not fall, with his skin ripped in several ces, the cheers were lessening each time he was hit.


    "Isn''t this going too far?"


    "Yeah, what is with the Light faction, they''re not stopping the fight. They didn''t stop it before, and now they''re not stopping it again."


    "Maybe that''s the reason, think now the student Mantis is winning, if they had intervened too early, then the one being beaten now would have been dered as the winner."


    "But¡­this is no longer exciting, instead it looks as if we''re watching a torture session."


    The fight was still going on now, and it had been a non-stop hit session for thest ten minutes from Mantis, and the crowd had appeared silent as they almost couldn''t take it anymore watching the student get beat.


    These were those that had witnessed death, witnessed the cruelty of the Pagna warriors, yet seeing it go on for so long was even more cruel in their eyes.


    "It appears that the student won''t be strong enough," Amir said. "He did well so I was hoping he would be."


    Amir then looked at the hooded man, and could see his fist shaking, his body twitching.


    "I know you want to go in there, but you can''t, not yet¡­I also don''t want this child to die, but many have died and many more will if we don''t seed."


    With each hit Simyon took, Raze felt like he was taking them himself. Remembering the conversations he had, the conversations the two of them had together.


    ''You should look after your family; you never know when you''re going to lose them.''


    "Simyon is a good person," Raze mumbled to himself, as he walked forward toward the ss.


    Seeing this though, Lince stood in his way, stopping him.


    "What do you think you''re doing, are you going to go out there right now? What reason would you have to do such a thing?" Lince asked.


    "You have achieved great power, right?" Raze asked as he looked at Lince directly in the eye.


    Lince didn''t expect this line of questioning, but this student had gained his interest more than once.


    "One could say that, I am one of the top ns in the Demonic Faction," Lince answered.


    "You gain that power for a sense of freedom. To help those you wish to help, to have a power to control and do what you want to do. Right now, I don''t like what I am seeing, I wish to stop what is going on. I don''t like what I''m seeing, and I have the power to change it."


    "But what is it that you don''t like that you are seeing?" Lince asked. "You are not an individual, your actions affect the whole of the Demonic Faction, it affects all those around you.


    "If my guess is right, what you want to do, won''t help the Demonic Faction, which is why I''m asking, not what you''re about to do, but why you are doing this."


    Raze knew what Lince was getting at, why did he want to help out the Dark Faction student when they were part of the Demonic Faction. To them, it made no sense to act this strongly.


    Not in the world of Pagna where warriors would kill each other.


    Raze then turned his attention away from Lince and looked at the Light Faction member that was in the room.


    "What is going on with this event right now?" Raze asked. "Why haven''t the Light Faction stopped this match? They had stopped the others before it got this far, so why haven''t they stopped this one?


    "Are they trying to make the Demonic n into killers, to make the Demonic n look crazier than they actually are? If this match isn''t stopped, then I will stop it, before it goes too far!" Raze answered with the Qi exploding from his body.


    He could tell looking in the arena that Simyon didn''t have much time.


    Jumping from his position, Raze was face to face with the Light faction adult in the room. The look in Raze''s eyes had caused his heart to beat faster.


    ''How could a student have such intense eyes. His Qi, it''s suffocating him. Who is this person¡­no one warned me about him, no one told me to look out for a monster like him¡­I have to tell them, I have to tell the n leaders.''


    Raze then stretched out his hand quickly and wrapped it right around the Light Faction member''s neck.


    "Take me to the organizers of this event, and stop this match!"

 Chapter 659 Meeting The Light Faction

    <h4>Chapter 659 Meeting The Light Faction</h4>


    The Light Faction observers that were ced in each of the viewing rooms were middle-stage warriors. They were from different ns, some not from the big three ns in the Light Faction, but they were still middle-stage warriors.


    They had managed to make an aplishment that many people wouldn''t be able to make. They took their job in the tournament seriously, for the sake of the Light Faction.


    They were to gauge each faction''s reactions, listen in on their conversations, and report back all for the sake of the Light Faction and the people in it.


    Which was why Silp, who was currently in the Demon faction viewing area, was wondering why, right now he was feeling frightened by the person in front of him.


    "I¡­I can''t just take you to where the organizers of the event are," Slip replied. "They are n heads that even members of their own ns struggle to get an audience with.


    "If you wish to meet them, then I need to send a message and then wait for a reply, that won''t stop the fight in time!"


    Raze knew that was true. He nced on the outside and he could see Simyon still standing. Qi was rising from his body, and he was covering himself from hits. Something strange did ur though, once in a while Mantis would stop, and then stretch out his back.


    It would have been a perfect opportunity for Simyon to attack, but Simyon still standing was an achievement in itself; asking him to do more would be more than a miracle.


    "That''s great then, I''ll just go with the person who is to send the message, or better yet, you can take me with you," Raze imed.


    Slip had no idea why he was feeling this way, was it the tone of voice, was it the look in his eyes. Or the fact that he had witnessed what this person had done to the other students, thinking in his head, that maybe this person would do the same to him.


    ''I have trained for years, I have already gone through the Pagna academy and I''m scared of this student, it''s impossible.'' For a moment, Slip looked at the other Pagna warriors that were in the room.


    Weren''t any of the adults going to stop him, the other n heads would know that what he was about to do could start a war between the two factions. Instead though, Slip could see smiles on their faces.


    It was as if they were happy by everything that was happening, that they were enjoying this moment.


    ''I forgot, that this is the demonic Faction I''m dealing with, I hope they will understand.''


    "Please, follow me." Slip reluctantly said and went to exit out of the room. Raze followed behind and almost immediately the pressure that he was giving off had disappeared.


    What Raze was doing, was projecting his Dark Magic from his core outward toward Slip. The Dark Magic core''s strength was based on death and increased with death as well.


    Letting the magic linger out of him, at a level where others were unable to see. Or would think nothing of it was what was urring.


    For those who had never experienced magic in their life, and to experience Dark Magic for the first time. It made everyone remember that death was a real possibility for them.


    Once senses would slightly dull, their heart beat would slow, and slowly they would realize that with death they would be nothing, striking a deep fear into them.


    The two of them were now walking through the halls, but it didn''t take long for Raze to walk ahead.


    "We are in a rush, so just tell me where to go," Raze ordered.


    Not able to do anything, Slip just nodded and walked ahead.


    "So do you think the boy will cause too much trouble that it will be a struggle to get out of here?" Lince asked.


    "You must know the reason why I would let him leave in the first ce, and I know there are no eyes on us either," Sha Mo answered.


    Lince looked at Beret and they nodded. To which Beret started to quickly move around the room. It wasn''t just him, but all of those in the Demonic Faction including the other students were now looking around the room.


    It was as if they were trying to find someone or something in the room.


    "We have to prepare for the worst. Every year, one of the factions ns to do something, and who knows maybe this year it could be us," Lince said with a smile.


    "I''m telling you now, if that kid starts a fire that he can''t put out, I''m not going to save him, I have my reasons," Sha Mo answered.


    The two of them were openly talking like so, as if Alba and Anna weren''t in the room, but they were both present for the whole thing, and it was angering the two of them greatly that they were having conversations as if they were invisible.


    ''Someone needs to take these Demonic Faction ns down a peg or two.'' Alba thought. ''Raze, I hope we don''t have to go through with your n, because it feels like everyone is trying to do something at this event.''


    Both Raze and Slip continued to walk through the halls, and on the way there, they had passed through several other Light Faction members. Due to Slip''s position, many of them listened to him and stood down.


    They had reached the staircase and were on a private second floor. It was a floor that participants or members of the crowd weren''t allowed on. It was the floor where the booth for the Light Faction n leaders were present.


    When Slip walked down, before they had even reached the doors, in the hallway itself, there were two members of the Aura n standing at the side.


    "What are you doing here, there has been no notice sent about having visitors arrive," the light faction member said and looked directly at Raze.


    They had stayed at their post the entire time, they had no clue who Raze was, nor what he had done, but it was clear he wasn''t someone from the Light Faction either.


    "This is a student that is currently taking part in the Tournament. He has requested a meeting with the current organizers of this event, It appeared to be an urgent matter so I have brought him directly here," Slip stated and knelt on the floor.


    "You were the one that brought him here, someone from a different faction!" The other warrior said.


    The two of them had moved away from the side of the walls, and now were standing, looking down at Slip.


    "You know, that is against protocol. We have rules for a reason, they are to be followed, if not, then you are no better than the wild animals of that in the Demonic and Dark Faction.


    "Rules are followed to uphold the justice that brings everyone together and our utopia, and those that break the rules, you know what the result is."


    Everything Raze was witnessing right now, it felt slightly odd to him. Out of all of the factions, and their morals what he had heard of the Light Faction it sounded the most ideal.


    Strict rules, protecting the weak, doing things that always seemed to be fair, but right now it was the first time he was hearing, of what happened to those that didn''t follow the rules.


    Had what Slip done, was it wrong. He was simply caring for his life, he was doing something because he was threatened but rather than ce the me on him they were cing the me on one of their own warriors.


    In the Light Faction world, what happened to those that were unable to do anything but were forced to steal break to feed their starving family. Because they didn''t follow the rules, and simply fought for their survival would they be executed as well.


    This was something Raze had to deal with. The world wasn''t always ck and white. There were shades of Grey in between, there were circumstances that a person couldn''t avoid, and in a world where people needed to work with each other in order to build the whole society around them, things could happen that were out of your control.


    ording to the Light Faction rules, he would have been killed many times already.


    For a moment, Raze thought that maybe, these were just rules and the consequences weren''t so dire. That was until he saw the warrior reach for the sword by his side.


    "You have failed to follow the position, so you shall be removed immediately!"


    Slip squinted his eyes, knowing what wasing next. ''Is this what death feels like? It''s far more painless than I thought. it''s not the same feeling as I felt from before.


    ''I guess if this was death, then there was nothing I really needed to worry about.''


    Slowly though, Slip opened his eyes, and he could see the student, standing in front of him. His hand stretched out, holding onto the sword, having stopped it in its path.


    "I have requested a meeting, and I n to go see the n heads," Raze stated. "And I have a question for you, your post is to protect and make sure the n heads go about their day uninterrupted.


    "So if I get rid of you, will that mean you have also failed to follow your position?"

 Chapter 660 A Skim Of The Finger

    Chapter 660 A Skim Of The Finger


    ??The state of Simyon''s body out in the arena was a fraction of its former self. Cuts had developed all throughout his clothes apart from the gloves that he wore. Blood had soaked his uniform, part of it drying up.


    Now as he stood there, one couldn''t even tell if his eyes were open or not, as the skin around them had swollen up. Yet despite all of this, he was still standing, and even Mantis''s wed hands, the equipment that was made of metal, the edges had gone blunt with a couple of them breaking.


    "Hey maybe they''re not stopping this fight, because they know that there is still a chance for him to win."


    "Are you crazy, is that something that''s actually possible?" Another of the crowd asked. "How can one win without fighting back?"


    "Well look at him, he has a solid body, right, and even Mantis''s equipment is breaking, he also once in a while stops because he''s hurt."


    "Maybe the other person will get too tired and the fight will be dered a draw."


    "And then what, does it really look like at the end of this, that the other person is going to be able to fight."


    While Simyon stood there, slowly he lifted both of his arms up from his side, he ced his arms tucking them in toward his stomach, and his chin in toward his chest.


    ''This is just like back then, when I needed to stay awake no matter what, I''ll do the same, I''ll stay awake, and then something will happen, a chance will ur, I will protect everyone this time!''


    There was one person in the Dark Faction that was unable to take what was happening more than any of the others. Safa had already broken down in the room, she was on her knees which were sore from having fallen over onto them, and she had a face full of tears.


    "Please just call off the fight, if you were to ask of such a thing they would listen, they would have to if the Dark Faction pulls out of this!" Safa asked again.


    She didn''t care anymore about it, she just wanted to help Simyon. She remembered back when they were at the special temple for Orphans, how much Simyon had looked out for her.


    The two of them had a bit of a connection. He would read books to her even when she had no voice, the two would often talk about Raze together, knowing how sweet he truly was.


    Out of everyone, Simyon was probably now the second most important person to her. A person she never wanted to lose.


    "You want to stop the fight when everything is going perfectly?" Murkel asked. "Look at this, a no name is standing his ground against the strongest student in the Demonic Academy. Every second he stands, the more value he is adding onto our academy and the entirety of our n, why would I stop something like this."


    Wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her hands, Safa didn''t know what else to do. If Murkel wasn''t going to stop the fight, then it was just something she would have to do herself.


    Picking herself up she pushed the weight down on her thigh and stood up. Liam was by her side trying to catch her if she fell. Then he saw her walking forward, walking toward the ss door.


    ''Is she nning to¡­I can tell, she''s nning to go out there, but with no contestant will the ss even open.''


    Safa continued to walk through her teary eyes, and eventually reached the ss door. She ced her hand on top of it, and it didn''t go unnoticed by Murkel.


    "What are you doing, are you trying to interfere, even though I already told you, that it wasn''t a good choice." Murkel asked.


    "If you won''t act, then I just have to act myself," Safa said as she went to push the door.


    "Move!" Liam shouted as he pulled Safa by her sleeve, at the same time, a fist went out from Murkel trying to hit Safa.


    Due to Liam pulling Safa just in time, the fist looked to have missed her. At least that''s what they thought.


    When Liam pulled Safa he could see her holding onto her face.


    "Are you okay, did you get hit?" Liam asked.


    Liam had noticed the small movements that Murkle had made. His system was telling him, was noticing that everything he did, meant that he was about to attack. He moved even before Murkel had swung his arm, and was in the middle of pulling Safa away when Murkle moved his hand.


    Showing how fast he was. Liam thought the two of them were safe from the hit but judging by Safa it might have not been the case. He could see, blood dripping onto the ground.


    "Safa."


    Liam pulled her hands away, and could see that Murkel had managed to catch her nose, it was broken, blood gushing out from it crooked to the side. The finger had only brushed, maybe not even touched Safa and this was the result.


    "I have been more than lenient on your entire group because Amir stated that we would need you for this tournament." Murkel exined. "All of you have alreadypleted your roles in this, yet you continue to make the situation worse than what it is."


    Liam couldn''t stop the messages pinging from his system. As it read the facial reaction and the intensity around Murkel, he started to pull Safa away bit by bit, holding onto her shoulders.


    Knowing full well at any moment, they needed to do whatever it was to get out of there. He turned his head to look at the situation around, no one would dare to help him, and where even was Amir who had been gone for so long.


    Simyon was also under him, so wouldn''t he want to help him.


    "Both of you, have already done everything needed in this tournament. There are no more fights for you to have, so I can kill you right here and now."

 Chapter 661 Follow The Rules, and Die

    Chapter 661 Follow The Rules, and Die


    ??On the second floor of the arena where the great Pagna Martial Arts tournament was taking ce, there was one of the participants that had left the viewing area and had headed straight for the organizers of the event.


    To where the three n heads that were on top of the Light Faction. No one knew what was going on, unaware of the troubles behind the scenes.


    Having requested a meeting with the three Light Faction heads to stop the match, Slip, a member of the Light Faction had reluctantly taken the student known as ''Jake'' to be seen.


    This was against the rules, the order that the Light Faction had, and as a consequence, they had decided to eliminate the one that had broken the rules.


    When Slip closed his eyes thinking that his life hade to an end because of this moment, he had opened them to see the very student that had forced him into this situation protecting him.


    ''A student from the Demonic Faction just saved me¡­ why would he stop the strike, wait how was he even able to stop that attack just now.''


    "What words spoken from a student of all things." The attacker and guard said. "What you had said, are threatening words while being on the soil of the Light faction, so that gives us every chance, to eliminate yo-"


    The guard had stopped mid-sentence because the wind had already been kicked out of him. In the middle of his conversation Raze lifted his foot and kicked him right in the stomach.


    "You, how dare you!" The other guard said drawing his sword and swinging it across.


    Raze carefully deflected the hit using the techniques he had learnt from the Moon Shield n, and made sure to condense his Qi, causing the other sword to bounce off.


    Raze took a step back, as the Warrior swung his sword a couple more times throwing a strike or two, but they did nothing as they just flung through the air.


    cing his hand over his fellow colleague he lifted him up.


    "Are you okay?"


    "It was a cheap shot, as expected of the demonic n, you have no honor." The man said as he reaffirmed his position, the two of them looked at the student in front of them, now wary.


    "Is he really a student participating in this tournament, because based on your skill you seem more like an assassin that is here to take out our n heads!" The guard pointed the tip of his sword toward Raze.


    Now, Slip who had guided Raze here stood on his feet, but made sure to stay behind Raze. The Dark Magus was still undecided himself with what to do, which was why he hadn''t gone forward to strike or kill the two in front of him.


    ''Going against the three Light Faction leaders isn''t a wise thing to do.'' Raze thought. ''I know I wouldn''t have the strength to take them on, but through speaking to them, I had two goals in mind, stopping this entire match, and finding out just what connection they had with the magical items that have been used.''


    Raze knew killing the guards wouldn''t exactly put the Light Faction in the mood to talk. At the same time, both of the guards were quite strong, to beat them at the same time, most likely he would need to use magic.


    "If you were to head into that room you would be dead in an instant." One of the guards said. "However you won''t get into that room, because this is our duty and this is our role."


    "Your duty and role¡­ I have simply requested a meeting, I did not wish to see blood, I just wish to speak to those on the other side of that room." Raze said again.


    He could feel the two emitting Qi from their bodies, and in response Raze started to do the same. He wanted the two of them to think carefully, if he could at least match one of their Qi, then perhaps it would be a warning to them, that in this fight they could possibly die.


    However, it didn''t seem to work, as the two jumped right at him. Raze swung his sword at the first one hitting it away, but the middle stage warriors were quick to pull back the sword and strike again.


    For a moment with Raze''s other hand he thought about pushing the other back with wind magic, or a Dark pulse, but instead he kicked off the ground using his Qi.


    ''Fighting without magic, and so close this is going to be a hard fight¡­but I don''t want to give them any clues.''


    Instead of using his magic, and trying to delude the others from fighting. Raze decided to let out all of his Qi, evenrger than before, and forced it out in front of him.


    Slip who was by his side, had an idea of what Raze was doing.


    ''He¡­was a middle stage warrior after all. It was no wonder that none of the other students stood a chance in the event. I can guess what he''s trying to do, judging by his actions and the skills I''ve seen before, he doesn''t want to help, he is just trying to save his friend.''


    Tightening his fist, Slip then stood upright by Raze''s side.


    "This student is only here to request a meeting with the organizers, there are no other intentions I guarantee that, which is why I came here. I performed my duty by looking after the guests as I was told.


    "One of my other duties was to protect the guests from any trouble that was to ur, if you n to go down this road, then I will also stand by his side."


    Slip drew out his sword. Just moments before he was ready for them to take his life, because he had believed he had done wrong, but Slip realized in those moments he wanted to live, and his wish was granted.


    On top of that, he was a middle stage warrior, with his help he could at least do something to help this student.


    Now that Slip had joined the other side, the two guards were looking at each other, and were starting to have second thoughts. Fighting against the student at full force would be too much, but now having another warrior made their jobs a lot harder.


    "You wouldn''t dare." The guard stated.


    "You can test mymitment if you want, but you have to remember, the person by my side, saved me, and the person on the opposite side tried to kill me. My honor tells me who to save, and don''t you think two against one is also dishonorable?"


    With the mass amount of Qiing from not too far away from the hallway, the three n heads that were sitting in their seat and observing the match so far, could feel what was happening behind them.


    "Do you think someone is trying to attack us, and assist of some sort?"


    "Do you really think that would happen, sending anyone strong enough to kill us would have dealt with the two guards in an instant. While the three of us are together it is not a good time for them to attack."


    "That''s for sure, this fight has gone on for an incredibly long time as well, when is one of them going to fall dead."


    While continuing to observe the match, the energy behind them had grown, to the point that it had be a concern.


    "I think it might be best, I go check it out, just in case." Ricar Highborn answered the head of the Dawnde n.

 Chapter 662 The Sword Falls

    Chapter 662 The Sword Falls


    ??Ricar, the current n head and one of the Elders of the Dawnde n, was part of one of the ten powerful Elders that allowed the Dawnde n to be at the top, practically ruling the Light Faction.


    However, their power had lowered in recent times, gaining a small boost when Beatrix won thest Martial Arts tournament, but then weakened again with the loss of one of the Elders to the Crimson Crane.


    They were now in a state where they needed to prove themselves, which was why Ricar had volunteered himself to leave. Not only that, but he didn''t like staying around the other two for long.


    ''They have been trying to allow the Dawnde n to fall from the top for so long. Using anything they can, but I won''t allow them to,'' Ricar thought as he headed to the door, ready to see what was happening on the other side.


    On the outside, the match was still going on. It was one of the longest matches that had urred. The crowd was almost silent, only whispers heard among each other. For a while now, they had no longer been enjoying the event.


    Amir stood there looking at Simyon.


    "That boy has always had a strong conviction, he was always the one thatsted the longest in our training. His body as well is well-refined like a legendary sword that only grows stronger. Although in many ways his growth is the slowest among all of the others.


    "He has the potential to be one of the strongest, which is why I don''t want him to lose his life here, just give up, boy."


    Amir nced at the hooded person next to him. For a while now, both of his fists had been shaking.


    "I know you want to get in there, but believe me, you aren''t the only one. There are many that wish to jump in the arena right now, yet not a single one of them has done," Amirmented. Although he did find it weird.


    Judging by the others'' personality, he was sure some people would try something at this stage, so what was going on. Amir thought about heading back to the Dark Faction viewing area, but for now, it was important he at least saw the oue of this match.


    Amir was greatly unaware of the events that were urring in the arena itself where the others couldn''t see. Murkel had pushed Safa and Liam into a corner. His Qi was starting to leak out from his body, and the moment it touched the two of them, it would be over.


    Killing his own wouldn''t be considered too much of an issue; it would just raise questions. In the first ce, Murkel wasn''t a man who worried about what others thought about him.


    Then, at the same time, Ricar was ready to push the door open; he had his hand ced on the handle when he heard the crowd erupt into a loud cheer behind him.


    Ricar turned around, and so did Murkel, both of them honing in their Qi and going to the viewing areas to see what had urred.


    That''s when they all could see that a single bloody boyy there on the ground. The fight still hadn''t been stopped by the middle-stage warriors. It was just simple that the boy who had been withstanding everything so far could no longer continue.


    "Please¡­don''t get up, don''t get up," Safa cried out.


    The ss area was soon lifted from both the Demonic and Dark Faction viewing areas, telling contents to head back. Safa immediately ran out ahead of the others with Liam behind her.


    Murkel saw this, but he did nothing, letting them head out onto the field to see their friend.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, a tough fight was put on by the Dark Faction! I know any of you may be wondering why the Light Faction arrivals haven''t intervened in this match, and we have an answer," the announcer stated.


    "Due to how strong these students are, and their will, as we get closer to the final of the single events. As you saw in the match itself, it would not be fair for us to intervene. This is a time for students to unlock their hidden potential and at any time the oue of the match could be reversed."


    The exnation was one that the general public could understand and fitted the events that had urred because at one point, it looked as if Simyon was going to win the event.


    Regardless, the people naturally cheered for joy when the match was over for two reasons: to congratte the winner, and they were d the fight was over.


    Hearing the cheers, Raze quickly turned around. He knew something had to have urred with the match. As he jumped away, he swung his sword behind him, and Slip, who was with him, was turning his head back and forth after he went running with Raze.


    "I have to do my duty, and that''s to stay with the Demonic Faction viewing area!" Slip shouted out. "Remember, you two have to guard this ce as well, so no following us!"


    With that, Raze had quickly returned back to the Demonic Faction viewing room to see what was urring and taking ce outside, and that''s when he could see Safa down next to him.


    ''She''s using her magic¡­out in the open, this isn''t going to be good, but I can understand why,'' Raze thought.


    Instantly, Safa was using her Light magic to heal what parts of Simyon she could. He was still breathing, but who knew if he could survive what he had been through.


    As she used her light magic, there were those in the crowd, those that were part of Alter, noticing what had taken ce. They couldn''t quite believe their eyes.


    "One of the Pagan students using magic, and so young as well, just who is that person."


    After using what she could, she ced her hands down to her side, and Liam picked up Simyon, cing him over his shoulder.


    "He''s going to be okay, you''ve done enough Safa, I can promise you, you don''t have to do anymore," Liam stated. He knew because his system had stated that Simyon''s vitals had returned to normal.


    There was no more need for concern; Light magic was something that was truly powerful. When they finally returned to the Dark Faction room, the Light Faction warrior checked on him and had physicianse in as well to have a look.


    After it was confirmed that Simyon was fine, there was a sigh of relief, including from himself and the middle-stage warriors out in the field, the ones that had gotten involved in stopping the match.


    At the same time, Mantis had returned. His focus seemed strange; he didn''t look at anyone in the room, and no one said a word to him, as they felt like it would do nothing.


    Just like that, Mantis went and leaned up against the wall like he had done for the entirety of the tournament so far, as if nothing had happened at all.


    "With all the single match phases currently finished, we now have our final contestants for the finale, Hannah from the Light Faction, and Jake and Mantis, from the Demonic Faction!"


    In the crowd, Amir walked over right to the edge as he looked in the distance.


    "As expected he wasn''t enough to break it out of him, but in the next match, I''m sure, we will all need to be ready."

 Chapter 663 Raze’s Grand Plan

    Chapter 663 Raze¡¯s Grand n


    ??A physician from the Light Faction had been called, and Liam was looking over their every move. They had brought out a makeshift table and set it out in the room. Now they were checking over his wounds, cing a type of ointment on the cuts, while also feeding him internal herbs that were meant to progress the healing. The reason why Liam decided to stay by his side was to check every ingredient that was being used.


    To put it simply, he didn''t trust them. After what they had done out there, not stopping the fight, he wouldn''t be surprised if the Light Faction was now to poison Simyon and kill him, even though it wasn''t their usual methods.


    ''Everything they''ve used so far, the system states that none of them are poisoned and should actually help him recover. Most of the work though was done by Safa,'' Liam thought, looking over to where she was.


    Safa was sitting on one of the single seats. She was slouched, her face slightly pale, her breathing slightly heavy. She was trying to meditate, to gather her energy back.


    ''After telling all of us to take it easy just in case Raze needs our help, she goes and does that and pushes herself too much, but it''s most likely thanks to her that Simyon is still alive.''


    Once in a while, Liam would also take a look over his shoulder. Murkel and the other Dark Faction leaders didn''t seem to be concerned by what state Simyon was in. It was already announced to the crowd that the student was doing fine.


    Yet, Liam knew just moments before the match ended, Murkel was serious about taking them out. Which put them in a dangerous situation.


    ''Right now, the only thing that is keeping everyone alive is the fact that this tournament is still going on. After it''s done and we head back to the academy, we''re as good as dead, if Raze has no n, we need to starting up with one.''


    [Signs of activity are being detected]


    Liam quickly looked at Simyon and even the physician who was spooked causing him to take a step back.


    Right after, eyes were fluttering and open wide, and immediately Simyon lifted his upper body.


    "I can still fight, I can still fight!" Simyon dered.


    Looking around though, he quickly realized that he wasn''t out in the arena fighting anymore. Even looking down, he could see the wounds on his body, and how sore he felt, and eventually his eyesid on Safa.


    She had arge smile on her face, and tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked exhausted though, too exhausted to stand up.


    "What happened, did I lose the fight, why is she like that?" Simyon asked.


    "It might be best that you rest," the physician imed. "Your body was extremely injured during the fight; I didn''t think you would be awake for a few more days. For you to be up right now is a miracle in itself."


    It didn''t take long for Simyon to guess what had happened, and Liam toe by his side and gently push his chest so heid back down on the makeshift table.


    "I''ll let you know about everything," Liam said. "Just y it cool for now."


    With the physician''s job done, he bowed down and said he would be back to check up in an hour or so to see how Simyon was doing, but predicted that he would be alright based on the way he was now.


    After everyone had left, Liam started to talk to Simyon without looking at him.


    "I know you''re not actually asleep. So I''ll give you the details, you held out well, for an incredibly long time. In the end, Mantis bested you and you lost the fight.


    "Safa was worried because of all the wounds on your body. So she did what she could to help you. I''m pretty sure it''s because of her¡­ it''s the only reason you''re alive. However, you did a good job in that fight if you ask me.


    "Because of it, in order to give everyone a fair chance, there''s a long break at the moment, to allow Mantis to be at full strength before he takes part in the final singles match.


    "So just get some rest, and don''t cause any more trouble, so Safa can recover as well, okay."


    Liam could see Simyon clenching his hand, and took that as his answer.


    Mantis had been leaning up against the wall, and once in a while, a deep breath could be hearding out from him. Lince was keeping an eye on not just him but Raze as well.


    He feared that now there might be a rift between the two of them. Especially since Raze was already nning to stop the fight due to him finding the whole situation unjust.


    He also realized that Raze was the type of person to do as he wished. Which was what had caused the disagreement between him and Sha Mo in the first ce as well.


    ''They said Simyon was okay, and for now, all I can do is take their word for it,'' Raze thought. ''The main thing I need to continue with is to win this tournament¡­ and not just that but make sure there is a way to get rid of those three that will cause problems.


    ''I will get my hands on those items first. Before doing anything else,'' Raze thought.


    Eventually though, Mantis had decided to stop leaning against the wall and headed towards the door.


    "Is there anything I can help you with?" Slip asked.


    "I feel trapped in this room. It will be a long time until thest fight takes part right. You''re waiting on a physician to see if I''m better or not? If you want me to get better, then let me just leave this room. I''ll be back in an hour when the physician arrives," Mantis stated.


    The leaders seemed to not be bothered about what Mantis did. They weren''t the n head of his n after all, and it wasn''t how the Demonic Faction operated in the first ce.


    Besides, they had done what needed to be done in the tournament, now they were just going to enjoy the state of the match.


    With that, Mantis had left the room, and Raze had decided to head to the back of the room and closed his eyes, as he began to cultivate. To grow stronger with every moment he had, knowing very well what coulde next.


    Now Anna and Alba were left standing next to each other and they both turned their heads at the same time to check on Raze. Noticing this, they both turned them back quickly as well.


    "You seem to be a person good with numbers," Alba said. "You know what Raze''s n is in all of this, what percentage do you think you have it working out."


    Anna didn''t reply instantly. There was a long gap before she said anything, making Alba think that maybe she was being ignored on purpose.


    "It''s extremely hard to say because there are a lot of variables in all of this. We don''t know what the ns are of those that are moving in the crowd," Anna replied. "The thing is, Raze is extremely smart toe up with the n that he has done.


    "He ns to remove as many variables as he can, in order to make it so the current n has the highest chance it does of being achieved."


    "You might be right if you''re just talking about the n itself," Alba replied. "I''ve seen what he can do, I have no doubt he will be able to pull that off, but then it''s after. The hardest partse after the n is implemented. There''s still a lot that he, and us need to do and I''m not sure if he''s thought about the after-effects even if everything works out."


    Right now, Anna simply didn''t have enough information to figure out everything, all she knew was she needed Raze, and the student named Liam alive. She needed to get answers for herself.


    Mantis was walking through the halls, and for once, he had desisted to put on his Pagna clothing properly and even pulled up part of his shirt to cover his face.


    While he was walking out through the walls and such, he didn''t want to be noticed by the crowd.


    ''I don''t know what happened to me back there, I was in control, but at the same time, it felt like I wasn''t in control, and why was my back hurting so much,'' Mantis thought as he went and grabbed his throbbing head.


    He was remembering what had happened at the n base, everyone getting beat including his own n head, and how weak he felt when going up against them, but after that his memories they seemed to go to a nk.


    ''Did they do something to me back then¡­ what was it, and why would they do such a thing?'' Mantis thought.


    While touching his throbbing head, Mantis felt a strong presence go past him, and a whisper that was directed straight toward him.


    "If you had gone any further, then I would have killed you, you''re lucky you''re still alive, so go out there and do what you need to do."


    Mantis had heard those words and turned to look at who it was, but could only see a hooded figure walk past him.


    ''Who was that¡­ and who the heck would be threatening me in a ce like this,'' Mantis thought, as he decided to shake it off. No matter what, he would be the winner of this event.

 Chapter 664 The Strength Of The Dark Faction

    <h4>Chapter 664 The Strength Of The Dark Faction </h4>


    After hearing the mysterious voice speak to him, Mantis didn''t know why, but his heart thudded once again. The great pain that he felt during his match with Simyon had returned and this time he wasn''t even in a fight.


    Quickly, he had no choice but to lean up against the wall with his shoulder.


    ''The pain, why is it back? Is it because of that person''s threat?''


    The pain once again shot through his back. Trying to bear the pain within, he lifted his hand and started to cover his face. As his hand slid down his face, one of his eyes had narrowed and was glowing slightly yellow.


    It was something that Mantis himself was unaware of. Regardless, he pushed through and started to take a step forward.


    With each step away from where the hooded man went, Mantis was starting to feel slightly better and continued forward.


    ''If I''m like this, or don''t find out the reason my body is doing this, I might just lose this fight.''


    Shaking his head violently, the look of both of his eyes had returned to normal.


    ''As if that would happen.''


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Dark Faction viewing area, the atmosphere was a lot more rxed, at least between the n heads and the other adults in the room.


    Murkel, rather than standing, was now sitting in his seat, with the two n heads beside him. Gavin Rocksbored, leader of the Moon Shield n.


    Then there was also Crine Runn, leader of the Flowing Force n. These were the main powers that had been brought by the Dark Faction.


    On top of that, there were quite a few more. For one, there was a female named Susan, who had a blue wave tattoo that could be seen flowing to the tip of her neck.


    Originally, Gunther had been asked due to his rtion with one of the contestants, Mada, and to Crine himself, but he had declined.


    Gunther had never really been interested in the Academy''s affairs so Murkel thought this was fine. Instead, Susan, who had also fought for the seat of the Flowing Force n at one point, was selected.


    She had great strength to challenge for the seat, and after losing out, she had promised to stay in the shadows so not many knew about her powers, and it was why the Light n was fine with hering along.


    Ricktor, who had been staying at the back, was keeping an eye on everyone.


    "What are you doing?" Mada asked. "You keep looking at all the adults."


    "I''m just eyeing up those that we might have to break free from," Ricktor replied.


    Mada desperately looked around, scared that they had been caught. They were already treading on thin ice. He wondered if Ricktor had a death wish.


    "Haven''t you realized it already, the other three already have. Once this tournament is over, we''ll be lucky if we can even make it back to the main Academy alive."


    Mada gulped in response. Was it really the case? He shook his head. He hadn''t forgotten what they had done in the assessment; that certainly would be the case.


    "I''m looking out for the ones we need to worry about, you were the one that told me about Susan. On top of her, we also have to be careful of Bargo; he is the Vice head of the Moon Shield n and is incredibly skillful in his defense even though he uses a sword.


    "I also recently heard that he had helped fend off an attack from the Demonic Faction with little help from the remnants of the Lethal Bite n; he is certainly someone to look out for."


    After that, though, there was more as well. There was one person that worried Ricktor nearly as much as Murkel himself.


    "Don''t turn around, but there is an old man at the back of this room."


    The moment Ricktor said that, Mada went to turn around before he felt something hard stomp on his foot.


    "The old man is the oldest member of the Erupting Fist n, my n along with my father''s. He is the one that trains the elite units in our n.


    "The people in the masks that day. He is one that no one has ever seen, and it''s stated that those that have seen his face never live to see another day. Arkon the melter."


    "Then how do you know what he looks like?" Mada asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Only the direct descendants and bloodline of my n have met him. If he goes out on tasks sent by Murkel, he is usually wearing his mask, and the fact that he isn''t worries me.


    "He could very well be the person that will end up eliminating us."


    What was frightening was now that Mada was looking around the room, he noticed that those weren''t even the ones he had to worry about.


    There were certain rules as to who each faction could bring. They weren''t allowed to bring their very strongest in case they had nned anything.


    Such as the assassination of the other n heads. Yet the Dark Faction had clearly brought in either those that weren''t well known or the strongest after them.


    Out of the four more Adult n members that had been brought, from the Tulip n, another of the five major ns in the Dark Faction, the powerful twin female warriors, Lin and Lulu were selected.


    They stood there in their tight-f


    itting dress that had a split running down the leg, both of them with a fan that covered their mouths open at all times.


    It was impossible to tell the two apart. Unlike the other members, these two were well-known in the Tulip n.


    Along with Sherry, the head of the n, the three of them were said to dominate the n that was filled with powerful men that had subdued their women in their n.


    There was once a rule in the Tulip n that the woman were to be servants and maids only. They were forbidden to learn martial arts.


    Secretly, the three of them had done whatever they could to learn martial arts. Selling their bodies to other n members.


    Deceiving others, promising to do them favors and help others rise. In the end, all of this had just caused the three of them to rise, and in turn, the three females had taken over the Tulip n.


    Ever since, the Tulip n had been dominated by the strongest female warriors in the Dark faction. Many females looked up to the n and aspired to join them as well, growing their strength and numbers.


    It was hard to say if these two were any weaker than the n leader herself.


    Then there were the final two adults in the room, Wendart, although not part of the five major ns, he was a respected teacher at the Academy itself.


    He had managed to reach being the top red headband teacher, and then progressed further into the higher ranks of the Academy.


    He was the n head of the Zan Su n. Many students requested to join the Zan Su n, at least those that were unable to join the Major ns; they all thought it was the next best ce.


    Some even with offers from the Major ns decided to join Zan Su, due to his simple exnation when talking.


    Finally, there was one more person.


    "Thest person¡­ thest person¡­ who is that, do you know him?"


    When looking at the man, he didn''t stand out much. His skin was quite pale, almost a gray color. He had no hair, he was bald with a strict straight face.


    He wore simple clothing and hadn''t said a word during all of the events and hadn''t even reacted. It was to the point where Mada didn''t even know he was in the room until he started to look at every single person that was inside.


    "No, I do not, and that is why that person worries me as well," Ricktor said. "Do you really think Murkel would bring someone that was of no significance.


    "Not a n head, not someone from the academy, not anyone that people have heard of. It''s quite possible that Murkel has several trump cards in all of this, and the real question is why."


    With all the people to worry about, even if Raze had some type of n, how was he meant to deal with all of them in the middle of all of this?


    "He is a man of miracles," Ricktor said to himself. "Now it''s time to see him produce another one."


    The Dark Faction had nothing to worry about because they hadn''t made it to the final event yet; each of the students was nervous as they watched the Demonic Faction area open up, along with the Light Faction.


    "Walking out to the arena for the final time this evening, we have our fellow contestants, give it up for Jake! Mantis and Hannah.


    "And may the strongest Pagna warrior win!"

 Chapter 665 The Final Match

    <h4>Chapter 665 The Final Match </h4>


    The final match had been announced, and walking onto the stage were the three participants. On the ground floor itself, three circles had been drawn, spread an equal distance away from each other.


    Each person got into one of the circles, and then they waited as they stared at the opponents in front of them.


    "Who do you think''s going to win?"


    "I mean, it has to be someone from the Demonic Faction, right? They have two participants; they might team up and go against the one person from the Light Faction."


    "The Demonic ns aren''t like that, though. You saw how bad their teamwork was. Their principles are based on just who is the strongest. Working together to take out Hannah, it wouldn''t prove any of that. If it was the Dark Faction, then maybe."


    "Still, even if that is the case, I just think out of all of them, that the Demon has the edge; he managed to take out all of his opponents so quickly."


    "Don''t rule out the others yet; you never know. Maybe the Demon was just lucky with the level of openents he has gotten so far. He could just be lucky with this whole thing."


    "I guess we''ll just have to find out."


    There was a minute left as the audience continued to make their bets. The highest odds went to the Demon winning, in second Mantis, and finally, Hannah was cedst.


    Even though Hannah was from the Light Faction and they were part of the Light Faction. The fact that the Demon Jake had beaten the strongest Light Faction student, most gave her no chance.


    Concentrating, Hannah could hear the chatter from behind.


    ''I will ignore it all, I will do my best to perform and do the same as Beatrix taking down everyone with the hard work and the skills of the Dawnde n.'' Hannah told herself as she took a deep breath.


    The three of them were staring at each other; would they all enter and sh in the middle? Would one student aim to go after the other? There was a number ofrge possibilities.


    "Let The fight, begin!"


    The circles surrounding the three of the students'' feet disappeared, signaling it was the start of the fight.


    In this type of situation, the best thing Hannah thought for her to do was just observe, so she drew her sword and waited for one of the two toe at her.


    That''s when she felt like the least likely oue had urred.


    "Why is he doing that?"


    Mantis had moved the fastest from his position, going in on the attack, but rather than going toward Hannah, instead, he had gone right for the student Jake.


    "If I want to prove that I''m the strongest, then it means I have to go against the strongest!"


    When Mantis was close, his feet shifted from his position, and there was a slight afterimage. He had quickly appeared right in front of Raze, striking from his side.


    Raze had blocked the hit, pushing back with his Qi, and sparks were flying through the air. Both of them were pushing against each other.


    ''I should have expected something like this to happen.'' Raze thought. ''The Demonic Faction only care about being the strongest, and he would be the same!''


    At that point, Raze decided to pour more of his Qi into his sword, pushing back both of the ws. However, soon after, Mantis was also pushing back and had moved both of Raze''s hands back.


    ''What is this, the amount of Qi he''s using hasn''t increased. This almost feels like it''s his own physical power, but how is it possible.''


    Raze surged his Qi, condensing it to one spot, and swung his sword, breaking the wed hands, and pushing them to the side.


    Almost immediately, Mantis was swinging his arms trying to attack Raze. Each attack was carefully blocked, from his side, from above, and each time Raze took a step back.


    All of the blows were powerful, with shockwaves of wind hitting out and exploding through the air. The crowd could hear the heavy hits being produced.


    They sounded stronger than the hits that had been used when fighting against Simyon.


    ''I''m right, these hits, I can feel that they don''t have the Qi. He''s not at the middle stage like Ricktor was, yet, he''s able to produce such strong hits.''


    For now, Raze was blocking each of them; he was trying to look for an opening, but it was hard to do with the constant attacks.


    Raze had stomped his foot on the ground, producing the first step of the descending steps. Therge amount of Qi would shift forward and disrupt an opponent''s movement.


    Yet, it didn''t work on Mantis, as he was in the air, swinging another strike right on Raze''s head. Thankfully, Raze was able to deflect most of the attack and moved to the side to get behind him.


    "Your quite the annoying one to deal with." Raze thought.


    Watching everything was Hannah. One of her strengths was observing her opponents and thening up with a n to counter such measures.


    Going against two people, she knew this was going to be harder for her, and she would have to keep an eye out for two people instead of one.


    With the oue that had urred, though, she was getting ample opportunity to look at both of them. However, this had caused somements that hade from the crowd.


    "Hey, maybe Hannah can win this way."


    "Your right, if she just stays back and let''s those two fight, surely they''ll hurt and injure each other, then she can swoop in and win the fight."


    "She''s lucky this happened, honestly, it''s the only way that she could have won."


    Hearing these things, she knew that it appeared that way, and what they said, it certainly was true. The best thing to do was just to stay back and thene up with the perfect chance to strike.


    ''Winning like that, though, I would be ashamed of myself!'' Hannah readied her sword and charged forward, running across the field.


    She could see Raze continuously blocking the attacks of Mantis. Then whening in close, she covered her de in the glowing energy.


    Pushing off from her leg, she struck from above, swinging her sword down, and it had shed at the top. Raze''s sword, Hannah''s sword, and both of Mantis''s hands had shed together.


    Right at that moment, she realized how much power was being used in the strikes, and she had to grit her teeth.


    ''These two have been going at it for a while now, and they''ve been using this much strength, how is that possible!''


    Mantis was the one who then poured more power into his strike, pushing both of the weapons away. When he went to attack Raze again, he felt a kick in his chest sending him back, and skidding across the floor.


    "Thanks for the opening," Raze said, looking at Hannah, who had also continued to swing her sword against him, but when their two swords shed, she felt her entire sword fling back nearly out of her hand.


    "You''re skilled, perhaps the most skilled person here, but unfortunately for you, I have to win this match!" Raze ced his sword toward the side and looked at both Mantis and Hannah.


    "I''ll get rid of both of you in this hit!" The entire of his sword started to encase in his ck Qi.

 Chapter 666 I Lost

    <h4>Chapter 666 I Lost</h4>


    By now, the crowd knew what wasing when they saw The Demon ce two hands onto the sword. They had seen the strike enough, and unlike before, this was from the real person.


    The entire sword was encased in darkness. Widening his stance, Raze threw out the sword, but rather in a Vertical strike, he had done so horizontally.


    "Horizontal Eclipse strike, the second formation!" Raze called out.


    Arge strike of Dark Qi had ripped through the arena along with the swing of the sword, cutting the air. The attack went out from the sword and was heading straight for the two of them.


    A single strike aimed at getting rid of both of the opponents in one go.


    Hannah could see the strikeing right at her. Her sword was still glowing with Qi, but she was unsure if this was something that she could even block.


    Lifting the sword, she started the sequence for her Moon Block technique, as she swung the sword in a spiral and focused.


    In the middle of performing her technique, she saw from the side Mantis jumping straight into the attack. He hadnded in front of her, with both of his ws and swung at the strike.


    The entire attack pushed him back and looked to have consumed his body to the point where he couldn''t be seen, and then the attack had reached her and her de as well.


    The full moon block technique was shing against the attack until it encased all of her body and pushed her right back as well.


    The attack faded as it continued forward. The middle stage warriors that were on the ground had jumped up to the edge of the wall before they knew it, not wanting to get hit by the attack themselves.


    When looking at the ground, both Mantis and Hannah could be seen. There were no severe wounds on their bodies, but the fact that they were lying on the ground made it clear that they had been hit and were hurt from therge wave attack.


    It was then that Hannah opened her eyes, her body sore, and she started to get up off the ground.


    "Is that it? Is that the end of the fight? Did the demon get rid of them with his one strike?"


    "That attack, every time I see it, it gives me the chills. It''s seriously powerful. Is he not some n head or something that''s fighting the students instead?"


    "Even if Hannah and Mantis get up from this, I think the fight is already decided. I mean look at the Demon; he hasn''t even broken a sweat."


    While the crowd was already sure of the demon''s victory, in the Organizer''s viewing area, one of the leaders had a deep scorn on his face as he witnessed what had urred.


    "Did you not give her the item?" Kawak asked.


    "I had passed it onto Beatrix," Ricar replied. "She shouldn''t have been that hurt from the attack, and it looked like nothing had activated. It appears that Beatrix has some exining to do.


    "I shall go inform someone to go get her."


    "Without the item, I would say it appears the winner has been decided as well," Cicle reluctantly said.


    ----


    The first of the two to get up was Hannah. She could feel her entire body was sore as if she had been hit by an eternal Qi strike.


    However, she remembered, in thest moments of the attack, Mantis had jumped in front of her first. He had taken the brunt of the attack, leaving the residue of the attack to hit her.


    It might be only for that reason that she had survived. Still, she needed to look in front of her at the one that was still standing.


    "If I take him out, then I can win this. I still haven''t done everything I can do yet," Hannah said to herself. "After such arge-scale attack like that, it will be a while before he can make another one, which means, this is my chance!"


    Hannah bore the pain in her body, all the aches that were against her moving, and started to charge forward.


    "Get out of my way!" A voice was heard from her right, and she could see Mantis in the air jumping toward her.


    "Half-moon block!" she lifted her sword and just barely was able to hit the strike away. When Mantis fell to the ground, he paused for a moment.


    ''I thought he was done for taking the hit head-on, and then he suddenly leapt at me like that?'' Hannah was steadying her breathing, trying not to get too startled.


    ''Wait, but why isn''t he moving now? Is it because he''s hurt? He took the brunt of the attack, so if that''s the case, he should be in a worse position than me.''


    The moment Hannah saw that, she saw Mantis look up, and immediately he lunged at her.


    He swung one of his hands, and Hannah was able to just block in time, but therge impacts that were going against Raze just moments ago now had hit her.


    She felt nearly her whole body flying through the air, her feet lifted off the ground. Before she had even hit the floor, Mantis had hit her from the other side as well.


    What was amazing was the fact that Hannah, even when flung into the air, was still able to swing her sword to block the strike.


    ''These are how heavy his hits are, this whole time, this is what that guy was blocking. Who is he? Who is this Demon that came out of nowhere, and who is this person in front of me, with such fierce eyes!''


    A straight attack hade right at her; she managed to lift her sword in front and strike down toward the ws, but Mantis''s attacks were far stronger.


    Flung away, and skidding across the floor until she had almost hit the wall, just stopping a few centimeters from doing so.


    ''I''m outmatched in this, both of these in this fight, both of them are far stronger than me. I''m not even deserving of this position.''


    While thinking of these words, she could see Mantis still charging toward her, and as for the Demon, he was stood to the side.


    Raze was fine with letting the two fight it out, and then him deal with thest one. It made things easier for him that way, and he needed to conserve his energy anyway.


    Hannah continued to look at Mantising her way, with his wild eyes.


    ''What am I doing? Why am I thinking this way? I promised, I said that I would be the top of the top, so I can''t think this way!''


    Moving her hand over her sword, it started to shine brightly. Carefully she spread her legs further apart and waited for Mantis.


    When he was close enough, she leapt forward and swung her sword down. She felt it sh against Mantis''s hands, and it was heavy, but she didn''t stop there.


    Moving from her position, she swung her de again using more and more of the Dawnde techniques, one after the other.


    Now, Mantis was the one that was being hit from all sides, and all he could do was lift his hands to protect himself.


    And then, a breakthrough had urred, a sweep of the sword had knocked the hands away, and not holding back, with the tip of her sword, she pushed it aiming right for Mantis''s chest.


    The sword had pierced through, but stopped just an


    inch inward, as the Middle-stage warriors had interfered, holding the sword before it went in any further.


    "Hu¡­hu¡­" Hannah was huffing and panting for using one technique after the other, but seeing her sword piercing her opponent and the fact that the middle stage warriors were now involved it meant one thing.


    That Mantis had been disqualified, he had been taken out of the fight.


    Up in the stands, the hooded man and Amir were still standing next to each other.


    "What now, it appears your n has failed," the hooded man said.


    "You think, there are more than one way for one to awaken," Amir replied. "I believe, this is one of the catalysts that is needed."


    "Ladies and gentlemen, Mantis has been taken out and is no longer able to receive the title of the strongest!" The announcer shouted.


    At the same time, Mantis with his head down, his hands lifted and grabbed onto the de.


    "I¡­lost."

 Chapter 667 Unleash From Inside

    Chapter 667 Unleash From Inside


    ??With what had happened during thest match, some believed the Light Faction was ying favorites with the contestant Mantis. During his match with Simyon, many thought that the Light Faction warriors on the ground should have intervened sooner, giving the win to Simyon.


    Yet they had let the battle continue on. In the end, it was hard to say they had made the wrong decision considering that Mantis had clearly won the fight. After hearing that the Light Faction would allow fights to continue on further than they would have, to see who the real strongest student was, some thought that they wouldn''t get involved so soon.


    Yet they were wrong; their intervention in the match meant that now, since they held onto the sword belonging to Hannah, Mantis was out of the match. Some thought that maybe it was now their favoritism toward the Light Faction.


    Coming in this early, maybe this was how they were going to make it so the Light Faction would be the overall winner in this event. After all, they had already lost the team event to the Dark Faction.


    Others knew that would only be rumors; the sword had already pierced right through Mantis''s muscles, and it had been stopped just short of reaching his heart thanks to them.


    The words of the result rang through Mantis''s mind again and again.


    "I¡­lost?" Mantis mumbled, slowly lifting his hand and grabbing onto the de.


    "That''s impossible; I am going to be the winner of this event."


    Gripping onto the sword with his bare hand, it shattered in front of everyone.


    Mantis lifted his head up, and both of the Middle-stage warriors could now see his fiery eyes. They were narrowed and had changed to a yellow hue. They felt like they were staring into the eyes of the beast.


    "Stand dow-!"


    A sh went right in front of Hannah''s eyes. She didn''t get to hear thest of the Middle-stage warrior''s sentence. When turning her head, she could see that the middle-stage warrior''s head was missing.


    "Get out of here!" The other middle-stage warrior shouted as he went and pushed back Hannah with his other hand, fiercely pushing her with Qi as if hitting her.


    Hannah was lifted up her feet and through the air. Landing on the ground, she had bounced a few times and rolled until she had ended up just shy of where Raze was standing.


    When she looked in the direction she was in just moments ago, she could see the middle-stage warrior who had helped her, with a fist that had pierced right through his stomach, and a bloody hand along with it.


    A middle-stage warrior''s body, even if not specially trained like Simyon''s, was still far stronger than that of a regr human or an initial stage warrior. The stages were separated for a reason.


    With added Qi, one could fortify their bodies several times, and Mantis had now killed two of them just like that.


    Mantis pulled his hand out, and the middle-stage warrior fell to the floor. The two that were there to protect the students were no longer alive.


    There were still several middle-stage warriors on the edge of the stage to protect the crowd, but they were at a loss for what to do. This had never happened before in the history of the martial arts tournament.


    "What is going on?" Hannah asked.


    "A surge in strength, but not a surge in Qi, so then what is this?"


    Hannah could hear Razementing on the situation; he still sounded calm despite what had just urred, but she also made note of what he said. If this wasn''t Qi, then what was it?


    "ARGHHH!"


    An almighty scream escaped from Mantis'' mouth; it sounded like thunder had exploded in the center of the arena and reverberated out to those in the crowd. Many had to cover their ears due to the loud, screeching scream.


    Hannah had to do the same since she was even closer, but momentster, and she could no longer hear the screams. Looking into the crowd, she could see that the student ''Jake'' waspletely fine.


    He wasn''t being affected by the screech, and that''s when she noticed she could hear no sound at all.


    ''Is this because of him.''


    As soon as Mantis had closed his mouth, the sound had returned to her ears instantly. She felt like she had escaped from whatever sound barrier she was in.


    She didn''t have time to worry about why this was happening though because there were much bigger problems right in front of them.


    Mantis was curled up into a ball, surrounded by the two dead on the ground; he fell to the floor on his knees, and with both of his hands, he was hugging himself as if trying to reach his back.


    Mantis could feel his skin bulging from underneath; his sense of smell was growing as he could tell where the dead were without using his eyes, where the others were on the ground itself, and those in the crowd.


    Then, arge tearing sound was heard, along with snaps and pops. Breaking out from the right of his back shoulder, piercing through his skin, another part was growing from his body.


    All of those in the arena could see it; it looked like arge bat wing, with several holes in the ps of its wing had grown from Mantis.


    "I can''t believe it," Kawak said from the organizer''s viewing area.


    The three of them had stood up from their seats and had moved closer to the ss to try and see directly what was happening. They then saw from the other side, erupting through Mantis''s shoulder was the same; another wing of the same size had grown out.


    Finally, Mantis stood up from the ground; his yellow eyes were glowing, and hisrge wings pped, blowing part of the dust in front of them a couple of times.


    In the Dark Faction viewing area, the students had moved closer to the ss as well.


    "That''s, is that what I think it is?" Liam asked, even though his system had already confirmed his thoughts.


    "Yeah, I think this might be what Amir warned us about. About how things weren''t going to be normal during this event, but I doubt Raze had any clue that this was going to happen," Safa replied. She had somewhat managed to recover from using all of her energy from earlier.


    And she was far too worried about her brother to just sit down and watch what was going to happen.


    "What have the Demonic Faction done!" Cicle asked. "They have brought, of all things, that to the tournament. Was this their n all along, to use this to get rid of us?"


    "That may very well be the case. I never thought in this tournament, we would see a Hybrid here. Whatever the case or reason, we must eliminate it immediately, and we must eliminate those in the Demonic Faction for doing such a thing!"


    Amir in the middle of the crowd, had a big smile on his face.


    "The Bonum Society will do whatever it needs to protect this world."

 Chapter 668 The Demonic Faction Escape!

    Chapter 668 The Demonic Faction Escape!


    ??Although no one would believe it if they were told, but the most shocked about Mantis''s transformation and the fact that he was a Hybrid would have been none other than those in the Demonic Faction themselves.


    They were stunned as they saw the giant wingse out from his back, and even before that when the middle stage warriors were killed.


    Sha Mo had moved to the front of the ss and was standing by Lince''s side. When they saw the situation, for a brief moment, they felt slight dread.


    "You''re the smart one of the Faction," Sha Mo said. "The fact that this has happened with us being here isn''t good for us, is it?"


    "You''re right," Lince replied. "They will no doubt think that we had something to do with this. I wonder what has happened to the kid. We need to know if the ¡ª¡ª n has anything to do with this as well."


    Hybrids were crazy beasts, and it wasn''t the Demonic n''s way to find power in such ways. Although the Demonic n cared about power above all, many felt like it had to be one''s own power.


    Leaving some of the ns to not even rely on equipment or artifacts from other dimensions. Even going as far as not using Qi pills.


    After saying those words, Lince turned around. He could see the worry on the rest of the Demonic Faction''s face, including the other students. Doing such a thing in the middle of Light Faction territory.


    Even with who they were, it would be suicidal to do such a thing. Rather than caring about the tournament itself or the consequences of what was to ur after this, they needed to worry about getting to the Demonic Faction in any way possible.


    ''If we can get back, then we will be fine.''


    Lince moved over and quickly appeared right by Slip''s side. The Light Faction warrior who had been watching over them.


    "You work for the Light Faction; they should have told you a protocol for what is to happen if anyone was to make any drastic moves like this. You need to tell us now, what is going to happen so we can be prepared!" Lince asked.


    Slip was nervous; he felt like he would faint at any moment. Why of all positions did he have to have been assigned to the Demonic Faction where the most trouble was urring?


    However, judging by the reactions of those in the room, Slip knew that they also had no clue about what was happening right now.


    "In the arena right now, all of the top ns of the Light Faction are present. They are stationed in certain areas to move quickly. Leaders of some of the top ns.


    "But I''m sure because of the situation, and because of the Behemoth n and the Lost n leader being here, that even the organizers themselves wille here. It was designed so if we caught on to a n from a faction that there was no way for your escape."


    Lince''s eyebrows furrowed, but it was as he had expected. Out of all the ns, the Light Faction would, of course, be the most prepared.


    "Everyone, ready yourselves for anything," Lince shouted.


    Right after finishing, arge explosion came from the wall and the doors. Rubble exploded out, causing dust to enter the room.


    Slip, along with Lince, had moved back away from the wall along with all the others and had backed up until their backs were against the ss. When the dust started to settle, they could see around thirty Light Faction warriors standing there.


    All of them middle-stage warriors, with mass amounts of Qi.


    ''All of them, it''s just like Slip said; they''re all n heads that are extremely skilled and powerful. They may not be the top three ns of the Light Faction, but they are still not someone we can just brush aside!'' Lince thought.


    Walking through the center, there were then two more withrge white masks on their faces. Two of the organizers, Kawak, the head of the Aura n, and Cicle, the head of the ¡ª- n, were there as well.


    "I didn''t think you would be so stupid to do such a thing while in our territory, and then you just had to go and do it," Kawak said.


    "Don''t you think you should gather some evidence before using us?" Lince said. "We had no idea as well, and besides, the matter in the ring hasn''t been dealt with."


    "Oh, but it will," Kawak answered.


    When the organizers had witnessed what had urred on the arena floor, they had to act quickly. Hybrids were extremely powerful, and the student in question was talented as well.


    Depending on the beast that had fused with the student, the power in front of them could be an extremely powerful middle-


    stage warrior. The fact that they were able to kill two of the Light Faction middle-stage warriors so quickly was proof of strength.


    However, they also needed to deal with the Demonic Faction before they got more involved. It was clear that the tournament was over; it wasn''t important if a winner was dered or not.


    After this event, things would change between the three factions.


    "You two head for the Demonic Faction," Ricar, head of the Dawnde n, stated. "Hannah belongs to the Dawnde n, and I will protect her."


    The other two had no problem with that and agreed. Before the crowd dispersed, it was important for them to get involved and deal with the situation. The ss viewing area opened, and Ricar jumped down, while the other two had headed off.


    Whennding, Ricar could hear the sound of the mechanical ss opening up behind him. The organizers'' viewing area was stationed right above the Light Faction''s.


    Turning around, he could see who hade out.


    "Beatrix, there is no need for you toe out," Ricar imed.


    "No need? Do you really think so? We have no idea of the strength of this Hybrid," Beatrix answered as the ss started to close behind her; she was the only one that hade out.


    "Are you saying that I am not strong enough to take this thing on? Besides, you have already caused trouble; it''s hard to trust you," Ricar said.


    "Trust me because of what I did¡­ I only followed the wishes of my disciple, who is her own person, and that''s why I''m here now because I''m going to protect my disciple no matter the cost."


    If one thing Ricar was sure of, it was the conviction that Beatrix had for her own disciple. So he didn''t say anything else. Both of them drawing out their des, walked through the arena, looking at the Hybrid beast in front of them.


    Nowing from one side was the two of them. From the other side, there was Raze and Hannah, and in the center was Mantis.


    As they stepped closer, they readied their des until jumping down from the crowd, a hooded mannded in between Mantis and the two of them.


    "I''m sorry, even though I don''t want to admit it, he''s with us," the hooded man imed.

 Chapter 669 The Dawnblade Clan acts (Part 1)

    Chapter 669 The Dawnde n acts (Part 1)


    ??The crowd had mixed feelings about what was going on. Some of them felt a bit unsettled by the hybrid and the chaos that was taking ce.


    All bets were off, and clearly the martial tournament had ended. There was a slight fear that something could happen to them if there were bigger ns than this.


    Maybe an entire invasion was set to ur from the Demonic faction if this was truly a nned attack. Others felt a little more at ease.


    The tournament wasn''t taking ce on any of the borders, and there was good reason as to why this had happened, for reasons like this one.


    Bubble, the infamous reporter who spread news far and wide to every continent''s corner, also had mixed feelings.


    ''What is happening here could change all of Pagna. I''m excited to witness it with my own eyes, but I fear that bigger things might ur,'' Bubble thought as he gauged a reaction from those in front.


    "Hey, is it really safe to be here? I know we have the middle stage warriors protecting us at the front, but that student just took out two of them like that," one of the crowd members who was closest to the edge said with concern.


    "We should be fine, right? Aren''t Pagna warriors not meant to get involved in regr citizens? Otherwise, it will start giant chaos. There are a lot of non-warrior people here, so we shouldn''t be attacked."


    "Do you think that a Hybrid will really care about that? Aren''t they part beast to begin with? They can just me it on that."


    The others agreed with the man''s thoughts. Even more so, they started to think of things they saw brushed under the rug daily.


    The times were Pagan warriors abused their powers and even when reported to the government officials and kingdoms, how they sat there and did nothing in response.


    "You''re right. If this has happened, why aren''t they clearing out the crowd and letting us go? If anything, they''ve blocked out the main exits in the arena, and it''s making me kind of nervous."


    "It''s because it would be embarrassing for the Light Faction," Bubble answered.


    Even though the group of men talking weren''t speaking to him, he couldn''t help but get involved after overhearing them.


    "Right now, the strongest members of the Light faction are in this ce. If they let everyone go, it would mean they were scared or worried. It would show a sign of weakness for the Light Faction.


    "They need to prove to everyone that from a simple attack like this, in their territory, that they can easily protect the ce... I''m sure right now, there might be other things going on, and I need to move as well."


    Turning around from his seat, his shy silk clothing sparkled in the others'' eyes. They had never seen such extravagant clothing before, and they knew this person was someone, even just by the way he spoke.


    Maybe they would have asked who this person was if it wasn''t such a dire matter because when turning their heads, they were wondering just what was going to happen on the arena floor and whether or not they were really safe.


    In the Dark Faction viewing area, Murkel along with the others in the room were having a field day at what was happening.


    "I never thought that the Demonic Faction would be so brazen to do such a thing!" Murkel smiled. "At this rate, it looks like we will have to do nothing; the Light Faction will eliminate all of the Demonic Faction that are here."


    "You are correct, and I doubt that the Light Faction wille out of this without any major injuries," Gavin stated. "The Demonic Faction might retaliate even further and go in for a full attack, giving us all the opportunity to do as we wish."


    "There is one thing that you have to consider: if the Demonic Faction has done this, they had to have a good reason. They also have to be confident in some type of n they have," Crine added. "For us, the best option is to just let things y out and take all the rewards together."


    There was a reason for the Dark Faction''s pleasure in all of this. In truth, Murkel was worried that the Dark Faction''s strength had weakened considerably.


    It was why he had tried so hard to improve the students'' strength, to still appear the strongest out of the three, or at least not the weakest.


    A spark in the Dark Faction had been lost, especially after losing the Lethal Bite n and the constant infighting within the Dark Faction that was urring.


    Until that was quelled, they were unable to make a move.


    Out on the arena, Ricar and Beatrix were walking side by side, ready to deal with the Hybrid Mantis before he got any ideas of attacking the students out on the field.


    Since it was someone from the Demonic Faction, Beatrix also had a fear that the one known as Demon was also in on this and would be ready to attack Hannah at any point in time, which was why she had toe out and help.


    As they were ready to attack Mantis head-on though, from the crowd jumping right past the middle stage warriors, was a hooded mannding in between them.


    The middle stage warriors were busy thinking of protecting the crowd, that they never even thought someone would jump right into the fire that was there in front of them.


    "As expected," Ricar said. "It seems that the demonic faction has more surprises than we thought. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be so confident in getting involved."


    "Hey," the hooded man shouted, turning his head slightly toward Mantis, who seemed to be struggling and fighting with his new body.


    "You want to learn how to control that thing and how to go back to normal?"


    "Grah!" Mantis had turned his head to look at the hooded man.


    "Then, take out that old man, and we''ll help you and your n."


    It was almost as if Mantis had lost his mind, unable tomunicate properly. Yet for some reason, after the hooded man had said those words, Mantis had leapt up from his position.


    He jumped up high in the air and pped his wings, which suddenly moved him two times faster, and was right in front of Ricar, striking with his wed hands.


    Ricar protected himself, lifting up his sword which was covered in his Light Qi, and he was being pushed back. His feet being dragged through the dirt.


    "Such strength, it''s no wonder you were able to take out those other Middle stage warriors so easily, but I am no ordinary middle stage warrior." The light around Ricar''s sword started to light up further and further until it encased the entire body of Ricar and was now touching Mantis.


    When it hit his skin, a sizzling sound was heard, and smoke started to appear from his fingers; quickly Mantis had jumped back.


    The topyer of his skin had burned off, but the moment he had exited out of the range of Ricar''s Qi, his fingers started to heal.


    "A special trait of the hybrids, it''s not going to be easy to beat him," the hooded man said as he had jumped in front of Beatrix before she could join in the fight and swung his fist.


    It had shed against her sword, but the great power had pushed her back.


    "Why are you getting in our way!" Beatrix shouted as she charged forward, not looking at her opponent instead looking at the Demon who was still standing by Hannah, wondering just what he was nning to do and his involvement in all of this.

 Chapter 670 The Dawnblade Clan acts (Part 2)

    Chapter 670 The Dawnde n acts (Part 2)


    ??After being hit by the middle stage warrior, Hannah was frozen on the ground, her upper body lifted up to look at the fighting that was going on, but she had yet to move.


    There was one simple reason because right next to her, she was practically underneath the Demon''s foot. Seeing the state of Mantis, she felt like her life was hanging by a thread.


    Yet, for some reason, when she turned to look up at Raze, he was just looking ahead at the fight that was taking ce, unmoving.


    ''Just what is he thinking right now? Why hasn''t he done anything? Why hasn''t he said anything? Just what is he nning?''


    Due to the fights that were taking ce, they had pretty much ignored the Raze and Hannah that were on the ground away from the fight.


    Mantis, in his new form, was charging in at speeds that were unseen in the event so far. He was already fast on his legs but with the p of his wings, it would push him forward breaking through and exploding.


    When the wings pped, it sounded like a small thunder strike in the arena, and before they knew it, he was shing against Ricar.


    Each time though, Ricar would block the attack, and not only that but unlike the first time when the attack was unexpected, he was hardly pushed back; therge amount of Qi was matching in blocking the hit.


    "It''s the wings that are giving you that immense speed, so I will clip them off for you!" Ricar shouted.


    Once again, the wings of Mantis pped and he shot forward, however, his ws didn''t sh into anything; instead, Ricar had timed it perfectly and in quick session, he swung his sword in the air at one of the wings.


    Several deep cuts were made in the wing itself, and as a retreat, they were pped pushing in the opposite direction.


    The strong power and wind had hit Ricar in the face, causing him to cover his eyes, and with a damaged wing, Mantis had oddly shifted slightly to the side rather than backward and had fallen on the floor.


    He quickly got up though, and straight away, the wing on his body could be seen healing and was back to normal.


    "This is why Hybrids are so difficult to deal with. It''s unfortunate; with so many people around, I can''t just take you out in a single hit," Ricar said to himself, as he decided to go forward in the attack.


    "I will just have to disy how the Dawnde n''s techniques can be used in any type of situation."


    While on one side of the area, Ricar was battling against Mantis, on the other side, Beatrix was now fighting against the mysterious hooded warrior.


    The two of them had several shes and the exchanges were impressive. Beatrix wasn''t holding back; she was swinging her sword with arge amount of Qi.


    Lingering Light was being seen in the air as she continued to swing the sword, striking at the hooded man.


    Equally, the hooded man was blocking the hits with his own arms, and then right after, he would strike himself.


    It was a constant exchange that was continuing back and forth between the two, without one winning out against the other.


    "What is going on? Is there really someone that is equal in strength to Beatrix!"


    "I mean, there are plenty in the Light Faction that are stronger than Beatrix, but she wasst year''s tournament winner; there won''t be many that could match up to her skill."


    It wasn''t just that, but currently Beatrix was rumored to have the same strength of the ten elders of the Dawnde n.


    With one of the Elders having been defeated, there were rumors that she would be joining the group. Ever since her loss in the Demonic Faction, she had been pushing herself further.


    Yet because of her young age, she hadn''t gained the Elder title. Now her powerful skills were being shown, and those that stepped foot in the Pagna warrior world could tell just how skillful she was right now.


    Which was why they were confused; how could someone match her, and for them to do so with their bare hands.


    "You idiotic Demonic n, do you really think you would seeding in the middle of this tournament!" Beatrix shouted as she swung her sword across.


    The lingering light was seen in the air, but the hooded man was able to avoid the attack by leaning back. He then shifted his foot, kicking hers, sending her back slightly.


    With his flexibility and abdomen strength, he lifted his body and delivered a punch right to her chest, sending her slightly back.


    However, shaking it off, Beatrix was back, as she jumped side to side, using impressive footwork, then her sword lit up and pulsated right in front of the hooded man''s eyes.


    The sh of light was bright like a person was staring directly into the sun.


    Right after, he could sense that she was by his side, and the hooded man had to quickly lift his arm to stop the attack.


    The sword shed against what sounded like metal and was pushed to the side.


    "I thought the Light faction didn''t have sneaky tricks like that!" The hooded man said.


    "When going against opponents that are sneakily trying to take out our students, then we use whatever we can to get rid of scum!"


    Beatrix''s attacks started again, and the swordsmanship that was being produced was like that of watching a beautiful dance.


    The light left lingering in the air from the visual Qi was creating beautiful patterns, and they could see from it, the hooded man appeared as if he was being pushed back.


    The strikes from Beatrix, they were picking up speed, the lingering light that flowed behind her, it was moving toward her sword. Not only were her attacks getting faster but they were getting more powerful as well.


    "I''ll get rid of you, and then get rid of all the Demonic Faction and the Dark Faction to make this world a better ce!" Beatrix shouted.


    Her entire sword lit up, glowing brightly, and then she thrust her sword forward. She could see that the hooded man had jumped back and she went forward to chase him down.


    It was then, with both of his fists, the man threw them out, but they weren''t aimed at the sword; instead, they were aimed at Beatrix.


    Out from his fists, Qi sts had appeared and hit Beatrix in the shoulder, sending her tumbling back and onto the ground.


    Quickly, Beatrix rolled on the floor and had gotten back up, but she was startled by what had urred.


    "What was that? What trick did you use!" Beatrix shouted.


    Oddly, she started to remember something simr happening once in the past. At the same time, she had this odd feeling throughout the fight.


    From therge attack, when the hooded man had jumped back to avoid the strike, his hood had fallen, revealing his face to all.


    "I thought I could beat you this time without relying on these things, but I guess I have to," the hooded man


    imed.


    In the Dark Faction viewing area, Simyon felt tears roll down his cheeks, and his mouth was left wide open along with the others.


    "I thought¡­he was dead."

 Chapter 671 Who is Behind all Of This?

    Chapter 671 Who is Behind all Of This?


    ??The hooded man, who was able to go toe to toe with Beatrix, his hood had finally fallen down revealing his face to all.


    To many that were present, he was a face that they all recognized because he was a somewhat big figure in the world of Pagna.


    Right now, they were looking at Dame Narfous. The son of Belil Narfous, the n head of the Never Fall n, one of the most powerful ns in the Demonic Faction.


    It was hard to say that this hade as a big surprise to the group, after all, they had all assumed that the ones that had nned this attack was none other than the Demonic faction in the first ce, so to see another member here wasn''t aplete surprise, but it was for others.


    Tears hade to Simyon''s eyes, while Safa and Liam were ecstatic to see the Dame still there. Thest time they had seen him, he had fought against Murkel to help them.


    He had fought and taken a direct blow falling off the cliff. They were sure that Dame had lost his life, in protecting them all.


    Simyon had been thinking about Dame constantly, who had been his mentor in helping him grow, wondering if he could have done anything that day to save him, and now seeing him alive was arge sense of relief.


    "So he did manage to survive after all¡­that''s great," Simyon said.


    "It''s good, but why did hee here, and why did he intervene with the fight to help Mantis?" Safa asked.


    They knew that Dame was originally part of the Demonic Faction, but when working with Raze he had recently decided to abandon his n.


    So why would he help someone like Mantis, something was going on, and it was something that they didn''t understand.


    Regardless, others like Murkel had their own thoughts.


    "That young man is still alive," Murkel said. "It seems he really was a spy for the Demonic Faction back then. I should have made sure to get rid of him. I will just have to allow the pleasure of letting the Light Faction take care of him instead."


    Now in the arena, Beatrix was getting a good look at Dame, who wasn''t wearing the special mask that changed his face. It had been destroyed in the fight with Murkle, showing how strong his attacks were.


    Thankfully, the special Gauntlets that he had made from Raze were still working as intended.


    "It''s you, you are getting involved again, why is it that you are always standing in my way!" Beatrix shouted, charging forward with her sword again.


    Now, Dame was jumping back and swinging his fist in the air. A Qi st would leave and crash into Beatrix, she needed to swing her sword to fight against the Qi since the attack wasn''t weak by any means.


    Right after, Dame was behind his own attack, and had punched right in her side. He then went to hit her head but the attack was blocked quickly, and another strike was swung down before Dame caught it with his gauntlets and fired off another Qi st with his fist hitting her in the stomach again.


    A bit of blood was seen trickling down the side of her mouth.


    "I beat youst time, and now I''m even stronger than I was before, you don''t have any chance," Dame suggested, thinking back to theirst fight.


    He could tell that Beatrix had improved quite a bit since thest time they had met, but it was the same for him as well.


    Beatrix came back rushing with a half swing over her head. It shed against Dame''s blocking the attack with both hands.


    When the sword had hit, an explosion of light dust appeared in the air.


    The crowd had never seen such beautiful visual Qi being produced before.


    "Gather!" Beatrix said.


    The dust of light energy had gathered in her sword, as she pulled it away she went to thrust the sword toward Dame''s center once more.


    He had pulled back and swung both of his fists once again, throwing out a Qi st. Before it hit Beatrix this time, there was almost a barrier of Qi that had caused the attack to go to the side.


    The powerful strike had then hit Dame right in the stomach, and sent him skidding back. His hand covered his wound and looking at the palm of his hand he could see quite arge amount of blood.


    "This is nothing to worry about," Dame said to himself.


    "Yes, go on Beatrix!" Hannah said, giving out a slight cheer as the strike hadnded.


    "Dame¡­he is also someone who has helped me greatly, if his life is at risk, then I at least owe him some help," Raze said to himself.


    This didn''t go unheard by Hannah, and now she was worried. When Mantis was getting hit, the student known as Jake didn''t join in, so why was he nning to help this person.


    Yet, Raze still didn''t move because he felt like there was more.


    ''This can''t be the extent of their n, all variables must be considered first before I need to move.''


    Not just that but elsewhere there was one more person that wasn''t finding it easy going against the Dawnde n.


    Ricar was fighting against the transformed Mantis who was exceptionally fast and had a high healing rate, but Ricar had gotten into somewhat of a groove.


    Each time he shed against Mantis with his sword, his Qi would pulsate. An orb-like structure would appear around the sword, damaging more than just the area it struck.


    Mantis would back away, but now Ricar was the one on the attack. He was tracking Mantis down, hitting him with his pulsating sword.


    It flung Mantis against the arena wall. Then when Mantis slightly jumped up in the air, it didn''t take long for Ricar to be over him and swung his sword hitting the entire of Mantis''s body sending him to the ground.


    A skilled warrior was ying with a beast, that was all it looked like. While Ricar was in the air, he started to spin his body and then held his sword up.


    It was clear he was gathering his Qi for a final strike to finish the injured Mantis on the ground.


    ''For one that heals incredibly fast, I just need to get rid of you in one strike!''


    Kicking the air as if there was a tform, Ricar rushed toward the ground with his sword. It was shining down like a shooting star ready to pierce through Mantis''s head.


    Arge amount of Qi exploded in the center as the sword dropped down, blowing the dust everywhere and causing the audience members to turn away.


    When the audience looked back, they


    could see that the sword had failed to pierce Mantis, instead, it had only pierced the ground. Cracking the foundation deeper underneath.


    Instead, Mantis''s body had been moved and now there was another person stood in their ce.


    "I thought I would have to get involved, it''s a shame things couldn''t be so easy."


    There was an older man with dark hair stood in the center, and there were those that recognized him.


    "You, aren''t you from the Amir the vice principal of the Dark Faction Academy, what are you doing, what is the meaning of this!" Ricar asked.

 Chapter 672 Start The Plan

    Chapter 672 Start The n


    ??While multiple things were going on in the Arena floor, things were taking ce where the audience was unable to see, specifically in the Demonic Faction viewing area.


    Both Alba and Anna were still present in the room; they had decided to back up and stand behind the other Demonic Faction members.


    "Isn''t this a bit cowardly?" Anna asked.


    "I don''t think in this situation, these people will really be looking out for us neers," Alba replied. "So I think it''s okay we stay back, and we should let them do the talking."


    More specifically, there was one individual that was trying to calm the situation down. Although everyone had their weapons drawn and their Qi was ready to be activated at any moment, standing in front of all of them with Sha Mo slightly behind him was Lince.


    He was thankful that although there were so many powerful Light Faction members here, they hadn''t just jumped at the opportunity as soon as they attacked.


    "You have to believe us; we are just as surprised as you are about this situation," Lince stated. "The student Mantis does not belong to any of the ns that are currently present."


    "That is convenient," Kawak replied. "And don''t you think that since you are joining thispetition as the Demonic Faction, that the consequences of one person''s actions reflect all that of the Demonic Faction."


    Lince could tell that he wasn''t going to win this with a war of words. Not against the Light Faction that were more quick-wittedpared to others.


    Maybe with other hotheaded people like that of the Dark and Demonic, so he had to try something else.


    "Regardless, do you think you want to fight against us in this case? It will be hard to take us out, you should know that, and the consequences of what will happen after.


    "Starting a battle over one student, it will also mean that the Dark Faction will have the upper hand in all of this."


    Lince could see that the two Light Faction Heads were thinking about it. It was perhaps the reason they hadn''t attacked in the first ce. They would rather bring them in if possible and deal with them in a better manner.


    But that would only work if the Demonic Faction really wasn''t nning anything.


    "Come on, think about it, we are not in a good situation here, even us from the Demonic Faction would be smarter than to attack, you know. We would have done it after the tournament ended when you had your guard down.


    "Or we would have tried to attack you secretly, rather than causing chaos out in the open."


    Kawak knew that Lince had a point, which was why he was hesitant in all of this; if this was the n of someone else, then maybe they wanted the Demonic n and Light Faction to fight each other.


    He didn''t want to y into their hands, but there was also another thought.


    "ns don''t always go to n; this might have been something unexpected for you, and now you just need to improvise. If you truly say what you say, then you must stay in the Light Faction until this matter is sorted," Kawak ordered.


    Lince looked to his right at Sha Mo. He could hear that his breathing was getting heavier and deeper. It wasn''t something Sha Mo would agree to; to be held captive, that wasn''t something someone at their levelplied to; they would rather die.


    It was at that moment that they could all hear something happening in the crowd. As they turned their heads to nce at what was happening, that''s when they could see the hooded man now being unmasked.


    "That''s Dame¡­what is he.." Slowly Lince turned his head around and had an uneasy smile. His ck cloth was covering his mouth, but his eyes, one could tell it was a nervous smile.


    "Would you believe me, If I told you, that we also have no idea why he is here, I mean we don''t even get on very well with the Neverfall n, they have always done their own thing in the first ce," Lince exined.


    Without a doubt, those in the Light Faction would know who Dame was. At least someone would, and now that there was another that had gotten involved, it was looking more and more like the Demonic Faction had nned this whole thing.


    "There might have been room for negotiation before," Kawak mentioned. "But now that we have seen this, we have no choice but to keep you here until the investigation is over, and if you decide to disagree, then we will just have to force you."


    At the back, both Anna and Alba were deciding what to do. They didn''t really want to fight, but more so, they were concerned about Raze.


    They were taking a look through the ss to see if there was any type of signal from him aiming toe his way.


    "With everything that''s happened, it''s pretty hard for him to stick to the n," Anna stated.


    "Yeah, and when a n doesn''t work, it''s time to improvise; we just have no idea how good his improvising skills are," Alba said.


    They needed to think fast regardless, but were pretty aligned with what they were going to do the moment the Light Faction had decided to act.


    That was until Amir himself had gotten involved. The crowd''s reaction to this had caused everyone to turn to look at what was happening, and know they were all deeply confused.


    "Now you have to believe me, right?" Lince said. "I mean, that guy isn''t even from the Demonic Faction; I told you we have nothing to do with this."


    Kawak started to blink; he tensed his hand around his sword.


    "No wonder you were so confident in attacking, who would have thought, that the Demonic Faction and the Dark Faction has formed an alliance. Kill them!" Kawak ordered.


    Lince wanted to p the top of his forehead. It certainly wasn''t the case, but there was no amount of convincing that could work.


    As soon as the two sides went to sh against each other, the sound of smashing ss was heard. Lince nced at where the noise hade from, and he could see, the Crimson Crane leader and their partner had broken the viewing ss, and now were running out into the arena field.


    Both of them were running towards Raze and nodded at him.


    "They aren''t even going to try to fight?" One of the Demonic Faction shouted. "I knew the Crimson crane should have never been epted into the Demonic n."


    "No¡­they did that¡­they were ready, but why?" Lince thought as he looked at their backs.


    Everything was moving along; there was great confusion among all sides, even those in Alter that were in the crowd were unsure how to act, but in the chaos, there was one person smiling, Raze.


    "It appears that I am in need of changing my ns," Raze said, as he finally took a step away from Hannah. He then knelt down on the ground and ced both of his hands on the floor.


    "All of the pieces have revealed themselves, and now it''s time to show my hand!" Magic started to swirl around Raze, and slowly from the tip of his hair, it started to change from ck to white, as arge amount of magic was starting to be used.

 Chapter 673 Protect The Dark Magus

    <h4>Chapter 673 Protect The Dark Magus </h4>


    Hannah had been keeping an eye on the student Jake for a while now. She thought he had been acting strange; his eyes were constantly moving around, looking at everything that was happening.


    Yet strangely, it felt like there wasn''t a hint of fear. In this situation, with a Hybris, with the Light Faction n elders, and something now going on with the Demonic Faction area, why wasn''t this person scared? What was he thinking in his mind? She was almost entranced by this person''s actions, orck of actions, and that''s why when he finally made a move, she made sure to see every detail.


    Moving away, almost to the center of the arena, Raze had knelt down with both hands touching the floor. His hair started to wiggle as if each strand was alive.


    But this was just an effect of the magic that was swirling around him. The area underneath his feet started to light up, and a sphere of magic was blowing out.


    These actions had caused all eyes to quickly focus on him. Those watching from the arena were entranced as well.


    "Is that visual Qi that''s being used right now¡­it looks so mystical, it''s a range of different colors."


    "I''ve never seen visual Qi like that, and why is it spreading out so far?"


    Then they started to notice, the tip of Raze''s hair was changing, the dark ck hair was soon fading back to white.


    At the same time, his appearance was bing slightly sharperpared to before. Then finally his whole head of hair had turned white, still floating about in the magic he had created.


    "My word!" Gavin said quickly moving forward until his face was almost touching the ss. "Isn''t that¡­isn''t that the White Dragon!"


    Murkel hadn''t exined the situation to the others, or what he had projected had urred in the assessments that day with the disappearance of Lisa from the Lethal Bite n.


    He had assumed Amir had mostly dealt with the situation, but now seeing Amir out on the arena field as well, along with Dame, he had an inkling of what was going on.


    On top of that, the other Dark Faction members hadn''t even bothered to learn the no-name''s name, but remembered the legend he had passed the short time he was there, the name of the White Dragon.


    The loud words that hade out were heard by the Light Faction warrior that was in the room.


    ''The White Dragon, but isn''t that the student that was known to be excelling at the Dark Academy, but that''s the student at the Demonic Academy, just what is going on at the moment.'' The Light Faction warrior didn''t even know what to report, either way, he thought this was big news and decided to leave the area immediately.


    The Dark Faction didn''t look like they would be doing anything anyway.


    "So he was alive as well," Murkel said. "How did that child manage to hide his appearance, is it some type of artifact? And just what is he nning on doing."


    Simyon, Safa, Liam, Ricktor, and Mada. All of them needed to be ready for what was taking ce, and even Bargo who was there had a deep frown on his face.


    ''I¡­what do I do if he asks me for help now of all things,'' Bargo thought with a gulp.


    Due to the situation that had urred at the Lethal Bite n, Bargo had decided to help Raze any way he could, but in this situation just what was he nning on doing.


    Out on the arena, Anna and Alba leapt to Raze''s side, sliding across the ground. Alba drew her two weapons, while Anna ced both of her fists in front of her ready to fight anyone who came close.


    The magic was continuing to swirl around Raze, even sparks were starting to appear right above him. The same sparks that would appear when a portal break urred.


    In the crowd, Marcus, the leader of one of the squads in Alter along with the rest of his squad, had their eyes peeled wide open.


    "Hey isn''t that Raze from Himmy''s squad, and that''s Anna as well!" Tanya said.


    "Were they sent on some mission here or something, that can''t be right?" Shing stated. "And how is he a student, and what is he doing breaking the rule of Alter right now."


    "If he''s breaking the rule, does that mean we need to act¡­I''m sure the others are thinking the same thing, but I''m not sure what to do," Marcus said.


    He could feel hismunicator vibrating at that moment, but he wondered whether or not he should bother even touching it in this situation.


    That was when he looked to Ban, the mage of his squad who had talked to Raze quite a bit during their journey. It was expected considering the two of them were mages.


    "That formation underneath him¡­I recognize it!" Ban said. "He''s using magic to draw out the magic circle underneath him and then creating connection lines, but what is his purpose it can''t be.."


    "The look on your face, I''m not liking it," Marcus said. "Just what is that mage nning on doing."


    "It''s a spell, arge-scale spell that nearly every mage studies about, but he''s managed to decipher and change it slightly¡­to make it his own," Ban answered.


    "Just tell me what the spell does!" Marcus shouted.


    At that point, he couldn''t take the vibrating anymore and pulled out hismunicator pressing the button on it.


    "This is a message from Alter, all of those in the arena, speak to the Light Faction and tell them, at whatever cost, they are to stop that man in the center!" The message yed.


    It was a message that Marcus didn''t understand, not for them to stop the student in the middle but those in the Light Faction.


    Ricar, at this point who had been focused on Amir and Mantis, had a bad feeling of what was happening.


    ''If those two are protecting him, it has to be for a reason.''


    Before even he had acted, the Light Faction warriors that were standing on the edge of the wall and were protecting the crowd until this moment, had jumped down and all went to the center toward Raze.


    Anna, and Alba were ready to act, to take down whoever they could.


    As one of the Light stage warriors was running though, a person had appeared right behind, and with their Dagger, they had slit one of the warrior''s throats.


    Alba went forward to sh with another warrior striking them a few times and it was the same for Anna.


    In the middle of their fights and shes though, they could see others appearing, and with their daggers, they attacked the back of the Light Faction warriors, stabbing them in their vitals or cutting their Achilles.


    It gave both Alba and Anna an opening allowing them to finish off their opponent just like that.


    Suddenly, now standing around Raze, was Cronker, along with three of the Dark Faction''s students, Tinson, Joe, and Violet.


    "We have your back Raze!" Tinson said. "You saved us in that cave that day, and now we finally are able to return the favor just a bit, even if you nearly killed me that day!"


    "Did you really have to mention that," Joe said.


    Cronker, one of the members of the Crimson Crane that had been with the Dark Faction group, and his specially trained assassins had revealed themselves to protect Raze.


    "Thank you," Raze said with a smile as his magic had connected. On the arena ground, certain parts were lighting up with the rest of the arena. "Because of you, the first part of the n isplete!"


    Raze said as all the magic swirling around went straight into the ground, and the spell was activated.

 Chapter 674 Raze’s Plan In Action

    <h4>Chapter 674 Raze''s n In Action</h4>


    Safa, and the rest of the Dark Faction students, were watching what Raze was doing with a careful eye. They were standing behind where the adults were watching through the ss.


    All of them were starting to wonder if this was the time for them. What Raze was doing right now, did it mean that today was the day, the day that they would need to act?


    They had to follow his lead, and knowing what had happened so far, they also knew that this was their only chance. Murkel was ready to get rid of every single one of them.


    When they could see the Light Faction warriors on the move, all of them had worry, that was until they could see Cronker arriving with the other students.


    They too had been training hard and quickly used their skills to seemingly appear out of the shadows from the crowd.


    It was the perfect moment for them. All of the warriors that were stood on the wall of the arena, jumping down they could jump down too without getting caught or hurt.


    It was the perfect chance for them to strike from behind when the others didn''t expect it.


    ''Yes!'' Safa thought in her head. ''Cronker is there to protect them as well. With all of them, Raze can do what he needs to do.''


    Yet, the big question was still on everyone''s mind, what was it that Raze was even trying to do, to aplish in this moment? Was his n so big that he was willing to use magic in front of all of these people?


    From the Demonic Faction area, they too were looking at what was going on, and they noticed that Cronker, as well as the other three that stood by his side, they were wearing the Dark Faction''s clothing.


    They were clearly part of the Dark Faction, so why were they protecting a Demonic Student?


    "This entire situation is starting to hurt my head," Lince said. "Now Even I have to think, did we team up with the Dark Faction, and did no one tell us?"


    The confusion was stopping the Light Faction from attacking, and it was starting to turn into a situation where it was better for an act now and ask questionster type of thing.


    However, that was when right where they were standing, the ground underneath them started to light up.


    All of them could feel a small tingling sensation in their feet. The area of where the Light Faction viewing area, the area underneath their feet was also starting to light up.


    Then finally, the area in the crowd, right underneath their feet, everything started to light up as well.


    Quickly shifting where he was, Raze had turned to face the Dark Faction viewing area, and at that moment he only had a few words to say.


    "Spellplete!"


    The entire area lit up in a bright light. Every person had their vision obscured and needed to close their eyes. They did just that as the bright light consumed them, it was only for a few seconds and then it disappeared.


    The bright light from the arena had disappeared, and the sound that was being heard had turned almost into a silence.


    Beatrix and Ricar, both of them had stopped fighting, and their heads lifted in the air, looking at the crowd, the stands.


    "What¡­have you done, you demon, what did you do!" Ricar shouted so loud his voice vibrated.


    Beatrix just weakly held her sword by her side when looking at everything.


    "Where did they go, everyone, they''re all gone!" Beatrix shouted out.


    Alba and Anna had a satisfied look on their faces and gave out a big sigh of relief.


    "It looks like the first part of his n worked right?" Alba said.


    The two females gave each other a deep smile as they looked at the state of the ce.


    After activating his spell, the entire crowd of people had disappeared. There wasn''t a single person left in the crowd itself, all of them had gone after the sh of bright light.


    However, it wasn''t just them either. In the Light Faction viewing area, all of those that were present had disappeared.


    Then there was also the Demonic Faction viewing area. Sha Mo, Lince, and the Light Faction heads that were present, all of them were gone as well.


    This had been part of Raze''s big n. A lot of preparations were needed to cast a spell sorge. In particr, arge amount of high-level crystals.


    If they couldn''t gather high-level crystals, then Raze would have to try his luck atbining them and making higher-tier powerstones.


    It seemed like a waste to use so many high-tier powerstones, but Alba as well as Cronker had been spreading them throughout the arena.


    Since Raze wasn''t a 9-star mage, or even an 8-star mage, he couldn''t use such arge-scale spell on his own, he needed an external source of power.


    He needed to get it into the arena without raising suspicion, and the others had done just that for him.


    Then, he needed to create the spell that was required to do what needed to be done. Using his magic, he would draw the circle on the spot as best he could.


    Things didn''t quite go to n, under all of the chaos that had been made, which had caused Raze to improvise in the middle of his match.


    If he could, he would have done this away from the eyes of the others, maybe just before the award ceremony or when the results were added.


    However, he decided that this was the best time for him to act because in doing all of this he had a very particr goal.


    "That was the same boy as before. It seems I may have underestimated his actions and his involvement in everything," Amir said to himself.


    "I told you, didn''t I?" Dame said. "He is a person that is going to change the world of Pagna. If you want toplete your goal, then it''s best you get him on your side."


    "Right," Amir nodded, "But what exactly was his goal in all of this?"


    "How did he do it...how," Beatrix said still at a loss, and it was the same for Hannah.


    "Everyone in this ce, they''ve all disappeared," Hannah said from the floor.


    She noticed that the only ones that were left were those that were in the Arena. Leaving only Ricar, Beatrix, and herself as those from the Light Faction.


    With them three, if they were to go up against everyone it would be a straight-up loss, even with Ricar, and it seemed like he knew that as well.


    "No," Raze said as he got up, he looked a little shaky.


    ''I used too much magic,'' Raze thought as he went to touch his chest. He could feel the spiral of magic that would surrounded his core, his heart, they were weaker. ''That spell took more out of me than I thought..but.''


    "Not everyone is gone," Raze said as he looked ahead at the Dark Faction viewing area, the only ce that had been unaffected by the spell that had been used.


    "This is the start of the n, to eliminate, and take over the Dark Faction!" Raze dered.

 Chapter 675 Where Are We?

    Chapter 675 Where Are We?


    ??The Light Faction was a vastnd, slightly bigger than the other two continents. It also boasted arger poptionpared to the others, along with a grand empire that looked after the majority of its citizens not involved in warrior matters.


    This was mainly due to the Light Faction continent having near-perfect conditions for growth. Thends always had a spring-like feeling all year round. With rotations of sunlight and plenty of water, green grass and flowers flourished.


    There were mountainous areas, but even they looked fascinating with their narrow bases leading up to the distant peaks.


    Thend only worsened when bordering the Demonic Faction, which was filled with snow, and the Dark Faction, which suffered from more natural disasters such as heavy storms and tornadoes.


    In the vast Light Faction continent, there was a peaceful vige that was self-sustaining. They built their own crops on their farms, with fields of flowers stretching for miles.


    When a lone farmer stopped to do his work for a moment, he looked out at therge field of flowers, which always brought a bright smile to his face.


    He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and as his arm moved, his eyeballs nearly jumped out of his head.


    "Wha, wha, what!" The farmer immediately ran to inform the vige elder.


    As he ran through the city in a panic, he continued to point at the flower field.


    "People, warriors, so many people, they dropped from the sky or something, there are so many people!" The farmer kept shouting in hysterics.


    Some thought he was crazy, but when they looked at the flower field themselves, they could see it. Tens of thousands of people had suddenly appeared in the flower field.


    Those in the flower field were pinching themselves, some were touching their own bodies, and others were asking questions to each other.


    "Hey, I''m not in a dream, right? I was at the martial arts tournament, we were there together. Why are we in a field of flowers? Are we dead?"


    It wasn''t unusual to have that thought; many thought they might have passed away from the attack, especially since thest thing they saw was the bright shining light.


    "We are alive, I know this vige, it''s Sunrun Vige, my cousin lives here," another said.


    "Wait, that''s miles away, it would take a few hours to walk to the martial arts tournament. How did we get sent here? That''s impossible for any Pagna warrior."


    That was when a few of them clicked their fingers.


    "It has to be the Demon."


    "The Demon."


    "Didn''t you see what he did? He was doing something, and the others were trying to stop him. It must be the Demon that sent us here, out of the tournament."


    "But why would the Demon do something like that, and is that even possible? Couldn''t only someone with the power of a god do that?"


    People from the vige started to gather at the flower field, deeply confused about what to do.


    Thankfully, the Light Faction warriors who were part of the organization team reassured everyone not to worry and to stay where they were while they did a head count on everyone.


    Several more Light Faction warriors had joined them from a distance away, and these were the ones who were in the Light Faction viewing area.


    They were trying to take control of the situation but were also looking elsewhere.


    "If we were brought here, then shouldn''t Kawak and Cicle be over there somewhere?"


    The thought of the Light Faction warrior was right. A little away from the flower fields, in part of a farnd that had been hoed but had yet to show any signs of growth, Kawak, Cicle, and the strong thirty or so Light Faction n heads were present.


    They were almost in the same position as all of them had their weapons pointed toward the Demonic Faction members.


    Lince had his hands held up to show he meant no harm, but he couldn''t help but look around like all of the others.


    "What just happened? Did they just send us deeper into the Light Faction?" Sha Mo asked. For once, even he was worried; they had to be extremely far out now from the Demonic Faction and the safety of their own people.


    "Not they, you saw it as well, right? The one that did this, it was that Demon, the one from the Crimson Crane group. They seemed to know what was going on; that''s why they rushed over to protect him," Lince exined.


    Kawak was carefully listening to Lince''s words and was trying to get a handle on the situation. Everything was moving just a little too crazy for him.


    "Cicle and the others, make sure none of these guys escape; I need to gather some information," Kawak dered, and the rest agreed.


    While walking around, Kawak did his best to get a handle on things. He learned from the vigers where they currently were.


    He thought there was no reason for them to be sent to this ce. If the Demon student was the one who had done this, then why would he send them further into the Light Faction rather than somewhere into the Demonic Faction?


    As Kawak continued to observe the situation, he heard big news, but none of it made sense to him. Finally, he decided to remove therge mask he had been wearing on his head.


    Underneath, a man with long parted gray-silver hair was seen covering both parts of his shoulders. He had a small amount of gray stubble on his face.


    He was a man who looked to be in about his fifties but still had a strong, powerful aura around him. This was Kawak, leader of the Aurora n, the strongest n in the Light Faction.


    ''I can gather what has happened, but none of this makes any sense to me. Why did they do that?'' Kawak thought.


    While Lince and the other Demonic members patiently stood surrounded, there were a few words exchanged by the two groups.


    It was hard for the Demonic Faction to keep their mouths shut with the enemy right in front of them. A short whileter, they were told to move to gather with the rest of the citizens that were in sight.


    Now they had met up with everyone, Lince had an idea in his mind.


    "Have you noticed it as well?" Lince asked his student Beret who was next to him.


    "Noticed what?" Beret asked.


    "That, of all the people here, those in the arena are currently not present, and not just that, but the Dark Faction is nowhere to be seen. If I were to take a guess, the Demon must have been working with some people, and their target the whole time was the Dark Faction.


    "We were just sent away so they could have fun by themselves."


    Beret thought that was impossible, even with the strength they saw from the Demon to take out the entire Dark Faction.


    As he thought about it more, it made sense though because it might be the only chance to get the Dark Faction when they were at their weakest.


    At that point in time, while Kawak was also having the same theory, he could feel something vibrating. He pulled out a whitemunicator from underneath his cloth, with the golden letter ''I''.

 Chapter 676 Raze Vs The Dark Faction

    <h4>Chapter 676 Raze Vs The Dark Faction</h4>


    Kawak had wandered off away from the rest of the group, while everyone else was waiting for his orders on what exactly to do with therge crowd of people.


    Most had taken carriages or paid joint fares to get to the tournament; some had even left their funds as they had bet on contestants. It was a worrying matter for the local people more than ever.


    Eventually, Kawak returned and first went to the Light Faction warriors who were looking after the crowd of people.


    "The people will have whatever is owed to them given back. We shall take them to the biggest nearby city, and from there, we will pay for their costs to head back home," Kawak announced.


    "Are you sure, sir? Are we not heading back to the arena?"


    "That is something that we can deal withter," Kawak replied. "The tournament is over; for now, what is important is getting everyone back to where they need to be. We will sort out everything.


    "After that, we will call a meeting in the grand hall with all of the n heads. We must hurry."


    After giving those orders, the Light Faction warriors were busy gathering information from the people.


    Meanwhile, Kawak went over and pulled Cicle to the side to have a separate conversation with him, giving brief eye contact with the people from the Demonic Faction.


    "We will let the Demonic Faction go back to theirnd. I want you to escort them with the n leaders to make sure they don''t do anything," Kawak ordered.


    "Are you sure that''s the best thing to do?" Cicle answered. "We have them in our territory. They have nowhere to even run; we could get rid of a big part of the Demonic Faction."


    "Right now, it might be best to use them. They seem genuinely shocked by this whole thing as well. In the meantime, we have to be prepared for what will happen, so fighting against them will not be a smart move."


    "And what about Ricar?" Cicle asked. "Are we not going back to help him? If he loses his life, I doubt the ten elders of the Dawnde n will be pleased."


    "Nine," Kawak corrected him. "And sometimes sacrifices are needed. If he is strong enough, then he will live."


    ---


    The arena stands were nowpletely empty, void of people since everyone had been transported, or at least nearly everyone.


    Right now, in the stands themselves, hiding behind one of the walls, was none other than the infamous news spreader, Bubble.


    He was sitting right up against one of the stand walls, hiding from sight. He slowly peeked his head above, allowing his eyes to get a look at the situation.


    ''I can''t believe it. I went out to try and get more information to see if something else was going on. With my snooping, they kicked me out of the arena!'' Bubble thought.


    ''When I heard the whole ce nearly fall silent, I rushed in to find next to no one, but there are still people here. Is this fate? Has fate brought me to witness all of this?''


    Now peaking, Bubble could see Raze with his white hair, the true form of the student that he also knew as the Dark Magus, the one who had gone against the Behemoth n, one of the strongest ns in the Demonic Faction, and now it appeared as if he had done something even crazier.


    ''Why am I always seeing things that I can''t report on? People will think I''ve gone mad¡­ although maybe not this time, since they all would have experienced it.''


    Looking down on the ground, Bubble could see Amir standing next to Mantis, who was lying on the ground. His wings were spread out on the floor, and he appeared to still be breathing but wasn''t moving, most likely too hurt from the fight with Ricar. Then there was Dame. Those three were clearly working together.


    When looking elsewhere, there was Hannah and Ricar standing next to each other. The fighting had practically stopped with the shock of everything going on.


    Then finally, there was Raze with the Crimson Crane, Alba, Anna, Cronker, and the three students. This was what made up the people currently on the arena floor. There was also Hannah, but she hadn''t moved very far.


    "So, that was your goal in all of this," Amir said to himself as he looked at the Light Faction members.


    "I believe this is your best chance to just go and leave this ce. I have had a change of n; in times like this, it might be best to improvise. You don''t want to go against us, do you?"


    Ricar was observing the situation. He could tell, with his small interaction with Amir, how strong he was. Being in the middle of this, was there any purpose for them?


    "Not until we get back Hannah!" Beatrix imed.


    "I don''t think you''re in the situation to be making demands," Dame answered.


    "It''s okay," Raze spoke. "There''s no need for her; you can go."


    Raze was quite aware that Hannah hadn''t been moving because of him, and not having the Light Faction attack them from behind and owe them a favor would be nice with the mess they were to get involved in.


    "I hope that with this, you will stay to your principles and not attack us or get involved in all of this," Raze said.


    Hannah moved and quickly ran over to Beatrix who embraced her with a hug. The three of them soon moved back and then jumped to the stands. They didn''t head away, though.


    No Ricar thought with everything that might happen today, it was too important to just run away; he needed to see what was going to take ce.


    That was when the ss door had finally opened up, and the entirety of the Dark Faction was seen walking out, with Murkel at the front, and the students at the very back.


    "I see that you have done this with some type of purpose in mind," Murkel said.


    Amir was looking at all of the people behind the Dark Faction. They were some of the strongest in the entire of the Dark Faction.


    Although this was easier than attacking them in the academy, it was only marginally better.


    "I suppose you have been working with this student for a long time, nning behind my back. I wonder why you have decided to betray the Dark Faction," Murkel asked.


    "You think I''m betraying the Dark Faction. You don''t understand, and you never would. What I am doing is trying to help the whole of Pagna, and I have decided that this person is very important," Amir answered. "You wouldn''t believe me if I said we weren''t working together, and himing here was a coincidence.


    "In fact, you weren''t even a target of mine. At least not yet. But if ites to helping him out, someone who I believe will be a key to our society, then I will help."


    Murkle then looked directly at Raze who had Anna, Cronker, and others standing by his side. His legs looked a little weak.


    "So I heard what you said boy, that you wish to get rid of the Dark Faction and take it over. That was your whole n. You are far too young to say anything like that... right now you can barely even stand, you have no idea what you''re up against."


    Murkel started to unleash his dark Qi, it shrouded behind him around his shoulders so dense, dark, and heavy.


    That was when Raze pulled out a Qi pill, and ced it in his mouth, biting down, cracking the pill, and swallowing it whole.


    "Far too young," Raze smiled. "I have no idea what I''m up against; I could say the exact same to you!"

 Chapter 677 The Journey to the City

    Chapter 677 The Journey to the City


    ??The Light Faction warriors who were part of the organization had managed to gather all the necessary details, and now it was time for them to march off to the closest city, rather than returning to the arena.


    Cicle, one of the organizers along with the thirty top n heads, had already headed off to escort the Demonic Faction. They didn''t want them to stay in the Light Faction for much longer as it was making them uneasy and consuming arge part of their resources.


    Carriages had already arrived for them, hurrying along across thend. Inside the carriage with all the other participating students was Kaylie, along with Lince, while the other adults had gone with the others.


    "You don''t think the Light Faction will try to do something, do you? Is that why you decided toe with us?" Beret asked.


    "I doubt it. It seems like they were genuine in sending us back. They don''t want a fight because they seem confused by all of this; perhaps they expect that we might handle the situation ourselves," Lince answered.


    "And the situation, is that to do with Mantis and Jake?" Brack asked as he stared out of the carriage window at the scenery, his wounds having improved from his match.


    However, he was slightly concerned. After all, Sha Mo had kicked him out of the Behemoth n, and the person who had epted him in was Jake; he was meant to be part of the Crimson Crane as part of his protection.


    "We''ll have to let things be," Lince said. "If you''re asking what will happen to them when theye back, then I wouldn''t worry too much. Jake is linked to the Crimson Crane, and the Crimson Crane is linked to the Neverfall n through the marriage with Rayna.


    "After they performed well against the Behemoth n, there aren''t many ns that will go against them for these two reasons. However, with Mantis as well and everything, I doubt even Belil will let them juste back with open arms without any questions being answered.


    "Sha Mo will spread the news and try to brand the Crimson Crane as traitors, until they manage to exin these things. In the end, we can''t help them, and they brought this upon themselves. If you''re worried, I''ll look after you until the timees."


    Brack thought about it for a while until he eventually shook his head.


    "No, once we''re back in the Demonic Faction, if you can just take me to the Crimson Crane base, that will be fine. Whatever happens after is fine."


    Lince smiled; he was surprised one person had made quite the impression, not just on the students but the adults as well. Lince couldn''t help but be extremely curious about this person.


    "I was wondering, did you see what happened before we teleported away? I know we were all busy with the Light Faction, but I saw it¡ªhis hair color changed to white," Kaylie mentioned.


    "I did see that... I''m aware of special masks that can be created to hide one''s appearance; our n is quite skilled at that ourselves," Lince answered. "But that change, it wasn''t a mask, nor did it seem like a special type of hair dye."


    "White hair is quite unusual for someone his age," Beretmented. "Unless it''s to do with one of the special arts he''s learned."


    "Remember, nothing is making sense at the moment; we have all just been transported across the Light Faction continent in an instant," Lince replied. "But, you''re right; there aren''t many students with white hair. It makes you think¡ªif he was part of the Dark Faction academy, someone as skilled and strong as him might be given the nickname White Dragon."


    Everyone in the carriage turned to look at Lince; they had paused, frozen in ce. Because of his words, they all could imagine it as the truth. No one from the Dark Faction could be considered the White Dragon or fit that description. However, the mysterious student ''Jake,'' who had appeared out of nowhere, could.


    Not only that, but it would make sense why he had gotten so upset.


    "I''m just making connections that are loosely connected!" Lince chuckled. "None of you have to take what I say seriously. Come on, I can''t even imagine the set of circumstances for all of that to happen in the first ce."


    ---


    Traveling with therge crowd of people from the tournament to the nearest city was Marcus and his special Alter squad. All of them were practically walking across the vastnd because there weren''t enough carriages to amodate everyone, at least not until they reached the city. The Light Faction warriors were positioned at the front and back of the group, pushing people along at their own pace.


    Of course, if people wished to go their own way instead of to the city, they could do so; they just needed to report to one of the Light Faction members first to make a record of it.


    "Did you receive any new orders?" Tanya asked.


    "Nope," Marcus replied. "Other than to just head back to our usual position. I saw some other people move, so I wouldn''t worry about it much. And to be honest, I wouldn''t worry too much; it''s not our problem to deal with."


    Although Marcus said those words, when looking at Ban, he could see he had a lot on his mind. So he walked over and gave him a big old p on the back. A slight cracking noise was heard.


    "OWW!" Ban shouted. "Why did you hit me so hard?"


    "You looked troubled, so for a moment, I wanted to snap you out of it," Marcus answered. "Besides, I didn''t realize they made you Algersians so weak. I know you don''t rely on physical strength, but it wouldn''t do you any harm to put some muscle on your body at some point. Anyway, what have you got on your mind? Is it that mage?"


    Ban couldn''t lie as he gave a nod.


    "I would be lying if I said I wasn''t curious. Alters pay close attention to otherworlders, but in particr, they pay close attention to you Alterians. I thought it might be because the leader is an Alterian himself, but it seems more to do with your magic causing trouble in this world.


    "It''s clear as day; back there, he used a lot of magic, and I doubt all of that was an order from Alter."


    "You''re right. The spell he used and how he was able to pull it off¡ªit was amazing. That wasn''t the talent of a 4-star mage, but clearly, the magic he used wasn''t beyond it. Someone able to do such things would be considered a genius," Ban said.


    He started to think back to the links and what he had seen Raze do before when he had tricked Marcus and the others. It wasn''t the first time Raze was able to pull off such things.


    "I think I might have underestimated him as a mage, and in a lot of ways." Ban didn''t say one more thing; he was deeply wondering; someone that skilled had to have had their name spread throughout Alterian, and someone so young would be known by everyone, yet he had never heard of him, so who was he?


    "Should I tell you what I''m worried about in all of this? That mage is part of Himmy''s group. Whatever happens, Himmy will now have to suffer the repercussions from what that mage had done. I liked the guy¡­but I''m quite sure that I might not be able to see him again."

 Chapter 678 Raze’s Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 678 Raze''s Confrontation</h4>


    Raze stood there as he took the Qi pill. As the pill broke down and his body started to absorb its contents, he could feel the rings that made up his magic core spinning around his heart with vibrancy.


    His power was returning, and he soon stood as strong as his usual self right in front of Murkel, despite the amount of Qi Murkel was letting out, Raze was unaffected.


    "You seem to have gone through a lot; you finally managed to reach the middle stage and you have a number of tricks up your sleeve," Murkel said. "But I think it''s far-fetched to say that I have underestimated you."


    Swirling around Raze''s arms in that moment was the same magic as before; it looked likerge currents of wind. He hadn''t even drawn out his sword yet.


    On top of that, the pill that he had consumed was the Cursed Qi pill; it restored all of his mana, but it would onlyst a minute, after which he would bepletely drained and back to the same state as before.


    The only ones present who knew what Raze was thinking were Anna and Alba, who moved in front of him.


    "It looks like we should go ahead and join the brigade," Amir said as he jumped from his position andnded in front of Raze, and it didn''t take much longer for Dame to do the same.


    The four of them had formed a type of wall right in front of Raze, which caused Murkel to let out a loudugh.


    "Hahah, look at this," Murkel said as he looked at Crine and Gavin, leaders of the Moon Shield and Flowing Force ns.


    "You say that I am underestimating you, and then you decide to hide behind this pile of trash. I have no idea what you see in that child Amir, but I will make sure you know you chose the wrong side."


    Murkel started to walk forward; with each step, a condensed form of his Dark Qi would leave a lingering footprint that wouldst a few seconds on the ground.


    Murkel moving forward, all of the others who were with him, the members of the Dark Faction, were unmoving and calm.


    "We are a bit outnumbered, and those people seem quite strong," Damemented. "With just us, are we going to be okay?"


    "Let''s just deal with the one in front of us first!" Amir said.


    He could see Murkeling close; he lifted his hand. Like a ck hole, his Dark Qi surrounded his fistpletely. It was swirling around the air and then condensing down to his fist.


    "Unlike you, I don''t need to hide behind anyone else!" Murkel then jumped forward with the fist aimed right at Raze.


    Up Anna''s arms, red energy could be seen activating as she moved forward. Alba drew both of her swords covered in a slight red glow and swung them down.


    At the same time, both Dame and Amir came forward with the full strength of their Qi; they all struck at Murkel.


    When they went to attack, they could all feel their movements, their attacks being drawn into the area of where Murkel''s fist was.


    Therge amount of Qi erupted in the air, causing physical cracks to be seen. Immediately, all of those on Raze''s side could also feel a heavy weight on their legs, a great force pushing them down.


    All of their attacks hadnded on Murkel''s fist, yet not a single one of them seemed to damage him or push it back.


    "Ah, impressive; you managed to stop my attack," Murkel said with a smile. "But look at you, it took every single one of you just to stop a single attack of mine. Now who was underestimating whom."


    The Qi from Murkel''s fist started to spread out. Visually, it was like a ck shadow that was reaching out, trying to grab them all.


    "Break away!" Amir shouted.


    That''s exactly what all of them did, pushing themselves back and forming a line back to where Raze was.


    "He is considered the person closest to the Divine Stage for a reason," Amir exined. "He has the strongest form of condensed Dark Qi. His attacks will suck you in, and linger around them long enough, and the weight will push you down like an extreme gravitational force.


    "A straight-up battle with raw power or Qi against him is useless."


    "Thanks for the exnation," Alba said. "So do you have any ideas of how to beat him?"


    Amir looked at the people behind Murkel, all incredibly strong members of the Dark Faction. He knew who hade along.


    "With them behind him¡­ none¡­ which is why I''m betting on him," Amir said.


    Up in the stands, Hannah, Beatrix, and Ricar were watching the confrontation going on between the two sides. Just seeing Murkel''s power gave them a shudder.


    He knew instantly, in that one exchange, that his power wasn''t strong enough to best this man, and while he was in the Dark Faction, it would be incredibly hard to ever best or beat them.


    "Should we help them? It looks like they''re going to struggle," Hannah imed. The student Jake had promised her safety, so in a way, she felt like they were on their side.


    "We aren''t on the Demonic Faction''s or the Dark Faction''s side. Besides, the Dark Faction hasn''t even threatened us in any way," Ricar stated. "There is no need for us to help either of them."


    Ricar''s original goal was to eliminate Mantis. He had been flung by the shockwave of Qi toward one of the edges of the arena; he was still lying on the floor in a type of resting state.


    It was tempting for Ricar to finish him off, but it all depended on the victors of this entire thing. Right now, based on just the single interaction, he didn''t think the Demonic Faction stood a chance of winning.


    Beatrix was having a hard look at Dame from the Demonic Faction, the white-haired boy with him as well. She remembered meeting both of them, but then was looking at Cronker, the students with him, and Amir as well who were helping out.


    "I have a feeling with all of this, that it might not be as simple as Demonic Faction against the Dark Faction though; something is going on."


    In the Dark Faction group itself, Safa had her hand on the statue Stoney, wondering when to use it or not.


    Ricktor noticed this.


    "Not yet, we don''t make a move yet, not until we know what''s going to happen. Look at Raze; he''s still confident; clearly, he has something nned."


    Raze started to swing his arms in an odd fashion, and in doing so, lines that were glowing were appearing underneath his feet.


    The lines were matching up; his Magic was being condensed into certain areas until it had formed a circle with several runes and symbols inside.


    He continued, and he was making something just like it, yet no one knew, and finally, he pulled out several Power Stones and threw them all around him.


    "You should use your head a bit more," Raze shouted to Murkel. "If I had the power to suddenly make everyone in this ce disappear, don''t you think I could do the opposite?"


    The Power Stones started to vibrate and lift in the air with sparksing from above.


    "I''ll say it again; you have no idea who you''re dealing with!"

 Chapter 679 Backup Has Arrived

    Chapter 679 Backup Has Arrived


    ??After Raze had spoken the same phrase again while directly looking at Murkel, the area underneath his feet lit up. Just like what had happened moments before, now a bright beacon of light appeared under his feet.


    The major difference was, rather than the light shining on the entire arena, it only illuminated where Raze currently stood--a beam of energy that covered himpletely.


    ''What is this, why is he so confident?'' Murkel thought. ''His words that he spoke, could it be... is he really going to?''


    When the beacon of light started to fade, Murkel got his answer. Now, where Raze once stood, arge number of peoplepletely surrounded him.


    "The Crimson Crane has arrived!" Kizer said as he drew hisrge sword. "We''ve been waiting for your call and wondering when this was going to happen!"


    Both the Dark Faction and Light Faction members still viewing from the audience couldn''t believe it. Raze was true to his word; just as he had made everyone disappear, he had made certain people appear.


    Now the entirety of the Crimson Crane was by Raze''s side, and it wasn''t just them.


    "Rayna!" Dame called out.


    Rayna nced ahead to see her younger brother, of all things.


    "You... you''re here. You have a lot of exining to do. I thought the least you could do was be at my wedding!" Rayna said.


    "Ah yeah, I heard about that," Dame said, scratching his head, but he had to pay attention to the situation that was evolving.


    This was Raze''s n from the beginning, what he had made Anna and Alba aware of before they hade to the tournament. He never expected it to turn out this way, but it had.


    Raze had studied the special Alterian spell ced in the cave, a way to open a teleportation area to a specific point in Pagna.


    It took him a while, but all he needed was some motivation and a reason to break it down.


    After figuring it out, he had set up a teleportation spot in the town of Flendon. It would be a one-time thing, but as long as all the members of the Crimson Crane stood in the magic circle.


    When the spell activated, he would transport them from one ce to another, just like he had done in making the rest disappear.


    Only, he didn''t really know where he had transported everyone else, but that didn''t matter.


    Amir was smiling as he saw the members that hade for backup.


    "So you did have a n after all, as expected," Amir stated.


    "A n? A n!" Murkel said with his arms spread wide open. "The Crimson Crane may be infamous due to their status as wanderers, but they are nothingpared to the people that I have gathered here."


    In the middle of his talk, Murkel turned his head as he noticed something from his side. Cronker had the dagger across his face and had moved at a fast speed.


    He hadunched towards Murkel, his dagger coated in Qi, ready to finish off the head.


    However, Murkel didn''t activate his Qi, nor did he make a fist; instead, he turned his head back to look at Raze and the others.


    Cronker went and shed his dagger aiming right for Murkel''s neck, when a small ck needle-looking object had appeared.


    Murkel looked at the person holding onto the needle and he could see what looked like a frail old man that was mostly bones, but a deathly smile was on his face.


    Cronker looked at his other hand and could see another needle-like object, as long as a sword but incredibly thin.


    With the Qi coating it, it was making the object harder. The old man then went to thrust the needle, but Cronker had skidded back just in time, deflecting it with his dagger.


    When he skidded across the floor and eventually stopped, a slight stinging pain could be felt on his cheek, a small amount of blood had been drawn.


    "This guy¡­ is incredibly fast," Cronker said, as his three students appeared by his side.


    "Damn it!" Ricktor clicked his tongue, who was off by the side. "That''s Arkon, the old man who leads the special forces in the Erupting Fist n."


    "The person who you said whoever sees his face has never lived to tell the tale," Mada added.


    "Correct, with all these members of the Dark Faction, I''m not sure the Crimson Crane arriving will be enough," Ricktor said with a concerned look.


    He still wasn''t sure if this was the right time or not. Ricktor still hadn''t seen enough that convinced him that Raze was the right person to back.


    Although the others might be done for, for Ricktor himself, even though he detested his father, a chance for revenge would alwayse as long as one is alive, and there was a chance that his father would spare him.


    Amir had the same thought and looked at Raze, wondering if this was enough after seeing Cronker get stopped.


    "I can tell you''re worried," Raze said. "You saw them when they helped against Lisa from the Lethal Bite n. They have helped me time and time again when I''ve been in a tough pinch.


    "It seems that I havee to rely on them a lot more than I would have liked."


    "And that is why I''m worried," Amir replied back. "It took nearly all of them just to take out one of the Dark Faction leaders."


    Raze smiled as he went to sit down. He had used a lot of magic again. The distance was important in the spell, and he had transported the Crimson Crane quite a far distance.


    What he needed to do now was try to gain as much magic and Qi through cultivating as quickly as possible. He couldn''t risk taking another pill after what had happenedst time.


    It would only work for a limited time, and fainting in a situation like this would practically be death.


    "They are a lot stronger than back then¡­ do you think I would be so calm to cultivate at a time like this if I didn''t trust them?" Raze said as he closed his eyes. "And besides, we''re not alone."


    Once again, annoyed by everything, Murkel lifted his fist in the air. His visual Qi created what looked like a ck hole around it, then condensed into his fist.


    He charged forward, aiming towards the entire group.


    "What now, are all of you going to get involved to block my hit this time?!" Murkel asked with a smug smile on his face.


    "No, there''s no need!" Tilion said, as he pulled out his Legendary ranked shield, with the proud marking of DM.


    He charged forward ahead of everyone else, and with his weight behind the shield, he blocked the punch head-on.


    The punch hitting the shield had shaken the stadium, but only for a moment. The ripples of Qi that would be seen in the air, they weren''t present.


    Murkel could see the shield and it looked just fine.


    "What, is that shield?" Murkel asked.


    "It''s an item made by the Dark Magus and can''t be destroyed by someone like you," Tilion answered.

 Chapter 680 Everyone Charge

    Chapter 680 Everyone Charge


    ??Murkel, a man who had been given the title closest to reaching the Divine Realm. It was a title that he was both proud of and one that ground on his teeth.


    He had almost seeded, almost reached the pinnacle of a Pagna warrior to finally ascend to the world above.


    Yet, the title seemed to tell him he wasn''t good enough. This led to a deeper belief in Murkel¡ªwhy wasn''t he good enough?


    Was it because of his surroundings? Were those around him not strong enough to push him, or was it something else?


    He thought he might find his answer in taking over the continent of Pagna. If he had been given this title, then he had to live up to it.


    By taking control of Pagna, he might find his answer as to why he wasn''t able to ascend above.


    However, in battle right now, believing he was the strongest, his punch filled with Qi was stopped by a simple shield.


    Murkel expected his fist to go right through the shield. One could power equipment with their Qi, but he truly believed there was no one with stronger Qi than him.


    Just like before, it took four great middle-stage warriors to block his attack. So how was one able to stop his attack, and a person whose name hadn''t even spread through thend, only his group?


    "What is that shield?" Murkel asked.


    "It''s an item made by the Dark Magus, and it can''t be destroyed by someone like you," Tilion answered.


    "The Dark Magus," Murkel repeated.


    The name was one Murkel had heard before. It was a name that had passed mostly through the Demonic Continent.


    An alchemist who could produce special Qi pills. Recently, Murkel was even aware of some of the product reaching the Dark Faction.


    All of his sources confirmed it was the real thing, and the person was indeed a talented alchemist. But now the man in front of him imed that the reason his attack was stopped was because of a shield created by this individual.


    ''I wasn''t aware that the Dark Magus also made physical items. Word hasn''t quite reached my ears about that. But if it is the case, why does this person have such an item?'' Murkel thought.


    He pulled back his fist and jumped back, trying to get a better gauge of the entire situation. It seemed that the Crimson Crane was being cautious as well, not quite attacking from the get-go.


    ''Right, there was that rumor that the Dark Magus was part of the Crimson Crane, but it didn''t make sense. Why would an alchemist that could be epted anywhere join a wanderer group of all things?'' Murkel thought.


    Something had been grinding on him the entire time about the whole situation that was ying out.


    He somewhat understood why Raze might wish to go against him, but not why he wanted the Dark Faction for himself.


    Then, the deeper question was, why was the Crimson Crane helping him out? Why was everyone willingly defending him? On top of that, why did a student of all people also know the Noctis n skills?


    ''He was at the academy; he wouldn''t have time¡­ and his strange powers, there''s something about that person, and there''s a good chance that the White Dragon is also the Dark Magus.''


    As Murkel looked deeper at Raze, who was sitting down cultivating, he sensed arge amount of Qi from above.


    Lifting his hand, he blocked a devastating kick, which caused the ground beneath his feet to be destroyed.


    However, that wasn''t the end of the attack. Following up the kick, arge wed hand came crashing down as well.


    Murkel decided to avoid this one. The wed hand had grown in size and smashed into the floor, breaking the ground where Murkel had stood.


    "Oh, you avoided that one?" Amir said with a smile. "I thought you said you could take all of us on by yourself."


    Murkel looked Amir up and down with his eyes, seeing that both of his arms had changed. They were covered in a dark scaly-like substance.


    One of the arms was constantly moving, breaking down into tentacles and forming into different shapes, eventually turning into arge axe.


    "I didn''t know that I had a monster right by my side the entire time," Murkel said. "If I did, I would have never agreed to work with you."


    "Me, a monster? I think you need to look in a mirror!" Amir kicked off his feet. Now in his hybrid form, he was much fasterpared to before.


    His transformed axe hand swung out from the side, aiming to cut Murkel straight in half. But the moment he kicked off, everyone by Murkel''s side acted.


    Lin, Lulu, Arkon, Suzan, Wendart, Crine, and the bald mystery man all jumped to attack Amir. They were covering his view, and through it, he could see the smile on Murkel''s face.


    "You were on my side; you should know the strength of all these people. They are nothing tough at," Murkel stated.


    Once again, though, before they reached Amir, Tilion came forward with the legendary shield in his hand.


    Right as they got close, he lifted the shield and mmed it into the floor. The shield lit up, and as they got close, a mass amount of energy exploded from the shield in arge radius.


    It hit all of those diving forward and pushed them back until they had fallen and were on their backsides.


    It was unexpected. They hadn''t expected such sheer power toe out of the shield, and with them moving forward, they were defenseless, causing every single one of them to fall.


    Tilion lifted the shield out of the ground and back onto his shoulder.


    ''The stored punch from Murkel was in the shield, and each one of them just got a taste of it. I love this thing. Oh, Raze, I could kiss you right now,'' Tilion smiled to himself.


    The attackers were startled. They had no clue what had just urred with such an item, and seeing this had caused a chain reaction.


    "Now!" Ricktor shouted. "Now is our time to act!"


    Seeing all of the opponents on the floor, the five students activated their Qi and each decided to pick one: Ricktor, Mada, Simyon, Liam, and even Safa, as they all got into position and charged forward.


    "Don''t let the students fight on their own!" Alba shouted. "All of the Crimson Crane, charge forward as well!"


    The situation hadpletely changed. Ricktor had seen enough. He had witnessed enough from the Crimson Crane and Raze to put his trust in them.


    It was a gamble, but it was a shot worth taking.


    ''Raze, don''t make me regret my decision,'' Ricktor thought.


    Those on the floor were able to quicklyprehend the situation. The Qi being active towards them was as clear as day, and there was no going back from this.


    Hannah, Ricar, and Beatrix, as well as Bubble above, were watching everything unfold. The fact that the Dark Faction students were now going against the Dark Faction themselves.


    "What are we watching right now?" Hannah asked.


    "I have no idea," Beatrix answered.

 Chapter 681 Confusion In The Light Faction

    Chapter 681 Confusion In The Light Faction


    ??There was arge amount of confusion among those from the Light Faction. They understood that a traitor or two among factions was expected when spies had to delve deep into other territories.


    They had to truly be part of the n and faction to fulfill their roles. Oftentimes, this would lead to some spies changing sides, but that hardly ever worked out. Most Pagna warriors, once knowing someone had turned on them once, felt like it could happen again at the snap of a finger, and they wouldn''tst long.


    What was strange here was not only were there the odd few higher-ups changing sides, but every single one of the students who had participated in the tournament looked to be turning on the Dark Faction leaders.


    "It seems the Dark Faction has been having troubles of their own and has been keeping it quite a secret," Ricar stated. "Can''t you tell, based on the reaction of the adults? It was almost as if they were expecting this."


    Ricar was spot on with his guess. Murkel knew from the first attempt at escape that the students were no longer loyal. The only reason they were doing his bidding was through fear.


    The issue was, the fear that ran through them wasn''t strong enough. The look in their eyes told him that at any chance they had, they would try to take it, and it seemed as if this chance hade along.


    Amir came forward again, a strike from the front. Murkel jumped back, avoiding the strange beast-like hand. Right as he jumped back, though, he felt a strong force disrupting his Qi from his side.


    Lifting up his arm, loud bangs and powerful sts of Qi were felt hitting him, one after the other. Taking a peek through his guard, he could see that it was Dame.


    "You should have confirmed it with your own eyes and checked if I was really dead. You''re going to regret it!" Dame imed, as he continued to move and swing his fists through the air, keeping a distance.


    It was the most important thing to do, especially considering what Amir had told him about his Qi.


    As he was continuously getting hit, Murkel was able to block it with his guard just moving it about. As he moved both of his arms to the side, he heard something scraping against the ground, and when he turned around, he could see arge red X of Qiing his way.


    Quickly Murkel moved one of his hands to the two des striking at him and grabbed onto the des, stopping them before they couldpletely swing.


    "I can see it in your eyes, not even your words, you show no respect, so I will show you respect today!" Alba shouted as she pushed forward with her Qi, but with a twist of his hand, the Dark Qi encased the entirety of Alba''s, almost making it disappear.


    Then with a slight push, she was forced off her feet and flew through the air until she crashed into the arena wall.


    "Do you think just the three of you are enough?" Murkel said. "You will need everyone."


    "It''s okay," Amir said. "I just don''t want you involved in their fight."


    Amir, Dame, and Alba, who had just gotten out of the wall, a little marked up but not fully hurt, were now going up against Murkel. Although they might have needed more power to take on the principal and practically leader of the Dark Faction, the others were needed elsewhere.


    ---


    For a while, Cronker had been observing the situation, keeping an eye on Murkel. In the corner of his eye, he was looking for the perfect situation to strike, but it just didn''t appear to be happening because every time he would move forward, Akron would be in his way.


    The frail old man Akron would have both of his hands behind his back, the ck needles piercing on the side. What was more frightening was the devastating smile that would appear.


    Right as Cronker moved forward, the old man would then swing the needle, cutting the edge of his face.


    Getting frustrated, Cronker tried to step in just one step too far. Akron noticed this.


    "A mistake, in the world of Pagna, one can''t make mistakes!" Akron said as he followed up.


    When he moved forward, though, a few daggers came from both sides. With quick, swift movements of both of his hands, he was able to deflect many of them onto the floor.


    Then a third little one appeared in front of him, Tilson, one of the Dark students. He didn''t have time to aim his strike because Tilson knew, despite all of the training they had gone through, there was too much of a difference between them and a middle-stage warrior.


    Even if the three of them were to team up, this was no ordinary middle-stage warrior. As Tilson used everything he knew and learned all the drills in his head, he dashed forward and swung his dagger.


    He could feel it connecting but noticed that it had only ripped part of the clothing and didn''t touch the skin. Even taken by surprise, and with all three of them, they weren''t able to put a scratch on him.


    "You three are extremely talented. I didn''t know there were such students in the academy," Akron said. "If I could, I would take you all in as part of the Erupting Fist n''s special forces. You would learn a lot more with me than the fool of a teacher in front of you who makes mistakes.


    "And now you will learn the mistake you made as well." Akron lifted one of the needles, and when covered with his Qi, it started to stretch out. It didn''t leave his hands, he hadn''t thrown it, but it extended at an incredibly fast speed as if it was thrown and was aiming right for Tilson.


    "Tilson!" Violet shouted.


    An arrow came through, hitting the tip of the needle and stopping it for a moment. The needle was stronger than the arrow, pushing through it, but it had given the three students of Cronker a chance to fall back to his side.


    Retracting the ck needle, Akron looked at who had just intervened.


    "Don''t you think you just made a mistake right now?" Forma imed, already pulling back another arrow. "You just revealed something to us that we didn''t know before, a trump card of sorts."


    Akron still had a confident smile on his face.


    "A mistake? The ones who make the most mistakes in this battle will be the losers in the end, and I make no mistakes."


    Forma hopped over to Cronker''s side to make sure he knew she was supporting him as well in all of this.


    "We don''t have special weapons created by the Dark Magus, but we are part of the Crimson Crane, and with us and your little gang there, we can at least take out this guy, right?" Forma imed.


    ---


    As all of this was happening, a trigger moment had urred, and that was the actions of Tilion mming his shield onto the floor. Doing so allowed him to unleash the stored-up Qi by Murkel, which had pushed all of the others onto the ground.


    Akron and Murkel were quick to get up, as if they weren''t affected at all, and continued their fight. In the meantime, the rest of the students, along with the Crimson Crane members, acted.


    They acted on the order of Alba and charged forward. The students did the same, thinking that this was going to be their only chance. They were no longer holding back. As they went forward, those on the ground didn''t just sit around, though.


    They quickly got up off the floor and set their eyes on a target to attack. Two people in particr, the twins from the Tulip n, Lin and Lulu, had jumped forward, holding their fans close to them and charging against one student.


    "That kid with the one eye is annoying me. Get him!" Lin shouted.


    "Wait a second, why me?" Liam replied as he knew he was their target and stopped charging forward. Instead, he looked at the two of them, trying to figure out a way to get out of this.


    Fighting maybe one of them, he coulde up with something, but two would be nearly impossible. Looking at them, they were running across from each other, from side to side, whileing at him.


    The system was analyzing and had finallye up with an answer.


    [Using the half-moon block will block one of the strikes]


    [It''s impossible to block both of the strikes]


    [There are currently no skills in the system that will allow you to avoid the situation]


    ''Hey, hey, hey, what are you talking about? Are you abandoning me right now at the most important part!''


    Whether the system was right or not, Liam didn''t know, but he trusted it as he just focused on one. It was the only thing he could do. His sword lit up, and he swung it in a half-crescent strike in the air.


    It shed against the fan and caused it to hit upward, and from his right side, he could hear a simr sound.


    He turned to look and noticed a linger of light in the air,ing off from a sword,ing from a woman of all things.


    "Was that the half-moon block as well?" Liam asked.


    Immediately, the person known as Anna turned to him.


    "You better tell me who gave you that system, and if you lie, I''ll kill you myself."


    Liam gulped. He thought that this woman was his ally. Wasn''t she by Raze''s side, and now she was threatening to kill him?


    ''But that move from before¡­and the system¡­how does she know?''

 Chapter 682 The Most Dangerous Man

    <h4>Chapter 682 The Most Dangerous Man </h4>


    When Alba had given the notice to the entirety of the Crimson Crane to charge forward, there was one person who was slightly frozen in ce, wondering what to do, and that was Tilion.


    In his hands, he held the legendary shield. It was such a powerful item that now he felt like his involvement couldpletely change the situation, depending on who he helped.


    ''Shouldn''t I help with the fight against Murkel?'' Tilion looked back.


    The two sides had practically separated in the giant arena, and it was clear that Murkel was the strongest of them all, but there were already three people going against him.


    More than likely, his help would be needed elsewhere. As he ran over, he went to help some of the children with the shield by his side until he heard heavy footstepsing from his right side.


    Immediately, there was someone right there, and it was on the side where he wasn''t carrying his shield. All Tilion could do was brace himself as he saw arge ck object bash into his shoulder.


    It was arge amount of Qi that pushed him through the ground. His feet were digging part of the flooring off, and eventually, he tripped, falling over, rolling a couple of times, and getting up off the floor.


    He quickly put the shield in front of him, ready to block another attack, but the attack didn''te. When Tilion took a peek at the side of his shield, he could see another warrior with a round shield covering the side of his right arm.


    "No matter what, I knew I had to go against you!" Gavin imed, as he punched his round shield a couple of times.


    "I am from the Moonshield n, a n that boasts the strongest defensive techniques in all forms and with all weapons.


    "Of course, in terms of defense, the shield only focuses on that, and it is the weapon that I specialized in and rose to the top.


    "Your shield is incredibly impressive, but I can tell that the person who is holding the shield is not. It would be more deserving in better hands," Gavin said as he continued to bash his shield.


    Each time, it would ring out, and ripples of his Qi could be seen through the air. Such powerful Qi would cause initial stage warriors to feel weak.


    However, Tilion was not an initial stage warrior.


    "I know who you are. You have made a name for yourself, just like I have as well. Having grown through away techniques, I earned my position in the Crimson Crane and helped them grow, and that was before I had this shield!" Tilion shouted back.


    He then started to charge forward with the shield in front of him, and when he got close, he used a special foot technique that pushed it forward with the V-shaped shield in front.


    Gavin moved his shield in a circr motion with lingering Qi, almost creating an image of a moon itself, and then pushed forward, hitting the shield at the same time.


    The power exploded out, and then equally, it looked to have exploded back in as the special effect of the shield activated, taking the energy in.


    "Don''t me your loss just because you don''t have a good item like me!" Tilion said behind his shield. He could feel part of its power rising in him, and he was ready to attack when he skimmed the shield to his side.


    "Bargo, now!" Gavin shouted.


    Hearing the words and the name called out, Tilion realized something--that there was one more person near him.


    He had thought that maybe Gavin had wanted a fair fight. To go head-to-head with him in shield techniques to see which was superior.


    Then he forgot what faction he was from. It was the Dark Faction, the group that did anything they could to win.


    He could see a man with a sword by his side charging forward. He hade at him with his de ready to pierce his bare side.


    Tilion had done quite well, predicting the movements of Gavin, so he moved his shield in that direction to block the attack, but it had left his side open.


    ''I''ll just take the hit and keep storing energy in the shield, and when it''s enough, I''ll slice off this guy''s head!'' Tilion thought.


    He prepared himself to take the sword going through his body. He could tell the attacker was a skilled, powerful warrior as well.


    Not as strong as the n head in front of him, but certainly strong enough to do a lot of damage.


    That was when something strange urred, for Tilion never felt any pain, and that was because the sword never pierced him.


    Instead, it looked like Bargo had almost stumbled, missing his attackpletely. When falling, it felt like Tilion was seeing everything in slow motion.


    Bargo, the man who was attacking, regained his footing after having missed his attack, and then the sword turned, going right through Gavin''s stomach, piercing his side.


    "Arghh!" Gavin shouted, and jumped back, blood soaking through his clothing. "What is the meaning of this? We''ve known each other for years, Bargo. Why would you betray me? Were you always working with the Demonic n? Just what is going on?"


    Tilion was too stunned to act. The enemy was fighting each other, and he had never even seen Bargo before. Why was all of this happening?


    "You work with Raze, right?" Bargo said, with his back facing toward him. "I owe that kid a lot, and I promised that when the time came, I would help him out for what he has done.


    "Sure, the Moonshield n has been good to me, but I rose to my position due to my own skills and power. Nothing was ever given to me by the n.


    "If anything, the n owes me for being so strong and being a part of their group," Bargo smiled. "Regardless, with this, the big debt I owe that kid will be gone, and if he''s fighting, I''m sure he will win. After seeing him that day, I believe in miracles as well."


    Although Bargo and Tilion had never spoken to each other before this moment, he understood him well, especially thest line about miracles. Because Tilion was holding onto a miracle that was made by the Dark Magus.


    An unexpected pair had teamed up to go against one of the n heads of the Dark Faction.


    "Both of you are useless! You will understand today why I was made n head of one of the top five ns, and not someone like you, Bargo, who never pushed themselves!" Gavin lifted up the round shield and his arm and punched into it, vibrating through the entire area.


    Therge amount of power was felt by all who were continuing their fights with their opponents.


    ---


    When Safa had charged into the Dark Faction members on the ground, Simyon made sure to stay close to her.


    He was still hurt from his severe wounds, but he was patched up quite well thanks to Safa. He needed to protect her.


    At the same time, Safa, although she had managed to regain quite a bit of her Mana and Qi, was still feeling weak from using all of her power.


    Which was why she had decided to go for the slowest person to react to therge shield strike from Tilion.


    ''The bald-headed wall of muscle. He''s justying there on the ground...he has to be the weakest of the group. If we get rid of him first, then we can lower the numbers of the rest of them.''


    Seeing the reaction speed of the bald-headed man, Safa felt like she had made the right choice. All of the others had gotten up, all apart from him.


    Just as Safa had reached him, he had just lifted his upper body off the ground. Seeing this, she shifted forward with her Qi in her legs.


    Her movement was all in one motion. She then allowed her Qi to travel from her legs right to the tip of the spear, and she thrusted it forward, towards the man''s chest.


    "Sess!" Safa said as she could see her spear hitting the chest, with no hand getting in the way, with no one getting in the way of her strike.


    However, the spear was only touching the outer skin of the man, and it hadn''t gone any further inside. She quickly pulled it away, and in doing so, she noticed that there wasn''t a mark on him.


    ''Am I¡­really that weak? Did I not recover as much as I thought I did?'' Safa thought. ''No, I know how much Qi I put into that strike. That should have at least done some damage, maybe not strike his heart, but get through his Qi.''


    That''s when she noticed the second strange thing about her strike. It didn''t feel like it had hit any type of Qi at all.


    The strike itself, there was no resistance all the way. The Qi looked to be having no effect on the man at all. It hit his skin and was doing nothing.


    While Murkel was fighting with the others, he nced back, noticing who Safa was fighting against.


    "Raze, I know you care for the other no-names, you are close to them, right!" Murkel shouted, avoiding strikes from the three.


    "Are you really just going to stay in your position while your sister fights that monster? The monster that is unaffected by Qi?" Murkel asked with a devious smile.


    In this whole thing, the bald-headed man was his second trump card for if things went wrong in the event.

 Chapter 683 The Special Man

    <h4>Chapter 683 The Special Man</h4>


    Murkel''s ambition was a great one, and he knew that the task of taking over the entire continent would not be easy.


    Although he was sure that he was the strongest warrior in all of Pagna, despite not testing the limits of those in the Light Faction and Demonic Faction, he still knew that he couldn''t go up against their entire forces on his own.


    For one, the Light Faction had the Ten Elders, while the Demonic Faction had the Neverfall n, with Belil and his two sons.


    Individually, Murkel could best them, but if he were to fight them at full force, he thought it would be the Dark Faction''s loss.


    In his mind, the Dark Faction was getting weaker, and he couldn''t rely on just the strength of the five major ns anymore. Especially after the fall of Feebie and the entire Lethal Bite n.


    This was just proof of his thoughts. In his research, he didn''t leave a stone unturned when it came to those in the Dark Continent.


    Every rumor of someone powerful or something that could be of use to the n he explored. Nearly all of them turned out to be useless.


    At times, Murkel would even discover hidden-away ns, but after dealing with them personally, he knew they weren''t worth his time.


    From time to time, he would leave the academy, and this was the reason for doing so. Part of the reason he had even joined the academy was for the knowledge of its library, and it was the one ce where multiple ns from far and wide would meet.


    The easiest way for him to gather information. Then, that was when he heard of one rumor. How a transport n was saved by these muscr men in an attack.


    They showed next to no skills, but their bodies were crafted as if they had been doing martial arts from a young age. The reports stated, the attackers'' skills seemed to have no effect.


    Murkel had gone to the area in search of this group of people and located up a mountain in a deep forest, right next to a waterfall that would send water downstream, was an entire town.


    The group of people were broken away from civilization, not part of any n or group. What Murkel expected to see was people working out nonstop.


    People training night and day, but there was none of that, and somehow the women and men had perfectly carved muscles.


    Their gic makeup had made them this way. They hadn''tmunicated with the outside, only leaving their bloodline within those of the vige.


    Through further research, Murkel discovered more. Their bodies didn''t just have perfectly carved muscles but they were naturally strong as well.


    Each one of them was born as strong as a middle-stage warrior. Murkel almost felt like he was looking at a race ofpletely different humans.


    Then the final thing was discovered about them. Their bodies were unable to cultivate Qi, but that was because all of the Qi that would touch them would enter their body and disperse.


    All strikes that hit their skin, their bodies wouldpletely absorb the Qi and break it down into nothing. They didn''t absorb the direct power; it didn''t make them stronger, but it didn''t work against them either.


    Murkel felt like he had found the perfect anti-Pagna warrior weapon out in the middle of nowhere on his continent.


    Convincing the strongest warrior of the vige in his ways, he had brought him by his side. Murkel had challenged one to a fight which they weren''t against.


    Even Murkel''s Qi, when being used, had done the same thing. Absorbed just like the special shield Raze had created, but rather than taking it in, breaking it down into nothing.


    However, Murkel could still use Qi on his own body to speed up his attacks, and being a high-ranking middle-stage warrior, his body was also special.


    Using his skills and techniques, Murkel had bested the strongest fighter, and they started to have a great interest in him, just like he did them.


    If things worked out, he would have an army of these people who were unaffected by Qi.


    ''A new race of people, being brought to the world of Pagna,'' Murkel thought as he smiled and continued to taunt Raze.


    Safa was starting to realize that this was true. She swung her spear, trying to cut across the man''s chest, but his chiseled muscles weren''t being cut by the spear, and the Qi in the attack was doing nothing as it mmed against his body.


    Simyon appeared by her side, while Safa was continuing to strike, and with a two-step shift and a heavy fist, he hit the man in the side.


    This warranted some type of reaction, as he bent his body slightly, but Simyon could tell that the strike which should have lifted him off his feet didn''t seem to work.


    "Are you like me¡­ you have a strong body," the bald-headed man said, and grabbed Simyon right by the head.


    Simyon tried to lift his hands and pull his arm away, but he was unable to.


    "What is with this grip strength¡­ is he really using no Qi¡­ it''s like I''m fighting against a monster or a hybrid," Simyon said as he was lifted off the ground.


    With his other hand free, the bald-headed man started to feel Simyon''s body all over, touching his chest, his legs, his arms, and shoulders.


    "You have a really good body," the bald-headed man stated.


    "Ohe on, what is with people like this always touching me!" Simyon shouted again and ced his hand on the bald-


    headed man gripping around his forearm.


    Raze was still sitting down, cultivating as much as he could. He was doing so at a fast rate, first he was using the Dark Arts cultivating technique to restore his mana.


    After that, he would switch to the Demonic cultivating technique to restore his Qi. All was going well for him, and he was listening to what was said.


    "Me, worried?" Raze said with a smirk, his eyes still closed. "You said Qi doesn''t work against them. I guess that really would be a problem. That is if they were normal Pagna warriors."


    Murkel could hear Raze''s ramblings but didn''t take them as much of anything. They were just students. Murkel had been keeping an eye on them.


    They weren''t the ones that were giving him trouble, it was mainly Amir and whatever ns he had.


    That was when sparks started to slightly appear right by Simyon''s glove, then eventually the whole arm lit up. The shock was sent through the bald-headed man''s body, and he immediately let go, dropping Simyon onto the ground.


    "What nature power you have, it hurts!" the bald-headed man stated.


    "I see, your body truly is against Qi¡­ but the power in these gloves I have, they have nothing to do with Qi," Simyon said. "And, I''m not the only one."


    The bald-headed man was so focused and so confident in his ability to not be hurt by these students, he hadn''t noticed Safa behind him.


    She swung her spear, with the tip of her spear lit up, in a white light. It looked simr to the Qi that the Light Faction used.


    The spear cut across the back of the man, and the skin was cut, blood sttering on the floor.


    "If your body is powerful against Qi, then I''ll just have to use something else," Safa imed.

 Chapter 684 The last Matchups

    <h4>Chapter 684 Thest Matchups </h4>


    The Crimson Crane had followed the order to charge, and the bulk of them ran in without a second thought. This included Reno, Kizer, and Lily.


    Both Reno and Kizer had obtained items made by the Dark Magus. Reno was able to progress his poison powers to another level, bing a stronger middle-stage warrior.


    At the same time, his poison Qi had grown far stronger. When fighting middle-stage warriors at the same level as him, even if not being hit directly, slowly they would be worn down.


    A drawn-out battle was not one anyone would want against Reno.


    Then, with Kizer''s weapon, the Crimson Crane member had the strongest attack; he carried therge orange-colored greatsword.


    A sword which grew in power depending on how many people were in the area. Unfortunately, this wasn''t an all-out war, or arge-scale battle like when they had gone against the Behemoth n, so its effects were diminished, but it was still incredibly strong in other ways. He just had to keep in mind the curse attached to the weapon.


    Then there was Lily, whose main weapon was a spear. She hadn''t had any gifts given by Raze, the Dark Magus, and was patiently waiting for her turn, like a few of the others.


    These three charged in and looked at the opponents on the ground. Many of them had quickly gotten into battles, but out of arge bulk of them, there were two that concerned Reno.


    "Can you feel it?" Reno asked. Staring into the group of Dark Pagna warriors.


    "Yeah!" Kizer replied as he continued to charge forward and looked straight ahead. "There are two really strong ones here, and if Tilon is dealing with that one, then we need to deal with this one!"


    Kizer jumped in the air, both of his hands on the handle, holding therge sword behind his back, and flung it forward, ready to smash it down on the woman in front of him.


    As the sword came down, though, the woman quickly moved to the side, and the sword, with all of its power, looked like it was ready to strike the floor. Part of it was breaking before the sword had even made contact.


    Before it even did, though, the woman had lifted her leg, and visual Qi of flowing water appeared. It went through the air and hit Kizer right on the side of his head, sending him flying to the side.


    Immediately, Lily came rushing forward, but the woman then kicked the ground, sweeping it. The visual Qi suddenly made Lily feel as if her feet were unstable. When she went to thrust her spear, it was off target.


    To her surprise, the woman had grabbed the spear and went to pull Lily forward, ready to throw a punch right at her head.


    That was until her fist was blocked by Reno. He had grabbed it, and his poisonous Qi was seeping onto the surface of her skin.


    She didn''t hesitate, as arge amount of Qi came out from her body. Both Lily and Reno felt spits of light rain on their faces, and they soon saw both of their bodies crashing into one another.


    As they banged heads, Lily quickly stomped her foot on the ground, unleashing her own Qi, and then stabbed her spear into the floor, breaking arge part of the flooring in front of them.


    It allowed for space between the three of them and the woman they had decided to take on.


    "That woman, she''s so strong," Lily said. "It looks like your instinct was right. If we want to help out those students, we need to make sure she doesn''t join the fight."


    "Who even is she?" Kizer said.


    "That doesn''t matter. It would be an embarrassment if we weren''t able to beat her, even with two items made by the Dark Magus," Reno said as he readied himself. "And although there were two obviously showing off their power¡­ I''m worried that there might be those among their group hiding theirs."


    The woman they were going against was called Suzan. She was a member of the Flowing Force n and was one of the strongest members of the n.


    She had fought with Crine for his position and ultimately lost. After her loss, she had secluded herself, trying to grow stronger.


    She had agreed after her loss that she would do whatever it was Crine asked of her. That was why she was at the event and why she was unknown among them all.


    A person who was strong enough to be a n head of one of the five major ns.


    ---


    Elsewhere in the arena, Rayna, who had also appeared to help Raze out, was now facing a middle-aged man called Wendart.


    "What is this, Rayna? You are only a little older than the children that I teach. You must have only reached the middle stage not too long ago, no?" Wendart asked as he pulled out his thin long sword and circled the area.


    "You shouldn''t talk to me on a first-name basis. I know that I am quite well known, but that gives you no right, especially when I have no clue what your name is," Rayna replied.


    When learning of the n that Raze hade up with, she, of course, asked to join, and with Raze knowing he would need all the help he could get to go up against the Dark Faction, he didn''t deny hering either.


    She knew that things would turn out this way as well, with her fighting on her own. She wasn''t a true member of the Crimson Crane, so she had to ept that they would be doing their own thing.


    "Me? I am Wendart, the head teacher at the Dark Pagna Academy," Wendart replied. "My skills are notcking, especially for someone like you. You should go home."


    Wendart charged in and thrusted his sword while Rayna pulled the spear from her back and swung it, hitting the sword to the side. Explosive Qi bonded between the two of them.


    "I''ll have you know that right now I''m married, and I''m fighting for my husband!" Rayna dered.


    ---


    With all of the Dark Faction warriors held up, there was only one left and not engaged inbat: Crine, the head of the Flowing Force n.


    All he could do as he looked at the person standing in front of him was shake his head.


    "I''m surprised you can even stand in front of me right now," Crine said. "After you almost lost your life before, do you really want to lose it again? Do you really think you can do this alone?"


    Crine started to walk toward Mada. With each step, ripples were seen on the ground. Mada took a fighting stance and a big gulp along with it.


    ''It''s finally happening, I''m finally going to fight against my father¡­ but there''s no way I can win¡­ there''s just no way.''


    With each step, the ripples in the ground were growing evenrger. Seeing this, thick beads of sweat were running down Mada''s face, and before he knew it, Crine was right there in front of him.


    "As easy as that, you are just a child after all." Crine reached out his hand, going toward Mada''s head. Until a sword swung in between the two.


    A powerful strike like erupting mes caused Crine to pull back for just a moment.


    "Nearly chopped off your arm there, that would have been fun," Ricktor imed.


    Mada was surprised to see Ricktor. He was sure that he would have gone off to fight his father, that was his wish after all, and this was his chance to do it.


    So why was Ricktor here?


    "It looks like both of us have severe father issues. It seems it''s not just limited to women," Ricktor smiled. "Let''s deal with your daddy issues first, and after that, we can deal with mine."


    "I''ve grown attached to having you around, so I wouldn''t want you to go missing," Ricktor imed.


    With that, all members of the Dark Faction were engaged in deep battle, against a mixed group of people. Some of the most powerful members were battling against each other.


    The Light Faction was witnessing all, and in their minds, they could only think one thing: Who was going to be the first to fall?

 Chapter 685 The Biggest Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 685 The Biggest Mistake</h4>


    Cronker specialized in assassination techniques, focusing on taking out an opponent quickly and silently. He had been with the Crimson Crane group the longest and was by Alba''s side before anyone else in the group.


    There were rumors that the Crimson Crane had managed to growrger because of him. The hardest jobs requested of wanderers were assassinations. This was because it would either involve them angering one of the other factions or the kingdoms and empires across thend.


    If a personpleted such a job, no one was to know who had actually done it. This was why it was simply rumors that Cronker was part of the mass growth of the Crimson Crane.


    But then begged the question: Nearly every faction and even ns had groups of people specializing in assassinations or spying techniques, so why did the Crimson Crane have such a person? Maybe the rumors were true after all.


    Right now, Cronker was dealing with an opponent he couldn''t outright beat or sneak up on. Whatever he had tried didn''t work, so he looked to his side, at the three students he had trained, and also at Froma, his fellow ally.


    "I know you don''t usually work with others and like working on your own, but it looks like you could do with some help," Froma said. "I think it''s best you take it."


    After finishing those words, she shot out arrows fast and powered with Qi. They were perfectly aimed at Akron, who looked unfazed as they came at him. He carefully stepped forward from side to side.


    It looked like he was taking a peaceful stroll through the arena, but each time he wouldpletely avoid the arrows no matter what happened.


    "Will you keep him still!" Froma shouted.


    "Fine," Cronker said as he lifted up his ck covering from his mouth to just slightly over his nose and dashed forward.


    The arrows had stopped attacking, and Cronker went from being directly in front of Akron to suddenly disappearing. Quickly, Akron lifted up one of his sword-like needles and stopped a dagger from reaching him.


    He then swung both of his needles several times. Cronker, who had attacked from the side, was ducking and weaving each of the attacks, perfectly keeping attention on both of the needles this time.


    Froma was carefully aiming an arrow pulled back, and then let go. The arrow went faster than the others before it. In the middle of attacking Cronker, Akron turned his needle weapon to the side and sliced the arrowpletely in half.


    Seeing this, she couldn''t help but click her tongue.


    ''This is hardly better than when he was just moving toward him. He needs to be on the back foot. He''s so much in control of the fight that he can even block an arrow like that. Just Cronker alone isn''t going to be enough.''


    She then looked down and could see the students were tense.


    ''Based on what I saw, these little ones weren''t so bad. Cronker isn''t going to hurt them, and he''s going to get hurt at this rate. He''s not made for long drawn-out fights.''


    "You three, when you think there''s a chance, just like I did just then, you need to help your teacher, and then I''ll strike. I don''t want to rely on you guys like that¡­ but I think we''re going to have to," Froma asked.


    The students didn''t need to be told twice. They were tense because they wanted to help Cronker but feared that the fight was at too high a level and they would just end up getting in his way. Now that they had been given the okay, they were ready.


    "Just like we trained," Tilson said, and the other two nodded.


    They moved out in separate directions like a blur. Their footsteps were silent; their Qi could be felt by Froma, but she was a skilled middle-stage warrior trained to see these things.


    "I''m counting on you little ones," Froma said.


    Cronker was putting up a good fight. After dodging several hits, he was getting used to the rhythm and was now throwing in strikes of his own. However, each of them was still easily blocked by Akron.


    It was the most skilled fighter he had been up against. With Cronker''s specialty being assassination, he was naturally quite strong at the start of the fight. Sharp Qi, with fast attack speed.


    Cronker still hadn''t reached the stage where his attacks were slowing down or weakening, but Akron was still blocking everything and had the same smile on his face.


    Cronker then took a swipe with his dagger at Akron toward his neck, and Akron took a firm step back.


    Immediately, three of the students appeared from all sides. They had been waiting for this chance, and it appeared it was time for them to do their work. Froma was ready, expecting Akron to block the attack, which would leave the perfect opening.


    That was until Cronker could see a smile on Akron''s face.


    "I never make mistakes!"


    The three students stopped short of reaching Akron, as they feltrge stinging pain in their abdomens. When Tilson, Joe, and Violet looked, they could see a strange thin ck substance had gone through their stomachs and had pierced the floor.


    It wasn''t just them, but it was Cronker as well. When they looked at their opponent, they could see the ck needle he had, it had branched out like spikes, sharp thin needle-like structures hade from the base of the de and had gone through all of them, including Cronker''s stomach as well.


    "You were the one that thought I had shown you all that my sword had to offer," Akron said. "But you should have gotten the hint when I told you that I don''t make mistakes."


    Cronker looked at the students that had been pierced by the sword, blood starting to swirl out of their mouths. It was clear these weren''t any normal weapons.


    He started to wonder, why hadn''t Froma fired her arrow? What was she doing? But with the second needle, he saw Akron''s arm stretched out, it went across the arena and had pierced the arrow, then hitting the bow, it looked as if it had deflected slightly, but just like the other needle, it had spread out branching like a sea urchin.


    Several of the spikes had pierced Froma in different areas, stabbing right through her body and piercing her to the floor, making it impossible for her to move. She was still alive, but she felt like she couldn''t even use her hands.


    "You bastard!" Cronker shouted and moved forward, allowing the needle to go further into him, but he did not care.


    "The first mistake you made." Akron retracted the needle that had pierced Froma. When the needles exited out of her body, she fell to the floor. "You relied on students to do work that should be done by adults. I guess that''s what happens when you follow a student that has gotten you into all of this mess."


    Akron nced at Raze when making thatment. He then lifted his hand with the other needle and pointed it toward Joe.


    "When people make mistakes, they need to be punished so they don''t do it again."


    Cronker knew what Akron was intending to do. With this, he pushed forward through all of the pain, and allowed the needle to go deeper into his body, he ran to the side, allowing the needle to cut part of his body, and dived forward with his dagger.


    Reaching out, his dagger moved right in front of the extending needle, stopping it before it hit Joe. At the same time, though, Cronker suddenly felt as if he was falling.


    His dagger was dropping onto the floor and so was the rest of his view, until he finally felt his chest hitting the floor.


    Cronker had his legs sliced off. Akron had already taken out the other needle from the other students. They had fallen to the ground, and Cronker had done so, but it was because the other needle had been used topletely slice his legs off.


    "You need to learn, how are you meant to protect those you care about if you don''t protect yourself first? You could have kept fighting against me if you didn''t try to protect these, and now I will teach you that protecting these students was a stupid endeavor in the first ce."


    Both of the ck needles were in Akron''s hands, and once again he looked to Joe, who was on the floor. While on the floor, Joe looked toward his teacher, looking into Cronker''s eyes.


    "I''m sorry, I just wanted to do something," Joe said, his mouth red.


    "No¡­ I was the one that started to like you guys, and I should have protected what I liked... I didn''t know the Dark Faction were so cruel!!" Cronker shouted.


    Violet and Tilson were looking at the situation. The needle had done something strange to them. They had only been pierced in one area, yet for some reason, they were unable to move. It was almost as if the needle also had a poisonous numbing effect that worked on them.


    It showed how amazing it was that Cronker was still able to move despite all of that.


    Akron ced his needle right above Joe''s head, ready to extend it out. Having it over Joe''s head, a strange shadow-like wolf jumped from the side and almost went to bite his hand.


    Quickly, Akron sliced through the shadow, and it disintegrated, but the lingering part of the dark shadow from the beast fell onto Akron''s skin, hurting him.


    "I think you are the one that has made a mistake," a voice said.


    Looking up, Akron could see a man standing and walking over to him with his sword covered in a shadowy mist.


    "The mistake of touching these students," Raze said.

 Chapter 686 All Formations

    <h4>Chapter 686 All Formations</h4>


    In order to regain his Qi and mana as quickly as possible, Raze needed extreme concentration while performing his cultivation meditation techniques. It was the quickest way to draw energy from the ces around him.


    He wasn''t a genius like Safa, who could cultivate just by simply standing and breathing. The return of his energy was depleted after using a cursed Qi pill to restore his mana and producing a second spell to bring the Crimson Crane here. If he wanted to fight, he needed to regain his energy.


    Still, it was impossible for Raze not to be distracted by what was going on outside. In the middle of his focus, he would listen in and take a peek at how the others were doing in the fight.


    ''The Dark Faction has brought stronger members than I thought. I didn''t even know there were strong members outside of the main five n heads. It seems that there was more power in the Dark Faction than expected.''


    Raze was done with filling his magic core, and in response, he closed his eyes and started the life and death cycle to restore his Qi. He slightly changed his sitting position, from his hands'' gestures together raising up, to lowering down.


    Through magic, Raze had learned the effectiveness of trigger words. By linking certain words and phrases to spells, one''s mind could create the magic circle needed to produce the spell.


    So, simr to his trigger words, he was cementing certain actions to switch between cultivating methods so it wouldn''t take him long to get into the routine again. He knew by switching his hand gestures that his body naturally went into taking demonic energy rather than dark energy for his magic core.


    As he was cultivating, there was a slight worry in Raze.


    ''Is the blooded woman going toe again? By using this technique, I''m not in the Demonic Faction or Dark Faction, and right now I don''t really have a choice. If anything, it might be handy for her toe down.''


    Ignoring the risks, Raze went ahead and was gathering his demonic energy back. After a while, Raze couldn''t help but once again take a peek at the situation, and he noticed someone who wasn''t doing well.


    ''Cronker and the students, who even is that they''re going up against!'' Raze thought.


    ''I''ve gathered a lot of Qi and mana back. I can fight and help out, but I was cultivating so I could go against Murkel.''


    Looking at the situation, Raze could see that Alba, Dame, and Amir seemed to at least be holding Murkel back. Murkel was finding it tricky dealing with Amir''s transformed state, almost being careful with it.


    On top of that, there looked to be a lot that Amir knew about Murkel, making it easier for him to fight against, and the news and techniques had been passed to Dame as well, who was holding his own.


    ''If I don''t do something, then all of them will die, and I was the one that involved them!'' Stopping his cultivation, Raze stood firm. He knew he wouldn''t be able to reach in time, so he activated one of the formations of the Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    ''The third formation, Nightmare Veil formation, magic.'' Raze''s Dark magic was being added to his Dark Edge formations for the first time. It was something he had kept hidden during the tournament, only using the Dark Edge formations themselves.


    His sword was lingering with a dark mist that spread out. Then he swung his sword, and an image of a beast appeared¡ªa wolf created by his Dark magic, moving and attempting to bite onto Arkon''s arm.


    When Arkon turned to look in the direction of where the wolf hade from, that''s where he could see Raze.


    "You speak too much, your first mistake!" Arkon said as he attempted to charge forward against the student.


    From Arkon''s assessment, he had gathered that the most dangerous person out on this arena floor right now was this man. He assumed he was resting but had been called out from his rest due to the worry of his colleagues.


    This was why Arkon found it so easy to deal with the other factions. They just didn''t have it in them to do whatever it took to win.


    When Arkon came close, Raze swung his sword multiple times. Arge scene appeared from his sword¡ªarge bear- like creature among other things were all heading toward Arkon.


    Arkon had no clue what this technique was, but he was unfazed as he went to cut them all down. The beasts almost felt like they had a type of physical body as he swung his needles to go through them. Each time he broke them apart, the lingering Dark magic would hit him, and he learned it was something to avoid.


    Then appearing right in front of him was arge bear made from the magic. Arkon had no choice as he felt like just slicing through this magic beast would just harm him more. He lifted up his two needle weapons, and they started to expand out, spikes in all directions ripping through parts of the shadow.


    It had hit the magical beast so much that it had practically be nothing, and there was next to no damage done to Arkon as well. That was until he saw, now having defeated the bear made of Dark magic, he could see Raze on the other side, with both hands holding onto the hilt of his sword.


    "I''ve seen this before. Although this was effective on the students you faced, do you really think it''s going to be effective on me!" Arkon imed, as both of his needles were covered in a dark red energy.


    "This is not the same as what you saw. The second formation, Dark Magic Sword Eclipse Strike!" Raze called out. The magic was swirling around the sword itself, even though it was already covered and condensed into an obsidian ck.


    Arkon''s two needle-like weapons, which were held up, stopped the sword, but his Qi didn''t evenst a moment as it was engulfed by the attack. The whole of Arkon''s body looked to be covered by the Eclipse Strike.


    The attack had covered part of the entire arena, engulfing the entire area. Then finally, the attack had stopped. Arkon had been pushed back partly by the attack.


    His upper clothes had been obliterated, leaving only his skin to be on show, and even that was covered in strange markings that almost looked like burns.


    Yet he was still smiling.


    "You are strong¡­ that was a lot stronger than I thought¡­ you are seriously dangerous," Arkon said, still with his weapon in his hands.


    Raze wasn''t done though. Taking the sword down, he charged forward.


    "I don''t have time to talk, old man, I just need to get rid of you all."


    "Dark Edge Sword Arts Fourth Formation, Magic Void Pulse!" Raze rushed across the area, along with his sword. Arge pulse of magic mixed with Qi propelled him forward, and a wave was sent out behind him.


    The sword went right through Arkon''s head, aimed perfectly. He could do nothing to stop the attack.


    "That''s one of you down," Raze said as he pulled the sword out and Arkon fell to the floor.

 Chapter 687 Protect Raze

    <h4>Chapter 687 Protect Raze</h4>


    The fourth formation, the second formation, and the third formation. All of them had been used against a single opponent. The legendary Dark Edge Sword Arts were used by the Noctis n and only by the founder of the Dark Faction.


    However, there was one more detail added to this all, and that was the fact that they had magic added to them¡ªDark magic, the most destructive magic there was, produced by a mage with a dark core.


    Seeing how strong his opponent was, Raze had wasted no time using all of his skills. And doing so in session like that, he was confident he could strike down his enemy in one hit, which he had achieved.


    "Just what type of power is that? That power is immense, and he used it in session. He must have been hiding his strength during the tournament!" Beatrix said.


    She looked at the ground where the sword had hit. The entire flooring was torn up by the second formation strike. Then there was beyond where the pulse attack had been made.


    The wall, the stands, and the arena¡ªpart of it had folded in, the concrete it was made out of had been obliterated, and rocks were piling on top of rocks. It was hard to imagine anyone would have been able to survive such an attack.


    "You''re right, there is no doubt about it. No wonder he was confident in starting this battle against the Dark Faction," Ricarmented. "But I think you''ll see, he''s worn himself out."


    Ricar was right, because almost immediately Raze had stumbled, falling onto one knee. He grabbed his chest, and then moved his hand to hover over his stomach.


    ''I used up all my mana that I had gathered, and all of the Qi already. I nearly pushed myself to the point where I nearly passed out,'' Raze thought to himself.


    ''I have no choice, right now¡­ I have to.'' Forcing his legs to move, he changed position from being down on his knees to a sitting position. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes, letting out a few deep breaths.


    Then he gathered both of his hands upright and started to use the Dark Faction''s cultivation technique, restoring the mana back in his heart again. Right now it was the only thing he could do.


    ''I don''t know if Cronker is okay, or the rest of the children, but this is all I can do for them for now. I can''t fight against Murkel or the others; they will have to be left on their own,'' Raze thought.


    Murkel, of course, noticed what Raze had done. He had seen it all and sensed the great power within.


    "I should have known, that child was hiding more," Murkel said as he leaned back and then punched Dame''s hand down, so a st hit the floor. He then delivered a strong fist right to his chest, sending him back.


    As Alba came close, Murkel lifted his arm in the air, and the dark Qi started to gather. He moved it forward, almost touching Alba''s swords. Rather than connecting, though, he then pulled back, and Alba felt her sword pulling like a maic force, sending her off bnce.


    With her body off bnce, he then grabbed her by the hair behind and pulled her head back, mming his knee right into her back. Before he could do more, though, Amir charged forward with a kick to the chest, sending him back, and then a swing of hisrge axe beast hand.


    It continued to hit nothing but air.


    "That kid, you know he is most likely from the Noctis n. Is that why you sided with him?" Murkel asked. "It seems that might be the reason you are so confident in him, but things won''t work out for him, just like it didn''t work out for the Dark Faction before!"


    When Amir went to strike with his axe beast hand again, he felt it being dragged upward. Murkel had gathered and condensed his dark Qi and then lifted it in the air. In doing so, his visual Qi lingered but still had the same effects as before, dragging his arm upward.


    Murkel then charged forward, running past the outstretched beast arm. Only he wasn''t aware that as it forcefully retracted back to normal, the axe beast arm was nowing toward him.


    Sensing it, Murkel jumped and did a backflip in the air, avoiding the axe hitting himpletely andnding back on the ground.


    "You are one of the most extremely talented individuals I have evere across, Murkel," Amir stated. "One of the few people who has been able to use the full properties of dark Qi, something only a handful of people have managed to achieve.


    "It means the world felt like you were destined for great things."


    Murkel smiled at thisment.


    "It seems we both can agree on that. That''s why you stood in my shadow and had to force your body to change to this, to even do something against me," Murkel said.


    Amir shook his head.


    "If only your ambition wasn''t so short-sighted. While you are busy trying to take over Pagna yourself, you''re unaware that there might not even be a Pagna in the end!"


    Amir jumped up, and as he did, both of his arms changed into axes. He swung them from both sides, stretching them out, one from the left and one from the right.


    Quickly, Murkel kicked himself from his position and grabbed the wrist of Amir, stopping his attack. He could see that Alba and Dame had gotten up and were striking from either side.


    Pushing away with a strong force, Murkel then mmed his foot into the ground, surging Qi through the floor and breaking the ground up, creating barriers in their path.


    A perfectly controlled amount of Qi, with plenty of fighting experience. This was the type of opponent they were going against.


    Both Dame and Alba continued their attack through the concrete that had risen, breaking through it and turning it to rubble, but now on the other side, they could no longer see Murkel.


    "He''s going after Raze, stop him!" Amir shouted.


    With his arms stretched out, he was the furthest away, and it would take him the longest to get to Murkel, and Murkel was faster than him.


    "The one that needs to be dealt with and will get in my way is him. The past needs to bepletely gotten rid of in order for the future to progress!" Murkel stated.


    "That student is a fragment of the past that cannot exist!"


    The Noctis n was continuously in his head. Ever since he had seen Raze use the skills, he felt like he was someone to deal with. He just wasn''t aware of how dangerous of a threat he was, nor how much alive he was.


    He could see now that Raze was defenseless. It was an easy target for him to take out and a way to lower their morale.


    "The man who killed Arkon will die!"


    Murkel continued forward until he felt something pull on his leg. Looking down, he could see a white substance that was wrappedpletely around his foot.


    As he looked at the substance, he followed it with his eyes and could see that it wasing straight from Dame''s mouth, which was open wide and had two curvedrge teeth growing from the side of his mouth.


    "You¡­You were a hybrid as well?" Murkel asked.

 Chapter 688 Who Am I Now?

    <h4>Chapter 688 Who Am I Now?</h4>


    For a while now, the students that had been fighting for the Dark Faction remembered what had urred in the past. About their escape in trying to get out of the academy. They were left with no choice after everything that had happened.


    One of the main n leaders had been killed, and the Dark Faction, on the order of the principal, was treating all of the students likeb rats. If the rats didn''t act the way they wanted, then they would get rid of them.


    With this fear in mind, and already being put through a lot, they attempted to escape. They had the help of many along the way, but in the end, they were caught by none other than Murkel himself.


    The students knew they were no match to take on Murkel. At the time, they hadn''t even gone through intense training with Amir, and Ricktor hadn''t even reached the middle stage.


    It was hopeless. Among the students, there was one person who didn''t belong, and who had been with them, and that was Dame. Seeing how the situation was urring, he had decided to do his best.


    To help the others, he felt part of this fault was his mess. This whirlwind of an adventure he had decided to take on because of his situation at home. He felt like he could amount to more, but in his situation with his brothers and sister, and working under his father, he couldn''t amount to much.


    At most, he could just please his father, and then from there take over his father''s legacy, and that was while fighting for the position with his brothers. Instead, he wanted to do things his own way, and he had found that through Raze.


    The Dark Magus was able to sell incredible Qi pills as well as craft items that could change the oue of things. Dame had experienced that himself when he had bested Beatrix, a feat that no one thought he would aplish.


    Change was finally happening, and it was because of Raze. As Dame started to hang around those around Raze, he started to get the same feeling from the others as he did from Raze.


    These individuals that had managed to gather around the same person. Each one of them was incredibly special and he could tell they would amount to great things.


    Maybe that was the reason why he had decided to stand up and fight against Murkel that day. At times there would be many that would call him selfish. A person that only cared for himself and never cared for the Neverfall n or his father''s legacy.


    In a way, that was quite true, Dame didn''t care, but he cared extremely about those he had decided to care about. Fixteen, along with his other close friends, knew this, and they knew when it came to those close to him, he was extremely selfless.


    When Murkel had thrown a devastating attack, he didn''t hesitate to jump in front of Simyon to stop the attack. His body was hurt, his eyes were in the middle of closing, and thest thing Dame could remember was opening his eyes and just seeing the mist, and the very edge of one of the cliffs in the distance.


    "I hope¡­ they will make it through all of this somehow," Dame weakly said as he continued to drop through the mist, and soon a loud bang was heard with his body as it crashed on the floor.


    His whole vision went ck, and Dame was quite confident that he wouldn''t be able to open his eyes again, but he learned that he was wrong.


    His eyes slowly started to flutter open and the view of mist appeared all around him. He wasn''t quite sure if his image was blurry or it was just the effect of the mist itself. He tried to move anything but his head, which seemed like an impossibility.


    ''Even if I could move, I don''t think I would want to see the condition of my body right now. Taking the hit straight on, and after that falling from that height with virtually no Qi protection.


    ''I had used it all up just trying to block the damage of that strike as much as possible. Much use that was, and now it might be my downfall.''


    Dame wondered, maybe if he had used less Qi to block the strike and he hadnded down here, then he could at least force his body to move. Which was an impossibility right now.


    When he thought about it more, he realized that there was another situation that was a possibility as well, that if he hadn''t used so much Qi to protect himself, he would be dead.


    Either way, it was useless to think about the what-ifs because he was in the current situation he was in now.


    ''Those kids, I wonder how they''re doing as well. They looked scared, as if they lost all hope. I thought that maybe I could stall him at least for a minute or so, so they could get away. I guess I was really stupid.''


    Dame wanted to lift his hand to cover his face, as he felt his eyes well up, and something wet rolled across the side of his cheek.


    As hey there on his back, unmoving, unsure about how many bones were broken, or if he would die of hunger, he started to think of all of his life he had been through.


    One of the weak links of the Neverfall n, his brothers, always being superior to him, talking down to him, and the whole nparing him to the rest.


    Why wasn''t he able to do the things they could when he was their age? How he was a failure of the Neverfall n. It was a ce he never felt like he belonged to in the first ce.


    Which was why he had gathered people around him that didn''t care about that. It was why, in secret away from the eyes of any n member, he practiced as much as he could. He researched as much as he could trying to better himself.


    It was only a few times that Fixteen would catch him doing such things.


    ''If I did care more, if I did push myself harder, would things be different now?'' Dame started to wonder as he could feel a deep pang in his stomach, which was followed by a growl that echoed in the misty space.


    He started reflecting on everything, including all of the fights he could have had. Soon the mist that he could see in his vision started to look like shapes of people. Warriors fighting against each other using their own set of special techniques.


    He wasn''t sure if the mist was actually moving or his mind ying tricks on him. He soon figured it was most likely thetter, as his stomach made an even louder growl than before and the mist figures broke up.


    "Wow, it looks like someone is hungry," a voice said through the mist.


    Turning his head slightly, he could see the mist moving and breaking apart and a figure starting to appear.


    "It looks like Amir was right. He said you looked strong and would still be alive," the man''s voice said. "Anyway, I guess I should help you if you''re going to be part of us."


    "Part of us?" Dame replied as the man walked closer. Dame realized he had never seen this person in his life before. A young man with short facial hair and clothing that looked like that of a regr citizen with basic cloth.


    "Yeah, the Bonum Society," the man imed.

 Chapter 689 The Way In

    <h4>Chapter 689 The Way In</h4>


    The man stood there observing Dame for a while, cing his hand on his chin while looking him up and down. Once in a while, he made questionable faces that made Dame feel worse about his condition, and not wanting to know about it as well.


    In order to distract himself and the man in question, he started to ask his own questions.


    "From the way you''re speaking with me, someone sent you. Was it that Vice Principal? I think he said something about being in that particr group as well," Dame said.


    He remembered the conversations vaguely, but so much information was loosely spoken about here and there, Dame never even had much time to find out the finer details about things.


    "You''re right," the man said as he reached into a pouch that was strapped around his waist. It was brown in color, made out of leather, and fairly worn. It didn''t take him long to pull out a few round-looking Qi pills.


    "The Vice Principal you are talking about is part of the Bonum Society as well. He seems to have taken a liking to you and told me toe here, saying that you might be alive. He said it was a fifty-fifty chance, but I would say more like ny-ten, with a ny percent chance that you would be dead, judging by things."


    The man then knelt down and ced the Qi pill into Dame''s mouth. Dame wasn''t going to deny the pill, even though he didn''t know who this stranger was. He could tell, if the stranger was going to poison him, at least it would be a quicker death.


    Without the pill, he would most likely die as well. So out of death, death, and a chance of survival, he was going to take thetter. After consuming the pill, he realized it was just an ordinary Qi pill.


    Energy had restored to his dantian, and he could start using it to power his cells in his body, speeding up the natural healing process, but it wasn''t as good as the Dark Magus''s pills. Perhaps Dame had now gotten too used to them.


    "You''re a lucky man, you''ve broken a lot of bones, torn some ligaments as well, but the fractures, like those on your ribs, haven''t pierced any of your internal organs. You don''t have a lot of internal bleeding, at least not that which is too dangerous. Which is why, despite you being here for so long, you''re still alive," the man exined.


    Although Dame could feel his body more now, and it was healing, he didn''t think just a Qi pill was going to cut it. Not unless he wanted to take several months to heal.


    "The Bonum Society you are talking about, what do you mean I''m going to be a part of it? What even are you guys, and what are you trying to do?" Dame asked.


    The man wagged his finger in the air.


    "Think about it this way, the fact that you don''t really know about our society means that we''re doing a good job. If I was to tell you everything, well, that''s how I would lose my job."


    It was clear by the conversation that the man wouldn''t say much, either because of his duty or other reasons, so Dame wouldn''t pry into it much, at least not now as this person was trying to save him.


    While Dame was lying on the ground using his Qi to restore his body, the man popped another Qi pill into his mouth, having the same effect as before. After that, he started to wrap certain bandages around Dame''s body.


    In the position Dame was in, he couldn''t see much, but he kept hearing a strange spitting noise each time before his body would be bandaged.


    ''He can''t be spitting on the bandages each time he''s wrapping them up, right?'' Dame thought. ''I¡­ I''ll just have to imagine it''s something else¡­ why couldn''t a beautye and save me instead of this man¡­ not that I am ungrateful, but it appears I haven''t had much luck these days.''


    Dame was thinking back to the effect of the gauntlets, which was why he hadn''t had much, or if any, time to y at all.


    After the bandages had proactively been wrapped up in nearly every part of Dame''s body where he could feel something, the pain was diminishing. The areas that had been wrapped were heating up, but they felt good; they felt better, and it was then that he could start to move his entire body.


    Lifting himself up, he slowly stood in the mist area. His body didn''t seem to be too badly damaged. He still found it hard to stand, but going from thinking he might never move again to this was short of a miracle in his eyes.


    "What did you do to these bandages?" Dame asked.


    "Hey hey hey," the man quickly said, pointing to the bandages. "Don''t take those things off. You were badly hurt, so they need to be left on for a while. You can at least move for now though."


    Dame was still amazed he hadn''t heard of such physicians doing things, and this wasn''t like the Qi pills or the strange magic that Raze would use. This felt different from all of that.


    "Your name," Dame said. "I would like to at least thank the person who helped me by your name."


    "My name?" The man pointed at himself. "I''m called Chip, so you can say thank you, Chip."


    "Thank you, Chip," Dame said wholeheartedly but was unable to bow properly due to his position. When he raised his head, he looked up at the cliff. Still wondering what had gone on, and just how long had he been on the floor for.


    "What are you doing, are you going to follow?" Chip said, having moved only slightly ahead into the mist, but he could still be seen.


    "Follow you?" Dame asked.


    "Yeah, or do you really want to stay out here and just wait for something to happen, or for them to jump down and finish the job?" Chip replied.


    Dame knew he was right, so he picked up his feet and started to follow.


    "So where are we going?" Dame asked. "Where do you n on taking me?"


    "I told you when we first met, didn''t I?" Chip replied. "We''re heading to the Bonum Society to make you one of us."

 Chapter 690 The Bonum Society

    <h4>Chapter 690 The Bonum Society </h4>


    Dame continued to follow Chip to wherever he was being taken. For one, he didn''t even know where the mist led. He had been down here with the Dark Magus, and not even the Dark Magus was sure about the strange mist of the ce.


    On his own, he would have no idea where to go, as he couldn''t even see the cliffside of where he hade from. Even if he reached the cliff, he would then have to enter the academy once again and try to survive somehow.


    Although he was able to walk, Dame felt like it would be a while before he could fight. Just because he could fight, it wasn''t a guarantee that he would win either.


    ''I have no intention of joining this Bonum Society. I want to build up what I have with the Dark Magus. I don''t even know what this group''s goal is, but I need to use them to survive. It''s not like I can head back to the Demonic Faction either.''


    They continued to walk for about thirty minutes, and Dame was trying to keep track of Chip''s movements. Once in a while, Chip would stay still and look left and right.


    It was questionable if Chip actually knew his way through the mist or not, but he did manage to find him.


    "Amir¡­ you said he was part of this society of yours, right?" Dame asked. "So he isn''t working with Murkel and will help the children."


    "Honestly, that depends," Chip answered as he took a sudden right turn through the mist. "Amir is a person that is focused on the task of the Bonum Society. Because of who he is, he is quite dedicated. If he thinks they can help, he will protect them."


    "If you want an answer on how they''re doing, I can give you an update soon."


    Right then, Chip took two more steps and a hollow nging noise was heard underneath his feet. He stopped and then mmed his foot into the floor, making the same noise as before.


    Reaching down, he fiddled with a few things as he brushed the dirt away, and then, opening up therge square-shaped trap door, adder was revealed that looked to go deep into the ground, very deep, to the point where the bottom couldn''t be seen.


    "Don''t be scared, we just have to keep going down and you''ll be fine," Chip said.


    "I''m not scared of this. Do you know what n I was part of?" Dame asked. "The Neverfall n was far scarier than this."


    It felt like they had been climbing down the longdder for as long as they had been moving through the mist.


    What Dame was noticing was, during this entire time, the bandages were still healing him. He could feel his body loosening up, and perhaps he would be in better condition quicker than he thought.


    Which might make him change ns slightly. After going down for a while, sounds could be heard from underneath, the sounds of people, metal nging, and more.


    Eventually, the two of them reached the floor and Dame could see that they were in arge lit-up tunnel. The tunnel itself seemed to be carved out of metal.


    When looking behind, the tunnel went on further than he could see. There was no end, and then on the other side, there was a big round object made of metal, which was where all the noise wasing from.


    Chip went out in front, and with both hands on a round object, he started to twist it several times one way, and several times another.


    Screeching sounds were heard, and it didn''t look like an easy task.


    "I wish you could help, but you don''t really know the pattern yet," Chip said as he continued to struggle.


    While Chip continued to twist the round object, Dame went up to therger piece of metal that appeared to be some type of door.


    He knocked his hand against it. "This is amazing, it seems incredibly thick, I''m not sure that even I could break through this if I tried to," Damemented. "How did youe up with such material in the first ce to build something like this?"


    "This ce didn''t just get built overnight. It took a lot of work and from a lot of people, and I''m d you said you couldn''t break through this. That means it''s doing its job. Since this is designed to keep people like you out."


    A loud click was heard and steam exited out from the side of the giant metallic round door. It pushed itself forward and then started to open inward, allowing the two of them to enter.


    When the door opened, Chip stepped forward and Dame followed. It felt like he had entered apletely different world, and he was starting to understand that there was a lot about Pagna he had no idea about before. In his eyes was a whole new ce. Just like the tunnels, the rest of the structure past the door was made of the same type of material, but it had opened up into arge space.


    A space that was the size of a small town on thend above. As he followed Chip around, Dame was looking at hundreds of people moving around, heading from one area to the next.


    Just from listening in, he could tell that there were those making reports. Some were heading to a canteen to eat food. While he observed groups of people getting a breakdown of what was to be done next.


    It felt like he was inside arge n, but a n that was the size of a vige with everyone extremely focused.


    Therge round metallic door was heard closing behind them and sealing them, and that was when Dame knew he would be part of this ce, at least for a little while.


    "It''s impressive, right? Everyone whoes here for the first time has the same feeling as you, don''t worry," Chip said. "You have a role in this as well and somewhere important to go."


    Moving through the ce, Dame continued to look at others. Some looking like Pagna warriors, others looking like regr citizens, and arge variety of ages of people as well.


    Going through a set of more tunnels and doors, they reached a ce that was filled with Pagna warriors. Dame could sense their powerful Qi, and when he looked ahead, he could tell why.


    Deep underground, in such a ce, there was a portal right in front of their eyes.


    "How did all of this exist... underneath the academy, it''s been here the entire time?" Dame asked.


    "It''s been here a long time," Chip answered. "Who do you think created the mist in the first ce? Makes things harder to see."


    Chip moved forward and gestured for Dame to follow him as the two of them went closer to look at the portal.


    "There is a lot that you will need to learn about the Bonum Society, a lot that we need to tell you, all of this is at the request of Amir. He has agreed to be your mentor, which is very lucky, honestly.


    "As for your first task." Chip turned around, and quickly moved, and with both hands, he pushed Dame.


    The unexpected push moved him, and he fell right through the portal.


    "Your first task is toe back alive."

 Chapter 691 Becoming A Monster

    <h4>Chapter 691 Bing A Monster</h4>


    After sessfully pushing Dame into the portal, Chip folded his arms and looked at the portal with a smile on his face. Some of the others in the room couldn''t help but look at each other.


    "How could anyone have that look on their face after sending someone to that ce?" one of the guards whispered.


    "Chip didn''t even bother to exin anything either. It appears as if that guy just came here. Is he going to be alright?"


    "He should be fine. He had strong Qi for his age... but you never know what''s going to happen in that ce."


    After waiting for quite a long time, Chip went to the edge of the room and rxed in a chair. Once in a while, he would leave the room, return with some snacks, and even a book. He read the book and nced up at the portal asionally. That was until a gray-haired, well-built man entered.


    "Chip, I was looking for you everywhere. Are you still here?"


    "Fanum, you know why I''m here. I need to be ready for when the new one gets out, and as you might guess, he hasn''te out yet," Chip replied.


    Fanum''s eyes widened as soon as he heard the news.


    "He still hasn''te out? Doesn''t that mean he''s most likely dead? From the report, I read that he was in pretty bad condition. You didn''t let him rest before throwing him in there."


    "You know that won''t change anything. That ce is different from other dimensions, so it won''t matter," Chip said. "I just need to be ready. When hees out, I can patch him up again, no worries."


    Fanum started to shake his head and let out a sigh.


    "I guess if Amir is the one giving you orders, I can''tin. Things always seem to work out when ites to him. Either way, I need you right now. One of our own is badly hurt."


    "If someonees through, then one of the guards wille and call you. We''ll be in the west section," Fanum said to the guards.


    After some time had passed, Chip eventually returned.


    "There''s been no reaction from the portal?" Chip asked.


    "None, sir. I believe this is the longest someone has spent in that dimension. That is if he''s still alive," the guard replied.


    "Don''t look at me like that," Chip said, returning to his seat. "It''s not my fault if he couldn''t make it through. It just means he wasn''t meant to."


    Just as Chip sat down, the strange glowing substance of the portal started to ripple, anding right through it was a hand covered in blood.


    Thick cuts and wounds could be seen, flesh torn apart to the point where bone was on disy.


    Right after the hand, the rest of the body appeared, and it was in the same sorry state. The body was filled with deep cuts and blood; it was a surprise that a person like this was even moving.


    However, what was strangest was the pulsating ck substance attached to half of the body¡ªDame''s body. It was moving, wiggling about, with no form or structure, but it looked alive. It didn''t take long until Damepletely copsed on the floor.


    Immediately, Chip jumped from his seat and picked up the bandages from the floor. His face started to transform as he shouted to the guards.


    "Bring the others! This is one of the worst cases I''ve seen. Quick!" Chip shouted.


    Immediately, he got to work wrapping the bandages around every cut he could see on Dame''s body, and shortly after, a group of people entered.


    When they looked at the body in front of them, along with the strange ck substance, they stopped to look at the situation, forgetting what they were meant to do.


    "Are you just going to gawk at him all day or hurry? We will have to start the procedure right now and right here. I don''t think he''ll survive if we try to move him to the medical room. If he dies, we''ll have a huge problem on our hands."


    The group of people quickly got to work, attending to the injured Dame.


    "The state of him... did he happen toe across a Dimension boss in there? I''ve never seen such arge amount of the ck substance. It''s the only thing that would exin it."


    "We can ask him about it when he lives and survives!" Chip shouted back.


    The event that day was quite significant for the Bonum Society. The news traveled fast to all of their members, and there was a great amount of excitement.


    Dame had managed to get through it all right, and with what had happened to him, he had no choice but to stay with the Bonum Society, as he had learned about his new body.


    The changes that would happen, and how to control himself. He dived deeper into the Bonum Society and learned that Chip was part of a specialist medical team.


    As for his special bandages, they were covered with his spit, which had a healing factor due to his hybrid form. But most of his time was spent with Fanum learning to control his own Hybrid form.


    A lot of what had happened to Dame in that portal was lost. What the dimension was like, what beast he had encountered, and what had happened to him.


    All he knew now was that he was like the other major members of the Bonum Society¡ªa hybrid¡ªand one that was learning to control himself.


    Not all members of the Bonum Society were hybrids, but it was the edge they had over the world.


    Yet, despite all the time Dame had spent there, he still had no clue what the goal of the Bonum Society was, or what they were trying to do, that was until a particr visitor arrived.


    The canteen was pretty empty that day, and Dame was enjoying a meal on his own. He was distant from the others; it was in his nature not to trust people, even in his own n. It felt even more that way in a ce that had turned him like this.


    Coming across, someone sat right across from him.


    "I knew you would survive and amount to great things. It looks like it''s all going well for you," Amir said with a smile.


    Immediately, there was a quick question on Dame''s mind. Not the surprise of seeing Amir, but something else he wanted answered.


    "How are the others?" Dame asked.


    "You are a better person than I thought. They are doing well; you can calm your worries, at least for now," Amir said. "This won''tst forever. I assume, at best, it willst until the Martial Arts Tournament.


    "After that, their lives are as good as gone unless we are able to do something about it. I heard your training has been going well. We need to put it to the test."


    "We are going to pay a visit to the Splitting Fang n, and you are going to be the one to take out their n Head."


    The words, the information being thrown at Dame, were partly too much. The Splitting Fang n was a strong n in the Demonic Faction, and to best the n Head¡ªthat was absurd.


    "It''s part of your training, and on the way, I''ll tell you everything about the Bonum Society."

 Chapter 692 A Transformation

    Chapter 692 A Transformation


    After learning everything he knew, Dame hade to a decision: he would help out Amir and the Bonum Society for now. There were too many reasons to work for them. However, he wasn''t so sure about their goal; the whole thing sounded too unbelievable for Dame toprehend or fully understand.


    He had seen and even experienced some crazy things while being part of the Bonum Society, but it just wasn''t enough for him to align himself. However, helping the others in the tournament was something that Dame wanted to do, so he hade along as asked.


    Mixed in the crowd, there were more members of the Bonum Society. There were steps to the n, with Amir and Dame taking charge. However, with how things yed out right now, there were only the two of them from the Bonum Society. Amir didn''t look fazed, and Dame just had to follow the lead of what the other was doing.


    Seeing how the Dark Magus was here, though, Dame did feel a little more confident in the situation.


    ''It''s just us two, so things are different. You can pull something off here, but you can''t do it alone. You summoned the Crimson Crane because you needed their help, and I''m just going to give you a bit more help than you needed.''


    Dame took a nce at Mantis, who was on the floor. Someone who had been through the same thing as him quite recently. It was part of his mission to have another Hybrid directly in the event. The target in the first ce was never the Dark Faction; it was the Light Faction, but it didn''t matter. Right now, he was here to protect Raze.


    Spitting out from Dame''s mouth was a hard white string-like substance that wrapped around Murkel''s leg. Murkel tried to move forward, but the physical power of Dame was far beyond what he thought. Dame went ahead and grabbed part of the substance that came from his mouth and then yanked it hard. In doing so, Murkel was lifted off his feet.


    Dame then started to swing the substance in the air and went to m Murkel on the ground. Just before Murkel hit the ground, with his Qi sharpened around his hand, he cut the substance just before hitting the floor and flipped himself.


    "All of you are just a bunch of monsters," Murkel said. "The world of Pagna is done for if there are those that are mixed with the blood of beasts able to roam around."


    "Judging by the things you have done, I would say you''re much more of a monster!" Alba said, striking several times.


    Murkel avoided the strikes and went to counter, but before his fist hit, the strange white substance shot out from Dame''s mouth and wrapped around his arms again. Dame then pulled it and cut his own substance from his mouth, throwing it onto the floor. It stuck like glue, holding Murkel in ce.


    "I still have another hand," Murkel imed.


    Yet, he would have to use that hand quickly, as Amir was to his right, ready to chop him down from above. Since this strike seemed unavoidable this time, Murkel had no choice but to lift his hand and grab the beast axe hand that came slicing down. His knees bent down, and the force was huge even for Murkel. The ground beneath his feet was breaking from the sheer weight of the attack.


    However, he had pinched perfectly onto the axe and had stopped it from cutting any part of his hand.


    "You certainly are living up to your name, three powerful middle-stage warriors, and I''m even a Hybrid at that, but we still aren''t able to best you."


    Since both of Murkel''s hands were tied up and he could see Alba readying for another strike, he swung his leg out, delivering a kick, not to hit anyone, but instead the momentum spun his body, and a wave of Qi brushed, hitting the others and pushing them back.


    For a moment, as both Alba and Amir felt their bodies being hit by the Dark Qi, they felt all of their bodies bing heavy. It was a major problem in the fight so far. It was hard to go up close against someone who was stronger inbat, faster, had better techniques, and whose Qi affected the feeling of others.


    So all they could rely on were attacks from afar. It was then that Murkel charged forward and went straight for Alba.


    "If I can''t get the one I want, then I need to just get rid of the annoying ones, one by one then, and I''ll start with the weakest first!"


    Murkel sped up, and his fist was ready to crash right into Alba. Right before he reached her, though, Amir came down from above and swung his leg down to meet Murkel''s fist. Murkel pulled back, allowing the foot to drop, missing himpletely, and grabbed onto it. Then, with his other fist, he hit Amir right in the face.


    The face disfigured, looking slightly warped as the strong Dark Qi was used, and Amir''s body crashed into the ground.


    "You weren''t the only one observing this entire time. I was aiming for you from the beginning. Out of the three of you here, I have determined you are the most troublesome one."


    "My right-hand man who betrayed me, now you will experience the death you were courting," Murkel said, lifting his foot.


    On the ground, Murkel could see a smile on Amir''s face. He had been badly hurt from the single punch. Even with the fast healing factor, with an attack this close, it would be the end of his life. There wasn''t anything for him to be smiling about.


    "Let me tell you something, you are very wrong about something. I am not the one you have to worry most about... that one from the Demonic Faction is," Amir said.


    A shadow could be seen at the corner of Murkel''s eye, he could see something approaching him from behind, and based on the shadow it didn''t exactly look human.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 693 Coloured Hybrid

    Chapter 693 Coloured Hybrid


    Murkel looked at the shadow he could see by his side on the floor. He could tell someone was incredibly close, but by the shadow alone, it was impossible to say if what was approaching him was human. The words of Amir struck him deeply, and immediately Murkel spun around. He did so with his fist spinning along with him, and a string of visual Dark Qi lingered in the air.


    Two arms were raised, and the hit had been stopped and blocked. Murkel was slightly surprised that his attack could be stopped, but the fact that it took two arms to block his single attack meant he still had an arm free to finish off the person who dared to creep up behind him.


    When he threw a second fist, though, Murkel saw another two hands grabbing on and stopping them. He paused as he looked at what was in front of him because it didn''t quite make any sense at all. Looking into the person''s face, there were features of the young warrior named Dame. His forehead and his eyes, they were the same, but the mouth was that of a creature.


    His mouth was opened wide and detached with two strange w-like substances. This was where the string-like substance, simr to that of a spider, woulde out from. Murkel had already seen this before when the young warrior had transformed, but now there was even more that had changed about the man. For one, the amount of limbs the person had.


    Coming out from his back, there seemed to be six extra limbs in total, three arms on either side, and with the two regr hands, that meant there were now eight arms right in front of him.


    Many didn''t have much experience fighting against Hybrids, and it was the same for Murkel. He didn''t even know this was possible. Both of his arms that had been stopped had been stopped by the extra limbs, and before he knew it, two fists with the special gauntlets struck Murkel right in the chest, pushing him back.


    Immediately, Dame continued to charge forward. First, he threw two fists before even reaching the man; the Qi sts were there and were blocked by Murkel, who was still recovering. Just before Murkel could even attack, white substance wrapped around one of his arms, and two of the limbs from Dame ended up pulling the arm away, forcing it to avoid a strike.


    His other limbs were concentrated on blocking, allowing for a pounding to proceed from above by the several arms. They were bashing into Murkel''s head left and right. When Murkel tried to break free or move away, the string substance woulde out from Dame''s mouth and wrap around Murkel, pulling him back. Before he could break free, another flurry of punches was delivered by Dame. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''The extra strength that a Hybrid brings, the skills and Qi of the Demonic Faction, and also the special items made by the Dark Magus, along with the extra powers from my new form. With all of these things, I will beat you and start my own legacy!'' Dame thought as he continued to fight.


    Thinking back, before he had been turned into a Hybrid, he could never imagine doing such things. His test was to go against one of the n Heads in the Demonic Faction. Using all of his strength, just like he was using now, he was able to defeat a person who would have taken him perhaps a century to beat, yet he had seeded back then and learned the true power that Hybrids had.


    "Now I will do the same!" Dame wrapped around the waist of Murkel and pulled him forward up in the air. He had all of his arms ready and started to punch Murkel one hit after the other.


    Alba had gone to Amir''s side to help him. She felt at fault for him taking quite a hit in the first ce.


    "Don''t worry too much about me," Amir said. "I will heal fairly quickly, just be ready to help him when you can."


    Seeing the situation, she wasn''t sure she could, though.


    Those watching in the Light Faction were shocked by the turnaround. They were sure in their minds that the Dark Faction had the upper hand. It was practically a war with the strongest of the Dark Faction against a bunch of students and people they had never seen or who had yet to build up their legacy.


    Now it felt like they were watching several legacies in the making, a new era that would ur in the world of Pagna.


    "I don''t understand, are Hybrids really that strong?" Hannah asked.


    "I''m not sure about Hybrids in general," Beatrix replied. "But the fact that he has extra limbs while fighting will be a huge advantage. In our Pagna martial arts, there are only so many points of attack we have."


    "Now there are many points of attack that Dame can choose from. It would be like going against four warriors at once, all as skilled as thest, and from what I know about Hybrids, their physical strength is nothing tough at."


    "There is more to that," Ricar added. "Firstly, although their physical strength is strong, it is just that, physical strength and not one''s Qi. If you watch closely, he can only channel Qi from his real limbs rather than those extended limbs, but the strength of the Hybrid is helping him out."


    "The Light Faction has done some studying into Hybrids, and we have learned that there are two types."


    "There are those that people are more aware of, those that seem to bebined with the body of a beast. They look as if their bodies have melded with a beast itself. Then there are those that we have seen today. They can look like a regr human yet are able to transform their bodies and bring out their inner beast from them."


    "As for thetter, we have also been able to do further research into these things. Thetter Hybrids, when they transform, seem to have different colors on their body. You see the ck substance that forms up the outside of his body. Depending on these colors, the difficulty of the hybrid or strength is increased."


    "White-colored Hybrids seems to be the weakest, forming its body of strange substances. I don''t know if you saw, but on Mantis, when parts of his body were forming, a strange white color had appeared."


    "ck substance seems to be rare, and as we can tell today, quite strong. Although we have no idea why there are differences in strength between these since we don''t know how these Hybrids are created."


    "And is there another color?" Beatrix asked. "You were speaking as if there was."


    "There is a red-colored Hybrid," Ricar answered. "Which has only been seen in the world of Pagna once."

 Chapter 694 The Red Hybrid

    Chapter 694 The Red Hybrid


    The fight was continuing from all over, and thanks to Dame fighting off against Murkel, it meant that Raze was able to focus on regaining his strength just like he did before. He was unaware of just how well Dame was now doing against the Dark Faction leader. Out of all of the fights going on though, the Light Faction couldn''t keep their eyes off the Hybrid and Murkel.


    "I''ve heard of Hybrids before, but this is the first time I''ve heard of them being ranked into different colors," Hannah exined, her brow furrowing in thought.


    "As I said, think back to the transformation," Ricar continued. "Most people focus on the features they are seeing, but a strange liquid forms as part of these odd bodies, and that liquid is extremely important to pay attention to."


    "But if what you said is true about there being a red-colored Hybrid, and you know about it as well, n Head, then that means there had to be one at some point... so why is this fact not known throughout all of Pagna?" Beatrix asked, her voice filled with curiosity. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ricar continued to watch the situation unfold. The history of Pagna was recorded in books and passed down by word of mouth, but historical records were only recently kept, and due to the divide in factions, events were recorded differently depending on who wrote them and their biases.


    "You all know about Hybrids and how dangerous they are. The whole of Pagna knows this because there was a significant incident that put Hybrids on the map of Pagna in the first ce," Ricar said, his voice grave.


    Beatrix nodded, understanding what her n Head was referring to. "The incident that created the alliance in the first ce, are you talking about that?" she asked.


    Ricar nodded again. "As you know, when the three factions were created, they were in constant conflict with each other. Now, we are in a state where we constantly check each other''s strength and even have things like the Martial Arts Tournament. But these things didn''t exist before."


    "There was one event that urred that caused the three factions to stop fighting and unite against amon threat. A portal break happened in the Dark Faction''snd, and out of it, a Hybrid appeared."


    Hannah had learned this history of Pagna, but the alliance between the factions and the Hybrid event were taught as two separate incidents. She listened carefully, eager to gain knowledge that only an Elder could provide.


    "The Hybrid that appeared was so devastating that those from the Dark, Light, and Demonic Factions had to be called upon to eliminate such an opponent. That being was a red-colored Hybrid."


    "It took the strongest from the three factions to fight against it, and in the end, we are not even sure if the thing was defeated. After that, people became much more cautious and aware of Hybridsing through portals."


    "As for the three factions, they all received a significant blow from what happened and were in no state to continue fighting. That was when the alliance was formed."


    "However, the group most affected by this event was the Dark Faction. A change urred within the Dark Faction, and the strongest group, the Noctis n, was reced by the Erupting Fist n, led by Murkel."


    "He proved his strength many times when the Demonic and Light Factions tested him, and slowly, he revived his name as the strongest warrior in all of Pagna, the closest to reaching and bing a Divine being."


    Beatrix was quite shocked to hear the further details. She knew the damage the Hybrid had done, but it seemed the three factions hadn''t dealt with it as a simple matter.


    "Are you saying the red-colored Hybrid was able to best those from all the factions? Does that mean that the red-colored Hybrid was as strong as the Divine beings?" Beatrix asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.


    Once again, Ricar nodded. "You should know that beasts aren''t limited to the rules of Pagna. This seems to be the case for Hybrids as well. The beasts in the first ce have great power in other dimensions, and you know that Divine beings can still use their full power in these dimensions, just not in Pagna itself."


    "And you''re saying that thing is still alive, right? They didn''t kill it back then!" Hannah asked, her eyes wide with fear. "That it could stille back any day."


    "That I''m not sure about. We aren''t confident it was killed that day. Most likely, it might just be heavily injured, healing and biding its time to return. Regardless, it hasn''t disrupted things as they are, and most have forgotten about it, a thought that just goes to the back of the mind."


    "The reason I wanted to tell you all of this is to truly understand how dangerous Hybrids are, and why it''s not surprising that Dame is now able to even go against Murkel. It feels as if I''m seeing a repeat of the past."


    They certainly felt that way and were thankful now that the Dame they were looking at only had a strange ck substance and scales surrounding his beast and transformed parts.


    Yet, it was quite clear he felt much stronger than Amir. Even among the colors of the Hybrids, they were sure to have differences in their strength. That was when a thought clicked in Beatrix''s mind.


    "You said that it was a Hybrid that came and attacked, not a beast. Doesn''t that mean it was linked to a person, linked to a warrior of the past? I''m assuming the strength of the beast has to be linked to the warrior in some way, right? So who was the warrior?" Beatrix asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "I don''t know much about why certain colors appear on the Hybrids; that might be information that only those below know about. I don''t know if an individual needs to be strong or not, but you are right."


    "A very skillful warrior had be a Hybrid, a warrior from the Dark Faction."

 Chapter 695 Fighting Till No One Can Stand

    Chapter 695 Fighting Till No One Can Stand


    Despite everything that was going on with Murkel, the other fights were still taking ce, and they were too intense for the fighters to pay attention to anything else.


    The Crimson Crane members couldn''t help but worry about Alba, knowing fully well that she was up against one of the most difficult opponents.


    In particr, Kizer, Lilly, and Reno were engaged in a fierce battle with Suzan, who was using no weapons. Kizer swung hisrge sword, and Suzan met it with a strong kick in the air. She continued using more force, and the flowing water Qi pushed the sword down even though she didn''t continue with her foot. Then, with her leg still in the air, she kicked the spear thrust forward by Lilly. The kick was forceful, and again the visual Qi continued on.


    Even though the leg still wasn''t making contact, the Qi from the kick continued pushing the weapon out of the way.


    This was unexpected for Reno, who had dived in with both of his hands glowing green. He went to deliver a blow with the palm of his hand, but Suzan quickly hopped off her leg and jumped, lifting it up in the air and kicking it down.


    Reno''s hands were swung to the floor, and before he knew it, a big kick was delivered into his stomach. Shortly after, she kicked both Kizer on the shoulder and Lilly in the stomach, sending all three of them skidding across the ground.


    Although the hits weren''tpletely devastating since they hadrge amounts of Qi as well, they were still clearly outmatched and outskilled in this situation.


    "This is ridiculous!" Kizer shouted. "There are three of us, and just one of her! We should be the quickest of the group to deal with the situation and then get rid of her!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As Kizer finished saying his words out of frustration, Lilly charged forward. Her spear was powered with her Qi.


    When getting close, she thrust it forward at an incredible speed. Each attack seemed toe off faster than the one before it.


    "Lilly''s really going all out right now; we have to back her up," Kizer said, holding his sword.


    "Wait, we have toe up with a n. While Lilly has her on the back foot, we need to figure out a way to do this!" Reno said.


    Kizer listened and decided to take a step back for a second. He knew everything they were doing so far wasn''t working, and they couldn''t just keep doing the same thing.


    On top of that, there was the caveat with his weapon. Each time he used a technique, he wouldn''t be able to use it again. So it felt like as the fight went on, he would be getting weaker and weaker.


    In the middle of the flurry produced by Lilly, Suzan was avoiding all of the attacks. When she saw gaps, she would shift her feet and deliver a kick to the face.


    Lilly pushed through this, seemingly unfazed, and continued to push forward. However, this was clearly not working. Once in a while, she would get kicked in the face again and again.


    Suzan was finding gaps and more openingspared to before. The amount of hits delivered on Lilly''s face now made it quite swollen. Her lip was busted up, and blood was trickling down, but she still continued.


    "Hey, have you used that head of yours to make a n yet? Because I''m starting to get really angry," Kizer said, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the sword even harder than before.


    He continued to watch carefully, observing how Suzan moved, how she thought, but even more so, he was observing the stter of blooding from Lilly''s disfigured face.


    The kicks continued, and finally, it was to the point that Lilly''s hands felt weak. She slightly let go of the grip on her spear, and she wavered for a moment, nearly dipping out of consciousness.


    Seeing this, Suzan bent her knee slightly and swung her leg out like a whip. A trail of water followed and crashed right into the side of Lilly''s head.


    Blood sttered out from her mouth, and Lilly''s body moved in the direction of the kick until her face fell to the floor.


    "I''ll do something," Lilly said as her consciousness was fading. "I''ll help, even without a weapon of my own¡­" her voice trailed off.


    "That''s it, I''m going in!" Kizer shouted.


    Reno couldn''t formte a n quickly enough. From observing, he thought he could see an opening, but instead, he saw nothing. He dide up with one idea, one that he thought could work.


    "Alright, just keep her busy and make sure she can''t use her hands and legs!" Reno shouted as he came forward.


    "That''s your big n? That''s what you came up with?" Kizer shouted as he geared up a technique. He ced the sword by his side, and then in a sh, he struck his sword through the air.


    Visually, it looked as if the sky was actually cut and split, but it hit nothing, as Suzan had avoided it by bending below the sh. She was quite flexible and nimble.


    In the first ce, Kizer''s goal was just to get her away from Lilly. Then right after, he continued trying to attack Suzan on the back foot.


    "Let''s do this!" Kizer said as he swung his sword, using technique after technique.


    Everything almost looked like a repeat of what had urred with Lilly and Suzan. She was avoiding all of the attacks, but she was unable to find an opening.


    Although Kizer was slow, when he used his techniques, the strikes were powerful and fast. It was taking everything out of her just to follow the attacks.


    ''This man is using technique after technique, and each of them is powerful. If I get hit by one of these, I''ll be done for! How is he able to strike from one attack to the other so soon?''


    In the middle of these thoughts, she felt something mp onto her back. Reno had jumped,tched on, and wrapped his arms around her neck, as well as his legs under her waist.


    "What is this!" Suzan shouted. "This isn''t even a Pagna technique. This is an embarrassment!"


    Kizer still didn''t have a clue what Reno was trying to do or his n, but he decided that he would continue swinging his sword and stop her from using her arms and legs to fight, or at least to get Reno off.


    Even with someone on her back, she was just as nimble as before, avoiding attacks bit by bit. Then that was when she could finally see Kizer slowing down.


    Jumping in the air, she then kicked Kizer in the face, making it swollen. Kizer went to move his sword, but it felt extremely heavy.


    "I''m not good for this stuff. I''m much more of a heavy hitter than this!"


    Now that Kizer was tired, there were a lot more hits for Suzan to take advantage of. She kicked the back of his leg, lowering him down, and then went to kick Kizer''s head, but that''s when her attackpletely missed.


    "What the¡­" Suzan''s vision was slightly blurry, and she had no idea why. Not just that, but nearly all of her senses were dulling, and the control of her body was starting to fade.


    "It''s you, isn''t it? You, who''s on my back, the poison Qi user. You''re putting it directly into my bloodstream, no wonder!" Suzan shouted.


    Kizer, hearing this, was getting a second wind. Now he knew Reno''s n. His poison was strong, but against a talented and high-level Qi user, simple attacks weren''t going to affect her much.


    So he directly needed to make contact with her and focus on just pouring his poisonous Qi into her.


    When Kizer went to attack, she hit him clearly in the stomach.


    "You''re a big, slow-moving target. I can get to you even without having to see!" Suzan imed. "As for you on my back, it''s time to suffocate!"


    The Qi activated all over her body, and she was burning like amp. As the Qi surrounded her, it surrounded a particr area and focused on just Reno''s head.


    Now he felt like he was trapped underwater. His sound was dulled, and even more so, he was unable to breathe.


    "Let''s just see how long you can hold out, you, the big guy, or me!" Suzan imed.


    She continued to hit Kizer, kicking him from side to side, hitting his face. Kizer wasn''t even picking up his sword anymore and was just being knocked around like a rag doll.


    As he was hit, he finally fell down to one knee.


    "Reno, I can''t even force myself to use any more skills. I''ve used them all up, so beat this woman."


    Suzan now could only see arge blur in front of her. She knew who her targets were, but she was seriously being affected by what was in her bloodstream right now.


    ''This was a lot more annoying than I thought. I wonder if he went up against these three, if he would have the same amount of trouble.'' Suzan thought to herself as she felt a great weight let go from her back.


    Finally, Reno couldn''t take it anymore, and when he fell to the floor, he could finally breathe as the Qi was no longer suffocating him.


    "Figures, I''m the one standing in the end. Now let''s get this poison out of my¡ª" Suzan stopped mid-sentence as she saw a pointed spear going right through her chest.


    "I bet you didn''t see that one, b*tch. I told them I would do something even without one of his weapons." Lilly said, as she let go of the spear and fell to the floor again.

 Chapter 696 A Wifes Gift

    Chapter 696 A Wife''s Gift


    While Lilyy on the floor, she was drifting in and out of consciousness. She had been badly hurt, taking more blows to the head than she should have done during her fight. She knew she needed to pull back, that her strength was waning in the fight, but she continued on regardless. She had an idea of what Reno was doing, why he and Kizer didn''te forward, so she wanted to help at least a little.


    It was these thoughts that had kept her going and continuing to thrust the spear even after exhaustion. As the only one without a weapon made by the Dark Magus, she felt like the weak point in the entire group. She had to admit that, so she wanted to at least do something for them, rather than just get in their way or to be someone they needed to worry about.


    The thing was, she hadsted even shorter than she thought she would against Suzan, ultimately making her feel like she had done nothing.


    ''I need to do something... I need to... something... anything.''


    It started slowly; all she needed to do was get herself up from the ground, and she did bit by bit. After that, she needed to find her target.


    However, she couldn''t strike because she saw that Reno was on Suzan''s back.


    When he finally fell, that was her chance, her opportunity, and she decided to take it. Gathering thest of her strength, she thrust the spear perfectly through Suzan''s heart.


    One of the strongest members to ever exist in the Flowing Force n was defeated just like that. Due to the poison running through her body, Suzan''s senses weren''t even aware of Lily''s presence, and Lily didn''t have much of a presence, walking around half-dead.


    "I did it..." Lily smiled as she fell back to the ground.


    ---


    Rayna was going against the man known as Wendart. He was a skilled swordsman who had reached the top of the academy, bing one of the best teachers among the students.


    Rayna herself was using a spear, employing the special techniques of the Neverfall n. The two had been shing quite evenly, exchanging blows with neither side gaining the upper hand.


    Once again, Wendart deflected the spear and went to strike at Rayna''s face, but she managed to use her leg to kick the sword right by Wendart''s hand and thrust forward, with Wendart jumping back in time to reposition himself.


    "Using your foot? I thought you were a spearman?" Wendart asked. "I guess I should expect someone from the Demonic n to use such methods."


    "Every n is different with how they use their arts, and the n I am from, the Neverfall n, was never a n that specialized in spear techniques in the first ce, so I have toe up with a few things on my own."


    After finishing these words, Rayna went in for a strike again. Wendart struck his sword with equal force, and the power of Qi shing rippled through the air.


    "You are skilled, you are strong, but you are rushing for some reason. What is it? Are you worried about them?" Wendart asked, keeping track of where her eyes went.


    They lingered toward Raze. There wasn''t anyone around him, but due to all the fights going on, at any point and time, someone coulde next to him.


    On top of that, she was sure that the Qi vibrating through the air due to all the fights would be disturbing Raze quite a bit.


    "Oh, so it''s him. But let me tell you, rushing your fight is a bad idea, not when you''re going against someone like me. I am the n head of one of the top ns just outside the major five ns in the Dark Faction!"


    Wendart skimmed his sword, pushing forward against the spear, and with a burst of Qi, he then rushed and struck toward Rayna''s head.


    She managed to pull back, but the tip of the sword made a cut across her cheek. Jumping back several times, she ced her hand on her cheek, feeling the small amount of blood. She slowly ced her index finger on the wound and smeared it across her cheek.


    "One of the strongest ns outside of the top five, and that''s something you''re proud of?" Rayna asked.


    She carefully steadied herself and let out a deep breath. She then focused her gaze and looked at her opponent again.


    Right after, she charged in once more, but this time, things were different. Her Qi surged through her body with each step, all of it steady and contained at a low level.


    It wasn''t rash and wild, swinging out, and Wendart could feel this.


    "I am from the Neverfall n!" Rayna imed as she went in and struck from above.


    Wendart blocked the attack, but as soon as the spear and his sword collided, a burst of powerful Qi made the attack feel that much heavier.


    Right after, he could see her following up with another attack.


    "I''m from one of the top ns in the Demonic Faction, and let me tell you, inside our n, there are plenty of people stronger than you!"


    Rayna then jumped up in the air and spun her body. Rather than using the spear to thrust, she was using it more like a staff.


    With the spin and added power, the attack was faster than Wendart could react, and the side of the spear mmed into his ribs.


    He could immediately tell that they were broken. As his body was about to be flung to the side, Rayna quickly pulled the spear back and thrust it forward, piercing Wendart''s thigh.


    The spear continued on until it stuck into the ground, and Raynapletely let go of the spear.


    Now she was just using her fists and delivered a heavy punch right to the side of his face, knocking out a few of his teeth in the process.


    "If I couldn''t beat someone like you, who''s not even in the top five, then I don''t deserve to be part of the Neverfall n. Because there are people far stronger than you everywhere." Rayna pulled Wendart''s head and then punched him directly in the face again, knocking him outpletely.


    She pulled her spear out of his leg, and shortly after, she started to drag the body of Wendart along the floor. He was still alive but badly hurt and still unconscious.


    The fight was clearly over between the two of them, and the Light Faction n watching it knew it as well.


    "The fights have been rough on both sides... mostly," Ricarmented after seeing what Rayna had just done.


    "Yeah, both sides have taken heavy blows. Although we could consider some groups winners and losers, it looks like regardless of the oue of the fight, they are no longer able to fight anyway," Beatrix added.


    "What does that mean, though? Doesn''t that mean one side is still beating the other?" Hannah asked.


    "This isn''t like the martial arts tournament, where whoever wins can safely go home and im to be the victor," Ricar added. "In this situation, whoever is left standing will decide to finish off the others.


    "Which means the fate of everyone who is fighting is in the hands of the final few. They will decide the ending oue of the fight."


    This was why Ricar thought what Raze was doing was rtively smart. Everyone was weakening as they continued to fight, and all he had to do was y clean-up, just like he had done against Arkon. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If he did this, there would be a chance that they could beat all of the Dark Faction. The real question was, then, for them as observers, what was it that they would do?


    ---


    Rayna continued to drag the body of Wendart across. At one point, he regained consciousness and could feel his legs being dragged, but Rayna quickly dealt with that by hitting him at the back of the neck again.


    Eventually, she reached where she wanted to be and was now directly in front of Raze. She then threw the body right down in front of him.


    "I know you''re busy cultivating energy right now, but I thought I would help you out a bit," Rayna said.


    Those words caused Raze to open his eyes and see Wendart right in front of him.


    "Use him," Rayna said as she knelt down and lifted Wendart''s bloody face. "Use the extraction technique on him and restore the Qi that you need.


    "If that''s not enough, then use some of my energy. I can take it. In the meantime, I''ll protect you from anything thates your way," Rayna said as she stood up and turned around.


    Raze looked at the warrior in front of him. A strong warrior indeed, and if the extraction technique was used, he certainly would regain his energy.


    ''Maybe I''ll be back in this fight sooner than I thought.''

 Chapter 697 Stronger Ambition

    Chapter 697 Stronger Ambition


    Raze opened his eyes from his cultivation, focusing on restoring both his magic and his Qi. He had been switching between the two, channeling them equally. He had a reason for doing this. In his current state, he wasn''t better than those they were fighting against using just his magic alone or just his Pagan warrior powers. The only way he could reach their level was bybining the two, rather than focusing on one art. So even if he could only fight for a shorter amount of time, he would take this over just focusing on one. Now, right in front of him, there was a chance to speed up his progress.


    He looked up at Rayna, who had already turned around, hiding her slightly red, flushed cheeks. Having people to help him wasn''t something he was used to.


    ''It took a lot for me to go through with this n in the first ce, to trust that the Crimson Crane woulde by my side and fight.


    ''I''m not their leader, like Alba was, and even though she is trying to use me...was it worth going against the Dark Faction for?''


    Out of everyone, at least Raze could understand the Crimson Crane. What he couldn''t understand was Rayna''s actions.


    ''She has no reason to help me; she had no reason to be here other than tomit to the fake marriage. Yet she came here to fight and now has given me a gift like this. She''s a good woman, but one who would be better off with someone else.''


    Regardless, Raze ced both of his hands on Wendart, who was on the ground in front of him, and started the extraction technique.


    The veins on his hands were showing, and the energy was flowing through him. It had been a long time since he had used the extraction technique on someone and wasn''t in such a rush.


    When in the middle of battle, he used it as a way to continue fighting, so there was a lot of waste when he absorbed the energy of those he took.


    Now, he closed his eyes and could focus it, going through the pores of his fingertips and heading straight and directly into his Dantian.


    He was taking everyst bit of life force and wasn''t letting any of it go to waste.


    As Wendart could feel his energy being drained away from him, he opened his eyes and stared directly into the white-haired young man.


    "You have no idea what you are doing, or who you''re up against," Wendart managed to speak, but he was too hurt, and the energy being drained from him was too much to do anything to Raze to try and stop what was happening.


    Wendart continued to look into Raze''s eyes, which didn''t flinch in taking his life.


    "The one who will win this is the one whose ambition is stronger. You and your friends are fighting to survive, but Murkel has a far greater ambition that drives him¡ªto rule all of Pagna and reach the Divine Realm... you won''t be able to beat him with your petty ambition."


    When Raze looked down, he could see Wendart''s skin and muscle structure start to shrivel up. This is when he knew a person''s lifespan was at an end.


    Using the extraction technique for a short while would simply take the Qi in one''s Dantian; it was only when going past this stage once emptied that it would take a person''s life force.


    Which was why taking part of Rayna''s would be fine as well.


    Still, after hearing these words, just for a moment, Raze slowed down the extraction technique and looked directly at Wendart. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You have no idea what my goals are. You have no idea what I would do to achieve them," Raze stated. "Murkel simply wants to rule Pagna and get to the Divine Realm.


    "For my goal, I won''t stop at anything¡ªthe Light Faction, the Demonic Faction, the Dark Faction. If all of them are in the path, blocking me from getting my revenge, then I will take out each one of them.


    "If my enemies run and hide in that Divine Realm, then I will bring the Divine Realm to my feet and crush every single one of them. This world of Pagna is simply in my way!"


    The extraction technique was in full force, absorbing more of Wendart, taking the veryst bit of his life. While listening to all the words spoken by Raze, Wendart looked directly into his eyes and could see an ambition that went beyond the Dark Faction leader.


    "Maybe...I was wrong after all." These were thest words spoken by Wendart.


    Rayna, who was standing close to the two of them to protect Raze from anything that woulde at him, had heard everything.


    ''Raze, you are holding arge amount of anger. I could feel it through your words. At your age, just what happened to you? This is no normal anger that would appear just from a simple revenge that would ur if one''s family died.


    ''Although those are strong feelings, these are stronger, and it almost feels like it''s a buildup of resentment over several years.''


    By absorbing Wendart, although it didn''t cause Raze''s Qi to expand and make him any stronger or closer to increasing his stage, it did refill his Qipletely, so there was no need for him to use Rayna''s Qi.


    "Do you need me?" Rayna asked.


    "If you could continue protecting me, that will be for the best," Raze said as he went to change his position to now concentrating on the Dark Faction''s cultivation technique.


    Now he would need to absorb the Dark Magic into his core. As he was doing this, the lingering dark mist appeared from Wendart''s body.


    It was a mist that was only visible to mages with a Dark Core, as one of the requirements to increase one''s affinity with Dark Magic was causing the death of others.


    The special trait of the cursed ring that Raze had created was going to work, nowbined with the special single ring that he had obtained.


    The magic was fading in and had entered his ring and went straight to his Mana core. At that point, Raze could feel his mana core pulsate, along with his heart.


    A burst of magic had gone through him. He could feel it spreading and swirling around.


    ''Is this what I think it is?'' Raze thought.


    Closing his eyes, he had to focus on it one more time, and when he felt the rings that would equate to stars forming and swirling around his heart, he could feel it.


    ''It is. Right now, my heart¡ªno, my mana core¡ªis forming another star. I''m going from a 4-star mage and turning into a 5-star mage. Going to another star, might take a little longer and more Dark Magic, as Raze didn''t quite expect this, and he could feel it was on the cusp of breaking through but he needed to do this.


    ''This might be exactly what I need to have the strength to defeat the others.''


    "I might take a bit longer, but I promise you that I will defeat the Dark Faction!" Raze imed, giving his order as he focused on himself.

 Chapter 698 The Power Of A System

    Chapter 698 The Power Of A System


    Lin and Lulu were two Pagna warriors who were indistinguishable from each other; it was clear they were twins, and each of them were as strong as the other. This wasn''t good news for the opponents they would be going against.


    Anna had picked up a sword from one of the dead on the ground and was now using it to fend off against one of the Pagna warriors. She was using mainly techniques from the Light Faction.


    "Half Moon Block, Saber Strike, the Crescent Falls!" Anna said to herself with each move.


    Her attacker was using a metal fan as her weapon, swinging it fast and fiercely. Lulu would open and close the fan, opening it up when using it more defensively to block attacks and closing it to use it more like a sword.


    The two were continuously shing, and from the look on Lulu''s face, Anna could tell she was getting annoyed.


    "What''s wrong?" Anna replied back. "Is everything you''re doing not working? Well, that''s a shame, right?"


    Another strike came forward, and with a half-moon block, Anna swung and hit the fan again. Once in a while, she would attack, but Lulu could tell that something felt off about the attacks, almost as if they weren''t fullymitted.


    She blocked another strike and then heard a screaming from her side.


    "That kid is useless," Anna said. "He is not deserving of the system. Why would it be handed to someone like him?"


    While Anna was going up against Lulu, Liam was going up against Lin. Unlike Anna, who was able to block strikes and have an even fight, the same couldn''t be said for Liam. He was using the skills rmended by the system, but it wasn''t enough in their fight. As he blocked certain attacks, the Qi from Lin''s strikes would overpower Liam.


    In the end, his arm had been knocked away, along with one of his swords skidding across the ground. Right then, he went to block another strike of his own ord but was too slow, and the metal fan had struck right into his thigh.


    Quickly, Lin pulled the fan out and then spread it, flicking the blood onto the floor.


    "You might have done well against the Light Faction student, but that''s all they are¡ªstudents. I can tell you''re still in the initial stage. No matter what moves you can copy, you won''t be able to beat me with just that alone." Lin charged forward; she wanted to finish the fight quickly.


    Seeing this, Liam reached out his hand and used the special effect to draw both of his weapons in. It reached his hand, but it was too slow. Lin had already moved her fan, aiming to strike and bash his head in.


    Just before it reached, a sword was thrown and struck the fan. It was a fierce throw that caused Lin''s entire arm to jerk back and miss the targetpletely.


    When Liam looked at who had thrown the sword, he could see Anna had allowed the fan to cut through her arm. It had stopped around an inch in, having cut through her clothing, and blood was dripping down her forearm. While in her other hand, there was no longer a sword.


    "I need answers from you, so stop messing around and losing your fight. You only have one person to deal with," Anna shouted.


    After saying those words, a red light could be seen underneath her clothing. She quickly pushed through the metal fan and then started to strike at Lulu.


    She delivered powerful punches at fast speeds, yet there were no Qi strikes, only the sound of heavy fists hitting the fan each time a strike was blocked.


    After saying those words, a red light could be seen underneath her clothing. She quickly pushed through the metal fan and then started to strike at Lulu.


    She delivered powerful punches at fast speeds, yet there were no Qi strikes, only the sound of heavy fists hitting the fan each time a strike was blocked.


    Lulu eventually became frustrated and went to strike with her fan again, but in the middle of her strike as her arm was raised up, Anna was already on the inside. She hit her wrist, avoiding the fanpletely, and with another fist, struck her straight in the stomach.


    A heavy hit caused Lulu to be knocked off her feet and skid across the ground.


    "The system, although clever, is still ultimately directed by you," Anna said. "It''s something that is constantly learning. If you''re going up against an opponent you have never faced before, then do what you can to learn everything your opponent can do. Learn their skill set and moves, and then the system can adjust to fight back even better than before." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "You are a warrior with Qi and the system, and it seems you''re just using your Qi to fight, and not the powers of the system."


    Liam was wondering what she meant by that. It was clear this woman was the same as him, but the power of the system with no Qi? If Anna was using no Qi, how did she just send a middle-stage warrior flying like that?


    Thankfully, Lin, who was going up against Liam, was worried about her sister and jumped to her side. Although the attack was a clean hit, it wasn''t that bad.


    "She''s telling the truth," Lulu said as she took a deep breath. "There was no Qi in that strike, which is why my internals are fine. This is like fighting against a human beast with strong powers. I don''t know how she''s so strong with no Qi."


    Anna moved over toward Liam at this point as well.


    "You should know right; a lot of your body, it''s no longer human," Anna exined. "Just look at your leg."


    The wound on Liam''s leg had healed; it wasn''t going to affect him like before, and it was the same as Anna''s arm¡ªit had healedpletely as well.


    The healing speed was almost just as fast as the Hybrids, only they weren''t hybrids; something else was going on in their bodies.


    "The mainponents of your body still exist," Anna continued to exin. "However, you and I arepletely different."


    "I am not from this world; therefore, I am not able to use Qi. Yet you, young man, are a person from the world of Pagna with the system.


    "I don''t know the effect that Qi will have on the nanobots in your body, but if it can strengthen me like this¡ª"


    Anna rolled up her arm and showed the red glow that was appearing on part of her body. It ran down several parts of her arm.


    Seeing the glow, Liam remembered the man who was with him; he also had all these strange glowing points on him. Although he was also wearing a strange robotic flexible type of suit unlike Anna.


    "Maybe with your Qi, you have the potential to grow even stronger than me... but I predict that is far in the future."


    Now that the two twins were okay, both of them looked ready to attack, and although Liam was interested in learning more, it hadn''t helped him.


    "Stronger in the future is not stronger now. Even if I analyze all of their movements, I''m just not strong enough to block their Qi," Liam said.


    "I didn''t want to do this, but we''ll just have to work together." Anna ced her hand on Liam''s shoulder, and that''s when he could see a message appear.


    [A fellow System user would like to connect]


    [Do you ept?]

 Chapter 699 Combine The System

    Chapter 699 Combine The System


    The system had acted strangely with Liam in many ways. He still hadn''t gotten the hang of a voice being in his head, and at times it truly felt as if he was having a conversation with another person.


    He had asked about how things worked, and in general, as he went through life as a warrior, the system would in turn exin things back to him.


    Yet this was the first time such a message hade up, and he had no idea what to do or what it meant.


    "Connect, what does connecting do?" Liam asked out loud.


    Right then, Lulu and Lin were both charging toward them, and despite the hit from Anna, they were both still in rtively strong condition.


    "These guys, they''re about as strong as the pirs from the Behemoth n. It took a lot to go up against them as well. This is going to be hard," Anna said to herself as she looked at Liam. "Just connect already. Do you want to die?"


    Lin then jumped in the air, and for a moment, Lulu stopped. Right after, she kicked Lin''s foot, allowing her to boost off ande toward the two like a rocket.


    Immediately, Anna pulled Liam back and ced both of her hands forward. The red glow underneath her skin shined brightly as she shoved her hands forward, creating a small beam of energy.


    The beam of energy hit the fan dead on, and the energy was now rippling against the fan. The powers seemed somewhat equal.


    ''I don''t like using my energy this way. It''s a powerful way to create external energy that can be on the same level as these warriors, but it also drains energy from me the quickest.''


    "Did you forget about me?" Lulu said, as she lifted her knee and mmed it into Anna''s stomach. The hit was hard and heavy, but Anna was rtively heavy, so she hardly moved.


    It didn''t matter though, as it gave an opportunity for both of the sisters to strike. One attacked from above with her hands, and Anna would block the strike, allowing the other to use her metallic fan to strike Anna.


    The metallic fan was hitting and cutting around a centimeter deep into Anna''s skin. Marks were being made and blood was being drawn, but the skin was also seen healing at the same time.


    "This person is tough!" Lin imed. "We need to do more if we want to crush them."


    Liam was watching the whole thing. Now that the two of them were focused on Anna, she was unable to keep up.


    [If your fellow system user keeps going like this, there is a 90 percent chance she will lose.]


    ''But won''t your nano machines just keep on healing her, and she will eventually find an opening, right?''


    [After gathering data on the martial arts, the martial arts that these two Pagna warriors use are superior to most of the techniques that you have seen.]


    [The martial arts can also not be copied on a one-to-one basis due to the user''s condition. At the moment, the system cannote up with a way to win.]


    "But you said that there''s only a 90 percent chance of losing, right? That means there is something that can be done?" Liam asked.


    [The system can only base situations on what the system knows. There are factors that can be added that can change the fight.]


    [Whether it''s a weakness of the attackers or a strength of the two of you.]


    For a moment, Liam thought about running away. He was useless in the fight anyway. If he had helped the others, maybe someone else coulde and help Anna. That would be much better for her.


    Yet for some reason, Anna was doing a lot to help him out, and she was the only one that knew the strange secret about himself.


    Although he wasn''t sure it would help, he at least wanted to do something.


    "System, Connect."


    A slight tingle was felt in Liam''s brain at that point, and it was the same for Anna.


    ''Took you long enough,'' she thought as she blocked a hit and then forced the fan to go into her shoulder, avoiding a fatal blow from the other.


    [System is initializing. Information is being shared by the two system users. Formting best use of n.]


    It was right then and there that Liam could see it. He had thrown his sword at full strength. It went through the air, and Lin had avoided the strike. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As she had done at the perfect time, Anna struck her, hitting her right across her face. Lulu came forward with the metal fan, and that was when Anna managed to grab the sword that had been thrown and blocked the attack.


    Lulu was amazed. She didn''t understand. How could she predict everything that was about to happen? How did she utilize the weapon that was thrown by the other person?


    None of it made sense. Then, throwing the sword up in the air, Anna started to strike at Lulu, and before she knew it, she felt a sword strike right against her back with two swords.


    Liam had sessfully delivered a cut right across her back.


    "You!" Lulu turned around.


    However, Liam ignored her and continued to run forward, going for Lin, while Anna then delivered a heavy punch right to Lulu''s face.


    While Liam went to block a strike, his arms still swung out of the way as Lin had overpowered him, but it was all the time Anna needed. She pulled him by his clothes back just in time, then went forward and shot out a beam of energy from her hand, hitting Lin in the stomach.


    "What is this?" Liam asked, amazed by how the situation was turning around.


    "This is what the system can do, and what you can do with multiple system users," Anna exined.


    Connecting the systems allowed the two of them to share information in multiple ways. The system could process what both users could see, and what both users could do.


    It coulde up with situations to utilize both of them rather than individuals, and now without having ever worked together, both of them could work perfectly.


    This was one of the things from the Red Fortis army, one of the most difficult armies to deal with on Tronzo, where Anna was from.


    A special unit of system users that could work together. In war, on the battlefield, or as a special unit of individuals, connecting more system users made them an unstoppable force.


    There were few things that could take them down, especially if their leader Zon was present. The strongest of the Red Fortis Army.


    Right now, the only link Anna had to him and to getting back to Tronzo was Liam, so she would do anything she could to protect him.


    After the two twins had been hit a couple of times, trying to attack, they had a frustrated look on their faces, at least at first.


    The two of them had gathered again, and arge smirk appeared on their faces.


    "We are one of the reasons as to why the Tulip n rose to its position, and now we will show you how we got rid of every man that existed in our n!" Lin and Lulu both said at the exact same time

 Chapter 700 Distress Signal

    Chapter 700 Distress Signal


    With the system connected, Liam felt confident in his and his partner''s abilities. After all, they now had a veteran on their side to help them win this battle. The only issue was that Liam didn''t fully understand who they were up against.


    Even among the Dark Faction and the group of people Murkel had brought with him today, many didn''t know much about each other or the strength they held.


    The only one who had some idea was Murkel himself. He hadn''t directly fought with everyone under him. At times, one could evaluate who would win without a fight.


    There were other times when some would still test the waters, and Murkel would have to show his strength.


    In Murkel''s mind, he had brought everyone for a reason, and the twins from the Tulip n were no different. He wasn''t worried about them for a very particr reason.


    Both Lin and Lulu then held hands, and something strange was urring, something that the system couldn''t quite see.


    Right after, Lin swung her sister Lulu, and as they let go, Lulu picked up immense speed, traveling right toward Anna, the metal fan pointed out.


    Quickly, Anna lifted her hand, and Liam came in to help, but he was too slow to do anything.


    Anna was no longer using the sword she had picked up because she was focusing on the strength that her system and machine-like body would give her.


    She lifted her hand again, ready to st the attack ahead. Energy beamed out from her hand, but when it hit the metal fan, the powerful surge of Qipletely deflected it.


    The fan continued forward and pierced right through Anna''s hand from one side to the other, almost as if there was no resistance at all.


    Immediately, Lulu pulled out the fan and then swung it at Anna''s hand that was going for a strike. It waspletely knocked out of the way.


    Anna quickly tried to fire two sts out of her hand, but faster than before, Lulu knocked them away, and the sts ended up hitting the ground.


    She burst forward, opened up the fan, and swung it, cutting up part of Anna''s body bit by bit. Anna was on the defensive, and she wouldn''t be able to keep this up for much longer.


    ''How? How can this be?'' Anna thought. ''We weren''t that much different in strength, but suddenly she''s gotten a whole lot stronger.''


    While Lulu was fighting against Anna, Lin decided to get in the way of Liam. The two were fighting against each other.


    "I need to help, so get out of my way!" Liam threw his weapons up in the air and charged forward using fist techniques.


    Right after using fist techniques, with the juggling arts, he grabbed both of his swords and managed to deal a heavy blow.


    All of the attacks were blocked, but the attacks seemed to strain Lin as she stopped them.


    ''What''s going on?'' Liam thought. ''Am I fighting a lot better now that the system is connected? Did it give me some type of boost in strength?''


    [Negative, it appears your opponent has gotten weaker.]


    Liam was about to retort back to the system, thinking it was making fun of him, but when he blocked a strike with a single hand from Lin, he realized that it was true.


    There would be no way he could block a strike from a middle-stage warrior.


    "What did you do?" Liam couldn''t help but ask, and he could see arge smirk appear just behind the fan as it was lowered in view.


    "What, you don''t like the fact that the two of us are fighting on equal grounds? Would you rather fight me like we were fighting before?" Lin asked.


    She continued to strike, and the two of them seemed to be even as they blocked and countered each other''s strikes. Yet Lin didn''t appear nervous at all.


    Once in a while, loud crashing bangs and slight grunts of pain could be heard from behind, and it wasn''ting from the other sister.


    The two sisters were certainly unique, having special constitutions with both of them being twins.


    Both were middle-stage warriors around the middle level. They were skilled and strong, but what made them deadly was something special to them that only they could do.


    Temporarily, one could lend the other their Qi. It would make one of the sisters weaker while growing the other in strength, making them have the power of a high middle-stage warrior.


    They had passed on just enough Qi to keep Liam busy while Lulu dealt with the more troublesome one.


    "Enough ying games, it''s time to end it!" Lulu said as she spun her body and swung her fan out. Arge wave of power hit Anna, and then a force greater than she felt before hit her like a house.


    She was lifted off her feet. The blow felt like it was crushing her internals, and she was pushed back, crashing right into the arena wall.


    She fell on the ground, blood spilling from her mouth, and was unable to move. It would take a long time for her body to recover from this.


    Yet, she still managed to move her head as she looked at the young boy.


    "He''s dead," Anna said. "And now my only lead to Zon will be gone."


    Liam looked at Lin, who still had the strange smirk on her face, and when she backed away, now right in front of him was Lulu.


    He went to strike forward, but Lulu knocked his hand. It felt like a small tap. With just that alone, a cracking noise was heard, and now his arm appeared to be bent out in a different way.


    Right after, she lifted her leg and mmed it on top of his shoulder, popping it out and sending Liam to the floor.


    "You two needed to get off your high horse. We are the Dark Faction. We didn''t get to this position by losing to the likes of you," Lulu said as she readied her fan and started to pour Qi into it.


    At the same time though, a ringing pain was starting to be felt at the back of Liam''s neck.


    [Distress Signal has been sent.]N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 701 A Red Call

    Chapter 701 A Red Call


    Anna had been struck extremely hard by the fan that Lulu had used. She knew there were strong people among Pagna warriors, and being strong herself, she was used to relying on her body. However, it was the first time she had been dealt a hit like that. The Qi hadpletely gone through her, affecting not only her body but also the nano machines inside her.


    ''It''s a good thing that I''m still alive,'' Anna thought. ''As long as I''m alive, the nano machines will continue to be pumped through my body. They will need to repair themselves first, and after that, I''ll be back up again.''


    Lifting her head up, her chin propped on the hard ground, she looked ahead. Even though she would eventually be fine, there was a certain person who wouldn''t be. She could see Lulu, who had delivered the devastating blow to her, was now upon Liam. If she had barely survived an attack from Lulu, she was sure Liam would not be able to survive at all.


    ''That kid,'' Anna thought, coughing up blood. ''After I said all that about his body being special and him having these machines in his body, I thought he was going to do something.''


    Anna could see her blood moving slightly as if it were alive. It was a sign her body was trying to do something.


    ''I guess the opponent this time was too high of a level for him to do something. If I couldn''t do something, why would I rely on such a child? I guess I just thought if Zon was the one to give him the system, there would be a reason¡­ Why did you do such a thing, Zon? I don''t understand.''


    Her body wouldn''t heal fast enough to save the student, and now her only link to Zon would disappear. She could see Lulu holding her fan in her hand and gathering arge amount of energy, while Liam was on the floor with his arm broken to the side.


    As she continued to look ahead, she noticed something appearing above Liam''s head.


    ''What is that?''


    A red circle was being drawn in the sky just above. Both Lin and Lulu were too distracted by the student in front of them, and neither of them could sense any Qi to be aware. When the red circle was finished being drawn, a mystic blend of warping colors appeared in the center, and right after, a person dropped from above.


    Covered in a strange ck suit of armor with red energy beaming through different parts of his body and a sword in his hand, the man had practically dropped out of the sky. Effortlessly, as hended, he swung his sword.


    The sword was swung, and the mannded on the floor, the sword now covered in blood. On the ground, there was an arm with a fan beside it.


    "ARGHH!" Lulu screamed as she saw her arm was severed off. It was a clean cut. She didn''t understand. She had arge amount of Qi flowing through her body. Even a sword covered in sharp condensed Qi would have trouble cutting through her like that. Immediately, she and Lin jumped back, looking at the man.


    "Who are you?" Lulu shouted.


    Liam looked up at the person who hade through. He had seen him before, and in response, the man looked down at the student.


    "You seem to get yourself in a lot of trouble; it truly follows you everywhere," the man said. "I thought after I gave you the system, it would be a while until I was called again, yet here I am."


    Zon then started to look around, assessing the situation, the fights taking ce, and the white-haired mage in a meditative state.


    "I guess it was a good thing I came this time," Zon said to himself, and finally, his eyes met with Anna, who was far off in the distance.


    The two of them locked eyes for a moment, and the man blinked hard a few times. He then rubbed his eyes to make sure he was actually seeing what was in front of him. When he continued to look at the woman, he could see both of her eyes watering up.


    Anna was welling up. She was choking and wanted to run over, but her body wouldn''t let her. She knew exactly who this man was.


    ''Zon¡­ where have you been?'' she said to herself.


    "Who are you?" Lulu shouted again, demanding an answer.


    Seeing the situation and with her arm torn off, the two sisters thought there was only one thing they could do to turn the situation around.


    "Lulu, you''re injured. Give me your power, give me all of it. I have a feeling this man is dangerous," Lin ordered.


    Lulu agreed, and as they touched hands, the energy between them started to transfer. This time, though, rather than leaving just enough energy for one of them, Lulupletely copsed to the ground, giving all her power to Lin.


    The power was intense. When activating her Qi, the air rippled around her, and part of the arena floor was destroyed. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It doesn''t matter who you are, but you will regret taking us on. It doesn''t matter who gets in our way; we will take you out just like we have everyone else," Lin shouted.


    The man raised his sword, and the center of it started to glow red as well.


    Lin charged forward, running with Qi dragging through the air, distorting the entire area. The man waited patiently, and then when she was close, his whole body lit up red. Everything was activated in his body.


    Liam then saw it for a second time. Just like that, in a sh, the man disappeared and reappeared on the other side, and Lin''s body continued forward and fell to the floor with her head detached and rolling across the ground.


    "You could never defeat him," Anna said to herself. "Because he is Zon, leader of the Red Fortis Army."

 Chapter 702 Fellow Observers

    Chapter 702 Fellow Observers


    When Liam felt the pain on the back of his neck, memories shed in his head. He remembered feeling something simr when he thought his life was on the line. The only difference was that he was in another dimension at the time, and that''s when Zon hade to save him and implemented the system into him.


    The two of them didn''t talk much; they didn''t say a lot to each other at all, so Liam didn''t really know much about him. However, when he felt the pain in his neck again, he could guess what was happening, and this time, with the system, he had been given a hint with the distress signal that had been sent.


    He didn''t count on it, but when he saw the back of Zon and the arm that had fallen onto the floor, he was sure it was the same person as before.


    ''Last time he took out that strong Lethal Bite n member, and this time he''s done the same to the Tulip n member as well. Who is this person, and how are they so strong?'' Liam started to think. ''I''m guessing that this guy and that woman from before, both of them are from the same ce, but if we all have the same thing, if we all have this system, then why is he so much stronger than us?''


    A powerful middle-stage warrior had been killed in a simple and easy fashion. It was such a shocking feat that Lulu, who had just lost her sister, had fallen to her knees.


    "How can someone like this exist?" Lulu asked, tears rolling down both of her cheeks. She had no will to fight anymore. Nor did she have the energy after passing it all on to her fallen sister. With all the Qi she had given her, she should have been in the high levels of a middle-stage warrior. Possibly even a low-level stage 9, which would still be the peak of the middle stage. And yet she had been killed just like that.


    Zon, with the sword still held in his hand, began to walk forward, and he eventually stopped just short of Lulu, who was on the ground. She looked up and stared Zon in the face. She made a note of his strange appearance, one that didn''t look like a Pagna warrior. With everything she had seen, she hade to a conclusion that only made sense to her.


    "Are you from the Divine Realm?" she asked.


    Zon lifted his sword and ced it by her neck.


    "The limits of your world are not ced on someone like me. Those rules don''t apply. Unfortunately, if I was to let you live, you would do everything in your power toe back and get revenge. I''ve seen it happen time and time again and been used as the tool for other people''s vengeance. I will end the cycle here." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Effortlessly, Zon moved the de, and it went right through, causing one more head to fall to the ground.


    With that, a person who wasn''t even involved in the fight to begin with had caused it to end. Turning around, Zon then went up to Liam, who was on the floor. With a single hand, he lifted him and ced him over his shoulder.


    "You got hit pretty badly. I can tell because your arm hasn''t healed; it will be a while before it''s back to normal," Zon exined. "Thanks for saving me¡­ again," Liam said as if he were embarrassed. "I had an idea that this would happen. Business seemed to revolve around you, and I feel like the fact that there is a lot of danger around you means I made the right call."


    Jumping from his position, Zon had gone up high in the air andnded right in front of Anna. She was still on the floor, badly hurt. Just like with Liam, Zon ced his sword away by his side, then went and picked her up as well and ced her over his shoulder.


    "I didn''t expect to see you here of all ces," Zon said.


    "Same for you¡­ I''m finding it hard to believe. You have a lot of exining to do," Anna said.


    "I imagine it''s the same for you as well."


    Zon was then looking around the arena, deciding where to go, and Liam was taking a peek at the others that were still fighting as well.


    "Are you going to help them¡­ my friends?" Liam asked.


    "No," Zon replied, and jumped up in the air again, holding onto the two of them.


    Eventually, theynded, but this time, rather than on the arena ground, they were in the arena stands, and they weren''t just anywhere¡ªthey were around ten meters away from the Light Faction who were also watching everything unfold.


    Hannah and Beatrix were a bit taken aback. They had no idea of the strength of this person, and now he had justnded right in front of them.


    After looking at them for a few moments and cing both Anna and Liam down in the stands, they eased their guard a little when he looked away.


    "I think this is quite an interesting spot for us. The two of you need time to heal; you were hurt really badly. Anyone down there could take you out of this fight in an instant. So we will just observe for now," Zon answered.


    "There''s no need for you to protect us," Anna said. "We can look after ourselves. I think you should help them."


    "Help who exactly?" Zon replied. "I am not a person fighting for one side or the other. I am just someone who has more uses for one sidepared to the other. I don''t even know the current situation or why it is the way it is. I got involved because of him. Besides, this ce is too dangerous even for me, so if things go wrong, we need to back out."


    Anna remembered multiple times when Zon would say those words. When they appeared, their entire group in the past was in for an extremely tough fight. Always when those words were spoken, it meant bad news, but it made her question who Zon saw that made him think this way.

 Chapter 703 The Strength of the Top (Part 1)

    703 The Strength of the Top (Part 1)


    There were still a few fights taking ce in the arena. The Light Faction continued to keep their eyes on them all, not knowing what was going to ur.


    In the fights that had already taken ce, unexpected things had urred that the Light Faction could have never guessed.


    Unexpected variables had urred: hybrid beasts, people appearing out of portals, and there was Raze himself who had also interrupted one of the fights.


    What seemed like a clear win for one side kept changing, and now they had to assume that the same could happen again.


    There were four fights still going on. Tilon and Bargo were going up against the Moon Shield n head, Gavin.


    Then there was Simyon and Safa, who were going against the mysterious warrior that wasn''t affected by Qi.


    On top of that, both Mada and Ricktor were fighting against the leader of the Flowing Force n, Crine.


    All of the matchups would be extremely tough, especially for the young students who had next to no experience.


    Lastly, there was the fight bringing the most attention, and that was the fight involving Murkel.


    Both Alba and Amir were somewhat taking a back seat. They were jumping all over the ce, trying to push back or attack Murkel from behind when they got the chance.


    The reason they had to do this was because of the fierce battle taking ce between a transformed Dame and Murkel. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The fight was intense, with Dame chasing Murkel all over the arena. There were constant punchesing from Dame with his multiple limbs.


    He hadnded quite a few sessful hits, especially with the webbing from his mouth tying up Murkel''s hands from time to time.


    Dame was also using the special trait of his gauntlets, as he would hit Murkel from a distance, but that appeared to do the least amount of damage.


    "You are relying on your body too much, rather than using skill!" Murkel said as he swung his hand in arge circr motion.


    In doing so, his Dark Qi had gathered and almost left what looked like a small dark hole in the air.


    When Dame went to punch, even with his limbs that were above, he felt all of them being dragged into the direction of the Dark Qi, rather than his target, Murkel.


    Opening his mouth, he spat out the webbing, but Murkel spun his body, avoiding the attack, and then with his fist, hit Dame right in the stomach.


    As he was pushed and skidding across the floor, Murkel was sticking to him like glue. He grabbed one of his many arms and then chucked him up in the air.


    Murkel was ready to jump and deliver a stronger hit to try and finish the annoying Hybrid in his eyes, but before he did, both Alba and Amir came from both sides towards him.


    With both of his arms, he blocked the attack from both them, grabbing on to their des.


    "You two managed to recover, but all you''re doing is dying. You have no n to defeat me," Murkel said as he pulled both of them and jumped back.


    Dame hadnded back on the ground and charged forward towards Murkel again to start their exchange with each other once more.


    Both Amir and Alba were looking at each other. It was safe to say they both felt a bit useless in this situation.


    "What should we do?" Alba asked. "Do you have some sort of n for this?"


    "You mean you noticed it as well?" Amir said. "It seems that no matter what, Dame won''t be able to win this fight.


    "He had the element of surprise at first with his Hybrid form, but Murkel is now getting used to it. He''s able to get his timing down to draw hisrger limbs... and although he has been hurt a lot, for some reason it seems he isn''t as badly damaged as I thought."


    Alba couldn''t agree more. Amir and Alba were both feeling the aches and pains of their bodies from the fight. They were even losing out on their Qi, Amir less so due to his own Hybrid body.


    "Which means, at this rate, aren''t we going to lose this fight?" Alba questioned.


    That was when Amir looked around them. He was betting on all of the others. Out of all of these fights, someone had to be able to help them.


    Then there was Raze as well; if they could at least hold out for him.


    Off to the side, Ricktor had been keeping an eye on the fight going on between his father and Dame. It was a ce where he wanted to be, but based on everything he had seen so far, he thought he had made the right decision.


    ''I thought it was my fate to go up against him. I trained hard to best him, but I can tell that if I was to go up against him like that, there wouldn''t be much I could do in that situation.''


    Ricktor then took a step back along with Mada.


    ''Besides, there is something else we need to worry about, because the opponent in front of us is also incredibly strong.''


    Crine, the leader of the Flowing Force n, was letting his Qi flow out of him. As he had done so, the ground seemed to be turning into water. It reached far to the point where both Ricktor and Mada were now both standing in the water.


    The mind was ying tricks. They knew it was visual Qi, but it looked like water, and with a single step, it would ripple out.


    The scary part was, because it was Qi, both he and Mada could feel the strong power it had.


    ''This person is the leader of the second strongest n in the Dark Faction, and us two have to do something about him,'' Ricktor thought.


    The issue was, his partner by his side, Mada, was hardly able to stand now that he was face to face with his father.

 Chapter 704 The Strength of the Top (Part 2)

    704 The Strength of the Top (Part 2)


    Ricktor would be lying if he said he was optimistic about the fight that was about to take ce. After stepping into the water and the range of Crine''s visual Qi, he felt even less so.


    The fact of the matter was, Ricktor knew they would have to fight to get out of the situation sooner orter. It was why he had been training so hard. He just wished it wasn''t against the opponent in front of them and hoped for something else as well.


    Mada, who was by his side, a fellow student and a main disciple of the five major ns, had fallen to his knees. His whole body was shaking, and it was visibly seen in his arms.


    "I''m sorry," Mada said as he looked at Ricktor. "I don''t know what''s happened. I don''t understand. My body, it''s not listening to me."


    Mada was unsure if it was an effect of the visual Qi or just an effect of what had urred before in the Dark Faction viewing room. He thought he had ovee this, but due to feeling the Qi directly produced by Crine, he was now in the current situation he was in.


    "I just hope if it looks like I''m about to die, you cane and help me," Ricktor said, drawing his sword.


    He walked through the flowing water and then stood directly in front of Mada.


    "What a foolish mistake," Crinemented.


    Crine started to walk forward, and so did Ricktor. When they were both around five meters away from each other, Ricktor took a step to the side and began circling, and it looked like Crine did the same.


    "You are calmer than I expected. I thought you would be rushing off trying to attack me, but it looks like you''re looking for a chance," Crinemented and suddenly stopped.


    "Well, here''s your chance." Crine opened up both of his arms. "I promise you, you won''t get a better chance than now, in the first attack, so give it your best shot." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Crine''s words felt like bait. Ricktor knew this, but this was how n heads acted. They were overconfident about how they treated others, and in Crine''s eyes, Ricktor was nothing but a student.


    "Very well." Ricktor gathered his Qi in his hand and charged forward. With each step, explosive power could be seen like a rushing volcano.


    Part of the visual water Qi was also reacting as steam wasing from his steps. Then he charged forward with his sword thrusted. It was powerful, and Ricktor did as Crine suggested; he used his most powerful strike. Erupting Strike, and thrust his sword forward.


    Crine still had his arms by his side, but as the strike inched closer, the water from the floor erupted like a wall. It stood in front of the two of them and went to stop the strike. For a moment, Ricktor''s strike had been stopped, but with his Qi, it had pushed through the waves.


    "Interesting, you have grown, but it''s not enough." The wall of water started to swirl around, and on the other side of the wall, it had wound around Crine''s fist. He then reached out and pushed against the sword.


    The visual Qi of the water wrapped around the sword, then hit Ricktor directly, pushing him back and extinguishing his entire Qi. Ricktor was seen skidding across the floor.


    "You have no idea who you are going up against, or what a person like me or Murkel can do, do you? Right now, you are in my domain. A fight between just us two, there is no chance of you winning," Crine stated.


    Crine still hadn''t moved from his position, but he was moving his hands, and as he was doing so, Ricktor noticed what was urring next to him.


    The water that he stood in, the water that surrounded him, started to rise up just as Crine raised his fist. Then, when Crine swung it in the air, the water moved and went straight for Ricktor.


    He had no choice but to raise his sword and deflect the attack. It was extremely powerful and heavy, and Ricktor quickly rolled through the water. As he got up, another piece of condensed water rose and went to strike him from the front.


    ''The water is extremely heavy, and I can feel the Qi still surging through it. Isn''t this simr to a form of projectile Qi that only the Divine realm users can use?'' Ricktor thought to himself.


    As he thought about it more, he came up with another conclusion though. It was just how far and spread out his visual Qi was. Only the area around where they were had the water spread on the floor, and since it was all Qi that extended out from Crine''s body, he was able to use it freely.


    That was why the water was so heavy in its strikes as well. Because it was all pure Qi rather than water itself. What was even trickier was how the strikes from the water flowed like water as well, and Ricktor was about to learn that the hard way.


    The water raised as if a snake had been created and went forward to strike at him. Just like he had been doing before, he was ready to deflect the strike with his sword. As he swung it, the strike missed because the water swirled and changed direction, going under his arm and striking him right in the stomach.


    It was a clean hit that sent Ricktor to his knees, but he quickly got up from the ground again.


    "Right, I almost forgot," Crine said. "I saw your performance before. You are now a middle-stage warrior like me. But I''m here to show you that within the middle stages, there are huge differences between the two of us.


    "Even though you are a direct disciple, you have not been through the same things as us. You are not the same as us!"

 Chapter 705 A New Generation

    705 A New Generation


    Ricktor was beginning to understand the gap between him and Crine, a n leader of one of the top five ns. Bing a middle-stage warrior had closed the gap, but only by a fraction of the difference between them.


    ''Both Murkel and Crine''s control over their Qi, it''s as if their visual Qi has actually be a part of their power to be used, rather than just focusing on certain moves and techniques. Both of them have focused on the powers their Qi can bring them.


    ''Murkel with learning the deep properties of the Dark Qi and using it to attract attacks like some type of gravity, and then Crine with his use of his visual water Qi. Neither of these is something that I will be able to learn and apply in this fight, so how am I supposed to win this?''


    Not only was he trying toe up with a way to win, but he was still in the middle of the fight with Crine. He was looking at the steps on the floor and he could see areas bubbling.


    As the water moved, he reacted at the same time, swinging his sword, crashing through the water before it raised from the ground. Another pir of spiraling water hade out to hit him, but he swung his sword right through the center, blocking that as well.


    ''If I keep moving, then it will be hard for him to hit me, and then I might find an opportunity!'' Ricktor thought as he started to run in circles. He didn''t get far until a wave of water exploded right in front of him.


    He had stopped in time, stepping back, but from the side, anotherrge spiral of water hade out. He blocked it with his sword but wasn''t able to strike through the water this time.


    As he was hit, his legs were being dragged through the water, and they had created a type of wave with the water splitting in two halves by his feet. When the water rose in the air, it looked calm until it stopped as if frozen.


    Ricktor noticed it as the attack stopped pushing him back, and he was surrounded by water on either side. He looked ahead at Crine.


    "You were never once worried about me, were you?" Ricktor said as he saw the water creeping in.


    "Not one bit," Crine said as he closed his hands as if he was pping them, and the water followed.


    It gushed in on Ricktor from both sides, hardening and spiraling in multiple ces. It was like several fistsing out right at Ricktor. He blocked around two of them, but he was pounded strongly by the water exploding on his body as it hit.


    With each pound, he protected himself with as much Qi as possible, and eventually, the attacks stopped. Ricktor stood there looking strong until he let out a small cough, and blood slipped out from his mouth.


    He quickly wiped it away with his sleeve and looked at the red mark left behind.


    "What a disappointing sight, seeing my own blood."


    Mada was still off to the side, watching everything while on his knees. He hadn''t even realized, due to the fight between Ricktor and Crine, that the water spread across the ground no longer reached him. The edge of the water could be seen around a meter ahead.


    He couldn''t feel the Qi directly, yet his body was still not able to move. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''So it wasn''t because of the Qi¡­ it had to be my own body, it just got like that when I felt it¡­ what is wrong with me?''


    ''Back then, Ricktor had been training so hard every day, and he had finally reached the middle stage, an achievement that not everyone could make, especially at his age. He was so determined to go up against his father, that was what pushed him, and I thought I was the same.''


    ''Yet now he''s the one helping me, he''s the one fighting my father, and I''m here doing nothing.'' Mada tensed his fist so tight the white of his knuckles could be seen and the veins running up his neck.


    His fist quickly unclenched as he started to think of the reality of the situation.


    ''But what can I do? Even Ricktor, who had managed to reach the middle stage, was unable to do anything against my father. I wasn''t able to reach the middle stage like Ricktor, so even if I joined this fight, it would be useless,'' Mada thought.


    Ricktor, seeing Crine up ahead still in his rxed state, could tell that even though one might think something like this took up a lot of Qi, it wasn''t. Which was why he was still rxed.


    ''If anything, he''s just swinging his Qi around, he''s not even attacking physically. If this is just how painful his visual Qi is, I wonder what his direct attacks are going to be like. I guess he was right when he said I should have put everything into that first attack.''


    Ricktor started to gather Qi in his foot and was twisting it in the water. Using his own Erupting Fist n''s powers, he could see that the water evaporated around the area slightly, but the water was still spewing around him.


    ''Visual Qi is certainly a very interesting thing that I haven''t been able to fully grasp.''


    "If you''re just going to stand there, then I guess I will have to finish you off. I will then help Murkel get rid of all the others as well." Crine lifted both of his hands and several pirs of water were raised around Ricktor.


    There looked to be at least twelve of them, and at the very end, they started to bend inward and were looking down at Ricktor like snake heads from above that had locked onto their prey.


    Seeing this, Ricktor reacted as he bent down, lowering his stance, and he ced the sword around his side.


    11:30


    Mada couldn''t believe the situation he was in. He was surrounded by devastating amounts of Qi, and he felt like there was no way he could survive, yet he could see that Ricktor was still trying to fight.


    The water all came down toward Ricktor at the same time, and he exploded from his feet. He spun his body, and his sword stayed by his side, shing all areas of the water Qi. Exploding strength urred, cutting the water and causing it to fall back to the ground.


    Only a few bits of the visual water had hit the top of Ricktor''s head before hended back on the ground again.


    "Very good, but I can tell that took a lot out of you," Crine said as water raised from the floor again and wasing right for Ricktor as he had dropped his guard just after finishing his attack.


    The water was going through the air and then started to slow down, and stopped falling back to the floor. The water attacks had disappeared, yet the water Qi on the floor and around was still there.


    "It took you long enough to finally make a move," Ricktor said as he saw the ripples in the water and could see Mada approaching him.


    "I can''t do much," Mada said as he was intensely concentrating while walking, simr to as if he was cultivating. "But the two of use from the same n, so if there is something he can do, I should at least be able to do something on simr grounds, right?"


    Mada was imitating his father''s visual Qi and was doing it in a way to at least suppress his father''s attacks. He couldn''t spread his Qi as far and wide and huge, perhaps couldn''t cause attacks to appear like his father could around his opponent.


    What he could do was at least use his Qi of the Flowing Force n to suppress the visual water Qi around them from being activated.


    This is what he was currently doing, creating his own area of small visual Qi, which was stopping his father''s work that was so spread out.


    "I don''t know how long I''ll be able to stop him for, and if he uses his attacks, I''ll stop them again, so you just need to concentrate on taking my father out," Mada stated.


    "You mean you don''t want to be the one to do it? I guess this will count as both our handiwork since we couldn''t do it alone," Ricktor replied back.


    "Hey, save your strength, because after we''re done with him, we still have to get rid of your father as well," Mada replied.


    "Ha!" A loud chuckle came from Crine. "This is all you can do, my useless son has joined the fight, and now he thinks things have suddenly changed. Just how naive you are. Soon you will be back on the floor. I brought you into this world, and now I''m going to take you out of it!"


    "No," Mada said as he readied himself. "Both of us won''t fall here. We are a new generation. Everyone on this arena floor is here to get rid of the old and make a change!"


    Ricktor looked at Mada. He could tell that he had gained some confidence. He didn''t know where from, but it was good to have. There was one thing that always bothered him: Mada had no clue how special he was.


    He didn''t realize that what he had just done, as an initial stage warrior, in using visual Qi that way, was an amazing feat.


    "Let''s do this!"

 Chapter 706 Unexpected Warrior

    706 Unexpected Warrior


    Looking at the two students, the main disciples in front of him, it was almost as if Crine didn''t believe what he was seeing. He lifted his hands again, aiming to raise the visual water Qi and take them both out from either side.


    Quickly though, Mada acted as he could see the location of where the Qi was trying to lift up. Moving his own set of hands, he was controlling the water flow and moving about in the air as if he was practicing some type of martial technique to stop it from rising.


    "I guess it wasn''t a fluke that you managed to achieve that for the first time, but it won''t matter too much," Crine said, as he lifted his hands again. This time, around two meters out from where the two were standing, the water had risen in the air.


    The spirals of water then went forward, and because it was out of range from where Mada could control his own visual Qi, he couldn''t stop it from rising. It didn''t matter though.


    Mada quickly pushed himself forward and dragged his foot across the ground. In doing so, a wave of water flowed behind his leg as he lifted it and kicked both of the spirals, exploding the water on the spot.


    "I might not be at the middle stage, but do you really think I''m just going to lose out to your visual Qi? I''m a main disciple as well. Don''t underestimate me!" Mada screamed.


    The leg kick wasn''t just to stop the attack; it was twofold as Mada had produced his own wave of water. It was a means of distraction, and Ricktor had jumped up above, swinging his sword down right above.


    Just like before, Ricktor had gathered plenty of his Qi in the strike, and the heating from the sword could be seen through the air as it distorted behind him.


    He swung it, and Crine lifted up his arm. As he did, water wrapped around his arm, and the sword and his arm shed. Large amounts of Qi dispersed out, and the water was still constantly moving in circles around Crine''s arm.


    "I thought that only my son was an idiot, but it looks like you are as well," Crinemented as he raised his other hand in the air. Just like that, water started to spiral around it as well.


    "Did you really think that I could only use my visual Qi, that I was trying to make this a long-distance fight, that I can''t fight straight ahead!" Throwing his other fist, it went straight into Ricktor''s stomach.


    A ripple of water shot out in a circle in the area, exploding to the side. Mada had jumped and managed to catch Ricktor, but the powerful force still continued to hit both of them, moving them back.


    "While you''re holding on to him, you might have forgotten about something," Crine said.


    Mada felt his back smash against something heavy, but it wasn''t a wall. He could hear the sound of rushing water, and taking a peek back, arge wave had urred.


    Then from right underneath their feet, a rush of water hit them both. Mada let go of Ricktor, and a powerful jet stream of water flipped both of their bodies in the air until eventually both of them fell straight to the ground,nding on the floor.


    They hadn''t evennded in a puddle of water but only on the hard floor.


    "You are skillful to have learned such a thing so fast," Crine said as he continued to walk forward. "But I knew that a simple thing would break your concentration, making it so you would forget certain things. You couldn''t handle protecting your friend and controlling your visual Qi at the same time. You just don''t have enough experience."


    Mada lifted his head up from the ground, and so did Ricktor. The two of them had been hurt by the jet of water underneath their feet more than they thought. Because it wasn''t just water, it was visual Qi that had entered their bodies, hurting the inside as well as the outside.


    "Do you have any other ns?" Mada asked, as he could see Ricktor was propping himself up from the floor.


    He had also been directly hit, but as a middle-stage warrior, Ricktor was able to withstand more punishment. However, he had also been fighting longer than Mada had, who was getting up from the floor slightly after him.


    "Remember when we were in that underground assessment?" Ricktor said, fully standing up and firmly holding onto his sword. "At the time, we were all in the same position. Our lives were on the line every day. The only thing we could do was evolve quicker than ever, gain more strength during the situation, and that''s the only solution here: to grow stronger in a short amount of time to ovee the situation we are in." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Mada clicked his tongue. It was easier said than done, and to put it simply, Ricktor didn''t have any n at all.


    "You might think I had no n, but he did. He seems to do it every single time," Ricktor said. "Think back to the first time we fought him. We were nowhere near as strong as we are now. The us now could have beaten the Raze in the past, yet Raze has also continued to grow."


    Crine, hearing everything, started tough.


    "I admit, it would be quite a spectacle to see how you two would have grown. Many would call you the great future of the Dark Faction. When we were your age, we definitely weren''t as strong as you are now. Perhaps someday, you all could have surprised us, but that was if you stuck to the rules and didn''t get ahead of yourselves."


    "There is a time and ce for everything, and your time isn''t now!" Crine jumped from his position, arge wave of water splitting from his feet. He lifted his leg up and was ready to strike down on the two of them, finishing them in a single blow.


    The radius of the attack that Crine was nning meant it didn''t matter if they ran, as his leg swung down through. He saw arge heavy figure walking through the water and getting right in the way.


    He was in the middle of his attack, so there was no way to stop, and Crine just swung his leg down. The water that was on the ground practically vanished from the force of the attack, pushing it far off until itpletely disappeared.


    "What is this? Who stopped my attack?" Crine thought as he pulled his leg away andnded on the ground, and then he could see that it wasn''t someone but something.


    Ricktor, looking at who hade to their aid, was also surprised.


    "Stoney¡­ why is he¡­ he is always with her, so then what happened to Safa?"

 Chapter 707 The Problem With Light Magic

    Chapter 707 The Problem With Light Magic


    Simyon and Safa faced a challenge with the mysterious stranger in front of them. He wasn''t well known in the Dark Faction, and even though they had been part of the academy, they had never seen this person before.


    Yet during their fight, it didn''t take them long to figure out that Qi wasn''t the answer. Using Qi in their attacks, both Safa and Simyon felt as if it was being absorbed when it touched the man''s body.


    There was no impact, and the general feeling of the energy that came out when they attacked disappeared as if it was absorbed inside his body, nowhere to be seen.


    Safa quickly figured this out, so when she got the chance, instead of encasing her spear in Qi, she covered the tip in her Light Magic. It shortened the tip, making it look like a technique produced by someone from the Light Faction.


    She swung it down and ripped through the bald man''s skin on his back, creating arge cut that drew blood but wasn''t too deep.


    ''It worked, it looks like the properties of magic still work against him!'' Safa cheered in her mind.


    However, with the attack not being that strong, the man quickly turned around and swung his arm out. Even though the man himself couldn''t produce Qi, he was clearly used to fighting. The fist came out fast, and Simyon was there to block it with his body.


    He raised both hands as it whacked right into him.


    "Arghh, that hurt!" Simyon said, standing his ground, and Safa quickly moved back with him. With each step, Simyon felt like his body was in pain. He had hardly recovered from the match in the stadium and couldn''t really use Qi to reinforce his body, making him take a powerful hit head-on.


    The bald-headed man was now trying to peek over his back, checking on the wound that had been made. Even he seemed quite surprised by it.


    "So we know our items and your spear can hurt him now, but he''s still a strong fighter. He doesn''t have Qi but can move just as fast as those in the middle stage," Simyonmented.


    "Yes, we should have expected at least someone that Murkel would bring would be at the middle stage," Safa exined. "But there''s still a problem."


    Safa soon saw the bald-headed muscr man running toward them, and she saw Simyon moving in front, ready to be a shield. She didn''t want him to be a shield and ran in front with her spear.


    Using her spear, she shoved it forward and encased the tip with magic once again. It was perfect as she aimed for the head, but the bald-headed man moved his hand in front of his face. The spear went through his palm and broke through the other end but soon stopped as the man tightened his muscles, making it hard for Safa to push it forward.


    She tried to ce her Qi into her body to give her more strength to move the spear, but it wasn''t working.


    ''Is it because the spear is inside his body? Now I can''t even use Qi to strengthen myself?'' Safa thought.


    "You not lucky, you real," the bald-headed man said. Then, with the spear still in his hand, he grabbed the pole with his other hand and lifted it in the air.


    Safa was lifted along with it and quickly mmed into the ground.


    "Safa!" Simyon shouted as he jumped up and grabbed the spear, pulling it back out. He then hurled it toward Safa, but now the bald-headed man was right where he was and delivered a punch to Simyon''s shoulder, lifting him in the air. Before he could react, Simyon was kicked in the stomach, sending him tumbling across the ground.


    Simyon quickly got up off the floor and rushed to Safa, who hadn''t been hit too far from him. He picked up the spear he had thrown on the ground earlier.


    "Are you okay?" Simyon asked.


    Safa was cing her hand against her side rib. She had broken one of them in the attack, but she was now healing it with her power. When she looked at Simyon, she was sure he was hurting more than her, just that he was used to it by now.


    "Although magic does work in hurting him, there is one crucial problem," Safa exined. "I didn''t learn to use magic to fight; I learned to use it in a healing way."


    Right now, she was more improvising than anything in how to use her magic in battle.


    "Then what about that?" Simyon pointed to the statue that hung around her waist, attached by a piece of string. "It might be time we use it."


    The statue now would be incredibly strong because the blood it was linked to had grown in strength, especially with Ricktor and Dame both reaching the middle-stage warrior. The statue would be a high-level middle-stage warrior as well. It might even have the strength to fight against Murkel. It was their ace up their sleeve. However, its strange powers relied on Qi. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If there was one opponent they couldn''t rely on using, it was the statue. That''s when she started to evaluate the area around them as well, and she noticed the trouble the two other main disciples were in.


    She quickly pulled off the statue, snapping it from her waist, and wasted no time pouring her light magic into it. When the light magic entered, she dropped it to the ground, and it started to grow in size.


    The bald-headed man was fascinated by what he was seeing and cautious, not daring to step forward. Eventually, the stone warrior had grown into a full-size human holding onto a sword.


    "Stoney, go help out Ricktor and Mada. Beat whoever is hurting them ande back!" Safa ordered.


    Stoney quickly jumped from his position, heading off.


    "I''m sorry, Simyon, but the two of us are going to have to handle this one ourselves. We said we would help Raze, right? So let''s help him and at least beat one of these guys!" Safa dered.

 Chapter 708 Hold On Tight

    Chapter 708 Hold On Tight


    Simyon was left in shock after seeing Safa use their special card for someone else rather than themselves. Even though the man in front of them was able to absorb Qi, someone as strong as the statue surely could have done something that would allow them to win the battle.


    With the way both he and Safa were, Simyon was sure it would be a loss for them to go up against this person, but her words were strong, and she sounded confident. It wasn''t apletely lost cause.


    "Alright, alright, I will be your shield, Safa. Go ahead and take this guy out!" Simyon said, punching both of his gloves together.


    He could see Safa had poured her Light Magic into the tip of the spear again. If they knew one thing, it was that they could hurt the bald-headed man.


    "Let me take the lead. I can use these gloves to try and hold him still, and then you finish him off," Simyon imed.


    He ran off ahead before Safa could even say something, but she had to admit that it might be the best n they had.


    As the two charged forward, they could see the bald-headed man punching his fist into the palm of his other hand. He was weing the challenge. As soon as Simyon was close, he jumped up in the air and wound his fist up.


    "I''m going to take that smug look off your face!" Simyon''s punchnded heavily across the bald-headed man''s face, swinging his head to the side, but the corners of the man''s eyes and mouth were smiling.


    He then grabbed onto Simyon.


    "You are the one with the hard body. Let''s see whose body is harder!" The man imed as he jumped and swung Simyon''s entire body into the floor, cracking the area.


    Simyon was hurt as his body was mmed to the floor. His old wounds caused a deep pain that went through to his very bones, but he didn''t care; he needed this chance. With both of his hands, he grabbed onto one of the arms of the bald-headed man.


    "First¡­ I''m going to shock you!" Simyon shouted, and the whole body of the man electrified. Simyon could tell it was working as the man''s body shook slightly, but even though it was jolting, the man was still able to move, and he was clenching his fist, ready to give Simyon a pounding.


    Just before he threw his fist, the man felt something stab into the back of his arm, right above his elbow. A stinging pain and a solid hit. When he looked to see what had happened, he saw that Safa had already pulled the spear out.


    ''A surprise attack to the head isn''t going to take this man out. He has good instincts,'' Safa thought. ''So while Simyon has him distracted, I will injure him as much as possible, and then we''ll take him out!''


    Safa also noticed something else as well. Even with her Light Magic coating the spear, she could only stab the bald-headed man so deep. The longer it made contact with his body, the quicker it took the Qi from her, which was the basis of a lot of her strength.


    So she needed to pull it out. Her attacks wouldn''t be deep enough to hurt vitals.


    The lightninging off Simyon''s glove continued, but the bald-headed man was getting used to it and was able to move easier. He also ignored the stabbing pain and then picked Simyon''s body up and swung him, trying to use Simyon to hit Safa.


    ''Since the lightning isn''t going to work, then I''ll just have to freeze him!'' Using the power of the other glove, as Simyon continued to hold onto the bald-headed man and refused to let go, ice slowly spread in the particr area.


    This, of course, didn''t go unnoticed by the bald-headed man.


    "You have strange powers, not just a strong body. You need to let go," the bald-headed man said.


    Safa went to shove her spear forward but saw that the bald-headed man had lifted Simyon to block her attack. He was still quick and aware.


    The main issue with the glove, particrly the Ice Magic glove, was the amount of time needed to hold onto the object to make the ice spread. At some point, it would spread through the whole body, but it was slow. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At least a few minutes would be needed for it to cover the whole arm at this rate.


    ''There''s no way to make this faster. I''m just going to have to hold on.''


    The bald-headed man jumped back and then swung his arm into the floor. Each time Simyon''s body hit the ground, the floor cracked, and debris flew everywhere.


    To make sure he held on, Simyon wrapped his legs around the man''s arm as well, holding on tightly. This allowed the man to continue swinging his arm into the ground more and more.


    The swings were wild and chaotic, and each time Simyon crashed into the arena floor, the vibrations could be felt throughout the ce.


    When the bald-headed man saw that Safa was close and aiming for him, he jumped, moving from his position, and with the momentum of the jump, he mmed Simyon further into the ground.


    "Your body is strong, so strong. How long will youst?" the man excitedly said as he mmed Simyon into the floor again. The grip by Simyon was loosening.


    The moment he fell to the floor, Safa dashed forward, thrusting her spear. The man jumped away, breaking the distance between them.


    Safa quickly slid on the floor, not caring for her knees, and went by Simyon''s side.


    "No, Simyon, Simyon, you''re in this state again!" She immediately dropped the spear and held both hands over Simyon. She began using her Light Magic along with her restore spell to help him in any way she could.


    "It''s going to be okay," Safa said as she continued to use the spell. "It''s going to be okay, Simyon. I know how strong you are. I knew that this might happen. It was a risk, but it was the only way I could see us winning," Safa imed as tears rolled down her face.


    Simyon didn''t understand. He could hear her, but what did she mean? Was thisthe n she had? As Simyon''s body healed in certain ces, the special Mythical Ring around his ear lit up, and a big change was felt in Simyon''s body.


    "I''m not the one that''s going to win us this fight. It was always going to be you!" Safa eximed.

 Chapter 709 The Hardened Warrior

    Chapter 709 The Hardened Warrior


    Simyon''s body was going through a bigger change than he expected. Due to the special item handed to him by Raze, his training was always harderpared to others.


    Not only did he need to focus on increasing his Qi and stage level along with techniques, but he also needed to increase the strength of his body due to the special item, his body was differentpared to other Pagna warriors.


    Not only would it increase in strength as a person went through the stages, but his body would also be super refined and strengthened like a weapon. Dame told him the secret to making his body stronger was to break it down each time more and more.


    Doing this, he would heal stronger than he did before. It was hardly noticeable for Simyon, these small improvements in strength, but he knew it would work because the most noticeable changes were when his body was upgraded to the next rank. Yet each time, it was harder and harder to reach the rank after that.


    The ranking strength of the special metal body that Simyon had followed that of the weapons. Before the tournament, his body was at the Elite grade, and now a change was happening to him.


    As Safa healed him, she could see the ring lighting up and a strange shine going from Simyon''s body from top to bottom. It was a re that ran down, giving his body a reflective effect like that of a weapon.


    When it finally finished going through the whole body, something strange urred¡ªthe same shining effect went again, but in the other direction.


    ''This is it. Simyon told me about the special item given to him by Raze,'' Safa thought. ''He was so badly hurt by Mantis, I was sure as long as his body was able to recover, he would be upgraded to the next grade. So his body now at least has to be at the Unique level. With that, we will have a chance to win this thing.''


    Simyon''s fingers started to move, and he quickly lifted his body. As he did, he could see the bald-headed man charging ahead, and he also could tell that Safa was feeling a bit faint.


    With one hand, he then pushed her away.


    "I see, for the second time you have used up all your power to heal me. I''m meant to be your shield, and I need to do my job."


    Simyon stood there and lifted his arm up. The fist from the bald-headed mannded across his arm. It was a powerful physical blow, but the man felt something in that moment.


    The bones in his knuckles¡ªhe could feel them breaking down.


    "Your body is harder now?"


    The man knew his hand had been broken but acted as if he felt no pain at all. Seeing this, the man was hesitant to attack again, and Simyon took this as an opportunity.


    Using the hard-trained martial arts, Simyon made a solid stance, winding his feet and throwing out his fist, twisting it. He didn''t punch straight ahead but instead dug his fist straight into the ribs of the bald-headed man. Once again, a cracking noise could be heard, and Simyon could feel the bone shattering with his knuckles.


    The bald-headed man continued to smile, though, and threw out his unbroken hand, hitting Simyon right on the head. Once again, as the man''s knuckles hit Simyon, he could feel them shattering and breaking down.


    "I''ve never met a body as strong as this. What is happening!" The man then lifted his leg and kicked Simyon in the stomach. Yet, when the heavy blownded, Simyon didn''t move from his position.


    Instead, Simyon lunged forward and grabbed onto the man''s arm once again, just like before, and the Ice glove started to activate.


    "You do this again? You already know it doesn''t work!" the man shouted, using his strength to lift Simyon in the air. It was harder than before; Simyon''s weight was different, but the man''s strength was still abnormal, allowing him to lift Simyon up.


    The man then mmed Simyon into the floor and lifted him up once more, mming him into the floor on the other side. Just like before, the man was constantly mming Simyon into the floor with only a few seconds in between.


    With Simyon holding on, the man''s arm was starting to freeze up. It was growing in size more and more.


    "So you''re holding out more this time!" the man said as he started to pick up more speed, hitting Simyon again and again.


    That was until the ice had reached his neck. The man then stopped for a moment to look at Simyon, who was holding onto his arm, and could see his facial expression. It was unfazed; he wasn''t showing a fraction of pain and just stared right into his eyes.


    "You better hurry up, or your whole body will soon be frozen," Simyon said.


    The man knew it was true because the ice had encased the whole of his shoulder, and he had lost feeling in his arm. He could no longer feel Simyon even holding on. For the first time in the fight, the smile dropped from his face because Simyon had let go, and he could see his fist lifting in the air and crashing down on the ice-covered arm.


    The outside shattered, with parts of the insidepletely breaking off and falling to the ground, mostly in one solid piece but having broken off from the man.


    In a fit of anger, seeing what had just happened to him, the man continued to swing his one good arm with his fist, hitting Simyon on every part of his body, concentrating on his head. Yet the attacks looked as if they were just bouncing off him or having no effect at all.


    The man was feeling a taste of his own medicine. He was feeling the despair that other warriors felt when they fought against him and found out that their Qi attacks wouldn''t work.


    Safa, who was watching the whole thing from the side, was surprised at the oue, at how much Simyon was now dominating the fightpared to before.


    ''Although this man wasn''t a Pagna warrior, he still had the strength of a middle-stage warrior, plus the added fact of Qi not working against him. Just with one grade, the difference shouldn''t be this high, especially since Simyon isn''t able to use Qi at a high level.''


    In her train of thoughts, she had figured out the answer herself. It was because Simyon hadn''t just gone up by one grade. He had gone up by two grades.


    He had gone from having an Elite Grade Metal body to having a Mythical Grade Metal body, surpassing the Unique stage. The damage from Mantis,bined with that inflicted by the bald-headed man, had umted.


    When Safa used everything she had to heal Simyon, she had refined him to the point where he hade out as something truly special, and even though he was still an initial-stage warrior, middle stages would find it hard to damage his body.


    Which was why, right now, the punches from the man were having no effect on Simyon at all.


    Seeing the panic on his face, Simyon charged forward with his fist again, but before it could hit the man, he lifted his foot, kicking the bottom of Simyon''s fist. It only moved it slightly but made it so his attack didn''t hit cleanly.


    ''I was worried that this would happen,'' Simyon thought. ''Although my body is incredibly strong, increasing the density of my attacks and my weight, there is one thing it hasn''t improved, and that''s the speed of my attacks or the speed of my techniques.'' n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''The bald-headed man was careless before, confident in his own body, which was why I was able to hit him andtch onto his body. Now that he''s careful, it''s going to be a lot harder to hit him and finish him off.''


    Simyon threw out his fists, chasing after the man, but they were missingpletely. Sparks flew out from his glove, but they were just hitting and bouncing off the floor.


    ''I can''t hit him. What''s the point of being the shield if I can''t take him out!'' Simyon thought.


    "Close your eyes!" A loud voice came out, but it was a voice that Simyon was familiar with and trustedpletely. He didn''t hesitate as he heard the words and closed his eyes.


    Simyon didn''t see, but a spear hadnded in the ground in front of him, and the tip was lit up. Safa had her hands next to her, already cing her Light Magic in the spear.


    The bald-headed man was curious about the spear. It hadn''t hit him, so he wasn''t worried. That was until the end of the spear lit up so bright, a sh of light opened up in front of them.


    "Open your eyes, and take him out!" Safa shouted.


    Simyon was already charging forward and opened his eyes to find a startled man in front of him. Using all of his pent-up Qi, he moved his fist as fast as he could and hit the man right on the face. The blow was heavy, causing a dent in his forehead and sending him to the floor.


    Simyonnded on top of him, then continued to swing his fists at the man''s head, blood sttering his knuckles as he continued to swing them again and again, until Safa eventually came up from behind and pulled him away.


    "That''s enough, Simyon¡­ he''s¡­ already dead."


    Another fight was over for the group, and Murkel was running out of people on his side, yet for some reason, he was unfazed by all of this.

 Chapter 710 The Truth Of Otherworlders

    Chapter 710 The Truth Of Otherworlders


    Bubble had the top of his head peeking up from the edge of the arena. There had been a couple of moments where he had to quickly move out of the way for fear he might be struck down by a few stray strikes, but he had managed to never quite get hit.


    Sometimes his predictions werepletely wrong, and he had changed position for no reason. What was amazing was that no one had spotted him yet, but he imagined in an area like this with so many strong warriors, he wasn''t appearing on their radar because he was just like a bug.


    ''I don''t mind being a bug right now,'' Bubble thought as he continued to peek. ''It''s good, I am going to be the public''s eyes. I have to report all of this¡­ but whenever I see such things, how am I meant to even report them in the first ce!''


    Bubble already remembered some of the bacsh from his reports about the Dark Magus and the Crimson Crane going against the Behemoth n.


    Thements had suggested he had been taking liberties with his exnations, some saying that he might not be as reliable as before.


    Bubble soon shook his head.


    ''With the way things are going, the world will soon have to learn the wonders of what has urred tonight. These people in front of me are going to be the ones that will bring a big change in the world of Pagna, I know it, and that''s what I''m going to report on.''


    Bubble had been making a mental note of all the special figures from the Dark Faction. He had to keep his Qi focused around his ears to try and overhear what everyone was saying.


    There were a lot that had caught his attention, particrly therge muscr man who was able to negate the effects of Qi. The world would surely be interested in these figures and learn that there were naturally people different from them in the world.


    He also wondered how the other ns might use this information. What hade as a big surprise to him was how the two students were able to overwhelm therge man, and now his body was lying on the floor lifeless.


    "I didn''t expect the two of them to be able to do it, but somehow between them, they managed it," Bubble mumbled to himself. "That wasn''t what I thought was going to happen. The children sure didn''t have strong Qi to begin with, but the man in question surely had the strength of a middle stage.


    "Unless one had far superior martial arts techniques or physical strengthparable to the Hybrids, I was sure they were going to lose the match. So how did they manage to win?"


    Simyon, who was on the ground, was in a state of shock himself, looking at his fists after being dragged away by Safa. His knuckles were covered in blood.


    "He''s dead¡­ the man, he''s really not moving," Simyon said.


    "You know what being in the world of Pagna is like," Safa added. "It was either us or him. He wouldn''t have let us survive. Don''t beat yourself up about it; think of what someone like Raze would have had to do."


    Safa''s words did bringfort to Simyon, but he remembered what was running through his mind when he had rained out on the man. In his head, he had to imagine his enemy as a beast.


    It was the only way for Simyon to fight against humans without holding back. He imagined going against the beast that had taken his sister''s life, which is why he hadn''t stopped fighting.


    "Come on, the two of us need rest," Safa said. Even now, as she breathed, she continued to gather Qi. "The good thing is we''ve managed to help Raze with this." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You sure?" Simyon replied. "If anything, I think it would have been very easy for Raze to deal with this person, but maybe all of the others would have struggled."


    As they were talking, Simyon soon fell to the floor, his body shaking. Safa felt weak herself. The two of them had just gotten out of a big fight. The adrenaline, the Qi in their bodies¡ªit was out of control in their final moments, and it had practically all been used up.


    "I think in the end, everything that''s going to take ce and happen is going to be down to him," Safa imed.


    The Light Faction warriors watching up in the stands had also found the oue of fight after fight surprising.


    "I''m confused. Each time I think the Dark Faction has the upper hand, the others manage to pull it off," Hannahmented, quite amazed in a way. She didn''t say it out loud, but she was almost cheering for the other side during the fight. Perhaps it was because they were the underdogs or students like herself that she felt this way.


    "The others, as you called them, rather than the Demonic Faction, which I think is a more appropriate term," Beatrix said. "They want it more. You can tell through this fight. While the Dark Faction believe in their strength and think they are just fighting against some rebellious students."


    "The others are fighting for their lives, and it feels as if they''re fighting for much more than that."


    "Yes, I agree," Ricar said. "Which means that they will be very troublesome in the future."


    "I hope that means you''re not nning on taking out whoever is left standing," a voice from the side said.


    As Ricar turned his head, he could see it was one of the others who had joined them, particrly the man in the strange ck tight-fitting one-piece suit. The most dangerous of the bunch was the man who spoke, Zon.


    A few moments ago, Ricar had noticed that the man had disappeared. He wondered where he had rushed off to, and now he knew because Ricar could see in his hands he was holding onto a man in fabulous silk clothing¡ªthe infamous news reporter Bubble.


    "I mean no harm, I mean no harm, I''m just a reporter!" Bubble shouted. "I just spread the news of what I see. I just had to see everything here. Trust me, I''m not a fighter, and I''m not on either side."


    Bubble, who had thought he had gone unseen like a bug, had someone pull his shirt up and drag him out, bringing him to the others.


    "I know who you are, and I''m just here because I want you to make sure you report everything just as you see it, just as things work out today," Zon imed. "Also, I want to tell these guys a thing or two.


    "Although I have decided not to join the fight, I will do everything in my power to stop the three of you if you do decide to join. I always wanted to go up against the Light Faction," Zon imed.


    Anna, hearing Zon speak, was just more and more curious about him. He knew about the factions, he knew about Bubble. How long had he been in Pagna? Had he been here even longer than her?


    Just what was he doing here? She wanted to know what was happening in Pagna, what was the link between Otherworlders, this ce of martial arts, the other realm, and more.


    Even with the great system, she couldn''t make sense of it all, but maybe Zon, their great captain who was always thinking ahead and didn''t act unless he knew things with certainty, would know it all.

 Chapter 711 Qi Armour

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    711 Qi Armour


    Ricktor still didn''t know why the statue was now in front of them and was helping them out, but he did know who the statue belonged to.


    After the statue had sessfully blocked the attack from Crine on the first hit, Crine wasted no time lifting his hand and swirling water around his fist. As he went to punch the statue to the side, the statue itself swung its sword down in an explosive manner and met the attack head-on. Qi shockwaves were sent pulsating out.


    "This thing, it''s clearly not human," Crinemented. "And just now, it used the Erupting Fist n sword technique but at a high middle-stage Qi warrior level. No wonder you guys were so confident!"


    The statue started to strike forward using more of the Erupting Fist n techniques. Crine, taking the matter warily, was blocking each of the attacks. Water was flowing up from beneath his feet as he blocked them and took opportunities to strike the warrior where he could.


    When an opening was seen toward its stomach, the statue reacted with another fist techniquebined with a half-step footwork, hitting the fist straight ahead. After the two fists collided, Crine felt the edge of his knuckles hurt slightly.


    "The blocked attack-some of the Qi came through. That technique wasn''t the Erupting Fist... that felt more like a demonic technique. Just what is this statue? It knows so many techniques and has such strength. No wonder you students were confident in fighting us."


    Ricktor and Mada had yet to move in on the fight; they had already been hurt by Crine. On top of that, Ricktor was trying to figure out why the statue was helping them, but thinking back to who the statue belonged to, he thought it would be fine.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''It''s her. Out of all of those idiots, she is the only one who knows what she''s doing. So if she''s given us this statue, then we need to use it as a gift, Ricktor thought, clenching his sword tighter.


    He looked toward Mada, and he nodded as well. Even though the statue was here, they didn''t want to leave it to fight alone; this was their own personal business they needed to deal with.


    Crine, now fully aware of the extent of the statue''s powers and its Qi level, began to change his approach. The water that had far reached out and surrounded where Mada and Ricktor were standing was moving back, all of it moving back toward Crine.


    Lifting both of his hands up, water started to spiral around them, then the water encased both of Crine''s legs until it solidified. Now covering Crine''s legs, it looked like he was wearing strange blue-colored armor.


    It was strange to see on a Pagna warrior unless they were wearing some type of artifact that gave them more power. It was even stranger to see visual Qi being condensed down to look like this. In fact, some didn''t even know it was possible.


    "Can visual Qi do this?" Mada asked.


    "You''re saying you never saw your father do this before?" Ricktor said.


    Right after, Crine charged forward. As he moved his feet, it looked like he was kicking off pools


    of water. Then with his fist with the swirling water, he bashed right into the statue, which blocked with its sword.


    A spiral of water continued to form and pushed the statue further back, but the statue was incredibly strong, swinging its sword and disregarding its Qi. This statue had the strength of many strong individuals now.


    Both Crine and the statue charged forward, each with powerful Qi in their steps. The Qi was being sent out to those standing next to them, and in terms of level of Qi, this was the fight with the most fierce and highest amount so far.


    As the sword shed with Crine''s kick, therge amounts of Qi waved out, filtering into the other battles that were going on elsewhere, causing them to turn their heads at what was happening,


    They were surprised to see Crine in this particr form. Only the other Dark Faction n heads knew about it, and thest time it was used was to cement his position in his fight against Suzan for the n head position.


    This meant he was going all out now, and they were even more surprised by the opponent he was going up against.


    "That statuc, isn''t that the same one as before, the one that I destroyed, yet it''s still like this, and it seems as if it''s even stronger, Murkel thought. "I shouldn''t have to worry, though. Crine will deal with it!


    The sh between the statue and Crine continued with each of them giving their full-strength swings. Neither one seemed to be backing down. Hit after hit, block after block, without a single one faltering.


    "I guess this means that he was going easy on us this entire time," Ricktormented. "It''s typical. I mean, he would have beaten us before he even used this form, but it sucks knowing this, right?"


    Mada didn''t say anything and instead was just looking at the fight ahead.


    "Are you waiting for a chance to jump in?" Ricktor asked. "I''m happy to know that you have gotten over your fear, but jumping in the middle of that could get us both killed."


    "The statue... it''s strong, but it''s just a statue at the end of the day. Can''t you see what''s happening to it?" Mada said.


    As they looked closely, they could both see small parts of rubble falling off the statue as the waves of Qi hit it. If the statue broke, then who around them could go up against Crine? "Right, I guess this whole thing has been crazy, and going in the middle of all of that doesn''t seem so crazy anymore." Ricktor smiled. "Well then, this is your fight, so the least you should do is lead the way. Let''s kill your father because we need to get mine next, and since I helped you, you need to help me."

 Chapter 712 Keep Moving Forward

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    712 Keep Moving Forward


    The statue and Crine continued theirrge-scale battle, withrge amounts of Qi flowing out from their attacks. Both were bashing their limbs and weapons against each other one after another, and several ripples followed each strike.


    Neither of them had slowed down yet, and it didn''t appear as if they would. However, Crine was noticing something.


    "You are just a statue in the end; it looks like you''re crumbling away!" Crinemented. With his next punch, the force of his visual water Qi created a ripple extending out in front rather than behind him.


    The attack caused Crine''s hands to fling back slightly as the power from the statue was slightly stronger, but he could see that as the visual Qi hit the statue, more of it was crumbling away. "Now I know what to do! Crine switched his attack patterns, swinging his leg out and bashing against the statue''s arm. The ripples of Qi energy were being sent to the statue.


    Because the statue''s Qi was far stronger, the impact made it look as if the statue was winning out. Crine was even being pushed back slightly from his position.


    "It''s now or never; it seems your father is brighter in the head than you," Ricktor stated.


    "Shut up, and let''s just do this," Mada replied.


    Both Mada and Ricktor were charging forward from behind the statue, using it as a way to block themselves from Crine''s view.


    "I don''t know if you can hear me, but take the chance when you see one," Ricktor said, his words directed at the back of the statue, gently brushing its back with his hand.


    Stoney struck from above, mming his foot down with all its weight and Qi behind the strike. Since Crine had switched the way he used Qi and this was a bigger attack than usual, he needed to lift both of his hands and m his foot on the ground to block the strike.


    The stone sword bashed right into both of his forearms, and the struggle could be seen on his face.


    ''I have to remember to be careful; this statue is a warrior at the same level as myself. Even though I have figured out a way to win, I can''t get too ahead of myself!


    While blocking the attack, Crine saw from the corner of his eyes two individuals charging toward him.


    Mada was the first to act. He was going through steps that were swirling him around, and his visual Qi was activating around cach of his steps, building up. In many ways, it looked simr to the Descending Steps where Qi would build up after each other.


    Then, when he was close, Mada jumped up in the air and spun his leg. Crine knew that if he tried to stop the attack or block it, the statue would act. Yet, the statue was still pushing down with its strength.


    Just as Crine looked like he was about to move, Ricktor came in quicker than Mada, not using fancy footwork but exploding his way across, and then kicked just the back of Crine''s leg slightly, causing his head to turn.


    "Damn son of Murkel!" Crine shouted.


    "You should pay attention; I''m just a distraction," Ricktor replied.


    Right then, a heavy foot bashed right into Crine''s chest, delivered by Mada. A strike of water from behind seemed to be going into his foot and passing into Crine.


    A gush of blood came out of Crine''s mouth, but it also pushed him away from the statue.


    "That kick... was stronger than I thought it would be,'' Crine said, looking up.


    As he saw Mada going through the air, following up the kick with another strike to the head, Crine grabbed the foot before it reached him, stopping and absorbing the attack.


    "You''re still just a lesser version of me," Crine said before he felt another great attack on the back of his leg, delivered by Ricktor once again with the sword.


    Right after being hit, Crine lifted his foot, and the armor surrounding his leg turned back into water. It gave it a greater distance than Ricktor thought, and even though he was deploying a short attack and retreat tactic, it didn''t work this time.


    The elbowing water hit him on the chin harder than the previous strike, sending him into the air. A wave of water continued, engulfing him until he eventually fell to the floor, looking lifeless. "One has been dealt with; now to deal with you, son," Crine said.


    "When I came forward, I never expected to be the one to finish you. I just wanted to see your face when you were done for," Mada finally spoke to his father right in front of him, and with full confidence.


    It was something Crine had never heard spoken from his son. It no longer felt like he was talking to a student but to a fellow rival. Right after that, a strong stinging pain was felt right in the center of his stomach.


    When Crine looked down, he could see the stone spear had impaled him. It wasn''t a strike from behind but instead a strike from the front. How was Crine so blind not to see the statue attack?


    While he held onto Mada''s foot, it wasn''t as if the attack had blocked his view or anything like that, but it was almost as if he had just forgotten about the statue and everything around them for a moment, just looking at his son.


    "You have grown up quickly," Crine said, blood still flowing out of his mouth. "This is a lesson for you: before I go, you should always move forward."


    Crine, holding onto Mada''s foot, swung it to the side and moved forward through the spear. He then grabbed Mada''s head before he fell and continued to move forward until he reached the


    statue.


    With his one covered leg with the visual Qi armor, he swung it up, hitting the statue straight through its groin. Just like with the attack on Ricktor, the armored visual Qi turned to water, striking straight through the statue, turning itpletely to rubble that just fell onto the floor. At the same time, the stone spear that was in Crine''s stomach crumbled away. "Sometimes the best solutions can be found by going forward. Although you have beaten me, without this will to keep going forward, you might never be able to defeat him... I wasn''t able to defeat him."


    The grip around Mada''s face weakened, and Crine was seen falling on his back, sshing in the water, Immediately, Mada also fell onto his knees and looked at his father lying on the floor, his eyes open just looking at the sky, but oddly, there was a smile on his face.


    Mada looked at the smile with all sorts of thoughts going through his head, but that''s when he could feel someone walking by his side.


    "Ricktor, where are you going? You''re too hurt!" Mada called out.


    "Didn''t you hear your father''sst words?" Ricktor replied. "We need to keep going forward. So now that we''ve dealt with one, we still need to take out my father as well.


    !n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 713 A Big Change

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    713 A Big Change


    Ricktor''s body was extremely hurt, more than he would let on. He kept repeating certain words in his head: that he was still okay, that he would be fine, that he could still fight.


    He was pushing his body, trying not to focus on the pain left over from his fight with Crine. His Qi was weak, but he imagined it fierce and strong like a dragon, Looking ahead, he could see Dame and the others fighting against Murkel, fighting against his father.


    In the end, though, when he took another step forward, he felt his knee give in, and he staggered to the ground slightly. I le managed to put all of his weight on the knee to avoid fallingpletely t on the floor.


    "Ricktor, I already told you, you''re too beat up," Mada said as he went down, nearly falling over himself. He had been hit by Crine, and now the fight for him was over. All of the energy he had built up was escaping his body.


    The strong will and me inside him were no longer there, but he realized in all of this, there was one person who had stood by his side. Someone that he might even be able to call a friend.


    "If you head in there right now, you might just be killed by a stray attack. Do you really want that to be the end of your legacy?" Mada asked.


    Ricktor smiled as he looked up. He could feel the pressure of Qiing from his father; it was weighing down on him even now.


    I''m trying even harder than when I fought against that damn no-name. I wonder when it all started, it''s been years now... Since I saw you look at me with caring eyes! Ricktor started to wonder.


    He thought back to when the Erupting Fist n wasn''t one of the top five major ns. When Ricktor was still a child, around the age of five, he had a love of martial arts.


    His father Murkel had taught him wholeheartedly, training with him every day. They would talk about how he was talented and how Ricktor would be the one to progress the Erupting Fist n into a great n for the Dark Faction.


    The three factions had already been formed for a while, and peace hade across thend due to the martial arts events that would happen yearly, and the top ns of each faction were starting to take their ce.


    The Noctis n had already disappeared from the Dark Faction, starting an increase in new ns and powers within the Dark Faction. Yet, the Erupting Fist n was not in such a ce.


    There had been rumors of Murkel''s great strength already, having bested ns bigger than them in duels. Yet his father never let it get to his head. Murkel, a talented and strong individual in the Dark Faction, was just that.


    Some even imed he was unambitious because Murkel never went after other ns nor tried to cement a ce in the Dark Faction. That was until he did.


    It was as if he was a man hiding his intentions in the shadows for a long time, and it changed when he achieved a position in the academy. He was nothing but an instructor, but from there he rose quicker than anyone else.


    In the academy, there were those that wished to start trouble with Murkel, thinking that the


    rumors of such a n head were just that, rumors, but he managed to best them all.


    In turn, he was offered higher positions, and when he reached a senior position in the Pagna Academy, he strived to be principal and made everyone aware.


    The entire n had changed, focusingpletely on power, and within half a year Murkel had be principal of the Dark Faction Academy. With it, he had also be the figurehead of the Five Great ns.


    There were rumors about what had happened, how the four other n heads had met up, and all challenged Murkel at the same time. It was the only thing they could believe because there was next to no objection from the other ns, the ones that had been at the peak for an incredibly long time.


    "That''s right, it has to be around then when you joined the academy, Ricktor thought. ''After that, you never even trained with me once. You would ask for reports, but it never seemed to be in a caring manner, only to see how strong one of your pawns was!


    ''Your eyes werepletely cold, and you no longer cared for me. You just cared for the power that I would give you."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ricktor, being the son of Murkel, knew that his ambitions had grown even stronger, to take over the entirety of the Pagna continent. To get rid of the Light Faction and the Demonic Faction. For him, it seemed this was out of nowhere. His father had never spoken such words. In the past, he only cared for the Erupting Fist n, not the whole faction.


    ''What was it, father? What was it in the academy that changed you so much? Did you find something out? Or was it true, were you really hiding your ambition for such a long time and just found the right time to strike?''


    Murkel had lived many years as a high-level middle-stage warrior. Ile was over a hundred years old but had the body of a middle-aged man. He had experienced and seen a lot of changes in the Pagna world.


    Yet, he still chose to have a son. The woman who bore Ricktor had died at birth, the one he would call his mother. His father would tell him stories when he was young, but those stories were lost; he was too young to know what was said.


    When he got old enough to remember, his father never spoke about her, and Ricktor could never bring it up.


    Who knows what has been going through that mind of yours, but you decided to keep me alive, and I still remember those fond memories. All I want to ask is if all those things were fake!


    Thinking this, Ricktor pushed himself up off the ground.


    I''m going to get my answer today, no matter what.''


    65

 Chapter 714 A Walk Through Darkness

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    >


    714 A Walk Through Darkness


    Nearly all of the fights wereing to an end, and the Light Faction had seen quite a series of twists and turns along the way. They had witnessed things they never expected, one after another.


    "I never would have thought that the Dark Faction would suffer defeat after defeat. This willpletely change the Pagna world as we know it," Beatrix imed.


    "You are correct, but that is only if there is a big change from thest fight," Ricar added. "Remember what I said: nearly no one in a state to fight, so it wille down to thest person standing. And the man known as the strongest, along with the greatest shield in the Dark Faction, are still standing!"


    Ricar''s words were firm, making the others believe there was still something that could happen, something that could change the tide. There was certainly one fight that was going in the Dark Faction''s favor.


    "You seem to not be too used to your body" Murkel eximed as he kicked just above Dame''s head.


    Dame had leaned back out of reflex along with the rest of his body and all of his arms. As the kick missed, Murkel''s foot left a line of ck smoke in the air. Right after dodging, Dame went to attack, but his fists were drawn upwards.


    Right after, Murkel delivered a powerful fist right into Dame''s stomach, a blow that resounded through the arena. It was a hit that didn''t send Dame flying, and there was a reason for that. The edges of Murkel''s knuckles were covered in the same dark, condensed version of his Qi. Rather than focusing on hitting an opponent away, it attracted the person to his fist when hit, allowing all the power to go through the person with nearly no energy wasted in sending them


    away.


    Blood sttered out of Dame''s transformed mouth. It looked like he was about to stumble until both Alba and Amir came down in the middle. She was swinging both of her swords one after the other, not giving Murkel a second to recover. Even Murkel needed to be careful of his senses as he dodged each of the attacks.


    "Who would have thought, during this fight you''ve gotten quicker, and your attacks are showing less hesitation, less thought. You have improved in this fight alone. I think you woulde out far stronger from this fight, that is if you survived this!"


    Murkel went to strike at Alba, throwing a fist that went perfectly between her swords. When the fist came toward her, it was grabbed by Amir, his arm transformed into strange tentacles wrapping around it and holding it in ce.


    Right after, Alba continued pressing forward, not pulling back and striking right across Murkel''s chest. The sword drew blood, sttering it on the ground.


    "You''re not as untouchable as you think. You underestimated the three of us far too much. We are fighting together, not apart," Alba eximed.


    Murkel, intensifying his Qi in his fist, forced Amir to let go. Knowing the dangers of the Qi, Amir jumped back to create more space between himself and the others.


    Dame had recovered from the attack, his body healing fast from the wounds. He also realized his mistake at that moment.


    ''He''s right; he knows that I''m not in tune with this bodypletely. I haven''t been able to use it for too long. When I dodged the attack, I dodged with my whole body, rather than using some of my arms to block or dodging and blocking at the same time.


    ''What''s the point of having these extra limbs if I don''t know how to use them properly, Dame thought.


    Murkel looked at the wound across his chest. It had cut through his clothing. He had been hurt a few times in this fight, especially by Dame, and couldn''t help but smile as he saw the three


    coming towards him.


    Then there was a slight spark of Qiing from his side. Without moving his head, Murkel


    lifted his hand and grabbed onto the edge of the sword.


    "That hot-headed fool," Amir thought as soon as he saw this, wanting to lunge in, but he knew it wouldn''t help.


    "I bet you thought my sword would never reach you, right?" Ricktor imed. Murkel held onto the sword, and then with a push of a single finger, managed to force Ricktor to stumble back and fall on the ground. Ricktor quickly recovered, pointing his sword toward him. When looking beyond him, he could see Crine on the floor, clearly having passed.


    "Even that fool managed to pass, and it was you two that managed to beat him?" Murkel asked, as if it was hard for him to believe.


    The ''you two'' referred to Mada and Ricktor, who were now standing side by side. They had clearly gone through a lot, yet both of them were still willing to fight.


    "We bested one of your right-hand men in the Dark Faction. We toppled the very strongest in the Dark Faction, Ricktor imed. "Look around, nearly every person you trusted has fallen to a bunch of no-names and strangers that barely anyone in the world of Pagna knew about."


    "Father, your n will not work. Without this army of yours, how are you going to best and conquer the entirety of Pagna?" Ricktor asked.


    Murkel looked around. He nced at what was urring on the battlefield once in a while. It was hard for him not to with all the surges of Qi all over the ce. This was the first time he was


    taking a proper look and could truly see how much had fallen.


    Instead of dismay, though, arge grin appeared on his face.


    "If they fell at this stage, then it just means they were not meant toe with me to the Divine realm. As for myself, how can I reach the Divine realm if I''m not able to get through this?" Murkel lifted his hand in the air, and it was only for a slight moment. Amir didn''t have a good feeling about it, but before he could warn and tell everyone, it was toote.


    Murkel mmed his fist onto the floor, sending out a pulse of Qi. It was a ripple from the floor, but as that ripple passed through, it covered the entire arena in dark ck Qi.


    It went through every person''s body that was on the ground, reaching the very edge, and turned the entire arena floor ck.


    In an instant, everyone could feel a heavy weight pushing down on them, too heavy for them to even stand. Amir, Dame, Alba, Mada, and Ricktor were all on their knees.


    Those who had been resting from their own fights, too injured to help, could feel the immense


    pressure pushing down on their bodies. They could only nce at what was happening and couldn''t believe that everything wasing from one man.


    The only ones unaffected were those outside the arena, including Gavin, Garbo, and Tilon, who had somehow managed to take their fight to one of the stand areas and were still fighting right


    now.


    "I can''t move... and this is just from his Qi?" Alba said, turning her head to Amir, wondering why he hadn''t warned her.


    "I had no idea this man had this much power, Amir said. "If I did, I would have never jumped in


    the ring against him."


    Ricar was truly witnessing the power of one of the strongest warriors in Pagna right now.


    "He''s finally living up to his name. As I thought, the only fight that mattered in the first ce was against him. This is a lost cause for all of the others," Ricarmented. Murkelughed as he stood there, seeing that not a single person was able to resist his power.


    "All of you thought this was a test for you, to prove your power, but you were wrong" Murkel said. "This was a test for them, to prove if they were worthy ofing with me, and it seems they have all failed. I''m d they went through this because now I know not to waste my timeN?v(el)B\\jnn


    with them.


    "Now all of you shall watch as I take you out, one by one," Murkel said. "Who to deal with first? Maybe you, Ricktor?" Murkel asked.


    Ricktor wasn''t even on his knees; his chest had copsed, lying on the floor. He could only move


    his head as he looked at his father.


    Murkel started to move forward, the only person moving upon the darkness toward Ricktor,


    until he stopped. "How..." Murkel said, his expression turning sour. "How are you fine?"


    Ricktor was wondering what his father was looking at. He wanted to turn his head to see what


    had got him so worked up, but there was no need. Because the person was soon seen walking through the darkness as if it was any other flooring and had headed right past him, stopping.


    "R...Raze...?" Ricktor called out.


    "How are you able to stand in all of this darkness?" Murkel shouted out.


    "It seems that my darkness is a bit stronger than yours, that''s all," Raze replied with his sword


    drawn out by his side.


    "After everything you have seen, do you really think you can best me, the strongest warrior in all


    of Pagna?" Murkel imed.


    After what he had just done, there were few who would disagree with the title now. Especially


    Ricar who had witnessed this.


    Raze smirked back.


    "Well, it''s a good thing that I''m not a Pagna warrior, so that doesn''t apply to me."


    !


    Swipe left to continue >

 Chapter 715 Raze And The Dark Faction Ways

    Chapter 715 Raze And The Dark Faction Ways


    Raze had originally used all of his mana to teleport the entire crowd from the arena and then further bring the Crimson Crane as well as his other allies to his side. While they fought against the Dark Faction, he had been building up both his Qi and mana. After all, he had used his Qi more than he thought during the fights he participated in.


    Regardless, he had managed to regain quite a bit of energy earlier on, and because he saw what was happening, he decided to intervene. Using the Dark Edge Magic Sword Arts, hebined magic and Qi into his attacks, making sure to take out one of the most troublesome individuals in the Dark Faction. Raze had taken out Arkon with his strong attacks, using his element of surprise and superior powers, but t came at a cost. Ile needed to rebuild his Qi and mana all over again.


    He switched between the Demonic cultivation techniques to fill up his Qi and the Dark Faction cultivation technique to fill up his Dark magic core and mana. Thankfully, due to Rayna''s help. she had given him someone he could use to restore his Qi far quicker; now all he had to do was control his mana.


    Yet, in the middle of it all, while Raze was recovering his mana, he sensed something he was on the verge of reaching the next star level, and if he became a five-star mage, he would significantly increase his strength. Because of this, he had been taking longer as he focused on drawing more mana from the world, increasing it as his magic core grewrger.


    While he was in the middle of this, Murkel exploded his fist into the ground, sending out his Dark visual Qi all over the arena floor. With it covering the ground, there wasn''t a single person left unaffected, including Rayna. She had fallen onto her knees; she hadn''t been secretly injured nor worn herself out too much in the fight, yet was still affected by Murkel''s power.


    "This amount of strength... it''s quite possible he might be as strong as Father, Rayna thought. ''If that''s the case, is there anyone here who can beat him?"


    She quickly used her strength to turn her head and look behind her. She saw Raze still sitting in a meditative state, yet around him, the dark substance wasn''t touching his skin. There was a centimeter or so where it wasn''t touching him. Anyone else from far away wouldn''t be able to tell, but with her so close, she could.


    ''Why isn''t it affecting him? Is Raze somehow pushing it back with his Qi, or is it something else?" Regardless, right now, if Raze wasn''t ready, she didn''t want to distract him, but at the same time, she didn''t know what choice they had. As she looked around, not a single other person seemed capable of moving.


    "Raze..." Rayna found herself mumbling. She hated that he was always there to help her, but now she couldn''t help him.


    The moment she said those words, she felt a cool breeze almoste from behind her, followed by a shiver that ran up her entire body. When the shiver ran through her, she noticed that the weight she felt from Murkel''s Qi hadpletely disappeared.


    Turning her head once again, she saw it: Raze was standing. His eyes were open, and unlike the others, he was able to stand perfectly fine.


    Raze was assessing the situation. ''All these young ones, they have done well, and I can tell they worked hard to protect me Raze thought. "This strange Qi, it''sing from the principal. I''ve covered the bottom of my feet in Dark Magic, which is pushing the Qi away so I''m not affected by it, but this isn''t something I can just use on the others; I need to do my part as well.


    Raze then walked toward Murkel, and that''s when he passed Ricktor and now the two of them were face to face, having exchanged a few words with each other.


    "You have too much confidence in yourself, and it''s time to take it down a peg!" Murkel shouted as he charged forward at immense speed.


    Just like with Crine, when moving forward, the dark energy from the ground seemed to rise up and wrap around his fist. Raze could already feel part of his body being drawn towards him. Murkel was incredibly fast, just like before, and he was heading in a straight path with no one getting in his way.


    "Ice Break," Raze said, lifting his hand.


    From both sides of where Murkel was, two giant icebergs appeared from the ground. Murkel continued forward; he had no choice as they crashed and hit his body, but his strong Qi allowed him to break through.


    When Murkel broke through, Raze had used one of the Descending Steps, pushing him forward with the special Ghost de in his hands.


    "Crimson sh!" Raze called out.


    Using his fast Wind magic with Qi, the attack struck right through the floor. It pierced through the Dark Qi like a raft in a river and came straight for Murkel. It was too fast for him topletely dodge, but Murkel, with both of his hands, mmed them together on the invisible force. His Dark Qi could be seen going against something until it eventually stopped, along with Raze''s attack.


    "You can produce ice with your arts and can produce arge number of skills and techniques I''ve never seen. I see this isn''t going to just be a basic fight, but I am not your basic warrior either," Murkel said.


    "Don''t worry," Raze stated. "That was just a warm-up. I have plenty more up my sleeve. I didn''t want you to im that this fight was unfair."


    Raze had a number of different elements of magic he could use and had yet to utilize his Dark Magic. Now that he was a five-star mage, he had unlocked a whole heap of new spells. The thing was, there was something in Raze''s mind telling him to y this fight out like he was fighting against another mage rather than going all out against an unknown opponent whose skill set he didn''t know.


    What he wanted to do was stir up the battlefield in a way that would baffle and shock Murkel. That''s when he thought of the perfect thing.


    At the same time, Tilon was battling in the upper stands. He was finding it hard to focus on his own fight and had been bashed in the face by Gavin, causing his nose to bleed and him to stumble backwards.


    "You have such a strong shield and yet it''s useless in your hands. That man on the ground isn''t the only dangerous one here; I''m a n Head as well!" Gavin imed.


    Tn wined the blood off his nose and was still seemingly staring at what was hannening below Then he heard the heavy footstepsing at him.


    "Pay attention!" Garbo shouted.


    This time, Tilon shoved the shield forward, and when Gavin''s shield bashed against his, the shield lit up, reflecting the power and pushing Gavin back until he had broken several of the


    scats.


    Gavin knew this pain well; it was how he had ended up in the stands in the first ce, but he was still resilient and plenty strong.


    ''I need to get down there and help out Raze. With this legendary shield, I''m sure we could beat Murkel with ease, but how do I get down there without stepping in his Dark Qi? The moment I do, I''ll be sent to the ground as well. The shield won''t be able to block such a thing."


    In the middle of his thoughts, he could see Raze starting to act and felt there might be an opportunity on the horizon.


    Raze lifted his hand, and rising right above it was a strange swirling ck substance. Everyone was stunned because they felt like they had seen this before. It looked almost identical to the visual Qi that Murkel had created, swirling above him in the air.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What is this, some type of imitation? Is this meant to worry me?" Murkel said.


    "You think this is an imitation?" Raze asked. "You should know that this is nothing like yours, so what it can do ispletely different."


    Raze then threw his hand across the ground in a simr fashion to Murkel, and right from Raze''s palm, the Dark magic he had created pulsed out. When pulsing across the floor, a ripple of Dark magic got rid of all the Dark Qi in its path. As it hit the ground where the others were, they felt a slight searing pain like a burn; however, now that there was no longer any Dark visual Qi, they were free. All of them could now stand.


    "What was the Dark Faction''s principle again? Do anything to win?" Raze asked. "I think I learned well from you, after all."

 Chapter 716 Flying Mage

    Chapter 716 Flying Mage


    When Raze used his Dark Magic to surround his fect, it was clear that this allowed him to move freely. The properties of Dark Magic were to destroy, and in some cases, it could also be used as a healing tool. When Raze first encountered Dame and his group, he had used his Dark Magic to obliterate parts of the infection, giving him the idea for his current situation.


    It would hurt his allies, but he could get rid of all the visual Qi that was weighing them down and holding them in ce, which is exactly what he had done. Using his Dark Magic, he sent a ripple through the arena, destroying the visual Qi.


    Now, once again, everyone was able to move: Dame, Amir, Alba, Safa, Rayna, Ricktor, and Mada. All of them were fine again. Cronker and the more injured members of the Crimson Crane had managed to shuffle their bodies to the edge of the arena, knowing they couldn''t really help anymore.


    ''Murkel could just activate his visual Qi again, and they would be in the same situation. Doing something like I just did would use up quite a bit of mana, maybe even more than Murkel''s Qi, but unlike the Light Faction clder, this one seems to know nothing about magic, and I''ll use that to my advantage, Raze thought.


    The Light Faction, watching everything from above, was stunned by the situation.


    "The tide, with one person showing up, it haspletely changed just like that!" Ricar said, grasping the edge of the stand wall. "Now Murkel will have to go up against everyone, and although they may not be in their best condition, who knows what that young white-haired man can do."


    Beatrix didn''t like the situation at all. She still remembered her first encounter with the white-haired man. She was sure it was the same person from back then. He was a man who didn''t seem as strong as he was now, yet was also a person who practically felt like he wasn''t a Pagna warrior at all and could stop her attack back then. Now he had turned into this, a person who was going up against the Dark Faction.


    "I should have killed him when I had the chance," Beatrix said.


    On the ground floor of the arena, Alba saw the situation changing and unfolding. She lifted one of her swords into the air.


    "There is only one enemy left in front of us, there is only one person that stands here. We take him out, then we win this thing. It is just one man!" Alba eximed. "Attack!"


    Alba was clearly taking charge, and it didn''t take long for the others to follow her.


    Seeing this, Raze quickly put his sword away. The Pagna clothing started to disintegrate, revealing his specially made zer. He walked forward with both of his hands by his side.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve done something like this, but I will y a supporting role with my magic. Raze''s body started to rise up as wind magic currents were felt below his feet. He was flying and now in the air.


    "Arghh!" Tilon shouted. "I need to go help them. How can everyone be fighting without me while I''m dealing with this?"


    Tilon held up his shield again, blocking an attack from Gavin, who was using his round-shaped shield as an extension of his arm. He went to throw a fist with the shield pointed outward. Only this time, there was no nging noise.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Do you think I''m stupid? Do you think I would just hit the shield again and again?" Gavin imed as he stopped just shy of the shield. He then kicked Tilon at the side of his leg, a powerful blow that jerked Tilon''s knee for a moment.


    Before he knew it, he saw Gavin up in the air.


    "This man, I thought he was all about defense, but he''s a pretty good fighter as well!


    While Tilon looked in the air, he saw another person leaping up from the side, jumping to attack with his sword. Gavin noticed it as well and spun his body to use his shield to knock the sword away beforending safely on the ground.


    Bargo was the man who had attacked with his sword, someone else from the Moon Shield n who had been aiding Tilon along his way.


    "Unlike the first time, I don''t think surprise attacks are going to work as well anymore," Bargo said. "Gavin hasn''t been hit since, and even with the reflective power of your shield, he has just been knocked away and was able to block most of the attack."


    It wasn''t just that, but Bargo knew something else as well, a special technique that was passed down from n Head to n Head, and he knew Gavin still had yet to use it in the fight for whatever reason. Once he started to use the special technique, the fight would be much more difficult.


    "He''s not even hitting the shield, so I can''t reflect, I can''t store energy, or use it in an offensive way. What am I meant to do if he won''t hit the shield?" Tilon imed.


    Gavin was charging forward again, and in his anger, Tilon threw the shield. This surprised Gavin, who lifted his own to block the attack. The shield did nothing but started to move through the air and returned right to Tilon''s hand. With that, he felt the shield had gained a slight bit of energy that could be used.


    "That worked?" Tilon said, confused. From what he knew he needed to block attacks to store energy, but he was sure that he could feel, although energy small that some of it had been added to the shield.


    He started to wonder if there was a way he could use it like this. That was until a light switch flicked in Bargo.


    "Wait, you just need the shield to be hit to store energy of some kind? When Gavin blocks, he''s always using some form of Qi. If it just needs Qi and someone to hit it, then I''ll hit the shield!" Bargo said.

 Chapter 717 An Extra Hand

    Chapter 717 An Extra Hand


    Tilon was a little dumbfounded, but a smile soon appeared on his face as he came to the realization.


    "You''re right! Why didn''t I think of that? Attack me, hurry!" Tilion shouted.


    Bargo wasted no time and began readying his Qi, pouring it into his sword, but he stopped for an/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    moment.


    "Are you sure this is okay? What if I destroy your shield by ident? You won''t me me for it, right?" Bargo asked.


    "Just hit the shield! It won''t break with your attacks!" Tilon shouted.


    Although Tilon didn''t mean to insult Bargo, Bargo certainly took it that way and felt his strength was being questioned. Determined not to disappoint, he flipped his sword so the tip was facing away from him.


    "The Falling Meteor!" Bargo called out, a sh from below. This was one of the strongest defensive and offensive techniques in the Moon Shield n''s arsenal.


    The strike hit the shield loud and powerful, and Tilon could feel the energy increasing


    "I can''t believe it, the shield didn''t budge at all, and that was my strongest attack. Is this the strength of him... no, it has to be the shield itself," Bargomented.


    "Hey, why does it have to be the shield itself!" Tilon shouted back.


    ''The more energy in the shield, the more energy is passed onto me. I''m even stronger than before! Tilon thought as he saw Gavin up in the air, having jumped with the shield in view. Confident, Tilon then jumped up as well toward the strike. Gavin threw out a punch using the hand holding his shield, and just like before, he pulled back, stopping just short.


    However, Tilon, expecting this and with his added strength, could see what was going to happen. Ile barged the shield further forward and mmed it into Gavin''s fist. Energy could be felt drawing into the shield once again.


    "Even if you''re not nning on hitting it, I can still get some energy this way."


    "Yes, but you''re leaving yourself wide open!" Gavin shouted as he threw his leg from above and hit the top of Tilon''s head, sending him to the ground.


    Tilon crashed among the scats, destroying even the concrete underneath, but made sure to hold the shield in front of him. It was his saving grace and what was stopping Gavin from following up with more hits.


    "Even if you block his attacks and get energy into that shield, he can still hit you," Bargo said next to him, gathering strength in his sword once again. "I guess you haven''t figured out the strength of his shield."


    Tilon wondered what the old man who was helping him was mumbling about. As he got up, Bargo helped by hitting Tilon''s shield again, storing a great amount of energy in it.


    "Listen well, each time Gavin strikes his shield, a resounding effect is heard. As it rings out and hits your body, it freezes you for a fraction of a second," Bargo exined. "Even if you gain more energy and be faster, that fraction of a second is all it takes for him to still attack you, so you need to be care-''


    Out from the right side, a shield mmed right into Bargo''s face, sending him tumbling and crashing into the distance. The concrete from the stands had broken so much that Bargo could no longer even be seen.


    "OLD MAN!!!" Tilon shouted.


    "What is an old fool like that doing, telling the secrets of this artifact? He has betrayed his n, left us, so he deserves even worse than death. That was the only reason why I left him alone for so long, but then he ran his tongue just like that! Gavin imed as he turned his head to look at Tilon.


    "You''re holding onto that shield tightly. I can''t wait to pry it from your dead hands!" Gavin then hit the shield with one of his hands, and a ringing higher-pitched than one''s ears could hear went out.


    Gavin now went toward Tilon, and jumped in the air again to power his punch even further. When Tilon tried to move his shield in the way, it felt sluggish, as if everything had stopped. Just a centimeter toote, Gavin''s fist pounded right into Tilon''s face.


    Tilon went to shove his shield forward when he felt his body slightly freeze for a moment again. He hadn''t noticed it much before, but now that he was being extra sensitive after Bargo''s words, he could truly feel that it was at work.


    Another fist pounded into his chest, this time it was the fist with the shield. When it mmed into him, a heavy blow was felt in his entire chest, almost as if the bones were trying to cave into the rest of his organs.


    "That hurts, that really hurts! Tilon thought.


    Lifting his hand up, the tip of the shield then bashed into the bottom of Gavin''s face. The edge cut into his chin and lifted him up. At the same time, Tilon decided to swing the shield toward Gavin''s arm.


    Gavin looked at it as if it was no worry, thinking a small hit would be fine, yet he was unaware of what Tilon had done. Activating one more of the traits of the shield, Tilon allowed the power to sharpen the edge, making it like a sword filled with powerful Qi energy.


    As it moved through the side, it cut cleanly through Gavin''s arm, forcing the arm holding the shield to be detached from his body, but the tip of the shield was still stuck in Tilon as well. When Gavin kicked away, Tilion now had an arm with a shield attached to his chin. Using his other hand, he pulled it out, and could still see the fist clenched holding onto the shield. Then he looked at Gavin who was with one less arm, stunned to the point where he was no longer moving,


    "It looks like you''re out of options. Tilon said with a smile. "And I''m now one arm up on you"

 Chapter 718 A Real Monster

    ?


    >


    718 A Real Monster


    Gavin, a leader of one of the top five ns, was frozen in ce. It was a reaction he had only experienced once in his life before, and he thought he would never experience it again. Yet here he was standing, blood from his open wound dripping onto the floor.


    "How could this have happened? My body is reinforced with the strongest Qi. The shield even hardens my body further... yet out of all things, my arm was removed with such ease."


    The hard part for Gavin wasn''t the fact that his arm had been removed but how easily it was done, and with a shield of all things. All of these thoughts were going through his head, and that was why he was stunned.


    Tilon wasted no time as he pried open Gavin''s fingers, and now, in one hand, he held therge V-shaped legendary shield, and in the other, the round shield.


    Oddly, Gavin started to walk forward, no longer using his Qi. It was as if he had already given up in the fight. When he came close to reaching Tilon, he fell to the floor on his knees.


    "I have lost this match. You were the one that was greater in the end," Gavin stated. "With the way I am now, I will no longer be able to run the Moon Shield n!"


    Tilon looked at his opponent, wondering if this was real. He was expecting the n head to fight to the death, but without his shield, would he really amount to nothing? In the middle of his thoughts, rumbling could be heard from behind, anding out from the rubble of the stands was Bargo.


    He had markings and bruises on his face, but he was walking quite fine as he brushed the dirt from his clothes and came over to the other two.


    "I thought you were dead, Tilonmented.


    "While I was in the darkness, I honestly thought the same, but I see that you managed to pull a win. That shield is stronger than I thought," Bargomented.


    Tilon was getting a little annoyed that everyone was giving credit to the shield, but in a way, the shield was linked to him now. If only the others knew if the shield was destroyed, he would also lose his life.


    "Ilere, you take it," Tilon said as he threw the round-shaped shield over to Bargo, who caught it with his other hand. "This guy says he no longer wants to be the n head. With that, I guess you being the vice head will now be the head of the n. The shield is passed down to the head of the n, so I think you are more rightfully deserving of the shield. Besides, I couldn''t exactly use two shields in the first ce."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    many times in


    Bargo caught the shield gracefully and looked at it for a moment. He had seen the hands of Gavin, who was still on the floor on his knees in front of him. Everything seemed so bizarre to him.


    Bargo, not being from the direct bloodline and a distant rtive to the Moon Shield n, never even dared to think of taking over such a ce or having the shield. So much that he had never studied shield arts.


    ''I wonder if I was tobine shield arts with the sword. I could have great defense skills using a sword and shield. It could be useful, Bargo thought, an old man who had given up trying to ascend through the stages, now having treasures fall into hisp due to taking sides with a


    particr person.


    "I believe that it is in the best hands if you are to lead the future of the n. I ept that," Gavin said, bowing his head down. "As the old n leader to the new n leader, I wish for you to take


    my life"


    Both Bargo and Tilon looked at each other with concern. They didn''t understand. Not many people wanted to die in the world of Pagna. Sure, they were ready to give up their life, knowing it was dangerous being a Pagna warrior, but part of the reason people became warriors was to ascend their bodies-to live longer lives, and once reaching the Divine stage, to be on the cusp of immortality.


    "I see you''re confused. I can no longer progress in the stage I am now. I have lived a long life already, and with me gone, you leading a new generation can push it further. If you will not end my life, then you will only bring me the shame of having to end it myself," Gavin exined. Bargo understood. In a lot of ways, it would be torture for Gavin to see other warriors and the n progressing while he was unable to do anything anymore.


    "I understand," Bargo said as he drew his sword.


    Tilon, in a way, wanted to stop him. Gavin had clearly given up fighting, but it wasn''t his business to stop or get involved in; it was up to the two of them.


    "Is there anything you wish to say or any wishes you want me to pass on to the rest of the n?"


    Bargo asked.


    Gavin then looked up and looked at not just Bargo but also into the eyes of Tilon as well. Eventually, he turned his head to look at the arena below.


    "There is. With the strength I have seen today, including the power of the two of you, I hope that all of you will have the power to stop that monster down there," Gavin said.


    Tilon paid close attention. When saying the word "monster," he was focusing on none other than


    Murkel.


    "I wish that you can do what the four of us had failed to do on that day. I wish you good luck! After saying those words, Gavin moved forward, allowing the sword to pierce through his


    throat, ending his own life.


    Leaving them all with a deep message and the big question: just what was going on in the Dark


    Faction?


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 Chapter 719 A Stronger Attack

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    719 A Stronger Attack


    Alba was leading the charge against Murkel, and all of those that could fight were going off ahead. As she ran forward, she swung her sword down and Murkel hadpletely evaded it. Next, three fistsing from Dame appeared, aiming to hit the side of Murkel. He managed to lift his leg and strike them down. A sword was thrown against his back by Ricktor but as it hit his body, it hardly did anything to pierce it, and he had just let it go.


    Ilowever, it was a small distraction and one person hade incredibly close to where Murkel was; Raze was right in front of him. Raze made it look like he was going to strike him with the sword, but purposely missed and hit the ground.


    The moment he did, sparks ignited from his sword, and ran from the floor hitting the entirety of Murkel''s body. It had stopped him for a moment, and Amir had arrived with his giant axe hand, hitting him right at the top of Murkel''s head.


    It had sent Murkel flying as his Qi managed to protect him from getting cut, but not the direct impact.


    Murkel then crashed into the wall, but Raze didn''t stop his attack there. He lifted his sword off the ground and while doing so the sword had disappeared from the magic. He had raised himself in the air, and from above he started to move both of his hands, firing off in the direction of Murkel.


    "Dark Pulse, Dark Pulse, Dark Pulse!"


    Several beams of Dark magic shot out of Raze''s hands right where Murkel was, but Raze could see they were having next to no effect.


    Murkel had managed to condense his Qi to a higher level than it was when he had spread it out from his body, and as he hit the Dark Pulse, the Qi was stronger than the magic, destroying it with each hit.


    Amir came forward again trying to create a distraction, swinging hisrge beast hand from the side. Yet Murkel was able to block a Dark Pulse with one hand and grabbed the beast axe, throwing it to the floor.


    When Dame came for a surprise hit, Murkel hit him right in the stomach, sending him flying away, Murkel then spun his body and was ready to strike Alba who was next with her two swords.


    As he was getting ready to hit her, an ice pir raised from the ground just beneath Murkel''s foot and sent him off bnce, causing his punch to miss. Then Alba''s swords struck him cleanly, hitting his body and lightly scratching him.


    Raze then came from behind once again, with his sword covered in lightning. He swung it down and it missed Murkel.


    ''He''s fast, faster than me... even with me reaching the middle stage, he is a top middle stage warrior after all! Raze thought.


    However, his sword ignited with lightning magic, it sparked and a spark went off from the side zapping Murkel''s body, scorching part of his body and his skin.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I''ll just have to follow up with a faster attack! Raze thought, as he used his Ice magic again,


    lifting two pirs thick in size one in front and one behind Murkel.


    Raze quickly ced his sword by his side and started to gather his Qi.


    "Dark Pulse, fourth formation!"


    The magic and Qi exploded from the hilt of the sword and Raze elerated forward with his sword ready to pierce right through Murkel. However, Raze''s sword looked to have overextended.


    In his position, he could see nothing in front of him and his attack had continued going forward, destroying part of the arena, yet there was no one in front of him.


    ''I wasn''t fast enough, he managed to dodge that? Raze thought, turning his head.


    As he did, he could see Murkel with his Dark ck fists ready to jump on Raze. There were others close and ready to attack him, but they would be too slow.


    Murkel had decided he could take a few hits if he was to get rid of the Dark Magus individual, the most troublesome out of the group.


    Raze couldn''t do anything in this situation, he had to take the hit. With his zer and his own Qi, he was confident it wouldn''t finish him off.


    ''I''ll use some of my wind magic as well to push him back as much as possible!'' Coming in right between the two of them though, was arge man in ck armor carrying a very special shield. Ile calmly stood in front of the Dark Magus and confidently held his shield. The fist exploded, hitting the shield, and at the same time, it started to light up.


    "Rebound time." Tilon said with a smile.


    When the shield lit up, it sted arge amount of energy right back at Murkel, sending him flying away. Unfortunately, the others that were behind him had also been hit.


    All of them went flying off in different directions and tumbled against the ground.


    "Ah crap." Tilon said. "They can''t be mad at me though, right? I mean, I need to protect the Dark Magus."


    Raze was pleased with the result and even looked at the shield that Tilon was holding; it was still in perfect condition.


    "Damn it!" Alba said as she lifted herself up, her body more sore than it was before. She had taken a lot of hits in the fight, and most of them Qi hits, damaging the inside of her body.


    Her grip was weakening on her weapons, but she was thankful to see Tilon. She just wondered why he didn''t store the energy instead, and blocked the attack rather than using the rebound and wondered if it was on purpose.


    Raze observing the situation also noticed though, that Murkel wasn''t very hurt by the attacks before, made by the others or the magic that hit him.


    "I''m going to need to ask you all for a favor again." Raze said in a booming voice. "Keep the man busy for 20 seconds, and then get out of the way"


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 Chapter 720 Lasting 20 Seconds

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    720 Lasting 20 Seconds


    It was a hard task and a tall order for the attacking group, to go up against Murkel. They had been injured and been fighting for a while now, before with Amir, Dame and Alba they had managed to do something.


    However, the Murkel they were fighting against now, and the Murkel they were fighting against before, it was a different picture.


    "We fight!" Tilon said, seeing the hesitation on the others'' faces. "20 seconds, that''s all he asked for so we fight!"


    Tilon led the charge, not being as hurt as the others in the group and feeling slightly guilty for reflecting the attack from before. With the shield though he was confident as well.


    "I''ve got your back!" Alba called out as she walked slightly behind him.


    Dame with his gauntlet hands started to throw them through the air and was aiming strikes at Murkel. He swirled his hands in the air, and the Qi attacks had just entered there instead.


    "We don''t have the entirety of the Crimson n, Reno, Froma and a few others are still far too hurt, but we need to just make do with what we have!" Alba said as she sped up, a red stream of Qi flowing behind her, and slid across the floor.


    "I''m going to believe in you Raze, you said to hold him off for 20 seconds, I''m going to believe you''re going to be able to end the fight then, so I will burn every bit of my Qi."


    Alba continued to just skid across the floor and the visual red Qi behind her was getting stronger and stronger and she was picking up speed. Until, like a burning arrow, she went right through where Murkel was.


    The floor behind Murkel waspletely destroyed, the tiles torn apart seeing the harder concrete underneath it, and Alba had stopped sliding just shy of the arena wall behind him.


    She stood there with her swords crossed, and coughed, blood slightly dripping out of her mouth.


    "I''ve done what I can, that guy is a little too strong... it seems he still managed to block that and hit me back." Alba then turned around and ced her swords away.


    Although she had been hit, and had exhausted her Qi, she was still able to stand. She knew she was practically out of the fight, but she had reserved just enough energy to see the oue of the whole thing.


    Taking such a big part in it all, she wanted to see Murkel fall. Just as it looked like she was about to trip, Rayna had caught her.


    "And why aren''t you taking part in this?" Alba said.


    "Because, I have a feeling that Raze might exhaust himself in all of this, all of you guys are, and there needs to be one of us that will carry you all back." Rayna answered.


    Charging ahead Tilon was now there, and Murkel had learned not to hit the shield twice now, Instead, he went to kick Tilon on the side.


    Tilon quickly raised his shield as he kept it close and tight to him, but there was no impact, Murkel was able to safely pull his leg back. The moment he did, he could see six arms going


    ahead ready to punch him.


    Quickly, Murkel circled an area with his ck Qi, the attacks were drawn away, and he then grabbed the center of Dame''s shirt, and threw him to the other side of him where Amir was. Beforepletely throwing him, Murkel had then delivered a kick right in Dame''s stomach, and sent him flying back right into Amir''s axe-like arm. The axe had pierced the back of Dame causing him to bleed and both of them to topple in front of each other.


    "Your shield, it''s extremely annoying!" Murkel punched it twice, two short bursts that hit the shield, and Tilon noticed something odd. The energy that was felt obtained from the shield was incredibly weak.


    Murkel continued to punch and kick the shield, and Tilon was able to keep up with the attack. In his hands, the shield was weightless after all.


    ''Come on guys, while I''m blocking these attacks, someone has to do something!'' ''Tilon thought. He was getting worried why the shield wasn''t storing as much energy as before.


    That''s when Tilon thought about it, was there even anyone left that could help to fight? Bargo had been extremely hurt by Gavin, so he had stayed up in the stands, only he had jumped down. Everyone else was seemingly out for the count, there were the students, but they were looking at the distance too weak to do anything as well.


    In this panic, Tilon activated the sharp edge and swung his shield sideways to try to hit Murkel, but it didn''tnd at all, as Murkel had moved with ease and now hade in close next to Tilon. "I''ll break that shield from your hands!" Murkel stated as he lifted his hand and mmed it down. Just as Murkel said, a cracking noise was heard as Tilon''s arm had snapped.


    Murkel was going for another hit, before Qi sts had hit him in the side of the face. Tilon was still holding onto the shield tightly, and even with a broken arm forced himself to pull it back.


    Murkel got out of the way, and could see the hits hade from Dame, who was no longer in his transformed Hybrid state. They had all pushed themselves too far. Even Amir, although standing on his legs, he too could no longer transform.


    In truth, they were already at the end of their fight a long time ago, and they had only pushed themselves that bit further because it was an order from Raze. They all thought that if they just got through this, then it would all be for the sake of victory.


    "This is useless, and the end." Murkel imed, that was until he could see the ground was shaking, and he could feel it, a build-up of Qi, like a strong powerful volcano ready to erupt,ing from one individual in particr.


    "What... are you doing?" Murkel asked, looking in Raze''s direction.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


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 Chapter 721 The Strongest Strike

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    721 The Strongest Strike


    The whole arena was shaking, the loose rubble in the stands was tumbling, falling further down, while the dust on the floor was vibrating. Every single person could feel the arena shaking.


    Even those who had passed out from their fight, such as Cornker and Reno. The shaking and the power they could feel had caused them to open their eyes and all of them looked in one direction in particr.


    The source of all the power could be felting from one area, and there was only a single person standing there.


    Raze''s feet were spread slightly apart from each other, and his entire body was glowing in a deep dark orange color. It had surrounded his body, mainlying from his Ghost de.


    The Ghost de would usually only slightly light up when Qi was infused into the weapon, Demonic Qi in particr. Right now one wouldn''t even be able to tell that he was even holding onto a sword, as it was a blur coveredpletely in energy.


    The strong energy that was radiating from the sword was what had covered the entirety of Raze''s body as well.


    "Everyone, get away from him!" Raze said, gritting through his teeth. It looked as if even he was struggling with the power that had been obtained in his body. Yet the words spoken were projected in all directions due to the Qi.


    As for why there was such a buildup of Qi, the answer was because in those 20 seconds, Raze had been preparing his strongest move. He had been performing the Ten Descending Steps.


    He performed each of the steps one after the other, each time from one step to the other the buildup of Qi would pile on top of each other. The Ten Descending Steps were something that Raze had learned to fullpletion.


    A move that was considered a basic principle in the Demonic Faction. Many knew how to perform some of the steps, but few knew how to perform all of the steps in session. However, there was a im, something that Dame had said a long time ago. If a person was able to learn all ten of the descending steps, performing them one after the other, then they would be able to rule the entirety of Pagna.


    "I can''t believe it... did he really learn all ten steps? But he''s just a beginner middle stage warrior, and only recently. I only gave him that book a while ago, how has he learned something in a year that would take others hundreds of years!" Dame thought.


    The answer wasn''t what one would expect, Raze wasn''t a genius, at least not in terms of a Pagna warrior. But he was one of the most hardworking researchers of magic there was out there. Whenparing theplexity of Magicpared to Pagna techniques, one was far harder than the other, and the control of his Mana, could help him with his control of Qi, allowing him to learn all Ten Descending Steps.


    Nine steps had beenpleted and Raze now held his sword up in the air. From his wrist, Dark magic was now swirling and intertwining with the Demonic Qi. The technique he was using right now was the Dark Edge Sword Art''s Eclipse Strike, yet not even his Dark Magic could cover the sword.


    Bending his body slightly, it looked as if Raze was ready to pounce like a wild animal, and it was then that the tenth step was unleashed. Raze continued to run forward, his feet looked as if they weren''t directly touching the floor because there was a river of Qi between him and the ground.


    When he was close, Raze then swung his sword down, and leapt from his position spinning his entire body. The Eclipse Strike''s power striking down, with his magic, and Raze swirling his entire body with all Ten Descending Steps and buildup of Qi, it just looked like two beams of energy spiralling around each other,rge in size heading in one direction.


    Everyone had long moved from where Murkel was, and perhaps Murkel didn''t even think that such an attack would be possible. He stood there as if struck in awe, and therge beams of energy had hit his bodypletely.


    Both spirals of Demonic Qi and Dark Magic went through his body, the energy so strong that the others couldn''t see much, until Raze had appeared on the other side, falling to one knee. Sweat was running down his face and he was hyperventting. Breathing in fast and slow. While the others just looked at Murkel. Ilis body had severalrge holes in it, to the point where a person could see through, and arge sh had been cut through Murkel''s body, from his shoulder, down to his waist, nearly falling off.


    Half of Murkel''s body was leaning to the side, as if it was almost falling off, only being held up by a few pieces of bone.


    "It''s... over." Alba said with relief. ''If an attack like that didn''t get him... then who knows what it would have taken to take that monster out."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    There was relief all around for the match was over. If Raze couldn''t do it, then who would have


    to take up the mantle, all of their lives would be lost.


    "Look!" Tilon shouted, his finger shaking as he had it pointed toward Murkel.


    When the others looked at who he was pointing at, they could see Murkel''s eye, moving. Even though half of his head had been ripped off, one of his eyes was blinking.


    Soon the leaning part of his body started to raise up, pulling itself so it was straight, and then, parts of his body were regrowing back, all of the wounds that had been made, they looked as if


    they were healing.


    Bargo who was standing in the stands, as he saw this sight could only think back to one thing.


    "A true monster, a true monster!" Bargo looked at Gavin who had now perished, and the words he had spoken to him and Tilon. "What is Murkel, and just what had happened on that day, when the five great ns from the Dark Faction met up."


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 Chapter 722 The Feeling Of A Monster

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    722 The Feeling Of A Monster


    Murkel had been badly injured by the attack from Raze. It was after all his strongest attack, now a five-star mage, he had unlocked more mana than before. He had used Dark Magic which was the strongest form of magic he had and was based on destruction,bined with the Ten Descending Steps and his Demonic Qi as a beginner middle stage warrior, his attack was devastating.


    Even with Murkel''s supreme Qi, bringing him close to the pinnacle of the Divine realm, he was unable to stop such a devastating attack, and the state of his body had showed that. Wounds that were too big to be healed by any physician, a body that was practically sliced in half hanging by a thread. It would be impossible for anyone to recover from such a state.


    Even the best Light Magic healers couldn''t heal something like this, and yet everyone was seeing it with their eyes. The blood around Murkel, it was attaching to different parts of his body. It looked like a thick stringy substance that was forming in between one side to the other.


    It pulled the body together, and the red blood would then start to grow and change, until it had fully formed full parts of Murkel''s body, and the result was now, right in front of them, apart. from the cloth of Murkel''s clothes that had been ripped and destroyed in the fight, was a perfectly fine Murkel.


    "I knew there had to be something else, his confidence was still there, I noticed the smile on his face, even when I had the buildup of Qi." Raze said to himself as he turned around.


    "Ilis disgusting look reminds me of the Grand Magus."


    Murkel''s body looked oddly stiff as it hade back together, and with a few blinks, it was as if his brain had reconnected with his body. He looked at everyone who was looking at him inplete fear.


    Up at the stands, there was one Elder of the Light faction in particr, Ricar, whose hands couldn''t stop shaking.


    "I know this is quite a feat that is beyond warriors'' capabilities, but something tells me that you are hung up on something else." Beatrix asked.


    A skilled warrior like Ricar, didn''t usually show panic despite the situation, and it almost felt like she could hear his heart beating out of his chest.


    "I''m sure to all of you, what it looked like was blood that was used to form the body... and there aren''t many that will have been around to see what it was like back then... but I assure you, what just joined up that man''s body, was not blood." Ricar imed.


    Dame had been badly hurt that he could no longer transform his body, as he moved out of the way for Raze''s attack, he had ended up near another fellow member of his group, Mantis, who had stayed on the ground for nearly all of the fight.


    However, something odd was happening, Dame''s body was hurting. It felt like his own blood was trying to crawl out of his body, and when he looked to the side of him, he could see Mantis was rolling around in pain as well.


    "You can feel something is going on as well? Just what is happening, and what is he?" Dame


    asked.


    It wasn''t just the two of them though, although Amir was standing still, there was a deep look of concern on his face.


    "This can''t be." He said to himself. "Surely, we should have known, or had records of this at least, and all the years I''ve been by him, I never managed to notice?"


    It wasn''t just those from the Bonum Society that felt like there was arge change. One person in particr could tell something wasn''t right.


    "What''s going on!" Ricktor said as he held onto his arm. His legs were still shaking. Not just from Murkel''s power but from the power that was unleashed from Raze not too long ago.


    "You... who are you!" Ricktor continued to shout. "I can tell now, I couldn''t quite tell before, there was still a look in your eye from before, but now it''s different, it''s all gone. You, you''re not my father are you!"


    Everyone knew Ricktor''s rtionship to Murkel. They could guess that the two of them wouldn''t have the closest rtionship. Not many n Heads did due to themitments and the care of the n over their own family.


    However, that wasn''t true. The memories that Ricktor remembered when he was younger, his father had cared for him, stronger than anyone he had ever felt. Slowly though it had changed bit by bit.


    At times, Ricktor thought that he could see aspects of his old father shine through, but now it. felt like he couldn''t see it at all, and after seeing what had just happened to his body, no longer did Ricktor feel like the man that looked like his father was his father, it was just someone in the same skin as him.


    Raze wasn''t following up with another attack, if his Ten Descending Steps were unable to finish off Murkel, then small attacks would be useless. What he needed to do now was to recover his own energy as quickly as possible.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Coming over, scooting by his side, almost shuffling, Safa had eventually reached him. She held out her hand and started to use her Light Magic on Raze.


    "You have recovered quite quickly to use that." Raze said.


    "I can cultivate just by breathing, it''s be second nature to me so I recover faster than others, but it looks like you need to restore your mana and Qi as quickly as possible, otherwise I''m afraid we''ll all be dead." Safa answered.


    Murkel then looked at Ricktor up and down, until a creepy smirk appeared on his face. I lis mouth almost looked over-stretched as the corners were reaching up, almost touching his eyes. "You are right, you are not my son, and I am not your father, and I will get rid of all of the Factions on Pagna!" Murkel said, his right eye turningpletely red.


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 Chapter 723 New Dark Faction Ruler

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    723 New Dark Faction Ruler


    Memories had shed into Murkel''s head of a meeting that had urred a while ago, a change that had happened within the Dark Faction that no one was aware of.


    By this point, Murkel had gained strength and notoriety. He had challenged a number of the n I leads across the Dark Faction and had bested them all. All apart from the top four ns that currently led the Dark Faction.


    Some thought the Dark Faction was weakening after the loss of the Noctis n, and there were rumors that the Light Faction was nning an attack to eliminate them.


    It was an extremely tense time for those in the Dark Faction, and of all things, the Erupting Fist n being led by this genius warrior had asked for a meeting between all four of them.


    Out on a mountain top, there was a stone temple right at the top. It was abandoned and not a single person had visited it or maintained it. It was the perfect ce for a meeting to take ce so that no one was to learn of what had urred.


    Patiently, the four leaders of the top ns in the Dark Faction were waiting. Crine, leader of the Flowing Force n, Sabrina, leader of the Tulip n, Feebie, Leader of the Lethal Bite n, and Gavin, leader of the Moon Shield n.


    They were standing waiting side by side, as they had all been called there by one person in particr. As they looked toward the stone path that led to arge staircase, they could see a middle-aged man, calmly walking up the staircase in his ck clothing with his hands behind his back.


    The wind was blowing, but when he stepped on the stone pathway it felt like it hadpletely stopped as not a single strand of his hair was blowing in the wind, this was Murkel, the current leader of the Erupting Fist n.


    "What was such an important matter that you decided to gather all of us?" Crine asked. "Are you trying to act like you run the Dark Faction already, that is something that is run by us, not you, and we are the ones that need to ept you as one of us in the first ce!"


    None of the current Dark Faction leaders present had been defeated by Murkel. So they were unsure of his strength, they knew he was strong, but felt like rumors might have been exaggerated.


    After all, all of those he had beaten so far were those that they could have beaten themselves as well.


    "Since the Noctis n disappeared from the Dark Faction, things have been difficult for us, but that might be due to your own actions don''t you think?" Murkel said. "I have heard that your ns have been hunting everyst member, everyst trace of the Noctis n and their skills. "I can see why, all of you are afraid that their n''s skills are superior, that someone wille, rise up and im this throne that the four of you share over the Dark Faction!" There were annoyed faces all around, some even unleashing the Qi from their body. It was a fact that was known throughout the ns and the Dark Faction, but no one dared question the doing of the current heads of the Dark Faction, they were the only people that were somewhat protecting them as well after all.


    "Just let us know why you are here." Samantha asked, cing her fan over her face. "In your letter you mentioned was something about making you principal of the Academy. Although your achievements I would say justify you being ced there, it is a position that ims a lot of power for the future of the faction."


    "Correct" Feebie added. "It would make a lot more sense for one of our vice heads to take the


    position of principal, even if it is just as a figurehead."


    "And that is why I have called you all here today!" Murkel smiled. "The Dark Faction needs more than just a principal, we need someone to take charge of the entire faction, just like in the past with the Noctis n. My im is to not just be the principal but the one leading the Dark Faction.


    "We cannot continue on like the Demonic Faction, we are not like them, and our faction is not rule followers or democratic like that of the Light Faction, so this is the only way. I will best you all one by one in a fight." Murkel said. "To prove I have the right to lead the Faction!"


    The challenge was so straightforward that they took it, believing that they couldn''t lose. Because there was something Murkel had mentioned taking them on one by one, and he would do so one after the other.


    A big fight between such n Ileads would drain them of their energy, so what made him so confident? Feebie was the first to step up, and everyone was stunned when Murkel had unleashed his superior Dark Qi and won the fight.


    He then continued to do the same, besting Samantha after, then Gavin, andstly he had bested Crine as well. Murkel had easily proved himself, that he was the strongest in the entire Dark Faction.


    He was starting to be deserving of his title as the one closest to the Divine being.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Yet all of them present couldn''t be epting of this fact, that there was one person that would take over their throne. They had done a lot as leaders to get their position, things that they


    weren''t proud of.


    Secrets that only they knew to eliminate the Noctis n. They couldn''t have someonee in and take it all away from them like this. That''s when all of them agreed to attack Murkel at once. They wouldn''t fight him one by one, but fight him again. The only thing was the result was not what they had expected, as Murkel had beaten all four of them, and with ease.


    There was a single mark on his body, but one of his eyes waspletely glowing red, and a strange red substance was seen retracting from the back of his body inside him. "You... you''re a hybrid..." Crine said.


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 Chapter 724 At The Start Of It All

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    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    724 At The Start Of It All


    Some of the Dark Faction leaders didn''t really know what happened that day, while others had more vivid memories that would be kept with them for as long as they could remember.


    The devastating power that Murkel, the leader of the Erupting Fist n, and also Principal and head of the Dark Faction possessed. There were noints from any of the members, it was impossible for them toin unless they were willing to give their life up for it.


    So on that fateful day, at the abandoned temple, each of them bowed down on their knees and pledged loyalty to him. There were those that had done so with different things in mind.


    Gavin had done it out of fear for his life, Crine had done it believing that a new wave was now going to lead the Dark Faction, that they woulde out on top of everyone after such time had passed.


    The others would have felt this way as well, but they had mixed feelings because of who Murkel was, he wasn''t exactly like them, he was a hybrid, which meant he was partly non-human as well.


    "I have to ask!" Feebie said, as she lifted her head, "Now that we have sworn loyalty to you and to help you be part of this change in the world. When did this happen? Has the Erupting Pist n always been like this... have you always been like this?"


    Everyone knew what Feebie was referring to, and some thought that she might have lost her life for just asking, but Murkel remained calm.


    "My story has been an interesting one, and it''s only right that I share it with you all." Murkel answered.


    The first interesting part of Murkel''s story was the fact that it started hundreds of years ago. The faction, with the current setup of ns, only existed in thest two hundred years or so, but the ns themselves existed far longer than that.


    Before it was just ns of Pagna warriors iming to be the strongest here and there, and it was onlyter that the famous Noctis n hade around and formed the Dark Faction, thest of the three factions to form.


    They wondered though, why was Murkel starting his story from here, why from a time when even the current heads themselves didn''t exist?


    Murkel started his story at the Erupting Fist n base. A base that was located deep in a forest, in arge field stone area that had been crafted from an old fishing vige that was located near a river.


    They weren''t the biggest n back then, but then again, the scope of where things were with other ns was almost non-existent.


    That''s when he added, and Murkel himself was there, a young student at around the age of 25 years old. Back then, the Erupting Fist n wasn''t very big, and due to his talents, he had pretty much already been selected as the next head of the n despite his young age, but it just went to show how talented he was.


    In the world of Pagna though, Murkel had quickly learned that his talent didn''t mean much. One


    day, Murkel was training the next set of students. The Pagna academy hadn''t existed and ns just trained students themselves.


    There had yet to be the faction that hade into ce. However, there were a few things that had spread in the continent of Pagna. One of them were tales of portals that were opening up.


    Some imed on the other side of the portals were other worlds, other dimensions. They had been appearing for years and were simply rumors but gradually they were turning into full-fledged stories.


    Some stated that beasts had appeared out of them, while others said that if one went through these portals they could obtain great treasures that increased one''s strength.


    As for another rumor, it was of a wanderer that was going from n to n, facing the best of the best that were currently present, and that day as Murkel was training the students, they had a visitor enter from outside.


    Murkel remembered the visitor well as he came through the door, a man that looked to be in his fifties, maybe even older. He had a well-built body, but it was his clothing that stood out.


    It wasn''t a simple cloth like they had in Pagna, instead, he was wearing a robe that fluttered down cleanly on his body, and went over his head. Pulling it down, his long ck straight hair was revealed, untied, unusual for a warrior.


    "I hear there is a talented individual from the Erupting Fist n, I havee here to face the strongest." The man stated.


    The current Elder wasn''t present, nor was the n Head. They had gone for a meeting with the nice outlying ns, but if Murkel was honest with himself, he would consider himself stronger than the others.


    Even though he was at the starting stages of a middle stage warrior, unheard of for someone his age, he believed his skills and quick thinking would allow him to beat even those higher staged than him.


    One of the few rarities and exceptions in the world. A person who truly understood how Dark Qi worked.


    "Stranger, what n do youe from, to be able to so brazenly barge in and challenge our n like this?" Murkel asked.


    "n... I guess I have no n." The man answered. "I am just a wanderer who is going from ce to ce."


    When hearing this, Murkel had a good idea that this man was perhaps the wanderer that people were talking about. The wanderer that was besting n heads. What was surprising was that the stories they heard, at times the wanderer would lose challenges, but he woulde back rather quickly and when he did, he would beat them, and move on from there. Continually improving his craft.


    "I am willing to fight you, but I want to know something." Murkel said as he told the students to clear the way and step to the side of the room. "What is your goal in all of this?"


    The mysterious man drew his sword out.


    "Goal... I guess for now I just want to explore this world, and see what it has to offer. I have decided to try and create my own art, you see I''m quite apetitive person, so I am trying to


    create the best type of martial art there is out there, one that can''t be beaten.


    "Interesting" Murkel replied. "And what is the name of your art?"


    "The Dark Edge Sword Arts" The mysterious man replied.


    !

 Chapter 725 The Lost Legend

    ?


    725 The Lost Legend


    The Dark Edge Sword Arts, it was an art that Murkel had never heard of before. Part of his training was learning the arts of the ns in the nearby arca, and this wasn''t one that he was familiar with.


    Regardless, he had decided to take on the challenge and the two of them went head to head against each other. As the fight continued, Murkel had gone up against the Dark Edge Sword Arts for the first time, and he hade out of the match with a loss.


    At first, the mysterious man had used a number of different wanderer techniques, but when going up against the Dark Edge Sword Arts he had never seen before, the techniques were odd and didn''t feel like anything he had gone up against. On top of that, they were extremely powerful, all of these things had ended up with Murkel''s defeat.


    The mysterious man''s sword was pressed up against Murkel''s neck, but the man soon put the sword away, and offered a hand, lifting Murkel up off the ground.


    "You are probably one of the most talented people I have faced so far... for your age that is." The man said.


    "Does that mean you have fought many before? It''s hard to test my skills as I am only able to go up against those that are in my n. Murkel replied.


    "Yes, I''m being honest and I''m not just saying that. The continent of Pagna is vast, and the history of arts that have been improved upon from years and years is extremely impressive." The man went on to ramble, talking about some of the groups he went against and the arts they used, which he liked.


    "Your art, it doesn''t feel like it''s based on anything, not even on any of the wanderer techniques. It almost feels as if Qi is not meant to be the basis of the power." Murkelmented.


    Arge smile appeared on the man''s face.


    "I knew you were special, you are the first person to realize this. You are right, that''s because, this sword art, although I have made it for Pagna warriors, I haven''t created these techniques with Qi in mind.


    The reply didn''t make sense to Murkel. If Qi wasn''t the basis for the energy to be used then what was? Qi was the only thing that he knew. On top of that, the techniques were already powerful enough, with just Qi on its own.


    "You said before that you arepetitive, that is why you are creating these arts, but are they for yourself? If only you know the arts, then when you die, no one will know that your art is the strongest." Murkel replied.


    It was standard for Pagna warriors to try and im their arts were the best, and would use them to continue to grow until they reached the divine realm.


    "You''re right, that''s why I need to perfect these techniques. Once they are perfected, I will pass them on, but only after I know they are strong enough to face everyone here. The man replied.


    "Only then? From the sound of things, you wish to pass it on so everyone has the same strength, what''s the reason for that?" Murkel asked. "Shouldn''t you keep this knowledge within your own n? Otherwise, it will just make everyone the same."


    "Even though you teach all of your n the same techniques, not everyone is the same." the man replied. "And besides, there are already those that have techniques stronger than all of those in Pagna, including those in the Divine realm. If those from the Divine realm could have their strength down here in Pagna, then even the strongest would lose, correct?"


    "So, before ascending, one needs to be the strongest here, to have the chance against the strongest up there."


    "I don''t think that''s something we should worry about." Murkel replied. "After all, they are up there, and even in the other realm, one can continue to grow their strength."


    "Do you think that they will always be up there? And what if there are other threats? You should know, we are not the only ones in this world. The man stated.


    Murkel thought about it a bit more, and now seeing the strong wanderer, another rumor had entered his head, it was about the dimensions.


    "Are you talking about the dimensions, you think that is something that Pagna should worry about, are they even real?" Murkel asked.


    "They are certainly real, and the rumors about them are correct. They are able to connect the world of Pagna to these other worlds, and I will tell you something else. In these other worlds, there are not just beasts, but people as well."


    "In these ces, the restrictions of the Divine realm are not present either, and if the world of Pagna can be connected, then it means other worlds can be connected to the same ce as well."


    To Murkel, hearing all of this, he just thought it was the ramblings of an older man. It was quitemon for strong warriors to be a bit crazy in the head. Sometimes their radical thoughts weren''t so radical when breakthroughs would ur in the warrior world.


    "You have impressed me a lot, so I have a message for you and one that you should take seriously." The man said. "One of these portals, these dimensions could appear any time, even in such a ce like this, in your lovely town."


    "At the moment, the portals that are opening are unstable, so more than likely a portal break will ur. If a dimension portal does appear, you have two options. You must warn everyone, and tell them to run."


    "If this does happen, then there is no doubt a lot of lives will be saved, but some will still end up perishing, not believing your warning"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Then there is a second option, grow strong, strong enough to enter the portal, and fight. If you do that, you can protect everyone that you care about in this town. It''s a journey that you don''t have to do on your own, and if there are more of you, you can convince them, then you will be able to save many"


    Without letting Murkel reply, the man had left, and it was onlyter that the world would learn that the mysterious man would go on to be the founder of the Dark Faction, and of the Legendary Noctis n.


    However, Murkel himself wouldn''t learn of this fact at all, due to strange circumstances, as the world had other ns for him.


    !

 Chapter 726 Time Passes Differently

    ?


    726 Time Passes Differently


    After the man had left, Murkel had told the students to remember what they had seen, and that they should learn from their losses. A loss wasn''t a shameful thing, and they should evaluate what worked or why they lost in order to improve.


    At the same time though, Murkel also asked the students to keep what they had seen a secret. The wandering warrior didn''t seem like the type of person who would spread that he was


    victorious.


    Especially against someone who had only made a small name for himself. Yet at the same time, Murkel didn''t want new students to be dissuaded from joining the n.


    When the elders and the n Head returned, he didn''t speak to them about his loss with the wanderer. They seemed to be worked up about their own problems.


    "Times are hard, Murkel" An old man said as he sat slumping in his chair.


    Murkel hade over and poured some hot tea, then poured it in his own cup before sitting down opposite him.


    "How did the meeting with the other ns go?" Murkel asked.


    "Not well, as you know, factions toward the east of Pagna are collectively teaming up. ns in that area have always had the same sort of values and have designated themselves as the Light Faction. It''s a mighty force that many ns in Pagna are worrying about.


    "On top of that, one of thergest empires has their backing as well. No doubt they have made some sort of deal to give them some of thend that they had conquered. The reasonable thing to do would be to make a type of faction that would oppose them"


    Murkel took a big sip of his cup, still thinking about what the mysterious wanderer had said. What his ideals were, and what he had nned to do.


    "I''m guessing it was hard to convince the other ns to suddenly team up like that. At least not without fighting and creating some type of pecking order." Murkel answered.


    "Precisely, and that will only make us weak. Thankfully, there are some stronger ns out there that are wedged between us and this Light Faction, those that practice the Demonic techniques, so there is some time that can be bought at least."


    Big changes were happening in the Pagna world. The line between warriors and regr citizens was bing less apparent with each day. With more ns working with kingdoms and empires.


    At the same time, factions were being made that had never urred before, andstly strange things were urring, and even rumors of powerful warriors appearing from ns using powerful artifacts that could do a number of things.


    Murkel was somewhat pleased that he would be living in an era where big changes were urring and maybe he would be a part of it.


    For once, Murkel had decided to do some training outside with the students. The students were learning quickly and growing stronger thanks to some changes that Murkel had made to the Erupting Fist n''s techniques.


    Ile was adjusting them and the n Head willingly allowed him to. As long as the base of the arts remained the same, he didn''t mind. Especially since he wished for Murkel to take over it one day.


    He had proof of that, the n medallion, with a peacock with burning feathers carved in it. It was always ced under his clothing and was a symbol that he was the next sessor of the Erupting Fist n.


    He fiddled with it from time to time under his chest. And would still think about the day he had lost the fight to the wanderer. He had heard news about him, and some of his aplishments, defeating others from top ns.


    One day, he wished he woulde back, and when he did he wanted to fight and go against him again. In the middle of his thoughts, as the students shouted out their chants, and grunts while performing hits, he could see out in the field, just by the river where countless workers would do their fishing, there were a few sparks in the air.


    ''What is that, lightning, but it''s noting from the sky!''


    The sparks gotrger andrger until they started to hit each other, eventually forming a full circle, and a strange mystic mix of colors started to form in the center. He had heard of this description before.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    One of the men closest to the strange floating object was a fisherman, he moved in closer, until right out from the dimension portal, an object the size of a hand with a sharp point came through and stabbed the fisherman through the chest.


    Blood was soaked on the tip, before it moved and pulled the fisherman in right toward the portal.


    The men and women nearby started to scream at the top of their lungs, as they ran away. More strange objects, tentacles, and sharp limbs started toe through the dimensional portal.


    It looked as if their limbs were slightly too big to fit through, as they were stuck all of them trying to push through the dimension, but bit by bit, more wasing through.


    "This has to be one of those dimensions!" Murkel thought instantly as he heard the stories. Soon he knew that horde of beasts would break out of the portal, and would attack the entire town, killing people left and right.


    Powerful beasts that could even best talented Pagna warriors.


    "Sir, what do we do!" The students asked.


    Murkel looked at his young students'' faces, some of them scared, others cowering into their knees. Then he looked at a mother carrying her baby and running off.


    Seeing all of this, reminded him of the words of the warrior, the two options one had. They could either evacuate, run away, and let people die, or head into the portal, going right in, and stopping the rampage from taking ce.


    "Tell the n Head and the other warriors that I''ll be heading into the portal, we need to get rid of whatever is on the other side!" Murkel eximed. "I''ll be waiting for them on the other side!"


    Murkel ran forward, and when he got close to the portal, he lifted his fist, and the Dark Qi started to surround it. Jumping in the air he leapt towards the portal with no fear, and mmed it right into the body of a beast that had just peeked through the portal, right after he had entered, his body disappearing.


    When entering the portal, Murkel had no idea what to do, but he was brave and did it for the sake of helping out the others. Little did he know that he would be in the portal for a hundred


    years


    ¡£

 Chapter 727 Trapped Dimension

    727 Trapped Dimension


    Charging forward wishing to protect the people of the town, and his fellow n mates, Murkel had pushed through with a heavy fist right into the center of a beast''s body.


    He could feel his fist plunge into the solid body, cracking through its skin and a strange green substance filling his hand, but he didn''t stop there and allowed his body to continue forward, until he had entered the portal.


    It was just how the rumors described, the moment that Murkel had gone into the other side, he was in apletely different world. He pulled his fist out from the beast and could see a giant spider-like creature on its back.


    As for where he was, it wasn''t the quiet fishing vige he came to know. Instead, there were giant trees above, thick nt leaves all around, and in the distance several mountains, filled with different terrain.


    He could see a snowy mountain right next to what looked like a volcano, and on top of another mountain lightning was striking right at the very peak. This world made no sense to him, and a wave of heat followed by cold hit him.


    The only thing he could really use to protect himself was his Qi. Other than the terrain though he had other things to worry about. Right on the other side in this new world, he could see deadly beasts staring at him.


    Some were hiding in the distance waiting for their chance, others were more vicious, standing right at the entrance of the portal. Murkel hadn''t even turned around to look if the portal was still behind him, he couldn''t if he lost concentration for a moment it would be the end of his life.


    "I chose this as my answer, I will protect the others!" Murkel shouted as he charged in again.


    A spike shot past him, he moved out of the way, and it skimmed his face. Leaping up, he used the head of another beast as he kicked off, and mmed his fist right into the giant flying wasp creature in the air.


    Murkel spent a long time fighting, and the dimension and the beasts within it were tougher than he thought. He was able to stand his ground, and fighting, he had ended up deeper in the dimension.


    Soon he needed to recover, to find a ce to rest, and after that he needed to find food. His life inside the dimension continued like this, fighting against the beasts, eating and surviving.


    He had quickly learned the vast andrge number of beasts that existed in the dimension. Some were incredibly strong, too strong for him to even beat. At times he barely survived death.


    However, his time in the dimension allowed him to grow. His Qi had gotten stronger, and he was starting to learn the properties of the Dark Qi and its cultivation technique. As this went on, he even managed to ascend through to another stage, growing and growing.


    None of it was easy, by any means, but there was one thing, when Murkel was resting, that went through his mind, he believed would get him through all of it.


    ''The others, they''lle and get me out of this ce, they will help. We are a n, and they will protect me.''


    Murkel remembered the wanderer stating that if they could do this together, with others in the dimension they had a greater chance of surviving. Now Murkel understood why, but as days went past he couldn''t help but wonder, why no one hade.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    On the day the portal break had appeared in the Erupting Fist n''s vige, the students had done as Murkel had told them, and they had quickly run to the main n base to inform the Elders, the adults, and everyone of what had urred.


    They didn''t waste time and nearly no one in the n hesitated toe out. The adults, the fellow members that were his age, even the students that were too young along with the Elders.


    Nearly the entire n had moved, and it wasn''t because of his position as the next n head, but it was because they all truly wanted to help Murkel out. They all had a pleasant experience with him, seen his kindness, and now it was a chance that they could repay it back.


    However, when the current n Head had exited along with a trail of warriors behind his back, when they had arrived at the river they could see next to nothing.


    On the ground, there were a couple of dead vigers with holes in their bodies, but not an awful lot of deaths. As the n head did some further investigating, he noticed slight green blood on the ground but it had cleanly been cut off on the floor, like a line had been drawn through it. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I promise it was right here, we saw it right here, right, right!" One of the students called out, and the other students agreed.


    The other adults were wondering if the students were just ying a game with them, but with the dead bodies it was hard for them to tell.


    "No, I believe you, don''t worry about that, but what does this mean for our Murkel¡­ will we ever get to see him again?" The n Head stated.


    The portal was a temporary break. It hadn''t quite fully broken into the world, and Murkel waspletely unaware of that. Perhaps his intervention had caused it, so the portal had receded.


    Maybe if he had done nothing the portal would have broken, or it would have just zapped away like many others. The facts were, though, that Murkel had gone through and there was no portal for the others to enter either.


    During this time, while Murkel was away, big changes were happening without him. One of the big changes that had urred was the arrival of the Noctis n, and the creation of the Dark Faction.


    When Murkel would return, after spending a hundred years, he would return to apletely foreign ce to him, and he himself would bepletely different as well.

 Chapter 728 The Legend Of The Dark Faction

    728 The Legend Of The Dark Faction


    The creation of the Dark Faction was a big deal in the world of Pagna. Before the official creation of the Dark Faction, the ns were more so separated by the type of Qi that they learned.


    This was more due to which area one was born in, how they were raised or techniques. It wasmon for ns in the same area to learn the same cultivation technique. However, the reason it was a big deal was all because of the Light Faction.


    With the emergence of the Light Faction, the people and ns lived in fear, wondering not if, but when they attacked, who would be attacked first and which would be annihted.


    Some thought an attack would be what the ns needed to join up, and unlike those ns that focused on Demonic techniques, the Dark ns were considered weaker.


    However, even the Demonic ns had to worry about the Dark ns being eliminated. It would allow for the Light Faction to attack from all areas and angles. With thergest empire backing them, there were other ways they could attack as well.


    The more governments, empires, and kingdoms they controlled, the more of the real world of Pagna they did as well. Supplies of food, clothing, and the means of warriors'' living could be stopped.


    There were other ways for one to fight than just their fists. Which was why the Dark ns uniting under the Dark Faction hade as aplete surprise, and it was all because of a single person.


    The Noctis n had quickly gained a name for itself with its new techniques. They showed that they were worthy of leading the Dark Faction, and on top of that, one of the stronger Demonic ns, the Neverfall n, in an attack against the Dark Faction, was repelled.


    This was an achievement that made the Light Faction take notice of the Dark Faction. They knew how powerful the Neverfall n was, so everything needed to be reevaluated for the situation.


    However, as time went on, things were in a stalemate of sorts, a stalemate of power with each of the ns just aiming to grow stronger and stronger. For some reason, the Noctis n never instigated an attack.


    They were never on the offensive, and this was the case for years and years, even though many considered that the Dark Faction was perhaps the strongest in this time frame.


    Under the rule of Bofan Klik and the Noctis n. However, a faction was made up of several ns, and so in order to give power, there were the ns that had stood out and managed to make a name for themselves.


    Bofan knew their power firsthand, as he had dealt with them all. With him ruling the Dark Faction, he continued this, as he would fight any up-anding warrior if they asked.


    In turn, the Lethal Bite n, the Moon Shield n, Tulip n, and the Flowing Force n had been selected under the Noctis n, and these were the five ns that had be the main ns of the Dark Faction.


    This was the strongest point for the Dark Faction, and then one day, out of nowhere, Bofan disappeared.


    He was nowhere to be seen, no one had heard or knew where he had gone. There was arge search for him throughout the Dark Faction, but even members of the Noctis n had no idea where he was.


    The search continued, and they asked for absolute silence from those that did know about Bofan''s disappearance. The other four major ns had even hired a look-alike to y and appear once in a while.


    They needed to, because if he was gone, they were afraid. Afraid that the Dark Faction would crumble, and the others would attack knowing their weakness.


    A meeting had urred, this time in a small town, each of the main n members were wearing robes to disguise who they were, and they had selected the middle of nowhere to try and make sure they weren''t followed or anyone of importance would hear their discussion.


    "It''s been slightly over a year now and Bofan hasn''t returned, we have to presume that he''s dead at this point."


    "That''s impossible, even if one of the other ns had killed him, then why is no one iming glory. The Light Faction would have announced such a thing and attacked. Yet they have done absolutely nothing."


    "Regardless, the facts are that Bofan hasn''t appeared and we have to assume he won''t appear again. Besides, those in his n are getting restless, they''re getting desperate in their search for him¡­ I''m worried that this might get out."


    There was silence between all of those at the meeting. They knew what would happen if others found out about Bofan''s disappearance.


    "Then, isn''t there only one thing we can do? We have to get rid of the Noctis n. They are the only ones that will know that the lookalike is a fake. Besides that, with Bofan gone doesn''t that mean this is a chance for us."


    "You''re right, but that''s only if the Noctis n doesn''t exist, that will be killing two birds with one stone."


    In the Noctis n, Bofan wasn''t the only one that was strong. Each of the individual members was strong, especially at the higher level since they knew the Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    Which was why a clever scheme had to take ce between all of the major ns. The elimination of the Noctis n. Getting rid of warriors one by one, warriors of their own kind.


    In a way, some thought that this might cause Bofan to appear and if he did this would also be a win for them as well. But it didn''t.


    The Noctis n was getting eliminated left and right. Some of the ns were searching for the technique books but were unable to find details about the arts.


    Finally, as the Noctis n had crumbled just to a few remaining forces, a base was raided in the disguise of assassins from another n. With the base taken over, the Dark Faction ns thought they would at least be able to find artifacts, books, or notes on just how the Dark Edge Sword Arts came about.


    Yet for some reason, there was nothing. There was nothing written, nothing recorded either. Every single trace had disappeared as if someone knew it wasing.


    The leaders had no choice, in their hearts they were d at least the Noctis n''s arts had disappeared along with them. So it meant no one could go up against them now.


    While there was a stalemate due to fear, they could build up their strength for the fights up ahead.


    The ns had gathereding to a meeting once more, happy about their aplishment.


    "Mention of the Noctis n is being spread as a taboo among the ns, and it has started in the academy as well. I''m sure, in another century there will be no one left alive to remember this."


    "No one but us." Another answered. "I n to continue to progress myself as a warrior, and in turn, I n to live a very long life, I''m not sure about you though."


    "Do we have an idea of our enemies'' strength? It seems that news has spread about the Noctis n being eliminated."


    "That was impossible to keep on the down low, there are spies everywhere. The good thing is, we can use this case as a reason for attacking as well."


    "But we are not strong enough to fight!"


    "We have to appear to be strong enough. Bofan''s name is still mighty, they might think he''s in hiding or waiting for the right time. If we show confidence things will work out. We will do anything to win."


    The Dark Faction had done just that, and without Bofan, by no means were they weak. Several shes with the Light Faction and Demonic Faction had urred. Although Bofan didn''t turn up, the Dark Faction had long spent a mighty time together.


    They were more unified than before and weren''t the same bunch of separate ns from hundreds of years ago. They had grown in strength. But only the small ns had shed, and the mighty leaders of therger ns hadn''t gotten involved.


    That was when it would be a true test for the leaders. Or at least, that''s what they thought.


    A skirmish was urring, and two of the Dark Faction n heads were out on the battlefield. They were fighting against the Light Faction, and against the Dawnde n, the strongest n there was out there.


    It was a tough fight which was why the leaders had toe out themselves.


    "The Light Faction, with their straight-headedness, they''re too predictable." The Dark Faction leader chuckled.


    "Yeah, which is why I don''t like it. If they fight, they fight because they feel like they can win, there has to be something else." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As the male Dark Faction leader stared into the battlefield of groups of ten or so warriors fighting at the same time. He could see something above, a spark, and momentster, a dimension had opened.


    Coming right out of it, was what appeared to be a humannding right in the center of the bloody battlefield.


    "Where am I?" Murkel asked.

 Chapter 729 Into The Dark Void

    729 Into The Dark Void


    Arge battle wasmencing between the Light Faction and the Dark Faction. It was one of the bigger fights that was urring between the two.


    The Light Faction was trying to test the limit of the Dark Faction, and trying to see if the ims were true, that Bofan had gone missing.


    There was always the chance that the Dark Faction was also trying to spread misinformation, forcing an attack, and forcing them into a disfavorable position.


    Little did they know, there were also members of the Neverfall n present as well. Distancing themselves on top of a hill, they had somewhat set up a camp as they watched everything that was urring.


    "Do you think Bofan is really gone?" a Demonic n member asked.


    A young man in his thirties stood there with his top wrapped around his waist, revealing his muscr structure and dark facial hair on his body. This was a young n Head, Belil, of the Neverfall n.


    "Many people think because Bofan and I fought that we are sworn enemies, but things are not ck and white." Belil answered. "If you knew the things I knew. There was something up within his Dark Faction, things he didn''t like."


    "It was almost as if he knew something was going to happen. I don''t know if Bofan is alive or not, I just know something has happened, and if something happened to him, then whoever managed to take him out had to be incredibly strong."


    In the middle of their conversation, that was when he saw it, a portal appearing on the battlefield, and a man falling down onto the ground.


    "That clothing, isn''t that from one of the ns in the Dark Faction¡­ is this a portal break?" Belil thought, but something odd had urred.


    The portal that had opened up and allowed the man to fall into the middle of the battlefield had quickly closed up behind him as well.


    "We should pay attention, and be ready for anything." Belil ordered.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the ground itself, Murkel hadnded in the middle of the battlefield, but he was unaware of the people around him.


    Instead, he was looking at the ground, sensing the smell of the air around him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I made it out, I finally made it out?" Murkel asked. His emotions were overwhelming him. His eyes were tearing up.


    He had lost track of time, and thought that he would always be in the other dimension. He was sure many years had passed, he just had no idea how many.


    What he was surprised most about, was after such a long time, he could instantly remember the specific scent that Pagna had carried.


    Spending so much time in another dimension, he had also learned that there were specific smells to certain ces.


    ''But how?'' Murkel started to think, and as he looked at his hand, his vision was blurring. It looked like part of his skin, which was ripped, was reforming.


    ''I was in the fight with that beast¡­ that powerful beast, it had finally caught up with me, I thought, and I lost so much blood. I was just using whatever it was I had, so what happened in there?''


    ''How am I still alive.''


    After these final thoughts, a ringing pain appeared in Murkel''s head. Instantly, he had lost his vision at that moment, and the area surrounding him had turned into darkness.


    He was standing in an empty space of darkness where he could see nothing around him, or at least he thought that was the case.


    When he looked up, there was a rectangr-shaped image. It was showing a hand lying there in the grass. The next moment, the image had changed, it was moving like several pictures stuck together.


    That''s when Murkel realized.


    ''Those hands, that grass, that was where I was before¡­ why am I¡­ what is happening?''


    Murkel was deeply confused as he continued to look at the image. He could see several warriors had surrounded him. They were shouting at him, asking what n he was from.


    Murkel recognized the clothing of those from some of the other ns. Still wearing the same uniform.


    They recognized his uniform as well, but not who he was, so they continued to shout, asking him. That''s when Murkel himself tried to shout back, answer.


    "I''m from the Erupting Fist n, is there anyone I can speak to!" Murkel shouted.


    However, his shout was only heard in the dark, empty space. It didn''t resound on the other side, leaving him more confused.


    Murkel continued to shout, but it appeared the others were unable to hear him.


    That was when he instead could hear something else.


    "Ha, ha, hahaha!" A loud echoing voice was bouncing off the dark room and could be heard ringing through Murkel''s head.


    "So this is what it feels like¡­ to be like this."


    The voice continued to echo in the dark room, and not just that, the same voice that Murkel could hear, the warriors on the outside were able to hear as well.


    Suddenly, the view had changed again, and Murkel was so stunned by what he could see he fell on his back in the dark space.


    A Dark Faction member that was asking questions had blood trailing out of his mouth, and when looking at his throat, his own hand had dug through it.


    "You''re not as tough as this one, I guess that means there are no strong ones here?" the outside Murkel asked.


    Murkel didn''t understand, why was he able to see what his body was doing, who was it that was controlling his body?


    After the outside Murkel had pulled his hand away from the warrior''s throat, an entire group of Dark Faction warriors hade forward.


    Seeing this, the outside Murkel lifted his hand, and a strange red substance came out from the side of his skin wrapping around his arm.


    A hard jade-like substance had covered his entire arm, and turned into a single sharp crystal-like sword.


    A swing through the air had sliced through, and the warriors continued running until their bodies had been split in half and they fell to the floor on the spot.


    ''That red crystal!'' Murkel recognized it, and now he had a good idea what had happened. ''That beast, is it controlling my body right now?''

 Chapter 730 Factions Working Together

    Chapter 730 Factions Working Together


    Murkel was witnessing a ughter as he saw his own body being controlled by thest beast he had fought in his mind.


    He was sure it was the same beast, as he remembered very well. The clear ss-like structures therge beast had.


    What looked like a see-through ruby yet felt like they were indestructible at the time. The same structures were forming on his body.


    Yet he didn''t understand how it was happening. The structures weren''t just forming on his body but out of his body as well.


    They were being flung hard and fast. As a warrior would reinforce their weapon with Qi to block it, the red crystal that was flung would break through the sword and pierce through the warrior''s skin.


    What was interesting to note that Murkel was unable to see that not only was the beast that was controlling his body going up against the Dark Faction, it was also fighting against the Light Faction warriors as well.


    For a moment, both sides saw that there was a true threat, a bigger enemy in front of them. So they decided to forget about everything else and focus on the battle.


    As the fight continued, it was only a matter of time until the current Dark Faction heads that were there decided to join the fight as well.


    "You, you are wearing the clothing of one of the Dark ns yet you are attacking your own! Judging from your appearance I can guess what you are." The leader stated as he charged forward and shed his sword against the red crystal arm that had been created.


    The beast quickly forced with strength and pushed back the leader as well. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Ah, a strong one, but you are not as fun to y with as the host right here." The fake Murkel smiled.


    "You think I don''t know what you are¡­ there have been others like you before, and they were struck down as well!" the n head said as they jumped up in the air and gathered the might of their Qi.


    Murkel watching all of this knew it was a lost cause. He knew the real strength of the beast. It was far more powerful than any n head that the Dark Faction currently had.


    In his mind, there was perhaps only one person that could beat the beast, the wanderer he had met all those years ago.


    If the wanderer had continued to grow stronger, then maybe he would be enough to defeat the beast that had taken over his body.


    As for the current leaders, they really did know who Murkel was or at least they had an idea. Being the n Heads, they received information before others.


    There had been a few Hybrids before from other dimensions. It''s just these mixes of humans and beasts were unknown to the general public as there hadn''t been much of them.


    As the n head swung his sword, the beast''s arm started to glow, along with its eyes, it swung its crystallized hand which snapped through the sword.


    Then it was ready to strike again. Its other hand had transformed into arge crystal, this time glowing with power.


    "That strange power is nothingpared to mine." The beast imed as it took a swing.


    It was ready to cut the warrior''s head off until falling from the sky, was a man with two red glowing fists. He spun his body and propelled forward like a meteoritending right on the beast''s hand.


    The floor underneath, crushed and a crater was forming, The earth was splitting in several areas as the attack hadnded and parts of the ground were flung up in the air.


    "Now you are more like what I was expecting, I didn''t think the strongest had traveled to my world!" the beast imed.


    The man that had interrupted and got in the middle of the fighting, was none other than Belil, who had been watching from afar this entire time.


    In truth, he thought he had seen an opportunity to cut the beast''s head off right there and then, he was surprised he had failed.


    "Fall back." Belil said as he broke off his attack. "Even with all of us, we won''t be enough to defeat the beast. The Light Faction, the Demonic ns and the Dark Faction will have to gather their strongest to defeat this thing."


    Everyone there recognized who had just entered the field. After seeing how strong his attack was, they had an idea of the beast''s strength.


    Belil had just produced an attack far greater than anything they could have produced, so they did well to listen to him.


    "I will hold him off for as long as I can¡­ but what happens after that, I''m not too sure." Belil said.


    The Light Faction and the Dark Faction wasted no time, as they left the scene leaving Belil in ce.


    It wasn''t long after that the news had spread to the Light Faction and the Dark Faction of what had urred, and soon, more news had urred.


    The beast was now in a nearby town in the Dark Faction. The n in charge of the town was doing its best fighting against the Hybrid, but they were unable tost a long time.


    With this news, they now knew of two things. That the beast was traveling from area to area, destroying and killing everything in its path.


    At the same time, they knew Belil from the Neverfall n was unable to defeat the beast. Newster had arrived stating that Belil was still alive.


    However, just the fact that Belil had failed, went to show how strong the threat that was facing them all was.


    Originally, the Light Faction had nned to let the beast and person continue to rampage in the Dark Faction.


    It was doing their job for them after all. That was until one of the border towns of the Light Faction was attacked.


    A rumor started to ur as well, that the red Hybrid was the one that had taken out Bofan, the founder and that was why he hadn''t been seen.


    Fear was being struck through the continent of Pagna.


    It was then, with the help of Belil spearheading the group, that the strongest warriors from the three sides met, all with themon goal.

 Chapter 731 The Red Hybrids Terror

    Chapter 731 The Red Hybrid''s Terror


    The threat had been named the red Hybrid. This was because information had started to spread around Pagna of other hybrids that had appeared in the past.


    The stories were conflicting, to say the least, about those that hade out of portal breaks, looking part monster, part human, as if a beast had attached themselves to the body.


    These individuals were incredibly strong, at times having the skills of martial artists while using a mixed form of Qi and the physical prowess of beasts.


    As for the conflicting reports about the Hybrids, this was down to some experiences that had urred.


    There were talks of some peopleing out of these portalspletely fine.


    They didn''t look like regr humans but were trying tomunicate with those that they knew in the towns.


    However, the situation would always end up bad. There were those that were scared, that would try to go against those that didn''t feel like they were human and the result would be death.


    Regardless of the past events that had urred, everyone feared the red Hybrid.


    There was no pattern to its attacks; it just traveled from area to area, getting rid of anything that would appear in its path.


    It had taken out most of the Dark Faction, a couple of Light Faction bases and ns, and a singr Demonic n.


    It was thest straw for all three factions, and for the first time ever, an alliance between the three strongest in each faction hade together all to eliminate a single individual.


    The citizens and the warriors of Pagna were amazed at themitment it took to bring these three together.


    It gave them hope that maybe at one point the continent of Pagna could be united. It certainly seemed the case when there was a greater enemy at y.


    For once, information was being shared between all of the factions. They were being spread through a line of information ns in each of the factions.


    And the news had finallye in.


    A vige located deep within a wooded area, a n that focused on strengthening one''s body. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The area was built using the materials around them. They had built a wall made out of wood, as well as several lookout posts that were located high up in the trees.


    There were tforms with archers that would be on the lookout.


    As a member scanned the ground, they could hear the crunching of leaves.


    The warrior on top of his post focused his eyes.


    "He matches the description; it has to be him!"


    The warrior quickly turned to the ground, picking up a special bow and arrow and fired it off.


    The arrow went in the direction of the vige of the town and had hit a wooden pir around 400 meters away.


    In the vige, another n member had climbed to the top, grabbing the arrow.


    "It''s the red Hybrid, he''s here, quickly!" The warrior shouted down.


    The n in charge was a Dark Faction n, and messengers quickly ran in all sorts of different directions.


    While pigeon carriers with messages were sent out.


    As for the man that had sent the message, he had turned around to pick up another bow, one for warding off against the enemy and attackers, but as he turned around, he could see red eyes looking straight at him.


    "I hope that your message will bring strong people to where I am."


    A long string of red crystal had risen from a single finger of the red Hybrid and had pierced through the bottom of the warrior''s chin.


    The warrior, moments before his life had ended, knew very well from the look in his eyes, that the hybrid knew he was there the entire time.


    He had let him send out the message on purpose.


    "I hope¡­ you die." The warrior managed to squirm out with thest bit of his life.


    From where he was, the red Hybrid had jumped up in the air.


    In the center of the vige, past the wooden walls that had been built out of therge trunks of trees, the Hybrid hadnded right in the center, breaking the ground slightly beneath his feet.


    The regr citizens, the warriors that were on the inside, and even the town guards that weren''t part of any of the ns turned to look at the person who was in the center.


    "I''m sorry but I can''t help myself." The red Hybrid said as it moved its hand over its face.


    Its shoulders were shaking, moving up and down as small bouts ofughter could be heard.


    "The beast inside of me is telling me that all of you are a danger to me, and you must all be taken out, before you take me out!"


    The Hybrid stretched out its hands, and out from its back, out from its hands, and several other parts of its body, strings of red came out, forming and hardening into the hard crystal.


    From the center of the vige, it looked like a spider web of red crystal had pierced through several of their bodies.


    It killed them on the spot. Several of the screams that were being shouted at the top of their lungs had halted in an instant.


    The horror of the red Hybrid was real, and the rumors they all heard were true.


    They were living it in real-time. The warriors, some had managed to try and block the red crystal, but it just broke through their swords deflecting the hit.


    The red crystal substance had gone through other parts of their body not hitting their vitals, but it felt like no one could get close to the red Hybrid.


    "Even if we manage to break free out of this red web, we''ll just get struck down again¡­ the terror of the red Hybrid will continue¡­"


    The warriors, the people, everyone was disheartened until they could hear the rumbling of the floor.


    Several blurs went past each individual andrge cracking sounds were heard. The red crystal was breaking right in front of their eyes.


    This was happening from all sorts of different directions.


    "They''re here!" The people shouted, the n members as well.


    As the red crystal fell to the floor, the Hybrid looked around with a smile on his face.


    "So you couldn''t beat mest time, so you have brought some of your friends?" The Hybrid said as he looked on at a set of familiar eyes, looking toward the young Belil.


    "I''m considered quite young in this vast world, I haven''t had time to grow my strength to defeat you." Belil answered. "I''m sure you are a beast that has lived a great long life."


    "So I have just decided to bring a few others that have lived long lives, all with the hopes of getting stronger, that is what you wished for after all, isn''t it?"


    Three of the top Light Faction n Heads were present. Four of the Dark Faction n Heads had arrived.


    At the same time, four of the big Demonic n leaders had arrived as well.


    All of them had entered the scene; they were ready to move in an instant.


    Some might have thought this was too much, too many great strengths had gathered in one ce, just for one individual.


    The only people that said that though, were the ones that had never seen the red Hybrid in person.


    Perhaps, because all of those that had met the red Hybrid, apart from Belil himself, had all perished.


    At the moment, after breaking through the red crystal from the Hybrid, none of the n Heads dared to get close.


    They noticed that it was a great struggle trying to get their techniques, their fists through the substance.


    They had to use more Qi than they would have liked, and not just that, they wondered what if this red crystal-like power could be concentrated.


    Perhaps it was stronger as the crystal densed up. So they all waited for an opportunity, waited for one of the others to make the first strike.


    "You are making me jealous!" The red Hybrid shouted out. "It''s a shame, I wish I would have attached to one of you. Oh, I would have loved to have seen what the result would have been.


    "Unfortunately, I''m stuck with this warrior instead."


    Murkel, who was nothing but an observer in the dark space in his mind, had witnessed all of the things that had happened.


    All of the things the red Hybrid had done. He had watched the red Hybrid cause devastation for months.


    The ns and factions weren''t quick in acting together, in bing one.


    So Murkel had to watch as his body was forced to take out so many people.


    The one saving grace was that the Hybrid beast hadn''t gone to his own n.


    Even though there was likely no one left alive that he knew from there.


    ''It''s okay, all of you, kill this beast!'' Murkel shouted from the top of his lungs.


    Belil outside raised his fist.


    "I just want to make something clear, none of these guys are my friends." After finishing his sentence, he charged forward right toward the red Hybrid.

 Chapter 732 Clan Heads Dead

    Chapter 732 n Head''s Dead


    The battle that day took ce between the alliance of the factions and the red Hybrid.


    It was one that would have gone down in the history books if there were several survivors to tell the tale.


    The aftermath of the battle was beyond devastating. Every single citizen, soldier, guard, and Pagna warrior had died due to the fighting that went on.


    On top of those, several of the n Heads had been defeated as well.


    Of the four that hade from the Demonic ns, two had been killed.


    From the Light Faction, one of the n Heads had lost their lives, and then the Faction that had been dealt the biggest blow of them all was the Dark Faction.


    They had lost three of their n Heads; only a single person had ended up surviving it all.


    The fight was nearing its end; for miles out the trees had been destroyed, the grass uprooted, and now it just looked like a barren wastnd to all.


    Belil was on one of his legs, blood soaked his skin, and was dripping out of his mouth.


    His body was full of cuts. He was huffing and panting and looking ahead at the red Hybrid.


    "How many times, how many times do we have to tear you up, rip you apart, and bring you down until you die!" Belil shouted.


    He looked at the dead around him; Belil knew the fight wasing to an end.


    The red Hybrid was trying to heal its wounds that were on its body, arge cut that was wrapped around the side of his stomach to his back.


    The strange red substance that would form and allow him to heal, it hade to an end.


    They were moving but were unable to attach themselves to his skin to heal the wound.


    For a long time now, the red Hybrid was also unable to crystallize its body in the fight.


    Yet they had still been fighting for a few days after the crystallization had stopped, just showing how strong the red Hybrid was.


    "Look at how many, look at how many." The red Hybrid weakly said, pointing at the dead on the ground.


    It was then that Belil had calmed his breathing, he got up from his knee, pushing off the ground and letting out a breath of hot air and Qi.


    He then got back into a fighting position, and so did the remaining n Heads that were still alive.


    The red Hybrid looked at his hand; his vision was blurring, even the people in front of him were blurring. He clicked his tongue as he looked at this sight.


    "I''ll remember you all." The red Hybrid imed. "You fools who spouted your n names, your factions, I will remember every single one of you."


    "I don''t care how long it takes, or if I have to go after the generations after you. I will make sure that your bloodlines no longer exist."


    "All of you should have tried a little bit harder."


    The warriors were a little confused; why was the Hybrid talking so confidently?


    If anything, the warriors were sure they were going to win now. That was when Belil realized something.


    He quickly kicked off his feet. He didn''t like how the Hybrid was acting. The words he spoke could only mean one thing.


    "He''s trying to run away!" Belil shouted.


    The other warriors soon caught on, but it was a little toote.


    The Hybrid, with its own blood, drew a circle in the air. It lingered, staying in ce, and started to glow, crystallizing like it had done before.


    After the red crystallization started to glow, bing a meld of different colors.


    Seeing this, all of the warriors had the same thought. This looked a lot like another dimension.


    Before Belil could reach him, the Hybrid stepped into the dimension while facing the others, walking backward with a devilish smile.


    "Remember what I said." Those were thest words that the others had heard from the Hybrid.


    It was a devastating day for the alliance. So much had been lost, and they had no clue whether or not the Hybrid would return.


    Such a strong force appearing out of thin air, they had to continue living, believing that one day, that force coulde back just like that.


    And so, with what had urred, the three factions had decided to continue their alliance.


    They couldn''tpletely work together or join under one banner, but in its ce, the Martial Arts Tournament was born.


    This was where the three factions would regrly meet up and friendly exchange fists and swords.


    The idea was to keep growing stronger, just in case anotherrge threat would appear again.


    As time went on, though, people forgot about what had urred or the reasoning behind the alliance and Martial Arts Tournament.


    The reason was reced, andrger cracks could be seen in the rtionships between the three.


    On top of it all, the Dark Faction''s strength was still vastly weaker than the others due to the events of the Hybrid.


    The strong leaders were unable to fully pass on their skills to those in their ns, leaving them a little more behindpared to others.


    As for what had urred to the Hybrid, there was a reason why it hadn''t returned.


    When the Hybrid stepped through the portal, it had returned back to the ce, to the world where it hade from.


    Its vision was blurring even more, and it fell to its knees.


    ''Those so-called Pagna warriors really hurt me. In all my years, in all the life I''ve lived, I have never been hurt so much.''


    ''Why did they fight back so hard? What reason do they have! Do they really want to eliminate me and eliminate everything we have¡­ damn them¡­ damn them!''


    The blurred vision continued with arge pain in the head, and the Hybrid passed out, falling on the floor. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A few momentster and the body was getting up. Immediately looking at his hands, and touching his face, he hade to a realization.


    "My body¡­ it''s back, I got my body back!" Murkel was overjoyed, but now, how did he get back to Pagna?

 Chapter 733 Murkels Hatred (Part 1)

    Chapter 733 Murkel''s Hatred (Part 1)


    The feeling of familiarity was strange for Murkel. It wasn''t because he was back in the world of Pagna, but because he was back in the dimension filled with deadly beasts in every corner.


    He had only regained control of his real body for a few seconds in Pagna before it had been taken over by the beast and he had been shoved into the back of its mind.


    However, now that Murkel was back in his body, he was also back with a body filled with injuries. The pain was soaring through his body; just moving a small part sent shockwaves through the inside of his body.


    He knew, though, that staying in such a ce, staying still, was a dangerous idea. Walking slowly, cing one foot after the other, Murkel could hear the sounds of beasts up in the trees. He could feel their presence following him, but the moment he looked at them, they would quickly scurry away. Eventually, Murkel found himself at the base of a cave right by arge cliffside.


    It was a ce where he would often hide, away from beasts before, but there was just one issue with the ce.


    "RAGHHH!" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Right at the cave entrance, it didn''t take long for an almighty, orange-furred bear withrge fangs that twisted upward nearly towards its back toe out.


    It was a type of beast that Murkel had fought many times during his time here and during his rest. It was strong, but one he was confident in beating if he was in good condition.


    "Please just don''t bother me now; I don''t have time¡­ I need to rest," Murkel thought.


    His Dark Qi was lingering out of his body, but it could only form so much and so far. With Murkel now in control of the body, his control over his own Qi and the condensation of the Qi was better than the Hybrid''s.


    However, the Hybrid was far stronger in many ways than this, and although it wasn''t able to utilize the Qi in Murkel''s body the same way as him, it was still able to utilize it.


    The beast looked into Murkel''s eyes for a moment, and then it quickly turned its head away, its back, and headed inside the cave.


    "What the¡­ that''s a first," Murkel thought.


    The beast had walked away, and Murkel was thinking about doing the same. If the beast was inside, it wasn''t exactly a safe ce for him to be anymore.


    One thing Murkel did learn, though, was to never turn his back on a beast.


    Beasts were strange creatures; for one, they were territorial, so anyone, including other beasts that weren''t the same kind as them that entered, was considered a threat.


    The strangest thing about them, though, was their alluredness toward the portals that would open up¡ªtheir wish to escape from their world, and when they enter the world of Pagna, to eliminate humans.


    Murkel could feel some of the Hybrid''s feelings when he was in this space. Humans¡ªthey scared the beasts, which caused them tosh out and attack any human on sight.


    While thinking about what to do, the beast''s head could be seening back out from the cave. For a moment, Murkel wondered if it had changed its mind and he would be in the fight for his life after all.


    That was until the beast opened its mouth and out from it, a bunch of power stones, from dead beasts, had fallen onto the ground¡ªall of different levels and various grades.


    "What is this?"


    The beast didn''t do anything but just turned around and went heading back inside again.


    Something was drawing Murkel''s body toward the power stones that had been left on the ground. He moved forward and forward until he had grabbed onto one of the crystals.


    Before he knew it, a crystal was being ced in his mouth, and he had bit down, crunching it.


    Power stones were unable to be consumed raw. If done so, and not having been turned into a Qi pill, there was a good chance it could harm the warrior''s body, even leading to death.


    Yet Murkel knew he would be okay; he just had a feeling. As he consumed all of the crystals, over fifty of them, he could feel his body regaining its strength and starting to heal.


    It was healing at a rate that was unheard of for a warrior, a rate he was unable to heal at before. This was more so the healing of the Hybrid, and not him.


    Having regained his strength, Murkel had decided to head into the cave. If the beast tried to attack him, he now was confident he could best it in a fight.


    Yet for some reason, he thought the beast wouldn''t attempt to do anything, and that''s when he realized since he had entered the dimension again, none of the beasts had acted at all.


    Entering deep into the cave, he could see the beast open one eye and then quickly close it when it saw who it was.


    "So youpletely trust me now, or is it that you trust what''s inside me?" Murkel thought.


    Sitting down in the cave, he needed to gather his thoughts because he was still at a loss for everything that had happened. The fact that he wasn''t even in control of his own body for arge amount of time, and now he was back here.


    "The Hybrid that was talking to me, the beast I fought from this dimension¡ªit seemed to be the leader of some kind. It attached to my body, and I became a Hybrid.


    "But that beast hadpletely taken over my mind and body. So where is it now? The fact that my body feels this way, and I was able to eat those power stones. I''m sure it means that I''m still a Hybrid, but right now, my mind is in charge.


    "Was it the fight with all the n Heads? Is that what subdued the Hybrid? There was a good chance that right now it was just in a slumber."


    "Whatever the reason, I need to figure out two things: how to stop the Hybrid if it tries toe back... and how to get out of this ce," Murkel thought.


    Gripping his fist, Murkel felt such strength. He was a new person, far stronger than before, and if he was let out into the world of Pagna like this, no doubt he would be considered the strongest in all of Pagna and the closest to reaching the Divine realm.


    Little did he know, just like before, he would be trapped for a very long time in the dimension, with the world of Pagna changing once more. Unknown to him, there were severalrge forces with their own intent doing what they could behind the scenes.


    And an event would ur that would even bring Murkel to hate the world of Pagna and the warriors within.

 Chapter 734 Murkels Hatred (Part 2)

    Chapter 734 Murkel''s Hatred (Part 2)


    Life in the dimension the second time turned out to bepletely differentpared to the first. There were incrediblyrge differences nowpared to before.


    For one, none of the beasts saw him as a threat; it was either that or they saw him as too much of a threat to even try to attack him.


    Still, what this meant was he was living in the dimension without having to fight against beasts every day or fear for his life being taken.


    At times, there was the odd scuffle here or there, but it seemed to be over small reasons, and Murkel would only have to give a small hit or two before the beast would stop and be on its way.


    During his time in the dimension, he had also be quite close with the beast that lived in the cave, the giant orange bear whom he had decided to name Ginger.


    The cave had be a shared living space between the two of them. Ginger would often go out hunting on his own, bringing back smaller animals that didn''t have crystals inside their body.


    These were the beasts'' source of food, and it was Murkel''s as well. At times Murkel would also return the favor, and the two of them had gotten close. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Very close to the point where Murkel would even ride on top of the bear, and the two of them would go out hunting together. In the strange world of beasts, it truly felt like the beasts around had be their family.


    At times, Murkel thought he had gone mad, and who wouldn''t if they were surrounded by only beasts and no one to talk to. There was one thing that he kept an eye on, and that was a voice in his mind.


    He was waiting for something, for someone to try and take over eventually. He was sure several years had passed and there was still no voice.


    Yet, everything he could now do with his body was beyond that of just a Pagna warrior. His body, the reaction of the beasts themselves, it had to be all because the Hybrid was still with him, and he continued to live in this fear.


    In the end, fifty years had passed in the dimension of Murkel living this life. He didn''t look like he had aged that much due to his high status as a middle-stage warrior.


    There was still no sign and no way for him to get out of the world, and he soon felt like he would have toe up with other things.


    As he was in the cave one day, he noticed Ginger in a lot of pain, and a few hourster, and a baby Ginger around the size of Murkel himself had popped out of him.


    Or now she, he had to correct himself.


    "I thought you were male, but I guess Ginger is a name that can be used for both, right?" Murkel said as he stroked Ginger''s fur to calm her down.


    The cave felt a bit smaller with Ginger and Baby Ginger. Murkel looked after the child while Ginger would go out hunting for food. This repeated until Ginger had grown slightlyrger and had grown fur.


    This time Ginger had nudged her child, and the two of them stood up.


    "I see, you need to teach him how to hunt, right? So you don''t want me toe along. He needs to learn how to hunt on his own so he doesn''t have to rely on us. I get it, don''t worry, just go on ahead."


    Murkel wasn''t sure, but he felt like they could understand him, and at times he could understand them. It certainly seemed that way.


    As the two left the cave, Murkel had gotten into a meditative state and started to cultivate.


    "The beast was able to open a portal. All things stem from energy, and we as warriors are even able to transcend to other realms due to the great power within. Which means there has to be a way for us to create portals ourselves, right?"


    "But is Qi the answer, or is it something else?" Murkel was truly stuck on this point.


    He only had Qi and the beast crystals to work with. While he was thinking of ways on how to use this, he soon heard heavy footsteps through the thick jungle up ahead.


    Breaking through the jungle, he could see a six-legged elephante crashing through and falling right on the ground in front of the cave.


    Immediately, Murkel jumped to check on the beast''s condition. It had wounds all over, strikes, andrge cuts on its body. It didn''t take long until the elephant''s heart had stopped beating.


    "These wounds¡­ they weren''t done by ws, and the attack at the side, the impact looks more like a fist. This was done by humans. Humans are here!" Murkel said.


    He quickly jumped to his feet and rushed in the direction the beast came from. He moved fast, kicking off the trees and navigating through the jungle faster than any beast could.


    Then he started to kick his way up high so he could get a better view. Finally, he could hear the sound of talking up ahead.


    "That thing was incredibly strong."


    "Right, that at least has to be a Level Five power stone though. It looks like we managed to hit the jackpot in this dimension."


    The voices heard continued, and Murkel eventually stepped out on arge branch and looked below. Several trees had broken down in the area, copsing on top of itself.


    He was right; he could see a group of warriors, around ten of them. They were in Pagna clothing, holding weapons, and some seemed quite skilled and strong judging by their Qi.


    However, Murkel''s eyes soon focused on the ground to what they had surrounded, lying on its side.


    Arge orange-furred beast, covered in blood, while its childy on the ground rtively close to it, using itsrge bear-like ws it had held onto its child, bringing it close.


    It was clear it had done everything it could in order to protect its child.


    Both of the beasts were recognizable to Murkel.


    "For the entire time I have been here, all you did was bring mefort and joy. You were the one that helped me when I was close to death¡­ you were the only family I had in this ce." Murkel''s entire body was shaking.


    "And¡­ they killed you for what, for crystals!" Murkel shouted as his Qi had broken the branch he was standing on, and he had fallen right onto the ground.

 Chapter 735 Humans are Beasts

    Chapter 735 Humans are Beasts


    The warriors on the outside thought they had hit the jackpot when a portal had appeared near their n base. Their n was located in the Dark Faction and wasn''t veryrge. It was known as the Purple Berry n.


    While the n had history, it wasn''t significant enough to be written down in books. However, they believed their luck had changed.


    The world of Pagna had learned about dimensions and portals opening up. Now was a time when ns would grow stronger andrger and could benefit from having a dimension open near them.


    Before informing anyone about this new discovery, the initial n had sent ten of their strongest warriors to scout the dimension. They had no idea what level of beastsy inside.


    Upon entering, the warriors, including a couple of high initial stage warriors, thought they were in luck. They fought against the beasts and managed to defeat them as a group, acquiring powerful crystals that could be sold for a small fortune or boost their cultivation to the middle stage.


    Since nearly all of the warriors who entered were high-ranking initial stage warriors working together, they could defeat beasts they would never have been able to handle alone.


    After defeating a few beasts, a real challenge appeared. They came across arge orange bear¡ªand not just one, but two.


    "Looks like we hit the jackpot with this one. Let''s go; this could be the difference for our n. Maybe we''ll even be the ones to save the Dark Faction!" one of the leaders cheered, and they all charged forward.


    However, the bear was far stronger than they had imagined. Its ws could match several of the warriors at once in strength, throwing them away and crashing their bodies into therge trees behind them.


    It was no simple beast like the others they had encountered in the dimension so far. As they were cautious in attacking, they realized that the beast wasn''t charging forward or attacking them.


    This gave them time to think.


    "What do we do? The beast is too strong for us, but it''s also not charging at us. Should we give up and hunt somewhere else?" one of the warriors asked.


    They all looked to the leader in charge of the expedition. It wasn''t the n Head but the most promising member of the n, a rising star named Roku.


    "Wait, don''t leave just yet," Roku said, holding up his hand. "There''s a reason it''s not attacking. Can''t you see? Every step it takes, every movement, it moves to protect the younger one."


    "It''s quite clear; it''s a mother protecting her child."


    "But what difference does that make?" another warrior asked.


    "A lot of difference. There are ten of us, and we are coordinated in our attacks," Roku answered. "If we know it''s protecting its child, then we know how the beast is going to act. As long as we attack the right target¡­"


    The other warriors started to understand what Roku was saying, and they put the n into motion. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The warriors coordinated their attacks against the child bear. While the child bear was strong for a beast, it was no match against these well-coordinated warriors.


    The mother bear, Ginger, realized this and would move to cover the child with most of her body while delivering a swipe. This was the perfect time for Roku and the others to strike.


    They managed toe from behind and deliver powerful attacks, damaging and ripping through the bear''s skin, causing it to bleed. Yet Ginger still stood strong, determined to protect her child.


    The battle went on for a while, with Roku using the same technique repeatedly. The marks on Ginger''s body grewrger, and eventually, Ginger copsed, her ws wrapped around her child''s body, trying to shield it.


    "We did it. We finally did it. That has to be at least a level five power crystal!" one of the warriors imed.


    The group quickly began harvesting the crystal. As they got close, they realized something. The child bear roared and tried to snap at one of them.


    "What do we do with that?" one of the warriors asked.


    "What do you mean? It''s a beast, right? There''s a crystal in its body, so take it out," Roku ordered.


    In the quickest fashion, five of the warriors went in from different directions, piercing through its body with their swords. It didn''tst long and fell into the arms of its mother.


    From above, it would appear as a perfect picture, with the mother holding on, trying to protect her child.


    There was clearly no sympathy from any of the warriors, as to them, it was just another beast. The creatures they could harvest energy from to better their own lives, much like animals grown for food but harvested for their power.


    The crystal had already been harvested from Ginger''s body, and now they were making their way to the child. That''s when they heard a branch snap and leaves rustling on the floor.


    Turning to see who was there, they saw a man wearing next to no clothes. The clothes he had on when he arrived had long since deteriorated, leaving only a small patch covering his groin area and partly on his legs like a pair of shorts. The one item he had on him was a medallion hanging around his neck.


    "Get away from that body," Murkel stated.


    "There was someone here before us? How is that possible!" Roku eximed.


    The others quickly continued with their work, ignoring the man who had just entered, nning to leave it to Roku to deal with.


    "State who you are and what n you''re from," Roku said, pointing at the intruder, who had suddenly vanished from his sight.


    Before he knew it, Roku saw the tip of his finger falling to the floor. His hand had been sliced cleanly off, but by whom he didn''t understand until he heard screams behind him.


    Turning around, he saw an entire fist thrust through the stomach of his allies from the strange man in question.


    "I said, get away from the body!" Murkel eximed.

 Chapter 736 No longer Human

    Chapter 736 No longer Human


    The next few moments for Roku felt like he was in a living nightmare. He watched his men get taken out one by one, each with ease. The warriors struck back, but he saw a fist break through swords, smash through the faces of his colleagues, and kill them on the spot.


    No one was able to put up a fight even for a moment. a warrior of this level was someone that should have been known in the outside of Pagna.


    Yet the description of such a man didn''t match anything in Roku''s head.


    The swipe of this mysterious man was sharper than any sword, slicing through limbs and dismembering heads.


    All Roku could do was murmur to himself, his bottom lip quivering. His legs shaking.


    "Stop it¡­ stop it¡­ why, why are you attacking us!" Roku eventually shouted.


    That was when he witnessed thest of his squad perish, leaving only him alive. The attacker turned his head to look at him, blood sttered across his face, his hands covered in it, and some on his upper body.


    This man looked nothing like a human and was even more frightening than any beast Roku had ever seen before.


    The Qi that wasing off his body was making him feel sick to his stomach.


    "Please, I''m sorry," Roku said, falling to his knees. "I had no idea a master from another n had already entered this dimension. If we had known, we would have never entered such a ce."


    Hearing those words somewhat snapped Murkel out of his rage. He was filled with anger as he saw the dead beasts on the floor¡ªbeasts that had cared for him, that had practically be family.


    "You entered through a dimension. Is the portal you speak of still open?" Murkel asked.


    Roku was paralyzed with fear, unable to think straight. After all, how could a warrior who had entered through a portal not know where they were right now?


    Regardless, he pointed with a shaking hand behind him. "Around 5 kilometers in that direction. Two trees cross each other like an X. That''s where we entered from."


    Murkel was ready to run off and head to where the exit was. Finally, after all this time, he could leave, and this time it would be with a sound mind. He took one step forward, and a strong force struck Roku''s face.


    When Roku turned around, he could no longer see the strange warrior. Somehow, he had managed to survive it all.


    "I''m alive¡­ I''m alive, the master didn''t kill me. I have no idea why, but he didn''t kill me!" Roku was ecstatic, jumping for joy.


    That was until he heard a deep growl. When he looked around through the jungle, he saw several eyes staring at him. Looking up at the treetops, a number of beasts were starting to gather.


    Unlike before, Roku had no one to help him, and the beasts were attracted by the smell of blood.


    "Damn it, damn it, that master left me here to die!" Roku screamed at the top of his lungs.


    He charged forward, swinging his sword wildly, but it wasn''t long before he was pecked, pulled, and torn apart by several of the monsters. There wasn''t even a part of him left that could be used to be buried.


    ---


    Murkel ran through the jungle like a madman, and just ahead he could see therge X-shaped trees. He finally leaped onto both feet, skidding across the leaves and floor, and saw the portal lingering ahead of him.


    As he approached it, he couldn''t quite believe it and hesitated for a moment before reaching out to touch it. He saw his hand covered in blood.


    ''What did I just do? Ipletely killed those warriors,'' Murkel said to himself. ''I haven''t made any contact with humans in so long, and the first time I do, I end up killing them.''


    The images of what he had done reyed in his mind. Despite being a Pagna warrior, Murkel had never killed anyone. However, his body had. The images of how the beasts had dealt with the n members were simr to what he had just done. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''I felt pity for the beasts that helped me and felt nothing for those warriors. I thought there were no changes in me, that I hadn''t changed at all. But what if I have changed? Just because I can''t hear the voice doesn''t mean the beast inside me isn''t influencing my choices.''


    Another thought ran through Murkel''s head. At any point in time, the beast could take over his body like before. It was most likely just lying dormant in him, and then the world of Pagna, including his n, would no longer be safe.


    ''Yet I''m worried about a n that never sent anyone toe after me, a n that had abandoned me?''


    Thinking this way, Murkel wanted to be a little selfish. He had originally entered the portal with hopes of protecting the people from the vige. Yet they did nothing. The people who had protected him were the beasts, and warriors hade to kill them.


    So why should he care about the people of Pagna when they didn''t care about him? With this thought in mind, he stepped through the portal and ended up back in the world of Pagna.


    As he emerged, he recognized his surroundings¡ªthe hilltops, therge grass, and the flowing river.


    "This isn''t where the Erupting Fist n is based, but it''s close¡ªmaybe around thirty miles or so. I guess it would make sense for the portal to open up here¡­ and this time, I feel fine. There''s no voice in my head; the body is still mine.


    "My first stop will be back to the Erupting Fist n to get answers as to why no one hade after me," Murkel thought as he kicked off the ground with his new, powerful body.


    Soon, he would be the legend of the one closest to reaching the Divine Realm¡ªthe strongest in Pagna.

 Chapter 737 The Noctis Clans Fall

    Chapter 737 The Noctis n''s Fall


    Murkel''s first destination was the Erupting Fist n, the ce where he had grown up for 25 years¡ªthe ce that taught him morals and raised him after he was taken in as an orphan.


    Originally, he felt extremely indebted to the n, even being given the position of the next n Head despite not being part of the original bloodline that started the n. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This is why he thought they were great people. This is why he believed they would havee and helped him stop the beasts from the portals. So, he wanted answers to his questions.


    ''Before, when I was seeing through the eyes of the hybrid, or really my own eyes, I could see that the world of Pagna had changed. They even talked about a Dark Faction that didn''t exist during my time, and the people in charge were unfamiliar to me.''


    ''That means a lot of time must have passed while I was in the dimension, and now having entered it a second time, even more time must have passed as well. There''s a chance that no one from back then is still alive.''


    ''Maybe if the n was prosperous and the students I taught became middle-stage students, they would still be at the Erupting Fist n.''


    In the back of Murkel''s mind, there was another thought. Although some nssted hundreds of years, many would fall and no longer exist. With the n gone, where would he go next, and what would his n be?


    There was no need to worry about that for now; he just needed to get there first. As he traveled the short path, he noticed many changes along the way.


    There was a string of viges along the river that had been created, which were never there before. These viges were more popted than before and had arge amount of crops.


    He could even see n symbols on the clothing of those outside and on n buildings as well.


    Out of curiosity, Murkel decided to stop in. It was quite a shock at first, especially since he had no clothes on himself, but pulling out a beast crystal and handing it over quickly resolved that as they got him well-dressed.


    ''It would have been inappropriate to go without clothes to meet my old n anyway.'' Exiting from the tailor, he continued his journey through the town, and that''s when he noticed a statue in the center.


    "What does this que say at the bottom? ''To the founder of the Dark Faction, Bofan Kilik.''" Murkel read out.


    It was a name he didn''t recognize, and when he looked up at the statue, he saw it was a man in strange robe-like clothing, with a hood covering his head.


    The statue didn''t reveal what his eyes looked like, only his mouth, but there were notable items crafted around his belt.


    ''The shape, the figure, isn''t this the wanderer that I fought all those years ago!'' Murkel thought.


    It was hard to tell since the statue was just that¡ªa representation of a man without much detail in the face. However, if there was one person who could form the Dark Faction in his mind, this would be the person.


    ''I need to do some more research; there should be a library of sorts somewhere,'' Murkel thought as he continued to look around, trying to find out answers to everything that had happened while he was away.''


    Information was obtainable, but more than anything, Murkel was able to find out what had urred through speaking to others. He first talked to the general public, getting somewhat of an idea.


    He couldn''t quite get the full answers he was looking for, so he decided to head to the n that was based in the current vige.


    The n base was a small dojo, with short walls on the outside and a single entrance leading to an open courtyard that led to the room itself.


    The warriors quickly approached him, asking who he was.


    "Do you have an appointment set up with the n?" one of the guards asked.


    "I do not, but I wish to speak. I am from the Erupting Fist n," Murkel said, cing his fist into the palm of his hand and giving a respectful bow. Courtesy and other manners wereing back to him¡ªthings he hadn''t used for a long time.


    One of the guards went inside, and a few momentster, he returned with one of the elders from his n.


    ''They didn''t question me about the Erupting Fist n, so it seems that they at least still exist in some way,'' Murkel thought.


    When the elder set eyes on Murkel, a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. He quickly quickened his steps to meet Murkel sooner and gave a slight bow.


    "I never expected a sudden visit. Is there some type of issue going on?" the elder asked.


    Murkel was a little confused by the elder''s reaction. "There is no issue. I just wish to ask a few questions. You can rx."


    "Ah." The elder seemed to calm down and was no longer worried. "Then we can head inside. Please escort the master inside."


    One of the guards went ahead to escort Murkel toward the building while the other guard stood next to the elder.


    "Was he someone important, sir? Should we have been more cautious? Who is he?" the guard asked.


    "I have no idea," the elder replied.


    The response caused the guard to scratch the top of his head, wondering if it was time for the old man to retire from his days as a Pagna warrior.


    "Can''t you feel it, though?" the elder said. "That man is incredibly strong, and you know in the world of Pagna, we have to be careful when masters like thate to visit us."


    Upon entering, the elder was happy to answer the questions Murkel had, however odd they may be. Since Murkel was asking about various things, he eventually got the answers he sought.


    Bofan was the man who had formed the Dark Faction, and he did so with the creation of the Noctis n. Learning of the skills and names, Murkel was sure that they were the same person.


    However, he learned that the Dark Faction leader Bofan had gone missing, and no one knew the real reason why. At the same time, the three factions had decided tomunicate more with each other, ushering in an era of peace, and the yearly martial arts tournament was established around fifty years ago.


    From what Murkel knew, the three ns didn''t seem close back then. ording to the elder, the Dark Faction wasn''t in a good situation. With Bofan gone for so long and Noctis n members essentially nonexistent, the Dark Faction was weakening, and the three factions were skirmishing more and more each day.


    "And what about the hybrid that appeared fifty years ago?"


    The elder raised an eyebrow. "Did that happen fifty years ago as well? I suppose it was around that time, yes."


    Now Murkel had a good idea of how long he had been away. "Thank you. I think it''s about time I return to the n. Thank you for your answers. And, I wouldn''t worry about the Dark Faction for much longer; big changes will being."


    Murkel said as he headed for the Erupting Fist n.

 Chapter 738 The Ture Leader Is Back

    Chapter 738 The Ture Leader Is Back


    Finally, After a few detours, Murkel had arrived. The first ce that came to mind the moment he returned to the world of Pagna was the small fishing vige he had known. Just like with nearly everything, the vige had transformed into quite the town.


    The area had been developed with multiple houses and streets where people were trading, resembling a market. The small stream of river now had arge bridge built over it, seemingly connecting another living area on the other side.


    Larges were being used to pull up crawfish from the bottom, which were quickly carted away. Everything operated like a perfectly functioning system. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''The town looks more developedpared to the others, even the guild building. I can see it''s tallerpared to the residential buildings and far bigger than I remembered,'' Murkel thought.


    The state of the current Erupting Fist n was somewhat the same as before. It was considered a medium-sized n. It had a long history and continued to exist until today, which was how it managed to grow.


    However, it was never able to achieve the same level of strengthpared to therger and more powerful ns.


    Wasting no time, just like before, Murkel headed to the n base. It was a three-tiered building with a broad base, simr to most of the warrior buildings in Pagna.


    Upon arrival, Murkel knew he would have to do some exining at the gate.


    "Please gather the current n head at my request," Murkel stated. "Inform them that an old member of the Erupting Fist n has returned."


    The guards looked at Murkel as if he were mad, making such a request without saying anything else.


    "Go y your games with someone else," the guard waved his hand dismissively.


    In an instant, Murkel activated his Dark Condensed Qi. It lingered out of his body, spreading across the ground and making the guards feel instantly sick.


    It was clear that this Qi, and the power of its darkness, was not something an ordinary person could produce. Both guards stepped back in fear, but as they tried to jump away, they fell to the ground, trapped by the gravity of the Qi.


    Murkel then took a step forward, continuing into the Erupting Fist n.


    ''All the time I spent away from this ce, all the time I spent on my own, in the other dimension, I cultivated with the Dark Qi method, and it grew stronger.''


    ''This cultivation, the manifestation of my Qi, is everything I went through¡ªthose years of loneliness, everything I lost, and the friends I lost along the way.''


    It didn''t take long for Murkel to continue walking forward before he saw a small army of Pagna warriors rushing out. He also saw several men in strange masks covering their faces, and an old man running behind them.


    Around thirty men had rushed out of the building, immediately surrounding Murkel but keeping their distance, as they could feel his Qi.


    Finally, the oldest member emerged with a cane in hand, staying back among the others. The cane had the symbol of the Erupting Fist n on it.


    "Great warrior!" The man with the cane said in a loud, booming voice. "Please, state the reason for your visit and why you threaten us with your Qi. Are you perhaps someone who has descended from the Divine Realm? Is there a reason for your visit?"


    Given Murkel''s disyed strength and unfamiliar face, they could only assume he was someone from the Divine Realm who hade down.


    Murkel looked at the faces around him, unable to recognize any of them. The questions he wanted to ask¡ªwhy they hadn''t followed him, why no one came to seek him out back then¡ªcouldn''t be answered, as none of them existed anymore. So what was he to do now? Murkel ced a hand on his chest, feeling pain at the realization that he might not get the answers he sought. He felt something solid underneath.


    "I came here¡­ no, I have returned," Murkel dered.


    The others didn''t understand what this strange man meant, but then Murkel reached into his clothing and pulled out the old medallion. It shone brightly into the elder''s eyes, causing him to fall to his knees.


    "The true n Head¡­ has returned."


    Hearing those words caused Murkel to withdraw his Qi. He didn''t expect the medallion to have such an effect. When he was around, there was only one of its kind, and it was proof of one''s session to the Erupting Fist n.


    During his time away, he wouldn''t me them if they had made another medallion and selected someone else as the sessor. With so much time having passed, he wondered if anyone would even know what the medallion represented. Nevertheless, he decided to give it a shot.


    "It seems we both have a lot of questions and exnations to do," Murkel said.


    Things weren''t as Murkel had expected upon returning. Everyone in the n was courteous to him, respectful, and treated him like a true leader.


    Through talking with them, he learned that the story of the medallion had been passed from one head to the next, and there were tales spoken about Murkel and his bravery¡ªmainly from the students he had taught who had risen and grown strong. He also learned what had happened that day with the portal, how it had closed up when he went through.


    This wasn''t out of the realm of possibility. When Murkel stepped back into the world of Pagna, he had also witnessed the portal behind him close for some reason.


    What he did learn was that thest n head was also a student of his, who had only passed away around a month ago. If he had managed to return a little earlier, he could have learned more.


    The members of the Erupting Fist n gave him the option to take charge of the n or not. Murkel decided to ept the position, and there were no arguments, as they all could feel his strength that day.


    He took up the role that the n heads before him had wished for him to assume, and that was exactly what he did.


    A darkness that had been covering his heart from before was slightly dissipating now that he had returned to the n. As he led them, Murkel was able to best the leaders in friendly battles nearby. He even met someone he cared for deeply.


    He cared for her so much that a child was on the way, and that child was soon to be born, named Ricktor. Everything was going well.


    "I have a family, a n, and friends who respect me¡­ but the Dark Faction as a whole is still struggling. We, as a faction, must grow. I should try to find out what happened to Bofan and those who are trying to suppress the Noctis n. They couldn''t have just disappeared like that."


    It was during the search for the Noctis n that Murkel found out what the current leaders of the factions were doing. How they were the ones responsible for getting rid of the Noctis n, and it was quite obvious why. To stay on the top of the Dark Faction. It wasn''t right, and Murkel wanted to stop it, but he had his own family to worry about now, and there was something else, Murkel found strange about himself, when he heard of portals, or the beasts that came from them he found it difficult to kill them. Something had changed in him, and he was worried.

 Chapter 739 The Last Of Murkel

    Chapter 739 The Last Of Murkel


    Murkel remained the n Head of the Erupting Fist n and now had his son, Ricktor, to look after. He found joy in his family and n life. From time to time, he would even teach Ricktor himself. Murkel had a talent for teaching, which was why he was originally an instructor for the future stars of the Erupting Fist n. He would praise Ricktor when he did well, not just because he was his son, but because Ricktor was extremely talented.


    However, watching his son, despite his skill, Murkel couldn''t shake a thought from the back of his mind:


    ''Is my son like me? Is Ricktor like me? I''m no longerpletely human. I can tell that from my emotions, how fast my body heals, and how strong it is. I haven''t been able to utilize the hybrid beast power in me, but I know it''s there even if it''s not in my mind. There''s a chance that my son''s talent is not just because of me but because of what I am.''


    This thought caused Murkel to view his son in a different light. It was hard to shake the feeling, as two sides within him seemed to conflict. He decided to distract himself with other matters, particrly concerning the Noctis n. His search included traveling to other ns and factions to gather information about the Noctis n''sst known whereabouts.


    During his journeys, Murkel encountered more skirmishes and fights than he had anticipated. Some people clearly knew something, and Murkel had to apply pressure to get answers from them. Others attacked him simply because he was digging too deep.


    The grand search for any living members of the Noctis n, the arts that existed, or what had happened to them spanned years. From time to time, Murkel would stop by the Erupting Fist n to check on his family. Yet, the connection and time spent with Ricktor became less frequent. Murkel wasn''t sure why.


    He wasn''t sure if it was fear that he had changed his son or if he simply cared less. It felt that way, and the emotions in his head told his heart that he should be saddened, yet he was not.


    During his search for the Noctis n, Murkel also made a name for himself. As he traveled, many n Heads and powerful members challenged him. He defeated them with ease. Since Murkel didn''t kill the n Heads he had beaten, only defeating them, many started to be loyal or at least supportive of the Erupting Fist n.


    They felt this was the new wave the Dark Faction needed, and the Erupting Fist n grew stronger with more supplies and resources.


    Murkel didn''t keep his knowledge a secret. He was able to pass down the Erupting Fist n''s techniques, and they became as good as those of any top n.


    With enough information gathered about the Noctis n, Murkel concluded that they had been wiped out. The four ns responsible were the ones Bofan himself had selected as the heads of the Dark Faction.


    It seemed as if he had been betrayed, and if he wasn''t, then his descendants had certainly betrayed the Noctis n, eradicating every trace of them.


    With this information in hand and after many years of travel, Murkel returned to the Erupting Fist n and took his seat as n Head. He rubbed his forehead with his hand.


    "You have returned from your long journey, but it seems you are more troubled than before," Arkon, head of the special forces within the Erupting Fist n, said. An elder who had served thest two n Heads.


    "I have always offered to help, as you have done much for the n and the lives of everyone within. Even if that wasn''t your intended goal. Whatever is troubling you, I''m sure we can help."


    Murkel wondered what help a powerful n could offer now that the Noctis n was gone. There was no way to revive it, and it wasn''t as if Murkel could embark on a journey to assist Bofan, who was most likely dead.


    His goal seemed to havee to an end, and he wasn''t even sure it had been a goal to begin with. Bofan was someone he had been chasing, someone from his era who left a great legacy. Murkel had hoped finding him would provide some answers.


    "There is no need for you to hold back," Arkon spoke again. "Whatever your desire, we will help." Arkon ced his head onto the wooden floor.


    "My desire?" Murkel repeated, looking at his fist.


    He hardly had time to think before he spoke. "I wish to get rid of the Light Faction, the Demonic Faction, and the Dark Faction. Everything will be under my control, and they will pay for what they have done."


    Murkel was somewhat shocked by his own words, yet he knew the feelings inside him were true. He harbored hatred for the Dark Faction for what they had done, but why would he hate the other factions, other than to protect those he cared about?


    It was then he realized that he hadn''t resisted the feeling or the desire of what he said.


    Lifting his hand into view again, he closed his fist, and a red solid crystal formed at the top of his hand.


    "When did it happen?" Murkel asked himself.


    The voice of the Hybrid was lost, possibly forever, but in turn, Murkel had lost himself. The reason the Hybrid''s voice could no longer be heard was that his and the Hybrid''s voices were now the same. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The desires and feelings were shared, and as each day passed, humans began to look like mere insects to him, including his own son.


    "Very well, sir. As I said, we will help you with whatever it is you desire!" Arkon stated.


    This marked the beginning of how Murkel became the principal of the Dark Faction Academy and eventually the head of the Dark Faction, leading them to where they were today, fighting against Raze in the Martial Arts Tournament.

 Chapter 740 Raze A Five Star Mage

    Chapter 740 Raze A Five Star Mage


    Ricar, along with Beatrix and Hannah, saw everything. They had their eyes fixed on Murkel as his body managed to heal itself from the devastating attack that Raze was able to pull off. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When seeing him heal, with a keen eye, Ricar was sure of it; he had seen the red gooey substance. A substance that was used on hybrids, there was no doubt in his mind that this person was a red hybrid.


    "Only one has ever appeared in existence before, and now it has appeared again," Ricar mumbled to himself.


    "What should we do?" Beatrix asked. "Should we go in and help them? After what you said about the dangers of the red hybrid, doesn''t that mean once again all of the factions are going to have toe together to defeat that thing?"


    Ricar was at a loss. He was wondering if the safest thing for them to do right now was to run away or help out in some way.


    "I''m not so sure that we can be of any help, and the rest of the Light Faction wouldn''t be able toe. I think it would be best if the two of you at least ran away," Ricar exined.


    Both Hannah and Beatrix were surprised. Why would the elder tell them to run away and for him to stay behind? The world of Pagna warriors was not like that of regr citizens, where one would save the youngest first.


    In the world of Pagna, the strongest was to survive. If the strongest survived, the chance of the n still being able to exist and prosper was much more likely. The worth of the weaker in the n was just that¡ªthey were worth less.


    "I know what you are thinking, but I wish to see this event with my own eyes, as I believe it''s an event that will change the world," Ricar exined.


    Hearing this, Beatrix had also made up her mind.


    "If it''s that big of an event, then I will have to stay as well."


    "Don''t say anything," Hannah interrupted Beatrix before she could say anything else. "I go where you go. It''s decided, and you can''t stop me. If the both of you are being stubborn, then it''s the same for me."


    On the ground floor itself, no one wished to move in further. They were already worn out from heavy fighting in the first ce and were surprised to see that Murkel was in perfect condition.


    "What''s wrong? Was this not what any of you were expecting?" Murkel replied. "Did you really think it was so easy to take on someone who has the title, as the closest to the Divine realm? All of you need to do better!"


    Murkel started tough, and Ricktor felt sick to his stomach. He knew he was no longer looking at his father, but what could they do? As they watched Murkelughing on the spot, sure of his victory, a lightning strike hit his body, lighting him up.


    When looking at the stream of lightning, they could see that it wasing out of both of Raze''s hands, flowing out of his fingertips.


    "Do you think I''ve run out of options? I have plenty of ways to hurt you!" Raze imed.


    While the tail of lightning wasing out of his fingertips, he was continuing to walk forward toward Murkel. The lightning soon stopped out of his hands, but the shock continued to linger for slightly longer.


    Then in both of Raze''s hands were two swords¡ªthe ghost de and another. He started to swing them both in session, one after the other, along with his wind magic, sending out multiple strikes.


    They hit Murkel''s hard body, causing cuts that drew blood but also appeared to somewhat bounce off him and go toward the cursed part of the arena behind him.


    Everyone was in awe as they watched the Dark Magus wielding this strange power of his. They clearly weren''t Pagna techniques.


    "In situations like this, I need to improvise!" Raze eximed as he got rid of both of his swords and gathered wind magic surrounding his feet and the palm of one of his hands. A whirlwind had gathered behind him.


    Meanwhile, Dark magic had swirled around his right arm, moving toward his palm.


    The wounds on Murkel had healed, and the lightning no longer seemed to have an effect.


    "You think attacks like that will hurt me? I can tell, none of you have any weight. None of you have any idea what I have been through to get to where I am right now!" Murkel eximed.


    "I can say the exact same to you." Raze then flicked off his feet, pushing himself with his Qi, and sprung out of the tornado of magic from behind. It was a powerful spell that pushed the others back just from the power alone, even though they weren''t close.


    It was a high-level Wind magic spell.


    ''My specialty in the past before Dark magic was Wind magic after all, and I learned a thing or two aboutbination magic!''


    As Raze was pushed forward, he thrust his fist as if he was punching the air, and a ring of Dark Pulse fired out. It was pinpoint sharp like aser, the propelling wind mixed with the sharpness of the wind, Qi, and destructive power of his Dark magic.


    At that point, aser shot right through Murkel''s chest. The Dark magic had gone right through him, breaking aplete hole in the arena.


    Murkel looked down and could see the hole in his chest. Even he was quite shocked. However, Raze wasn''t done there.


    He ced both his hands on the floor, and two ice rocks had formed. He then moved them together, mming them together, encasing Murkel in the middle of it all.


    Raze then stood up, looking ahead. He had used up a lot of magic and a lot of spells, but he still had a lot of fight in him.


    "This is the power of a five-star mage," Raze imed. "You might feel like you climbed through hell and back, but for me, this is my second time doing it."

 Chapter 741 Your Not The Only One Thats Special

    Chapter 741 Your Not The Only One That''s Special


    The onlookers in the area were stunned by what they had seen. Arge disy of magical abilities. Two powerful people were fighting. Perhaps they should have been somewhat afraid of what they had seen; instead, they took in the beauty of magic that day.


    The Crimson Crane, along with many others, had seen magic before. They had nearly all gone up against mages and fought against them, so they had an idea of what one with magical powers could do.


    However, it was the first time they had witnessed it on such arge scale. The number of spells that had been used, including therge variety of spells as well.


    Seeing Raze fight like this, they were getting an inkling of the power he had. Just before, he had used devastating Pagna skills and now had usedrge-scale magic as well.


    "I knew I was right about him," Alba said. "He is the one that''s going to change the entirety of the Crimson Crane, and the whole world is going to know about it."


    Many seeing Raze thought the same thing, but Ricar, who was watching from above, was deeply concerned.


    "From the look on their faces, they''re satisfied by that performance, but that won''t be enough to take out the red Hybrid!" Ricar imed.


    The others didn''t notice it, but Raze did. In therge iceberg that had been created, something was happening. Raze quickly ced both of his hands on the floor.


    "Uplifting wind!" Magic swirled out of his palms and spread out to the arena. The next moment, everyone felt themselves being lifted up from the ground.


    They were pushed up from the floor and could see the arena floor several meters below.


    "Did Raze just use his magic on us?" Simyon asked.


    "Just trust him, he wouldn''t have done this for no reason!" Safa called out, still floating in the air.


    It was Amir who noticed the cracks that were forming in the giant iceberg.


    "No, you fool!" Amir shouted. "Focus on the fight, don''t focus on us!"


    The ice had broken apart, and strange hardened red crystal could be seen cracking right through it. From all sides, right through the ice, the red crystal had expanded out like arge spider web going across the arena.


    "Great push!" Raze called out, and wind swirled in a particr direction, grabbing all of those in the air. It then pushed them off until the group of people ended up crashing into the stands.


    Some of them had ended up in awkward positions, with their heads touching seats, bodies entangled with each other.


    "Could have moved us a bit softer," Tilon said.


    As the group started to get up, they quickly realized why Raze had done what he had done. Looking down at the arena floor itself, it was covered in the strange red crystallization.


    It really did look like a giant spider web that had managed to wiggle itself into the walls of the arena, stuck in ce, piercing through it.


    "We would have all been killed on the spot if Raze didn''t do that," Alba eximed.


    "But look!" Rayna called out. "Because of us, because we were in the way, look what''s happened!"


    She pointed down to the ground, and she could see Raze himself had been pierced in several ces by the red crystal. Some of the crystal that had aimed for his head and heart had broken because he had managed to summon his Dark magic in time to protect himself, but blood was still dripping from the crystal that had pierced his thighs and other areas.


    ''That attack broke through the barrier of the zer¡­ The zer did its best to block it, but it''s not so good against physical attacks like this,'' Raze thought.


    Amir had already predicted that this was going to happen when he saw Raze make the first move.


    "I thought he was someone that didn''t care about others, a person that was determined to aplish his goal, so why did he go out of his way? Now that he''s injured, his chances of winning this fight have greatly lessened," Amir said.


    Dame stood up next to him, wincing as his body was in great pain, and checked to his side that Mantis had even been taken out of the arena.


    "I don''t understand that guy too much myself sometimes, but as you said, I don''t think he''s the type of person who would put himself in a worse position. If he saved us, then he did it for one of two reasons: because he wanted us out of his way so he could focus on the fight or because even with helping us out, he''s still confident he can win this fight!" Dame asked.


    Amir could feel the confidence Dame had in his fellow partner, but none of them knew the exact strength of the red Hybrid. The fact was, Raze had managed to pierce a hole right through his heart, and somehow he was still alive.


    "Haha!" Murkelughed, both of his hands open wide. He started to retract the red crystal spread in the arena back to his body, leaving what was in Raze inside of him. As for the hole that was in his chest, it was no longer visible, only a mark on his clothing.


    "It took all three factions'' strongest to try and take me out, and they still weren''t able to finish the job," Murkel said. "Do you really think a single warrior like you can face me?"


    Moving his hands, Raze started to gather the Dark magic around himself, in particr, the pierced parts of his body with the red crystal. It disintegrated the crystal, eventually smashing it and causing shards to fall to the floor.


    Still, from the wounds on his body, blood was falling onto the floor.


    "Didn''t you hear me before?" Raze said. "I''m not a warrior, so stop putting those standards on me."


    "Ah yes, those strange powers of yours. It might be you''re not a being from Pagna after all, maybe from a dimension where civilization still exists, maybe even a lost one, the sole survivor," Murkel said.


    "Close enough," Raze replied as he stood up strong. cing his hand out to the side, the Ghost de appeared in one hand. Then, when Raze went and ced his other hand to the side, arge white glowing sword appeared, shining with power. The Lux Sword had appeared.


    As he held it in his hand, the effect of the Lux Sword and zer got to work, and the wounds on his body were visibly starting to heal. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You''re not the only one that can do some bullshit type of healing," Raze imed, holding up the Lux Sword.

 Chapter 742 I Am The Dark Magus

    Chapter 742 I Am The Dark Magus


    At one end of the arena, the sword was shining brightly and beaming with power. It was clear that it wasn''t just an ordinary sword but a special one.


    "Is that something he created himself?" Alba wondered. She had seen him use it before when the Behemoth n had struck, but it was the first time she was paying attention and seeing such strong healing powers.


    "I always wondered when he created such special powerful weapons, why he had handed them out to the other members, and he still hadn''t created something for himself. But I guess he does have special weapons of his own after all."


    At times, Raze was even conflicted, especially when he had created the legendary shield. However, the cursed effect was too high-risk for it to be something he wanted to utilize, and most of the weapons he created for others weren''t suitable for his fighting style in the first ce.


    As for the Lux Sword, it wasn''t even his creation but something he had received before, and a particr person was excited the moment he saw the sword.


    "Right, he took that from the Lethal Bite n leader," Bargo said. "I forgot he even had that thing. That leader was almost impossible to kill because of that sword. With that in Raze''s hand, this fight might actually turn around."


    The Lux Sword was meant to be held with a single hand. With his strength, he could have held even arge sword in a single hand anyway.


    But the Ghost de and the Lux Sword could both be held in a single hand, though Raze preferred to have one hand free to cast his magic.


    Now he held both swords by his side in his hand.


    "Is that mage a dual swordsman?" Zon asked.


    "Not that I''ve ever seen," Liam replied. Maybe if Raze had something like the system, he could copy Alba''s skills and be quite useful, but what could Raze do with both swords in his hands?


    Raze stood there as he looked at Murkel and waited for him to make the first move. With the Lux Sword in his hand, his Dark magic was weakened, but he still had many uses of other types of magic.


    "Alright, I''ll take the bait. Let''s see what your sword can do!" Murkel raised his hand, and the entirety of it crystallized in a red transparent-like crystal. When it covered his hand, it looked more like that of a giant sword.


    Right after, Murkel started to run forward, and putting his hand out, severalrge shards of red crystal shot toward him. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Seeing this, Raze charged forward as well. He didn''t falter as he swung the Ghost de along with his Wind magic, sending strikes towards the red crystal. As it hit the red crystal, it didn''t do much other than deflect its path slightly.


    The red crystal came towards him, and before it touched him, his special barrier activated. A ball appeared around Raze, hitting the crystals and causing them to fall to the floor.


    "Very interesting, that didn''t happen before!" Murkel said as he swung his weapon right at Raze, who lifted his sword and blocked the attack straight ahead with the Lux Sword.


    Immediately, as the two of them made contact, Raze could feel his feet and his whole body under great strain.


    "You took my hit straight on, what did you forget about the properties of my Qi?" Murkel smiled.


    The barrier had activated and was seen slightly around the Lux Sword, but the red crystal then grew from the red crystal sword itself. It spidered out, and several smaller lines of red crystal were going to pierce Raze.


    It broke through the barrier and stabbed right through his zer, piercing his skin.


    Yet Raze didn''t falter as he had the Ghost de ready by his side.


    "The Fourth Formation, Void Pulse Formation!" Lightning was gathering at the back of the sword as Raze thrust it forward.


    Seeing this just in time, Murkel, with his other hand, created dark energy, and his visual Qi lingered to the side. The Void Pulse attack was then dragged right toward the dark energy,pletely missing Murkel.


    However, Raze had somewhat expected that, which was why he had used the lightning magic. The strike lingered to his side and went to hit Murkel.


    As the blue sparks went toward him, red substance crystallized on the outside of his body. The lightning just bounced off it, and Murkel was unaffected as he delivered a punch right to Raze''s stomach.


    As he did, the red crystal from the fist pierced through his stomach, ripping the clothing and sending Raze flying off in the distance. Raze had a bad wound, but the Lux Sword was doing its job as it was trying to heal him.


    Using his Wind magic, he stopped himself from being flung too far from the fight, and he could see Murkeling at him again.


    Raze swung his sword out in session as he went ahead and used another of the Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    ''Third Formation, Nightmare Veil Formation.''


    Each time Raze swung his sword, beasts came out, illusions that would have been created with Dark magic, but it was significantly in a weakened state.


    As the beasts came out, from Murkel''s body, the red crystal just sprouted out in every direction, destroying them. The Dark magic that was used flickered on Murkel but seemed like it did nothing at all.


    Murkel was still charging ahead, and Raze had no choice but to swing his sword again.


    "Shadow Bind Formation!"


    The Dark magic swirled around his sword and went out, winding around Murkel''s body, restricting him to where he was. Rather than taking this chance to attack while Murkel was restricted, Raze quickly broke the distance between the two of them.


    The Shadow Bind Formation had ended, and Murkel just turned to Raze at that point. "That sword, it may be healing you, but it''s nothing special other than that. You are nothing special. You are relying on skills written by a man that has long been gone from this world."


    "Not only that, you can''t even fully utilize all of his skills! When I saw you use the Noctis n''s techniques, I had to admit, I thought about keeping you alive, but right now all I see is a poor imitation of Bofan. You will never be him!" Murkel eximed, stretching out both of his arms, and now his right and left were crystallized.


    While his Dark magic was lingering behind his back, floating in the air like a me. "I am not trying to be like him!" Raze said, as he ced away the Lux Sword and started to gather his Dark magic around his arm once more. "I am the Dark Magus!"

 Chapter 743 Pushing To The Next Limit

    Chapter 743 Pushing To The Next Limit


    Raze had already used a lot of mana, and Qi in his fight against Murkel. He was pushing himself, even taking Qi pills and mana pills during the fight. Only small amounts rather than the cursed pills. It was painful for him to move, as he was forcing his body to go beyond what it could. Using the Ten Descending Steps in session took a lot of Qi, and took a toll on his body. Honestly it was somewhat what Raze was relying on to finish the fight and yet it hadn''t done so. Thankfully with the Lux Sword and the zer, he was in a better condition. It was helping his body heal from the down side of already having used a Cursed Qi pill and now using regr pills to supplement his mana and Qi.


    Regardless of it all, he was now in the current situation, where the fight was still continuing on, and he was unable to finish off the opponent in front of him. "The Dark Magus, Ha!" Murkelughed. "You are saying that, like your name means something, you will never be like Bofan!"


    To the Light Faction that was listening, as well as the others around, they found it strange for Murkel to mention the Dark Faction''s founder''s name. The way he was speaking, it was as if he directly knew Bofan, but judging by the time frame it should have been impossible, yet no one knew Murkel''s past. Raze was taking in what Murkel was saying though. ''Bofan Klik, the founder of the Dark Faction, but that wasn''t all he was. It''s more than likely, he was a man that found himself in the same situation as me. A mage from Alterian that was sent to the world of Pagna.''


    ''Spending some time here, he had founded his own faction and also made his own n. In particr I had found his n''s martial arts, and with it Alterian writing, teaching one the true way to use the Dark Edge Sword Arts Formations, with magic.'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''So far whenever I''ve been in a pickle, it''s these arts that have managed to save me. Their powerful techniques that I''ve used. His years of research have clearly been disyed and he is someone that I have to look up to just based on his achievements with the arts alone.''


    ''Past the four formations, I haven''t even been able to learn the ones more advanced than that.'' Judging from what Murkel was saying, he could tell that as well. The other four formations were much moreplicated to use.


    ''Regardless, what Murkel is saying is right. I''m just using his findings, I never spent the time trying to learn my own Pagna arts, making my own martial art. I also never tried tobine magic and the arts in the same way as the Dark Edge Sword Arts did.''


    ''I was just taking everything I found, as if I was rushing toward my goal.''


    Raze hadn''t been in the world of Pagna for long, not by anyone''s standards, but in his rush to get stronger quicker, he had also made enemies far quicker than he imagined. He had to keep pushing himself in the world just to survive each day. That was when the book fell into hisp. It felt like when he opened a book, and went to the back and found the answers right there in front of him. Rather than working out what needed to be done, or learning about the calctions, instead he went to the back of the book, to easily get what was needed to be done. ''I wasn''t usually the type of person to take shortcuts, I usually try to analyse every situation, doing what I can to get out of it.'' Raze told himself. ''And now, because of my impatience, I am paying for it dearly.'' In a lot of cases, Raze started to think, there were perhaps multiple ways that he could have avoided this sh with Murkel. Sure with his goal, the two of them might have shed some day, but if it waster, then the situation they were in now might have not urred.


    ''I let the anger get the better of me when we were in that assessment. I decided to get close to people when there was no need to, and in order to make their lives better, and to take them away from the trouble in front of them, now I''m risking my whole life, and risking my whole goal with it.''


    Looking into the stands, he stared at Safa, Simyon, Liam, and went on to look at Dame, Rayna, and the rest of the Crimson Crane, all the people that had helped him get to where he was today. All of the people that he should have forgotten about. Even now, Raze was sure he could do something if he wanted to get out of this situation. There were many times when Raze had to run from the Grand Magus, and live to fight another day. Yet right now, that wasn''t what he wanted to do.


    Raze covered both of his hands in the dark purple magic, and when the magic encased his swords, they both disappeared and only Raze hands were by his side now. "I am the Dark Magus!" Raze eximed, pulling out his arm, and with it, another Cursed pill had appeared in his hand. Alba and the others had a bad feeling about what they were seeing. They remembered thest time he had used more than one Cursed pill in a row. It had caused devastating effects and he was out for around a week. There was a good chance that he might never wake up again. Raze knew this as well and regardless he ced the pill into his mouth, and the energy started to surround his entire body, surging it with great power once again. ''I will fight the way I fought before.'' Raze thought. Raze''s eyes started to glow slightly purple as he looked directly at Murkel. "I am not Bofan, and I will show you how I got my name!"

 Chapter 744 The Power Of Dark Magic

    Chapter 744 The Power Of Dark Magic


    In the fight so far, Raze had used all of the Dark Edge Sword Arts he knew, and they didn''t work. He also used a number ofrge magic spells, and that didn''t work either, and even used abination of both spells and his Qi, and that didn''t work.


    Throughout the fight, he was trying to think of the best way to fight him. Taking another Cursed Qi pill for a minute would restore either his mana or Qi.


    ''When taking the pill, just like I''ve learned to cultivate the demonic energy to restore my Qi and the Dark cultivation to restore my mana, I can do the same when taking the pill and choose to restore either one. In this case, I''ve decided to restore my mana!''


    Dark energy was flowing around Raze''s body.


    ''I became the Dark Magus because of my prowess in Dark magic, along with Wind magic. It''s what I know best, so it''s time that I fight like I used to!'' Raze thought to himself.


    Raze took a few steps forward as if he was running and then leapt up in the air. He stayed in ce as he used his Wind magic to keep him up and swung out his hands, firing off Dark Pulses from his hands right toward Murkel. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Crystallizing his arms, Murkel was able to increase the surface area so it looked more like a shield, and the Dark energy was just hitting the red crystal, bouncing off it.


    Raze quickly moved his position, changing from side to side, and continued to fire off Dark Pulses from all angles while in the air. Specifically, Raze was able to get shots off from angles and positions that were hard to block, but Murkel was talented.


    As he looked at the beams of Dark energy being shot through the airing his way, he would move his hand through the air, hitting them perfectly. He was jumping, avoiding some, allowing them to hit the floor while hitting away others, and spinning his body to attack each one of them.


    "You think just because you''re up there I can''t get you!" Murkel said as he jumped back, avoiding two beams, and threw out his hand. The red crystal extended outwarding right toward Raze.


    Seeing this, Raze shoved both of his hands forward, shooting out a consistent dark beam of energy, hitting the red crystallization. For the first time, the red crystallization had been stopped.


    It was pushing it back in the air. The Dark magic power and the red crystallization trying to form, but then out from the sides, the red crystal was forming more ces in the air, just like when it wasing out like a spider web, and several single strands of the red crystal were nowing out at Raze.


    "That''s fine," Raze said, as he continued to let out Dark energy from one hand and with the other he formed a ball of wind. It was spinning, forming a ball of wind, and then it expanded out until it covered Raze like arge shield of wind.


    Slowly, Raze twiddled his finger, and tendrils of Dark magic were forming into the ball of wind and surrounding Raze until there was arge ck ball in the air.


    As the crystal went forward from all angles, it was breaking when trying to enter and attack Raze. The strong wind currents that were constantly spinning were filled with Dark magic, making them stronger, and a strong form of defense had been made.


    After breaking it all, Raze then moved forward, and the ball of wind behind him was slowly following. As he flew in the air toward Murkel, the wind of Dark energy was hovering behind him.


    "It''s hard when you''re fighting against someone whose capabilities you don''t know," Raze imed. "But the situation is the same for both of us."


    Razended just shy of where Murkel was standing, and the wave of Dark magic mixed with wind soon wrapped right around Murkel.


    The wind, along with the Dark magic, was constantly spinning around Murkel''s entire body. It was hitting him from every side, hitting the crystallized segments as well as the flesh parts of his body, ripping his skin up.


    Now Raze was close, and he didn''t stop there. He held out both of his hands, and Dark magic was lingering from his fingertips into the tornado of attack. The tornado of Dark magic was gettingrger and bigger in size.


    "Do you think this is enough to stop me?"


    Through the dark tornado of power, Raze could see a red figure. It was bright, still being able to be seen just slightly through the tornado of darkness. It didn''t just cover one part of the body, but seemingly covered the entire part of the body.


    Raze couldn''t quite make it out but could see it was trying toe forward, still being hit by the magic.


    "I never for a moment thought that would be enough to finish you." Raze lifted both of his hands, arge ball of Dark energy was being created, and it was being condensed down as more Dark energy was flowing out of his body.


    The ball was vibrating as if it was struggling to contain its power and seemingly looking like it could explode at any second.


    "Negative, Dark Bomb." Raze said as he threw both of them out, the size of his fist.


    The balls went right into the tornado, and just like an explosion, exploded. The Wind magic broke out, sending Dark magic flying in all directions, and the two bombs had expanded, creating darkness.


    It expanded out at first, but with Raze there, he lifted his hands and pushed the Dark magic back to where the target was,pletely covering the area where Murkel once stood.


    ''As a five-star mage, this is the strongest Dark magic I know. I can''t ess the spells I had as a nine-star mage, but it''s stronger than when I was a Dark mage at five-star before because now I have a Dark core! Things are different this time, and I will get rid of the Grand Magus!''

 Chapter 745 Breaking The Body and Mind

    Chapter 745 Breaking The Body and Mind


    Raze''s darkness had been condensed down, exploding in an area and then pushing it down further to a single spot. Right now, the power of the Dark magic would be purely tearing apart Murkel.


    Unlike the tornado of Dark magic from before, this was pure Dark magic, which basis for working was destruction. This was one of the strongest spells Raze knew, the Negative Dark Bomb. The attack acted twice in the expansion and then the condensing form.


    However, at the back of his mind, as he saw this, Raze was worried about one thing. He continued to condense down the attack, and finally, he was no longer able to handle the pressure.


    His shaking hands expanded out, and so did the Dark energy, breaking into the air and dispersing into arge number of particles.


    ''I''ve used up a lot of mana again,'' Raze said to himself, slightly looking at the ground, his vision starting to blur. Using the Cursed Qi pills in a row was already having an effect on him, and it felt worse than thest time he had used it.


    His body wasn''t building up a resistance to it; it was the opposite. Each time he forced himself to use these Qi pills, the after effects were getting worse.


    ''It reminds me of one of the textbooks I read about Dark magic; you can never get away from a curse.''


    The ultimate downside of creating items with Dark magic. Raze still had mana left; he still had time left, but would it be enough?


    As his vision started toe back, and he looked ahead, he could see something standing in front of him¡ªa red figure withrge beast-like eyes as big as fists.


    Out of its back were several red crystals spiraling out like that of a hedgehog. This continued on the back of his arms and the back of his legs, as well as showing slightly on other parts of his body.


    This was Murkel, but not the Murkel that the others knew. It was a different kind of Murkel; it looked more like a monster than a man, apart from the fact that it stood there on two legs.


    "You ripped off this human flesh of mine to reveal what was underneath," Murkel said, his voice deeper than before, with an odd echo. It sounded as if two people were talking at the same time but with a slight dy.


    In one of Murkel''s hands, there was a portal of his Dark Qi. It looked like a miniature ck hole that was continuously swirling around, and it got smaller and smaller until Murkel had crushed it in his hand.


    "Your powers are extremely powerful, strong enough to even destroy my red crystals. This is a first since I faced them back then," Murkel said. "I should apologize; this is not the same as the powers Bofan used. I can see this is your own power."


    "Your powers are extremely powerful, strong enough to even destroy my red crystals. This is a first since I faced them back then," Murkel said. "I should apologize; this is not the same as the powers Bofan used. I can see this is your own power."


    "Unfortunately for you, my power is still able to draw yours away, and from the looks of things, you''re on yourst legs."


    Murkel had used and condensed his Dark Qi. In doing that, he had drawn most of the Dark magic to one point, to the Dark Qi that was swirling in his hand. While this was happening, Murkel was constantly reinforcing his hand with his red crystallization.


    At worst, Murkel believed he would lose a hand, but what felt like a final attack from Raze, he would survive and be the victor. Besides, if he lost a hand, he could always have it return.


    "What is that?" Dame asked from the stand. "His skin, it''s red; it looks like a beast but in the shape of a body."


    "You should know that as a hybrid, your body has different states of transformations that it can achieve. You can just use a small transformation or allow your whole body to change."


    "Thetter usually being more powerful, but in turn, you give up far more control," Amir exined, looking at Mantis as a prime example.


    At the Bonum Society, they would learn to control and work together with the inner beast inside them. The final result was consolidating into one; there were no longer two minds but having one mind as superior over the other.


    When Amir looked at Murkel, he had no idea who had won out. Was the beast''s mind mainly in control, changing Murkel''s viewpletely, or was it the other way around? So much time had passed.


    Seeing the new state of Murkel, Raze lifted his hands up, then stomped the floor, shifting forward, and threw out two Dark Pulses. They went out fast and powerful, infused with his Qi.


    Murkel, at this point, just stood there and allowed the attacks to hit him. As the Dark Pulsended on his skin, the magic hit his body and dispersed into nothing but energy particles.


    It only slightly jolted Murkel''s new body.


    "This is something that the others didn''t quite see," Murkel imed. "You see, back then it was just the Hybrid that was fighting. It wasn''t me as I am now," Murkel said, lifting his hand.


    "This body has the strength of the Hybrid but can reinforce itself with Qi, giving my body a more solid foundation, allowing my strikes to be far stronger, and allowing me to use the properties of the Dark Qi." Murkel lifted up his foot and stomped it on the ground.


    The entire area beneath his foot cracked, and therge cracks continued forward, reaching the very edge of the arena and where Raze was standing as well. The whole arena was shaking, and the others had to brace themselves not to fall over.


    "That''s¡­ so much power," Rayna said. "Is¡­ Raze going to be okay?"


    It was then that Raze realized, as his vision was starting to blur again, that the Cursed pill''s energy was starting to fade. He looked up at the face of his sister Safa in particr.


    "No¡­ don''t do it!" she screamed as if she could read his mind. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Forming in Raze''s hand was another Dark Qi pill.


    "At this rate, I have no choice. I just have to keep taking these things until I get rid of you. Heck, if I have to take these things for the rest of my life until I get rid of you and the Grand Magus, then so be it."


    "Because if I don''t take you down here, then I''m dead anyway," Raze said as he took a third cursed Qi pill all on the same day.

 Chapter 746 5 Percent Chance Of Dying

    Chapter 746 5 Percent Chance Of Dying


    The pain that Raze had gone through before, the fact that when he had taken a few of the Cursed pills in a row, he wasn''t sure if he would ever wake up again, was something he thought he would never go through again.


    He had somewhat even set a hard rule for himself not to do so, yet here he was, having taken a third Qi pill in a short amount of time. Using up his mana the first time to send the other factions away.


    Then using a Qi pill to bring the Crimson Crane to his aid, using another Qi pill once again after using all of the Dark Edge Sword Arts against Murkel. Now having used up his Qi, using his strongest forms of magic, he had no choice but to use it for a third time.


    "You should know the definition of an idiot," Murkel said with a smile that curved heavily upward, almost just touching the corner of his eyes. "You are trying to do the same thing again and again, expecting a different result."


    From just taking the third pill, although Raze could feel his manaing back to him, he could feel a great strain being ced on his magic core that was surrounding his heart.


    With each thump, a shock was being sent through his body. This wasn''t the same asst time. His whole body was tensing up with each pulsation, but he had to hold it in, so he couldn''t even reply to Murkel.


    Regardless, he didn''t think it was useless. Each time Raze was fighting against Murkel, he had allowed him to reveal more and more of his powers, and he was pretty sure Murkel was now at his peak.


    This was the peak of his strength, so if he could just finish him off here, everything would be fine.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    In the stands, most of the Crimson Crane members knew what Raze had just taken. They remembered when he had used such a pill fighting against Feebie from the main n.


    "What''s with that look on your face, why did that woman scream at him!" Rayna asked Alba who was by her side.


    "Thest time Raze took so many pills like that, he didn''t wake up for a week or so. We honestly thought he wasn''t going to wake up, and he''s taken three of those pills," Alba exined. "The Qi pills made by the Dark Magus have been circting for a while, and information has been passed to not take more than one within 24 hours.


    "In cases where people have taken more than one in that time, it has resulted in death."


    "And you said he''s just taken three of those things!" Rayna shouted.


    Of course, Alba felt like Raze being the Dark Magus himself knew about the side effects of the pills greater than anyone, and he possibly knew how to counter their effects more than others.


    Which was why he could take several pills, but she wasn''t so sure.


    "Raze is out there right now, risking his life for all of us, and all of us are just in the stands standing here. He could die. I have to go help him!" Rayna said, as she was ready to be on the move.


    She wasn''t as hurt as the others that had been fighting; she was perhaps in the best condition, and as a middle-stage warrior, she had to be able to do something. She had jumped down from where she was in the stands and went to kick off one of the seats.


    The moment she did, she saw a figure, dressed in a strange skin-tight ck suit, with glowing red energy moving through it. The man seemingly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Rayna''s hand, pulling her down to the stands and off to the side.


    "What are you doing, who even are you!" Rayna shouted.


    She went to charge in again, trying to throw a fist, but the strange man had quickly blocked the fist.


    "I am someone that is trying to save your life," Zon answered as he threw the fist away.


    Alba was trying to figure out where Zon hade from. In the stands, they all were now rtively close, considering half of the arena had alreadypletely been destroyed.


    When Raze had lifted everyone, he chucked everyone in the same general direction as well. So although everyone might be in different areas of the same stands, they were all rtively close.


    Regardless, Alba, a middle-stage warrior, still was unable to sense someoneing in so fast.


    "You''re just going to have to trust me on this one," Zon exined. "But I have evaluated that even if you went in right now and helped, you would die in less than ten seconds, a fifty percent chance of dying in five seconds, and that''s only because the man you know as Raze would choose to help you."


    Hearing these words immediately caused Rayna''s blood to boil. How could a person she had never met before make such an evaluation?


    "If you don''t believe me, then you must believe in Raze," Zon continued. "If he believed that any of you would have been a help, he would have never cleared you from the arena floor in the first ce."


    "It is because of all of you that he has been able to get this far, but that is as far as you can push him. For his sake, it''s best you don''t get involved. I assume that he has some feelings for you all; otherwise, he would have never pushed you out in the first ce."


    The others that were standing in the stands had heard those words as well. It was hard for them to imagine, the Dark Magus, the man who hardly spoke to them, who only did things for his personal gain, with a focus on gaining strength, having feelings for them?


    It didn''t seem to be true, but his actions always spoke otherwise. On top of this, hearing this from Zon only made them want to jump in more to help him, no matter how little it would be. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "If you want further information, the chances of Raze winning this fight from what I have seen are less than five percent," Zon exined. "However, the look on his face, his expression is not one that thinks he is going to lose, and judging by his own expression, he believes he has a fifty percent chance of winning this battle."

 Chapter 747 The Third Qi Pills Drains

    Chapter 747 The Third Qi Pill''s Drains


    With each beat of his heart, an electric pulse of pain was sent through Raze''s entire body, but he beared it as he looked straight ahead at Murkel. With another Qi pill, he had the chance to use extremely powerful moves once again.


    With one hand, he gathered a tornado of wind, and with the other, his Qi was gathering in circles around his wrist. Not just one circle of Dark magic had gathered around his wrist but two.


    Shifting his feet forward, Raze let out the tornado of wind behind him, which propelled him forward, hitting the ground and lifting him slightly into the air.


    "Dark Ring!" Raze swung his fist out, and two of the pulses left his hand. It was just as fast as the Dark Pulse move but rather than a single line, the Dark magic extended into two rings.


    Murkel looked to move, but Raze was moving his hands with them. One of the Dark Rings then wrapped around Murkel''s leg, and the other wrapped around his fist.


    "Shackle!"


    The Dark magic rings that surrounded Murkel''s body grew smaller in size, shrinking down until they were skin-tight around his body.


    At first, Murkel was ready to get rid of them, but they seemingly had no effect on his skin, doing next to no damage.


    Raze, as soon as he hadnded, had two tornado balls of wind covering his hands, and fired them off behind him, sending him right in the direction of Murkel.


    ''Heading to Alterian and going to the police force, there were a couple of skills that I managed to learn thanks to Harvey, Dark magic skills that even I didn''t know existed.''


    The wind propelled Raze forward, and he was right on Murkel. His eyes glowed purple.


    "Dark Rings, activate!"


    The rings that surrounded Murkel exploded at that point, and with a heavy fist, Raze delivered a blow through the dark explosion, wrapping all of his power into one point, driving his fist right into Murkel''s stomach.


    ''A hit, I can tell I hit something solid!'' Raze thought and could even see a beam of magic pass right through Murkel, but as the Dark magic started to disperse from the rings, Murkel''s strangerge jagged white eyes were staring him right in the face.


    "That tickles," Murkel said, as he shoved a red crystallized hand right into Raze''s shoulder. It started to push him into the air, and was dragging him away as it was extending further and further.


    The red crystal in his shoulder was breaking into multiple parts again, and Raze knew it was only a matter of time until it would pierce into the vitals of his body.


    Raze, with the Dark magic on his hand, held on tight to the red crystal.


    "Dark Pulse." A beam of energy from his hand hit the crystal but seemingly looked to be doing nothing.


    "Dark Pulse, Dark Pulse, Dark Pulse!" The move was repeated again and again until eventually. "Dark Pulse."


    The red crystal broke off, and Raze was able to push himself to the side with his Wind magic. The several red crystals were piercing the arena wall and chasing after Raze.


    Raze was only a few steps ahead as the red crystal, moving as if it was alive, constantly tried to stab Raze, hitting the wall again and again.


    Murkel was still standing in the center, seemingly rxed about the whole thing.


    "It''s okay, I can still fight, I can still fight!" Raze said as he gathered Dark magic and condensed it down into the palm of his hand.


    "Negative Dark Bomb!" Raze said, as he threw it out, and itnded perfectly right where Murkel was.


    Whening toward him, Murkel pierced it with a crystal that extended out from his back. Upon piercing the ck ball, it expanded and covered the entirety of Murkel''s body, making him disappear from sight.


    "Negative Dark Bomb!" Raze called out again as he threw another of the attacks. He could see that the red crystal that was chasing him had stopped, so he did the same as he reached out his hand.


    Controlling the Dark magic, the explosion of the Negative Dark Bomb was the important part; otherwise, the energy would disperse outward. The idea was to keep the energy condensed into a single space, allowing for the ultimate amount of damage.


    Just like before, Raze was condensing the Dark magic in ce. Only arge ck ball could be seen in the center of the arena. As he was doing this, though, he could soon see a red-skinned arm pass through, then a leg, a chest, and the rest of Murkel''s body, walking through the Dark magic, without being harmed at all.


    His expression showed that he waspletely unfazed.


    "You really are the definition of an idiot, using those same moves against me. None of them worked, so why would they work again now that I am like this, in this form?" Murkel said.


    "I can tell you''ve already used up everything you had. That was ast-ditch effort. Perhaps you thought my current form wasn''t my strongest and you could chip away at it, but it didn''t work."


    Raze could tell his mana was extremely low. He had used arge amount of Wind magic and the strongest Dark magic spells he knew. Due to the effect of taking the third pill, with his body in so much pain, it was incredibly hard for him to even use Pagna skills or Qi in this state. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It was only a matter of time until Raze would run out of mana, and taking another pill in this situation would be useless if he couldn''t get past this.


    ''I''m not the nine-star mage I was. If I was, this whole fight would be a different story.''


    Seeing the state that Raze was in, they all could tell he was running out of power, and there were no more moves that he could y that would work against Murkel.


    Up in the arena, though, something strange was urring.


    "Are you seeing what I''m seeing?" Anna asked.


    "Correct, for some reason, the look on Raze''s face, it''s still the same as before. He hasn''t used his fifty-fifty chance yet," Zon imed.


    Overhearing the others, that was when it had hit Alba on the head.


    ''Don''t tell me he''s nning on doing that¡­. if he is, then maybe, it might just work out.''

 Chapter 748 Razes Last Gamble

    Chapter 748 Raze''s Last Gamble


    With next to no mana left for any big moves, Raze didn''t have many options left on how to continue the fight, and that was if he could continue it at all.


    However, those with the systems were able to read the facial expressions of Raze, and they could see despite him being at a clear disadvantage, he still was confident at least about something.


    ''What is it?'' Zon thought. ''What is it that you are still hiding that you think can change the oue of this entire fight?''


    Murkel was extremely confident. So far, the only person that seemed to have enough strength to take him on, the mysterious student in front of him, seemed to be out of options, which meant he had won this fight.


    "You were a good test, young one. I thought that I might have needed people with me to go against the other factions, but your strength has given me confidence that I can take on the rest of the factions," Murkel imed.


    Beatrix looked over to Ricar when he said those words. She was wondering if he was going to step in. Although what this Raze person had shown was impressive, it was hard to say if it was any less than what Ricar could perform or do.


    However, that was also the issue. Maybe she would put the two of them at a simr level, and they saw the results of that already. They needed someone much stronger than that.


    "We can''t get involved," Ricar replied. "The moment this fight is over, the moment that young student''s life is taken away, we need to leave this ce. We will gather all of the Light Faction and inform them of what has happened, and prepare a full-on assault."


    "Will we be able to run away?" Hannah asked.


    It was hard to tell with the personality they had seen with Murkel so far. Whether he was someone that would hunt and chase down every single person who was in the area, who had witnessed what had urred, or if he was so confident in his strength that someday he was going to take over all of the Light Factions that he didn''t mind survivors getting away.


    "Look around us," Ricarmented. "The faces of those are all allies of this individual named Raze. As soon as his life is lost, it appears that they are ready to jump in and attempt to take this person down, no matter what."


    Hannah looked around and knew he was right. Those from the Demonic Faction, those that were hybrids, the students in the Dark Faction, and the Crimson Crane that summoned.


    She started to wonder what this person below had done for all of them, to get them all willing to sacrifice their lives like that, for just one person.


    Back at the arena, Raze lifted up his hands, and a Dark Pulse came shooting out from one palm. It hit Murkel in the shoulder, disintegrating and barely even moving his body slightly.


    She started to wonder what this person below had done for all of them, to get them all willing to sacrifice their lives like that, for just one person.


    Back at the arena, Raze lifted up his hands, and a Dark Pulse came shooting out from one palm. It hit Murkel in the shoulder, disintegrating and barely even moving his body slightly.


    "What was the point of even doing that?" Murkel asked as he started to step forward. Walking forward, another Dark Pulse went off, hitting the top of his forehead cleanly, but once again, it dispersed, not doing anything to his body.


    "I''ve got good aim," Raze said. "If that attack was stronger, you would be dead by now." Raze had arge smile on his face; he was almostughing.


    "I guess this is the reaction of some," Murkel said, continuing to walk calmly forward toward Raze. "The reaction of those who know that their life is going to be at a loss."


    Raze smirked at thement, but it wasn''t for reasons that some might think. Those words, he remembered saying to others once, being in a simr position. Naturally, with his infamy as the Dark Magus, many were after his life.


    Some working for the Grand Magus, others looking for fame, and those just wishing for money or revenge. Because his path was a brutal one, those that perhaps shouldn''t have gotten hurt, had been hurt along the way.


    "I was just getting some frustration out of me," Raze answered. "I have to admit it''s really annoying that I was unable to beat you, even though I used up everything I had."


    "What a talented individual," Murkel said, his face starting to change. The red skin was folding away, and it was almost as if his real human face was breaking through the skin.


    "You were incredibly skilled, to even show an ounce of talent that Bofan could achieve, and on top of that what you were able to do now, and at the academy at your age. Finally, to admit when you have lost. I am saddened that I have to be the one that has to stunt your growth. If I was you, I would be frustrated as well, never knowing what I could have be."


    Raze then lifted his head up, looking directly at Murkel, the pain running through his body was starting toe to an end, the effects of the cursed Qi pill wereing to an end. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I think you have it wrong," Raze replied. "Firstly, I am not a child, secondly, I''m not upset because of that. I''m upset because losing to you means that I''m not ready to face them, and I''m a little impatient when ites to these things."


    "Them?" Murkel said, confused. Because from this person''s words it was almost as if he was saying that there were those that were even stronger than him that this young student was after, or maybe even stronger, but that would be impossible.


    "Your words are those of a person that is truly delusional," Murkel said.


    "Right, you find it hard to imagine that in this world there is anyone greater than you, but that''s not the case at all, and I will show you," Raze said as he ced both of his hands together and his Dark magic was forming again. "I am a person that doesn''t usually take risks, but it doesn''t mean I never take risks."


    "After all, I am who I am today because of the risks I took, and right now, I will take another risk."


    As Raze pulled his hands away, in one hand he held what looked like arge cup; it was a chalice.


    In the arena, Alba had a smile on her face.


    "It''s as I thought, if it works, this whole fight can be turned around."

 Chapter 749 A Good Or Bad Artifact

    Chapter 749 A Good Or Bad Artifact


    Right now, what had appeared in Raze''s hands was a chalice. It didn''t look special, mostly made of a dull silver-like color, and the outside seemed incredibly worn as if it had been buried deep underground, but everyone knew Raze had to have brought it out for a reason.


    "That''s it!" Zon said, his eyes lighting up. "That''s what he''s been relying on this time. Just what is that?"


    His system could tell, as the expression had changed on Raze''s face, that this was the hope he had, the item that made him believe he had a fifty-fifty chance of winning this entire battle.


    Out of all of those there, it was Alba that knew the truth.


    ''That time we entered the portal, we saw Raze defeat the dimension boss and head underground. In the ruins, there were three treasures that he had selected from. One was a strange ring that he had kept for himself.''


    ''The next was a rare material that was used to make the new and improved ghost de that Raze was currently using in the fight, then there was this, the final item, the chalice.''


    At the time, when the items were discovered, they were with a warrior named Graft. A wanderer that specialized in helping groups navigate through different dimensions. He had seen these types of chalices before and knew what they could do.


    From what she had learned about it, it was able to summon someone from the Divine Realm. It would only be temporary, but it would allow them toe down, and not just that, but there was a chance since the item only temporarily brought them down, that they would have their full power for the duration of their stay.


    "It has to be a special type of artifact gathered from another dimension," Ricar imed.


    "A special artifact, like the ones that are kept by the n Heads?" Beatrix asked.


    "Correct," Ricar replied. "You should know that arge number of artifacts are gathered from these dimensions. Many times, there are past civilizations that seemed to have existed in these worlds. There we find items that are beyond our understanding that grant great power."


    "Most of the items gathered by warriors of lesser ns are sold to the kingdoms and empires. They pay an extremely high price for them, as it increases their power and protection against us warriors as well. It also improves the rtionship between the two sides."


    "But that isn''t the case for all ns, and that''s especially true of the Light Faction."


    Out of all the factions out there, the Light Faction had thergest amount of artifacts at their disposal. It was why so many ns and factions were against attacking the Light Faction because it was unknown just how much strength they had.


    Out of all the factions out there, the Light Faction had thergest amount of artifacts at their disposal. It was why so many ns and factions were against attacking the Light Faction because it was unknown just how much strength they had.


    Even in the tournament today, a number of artifacts had been disyed and used, projecting the fight on disy, as well as the great power of the shiftingnd from beneath.


    Ricar, thinking about all of this, started to look around and saw an opening in the stands that would lead to the inside of the arena, and started to move toward it.


    "Where are you going? I said where you go, we go together," Beatrix said.


    "Fine," Ricar said. "But I''m letting you know, I''m not running away from this match. I intend to, against my will, help everyone here."


    Beatrix and Hannah joined up with Ricar as they were on the move. Anna, noticing this, took a nce at what they were doing and decided to keep an eye on them, but she also needed to keep an eye on the match that was going on ahead as well.


    When Ricar had entered through the opening, he was in therge tunnels where stalls with no people standing by them were seen. Dropped food and rubbish on the ground from all the people that had suddenly disappeared.


    "In this battle, we need to start thinking ahead," Ricar exined as they found the staircase and started to descend. "There has to be a reason why the young man hadn''t used that chalice of his. Why he hadn''t used it from the beginning of this match?"


    "Couldn''t it be that it''s just a one-use type artifact?" Hannah asked.


    "That may be the case and the most likely answer, but we have to think of all the possibilities," Ricar exined. "It could be that the item may very well bring danger, or there is only a small chance that the artifact he has will help us win this fight."


    "But seeing the artifact made me think, the artifact below the arena, it should still be present and still be active. If we use it, we can help defeat the Hybrid, or worst case, we can use it to try and trap the Hybrid in some way while we are all able to escape.


    "I''m sure of it, if that young man, Raze, manages to survive this fight, then with everyone we will be able to best the red Hybrid. A coalition between the three factions will have toe again, we have to for such arge threat."


    Back on the surface, as Raze held onto the chalice in the middle of the mostly destroyed arena with flooring sticking out and crushed in ces, he was looking straight at Murkel. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Murkel had the same thoughts as the Light Faction Elder: this was an artifact, but there had to be a reason why Raze hadn''t pulled it out so far, and they were both right.


    There were two reasons why Raze hadn''t used such an item. First, was because Raze truly thought that there was a chance he could win the fight against Murkel.


    In his head, it was a test for him, and going up against the Grand Magus. As for why he hadn''t used it straight away was because there was an extremelyrge risk.


    The chalice was said to summon someone from the Divine Realm but not who it would summon. At least in the Lethal Bite n when they were summoning someone they had an idea, trying to summon someone from their n, but Raze knew no one in the Divine Realm.


    So who woulde down, and if they did, what reason did they even have to help Raze? There was a very high chance that the person who was summoned could be even more dangerous than Murkel, and could end up killing them all, but he had no choice.


    With one hand lifted above the chalice, Raze had cut himself with his own Wind magic, and his blood started to fall into the chalice.

 Chapter 750 The Chalice Activates

    Chapter 750 The Chalice Activates


    The artifact that Raze was using this time wasn''t exactly a magical item, so it wasn''t easy for him to see the effects of the chalice or know how to really use it. As a researcher in the magic field, he had his ways, as mages had to learn about enchantments before they could ask them to reveal their information to themselves.


    That though was a process that would take some time, and Raze had been focusing on muchrger things. Truthfully, he never thought he would be using the chalice so early on, due to the chance of what would appear.


    Only when he felt he was strong enough to take on someone from the Divine Realm and reach the Divine stages did he think he would use such a thing, so he never fully went into detail about learning how to activate the chalice.


    However, he did remember the details that had urred in the Lethal Bite n, and how a mage from back then was used as well.


    "Mages'' blood is different from regr blood; even that is infused with our mana, because our core surrounds our heart, and it affects the blood that runs through our veins," Raze said as he watched his blood dripping into the chalice until finally it had reached an indented line in the chalice itself. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The whole chalice started to light up, glowing in a yellow energy. No longer could the metal of the chalice be seen because it was shining so bright. Raze held it steady with both hands on either side; he could feel arge amount of energy from it, but he wasn''t going to let it go.


    ''What is going on, what even is that artifact?'' Murkel thought. The energy was felt through his own body, and he had a gut feeling that whatever was toe would be dangerous. Hardening the whole of his body, he started to charge toward Raze.


    Before he could reach him, right out of the chalice the energy beamed up, it shot up to the sky. It was shining incredibly bright and had ripped through the clouds above. When it had hit a certain point, all of the energy was condensing into a circle which was growingrger andrger in the sky.


    It somewhat looked like the dimensional portals the others went in.


    ''This is it, this is opening up the dimension between the realm the Divine beings are in, and the world of Pagna. Whateveres through next, we have to deal with it,'' Raze thought.


    Everything felt like it was in slow motion in Raze''s mind because he could see Murkel chasing after him, he had extended out his hand, and the crystal was erging, aiming right for the chalice.


    Looking at the sky, Raze just wanted it to hurry up, he just wanted whatever being that was going toe, toe through, and when looking up that''s when something odd had urred. The portal above was reversing.


    It started to close up, andpletely sealed, then the beam of energy came shooting back down. It looked like it was aiming right back for the chalice. However, it didn''t hit the chalice; as it continueding down it hit Raze''s entire body.


    The energy burst out from Raze, going in every direction. When it hit Murkel, it caused great pain in his body which had caused him to stop. For a moment his red crystallized hand retracted and he fell to his knees as he winced in pain.


    The beam of energy had surrounded Raze and now his entire body was lighting up with the energy instead.


    "What happened, did something go wrong?" Simyon asked. "Did his n not work?"


    Everyone watching thought the same thing, they were unsure, and little did they know, Raze had no idea himself what was happening.


    As the energy continued to hit him, he could feel a massive amount of Qi building up from within. It was daunting, and it was clouding his mind. His vision was going in and out. Seconds felt like minutes to him as well.


    Although Raze had no clue what was happening to him, the others that were watching had a picture of what was going on because they could see changes happening to Raze''s body. For one, his white hair was extending in length, it was growing.


    It continued to grow until it reached halfway down his back. On top of that, his eyes, blood was starting to pour down them, running down his cheek, but when they reached the bottom, they didn''t fall off or drop to the ground.


    Raze''s fingernails then started to grow in length, turning longer than they did before, and finally, thest change that was urring to him, was his bright white hair, it was changing, as it was bing a dark soaked red from the top to the very tips that were shining even brighter, as bright as blood.


    Raze''s thoughts were that the chalice was meant to summon a being for a short moment, but then he remembered, the chalice from the Lethal Bite n had done the same, it hadn''t summoned a Divine being, one had taken over the body, it had used it as a host.


    It was then that Raze''s mind was no longer in his body.


    The pain that Murkel felt was no longer there, but when he looked up at Raze, looked up at the student that was once there, whatever he was looking at now, a different feeling took over Murkel.


    The crystals on his back, the crystals all across his body, even the back of his arms, all of them were shaking, shing against each other making a small chime. It sounded as if Murkel''s very own body was scared of what he could see in front of him.


    "What''s happened to Raze? Is he okay¡­ why did the item change him, and there''s blooding out of his eyes, he can''t be okay, right? No one can be okay after bloodes out of your eyes!" Simyon erratically said.


    Safa had tapped the side of her head, activating her god eyes, and she could see it, the energy surrounding Raze soaking in dark red color.


    "That''s¡­ that''s¡­ that''s not Raze," Safa said, her bottom lip trembling¡­ "That''s the woman in blood!"

 Chapter 751 Changing The Fight

    Chapter 751 Changing The Fight


    The Light Faction members had made it to just under the arena. It was harder for them to navigate through the ce than they thought. Due to a lot of the fighting, many of the structures had been destroyed underneath.


    Rubble had to be removed to even make their way to the main room. When finally making it, they could see the artifact in the middle.


    Ricar walked over and ced both of his hands by the side of the artifact.


    "I''m going to have to try and do some small tests to get the hang of this thing. I haven''t really used it before," Ricar exined.


    While Hannah was looking around, she could see a bunch of rubble that would lead up to the surface. She quickly climbed up it and took a peek through the cracks and could see the arena from where she was.


    Surprisingly, through the crack, she had a pretty good view of what was happening. For one, when turning her head, she could see the man known as Murkel, the Red Hybrid, with parts of his skin crystallized and other parts red.


    Then, when she turned to look at what she expected to be a student, it was almost as if apletely different person was standing there.


    "Who, who''s he? I don''t remember seeing him¡­ but he''s wearing the same strange zer as the person from before. Wait, they kind of look the same but different?" Hannah exined to the others.


    "What happened in the short time we were down here?"


    Beatrix was looking around in the dark hollow room for another pile of rocks that she could climb up to head to the surface. When touching one of the walls, she saw the edge of it light up, and now appearing in front of her were two screens.


    These looked exactly like therge disys that showed the fighting to the rest of the public of what was urring in the tournament. As for the angle of the two screens, they were appearing from somewhere in the stands.


    "Ah, these show the disy from those other artifacts. Now that there are no users controlling them, they must have just fallen," Beatrix said.


    "I see, and the disys inside must be how the team down here was also able to change thendscape of the arena. They needed to know what was going on out there as well," Ricarmented. "But Hannah is right. That student doesn''t appear to be the same person as he was before."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Everyone in the crowd was looking at Raze, they could see the drastic changes that had urred. It was twice now, once when he had ck hair changing to white, and now his white hair changing to long red.


    Some who didn''t understand what was happening were wondering if this was his true appearance or not.


    "The chalice, what did it do?" Alba said to herself. "I thought it was meant to summon someone from the Divine Realm, not be used like this¡­ and why do I have this strange feeling, as if I''m somewhat familiar with what I can see in front of me?"


    It wasn''t a familiar feeling in a good way either. She was reminded of the shivers she got at one point when she had tried to help Raze, when he was fighting against the mages.


    When she came close, an invisible force pushed her away. But none of it made sense, the chalice was meant to summon a Divine being, back then Raze had used no such thing, and why did she feel something simr right now. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What do you mean, Safa? I don''t understand, is that Raze down there?" Simyon asked.


    "It''s hard to exin," Safa replied. "There''s always been this thing, this thing that has been following Raze around, following him all the time. Sometimes, the feeling is stronger, sometimes weaker, but right now, when I look at Raze, I can see that thing now is no longer around him, and instead, it feels like it is him."


    Simyon was incredibly worried, for more reasons than one, and in particr, if something had taken over Raze, then would the real Razee back at some point.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the ground, Raze was looking at his own body, staring at his long nails, at his skin. He swung his hand through the air, dragging the wind with it.


    When Murkel saw this on the ground and stood up, he too had a familiar feeling.


    "I know that feeling, I know that look before, I experienced it, we experienced it before," Murkel said. "You, just what are you, who am I speaking to now that has taken over his body?"


    Murkel remembered the sight well. When the Hybrid took control of his own body, its actions then were the same actions as he was seeing now, and with the appearance change, it was quite obvious what had urred.


    "Even in this state, I am limited by what I can do," Raze finally spoke. "It''s been a long time since I stepped into the world of Pagna. It smells a lot different, there''s no iron in the air, the smell of rotting stench has mostly disappeared."


    "I didn''t think I would evere back here, but I had no choice."


    Murkel believed he had it figured out. Remembering the energy from the chalice reaching high up in the sky, and thening down and the change of appearance in the foreign body, with everything the person was saying, he was pretty sure this person was from the Divine Realm, and that was why the student was so confident when facing him.


    "What faction are you from, what n are you from?" Murkel asked. "Maybe there is something that the both of us can do together. After all, I will be the leader of Pagna soon."


    Raze, no, the blooded woman, looked at her own hand.


    "I''m not used to it looking like this." It was then that her skin was turning a darker red than even that of Murkel''s body. It was only her hand, but it was soaking it until the very tips of her fingers.


    "What n I''m from, what faction¡­ none of these things existed when I was here, and you made a mistake. This body is not to be harmed, and since you are a threat to this body, I''m going to have to kill you now."

 Chapter 752 Only One Skill

    Chapter 752 Only One Skill


    Murkel''s own body was conflicted. After seeing the person in front of him appear, the crystals on his back had constantly vibrated. It was odd because he had no clue what the reason for this was.


    Originally he thought it was perhaps because of the sheer power of the Divine one, but it wasn''t the strength. In fact, the Qi, although feeling different, still felt like it was slightly the same.


    "You should have never tried harming this body!" The blooded woman imed and started to swirl both of her hands around in a circr motion. As they flowed through the air, a darkened red color followed her palms and lingered.


    The Qi that was being felt somewhat reminded all of those present of the Demonic Qi. That was the closest the current Qi that they could feel resembled, but it was clearly different.


    A level of Qi that was unknown to them, a Qi that was perhaps incredibly condensed, it almost felt different. However, as the body of Raze continued to move his hands, the lingering Qi dispersed and broke.


    "What¡­ this body can''t even handle something like that? Is there really that much difference between a Middle-stage and Divine-stage warrior? It''s been so long that I can''t even remember myself." The woman said.


    "Fine, then let''s try this instead." Pulling her leg back, a great amount of power started to gather in the foot. It was exploding like a me but once again dispersed into nothing, breaking into particles of energy.


    The woman continued to try to gather Qi, and the sinister heavy feeling upon everyone in the area could be felt for a few moments, and then each time it would disappear as if it was never even there.


    "I can''t even use any of my skills, what is this!" The woman said, surprised. Since she had taken over Raze''s body, it had even gone through some changes to suit the new host.


    The body was stronger than it would have been before, so she thought she could at least do something, yet nothing was working.


    Seeing this, Murkel felt like he was unable to just sit still and be scared, and he acted by charging forward. He built up an incredible amount of speed, cing arge amount of Qi in each of his footsteps, then when he was close, he leaped through the air.


    He ced both of his hands to the side, and they both began to crystallize along with the crystals on his back shooting out like arge hedgehog. On top of that, arge amount of Qi started to linger from his back again.


    "I am the closest one to reaching the Divine Realm, and after getting rid of you today, I will be proof of that."


    "Fine." The woman said as she looked at Murkel. "It seems that at least this one works."


    The woman readied her arm, and the red color that had encased her skin looked to detach from her body and was floating in the air, close to her arm.


    "Demonic Fist!" She called out, and she disappeared right from her position, already right next to Murkel.


    Murkel had no time to react, having not moved his hands yet, and when the woman threw out her fist, the floating Qi blood that had appeared all went to one point in her fist.


    It hit right in the center of Murkel''s body, and the blood floating came right to the fist. Right after it made impact on Murkel''s stomach, it spread out, hitting his arms, part of his face, and more.


    The sound of Murkel''s crystals on his body shattering was heard, and in the next moment, he was sent flying to the other side of the arena.


    While midair, Murkel spun himself and grew crystals from his feet, digging them into the ground to stop him from going further, and the broken crystals on his body started to heal up again.


    "I see, you can at least throw a punch." Murkel said, and right in front of his eyes, he could see the red hair in front of him and therge grin on Raze''s body''s face.


    "This looks to be the only skill I can use, and it''s the most basic of basics, so you''re lucky I can''t finish you in one strike!" A fistnded from above, the blood gathering at the fist and exploding out when it made contact on top of Murkel''s head.


    The crystals that were dug into the ground shattered, as well as those on Murkel''s back as he was sent into the floor. For a moment, it felt like the piece ofnd that made up the arena floor hadpletely cracked in half, bending upward.


    Oddly though, the arena floor started to shift back into position, and Murkel was seen on the ground. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He had quickly gotten back up, his eyes looking crazed as ever as the crystals on his body were regrowing.


    "You think I didn''t suffer hits like these before? This is nothing!" Murkel eximed.


    "I know." The woman said, as she threw out the fist again, delivering the same strike. From the outside, the others could see the blood ripple like Qi contracting to the fist and then exploding out every time the attacknded.


    With each hit, shards of red crystal scattered across the floor.


    The woman this time held onto Murkel''s hand, stopping his body from flying away. The red crystal was growing back on his body and looked to be aiming for Raze''s body.


    Yet another hit hadnded directly on Murkel''s stomach, shattering the crystals and causing them to fall onto the floor again.


    "I know, this is annoying for me as well, only able to use one technique against you. This is making it take a lot longer than I expected."


    Another fistnded on top of Murkel''s head, causing him to sink into the flooring, which was pushing him oddly back up.


    Now, the woman was looking right at Murkel on the floor.


    "Did you say the closest to the Divine Realm? This is what''s left on Pagna? You have no idea what the world above is like. I guess it''s because of people like you that most who end up there either end up dead or trying to do whatever they can to get back to the world of Pagna."

 Chapter 753 Murkels Last Stand

    753 Murkel''s Last Stand


    The blooded woman who had taken over Raze''s body was still using only one technique, constantly lifting her arm and mming her fist into Murkel. There was just enough time between each hit for Murkel''s body to slightly recover.


    As the powerful hitnded on Murkel, the crystals on his body would break but start to reform, to the point where Murkel believed that this person was doing this on purpose.


    "He''s ying with him," Liam spoke with his mouth wide open. "Just moments ago, there was nothing that Raze could do, and now things havepletely changed. This is making no sense; that item changed the oue of the battle far too much."


    "You still haven''t managed to properly utilize the system, have you?" Zon asked. "If you enhanced your hearing, you would be able to tell just what the conversation between these two has been. The person there is no longer the Raze you knew, and after they''re done with the red Hybrid, it will be our turn to deal with that."


    The blooded woman lifted her hand again, ready to deal another blow, and that''s when Murkel took a chance. He grunted and tensed his entire body, forcing the crystals to grow out of his body quickly and form a type of shield.


    As the fist hit the red crystal first rather than his body, this gave him a moment to break away.


    ''This fight is a lost cause right now, I can see that. I just need a moment, a single moment, and I can get out of this situation!'' Murkel started to think.


    Yet, he was finding it incredibly hard to find that moment, as he was unable to even see where the long-haired man was. It clearly wasn''t in his sight. The vibrations of crystals were acting up on his right side, and deciding to listen to them, he formed hard crystals over his body on one side, forming what looked like a giant shield.


    The same technique, the same fist, hadnded, breaking the crystal apart. A shockwave from the attack was sent through Murkel''s body, but he wasn''t as badly hurt as he usually would have been, and even he was surprised by this.


    "You''re getting stronger," the woman said as she appeared in front of Murkel and grabbed his head. "You should listen to your body''s instincts a lot more, listen to the beast inside of you."


    She then threw the fist again, pounding it right into Murkel''s face. The power had broken away whatever the red substance was that was covering his face and tore away his white eyes, and now his true face could be seen underneath.


    "There always has to be a limit to something, and I just guessed that your regeneration limit was going to be finished before my strength started to wane."


    Murkel looked up and did the same strike as before, extending the crystals from his body and aiming them all in the direction of the one holding him. It caused the woman to let go and for him to break free.


    Murkel slipped to the ground as he jumped back.


    ''Will I have time to catch my breath, will there be an opening, or do I just risk it¡­'' Murkel started to think, the issue was that he didn''t have much time to think.


    "I''ll just have to risk it all!" Murkel shouted to himself. The crystal on his back erged and both of his hands were covered in red crystals again. It was slightlyrger than the times before but didn''t look too different from what they had seen before.


    "What did you say before? That only an idiot tries the same thing again and again and expects a different result?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Everyone''s eyes had practically been glued to the fight ahead. They had to prepare for what was toe next after all, and the actions they needed to take. This was why none of them were aware of what was happening below the arena.


    The three warriors from the Light Faction had been watching everything. Since they had the disys showing everything below, Hannah was no longer right up at the surface and instead hade down near Beatrix to watch the ongoing fight.


    Both of them were stunned by how strong this particr individual was, but Ricar was too busy trying to use the artifact. He had gotten the hang of using it slightly, restoring parts of the arena floor.


    Surprisingly, using the artifact was easier than he imagined. Just cing his hand on the device, he could see a picture, an image of a map in his mind. It was the area where the artifact''s power would work.


    What he also noticed was it drained his Qi when using it. So the area size seemed to be determined by how strong his Qi was. It now made sense why several warriors were located below to make changes.


    The tricky part was carefully changing the structure, and so far, Ricar had been doing it throughout the fight. First, he had just changed areas out of sight from the others, ces where no one was paying attention.


    However, he had to make drastic changes as this continued. During the fight, it felt like the flooring was going to copse, and the three of them would be trapped at any moment.


    So he was repairing the flooring, changing the structure during the fight to help protect them. Although the bloody woman did notice this, she had decided to ignore it due to the fight that was going on and didn''t believe it would really be a problem for them either way.


    "What are you going to do?" Beatrix said. "It looks like the red Hybrid will lose this fight."


    "Yes." Ricar replied. "But did you not hear their conversation? If my guess is right, the other person is now a Divine being, which could be an even bigger problem for us all. Right now, I have to think of what is best for the Light Faction, and what''s best is to get rid of them both!"


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 754 Dont Get In The Way

    754 Don''t Get In The Way


    Murkel''s body had crystallized on the outside, making him appear almost twice as big as before. Everyone could tell this was somewhat of ast-stand skill used by him, and that it was something that not even he had much hope in.


    The blooded woman was just walking over to him, the strange blood-like Qi around her fist expanding and retracting in size. It looked like someone who was already bored with the new toy in front of them.


    Murkel knew at any moment, she could propel herself forward and strike him. It was just a matter of when.


    "It''s a shame that even your own family doesn''t love you anymore," the woman said, looking at Ricktor in the stands. This proved she had always been an observer of what was happening while being beside Raze''s body.


    "You won''t be missed." She charged forward as she had done before, heading straight.


    Murkel, seeing this, kicked off straight ahead. As he focused, one of his eyes began to twitch, and a great pain entered his head.


    At that moment, something strange happened¡ªa wall appeared right in front of Raze''s body. Then it shifted, almost pushing the body forward and ahead. The fist collided with the wall, and as the blood Qi expanded out, Murkel''s red crystal attack stabbed through Raze''s chest.


    The blooded woman looked down and saw the red crystal piercing her body, blood dripping down.


    "This crystal of yours is quite sharp. I never expected you would still have some tricks," the woman said.


    Murkel didn''t understand what had just happened, but it ended up being a blessing for him. That was until he saw a fist aiming right for his face, bashing into him, destroying the crystal on his body, and sending him flying through the air.


    As he flew back, several walls from the floor lifted up. Murkel crashed through a few of them until his back finally crashed into one, and hended on the floor. Surrounding himpletely, several walls appeared until a cube-like object formed on the field.


    "What is going on in this fight?" Dame asked.


    "The arena, it''s moving like before. Someone must have gotten to the artifact!" Amir called out.


    It wasn''t just a surprise that someone had gotten to the artifact but also that they would harm the one helping them out in this situation. The only thing Amir could think of was the Light Faction that currently wasn''t present.


    ¡ª¡ª


    "What did you do!" Hannah called out. She was too shocked by what had urred to remember to speak with manners when talking to an elder.


    She had been watching the fight constantly and many times since the red Hybrid appeared, she was worried for her life, that was until this individual came who was facing him.


    Naturally, she was rooting for the one protecting her, forgetting about the full situation. Being younger, the core beliefs and cing the faction above their own interests had yet to be drilled into her.


    Even Beatrix had to admit though, even though she was in the Light Faction, this was something that she would have a hard time acting on. Her mind was conflicted wondering if she needed to pledge more loyalty to the Light Faction, if something was wrong with her, or if she was doing wrong. It might have been the first time she had questioned the Light Faction herself.


    "I had no choice. Both of these are a big threat to us, and the only one that can do considerable harm to the new student''s body is the red Hybrid. In this situation, the red Hybrid is injured enough to now be defeated, and here we can also defeat the Divine being. This is killing two birds with one stone!" Ricar exined.


    "The others are worn out and hurt. They will use this chance to kill the red Hybrid, and then we will take out the Divine warrior! If the Divine warrior is left alive, then so many will die in the Light Faction!"


    sRicar was looking at the screen. He was sure of it; the other warriors would have the same thought as him. They could see on their faces that they were also concerned about the one who had taken over this new body. It was the natural thought of Pagna warriors, with their mind always focused on survival.


    However, Ricar was soon stunned by what he had seen.


    "No, no, what are you doing!"


    Somewhat like Ricar was expecting, the warriors that had been standing still so far in the fight, those that were watching, had indeed made a move. Those from the Crimson Crane that could still move, Amir, and Dame both had jumped in, followed by Liam and Anna, Rayna, Simyon, and Safa, as well as Ricktor and Mada. All of them were using what little strength they had and entered the arena.


    Yet not one of them went to the closed cube-shaped box where the red Hybrid would be. Instead, they had all rushed to Raze, even though he no longer looked the same.


    They could clearly see the wound on his chest and his hand holding onto it.


    "Raze!" They all called out.


    The woman in Raze''s body, as she looked at all of them, her vision was blurring.


    ''Look at all of these fools, you seem to have gathered many people that somehow care about you¡­ and I thought you were like me, alone in this world.''


    "Stop!" she eventually shouted. "I''m fine. Don''t take this chance away, get him before it''s toote. There was something strange, a reason why I didn''t stop attacking him. He''s nning something, hurry!" the woman shouted.


    The others turned around as soon as they heard this, realizing that Raze was right. They had been rash, and quickly turning around, Rayna, out of everyone, was the first to arrive. She mmed her fist into the wall, breaking it apart.


    Everyone was ready to rush in to get rid of Murkel, and that''s when they could see inside the dark cube-shaped wall. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "He''s¡­ he''s gone."

 Chapter 755 I Only Trust Her

    755 I Only Trust Her


    Everyone had seen Murkel get trapped in the strange cube-like structure made from the hardened arena walls. It wasn''t ordinary concrete; it was a special material carved from the strongest pieces by the greatest craftsmen, making it as sturdy as possible.


    They knew Pagna warriors could break such a thing if the fighting got out of hand or arge amount of Qi was used, but they had the artifact that could always just reuse and rebuild the material. However, if Murkel had escaped, there should have been some sign of destruction. Either breaking one of the walls or breaking the material below his feet, yet other than the wall that Rayna had broken, everything else looked perfectly fine.


    "Where is he? Where is he!" Rayna shouted. "He couldn''t have gotten away!"


    She then proceeded to m a fist full of Qi into the walls next to her, shattering the entire structure, but Murkel was nowhere to be seen.


    The blooded woman who had taken over Raze''s body looked ahead and couldn''t help but smile.


    "I knew he had to be hiding something. The whole fight felt like he was nning something; that''s why I didn''t let him rest." The woman moved her hand over her chest and winced slightly.


    "But then, where did he go?" Liam asked.


    From the stands, one individual who had yet to jump in made a move andnded right in the center of the rubble where Murkel had disappeared. Zon then stared deeply at the floor before kneeling down and brushing his finger against what just looked like dust on the rocks.


    "Lingering elements of spark substance have been left behind," Zon imed. "I should have predicted that there would be others who could do this, especially hybrids."


    Zon then stood up to face the others, who were looking at him expectantly.


    "Are you sure you would all trust an answer from someone you just met?" Zon asked but continued anyway. "Murkel escaped through a portal."


    "A portal appeared here, and only for a short while and disappeared!" Alba said, her words making it seem like an impossibility. She soon realized, though, things that used to seem impossible weren''t so impossible.


    After all, she and the other members of the Crimson Crane had arrived through a portal themselves. It was just that Raze could disy arge amount of magic, and what Murkel had done so far didn''t seem like magic.


    "It''s because he created the portal himself," Zon exined. "It''s something I have discovered that some hybrids can do. To link to the dimension where the hybrids originally came from."


    The others didn''t notice it, but Dame did, that after Zon had finished his sentence, he had stared in the direction of Amir.


    "Did you know this?" Dame whispered.


    "I knew there was a chance, but I need to remind you that I didn''t even know Murkel was a hybrid. With Murkel gone, there is nothing else I can do. What we need to figure out is who is controlling the artifact that caused this mess with Raze in the first ce." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hearing the ending of Amir''s sentence, the others couldn''t agree more.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Underground, the person who had caused the mess in the first ce could hear the discussion happening above.


    "What now, Ricar!" Beatrix asked. "Your n failed. You let the red Hybrid escape. Do you n to still go above and get rid of this Divine being?"


    Ricar thought his n had worked perfectly. The Divine being was badly hurt. The others should have gotten rid of Murkel and then the Divine being. Ricar didn''t feel like he was at fault; it was the others. Why hadn''t they taken out Murkel first? Why did they care for the body of the student, which had already been taken over?


    "We won''t be able to do anything," Ricar said. "Although those above are in a weakened state, there is one with them that seems fairly strong."


    The one Ricar was referring to was Zon, who was in prime condition. He believed when the others went to attack, they would have thought Murkel, using thest of his strength, would have been hurt further, or at least attacked the Divine being. Right now, neither was happening.


    "We have no choice. We have to escape with our lives and tell the Light Faction what has happened. We will go from there." Ricar ced both of his hands on the artifact, and the ground underneath started to change, not the ground above. Rubble was being cleared, and therge room had changed, revealing arge tunnel.


    "We run, and when we get to the other side, we destroy it. We have no time." Ricar then picked up the artifact and held it in his hand, taking it with him.


    After Ricar went, Beatrix and Hannah were right behind him, and the two of them gave each other a look, no longer sure about what they were doing.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Back on the surface, now knowing that Murkel had already escaped and there wasn''t anything they could do about it, the attention was turned to Raze. No one had quite gotten close to Raze''s body yet. It was then that Simyon tried to move closer.


    "No!" the woman shouted. "No one gets close. The only one that can get close is her."


    The hand with the long fingernail was pointing at Safa.


    "Listen well, girl, you and I both have the same strong interest." The woman said. "We both want to do whatever it takes to keep this body alive."


    "Right now, I''m the only thing keeping this body alive, but that chalice he used, its effects are starting to fade, so I will disappear."


    As the woman was talking, the hair started to shrink, the nails were changing back to the way they were, and the sinister feeling that could be felt around the entire arena was disappearing.


    "I have to leave everything up to you." The woman said, lifting her hand, and Dark magic appeared. Soon the Lux Sword was summoned, but a weak grip caused it to drop out of her hand and fall onto the floor.

 Chapter 756 Where do we go now?

    Chapter 756 Where do we go now?


    The hair continued to shorten around Raze, reverting to its original length. The color also began to disappear, turning back to white, and all the other features, including the blood that had clung to Raze''s cheeks, disintegrated as if they were made of energy.


    For a brief moment, Raze''s mind was no longer taking a back seat. He was at the forefront, back in control of his body. The entire time he had witnessed what was happening, he felt like he might have been able to fight against the blooded woman who had taken over. However, he had allowed her to take control, thinking it was the best way to avoid interference, yet foolishly, he still ended up in this state.


    While in control of his body, Raze could see Safa and a few others, including Rayna, running toward him.


    He looked at the Lux Sword on the floor as his vision started to fade.


    "At least you listened to myst suggestion. Safa, I will have to leave my body to you, because this damned woman didn''t look after it."


    "If it wasn''t for me, you and all your friends would have been killed by the Hybrid," the blooded woman said, and those were thest words Raze heard beforepletely passing out.


    When they reached him, Safa held Raze''s head, lifting it off the floor, and immediately started to use the restoration skill.


    "Safa, be careful. I know we want to look after and protect Raze, but don''t drain yourselfpletely!" Simyon warned, knowing full well Safa had already pushed herself several times.


    "I can''t!" Safa shouted back, her hands already glowing. "He''s not only suffering from the effects of those pills but the wound on his chest as well."


    Safa still had her special god eyes activated and could sense the energy around him was incredibly weak.


    Bargo from the Moon Shield n picked up the Lux Sword from the ground.


    "I think he needs you to use this." Bargo said. "This sword has strong healing properties. I imagine at hisst moments he summoned it, and when he mentioned you, there was a reason for it."


    In her haste, Safa hadn''t realized it, but she could now see there was arge amount of energying from the sword, and it felt simr to her own Light energy. Bargo didn''t know this; he just knew its effects because of the person who had used the weapon before Raze.


    Rayna,ing by Raze''s other side, touched his hand, closed her eyes, and started to focus.


    "You don''t have to worry about me. I''m passing on my energy to him as well. We both need to do whatever we can to keep him alive," Rayna stated.


    Safa didn''t know much about this woman in front of her, but she knew one thing from the look in her eyes and the actions she had taken: she cared for Raze, and that was enough for her.


    After grabbing the Lux Sword, Safa felt a burst of energy from her entire body, mainly around her heart. The sword''s glow grew in size and retracted as if the sword itself was breathing. She could feel it; her Light magic powers were far stronger, and even her own fatigue was starting to fade away. Now she was more confident as she poured more of her magic into Raze.


    "You''re going to be okay, you''re going to be okay," Safa said to herself. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    While everyone who could help was already giving aid to Raze, Anna was thinking of something else. She was wondering when Raze woke up if it would be him or the person controlling him.


    "Do you think we''ll be fine when he wakes up?" Anna asked, looking to her right, but soon noticed that Zon hadpletely disappeared from her side. "Where did he go?"


    This time Zon hadn''t escaped too far off; he intended to stay. Now that he had seen Raze''s strength, he was sure this person could help him. Right now, he was underground, where the artifact once was. Zon looked ahead and could see arge amount of rubble blocking a path, a path that wasn''t linked with the rest of the architecture of the underground ce.


    "I can tell that it was made in haste and destroyed recently. The Light Faction members from before must have caused all of this. Judging by how long ago they left, I could catch up to them if they took a straight path, but they could be in any vige or town and they know the Light Faction better than anyone. That isn''t the best choice right now."


    Seeing this, Zon climbed on top of a bunch of rubble that reached a crack in the ceiling that led to the arena floor. He then extended his hand out and simply pushed part of the arena flooring up. Jumping up, Zon soon returned to the arena floor and could see everyone still gathering around Raze.


    Zon walked over and stopped just shy of where Raze was with Rayna and Safa, not wanting to appear threatening to them.


    "We need to hurry and get out of this ce," Zon said. "The Light Faction could be here at any moment. More than likely, wherever Raze sent them, they would have sent a team to reach us as soon as possible. On top of that, the Light Faction members who were here have run off as well."


    "Move, while Raze is like this?" Simyon asked.


    "He''ll be fine," Anna said. Her system was already showing signs that Raze''s condition was nomalizing. His body no longer tensing up in pain, like it was moment''s ago, and his breathing calming down. "And we can move as one group, but the real question is where."


    Where did the group belong now after this? Where could they go? No one had a suggestion until one person spoke up.


    "I can take you all somewhere, and somewhere that will be safe for Raze as well," Amir said. "I will take you all to the Bonum Society."

 Chapter 757 Journey To The Bonum Society

    Chapter 757 Journey To The Bonum Society


    ---


    "The Bonum Society, what even is that?" Rayna asked, having overheard the name. She knew Amir was the Vice Principal of the Dark Faction Academy, and under normal circumstances, she wouldn''t have trusted him. However, seeing how much he had fought against Murkel, and with Dame standing right by his side, she was more inclined to trust him. Being a Pagna warrior, she was unaware of the other things happening in the world.


    For instance, she didn''t know that otherworlders existed in this world or about the groups from Alter and the Bonum Society. She had questions about Raze''s origins and what she had seen Anna do, but not much had been exined.


    "You''re from the Bonum Society!" Anna eximed, raising her hand, red energy flowing into her palm, ready to attack at a moment''s notice.


    Amir stood still with her palm pointed at him. "The fact that you know that name, and considering you are an Otherworlder, I''ll guess you are part of Alter? In your mind, that makes us enemies, correct?"


    "Many in Alter have been killed by the Bonum Society. There''s a good chance you will do the same to all of us once you take us to your base," Anna exined.


    "And many in the Bonum Society have died at the hands of those in Alter as well," Amir replied. "However, the man you travel with, Raze, is also part of Alter, correct? Today, he broke many rules, usingrge amounts of magic among other things. I''m sure if Alter gets their hands on him, they might very well get rid of him after today."


    Thinking about it more, Anna realized Amir might be right. In the crowd that had witnessed everything, many would have been from Alter. They would figure out that Raze had used magic. At that point, Raze only had two options: ept the punishment from Alter or be their enemy. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You should be able to tell that the man is not lying," Zon said. "Right now, the best thing we can do is follow him. It''s the only safe ce for all of us, especially with Raze in this state."


    Anna lowered her hand. She had initially agreed to be part of Alter because it was her best chance to meet someone like her, a way back to the Red Fortis Army. Out of all the people she had met, she was now with Zon, their leader. If anything, there was no longer a reason for her to be part of Alter or follow their rules.


    With the destination set, Rayna picked up Raze and carried him on her back. Safa stayed close to them, matching their pace so she could continuously heal him. Meanwhile, Dame picked up Mantis, and therge group of people from various factions, ns, and alliances began heading toward the Dark Faction, where the Bonum Society was located.


    While traveling through thend, Amir seemed to know a path that avoided the viges and towns within the Light Faction. It was expected since they had gotten involved in an attack during the arena event, so they had to have a way to escape.


    With the destination set, Rayna picked up Raze and carried him on her back. Safa stayed close to them, matching their pace so she could continuously heal him. Meanwhile, Dame picked up Mantis, and therge group of people from various factions, ns, and alliances began heading toward the Dark Faction, where the Bonum Society was located.


    While traveling through thend, Amir seemed to know a path that avoided the viges and towns within the Light Faction. It was expected since they had gotten involved in an attack during the arena event, so they had to have a way to escape.


    "I wonder¡­ what''s going to happen now?" Froma asked. "I mean with us and the Dark Faction. With everything that urred, will we be able to head back to the Demonic Faction, or will they all have a grudge against Raze now?"


    "Regarding the Demonic Faction, I can help with that," Rayna said. "With our links to the Neverfall n, as long as my father agrees, we can get it so no one will touch us. But that''s not 100 percent. It depends on how the others react, which is why I''d rather Raze be in a safer ce for now."


    "Right," Alba said. "The other issue is how the Dark and Light Factions will react to all of this. Right now, Murkel is just missing, but the Dark Faction has lost a lot of power in that fight. Maybe Murkel will be gone for a long time; he might note back at all. Which will leave the Dark Faction in aplete mess. However, it will take a while for everyone to learn of all the news and react to everything that urred¡­ we should be alright as long as panic doesn''t ur."


    Little did the group know, there was a single individual who had witnessed everything and had been left behind. In a carriage back towards the Demonic Faction, Bubble, the infamous reporter, had his head down to the ground and his hands on his head. As he lifted his face, there was an ecstatic smile glowing from it.


    "There''s so much to report on, so much that the world needs to know happened! Where do I begin? How many headlines do I keep running, and how many copies are going to be sold of all this?" Bubble said.


    His news and what had urred during the Martial Arts Tournament this year would have a significant effect on the entire world of Pagna, changing the status quo as everyone knew it.


    ¡ª


    The group continued walking and finally entered the border of the Dark Faction. There was a small sigh of relief as this urred. They hadn''t been chased down, and even in the Dark Faction, there was now next to no one who would cause them trouble.


    A lot of them wondered if the Dark Faction would even exist once the news of their strongest warriors being defeated got around. There were just too many variables for them all to worry about. Breaking out of a tunnel which appeared to be a secret entrance that only the Bonum Society knew, they had finally exited out into a forest filled with lifeless trees. Now that they were here, one person had a pending concern.


    "I do have one question to ask," Anna said as they descended into a forest with thick trees with next to no leaves above them. "The Bonum Society, how do you know they will just ept us all here?"


    Amir turned around with half a smirk on his face. "That''s easy because I''m the leader of the Bonum Society."

 Chapter 758 The Bonum Hybrids

    Chapter 758 The Bonum Hybrids


    The reveal of Amir being the leader of the Bonum Society hadn''te as a surprise to most traveling. After all, the Bonum Society was even less known than Alter. Alter had its ce in the factions, acting as mercenaries for hire with various jobs, but the same couldn''t be said for the Bonum Society, which had remainedpletely hidden.


    Yet, there were two people who werepletely surprised by this, and they stopped moving.


    "You never told me this," Dame said. "So all those people at the base, they''re all under you? You''re the one in charge? You''re the one that did everything to me?"


    "Look, if I had told you everything from the beginning, you would have held a grudge against me. But now that we have managed to save your friends and seed, I''m sure you have little to no hatred, right?" Amir asked, a slight quiver in his voice. He remembered how angry Dame had gotten after being pulled out of the portal and how much angrier he was after going through his training as a Hybrid.


    When Amir looked at the others, he noticed another was surprised as well. "Not what you expected?" Amir asked.


    "Not at all," Anna replied. "If you are the leader of the Bonum Society, then Alter never had anything to worry about."


    "And yet they did worry about us, right?" Amir replied with a smirk and continued walking onward while exining the Bonum Society a bit more.


    "The Bonum Society has existed for a long time now, nearly as long as the factions themselves. So the strength of the group hase and gone. However, the important part of any organization or faction when fighting is to hide your strength from the enemy.


    "By showing our members attacking here and there, disrupting some of their ns, Alter never had a true idea of the strength of our society. We might just be as big as them or even bigger. So it goes without saying not to mention this, and if you do, you guys will be the first guess as to who leaked such information."


    Eventually, Dame started to recognize the path they were on. Up on the mountaintop, the academy and the path to it could be seen, where a long drawn-out bridge would lead to the academy itself.


    However, that wasn''t where they were heading. Another path through the surroundingnd would allow one to enter through a tunnel. As they continued onward, they entered a thick, dark mist.


    "It would be best if everyone held onto the person in front of them, at least for a while. If you get separated, you may never find your way back," Amir said. "And besides, we have been through a lot together, so holding onto each other should be fine, right?"


    "Why does he have to say it like that?" Froma whispered to Reno.


    "So this group of yours," Alba asked, "is everyone in it a Hybrid? Is that the aim of your group, to make everyone a Hybrid?"


    "Haha!" Amir burst outughing. "What a crazy goal that would be. Let me tell you, not everyone is sessful in bing a Hybrid. It doesn''t always work out, and there are only certain portals with certain beasts that can even attach to the mind in the first ce. That would be a near-impossible thing to do."


    "Yet, you have done it. You even turned Mantis into one as well," Alba continued pressing.


    "You are right. You see, some Hybrids still have a strong connection to the dimension they came from, and if strong enough, they can open the portal back to the dimension where they came from. Some can do this with their own power; others need a bit more help. After all, on the other side, when a portal breaks, it''s the same thing. It''s the beasts that cause the portal break, just sometimes with help from the other side."


    "Is that how Murkel managed to escape as well?" Reno asked.


    "That is my leading guess, which is even more worrying. So far, it seems he has focused on his own strength, but remember what I said. The dimensions where one can be a Hybrid are special. If Murkel can open them, with no help at all, he could soon turn many into Hybrid beasts if he chooses so. Maybe even raising his own army. But it''s hard to say if he could do that or how easy it is for him to open and close portals."


    "At the Bonum Society, we also have ess to these portals, and at times we use them to turn members who are willing to help our cause into Hybrids. But I need to make this clear, we do not be Hybrids because we want to. We be Hybrids because we have to." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What you said before is true. Our strength is weak against Alter. So, to level the ying field, bing Hybrids is the only thing we can do. It allows us options. Alter has arge number of artifacts, while we have Hybrids, and each Hybrid is quite special. Even this mist that surrounds and hides our base, that is all because of a particr Hybrid."


    While Amir was talking, his footnded on something hollow, the sound of one walking on metal. He moved his feet a few times, and a trap door was revealed underneath. Bending down, he lifted the top up.


    "It looks like we are here. We''ll try and be as weing as we can to you all," Amir said.


    "Wait," Alba asked before following in. "About what you said before, you exined about Hybrids and going against Alter, but if your goal isn''t to turn everyone into Hybrids, then what is the goal of the Bonum Society? What are you trying to do?"


    This was the question on everyone''s mind. It was clear it was no small operation, especially for a group to go on for so long.


    "I will exin to you all when Raze wakes up because I believe he will need to hear this as well, and I feel like the answer will be important to him too."

 Chapter 759: Invaders Everywhere

    Chapter 759: Invaders Everywhere


    ?


    Trapped, with four walls rising in front of him blocking his view of the sunlight outside, Murkel was inplete darkness. But rather than feeling despair for the situation, he was pleased.


    ''My chance, my chance has finallye!'' Murkel quickly broke off a crystal from his back, sliced part of his forearm drawing blood, then ced the crystal on his blood and started to draw a circle in the air.


    The red crystal lit up, and red lingering energy was seen. Once the glowing energies connected, a circle had opened up, and Murkel stepped through the portal.


    ''I wish I could see the look on your faces when you all realized the mistake you made giving me the chance to escape, but it doesn''t matter because I will be back.''


    Murkel stepped through the portal, and on the other side, he had entered another dimension. It wasn''t a new dimension but one that was familiar to him. Right now he found himself in the middle of a jungle.


    For a moment he turned back and saw the portal closing, and when he looked forward again, he could feel his energy draining from him. He had only taken a few steps until he finally fell to his knees.


    ''That fight took so much energy from me. I never imagined that there would be someone with that type of artifact to summon a Divine being on me, and that couldn''t have been any normal Divine being. I know my strength. That damned child named Raze, he lucked out!'' Murkel had weakly grabbed a fist and went to hit the ground.


    Usually, his fist would at least break the flooring or dirt, but it was as weak as a human''s hit currently.


    Lifting his hand from the ground, Murkel started to touch the side of his head.


    ''During the fight... at one point or another, I also heard another voice. I haven''t heard a voice in so long. I thought that our minds had already merged, so why did I hear someone during that fight?''


    While Murkel was on the ground, weak and thinking of this, there was movement up in therge trees above. Quick movement from one area to the next. Loud, heavy footsteps could be heard in the distance, andrge giant leaves were moving up and down.


    This was a dimension full of beasts, beasts that Murkel had been fighting for an incredibly long time, and now he had returned again, after so many years.


    ''In this state... I don''t think I could beat any of them,'' Murkel said, taking a deep breath. ''The voice that I heard, it''s you, the beast inside me, right? Well, you should do something if you want us both to live.''


    Despite trying to talk to whatever had reached out to him back then, there was no voice this time, and Murkel''s vision went blurry as he eventually fell to the ground,pletely passing


    out.


    There was a final thought that ran through Murkel''s mind, that when his eyes closed he wouldn''t be able to open them again, but not in ways one would think. When his eyes opened, and he looked around, he could see he was back in the cave entrance again.


    At the front of the entrance, where the light shined in, there was arge number of beasts that were staring at him. There was also arge leaf with a number of fruits and insects, as well as beast crystals of all things.


    Murkel went to pick up the beast crystal and started to absorb it.


    "You guys stopped fighting, right? These crystals that I''m absorbing, they''re from the dead, not those that you killed."


    Sounds resounded in the cave itself as well outside.


    "All right, then I will take this tribute," Murkel said, absorbing the crystals.


    He didn''t know how long he had been out for, how long he had been asleep, but he could tell that his body had been treated in odd ways using the special traits of the beast bodies that were here.


    He didn''t have arge amount of thirst, so they had to have fed him water during this time as well. The beasts in the dimension had all helped out Murkel.


    "I''m sorry," Murkel said. "I failed to help you all. I know we all don''t have a lot of time. This dimension is dying... and I need to find a new ce for all of you. I promise that I will get stronger and help all of you."


    Murkel never thought he was going to be killed by the beasts in the current dimension, because to him, all of them were like him, and they were part of what he would call his new family.


    This wasn''t the first time Murkel had returned to the dimension. When he had gone back to Pagna, there were many times when he felt more lonely than ever, and having figured out a way to get back to the dimension, he had done so.


    It was odd for him, how unhostile the beasts were to him, and how each time he came back, the dimension felt more like home to him. But it wasn''t the dimension or the style of the dimension itself, it was the beasts inside it.


    When he had returned back with all the injuries from the fighting, the reason he believed he might not wake up had nothing to do with the beasts around him. He feared that he was more injured than he thought during the fight.


    The other thing was that he might have woken up in the back of his mind, having the beast taken over again.


    Over the next few weeks, Murkel had stayed in the dimension and focused on his recovery. The injuriez this time would take a lot longer to heal. He continually used the crystals that the beasts would give him and spent as much time as he could with all the beasts as well. Traveling through the dense jungle, Murkel was riding on what appeared to be a strangerge giant hippo with four eyes. Tworge eyes on the front and two smaller ones at the side.


    It was around five times bigger than that of a regr hippo. As they went through the jungle, Murkel would pick some of the giant fruits and then throw them down to monkey-like beasts that would collect them and take them away.


    Everything worked like clockwork, as if they had been doing it for years, and had all done it withoutmunication.


    ''My body is back at around 70 percent of what it was before. From the fight, I can tell that I''m able to get stronger than before. I wonder if at 100 percent, I will be able to rank up to the Divine realm. If that''s the case, then I will be able to stay here and use all my powers, but I won''t be able to go back to Pagna.


    ''I''m also curious. I still was unable to hear the voice of the beast. There is a chance that our merging hasn''t a hundred percent urred. When it does, that might even boost my power as well. There are still arge number of possibilities, and if I want my revenge, it might be best to increase my beast powers rather than my Qi powers.


    ''Getting to the Divine Rank will get in my way, and besides, I need to look after all of these,'' Murkel said as he rubbed the grey skin of the giant hippo.


    He then looked up at the sky and could see there were no clouds. Instead, the world was twirling. It appeared as a giant vortex in the air, and everything was being pulled up to one


    point.


    Murkel, with a piece of fruit in his hand, chucked it up in the air forcefully. It went through extremely fast, nearly reaching the clouds, and then, when it was meant to fall back down, it didn''t. It stayed in the air, slowly moving upward, moving toward the vortex in the air.


    ''I have no clue how much time I have, but all I know is there is only one person that has gotten in my way. If I get rid of him, then everything will be fine!'' Murkel thought.


    ''I underestimated him, a no-name student who had suddenlye to the school using these strange powers. So many things didn''t make sense, including the skills of Bofan that he


    knew.''


    ''If I can, it will be best if I don''t kill him straight away. I would like to know what his rtionship with Bofan would be. Still, I don''t want to change my stance or position. It looks like I will have to say goodbye to the academy and the Dark Faction for a while.'' Murkel thought, continuing to look up at the sky, and that''s when he could see something strange


    urring.


    In the sky above, several portals had suddenly opened up. Not just one, but around fifteen of


    them, and momentster, several people came out from the portals. Most of them wearing strange robes, white in color, with others wearing zers that reminded him of what the


    student was wearing.


    "People... it''s never good news when people find the dimension, but they don''t look like Pagna warriors, and are they floating?"


    It wasn''t Murkel''s imagination. These people were floating down, and fairlyrge in number


    as well. The other thing that stood out about them all was the golden "I" on top of their


    hoods or on their clothing.


    "I don''t like visitors. I''ll get rid of them all," Murkel said.

 Chapter 760: I Hate Mages!

    Chapter 760: I Hate Mages!


    ?


    The mages slowly descended onto the dimension''s newnd in groups, each one being led by a squad leader who was a higher star mage and also wore a zer rather than a robe like the rest of them.


    The appearance of them floating down as if they had control of flight was caused by one in the group who had advanced wind powers, allowing them tond on the ground softly.


    As standard with each procedure, each group was separated from each other within a kilometer. This was so they could explore the area easily and quickly, and if there was any trouble such as a powerful beast, the teams coulde over and help each other quicker with support.


    The mages had made a formation, surrounding themselves in a circle as they moved through the dense jungle. The squad leader was ced in the middle.


    "Check out the area first, you know that''s the first thing you need to do," the squad leader ordered.


    One of the mages wearing a hood with the clear disy of the golden ''I'' on the peak knelt down and pressed both of his hands on the ground. A pulse came out, and the flow of dirt was seen moving outward.


    "10 o''clock,rge beast has been located, 1.2 tons!" the mage shouted.


    Immediately, three of the mages made their move. One of them threw out a special circr device right into the heavy greenery. A slight noise was made, followed by a bestial scream.


    "NAGRUU!" Charging out from the leaves was a beast on all fours withrge horns that bent sideways and across the edge of its body, the outside of them appearing razor-sharp.


    "Attack!" the squad leader shouted.


    A number of mages used their spells, shouting out mainly fire-like attacks. The fireballs were shot out seemingly at random but all started to head toward the beast. That''s when the fireballs could be seen curling toward the beast andnding right on its neck.


    All of the attacks werending in the same ce, hitting the beast constantly, and it was right where the circr device the first mage had thrown hadnded.


    Eventually, the beast''s wound on its neck was toorge, and it fell on the floor before it could even fight back, no longer moving.


    The mage quickly jumped over to the beast''s position and pulled the circr device out from its neck.


    "These new magical items for hunting are great. Get one of these stuck on someone, and all the spells will be directed to its location," the mage said. "It''s the first time I''ve seen it in action."


    "Yes," the squad leader said,ing forward. "It''s handy in a ce like this where we mainly have mages that use the fire element. Otherwise, stray attacks could burn this whole forest down."


    After saying those words, the mage ced two fingers toward the side of his head to deliver a report to themander who was leading the charge, who was on the ground in a safe area with two other mages.


    "Commander Jefferson, you have a smile on your face. I assume you have good news?" one of the mages asked.


    Jefferson also had his fingers pressed against the side of his head, as he was receiving all of the newsing in from the squad leaders.


    "For some reason, there is arge number of beasts in this dimension. We seem to have hit quite the jackpot this time," Jefferson imed.


    However, his smile had quickly disappeared.


    "What''s wrong, sir?"


    "I can''t get in contact with unit six. For some reason, I can''t connect to him. It''s been broken off," Jefferson said. "There are only two reasons it could be broken off: either he broke the link off himself."


    "Or he''s dead," the other mage answered, to which Jefferson nodded.


    "Unit three and unit four, you are the closest to unit six''s location. Can you check on their location and report back?" Jefferson asked.


    They both replied and were on it immediately. Calmly, Jefferson waited. With how many beasts were in the dimension, there was also a good chance that there was a strong beast that could defeat the mages as well. Losses were expected with tasks like this at times.


    After around fifteen minutes had passed, Jefferson had expected some type of update but had no contact. So he tried to connect with them, and once again, there was no connection. Immediately, Jefferson stood up.


    "Get all units to head to where squad six was based," Jefferson ordered. "And we will head there ourselves as well."


    The mage to Jefferson''s right lifted his hands up, and all three of them started to float as they headed to the area. They rose above the jungle and could see the other squads moving to the location as well.


    "Let''s not head right into the center. If it''s arge beast, then we could get hit straight away," Jefferson ordered. So they lowered themselves and started to travel through the jungle. Up ahead, they could hear a stream of water running.


    By a small stream that went off a mountain, that was where Unit 6 had gone to. Landing on the ground, Jefferson was on the move, and he had even started to form a strange shield on the palm of his hands with his magic, condensing on the outside. They surrounded his hands as he walked forward.


    "Argh!" A man was heard shouting, but there were norge footsteps. Hearing the sound of one of the mages hurt and in distress, the three ran forward, out of the jungle and by the bed of the stream of water on the ground with small rocks.


    Instantly, Jefferson stopped as he looked at the sight in front of him. The ground was surrounded with the dead mages of each group that hade forward. Blood on the ground, and right in front of them, there was a man being held up, with a red crystal through the bottom of his chin right to the top of his head.


    Attached to the red crystal was a man, his ragged clothes covered in blood. The man turned his head to look at the three that had just arrived.


    "All of you, you use the same powers as that student. That really grinds me the wrong way," Murkel said. "I guess I have some questions to ask, but in my anger at seeing these men kill these beasts, I got rid of far too many."


    "I have learned one thing from these people: you''re called Mages. I''m guessing he was one as well. So are you going to answer my questions, Mage?"

 Chapter 761: Two Enemies Meet

    Chapter 761: Two Enemies Meet


    ?


    Commander Jefferson was a four-star mage, while the squad leaders were three-star mages. Three-star was already quite the aplishment in Alterian, putting one above most of the mages in the world.


    Past that, the higher numbers were just a rarity, but when your world had arge poption, even a low percentage meant a high number of talented mages.


    Still, there was something that set the group apart from the rest. The regr mages that were on the expedition were only two-star, but with the help of the enchanted weapons created by Idore, one of the Grand Magus and the greatest enchanter in the whole of Alterian, it boosted the strength of the mages considerably.


    That was how they were able to hunt in a dimension such as the one they were in.


    Now though, Jefferson could see several of the squads having been killed. Not just the regr mages but the squad leaders as well.


    He stared ahead at the person that was responsible for it all.


    ''We were warned about this, that there might be others in the dimensions, but it was a rarity that it would ur,'' Jefferson thought. ''All of my men, they were wearing enchanted robes as well, how were they unable to take him out?''


    Seeing how his men were dealt with, Jefferson decided to act from afar. He ced his hand to the side of his head and orders were sent out.


    The two mages that were with him ced their hands on the ground and trails of ice started to appear heading right for Murkel''s legs.


    It froze the bottom of his feet, but looking down, he couldn''t help butugh.


    "What is this?" Murkel said, lifting his feet and walking forward with ease. When he looked up, he could feel a great heat on the surface of his skin.


    A giant fireball hade out, crashing into his entire body.


    Jefferson, seeing this, had a smile on his face until he could see a figure walk right through.


    "Your attacks are not on the same level as his. Was he someone special among all of you?" Murkel asked.


    Kicking off his feet, arge amount of Qi exploded. A mage still with their hands on the ground had created a giant ice wall.


    Right through the center, a red crystal broke through the ice wall, reaching the other side and going right through the mage''s head.


    The red crystal returned and the ice wall broke into energy after the mage''s death.


    Two strange purple objects were flying from Jefferson''s hands. They were balls of energy that were curving, but before they reached Murkel''s body, the red crystal would grow on his side, and hitting him, it appeared as if it did nothing.


    Kicking off his feet again, Murkel then grabbed the other mage by the back of his head and with his hand, slowly ced it up to his face.


    "You mages all have strange different powers, but nothingpared to what he used. His hurt a lot more than this. Why was he different from you?" Murkel asked as he ced his hand closer to the mage''s mouth.


    A small red crystal was starting to grow until it snapped forward and went through the mage''s head, ending his life.


    Breaking through whatever barrier had been made from the robes they wore, it was as if they had no barrier at all.


    Murkel then turned his head to look at Jefferson.


    "Your power is different from theirs, some type of purple barrier," Murkel said.


    As he walked forward, Jefferson was firing off beam after beam of energy toward him.


    Purple balls were bouncing off him as they hit his body, seemingly doing nothing.


    "I don''t think I even had to use my beast form, but you see I''m trying to improve myself, and one of those improvements I need is to get better at fighting against those like him," Murkel said. "So tell me."


    Murkel kicked off his feet, and the mage lifted both of his hands creating arge barrier, but with a sh of his hand filled with Qi, the barrier broke, shattering.


    Murkel then grabbed onto his hair and pulled his head back.


    "The power that hurt me, it was dark in color, but I''m sure of it, he could do the same things as you. He was a mage as well. Why aren''t any of you using that Dark power?" Murkel asked.


    "Dark power," Jefferson repeated with his head pulled back. He felt like his life was already over; he knew it.


    "That must be Dark Magic, but that''s impossible. Dark Magic is ouwed in Alterian. No one knows it, at least not at a high level!" Jefferson answered.


    "Ouwed? Do you idiots think people would care about that in the pursuit of gaining strength?"


    "Why are you peopleing to Pagna? Why is he there? Why are you here right now?" Murkel asked.


    "To... to..." Jefferson lifted his hand and ced it at the side of his head. "To get what''s left of this ce before it''s gone," themander answered.


    Right then, Murkel could feel the man''s life fade from his eyes.


    ''Did he kill himself?'' Murkel thought as he dropped the body to the ground. Then he noticed something high above.


    A few mages were floating up to the sky and had opened up a portal. As they went through, the portal closed behind them.


    "I didn''t get the answers that I was looking for," Murkel said, disappointed, and continued to look through those he had killed.


    He was hoping that one of them was left alive. Not everyone would be confident enough to take their own life.


    Even the most loyal, it was hard to do such a task.


    ''Some of them escaped, but if they can open portals freely, it means they might be back.''


    Murkel was right with his thoughts.


    In Jefferson''sst moments, he had lifted his hand to send a message for the mages to head back to Alterian and report what had happened, and to ask for more help.


    Murkel was going to have a lot more than just Pagna to worry about.

 Chapter 762: They Finally Move

    Chapter 762: They Finally Move


    ?


    In the world of Alterian, Idore and his Noble Guild had many bases around the cities in various countries around the world.


    There was even a building for the Grand Magus where all five would meet up.


    It was a building to be used as they wished, built with funds donated by various countries.


    It was also a ce where leaders would gather with the Grand Magus as mediators in the whole thing.


    A city named Ion City was the city where the main base of the Noble Guild was located, and there were a number of buildings owned by the guild located in the city.


    There was a crafting shop, where items would be brought in and new enchantments tested again and again until a product was made that could be sold to the general public.


    Then there was the guild base itself, more like a miniature academy taking up a vast amount ofnd in the city.


    High walls stationed on the outside, a magic barrier seemingly always on, and a ce where the mages of the guild could continue to do their research into their spells and more, gaining more strength day by day.


    Even with this, there were two morerge buildings in the city that were well known for being owned by the Noble Guild.


    In the center was a grand skyscraper with a golden "I" on the outside of the building.


    With all of the Grand Magus and their guilds, they had be more ingrained into society and had be more of a business.


    TV appearances, TV shows, movies, merchandise, and more were all sold under the Grand Magus branding.


    There were multiple teams for these top guilds like that of the Noble Guild, and on each floor of the skyscraper, a team existed for multiple avenues, and it was where it was stated Idore himself would spend most of his time.


    Then finally, there was thest building. It wasn''t directly in the city itself; it was built on the outskirts of the city, not really close to anything else.


    It used to be an old airport that was dmissioned and Idore had bought it. Changes had been made to the inside, making it more hollow and getting rid of all the ss.


    When people drove past, they could see nothing, and it was the same for anything flying above.


    Which was why people could only guess what was there, and their best guess was a warehouse used to store the items they were making.


    Currently, at the abandoned warehouse, there was arge number of guild members inside. Members of the Noble Guild, nearly all wearing special uniforms that were only given to certain members. Specially enchanted robes with the golden letter "I" on top of their heads. Large groups were in areas writing a number of circles down. Large disys with different magical formations were seen on the screen, some of them in red, others in green.


    This was Idore''s special facility, for trying to find dimensions to hunt in. All for the sake of searching for crystals as well as special artifacts.


    Teams were working day and night, using magic to try and open portals to other dimensions. In the facility, some dimensions had already been discovered. Teams were sent out to deal with beasts and bring back items.


    Other dimensions had no beasts at all, but there was a high chance to find artifacts to bring back.


    At times, some artifacts'' powers could even be replicated, so they were sent to another team to try and create a simr enchantment to their items with them.


    The current facility was the core of the Noble Guild and Idore''s strength, and the only people that were able to step into the facility were the most trusted in the guild.


    They were to never speak of what happened in the portals to the rest of the members, and the mages were practically off the grid and weren''t exactly part of the guild.


    However, all of them werepensated for their work very generously.


    In one area of the facility, down an airport aisle where several numbers would be used for


    gates where the airnes would appear, at gate 77, a portal had opened up.


    The mages turned as it was unexpected.


    "Didn''t they just head in a while ago? It''s too early for them toe back."


    "Right."


    The two mages said.


    Out from the portal, two mages came diving in and slid across the ground. They quickly turned their heads to look at the portal, and when they saw it closing up, there was relief on their faces.


    "Why have only two of you returned? Where are the rest? Where is Commander Jefferson?" the mage asked.


    "Commander Jefferson, Commander Jefferson, that''s right! I need to report something fast!" the mage said as he grabbed onto the other''s robe.


    The urgent news was delivered extremely quickly as it was an umon thing to happen.


    The news continued until it reached the ce known as Golden Tower, where Idore was currently at.


    At the very top floor, he was sitting on his sofa, ss panes staring out at the view of the city.


    "That''s two times now, where the mages have discovered others in the dimensions. At times we have found strays that they have managed to deal with, but for someone to take out an


    entire team..."


    "Is it the same asst time, the same group of people they metst time? It''s quite possible." Idore was twiddling his fingers, ying with a golden coin in his hand.


    "This situation, it would be good to put a pin in it while we can. I can''t have severalmanders losing their lives."


    Idore then pulled out a small circr device from his pocket and ced it on the table.


    It started to vibrate, and eventually, a hologram appeared in front of him. A handsome, middle-aged man, with next to no imperfections on his face.


    It was one of the most well-known Grand Magus, the poster boy of the mages, Enaxx.


    "Something hase up, and I have an important job for you, something that only us, the Grand Magus, can deal with."

 Chapter 763: Growing A Special Army

    Chapter 763: Growing A Special Army


    ?


    After the attack, Murkel started to make some changes in his dimension. At first, he took the bodies of the dead and began to open them up. With his red crystallized body parts, it was easy to slice and dice the mages.


    In doing so, he didn''t find out much, apart from them looking to be the same as regr citizens on Pagna. Their bodies had the same type of organs. The only thing that looked slightly different was the heart.


    All of them appeared to be slightly darkenedpared to a real heart, which Murkel had seen before.


    At the end of the day, Murkel was no physician, and there were no real tools at his disposal, so the only conclusion he coulde to was that these mages were the same as humans visually. On top of that, he found a device on the first mage he had attacked and took it from them. The device itself was what had allowed him to understand what the other mages were saying in the first ce. Then there were the robes on their dead bodies as well.


    Using a small amount of Qi, he could see a barrier reacting.


    Keeping the robes, Murkel stored them in his cave while leaving the rest of the bodies to be fed to his family of beasts.


    While sitting down in the cave and cultivating his Qi, Murkel was thinking, nning his next set of moves. The dimension he was in was dying, and now it was being invaded as well.


    He still had business on Pagna to deal with; if anything, this pushed him further to act quicker than he had expected.


    At that moment, arge number of beasts returned, bringing their fair share of crystals as they usually would. Murkel picked it up and then shook his head.


    "You, eat it. I need you beasts strong," Murkel said.


    One of the beasts with arge trunk took the crystal, pulled it toward him, then ced it in its mouth and crunched down on the crystal.


    "All of you, don''t bother bringing me these crystals anymore. The dead that pass on take their crystals and continue to grow stronger. We are going to need everyone''s strength if we want to stop these attacks."


    There was arge number of crystals from the dead beasts when the mages hade to attack, but Murkel hadn''t taken them either. Still thinking about what to do with the situation, he finally came up with his answer.


    The beasts came forward, taking the crystals and consuming them one by one, and Murkel was keeping track of those that were starting to grow stronger.


    "An army of humans failed me, so I will try for an army of beasts instead. All of you get strong."


    Days passed with Murkel trying to concentrate on his cultivation. At the same time, he stayed in his beast form a lot more than he did his regr form.


    In his mind, there was still a gap that his beast side and the human side hadn''t synced up with each other.


    If they fully synced, then he would gain strength. Perhaps he had been subconsciously suppressing his beast side, and now he was trying to openly ept it.


    As time went on, Murkel could see his n taking effect. A few of the beasts had been practicing consuming the crystals.


    In doing so, they had be incredibly strong, reaching high levels. He was sure if Pagna warriors knew about these beasts, they would be hunting for their power stones all over.


    When looking at them and back at the robes that were still in the cave, Murkel started to think. ''That group of people, they managed to gather quite arge number of hybrids. Having a human beast that can use Qi certainly does make them stronger.''


    ''That Dame also gave me quite some trouble as well. Before, I never brought any humans to this dimension to create hybrids because there was a good chance that the human''s mind would be the more dominant one in the beasts, but with the way the beasts are now, would it be the same?'' Murkel started to think.


    Perhaps if high-stage warriors weren''t selected, non-high-skilled ones, the beast''s mind would be dominant, and they would still decide to listen to Murkel.


    With this in mind, Murkel decided to do a little test. He walked over and through the dense jungle. He still remembered, after all of the years, the spot where he had entered from.


    ''Depending on where one is in the dimension and opens up a portal, it appears that where they will appear on the other side changes as well.


    ''There were a few ns in the Dark Faction near the Erupting Fist. They weren''trge, big well-known ns, so this should work.''


    The same ce where the first warriors had entered the dimension. For now, Murkel had changed his form to make himself appear more human. He had grabbed a makeshift de made of stone and cut his arm with blood.


    Right after, he ced this on one of the red crystals and started to draw a circle in the air. The energy started to linger, and when it joined up, a portal opened up.


    Murkel then ced the red crystal from his body onto the ground and waited. He waited directly in front of it until people started to appear through it.


    "I can''t believe we managed to hit the jackpot, finding a portal in all ces. We''re going to make it big!"


    "Our n will finally be able to rise."


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Murkel grabbed one of the warriors'' heads and flung him behind him.


    One of the beasts high up in the trees grabbed hold of him, running off.


    Murkel then grabbed another and flung his arm to the side. With each personing into the portal, Murkel was flinging and throwing them to the strong beasts behind him.


    "The Dark Faction failed me, so I''m making my own army this time," Murkel stated.

 Chapter 764: The Grand Magus Weak?

    Chapter 764: The Grand Magus Weak?


    ?


    "To everyone out there in the studio today, do we have a special interview for you. I''m sure most of Alterian is tuned in right now because we have a personal interview with one of the Grand Magus, Enaxx!" the presenter announced, ecstatic while looking into the camera.


    The female presenter, well known for hosting talk shows with different types of people, went by the name of Ashley and had been doing such things for a long time.


    The setup of the studio was fairly simple. She was seated in a singr chair behind a desk of sorts, while the person she would be interviewing would be seated on a sofa.


    At times, special guests would be asked to do a performance of sorts on a stage further to the right of the set.


    Sometimes musicians would sing their favorite albums, oredians would perform theirtest stand-up routine. This time, though, there was an interview with Enaxx.


    Enaxx had his facial hair perfectly groomed for the asion. He had gotten a fresh haircut, was wearing a stylish light blue suit, and looked confident while being there.


    As his name was announced, the studio crowd cheered for him. He waved and smiled with his white pearly teeth as he went ahead to take a seat on the couch.


    "First, I want to thank Enaxx for taking the time out of his busy schedule toe to talk to us today," Ashley said. "As you know, all of the Grand Magus are important people for the entirety of Alterian."


    "Enaxx is perhaps the most well known in a way, doing multiple public appearances, which brings me to my first question. Why is it that we can always get a hold of you and not the others? Is it because you''re simply not as busy as them?" Ashley asked.


    Enaxx smiled, and the crowd let out someughter, mostly directed by a person waving some magic around, instructing the others tough.


    "The Grand Magus are individuals that have a lot to offer in this world. They have their roles outside of being the Grand Magus, whereas for me, my role is being the face of the Grand Magus," Enaxx exined.


    "If there are speeches to be made, information to be shared, I am the one that delivers it to the world. I think the reason might be my pretty face if you ask me," Enaxx replied.


    Thestment again got a few chuckles, which Ashley seemed to notice something. ''Did theughs seem to catch a small nerve?'' Ashley thought. ''Maybe this could be a big thing. If I could get Enaxx to break down or explode while live, the viewership would go viral,'' Ashley thought.


    Still, she went along with the script for now.


    "Well, as one of the Grand Magus, it means you must be extremely strong as well. There''s been something going on online recently about magic with special traits. Are you able to exin such a thing?"


    "Of course," Enaxx said. "You see, magic can be split up into three different variations, if you will. There is pure mana form."


    Enaxx disyed his hand, and white energy surrounded it, glowing slightly yellow. "Anyone who is a mage can use magic this way. It''s just the gathering of mana, but even this can be used in attacks."


    "The second way is through magic circles. The circles themselves and the runes and symbols we use are instructions. Think of it like the coding used to make software. As for the source of power, it''s our mana."


    "Some circles require different types of magic, and some don''t, and that will bring us to the third formation, and that is elemental magic."


    "This is important to mages because it''s the basis of when we create a core. For many mages, they try to gain affinity into these elements, giving us greater strength and allowing us to unlock more power in the magic circles we create."


    "These three variations are what all mages are capable of, but when you talk about traits, these are types of magic that others are able to produce outside of that, which still require the basis of mana to use."


    "For example, a summoner might be able to create creatures with his magic, or a person might be able to turn themselves invisible. It''s a unique trait that hase across them when learning magic."


    "So is it a bit like a breakthrough?" Ashley asked.


    "Not quite. A breakthrough is the expansion of one''s core. It''s a powerful technique and has many downsides. Although that creates unique magic to each individual that is still based on what affinity the magic core is with, and it''s something that anyone can learn how to do, at least in theory, as many will never ever learn how to break through."


    "Whereas a trait is unique to those mages. Our research into special traits is a little limited. Some believe that it''s abination of several elements."


    "Others believe it was just how one was born. What is interesting is some traits can be replicated through enchanted items or magic circles."


    "For example, one user may have the trait to use their magic to make them invisible, but we have devices that can do the same, and we can ce someone in a magic circle, activate the spell, and turn one invisible as well. So although in the past, magical traits used to be impressive, with research and enchanted items, it''s not so much, unless one has a truly unique trait," Enaxx exined.


    Ashley nodded her head quite a few times during the conversation, listening intently. Enaxx sure seemed knowledgeable.


    "And what about the Grand Magus then? Are they strong because of special traits, or do any of them have any special traits?" Ashley asked.


    "Now, I can''t just go on ahead revealing other people''s secrets, can I? Especially when they''re not here," Enaxx replied.


    "Then I have another question that pops up frequently," Ashley said. "Is it true that you are the weakest of all the Grand Magus?"


    Enaxx''s eyebrow twitched, and the bottom of his eyelid started to beat.

 Chapter 765: Whos Weak Now?

    Chapter 765: Who''s Weak Now?


    ?


    This wasn''t the first time Ashley had done something like this, pushing a guest on her show. She had done this a few times and got guests to reveal things they would have never done otherwise.


    It was part of how she had be famous. However, there were times when she would also just conduct an interview normally.


    It was an instinct of hers to somewhat read a person, and she had read that for some reason, Enaxx didn''t like talking about a few things. She had caught on, asking the current question. "Is it true that you are the weakest of all the Grand Magus?"


    This wasn''t a baseless question either; it was one that had circted online more than once.


    Polls woulde out asking which of the Grand Magus one thought was the strongest. Sometimes the answers would change, but most of the time, Enaxx would end up at the bottom.


    This was all because of Enaxx''s role among the Grand Magus as the face of the Grand Magus, but there was another nickname that circted, calling him thep dog.


    "Who knows," Enaxx said, shrugging his shoulders and passing it off as a stupid question. "The Grand Magus wouldn''t be able to tell unless they fought against each other, but I will tell you a few things.


    "All of the Grand Magus are 9-star mages, mages considered to have the same might as countries, and there is a reason why we are even above 9-star mages."


    Ashley could hear it in the tone of Enaxx''s voice for her to back down. She was wondering whether to push forward more; it felt like she was on the cusp of breaking Enaxx.


    Yet a little voice in her also was telling her to back down because right now she was being threatened.


    "Right, as expected, the Grand Magus are at the pinnacle of a mage''s power, people that everyone looks up to!" Ashley said. "Which is why you were going to do a performance for us today, right?"


    "Right." Enaxx answered as he got up from his seat and headed off to the side where a stage was being prepared next to him.


    Enaxx then went on to perform his magic as he produced spell after spell. First, he had gathered just normal mana in its yellow form. He swirled it around different parts of his body perfectly and then pushed it out from his body.


    The magic moved away and went in all directions outward, moving across all items as if it was passing through them.


    It continued out towards the crowd and just stopped short in front of their faces, not harming a single person, including the presenter.


    "During this demonstration, it would be best that no one moves. Otherwise, there is a high chance of getting hurt," Enaxx imed.


    The audience was unsure if he was serious or not, and just in case, they decided to follow his orders.


    Next, Enaxx did the same thing but with wind magic, performing it the same way and pushing it outward just before the attack would reach the audience''s faces.


    Then ice magic, then lightning, and Enaxx proceeded to go through every type of magic affinity.


    Showing that he had extreme skill in all of the affinities, something that nearly every mage would wish for.


    When he was going through fire, Ashley feared that it was directly going to hit her, but the fire magic stopped just short as well.


    Enaxx had a smile on his face as he looked back at the presenter and walked over.


    "As you can see, I haveplete control over every inch of my power. That is something that the higher star mages have as they grow with strength. If someone else had tried to do what I just did, well, everyone in here would be dead," Enaxx said,ing back to his seat.


    Ashley continued the interview as normal and went on to talk about further developments and uing projects Enaxx had. After that, the interview was over.


    Enaxx''s assistant hade to whisk him away for the next big meeting and appearance he had. After all, he was an extremely busy person.


    Ashley had quickly rushed to her dressing room, where her assistant had followed in, and her makeup artist was there to help.


    When sitting in her chair, the makeup artist went to adjust as she usually would.


    "Ashley, you''re sweating buckets out there. Did the mes really get to you?" she asked.


    "It''s not the mes; it was the look in his eyes. I thought he was really going to kill me," Ashley said. "I might have pushed it a little too far this time. Annie, can you do me a favor? We have a mutual colleague working on the Wonder Drinkmercial."


    "That''s where Enaxx is meant to be next. Can you just check that he''s arrived there?"


    "Sure," Annie said with a smile.


    Ashley''s assistant got straight onto the call, and she knew the reason why. If she knew Enaxx was at the shoot, which was on the other side of the city, then he wouldn''t be near them, giving Ashley some peace of mind.


    There were times when Ashley had angered a guest and pushed it a little too far, causing her to up the security around her, hiring a strong guild for protection.


    However, who would she hire to protect her from a Grand Magus? The only thing she could count on was that a Grand Magus wouldn''t want to ruin their image.


    "All is clear. You don''t have to worry. They said he arrived and is now going through shoots,"


    Annie said.


    Ashley turned back and let out a big sigh.


    "That''s a relief, right?" a voice said.


    Ashley quickly turned around and heard a small explosion go off. Blood had sttered on her face along with some human flesh parts. When she opened her eyes, Annie''s head appeared to havepletely exploded.


    It wasn''t just hers, though. Her makeup artist fell to the floor, no longer with a head on her


    body.


    "You... you''re here... but you should be at the photo shoot!" Ashley eximed.


    "Ah, but I am there. Your assistant just confirmed it," Enaxx said. "Which means that even with you gone, I won''t even be a suspect because everyone knows that I''m not here and I''m


    there."


    "You can''t do this. Why would you do this?" Ashley said. "She''s not even a mage. I thought the Grand Magus was meant to protect us."


    "Oh, but how am I meant to protect you when I''m just so weak?" Enaxx imed.


    "I was right..." Ashley whispered to herself. There was anger behind the questions she asked. Deep down, there was an inferiorityplex to the others.


    "You are incredibly strong," Ashley said. "The strongest of the Grand Magus. I was just saying that stupid stuff for views, that''s all."


    "Well, now you''re just exaggerating. Anyone could see that," Enaxx imed. "Today is a very annoying day because right after I deal with you, I need to go and deal with something else."


    "I was already annoyed by him ordering me around, and then you just had to do what you needed to do," Enaxx said.


    He ced his hand on the tearful Ashley, and her head started to expand, exploding on the


    spot.


    "At least I can get my anger out in that dimension, whoever''s in there," Enaxx said as he left the room filled with blood and three dead.


    Now off to enter another dimension where he would go on to meet Murkel.

 Chapter 766: A Change In The Dark Faction

    Chapter 766: A Change In The Dark Faction


    ?


    After a long fight with the Dark Faction and their strongest representatives, the odd group of mismatched warriors from different ns and factions found themselves at the Bonum Society base.


    A location that was in the Dark Faction itself, at the base of the academy, deep underground.


    It was arge facility and a bigger operation than many thought. The Crimson Crane members were staring at the ce in awe.


    "I wonder how long it takes to build something underground like this," Reno eximed as he hit the side of the wall and could feel it was made out of pure metal.


    "The construction required us to make it stable as well."


    "The base was made before I became leader," Amir replied. "We don''t even have the tools now, so we can only think of two things: either it was done with an artifact of some sort, or they had some help."


    The group continued to follow Amir through the wide halls, and they could see the various members around them.


    Some had Pagna clothing and were part of ns that were recognizable, while others looked like regr citizens, merchants, and more.


    "The people here, they are all warriors because they practice arts to defend themselves, but in order to gather information and operate, we need to take on various roles," Amir exined. "Not only that, but in regr lives and work, we need a way to bring in funds as well.


    "Thankfully, everyone is happy to donate to the cause of the Bonum Society because they all believe in the end goal."


    That''s when Simyon nudged Dame with his shoulder hitting his arm.


    "Hey," Simyon whispered. "What is their goal in all of this? I know Amir told us he would tell us when Raze is awake, but surely you must have some idea."


    "I... have no clue either," Dame replied. "I just agreed to help them because they said they would be at the Martial Arts Tournament where you guys were."


    After saying those words, Liam, Safa, and Simyon turned to look at Dame. They didn''t expect him to say that, and it caused his cheeks to flush a little red.


    "What sack of potato-eating spuds have you brought in? Look at these pathetic bunch of losers," a man said, approaching the group.


    The man was bald with several scars across mainly the top of his head. He had a sleeveless shirt on, and on his back, a pair of axes.


    One thing they could tell about this person was that he was oozing with confidence.


    "g, what a great way to treat our guests," Amir said.


    "Guests, guests that no one knows about. You could be held hostage and bring the enemy right to us!" g said, and then took a peek at some of the group. "Well, maybe not, with them being half dead and all."


    "They are people who will help the Bonum Society and our cause."


    "No, we''re not," Anna said. "We came here because you said it would be a safe ce to help him." Anna pointed at Raze, who was currently being carried by Rayna.


    "No one said by using down here we would be joining your organization."


    Amir turned around and knew this would be difficult, having to deal with the Bonum Society and the others as well.


    "Do you think I want a bunch of nobodies joining us?" g shouted. "What do you think, we''re that desperate that we would have a bunch of kids that need to help us out?"


    "Wait a moment," Amir said, pressing his hand against g''s chest, who appeared as if he was ready to scrap at any moment.


    "These aren''t just a bunch of students or misfits like you might think. It''s because of all of these that we have a chance to progress and be something bigger now."


    "These guys, they took out the strongest in the Dark Faction."


    "Ha, that''s the best joke I''ve heard all year, you old fart!" g said, but when looking at Amir''s face being so straight, it appeared as if he wasn''t joking at all.


    "How, how could these kids beat the strongest? I''m guessing you had a hand in it as well, and what about Murkel? You''re telling me these guys beat him, so which one was it? Huh."


    Amir nodded.


    "I''m not lying. If you want, when they''re recovered, you can test them yourself, but for now, they need a ce to rest. And as for Murkel..."


    Amir then pointed behind him, directly at Raze, who was being carried on Rayna''s back.


    "He''s the one that managed to defeat Murkel."


    Looking at his face, g thought it was even more lies. It was a child, maybe a young adult at best.


    "Are you making lies just to help these people out?" g asked.


    "If you want, I could cut you down right now!" Anna eximed, and the rest this time were inclined to agree.


    "This is what I wanted to talk about with all of you," Amir said. "I''m not asking you to be a part of the Bonum Society, but with what has happened, we have arge


    opportunity."


    "The most powerful in the Dark Faction have been defeated. Right now, there are still ns up there that have no idea what is happening.


    "Someone needs to unite the Dark Faction. We have our people everywhere, gathering constant information."


    "If we can, once you guys have regained your strength back, along with us, I think we can take over the entirety of the Dark Faction in one swoop."


    Simyon, Liam, Mada, and Ricktor in particr couldn''t believe what was being said. Taking over an entire faction, it would have been an impossibility, but they were in the position to do


    such things.


    "What''s in it for us though, by helping you take over the Dark Faction, when we aren''t even sure if we should be helping you?" Alba asked.


    "Because it will help him," Amir said. "If all goes well, I want to do it all before Raze even wakes up, and when he does, I want to make Raze the leader of the Dark Faction."

 Chapter 767: Let Me Test Your Strength

    Chapter 767: Let Me Test Your Strength


    ?


    Raze''s allies, or the Dark Magus''s allies as Amir would refer to them to the rest of the Bonum Society, were settling in the Bonum Society''s base. There was oddly a lot of empty space in the facility.


    As the group explored, they realized that much of the base had never been used before. Part of the facility was covered in dust and had a slightly musty smell to it. It was a sign that the Bonum Society used to have better days, being a muchrger organization than they were


    now.


    One of the rooms behind a metallic door had enough space to house everyone. There were plenty of beds that would be divided by curtains for necessary privacy, but other than beds and a few toilets for them to use, there wasn''t much else in the room.


    As the group waited for what was toe, they had a visitor from a hybrid named Chip. Dame assured them that he was fine and helpful to have. A special hybrid whose saliva had a healing factor.


    This was used on all the members, allowing them to be as good as new. It wasn''t just them; when Safa had healed up, she also helped out the other members. Raze was now asleep on a bed, and even with Safa or the hybrid, nothing they did seemed to wake him up.


    "So what are we going to do now?" Cronker asked. "Are we really going to go after the remaining ns in the Dark Faction? I want to help Raze... he saved my life after all."


    "He didn''t just save your life," Rayna corrected him. "He saved all our lives."


    "I think she''s right about that," Dame said. "We saw the state and strength that Murkel had; no one had any idea what he was nning."


    "To us, meeting up with Raze was a random urrence, and I speak for myself as well as others, that we probably teamed up with him because we wanted to use him in certain ways."


    Dame originally approached him because of his special power and the special creations he could make, and it was the same with the Crimson Crane.


    "Through helping out each other, we were able to stop Murkel, who would have ended up killing all the students at the Dark Academy and waging a bloody war with the rest of Pagna."


    "A recement is needed for the head of the Dark Faction, but it''s hard to do such a thing without knowing if it will help people that may be enemies with us in the future," Reno added his piece of information as well.


    It was odd, but everyone hade together and figured out one thing. They all wanted to help out Raze, and the only reason they weren''t so forward about this idea was that it could damage him as well.


    "Can I ask something?" Alba said, looking at Safa. "What does Raze want... Why did he go up against the Dark Faction? Why is he even fighting in this strange world?"


    "His items are selling like crazy on the market. If things continued and heid low, he could have made a fortune and lived a big life. Why is he doing all of this?"


    Although they all wanted to help Raze, this was where the real issue came up: help him with what?


    "I...I..." Safa was stumped because she realized she didn''t really know.


    "We were never told," Simyon answered. "But from what I know, he''s obsessed with gaining strength and moving forward. The academy was just something in his way, and Murkel was in charge of it."


    "There is a bit more that we know, but it''s not our ce to say."


    Anna could already guess what Simyon wanted to say, the fact that he was from another world, but nearly everyone could guess that already.


    "I will tell you all one thing, if it makes it easier to make a decision," Anna said. "I... we can tell when someone is lying." Anna ced her hand across so it was covering Zon as well.


    "And from what we could tell, Amir hasn''t been lying. He really does want to make Raze the leader of the Dark Faction."


    There were so manyplications to doing something that seemed simple. For one, Raze''s connection to Rayna, and the fact that they owned a piece ofnd in the Demonic Faction. What issues this would eventually cause.


    It was up to them to decide, and that was when the first person spoke up.


    "I''ll do it," Liam said. "We were all useless back then; we barely were able to help when we had to go against the other n members and Murkel''s allies."


    "I thought we had gotten stronger to help, but we still seem weak. If we can help take over the Dark Faction and it puts Raze in a better position, then it has to mean something."


    "I agree," Ricktor said,ing forward. "Besides, I''m the rightful heir to the Erupting Fist n anyway, so it''s only right that I show them everything I have, right?" Ricktor said, pping Mada on the back.


    It seemed like everyone was in agreement that they would work with the Bonum Society to take over the Dark Faction, all so when Raze woke up, he had a cushy position as leader of the Dark Faction.


    A knock was heard at the door, and secondster, the bald-headed man known as g entered, and behind him, there were a few other members that had filtered into the room.


    "And here I was, half expecting you guys to be having one massive orgy, but sad times it is, sad times," g said.


    Safa looked at Rayna, and both of them couldn''t help but sigh in disgust at g''s crude mouth.


    "Now, Amir said if you guys agree to this whole thing, we need to set out in groups and do this quick and fast. Our time limit is when that kid wakes up, so it will be a nice surprise for


    him," g stated.


    "However, I don''t want my people risking their lives going out with a bunch of weak warriors, so I want to put your skills to the test and see if you''re strong enough."


    g then walked over to one of the people that were standing with the group.


    "For instance, what in the f*ck is this twat doing standing like this for?" g said, looking at


    Zon. "Let''s see what you got."


    "Me?" Zon said. "I don''t think that''s a good idea."

 Chapter 768: The Power Of Another World

    Chapter 768: The Power Of Another World


    ?


    When g looked around the room, he didn''t have anyone particr in mind when deciding to test the group.


    The only reason he had picked Zon was because he felt like he looked the most ridiculous in his strange ck skin-tight suit that he was wearing.


    There were a lot of strange people that came and went in the Bonum Society. g saw a lot of them, but it was the first time he had seen someone stand out so much.


    "Are you trying to ask if you think I''m sure?" g said, looking at Zon. "Do you think we''re weak just because we''re down here? There''s a reason why we''vested for as long as we have and why we are still here surviving."


    Zon then looked at g again.


    "I was just asking if you were sure because I don''t really see myself as part of this group. For now, I''m just an observer in the whole situation. Just like you, I am also waiting for the boy to wake up, so do you really want to test me?"


    g''s head looked like it wanted to explode. He could feel his blood pressure rising and the scars on the top of his head thickening.


    "Come with me, you''re first!" g said as he stormed out of the room.


    The others were just a bit stunned until g had made his way back into the room.


    "Follow me then, you bunch of morons!" g shouted.


    The Bonum Society members had escorted the group to a training room. It was round in size and quiterge, the metal was thickerpared to other areas, but it still had its fair share of wear and tear.


    One could see that based on the few dents that were in the ce. Even when they had entered, there were Bonum Society members training.


    Some of them were just using regr Pagna skills, while others were busy using their hybrid forms to go against one another.


    "I just can''t get used to that," Kizer said.


    "What, the hybrid thing just being around us? Yeah, it''s the same for me," Little Froma added.


    "Alright everyone, either piss off or move to the side, unless you want to get caught up in the mess!" g shouted.


    The other members quickly recognized the voice and moved to the side. If there was one thing they were sure about, it was that g had some sway around the base.


    Some of them were wondering where Amir was since he was a lot less forceful when it came to these matters.


    "Alright, all of you miserable muppets," g said, turning around to them. "We''re going to be testing your strength in here, fighting against our members, and first up is this arsehole." g pointed at Zon.


    "So the rest of you clear off to the side while I deal with him."


    The others looked at each other before proceeding to move back to where they were. Many of them were curious about Zon because, for one, they had no idea who he was.


    They just knew that he was there, appearing in the arena at one point. They hadn''t witnessed where he hade from or what he had done either.


    They had no idea of his strength, but could tell two things: Anna and Liam were sticking closer to him like glue.


    In fact, Liam was moving side to side, hanging around Safa and Simyon and then back to the others, currently with Safa and Simyon.


    "I should start to gather my strength," Safa said. "Just in case he gets seriously hurt in this fight."


    "Don''t worry," Liam said. "That guy, even if he got hurt, he can heal himself. And honestly, I don''t even think he''s going to get a scratch on him."


    "Are you sure about that?" Dame asked. "That guy, he''s second here to Amir. I think he might even be stronger than me."


    "Yeah," Liam replied with next to no hesitation. "I''m really sure. That guy... he''s aplete monster."


    The entire group was curious about Zon to see his power, and even Dame thought that it was highly likely that Liam was just overestimating him.


    "Since you decided to be so cocky, I''ve decided that I''m going to be the one to deal with you myself," g said as he moved back, getting into position on the other side of the arena.


    Zon stood there, and he almost looked lost, staring at the ceiling, wondering what had even happened to get him into this position.


    "If you wish to test my powers, you would need everyone in this room to go against me," Zon imed. "Maybe if he was awake, you would be able to witness something, so this is


    pointless."


    "Kek, how confident can this guy be," Cronker said with his arms folded. His three disciples were there standing next to him as well.


    "He''s not just being overconfident," Anna said. "He can really take on a whole army by himself. If anything, he might be downying his strengths."


    g was getting ready on his end as he began to flex his muscles.


    "Alright, let''s do this!"


    As g looked in front of him, Zon was right in front of his eyes.


    "You asked for this."


    Zon''s hand had turned into a red energy beam. The others could only see a light as it went right through g''s right arm. Then, in Zon''s left hand, another energy beam appeared, slicing through g''s left arm.


    Zon waited for a moment, and that''s when both the arms could be seen sliding off from g''s body onto the ground.


    Right after, Zon then grabbed g by the head, and opening up the palm of his hand, a red beam came out, sting him in the stomach and sending him flying away until his body crashed into the metal wall.


    Everyone, including all those from the Bonum Society that were watching, were left


    speechless.


    "If he was that strong," Alba said, "then why didn''t he help us against Murkel?"


    "That''s what I want to know as well," Anna said.

 Chapter 769: The One Who Is Asleep

    Chapter 769: The One Who Is Asleep


    ?


    The Dark Magus''s allies, as they were referred to, were interested to see what this Zon character had. They somewhat already knew Anna''s strength, and if she was following his orders like he was some type of leader, they expected him to be strong.


    What they didn''t expect was for him to be so strong. Although they didn''t see much in terms of Zon fighting against g, they had seen enough to have an idea of his strength. Even though there was no Qi emitted, his movements were just as fast as Murkel and Raze when the two of them were on the field.


    And Raze had been using magic to boost his speed as well. Then there was his raw pure strength along with the st.


    "Who is that man?" Dame questioned. "I know how strong g is; even if that was a surprise attack, he should have been ready!"


    "Don''t you think we have other things to worry about?" Froma asked. "Someone who they think is on our side just killed one of the top leaders!"


    The Bonum Society members present were acting fast. They turned to look at Zon, their bodies changing and transforming, ready to attack Zon at a moment''s notice.


    Now Raze''s group needed to decide whether or not they would be helping him in this situation. It was hard for them, as they didn''t even know who this person was.


    "NOBODY TOUCH HIM!" a loud voice shouted.


    Metal was nking and screeching as g pulled his own body out. Strange ck liquid was seen covering his body, covering where his arms were, and then, when the liquid disappeared, g''s body was as good as new, minus the clothes that he had been wearing.


    "These are our guests, and I was the one that asked him to fight. All of you fools acting like that are making me look like an idiot. Did you really think I would die from something like that?" g imed.


    Despite what had happened to him, g walked across the arena floor until he was back within striking distance from Zon. He was just slightly shorter than him and looked up to the


    man.


    "That was pretty brave of you to do something like that in a base where next to no one is your friend. I can respect that," g said with a smile. "However, if it was anyone but me, they would have ended up sttered on that wall with two of their arms missing, which I''m not too happy about myself."


    Zon looked at g for a while, examining every little facial expression he had.


    "I knew about your powers. I was confident that my attacks wouldn''t kill you, which was why I performed adequately enough for you, so I wouldn''t have to waste my time further. As stated before, if you wish for me to use my full strength, then the only way is to wake up the one that''s asleep."


    g gave a puff and then waved his arm, signaling for Zon to go back to the others. The one who was asleep rung in his head. It was clear Zon thought a lot about a certain individual. "Alright, I think I''ve had enough personally for the day. Fanum,e here!" g shouted. Another member of the Bonum Society stepped forward, walking into the center, and then g looked to all of those lined up in front of him and pointed to one person in particr. "You, you look a bit sheepish, why don''t youe forward and show what you got?" As for the person whom g had pointed toward, it was Simyon.


    "Me... is he saying I look the weakest out of everyone?" Simyon ced his hand on his forehead and was just shaking it. "Damn it, I can see the grin on that damned ball-loving guy''s face already."


    Turning his head to take a peek at Liam, he could already see a smile.


    "Alright," Simyon said,ing forward. "There''s no reason to test us. Let''s say I am the weakest out of all these guys here, but I guarantee you one thing, I will not fall to any hit."


    "Ah, then Fanum here will be perfect for you," g said as he walked off and Fanum''s body started to change. His muscles were bulging, and he was growing bigger in size, while his skin was turning a dark blue. His size was now three times that of a regr human, and it looked like a pure mass of muscle.


    "He said you won''t fall, right? So show me," g said.


    Fanum cocked up his fist and threw it out right towards Simyon. Many of those wanted to flinch in the arena, but at that point, Simyon stood firm, he gathered his Qi and hardened his body as the ring around his ear activated.


    The moment the hybrid Fanum''s fist made contact, hitting the forehead of Simyon, a cracking noise could be heard. The strength of the hit was strong, and that was the downfall of Fanum. His bones were seen ripping through his arm as the shockwave had been sent back to him. "ARGHH!" Fanum said as he grabbed onto his arm.


    "What in the world is going on with these people? I picked him because he looked like a student," g said to himself. "Why are they all so strong?"


    "As I said, there''s no need to test us. We''ve been through a lot, and we''ve risked our lives more than once, so to risk it again is nothing!" Simyon dered.


    He looked at Ricktor and Mada, who activated their Qi. He was surprised to see that one was a Middle-stage warrior of all things. The others looked confident, being students, and showed no hesitation or fear.


    There were then the students that were by Cronker, who quickly disyed their fast footwork and arts of assassination they had learned.


    "I hope that we don''t have to take part in this disy," Alba said. "Being part of the Crimson Crane and all."


    "And I would think you would know who I am as well," Rayna added.


    Seeing all these people confident, g wasn''t wondering how these people were so strong or how they gathered, but why they had all gathered around a single individual.


    ''The student who''s asleep, just who is he, and how strong is he for them to all rally behind him?'' g thought.

 Chapter 770: Take Over The Dark Faction

    Chapter 770: Take Over The Dark Faction


    ?


    After the two disys of strength and a bit of confident showmanship from the rest of the group, g decided there was no reason to test any more of them. If a random person who looked like a freak in his eyes and a puny student were this strong, then there was no need to see the rest.


    He was disappointed, though a grin remained on his face throughout the day. A change wasing, he could feel it, and the Bonum Society would be at the start of it-something they had been trying to achieve for years was finallying true.


    Several members of the Bonum Society hade out, and they had been formed into


    different squads of ten. They had used the training room to gather as it was thergest room they had.


    Then Dark Magus''s allies were also split among the groups. Finally, Amir came out, looking at everyone set up nicely.


    "I knew it would be easy for you to win g over. I thought it was better that you guys just got it over and done with, and in the meantime, I have been doing something else." Amir was holding a bunch of scrolls underneath his arm.


    He started to call over members from each of the groups that had lined up and handed them a scroll each. Eventually, all of them were taken away.


    "I have beenpiling all of the information of our society''swork. Everything that we have to do with the Dark Faction and their ns over the years!" Amir announced. "What I have handed out is the target that each of your groups must head to."


    "As I said before, we are going to do this quick and fast. The Dark Faction will be taken over, each n under the control of us all at once. They won''t see iting, and they won''t have time tomunicate with others to form a n."


    "The Dark Faction is already in disarray after what has urred with Murkel and those he brought, so we need to take advantage of it."


    Simyon looked at the scroll handed to his group. They were to head to the Moon Shield n, with him in his group being Bargo, the vice leader of the Moon Shield n.


    Admittedly, he was a bit confused as to why he was heading to this n and working with Bargo rather than with Safa and Liam, who had been with him for a long time.


    "I will tell you the reasoning behind my choices," Amir said. "In all of these ns, there are several things that we can gain. Firstly is their knowledge. These ns have been part of the Dark Faction for a long time and have perfected their techniques."


    "Learning their information, their powers, getting your hands on what they have, I believe will be able to help you all progress on your journey. On top of that, many of the ns have ancient artifacts."


    "Some they have gathered from other dimensions, others that have been handed down from generation to generation. Now is not the time for them to be just hung up as ornaments or for the power to be kept within the n for fear that it might disappear one day."


    "I want you to take over the ns and, in turn, take these artifacts for yourselves. The information we have on these artifacts, from my research, I have lined them up to suit your needs to help you grow even stronger."


    "Once we have control of it all, we won''t stop there. We will freely use the resources they have gathered and share them amongst each other."


    "I don''t n to continue to make the ns stronger or to help out the Bonum Society, but instead, I have decided to bet everything on you."


    "The Bonum Society has existed for many years, and we have failed at our task. Yet you have all grown so fast and so strong, and I think you all need to continue on that trajectory. I will be putting all the resources into making all of you the core strength of the Dark Faction!"


    Some of the Bonum Society members looked at each other. They didn''t know this was what Amir was nning. They had no idea. They knew they were to help the strangers that hade, but they thought this was a bit much.


    However, g stood there in support of Amir, and as long as those two seemed to be on board with the idea, the Bonum Society believed this would be best for them all.


    "I want you all to understand, with what has happened out there, there is now a high chance of two things. The Light Factioning and attacking, and Altering to get rid of us all."


    "In that case, we need to make the faction as strong as possible, and I am betting on these people who managed to get rid of the old Dark Faction. If they can do that, then surely they can protect us from the Light Faction and Alter."


    The Bonum Society members started to cheer and bowed their heads to those part of Raze''s group. It was strange, many of them felt like they had just gained a small army to use at their disposal.


    Some of them were worried about the ns they would have to face alone, such as Mada. Even though two of the Flowing Force n''s strongest had been defeated, there were still many strong members, such as his brother, and he was unsure what the result would be.


    "All of you head off. If my guess is right, then in a week''s time, Raze will be awake. Have the Dark Faction ready for him," Amir announced.


    Everyone had set off to the corners of the Dark Faction, and soon five days had gone past. Two people were ced in the same room, waiting for them to wake up.


    They were sitting side by side, and soon one had opened their eyes. Lifting up their body off the table.


    "Where am I?" Mantis said, touching his face, and when he looked to his side, he could see Raze there.

 Chapter 771: Wake Up Dark Mage

    Chapter 771: Wake Up Dark Mage


    ?


    The Bonum Society was a safe ce. No one other than its members knew about its


    whereabouts, and they managed to keep it hidden from the Dark Faction as well as Alter for many years.


    It was why they were so confident in leaving both Mantis and Raze alone in the same room. After all, the entire group were part of Raze''s allies. They would send people to check on the two regrly to see if they were awake or not.


    The issue was, with no signs of either waking, the Bonum Society members were cking, doing fewer checks and even just peeping their heads through the door to see if there were any signs of new life.


    That was when Mantis had finally woken up, his eyes wide open, and ced both hands at the side of his head. His heart was racing.


    "What... what happened? My body, I turned into... I was a beast," Mantis said to himself. "The Martial Arts Tournament, it was going on, and then... then... then what happened?"


    Mantis was unable to recall any memories past the match he had. What was the oue of it, and who was the winner? Most importantly, why was he even in the ce where he was currently?


    "I don''t recognize anything. I''m not back at the n. Did the Light Faction capture me, or was it the Dark Faction?" Looking to his right, there was a curtain hanging. He could see a light source above, allowing him to see a figure lying on a table next to him.


    Pulling it back, he was surprised to see what his eyes were looking at.


    "That''s... that''s... Raze, from the Crimson Crane. He was in the tournament with me. Why is he passed out as well, and on the table... was he the one that brought me here?"


    Mantis could make no sense of what had urred, he could make no sense of how things came to be the way they were, but as he thought about it more, why would the person who had taken him captive also take Raze along with him?


    "We''re both from the Demonic Faction. I doubt he has anything to do with it," Mantis thought as he got down from his table and started to walk closer to Raze. As he looked at him, he remembered everything he saw Raze do at the tournament.


    "He''s so strong... I was the highest-ranking student at the academy, and then he came out of nowhere." Mantis started to look at Raze''s throat, seeing what a vulnerable state he currently was in just lying there.


    "If he didn''t exist, then I would still be the number one ranking student," Mantis thought as he moved in closer, his hands drawing closer to Raze.


    As they did, he could feel something-a tingle going all over his body. It was as if they were passing through a force field, the hairs on his forearms were starting to stand up.


    The further he pushed his hands forward, the more he had this strange feeling hanging over him. He felt like there was a knife being pressed up against his throat.


    "Hey!" Mantis said as he grabbed onto Raze''s arm. "Wake up, wake up, something is going on here."


    Mantis proceeded to shake Raze''s arm and then felt slight movement. Immediately as he did, he pulled away, no longer touching Raze. Slowly, he could see the body start to move, and then Raze''s eyes opened up.


    Raze stayed there lying on the table, staring at the ceiling for a moment. He looked at its metallic shape, the material quite strange; he had rarely seen it in the world of Pagna.


    "Am I back in Alterian? Did I die again?" Raze said as he lifted his body.


    "Die again?" He heard a voice repeat to his side.


    Turning his head, Raze looked at the student, seeing his bare chest with a w mark scratched right across it.


    "I mean, it feels like I''ve been brought back to life," Raze replied.


    He recognized the student-the one known as Mantis, who had the nickname of the ck Tiger. An extremely talented student, Raze thought, especially when it came to Pagna-like skills.


    Before, he was extremely confident and cocky, but when Raze looked at him now, it didn''t feel that way. The truth was, Mantis, until a moment ago, still felt like his throat was ready to be cut at any moment. Only when Raze woke up had that feeling gone. Still shocked by it, he hadn''t had time to get his demeanor back.


    "Where are we?" Raze asked as he got off the table. His head was a little sore, and he still felt slightly light-headed. He wobbled for a moment and then ced his hand on the back of the table to keep himself standing.


    Raze himself started to think about what had urred. He remembered thest moments, of the Divine being taking over his body, facing off against Murkel, and finally looking at Safa with hopes that she would use the Lux Sword on him to help him recover.


    "I guess I didn''t pass, but I would have thought we would have either been ced somewhere


    in the Demonic Faction or the Dark Faction," Raze said.


    "There is also a chance that we were caught. This whole ce is made of a type of iron," Mantis said.


    The two of them walked out from their rooms and could see the vast size of the location they were in. The iron used was incredibly thick, either designed to keep people in or keep people


    out.


    "If I were to take a guess, we must have been captured by the Light Faction," Mantis imed.


    In Raze''s mind, that was most likely. Everyone was severely injured, and it took them a long time to deal with Murkel. With the number of artifacts they had, it was the most likely.


    "Well, if we''re captured, I guess we have no choice but to break out of this ce."

 Chapter 772: A Breakout

    Chapter 772: A Breakout


    ?


    Mantis would have never expected this: that he would be working side by side with Raze in trying to break out of a facility they were captured in by the Light Faction. He could see Raze doing something as he ced both of his hands on the ground.


    "I just had a thought," Mantis said. "Why did they just capture us and not the others, and what''s even happened to the others?"


    Raze had already thought about this, considering arge number of different things. He was hoping they had all managed to escape, leaving behind the two people that weren''t able to fend for themselves.


    As for a reason why they might still be alive, both Mantis and Raze had shown extraordinary abilities. Mantis with his body being partly a beast and a Hybrid, and then there was Raze and his magic.


    ''My magic and Qi, it''s all returned even if my head still isn''t a hundred percent in the right ce,'' Raze thought. ''But the Light Faction, taking me to their center, if this is their facility, then it might be a chance to learn something.''


    After a short while, Raze lifted his hands off the ground.


    "I can''t sense any other magic," Raze said, not even bothering to hide his words anymore in front of Mantis. "Which means that Safa isn''t here."


    "Safa?" Mantis replied back, somewhat remembering that was the name of one of the contestants.


    "It also means I can rule out that it was Alter that captured us," Raze continued.


    "Alter?" Mantis repeated again, hearing phrases he didn''t understand.


    "What I do know, though, is there are a lot of people out there, and I''m telling you now, I don''t mind youing with me, but I''m not going to look after you," Raze stated.


    "Ha, like I needed any help from you," Mantis replied as he watched Raze heading to the solid metal door.


    Raze ced one hand on the metal door, and it started to freeze over. After that, he gathered Qi in his fist and threw out a punch. As it hit the door, it smashed it into pieces that went flying into the hallway.


    "How are you even able to do these things?" Mantis said out loud when he wanted to say it in his head, and it was the same as the next line that came out of his mouth. "It''s not fair."


    "You''re right," Raze said, stepping into the hallway. "If it will give you some peace, it''s because I''m from another world."


    Mantis didn''t know what to do apart from justugh at the situation. Raze started to make his way through the tunnels, hoping that he would eventuallye across something that would be of use to him.


    As they continued to rush through, they could see a person up ahead, walking through.


    Before Raze could even act, he saw somethinge right past him. Mantis had leapt through the air at great speed and grabbed onto the other person''s face, mming it onto the floor, knocking the man out or possibly even killing him.


    "We''re both breaking out of this ce, and immediately I might need your help, so I can''t just leave it all to you," Mantis said.


    Raze nodded. He appreciated someone like this. Someone that didn''t juste along for the free ride. Even if they felt like they were weaker, they still tried to help in their own way.


    The two of them continued to run, and Mantis couldn''t help but look at his own hand and think about what had just urred.


    ''I was only meaning to run, but then my whole body leapt across the room, and the power I could feel. I didn''t even put much Qi into my attacks. My whole body, it feels like it''s changed, like it''s evolved,'' Mantis thought.


    Up ahead, just before they turned a corner, Raze ced both hands on the ground, and an ice trail appeared, freezing the manpletely around the corner, and the two of them continued to move.


    "Hey, aren''t you going to finish them off?" Mantis asked.


    "It will only slow us down. I n to cause a big mess in this ce anyway. Usually, if there is something to hide in the facility, then it''s the ce with the most people. So we need to save our strength for that. Come on, let''s go," Raze said as he continued through the hallways, unknown to him, heading for the training center.


    Where there wererge groups of hybrids practicing.


    While in the hallways, other members of the Bonum Society were just making their way when they spotted the man passed out on the floor. The member quickly rushed over, turning him around to see his face bloody and broken from being mmed onto the floor.


    "What is this? Who would just attack someone like this?" the member said, calling Fanum


    over.


    "I just got a report that another one of our men was attacked as well," Fanum said. "It looks like someone''s infiltrated the base. We need to inform everyone immediately of what''s happening."


    The Bonum Society members were now on high alert, sure that an intruder hade into their base, and the information had eventually got passed to g, who was ying cards with a bunch of other members in one of the break rooms.


    "For f*ck''s sake, why does this crap always have to happen when it''s just me here?" g said, standing up and starting to bark orders at the others.


    "I can''t believe this type of stuff always seems to happen when Amir has to be away," g thought to himself.


    He started to look at the information and listen to the new reports that wereing in on a little square device by his side. It had a little tuner used, and the voices of the others woulde in to him.


    "Hey, what''s this?" g said with a smile. "From the sounds of it, they''re heading right for the training room. Let''s give these guys a nice little surprise, yeah. Everyone, let''s go!"

 Chapter 773: Break The Door

    Chapter 773: Break The Door


    ?


    g had grabbed the senior members of the Bonum Society, and they were currently running through the grand hallways of the facility. The facility was extremelyrge, but thankfully with most of them being Pagna warriors and Hybrid beasts, their physical abilities meant that they could travel quite the distance.


    "g, why are we going this way? Isn''t it quicker to go through the west entrance? We were right there," one of the members asked.


    "Because we don''t know howrge or what number of attackers there even are," g replied. "We''re going toe up from behind and trap them so they have nowhere to run when they realize just how much of a mistake they''ve made."


    "There are around fifty members training in there right now, all of them prime and strong members of the society. Not everyone went with those others--they needed a backup n and people to protect this ce. They will be able to hold them until we arrive. The only thing I''m worried about is if they finish them off before we arrive." g started tough, and so did the rest of the group. Thatughter quickly stopped, though, as g froze in ce.


    He had stopped running, and so did the others behind him. He looked at one of the side walls -the walls that were made of solid and thick steel, at least three meters thick. He raised his hand and touched the edge of the metal.


    "How is something like this possible?" one of the members asked.


    "I have no idea, but we better hurry," g replied as he looked at therge hole that had been carved out from the metal. It went deep and far. The walls had been used as a shortcut to head to the training room, and the metal waspletely destroyed.


    Raze was continuing to follow the trail-the trail of where the most people in the facility were. He could only sense movement from far out with his Wind magic; he was unable to know theyout or anything else in the facility.


    Instead of going through therge number of corridors and trying to get key passes to head through some of the doors, he decided to make his own shortcut to get to the ce.


    With his sword, he was ready as he went ahead and used the fourth formation: Void Pulse Formation. With a little magic and his Qi, Raze thrust his sword forward, and it pierced through the thick steel walls.


    The attack wasrge enough to create a big opening for them to get through, but it only got them from one hallway into another.


    "We need to move quickly. Although this ce is solid and that didn''t make too much noise, you never know what security systems they have here," Raze said as he continued to push forward.


    The one saving grace for the two of them was that despite howrge the facility was, there seemed to be ack of people in the ce, which was making it harder for them to be discovered. The size of the facility was only making Raze more intrigued as he felt something had to be there.


    As the two carried on moving, they came to another steel wall, and once again, Raze lifted his sword, gathering the Dark Magic and the Qi in the hilt of the sword and thrusting it forward.


    The attack tore through the metal, piercing deep and right through it. Raze felt something- after his fight, he thought his body would be worn, would be broken down, but instead, it felt slightly stronger than before.


    The fact that he could produce two Void Pulses and still feel fine was quite the sign. As they passed through the destroyed part of the walls, Mantis couldn''t help but look at the steel. He went ahead to grab it, hardening his Qi around his hand so it didn''t get cut.


    He grabbed part of the broken edge and then tensed his hand. It started shaking, and finally, the steel crunched up into a ball, and he ripped it off from the wall.


    "This stuff is really sturdy, and it''s so thick, and with his attack, he was able to break through it like that?'' Mantis thought.


    He was gaining an idea of just how strong the person he was with currently was. No longer could he even look at Raze as a rival, but he started to think something else as well.


    Just before they reached the other side of the wall in the hallway, Raze was getting ready to break through it again.


    "Wait!" Mantis said. "Do you mind if I give this one a try?"


    Raze looked through the holes and hallways they had made. It didn''t look like anyone was following them, so he stood to the side.


    Mantis figured this was Raze''s way of saying to give it a go.


    Mantis took a few steps back, further into the width of the hallway, then bent down, crouching like a tiger. He got ready and ran up, his Qi gathering in his hand. He continued forward and then flung his hand out with all of his speed, bashing it into the wall.


    A loud echo and a thud were heard, shaking the floor they were on, and quite a dent had been made. The rest of Mantis''s body then crashed into the wall, and he fell onto the ground.


    "Sh*t!" Mantis said as he held onto his shoulder and looked at the wall. It was dented, but he hadn''t managed to break through itpletely.


    In all honesty, Raze was quite impressed with what had been done already, especially for a student-it was clear he had gotten stronger.


    "Let me try again... I think I nearly got it," Mantis said as he jumped back to where he was and got into the same position as before.


    Raze didn''t say anything and continued to watch as Mantis ran across the room, kicking the floor, and then leapt through the air.


    "I''m going to destroy this f*cking wall!" Mantis eximed, and as he gathered Qi, dug in deep, drawing more power, a ck substance gathered around his entire arm. A wing came out from his back, only from one shoulder, and propelled him forward.


    His fist crushed right through the steel wall, breaking through it until he had reached the other end,nding on his feet.


    Mantis was staring at the floor, unaware of what had happened.


    "I did it!" Mantis said with a smile and looked up, only to find himself in a room, surrounded by fifty or so people staring at him.


    "You did, and now it looks like we might need that strength of yours even more so," Raze said as he came through. The two of them had reached the training area.

 Chapter 774: A Walking Disaster

    Chapter 774: A Walking Disaster


    ?


    For a moment, Mantis was ecstatic. He was so pleased with himself, that he had managed to break through the thick steel wall. The wall that he would have just deemed impossible for him to break through.


    After seeing Raze do it again and again though, he just had to give it a try. He knew his new body was stronger, and he had an idea from watching how Raze used his Void Pulse. He gathered the Qi in the back of his hand, and twisted his fist to put all of the Qi in one point, exploding out.


    The results weren''t what he had expected, but he tried it again, putting more Qi to the back of his hand, and unknowingly to himself, focusing so hard on those points, had caused his back to partly transform, as well as his hand and with the extra power of his Hybrid form, he smashed right through the thick steel, and in turn arrived on the other side, where there were countless people staring and looking at who had just entered.


    When looking up, Mantis could see the crowd of people looking at him, and he could feel their Qi. These weren''t amateurs; they were strong warriors.


    "There are only two of them attacking; they must have gotten here by mistake!" One of the warriors shouted.


    "Focus on the shirtless one!" A man pointed at Mantis. "He just broke through the steel, we need to get rid of him first."


    Seeing as there were only two, and what Mantis had just done, the Bonum Society members were quick to act as they charged forward towards them.


    "Do your best to deal with them, I need to observe a bit more," Raze said, as he realized that there was next to nothing in this room, and wondered why it existed in the first ce.


    One of the warriors who were running toward the group stretched out their arm, and a sword skimmed Mantis''s face. He was surprised but reacted in time and grabbed the man by the wrist.


    He then pulled his arm in the air, and Mantis mmed his fist into his stomach, sending him away.


    Several warriors quickly came toward Mantis, who had no choice but to dodge and block a few hits, but there were so many attackers that he couldn''t help but get hit in the stomach.


    As he punched another one away, he was left wide open, and a sword strike came right by his neck. Before the man could get any closer, though, a palm strike was delivered into his stomach, but it wasn''t from Mantis''s hand; it was from another.


    The man was sent flying and tumbling, bouncing off the floor several times in the other direction.


    "You might need a little help; there seem to be quite a lot of them," Raze had to admit, as he pulled out his sword.


    He swung it, striking against another, just with his Qi, he was winning out and as he attacked a sword it would bounce back, some warriors even let go of their grip. Another started to change into what looked like a wolf-like beast.


    Before it could fully change though, Raze got out his hand, and fired away.


    "Dark Pulse!" The beam went out from his hand, hitting the beast man in the leg, immobilizing him and sending him to the floor.


    While Raze struck the ground with his foot to stop the others with his Qi as much as possible.


    ''Not only are there so many of them, but all of them seem to be quite resistant as well. Even if I strike them with my sword, some of their wounds are healing. If I hit them with my Qi, they''re getting back up as well.'' Raze noticed. ''Are they all beast-like beings, like Murkel?''


    At the same time, although Mantis was suffering from a lot of hits, he was giving a lot back. His wild fighting style made it hard for them to pin him down. Even as they used their beast- like skills, Mantis was able to strike with his hand.


    His fingers were hardened more than before and his Qi sharpened, making them like ws, allowing him to cut through any substance that was trying to pin him down. Still, there was just an odd feeling that he had been through this before, or almost as if the ce was quite familiar to him.


    Yet the feeling of familiarity wasn''t making him feel as if he was at home, instead, it was making him feel a bit of a deeper hatred.


    The next person he kicked, he kicked with such vigor their body flipped several times in the air beforending.


    "There''s something I don''t like about this ce, and there''s definitely something I don''t like about you," Mantis said.


    Crouching down, Mantis then jumped from person to person, striking each of them, and grabbing onto a sword with his bare hand. He did so with such brute force that the sword snapped before he punched the man on the head, sending him to the ground.


    Because of how vicious Mantis was being, a lot more of the Bonum Society members were paying attention to him, rather than that of Raze. Allowing for Raze, to take a more calm approach to those that he was facing.


    If anything, Raze was somewhat practicing against his opponents, as he was trying to predict and see where their strikes wereing from even if they were a Hybrid.


    Raze was also trying to gauge just how much energy he would need to try and beat these people down, and make sure they didn''t get up again. After constantly running out of mana and Qi, he didn''t want to be in that situation again.


    He was sure in a facility like this there would be more he would have to face, and it was the same for the rest of the Light Faction he would have to go against.


    It was then, through the same hole that Mantis had made, that g and his group had entered.


    "Just what in the heck is going on!" g said.

 Chapter 775: Dont Touch The Kid

    Chapter 775: Don''t Touch The Kid


    ?


    g and his group were able to follow the trail of the intruders fairly easily. They could see the destruction they had left behind, and were going through therge holes created in the walls one by one.


    Eventually, they were led to thest hole in the wall, and they all knew what wasing ahead of them.


    "I hope those guys weren''t too rough on them; I wanted to get a beat down on these brave idiots myself!" g thought.


    When he stepped through the final hole in the wall into the training room, the sight wasn''t what he had expected, and that was true in more ways than one.


    He was carefully looking at the situation. For one, he saw the man in a strange zer avoiding the strikes from three of the warriors. He was skillfully moving from side to side, and when an attack from a beast w was about to hit his head, he had knocked it away with his sword. What had really caught his eye was the other young man, who was knocking away warriorsing at him. Whenrge hybrids that had transformed were using their powerful limbs, the young man was still able to block the strike and hit the person far away.


    So many men had already been knocked down and hurt, at least twelve of them. This was one of the surprises, as for the other, it was who the two people they were fighting against.


    "These guys, they aren''t intruders," g said. "That''s the two that were brought in, they were both passed out. What happened for them to act like this waking up?"


    As g watched more and more, he was keeping an eye on Mantis of all people and was truly impressed by his power and skill.


    ''They said that the leader of the group, and the one that brought them together, was the person that was put to sleep. The way they were all coddling over the guy with white hair, I thought they were talking about him, but now I can see I made a big mistake.


    ''The strong one they were talking about must have been him!'' g thought.


    "You guys, deal with the one with white hair," g ordered. "Make sure to keep him alive, as for this one, I''ll deal with him."


    g then charged forward, and continued to run, he saw Mantis ready to strike one of his men and before he reached g grabbed right onto his fist. It was the first punch that had been stopped, and one that had been stopped so easily.


    "Huh, where did youe from, baldie!" Mantis said, as he lifted his leg, ready to deliver a powerful kick to his side.


    g continued to hold onto Mantis''s fist, and that''s when his fists lit up, giving off arge explosion. It blew Mantis back, sending him rolling on the ground. More of his clothing was burnt off, and parts of his chest were hurt, but the white substance started to appear on his chest, and his wounds were beginning to heal up.


    "That hurt quite a bit, was that a Qi explosion?" Mantis thought.


    Qi was energy in the body, but Qi was always used to reinforce or used to go out of one''s body in a controlled manner. However, everyone knew if one wasn''t careful with the way they used Qi, it could do more harm to the body than good.


    One of these things was Qi exploding in one''s body, and it almost felt like his opponent had done that on purpose.


    As the smoke started to clear, g was seen walking over, the white substance was covering his entire arm from his elbow, it appeared as if it was growing back in ce.


    "So, you''re a Hybrid as well, it''s no wonder you are so strong, and a White-colored one like me of all things. Well, you should know that I''m the strongest White-colored Hybrid alive. "I was going to bring you alive, but I didn''t realize you were such a feisty one. Now that I know you''re a White hybrid, at least I know you won''t die as easily!" g imed as he ran in again.


    When g charged forward, he threw out several punches. He was fast, just as fast as Mantis, who managed to block all the hits, but when Mantis went to deliver an attack of his own, sending a kick out, his leg was carefully grabbed again, and g''s hand could be seen lighting up.


    "F*ck!" Mantis could be heard shouting before the explosion went off again, and sent him skidding across the floor.


    However, Mantis was quick on his feet and this time when he recovered, he had gotten down on all fours into a crouching position.


    "I''m the ck Tiger, I''m not just anybody, and I''m not going to fall here!" Mantis eximed as he started to run forward and jumped from side to side, picking up an immense amount of speed.


    If he was able to do the same as what he had done before. If he could burst a hole right through this man like he had done with the wall, then the person in his way would be done for.


    With a mighty leap, he jumped in, remembering the feeling, out from his back arge wing appeared and sent him propelling forward, and Mantis threw out his w-like fist, breaking right through g''s stomach. Mantis could see his hand on the other side, and the body had reached all the way up to his shoulder.


    "How''s that!" Mantis asked with a smile.


    When he went to look up above him though, instead, he could see the smile of g.


    "It''s going to take a lot more than that to kill me, and now, I have you right where I want you," g said with his hand inching towards Mantis''s face.


    Raze, even with the new enemies that were on him, had continuously been watching Mantis, and seeing what was about to happen, he felt like he had no choice.


    He lifted his hand up, and Dark magic started to swirl around his hand, and then condensed inward.


    "Dark Push," Raze said, and out from his hand, the Dark energy pulsed out in a wave. It hit all of the warriors that were near him, picking them off their feet and pushing them out, causing them to all fall to the floor.


    The sound of multiple people grunting in pain and falling to the floor had caught g''s attention. As he looked at the other person, he could see all of his fallen allies.


    "How did he..."


    "I kinda like that kid," Raze said. "So it looks like I can''t y around anymore, and I''m going to have to get rid of you all."

 Chapter 776: Im Keeping You Alive

    Chapter 776: I''m Keeping You Alive


    ?


    As the vice leader of the Bonum Society, g had been in numerous situations. Not only was he strong, but he had a lot of experience dealing with matters and had been put in plenty of situations where he needed to make quick, snap decisions. When he entered the training room, he thought a few things. Sure, the young man with a scar across his chest was strong, but he could take him on. Even when he was going up against Raze''s allies, he was only doing so to see if they were strong enough to trust with the rest of the Bonum Society members.


    In truth, he thought that he might be able to go up against the man known as Zon a bit more, and bring out what he wanted from him, but decided it was pointless in the end. Instead, this young person seemed a lot more fun to deal with. g was ready to bring out of this young person what everyone saw in him, including that of Amir. While fighting, although g was having a lot of fun, there was a thought that crept into the back of his mind constantly.


    ''Was this person really strong enough to go up against Murkel, the Dark Faction leader, and the one in charge of the academy?''


    This was the main thought that was going through g''s head as Mantis'' fist had prated his stomach. The person in front of him was strong but too naive. There was still a chance for him to show more, which was why g was ready to push him further. That was until he heard the sound of several of his men groaning, and several thuds as if something heavy had hit the floor.


    When looking up, g could see the man in the zer, standing there and all of his men on the floor. Not only were the stronger individuals of the Bonum Society on the floor, but g''s personal party, the ones he would go out with, were also defeated.


    There were around ten or so others that had fallen on the floor as well.


    "They all were defeated?" g said. "But that''s impossible."


    g was strong, and Amir was also strong, but so were many members of the Bonum Society. The feat that this person had just aplished wasn''t something that the two of them could do, at least not so quickly and effortlessly. When looking at the white-haired man, there wasn''t a single mark on him, and that''s when a thought crossed his mind.


    ''Did I get the wrong one? Is the person that''s right next to me right now... not the one they were talking about?''


    Looking up, g could then see the white-haired warrior walking towards him calmly with his sword by his side.


    "I would advise you to get away from that young man," Raze said as he lifted his sword and then swung it down. A red sh appeared through the air and came out at an incredible speed.


    g had no choice but to pull himself away from Mantis and move to the side. No longer was he even focused on Mantis, but instead on his own heart rate that was beating incredibly fast.


    Looking at the attack that had just missed him, g could see arge indent that had been made across the floor and had even cut part of the wall.


    ''That attack was so fast, and he attacked from so far away as well,'' g thought. ''He cut through the steel with it. I might be going crazy, but it didn''t feel like he used much Qi either.'' The panic was starting to set in, but behind that panic, there was a creepy hidden smile. This was more like it, this was more along the lines of what he expected someone to be like, a person that was able to beat Murkel, a person that was to be the head of the Dark Faction.


    ''I want to test him a bit more. I''ve only seen a single attack and I didn''t even see what he did to the others. The good thing is, it appears as if they''re still alive, but I want to see it, I want to see what else he can do before I clear up this misunderstanding!'' g thought.


    It was then that Raze started to swing his sword again and again, performing the Crimson sh multiple times. g quickly needed to move out of the way to avoid the attacks. He could see that each attack was just as dangerous as thest, tearing and ripping through the metal in the area.


    The other warriors that hade with him weren''t safe either, as all of them were moving away from the attacks that were tearing up the ce.


    ''Just how long can he keep this up for!'' g thought, but strangely he started to notice something. Now the attacks weren''t close to hitting him, and it was the same for the others that were behind him.


    Then suddenly, the red Crimson shes had stopped. g looked at where he was standing. The others that were running behind him were out of breath, and as for the ones that were on the floor, they were the ones part of his group, part of those that had attacked Raze.


    It was then that g realized a little toote that every one of them was on one side of the room, while the white-haired student was now next to his ally.


    Darkness started toe out from Raze''s arm, and was beginning to surround the sword. It covered it from top to bottom, until the entire sword was covered ck, an eclipsed sword. "You... you missed us on purpose, you nned all of this, to put us all in one ce!" g asked.


    "I know... I was the one that told you all to get away from him..." Raze said as he raised his sword above his head. "But that was the only thing that was keeping you guys alive."

 Chapter 777: Destroy The Bonum Society

    Chapter 777: Destroy The Bonum Society


    ?


    g was starting to think about the grave mistake he might have just made. Coming in and assuming he was the great hope that Amir had in his mind, strong enough to defeat Murkel.


    As for the second thought, it was after realizing who it might be. For a second, g had in the back of his mind that he wanted to test this person. After seeing a few moves he made, he wanted to see more until he felt like everyone was trapped in a corner.


    For him to fail to see the n in the attack beforehand, to get them into the position they were in, there was only one way someone could do that, and it was if they were


    overwhelmingly powerfulpared to their opponents.


    The strange dark floating substance around the white-haired man''s arm was sending chills running down g''s spine. It wasn''t his human senses that were reacting either; it felt like the beast part of him.


    Everyone in the room, as they could feel the build-up of energy gathering in the sword, could feel that the beast side of their body wanted them to run away, but there was nowhere for them to run.


    "I know I was the one that told you all to get away from him..." Raze said as he raised his sword above his head. "But that was the only thing that was keeping you guys alive."


    "Wait!" g shouted out with one hand out, standing confidently slightly in front of the others. If it was arge-scale attack, then he would stop it with his body, and then at least some of the others would survive, and with his healing rate, there was a high chance he would as well.


    "Dark Edge Sword Arts, Eclipse Strike!" Raze called out and swung his sword down. The whole room shook the moment the energy was released, and arge aura of darkness, like a giant wave, wasing toward them.


    The fleeting words left g''s mouth. "We''re on your side," g said as he looked up at the attack ready to consume them.


    The wave of energy struck the area where all of the Bonum Society members were. From Mantis and Raze''s point of view, the only thing they could see was Raze''srge attack covering half of the arena.


    The energy continued to flow out and then started to dwindle. Arge chunk of the metal flooring had disappeared as if part of it had been ripped from the ground, other areas slightly melted and solidified.


    Therge walls that covered the training area were nowhere to be seen, and instead, a hallway could be seen. The main thing was, there wasn''t a single person in sight; everyone had gone.


    "What is going on?" Raze said.


    "Huh, what do you mean, what is going on?" Mantis said, standing up. "You just killed all of them. With that much attention, there have to be more of them. Come on, let''s go."


    "No," Raze said as he looked to his side.


    When Mantis turned his head, he was confused as well because he could see g and the rest of the Bonum Society members all alive, standing just to the side where they were on the edge of where the attack hit.


    Not only were Raze and Mantis shocked by this, though, g and the rest of the group were as well. They were touching their bodies, seeing if any limbs had gone missing, and some were even pinching themselves.


    While others were pointing at the wreckage that Raze had just done with his attack.


    "It was my mistake... he would have killed us all... you saved us," g said as he looked to his side, and a man with red hair and an eye patch was present.


    "I''m just wondering what you guys did for him to hurt you that much. I''m guessing with your mouth it''s quite deserving though, right?" Liam said as he hit the frightened g''s back.


    Now with g and his group, there was one more person who was standing by their side, and it was Liam of all people.


    "Where did youe from? I didn''t see you," Raze asked. "And who are these people? Why are you with them?"


    "Did you just wake up or something? Did no one exin to you what''s going on right now?" Liam asked. "I think I can kinda guess what happened then. It''s a good thing this worked."


    Liam bent down and picked up a circr device off the floor. It was around the same size as a te. It had strange engravings and a small beaded gem in the middle. After picking it up off the floor, he stuck it on his back.


    The te seemed maized as it attached to the rest of his body.


    "It''s a special artifact I got; it saved these guys. There''s a lot that''s happened, Raze, but you don''t have to worry about these guys."


    "I know the bald-headed big mouth might need a hitting once in a while, but they''re helping us out."


    Raze was still quite visibly confused, and so was Mantis, but Raze no longer lifted his sword, cing it away, and he could see that none of the others no longer had the intention to attack them.


    "Wait, so that''s Raze, the one that was sleeping, the one we were meant to be protecting?" one of the men asked.


    "I guess we weren''t under attack then, but then why did he attack us?"


    "They''re from the Bonum Society," Liam answered. "You remember Amir, right? He brought you and the rest of us here after the fight with Murkel. They''ve been helping us quite a bit while you''ve been asleep, and there are big changes that happened as well, but I''ll let all of them tell you that." Liam nodded in another direction.


    When Raze turned his head, he could see the othersing through the regr entrance of the training hall: the Crimson Crane, Rayna, Simyon, Safa, and both Anna and Zon. There was a strange air of confidence around them all.


    "Raze, you''re awake!" they all shouted.

 Chapter 778: What Is The Society?

    Chapter 778: What Is The Society?


    ?


    Out of the group, Safa, Rayna, and Alba were all running forward first. It was something a bitical for the others who were watching, as the three women caught themselves, stared at each other, and soon their run turned into a slow walk.


    "What a guy, huh?" Kizer said, hitting the shoulder of Tilon. "How did he get it so the leader is fawning over him like that? I''ve been with the leader how many years now, and she''s never run after one of us like that."


    "I''m sure it''s just relief more than anything," Reno replied. "After what happenedst time, it''s a surprise that he is awake after all."


    Safa and the other two quickly reached Raze first, and they all remembered that he didn''t particrly like being touched, so they stayed a meter distance away, giving caring smiles while looking at him.


    "Oh, the Lux Sword!" Safa said and pulled it from behind her. "You probably want it back, right? I looked after it and used it to help heal myself."


    Before Safa could even fully pull it out of its sheath, Raze lifted his hand and shook his head.


    "You keep it. That sword haspatibility with Light magic, so it''s more suited for you than me. I know you focus on spear techniques, so I''m sure Alba might have someone that can reconstruct the Lux Sword into a spear for you. It will be a great help for you," Raze said.


    Before, Raze would have kept everything to himself, especially something as valuable as the Lux Sword, but during his journeys, he realized something: he was stuck with these guys.


    No matter where he would go, they would follow, and considering his life had been saved twice now by them, the Lux Sword would be much better in the hands of a healer like Safa. With her skills, it was the perfectbination.


    For Safa herself, she was very pleased. In fact, on hertest outing, the Lux Sword had be very handy for her, and it would have been something hard to give up.


    While the other two said their sweet words to Raze, mostly checking that he was okay and not feeling lightheaded like before, the others arrived as well.


    "Of course he''s alright," Ricktor said. "Can''t you see the state the arena is in?"


    The others had an awkward look. They had only left for a short time, and all of this had urred while they were away.


    "Yeah, what exactly happened here? Did you go..." Mada decided to take a step back before he finished his sentence. "Crazy... Did that thinge back inside you?"


    Mada, having tried to kill Raze behind his back, had experienced the bloody woman firsthand, even though he didn''t realize it, so he had a built-in fear when Raze''s body had changed at the time.


    "What is going on? Why are all these guys here, and why are you all together?" Mantis said, sounding defensive.


    Although many of them might have been Raze''s allies, not a lot of them were Mantis''s, and the Dark Faction was considered the enemy.


    "Are you really working for both the Dark Faction and the Demonic Faction?" Mantis asked as The turned to Raze.


    "We just fought against the Dark Faction with our lives, how can he be... forget it," Simyon said. "I guess you didn''t see much because you were knocked out the entire time."


    It was true, which was why out of everyone that was there, Mantis would be the most confused.


    "We woke up, and I''ve never been to this ce before, with people I had never seen. I had assumed that we had been captured," Raze exined. "So I was trying to break out of the ce."


    The others felt a little guilty for the hurt Bonum Society members. After all, if one of them had stayed by Raze''s side, then maybe he wouldn''t have been so shocked about their situation.


    "Mantis does have a point, though. Where are we then, and what happened to everyone?" Raze asked. "What have you been doing to gather such artifacts?"


    The others all had this cheeky smile on their faces. They were gloating as if they couldn''t wait to talk about what had urred.


    "There you are finally!" g''s loud voice could be heard. "All of us nearly went up to the sky, I thought I would never see you again until another thirty years."


    Another had entered the room, and it was none other than the Vice Principal, Amir. "Thirty years, is that how long you think I have left?" Amir replied back. "And for you, I don''t think you would be going above, but instead, I think you would be going down below."


    Amir was inspecting the scene, looking at the entire ce. He was deeply shaking his head, and when his eyes met with Mantis, something clicked in his head.


    "Ahhh, the pain!" Mantis said, holding his side. "Why do I recognize you, and this ce, what the heck is this?"


    "I''m sorry for myteness, and sorry for not being there when you woke up," Amir said, looking at Raze. "I was in the middle of gathering the others, and we were doing a bit of testing above, making sure everything would be ready for when you woke up."


    "For when I wake up?" Raze replied.


    "Yes, to answer your question, right now, you are in the base of the Bonum Society. I, as its leader, had brought you and your allies here to help protect you from the Light Faction and anyone else that might be chasing you." There was a small nce from Amir toward Anna and Zon, who both hadn''t left yet.


    So they had no way of contacting Alter.


    "As promised, I will now proceed to tell you everything. All of you deserve to know the true reason for the existence of the Bonum Society, and then it is up to you to decide what you wish to do next. So all, follow me."

 Chapter 779: The Bonum Society Origin

    Chapter 779: The Bonum Society Origin


    ?


    The Bonum Society was inplete disarray. Several of the steel walls that had withstood the test of time since the society''s inception had been destroyed. On top of that, the training


    room was practically unusable.


    Thankfully, half of the facility that remained untouched could still be used for operations. Either way, it wasn''t too much of a big deal to the group, and Amir made sure everyone knew that.


    Currently, one of therge open, unused rooms was being used for a meeting. Inside, it had the remnants of a ssroom-arge chalkboard at the back and several seats for those in attendance.


    In the time since Amir had run the ce, it had never been used as a ssroom, which was why it hadn''t been used until today.


    Raze, along with everyone else, was seated in their respective chairs, while Amir and g stood on either side of the chalkboard, each with a piece of chalk in their hand.


    "To understand the goal of the Bonum Society, we first need to exin things that some of you might already know, while others may only have a basic understanding," Amir began as he drew a round object representing a and wrote the word "Pagna" underneath it. "I''m sure you all know that Pagna is the world we currently live in, and with the opening of other dimensions, we have learned that there are other worlds and others."


    "However, these dimensions that open up on Pagna only link to dimensions with civilizations that have long been lost. There is no sign of life on them other than that of beasts," Amir continued to exin.


    The others nodded in agreement, listening carefully.


    "However, this isn''t exactly true. There are dimensions out there, dimensions that open up temporarily, allowing civilizations to sneak into Pagna, and these people are known as Otherworlders."


    "So, people from other worlds, huh? What a unique name," Liam joked. "So I''m guessing Anna and Zon-these two are from another world, right? That''s why they can do different things."


    "Correct, and I''m sure you might know there are other Otherworlders out there," Amir said, cing his hand on his chin.


    "In fact, let''s go from this. I''m sure you''ve all heard of the organization called Alter, right?" Amir asked.


    Mantis was the one who answered. "That strange group that does favors for the ns. If they have a problem that can''t be solved, then they''ll solve it. But Belil made it so none of those guys could ever step foot in the Demonic Faction."


    "Really?" Raze replied, turning to Mantis, who was behind him. It was the first he''d heard of this; he just knew there weren''t many in Alter.


    "Yeah... I think there was a falling out a long time ago, and Belil ended up killing a bunch of them. If he ever found out they were in the ce, he would kill them," Rayna added. "I don''t know much of the details because it happened a long time ago in the Demonic Faction."


    "Right, but I''m sure as Raze and Anna will tell you, since both of them are members of Alter themselves, that it''s all a front," Amir exined. "That''s how they want to be viewed by the several ns out there, but there''s a reason for them doing this. Anna, would you like to exin what Alter actually is to the rest of them, or at least what they tell you?"


    Anna already knew what Amir was insinuating, that even the goal of what Alter told them was false as well. It wasn''t as if she never thought that was the case, but she still couldn''t shake the feeling that just because the Bonum Society was another group fighting against them didn''t mean they were good either.


    Regardless, she gave out a sigh and went on to exin. "Alter is a group for Otherworlders. There are three main goals of Alter. One, to find other Otherworlders and bring them together. Two, to stop the use of Otherworlders'' power in Pagna. And third, to gather powerful artifacts and stop them from being used."


    "Gather powerful artifacts? How long has this group existed?" Alba asked.


    "A very long time," Anna answered. "At the moment, Alter has a number of powerful artifacts that could eliminate entire ns if a normal citizen got their hands on them. So they''re sealed away at the Alter base."


    "So are all Otherworlders just part of this big group then?" Reno asked. "Theye together and gather items. Is Zon a part of them as well?"


    "No," Zon replied. "Alter does not know of my existence. There are many Otherworlders out there who are in hiding. I''m sure Raze was the same when he first came to Pagna. With his skills, he perhaps could have avoided them as well. If I were to take a guess, he joined them on purpose."


    Everyone''s eyes turned to Raze. It was expected that he, too, was an Otherworlder.


    "Because I thought I could use those items myself," Raze stated. "Anyway, it''s not important. From your words before, you make it sound like that''s not Alter''s real goal. One thing I do know is they told me that you are the enemy."


    g couldn''t help but let out a loudugh when he heard that.


    "Oh, I feel sorry for those that have been sucked in at Alter," g stated. "The truth is, we don''t know what is up with those guys at Alter-why they are gathering so many Otherworlders and so many artifacts-but we can take a good guess that it''s not good, and that''s because they have made us the enemy."


    "I mean, of course they have," Anna stated. "You are after strong artifacts yourself, are you not?"


    "No," Amir replied. "In fact, let me ask you another question. Everyone who isn''t from Pagna, raise your hand."


    Raze lifted up his arm, as did Zon, as did Anna. This was the expected result until they looked right in front of them and saw Amir and g raising their hands as well.

 Chapter 780: Alter and Bonum

    Chapter 780: Alter and Bonum


    ?


    The look on everyone''s faces waspletely stunned, including Anna, Zon, and Raze, whose hands gradually lowered back onto the table. Never would Raze have guessed that Amir, the Vice Principal, wasn''t a Pagna native.


    "How is that possible? And is it just you two, or the entire Bonum Society?" Raze asked.


    "Now we''re getting somewhere," Amir said with a smile as he drew another with lines indicating it was far off in the distance. "The Bonum Society originated from a world known as Bonum, so no surprise there in terms of creativity for our group."


    "The current members are all descendants of those who originally came to Pagna, and that includes us."


    "So you guys were born in Pagna?" Ricktor asked.


    "Yes, and so were our fathers, but our origins trace back to another world, and we''ve always been part of a collective group that has supported each other-a society that we created," Amir exined.


    "However, as stated, ourmunity has always remained tightly knit, and there are stories that have been passed down about our origins. These stories are important to know because they might exin why the Bonum Society and Alter are at odds with each other," Amir said.


    "From what we know, the world of Bonum was a ce where humans and beasts lived side by side. These beasts were unlike the ones you find in other dimensions that attack humans on sight."


    "In fact, even beforeing to Pagna, there were arge number of Hybrids who had willingly formed bonds with beasts to be a new type of creature. Our world was one that was free from much trouble, which allowed us to focus on advancements, particrly in studying beast crystals and the crystals that formed the beasts in the first ce."


    "However, despite our world''s long existence, it was soon predicted that it was on the brink of destruction. The great minds of Bonum predicted that the world we lived on only had a few more years at best."


    "We aren''t sure of the details of what urred, but we suspect that whatever destroyed other civilizations in other dimensions was the same thing that was about to affect ours. And like those other civilizations, we also had a powerful artifact, an artifact that Alter would consider a God-tier artifact."


    "An artifact known as the Golden Globe."


    This wasn''t the first time Raze had heard of the artifact. It had also been mentioned by the Dark Faction founder.


    "The Golden Globe is a powerful artifact that can open a permanent rift between worlds, and there seem to be no restrictions on where it can go. Escaping our world''s imminent destruction, our ancestors used the Golden Globe and ended up in the world of Pagna."


    Anna, Zon, and Raze''s eyes lit up at that moment. An item that could permanently open portals to another world was exactly what Raze and the others were looking for. It was quite possible that this item could be a way for them to return to their own worlds.


    It was no wonder that Alter would be after this item as well, as it would help many within their group.


    "Of course, our ancestors were kind people, and although our numbers were smallerpared to those in Pagna, we were muchrger than we are now. They decided to live like the Pagna people while also protecting the Golden Globe."


    "And so, the Bonum Society was created, as well as this base. People lived above while the base itself was originally constructed to store the Golden Globe and prevent others from getting their hands on it. After all, who knew if we might need it again, and it was something that belonged to our world in the first ce. So it should be rightfully kept in our possession."


    It was an unbelievable story, but given what they knew about Otherworlders, they had to consider it possible, especially knowing how powerful artifacts could be.


    "However, as time went on, we learned that we weren''t the only ones in the world of Pagna who were not from it. There were others, and that''s when another group was formed-the group known as Alter," Amir continued.


    "Rifts continued to open up in the world of Pagna."


    "Is that because of the power of the Golden Globe?" Safa asked. "Did it cause some type of disturbance?"


    "Right, right, that''s what most people would think," g said. "But I very much doubt it. It feels like it''s something else, like someone else is trying to open these portals, but that''s just my guess, so don''t look into it too much."


    The others weren''t too sure, based on just hearing the story.


    "We have never found out why, but we aren''t sure that we were the first toe here either. There were rifts that brought people in from another world temporarily and then permanent rifts that linked to other dimensions," Amir continued.


    "Alter explored many of these rifts, but there was a difference between our two groups. Those in Alter still had a home to return to; they still had a world to go back to, while we knew ours


    was gone.


    "With them exploring these other dimensions, they found powerful artifacts-artifacts that should never have been in the world of Pagna to begin with. Since it wasn''t their world, they decided to seal away extremely powerful artifacts so they couldn''t harm the world of Pagna, where they didn''t belong."


    "It was noble of them, right? Just like the Bonum Society. In fact, our two groups were very


    much aware of each other.


    "That was until our rtionship started to sour, and that was when Alter learned of the Golden Globe''s existence in the first ce. A group that seals away powerful items couldn''t just let us keep the artifact under our protection," Amir said. "As for their fear of the item''s use, it was something we were never aware of, and something that could change the entire world of Pagna."

 Chapter 781: No Longer Here

    ?


    Listening to the stories, Raze''s mind naturally tried to piece everything together. The origin of it all, the mess of his being here he knew all too well how powerful artifacts from other worlds could be.


    For one, the book that had taught him his resurrection technique had brought him here, to this body, and to this world. He still didn''t quite fit in like the others. What intrigued him, though, was the fact that there were those from Alterian who were here.


    Raze still remembered vividly how, as soon as a dimension boss had been defeated, it only seemed like a short while before mages from Idore''s guild appeared. He imagined they had to y a role in this somehow.


    The strangest thing of all was that these stories spanned years, with deep histories intertwined.


    "For one, as I expect all of you are thinking here as well, the Golden Globe could be used to open a portal back to their home," Amir exined. "This was one of the reasons Alter wanted it."


    "They could help those who were lost, and it wasn''t like we were going to use it to head back home. Honestly, we were willing to cooperate, but only on the condition that we remained the keepers of the Golden Globe. After all, it originally belonged to our world, and we had done a good job of keeping it safe."


    "Yet those slime rats just wanted it for themselves, didn''t they?" gmented. "Going on about how they were the keepers of artifacts and that it should be in their hands."


    Anna had to admit, from the meetings she had attended and speaking to Harvey, Alter did seem to carry that attitude, as if they knew better than everyone else.


    "And of course, this caused a big fallout between our two groups," Amir continued. "The thing was, Alter made a point as to why they wanted to look after it and why it couldn''t fall into the hands of others, especially Pagna warriors."


    With the piece of chalk, Amir then drew another circle around the world of Pagna.


    "You see, Pagna is a strange world that affects its inhabitants more than any other. I''m sure you all know that if a warrior manages to exceed the middle stage and reach the Divine stage, they ascend to a higher realm."


    "The realm itself seems to be part of the same world but on another ne, almost as if it''s not in the same world at all. It''s hard for us to imagine since we''ve never been to the Divine realm, but I have to tell you, this is mostly theory based on years of the Bonum Society exploring the powers of the Golden Globe."


    "It is stated that with the Golden Globe, our ancestors could not only travel to different worlds but also enter these different nes, including that of the Divine realm.


    "Now I''m sure you all know, Divine warriors are unable to enter the world of Pagna unless they are willing to limit their power. Our best guess as to why this is, is most likely due to an artifact on Pagna itself."


    "An artifact belonging to Pagna? But I''ve never heard of such a thing!" Alba said.


    "That''s because we might not even know what it is. Worlds are living beings as well, and it''s possible that the world of Pagna has created an artifact that stops Divine warriors from using their full power here. Perhaps even as a self-defense mechanism of some sort."


    "Regardless, here are some important points to remember. One, Divine warriors, when entering other dimensions that share a space with Pagna, are able to use their powers freely; the limitation is only set on the of Pagna itself."


    "This limit also seems to only apply to Pagna warriors; otherwise, why is it that hybrid beasts such as Murkel, and powerful beings like Raze and Zon, are able to enter and still use much of their power?"


    The others thought about it for a while, wondering where the conversation was leading. That was until Zon spoke up.


    "Because we entered through a portal from our world. The limitations aren''t set on us," Zon said. "Maybe if we were born on Pagna and tried to grow our powers, then the same limitation would be set on us."


    "They are," Amir answered. "A Bonum Society member who was born on Pagna became a Divine being, and he was forced to ascend. This is why we have a theory that the portals opening up are a way for someone to try to reach the world of Pagna.


    "But even if a Divine warrior enters a dimension and thenes into the world of Pagna, their powers are still limited. Our guess is what you just said: it''s because the portal wasn''t directly linked to the Divine realm.


    "Well, do you know what item is able to link to the Divine Realm? The Golden Globe. If any n were to get their hands on the Golden Globe, they could summon Divine warriors to Pagna who could use the full extent of their power.


    "Of course, the Bonum Society didn''t want this to happen either, and in the end, it became a matter of distrust between the two. Who knows if Alter is trying to use this for some other gain or is working with one of the ns. Unfortunately, this suspicion goes both ways for us as well."


    Listening to everything, the pieces slowly started making sense to Raze, but another thought entered his mind¡ªwhat about him? Was his power truly not limited? After all, his original body, which he was using right now, was from Pagna.


    Was it because of the way he arrived that perhaps his magic powers weren''t limited, but his Pagna powers would be? It was something he was unsure about.


    "Then, the Golden Globe, where is it?" Safa asked.


    Both Amir and g looked at each other.


    "We no longer have it," g said. "It was... stolen a long time ago, and we''re currently looking for it."


    "Stolen!" Simyon said. "By who?"


    Raze knew the answer.


    "By the Dark Faction... more specifically, the Dark Faction founder."

 Chapter 782 A Gift For The Dark Magus

    Chapter 782 A Gift For The Dark Magus


    Raze''s response had stunned most of those in the Dark Faction, including Mada and Ricktor, whose understanding of things was being challenged. The long history they had learned from their ns and the world as they knew it seemed to be falling apart in their eyes.


    Meanwhile, Amir and g both had their mouths open wide in shock. It was clear that they were taken aback by Raze''s answer, and their reactions alone told everyone there that Raze was right.


    "You know, I am not one to believe in fate," Amir said. "But as I got to know you more and more, and the fact that you know the Noctis n''s original techniques, I believed that you would know more about this."


    Raze didn''t say much else because he didn''t know how much they knew¡ªwhether they were aware of what he had discovered, such as the fact that the Dark Faction founder, Bofan Kilik, was just like him, a mage from Alterian.


    "You are correct; our item, the Golden Globe, was stolen from us by Bofan, the Dark Faction founder."


    "We are still unclear about his goals in stealing such an item because, from what we know, Bofan never used it, or at least not in a way that affected Pagna entirely."


    "Hey, what are you doing still giving them all a lecture?" g said, mming his hand on the chalkboard. "Don''t you think we deserve some answers? How did this man know that Bofan stole something that should have been beyond his lifetime?"


    "What are you doing talking to Raze like that?" Rayna said, baring her teeth. "You know very well that he doesn''t need to answer you. You are the ones telling us everything."


    "And if he wanted to, he could get rid of all of you here, and we would happily help."


    g, recalling what Raze had done in the training room, decided to pull back a bit. The ssroom they were in was a fraction of the size of that room.


    Thinking about it, Raze did want to give them an answer, but he wasn''t sure if it was the right thing to do.


    He had listened to Bofan''s log that had been left in the hands of the Neverfall n. The log talked about the item.


    Also, from the information he knew, Bofan was on the run. Raze never got a clear answer, but the reason why was obvious.


    They were after Bofan¡ªmaybe both the Bonum Society and Alter¡ªtrying to get their hands on the item.


    Right now, Raze was listening to things from the Bonum point of view. There was a chance Bofan had found out that someone in Bonum wanted to use the Golden Globe for something else.


    Simrly, if he visited Alter, they could just spin the same tale but make it out that the Bonum Society were the bad guys.


    One of the God-tier artifacts they had kept was stolen, and now they were looking to retrieve it.


    The important thing was that Bofan most likely hid the item, and if he had the power, the Globe was either in Pagna or now in Alterian.


    ''The Globe itself doesn''t even matter too much to me other than using it to get back to Alterian. If it''s in Alterian, then it''s out of my hands, but I could ask Harvey and the others to try and find it,'' Raze thought.


    That''s when something clicked in his mind. In the Dark Faction, there was a librarian who imed they knew more about Bofan.


    He could tell him more about the Dark Faction Founder.


    Maybe then Raze would have a better understanding of why the Dark Faction Founder had done what he had done.


    "It was an educated guess," Raze answered. "The Golden Globe was here in the Dark Faction, so that leaves the other factions."


    "It couldn''t have been Alter, and from the way you said things, it didn''t seem like any of the ns had used such an item."


    "I learned a bit about the Dark Faction Founder and learned he had gone missing rather than having died or lost a fight, so it was the most likely guess."


    There was silence for a moment, as if everyone was waiting to see if Amir and g were willing to ept that as an answer.


    "I see," Amir replied. "At the end of the day, the fact is the Golden Globe was lost at the hands of the Dark Faction."


    "Alter believes that we still have the item and has been going against us."


    "Wait!" Safa said, raising her hand as if she were in school. "Is that why you became Vice Principal of the Dark Faction Academy? Because you believe that the Golden Globe is still somewhere here in the Dark Faction?"


    "Oh, I like her," g said, rubbing his hands together. "You are smarter than the rest of these sods. We have been nning to take down the Dark Faction and turn over every single rock! But Murkel and his allies have always been in the way."


    "What was the n then?" Anna asked. "What was the n you had when you went ahead and disturbed the tournament like this, using this guy?" She pointed at Mantis.


    "The n was to create an opportunity. Things weren''t looking good; the Dark Faction and the Light Faction were nning to form an alliance to get rid of the Demonic Faction."


    "We needed a way to break the ties and pull their focus elsewhere. Mantis was going to be revealed as a spy working for the Dark Faction."


    "While my involvement, as well as a few others, would indicate the Dark Faction was nning an attack."


    "We needed to weaken the Dark Faction, and we happened to seed. Regardless, all is well now for us, and things will be much easier thanks to all your help."


    Amir then started to wipe away the chalk from the board and drew the academy, writing the words "Dark Faction" below it.


    "After all, there is now a new Dark Faction leader, so we won''t have to worry about that anymore."


    Amir wrote the words right underneath the drawing of the academy and the words: **Dark Faction - Raze Cromwell**.

 Chapter 783 The New Dark Faction Leader

    Chapter 783 The New Dark Faction Leader


    Having once been a professor himself, Raze had gone through numerous lectures and different teaching styles, understanding the subtleties of what was being written on the chalkboard. It wasid out as clear as day, insinuating that he, Raze Cromwell, would now be the leader of the Dark Faction.


    "Leader of the Dark Faction... I can''t say that I never considered the possibility. When I took out Murkel, there was always the n for someone else to rise to the top," Raze thought.


    Everyone sitting around Raze was eagerly awaiting his response. They were staring at him, looking for any sign of emotion, a change in facial expression¡ªanything. But none could decipher what was on his mind or why he wasn''t surprised by this proposal.


    "Does it make sense?" Raze asked. "You want me to be the Dark Faction leader? With Murkel out of the way and you being Vice Principal, wouldn''t it be best for you to take over instead? It would help your society further your goals."


    "Even if I could force my way to be Principal and leader of the Dark Faction, someone like me, who they ssify as a no-name, would have many who disagree with me being at the top."


    "I can see your concern," Amir replied with a smile. "What you''re saying is true. Even if I were to be the Principal or head of the Dark Faction, it would require the eptance of all the ns."


    "Convincing them that I am right for the role would be very difficult, but I can''t say the same for you."


    It was then that Safa raised her hand first. "I ept Raze bing the new leader of the Dark Faction."


    Next, it was Simyon''s turn as he raised his hand as well. "On behalf of the Moon Shield n, I also ept Raze bing the next leader of the Dark Faction."


    Soon, Raze saw a wave of arms being lifted into the air.


    "On behalf of the Erupting Fist n, I ept Raze being the leader of the Dark Faction," Ricktor added.


    Everyone in the room had epted Raze as the next principal of the Dark Faction Academy and leader of the Dark Faction.


    "I''m sure you''re a bit confused, but Raze, all the people who have a chance to go against you are in this room," Amir exined.


    "While you were asleep, we were busy," Liam said. "We had to scour nearly all of the Dark Faction and find out who was in charge. Do you know how many people are willing to listen to someone a quarter their age?"


    "My body just aches thinking about it."


    "Hey, some of us had it a lot harder, alright?" Simyon chimed in. "The whole n wanted to test if my body could really break a weapon. Do you know how many strikes I had to take on top of my head?"


    Safa couldn''t stop shaking her head as she watched the two of them arguing.


    "Raze, what they mean is, while you were asleep, everyone in this room told the ns that you would be the new leader."


    "If they had a problem with it, they were to fight us, and you can expect that many chose to. In turn, we were sessful with the help of the Bonum Society. Now we have control of the ns. We''re like phantom n heads if you want to think of it that way. Our say is the say of the entire n, and there will be no one to get in your way."


    Raze had to admit it was a pleasant surprise, and hearing what they had all gone through for his sake brought a smile to his face.


    It was rare for everyone to see him smile. They felt as if they were being swept off their feet. Many had never seen such a thing from him before.


    "You did all that while I was asleep? Why did you put yourself in danger, put yourself through that trouble? It makes no sense, just to make me the leader of the Dark Faction," Raze asked.


    "Raze, it''s what we wanted to do, especially after you saved us all in that arena from Murkel. For many of us, you have broken the invisible chains that tied us down."


    Hearing those words from Safa, and being aware of everyone''s actions, for the first time in a long time, Raze felt like these people with him were ones he wanted to protect.


    "Sh*t," Raze mumbled. "That''s not what I wanted... it wasn''t part of the n."


    "What did you say?" Safa asked.


    Raze somewhat ignored Safa and looked at Anna.


    "If they find out I''m now the leader of the Dark Faction, will Alter have a problem with it?" Raze asked.


    Anna shrugged her shoulders. "If you truly are the leader and the one controlling the Dark Faction, if anything, it is they who will need to be in your good books. You will be ruling one-third of Pagna, and not just in the shadows."


    That was both good and scary at the same time. The n of sneaking into Alter to get his hands on their artifacts had somewhat gone out the window now.


    However, going at it from another angle, from the Dark Faction''s position, was interesting as well, and now Raze knew of something that could get him back to Alterian.


    "And Rayna, what would your father think of this, if the Dark Magus were in control of the Dark Faction?" Raze asked.


    Rayna let out augh. "If his son-inw were the leader of an entire faction, he would have a field day about this. He might even go ahead and destroy another Light Faction base for us."


    Everyone''s eyeballs were about to pop out of their heads. They looked at Rayna and couldn''t tell if she was joking or not.


    "Regardless, you don''t have to worry about that. I''ll deal with him."


    With that answer, all of Raze''s worries seemed to being to an end. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I have no more excuses for not taking up this role," Raze said. "But before we go above, there is one thing I need to do."


    Before bing leader of the Dark Faction, he needed to set things in motion there.


    Raze then stood up from his seat. "I need to head to Alterian and talk to the Dark Guild."

 Chapter 784: The Guility Mage

    Chapter 784: The Guility Mage


    ?


    In the world of Alterian, panic had erupted in a particr studio. The special police force had arrived, and special barriers were ced around the dressing room. These barriers allowed only police personnel with certain specially enchanted badges to pass through.


    It was easier this way as the ce didn''t always need to be on guard, and there was no need to tape off every scene. Today, the staff was in disarray and panic. Standing just outside one of the dressing rooms, Chief Officer Harvey looked down to his right, at the main studio.


    Several staff members were panicking and already typing away on their mobile devices. Talking amongst each other. A few had tried to take a peak and approached the barrier as it was the first time seeing such a thing, but it was doing their job not letting anyone further in. "Of all ces for this to happen, huh?" John said as he opened up a strange-looking device that almost looked like a stick with a blue tip at the end. John ced it in his mouth and sucked on the top end, and the whole stick lit up for a moment.


    Inside his body, he felt a refreshing burst of mana coursing through, allowing him to calm down for a moment.


    "Hey, don''t look at me like that," John said, taking the device out of his mouth. "You know this was produced by Gizin''spany; it''s all perfectly legal."


    "It''s not that which is annoying me," Harvey replied. "It''s your stinking breath. Besides, relying on that stuff will only make you weaker. What are you going to do when we need to chase these guys down? Pop your little wand out and have a puff before trying to st them away?"


    "Pathetic."


    "We all can''t be like you, Harvey, a natural talent, a five-star mage. Anyway, look at them- all of them are messaging away. We''re meant to keep this under wraps, but I guess it''s impossible in a public studio."


    Right then, the door opened up, and a couple of officers emerged in white robes, one female, the other male.


    "We''re done recording everything in the room," the officer stated. "So you two can have a look. We''ll send this off to headquarters and see if there''s a match or if any suspects pop up."


    As they moved aside, John and Harvey walked into the room. As he entered, Harvey couldn''t help but make a remark.


    "It''ll be useless anyway."


    "Don''t be like that," John said, who was going to say more but stopped as the sight of the room was worse than he had imagined.


    He quickly raised his hand to his mouth, and his hand started to glow, clearing the air around him, allowing him to breathe.


    "This entire ce is aplete mess-mangled corpses that looked to have been yed with," John said.


    Although John was having a hard time, Harvey wasn''t. He had gotten close to several bodies in the room.


    He walked with little care and even knelt down next to the dead, taking a closer look at them. He even reached out his hand and started jabbing the body.


    "Is this how you became the chief? Not because of your powers but because of your stomach ¡ªto take crap like this. And what''s a bunch of poking around going to do anyway? It''s quite clear what happened to her. Such a shame."


    The body that John was looking at, in particr, was the presenter Ashley-a well-known figure, and the biggest issue is that she died in the studio itself.


    The problem was news got out fairly quickly after that, and rumors were already circting online.


    It was then that John received a call and started to walk away as he answered.


    "Yes, sir... yes... Harvey and I are here and on it..."


    While John was taking the call, Harvey decided to do his own probing.


    ''It was clearly done by magic, but from what I know, Ashley was a four-star mage. She rose to fame not just because she impressed people, but she was quite skilled herself.''


    ''Not only was she killed, but everyone in the room-her assistant and the makeup artist-so there are no witnesses, and no one saw anyone enter or leave the studio.''


    ''Is it invisibility? There was nothing on the cameras either. No, I have a suspicion those tapes were altered.''


    ''Invisibility wouldn''t require that, which means someone was here.''


    In the middle of his thoughts, John ended the call and sighed.


    "I know you''re not going to like this, Harvey, but it''s orders from the higher-ups. Because of all the rumors being spread, they want a report and statement by the end of today," John said. "I''ve already got the boys interviewing staff and getting statements from everyone."


    Harvey stood up and smiled as he looked at John.


    "A statement? Why, so we can make sure it''s not him?" Harvey asked.


    "What are you getting at?" John asked.


    "You know what I''m getting at. The rumors are getting out of hand. It''s not like something like this hasn''t happened before."


    "The rules are to not make a report on any information we have. The more information we release, the harder it is to catch the actual suspect because they can just tell us details that have already been revealed."


    "Right, but my hands are tied, both of ours are, if you say what you want to say, we could get in trouble, and if someone hears it, we could both be targeted by all sorts!"


    "Bullshit!" Harvey said, pointing his finger and jabbing John in the chest.


    It was starting to make John sweat a bit. Although John didn''t directly work under Harvey and his team, the few times he had, he had seen Harvey explode and was well aware of his nature. The issue was, because of John''s calm nature, many times they would send him out to work with Harvey.


    "They only want us to make a report stating that he''s not guilty because everyone online is already suspecting the obvious," Harvey said. "That this was done by the F***ing Grand Magus. It was done by Enaxx."

 Chapter 785: An Emergency Meeting

    Chapter 785: An Emergency Meeting


    ?


    "What are you doing?" John shouted,ing forward and cing his finger on Harvey''s lips. He quickly turned to look at the door to see if anyone else had entered.


    "Are you trying to get us both killed? You know you can''t just say stuff like that. The Glory Guild has people everywhere.


    "Heck, I''m not sure if you know it, but I heard that a Glory supporter just attacked someone online for using Enaxx of this crime."


    "Tracked them down just from an online post and everything. You don''t even know if they''re in the current force or not."


    Harvey knew this as well, of course. There had been many rumors of the wrongdoings of the Grand Magus.


    Harvey, now investigating such matters, could see that as quickly as they would appear, they would disappear just as fast.


    The general public still saw them as holy beings that could do no wrong, but some people knew better. However, they also knew there was nothing they could say or do.


    Harvey quickly pushed Jonh away.


    "And what if it is him?" Harvey said. "Is it really right that someone like that can just go around doing things like this and not receive any punishment for it?"


    Once again, John turned his head, so paranoid that he even went to the door, cing both hands on it and casting a spell.


    Finally, he felt a little betterpared to before.


    "This case is as clear as day. People are using Enaxx because they saw the petty look on his face during that interview. It''s a coincidence that an hourter, she''s found dead in the same studio. Even a blind, naked mole rat could put two and two together," Harvey imed.


    John then let out a big sigh.


    "I understand why you think that, but let''s just set aside all our personal feelings for a moment."


    "First, the team reviewed the footage, and you were right; it had been altered, but the original footage has been found.


    "Someone was seen phasing through the wall at the time of Ashley''s death."


    "Phasing? That''s five-star magic," Harvey stated. "The more you''re speaking, the more I''m thinking it''s him. This might be our big chance to finally get one of them out in the open."


    John wanted to say something but bit his lip as he continued to exin.


    "Right, but the thing is, we''ve confirmed that at the same time, Enaxx was doing an advert shoot at a location that would take at least three hours to travel to."


    "Even if he had unlocked teleportation magic or something, we have him on camera there as well. It''s impossible for him to have been in two ces at once."


    "Bullshit!" was the automatic response that came out of Harvey''s mouth. "Then that just means the video has to be double-altered, or it''s a red herring to make us look elsewhere."


    "We had everyone check it over, Harvey. If you want to take a look yourself, be my guest, but you''lle to the same result, trust me," John said, cing his hand on Harvey''s shoulder.


    "I''m not the biggest fan of the Grand Magus either, but the world operates in a time of peace because of them."


    "They have a lot of fans, and there are really loyal people to their cause, almost like a cult, so you have to be careful about what you say. You don''t know who you could be talking to."


    Harvey found that ironic because John also had no idea who Harvey was either.


    "I know you want to catch Enaxx, but even if he got caught, I don''t think he would be brought in. Either way, this is not the person responsible, and we need to put out a statement."


    Looking behind him at the scene one more time, Harvey clenched his fist.


    "No, something''s up. I need to find out how that bastard did this. Write the report yourself and say whatever the higher-ups want to hear. I''m taking a few days'' holiday; I''ve got stuff to deal with," Harvey said, leaving the room.


    Kelly was taking the sky train back to her living area as she usually would. Her sses hade to an end, and she sighed.


    When it finally stopped at her spot, she jumped down, using her Wind magic to gentlynd, and then entered her apartment building.


    Reaching the 7th floor, she entered her room, and a ck cat greeted her, flying over andnding in her hands.


    "Oh, you''ve been able to use more and more of your magic, even in cat form," Kelly said. The cat gave a meow back. Kelly started to scratch its head, which Sophie seemed to enjoy. It felt a little strange knowing she was doing this to a real human, but since it was satisfying for both the cat and herself, she continued.


    As she stopped, Kelly immediately went to the bed to lie down.


    "I guess in my free time, I need to continue studying Dark Magic, right? I mean, we need to figure out how to turn you back into a human as well. You can''t just stay as a cat forever," Kelly said.


    "Meow," Sophie replied, closing her eyes. Soon, Dark Magic started to surround her, including the paws of her feet. She was lifted into the air, and when the cat opened its eyes, they showed darkness.


    As the Dark Magic stopped, Sophiended, falling right back onto the bed.


    "You''re quite the good student when ites to Dark Magic. Maybe you''ll figure it out before me, but either way, I''m sure the Dark Magus will help you."


    Just then, Kelly received a text. She noticed when she went to reach into her pocket, it wasn''t from her regr phone, and knowing the date, it wasn''t time for that just yet.


    [An emergency meeting is dered. Prepare for this one; we''re going to the Glory Guild.]


    ''The Glory Guild... it looks like my weekend might not be so peaceful anymore.''

 Chapter 786: Dark Guild Acts!

    Chapter 786: Dark Guild Acts!


    ?


    Traveling with Sophie on her shoulder, Kelly was taking her usual path to the world below. The path involved a series of twists and turns, and even her entering a few convenience stores to buy a few items.


    These were instructions set by Harvey. He had told her to do this just in case anyone was following her and had even given her pointers to track if anyone was tailing her or not.


    Some might think it was overcautious, but they were living in a world of Alterian where if one was caught knowing Dark Magic, they were to be executed on the spot.


    Not just the person, but nearly everyone rted to them as well. It was the one saving grace for Kelly and many others who delved into Dark Magic that they had no one to begin with.


    "You didn''t see anyone, did you?" Kelly asked as she pulled out arge brick from the wall and saw the ck hooded uniform.


    "Mewow, meow," Sophie said as she continued to use her sharp eyes, scanning the area.


    After changing her clothing, it was time to head below, early and not on the usual day she would have done so.


    As she descended the longdder, she couldn''t help but start thinking about what this meeting would ultimately be about.


    The mention of the Glory Guild had her worried. Since joining the Dark Guild, and even before it was named that, they had never donerge-scale attacks on any Guild.


    It had always been about finding other members and trying to work together, but the force of the Dark Guild was never enough.


    Now they had a cat and a Dark Spirit that only arrived half the time when he said he would. Not much had changed, and certainly not enough to go against a big Guild like the Glory Guild. The Glory Guild was a guild that operated directly under Enaxx, one of the Grand Magus. It was fairly newpared to the other guilds under the Grand Magus.


    For one, it only existed after the Grand Magus''s creation. Everyone had a group apart from Enaxx, so he formed his own Guild.


    Strong mages flocked to it because it was an honor and privilege to be part of a guild created by one of the Grand Magus.


    The Glory Guild focused on doing righteous deeds. They saw themselves as the police force for the other guilds.


    If there were disputes between mages, if there were problems the police force couldn''t get to in time, the Glory Guild would be there first.


    It was a guild that also purely operated on donations, and it had plenty to keep operating, especially with theirrge numbers.


    Regardless of new or old, because of these things, there were several types of mages in the guild. Strong mages wanted to prove themselves by being under one of the best.


    Others were mages that were righteous and believed they were doing the right thing.


    ''But it''s all just a big PR stunt, just like everything Enaxx does. He''s the figurehead for the Grand Magus, so what better way to make them look better in the public eye than to have a guild that does things for glory?'' It made Kelly sick every time she thought about what had happened to her family.


    Still, regardless of her hatred, it was not the type of guild to mess with-not at the small stage they were at, and with how few people they had, it was practically a suicide mission.


    Maybe before, she would have been willing to do anything for the sake of the Dark Guild, and she still was willing to do a lot, but the words of the Dark Spirit lingered in her mind.


    Arriving at the usual ce, the torn-down building, she looked ahead and saw that Harvey was there early this time, practically pacing back and forth.


    "You made it; any quicker and I would have thought this was an emergency," Harvey said.


    "Sorry, I was doing what you taught me, to stay out of sight," Kelly replied, not wishing to get snarky with the person in front of her.


    Although Kelly was considered talented for her age, there was one thing she was always very clear about, and that was this person was stronger than her.


    "The cat can do magic now?" Harvey asked.


    "Yes, I don''t know what star level, but she seems capable of producing high-level spells. However, due to her size, the mana core is small, so she can''t do a lot of spells."


    Harvey nodded as he heard this.


    "That mighte in handy in more ways than one. In some cases, she might be the perfect disguise. You, Sophie, correct? It seems you might y a key part in all of this," Harvey imed.


    "Wait, was your message before serious? Are you really thinking of going up against the Glory Guild?" Kelly asked.


    The response from Harvey was to pull out his phone, and as he did, it was an article-an article about the death of a famous TV host named Ashley.


    "I''m sure you''ve heard the rumors that the most likely suspect is Enaxx, and I believe it as well. The issue is, I have no clue how he was able to do it," Harvey answered.


    "Our task is to get as much information on the Grand Magus as possible, in order to help that Dark Spirit. I believe there''s something up with Enaxx."


    "And the answer will lie in his guild. Now, we can''t just go for any low-hanging member. This information will only be kept secret with some of his higher-ups."


    Going through his phone, Harvey then pulled up another file.


    A man with a square-looking face and a clean-cut brown beard. Not only did it have his image and information about his involvement with Glory Guild, but it also had his star ranking-a


    6-star mage.


    "All of us in the Dark Guild will work to take this man down, and we need him alive. I will do whatever it takes to get my answer," Harvey eximed.

 Chapter 787: The Real Scum Of The World

    Chapter 787: The Real Scum Of The World


    ?


    The hardest part about going up against one of themanders of the Glory Guild would be the fact that they spent most of their time in the guild base, which meant they would be surrounded by a high number of people at all times.


    Currently, outside, both Kelly and Harvey were sitting at a convenience store eating together. She was in casual clothing for the weekend, while Harvey was still wearing a hoodie covering his head.


    "I understand that we can''t go around in our robes telling everyone who we are, but don''t you think wearing a hoodie like that makes you look a bit too old? You look like one of those fake undercover cops," Kellymented.


    "Although I''m not famous or a movie star, it would be dangerous for me if I were spotted or recognized, and it could jeopardize our position," Harvey exined. "If you get caught, you could drop out of school and be on the run."


    "But at the moment, most of the Dark Guild and its operations work because I''m still in my position."


    There was less ambiguity between the two now. They both knew each other''s real jobs, positions, and could guess each other''s ages. The only thing they didn''t know, or ever spoke about, was why the other had started to learn Dark Magic.


    What deep reason had forced them to learn such a thing? And it was something they didn''t want to talk about regardless.


    "Right, I''m just helping you out, telling you not to follow someone like that in the future." "Let''s focus on the task," Harvey said as he pulled out a tablet. It was one of the devices that belonged to the office, so it allowed him to log into the server and gather whatever information he needed.


    "The man''s name we''re after is Bronk Scornell. Amander in the Glory Guild and someone who''s been there since its inception. He originally joined the Glory Guild wanting to be a part of something big. He''s a strong mage, but he has his dark side, as do all these sick f*cks," Harvey said.


    Harvey scrolled down, and further information was revealed. Kelly was quite surprised that someone in the guild had a criminal record and that it wasn''t made public, or at least there was no public outcry about it.


    "Bronk was quite well known and was the leader of his own guild. He had a falling out with his wife, or I should say a lot more than that. He was caught having sex with one of his guildmates. Apparently, Bronk had set up the guild just to have it as one giant orgy."


    "His wife found out and was going to go to the press to ruin her husband, who had been doing it behind her back under the guise of sex work for years. In the end, he blew her brains out with his magic."


    "Of course, he used the funds of the entire guild to cover up the mess, but the guild had to be disbanded. Although it was never made public, the guilds were aware of this, and no one epted him until the Glory Guild came along."


    "I''m guessing Bronk was just too good of a talent for Enaxx to pass up."


    "So you think he''ll know more about Enaxx because he was there from the beginning?" Kelly asked.


    "That''s one reason, but the other is because scum follows scum, and they feel morefortable with their own kind. Most likely, Enaxx knows all about this, and I''m hoping he''s shared some things with Bronk as well. Neither of them would rat each other out."


    As the two were talking, a ck cat jumped up andnded on the table.


    "Sophie, you''re back. So you managed to find out where he lives or at least a ce where he stays that isn''t so crowded?" Kelly asked.


    Kelly then opened up a notepad and ced a pen down. Sophie started to focus, and with her magic, the pen was lifted up, and she began to write down all types of details.


    "This is good, this is great. With you just being a cat, you can follow anyone, and no one will think anything different!" Harvey said excitedly. "You have a lot of uses. Maybe the most dangerous ces like guilds and such would still be bad-they''ll kill anything, and I''ve seen my fair share of psychopaths targeting cats. It''s always the cats first for some reason, but still, it''s going to make our jobs a lot easier."


    Harvey looked at the address and then picked up the phone.


    "I''m going to make sure the area''s cleared, just in case things get messy. I can hold off a police forceing for a while, but we need to deal with this quickly, so is everyone ready?" Kelly nodded, and Sophie gave a small meow.


    Bronk had cheerfullye home. He lived in a cul-de-sac neighborhood that was away from the high-rise apartments and shops. He couldn''t stand being in the city center because he felt there were just too many eyes on him.


    Coming back, he had parked his car just in front of his house. Opening the door, he then held out his hand, and ady took it as he pulled her up.


    "I didn''t realize you were such a gentleman. You need to be careful; otherwise, I might start to think you''re trying to keep me forever."


    Bronk and the female headed toward the door, and even on the way there, the two of them couldn''t keep their hands off each other. Bronk kept swiping his hand around her tight-fitting red dress, sliding his fingers between certain creases.


    Pushing the door open, the two of them rushed inside. As they walked into the main living room, Bronk paused.


    "Who are you?" Bronk said.


    "My, my, my, what''s the matter? You didn''t want to show the new girl how much of a scum you are?" Harvey said, sitting down in a chair right in the center of the living room.


    "Bronk, what is the meaning of this? What is all of this?" the woman asked as she looked around the room.


    Holograms appeared, showing photos of Bronk with various women and also the women who had been killed, all under his thumb.


    "Now, we can either do this the simple way, or we can make thingsplicated. I have something I need to know, and if you don''t give me an answer, the whole world will find out the scum you are," Harvey said with a smile.

 Chapter 788: The Glory Guild

    Chapter 788: The Glory Guild


    ?


    With the Glory Guild being arge guild, there were many candidates that fit the criteria that Harvey was looking for. To be honest, Bronk wasn''t even the only one who hadmitted


    despicable acts.


    Many powerful mages who had abused their powers had gone to the Glory Guild. It was almost as if the ce was some sort of image change for them. With it, Harvey had done some digging, and the most information could be found on Bronk.


    For one, it turned out that Bronk was stillmitting arge number of crimes, and the department was just covering it up. Honestly, it was above the position Harvey was in, but the more he found, he wouldn''t have been so surprised if there was a whole division within the police to just cover up the acts of the Grand Magus and their guilds.


    Still, cover-ups needed to be recorded, so all of the information could still be essed.


    ''This is it,'' Harvey thought as he looked at Bronk. ''This mage is even a higher star level than me. Dark magic always has the element of surprise, but in situations like this, it''s best to use one''s head to fight.''


    ''I''ve read your file-you built up so much of your reputation. Every time an incident urred, you would go to the police to deal with it, to cover it up. That''s how much you cared about your reputation.''


    ''Of course, if I release this information, the police will be able to trace it back to me, so I don''t n on doing that, but all I need from you is toply,'' Harvey thought.


    Bronk looked at the situation, staring at Harvey. He was trying to see if he recognized the man in the seat, but there was a hood and a face mask covering most of his features, making it impossible to tell.


    "Did I hurt someone close to you, a sister... or maybe a lover? Is that why you''re doing this?" Bronk asked.


    "What are you saying? Are you saying all these images, these videos, the reports are they all real?" The woman next to him asked as she started to grab Bronk''s arm. "Answer me!"


    Immediately, Bronk snapped out his hand and grabbed her, holding the woman around her neck. It started to freeze over, and then, clenching his hand, the ice broke, and the head fell to the floor with part of the neck frozen.


    "You decided to ckmail the wrong person," Bronk said. "Everything is fine, as long as there are no witnesses, and that included her."


    Bronk lifted both of his hands, and a stream of misty ice magic came out of them. Immediately, from the seat, it was Harvey who needed to react fast. He pushed back with his feet, falling backward andnding on the floor. As the stream of mist hit the chair, itpletely froze over.


    "This was somewhat expected!" Harvey said as he got up and crossed his arms. "But I guess this is just how it was meant to be!"


    Crossing his arms, out from behind the door, dark tentacle-like structures came out and wrapped around Bronk''s wrists and ankles. Immediately, he could feel a burning sensation on his skin.


    "This magic... it''s Dark magic. I should have known, it was my job to get rid of scum like you!" Bronk shouted.


    "Look who''s talking!" Harvey shifted his hand forward, and a spike of magic came out from his palm, reaching out to hit Bronk in the chest. As it came toward him, Bronk opened his mouth, and fire came out, hitting the Dark magic and pushing it away.


    "Even though Dark magic is based on destruction, he''s still a six-star mage after all, but he has no clue what Dark magic can do," Harvey said.


    Using strong Ice magic, Bronk was able to create space by turning the air into ice between the Dark magic that was wrapped around him. He expanded it out, breaking the Dark magic.


    When he turned around, though, he could see arge tentacle hit his body and shift him to the side. Bronk''s entire body was seen crashing through the wall and breaking part of it.


    As Bronk looked up, he could see a strange shadowy figuree from the hallway, and then it moved over to Harvey''s back, covering him.


    "That... that''s not Dark magic, is it? I''ve never heard of Dark magic being able to do something like that," Bronk said.


    "You''re right. I knew you would be a tough one, so I went all out from the beginning. This is my breakthrough. Unfortunately, my magic core is Earth magic, and my breakthrough is a puppet made out of the earth itself, but mixing it with my Dark magic made it extremely interesting," Harvey said.


    Lifting his hands, the puppet behind him lifted its hands as well, and it was as if two figures were both gathering Dark magic around their palms. Bronk, seeing this, knew he needed to move, but when he tried, his hands were stuck to the floor.


    "What the..." They were iced down, but his ice abilities shouldn''t have had that effect.


    That''s when he could see a young woman with one of her hands on the floor, having used Ice Magic. Being so used to the cold, Bronk hadn''t even noticed it since his mana core was ice- based.


    Not only that, though, he could see that in her other hand, she had also been gathering Ice magic.


    "Dark Cannon!" Harvey shouted out, and he and his Dark Puppet both threw out beams of Dark Magic.


    Meanwhile, Kelly did the same, throwing out the magic from the palm of her hand. The whole area was being destroyed. The floor was disintegrating into nothing, even the wall behind, as the Dark magic, concentrated in one ce, exploded into different areas.


    Eventually, both Harvey and Kelly stopped.


    "I thought... we weren''t meant to kill him. He''s still alive, right?" Kelly asked.


    That was when she could feel a chill enter the whole room. When she looked at the furniture and the walls around her, frost was gathering on every single item.


    "Both of you are using Dark magic. What is this? Is something going on that we, the Glory Guild, don''t know about?" Bronk said. "I guess I have no choice but to go all out. Breakthrough!"


    The light in the area where Bronk was started to shine, and the whole area dropped by at least ten degrees in an instant. A massive amount of magic exploded out, shifting Harvey and Kelly back around a meter.


    "I knew he wouldn''t die from that!" Harvey said with a smile.

 Chapter 789 Breakthrough!

    789 Breakthrough!


    When a breakthrough is used, a tremendous amount of mana is released by the mage. It activates all of the magic circles surrounding one''s heart. The power manifests depending on what type of person one is.


    Not everyone''s breakthrough is the same, but some can be simr. The mass amount of energy released will be based on what type of affinity the magic circle has. In this case, Bronk''s was Ice magic, which was why the whole room had gotten chillier, and everything was now covered in frost.


    ''A six-star mage doing a breakthrough¡ªI was hoping he didn''t know how to do that,'' Kelly thought. ''I think this is going to be a lot harder than Harvey thought.''


    As the magic started to settle, Kelly could see Bronk standing there, different from before. His whole body was covered in ice. It almost looked like armor, a knight in light blue, covered from head to toe, apart from his eyes.


    "Ice armor? That''s a prettyme breakthrough if you ask me!" Harvey jumped to the side, and he controlled his puppet to do the same. Then, from both sides, they both fired beams of dark energy.


    It hit Bronk''s body cleanly, but the magic just disintegrated into nothing. Then, when Bronk lifted his hand, a sword began to form. Bronk lifted the ice sword above his head and swung it down through the air.


    The attack let out arge trail of ice on the floor. Harvey tried to move away, but his feet had frozen.


    "Damn it, the file didn''t say anything about him being a magic swordsman."


    "You Dark Mages will be executed by the Glory Guild!" Bronk shouted as he charged forward. The Dark Puppet moved, swinging its arms like tentacles through the air.


    Bronk was swift as he swung his sword, freezing the tentacles and getting rid of part of the puppet bit by bit.


    Quickly, Kelly moved over, and with her hands heated up with Fire magic, she ced them on Harvey''s leg.


    "This might hurt a little," Kelly said.


    "Do you think I have time for that!" Harvey stated. As soon as his feet were back to normal, he charged forward, encasing his hand with Earth magic.


    The Dark Puppet practically leaped onto Bronk, and as it was stabbed in the center, its body was turning to ice. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Harvey jumped forward and bashed Bronk from the side with the heavy fist, shifting his feet but not breaking the ice. Instead, it was Harvey''s arm that was now covered in ice. Thankfully, it was just the part he had covered in Earth magic.


    "Everything that touches this armor will be frozen," Bronk said. Even the ground beneath his feet where he stepped was frozen with Ice magic.


    "You know Fire magic, right? Just use whatever you''ve got, use everything, or we won''t live through this!" Harvey shouted.


    His puppet was on the verge of destruction, but with it so close to Bronk, he knew what to do. He controlled it to dive onto Bronk one more time.


    While Kelly, staying far back, started to fire fireball after fireball.


    ''I can''t break through, I don''t know how, I never learned how to, but I can do this.''


    With one hand, Kelly started to use Fire magic, and with the other, she used wind, making a devastatingbo that sted out a tunnel of mes toward Bronk. For a moment, he couldn''t do anything as the puppet was using its body, bashing it against Bronk, not caring if it was frozen or not.


    Harvey looked like he had lost his mind as he was just forming giant rocks and throwing them in Bronk''s direction.


    "Keep firing those mes, young one! Don''t let up, just keep going!" Harvey ordered.


    But then, the puppet was destroyed, and Harvey felt a great pain around his chest. He fell to his knees. The distraction had caused Kelly to run to his side, checking if he was okay.


    "Are you alright?" Kelly asked.


    "My puppet," Harvey said, knowing full well it had been destroyed, but even then, he wouldn''t have had the energy to control it anymore either.


    "Of course, he''s not alright," Bronk answered, stepping through the mes. His ice armor was still on his body, but it appeared to be falling off, disappearing into the wind.


    "A breakthrough uses an incrediblyrge amount of mana; it practically breaks the magic circle. Time is needed for it to be mended again. He used his breakthrough for far too long, which means currently he can''t use any magic, and I doubt your three-star spells will do any harm to me."


    Bronk no longer had the armor on his body, but he still had the ice sword in his hand. He was ready to strike but noticed the smile on Harvey''s face.


    "Aren''t you in the same position as us then?" Harvey asked. "After all, you are using your breakthrough as well. Did you force your armor away so you could linger onto your power just a little longer? Because that''s going to work against you."


    Kelly fired a fireball out of the palm of her hand. It was the only thing she could do¡ªa quick magic attack while her opponent didn''t expect anything.


    Bronk lifted the sword and sliced the fireball in half, making it disappear into nothing but particles of frost falling to the floor.


    "Even now, his power¡­ it''s a lot stronger than mine," Kelly thought.


    It was over. Their first mission as the Dark Guild hade to an end. They had failed. She started to think, when the Dark Spirit would return, would he be upset that they were gone?


    Surprised that they had been foolish enough to do something like this? Would it be too much to hope to see him appear now?


    "Meoooow!"


    "Was that a cat?" Bronk turned around and saw a cat flying right at his stomach, its paws covered in Dark magic. The moment it touched Bronk''s skin, it pulsated, and a shockwave of magic was sent out, sending Bronk flying through the air and crashing into the kitchen.


    Harvey turned his head to see Bronk unmoving, blood dripping down from his head, and then he turned back to the cat.


    "Let''s hope he''s still alive."

 Chapter 790 The Third Leg

    790 The Third Leg


    Kelly had to blink a few times as she watched Sophie casually sitting there in the center of the room, licking her paw. It was at times like this that she found it hard to believe the cat was human, but then again, what kind of cat could produce such a strong magical spell?


    ''I don''t know those spells, and I''m not sure Harvey knows them either, and he has a lot of knowledge on Dark magic,'' Kelly thought. ''Could it be that Sophie''s knowledge of Dark Magic is even greater than Harvey''s?''


    ''It''s too bad that even with her Wind magic, she can only pick up a pen for a limited amount of time. Otherwise, there are so many questions I want to ask her.''


    Harvey had a smile on his face as he stood up, still looking exhausted from the fight. "It looks like the n worked well, right?" Harvey said, reaching out his hand, and Sophie gave him a paw, pping it as if to give a high five.


    "Wait, you nned this? As in, you knew she was going toe?" Kelly asked. "I thought you said she was doing something important, so she couldn''t be here."


    "Yes, she was doing something important¡ªshe was sitting by and waiting for the perfect moment to attack," Harvey answered. "I was pretty sure that Bronk had a breakthrough, so we needed to push him into using it. After that, it was just buying time, then Sophie could deal the unexpected final attack. Even if Bronk saw a cat from the corner of his eye, he would never expect it to know magic."


    Kelly had to admit that it was a good n, and she would have never thought of using Sophie this way, but she was more upset about something else.


    "Why didn''t you tell me about the n? Am I not part of the Dark Guild as well, or do you really see me as so useless?" Kelly asked.


    Harvey walked over to Bronk, who was still lying in the destroyed kitchen. He reached out his hand, and Sophie didn''t hesitate to jump up and go on his shoulder.


    All of it was annoying Kelly quite a bit. She was the one who had found Sophie, she was also the one currently looking after her and feeding her, yet the two of them didn''t need to say anything, and they knew each other''s actions and even made secret ns behind her back.


    "If he moves, then give him a small zap for me," Harvey said, to which Sophie replied with a meow.


    "It''s not that," Harvey said as he used his hand to open Bronk''s eyelids and then started to check his pulse. "I wanted you to try your hardest, and I was worried you wouldn''t pull through. If you knew that we were relying on Sophie here, then maybe you wouldn''t have fought like your life was on the line or waited for the right moment."


    "We both needed to push ourselves to the limit, and there was more risk in telling you the actual n."


    Harvey breathed a sigh of relief when he could feel a pulse, and then with his hand, he waved Kelly over, but she refused to move.


    "Look, I know you''re special, very special for the Dark Guild," Harvey stated. "Think about it, how many members, how many people have we been through, tried to recruit, and all of them are no longer here, yet you are here. You were here near the beginning, and you''re still here now, which means you''re definitely special if you''ve survived this long."


    "If it wasn''t for my job, I don''t think I would have survived so long either, so there''s that."


    Thepliment had stopped Kelly''s pouting for now, and so she decided toe over.


    "You don''t have to worry so much. This lump won''t be able to use magic, even if he wakes up, and with how he''s been thrown around, his body''s going to be extremely sore," Harvey exined. "Do you still have some mana left?"


    "Yeah, a bit," Kelly answered, and it was then that she could see Bronk''s eyes were starting to flutter open. They were closing and opening again, and his body was slowly moving.


    "I saw you use some mes earlier. Sophie, use Dark Pulse right on his leg like aser¡ªcut it off¡ªand then I need you to sear it with your mes so he doesn''t bleed to death," Harvey ordered.


    "What the¡­ are you crazy?" Kelly said.


    Before she could even argue her case, Sophie had already acted, as dark beams came out from her eyes like aser and went right through the leg. This had woken Bronk right up as he screamed in pain.


    As the leg was sliced off, blood was pouring out.


    "You need to be quicker, otherwise he''s going to bleed to death," Harvey said. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With no choice, squinting, Kelly started to use her Fire magic and began to sear the leg. She continued to burn it, and the man screamed in pain, passing out and waking up a few times on the spot again and again.


    Finally, it looked like the bleeding had stopped.


    "Oi!" Harvey said as he pped Bronk right across the face. "Don''t pass out, don''t die on me, I need you¡ªI need you awake so you can''t pass out." Harvey continued to p Bronk across the face a few times, and his eyes finally opened again.


    Soon, he could see him looking at his leg.


    "My leg¡­ my leg, I can''t move my leg."


    "It''s because you don''t have a f*cking leg!" Harvey stated, and looked at Kelly, as if the guy was an idiot. "Did you lose brain cells when you got knocked back? Look, you need to start talking fast. With no leg, you can use your ice powers to still be a half-decent mage."


    "But if you don''t answer, it will be your next leg, then your arms, and then we''re going to go for the third, shortest leg of the lot," Harvey said, pointing right at Bronk''s groin area.

 Chapter 791 Build A Dark Guild Army

    791 Build A Dark Guild Army


    "I''m awake, I''m awake, I''m listening!" Bronk shouted after hearing a number of threats. The leaked photos, videos of all the atrocities he hadmitted didn''t get his attention, but the threat of losing his third leg certainly did.


    Therge threat was looming over his head, and to this man, it was more important than never being able to perform magic again.


    "If I knew you cared so much, I would have just gone straight to this in the first ce," Harvey tutted, clicking his teeth. "Just tell me, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to make a post admitting to my crimes? You want me to head to the police station and confess? I''ll do it!"


    All of those things were useless promises, and Harvey knew it. A post would be deleted, saying that his ount was hacked. The police would cover it up once again. One day it would be nice for Harvey to follow the trail to see who was covering up this stuff, but after today''s fight, they knew it was pointless.


    They were only a three-member group, and just getting rid of one Glory Guild bastard who could easily be reced was not going to amount to much.


    "I want you to tell me about Enaxx," Harvey asked as he grabbed Bronk''s hair and lifted his face up. He could see Bronk''s eyes widen as soon as he heard the name. "Yeah, that''s right, your little boss of the Glory Guild.


    "I know he ain''t so glorious like the rest of you. In fact, it''s clear as day that he was the one who murdered Ashley, and I want to know how he did it."


    Bronk opened his mouth for a second, as if he was going to speak, but then quickly closed it again.


    "Kelly, burn it," Harvey said, looking at his groin again.


    "No, no, pl¡ªplease. You don''t understand; I really don''t know much," Bronk imed while sobbing.


    It was hard to imagine¡ªa six-star mage would put you in the top 5 percent of mages in the world. They had this superiorityplex, believing they were better than most and could get away with doing what they wanted. This traveled even more up to the Grand Magus¡ªthat was Harvey''s theory anyway.


    It was a sight to see, something no one could imagine, such a highly regarded man breaking down like this.


    "Then just tell us what you do know. You must know something, being with him when he started all of this. Anything unusual, anything that was said that just felt a little strange?" Harvey asked, "Anything!" Harvey shouted.


    Kelly could see that he was getting frustrated, and it was understandable¡ªthey had all just risked their lives for this. To capture this man. Even if they did seed, there was a chance that their identities and everything about the guild could be exposed. They needed something for all the effort they had given.


    "Look, the reason I hesitated is not because I don''t want to give him up. I can tell you guys are serious¡ªyou''ll kill me, he''ll kill me. At least after telling you something, I would have the chance to run away, and it''s not like you''re actually going to go up against the Grand Magus¡ªthat would be impossible," Bronk exined.


    This was a normal thought for someone to have¡ªthe Grand Magus were just considered that highly as beings, and in many cases, they were right. If the three of them could barely beat a six-starmander, what hope did they have of not just defeating a nine-star mage, but a Grand Magus at that?


    "The problem is you want to figure out how he managed to kill Ashley, and the answer is I don''t know. Sometimes it''s almost like the man can be in two ces at once. I have to look over my shoulder, and I have phantom images in my head that he''s there."


    "Recently he went off somewhere, so I''ve had time to finally rx and have peace of mind, and then this happens¡ªf*ck my life," Bronk groaned in pain.


    "Look, what I know is, it has something to do with a special trait he has. Something that is unique to Enaxx, that only he can do. I''ve heard others talking about it before. His trait is so skillful and strong, that they said, even when he was an eight-star mage, he would have been able to take out a nine-star mage."


    Both Kelly and Harvey''s heartbeats thumped a little louder. Enaxx was a tough opponent as it was, but hearing about this trait made him sound impossible to beat. If he was that strong as an eight-star mage, then how much stronger was he now that he was a nine-star mage? n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I promise you, that''s all that I know, that''s everything."


    Harvey then stood up and looked at Sophie on his shoulder.


    "We can''t have any witnesses for the sake of the Dark Guild."


    The cat on Harvey''s shoulder turned its head to look at Bronk. Its eyes lit up, and a beam of energy expanded out, going right through Bronk''s head, making his whole body lifeless.


    Kelly didn''tin, she didn''t say anything about how they shouldn''t kill him. She knew what the man had done, and knew if he was left alive, there was a chance that it coulde back to bite them.


    Quickly, the three of them needed to escape the area. They left through the back and continued to move. Harvey was taking the lead and even pulled out his phone, typing to someone. Then, when they were about five neighborhoods away in a different area, on the street, he could finally let up.


    "That was really close," Kelly said. "We can''t do things like that, and that trick of yours with Sophie might not always work."


    Sophie soon moved, jumping over to where Kelly was. At first, Kelly didn''t seem too happy until Sophie started to rub its furry cheek against Kelly''s.


    "I know, trust me, that won''t happen again. We need an army for the Dark Guild, and I n on creating it¡ªyou leave that to me."

 Chapter 792: Im Not A Good Person

    Chapter 792: I''m Not A Good Person


    ?


    Lying t on her bed in her studio apartment, Kelly was staring at the wall. She wasn''t in her school uniform even though it was a weekday, and the bed sheets had formed a shape around her due to how long she had been stuck there.


    "I can''t get it out of my mind, even when I look at the wall," Kelly said. "I''ve seen people die before, I''ve seen sights like that, but this was the first time I was so involved in something. I saw everything, and the image of him losing his life right in front of me is constantly there."


    "Meow." Sophie opened her mouth and walked past, brushing her tail on Kelly''s face, trying to cheer her up, but it was useless and had been for thest four days now.


    Due to the events that had urred, Kelly had called in sick at the academy. She imed she hade down with a serious case of the flu, something that could get her off for more than one day.


    The academy, being who they were, had even offered to send someone with Light magic toe and help, but Kelly stated that she wanted to naturally fight it off to make her body stronger, which was an expected excuse.


    The academy didn''t try to get involved with politics in that matter. Some people were for and against the idea, so the academy just let students do as they wished.


    However, the reason for calling in sick wasn''t because she was sick, of course, and neither was it because she couldn''t get the image of the day out of her head. It was because of what had happened that day.


    Before leaving, Harvey had told Kelly to take a couple of days off school. The reason was to see if going after Bronk would have any effect on them. An investigation would be run on Bronk''s death, and Harvey would be able to look at the files even if he wasn''t an investigator on the project.


    He could see if they had any idea or any suspects at all. Constantly checking her phone, Kelly was expecting to see something, and when she went to look at it again, she continued to scroll through articles.


    "It''s been four days and still nothing-this is crazy," Kelly said. "I understand we were careful so no one saw us, but they haven''t even reported on his death. Didn''t he have any family and friends that cared about him? Even on his social media, no one knows he''s... gone."


    She was sure it was safe for her to head back to the academy. She could have done so after the second day ording to Harvey, but she just didn''t want to. The academy, all of it, felt so small with all the problems Alterian had, and more were being discovered each day.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If it wasn''t for the fact that the Dark Spirit found use for her being in the academy, then she would have dropped out already.


    Picking up her second phone, she went ahead and checked the messages.


    "Today is the day, right? It will be happening in the evening, and he hasn''t even sent a message. Nothing to reassure me everything is okay, or even a hello to check up on me."


    Thinking about it more, a shiver ran through the entirety of Kelly''s body. It was the look that Harvey gave once in a while, and how he was doing everything with ease, making snap decisions and judgments.


    At times, it was exactly how she thought the real Dark Magus would act, or at least how people viewed the Dark Magus to act, but for her, the Dark Magus was more of an anti-hero- the real Dark Magus anyway.


    "That man scares me," Kelly said, and then turned her head to Sophie, who was reading a book at the desk. "And you, that day you just went ahead and listened to everything he said. You didn''t hesitate either. Why did you do that?"


    Sophie stopped reading the book for a moment, then with her magic, lifted up a pen by the side. This was an enchanted pen that, when the top was clicked, would leave lingering words in the air for a few moments when waved about.


    One could practically write in the air and use it as their canvas.


    "Harvey is not a good person," the words read out that were drawn.


    "I know that," Kelly answered as she propped herself up and sat on the edge of the bed. "None of us arepletely good. I can''t say I''m a good person-look what I did. Regardless of how bad someone is or what they have done, it takes a certain type of person willing tomit murder."


    The pen started to move in the air again. "You are a good person..." Then the pen continued to move. "Sophie is a bad person."


    Right then, before Sophie could expand on that, the pen dropped to the floor. She had run out of magic and could no longermunicate more. Things seemed to be getting better day by day, but it was at a snail''s pace.


    "You''re a bad person?" Kelly said. "When you look this cute, it''s hard to imagine!"


    Kelly came over, hugged Sophie, and started to stretch the cat''s little chubby cheeks and patted its belly a few times. While doing this, though, in the back of her mind, she did have a thought¡ªwhat was Sophie''s past, what was Harvey''s past?


    Sophie did everything she was told with no hesitation, as if she had done it before or was willing to do such a thing. Sophie even said she was a bad person. If Kelly met up with Sophie in real life, read about what she had done to others, would she think the same thing?


    What if someone who learned Dark magic was just like Bronk, with a bad past and history? What were they to do then, just ept them because they know how to use Dark magic?


    All of these thoughts had lingered in the back of her mind for a long time-it was the first time they wereing to the front. Suddenly, as Kelly was ying with Sophie, both of them felt a weird energy.


    All of the hairs on Sophie''s body looked to be standing up, and when turning their head to look at the center of the room, they could see a ck, dark ball expanding.


    "That''s what happens when the Dark Spirit arrives-he''s arriving now, right here!"

 Chapter 793: The Dark Spirit Arrives!

    Chapter 793: The Dark Spirit Arrives!


    ?


    Kelly and Sophie couldn''t stop staring at the condensed level of Dark Magic that was appearing in front of them. She had seen it a number of times before, but it had always been at the same ce during the meeting, which wasn''t due for a few more hours.


    So it made her wonder, why here of all ces, and why now? Quickly, she started to scan the


    room.


    ''My underwear is all over the ce, and it''s a mess-I need to clean up everything as quickly as possible!'' Kelly thought as she dashed around the room and started to use magic with her other hand.


    "There isn''t enough time!" Kelly thought, lifting both hands and using arge amount of magic. In the middle of conjuring her spells, she could see the figure in front of her taking a somewhat solid form-it was the Dark Spirit, it had returned.


    "What''s wrong? Is there a fight going on?" Raze asked as he looked at the state of the room.


    In Kelly''s haste, forcing herself to use her magic, she had made the room even more of a mess, and now things were all over the ce.


    "It was your magic!" Kelly lied. "When you appeared, it let out a small burst of magic that ruined the ce."


    Raze looked around, wondering if that was the case, but he was conscious of when he moved through and didn''t feel a pulse or anything. If anything, the astral projection technique was a condensing of his powers into another form here.


    As she saw the Dark Spirit acting a certain way, Kelly shook her head and got down on her knee with her fist to the floor. Sophie the cat had jumped off the table and had done a simr striking pose as best as a cat could.


    "I greet the great Dark Spirit. What brings you to my... dorm of all ces? Is there something wrong?" Kelly asked. "Are we not meeting at the usual ce today?"


    Thest thing Kelly wanted was a Dark Guild meeting in her small apartment. Although technically nearly all the members were present, save for one.


    Raze looked at his body; it was the same asst time. He could feel the leakage of magic at the same pace or close to it. Thest time, he had reached a middle-stage warrior, and he was still a 7-stage warrior.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Although, due to his superior condensing of Qi, he was even able to go against those with higher Qi, as well as his Qi control, which allowed him to perform techniques that weren''t possible for many.


    However, his star level had increased, and he was now a 5-star mage, so the amount of mana he could hold wasrger, making it so he could use more magic while in his current form and stay here longer.


    Out of the fight, though, Raze noticed more than anything he had gained a lot of Dark Essence from the death of the powerful, increasing the power of his Dark magic even more.


    Raze looked at Kelly for a few moments. She felt like he was staring into her soul, but he really had other thoughts on his mind.


    ''When using the astral projection technique, I need a hook to sync into, and that was Dark magic. There were more than one connection-I could have ended up at Harvey''s ce, but I''m here instead, which is fine. I needed to speak to her anyway.''


    Just when Raze was about to open his mouth and talk to Kelly, his focus shifted onto the ck cat.


    "You have magic now? I can feel the mana coreing from you and moving in the air, and your affinity is quite high." Raze was wondering why he felt a familiarity with the cat, and then it clicked.


    "You have a Dark core as well. I''m assuming it''s because you recreated your magic core when going into a body and this time created a Dark magic one. It''s no wonder I can feel your magic."


    It was then that Raze realized Sophie should be able to tell the same from him and that Dark magic core users would be able to recognize one another. Maybe Sophie couldn''t tell now because it wasn''t his real body.


    Kelly, seeing the Dark Spirit interact with the cat, didn''t know why, but she found it extremely frustrating, and it was putting her on edge. Eventually, after giving the cat a soft pet on the head, Raze stood up and looked back at Kelly.


    "I''m actually d I am with you right now," Raze said.


    "You are?" Kelly felt her cheeks heating up and went to look away. "There is something I wanted to ask you to look into the mages that disappeared more when you get the chance."


    "There might be some professors at the academy that know something. You might even have to talk to Ibarin if you have to. I doubt he will do anything to you, but if there is any pushback, just back off. I don''t want you to get hurt."


    It was then that Raze started to notice something else. Kelly''s knees were bandaged up, and even her arms had some bruises on them. They didn''t look too fresh but were serious wounds.


    "Is everything okay? Did something happen at the academy?" Raze asked.


    "It wasn''t the academy," Kelly replied, wondering if she should say anything. After all, the whole thing was Harvey''s idea, and she had no reason to question what he had nned.


    At the end of the day, though, this was all for the sake of the Dark Magus and the Dark Spirit. They were the creators of the Dark Guild.


    "This was from something quite recent," Kelly awkwardly said, as she went on to tell him everything.


    How Enaxx was being suspected of murder, and they wanted to get to the bottom of it. Going to the Glory Guild and everything Harvey had done in the end, including the information they


    had.


    After hearing everything, Raze shook his head.


    "I''m surprised you did that. I can see you thinking this was a chance, and Harvey is keeping an eye on the Grand Magus as I asked, but there was no need for you to go through that."


    "What do you mean?" Kelly asked.


    "Because I already know that Enaxx has a special trait, and I know what it is," Raze answered.

 Chapter 794: One Mystery solved

    Chapter 794: One Mystery solved


    ?


    The Dark Magus, Raze Cromwell, was an old man when he perished-he was 76 years old, and his body was already deteriorating quicker than most.


    There were perhaps countless reasons for this.


    For thest ten of his years, he had spent them as the Dark Magus. Perhaps during that time, he had put his body through too much with the countless experiments, especially those revolving around Dark Magic.


    Another reason could have been the countless fights he had with the Grand Magus.


    The Magus title, in the first ce, was only referred to those at the very top. The Dark Magus had gotten his name because, in a way, even the public had to admit that he was worthy of standing side by side with them, only he was on the other side.


    The side of evil, or the bad,pared to the Grand Magus.


    "Anyway, let''s get ready to head to the meeting ce, and remember what I asked you before. "I want you to do research on the mages that went missing as much as possible."


    Regardless, it was clear he had the same strength as them because the Dark Magus had been in countless battles against them.


    And there was one person whom Raze had fought against more than any of the other mages, and that was Enaxx.


    There was a deep grudge that was held between the two, but Raze''s hatred for the Grand Magus was almost equal among all of them, with the exception of one individual.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    So it wasn''t as if Raze was constantly going after Enaxx. It was just due to his position in the Grand Magus of being the most open, he was the easiest to target.


    "I know you have your suspicions," Raze said as he looked at Kelly. "About who I really am, and let''s just say you are correct."


    "Then you will understand."


    Kelly was rapidly blinking-she knew the Dark Spirit was hinting around the idea, but the theory Kelly had was that the Dark Spirit, although not looking like the Dark Magus that she knew, was the Dark Magus.


    "You mean, it''s you, it''s really you!" Kelly said.


    "I stated if, and as you can tell, things are different," Raze replied.


    "But you''re growing your power, right? Compared to the first time when you appeared in front of us, you were able to gather more energy."


    "After I met with Sophie and saw the state she was in, I realized that you could be in any state. In fact, it wouldn''t be far-fetched to say that you could even be in any body!"


    Raze had a feeling that this girl was quite clever. Even in the academy, she was the type of student that Raze would have taken a careful eye over and would have loved to see what she would grow into.


    Right now, he could tell that Kelly was extremely excited about her theory more likely being true.


    "I fought with the Grand Magus countless times, and I fought with Enaxx the most. I had pushed him to the point where he used this special trait of his."


    "And I''m telling you now, with his trait, if he was the strongest mage in terms of his powers, his special trait would easily make him the strongest in the world."


    "But in terms of magic, he greatlycks behind the others."


    Hearing these words, now the Dark Spirit was no longer denying being the Dark Magus. Kelly was curious about what hade for him to be this way, why he had lied to them about being the Dark Spirit instead of just saying he was the Dark Magus.


    But she also believed that if he needed to, he would tell her, and he had already informed her in a roundabout way.


    "Still, I don''t know his full power. I pushed him far enough for him to use his special trait, but never got him to reveal his breakthrough. Perhaps it was too big of a risk, like what happened to Bronk."


    "And whenever the two of us would fight, he could always rely on the fact that one of the others would soone."


    Although the Dark Magus might have earned the title to stand toe to toe with the Grand Magus, he could never fight multiple of them at once.


    If he got back to Alterian, Raze had toe up with a n to try and take them out one at a time.


    It was also because of his many fights that Raze knew, with his current strength, he wouldn''t be able to go up against Enaxx even now.


    With his magic and Pagna skills, he would be able to survive, but beating the other person was another thing altogether.


    "So then, what is Enaxx''s trait? Do you think he used it to kill the reporter? Harvey seems to think so," Kelly asked.


    "That... sure, I''ll tell you," Raze said, as he went on to exin Enaxx''s trait in detail to Kelly, and Sophie was there listening.


    Raze thought there was no harm. These people had done more for him than he thought. They were acting for him at the risk of their lives, just like some initiates he knew in Pagna as well.


    A task that he once was forced to do on his own, in this strange set of circumstances, he had found those who were helping him, so giving them some information would be fine.


    "I can''t believe it," Kelly said with her mouth wide open. "I didn''t know such a thing was possible... if he can do that, then the number of spells, the... I can see why you said he had the potential to be the strongest in the world now."


    "Nafob Alok, his name was also on some of the files that had Dark Magic on them that me and Harvey found.


    "And see if there''s any link to Bofan Kilik."


    Kelly nodded along, but she stopped for a moment as she realized something.


    "I think I might have found your link already. It might be a coincidence, but I''m sure that the two people you''re looking into are the same person.


    "Bofan backwards is Nafob."


    It was the confirmation that Raze was looking for-that the Dark Faction founder was someone from Alterian, and now that he knew both names he went by, he was sure he would find this man, and with it, the location of the Golden Globe.

 Chapter 795: Creating The Army

    Chapter 795: Creating The Army


    ?


    Harvey was currently on a work shift after returning. He had been buried deep in paperwork since being assigned the Ashley Case. To his dislike, a statement had already been released, stating it was impossible for Enaxx tomit the crime.


    That the rumors about him are false. Since he is a high figure looked up to, there are always those trying to take him down. The news report even showed live footage of Enaxx at another shoot at the time of death.


    What''s more, the footage of a person cloaked in a robe was seen entering Ashley''s room at the time of her death.


    All of this just made it seem like the footage of the person sneaking in was meant to be found, and it was all annoying Harvey the more he looked at the work. The thing was, he knew there was nothing he could do.


    When the higher-ups had asked for a statement, he already knew this was going to happen, which was why he had passed the task to his partner who was at the scene. The issue now was, the higher-ups were asking him toe up with a suspect.


    ''There''s only one fucking person guilty,'' Harvey thought, tapping his pen against his table. He looked out the ss at his fellow workers and was d he was in his own separate cubicle, otherwise they would have been able to feel the intense rage in the room.


    ''Now they''vee here and given me a list of suspects. Those that have written a few bad things about Ashley online, another guest on her show, and fellow colleagues as well as a boyfriend.''


    ''They want me to pin it on one of these,e up with some fake evidence and close the case.''


    The thing was, knowing who it was, Harvey didn''t want to do it all. Yet the calls didn''t stop. In order to distract himself from the situation, Harvey closed the file on Ashley and instead another case had appeared.


    "The Death of A Glory Guild Commander," Harvey said to himself as he looked at the report. It was an internal report on the police file, no information had been released about what had urred, and finding that strange, Harvey looked into it. The good news was, it appeared they had no clue who had done such a thing.


    Even more so, they didn''t really know why. The only thing they could guess was either it was a hire kill, by one of his victims, or revenge personally. Yet, out of all the victims that Bronk dealt with, it was unlikely they could do anything.


    They weren''t strong enough or more skilled than a 6-star mage, and simrly, they didn''t have the funds to hire someone that would have been able to take care of a 6-star mage, which was why they were stumped.


    There was one interesting thing the file did have though, and that was the investigation that was run.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Experts believe that there have been traces of Dark Magic used, the case has now been passed onto the Cerebus Team."


    The Cerebus Team was one he had seen a few times, and he noticed that these were the ones that dealt with the guilds belonging to the Guild of the Grand Magus and the Grand Magus itself.


    Not just that, but if a report or case was moved to the Cerebus Team, then Harvey had no ess to any information whatsoever, even at his level.


    ''There is a Cerebus Guild, and when I looked into it they were linked to one of the Grand Magus as well.''


    ''They were mostly funded by Gizin, who seemed to be testing out some enhancing products from them. In some cases, they are practically a guild under Gizin''s control.''


    ''It could just be the names are simr or there really is a link to this.


    ''All of the Grand Magus have powerful guilds under their control. Idore with his Noble Guild, the strongest and top Guild in the world.


    ''Then the link with Gizin and the Cerebus Guild. You then have Ibarin and the Mage Academy. Although they aren''t a guild.''


    ''From my knowledge the whole board of the academy is under his thumb. They would be out of a job and lose their prestige if they didn''t follow him.''


    ''So there are some of the most powerful mages in there. On top of that, the students, although they might not be loyal to the academy itself, they would do anything to get on his good side. He''s a hard variable with how strong his force is.''


    ''Then there is Enaxx and his Glory Guild, someone who seems to take in anyone no matter what their criminal background, all for the sake of having a powerful guild.''


    ''The reason why the Glory Guild doesn''tpete with the Noble Guild is because of Idore and his enchanted items leaving them for his very best. Allowing them to be more than just strong mages.''


    ''Then if we''re looking at strong mages we would have to look at him.''


    Minimizing his screen once again, on his desktop there was an image of one of the Grand Magus, with a scarf wrapped around his neck, and strange green eyes that drew people in.


    The green eyes of death. "Trubin, who is rumored to be the strongest mage there is out there. A Grand Magus that is only used in the most extreme of cases."


    "It was because of him, and the show of his power that the whole world was able to ept the Grand Magus as a force in the first ce."


    "He''s the only one that doesn''t have a guild."


    While thinking about all of this, Harvey''s watch started to beep, he could see the time, it was 5:00 PM, it was time for him to clock out of his work for the day.


    ''The meeting is in two hours, so I have time to drop by... thinking of all of these Grand Magus and their guilds, I need to get rid of one of them, and soon... the one that''s annoying me the most right now is Enaxx.''


    ''But to take out the Glory Guild we''ll need an army, and it''s a good thing I''m creating one.'' Harvey said as he stood up and left the office.

 Chapter 796 A Dark Secret

    796 A Dark Secret


    After finishing work, Harvey didn''t head home, nor did he head to the underground world where the others were for his meeting. Instead, he made a stop in a different ce.


    He found himself walking through a rougher area of the city. It was nothing like the world below. Instead, this was a ce filled with guilds that took on all sorts of jobs.


    Not all guilds were good, and not all guilds were public. If one wanted their hands on illegal enchanted items, medical-grade items, or other things, they needed a ce.


    No matter how good the world seemed to be, as long as there was a demand for something, someone out there would supply it, and this was true in Alterian as well.


    The streets were littered with rubbish and filled with potholes. Even the sidewalk hadn''t been repaired for what looked like years. However, there were certain entertainment establishments that looked more upmarket.


    For one, there were some thriving restaurants in the area¡ªafter all, everyone had to eat. There were also nice gambling establishments with fancy lights on the outside and holographic disys.


    Standing outside these doors were mages hired from other guilds to stop the rowdiest of customers.


    Harvey continued to walk in the open until it looked like someone was about to bump into him. Lifting his hand, he used magic to push the person forcefully, sending them into the air andnding on the ground.


    "What did you do that for? You just used magic on me for no reason!" the man shouted.


    "You chose the wrong target today. I''m telling you now, leave and turn around. That enchanted knife in your pocket isn''t going to do anything against me," Harvey said. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The man stood up from the ground.


    "You can''t just attack people with magic like that¡ªyou know you can get in some serious trouble."


    Harvey continued walking forward, and toward the man, who then pulled out a glowing green de. He sliced, trying to attack Harvey, but instead, Harvey avoided the hit and then grabbed his hand. With the knife, he forcefully pushed, with the help of Wind magic, making the man stab himself in the stomach.


    Letting go, Harvey walked past the man who had stabbed himself with his own de and fell to his knees.


    "Don''t bother calling the police¡ªthey don''t show up in this area. I should know," Harvey said, leaving without knowing whether the man would live or die. There was a part of him that thought about going back, not to check if the man was okay, but whether to bring him with him or not.


    Finally, after walking down one of the most dangerous streets in the city, Harvey stopped outside an old, abandoned restaurant. It had been boarded up, and only three letters were left in odd ces: A, S, S.


    Harvey was sure someone had stolen the other letters on purpose to spell the establishment, but he didn''t mind¡ªit was always easy for him to spot because all he had to do was look for "Ass."


    As for the establishment itself, it had been shut down when several murders took ce. A guild war had erupted in the restaurant itself. Several mages were killed as well as civilians.


    Not even the people who lived in the area wanted to eat there anymore, so it had no choice but to shut down and try to find another buyer. It was hard, and no one was looking to buy it until someone eventually rented it out but kept it as it was, not fixing it, and keeping the signage on the outside as well as the boarding.


    Going around the side of the building, there was a thick steel door in ce. cing his hand on it, a barrier could be seen. It was a magical one, so the door was reinforced with magic to stop even mages froming in here.


    A high-level one as well that would have cost quite the penny unless someone had ess to some confiscated items that might have gone missing. cing a special key, the door opened, and Harvey entered the establishment.


    Entering the restaurant, Harvey was in the main area¡ªit was still destroyed from the fight. Tables were broken, flooring destroyed, and more. Moving on from there, Harvey went into the kitchen and then started to head down the stairs into the cer.


    As he continued to walk, the sounds of moans, cries, and more were heard echoing into the ce, and finally, Harvey reached the bottom. A cer that was used to store drinks and other such items for the restaurant hadpletely been converted.


    Now there were arge number of cells with iron bars blocking the way. These, too, were enchanted by magic, making it nearly impossible for people to escape.


    "Please let us out!" a person cried as they grabbed onto the bars.


    The room itself had around ten cells, each that could fit around five people. Most of them were full, but there were a couple that still had some space in them.


    "Have you done as I asked?" Harvey said, looking at the man.


    "How can we? How can we do what you ask?" the man shouted. "If we learn what you gave us, if we learn that, then we''re as good as dead."


    That''s when Harvey started to p.


    "Right, right, so you''re starting to get the picture, right? I''ve told you all several times: if you can learn the Dark magic spells I''ve given you, then you will be free to be let out. However, of course, if you learn Dark Magic, everyone knows the rules above."


    Harvey then lifted his hand toward the man, and out of the palm of his hand, a Dark Pulse shot right through the man''s head, killing him on the spot and causing him to fall.


    A series of screams from the others were heard, while some of the people inside the cells covered the others'' mouths to stop the screams.


    "If you learn Dark Mlmagic, then you will be chased by the mages forever, which means those of you who have learned Dark magic will only have one ce that can protect you all¡ªthe Dark Guild!"


    "So all of you, get to learning Dark magic, and help the guild grow! I''ve got a meeting to go to now. I hope to see some progress when I get back."

 Chapter 797 A Wish to The People of Alterian

    797 A Wish to The People of Alterian


    ---


    In the world of the Underground, Harvey had already arrived at the usual spot. He stood there, staring at the ce where the Dark Spirit had first appeared. When he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, he quickly recognized who it was and ran over, dropping to one knee in front of the Dark Spirit, bowing his head.


    "I greet the great Dark Spirit. I had been waiting for your return, but it seems you''ve already appeared. I apologize for not being there when you needed me," Harvey said, ncing up at Kelly, wondering why the Dark Spirit was walking with her.


    "You can stand. I have heard of what you did and your great deeds. I am thankful that you are continuing the pursuit of the Grand Magus and keeping track of their activities. Their crimes never cease to amaze me, and as time goes on, it seems they are bing more brazen in their acts," Raze stated.


    "I agree," Harvey said, standing up. "The more things go on, if they don''t get punished, then things will soon be out of hand. The Grand Magus must be stopped."


    Kelly felt a strange difort listening to the conversation. It was always odd for her to see Harvey act this way. When directing others, he was in charge, but as soon as the Dark Spirit arrived, he became an obsessed, loyal servant.


    "May I also say, sir, each time you return, I can feel your powers increasing at a rapid rate. I wish you the fastest recovery."


    Raze found thest sentence a little strange, and he figured that perhaps Harvey had caught on to the truth as well.


    "I guess it''s time I reveal the truth to you all," Raze said, as he stood in the center of the spot where he usually stood. Meanwhile, the other three members were spread apart, all staring at Raze.


    "The truth is that I am not a Dark Spirit created by the Dark Magus. I am a reincarnation of the Dark Magus himself," Raze said. Although it technically wasn''t true, it was the easiest way to exin his situation.


    "In one of the dimensions, I obtained a rare artifact. I knew the Grand Magus were on my tail. When all five of them arrived to deal with me, I used the artifact as ast resort. I then reincarnated into something simr to what you see right now."


    Harvey listened intently, but the sound of his heartbeat was intensifying. Like Kelly, he had guessed that the Dark Spirit was the Dark Magus, but now it had been confirmed. To think he was talking to the Dark Magus right now¡ªhe could fall over at any moment.


    "This is still a projection of myself, and part of my power. Right now, my real body is in hiding, trying to regain my power to what it used to be, so I can fight against the Grand Magus again. But I assure you, I am the real Dark Magus," Raze imed.


    Harvey quickly got down on one knee once again after the speech had finished, and this time Kelly did the same along with Sophie.


    "I knew the news was fake when they reported your death. The fact that the Grand Magus had burned everything and there was no body to be found in the report¡ªI figured you would return one day, and here you appeared in the circle we created. I believe it is fate for all of us toe together on that day!" Harvey stated.


    Raze was quite surprised; there was no doubt like the first time when he had arrived, and they were questioning who he was. Things were much easier now, and perhaps it had something to do with the quick regain of his power and the knowledge he had shared so far.


    "There is a reason why I have revealed this to all of you," Raze continued. "I wish for the Dark Guild to push forward. Continue to expand and grow, finding new members and bringing them in."


    "You can spread the name of the Dark Guild using that of the Dark Magus to try to find new recruits, and try to find those who harbor a deep hatred toward the Grand Magus."


    "I''m sure there are plenty more who have been hurt by them and their guilds, hiding in the shadows, wishing that someone would act. I want you to go out there and tell them that they will need to act, and they shouldn''t worry, for the Dark Magus Returns!"


    Harvey stood up and looked at Raze with admiration, and so did the rest. Things were moving along; they felt hope for a day when they wouldn''t have to meet underground like they were doing now. Things certainly seemed like they would change.


    "In the meantime, I will continue to grow my power and forces, but to go up against the several guilds and the people who run them, we need a stronger force. In the meantime, I want all of you to dig up information about an item known as the Golden Globe."


    "There is a chance that there is information about the item spread somewhere in Alterian. If we find the Golden Globe, then I can return with full power to take the others down."


    Harvey''s heart skipped a beat as he imagined seeing the Dark Magus fighting in front of him. Then he imagined him by his side, using his magic to help, while ordering an army of those who knew Dark Magic, all for the sake of helping the Dark Magus! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Our meeting times will be the same, but I don''t know when I will return, as I will be very busy." Raze started to break off the astral projection technique, and his body began to fade.


    "I wish for people to say ''The Dark Magus has Returned'' on my next visit. Now, it''s time for the Dark Magus to im the leadership of the Dark Faction," Raze said with a smile.


    ---

 Chapter 798 Head To The Surface

    798 Head To The Surface


    The Bonum Society members were running around the base, a bit confused about what exactly was going on. Not too long ago, many thought they were being attacked. There was destruction all over the ce, and injured members walking around proved it. What was strange though, was that none of it was getting repaired.


    They were told what had urred was a misunderstanding, and now,stly, they were informed that they should get ready to move out. Perhaps they would no longer have to use the underground base.


    Amir had decided that the base had served its purpose, originally built away from the eyes of others to protect the god-tier item, the Golden Globe. Now, above and with control of the entire Dark Faction, they could move around with more ease and set upmunication above.


    Things would be easier if there was less hiding for them to do. While the Bonum Society members were getting ready, there was still one more thing they needed to wait for, that they were all waiting for.


    Raze''s allies had headed down to the canteen, arge food hall with rectangr tables that could seat around twenty or so people. They would take their wooden trays and grab pieces of food.


    Due to the impending move, there was plenty of food to go around, and that meant the warriors were free to dig in as they wished.


    Although, the higher stage warriors didn''t need as much food as they already consumed a lot of energy from cultivating. They could survive an extremely long time without food or water.


    Still, it didn''t mean it wasn''t a pastime that many of them enjoyed.


    "So, what are we doing now? We''re just waiting for Raze, right, and then we''re going to head to the academy?" Liam asked.


    "That''s why I was out before," Amir answered. "I''ve made preparations above. When Raze enters the academy, along with all your help, it will be easy for him to take the position, and we''ll make it clear that Murkel is no longer."


    "So, what is Raze exactly doing now? He holed himself up in that room and said no one was to enter, no matter what," Froma asked. "Doesn''t anyone think it''s weird that he''s been in that room for hours, and we''re all just epting it and waiting?"


    "He''s actually done this before," Alba said.


    "Right, in Flendon," Anna added. "He was holed up in that room, and then we had to fight off the Behemoth n. Even with all the fighting happening outside, he didn''t leave that room once.


    08:36


    "Maybe this is the secret to his strength building, a cultivation technique only he knows."


    That didn''t surprise anyone. Although a lot of Raze''s powers with magic could be exined, what couldn''t be exined was how skilled and strong he was in terms of using Pagna skills.


    "There''s another question that has been on my mind as well," Rayna said as she finished her food, surprisingly before anyone else. "We have been epting of the people here, and we can somewhat understand everyone''s rtionship to Raze."


    "Amir is part of the Bonum Society, which saw Raze as an otherorlder that could change the flow of the Academy. Ricktor and Mada were also saved by Raze while at the academy."


    "Safa and Liam were both part of the orphanage where Raze was. We then have all of the Crimson Crane, who he met first, asking for help. That was when they went up against the Light Faction Elder and saved me."


    "I am, of course, his wife now as well. Then we have the three Dark Faction members working with Cronker from the Crimson Crane; they are in debt to Raze because of the tough assessment they went through."


    "Mantis seems to have been forced into the situation because of the Bonum Society. It will be tough for him to head back to his n now. We also have Dame, who started the business of the Dark Magus, selling his special pills on the market."


    "Finally, we have Anna, a member of this group called Alter, which Raze was also recruited to be a part of, including Simyon and Liam. Due to a situation, Raze was caught using magic."


    "So, all of that is cleared up, and we know how everyone came to gather around Raze¡ªall but you," Rayna said, staring at Zon. "You seem to be from the same world as Anna but also have an interest in Raze, to the point you haven''t left yet. Why are you here, and where did you evene from in the arena?"


    Everyone was curious about the mysterious warrior whose strength they didn''t even know much about. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "My answer is not asplex as you might think," Zon said. "There are two reasons, just like the others: I am an otherworlder trying to find my way back home."


    "There was something the Bonum Society didn''t mention in their briefing, and it''s the fact that mages¡ªthose from Alterian''s power¡ªseem to have the ability to open portals. At times, when a mass amount of magic is used, portals end up opening."


    "In fact, the way I open up portals is quite simr, although we can save that for another time. However, the reason I need Raze is more than just to find a way home; there was a reason why I picked him and not just anyone from Alterian."


    "Besides, I wanted to get a powerful mage before they were tainted by Alter or the Bonum Society, and he seems perfect, making his own path. Even if we never get the Golden Globe, I believe someday Raze will be able to travel freely."


    "Besides, someone has to be strong enough to make these artifacts¡ªeven the Golden Globe at one point¡ªand the weapons he has made, particrly from the Crimson Crane, have been immensely powerful. That''s why I''m with Raze."


    Everyone was stunned to silence, and then the door slid open.


    "I''m ready; let''s go to the surface," Raze said.

 Chapter 799: A Dark Faction Meeting

    Chapter 799: A Dark Faction Meeting


    ?


    Since the Dark Faction used to beprised of just ns, there wasn''t really a base of operations for all the Dark ns to gather. At the same time, there wasn''t even an official leader of the faction itself.


    What those who lived on the Dark Faction''s continent did know was which were the top five ns that had far more power over the others and who they chose as their leader.


    The system was believed to be set up in such a way that the five top ns could always have one of them representing the top, always in control.


    With Murkel taking the position of principal of the academy, the meeting ce for the five main ns, as well as all the n''s merchants and kingdoms that operated within the


    territory, would often be at the academy.


    Today was another day when all from far and wide had gathered at the academy. The students were told to stay in their respective dorms for the day, while the courtyard had been cleared.


    In the courtyard itself, there were around a hundred important figures from across the territory. Some of them were standing with several heads next to them.


    Others were sitting down in seats they had brought with them, along with tables allowing their servants to do their bidding.


    It wasn''t just Pagna martial artists, but also the top merchants and representatives from the kingdoms.


    "Why have so many people been asked to gather in the courtyard?"


    "I heard a big announcement was to take ce today; it was an emergency meeting."


    "Did you also see the report? That could be the reason for all of this happening. So much stuff urred at the Martial Arts Tournament."


    "Right, and the results of what happened are unclear. We''ve been asking for word from the top ns, from the Erupting Fist n maybe since the report came out, but we''ve heard nothing."


    Due to a certain individual present during the whole affair, a report hade out.


    The report didn''t put the me on a single individual or name anyone for what had urred, but exined that a powerful artifact had been used to clear everyone out of the area.


    It was the only way things could be exined to the people that understood, and with so many having experienced what happened firsthand, they had to believe it.


    Going on, it was stated that a few people were left behind, including most of the Dark Faction. Two groups had battled it out. In the report, Bubble did, however, use the name of the Dark Magus.


    A man who was currently known to the world as being from the Demonic Faction.


    The report imed that he and his allies defeated most of the Dark Faction warriors that were there, and the state of Murkel was unknown.


    There were some things that were kept quiet in the report. For one, the fact that Murkel was a Hybrid.


    Bubble didn''t know how that would affect the state of the people, and although his job was to report, he knew that his information had strong power.


    Which was why, on top of that, he made it clear to mention that the Demonic Faction leaders were also teleported out, and that it was only the Dark Magus who took part in it all.


    The issue was, this was just one such report. There weren''t several reports, and unlike everyone disappearing from the arena, no one had seen what had urred.


    For a single person and a few allies to get rid of the strongest in the Dark Faction, it sounded like a fantasy.


    The fact that they hadn''t been attacked by the Demonic Faction or the Light Faction yet made it seem even more untrue.


    An exaggeration to get more sales was most of their thoughts. However, the people started to worry when there was no news spread by the Dark Faction.


    None of the ns were responding to the reports, and no one had seen Murkel. It was because of this that when Amir sent the message far and wide to everyone using the members of the Bonum Society and more, everyone came to gather, because they needed to know the future of the territory they were in.


    Looking around though, those in the courtyard started to notice something.


    "Are those people from the Flowing Force n?" One asked.


    "Yeah, but where''s the n Head and the Vice n Head?"


    "Not just that, look at them; they seem almost exhausted, tired, and hurt, don''t you think?"


    Those that had arrived, none of them were the top warriors of the Flowing Force n-at least not the names everyone knew of.


    When thinking about more details, they remembered the head of the Flowing Force n, as well as Samantha, an incredibly strong individual for the Flowing Force n, had both gone to the Martial Arts Tournament.


    The fact that they weren''t here caused fright.


    "But why are the others injured? At the Martial Arts Tournament, I thought they were only allowed to bring a few with them. So why are the others injured as well?"


    It certainly had the others talking, and that''s when they could see something else strange-it wasn''t just the Flowing Force n that was like this.


    All five of the main ns that had arrived had injured members. Gavin Rocksbored, the head of the Moon Shield n, was nowhere to be seen either-another one who had gone to the Martial Arts Tournament.


    With what had happened to the Lethal Bite n, everyone felt like they were already


    witnessing the demise of the five big ns in the Dark Faction.


    Now though, even the people from within the ns were hurt.


    Several raised eyebrows were urring, but the main bulk of the confusion was when theyn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    saw the state of the Erupting Fist n.


    There was no Murkel, only an elder with quite a few injured warriors in particr, but that wasn''t the worry.


    "Why are they down here with us... just who called this meeting then?"

 Chapter 800: Whole Clan Annihilated

    Chapter 800: Whole n Annihted


    ?


    Just like all the other top ns in the Dark Faction, those that had arrived from the Erupting Fist n were also covered in wounds and didn''t look to be in the best shape.


    When looking around further, they could see it wasn''t just the top ns, though. They could also see the lower Pagna warrior ns.


    Those that were powerful, not quite considered the top five, but still had considerable strength.


    They too had been greatly injured. One of the merchants, named Boom, was sitting in his sedan chair, pleasantly eating grapes over hisrge belly, but he stopped as he realized what was happening around him.


    Then he saw the Ferocious Beetle n appear by his side, the leader badly hurt, with a bandage around his head.


    He was a middle-stage warrior and one of the strongest n leaders outside of the top five in the faction.


    "Herbee, can you exin what''s happening?" Boom asked. "Was there some type of war or battle that urred that I wasn''t aware of?"


    Herbee, the leader of the Ferocious Beetle n, looked over his shoulder, surveying all the other ns.


    "You could say that... you could say that in a week, there was a war going on in the Dark Faction that no one else had a clue about." Herbee then touched the wound on his head.


    "All of them were so strong. Some of them were Hybrids, others... I don''t even know how to describe it... and before we knew it, it was happening to every single significant n in the Dark Faction."


    "What do you mean? How could there be so many fights, a war right under our noses, and the public was unaware of it?" Boom asked.


    Herbee shuddered to think of the scale of the invasion. He had been attacked by what looked like a sweet, innocent girl.


    The whole n went up against her, but she used a strange sword that ignited her power. Any scratch made on her body, any mark or damage of significance, all of it disappeared.


    Not only that, but the girl they fought never seemed to tire. There was an endless amount of Qi building up more and more.


    "If such a war happened, then why are you all still alive?" Boom asked.


    "That''s what I don''t understand either. They essentially imed to take over the n. They told us to listen to what they wanted, or they would attack again."


    "They took the n''s artifacts, they''re in control of the ns, but they''ve allowed us to continue operating as we have before."


    "Then I got a message from them, saying toe here. I wouldn''t have dared to deny it, which is why I''m here now."


    There was more to Herbee''s story. Originally, after the girl had let him live, he tried to contact the other ns, to warn them or to n an attack against the invaders.


    Little did he know, the forces were spread wide. They had more than just one powerful warrior, and all the ns were being taken out.


    Some of the ns he contacted had already gone through what he had and refused to even try going against the enemy attacking them.


    It was well-coordinated, and there were even those from within the ns fighting against them.


    "Then who did all of this? Was it the Light Faction, the Demonic Faction, or maybe even the Dark Magus?"


    A lot of people in the courtyard were starting to think the same things. They were noticing the same things and having the same conversation that Herbee and Boom were having right now. After learning that the Dark Magus was responsible for attacking the Dark Faction, they had to assume it was him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "No one imed to be the Dark Magus; we never saw such a person," Herbee stated. "I asked the other ns; we even had a meeting beforeing here."


    "All the attackers were different, and some of them... we recognized... they were from the Dark Faction."


    "You recognized the attackers? Then you should know who called this meeting, right? Who was it? Who was it?" Boom asked.


    There was silence from Herbee. How could he say who the attackers were? He couldn''t say it out loud, or they might think he was mad.


    It was impossible to say that it was them.


    "Hey, look, more people are here. Who invited them?" one of the merchants said, pointing his finger at the group.


    As for the group of people that had entered the courtyard, it was the students of the Dark Faction, followed by the Crimson Crane and more.


    All of Raze''s built-up allies had arrived, causing more confusion. Some recognized the Crimson Crane, making them think their suspicions were correct, that it had to be the Dark


    Magus.


    However, why were there students-students they had seen during the Dark Faction''s own event that had yed out?


    "This is an important meeting; we can''t have students here," the merchant continued.


    That was until one of the n heads pulled out a sword and pressed it right up against the man''s neck.


    "You shut up, you keep your mouth shut right now! And don''t say another damn word." The man was frightened. What would cause the n member to act like this?


    Amir then jumped out to the forefront of the group and continued to walk, leading the others behind him.


    Eventually, they got to the tform at the front, and those who traveled with him spread out to look at all the others. The representatives from the kingdoms, the merchants were looking at each other, wondering why the Crimson Crane, members from the Demonic Faction and others were all standing on the tform that was meant for the principal to make announcements, and why Amir was by their side.


    However, none of the ns said anything.


    "You wanted an answer, right?" Herbee said. "As for who attacked us, well, your answer is all


    of them on the tform right now.


    "How could I say it... that our whole n was annihted... by a student?" Herbee said,


    looking right at Safa.

 Chapter 801: All The Same Person

    Chapter 801: All The Same Person


    ?


    As the students, members of the Crimson Crane, those from the Demonic Faction, and even unfamiliar faces stood on the tform, there were murmurs among the crowd below.


    Those who had never seen these people or only recognized them by name and appearance started to question what was happening.


    However, slowly, like a ripple spreading out, those who had been hurt, those who had been defeated by the people above, began to spread the word.


    These were the ones the ns had gone up against. These were the reasons why they were in the sorry state they had arrived in.


    The secret battle that had urred within the Dark Faction, one that not a single person had been aware of.


    "Wait, the fact that Murkel isn''t up there... did he really perish? And is it the same for the Moon Shield and Flowing Force ns? Did both of their n Heads perish as well?"


    What was confusing was that the main disciples of both those ns were on the tform, and those from within the ns had talked about facing them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When Ricktor and Mada arrived, the n wasn''t going down without a fight. Ricktor had to prove himself, and he was able to.


    Being a middle-stage warrior and seeing such power in front of his eyes, something had urred. He fought better than any of the remaining members of his n.


    After a few had been defeated, the rest of the n submitted. They were fully aware of those who had perished from within.


    For Mada, it was more difficult to make his n ept him. Thankfully, his brother Gunther had also arrived.


    Although he didn''t like it, side by side, the two of them fought against those in the n who rejected their positions. Eventually winning out, Gunther wanted no part in the n, and with Mada now at the helm, he got his wish.


    The others were sent to ns that Amir believed held items that would help them progress their powers-either techniques or artifacts that had been passed down.


    The goal was threefold: to get control of the ns in their hands, to gather resources such as coins and martial arts techniques, andstly, to secure any artifacts they had-all for this day.


    As the murmurs continued, Amir believed it was time, and he stepped forward, clearing his throat.


    Seeing Amir move forward, the whole courtyard went silent, as they were eager to hear his every word.


    "I, as well as the ns around you, sent invitations to every important person in the Dark Faction!" Amir shouted, projecting his voice with Qi so everyone could hear him clearly.


    "Today is a very important day for the Dark Faction, for the ns, the kingdoms, and the merchants within the faction. You all are essential to the territory''s sess, which is why we have invited you to this important day."


    Some of those listening felt proud of Amir''s words, while others just wanted him to get on with it and tell them what happened to Murkel.


    "As you all know, there has been a report passed around after the martial arts tournament."


    "It imed a disturbance. I can assure you, that part of the report is true. Gavin, Crine, and Murkel are no longer with us."


    "All of these people are no longer part of the Dark Faction. You can interpret my words as you will, but they will not being back, and if they do, they will no longer be part of the New Dark Faction."


    The murmurs among the crowd grew louder. Some were interested in what was meant by this New Dark Faction.


    Others were scared, thinking that with the n heads defeated, they were now the most vulnerable to an attack by the Light Faction or the Demonic Faction.


    Some of them thought it was time to sell whatever they could and try to move to other continents.


    "However, in a strange turn of events, those responsible will be part of the New Dark Faction."


    "The people here have already visited the strongest ns in all of the Dark Faction to demonstrate their power."


    "They are no weaker than the old; in fact, they are even stronger than before. The Dark Faction, Murkel, and his warriors did not fall to the Light or Demonic Faction; they fell to these people here."


    "Ha, how can that be true?" one of the merchants said with his arms folded. The instant he said those words, he felt several heavy eyes, like daggers, pinning him down.


    All of the warriors were staring at him, and the heavy weight of their gaze could be felt weighing him down. In an instant, he knew it was true.


    "Murkel did cruel things for the progression of his own sake and not that of the faction."


    "He forced all of you to send your strongest pupils to the academy, to force them into a battle of survival of the fittest just to make strong warriors for himself."


    "Yet, what he never suspected was that the strongest warrior of them all would be the one to defeat him."


    The talking among them continued, with more and more of them believing the reports were true-that the Dark Magus had imed victory. But the Dark Magus... he was from the Demonic Faction.


    Amir knew very well that this would be the sentiment. So he had an important announcement to make.


    "I wish for you all to turn and wee the new leader of the Dark Faction," Amir said, pointing ahead.


    When they turned around, they saw a single person walking toward the stage. As he walked, his young body stood out, but his appearance even more so.


    Wearing his zer instead of a uniform, he looked a bit different, but the white hair was a trait that many of them remembered from that day.


    "The one known as the Dark Magus, but not only that, the person known as the White Dragon of the Dark Faction, is our new leader!" Amir announced.

 Chapter 802: Not Part Of The Plan

    Chapter 802: Not Part Of The n


    ?


    The White Dragon was a name familiar to nearly everyone in the Dark Continent for several reasons.


    For one, it marked the start of an upset at the academy, a battle between unknowns against the main disciples. A turnaround that should never have urred, yet it did.


    Due to the student''s white hair, they gave him a powerful nickname that spread widely, not just through the Dark Faction territory but throughout all of Pagna.


    The whole point of giving such names was to create legends, and the person who decided to spread the name was Murkel.


    They were the ones who wanted the White Dragon to be known, so everyone present was aware of the White Dragon but was struck with confusion.


    "Did Amir just say the Dark Magus and the White Dragon? Does that mean he''s stating that both of these people are the same?"


    "But the Dark Magus is in the Demonic Continent; he''s married to the Neverfall n''s Daughter..." Slowly, a group of them turned their heads, and some recognized Rayna as well. Things were falling into ce, but how everything came to be still seemed impossible.


    How could such a person be in two ces at once? Not only that, it still didn''t make any sense. Raze Cromwell, a student at the academy, was just that¡ªa student-not too long ago.


    Sure, his feats against the main disciple were impressive, but how could one have the strength to take out Murkel?


    The man had a legend of his own-the legend of the strongest in all of Pagna, the closest to reaching the Divine Realm.


    "There was an assessment among the Dark Academy students; I''m sure many of you are aware since we obtained your permission," Amir continued.


    "In the assessment, there was one student who managed to escape. During his escape, he met the Crimson Crane in the Demonic Faction."


    "That was where he continued to grow in strength and found reliable people by his side to help him."


    "But the White Dragon, as well as the one known as the Dark Magus, swore toe back. For there were those he couldn''t leave behind."


    Amir then went ahead and tapped the shoulders of Safa and Simyon, pushing them forward.


    Liam, although his shoulder wasn''t pushed, decided to step ahead as well, his cheeks a little rosy.


    "He gained a massive amount of strength, and during the tournament, hepeted as an undercover student of the Demonic Faction.


    "He was the one who used a powerful artifact to send everyone away so he could face Murkel face to face!"


    Amir had cleared the details with Raze beforehand, deciding what would be said and what wouldn''t be.


    Raze didn''t mind anymore. With the power of the Dark Faction in his hands, he was ready to let everyone know that he was the Dark Magus.


    And for those who thought there was a link between the names, he was ready for them toe after him.


    On top of that, Amir emphasized that this was important. People loved a good story, and it was a good story of how Raze rose up to take control of the Dark Faction.


    The thing was, it wasn''t far from the truth either, and the easiest stories to convince or tell people were the ones that had truth in them.


    Raze continued to walk down, his face kept straight. It was a strange feeling, walking with all the people staring at him.


    ''How can the Grand Magus like this feeling?'' Raze thought. ''People that you don''t even know, parading you, gawking at you. I will never understand them.''


    The only reason Raze agreed to this was because of Amir, wishing to make his entrance as big and grand as possible.


    Finally, Raze managed to reach the end of the tform. Everyone else stepped back, allowing him to stand at the front.


    "It is your turn to speak as the new leader of the Dark Faction," Amir said, stepping back as well.


    "I did not want this position," were the first words from Raze''s mouth. "But due to the situation, I was forced to take it."


    "There are those out there who threaten our lives. The Light Faction, although they speak of righteousness, the first time we turn our backs, they will be ready to strike."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "The Demonic Faction always wishes to prove that they are the strongest. We are just a pebble in their way."


    "I was born in the Dark Faction. This was my whole world, and I found people who helped me through it."


    "Murkel was another person who wished to harm what I built up, so I grew stronger to protect


    it."


    "I grew stronger so no one can take the things I care about, the things that are important to me."


    "I will never be weak enough to let anyone take anything from me."


    "And I have a warning to everyone out there, no matter where they are from or what they are from."


    "If they dare try to take something from me, then I will pay back everyst thing tenfold!" Raze said with anger in his voice.


    It was so vicious that even his allies were surprised by the strength in his words.


    "Now that the Dark Faction is under me, it is mine as well, so anyone who dares to touch it, I will make sure they regret everyst bit of it."


    The words weren''t what one would expect from a student, of all things, and all of them could feel the anger.


    In Pagna, the world of warriors, it was a tough ce for them all. Nearly all of them had lost something, so they could rte to it.


    "I understand that it''s strange having me in this position and epting me. So I have a


    proposal for you."


    "Anyone who believes I shouldn''t be leader is free to challenge me for the position of the Dark Faction Leader, and I will face them alone," Raze dered.


    Amir turned around to look at the others, because this wasn''t part of the n.

 Chapter 803: The Last Clan

    Chapter 803: The Last n


    ?


    Amir had carefully gone through everything with Raze. With everything set, all Raze had to do was ask the ns if they were willing to ept him as the next leader.


    Due to the conditions set by everyone beforehand, they would get all the ns present to vote, all except for one which they hadn''t touched. Regardless, it would have been too many to just ignore. With all the warrior ns epting, the merchants, the kingdoms, and everyone else in between wouldn''t have been able to do anything.


    It should have been simple, so why was Raze doing this now, of all times?


    Raze looked down at the ground, at all the people. He could see their unepting looks.


    It wasn''t the same as when they all looked at Murkel, or how people looked at the Grand Magus in their position, and there had to be a reason why.


    The answer was respect. Those who rose to a position or proved their worth had the respect of others, and with respect, there was less chance of people trying to topple you.


    However, when people are chosen because of nepotism, or when they believe someone isn''t worthy of their ce or would be better for the people, there will always be those trying to topple you.


    After all, humans are selfish beings, and they need to see a reason why this will benefit them. "I have someone who will challenge you!" a merchant said, raising his hand.


    The merchant was dressed in fine, soft silk, an array of different colors. By his side, he had a small squad of guards, all wearing specially crafted armor.


    Armor designed to be light while offering the most protection.


    "They are Wanderer warriors, but they have also always been my guards," the merchant said. "I have sent them to do business in the Demonic Faction and Light Faction, and these Wanderers have stopped all sorts from attacking them."


    "As a merchant, I have heard of your amazing products. My request is that during this fight, you not use any of the Dark Magus materials."


    "After all, whatever can be made can be replicated, so if you used such items to best Murkel, then at some point there will be those who can match the same strength you produce. And then what?"


    Raze agreed and jumped down from his position onto the courtyard. He pulled out the ghost de from his side as well.


    The warriors and those naturally watching decided to step off to the side, giving a natural area for them to fight.


    The merchant then selected one of his guards, a middle-aged man with a ive, who walked out and spun it in the air before hitting the ground and cracking the floor beneath.


    The ns watching were quite impressed by what they could see. The Qi emitting from the ive was clearly that of a middle-stage warrior.


    The two of them were now around five meters away from each other.


    "Brace yourself," Raze said.


    "What?" the warrior said with a confused look. It was then that he saw Raze striking from below, swinging his sword from the ground upward, even though the two of them weren''t close to each other.


    Before the man knew it, he suddenly saw everyone below him growing smaller. His feet had been lifted off the ground, and he was in the air.


    "I''m flying..." the man said.


    Raze then appeared right in front of him and swung his sword down, hitting the ive. The man shot to the floor, crashing and breaking the floor beneath, sending out a shockwave of dust to the others.


    Raze then slowlynded on the ground and ced his sword away as the fight was clearly


    over.


    The crowd watching was stunned into silence, and even the Crimson Crane members were quite surprised.


    "Hey, that guy was a middle-stage warrior, right? And he managed to beat him so quickly?" Kizer asked.


    "Yeah, it makes no sense. I know Raze went up against Murkel, but even in his attack, he had used all the Descending Steps," Froma said. "On top of that, he used techniques. Here, he just swung his sword around."


    What the others were more surprised about was how Raze had managed to chuck his opponent into the air without his sword even touching the other person.


    "Did you see that?"


    "Yeah, he swung his sword, and then the guy was lifted into the air. I could see the current, or was it visual Qi? I''m not really sure."


    Something had happened to Raze''s body in the fight-he could feel it-a change that had urred from when he woke up.


    And he could feel it slightly when he was in Alterian as well. The fact that magic wasn''t leaking out from him as much meant he was no longer a stage 7 warrior, but through the fight, he was now a stage 8 warrior.


    Still not at the same level as Murkel or Belil, but they were even high-stage nine warriors. Now, his Qi stage was moreparable to Alba''s.


    In the fight just now as well, Raze truly didn''t hold back, as he had also used magic during his


    fight.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Is there anyone else who wishes to test my skill or doesn''t agree with me having this position?" Raze asked.


    After seeing how easily he had beaten a middle-stage warrior, there were quite a few who were now more epting.


    "What a load of crap!" another person said, walking forward. This man looked more like a knight, with his body filled with silver armor.


    He wasn''t a Pagna warrior but someone from one of the kingdoms.


    "Obviously, you and the merchant set up this whole thing so you could look really good. How could someone fall so easily?" the knight said as he continued to walk toward Raze, and just when he was close enough...


    Raze threw his fist right into the knight''s stomach, breaking through the iron armor. The impact caused spit and vomit to fall out of his mouth.


    Raze moved his hand, and the knight fell to the floor right there and then.


    "Is there anyone else who thinks this is fake?" Raze asked.

 Chapter 804: The Scent Of Blood

    Chapter 804: The Scent Of Blood


    ?


    The kingdoms and empires only hired Pagna warriors to help with certain issues that arose, but there had always been an agreement to keep matters separate between them.


    To keep regr people out of the world of Pagna warriors. This, in a way, gave freedom to both tiers of citizens.


    Those who epted themselves as Pagna warriors could face each other and follow the rules of the warrior. Being a warrior meant understanding the risks, and those not wishing to get involved could stay separate.


    It wasn''t as if regr people didn''t have things to worry about, and kingdoms, empires, and such continued to fight against each other anyway.


    One aspect that the kingdoms were building on was knights. Knights who wore specially crafted armor on their bodies, designed to be imprable to a sword.


    In many ways, some thought it might be a secret weapon against the Pagna warriors if a fight ever did break out between the two groups.


    However, they had witnessed Raze, with his bare hands, tear through the armor with ease. His condensed Qi allowed him to focus on breaking it, and then he held back his strength before hitting the knight in the stomach, causing him to fall to the floor.


    Because if he hadn''t held back, his entire arm would have ripped through the knight.


    "Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge me?" Raze said. "I will continue to fight, day and night, until every single person here epts me."


    These were the words of someone who truly believed they were much stronger than everyone there.


    If one were to fight several people, they would usually tire, as would their Qi, but Raze was willing to go up against all the n Heads present if he had to.


    With just those two fights, though, he had convinced the merchants, he had convinced the kingdoms.


    Even the ns, although they thought they might be able to take on Raze, the Dark Magus, or the one known as the White Dragon, had epted him because of the people behind him-all but one n.


    "I''ll challenge you," a female voice said.


    The group of people turned to see who had spoken up, and of all people, it was Samantha Wisheart, the leader of the Tulip n, one of the five major ns in the Dark Faction.


    She walked forward in a blue icy dress with a split down her long, slender legs. She held a fan to her face as she continued down, eventually stepping out onto the floor.


    "In the past, all five of the ns epted Murkel because he bested us all on his own. Even together, we couldn''t defeat him.


    "We needed someone like him to lead the Dark Faction. If anyone weaker than him takes the helm, the Dark Faction will fall."


    Gavin Rocksbored from the MoonShield n had fallen at the Martial Arts Tournament. Feebie Dines from the Lethal Bite n had fallen due to Raze and the Crimson Crane.


    Crine Runn, leader of the Flowing Force n, had also fallen at the Martial Arts Tournament. And Murkel was nowhere to be seen, with the strongest in the Erupting Fist n perishing. There was only one n left of the major five, and its leader, Samantha, was still present.


    There was an interesting tale well-known in the Tulip n, of how three women had conquered it, getting rid of all the men in the n.


    With their power alone, they had taken out the n Heads and be one of the major forces in the Dark Faction.


    It was the one n present that looked to have no one injured, and that was on Amir''s orders. Looking to her right, Safa turned to Amir.


    "Why didn''t you let us go after the Tulip n? It was the only n you told us to stay away from.


    "At the Martial Arts Tournament, Lin and Lulu were defeated, and they were part of the trio that took over the Tulip n in the past."


    Amir looked at Samantha for a moment, then finally decided to give an answer.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I thought she would be more useful," Amir said. "Originally, with all the nsplying, I thought we wouldn''t have this situation on our hands."


    "If anything, because Murkel forced himself into the position he was in, I believed they might even be epting of Raze taking his ce."


    "I understand it''s hard for anyone to ept a student, though. However, I would have liked when Raze took over the Dark Faction, that there would still be some tools to use.


    "In the fights so far, Raze has been able to control his strength to defeat his opponents, but against another main member of the Dark Faction, I don''t think that''s possible."


    "Aren''t you underestimating him?" Dame said. "Raze already took out Murkel, who had bested all of these. He would be able to take out most of the n Heads if he were to go up against them on his own."


    "It''s no doubt that he is the strongest among all of us here. Well, there might be one." Dame was looking at Zon when he said those words. Zon''s limits hadn''t been tested, and the way he defeated his opponents was more convincing than Raze''s.


    "You might be right about that, but remember, Raze only beat Murkel because of the special Chalice artifact he used."


    "It was the Divine being that took over his body, which in the end was able to best Murkel." "Even Raze''s strongest moves in magic weren''t able to defeat him," Amir answered. "Besides, there''s another thing you''re forgetting. Lulu and Lin, who Murkel brought with him, were considered to have the strength of n Heads.


    "Yes, it''s true that the three of them took over the Tulip n, but did you ever wonder why Samantha was selected as the leader and not them?"


    At that moment, as Raze stared, looking at Samantha, a scent had wafted into his nose, a smell he was familiar with, a strong sense of iron, and that''s when a voice had entered his mind along with it.


    ''I can smell the scent of blood on her... let me... take over and deal with her for you... you can rest.'' A familiar voice in his mind spoke.

 Chapter 805: The Correct Way To Use A Sword

    Chapter 805: The Correct Way To Use A Sword


    ?


    When Raze heard the voice, he felt a stronger sense of familiaritypared to before. He instantly knew it was the voice of the bloody woman, the one he had seen ever since he


    learned to use the Life and Death cultivation technique.


    It was clear now that something was lingering around him. Safa could see its presence when using her special god eyes, and Raze had felt it too; it even acted on his behalf at times. Sometimes, it had been his saviour without him even knowing it.


    Yet, its true goal, or its reason for sticking around with him, was still unknown to him.


    When using the Chalice, it was meant to summon a Divine being. The chalice was always meant to summon someone from above temporarily. It was why it was so much of a gamble for Raze to use such an item. Because it could have been anyone that came from that realm. but instead, Raze realized that the bloody woman had been summoned and was using his body.


    He had thought about it-since using the Chalice, he could feel the presence of the bloody woman more than before, but she hadn''t said anything or tried to appear. Raze was still in control of his body.


    One thing was clear: whatever was attached to him was most likely a Divine being, which was why the Chalice worked. The world of the Divine was interesting to him, but it wasn''t something he cared about or felt it was his business to deal with.


    Raze looked ahead at his opponent, Samantha, one of the main n Heads of the Dark Faction.


    ''You helped me fight Murkel when it was my only option,'' Raze thought, lifting his hand to his face. ''But do you really think so little of me? Do you think I''m too weak to go against someone like this?''


    Samantha fanned out her fan, cing it in front of her face, then dashed forward and began to swing it widely. Currents in the air appeared, but they weren''t just regr currents.


    In response, Raze swung his sword, shing against the currents, which were as strong as strikes from a real sword.


    ''This is interesting Qi; it''s almost like Wind magic is being used,'' Raze thought.


    However, it was clear that Samantha was shocked by the oue. She had somewhat believed that everything so far was a strange trick. After all, she had seen the warrior in front of her and his strength.


    It was impossible for someone to achieve in months what would take years. So she fully used the strength of her Qi in her strikes, but Raze was blocking them with ease.


    "Let''s see you handle this!" Samantha closed her fan and hurled it, spinning through the air. Her Qi created a beautiful pink disy in a circle.


    An odd sound came from the fan, screeching and hurting those nearby. Raze, seeing this, raised his sword and struck it with his Demonic Qi.


    This time, Raze was being pushed back. He tried to go against the fan, but even with his enhanced Qi and its concentration, he was being pushed back.


    "His condensed Qi can only take him so far," Bargo, the Vice Leader of the Moon Shield n, said.


    "What are you saying? He''s going to lose this?" Simyon asked. "Raze defeated much tougher opponents than this. Just because he can''t block a hit or loses in a battle of Qi doesn''t mean he''s going to lose."


    Bargo started tough.


    "You have to remember, we''re both on the same side here. I''m not against Raze, and trust me, I''ve seen what he can do. Like you said, fighting against the n Head isn''t no trouble, but he certainly wouldn''t be struggling this much."


    "I think he''s just testing how far he can go with his condensed Qi. You have to remember, he has yet to show a single technique."


    But it wasn''t just a single technique. Raze had reluctantly used his magic in the fight as well. What Bargo dered was right.


    Then, Raze used the strength in his arm to deflect the hit to the side while quickly moving out of ce. The fan retracted and returned to Samantha''s hand.


    "It seems you are nothing special. This is just the start; if you can''t deal with this, you''re not fit to be a leader. How can a no-name with no n skills or techniques possibly be the head of the Dark Faction?" Samantha dered.


    The others on stage were annoyed by this. Samantha had seen nothing he had done, none of his aplishments or progress. If anyone had witnessed what Raze had done so far, they wouldn''t have dared to say such things.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "With no skills, right? I guess I am always borrowing skills from this world and just repeating them, not making use of my own," Raze replied. "I do want to change that myself."


    "But you know, there are techniques that the old Dark Faction leader created. I''ve managed to use a few of them in fights so far."


    Dame, Rayna, and Amir knew what techniques he meant the Noctis n techniques, which had been incredibly powerful. During the Martial Arts Tournament, a single move had changed the oue of the fight.


    "Yet recently, I realized something while using them-that I had been using the techniques wrong this entire time," Raze dered as he held up his sword.


    Samantha, tired of listening, swung her fan several times, creating more air currents. Raze blocked each of them again, swinging his sword to deflect the hits.


    "Are the two moves you did before the only things you can do? If that''s the strongest you have, then this match is over. I''m going to prove to you and that woman that I will never need her help again, and even if she were to face me, I would bring her down myself."


    "Let me show you the correct way to use the Dark Edge Sword Arts!" Raze said.

 Chapter 806: The Old Head Returns

    Chapter 806: The Old Head Returns


    The Dark Edge Sword Arts was one of the things in Raze''s arsenal that made him extremely powerful. It was the technique that allowed him to use both his magic and Qi in a special way.


    Using one of the techniques whilebining it with the Descending Steps was currently his strongest method.


    This was where he had been going wrong with using them initially.


    Raze''s Qi started to wrap around the Ghost de. The special sword reacted to his Qi. As it wrapped around, Raze dashed forward.


    Before Raze could do anything, Samantha threw her fan again, aiming to hit the sword.


    Rather than hitting it directly, Raze quickly moved to the side, pushing himself away with a little help from his Wind magic.


    ''Not so obvious in front of all these people, but just enough to ease me into it.''


    Right after, Raze dashed in again, using the fourth Descending Step, explosive in power. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The fan had returned to Samantha''s hand, and she was ready to strike at Raze when she could see the sword.


    "That technique, I''m familiar with it. Did you think I wouldn''t know what it was?" Samantha said.


    Raze''s sword shed with Samantha''s fan in the air, but the Qi around the sword was still wrapping around and moving as if it were alive.


    "You have no idea about the Dark Faction''s history, do you? You think just because you know how to use the Noctis n''s techniques that you can win this fight?" Samantha asked. "We killed so many of them; we hunted every single one down. We''ve fought against these techniques numerous times."


    The bystanders listening to this were shocked. They knew the Noctis n was the one created by the founder of the Dark Faction.


    The founder who had disappeared. After that, the n itself was being eliminated. Members who appeared were dying.


    No one had suspected foul y, and now, right in the open, they were learning that fact from Samantha.


    "You know, I''ve lived long enough to know what those actions represent!" Raze said as he pushed further, enhancing his Qi even more.


    Samantha didn''t realize that Raze had be a stage 8 warrior, with Qi equivalent to the n Heads.


    So he could now maintain the current position for a while.


    "It''s the actions of someone who''s scared," Raze imed.


    "Scared? Ha! Lived long enough? You''re nothing but a child!" Samantha lifted her fan and was ready to strike again, but before it could hit, Raze moved his hand, pushing it away with his Wind magic.


    Then with his sword, he swung it, wrapping it in a way that made it feel like it was going around her body.


    "The first formation, Shadow Bind," Raze said.


    After the sword left her body, strange Qi could be seen wrapped around Samantha, making it harder for her to move.


    Those who still remembered the Noctis n from the past could see it was an exact replica of the move that had been used.


    Right after, Raze didn''t stop as he lifted his sword above his head, and with it, the Qi that had gathered around his sword quickly encased the weapon.


    "The second formation, Eclipse Strike!" Raze swung the sword down, and arge strike came right toward Samantha.


    Due to her being restricted by the first formation''s attack, she was finding it difficult to break free. Just before the attack hit, she amplified her Qi and managed to somewhat break out.


    She lifted her fan in the air and swung it down using all the power she could. The attack pushed her far back, destroying the flooring around her and leaving her arms heavily hurt.


    ''I''m not using magic in these attacks, but she''s still able to block it. She is a n Head, after all, and this proves that,'' Raze thought.


    However, the Qi energy from the Eclipse Strike, which had broken out, was lingering in the air at that point.


    "The third formation, Nightmare Veil Formation."


    A heavy mist covered Raze''s sword and the areas surrounding Samantha. As Raze swung his sword through the mist and out of his weapon, solid objects that looked like creatures began to appear.


    Since it was still Qi, Samantha had no choice but to try and strike back. She swung her fan rapidly as she struck at all those that came close to her.


    She started to remember the fight from the Tulip n¡ªthe number of people she had to cut down to get out of the situation she was in.


    While the images of the beasts from the Nightmare Veil Formation were being destroyed, the Qi was alling back to the bottom of Raze''s weapon.


    ''The movements, the techniques of the Dark Edge Sword Arts. Each one of them was so individually strong I always thought of them as separate attacks to be enhanced with other things.


    ''But I could feel it, something was missing, and in the books, there was a hint in how the techniques formed, how they were meant to be used.''


    ''Just like the Descending Steps, there is a reason why the formations are numbered¡ªbecause they''re meant to be performed one after the other.''


    ''Using the Qi that lingers from the attack makes it less of a burden on the user. Shadow Bind keeps the user still, the Eclipse Strike delivers a powerful attack from the front.''


    ''The dispersal of the Qi is then used to create nightmares for the user. If someone could survive all eight forms of the formation, they had to be aplete monster.''


    Right now, Raze was ready to use the fourth.


    "The fourth formation, Void Pulse Formation!" He dashed forward, and Samantha felt it¡ªher body was too hurt, she had slowed down considerably from everything that had urred.


    And only just now had she finished attacking the beasts. When she finally turned, she could see a sword hadpletely gone through her stomach.


    "Maybe it''s time we get rid of the old generation and start a new one," Raze said. "You can rest."


    Standing in the crowd of people, there was one person who was starstruck to the point of being brought to tears.


    The old man, the librarian Jiyo.


    "Those aren''t replicas of the Noctis n, that''s how the techniques are meant to be used. I feel like the old Faction Head has returned!"

 Chapter 807: The Last Weed Pulled

    Chapter 807: The Last Weed Pulled


    ---


    The sword had pierced right through Samantha''s stomach. There was no way she could heal from a wound like that. When he pulled the sword out, her lifeless body fell to the ground.


    The others in the Tulip n had anger on their faces and wanted to rush forward before one of the Elders stopped them.


    "If Samantha couldn''t stop him, what do you think the rest of you can do?" the Elder said. "Right now, everyone here is epting him as the new leader, so for our n to go against him would mean going up against the entire faction and bing outcasts."


    The n, which was mostlyprised of women, was upset. It was hard for them to hold back their feelings, and one of them couldn''t help but speak up.


    "But did he have to kill her? He could have just beaten her. Even when Murkel became the head of the Dark Faction, he didn''t get rid of the other n heads!" the woman cried out.


    "It''s not his fault," the Elder said. "At any point, Samantha could have given up the fight."


    "He had long disyed that he had the skills and the right to that seat. Yet she was the one who couldn''t ept him."


    "I believe with what he has shown, he has more right to that seat than anyone."


    The younger n members and those who weren''t familiar with the Pagna ways didn''t understand, but the discussion among the older members was stirred up, and it was because the Noctis n techniques had been used.


    "Did you hear what the n Leader said? She admitted to killing the Noctis n members."


    "I always thought there was something strange about what happened. I mean, the Noctis n was quite strong, but they had split up looking for the n Head."


    "Who else but the strongest ns in the Dark Faction could do anything to them?"


    "So does that mean he''s a descendant of the Noctis n, the only survivor who hase back? Maybe that seat was made for him all along."


    If one wasn''t strong enough, they could argue they weren''t fit for the seat of the Dark Faction leader.


    But Raze had proved his strength. Still, some would argue that he was an outsider who even used Demonic Qi rather than Dark Qi. At least Murkel used Dark Qi and was from one of the Dark Faction ns.


    Now, though, Raze had a reason to be clear of that by showing the Noctis n techniques¡ªthe techniques of the Dark Faction founder. There was no one who could deny his position.


    Currently, Raze was still standing in the same position as before. Blood was pouring out of Samantha''s body, and not a single person went forward.


    They were all wondering just what the student was doing. Well, they even wondered if "student" would be the right term for him now.


    In all honesty, though, Raze was just looking at Samantha and reflecting on the fight that had just taken ce.


    ''I''ve used the formations in session before, but not like that,'' Raze thought. ''Using four formations in a row like that before wouldpletely deplete my Qi, but that was because I always used the formations as individual strikes.''


    ''I only recently learned of reusing the Qi from each of the strikes to use less Qi. However, there is still an issue with this as well. It seems that Qi can only be used if starting from the first formation.''


    ''So if I''m in need of using one of the techniques, it will still use arge amount of Qi, and a lot of times, the Shadow Bind formation, the first formation, doesn''t even work on my opponent.''


    Thinking about it more, Raze knew he had a huge reliance on the Noctis n skills and needed to try and develop his own skills, but he couldn''t do that without a better understanding of mixing martial arts and magic together.


    He wanted to createplete techniques like the Noctis n had.


    He felt like the best way to do that was to continue to learn the rest of the Noctis n techniques inside and out.


    The remaining four had been the hardest for him to figure out.


    ''Out of the Noctis n''s techniques I have yet to learn, there is the fifth formation.''


    ''The Phantom Edge Formation. For this one, it seems the trouble I have is with my speed. Even though my Warrior stage has increased, it''s still not something I can pull off.''


    ''Due to it being a single technique, there has to be some way to learn to increase my speed for a short term to use this technique.''


    ''Then there is the sixth formation, the Dusk Wing Formation. What I don''t understand about this formation is the fact that it''s meant to work without using magic. Since there is always a non-magic version and a magic version.'' n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Maybe if one could use projectile Qi properly, but they state that''s only something a Divine being can do. Is there a reason for that? Or could I just speak to a Divine being?''


    Suddenly, Raze was starting to remember that there was a Divine being that had been summoned somewhere on Pagna.


    ''The seventh formation, the Abyssal Chant. This formation¡ªI don''t even know where to begin with it¡­ It makes me wish that there were still members of the Noctis n alive somewhere.''


    ''Then finally, there is thest formation, the Eternal Night Formation. The power to use this technique, it sounds like I would have to have a deeper understanding of the Qi itself.''


    ''Somewhat like Murkel had and how he was able to unlock the traits of Dark Qi. I wonder if it''s something I can do with Demonic Qi, and if it can even be used.''


    After looking back at all of the techniques, there was something that yed on his mind¡ªsomeone so strong, able to create and use these, how did they go missing? Who was it that was able to even take them out?


    "If there are no more contenders, that means everyone is epting our new leader here!" Amir shouted from the stage. "Everyone, wee the new Dark Faction leader!"


    "We shall proceed with the gifting ceremony!"


    "Gifting ceremony?" Raze said.

 Chapter 808: Gifting Ceremony

    Chapter 808 Gifting Ceremony


    ---


    Amir didn''t want the Dark Faction to be the same as before, where an alliance of ns with the strongest on top controlled everything.


    No, for the Bonum Society to achieve what they needed and to freely pursue the Golden Globe, they needed absolute control.


    With everything that had urred, including the fact that an outsider n, which they believed was the descendant of the Noctis n, was taking charge, it felt almost like a new king had been elected, and that was the perfect time to be showered with gifts.


    Amir had asked Ricktor, a member of the Erupting Fist n, to lead Raze back onto the stage, where there was suddenly a seat.


    Raze hadn''t even noticed when it had been ced there. Ricktor gestured for Raze to sit down, which he obliged, even though he was finding the whole situation extremely weird.


    ''Just what are these people up to, and what did he mean by a gifting ceremony?''


    "Since there is no longer anyone who disagrees with the fact that Raze Cromwell, the Dark Magus and White Dragon, is the leader of the Dark Faction, we will now conduct a ceremony."


    "All of you, in an hour''s time, maye back one by one and greet the new leader."


    Hearing these words, Raze could see it on the faces of those below. Some of them were gulping, frightened, and they didn''t hesitate to leave the courtyard, rushing off.


    "Hey, will this be okay, just letting them all go like that? What if theye back with armies or something to try and take over?" Safa asked.


    "I doubt that would happen," Anna said. "Raze showed enough strength, and so did all of you. Right now, it''s the opposite. The reason they are so nervous is that they want to do their best to get on Raze''s good side."


    Time was insignificant to many Pagna warriors. After all, even reaching the high levels of the initial stage meant they could live past the age of 100.


    The only question was whether their life as a Pagna warrior would mean they would get to live that long.


    The wait for everyone to return felt rtively short as the members were able to stand there cultivating, and growing the power their dantian could hold¡ªa second was never wasted by any of them.


    "So what am I meant to do with these gifts they bring back?" Raze asked, following along with why Amir had said what he did.


    "What do you mean? They''re gifts for you," Amir replied. "You are free to use them however you like. I''m sure you''ll find some of them quite useful."


    Raze then turned to look at the others, and when he opened his mouth, Alba already stopped him.


    "There''s no need to share them with us," Alba said. "Those gifts are for the Dark Faction leader. This is one of the privileges for you, and you need to use them to get stronger.


    "Besides, we already got our fair share of items when we raided these ns in the first ce."


    "Yeah, if anything, we got first pick," Liam said, with some of the others giving him stares. They didn''t want Raze to think he was getting the second pick of items.


    But from many of the ns, that would be the case.


    Eventually, the ns started to return one by one, along with the merchants and those who ruled the various kingdoms.


    Coming back, they hadn''t done so empty-handed. There were thoseing with items wrapped in cloth, some in the back of carriages, and others in crates.


    After all of them had returned, Amir gestured for them toe up to the stage one by one, handing over a gift.


    The first item gifted to Raze was from one of the biggest kingdoms that ruled over the Dark Faction.


    The man didn''t seem to have much but a piece of paper. He went down on one knee and handed it over to Raze.


    "That''s the king''s seal," Amir said.


    Breaking it, Raze went ahead to read the details.


    "Yes, we give permission for the Dark Faction leader to use the portals that cover ournd any way they see fit."


    "The agreements we already have with the other ns have been extended to you, and even more so, you will be given priority over all."


    For a first gift, this was a lot better than Raze thought. essing the portals to other dimensions meant he would have a chance to gain valuable strong crystals, not just for him, but for his allies as well.


    As the man left the stage, the gifts continued, ranging from special artifacts that looked quite fancy but, when Raze tested them with his magic, weren''t too special or were morecking than his newly crafted Ghost de.


    Some items he had gained were great treasures that could be sold for arge sum, which would help him fund a number of ces. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then there were things that started to catch his eye. One was a high-graded sword that gleamed in a blue color. It had feathers attached to the bottom of it and was incredibly light.


    It had the name the Falcon de. Right now, it couldn''t do much, but Raze could already imagine its power as he would be able to enchant it.


    He had broken many of his older enchanted weapons that were unable to handle his power, so this certainly woulde in handy.


    Another set of items that excited him were therge number of different techniques he was able to examine.


    In his fights, more than anything, Raze wascking foot techniques, and he had gained arge number to choose from.


    ''With these techniques, I want to try andbine some of them with magic, to do the same as what he was able to do.''


    It was then when another merchant arrived, disying something to Raze that made his eyes glow.


    He saw it in the merchant''s hand, and immediately he could feel his heart pounding.


    "Yes, this is it! This is exactly the type of thing I needed!" Raze said.


    It was the first item that made him speak out loud.

 Chapter 809: The Day Has Come

    Chapter 809 The Day Has Come


    As the gift entered Raze''s hand, he couldn''t help but continually stare at it. Images went through his head, wondering what change it would bring for him. It was as clear as the crystal itself that the item had brought him great delight.


    "It appears you greatly like my gift," said the merchant, who had long blonde hair dangling over his dark red attire. He was a respectful man, with the presence more of a noble than a merchant.


    There was always a respectful smile on his face, and an even bigger smile after he saw Raze liked his gift. Some of the others that had yet to give their gifts were whispering to others near their side.


    Raze then held up the power stone into the sunlight, seeing its slightly brown tint, reflecting in his eye. For a moment, he wanted to just swirl his magic around the item.


    ''This item, it''s a powerstone, a high-grade one as well, at least a grade five, maybe even grade six. I remember even the reward from the Crimson Crane was a grade five powerstone.''


    ''The amount the merchant needed to spend on this¡­ he clearly wishes to gain my favor. It also means he has enough funds to hire a group strong enough to obtain a level six power stone in the first ce.''


    However, regardless of the grade of the powerstone, that wasn''t what excited Raze; it was because of the type of power stone. It was one with an Earth Affinity.


    One of the affinities Raze had yet to learn. After absorbing the crystal, he was sure he would unlock the Earth Affinity, opening him up to new types of magic, including enchantments andbination magic he could now use.


    "What''s your name?" Raze asked.


    "Herbert," the man answered. "I''m from a city called Delkern, located in the northwest of the continent."


    From what Raze could remember, it was part of the Dark Faction area, bordering the Light Faction. It might exin the highly thought-out gift, but Raze didn''t care if it was to use him; he had received the most valuable item so far.


    "I will remember your name and what you''ve done. If you need to call for me, I will listen," Raze said.


    "I hope when that timees, you are a person of your word. I look forward to seeing the new future of the Dark Faction," Herbert imed.


    Herbert bowed and left the stage, allowing others toe up.


    "He sure is taking on this leader role quickly and well, right?" Liam whispered to Safa. "I think your brother might have a fetish, you know, one of those where he wields power over people."


    Safa angrily turned to Liam with a frown. Although she now knew the current Raze wasn''t the same Raze she knew from the past, her real brother, she still felt extremely connected to the current Raze and didn''t like how Liam was talking about him, even if it was a joke.


    Besides, she didn''t think what Liam said was the case anyway. Raze wasn''t getting used to it, but more so felt like he was doing what was necessary. In this situation, he was quite mature for his age.


    The gifts continueding, piling up to the side. Many ns and people wanted Raze''s favor now that he was Dark Faction leader, but there was nothing major to note other than a few swords he believed he could enchant.


    He nned to do the same as before, enchanting each of them with a different affinity. Other than the techniques and crystal, that was all Raze had obtained.


    After all, most of the precious artifacts from the top ns had already been taken by others.


    What did ur was after Raze''s eyes lit up from receiving the powerstone, many others offered powerstones as well, but they paled inparison. They weren''t as high in stage level, nor were they of a new affinity he could learn.


    Regardless, absorbing some of the crystals would still increase his magic powers in different affinities. It was the better choice since they wouldn''t have much effect on his cultivation now.


    At the same time, Raze didn''t n to flood the market with new enchanted items just yet.


    Standing in the back, though, members of the Crimson Crane''s eyes lit up. With all the gifted materials and more, Raze could finally finish creating the items for those who had yet to receive one.


    They wouldn''t have to use their own crystals or resources either because there were now plenty for Raze to use.


    Even Alba, who had been putting all the other members ahead of her, had to admit she was looking forward to receiving a new item. She had felt weak in thest fight, and even after attacking the Dark Faction''s ns, the artifact she had obtained was nothingpared to Tilon''s Shield.


    "All of you are dismissed for today. We shall inform everyone of their duties and the new processes of the Dark Faction when the timees. A new change ising, and everyone will be ying their part!" Amir announced.


    Many started leaving with conflicted feelings. They had been worried before about the fate of the Dark Faction, and after the meeting, some were less worried now that someone had taken Murkel''s ce. But just what would having the Dark Magus as leader bring to the Dark Faction, and how would the other factions react?


    Just as everyone was getting ready to leave, Raze stood up and looked directly at one individual¡ªan old man with a hunched back, using a cane to keep himself from falling over.


    A man Raze had seen before.


    "Jiyo, I need you to stay behind. I hope you still remember your promise," Raze said.


    Jiyo smiled as he looked at Raze. He still remembered the young student arriving at the library that day. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yes, I said I would tell you everything if you became the principal of the academy. I never thought this day woulde," Jiyo replied.

 Chapter 810: The Goal Of The Dark Faction

    Chapter 810: The Goal Of The Dark Faction


    ?


    When Jiyo had been asked to stay behind, there was a smile on his face, a satisfied look. Many of the guests were somewhat curious about what business the new Dark Faction leader might have with him, as many didn''t even know his position.


    "Why would he ask to meet with him? Is he from one of the top ns?" one of the men asked, walking away.


    "No, I think he''s someone who works at the academy. Since Murkel was the Head of the Academy and the Faction, now, the Dark Magus is probably going to take his ce as well."


    After learning that it was just another teacher, or more urately, the librarian in charge of the academy''s techniques, they decided it wouldn''t be an important matter.


    For Amir, though, he was even more curious about why Raze would single out a person that even he didn''t speak to much during his time at the academy.


    "Jiyo... I don''t even remember ever having him on my radar. The Bonum Society doesn''t have much information about him either," Amir thought.


    He wanted to go forward, to try and walk side by side with Raze as he approached Jiyo. Maybe pretend that they needed to talk about matters rted to the Academy, and what Raze''s next move was, but that was when Raze turned to look at the others.


    "Make sure the academy is running as usual, and gather information on the Dark Faction for me," Raze ordered. "I''ll meet up with you allter; there''s something I need to do."


    It was the first time Raze seemed interested in getting involved in the entire academy, and even Amir could tell it was an excuse to get the others away. In the end, Amir felt like he had already pushed Raze enough to help them, and he would try to gather informationter.


    "I knew you would seek me out," Jiyo said as he saw Raze approaching his side and turned around, already moving through the courtyard. "I already have an idea of what you''re about to ask. I think the best ce is somewhere this old man can rest his bones."


    Raze could see it as he noticed therge spiraling tower-they were heading to the library. The two of them entered the first floor, passing rows and rows of books, until eventually, they reached a desk at the back. The old man went around from the side and gestured for Raze to continue following him.


    Eventually, the old man was pressing his hand against the brick wall, brushing it in a particr trajectory. What was strange was that Raze could tell that as the old man brushed his hand against the wall, he was also using Qi.


    Eventually, the wall started to light up with energy and then began to move.


    ''A secret room, it''s a bit like the one I created for myself. I wonder what''s in there,'' Raze thought.


    When Raze turned to look inside, it wasn''t what he was expecting to see. There weren''t items, scrolls, or anything that seemed important or powerful inside. The only thing he could see was what looked like a torn-down throne in the room.


    It was crumbled like everything else in the room.


    "You already know that the Dark Faction was founded by Bofan. Not only was he the founder of the Dark Faction, but he was also the founder of the Noctis n. Right here in this room was where the Noctis n used to be," Jiyo exined.


    Now Raze might have understood why they hade to this room in particr but didn''t quite understand why it was hidden away.


    "Although he started the n, he didn''t start the academy. The state of this room was created this way because of Murkel."


    That was a name Raze was surprised to hear again, at least in this context.


    "In fact, you''re not the first person who came asking questions about Bofan; Murkel did as well. He seemed more like he was obsessed with Bofan, and when he knew part of the academy had such a ce, he sealed it off, and no one was allowed to enter, apart from the Principal themselves.


    "Which is why I said those words to you," Jiyo continued with a smile. "I''ve been watching you, Raze, not as closely as I should have, but I knew something was going on when you showed an interest in Bofan, and it wasn''t the regr interest one has in an old leader."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "In some ways, it felt simr to the interest Murkel disyed, yet somehow quite different. I thought this day might havee many years in the future, yet here it is, just a few months after our conversation."


    "Right," Raze said as he thought back to that time. "Actually, the fact that you had this information, and my interest in Bofan in the first ce, is what made me take over the academy."


    "You could say that everything I''ve done was truly for this moment right now. I wish to learn everything you can and everything you know about Bofan," Raze requested. It was respectful but at the same time fierce.


    Jiyo felt that if he lied or held anything back, this student in front of him would get rid of him on the spot, making him even more interesting in the old man''s eyes.


    It was then that the old man walked up to the fallen throne and stood by its side.


    "I told Murkel everything, and I shall do the same for you now that you are in his position. Unfortunately, telling him everything didn''t amount to much. His interest in the Dark Faction''s founder was for other personal reasons."


    "Which is why I hope telling you everything will allow something to bear fruit, and my hunch is that it will."


    "The questions that need to be asked, which no one seems to do, are why the Dark Faction was even created in the first ce, and why it came from a new n that appeared out of nowhere with no history. What was Bofan trying to do in the first ce?"

 Chapter 811: You And Him Are The Same

    Chapter 811: You And Him Are The Same


    ?


    Originally, Raze had been following the Dark Faction''s footsteps because he had learned that Bofan was someone like him- an individual who hade from the world of Alterian.


    Not only was Bofan someone important who had left a significant imprint on the world of Pagna, but Raze also believed that he might have found a way to return to Alterian. When Raze saw the markings in the cave, he knew that Bofan wasn''t just any mage but a special one.


    He was the only person Raze thought might know a way back. The group Alter was another, which was why he had joined them. Rather than putting all his eggs in one basket, he had spread his chances of finding a way back.


    Thanks to the Bonum Society, Raze had discovered that the item known as the Golden Globe would allow him to return to Alterian, and thest person to have the Golden Globe was Bofan.


    Finding out more about Bofan would hopefully lead him to the location of the Golden Globe and reveal what Bofan was nning to do with it.


    "Firstly, I want you to know that my family has been in the Noctis n for a few generations. My great-grandfather was hired as a caretaker to look after the original n building that once stood in this ce," Jiyo exined. "Our family then went on to produce archives of the n itself and of Bofan."


    "We never realized how important it would be, and as time went on and Bofan disappeared, the information that was passed down from family member to family member started to feel more important."


    Jiyo began to pace slowly back and forth in the room as he continued to exin Bofan''s tale, or at least the words that had been passed down through his family.


    "You see, ording to my great-grandfather, Bofan always felt like an outsider. He was a person who had a fascination for nearly everything he saw and was especially intrigued by Pagna warriors and their arts."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "He didn''t seem to know much about the ns but was just a person who happened to be born in the Dark Faction."


    Raze could already make corrections to the story being told, but he would listen on and fit the pieces together in his own mind.


    "Bofan was a traveler, a wanderer, and he became a strong warrior who would go from n to n, challenging the strongest warriors. He would use techniques he had learned, or new techniques, and made quite a name for himself."


    "A person that strong and free eventually had many who wished to follow him and adopt his style, and naturally, a group formed around him. My great-grandfather was also one of these people."


    "Although he wasn''t a warrior, he was there to carry their items and such, but he didn''t care. ording to his journal, Bofan was a man who had saved him, and he owed a great deal to him."


    "The people who started to form around him were those from the Dark Faction, and they naturally became the Noctis n. I''m sure you, as a Pagna warrior, can imagine what happened next."


    "A strong n appearing out of nowhere meant that many wished to challenge them, and because it was formed in the Dark Continent, it caught the eyes of the Light Faction and the Demonic Faction."


    "The strong wished to challenge him, and sometimes to get to him, they would target those close to him. In the end, forming the Dark Faction became a necessity to protect the n and the others."


    "With the Noctis n at the top and its founders in charge, the other ns couldn''t touch those who had grown close to the Noctis n."


    "Bofan loved the world. He never had a bias against other ns. He was epting of no- names and wanderers like himself, as well as those from other factions."


    "A fight didn''t always have to be to the death in his eyes, and he often said it was because he loved these people. But there was something that always bothered him, and it was the portal breaks urring in the world of Pagna."


    "It was almost an obsession for him, and when talking to my rtives, it seemed to be the start of the Noctis n as well. Although some think it was for protection, my grandfather believed the creation of the n was for the sake of these portals. That was how obsessed Bofan was with them."


    Raze could understand why. If there was no such thing as Alter, or the information he had beforehand, his only lead to return to Alterian would be the portals. Eventually, Bofan would have figured out that using magic was a way to open these portals into the world of Pagna as well.


    "In the end, whatever the reason, it led to the start of the Dark Faction, which can mostly be seen as a good thing. When I informed Murkel of all this and the type of person Bofan was, he was almost upset."


    "Upset?" Raze replied, even though he had to admit he was hoping there was more to everything he had learned. The creation of the Dark Faction seemed to be just a means for Bofan to try and find a way back.


    "Well, it seems Murkel wanted Bofan to have a greater purpose, but his reasons for doing what he did were simple. He was fascinated by martial arts, so he fought against those strong and well-versed in it, eventually creating his own style."


    "Yet, he had no desire to be a Divine warrior. At the end of the day, it was almost as if Murkel wanted their goals to be the same and was quickly upset when he realized they


    weren''t."


    "Which is why I wanted to exin to you about Bofan, and see how you feel now. Before I continue, do you feel the same way currently, or are you looking for something, just as Bofan was a long time ago?" Jiyo asked.

 Chapter 812: One Last Word

    Chapter 812: One Last Word


    ?


    "What do I think? Why I''m looking into him is what you might be asking me as well?" Raze replied, looking at Jiyo. "In a way, it''s the same as Murkel. I''m following Bofan''s footsteps because I believe he''s a man like me."


    "Let me just say that the reasons for both of our actions are the same. Unfortunately, just like Murkel, I didn''t quite get what I was looking for from this conversation."


    Despite Raze''s answer, the smile and upbeat look on Jiyo''s face didn''t disappear.


    "I believe the two of you are still on a simr path, and you''ve already strayed from Murkel. For one, Murkel never learned the Noctis n skills."


    "He didn''t seem to care that the other faction leaders were getting rid of everything rted to the Noctis n, yet you''ve somehow managed to learn the lost skills. It makes me imagine you have more information than you''re letting on.


    "Unfortunately, there''s no more I can tell you unless there''s anything else you''d like to ask?" Jiyo said.


    Disappointment was the first thing that came to Raze''s mind. Coming here had just taught him more about Bofan''s character, but he didn''t care about another man''s goals. Bofan was just a means to get to his own.


    Although Jiyo seemed to see some light in Raze, in Raze''s mind, he was closer to Murkel than he thought. Just doing what needed to be done for his own selfish ends.


    "There''s nothing else?" Raze asked. "No great troubles that urred in Bofan''s life? Nothing he ever discovered about the dimensions he was looking into? Or talk of a powerful artifact he needed to get his hands on?"


    It still made no sense to Raze why Bofan stole the Golden Globe in the first ce. If he knew the reason, it might help him figure out where it had been hidden.


    "Those answers... there was a time in our history when it''s exined that Bofan became more cautious of those around him. However, everything else remained the same. There is one thing I heard when I was a child, but I don''t think it would amount to much."


    Raze nodded along, knowing that even something small could be important at this point.


    "Bofan lived a long life as he had reached the middle stage. My father speaks of a time when he was a kid, around 7 years old. He had snuck around the n building and overheard him talking."


    "As he ventured inside, he saw a strange round object in front of Bofan. It was slightly shiny and unlike anything he had seen before."


    The object that Jiyo described sounded much like what Raze had found in the Demonic Continent''s treasury.


    "He never got to meet him apart from this, as Bofan had gone missing shortly after. He states that Bofan looked at him, walked over, rubbed his head, and said these words: ''I can''t let this world be destroyed.'' Then he looked up. ''This is the only way to save both worlds.""


    It was the end of the conversation between Jiyo and Raze. Surprisingly, Jiyo didn''t ask much more, and neither did Raze. He just mentioned that if there was any time the new leader wanted to speak to him, he would be happy to help and learn more about Bofan himself. He wished Raze luck but left him pondering with arge thought in his mind.


    Raze had been pacing around the library, not really paying attention to what he was doing as he pulled out books once in a while. Eventually, he got arge sheet of paper, dipped a brush in ink, and began writing everything he knew down.


    He didn''t even realize that he was writing everything down in Alterian, but eventually leaned his head back and had a better view of the whole picture.


    "I think I understand what happened," Raze said to himself. "If we take what we''ve learned about Bofan''s character into ount, I can somewhat make sense of the events."


    "Bofan ended up in the world of Pagna unexpectedly. He was researching the portals as a way to return back. However, just like his great mind in researching magic, he became fascinated with Pagna martial arts as well."


    "Along the way, he made friends, a group of people he cared about. But there''s one thing we still have to consider. Just like me now, there would still be others constantlying to Pagna, and those who were there before."


    "Even if Bofan enjoyed his life in Pagna and didn''t wish to return, he would''ve wanted to find out the root cause of the portals."


    "From what Amir told us about the Bonum Society, we know that Alter wanted the Golden Globe desperately. Maybe Bofan already knew about the Golden Globe but was no longer looking for a way to return to Alterian."


    "But he was still trying to figure out why people wereing over. If Alter''s goal is what the Bonum Society thinks it is, then it could be that Bofan took it upon himself to hide the Golden Globe."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "To make sure Alter didn''t get their hands on it, or other ns didn''t use it to cause the Divine beings to enter Pagna. But then thest line, about wishing to save both worlds."


    "We can guess that it means Bofan wished to keep Pagna and Alterian safe. In his mind, the way to do that was to hide the Golden Globe. He must have found out something that I don''t know the answer to yet."


    Raze then stood up and smirked at the piece of paper.


    "Don''t worry, Bofan. I''m not trying to find the Golden Globe to upset the bnce in these worlds. I''m just going to find it so I can kill the Grand Magus, so you have nothing to worry about."


    "As for the person most likely to know about the Golden Globe, well, that would have to be where I found your recorded device and the Noctis n''s techniques: The Neverfall n in the Demonic Faction."

 Chapter 813: Spreading The News

    Chapter 813: Spreading The News


    ?


    Inside the Demonic Faction, a city that contained the wealthiest of individuals stood strong. In the city itself there was a great tower with a golden pir at the top, there was an individual who was ecstatic about everything that had happened so far.


    "Sold out, sold out!" Bubble said, jumping for joy. His body was sweating from the exciting news he had been receiving non-stop, not just today but for weeks on end.


    This was because Bubble was the sole reporter of the events that had urred at the Martial Arts Tournament. There were others who reported on the events, but it became clear that one individual had more details than the others.


    Bubble was already known for his infamous news gathering, especially after the conflict with the Behemoth n and the Dark Magus. But what stood out was the fact that Bubble was still publishing articles about the event.


    He was drip-feeding the world of Pagna with the events that had urred after the Martial Arts Tournament, and they couldn''t help but eat it up.


    It was leaving the world in confusion. Dark Faction students turning on their own, the Dark Faction leaders going against not only these students but also one of the contestants for the Demonic Faction.


    It was as if someone was trying to write up the wildest things they could imagine. Regardless, it was the details of the fights between the students and the mention of another group, the Crimson Crane, that caught their eye.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Since Bubble had omitted many details, the public and ns could only make up their reasoning for what had urred, and that was the issue-everyone was pinpointing it to something else.


    Perhaps a secret plot from the Light Faction to get rid of the Dark Faction. Maybe the Dark Faction was making themselves look weak, or was it the Demonic Faction finally taking action?


    ''It''s a good thing I was able to get out of the Light Faction. Maybe because of my distraught look, they didn''t even know who I was and just guided me back to the Demonic Faction,'' Bubble thought, remembering the details.


    His clothes were badly torn, and his body was weak just from being in the presence of so much fighting that had urred again and again.


    Now, Bubble was walking back and forth, thinking about what else to write about. He still had many more things to tell the world.


    ''Do I write about the fact that Murkel was a Hybrid, and it was red in color? I did some research myself about that... the issue is it could stir the ns up. Someone might break in, demanding more information, and I don''t want that to happen again,'' Bubble thought.


    Since thest break-in had urred, he had upped the security. He had the funds to hire talented Middle Stage warriors. However, after seeing those who fought in the Martial Arts Tournament, he wasn''t sure they would be able to do much.


    This was why he felt the need to be more carefulpared to before. He still hadn''t figured out who had broken inst time, asking for information on the Dark Magus, or who had sent him the special artifacts. After seeing them used in the Light Faction, he was also careful not to get on their bad side.


    It was because of these reasons he had been careful about reporting what he had seen on that day.


    ''Maybe I could talk about the Hybrids I saw; there were a couple of them, or the fact that a Demonic Faction Student was also a Hybrid. It would increase sales in the Demonic Faction territory... it might also cause others to look into the Splitting Fang n. But there was also the Vice Principal and one of the direct descendants of the Neverfall n who were all Hybrids as well.


    ''If I''m going to release information about the Hybrids, I need to mention all of them.'' At that moment, Bubble could see his entire tower crumbling in a single strike. He gulped down his saliva and wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    ''Being in the Demonic Faction, it''s best not to anger them. I''ll leave it for when our salespletely tank. We''re still doing good, and besides, with the way things are going, there will always be news around the corner.''


    Right on cue, Bubble''s trusted partner bashed through the double doors. He hit the side so hard with his shoulder that he ended up tumbling to the ground and nearly fell at Bubble''s feet.


    "Cookie?" Bubble asked, looking down, at the scruffy haired man. He had next to no meat on his bones, but had been with Bubble for the longest time. He was also quick on his feet.


    Back in the day, the two of them would be on the field getting the reports of information themselves first hand.


    "What happened? Are we under attack again? If so, we can use my special escape room. Quick." Bubble said, turning to his book shelf.


    "No, it''s not that, sir," Cookie said, getting up from the ground, holding his sore shoulder, and handing several papers to Bubble.


    Bubble took the papers, going through them, and as he continued to read, his eyes started to widen. He went through the papers again to make sure he hadn''t misread them.


    "Are you sure about everything in here, that this is factual?" Bubble asked.


    "Yes, sir!" Cookie answered. "We checked it with our sources and external sources. Everything in the report is true."


    Bubble then held up the reports, cing his hand over his mouth, but the smile could still be seen underneath-it couldn''t be contained.


    "I can''t believe it! The White Dragon is the same person. They''re all the same person: the Demon, the exceptional student at the Martial Arts Tournament, and the Dark Magus-all of them are the same person."


    "And now, this person is leader of the Dark Faction!!! This takes instant priority, and as people find out this information, I can''t wait to see their reactions!"


    In just a few hours, the news spread across the entire Pagna continent.

 Chapter 814: Demonic News

    Chapter 814: Demonic News


    ?


    On several streets of Pagna, the citizens and n members were just going about their day. They were walking through the streets, looking at various market stalls, ready to select the food they would be eating that day.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    While others were dragging their feet across the floor, ready to start work, repeating the routine all over again.


    That was when, streaking through the center of the town, came a luxurious red and gold carriage. It came sliding across,nding in the center of the street just by a fountain that hadn''t even been turned on yet for the day.


    Out of the back of the open carriage, a man could be seening out, holding arge stack of papers tied up by his side, and the rest of the carriage was presumably filled with even more.


    "Golden News has an urgent paper out!" the man shouted at the top of his voice. "Urgent paper with important information regarding the Dark Faction is out!"


    Although the man was shouting excitedly, there wasn''t exactly a rush of people to head over to the carriage to learn about what was happening. Golden News, owned by Bubble, had been delivering interesting articles day after day.


    The people enjoyed them, but they were also starting to realize what was happening-they were being filtered information, and there would always be those who bought the articles first.


    Eventually, throughout the day, from their friends or just word on the street, they would learn what had happened. Still, there were a few who walked up to the carriage to buy thetest news.


    Those with more coin than others decided to pick up the paper. They were loyal customers, after all.


    "Let''s have a look at this thing. Just how much can this news agency milk one event?" a disgruntled old man said, opening the paper. "The paper already came out this morning, so to have it as emergency news, if they''re just trying to milk me, this will be thest paper I''ll buy!"


    The man skimmed through the report, and his reaction and demeanor changed. This continued with all the others reading the report as well.


    "I can''t believe it, there''s a new Dark Faction leader!"


    "Wait, it was him from the Martial Arts Tournament; is it a student, or just someone disguised as a student?"


    "The White Dragon is the same person!"


    All of the shocked bystanders reading the report caused a flood of people needing to read the report firsthand, and this was repeated all over the towns, cities, and areas of Pagna.


    The news had undoubtedly spread to the great leaders of the powerful ns, including that of the Neverfall n. Deep in the Abyss of the n''s base, another meeting was urring. "What is it with you?" Belil asked the room filled with the old elders of the n. "Every time somethinges up, no matter what it is, you decide to call a meeting. How am I meant to focus on myself if I keep getting distracted like this?"


    Belil''s fist was on the table, pulsating with energy. The elders looked at it, worried that it would explode andsh out at them at any moment, but they kept theirposure.


    "Belil, this isn''t anything small, though. This is something that will affect the Pagna continent, and especially our position!" the elder stated. "There is a new leader of the Dark Faction, and not only that, it''s the Dark Magus."


    "The person that you recently wedded to your daughter, and one of the contestants at the Martial Arts Tournament!"


    For a lot of people, the Neverfall n was at the center of it all, and the leading theory was that they were the ones behind everything.


    "I wish I could im credit for everything they are saying out there," Belil said with a smile. "But what had urred was even crazier than I thought. I can''t believe that student sent everyone away and was also the Dark Magus, who is married to my daughter."


    "Now I wish I could havee to the tournament myself." Belilughed, as he imagined the greater chaos that would ur if he were there.


    "Right, but who knows what the Dark Magus was nning," one of the elders said. "The fact that they didn''t warn us, and now they''re the leader of the Dark Faction, it could mean very dangerous things for us."


    "Either the Demonic Faction will see us as allies of the Dark Faction, or the Neverfall n now has an ally in the Dark Faction."


    Belil then waved his hand.


    "You''re saying the same thing, making it sound like it''s different. What does it matter?"


    "Because it does matter. What I''m asking you right now is, how do you view the Dark Magus and the Dark Faction? Are they enemies of ours that we will have to deal with, or will you help him and go against the entirety of the Demonic Faction?"


    All of the elders there had selected Belil as the head of the n. There were no questions asked. They would listen to his orders and stay. At times, there were those who felt like Belil had made wrong decisions, but somehow everything Belil did turned into a positive oue for the entire n.


    It was as if his instincts were always telling him the right thing to do.


    "The Dark Magus is my son!" Belil answered. "And that will not change. He has done nothing wrong to us, so there is no reason to deal with him. The fact that he has taken over the entire Dark Faction is the greatest achievement a father like me could ever ask for!"


    Belil was almost pounding his chest, he was so proud. He was even prouder of his daughter for finding such a man and wrapping him around her finger.


    "I thought that would be the case," the elder and a few others sighed. "I''m sure you must know it already; the news has reached the Behemoth n, and it looks like they''re going to


    act."

 Chapter 815: An Unruly Guest

    Chapter 815: An Unruly Guest


    ?


    The Light Faction was unable to settle down for a moment due to the events that had urred in the Martial Arts Tournament. For one, they had to ensure the safety of everyone in the crowd and those involved.


    They were trying to mend rtionships with the empire stationed within the Light Faction territory, as well as others spread across the continent.


    After all, some merchants were based in areas such as the Demonic Faction and had a monopoly on certain materials used to make weapons. Since the Light Faction was the one hosting the Martial Arts Tournament this time, with everything that had urred, they had no choice but to apologize.


    All ns of what they wished to do after the Martial Arts Tournament were ced on pause, which was why they hadn''t made any moves apart from those regarding the tournament.


    As further news started toe out, it was decided that an expedited meeting was to take ce.


    Inside the Light Faction territory, not near any of the cities, towns, or viges, there was arge building with an oval shape. It was made of a special mesh on the top, crossing over and making it seem like it was naturally built by nature, like a bird''s nest.


    The building also seemed to be floating, making it look like a giant boat with the oval object in the center. In there, a meeting was urring between the highest-ranking members of the Light Faction.


    Thergest ns were present, as well as all of the Elders from the Dawnde n and many more. The inside of the building was almost like a miniature arena.


    There were stands withrge chairs that all pointed inward toward the center flooring. Although the space of the flooring itself was rtively small, around 15 meters in length and width.


    As all of the important figures of the Light Faction were present, sitting around the outside, in the center, three individuals stood, spaced slightly apart from each other. They were quite recognizable figures in all of Pagna.


    "Is this really necessary?" Ricar asked as he lifted his hands, and chains could be seen interlocking around his wrists, with beams of energy between them. Trying to break such a thing would just cause the person to lose both of their hands.


    Although someone of Ricar''s caliber, being the head elder of the Dawnde n, might be able to break free without injuring himself.


    "We already told you everything that happened, and I''m sure you have been able to somewhat confirm the details yourself thanks to the reports that have beening from the Golden News," Ricar continued, thankful there was another witness.


    Otherwise, it might sound like he was shaking things up regarding what had happened that day. On top of that, he had informed them of even more than what was reported, making everything slightly more believable.


    "It''s just a formality," Kawak said. "It was requested by all of the Light Faction, and don''t worry, I believe everything you have said. After all, you even decided to return, but that seems to be part of the major problem."


    "Exactly!" Another n Head, Haris, who had arge frame for his shoulders, which was not the usual look for Light Faction warriors, whose techniques focused on elegance and swift


    movements.


    "The issue is, on the day, all of us were transported out, and the only three that managed to stay at the arena were you three-Ricar, Beatrix, and Hannah. All three of you are part of the Dawnde n, and you think it was a coincidence that only you three weren''t transported?" There was quite the disturbance within the Light Faction for various reasons. So any nned attack on the Dark Faction or Demonic Faction after what had urred was thrown out the window due to the issue that urred.


    "Shut your mouth!" one of the ten Elders of the Dawnde n shouted. "Your Mirror n has been crushing outer ns for every move we make. You''re just trying to pin the me on us to be part of the Upper Order!"


    "We already figured out the reason those three weren''t transported with the rest of us was because of the positioning of everyone! Ricar did everything he could, and so did the others!"


    "Did he, though?" Haris asked, arms folded and eyebrows raised. "The three of them should have died there, after knowing that the Red Hybrid had returned, and now we don''t even know the status of the Red Hybrid."


    The shouting match continued between multiple ns, and in the end, Kawak had to raise his hand to make the others stop.


    "We can''t dwell on these matters if we wish to move forward, as the current situation is dire for us all," Kawak stated. "This event has been somewhat of a loss for us, as it wasn''t what was nned."


    "We have lost one of our powerful artifacts in all of this..."


    When this was mentioned, for a brief moment, Beatrix looked at Ricar. There was something that Ricar had never told them, and it was about the artifact used to change the terrain of the


    arena.


    She knew that Ricar had taken it with him, yet he hadn''t told the others that he had it in his possession. As a member of the Dawnde n herself, she had decided to keep her mouth shut, and so did Hannah.


    "On top of that, there is now a possible figure that has arisen in all of this, the new leader of the Dark Faction, the Dark Magus, who might be even stronger than the Red Hybrid of the past."


    "We know an artifact was used for him to gain this power, and if he is truly that strong, then it is something we need to worry about."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Light Faction members nodded in agreement.


    "I don''t think you have to worry about that," a voice said as a person was heard walking through the tunnel leading to the floor where Ricar and the others were. "If the artifact was a multi-use tool, then they would have never waited till the end to use it."


    "That power he obtained is temporary," a man said as he walked onto the floor.


    "What are you doing here?" Kawak asked.

 Chapter 816: A New Relationship

    Chapter 816: A New Rtionship


    ?


    The strange man who had entered was not wearing traditional Pagna clothing. He hade in with a walking stick, standing there, holding the top of the stick with both hands.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He wore a bright zer made up of blue, gold, and white colors, and also had a pocket watch hanging from the pocket of his zer down to his trousers.


    His bright hair was slightly between blonde and white. It was hard to pinpoint a colour but it had a strange strength to it, not appearing weak. Along with the rest of his clothing, this all made him stand out quite a bit different from Pagna warriors. On top of that, the man had not entered alone. By his side, there were two figures in robes.


    They were ck-colored, with a red hood at the top. The bottom of the robe was heavily tattered, but neither of their facial expressions could be seen due to the square iron-like mask covering their faces.


    Immediately when Kawak saw these three, particrly the man in the center, there was arge frown on his face, but even though he recognized this figure, there were many in the Light Faction who did not.


    They turned, looking at each other.


    "Wasn''t the Mirror n stationed outside this time as security? How did they manage to get in?"


    "Were they invited? I don''t think so, and I don''t recognize their n''s uniform at all. I''m not sure they''re part of the Light Faction."


    "Hey!" Haris shouted, and immediately jumped down from his position andnded on the ground. "What did you do to my men outside? Three like you would never be able to get through them.


    "Not unless you yed some type of dirty trick! Tell me, now!" Haris had drawn his single- handed sword, which was rtivelyrge in size and would almost be a greatsword in others'' hands.


    Instead of acknowledging the man in front of him, the blonde-haired man stared up and looked directly at Kawak with a smile. He then pulled out a handkerchief.


    "I just realized that I missed a spot," the man said as he wiped a speck of red from his hands, while the handkerchief was soaked red.


    "Impossible, impossible!" Haris shouted as he charged forward. His sword was shining bright along with his feet, and he kicked off from his position.


    He ran right past Ricar and the others, swinging his sword from above, ready to strike down. In the middle of his strike, one of the robed men at the side reached out his hand.


    In front of everyone''s eyes, the first swift strikeing from above appeared to slow down. It was moving through the air, along with the rest of the energy around him, all moving at an incredibly slow speed as if in slow motion, while everyone could see things clearly.


    "Deleters, delete him for me," the blonde-haired man ordered.


    The other robed figure on the other side of the man then crouched down, preparing his hand. Lightning started to form around his fist, taking the shape of a vicious tiger.


    Right after,rge sparks appeared from his feet, and the robed figure exploded forward. With his fist, he punched directly into Haris'' chest. When it hit, the lightning branched out and condensed, allowing the Deleter''s hand to easily go through his body.


    There was nothing Haris could do, as he seemed to be stuck in slow motion. No matter how hard he tried to swing or move his sword to block the strike, nothing worked.


    Even in his final moments, as life escaped from him, it seemed like time moved slowly.


    "Two on one... that''s not very fair," were Haris''st words.


    The Light Faction members, seeing one of their n heads taken out in front of them, were beyond furious. Many of them were ready to enter the arena floor immediately to strike, despite what they had just seen.


    "STOP!" Kawak ordered as he mmed his fist on his chair. A resounding echo spread along with his Qi, hitting everyone, making them aware he was serious about his order.


    "I don''t want to lose important members of our faction. We can''t fall apart just because they are here... for those of you who are unaware, the person in front of you is Heino, the leader of the group you all know as Alter," Kawak exined.


    Currently present in the Light Faction, nearly everyone knew of the group Alter, but knowing the other things they did or who the leader was, was a privilege only a few knew, and that included Ricar and Kawak.


    ''So those were the infamous Deleters I heard about,'' Ricar thought. ''It seems they are just as strong as stated. If there is ever arge issue that Alter wishes to get involved in, they send one of their Deleters to deal with the situation.''


    ''How many times have we had to cover up for them,'' Ricar thought.


    "Thank you for the introduction," Heino smiled. "It''s so nice to meet you all. Those in the Light Faction have used my services multiple times."


    "And Kawak, you didn''t think I would just leave things be and note back for payment for everything I gave you, after all, they were just being borrowed, right?"


    Kawak didn''t say anything; it was almost as if he couldn''t to this man in front of him. Even though there were only two next to him, and the entire n heads of the Light Faction, Kawak didn''t try to anger the person in front of him.


    "We can deal with that," Kawak eventually said. "Why don''t you tell us why you have decided to appear right now in front of us all?"


    Heino then lifted up his cane a few inches off the ground and mmed it down. The floor lit up beneath his feet.


    "There is a problem that has urred, amon enemy that we both have," Heino exined. "I think it''s time to make our temporary rtionship a permanent one."

 Chapter 817: Warn The Dark Magus!

    Chapter 817: Warn The Dark Magus!


    ?


    The Dark Faction had been under the rule of its new leader, the Dark Magus, for around a month or so now, and things weren''t quite what others expected. Historically, when new leaders rose, they would often make significant changes to show their ambition and prove they were right for the role.


    Either the leader would go on a voyage into the other factions and n an attack to show their strength, or maybe there would be disruption in the Dark Faction over who was the leader, but none of that had urred.


    If anything, things felt the same, but it was an issue for most of the ns, not just in the Dark Faction but in all the other factions as well. It felt like the calm before the storm-that just one thing needed to ur, and that would be the catalyst to start it all.


    The Crimson Crane and the rest of the allies with Raze had settled into the academy. It was their resting ce. There were plenty of empty rooms nowpared to before for them to stay in the academy, but they didn''t just lounge around.


    The Crimson Crane members were skilled in martial arts before, so from time to time, they would give special lessons to the students. The n members were fine with this, knowing the strength of the Crimson Crane, a group of wanderers small in number but able to defend against the Behemoth n.


    As for the others, they were somewhat off doing their own thing. Liam was hanging around with Zon and Anna more and stayed in the outer areas of the academy, where there were restaurants, shops, and a few housing areas just before one would enter the main academy but after the bridge.


    Then there was also Amir, who essentially was running the academy as the principal, handling small matters concerning the Faction itself. Any questions that came up, at the moment, the Dark Magus was much more a figurehead, used as a deterrent.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    While others weremitted to their own training within the academy, they had several sections in the vast academy that allowed them to train on their own. Personal homes withrge courtyards where they could freely use their skills.


    After all, after facing the Dark Faction ns, they had obtained artifacts that were powerful but needed to learn how to use them in a valuable fight. It would take some time for them to increase their strength.


    Currently, some of the Crimson Crane members, after finishing their teaching, had gathered in the library area. It was their usual spot as they came to converse. They wereughing and joking about what had urred with their students these days.


    "I can''t believe you guys have such good sses," Forma said. "There''s hardly anyone that even uses bow techniques, and everyone wants to learn their n ways or prove that their n is the best. How do you even deal with it?"


    The small warrior slumped her body across the table as she continued to sulk.


    "Cronker, you''re so lucky you found such loyal students to help you out. You have your own group of assassins."


    "I wouldn''t call it luck," Cronker said with his arms folded. "Alba has asked me to try and increase those under me...which means we might be put to use. You should know the most dangerous profession in any n or group is an assassin. They have to be prepared to die for the cause.


    "I have only survived this long because I have been in a group like the Crimson Crane for so long."


    There was a silent moment among them all as well, thinking about their situation. The Crimson Crane members knew that Alba always had strong ambition. She wanted to be above the great ns of the Factions.


    Someday, she wanted them to act and grow, and now they were doing it in a strange way.


    "I just want to know when we''re going to get our weapons!" Lilyined. "I haven''t even seen Raze this entire time. Have you guys?"


    "I spoke to him from time to time," Reno answered. "I can assure you, he has been trying to create weapons for all of you, but he wishes to create the very best. For you to have something at the same level as what Tilion obtained.


    "He is trying every day, but it seems like there is slight luck involved when creating these weapons, and he has been greatly unsessful in creating weapons for you all, but they wille."


    Lily, Forma, Cronker, and Alba. All of them couldn''t wait to see what weapons they would have, giving them a chance to be just as helpful as the others who had already received everything they needed.


    "It appears that he has also been extremely busy during the day as well."


    "Right," Keizer said. "He did invite me once, and that room was aplete mess. He seems to train more than any other Pagna warrior I know, but it was clear he was testing something.


    "I know one thing for sure: that man is chasing demons. He''s fighting demons in his sleep and every moment he''s awake."


    Liver was holding onto his shoulder, remembering the ringing pain from when he had been called in by Raze for a moment. He had just been used as a practice doll for new techniques. "I wouldn''t be surprised if he came in one day and asked for all of us to fight him at once." It was getting harder and harder for them, day by day, toprehend the strength that Raze had obtained now, but it also left them quite excited.


    On the outside of the academy walls, arge tall man had entered wearing a long trench coat dragging along the floor. He stood there as he looked up at the academy wall.


    "I need to warn him," Harvey said as he looked up, his hand pressed inside his trench coat. He patted himself a few times as if searching for it. "Right, no smokes." He then slowly lifted his hand out, covered in a red liquid, soaked in blood. "Before time runs out."

 Chapter 818: Just Getting Stronger

    Chapter 818: Just Getting Stronger


    ?


    Inside the main building of the Dark Faction Academy, there were several rooms and ces that were off-limits to the regr students.


    One of these ces included a Zen Garden. It was an area curated for the teachers to spend time and cultivate in.


    There were a number of well-architected nts, floorways with white stones, and the sound of running water in the garden itself.


    In one area of the Zen Garden, there was arge tree that blossomed with pink flowers. It was an unusual sight since spring had already ended, and they were moving into a wintery season.


    Yet the nts were blooming brightly, showing all sorts of colors.


    "This is really strange," Alba said, looking at all the nts and running her fingers across one as she could smell a strong, sweet fragranceing out.


    "Even in spring, if I tried to have nts show this much color, it would be something that''s impossible for me."


    As she followed the nts more and more, she saw therge tree blooming pink, and sitting directly underneath it was Safa, cross-legged.


    "Are you the reason for all of this?" Alba asked.


    Safa, opening her eyes and seeing the Crimson Crane leader, stood up and gave a polite bow.


    "They seem to react to my special power," Safa replied, referring to her light magic. "nts are quite sensitive things. When Raze walks in here, they seem to cower away; some of them even seem to die.


    "I''ve been getting better at keeping them alive, but I guess it''s just proof that his strength is far stronger than mine."


    Alba somewhat understood what Safa was saying. She had seen what Safa could do, her restoring powers, and had seen the destruction Raze was capable of.


    She was quite surprised to see it had an effect on the environment. Regardless, she reached behind her, pulling out a cloth-wrapped item and then threw it out.


    Safa caught the long object, and her eyes lit up.


    "Is this..."


    "It is."


    Unwrapping the item, a long white spear was revealed with golden engravings running along the pole all the way to the tip''s edge.


    The edge of the de was glowing white with energy.


    "It took a lot of effort, but I''m sure it was worth it. The Lux sword has now been turned into a Lux spear, so it should suit you quite a bit."


    Safa never thought that Raze would allow her to have such a powerful weapon. There were many who had seen its effects, and she was sure that he would want to keep it for himself.


    For a brief period, she had borrowed it when going up against the Dark Faction ns. In her hands, she found out that the Lux sword was even more spectacr.


    It boosted her light magic powers, and in turn, the powers of the sword increased as well. It was because of the sword she was able to match up to those she never thought she would be able to.


    However, there was one thing-Safa had focused on spear techniques above everything else. It was her weapon of choice and what she was mostfortable with.


    Now everything wasing together. She had a powerful weapon that suited her magical abilities and went with her Pagna techniques as well.


    "It was harder to get it due to our usual guy being in the Demonic Faction, and we don''t exactly know how well they would treat us.


    "It cost me an arm and a leg as well, but I think it''s worth it for our little sweetheart." Although Alba said this, Raze had actually given her more than enough from the gifts he had received since taking over the Dark Faction; she was just doing a little yful teasing.


    ''I should be careful with all these items and how much that guy dotes on his sister-there''s a chance she could be even stronger than me,'' Alba thought, looking at the spear again and wondering if that was already the case. Just holding its power and seeing the garden like this, this person was beyond special, including the skills she had disyed in the martial arts tournament.


    ''Well, I''m sure all this work I''m doing for Raze will pay off as well. At some point, I''ll be getting something from him, and I hope it''s as good as Talion''s item.''


    Alba had only taken a few steps forward, and in doing so, Cronker appeared right in front of the two of them.


    "There is an emergency message from the teachers. It appears that someone from Alter has appeared."


    "From Alter?" Alba said. "Then what has Amir said? Why are you reporting to me?"


    "Amir is already aware. In fact, he was the one who told me to get you," Cronker replied. "Me? What good would I do?" Alba asked.


    "It''s not you, ma''am. The one he asked for is Safa," Cronker stated. "It appears that Amir knows who this Alter is and believes that Raze and his friends might know as well.


    "However, it seems like the man is in critical condition and is unable to speak. The Hybrid''s special power is being used, but it''s still not enough."


    "Help someone from Alter? But aren''t they one of the groups that might be after us? What are they even doing here in the first ce?"


    Alba realized that was the issue- they didn''t know. Why would an injured man, near death,e to this ce of all ces?


    Raze was a member of Alter, and they should very well know by now that he was the leader of the Dark Faction, yet not a single member hade asking about him.


    He thought he might be able to y the game with Alter for a little longer-they didn''t know he was working with Bonum Society, after all-yet there had been silence.


    "Take me to them," Safa said.


    Going through the academy, it didn''t take long until she saw arge man in a trench coat


    beingid out on a table.


    "Harvey..." Safa said, recognizing the person who had introduced them to Alter.


    With a weak smile Harvey turned to look at Safa on the Table and manged to mutter out a few


    words.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "We''re all f*cked."

 Chapter 819: The Leader Of Red Fortis

    Chapter 819: The Leader Of Red Fortis


    ?


    The Dark Faction Academy wasn''t just a single area or ce. The actual size of thend where the Dark Faction Academy was situated was fairlyrge. It was on its own separate piece ofnd that looked broken off, almost as if someone had made it that way on purpose.


    The journey to the academy was up arge mountain, and then, when finally reaching what looked like the only t piece ofnd, if one continued to follow the path, they would find a bridge made out ofnd.


    Connecting from one side all the way to thend where the academy was, surrounded by a type ofrge mist-like area. It was quite the drop if one were to fall. However, even after crossing into the main area, one wasn''t in the academy immediately.


    Thend surrounded by the mist wasrge enough to be the size of any other city in the Dark Faction territory, and it was treated as such.


    There were several living areas outside of the academy, stalls, and the area had its own ecosystem of regr citizens who would also live near the academy. ording to Amir, Raze had found out that this had built up even more so after Murkle had be principal, as a number of merchants among others would constantly visit.


    There were even a few talented forgers in the academy area itself who made armor and weapons, as well as clothes for the students, among other stalls with everything one needed to live and enjoy everyday life.


    Currently, walking through the built-up city-like area was Zon, who was looking at


    everything with a keen eye. He had walked past a few cksmiths and forgeries, looking at their weapons.


    "The system states that these weapons are 10 percent more efficient than the ones around the corner. This person is quite skilled. I should make a note of this person and pass the information on to Raze... when I meet him," Zon said to himself and even let out a bit of a sigh.


    ''It''s a shame that I still haven''t found the time to speak to Raze about my issues, but it also appears that he will have bigger things to settle. Right now, I don''t even know if my matter is urgent or not, nor do I know the full status of the Red Fortis Army.''


    Zon continued to walk. He was covered in the normal Pagna cloth that was thin and light over his body. Otherwise, he would have had arge number of stares and heads turning his way due to the strange ck suit that was tight-fitting to his body.


    No one in the Crimson Crane or those in the academy had seen Zon ever take the suit off; it was almost as if it was part of his body.


    While continuing his walk, a message appeared in his view from his system, the same system that was being used by Anna and Liam.


    "It appears that this body needs some refueling." Zon turned his head and looked at arge red-roofed restaurant. It was two floors with a balcony on the outside. On the second floor, arge number of people were enjoying the food, and it was the same for the inside as well.


    The restaurant was the biggest of its kind-a noodle shop located fairly close to the entrance after the bridge. It was sessful because of its positioning. For Zon, it was just the closest ce for him at the moment to enter.


    As he entered, he was greeted and sat down, ready to eat. He proceeded to look at the menu and ced his order, and it didn''t take long for him to receive a serving of noodles in a chicken broth.


    Using the chopsticks by his side, he quickly ate the noodles, leaving most of the broth behind. Seeing that he was done, an employee came over.


    "Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?"


    "No, that will be enough," Zon answered, as he reached into his pocket and handed over 4 bronze coins.


    The worker looked at the coins in his hand and counted them again before giving off a fake smile.


    "Umm, sir, the rest of the payment?" the worker asked.


    "The rest of the payment?" Zon replied. "All the noodle shops for this portion size cost three coins. Due to your prime location, I expect you to charge more, so I have handed you 4 bronze coins instead of 3."


    "Sir, that''s not how our establishment works. Our food costs six bronze coins; it''s not based on how much you feel it''s worth, and besides, we make the best noodles in the Academy area."


    It was then that Zon scoffed and let out augh.


    "Your noodles are by far not the best-they were slightly undercooked for one, needing around ten more seconds to be boiled. On top of that, the seasoning was inadequate as well." "It seems like the only reason this ce is so popr is due to its location, but a price is a price," Zon said.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Just as Zon reached in to pay for his noodles, he could feel a heavy presence staring at him. A man was walking over who was just as wide as he was tall, dressed in white cloth that had a number of stains covering it. His hair was tied up in a knot going along his back, covered in a type ofting.


    "What did you say about my restaurant''s food?"


    "Sir Rane!" the worker said, turning around and bowing down.


    "For someone who was talking bad about our noodles, you seem to have eaten all of that slop," Rane, the head chef and owner of the restaurant, stated.


    "I was only stating the truth. I could perform the perfect time to cook noodles and the adequate seasoning that would suit most people''s taste. It is... what I do," Zon replied.


    Zon could tell that his words were filling Rane with more rage than before, but that was just how he was he was the type of person who told the truth.


    "You really think you can do better? Then prove it in the kitchen-don''t just say things if you can''t back them up," Rane imed.


    Evaluating the situation, Zon figured it would be more trouble for him if he didn''t get this over and done with. If he left right now or just paid an amount, the man''s character was the type to chase him around.


    So he decided to head to the kitchen. This caught the attention of many of the workers, who could see part of the kitchen from where they were.


    Rane stood by the side with his arms folded while one of the chefs stood aside, allowing Zon to go ahead and work. They all carefully watched as he prepared everything from scratch. The flour, along with other ingredients, was quickly and perfectly measured, then it was kneaded in the air, spinning it and slinging it into thin pieces. Right after, Zon got to cutting the added ingredients that would be ced with the noodles, quickly and precisely. Each piece of vegetables and herbs cut was nearly exactly the same size. He continued to do this, splicing the noodles inside, and then everything came together as the bowl of noodles had been crafted, steaming hot, for Rane and the other chefs to see.


    Just watching everything, all of the chefs wanted to taste the noodles that were created-ones that seemed to be made with a perfect eye for every single detail.


    It was then that Rane didn''t say anything else as he went to the noodles and brought a small spoon and chopsticks. He brought it to his mouth, taking it in, and taking some of the broth, and he could feel the vors hitting his mouth, satisfying every single craving he had.


    "How is something like this even possible..." Rane said as he turned to look at Zon.


    It was a look none of the others had seen on Rane before. They knew he had high standards, and there were multiple times where he criticized the other cooks for the smallest of details.


    Not once had he made such a face when tasting their food.


    "It can''t be that great, can it," another cook said as he walked over and tasted from the same bowl as Rane did. Just after the first sip, his mouth remained sealed shut, wishing to experience every single vor there was, savoring it in his mouth, thinking that he would


    never taste such a thing again.


    "I knew it!" Rane said. "I knew it, you thought you could trick me, right? This was a test that you gave yourself to impress me, well, I must say it worked." Rane patted his belly a few times. "That''s it, you''re hired as our head chef!"


    "I''m what?" Zon asked, wondering just what he had gotten himself into-one of the strongest warriors ever to exist, and leader of the infamous Red Fortis Army.

 Chapter 820: I Work Here!

    Chapter 820: I Work Here!


    ?


    Over the month of the new Dark Faction going through its reconstruction, one special thing was urring at the academy. A noodle shop had undergone rebranding, now calling itself "Perfect Noodles."


    It had be one of the most popr ces to eat in the entire outer academy area, and it seemed that word was spreading outside of the academy as well.


    At times, there would be visitors to the academy, iming that they wished to discuss or meet with certain individuals, but the truth was, they were there to taste what they had heard were some of the best noodles that the world of Pagna had to offer.


    This was all because there was a new head chef at the ce, and it was all thanks to the one known as Zon.


    Currently, inside the establishment, in the back kitchen, Zon was taking a step back,


    overlooking the line of cooks. He was carefully observing with his hands folded and pointed to one of the bowls.


    "Add a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of MSG," Zon ordered, then pointed to another person who was taking a metal basket filled with noodles out of water. "Not yet-two seconds more... now!"


    On his everymand, the cooks followed Zon''s instructions, all for the sake of making the perfect noodles.


    At the end of the line, with a small spoon, there was Rane, personally tasting every single dish. Although his face didn''t look satisfied, he allowed them to go out.


    ''No matter how much direction he gives them, I still haven''t been able to experience the same taste as that day,'' Rane thought, and then looked out through the small gap at the customers raving about the food.


    As they took a sip of the broth and then slurped down the noodles, there was a satisfied delight on their faces.


    ''I think of it as a curse. While they are all happy tasting these imitations of the perfect noodles, for me, only one can satisfy that taste.''


    There was no doubt that the restaurant had gotten substantially busier since the rebranding and the hiring of the new head chef, but Rane was wondering what the difference was between Zon and the others-why couldn''t they recreate the perfect noodles again?


    As for Zon, who had been swept up in all of this, he was thinking along the same lines as he looked at the cooks.


    ''Although they can''t produce the perfect ratios of ingredients that I used, with my direction they are able to get pretty close. But there is something else that is missing with them, and it''s the perfect mixture,'' Zon thought, as he lifted his hand to his face and looked through the gaps in his fingers.


    Then he openly said,


    "What am I even doing here? I''ve gotten too caught up in all of this!"


    The same words came out of Zon''s mouth nearly every day, but with nothing else for him to do, he found himself almost drawn to the shop. His leadership skills, ingrained from his time in the Red Fortis Army, were being put to use.


    He, too, wanted to create a restaurant with the most skilled workers and make it so every one of them could create the perfect noodles. His obsession, which made him who he was today and the leader of the Red Fortis Army, had now been hammered into this shop of all things.


    "A one-hour wait? Come on!" a man shouted so loudly that nearly everyone in the shop could hear him.


    They could see a group of five standing by the door, all of them menacing-looking men carryingrge clubs by their side. They were ready to enter the restaurant when they received a small raffle-like ticket.


    A system designed to fairly allow everyone who was there to be served on a firste, first- served basis, and just now, this group of people had been told an estimated wait time.


    "Are you saying all of these guys are here waiting?" the man in front said, giving them a stare and allowing some of the Qi from his body to be released. "Look, we''re Pagna warriors, we''re busy people that need to get to training."


    "We are part of the Dark Faction and part of the people that even protect this ce. So how can you put us warriors in the same queue as the other regr citizens?"


    Some of those who were waiting started to notice the bald-headed man in front. His name was Skyler. A talented warrior who had graduated from the academy two years ago.


    He was a rising star in the Wu Club n, a n that wasn''t one of the top five but was fairly active in the Dark Faction. Unlike many of the others who were at the restaurant, they had actuallye to greet the new leader, the Dark Magus.


    Rather than having an elder who represented the n, Skyler wanted to see things for himself, and if possible, even get a chance to fight the new Dark Magus.


    ''I heard the new leader was a student... if his strength is really that to match up with Murkel, then I want to test it firsthand, and if he sees my strength, then we can get our n up to new heights!'' Skyler thought.


    But before a fight, one needed to fill their belly with energy, and seeing such a busy ce had caught their eyes and led them to this situation.


    A worker quickly came rushing over, bowing his head to the warriors.


    "I''m sorry, sir, but it is our restaurant policy to treat everyone on a firste, first-served basis," the worker stated. "This restaurant is popr with many Pagna warriors, and if we implemented what you stated, then the regr citizens wouldn''t be able to enjoy our food." "There are many establishments in the city that cater to serving just Pagna warriors." One of the men behind Skyler walked right past the worker and headed inside. "And this isn''t one of the ces that don''t appreciate what us warriors do. When there is a war, we are the first in line to protect the Dark Faction; we are the ones that risk our lives fighting!" the warrior said, and the rest of them nodded.


    Skyler walked past into the restaurant as well, looking at the workers and the faces of the people.


    "But aren''t we safe from Pagna business?" one of the customers whispered to the others. "I mean, warriors are meant to deal with themselves, so even if there was a war, we wouldn''t be


    affected, right?"


    "You know nothing!" one of the men said, pulling out his club and bashing it on top of the table, knocking the noodles onto the floor and splitting it in half.


    "What do you think you''re doing!" the customer said, standing up. "You''re a warrior and aren''t meant to get involved in this stuff."


    "And you should know that no kingdom would get involved if a nobody like you were killed on the spot," the warrior replied.


    "Hey," Skyler said as he walked over to his fellow colleague, a little nervous. "Don''t you think you''re going a little too far?"


    It was then that the other warriors started to gather their clubs and bashed the tables next to them, emitting arge amount of Qi, each of them letting out their frustration on the customers. Some of the cooks, seeing what was happening to their restaurant, as well as servers, wanted to go stop the madness.


    They were ready to go ahead when another more level-headed person next to them reached out their hand to stop them, knowing full well that they could do nothing against warriors-


    they were just regr people.


    That was until one person stood up.


    "What the f*ck do you guys think you''re doing!" A loud bellowing voice came from the corner of the restaurant, and Rane was seen walking over with his heavy footsteps. Rane was an ordinary person and was not a Pagna warrior, but he still had a heavy presence that they were


    all aware of in the shop.


    "Can you use your ears, or are those things on the side of your head just for decoration!" Rane shouted. "My shop, my policy, and if you don''t like it, you can go somewhere else." "And now, like a spoiled child, because you guys didn''t get your way, you start destroying my stuff! You think just because you''re part of the Wu Club n, you can just do what you want!"


    Rane recognized them, as did others sitting in the room, yet despite all of that, Zon was impressed¡ªeven knowing the warriors in front of him were fairly strong, he was still standing up to them.


    The man who had broken the table earlier grabbed his club hard.


    "I''m tired of it, tired of it-all the way since we got here, there has been a huge disrespect!"


    the man shouted.


    On their journey, there were a number of warrior bandits as well as other issues they had dealt


    with, including their items being stolen from them in the middle of the night. Due to ack of food, they were hungrier than they were letting on, and all of that hunger wasing out as


    anger.


    "I see, the reason you disrespect us is because you have no idea what we can do with a simple swing!" the man shouted as he swung his club.


    "No, wait!" Skyler shouted, but it was toote to stop his friend.


    Rane never thought a warrior would take a swing at him, and seeing how fast it was, it wasN?v(el)B\\jnn


    something he couldn''t avoid. Being an ordinary person, the club hitting him would have


    sttered his head open like a watermelon.


    That was until the club had been stopped at thest second.


    "Who are you?" the warrior asked.


    "I''m just someone who works here," Zon replied. "And he''s my boss."

 Chapter 821: Beyond Strong

    Chapter 821: Beyond Strong


    ?


    The warrior from the Wu Club n looked at the man, who was dressed in a cook''s outfit- mainly a white sheet of cloth with a number of stains on it--but Zon''s outfit had something a little different: the Head Chef bandana that was tied around his head, white in color as well.


    "Head Chef Zon!" one of the cooks shouted. "What are you doing? Get back here!"


    "You can''t go up against them," another shouted. "They''re warriors! We need to make a formalint to the Academy."


    In a normal case, one could make aint to the mayor, who would work with the citizens, and that was how citizens could lodge aint, but the academy was a special case since it wasn''t a normal city and was one of the pieces of territory actually owned by the Factions rather than the kingdoms.


    "But... was he supposed to just let Rane get hit like that? I wanted to go forward myself, but I was too scared," another worker said.


    Some of them were relieved when they saw Zon catch the club, but the real question was, what was going to happen now? Now, Zon and Rane were both most likely to get hurt.


    "A mere chef is holding my club? You should get your dirty hands off it!" The man pulled the club away from Zon and was ready to swing it again as he lifted it in the air above his head.


    The moment Rane saw this, he squinted and panicked.


    ''No, he''s the only one who can create the perfect recipe-no matter what, he has to survive!'' However, the swing was too fast for Rane to do anything. When the club was swung down, arge amount of wind and Qi hit the floor, and Zon was standing to the side.


    "What the-"The man then continued to swing his club through the air, but Zon was moving casually, avoiding each of the swings. One after the other, the warrior was failing to hit his target.


    Then, Zon''s back hit the edge of a table. The warrior lunged at him, and Zon once again lifted his hand, grabbing the club and stopping it in its tracks.


    ''He stopped my attack again... and he avoided them all before. I didn''t think about it... but now that I am, how is that even possible for a normal person?''


    Right then, grasped in Zon''s hand, he tensed up, squeezing the end of the club, and the metal scrunched up like a ball of paper. Zon then pulled it forward and punched the man in the face lightning fast, hitting him squarely and sending him to the floor.


    Zon stood there next to the fallen warrior, while the cooks, the customers inside the restaurant, and Rane were all trying to process what had just urred.


    "The boss does not wish to see his restaurant destroyed," Zon said. "And you all need a lesson so that this never happens again."


    Seeing how their fellow n member had been hit to the floor, the others started rushing in one after the other, all aiming for Zon, the head chef.


    "We have to help him, otherwise he''s going to get killed!" the other chefs said. They wanted to move, but their bodies were shaking. Even against a regr Pagna warrior, they would be unable to do anything, and these were quite skilled ones.


    The first person threw their club from above, swinging it down, using all the Qi they had. In response, Zon simply avoided the strike and then burst forward until he reached the man''s chest, giving him a forceful push, hitting one person into another.


    He quickly moved to the side, as if he could see an attacking, and then threw out another fist, hitting the man on the side of the head, right on the temple. The attack was powerful, causing the person''s body to spin.


    The chefs, even Rane, didn''t understand what was going on. A person so good at cooking was also good at fighting, avoiding each hit, and knocking out his opponents with a single strike.


    ''Crap, the others went too far!'' Skyler thought. ''But I can''t let my entire n get humiliated like this, all from one person.''


    It was then that Skyler started to rush in from side to side, dragging his club along the floor. The floorboards were being ripped out from the ground as he moved through the restaurant.


    He then looked ahead, ready to attack his opponent. He saw the head chef attacking another with a single hit right on the face, blood spewing from their nose as they fell to the floor.


    Then suddenly, the man disappeared from his view, and before he knew it, Skyler was no longer able to move. He looked to his arm and saw a hand pushing down on his wrist.


    While another hand was gripping his head firmly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''I didn''t even see him move... he must be a high-level middle-stage warrior, but how could there be such a person, and I''ve never heard of them before? And he''s a chef of all things. Am I dreaming right now?''


    The one thing that Skyler was sure of was that his life was in the hands of this person, and it wouldn''t be clever of him to make any rash moves.


    "Your stupid attack ruined the restaurant even further. Didn''t you hear what I said before? You will pay for the damage you have done to this ce. I left you alone because you had yet to do any damage," Zon imed.


    Zon continued to hold Skyler back and then started to look at his facial expression as he noticed something.


    "You push as hard as you can."


    "Huh?" Skyler said, confused by the order.


    "Push the club in your hand as hard as you can use what you''ve got."


    Not quite understanding the situation but fully under this man''s control, Skyler decided to push the club, but it didn''t move a single inch, showing the clear superior strength between the two.


    It was then that Zon turned to Rane, who was still in disbelief at everything that was


    happening.


    "You are looking for more people who can create the perfect noodles for this shop, right?" Rane slowly nodded, wondering why at a time like this Zon was asking about noodles. "Then allow me to hire the perfect team. You,e work in this noodle shop," Zon asked. Inside the academy, there was arge, empty hall with special hardened walls. It was made from a tree located in another dimension. The tree had portions that made it one of the strongest materials known in the Pagna world, at least for durability.


    Unfortunately, its durability made it hard to be made into any type of weapon, and it seemed to reject Qi, which was one of the reasons why it was so durable. So it wasn''t so good for Pagna


    warriors to use.


    Instead, parts of the trees were used to build structures where dangerous portals currently resided, just in case there was a portal break, and in one room, it was Murkel''s personal


    training room.


    The inside parts of the walls and floors had already been scuffed in certain areas, most likely due to Murkel''s own training, and in the room, there were two people present.


    Standing by the side, there was Dame, watching the center with his arms folded, and in the center of the room was Raze.


    "You think you got the hang of it this time?" Dame asked.


    "Definitely," Raze answered. "Thanks to your help."


    In bing the Dark Faction leader, Raze had obtained a number of different techniques from ns all over the continent, and he had picked those best suited for him and best suited


    for his fighting style.


    More importantly, Raze wanted to try andbine some of these techniques with his magic


    to make them more powerful than ever. Picking Dame along with him, a person he could trust,


    he wanted him to guide him.


    After all, Raze''s knowledge of Pagna techniques was quite limited.


    It was then that Raze started to lift his hands, as he gathered the Qi in his body and gathered his magic. In the reflection of Dame''s eyes, everything could be seen.


    A loud, powerful force and several bangs were heard all over the ce. It onlysted around thirty seconds or so, and then it came to a stop as Raze was there on the floor.


    He was kneeling on one knee, and behind him was mass destruction-the specially made floorboards had been ripped up, and the state of the room looked as if it could never be


    repaired again.


    As for Raze''s feet, his shoes were no longer there, and arge amount of his skin had been ripped off; they were bleeding.


    "You have be really strong, Raze... too strong," Dame said, just wondering how anyone would be able to deal with him now.


    "Raze!" Amir called out, entering the room. He was going to speak, but the state of the room shocked him. He had almost forgotten what he was about to say but then continued to speak. "There is someone who wishes to speak to you, a man named Himmy."

 Chapter 822: A Warning From Alter

    Chapter 822: A Warning From Alter


    ?


    A medical bay was located in the academy to treat students as well as other warriors.


    From time to time there would be many that experienced some trouble, either students going too far with each other or teachers hurting themselves in battle.


    At times the cause of the teachers wounds would be by the students as well.


    Currently, inside lying on one of the physician tables a certain special individual, a man that was part of the group Alter, was receiving healing treatment.


    First a Pagna physician had used their skills, giving a number of herbs and forcing needles into the skin.


    This had brought some energy back to Himmy and colour to his face but the wound on his body was still healing.


    After seeing this, a special Hybrid was called. Using a substance from the beast part of their body they had spat a strange gooey substance on the wound.


    This had managed to stop the bleeding but the person still was in no state to speak and judging from the sweat running all over their body there was a good chance that they still wouldn''t make it and that''s when Safa had finally been called.


    She ced both of her hands over the wound, and started to activate her Light magic. Her hands started to glow slightly and then she could feel a connection on her back, where the spear currently was ced.


    ''I don''t know why you came here of all ces, maybe you''re here to speak to Raze or try to take him out, but we won''t know with the state you''re in.''


    The wound was severe and Himmy had already lost a lot of blood. With Safa having healed a number of people now she had an idea about wounds.


    In fact she had even decided to study a few anatomy books as well as work side by side with a few physicians.


    Learning the state of the body and how it worked allowed her to direct her healing powers to the right ce. Rather than just using her Light magic on an area and hoping it would work, she could pinpoint her magic to heal certain parts.


    ''The new Lux Spear, even with it on my back I can feel its power but it almost feels as if it''s too powerful 1. I''m worried if I use its full power it might do more harm than good, I should limit it for now.''


    It didn''t take long for not only the wound to look as if it was nonexistent as it was reverting back to the way it was, but Himmy looked almost back to normal.


    "Get Raze, hurry!" Safa ordered.


    Not only was Raze called to the room but Liam, Dame, Simyon as well as Amir were present as well.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Since some of them were part of Alter and involved in this whole matter.


    When entering, Himmy was sitting up on the table, not moving from his position.


    "I hope you know I''m here not as a threat?" Himmy said. "Not that I could do anything against all of you here. You know I never thought when I met you, you would be in a position like this. I guess you''re quite the otherworlder to cause a situation like this."


    Raze stayed in front of the others and looked at the blood stained overcoat Himmy wore.


    "Who did that to you, was it Alter? I''m guessing they didn''t just send you to speak to me, or to take me down." Raze asked.


    Safa and Simyon turned confused, why would Alter attack one of their own, especially Himmy who wasn''t part of their group at all.


    "Man, at a time like this I could really, really do with a smoke. This world has something like it, but it''s just not the same, I want that feeling deep inside you know, even if it''s proven to kill me." Himmy said, gesturing in the air and breathing out.


    "Anyway, you''re right Alter did this to me, and it was after they found out about you." Himmy exined. "You see, they are wondering why someone like me had you under mymand yet knew nothing about you."


    "At first when news of you appearing at the Martial Arts Tournament spread, there seemed to be no issue on the matter." Himmy exined.


    "Right." Amir added. "If Alter was able to have someone like Raze part of their group it would only increase their influence, I thought they would have wanted to talk to him."


    "Right, that would have been the case." Himmy answered.


    "They would have reached out with some terms and maybe Raze would have gotten a high position. That''s what I thought as well, but then Alter suddenly locked me up"


    "They captured me and Charlotte together and started to question and ask what we know about the Dark Magus."


    This had caught the attention of Raze and it confirmed one of his thoughts. There were those in Alter that knew about him.


    If anything they wanted to know even more about the Dark Magus, and the only people that would go so far when hearing the name of the Dark Magus would be the Grand Magus.


    "It didn''t seem like they believed us that you were just a two star mage and one that was using Pagna warrior skills." Himmy exined.


    "No matter what we said they pushed us and started to torture us with thier magic. Whoever you are, you really seem to be on their radar."


    "In the end, Charlotte was able to use her magic skills to break the two of us out." "Escaping from Alter is near an impossible task but Charlotte, she''s a clever one especially with her magic. The two of us split up and created a diversion, that''s when I was shot on the way out."


    "With Alter chasing after me, where the fuck could I even go. I couldn''t go to any city, there''s too many of them, so I thought why not head to the ce, the reason why I was shot in the first ce, maybe if I died I could at least get some peace knowing why I was shot."


    "Where''s Charlotte now?" Raze asked.


    Safa made note of all the questions Raze could ask, he had asked about this Charlotte person in of everyone.


    "I have no idea, we split up, but as I said she''s a clever one, I think she would have survived somewhere out there. Anyway, thanks for saving me you guys, you all seem to have Pagna powers and magic which is strange to me but it doesn''t matter."


    There were so many questions on Raze''s mind now that Himmy was here even the oddment he had just made.


    He remembered trying to teach Safa magic, and when creating the core, what had ured. If she had learned anything but Light magic then she would have been dead by now. "Since Alter is now after you, I presume it will be easier to get information from your lips. It would be quite handy after all to know what the enemy is doing and the state they are in." Amir asked interested in his own gain.


    "Ha, even though I was a squad captain they didn''t tell me much, there''s a number of ranks


    above me. If I was so important I wouldn''t have been in this state to begin with." Himmy said. "But sure I''ll work with you guys, but I want my own answers as well from him, why is Alter


    after you so much.''


    It wasn''t just Himmy that was interested, everyone there was curious as well. Because Himmy


    didn''t say Raze, he didn''t say the Dark Faction leader.


    It stated that they were interested in the Dark Magus.


    ''That was a name he spread himself, did he do this on purpose to get Alter''s attention?'' Dame thought. ''I thought it was just something he chose to try and be a bit catchy and sell his


    products.''


    "Before that, there is something I need to warn you guys about." Himmy said. "Consider this


    as a gift to prove I''m cooperating with you."


    "An Alter squad will being here. They will be here to gather information. After they get what they want then they will do one of two things."


    "They will head back to Alter and report back, or they will choose to go further with their goal, maybe try and capture the Dark Magus."


    "With your new found strength I think that''s unlikely, but whatever you do, don''t get rid of them, don''t let them know you know about them, if you attack them, then we''re all going to


    be fucked, Alter will send a Deleter."


    "A Deleter, what''s that?" Safa asked.


    "You haven''t been in Alter long enough to know the ins and outs, but the Deleters are the ones sent out to solve all their problems. They have the power to eliminate entire ns if need be." "Whatever you do, for everyone''s sake, don''t attack the Alter group."

 Chapter 823: Why Are They After You?

    Chapter 823: Why Are They After You?


    ?


    Although Himmy''s wounds had been restored, the rest had decided to give him some time to rest before they further questioned him. Giving him food among other things so he could be back inplete shape.


    At the same time though, Amir had ordered one of the Bonum Society members to keep guard at the door. Many of the core members had risen and spread throughout the faction including that of the academy.


    Although Himmy was part of Alter, he wasn''t from a world with specific powers and only had a strange weapon known as a gun. Still, Amir wouldn''t take any chances underestimating him. "He should be alright in there, right?" Amir asked.


    Raze and the others had left the room, and had headed to a tea room stationed around the Zen garden where Safa would regrlye. It had a sliding door that opened out to the garden which was currently open.


    Most of the group were sat at the tables including Raze, while Dame and Amir were both standing by other entrances. With their backs against the wall, both of them were keeping their senses sharp about them.


    It was clear they were uneasy about the whole situation.


    "You ced a guard that you trust to look over him," Razemented. "He should be fine, unless Alter is already in the academy itself and is targeting him. As for himself, I doubt that he will try to escape, but if he does then, there is a chance he could find a way out."


    "He said to me once that he was a detective, and he seems to be a smart person."


    "Right Alter, that group that has been brought up a few times in the past," Dame said. "An organisation of otherworlders and I''m guessing that he''s one as well, but what he said about these Deleters that the group have, do you think it''s true."


    "That the organization has such strong people that they could wipe out entire ns? I mean, wouldn''t we on Pagna, the ns know about it at least. The Demonic Faction certainly don''t know about those capable."


    "Did you guys know about us and our strength?" Amir asked. "Alter has been gathering items, powerful items from other dimensions for years. They have done so with the goal of protecting Pagna, and many of them have joined them thinking this is the case."


    "Because of that, they haven''t exactly been using these items freely, if they did it would go against their goals and people within the organization would question them. But if they hand these items to a few powerful people all under the guise of their goals, then I can see it."


    Raze then decided to add his own thoughts to the conversation as well. "Not just items, there will be powerful individuals like myself kept under wraps in their organization as well. I think it would be wise if we were to follow what Himmy said.


    "We need to keep an eye on Alter entering the Faction, if we find out who they are, then it''s best we keep it low. Maybe we can be the ones to start to feed them the information that we want them to know."


    The others agreed and thought it sounded reasonable, including that of Amir, but with everything going on, and with all of those in the room, it was then that Amir decided it was time for him to ask a question that he had been wondering about for a while now.


    "Raze... I want to know something, I know why Alter are against the Bonum Society, why they would want to control the Dark Faction, but from his words from before, it sounded like they were after you... and I don''t mean the Dark Faction leader, they were after the one with the name Dark Magus... is there a reason for that, or something that we should know."


    Although Safa and Simyon wanted to tell Amir off for asking such a direct question, the two of them also wanted to know the truth of what was going on. They wanted to know who was the Dark Magus and even more about Raze.


    Raze looked at the table for a while, with his index finger he was drawing a circle on the table, thinking about what to say, and then he lifted his head up.


    "You have all been kept in the dark long enough, I know the reasons for you doing what you need to do, and we are all working to help each other out, so I guess I should tell you a bit about myself then, but I can only guess why they might be after me."


    "As you all know, I am an otherworlder, from the world Alterian, and in that world I was known as the Dark Magus," Raze stated. "In that world I had made quite a name for myself, and I also made quite a few enemies."


    "It seems that the head of Alter is also a member of Alterian, I can only guess he may know someone from Alterian that knows me, or has a grudge against me. The name Dark Magus would only be known in our world. Which is why I havee to such a conclusion."


    "Wow." Liam immediately said. "So someone has that deep of a grudge for you that it''s even transcending worlds."


    "No, it might not be that they have a grudge for me, it''s the fact that I have a grudge against them, and they are afraid that I will do anything I can to get it done."


    For an instant, everyone in the room could feel what gave Raze the drive that he had, to always push forward to get stronger, and if his enemy was part of this strong organization like Alter, then they somewhat understood why he needed to continue to grow and had done the things he had done so far.


    "So then, what did you do for them to go after you like that, or what did they do to you?" Liam asked.


    "I''m sure it wasn''t Raze," Simyon said. "I mean, we already know that Alter are secretly the bad guys thanks to Amir. They must have just done whatever they do now, and annoyed Raze, he''s just getting involved in all of this just like he did with the mess at the Pagna academy." There was a pause when Simyon said that, and then turned to look at Raze. "Right?"


    "I said before, due to all of your help and continuing to stay by my side I will tell you what I can, and it''s up to you to decide." Raze said. "If you were to mention the name Dark Magus to anyone from Alterian, they would instantly know who I was."


    "If my name was mentioned, then fear would strike all of those that heard it, wondering if I would be around the corner. The name I obtained was because I used Dark magic, a magic that is banned in my world."


    "It was a power that I learned, to get rid of those that did me harm, those known as the Grand Magus. I believe they are also involved in all of this mess in Pagna, but I just haven''t connected the dots."


    "I continued using the name the Dark Magus here in Pagna, hoping that it would ignite something and it seems it has. So a link has appeared between the Grand Magus and Alter. Since they are after me, I guess I need to do whatever I can to stop them as well."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What did the Grand Magus do to you?" Safa asked.


    Raze opened his mouth about to answer but then he stopped. "It appears I''m not ready to relive those moments myself. Maybe when my anger has been quenched slightly I can tell you the full details. But I can tell you all one thing, the man in front of you is not a good person... we are on the same side. None of you have wronged me, so there is no worry though." Liam started to think of the times he saw Raze have a hint of anger. He was starting to imagine what he might have done in Alterian, but didn''t dare to casually ask further.


    "So for now, we should follow Himmy''s warning," Amir said. "I will ask the society to be on the lookout for any people that don''t fit in."


    "What is there to worry anyway, I''m sure the Deleters'' powers will have been exaggerated," Liammented, waving his hand.


    "Right, but you have to know that even the past Dark Faction leader was worried about Alter," Raze added. "Anyway, whatever we do, let''s not attack Alter."


    At that moment, entering into the academy area was a group that had never been at the academy before. They were wearing the regr Pagna clothing, thin and soft on the skin, but the way they were observing the ce, it was quite clear they were outsiders.


    "So we need to gather as much information as we can right, about this Dark Magus person?"


    One of them asked.


    "Right, and I think I know the perfect ce," one said, pointing to the sign. "They say that information passes regrly through these types of ces, but what a strange name for a ce... the Perfect Noodles shop."

 Chapter 824 The Real Dark Magus

    ?Chapter 824 The Real Dark Magus


    In the Light faction, inside one of the many inns in the city, a group sat around a table, having just finished a meal.


    There was an odd atmosphere as they drank their drinks, not a single person had said a word even during the meal. While the rest of the ce was lively and filled with rowdy customers.


    Marcus, the head of the group, lifted hisrge ss of beer and finished it with a big gulp, wiping away the foam from his mouth. Ile stared at the hanging heads that were in front of him.


    "I think I might be starting to prefer Pagna''s beer to what I have back home, although maybe I''m just forgetting the taste, Marcus said. "It has been a long time since then, it would be nice to ask him as well, what he thought."


    However, hisment didn''t get a reply, which bothered him as he looked at the faces of his special squad from Alter. A squad that had been together for over a year now.


    "Come on, speak up. What''s going on? You''ve all been sulking for a while now" Marcus asked. "If anyone should be upset, it''s me!"


    "A person I''ve considered a friend has been turned into a criminal.


    "I have something to ask!" Tanya said, mming a shot ss onto the table. She had been drinking hard liquor and, along with Marcus, was one of the few who could stomach it."


    "Why didn''t you take the job? It would''ve been a big score for our squad. Instead, now we''re running investigations, and that''s not even the main task of our squad, Tanya asked.


    "You really wanted him to take the job?" Shing replied. "When we''re involved in something even Alter doesn''t know about? There''s a big chance we''d end up in the same situation as Himmy and his group If that happened."


    Marcus let out a big sigh, knowing full well his squad was divided by the decision he had made.


    As squad leader, he had been assigned a task for him and his group by one of the Programmers in Alter.


    They were selected because of therge variation in their group. The task was to head to the Dark Faction and investigate everything they could about the Dark Faction leader, the Dark Magus. There was also an extra note to find out more about how the name "Dark Magus'' came to be given to that particr individual.


    The thing was, Marcus and his group had been present at the Martial Arts Tournament.


    They had seen Raze, a person they had worked with briefly when transporting him from the Demonic Faction to Himmy for a handover.


    That task was done off the books, not an official order from the Programmers. It was something Marcus had done for fellow people from the same world.


    So Marcus knew that the person at the event, the Dark Magus, and the member from Alter were all the same person.


    He had a good idea why Himmy was now wanted and could y out everything in his head.


    Given all the connections, he had decided to decline the job, no matter how well Alter would have treated them afterward or even if their positions were raised.


    "Alter is arge group, and they''ve already sent in Kelp''s team for the job anyway. I think, with what might happen, it suits them more, Marcus added.


    "Kelp''s team?" the young warrior asked. ''Aren''t they a bit extreme with their methods?"


    "Right" Marcus answered. "Like us, rather than being an investigation team, they''re more of a team used topleting tasks with their own hands, which makes me nervous!


    "And if anything, the reason I declined this job is because of him. So, if you want to know why, he can tell you what he told me."


    Marcus pointed toward Ban, the mage of the group.


    Not just any mage, but Ban had been part of the Glory Guild in Alterian before joining Pagna and bing a member of Alter.


    The other members of the squad turned to Ban, waiting for his answer.


    "Come on, spit it out!" Tanya said. "What''s so bad about this job? We didn''t have to take out the kid... we just needed to learn more about him."


    Before Ban spoke, he took a big gulp.


    "None of you understand," Ban said. "Because none of you are from Alterian. If you were, no one would take this job."


    "I don''t know if it''s a coincidence or not, but judging by how Alter is acting, they''re being cautious too. If that kid we met is really the Dark Magus from Alterian, then we should stay as far away from him and his group as possible!


    "What the heck?" Tanya said, downing another shot without flinching. "You''re making him sound like the boogeyman. Sure, the kid was strong enough to go up against all of us, but we were going easy on him. And the way you''re shaking right now, it''s almost like he''s some type of god.:


    "The Dark Magus is a nine-star mage who can use Dark Magic," Ban blurted out in fear. "The skills he used back then... now it''s starting to make sense to me!


    "That kind of power is enough to take out an entire faction by himself, and the fact he managed to take over the Dark Faction is proof of that!


    "If we want to live, we should all stay as far away as possible from the Dark Magus and anything rted to him!


    The teasing from Tanya stopped, and no one else wanted to say more. They could see Ban wasn''t joking and was clearly startled.


    However, there was more to it. When Ban had met Raze and saw him saving all those people of Pagna, his actions didn''t match the image of the Dark Magus Ban had in his head.


    "But it might not be him," Ban said. "Something doesn''t make sense. The Dark Magus from Alterian is an old man... but the one we met was just a kid. None of this makes sense!"

 Chapter 825: The Chef?

    Chapter 825: The Chef?


    ?


    "What am I doing right now?" were the words that hade out of Skyler''s mouth as he was carefully stretching out arge piece of dough.


    He was doing so carefully while also using his Qi, trying to infuse it into his techniques.


    "Add slightly more Qi when youpound the dough up, and refine your control when you stretch it out," Zon ordered.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Yes, Chef!" Skyler shouted as he continued with his work.


    Skyler was imagining how he had gotten into this situation. Instead of wearing the respectable n clothes of the Wu Club n, he was wearing a chef''s outfit.


    Instead of his Qi being used to train and ascend into a mighty warrior that the heavens would be proud of, he was here making noodles of all things.


    Tears wanted to flow from Skyler''s eyes, but knowing fully who was watching him, Skyler continued to work.


    "I can''t believe it," Rane said, standing next to Zon. "You''re not just a good cook and a good fighter, but it looks like you have an eye for selecting talent as well.


    "The noodles that Skyler makes are close to yours."


    "Right, but we still don''t have the capacity to fully deal with all of the orders we make," Zon replied. "Ideally, I''d like the original staff to focus on prep work, and the final details to be done by those like Skyler."


    When Zon saw Skyler''s body, he knew he had a body and Qi perfect for crafting noodles. In fact, that was what was missing.


    The power he had with his nano machine body could be reced by Pagna warriors. But what warriors would curb their ambition to be the strongest and join a noodle shop?


    This was why it didn''t seem like a viable option for Zon, that was until he met Skyler during the attack, and came up with the perfect solution. Now, here the two of them were.


    With Skyler on the team, Zon was closer to getting his perfect team together to create the perfect noodles.


    The Perfect Noodles shop was just as busy as it usually would be, with long queues outside the door and others waiting toe in.


    Finally, a man named Kelp, with green t hair, had been called along with his group of four. In total, the five of them sat at a table and were quick to make their order.


    "Are you sure this is the right ce?" one of the men asked.


    "I''m sure. Information passes through and is even secretly shared in these types of restaurants, and with how busy it is, I''m sure we''ll find something of use. We just need to make some friends," Kelp said.


    Kelp and his group were part of Alter, sent to gather information. There was a reason they had been sent, and it was because they were a special groupposed of Pagna warriors.


    There were no Otherworlders in their group, but they knew of the existence of Otherworlders. Each of them were strong middle-stage warriors as well, usually working as Wanderers. However, they would make sure to hide their strength in their jobs from time to time.


    Due to the squad being selected to go off on missions in different areas, it wasn''t beneficial for them to catch the eye of a high-ranking n and be recruited.


    "Anyway, the rest of you follow my lead," Kelp said.


    After tasting the delicious noodles, Kelp went on to offer free drinks to those at the nearby tables, all to be paid by him.


    He stated that they were celebrating a sessful mission, and the others kindly epted the free drinks.


    The guests would ask questions about where they were from and how they found themselves there, and Kelp and the others would reply back.


    After a few joyous conversations, it was time for Kelp to start going on with the task at hand.


    "We ventured over here because we had a job nearby, and we were wondering, do you know what the Dark Magus is like?" Kelp asked.


    "The Dark Magus?" the man looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his face a little hot and red from the drink.


    "Oh, you mean the Dark Faction leader. Things have been... mostly the same."


    "Yeah!" another one shouted. "We can''t really form an opinion of him because we don''t even see him. Things are the same."


    "I''m just happy there''s a strong leader at the top. It seems to have stopped the Light Faction and the Demonic Faction from doing anything."


    Kelp was unhappy with the answers he got, but he continued to persist, asking in roundabout ways about anything to do with the Dark Magus.


    In the end, though, it seemed like the people knew nothing. If anything, what they had learned was that to them, the new leader of the Dark Faction just appeared out of thin air.


    Since their lives hadn''t been affected much, they didn''t bother to look into matters.


    In the restaurant, there were also a few Pagna warriors present. Most likely teachers from the academy or rted to the students inside.


    So Kelp went on to question them as well. During the questioning, just like before, there wasn''t much to add.


    However, there were other things they found out, like how all of the ns were attacked just before the Dark Magus became the leader of the Faction.


    "Really!" Kelp said with his eyes lit up. "Yeah, but it wasn''t by the Dark Faction leader himself. It seemed to be others around him, you know, like those from the Crimson Crane."


    "Are they strong enough to take out entire ns in the Dark Faction?" Kelp replied.


    "Who knows," the man shrugged. "I wasn''t there, but there''s someone you can ask. I believe one of the ns that had been attacked was the Wu Club n."


    "Right, and we have a member of that n here!" another customer said.


    "Where?" Kelp asked, ecstatic to follow up with more questions, and then they saw the customers pointing at a chef behind the counter of all ces.

 Chapter 826: You Are Strange People

    Chapter 826: You Are Strange People


    ?


    Kelp stared at the chef in question, watching his every move. Right now, he was filling the dough, stretching it out, and performing a type of routine in front of one of the tables.


    It was a way to enhance their experience, and the way he stretched out the dough and spun it in the air, it was as if he had been doing it for years, perfecting his craftsmanship.


    ''That man was someone who used to be a Pagna warrior?'' Kelp thought. ''Why would a Pagna warrior be a chef, and from the look of things, that person has been a chef for years with how skilled he is.''


    With Kelp and his group being pagna warriors themselves, they knew the pride of being a warrior, which was why they couldn''t understand someone who would give up such a thing.


    Looking back at the customers that were speaking, Kelp wanted to ask if they were sure they had the right person, but they were already gone.


    "What should we do, sir?" One of the Alter members asked. "Do you want to try and question the chef?"


    Kelp waved his hand.


    "They have to be mistaken. That can''t be one of the warriors. There are plenty of warriors at these tables from the Dark Faction. Let''s try to get friendly with them, buy them a few drinks, and find out what happened."


    Kelp and his group were quick to enact their n, and it had worked. With a few drinks down the others'' bellies, their lips had be somewhat looser.


    And Kelp was getting answers to his questions, but they weren''t what he had expected. He learned of the warriors, how young they were, and the power they wielded.


    As well as warriors they had never seen before helping them fight. Some wielded special weapons in their attacks as well.


    Things weren''t making sense-how such people could get such strength and the weapons that they had used.


    On top of that, the interesting fact Kelp learned was about the items taken from them. Artifacts left within the ns for so long.


    It was burying a deep hatred among some of the ns with the neers, but there was nothing they could do.


    Eventually, after going around the entire restaurant, Kelp and his group returned to their seats and ordered more drinks. They needed to in order to stay in the restaurant a little while longer.


    "What do we do now? Although we found out some information, and maybe what this Dark Magus ordered others to do, I don''t think this is what Alter was after," one of the guys said.


    "You''re right, we can''t go empty-handed. We will have to dig deeper, maybe head to some of the ns, and head to the academy if need be," Kelp replied.


    "Isn''t that risky? And how can we be sure they''ll answer any questions we have anyway?"


    Kelp reached into his pocket and pulled out a rounded meat-like stick. It looked somewhat like a chopstick, but it was thicker and more rounded on both ends.


    "This is a little gift from one of the programmers. It''s the first time they''ve given me such an artifact. Hold this in front of a person''s eyes, ask them anything, and they will have to tell the truth." Kelp then passed it to one of his allies, Ponz, who had been in his group for the longest


    time.


    "This really works?" Ponz asked, looking at it.


    "Try it out here if you want," Kelp said.


    It was then that Ponz held up the device and went to hold it in front of one of the fellow members in the group, but Kelp reached out and grabbed his wrist, shaking his head.


    "Not on us," Kelp stated. "Have you not heard from the other squads?"


    The other members shook their heads and leaned in closer, knowing full well this would be something others shouldn''t hear.


    "Some of the items in Alter are powerful, and they practically have no downside, but a lot of the items given to groups like us sometimes seem to have drawbacks."


    "Now, Alter would never give out something that would harm our squads, after all, no one would use such items and there would be a lot of trust lost in Alter. But they don''t fully exin the effects it can have on others."


    "What do you mean?" Ponz asked.


    "Let me give you an example. That item certainly does what they told me it will allow us to ask any question and get the truth-but there could be side effects on the person used."


    "Maybe they lose their memory of thest two years. Perhaps a year of their life would be taken, or maybe even they can never speak again."


    "These are the types of things that have been spoken about from the other squads."


    "And they don''t tell us this?" another member shouted.


    While the member who was moments away from having the artifact used on him was staring ahead at Ponz, thinking what could have happened if Kelp hadn''t exined in time.


    "At some point, they have to test some of these items'' effects. Some might not be so obvious, and as I said, none of them harm us, so it''s not to worry. Anyway, we should probably find out what side effects it has before we start entering ns with this thing," Kelp said, gesturing for Ponz to get to work with the item.


    Understanding the assignment, Ponz went to the closest table they had been friendly with for a while now.


    He offered to buy them a drink, and then, under the guise of a magic trick, Ponz pulled out the special device and held it right in front of the man.


    He then lifted his hand, ready to press his thumb on the top, to activate the artifact, pushing


    down.


    Until a hand reached out and grabbed him by his wrist.


    "What are you exactly doing with that?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ponz looked at the man that grabbed his hand and noticed the white clothing-it was the


    chef, the one they had been told about.


    "You guys have been acting strange ever since you got in here," Skyler said.

 Chapter 827: Dont Break The Rule!

    Chapter 827: Don''t Break The Rule!


    ?


    In the Perfect Noodle shop, the chefs behind their cooking counters, as well as the customers that would regrlye, had all stopped what they were doing for a moment.


    They looked at the scene ying out with Skyler, and hadrge smiles on their faces.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Kelp and the other warriors noticed the strange looks the others were giving as well.


    ''Seriously, what is up with this restaurant?'' Kelp thought.


    Little did they know that what Skyler had just done was something he had recently been doing on the regr, and everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.


    "Are we taking bets on this one?" one of the chefs asked.


    "I''ll say five minutes, these guys look a bit stronger than thest lot," another added.


    "Well, you know it takes longer because of Zon''s and Rane''s rules, right? That nothing in the shop can get destroyed."


    The reason they were looking with anticipation and smiles was because of what Skyler had done since he had joined.


    No one quite knew the exact reason why, but since Skyler hade to work for them, he had butted heads with arge number of guests.


    It happened from time to time, between waiters and the chefs themselves. Even Rane got a bit too emotional in the past when someone would criticize his cooking.


    In this case though, maybe it was the build-up of the situation. The fact that Skyler was working as a chef instead of practicing his martial arts.


    Or maybe it was the type of people as well. The word that Skyler from the Wu Club n was working as a chef had gotten around to those who knew Skyler.


    Those who had lost fights to him in the past hade to see if this was true for themselves, visiting the restaurant, and proceeded to mock him.


    Skyler didn''t hold back and proved he was still a skillful warrior, dealing with all those that annoyed and mocked him.


    However, Zon and Rane had rules if he was to fight so much in the restaurant-not to destroy the restaurant, and not to allow any other customers to be harmed.


    Right now, in their eyes, this was just another one of those moments.


    "What are you doing? You guys have been bothering the customers all night, asking them strange questions!" Skyler said. "I let it go since you were buying a lot of stuff, but then you bring this strange object out, there''s a whole line of customers waiting to get in! Just eat your food and leave!"


    Skyler was in a bad mood. He was frustrated because Zon had told him to correct his form multiple times when stretching out the dough.


    He thought he had been doing it perfectly, but Skyler was told again and again to use his Qi for cooking of all things.


    "Hey, what do you think you''re doing!" Ponz said. "We''re paying customers! You can''t just ask us to leave, and no one else seems to be bothered by this except you."


    "Besides, don''t you know who I am? I''m a Pagna warrior. You shouldn''ty your hands so lightly on a Pagna warrior."


    The words were irritating Skyler quite a bit, and the chefs behind started tough out loud because they had heard simr words before, and it was when Skyler and his group had firste to the restaurant as well.


    "Pagna warriors mean nothing here, you mean nothing, so get out!" Skyler said, tensing his hand around Ponz''s wrist.


    The humiliation had reached its peak for Ponz. A dirty chef had used his hands on him, a carefully trained warrior, and there wasn''t an ounce of respect.


    With his other hand, he went to strike at the chef.


    In that instant, Skyler let go of Ponz''s hand, then swirled, knocking the strike away in the air.


    Ponz was slightly surprised by this-he was a middle-stage warrior and had used Qi in his strike, yet it had been blocked. But with his frustration reaching a new high, he continued to throw fists.


    Again and again, Skyler blocked the punches from hitting his body, effortlessly knocking the hands away.


    The way he was moving, it was almost the same movements he made when pulling the dough. The onlookers, seeing this, almost felt like it was a performance, and some even started to p and cheer.


    Right then, Skyler knocked the hands away, then swirled around the back, hitting Ponz on the back of the head with arge amount of force.


    It knocked him out, sending his body to the floor, but Skyler caught the man by the back of his shirt before slowly letting him lie on the floor.


    Immediately, Kelp and the rest of the group got up to surround the chef.


    "I guess I should have taken that other man''s words seriously. You are a Pagna warrior and a pretty strong one. Maybe you''re just the person we were looking for," Kelp said.


    "Right, scum like you would of course gang up on a single person like me," Skyler said as he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, ready for a fight.


    One of the warriors charged forward and gave arge kick to the center. Skyler lifted both of his forearms, blocking the attack.


    Right after, another strike came toward his head, but he was smoothly able to avoid the hit. Three warriors of great skill were attacking him at once, but Skyler was able to avoid them each time.


    ''I might be imagining things, but have I gotten better?... but how?... all I''ve been doing for almost two weeks now is making noodles!'' Skyler thought.


    With that thought in his head, there was one fist, incredibly fastpared to the others, aimed right at his face, thrown by Kelp.


    The fist solidly hit his head, lifting Skyler off his feet and sending him back, crashing into one of the tables, breaking it apart.


    The customers nearby rushed to their feet and moved away, slightly startled by what had just


    happened.


    "You should have known when to quit," Kelp said.


    Skyler, rubbing his forehead that was slightly sore, could feel the presence of someone else


    standing by his side.


    "It''s... the same for you," Skyler mumbled.


    Now Kelp and his group could see another man in chef''s clothes standing right next to Skyler.


    "You''ve broken the rule," Zon said. "You destroyed the restaurant''s property."

 Chapter 828: Unstoppable Chef

    ?


    The grin on Rane''s face was thergest of all those in the restaurant currently. Hisrge forearms rested on top of his belly as he looked ahead.


    "I can''t believe that Zon is getting involved himself," Rane said. "Maybe we''ll see the same level of skills he disyed that day."


    "Shouldn''t we still be worried, Rane?" one of the cooks asked. "After all, there are multiple warriors, and it looks like they were able to get the better of Skyler as well."


    Although many felt that way, it was because they knew nothing about the Pagna warrior world, and it was the same for Rane. He was just trusting his gut.


    Without realizing it, he had recruited a very, very special person.


    "You cooks have all gone mad to stand up and fight against us! I doubt any n is going to stand up for harming a bunch of cooks!" Kelp shouted.


    As he did, the others by his side all rushed in toward where Zon was.


    "Your Qi control has gotten a lot better," Zonmented.


    Skyler realized that thesements were aimed at him.


    "If you keep at it, your noodles will be close to perfection. It''s a shame, unlike with your group, with these, I don''t see anyone who is talented."


    The first man came to strike, and it missed, going right past Zon''s face. Just moments after the strike was thrown, arge cracking sound was heard.


    The arm that was used to strike-the bone in the forearm-had been snapped, broken apart. Right after, Zon grabbed the man by the face and threw him to the side as another opponent came to strike.


    This time, there were two striking at the same time. Stepping ahead, Zon spun his body. Skyler, watching, was focused-so focused that he was trying to see every detail. It felt like he was watching the movement in slow motion.


    ''How is it possible? How is he able to move the right way to avoid the two hits?''


    One attacker was throwing a punch, the other a kick, and Zon had managed to move and bend his body in such a way that both attacks missed him.


    If Zon hadn''t stepped forward, or tried to block or avoid the attack in any other way, it seemed like the attack would have struck his body.


    This type of calction, this type of foresight, it was impossible for a human-at least one at the middle stage.


    Zon, after avoiding their attacks and going past them, grabbed the back of their clothing and pulled their bodies, smashing them into each other.


    Right after their bodies collided, he threw them to the floor. Lifting up his foot, he then stomped down, crushing the bones in both of their legs.


    They wouldn''t be getting up anytime soon, even as Pagna warriors who could use Qi to speed up their healing.


    Seeing how swiftly and easily Zon had dealt with three warriors, there was now only Kelp left. "Skyler was right to intervene," Zon said as he held the strange metallic object in his hand. "This item would have done harm. I can tell from the look on your face."


    "If he hadn''t stepped in, then I would have myself. I was able to listen in on your conversation from the beginning, and it has been bugging me."


    "Who sent you here?" Zon asked.


    Kelp had one hand reaching inside his shirt, pressing onto something multiple times.


    It was the only thing he could do in this situation.


    ''How the heck? Who is this person? How did he defeat multiple middle-stage warriors with ease! And he''s just a chef, and I''ve never even seen this person.''


    ''Something is going on in this Dark Faction. None of it is making sense. I''m not even sure if this person used any Qi!'' Kelp thought.


    His mind was running wild, and although he had activated a particr device hidden within his shirt, it wouldn''t help him in the situation he was in now.


    "We''ll pay for all the damage we did in the restaurant and more. I apologize, we''ll leave right away!" Kelp said.


    When he finished his sentence, Zon had already gone right across the room and delivered a kick.


    A loud crack resounded through Kelp''s body. He couldn''t feel the pain, but the sound was echoing in his mind as he saw himself fall to the floor.


    As he did, he turned to look at what happened and saw his legs mangled.


    Zon then went into Kelp''s shirt and pulled out the strange device. It was like a rectangr disk, with a button in the center.


    At the same time, there was another device, white in color, with a small marking of a golden


    "I."


    "If you had said that from the beginning and didn''t act strangely, I might have believed you," Zon said as he held both items in his hand.


    "What is this? What did you do?" Zon asked.


    In Zon''s world, there were many technological advancements. At first, he thought it might have been some type of makeshift bomb device to be used in an emergency situation.


    But it had done no such thing. On the t circr device, he could tell that it was sending out some transmission, but there was no message.


    If he were to guess, it was a device to signal someone in case of an emergency.


    The question was, what would happen now? And that''s what Zon wanted to find out.


    "Tell me!" Zon said again, looking down at Kelp.


    Just as he said those words, seemingly appearing out of nowhere into the room, was a student wearing a red headband.


    The red headband no longer signified those belonging to the academy, but instead, those part of the special assassination force being created by Cronker from the Crimson Crane.


    The person who had arrived was Tinson, one of the first three of Cronker''s students.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I''m here to deliver a message!" Tinson said. "We are to be on the lookout for anyone suspicious. If you find them, you are to keep an eye on them, but whatever you do, don''t interact with or attack them!"


    When Tinson lifted his head and looked at the chaos around, he realized that it might have been a little toote.

 Chapter 829: A Good Man Can Change

    ?


    At first, Rane was quite excited to see the magnificent Zon in action again. Although he wasn''t a particr fan of fighting, every time Zon did something, he was amazed.


    And although he was amazed this time, he never expected Zon to go so far. With the condition the warriors were in, he felt like there was no choice but to quickly close up the shop.


    He wanted to stop rumors from spreading, and even though there were many witnesses who could im it was the fault of the others most of the time, this case didn''t seem so much like that.


    Especially since this group of warriors had been going around buying food and drinks for everyone.


    They were all quickly cleared out of the restaurant, and Rane even told most of the workers to go home for the day.


    The only ones left in the restaurant were Kelp and his injured group, Zon, Skyler, and Tinson, the person with the red headband that had appeared.


    Right now, Rane was clearing up the broken table and getting a mop ready to clean up some of the blood that had been spilled.


    ''I expected him tosh out, but he overpowered them with ease. He broke their bones, and none of them even stood a chance,'' Rane thought. ''Just what type of monster did I hire for this ce?''


    Skyler had simr thoughts, but they were in the opposite direction.


    ''This man, he must be some type of hidden master. A person who''s lived a long life and decided to go into hiding by working at a noodle shop of all ces!'' Skyler thought as he searched one of the injured warriors.


    Moving his clothing and digging deep into their pockets.


    ''When I fought earlier, my techniques were more refined. Making noodles-it must be some type of secret technique or something!'' Skyler thought, and eventually pulled out a small round device with a button and a golden eye.


    It wasn''t just Skyler; soon after, Tinson had also pulled out the same device from one of the others.


    Eventually, five of the same devices were ced on the table, each of them discovered on the others'' bodies.


    Kelp had one as well, but he also had the ttened round item on him, which Zon was still holding.


    "So what exactly are all of these things?" Skyler asked. "I''ve never seen them before. Why would a bunch of warriors have them?"


    Tinson, who had been ordered to deliver the message to Zon, didn''t know much himself-just to say what he had already said. But it looked like he was a step toote.


    So he wanted to get the full details before he would head back to inform Cronker, who would go on to tell the rest.


    ''I just hope this isn''t as bad as I think it is. I don''t want to see an angry Raze again,'' Tinson thought back to when he was in the underground assessment and how he managed to survive without Raze taking his head, like many others had been taken at the time.


    His life was turning around and looking up, and then this situation had to ur for him.


    "These devices mean these people are all from Alter," Zon answered. "Only their members carry these. It allows them to confirm that there are others just like them."


    "Alter? That group of weirdo shaman-type people?" Skylermented.


    It was Tinson who was surprised. Being closer to Cronker, he and the rest of the Crimson Crane had learned more about the world of Pagna.


    The real group of Alter and Otherworlders, the Bonum Society, and more.


    "It seems like whoever ordered you to deliver this message knew these people wereing," Zon said. "But I don''t know why they wouldn''t want me to deal with them and leave them alone instead."


    Skyler wasn''t really following, but just nodded and decided to keep helping Rane, though he continued to watch what Zon was doing-the man who had be his biggest admiration. Zon flipped the t device in his hand, while in the other he held the long metallic stick.


    He then went over to Kelp, who was tied up in a chair. His legs were bandaged, though it wouldn''t do much.


    "I''m going to ask you what does this device do?" Zon asked. "Why did you press it when you felt like you were in danger?"


    Kelp looked at Zon with weak eyes and nced at the rest of his people.


    "Are you going to kill me if I don''t tell the truth? Do you think a Pagna warrior is afraid of death?" Kelp replied. "Have you even killed anyone before? You shouldn''t say words so lightly."


    Zon ced both of his hands on Kelp''s shoulders and pushed into them deeply, digging his fingers inside.


    "I consider myself a good person, always doing things for the sake of an entire country so people can live better lives," Zon said. "The thing is, doing such a thing, there were my fair share of people I needed to get rid of."


    "As you might expect from a good person, taking a life isn''t easy. After doing so, there are endless sleepless nights, images appearing in your mind, and voices in your head."


    "But I''m going to tell you something that only a person like me would know-it gets easier, and it doesn''t matter who the person is."


    "In the end, everything bes a blur. They just be a bunch of numbers-tasks that you need to do. It doesn''t matter about the age or the type of person in front of you." "Because all of those feelings of guilt that you had the first time, they get shoved deeper and deeper."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Getting rid of you wouldn''t weigh on my conscience at all, and besides..." Zon then pulled out the special metallic pen-like object.


    "I heard what you said before-with this device, I can find out the truth, right?"


    "Wait!" Kelp shouted before Zon even tried to use the device. "They gave it to me. They said if the mission was to fail or I felt like I was in danger, I was to push the button."


    "In doing so, it would send a message out... the ce is deemed too dangerous for other


    squads to enter."


    "And what does that mean?" Zon said, getting his face closer to Kelp.


    Kelp then gulped down his saliva.


    "When no squads canplete a mission, it means that Alter has no choice. They will send... a


    Deleter here."

 Chapter 830: Alters Aim

    Chapter 830: Alter''s Aim


    ?


    Thanks to Cronker, the message was delivered to all of those that were there supporting Raze and his group, including members of the Bonum Society.


    They were to look for anyone acting strange or investigating strange areas. They were then to report back while keeping an eye on those individuals as well.


    After the message was sent out, Raze decided to return to where Himmy was, and he had done so along with Anna.


    Since the two of them were part of the original squad along with Himmy, he thought it was best for them both toe.


    On top of that, he knew that Anna also had the skill to detect if a person was lying.


    There was one thing that Raze was sure of, having spent quite a bit of time with Anna. She had next to no care about Alter at all.


    She was only here to stay close to Zon, who was sticking with Raze and his group for the time being.


    She had found the person she was looking for, the person she served, so she had long ago cut her ties with Alter.


    "This is a reunion that I didn''t expect," Himmy said as he sat up on the bed he was lying on.


    "You can continue lying down, although I''m pretty sure you''re all nicely healed up," Razemented.


    "It''s okay. I think the matters we will be talking about deserve to happen face-to-face," Himmy said as he got off the bedside and headed to a table in the room.


    Shortly after, both Anna and Raze sat down as well.


    "I told you a lot about Alter already, so I think in the world of fairness, I''d like to know more about you, Raze," Himmy said. "I want to know, what is it, or why is it, that Alter seems to be after you?"


    "I''ve met a lot of mages during my time, a lot of Otherworlders, but this is the first time there''s been such a drastic reaction."


    "I''ve told the others a bit, but I guess I should exin from a point of view that maybe a detective would understand."


    "I''m sure you have wanted criminals in your world. I heard that the one in charge of Alter is a mage, so he''s most likely from Alterian as well."


    "The name I use, the Dark Magus, is the most wanted person in Alterian."


    Himmy, hearing the news, had some reaction as his eyes widened and he leaned back in his seat, but it was clear what Raze was saying-that he was this person in question.


    Of course, Anna, who was by Raze''s side, could tell everything he was saying was true as well. "You don''t seem too surprised?" Raze asked.


    "What, you wanted a different reaction?" Himmy said, raising an eyebrow. "You want me to pull out some handcuffs and take you to Alter, the people who just tried to kill me?"


    "Trust me, during my time as a detective, I had some pretty wild cases. Even the force itself was often corrupt. Just to finish cases, or to pass numbers to the higher-ups, they would pin it on the most obvious person rather than the real culprit."


    "Maybe kids see things as ck and white, but the world really isn''t like that. Things can be seen as simple: no matter what, killing is bad."


    "Even if the person has done a terrible thing, taking a life is bad, and there are those goody two-shoes that could never ever take a life, no matter what circumstances they were in."


    "They see even a life for a life as wrong and believe there are other ways, but sometimes there just isn''t another way. The need to kill one person to save many hase up in history throughout the world many times."


    Himmy then went on to do his normal gesture, pulling his fingers close to his lips and letting out a big huff of air.


    "So, you''re a badass mage that went against the system. I can see why they''re scared of you... so are you going after them-going after Alter?" Himmy asked.


    Raze nodded in response.


    "Alter isn''t the one going after me, but now that I''m sure there''s a link between them and the Grand Magus, I will be going after them as well."


    "No wonder they want to get to you first. I mean, you already took over the Dark Faction, something Alter has failed to do for a long time," Himmy said.


    "I''m no fool. I need to look into who my employers are, and I could see the goals of those Programmers from a mile away."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I''ll give you the details you want. I''ll tell you where Alter''s base is, what items they have, their numbers, their power, and everything, but I don''t know what they''re really after in the end."


    "What I do know is that, with Alter and the movement of the squads, for a long time they''ve been trying to spread their power so they could control one of the three factions."


    "They were unable to infiltrate the Demonic Faction-it was a lost cause from the beginning. They seem to have some type of instinct to those that aren''t one of their own."


    "Although they have some power in the Dark Faction, they were unable to progress extremely far."


    Raze could guess why. Bofan was here originally, perhaps slowing them down, and the Bonum Society base was in the Dark Faction as well.


    Lastly, there was Murkel and the fact that he was a Red Hybrid. From the outside, maybe the Dark Faction looked like the easiest to control, but it was quite difficult.


    Raze was only able to do so by working together with others and using a bit of help to get rid of Murkel. If he hadn''t had the chalice back then, even Raze would have failed in taking over the Dark Faction.


    "Right now, the faction that Alter has the most control over is the Light Faction. Fighting against Alter means you will be going up against them as well."


    "And just with the Dark Faction, I don''t think it will be enough."

 Chapter 831: The Real Razes Body

    Chapter 831: The Real Raze''s Body


    ?


    The fact that the Light Faction and Alter were closely linked didn''te as a huge surprise to Raze.


    One of his first instances of running into a mage figure was fighting against one of the Elders of the Dawnde n.


    The fact that he could use magic, and seemed to somewhat know the name of the Dark Magus, always made Raze believe there were a few links.


    "You know, the Dark Faction and Demonic Faction, the ns don''t know the real power of Alter."


    "Even those that work for Alter, like me, have friends they''ve made in Pagna, and different areas they call home."


    "Because of how Alter was built up, it''s hard for them to act on their own. So what do they need to do? They need to use someone else to do their bidding and support them as much as they can. If they can''t do it with the Dark Faction, they''ll do it with the Light Faction."


    Raze could already see it. Alter had gathered artifacts from all different dimensions and all over Pagna, with the goal of making the world a safer ce.


    Now they had such power-if they gave it all to the Light Faction, they would quickly be a powerful force.


    However, if they did so, stating they were just trying to help the Light Faction, it would have been a lot harder for them to do, or get people from Alter to help them.


    "Alter already has arge number of their people in high positions, even some as n Heads in the Light Faction, so it''s not hard for them to do," Himmy continued. "Of course, Alter didn''t tell me this stuff."


    "I ran my own investigation from time to time, rather than just blindly following their programmers like the others."


    "You mentioned these programmers before," Raze said. "And this Deleter-what are they? What is the system of Alter in the first ce?"


    Himmy went on to tell Raze theyout of the Alter base, where it was located, its secret location, and how everything worked in the ce.


    "The Deleters, along with the items and the Light Faction, are all a dangerousbination to deal with," Himmy continued. "If I were you, I would choose to target one of them."


    "Maybe the Light Faction is your best bet, but since you are one of these factions, remember you''ll always have other things to worry about."


    "Unrest from within your own faction, unity among your people, and the Demonic Faction as well. I wouldn''t exactly love to be in your position."


    It was the golden information Raze needed, though. Knowing where the base was and what items he could use for himself gave him more options than before for what he could possibly do. The issue was if Alter had found some way to bring people over."


    At the moment, did Raze have the strength to go up against the Grand Magus? He was close, but he was unsure, and it would depend on whether they were on their own or not.


    "I am curious about something, another question of mine," Himmy said. "I''ve watched you for a while. Are you able to use Qi and Mana at the same time?"


    "I am," Raze answered, wondering why Himmy was asking the question, and remembered what had happened to Safa when she had learned magic.


    "Is it a problem... with Pagna warriors?" Raze asked.


    Himmy nodded.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It is... but I might have to reevaluate the information I know. As far as we are aware, Pagna warriors are unable to learn magic."


    "If one has a Qi core, then when trying to create a Mana heart, the Qi will act to protect it and destroy the Mana core around the heart, killing the person on the spot."


    "If a person learns magic first, although they have a Dantian, they can''t use Qi, but they can fill up the Dantian with Mana, allowing them to use Pagna martial arts."


    "In a lot of cases, mages that learn Pagna martial arts are even stronger because they almost have an unlimited amount of Qi."


    Raze remembered back to the fight with the Elder and how tough it was. He had yet to meet another individual like that.


    "But because of this, Pagna arts and magic can''t be used at the same time. So Pagna warriors can''t learn magic, but mages can learn arts but can''t use them at the same time. Yet you were capable of both at the same time-just how is it possible?"


    Raze thought about an answer for a while. This was information he was missing himself. Now he understood what had happened to Safa.


    The only reason she had survived was because she had used Light magic, but what about himself?


    In this situation, it should have been the same for Raze, and then he figured out the answer.


    "I had no Qi," Raze answered. "And this body is not one from Alterian, but one from Pagna." Now, Himmy was even more confused than before.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean what I said," Raze answered. "This is something I haven''t told the others, but you have answered me truthfully and given me a lot of information."


    "I used a special artifact back in Alterian. I''m not an Otherworlder like all of you. Instead, the artifact forced me into this body, which is from Alterian."


    "I see," Himmy said. "So you entered a body that had no Dantian or Qi. With your knowledge


    from being a mage, you made a Mana heart andter created your Qi core.


    "That''s how you were able to do both. It seems you are quite lucky in that aspect."


    "What do you mean?" Raze asked.


    "Having a body that has no such Dantian or Qi core. Even though there are those that aren''t warriors, every person originally from Pagna still has some Qi in their body."


    "Otherwise, Alter would have just grabbed infants from Pagna and raised them, learning magic and Pagna skills to create monsters like you."


    "Somehow, your body had no Dantian. Most that are like that end up dying at a young age, or there''s another possibility-it was forcibly removed or broken from your body."


    Raze started to think back to how weak the body was that he was in. How hard it was for him


    to even create a core, and when reaching the first stage, the amount of blood that came out of


    him.


    It was then that Himmy pulled out a small-looking stick device.


    "I don''t have anything you can use this in right now, but you mighte across one someday. This here is all of the information I have on the investigation I was running."


    "Do you remember how we met? I was looking into all of the deaths that urred. If you find out what''s on it, it might make more sense to you."


    "Maybe you''ll find out if the real body that you''re in was rted to those events. My gut is


    telling me your original body''s owner has something to do with it, and maybe why there were


    those after your life."

 Chapter 832: Double Trouble

    Chapter 832: Double Trouble


    ?


    Raze took the small device. It looked like something from Alterian, so he was quite familiar with it. It was something that needed to be inputted into a technological device, beyond the means of what they had in Pagna.


    If he went to the Alter base, they might have something he could use, or maybe Amir would have something that could help as well.


    The thing was, as Raze held it in his hand, he thought back to when he first arrived in Pagna. He had almost forgotten how he joined Alter in the first ce, or the reason for him being in such a ce.


    ''Right, the random deaths that were urring. That was what brought me to the Lethal Bite n. In the end, that matter seemed to be something else, but there were a lot of simrities. It was how I met Anna as well.


    ''But I almost forgot that there were those after my life, and Safa''s as well, and I never figured out the reason behind it.''


    Raze was sitting there, looking at the device in his hand. Himmy hadn''t found anything, but maybe if he had a look at what was on it himself, he would find something.


    After all, there were times, like with the messages left behind by the old Dark Faction founder, that Raze understood when others hadn''t.


    ''When finding out about the groups, I originally thought the Bonum Society was behind it, but it seems they are unrted to the matter, and Amir didn''t know me or Safa.''


    ''There''s a chance it could be Alter. They''re arge enough organization to have those doing things that not even the higher-ups know, but it would make no sense to put Himmy on the case then.''


    There was a chance the information Himmy found could unlock what the bloody woman was that traveled with him. Or how she came to be attached to the body, and just what the original Raze''s body was trying to do.


    "Thank you for all of this. I''m guessing this means you will no longer be part of Alter?" Raze asked.


    "After they locked me up and tried to kill me, of course not," Himmy said. "Only a fool would go back to them. I''ve traveled around the continent long enough, and I know how to keep my head down."


    "You can stay here if you want," Raze said. "I can''t offer ultimate protection over you all the time, and I don''t know who is part of Alter and who is not, but it should be quite a safe ce."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Himmy was thinking about it for a while, twiddling his fingers, and ready to give an answer until the door burst open, and a female with a red headband entered.


    "I''m sorry to disturb you, Raze!" Violet said.


    Another one of the ex-students that were now part of Cronker and his special assassination group.


    "I have received word that a group from Alter was discovered in the outer area of the academy, near the Perfect Noodle shop," Violet informed.


    "Perfect Noodle shop?" Raze repeated, trying to think if he had even seen such a ce.


    "Wait, they''re here already?" Himmy said, surprised. "That was faster than I expected, but maybe we can buy some time, try to dy them, give them some false information, and lead them elsewhere."


    Violet started to rapidly blink, as she hadn''t quite finished her report.


    "Unfortunately, that won''t be possible," Violet said. "You see, there has been a confrontation in the noodle shop involving the group from Alter."


    "They were able to confirm they were from Alter due to the devices they held." Violet then reached into her inner pocket and pulled out the strange ttened device. Immediately upon seeing this, Himmy stood up from his seat.


    "That''s an emergency signaler... and it''s already been activated."


    Violet didn''t say more, as it seemed Himmy already knew the dire situation they were in.


    "What does that mean?" Raze asked.


    "This is what I was worried about," Himmy said. "It was best not to engage with the Alter team and try to find a way to dy them while figuring out another n of attack."


    "That has sent a signal stating that there is nothing the Alter squads sent here can do. They''ve been found out, and the mission ispromised. Leaving Alter with no choice but to send a Deleter here."


    "I don''t know how long you have, but soon they''ll be here, and they will do as their name states-they will delete the entire academy from existence as if it was never here in the first ce."


    Although Himmy was startled, Raze was not. Even after hearing how devastating these Deleters could be for a while now-their strength-it sounded like the Divine warriors or like how the Grand Magus were described in Alterian.


    Rather than wiping out ns, though, the Grand Magus were said to have the power to eliminate entire countries.


    "If you want my advice, it''s to take everyone you care about and get away from here," Himmy said. "It''s too much of a risk at this growing stage."


    "It''s okay," Raze said, standing up. "You said before that it was impossible to take on Alter, these Deleters, and the Light Faction at the same time. So this is a perfect situation for us." "This is a chance for us to take on one of these Deleterspletely on our own. In my eyes, if Alter is foolish enough to send just one person to take us out, then they''re making a big mistake. Let''s take this chance and turn it into an opportunity."


    Himmy knew he could no longer say more, and who knew-maybe Raze could pull it off with the rest of his powerful group.


    That was when, right by Violet''s side, another student named Joe appeared, sweat running through his entire body.


    "I have an urgent message that has been delivered by Rayna concerning the Demonic Faction!" Joe shouted. "It seems the Behemoth n has decided to attack the town of


    Flendon!"

 Chapter 833: A Mans Promise

    Chapter 833: A Man''s Promise


    ?


    A meeting was taking ce between those now in charge of the Dark Faction, and the person who had called it was one of the most unlikely individuals.


    It was Rayna Narfous, from the Neverfall n, and also the Dark Magus''s current wife.


    Although the marriage was just to ensure Belil was off Raze''s back in a number of ways, it certainly had its fair share of advantages.


    One of them being the gift of a town for them to look after in the Demonic Faction, a ce called Flendon Town.


    It was known throughout the entire Demonic Faction to belong to both Rayna and Raze, and thest time it was attacked, it had been protected by them along with the Crimson Crane.


    Now, a meeting had been called as the town was once again under attack.


    Inside the academy, a room set up for the leaders was being used. There were grand chairs set opposite each other in the room with a single chair at the head of the area like a table.


    Since no one really cared for formalities and didn''t even have official positions, they all just sat where they liked, while Rayna sat at the head of the table.


    "Shouldn''t that be where Raze sits?" Liam whispered as he took his seat.


    "I don''t really think he cares about that stuff," Simyon replied. "Let''s just get on with whatever is going on."


    "I called you all because I just got word that the Behemoth n is making moves and they''re sending arge force to Flendon Town," Rayna exined.


    "The Behemoth n, again!" Alba said. "Did they not learn their lesson fromst time?"


    "Apparently not. Sha Mo has been angry about the whole situation in the Demonic Faction for some time. He has a hatred for the Dark Magus for multiple reasons."


    "My guess is the only reason he hasn''t attacked is the worry of retaliation from the Neverfall n."


    "However, my father has never stated that he would get involved if a ce was attacked. On top of that, we aren''t currently there. On top of that, this time it seems Sha Mo is making a move himself."


    After already dealing with a powerful foe in Murkel and those close to him, facing another from the Demonic Faction made the others uncertain.


    It was always hard to tell the main ns'' true strength, and the Demonic ns even harder, but it was assumed they were stronger than the other ns. They justcked men due to how crazy the Demonic ns seemedpared to other ns.


    That was apart from the Behemoth n, which was thergest n in the Demonic Faction. "And what does that have to do with us?" Anna asked. "Right now, Raze is the leader of the Dark Faction. If Sha Mo has a problem with Raze, then he can go against the Dark Faction."


    "Although Flendon isn''t in the Dark Faction, it is owned by the Dark Magus," Reno said, speaking up. "It''s quite clear the only reason they''re attacking is because it belongs to the Dark Magus, and they''re trying to get a reaction out of Raze."


    "Not only that, what about all the people!" Froma said. "Even if Raze isn''t there, those people took part in the fight against the Behemoth nst time."


    "I''m sure Sha Mo isn''t going to go easy on any of them. They will lose their lives because of what we did. We have to help them."


    Raze was listening to everyone''s opinions, but it wasn''t just Anna. Even Amir spoke up, thinking it was best for Raze to just stay in the Dark Faction rather than face anotherrge enemy so soon.


    "But Flendon was a gift from my father. If we lose it, we could be in his bad books as well!" Rayna pleaded.


    While the others were arguing, Raze still didn''t say anything, and that was when the outsider decided to speak up as well.


    "This isn''t as easy as you all think," Himmy said. "There''s another issue, which hase at the worst possible time."


    All heads turned to Himmy, the person who hade in injured. He had been standing by Raze''s side the whole time, so no one had asked why he was involved in the meeting.


    "A group from Alter arrived not too long ago. They''ve sent a message, and at any point in time, a powerful enemy from Alter could be sent here."


    "The Behemoth n is no small n, but leave here and there''s a chance you lose everything here as well."


    This was the true predicament Raze was in-not whether to go or not, but where to go in this situation.


    "So what are we going to do, Raze? Speak up, man! Say something, brother!" Liam started shouting.


    "Shut up!" Safa said. "Just because it takes you two seconds to make an irrational decision doesn''t mean everyone else should. Taking time to think things over is what a sensible person would do."


    While everyone was arguing, Himmy walked over to Anna and asked for something. After taking it from her, he wandered over to Raze.


    "Do you remember what I gave you when you became an official member?" Himmy asked.


    Seeing what was in Himmy''s hand, Raze pulled out the same device-it was the small round white object that proved one was a member of Alter.


    "If you hand it to me, I can buy some time. You see, these things are also used as tracking devices," Himmy exined.


    "Wait, and you''re only telling him now?" Safa said.


    "I assumed you wanted to keep it to give you a better idea of who to trust, but the situation has changed now," Himmy said. "I will take all of these and move away. They will think we are on the move together and go after me first."


    "Will you be okay?" Raze asked.


    "I got away from the entire group of Alter. Avoiding one person shouldn''t be too difficult," Himmy answered.


    "And why would you do this, for me, for us?" Raze asked, still suspicious. He had many people offer a helping hand in the past, only for it to turn out to be false and for their own


    gain.


    "I do have one favor to ask," Himmy said. "If you find Charlotte, do what you can to protect her... she is a good person, too good for this world, and she seems to have taken a liking to


    you."


    Himmy then snatched the device out of Raze''s hand and immediately headed toward the door.


    "It''s a promise between men. I know you''ll keep it."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 834: Town Of Flendon

    Chapter 834: Town Of Flendon


    ?


    The town of Flendon, located in the Demonic Faction, had received quite the boom after defeating the Behemoth n in a small scuffle.


    After the fight, the town received arge number of gifts, supporting the ce, thinking it would be another big yer in the Demonic Faction.


    With it, an influx of citizens hade to join the ce as well, and Mayor Yarlston used the influx of funds to hire more mercenary wanderers to help protect the city from smaller ns that might target such a ce.


    Although the Crimson Crane''s base was meant to be located at Flendon, due to the small size and the way Alba ran her n, they didn''t hire new recruits.


    This meant there wasn''t necessarily a n to protect the ce like other areas.


    There was one person in particr who had joined the n for a while now and was standing guard on one of the major outside walls.


    With his ck hair and dark eyes, he was observing the situation.


    "Please just let me leave!" a woman screamed in front of the gate. "We already talked about this and sorted everything out."


    A man was grabbing a woman by the wrist, trying to drag her back.


    "I already told you it was an ident, and it wouldn''t have happened if you were at home all the time!" the man replied.


    "An ident? So your little wee-wee just slipped in by ident?" the woman screamed again. "And I worked because you were fired. We needed the money."


    The woman jerked her arm, pulling it out from the man''s grasp, and continued moving toward the city. She grabbed a piece of rope that was tugging along all her belongings piled in boxes.


    She only managed to move a couple of steps before the man grabbed the back of her head. "You''re not going anywhere!" the man dered as he pulled her to the ground. "I don''t care what a piece of paper says. You''re mine-you promised to stay with me, you filthy damned b*tch!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The man continued to pull the woman by the back of her head.


    "Hey!" a voice shouted out.


    The man turned around and saw a fisting right toward him. It hit him square in the face, and he felt his two front teeth bend in and snap out of his mouth as his whole body was flung backward.


    "Brack, what are you doing?" one of the other guards shouted, running over. "This is a civil matter, we''re not supposed to get involved with these things. And besides, she''s not even a citizen of Flendon; we don''t get paid for this!"


    "What, and you expect me to just let that a**hole do as he wishes?" Brack said, wiping his fist as if disgusted to even have the man''s blood on it.


    "Besides, she wasing here to be a resident, right?"


    The woman quickly nodded as she bowed, saying thank you.


    Meanwhile, Brack went ahead and grabbed the piece of rope.


    "Just see it as helping our future citizens," Brack said as he flung the rope, aiming to slide therge crates of boxes on the sled beyond the gate.


    Instead, the sled with all the boxes slid and then crashed on the ground, breaking right in front of the gate.


    Brack froze as he looked at all the items, an awkward smile on his face.


    "I''ll get them all packed for you," Brack said as he rushed to put everything back in its ce. While packing for the woman, the other guards just continued to shake their heads at Brack. Most of the new hires had gate duty rather than city duty like those originally from Flendon. It was just an easy job for them to earn some coin, so they didn''t get too involved, but Brack was different-constantly getting involved-and this wasn''t the first time he had done something like this.


    The thing was, for those who knew him, they would have known that this waspletely strange for his character, or how he used to be.


    ''What am I even still doing here? Raze, the Dark Magus, the Crimson Crane-none of them are even here. Was he even serious when he said he would let me join him?''


    Brack was one of the students who took part in the martial arts tournament and was also part of the Behemoth n.


    Due to his disappointing performance, Sha Mo had decided to abandon him, stating that he wasn''t fit to be part of the n.


    At the time, Raze was the one who decided to look after him and allowed him to join the n. The issue was, Raze had teleported everyone away, including Brack. There was nowhere for Brack to return to.


    He couldn''t go back to the Behemoth n, so he had no choice but to go to the town of Flendon, where Raze, the Dark Magus, was supposed to be.


    He had been here for over a month now, and there was no sign of him returning at all. Yet, Brack stayed with no other choice.


    Needing to make some coin somehow, and being a Pagna warrior, he decided to be a guard for the city.


    After putting all the woman''s stuff away, he offered to help her push it again, but she kindly declined with a sweet smile.


    Brack didn''t insist, knowing that he might use a little too much of his strength again and just make it even harder for the poor woman.


    "Brack, you need to take this job a little more casually, you know," the guard said. "Just let people be you''re not a hero that can go stopping all the disputes in the world. And you''re young-you should leave that stuff to the adults."


    "Adults?" Brack said. "But the Dark Magus is young as well, and look how much he''s done." "He''s one of a kind, one of a kind! Don''t try following in his footsteps. Just rx and ept the coin."


    Just as the man said that, a horse was seen steaming through the fields, running their way.


    There was a man on top.


    "Halt!" the guard shouted.


    "Wait, that''s one of our own horses, don''t you recognize the banner on the horse?"


    The horse continued to run forward, and as it got closer, they could see there certainly was a man on the horse, but it was just his body-as he was dead.


    Several swords had pierced inside of him, and he had been sent on his way toward the town. "I know this..." Brack said. "...This is the Behemoth n."

 Chapter 835: Walking Into It

    Chapter 835: Walking Into It


    ?


    Just like that, as quickly as Himmy hade to visit the academy, he had left. There was part of Raze that wanted to stop him, tell him that there was no need for him to go, but Himmy was an adult capable of making his own decisions. It was clear he had already made up his mind.


    Everything that Himmy could have done and told Raze, the information was already in his hands.


    "I guess that''s that issue solved, but what about the town of Flendon? What are we going to do?" Liam asked.


    It was then that Anna stood up from her seat and decided to rush out of the room, heading toward the door.


    "For now, everyone just stay on standby, but get ready and prepare for a fight if there needs to be one. We''ll use Cronker to deliver messages," Raze ordered, and the rest nodded as they went off to do their own thing again.


    For Raze, he waited for everyone to leave the room and then looked at Rayna, who was the only person still inside.


    She had been biting her thumbnail and pacing back and forth.


    Eventually, Raze walked up to her, and she seemed to not even notice he was there as she continued to walk back and forth.


    Until Raze took a deep breath and made the decision to reach out and grab her hand, stopping her in the process.


    "Raze, you''re still here?" Rayna said.


    "I am indeed still here, and so are you," Raze replied. "You seem to have a lot on your mind. I can only guess it''s the attack on Flendon."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I feel bad," Rayna said. "All of those people getting involved because of me. Most of them that helped out weren''t even Pagna warriors."


    "Some might think I''m worried about what my father will think, but it''s not that. Those people, they were nice to us, Raze. Even when they found out we were taking them over, they didn''t treat us any differently, and many of them didn''t even know who I was."


    Although Rayna was well-known in the world of Pagna warriors, regr citizens wouldn''t know what she looked like, and despite it all, they had been very weing.


    Raze had to admit that as well, which was something he wasn''t used to either.


    "The worst thing about it is I can''t do anything on my own. I can''t fight the Behemoth n. Even when we went up against one of their pirs, I barely managed to survive, but going up against Sha Mo himself? I have to admit, I''m scared. Do you not get scared, Raze?"


    Raze thought about his own mix of emotions, and he had an answer for Rayna.


    "Of course I get scared. I''m worried each time I fight, each time there''s a chance that those fighting by my side could be lost."


    "I let all of these emotions in every second, each day, and that''s how I''m able to fight. Rayna, you''ve helped me out a lot, and I''ll help protect Flendon with everything I have."


    "In return, can you get me a meeting with your father after this?" Raze asked.


    Raze was sure of it, that the answer to where the Golden Globe was, what happened to the Dark Faction leader, was at the Neverfall n base, and maybe Belil knew something.


    "If we sessfully defend Flendon, and even defeat Sha Mo, then I''m sure of it. Our father will be the one that wants to meet us."


    Himmy was walking at a rtively quick pace and was already out of the academy''s main walls and into the outer area. He had a big grin on his face as he continued to walk.


    ''Those guys might actually give Alter a run for their money,'' Himmy thought. ''The wound I received, I thought I was a goner for sure. I felt three bullets hit and tear my insides. Any longer, and I would have died.''


    ''But that girl, I don''t think I''ve seen healing abilities quite like that before. Even among the mages, she was able to save my life that Alter took.''


    ''None of them realize it, but I''m already in debt to them for saving my life. So if I can at least do something to give the middle finger to Alter, I may as well.''


    Himmy could see the bridge that marked the official exit from the academy area up ahead, when of all people, Anna appeared directly in front of him.


    "What do you think you''re doing, doing something so stupid like that!" Anna said, pointing at his chest.


    "What do you mean, something stupid?" Himmy replied. "You know I was telling the truth. With this, they''lle after me, and it will buy all of you some time."


    Anna was digging her finger deep into Himmy''s chest, and it was hurting him a bit.


    "You know what''s going to happen. You know," Anna said, her eyes starting to water.


    "I''m a squad leader, and I have been for a long time, looking after all of you. I got us out of trouble a number of times, and look at me I''m right here in front of you, and I''ll be right here in front of you again."


    With those words, Himmy grabbed Anna''s hand and ced it down by her side. He continued to walk past while Anna stood there in ce, her head down.


    A few hourster, Himmy was in another town in the Dark Faction. It was a town situated in part of a mountain with a river flowing down the end.


    He had rented a room with a balcony that allowed for a nice view of the river and the rest of


    thendscape.


    He looked out, then let out a big sigh.


    "They sent you, Scar?" Himmy said.


    "They did," a voice said from behind. "I knew this was a trick, and if anyone was behind it, it would be you. Maybe you should have stuck with your squad-not that it would make a difference anyway."


    "Did you think because we''re both from the same world, I might let you off or something?"


    Scar said.


    "Nah, the moment you became a Deleter, I knew you were a lost cause. Anyway, I would be careful, Scar... this is going to be your hardest job yet."


    "Thanks for the warning, but I won''t need it."

 Chapter 836: An Entire Army

    Chapter 836: An Entire Army


    ?


    Having been in the Behemoth n himself, Brack knew the methods of the n. He had gone on quite a few expeditions with the teams, and this would often be their tactic when fighting against other ns or in a scuffle.


    They would send one of the opponent''s dead back to them. Usually, to strike even more fear, it would be someone of high caliber or importance. In this case, Brack just knew it was one of the wanderer guards stationed farther out.


    ced in the towers up ahead, which were built after they experienced the first attack, Brack feared the Behemoth n was already incredibly close.


    "Head to Yarlston, tell him the Behemoth n ising, quick!" Brack said, grabbing his fellow guard''s shirt.


    "Wait, how do you know it was the Behemoth n''s doing? It could have been anyone, or even bandits, who knows!" the guard replied.


    "If it isn''t them, then I''ll take responsibility. Just report to him now!" Brack said.


    The guard, more scared of Brack than what wasing, quickly rushed off to inform the mayor, while Brack quickly started to jump up the side of the wall. He hung with his arms, then pulled himself up,nding on top of the wall.


    The others who were already there were startled, but once they saw who it was, they calmed down.


    The man on horseback had been brought in, but the people were still far too calm about all of this.


    Looking into the distance, Brack continued to stare out, and that''s when he could see it-just over a sanded hill, rows of people walking over. The sand was kicking up, with some on horseback.


    While others were walking, among the thousands of people, there was arge, round giant figure that was giving off an extreme presence.


    The man next to Brack pulled out a telescope to look in the distance. His bottom lip quivered as he managed to catch a glimpse of who was there. As he continued to look, the ss at the end of the telescope shattered, startling the man, causing him to drop it onto the ground.


    "What was that? How did the telescope break?" one of the other guards asked.


    The man, still startled by what he saw, could only think of one person. He didn''t understand it himself, but he gave an answer.


    "The Behemoth n, they''re here, and not just them. Sha Mo has arrived-sha Mo himself has arrived!" the man shouted.


    Like a field of antsing toward them, the guards soon realized the reality in front of them. Thest time, thousands had been sent to attack the city, and now even more than before. There had to be at least twenty thousand peopleing at them.


    They certainly kept their reputation as one of the biggest ns out there, and Sha Mo, walking with two more pirs of his Behemoth n, wasing right at them.


    The bells were ringing throughout the city, and panic was setting in as everyone heard the news. Wealthy individuals, merchants, and those with little attachment to the town were packing their things.


    Many didn''t even bother packing and did whatever they could to get out. There was a mass exodus of people, and it wasn''t just the citizens either.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yarlston, who had received the news, was in the town hall. He had a map of the city in front of him, with several blocks representing the forces all heading toward the town of Flendon.


    "Sir, we''ve reported the news through the channel that Rayna has given us... but we''re unsure what''s going to happen," one of the aides by Yarlston''s side informed.


    "We''ve been living quite good lives thanks to them. No one has died from hunger since they came to look after us. If anything, we''ve been living luxuriously. I guess this is our fault for taking advantage of the situation," Yarlston said.


    "Stop that!" Andy replied. "How can you me us for just wanting to live our lives a bit? That''s not our fault. It''s the fault of these damned ns that think just because they have powerful warriors, they can do whatever they want."


    "If the Crimson Crane and the Dark Magus aren''t here, then they shouldn''t be attacking this ce anyway."


    Yarlston nodded but knew that none of the kingdoms in the Demonic Empire would do anything if they were to disappear. Partly because they only cared about the town because of the Dark Magus, who wasn''t even there.


    "I have more news to report," the aide said. "It seems many of the wanderers and mercenaries we hired have fled as well."


    "Damn crooks!" Andy shouted-a young man wearing armor over his body, and a shield on his back. It was one of the shields crafted by the Dark Magus. "They take our money, saying they''ll protect the ce, but when the timees for them to do anything, they just flee."


    Yarlston was looking at the map. From all the reports, the only people who stayed were the ones unable to leave-therge group of youngsters that had defended the town from thest attack from the Behemoth n.


    The citizens who had lived here all their lives, and a few who had no means of leaving the ce. The issue was, even the people left behind, numbered less than the force that wasing to attack them.


    "Maybe we can try to talk to them?" Yarlston said. "If we tell them the Crimson Crane and the Dark Magus isn''t here, they will have no reason to attack."


    "Talk? I don''t think they brought every member of the Behemoth n just to talk. ording to the front gate, they already killed one of us and sent him to the front," Andy said. "The whole world knows where the Dark Magus currently is. With the stories of Sha Mo, we all know how this will end."


    Yarlston was conflicted about what to do, and that''s when the door burst open, and they could see a young man with messy ck hair enter.


    "I... have a n," Brack said, huffing and panting. "But all my n can do is dy them. I don''t know the Dark Magus that well, which is why I''m asking you guys... how likely do you think the Dark Magus will turn up and help us?"


    Brack hade here, wishing to meet the Dark Magus, but it had never matured into anything. He had only had brief interactions with the person during the Martial Arts


    Tournament.


    Not just that, he had to think about how any sane person would react in this situation. With the Dark Magus running the Dark Faction, what reason would he have toe to a small town and fight Sha Mo? No one in their right mind would.


    But he decided to speak to the people who had decided to stay-they had to have stayed for a


    reason.


    It was then that Andy decided to answer that question, thinking back to the first time when the town of Flendon''s walls were defended. He remembered fighting side by side with the Crimson Crane and what the Dark Magus had crafted for them all.


    He banged his shield and gave an answer to the young warrior.


    "I''m sure... they wille."

 Chapter 837: The Dark Magus, Will Come!

    Chapter 837: The Dark Magus, Will Come!


    ?


    A n to defeat the Behemoth n would seem impossible. Unless they could round up every single one of the Demonic ns, which was an impossible task in itself due to how the


    Demonic ns operated.


    Not even payment could sway the Demonic ns to their side, or unless they had support from one of therger ns like the Neverfall n, but even that didn''t seem to be possible in the situation they were in.


    There was no reason for two of therge ns to take a big hit fighting against each other, and not for a small ce like the town of Flendon. While the Dark Magus wasn''t in trouble or Rayna, no one expected the Neverfall n to make a move.


    Which meant, everyone who had already learned of the attack on Flendon felt like it could only go one way, and this was the same for Brack as well.


    The Mayor had left his town hall and gathered at the Northern gate, where therge army of the Behemoth n could be seen. There was no point staying in the hall making battle ns -the Behemoth n wasn''t one for tactics, attacking from different sides.


    Due to theirrge force and strength and how small Flendon was, they were just attacking from the front.


    "I can''t believe it," Andy said, standing on the wall, seeing therge force moving toward them. He estimated that it would take around fifteen more minutes until they all arrived at the front gate. "Did they not learn their lessonst time? We aren''t so easy to take over!"


    Andy bashed his shield with an almighty roar. He expected a few others to do the same, but when he turned around to look at the army Yarlston managed to rally up, they all looked heavily nervous.


    In total, they managed to get 2,000 people. Most who had survived the battle from the time before, and those brave enough to fight for the city again. A thousand stood on top of the wall, while the other thousand stood below, the gates currently open, allowing them to see the armying toward them.


    "Last time, we had the Crimson Crane with us," another said.


    "And the Dark Magus-it was them that managed to take out two of the pirs. Now we have to deal with two more pirs and Sha Mo himself. How is that possible?"


    Even though most by the wall had managed to build up their resolve to protect the city, they were quickly losing it, especially in the face of therge enemying toward them.


    Twenty thousand strong Pagna warriors, against two thousand mostly ordinary people, who had trained somewhat and could be called Pagna warriors, but it wasn''t their day-to-day, nor did they have a n to train them.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Among them all, on the wall, there was a man who had most of his face wrapped up. A man no one would have guessed was there.


    ''I thought an interesting result mighte from this. I could tell from my n''s information gathering that the Behemoth n was making a move, so I went to the town of Flendon ahead of time.''


    ''I thought the Dark Magus might have already made some moves or had something in ce in case this happened,'' Lince thought, leader of the Lost n, one of the three major ns in the Demonic Faction.


    ''After seeing what he pulled off at the Martial Arts Tournament, I thought he was someone who would think ahead in these situations. Unless he''s far more distracted with other things.''


    ''With how things are, I can''t see any way for those in Flendon to get out of this.''


    Lince was trying to figure out his way out of the situation. With his skills, he could easily escape from the area, but doing so in the middle of a fight might cause some suspicion, so if he was going to leave, he wondered if now was the best decision.


    Just as Lince was ready to turn away, he heard the voice of a certain someone.


    "Do you all believe in the Dark Magus?" Brack said, facing toward the enemy.


    "I heard stories from a number of you guards about him. Howst time he managed to pull off


    a miracle, and they managed to help and protect you."


    "Do you believe he can do the same again?" Brack asked.


    The guards looked at each other, thinking this person was a madman. Why was he even talking about the Dark Magus when the Dark Magus wasn''t even here? This time and the time before were different.


    "I''m not asking any of that. Do you believe if the Dark Magus were here, you could pull off another miracle!" Brack shouted again.


    To this, Andy had a big smile on his face.


    "I believe it."


    It was then that a certain individual was seening up to the top of the wall, pulling along a crate¡ªof all people, it was Fixteen, a member of the Neverfall n and close friend to Dame, who had stayed in the town of Flendon.


    "It was quite hard getting my hands on these, but I managed to buy a lot of them back from our customers." Fixteen then dug his hand into the crate and tossed out a bunch of pills. Those on the ground caught them and looked at the round Qi pills, seeing the markings of DM on them.


    "Those are the pills of the Dark Magus, created by him. I''m sure you all know their effects. This whole thing is simpler than you guys think," Fixteen said. "So their numbers arerger than ours-that just means each of you needs to fight ten of them. That''s all. I''m sure you can all count to ten. That''s all you need to do."


    It was a strange pep talk, Yarlston and Andy thought. Since the number seemed intimidating, but oddly, the others started to count to ten. They had the image in their heads of taking out one person at a time, going through them, anding out victorious in the end.


    "They''re here," Brack said. "All of you, stay back for now!" Brack bent his knees and then jumped out from his position onto the sand.


    He skidded ahead, at least fifty meters from where the wall was, while the army was twenty meters away from him.


    Lince, seeing this, was quite baffled by the student''s actions.


    ''You''ve sure changed a lot since the Martial Arts Tournament. Did the student-no, the Dark Magus-have this much effect on you?''


    ''It seems that not only the people of this town believe in him, but you believe in him as well,'' Lince thought.


    Rather than turning around, Lince decided it might be best for him to stay and at least see the oue of everything that was going to take ce.


    "SHA MO!!!" Brack screamed at the top of his lungs, pouring his Qi into his vocals. "We don''t have to get the whole town involved in this mess... Fight me in a duel!"


    The whole army of twenty thousand warriors came to a stop. All of it was done without a


    single word, because Sha Mo''s Qi could be felt by them all.


    Just a slight change, and the army knew what to do.


    Seeing Sha Mo walk out, Brack needed to be ready. This was the only card he could y, the only thing he could think of to buy some time, and he knew it wouldn''t be much time.


    ''Don''t let these people down... Dark Magus.''

 Chapter 838: A New Item, The Crimson Crane

    Chapter 838: A New Item, The Crimson Crane


    ?


    Raze had made up his mind. He was going to go to the town of Flendon to face Sha Mo and his Behemoth n. Having met him in the Martial Arts Tournament, he could guess the man''s personality.


    There was a deep grudge he had with Raze, and the fact that now he held the title of leader of the Dark Faction, it was just even more reason for Sha Mo to go after him.


    Sha Mo was a very petty man, and Raze had managed to catch his eyes in a number of ways. The fact that the town of Flendon was attacked without Raze even being there just went ahead and showed it.


    This wouldn''t stop until Sha Mo was dealt with. There were other reasons for Raze going as well, some of them to do with the feelings of others around him, others were for his personal gain.


    Raze was walking around the main academy building, heading from room to room. Since he had decided to head off, he was asking everyone if they wished toe.


    He wouldn''t force them into a fight that he had decided on. He could guess most of their answers, as everyone was practically saying they were willing to go.


    While walking down the hallway, Raze looked at his hand.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''If I defeat Sha Mo, and absorb him with the Demonic Extraction technique, that should definitely increase my stage level. With that, I''m sure I''ll be able to perform more of the Dark Edge Sword Arts.'' Raze thought. ''If that happens, then, I''ll be ready, I''ll be ready to face the Grand Magus.''


    Strength wise, Raze was sure he could faze the Grand Magus, at least on their own one by one, but he knew there would still be a number of issues still in Pagna to deal with.


    In the first ce, he needed to find the Golden Globe to even get to Alterian.


    Raze had then entered the library, and could see that most of the Crimson Crane were already gathered and had their weapons on them.


    "Have you made your mind up then, on what you''re nning to do?" Reno asked.


    "Yeah, I''m heading to Flendon, and I n to take on Sha Mo and get rid of him once and for all." Raze said. "I haven''t had time to create your weapons yet, the only one that''s ready is Forma''s."


    "MINES READY!" Forma jumped up and down, her whole face turning bright red. She couldn''t believe it. Raze hadn''t given the Crimson Crane any type of order for when the others would get special weapons.


    He was just making them as he had the materials ready. Even then it took several tries before something would be created that satisfied him.


    Out of all of them, only Forma''s weapon was ready.


    "If you head to my crafting room. I''m sure you will be able to pick up the right one.


    "If you can, bring all of the failures with you as well."


    Forma nodded with excitement as she went ahead and already ran past Raze. Looking for a new weapon.


    The others who had yet to get weapons were a little envious of Forma. Lily, was waiting on a new spear, there was Cronker who was hoping for some new daggers, andstly there was Alba herself.


    "So where do you want us?" Alba asked.


    "Come to the meeting room from before, and I will exin to you all what we''re going to do, but I came to tell you in person, you guys don''t have toe, the decision is up to you."


    The other members looked at Alba, the answer was obvious to them as well.


    "We all enjoyed our time in Flendon, and before evening here, we were already content with making it our home. We got on with a lot of people and made a few friends. We''ll be there and wait for you as soon as Formaes back."


    Raze had now visited everyone that was inside of the academy. Now there was just one more ce he needed to go to and have a talk with.


    Outside of the main academy, outside of the courtyard walls. Raze had entered the outer city. He had switched to a robe to cover himself rather than wearing his zer which stood out quite a bit.


    If others saw the Dark Magus out in the open with his white hair, he was sure that it would cause quite the fuss, and finally he had made it to a certain location.


    He looked up at the sign board.


    "So Zon decided to rx here of all ces, the Perfect Noodle''s shop... just what is he doing?" Raze said.


    Forma had rushed and barged straight into Raze''s research room. The moment she had entered a waft of air had touched her body and inhaled into her insides.


    She felt sick, and her entire body was covered in goosebumps as she shivered. "What is this ce, and why does it feel even darker than outside, is it my eyes?" Forma rubbed them, but still the room was Darker than any of the other rooms for some reason. Trying to ignore her body''s natural reaction, she ventured inside and could see piles of discarded weapons. Daggers, Spears, and Dual swords.


    It was clear they were items for the other members of the Crimson Crane. Heading toward them, Forma looked at the dual swords up close.


    "These are the failures he''s talking about... I knew there was something wrong in the head with that guy." Forma said. "No one in their right mind would consider these failures. Alba would be over the moon with swords like these."


    She reached out to touch them, but before her fingertips touched the dual swords she had stopped.


    ''Ah, I remember what Tilon said about his shield, I wouldn''t want something like that to happen to me.'' Forma said with a happy smile and started to swing her arms.


    She then could see arge pile of bows, and not just bows but arrows in the corner of the room, and just like the other equipment she couldn''t believe they were called failures. "Just how much would one of these things sell for! And they all are just here lying around. I guess Raze wants to give them to the people of Flendon, and they won''t even know that what they have is so precious in their hands."


    As she looked at the pile of bows though, something was calling to her from behind. Turning around, Forma looked at the table, where there was arge piece of cloth.


    The indented parts made it clear that it was covering up a bow.


    "This is it right, this is the weapon that I was looking for, it''s right here!"


    cing her hand on the edge of the cloth, she couldn''t help but drag the cloth right off the weapon, and her eyes were sparkling with delight.


    "This is it, I can feel it, I can feel its power. This is the item that the Dark Magus made for


    me!"


    Not being able to help herself, she had gone ahead and grabbed the specially crafted bow. It was mainly dark red in color, with strange swirls all around.


    There looked to be no pattern to the bow itself, other than the odd swirls but Forma could feel its power. The moment she grabbed it though, the red swirls on the bow started to wrap around, and started to grab right onto her arm.


    "What the... ARGHHH!!!!!!!!!" The next moment Forma let out an almighty scream.

 Chapter 839: Zons Happiness

    Chapter 839: Zon''s Happiness


    ?


    After making sure they had everything they needed, the Crimson Crane had moved from the library into the main meeting room in the academy.


    Upon entering, they could see that most of the others had already arrived. Anna was present, along with Liam and Safa.


    Ricktor hade along with Mada, and Rayna was still there as well, among the others that had decided toe on the trip.


    The only person from the core group not present was Amir. It was a given that he would stay with the rest of the Bonum Society members looking after the Academy.


    Someone needed to stay behind. On top of that, Zon was also absent because Raze was somewhere out there trying to find him.


    "I''m a bit more confident now," Kizer said, slinging hisrge sword on his back. "Last time we defended the town, we had a lot fewer people than this, and everyone here is quite strong."


    "Right, butst time Sha Mo wasn''t involved," Reno reminded them. "It will be a tough fight either way, so we can''t let our guard down."


    Simyon, Safa, and Liam were all nervous, but with their new weapons and tools from taking over the other Dark Faction ns, they were the strongest they had ever been.


    In the current room were the strongest of the Dark Faction, and Sha Mo wouldn''t expect a full battle against that.


    "I''m just looking forward to finally heading back to my n," Mantis said. "I''ve been here too long, and your faces annoy me."


    No one even bothered toment on what Mantis said. He had been like that ever since he arrived, almost sticking around because he had no other choice.


    The door opened again, and part of them expected to see Raze entering, but instead, it was the small female Forma.


    "I brought it with me... man, this stuff is kind of heavy," Forma said as she dragged therge crate and lugged it into the center.


    Tilon took a peek inside and could see that it was filled with weapons, each one marked with the symbol of the Dark Magus.


    He remembered how much the shields created by the Dark Magus had helped them allst time, and these items seemed of even better quality.


    "Wait, didn''t you go to get the weapon Raze made for you?" Alba asked, peeking behind Forma''s back. "Where is it, where''s the bow?"


    "It''s... It''s..." Forma looked around, her big round eyes filling with tears. "It''s inside me!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Forma fell to her knees and started to wail, letting out a loud cry, leaving everyone confused as to what she meant by the bow being inside her.


    Inside the Perfect Noodles shop, for once, Zon wasn''t behind the counter working. Instead, he was sitting at a table, and across from him was a hooded man.


    "Hey, what''s Zon doing?" Stanley asked. "I didn''t know that guy had friends."


    "He talks to people... sometimes," Rane said. "From time to time, a womanes to visit


    him. They talk for a bit, but it''s the first time I''ve seen this hooded man.


    "Either way, he must be important to Zon. He stopped what he was doing and even asked me to clear a table for them. Zon never asks me for that, not even when the woman visits."


    At the table, in the hooded robe, of course, was Raze himself.


    "So, I''ve told you everything. It''s up to you if you want toe or not," Raze said, waiting for Zon''s response.


    Although the two hadn''t had much time to talk about who they were or what their goals were, Raze knew one thing about Zon for sure: he was incredibly strong.


    So strong, Raze wasn''t even sure he could beat him in a fight at his current level.


    "I will stay in the Dark Faction," Zon said. "You have your things to deal with, and I have mine. Right now, I''ve found some peace in this shop.


    "Don''t get me wrong, though. You''re still important to me."


    Zon ced his hand on the table and opened it up. A small square device could be seen. It then started to move, as small legs sprung out, resembling an ant. It walked over until it reached Raze.


    "I have two of these," Zon exined. "And only two. One of them I injected into your friend''s neck. It''s not the system he uses."


    Raze had no idea what Zon was talking about since he hadn''t really discussed with Liam how he was able to grow stronger or gather strength-not that Raze particrly cared.


    "This little creature allows me to know where someone is at any point in time. I have appeared by your friend''s side before."


    "This is the second device, so when needed, I''ll appear by your side. There''s no need to imnt it inside your body. Attach it to a piece of your clothing, and remember where it is. "If you need help, apply extreme pressure. If you do that, as long as I can, I''ll appear." Raze didn''t know what to say. Giving him such a thing-it was handy to have. Although he didn''t n to rely on others, it was a good tool.


    "I originally nned to give that to Anna, but since I gave it to you, it means you need to look after her in my ce," Zon exined.


    Raze nodded as he picked up the device and ced it on the left side of his chest. If someone attacked his heart, he thought that would be enough pressure-and enough reason to call Zon


    over.


    With the conversation over, Raze stood up.


    "Good luck on your task, and next time, I hope you can enjoy a nice bowl of noodles," Zon


    said.


    "I''ll be back soon."


    With that Raze headed back to the academy and he was ready to head into battle once again. Fight after fight, it would have worn his whole body down, but he could feel it, he was close, close to getting to where he needed to be, to the Grand Magus.

 Chapter 840: A Gift Before You Leave

    Chapter 840: A Gift Before You Leave


    ?


    Froma was in the middle of a crying fit in the meeting hall, and none of the Crimson Crane members were able to get much out of her about what she meant. They had even analyzed the other equipment that had been brought, but nothing happened when they held it.


    In the end, Froma wiped away her tears and was able to speak again, but she still was in no mood to discuss what had happened with the others.


    ''It''s okay,'' Froma said to herself. ''There was a note left on the table, so I know what''s happening, but it still feels weird. That strange Dark Magus, why didn''t he put the note on top of the cloth?''


    Froma thought back and had to admit it might have been her fault. After taking off the cloth, revealing the weapon, she hadpletely ignored the note on the table and went straight to grab the bow.


    Now she was stuck with the bow, simr to how Tilon was stuck with the shield. The rest of the group was waiting until finally, Raze pushed open the double doors.


    "It seems like everyone is here. Thank you foring on this journey with me," Raze said as he pulled out a piece of chalk and started drawing on the floor. He was drawing a magic circle, arge one that would encase them all.


    It was simr to what he had done during the Martial Arts Tournament, but that had taken a lot of energy and magic. To avoidpletely wearing himself out, Raze was drawing the magic circle this time.


    ''I see, Zon hasn''te on this one. It''s expected of him,'' Anna thought. ''He always went off on solo missions by himself. The only time he went along with us was when he had to.''


    ''But I can''t believe what he told me, his goal... it''s not to head back? I guess he still hasn''t talked to Raze about it,'' Anna thought.


    As Raze was drawing the magic circle, he decided it was time to exin to everyone how things were going to be, because it wasn''t as straightforward asst time.


    "When we were in Flendon, I transported you all from one position to another. So I drew two magic circles, but the magic circle in Flendon is no longer there," Raze said. "Unfortunately, I haven''t been back to Flendon since, so I haven''t figured out how to pinpoint coordinates there, nor have I set up another magic circle there," Raze exined.


    "I''m guessing you''re telling us this because it means you''ll be sending us somewhere else?" Ricktor asked.


    "Correct. There is one ce I used to travel to frequently, where I know the coordinates: a cave just outside the city of Repton," Raze answered.


    "That''s still quite far from Flendon," Rayna said. "We might not reach Flendon in time before the Behemoth n gets there."


    "Be realistic," Mantis added. "The city of Flendon is already under attack. We''re going to be the cleanup crew."


    Rayna''s fists were shaking, and Raze knew why from their previous talk. She was unlike other Pagna warriors and actually cared about the lives of the regr citizens.


    "Should I stop by the n base?" Dame asked. "It''s on the way; I could ask Father for help."


    "Father won''t do anything," Rayna snapped. "I was given away and am no longer part of the n, and you abandoned it. If we step foot back there and ask for help, how do you think he''d react?"


    The two of them stopped after that suggestion.


    "We won''t know the state of Flendon until we get there. There should be no other thoughts in one''s head," Raze said. "The reason I''m telling you this is to not waste any time. Some of us in this group are faster than others."


    "When you get to the Demonic Faction, I want you to head to Flendon as quickly as possible." The others nodded, and Raze finished drawing the circle.


    "You guys will go first, and then I''ll need to draw another circle after. I''ll be right behind


    you."


    With that said, Raze gathered the magic in the palm of his hands and ced them on the floor. The magic circle began to light up, and a bright light surrounded everyone and everything inside it.


    The light grewrger andrger until it consumed them, and when the sh of light disappeared, so did the rest of the group.


    Standing up, Raze took a blue Qi pill. It wasn''t the cursed pill; the regr Qi pill would be enough to restore his mana so he could fight before taking a cursed Qi pill.


    ''I used a lot of mana sending them off, but I think it''s better having them there rather than just myself,'' Raze thought.


    Taking the chalk, he started to draw his own circle on the raised tform he was on. At the same time, he was cultivating, trying to do what Safa was able to do to get his energy back.


    He was focused, trying to enter a flow-like state where he could draw and cultivate at the same time. Then his concentration was broken.


    "I expected there to be more people here," a voice said. "I guess the new Dark Faction leader doesn''t need people around him."


    The voice wasn''t one Raze recognized. He had just finished drawing the magic circle as well. If he wanted to, he could activate the circle now, sending him to where the others were.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Instead, Raze decided to lift his head, and the moment he did, his eyes widened, and he clenched his teeth hard as he stood upright.


    "Ah, it seems you recognize what I have in my hand right here," the stranger said as he moved his right hand, holding the round object steady. "You know what this is, right?"


    The object being held by the stranger''s hand was being held by its hair. The round object could be seen clearly, and Raze''s heart was thumping even louder.


    "Poor Himmy," the man said, shaking his head.

 Chapter 841: Challenging A Monster

    Chapter 841: Challenging A Monster


    ?


    The sh of light blinded the entire group that was surrounded by the magic circle. They all felt a tingling sensation through their bodies as they could see nothing in front of them. As the light began to fade, suddenly new scenery appeared around them.


    They were now in a dimly lit cave and were quite cramped inside.


    "That felt strange, really strange," Mada said.


    "Did it? I thought it felt kind of nice," Ricktor answered.


    Mada just gave him an ufortable look, wondering how anyone could like that feeling. Then again, he remembered Ricktor was always strangepared to the rest.


    "It always amazes me, honestly," Kizer said. "How a human can do something like this? How can the things in our body just move us around like that?"


    "I guess that''s why they call it magic," Lily replied.


    "Enough talking, you guys!" Alba said. "Remember what Raze said, we need to head to the town of Flendon straight away."


    The group moved to the exit and away from the spot where they had entered, but upon looking behind them, they were a little worried. Raze should only be a few moments, maybe minutes, behind them.


    "I can stay behind," Cronker said. "I''m the fastest, so I''ll be able to catch up as soon as he arrives to give you peace of mind."


    "No," Rayna said. "Because you are the fastest, you should head to Flendon first. You could save arge number of lives. I want to wait for Raze too... but waiting will do nothing."


    "I''ll stay," Dame replied. "I''m pretty fast on my feet as well. The rest of you go, it''ll be fine. I''m just as fast as Raze, so don''t be surprised if the two of us get to Flendon before you. Now, no questions-just scram."


    Rayna didn''t say anything else, and neither did Safa or Alba. They all left at that instant, heading to the town of Flendon.


    While Dame waited in the cave, he began tapping his foot impatiently on the floor. The taps grew louder and louder.


    "Raze, you should be here by now. Has something happened to you?" Dame said to himself. "But that''s impossible, right? We were all there with you in the room. Nothing could have happened to you."


    "But then why aren''t you here? It''s not like I can just head back to the academy and help you out...e on, Raze...e on."


    Dame felt useless, unable to help Raze, but the fact that several minutes had already passed and there was still no sign of him weighed heavily on his mind. Several times now, Dame had seen Raze push himself too far.


    Even when he did, he would move from one task to the next. If he had pushed himself again in a troubling situation and arrived here, he might need Dame''s help to get him to Flendon, depending on his condition.


    If he had to, Dame would even force him not to go if there was any risk of Raze losing his life.


    At the town of Flendon, the guards standing at the north gate were doing everything in their power not to turn and run. They hadn''t realized that some at the back had already done just that.


    In front of them, they could see the true might of the Behemoth n. All its members were about a hundred meters away from them, and if the full force were to charge at once, they couldn''t even imagine being able to defend against such an attack.


    The only reason some of them stayed and held their ground was because a young warrior had jumped out in front of them and screamed at the top of his lungs, challenging the others to a duel.


    "Come on!" Brack shouted. "The Behemoth n is one of the three major ns in the Demonic Faction. Right now, everyone knows you''d win a battle with the numbers you have. The people behind us aren''t even warriors from a n."


    "Isn''t it embarrassing to use your numbers to take over a town? Why don''t you prove that you''re one of the three major ns not just because of your size but because of your strength as well?"


    Brack was shaking inside, his entire body betraying his fear, and he couldn''t believe the wordsing out of his mouth.


    Sha Mo''srge size and frame came to the forefront as he looked at Brack.


    "What words to be spoken by someone who literally abandoned our n," Sha Mo stated. "So this is where you ran off to in the end, and now you challenge us when you couldn''t even hack it in the Behemoth n! Ha!"


    The single loudugh, filled with Qi, forced Brack''s feet to skid slightly across the sand, and it was just from the sound of his voice.


    On the wall itself, Fixteen, Yarlston, and Lince, who were watching everything, couldn''t believe what was happening.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "If he turned around and ran right now, I don''t think anyone would me him," Fixteen said, and the other two nearby thought the same.


    "That doesn''t change anything!" Brack said. "My words are still true. The Dark Magus and the Crimson Crane aren''t here. So why bring such arge number of people? You''re using all your power to wipe out an ant!"


    "Maybe the Behemoth n has no strong warriors, which is why you won''t ept my duel!" Brack shouted again.


    Sha Mo was quite surprised. No one would dare speak to him in such a way in the Behemoth n, certainly not a student. And now, because a person was on the other side, they felt free to talk like that.


    "Very well," Sha Mo said, but that''s when another figure with long ck hair tied in a ponytail jumped out in front.


    The person was tall but notrge like Sha Mo, who looked like a descendant of a giant.


    "I am Umonke, one of the pirs of the Behemoth n. It would be an insult if the n Head epted this duel. You said there is no one strong in the Behemoth n, so I will take you on." Umonke turned and bowed to Sha Mo, jumping into position andnding around ten meters away from Brack.

 Chapter 842: Cheer For Him!

    Chapter 842: Cheer For Him!


    ?


    Brack wasn''t going to argue about facing Umonke rather than Sha Mo. It wasn''t because Umonke was weak by any means, but there still wasn''t a part of Brack that felt he could best Umonke in battle.


    For one, Brack was an initial-stage warrior at his peak, while Umonke was a middle-stage warrior and quite a strong one at that. Even if it wasn''t someone from the Behemoth n, it was still a giant uphill battle for Brack.


    Still, there was one thought going through his mind: at least he wouldst longer against Umonke than he would against Sha Mo.


    Umonke pulled out a long curved sword from his back. He swung it in the air a few times as if he was warming up. Each swing sliced the air, and a piercing high-pitched sound could be hearding from the weapon.


    While Brack held out his own sword, it was regr, nothing special. In the first ce, he focused more on martial arts-based techniques but had a sword to help him in certain situations.


    "In normal circumstances, the two of us would have never met in battle," Umonke said. "Unfortunately for you, since you are no longer part of the n, it means that now, killing you is an option as well."


    Umonke charged forward, wasting no time, and the Behemoth n, seeing this, chuckled and cheered for their fellow teammate. No one did the same for Brack, especially considering he was a traitor, and the people of Flendon were more afraid of what was going to happen to their lives.


    Brack reacted to the attacker charging right at him. He strengthened his stance and threw out his sword at the right time.


    ''I haven''t just been sitting around doing nothing this entire time!''


    A strange feeling had ovee Brack in that moment. He couldn''t feel his sword hit anything, but he was sure of it-he saw with his own eyes his sword make contact with Umonke. Yet, what he saw didn''t feel like reality.


    Because his sword had just gone right through Umonke''s. Now that Brack was on the other side, looking at his own weapon, he saw half of it falling to the floor. It had beenpletely cut through, and Brack didn''t even feel any resistance.


    ''I poured all of my Qi into reinforcing the sword, so how did it break so easily?''


    Brack turned around, and the moment he did, he saw Umonke right upon him.


    "For having the guts to go up against me, I don''t think you deserve death, so take this punishment instead." Umonke mmed his fist deep into Brack''s stomach, lifting him in the air. Then, with a jump, Umonke mmed the back of his heel into Brack''s back.


    Excruciating pain coursed through Brack''s entire body, and before he knew it, he had crashed into the ground. Arge amount of sand and dust spread out. Brack was coughing up specks of blood, and he didn''t look like he was in any condition to fight.


    "You spoke badly about the Behemoth n, and what for? To protect this town?" Umonke said. "Well, with your own eyes, you can witness its downfall."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The sight of Brack losing in front of them had only caused the fear among the guards of Flendon to grow. Some of them had never gone up against Pagna warriors before. To witness superhuman feats right in front of them-fast movement, extreme strength, and jumping power-was something none of them could ever imagine beating. Of course, not all Pagna warriors were obviously strongpared to regr citizens.


    They had witnessed one of the Pirs fighting, but the people didn''t really understand or know that.


    Lince couldn''t help but feel slightly bad for the sight he was seeing.


    ''I know you meant well, young one, but you might have just crushed the will of everyone here to fight. From the beginning, the difference between the two of you was toorge.''


    As Lince finished his thought, though, he started to slow down as he saw something he didn''t expect, and everyone else was looking at it too.


    Brack was standing up. He stood on his feet again, no sword in hand, blood dripping from his mouth onto his clothing.


    "I would have expected the Pirs... the Pirs," Brack said. "To take me out, but look, I''m still standing. I guess you''re not as strong as I thought you were!"


    Brack charged forward again and went to deliver a kick while Umonke wasn''t looking. Umonke stepped to the side, avoiding the kick, and then grabbed the back of Brack''s head, mming it into the floor.


    Brack''s eyes rolled to the back of his head, his nose cracked, and for the second time, he seemed to be dealt with.


    With that, Umonke was ready to walk back to the Behemoth group, ready to start the charge, until he heard the sound of his own men gasping, and others as well.


    "He''s up again! He''s standing up again."


    Brack was standing, wobbling on his feet for a few moments, but he soon took a fighting stance. His mouth was moving, but no words came out.


    "How is he still standing?" Fixteen said. "Why is he still standing? It''s all pointless."


    "It''s not," Andy said. "He believed the Dark Magus, the Crimson Crane, would be here to save us... we have to believe it! Come on!" Andy screamed thest words at the top of his lungs.


    He continued to cheer, and in doing so, the others on the wall started to cheer as well. Soon, those on the ground began to cheer for Brack. Initially, when he stepped up to fight, not a single person was cheering for him.


    Now, after seeing clearly that Brack had no way of winning the fight, they were cheering for him. They didn''t understand it themselves, but seeing Brack trying so hard for them, it was the least they could do.


    "Fine, I didn''t want to do this," Umonke said. "But let''s see if they can cheer when I cut off your head!"


    Umonke charged forward, his sword swinging right for Brack''s head. Just before it reached him, a loud ng was heard, and a person appeared right by Brack''s side.


    "Who are you?" Umonke said, surprised to see his sword stopped.


    "I guess I really was the first one here," Cronker said worriedly. "There''s a lot more of you than I thought."

 Chapter 843: The Deleter Scar

    Chapter 843: The Deleter Scar


    ?


    Everything was set up in Raze''s mind. He would deal with the trouble that was taking ce in the Demonic Faction, in turn gaining strength, and afterward, he would have a meeting with Belil from the Neverfall n.


    Before then, he would head back to the Dark Faction, the academy, to see if everything was okay, because there would always be this worry in the back of his mind that Alter had sent one of these so-called Deleters to the scene.


    For one, Raze didn''t think Alter would act so fast. If they truly felt he was the real Dark Magus and a person who could rise to the top of the Dark Faction, they would y the slow game and try to get him in one swoop.


    That was unless they truly believed in the strength of these Deleters. As for the second reason, it was because Raze believed in Himmy, believed that he would do as he said and buy time.


    Right now, Raze was in the meeting room, standing there. His fist was clenched, his jaw was tight, and he hadn''t blinked as he looked at the round object that was held in the strange man''s hand-the intruder.


    It wasn''t just any object; it was a head, and it was the head of Himmy, having been dissected from his body, now being held in the intruder''s hand.


    ''Himmy,'' Raze thought. ''He was one of the first Otherworlders I met. One of the few people I met that seemed to have half a brain cell in this world. We didn''t get to talk much, and it was hard to say he was even a friend.''


    ''But in the end, he risked his life to help me when he didn''t have to. When he left this ce at that time, he probably knew this would be the result. Things could have been different.''


    "Himmy''s death is on your hands," the man said. "You know, my orders weren''t to get rid of him. They had sent one of those squads to get him. With his skills, they probably never would have caught him. He could have gone and lived his life somewhere in Pagna in a rxing vige. I never understood the guy. He was a hard worker but never wanted to rise up in the organization."


    "Do you know anyone like that? I don''t." The man continued to yap and then threw Himmy''s head in the air. It bounced and rolled across the floor until it hit the tform where Raze was standing.


    "The people that sent you-I assume you''re talking about Alter?" Raze asked. Although he was filled with anger, it was clear it was a trick to get him to act first. Right now, Raze needed to figure out who this person was.


    For one, were they a mage? A Pagna warrior that used martial arts? Did they use specialized weapons like those from Himmy''s world? Or did they have some sort of powers, maybe someone like Zon?


    On top of that, there were arge number of items that Alter could have handed him to use, and information was the key to this entire battle.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Ha, I guess you''re not as foolish as I thought, or Himmy told you a lot before he decided to do his little trick," the intruder said with a smile. "I wonder how much he told you, for you see, I am a Deleter, the man known as Scar... well, maybe known isn''t the right word, because not many know my name. After all, as a Deleter, and even before bing one, I alwayspleted my missions."


    Raze''s guess was spot on. Right now, though, Raze was trying to decide what to do. The best way to test him¡ªwith magic or Pagna skills-to try and get him to reveal his power.


    That''s when he noticed something else.


    ''The door is still shut?'' Raze thought. ''If the door is still shut, how did he manage to get inside? No wonder I was unable to sense him, and he appeared out of nowhere.''


    Raze was growing more concerned, and so he decided to give it a go. ck magic surrounded his arm, and quickly, a new light sword appeared, made with his wind enchantment. It was light and silent.


    Moving his hand down, filled with Qi and wind magic, Raze struck using the Crimson sh. It was faster and sharper than the Crimson shes he had performed in the past, cutting a straight line down the room.


    The floorboards had a deep cut in them, and so did the wall at the other end, but it hadn''t hit its target-there was no blood.


    "That was a fast attack, a really fast attack," the voice said from his side.


    Turning his head, Raze could see, slightly to his left, that Scar was standing therepletely fine.


    "If we had met when I was younger, I would have stood no chance. That strike was nearly as fast as a bullet! Maybe a little slower," Scar stated.


    "Didn''t youe here to get rid of me?" Raze said, holding the sword in his hand. "If I were you, I would be much more scared. After all, there is a reason why Alter, your bosses, want to get rid of me."


    Lightning magic started to expel from Raze''s legs as he prepared to attack with his next move. He couldn''t see where Scar had moved to. It didn''t look like Scar had moved at all-his whole body seemed to disappear and reappear-so Raze just needed to be even faster.


    "I think you''ve got something wrong there, something really wrong," Scar said with a smile. "They would never send a Deleter like me just to get rid of one person. I''ve been ordered to get rid of this entire ce!"


    Before Raze could even swing his sword, Scar had disappeared.


    Raze looked around, trying to find him, but he couldn''t see or feel anyone''s presence inside the room.


    ''I have... a bad feeling about this.''

 Chapter 844: Delete The Dark Faction

    Chapter 844: Delete The Dark Faction


    ?


    The academy in the Dark Faction had been operating the same way it had done in the past. Students were taking part in monthly assessments, allowing them to improve their skills and share their knowledge.


    After the Dark Magus''s disy of power over a month ago, the sign-ups to the academy had actually increasedpared to before, and there was arger stream of students entering the academy after they learned from others that things were a bit easier.


    The assessments were less about life and death, and the teachers'' focus had shifted to the honor of the Dark Faction and fostering apetitive drive to be the best, without the need for survival assessments that were live-or-die.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Right now, in the Red Headband group, a teacher was on stage set up outside in the courtyard in front of the red headband building.


    "Although many of you take pride in learning your own n''s skills and wish to prove that they are the best or advance them, it is important to learn a wide variety of skills," the teacher exined.


    "A lot of Pagna warriors know many base techniques that your n''s skills might have been built upon. The more skills you know, the more you will understand other ns'' techniques and ways to counter them. If there truly was just a single skill that could beat everything out there, then everyone would just learn that."


    "But different skills and techniques are used in different assessments. So today, I want you to analyze your opponent''s skills," the teacher exined. "Do you all understand?"


    The students nodded, even though they didn''t seem too pleased with the lesson for the day. It sounded quite boring to them. In the middle of their nods, though, they noticed something.


    "Who''s that?" one of the students asked, pointing at the stage.


    The teacher turned to look at the individual and noticed a person they had never seen before. He looked like an ordinary man.


    "The students don''t seem to be too interested in your lesson here," the man said.


    "Who are you? No one is allowed to be in the academy without permission," the teacher said.


    "I think we should give them a new lesson for today. Let''s see how long they can survive." "What are you-"


    *Bang*


    A loud echoing sound was heard throughout the entire courtyard. It was a sound the students weren''t used to, and when they looked at where it hade from, it was a small object held in the stranger''s hand.


    What was worse was the fact that the teacher had fallen over, with a small hole in his head. He copsed to the ground, and blood was pooling on the stage.


    "He killed him, he killed the teacher!"


    "Someone quickly, we have to go and inform the other teachers! We''re under attack!"


    The students were in a panic, and as one turned to exit the courtyard, the loud bang was heard again. A small object could be seen going right through the back of the student''s head, causing them to fall to the floor, their body lifeless, just like the teacher.


    "My mission is to delete everyone in this academy! So don''t worry, none of you will be left out," Scar said, as he pulled out two handguns and aimed them into the crowd. Soon, the resounding bangs started to go off, one after another, into the many students.


    Screams were heard as the students started to break off, going in different directions, trying to escape from what was happening.


    Not everyone was running away, though. Being the Pagna warriors that they were, and seeing only one enemy in front of them, some went for the target.


    "If we can get rid of him, then this will stop!"


    The students boosted themselves with Qi, jumping through the air. Scar was quick to react and shot a couple of the studentsing at him. He hit one in the chest and another by the side.


    Still, there were too many studentsing at him, allowing one toe over to the right side of him. The student thrust his sword forward, but realized he had hit nothing but air. "Where did he go?" the student shouted, before another bang was heard and his vision went ck as he copsed on the stage.


    The others looked up and could see the man was suddenly on the roof of the Red Headband building, and the loud bangs just didn''t stop.


    Some had tried to scale the side of the building by jumping up and running up the pirs. It was an easy task for Pagna warriors, but with Scar having the high ground, he could see them from all angles, and he fired away with ease.


    "Come on, this is the first time I''ve been asked to take out a big target. The others had their fair share done already. I thought this would be harder!"


    The students on the ground floor were losing hope that they could take out the figure, and so they started to run toward the exit. Some of them had exited from the Red Headband onto the main courtyard.


    In doing so, they were running either to the closest headband group or to the main academy to get some help. Some didn''t know where they were going, they were just running.


    This didn''t go unnoticed by Scar, and seeing it he had arge defeated sigh.


    "The job was to leave no survivors, and I alwaysplete my job perfectly." The gun in Scar''s hand disappeared, and instead, a green round object could be seen in its ce.


    Pulling a pin from the top, he threw the green round object onto the ground right by the exit, where arge number of people were running from, and momentster, after bouncing, it exploded. Pieces of shrapnel lodged into multiple students trying to get out.


    "Time to cause more of a mess," Scar said, as his whole body disappeared from the rooftop, heading to another location.

 Chapter 845: Chaos Strikes The Academy

    Chapter 845: Chaos Strikes The Academy


    ?


    The normal setup of the headband students in the academy was present, with the Yellow Headband students and the Blue Headband students'' areas breaking off from the main


    courtyard.


    They were also conducting their lessons outside in the main courtyard, following a simr lesson when they heard explosions in the distance.


    "What is going on?" the students asked.


    "Probably just one of the students doing a bit too much," the teacher of the Yellow Headbands said. "The other teachers nearby can handle the problem."


    There were three Yellow Headband teachers giving the students tips and overseeing them. They were spread out among the courtyard. As they were going through their lessons, the doors burst wide open, and they could see a few Red Headband students charging in, falling to the floor.


    Some of their clothes were covered in blood.


    "Close the damned door behind us, quickly, don''t let him in!" the Red Headband student shouted.


    The other two were quick to get on their feet and closed the door behind them. As they were shutting it, they could see students running toward them, but they still closed it shut anyway and decided to stay by the door.


    Soon, loud bangs were heard on the door.


    "No, please let us in, let us in!" the students screamed.


    Not only did they scream, but they were soon using their Qi to try and attack the door, but equally, the students on the other side who were holding the door were using Qi to push it back as well.


    "What is going on?" one of the teachers asked. "How dare you not open the door to your fellow students? What do you think you''re doing?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You don''t understand!" one of the Red Headband students said. "There''s an intruder. He killed Teacher Ren! He''s killing all the students. He has this item that''s throwing small metal balls, killing everyone. We can''t let him in! Otherwise, everyone will die!"


    The teacher could see that the student had clearly gone through something. There was blood on his clothes, and another had a wound on his body. It didn''t appear to be from a sword, yet they were so frightened that they were ignoring the pain.


    "If there really is someone attacking the academy students, then even more reason why we have to let them in. We can''t just let students stay out there. Move aside, both of you, or I''ll deal with you myself."


    The students gulped and listened to their teacher''s words. The moment they moved aside, the doors swung open, and a group of students, about five or so, ran in.


    The doors were shut behind them, and just like the students from before, they quickly shut the door and held it closed.


    "Where is the rest of your ss? Where are the rest of them?" the teacher asked.


    "I''m not sure. We all ran in different directions. Some weren''t even able to escape," one of the female students exined. "I saw some running to the main academy and to the Blue Headband students... ahh, there was so much blood, so much blood."


    The teacher was trying to grasp what was going on and what the best course of action would be. If there was arge-scale attack, he should have seen multiple people, but from the sound of things, there was only a single person.


    "I''ll head to the main academy and inform Principal Amir. He will deal with the situation. The rest of you stay put, and let the teachers do all the worrying."


    Just as he was about to head to the gate door, pping noises could be heard. The teacher turned around and saw a strange man.


    Immediately, the Red Headband students fell to their knees in shock.


    "It''s him... it''s him... get away from him!" the female student screamed.


    The teacher was still unable toprehend what was happening and was getting ready to act when a loud bang was heard, and no longer could his mind process anything as he fell to the floor.


    "Another one deleted from the world of Pagna," Scar said. "You know, he was a good teacher. Maybe if I had someone like him, I wouldn''t have ended up the way I am."


    Scar disappeared from where he was, and with the students looking around, they could see he was now right next to one of the other teachers in the courtyard. A bang noise went off, and Scar disappeared again.


    "Behind you, sir!" a student shouted, but it was toote.


    The same bang noise was heard, and now none of the teachers were left alive. Just like that, moving around each area, there was a person who was able to take out arge number of them.


    The loud sound of bangs continued, and even more students were startled than before. A repeat of what had urred at the Red Headband area was now happening at the Yellow Headband area, and soon the same thing would happen at the Blue Headband area.


    As students scattered across the mainrge courtyard, some of them still bleeding, they headed into the main building. However, the majority of them, after seeing their teachers fail to protect them, felt it was useless.


    No one could defeat this person who was using tools, possibly artifacts, that they had never seen before, so they decided to exit out of the main academy area.


    "The wall is just up ahead. We can hide out in the main town!" one of the students shouted. "He won''t be able to find all of us, and we can just escape."


    There were around fifty or so students running toward the main exit. It looked to be a hundred meters up ahead. Usually, a distance they could cover in less than ten seconds, but it felt so long to them, and before they knew it, the strange man had appeared in front of them once


    more.


    "There are too many of you to deal with just handguns. Let''s switch to something a bit faster," Scar said, as the handguns disappeared from his hands, and now he was holding tworger weapons, known as Uzis. "I might be able to go home before dinner at this rate."

 Chapter 846: Power Of Weapons (Fixed)

    Chapter 846: Power Of Weapons (Fixed)


    ?


    The students were so close to exiting the academy, they had run using all of their strength, believing that past the walls was safety. That was when they saw the intruder appearing like a guard blocking their way.


    Immediately, the students stopped. None of them had thoughts of trying to best this person, to try and take him on after seeing so many fail, seeing so many dead. Some were unable to move, while others had turned away.


    New items appeared in the intruder''s hands; they were bigger than what he had been using so far, and the wicked smile remained present on his face.


    Scar had lifted his hands and pulled the trigger, holding on. Rather than the constant single bangs the students had heard, they instead heard a continuous noise in the air, followed by the screams of their fellow students.


    No longer was Scar just using a basic handgun; he was using weapons far more devastating. Weapons made from his world, created with one purpose in mind: to kill.


    The students that fled and turned their backs felt sharp pain enter their bodies, causing them to fall to the ground. When they looked down, they could see blooding from their wounds.


    Others tried their best to avoid what they could. They had done so somewhat sessfully so far, but the path of the bullets was too fast for them, hitting their legs first, slowing their movement, and then hitting the rest of their bodies.


    One of the females, who was frozen stiff and had fallen to her knees, had both of her hands covering her ears.


    "Please stop... stop... what is going on? Why is this happening to us? We don''t even have a chance to fight back!"


    It was then that the constant sound stopped. When she looked ahead, she could see that the shesing from the intruder''s weapons had stopped as well, and then a small object dropped onto the ground, rectangr in shape.


    Seeing this, the female student had a number of thoughts going through her head.


    "Those devices shoot small metal objects out at a fast rate, but the metal objects have toe from somewhere. Is he having to replenish his supply?"


    At that moment, more students that had survived the initial attack had run out from their respective color headband buildings. They ventured onto the main courtyard, hoping to exit, when they saw that there was a person blocking their path.


    "That''s the guy, right? But he''s stopped right now. Is he tired or something?"


    "That must be it. To throw those projectiles so fast, he must be using an immense amount of Qi. Maybe this is our chance."


    Some were wary about it, but there were a couple of others who thought that this might be their only chance, so they decided to run ahead as fast as they could.


    "We need to get rid of him, for everyone that died today!" the students imed.


    The female student who was on the ground could hear a clicking noise enter the intruder''s weapons. Although she didn''t know exactly how these weapons worked, she had a bad feeling. "No! Get away, everyone get away!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.


    Scar pointed his guns right at the group of studentsing toward him, but rather than shooting right at them, he aimed for the girl instead.


    "We have a smart one among them. So you can go first." Scar pulled the trigger, and a stream of bullets came down.


    At the same time, though, the female student saw someonee right in front of her, crashing into the ground. Arge rumbling had urred, and a piece of the floor had broken up, lifting off from the ground.


    The bullets being used had hit the wall, as the flooring was being used as a type of shield. The students from behind, seeing this, gathered behind therge wall.


    "Stay behind this, keep cover, while I deal with him."


    "Yes, Vice-Principal Amir!" the students said with hope in their eyes. One of the strongest in the academy had arrived to help them. Although the other teachers had failed before, Vice- Principal Amir was different.


    His strength was on par with the top five Dark Faction n leaders.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Amir quickly ran around the wall he had created from the ground and started to dash in the position where Scar wasst seen. He could see the intruder up ahead, his weapons pointed toward him again.


    Scar pulled the trigger, and a rain of bullets came out, all aiming toward Amir. Seeing how fast they were, Amir once again kicked the ground, breaking it and lifting it up vertically. Right after that, he proceeded with a punch, breaking the wall and flinging pieces of rock right toward Scar.


    They were flung across and continued until they crashed into the wall.


    "Where did he go?"


    "I thought the difficulty would rise a bit eventually."


    The voice was from behind, and Amir quickly turned to see Scar at least twenty meters away, in apletely different direction than before.


    "Is he the Deleter that was sent by Alter?" Amir thought. "I didn''t see him move, his body just disappeared. It''s most likely a powerful item given to him by Alter. With these weapons from other worlds, it''s a dangerousbination."


    Amir was looking at the ground at the number of students who had already perished. It wasn''t just students, either; there were teachers.


    When the students covered in blood reached him, Amir immediately went to assess the mess, but this wasn''t what he was expecting at all.


    "Everything has been a bit too easy so far." Scar moved his hands, and the Uzi weapons disappeared. In their ce, his handguns reappeared. "I''m just a better shot with these; I prefer them."


    Scar said as he pointed them at Amir and started to shoot directly at him. This time, rather than breaking the flooring, Amir stretched out his arm. It started to change ck, growingrger in size, and covered his entire face.


    As the bullets hit his hard skin, they fell onto the floor.


    "If you really are a Deleter, then now is not the time to worry about hiding my powers," Amir said as he used his Hybrid form from the start.


    "With Raze and the others having already left, I''m the only one who can protect this


    academy!"

 Chapter 847: We Need A Savior

    Chapter 847: We Need A Savior


    ?


    Amir had revealed his powers in the Martial Arts Tournament, and it was before Raze had teleported everyone away. Meaning there were those that were high up who were able to witness the power of the Hybrids.


    However, this news was only slightly reported by the golden reports released by Bubble, and due to so much that happened, it was something that had been overlooked by many. The students knew Amir from before and were unaware of the fact that he was one of the Hybrids that day who were part of the attack.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Now the students were witnessing firsthand therge beast-like arm that was on their principal.


    "He''s a Hybrid, but aren''t they really dangerous and just like beasts in human skin?" one of the students said, peeking around the side of the wall.


    "Right, I heard they eat humans in their sleep to continue their power."


    "Are you guys idiots!" Johanna said. She was the female who had been keeping an eye on the Deleter''s weapons and had somewhat figured it out. "Amir saved us, and you guys are now talking about him as if he''s a monster."


    "Who cares about that? The real monster is the one that''s killing all of us students. Right now, Amir is just someone who is protecting us."


    These were Amir''s thoughts. He didn''t care if the students saw his real self; he needed to use at least this much power if he was to get rid of the enemy in front of him.


    Amir kicked off from his position, with hisrge hand in front of him, and headed toward Scar. Seeing this, Scar, with both of his pistols, in response, tried to shoot at Amir where he could.


    The bullets, first aimed at his head, were blocked once again by the Hybrid''s arms. Then Scar tried to aim elsewhere, where his arm wasn''t present. He aimed for the feet, shooting at them.


    However, Amir was able to avoid them, jumping side to side at the right time. When the bullets would aim for another section of his body, Amir was able to move his hand swiftly in the way as well.


    "The speed of his weapon is incredibly fast," Amir noticed. "It''s no wonder the students were unable to avoid it, but I am not an ordinary warrior!"


    Amir had reached his opponent fairly quickly, and with hisrge hand, went and struck, swinging it, but just like many of the other students had experienced, it hit nothing but air.


    "You are fast, very fast, so let''s see how you deal with this," Scar asked, now appearing behind Amir.


    Once again with his guns, he fired at Amir, who was able to block the shots, but the moment Scar fired, he moved in an instant to another location. Amir moved, trying to block the attacks, and that''s when a bullet hit his shoulder.


    Amir continued to move his head, shifting his position and arm to block, but the bullets were nowing from all sorts of directions. The students, who were watching everything, could see the intruder disappearing and reappearing in different ces.


    "That man, I don''t think he has super speed; I think he can teleport or something!" one of the students said.


    "I think you might be right; it''s the only exnation."


    The bullets that hit Amir''s body, though, wouldn''t go right through him. His body was strong, reinforced with Qi, as well as being part Hybrid. They would cause him to bleed but wouldn''t prate too deep and would eventually fall out of his body onto the floor.


    "These small bullets don''t seem to be enough for you. I''m going to have to use something bigger," Scar said.


    Reaching out his hand, a small glow appeared around both of his weapons, and soon what had appeared in Scar''s hands had changed. It was a singr object that needed both of Scar''s hands to hold. It looked like a long hollow tube with a strange oblong object at the end.


    In Scar''s world, he was now holding onto what was known as an RPG.


    Amir could sense, though, that switching weapons would take some time, so once again, this time with his beast-like hand, Amir grabbed part of the floor and lifted it up. Moving from side to side, Amir continued to lift parts of the walls up in a circle.


    He continued to move around, and as he was running in a circle, he would destroy parts of the wall, sending rocks flying toward Scar in the center.


    "You already tried this technique, it didn''t work, remember?" Scar said.


    He moved position again, to outside where the circle of walls was, but he was having trouble seeing where Amir was. That was until arge hand grabbed onto Scar, holding him in ce. Looking at the ck arm, it hade from above.


    "I caught you!" Amir imed.


    "It doesn''t matter, because I''m someone who can''t be caught!" Scar said.


    Even though he was held by Amir, caught in his wed-like hands, suddenly Amir could feel nothing, and now Scar was in the air, carefully aiming his RPG right at Amir. It fired away, and an object was heading right toward him.


    It continued going forward, and Amir was able to retract his ck arm in time. As the object touched his skin, a huge explosion went off in the air, and the students could see Amir being sent off in the other direction, crashing on the ground.


    His body was covered in wounds, and his ck beast arm, part of its skin had been ripped, and flesh could be seen underneath. Still, Amir was weakly standing up.


    "This Deleter has a number of tricks up his sleeve. To say he has the strength to wipe out entire ns... I should have known he was capable of a number of things." When Amir looked up though, he was shocked to see what was happening next.


    The new weapon that Scar had just used on Amir was now pointed at the wall, where the rest of the students currently were.


    "What type of principal would one be to just leave their students unprotected," Scar said. "And we all know openings appear when one thinks about others and not themselves!"


    Scar pulled the trigger, and therge projectileunched itself toward the wall. The students wanted to move, but it seemed like it would be toote. The object continued to fly through the air until it stopped, about three meters away from the wall; it had stopped in mid-air.


    "So this... is where you had run off to... and what the F*** have you done?" Raze asked as he floated down from above.

 Chapter 848 Dark Magus Vs Deleter

    848 Dark Magus Vs Deleter


    Using his Wind magic, Raze had rushed over as quickly as he could. From above, he could see everything that was happening, and just in time, he was able to further use his Wind magic to hold the rocket-propelled grenade in ce.


    He floated down, wearing his special zer, hand held out, andnded on the ground.


    The students noticed the white hair immediately, and it was the first time they had seen him out in person.


    "That''s the leader of the Dark Faction; he really came out!" the student imed.


    "It''s true as well. He looks to be around the same age as us. How did someone so young be the leader?"


    "And why¡­ didn''t hee out sooner?" another said, gripping their fist in anger as tears rolled down their face. "If he was out here, if he hade out straight away, he could have protected more people."


    Although some of the students wereining, some were still worried. After seeing the strange power that the intruder had, they couldn''t imagine anyone matching up to him. Even Amir, who was a powerful Hybrid, seemed to have lost against this man.


    Now Raze, even if he was the Dark Faction leader, they had never seen his immense skills in person.


    "But how is he holding that weapon in ce?" Johanna thought, knowing this wasn''t something that Qi could do.


    Lifting both of his hands, the grenade started to move and was shifted back, heading in the direction of where Scar was. Itnded right by his feet and exploded. The students felt some of the wind blow in their faces along with some heat.


    Dust covered their eyes, but they didn''t expect to see a sessful result. Because once again, the man had moved out of sight. When the dust cleared, there was no body on the ground, and instead, Scar appeared slightly to the side.


    "So the main target finally makes their way here, and look how many have died in the process," Scarmented. "But don''t worry, I wouldn''t feel so bad about it, because the whole city, every person that lives on this piece ofnd will end up disappearing."


    Scar paused speaking there, as if he was waiting for some type of reaction from Raze, but there had yet to be one. Instead, it was Amir who had jumped by his side.


    "You have to be careful with this one, it seems he has the power to teleport. I don''t know if it''s a power from his world or an artifact of some kind," Amirmented.


    Raze had been thinking about it. The way Scar talked about Himmy, it was as if the two knew each other, and the weapons being used were quite simr as well. Raze couldn''t sense any magic being used, and he knew of no such spell that could instantly transport a person constantly like Scar was doing now.


    Leading him to believe what he was using was an artifact.


    "What are you even doing here, Raze?" Amir asked. "I thought you would have been in the Demonic Faction already."


    "I would have, but this person appeared in front of me with Himmy''s head," Raze answered. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Raze had quickly exited the room looking for the intruder but couldn''t find him anywhere. He searched the academy and then exited from above. It was only a short time, maybe fifteen minutes at most.


    Yet this amount of carnage had been caused in that short amount of time. Raze was starting to understand the dangers of the Deleter.


    "Stay next to the students," Raze ordered. "Protect them as much as you can; otherwise, I can''t focus on this fight as much."


    Appearing in one of Raze''s hands was a sword, while in the other, swirling around it, dark magic was starting to appear.


    Raze then swung his sword, and a crimson red sh went out from it, aiming right toward Scar. His body disappeared, and the moment hended on the floor and Raze was able to spot him, he fired out a dark pulse in his direction.


    However, Scar had moved again, and this time, the moment he appeared, he shot with his handguns, firing several bullets. They were aimed perfectly, but rather than dodging them or using his magic, Raze fired another dark pulse right at Scar.


    The beam of energy looked close to hitting Scar, but just moments before, he disappeared on the spot and reappeared again.


    Scar looked at his bullets, and when they got within a certain range of Raze, a barrier appeared, stopping the bullets and causing them to fall to the floor. The special trait of his zer had stopped the bullets.


    Raze was counting on his zer being strong enough to stop the bullets and, in turn,nd an attack, but it seemed like it just didn''t quite work out.


    "Mages are really annoying to fight," Scarined.


    "Right," Raze said. "You should know, being a member of Alter yourself. The weapons you are using now, at one point in time, also existed in Alterian."


    "The world focused on creating these weapons, that was until five-star mages and above came into existence. Those weapons practically became useless. Bombs could be stopped with magic formations and crystals creating powerful barriers."


    "Spells could be made to redirect the weapons back at the person. Because of this, the countries of our world focused on creating better mages rather than better weapons of mass destruction, but youe from a world where magic doesn''t exist!"


    What Raze said was true, although he didn''t know much about these weapons due to it being beyond his time. Since his world had be a true world filled mostly with magic, the gun Himmy had first shown him was foreign to him.


    "You think that''s meant to scare me into not fighting you?" Scar said. "Trust me, I have defeated plenty of mages in the past. You have no idea, no idea what it took for me to be a Deleter, or what that prestige even means!"

 Chapter 849 What It Takes To Become A Deleter

    849 What It Takes To Be A Deleter


    The creation of the Deleters was something that the Alter organization saw as a must. It was something that everyone believed was needed to proceed with their goal. For one, to protect the world that they currently resided in, Pagna.


    It wasn''t their world, and they were visitors, so they wished to put away artifacts powerful enough to affect the world of Pagna. It was a just cause that allowed them to save many lives.


    However, the organization would also know, there would be many that disagreed with that, and even in Alter, there would be those that might change sides, or decide that the goal they strived towards was no longer just.


    Because of all of this, the Deleters had been created. They, at times, needed to stop powerful artifacts that had already gotten into the hands of those in Pagna. Perhaps powerful ns that had them.


    Or stop even Otherworlders who had their hands on such items. If an Otherworlder had these items, it would mean they too would be incredibly powerful. So in turn, the Deleters, the strongest forces in Pagna, were created.


    It was their way of somewhat fighting fire with fire.


    However, giving Otherworlders such power, they also needed to be careful, which was why the Deleters'' selection process was grueling and wasn''t something that just anyone could go through.


    There were rumors within Alter as to what the process was, and only those that tried to be one knew the truth. Scar, being one of these Deleters, knew the truth of what he had to go through.


    At therge mushroom base known as Alter, Scar was in the canteen area gathering his food as he did every day. He had grabbed his metal tray and allowed for the slop to be served.


    Right after, he looked around before deciding to take a seat at a table where two individuals were already sitting down. One man wearing a beret on his head, and another wearing a long trench coat.


    Scar sat down with the others and began digging into his food.


    "I heard there was a bit of a problem on yourst mission," Marcus said. "At least that''s what Himmy told me."


    "Yeah, just go ahead and throw me under the bus," Himmy replied. "I just had to do some investigation to see if anyone saw anything, but don''t worry, it was no big deal."


    Scar took another slop of food before swinging his head back and letting out a big sigh. "Those from Alterian are quite annoying. The damn mage was using his powers left, right, and center. I followed the procedures and told him everything about Alter."


    "I guess there was really no choice; I heard he even attacked a few civilians as well," Marcus said.


    "Not all people thate to Pagna are good people. They''ll take advantage of their powers."


    "It was a hard one, but I managed to finally take him out in the end," Scar replied.


    "Hey, you did better than I would," Marcus replied. "Even though we''re all from the same world, I know I wouldn''t like to have to fight these mages. I guess it''s why when there''s a troublesome one, they ask you and your group to take them out; you seem to have a knack for it."


    "I never liked it though, taking out someone who might just be scared," Himmy stated. "It just doesn''t sit right with me. Besides, don''t you have a family in Pagna? You should be more careful. You can reject these types of jobs, you know, or let your squad deal with it rather than you personally."


    "That''s why I have to do this," Scar replied. "Because I have a family. The whole point of doing what we do is to protect the people of Pagna. More and more Otherworlders and artifacts are appearing every day. I have to look out for my family."


    The group continued to eat and chat. They weren''t part of the same squads in Alter, but because they were from the same world, they got on and went on reminiscing about the past.


    That was until Scar revealed something. "I didn''t have a good life back there. Unlike you guys, I never want to go back." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Well, I can see why you say that now you have a family and all," Himmy said.


    But Scar shook his head. "It''s not that. Back in my world, unlike you two, I wasn''t a detective, I wasn''t in the army. I wasn''t serving the world or my country. If anything, everyone said I was a bum. I had no job."


    "They called me a leech for feeding off the government''s system just to survive. But I tried. I applied for jobs every day, every second, but everyone would give me this judging look. Then, as time went on, and I went unemployed longer, things just got harder."


    "People asked why so much time had passed without work. As I got older and time went on, it was harder, and even more people called me a leech. I couldn''t meet my friends; I couldn''t meet my family because each time they would ask me the question. ''Has Scar found a job yet? What''s Scar up to?'' While all of them would be talking about the things they did, the aplishments they made. They liked having me there because at least the one person working at a fast food restaurant could feel better about themselves because they were above me."


    The other two stayed quiet for a while. It wasn''t the first time that Scar had talked like this. He had gone on about how much he hated life in his own world.


    It was then that Himmy gave him a little p on the back. "Well, no one is saying you have to leave Pagna. You have a job, and you''re good at it here, and you have a family. So forgive us if we talk about home from time to time; not all of us have fitted in so well to Pagna like you."


    It was then that Scar smiled, and both Himmy and Marcus were ready to continue eating when Scar revealed something to them.


    "I''ve decided, I''m going to take the trial to be a Deleter," Scar revealed, causing Marcus and Himmy to instantly stop eating.

 Chapter 850: A Question For A Deleter

    Chapter 850: A Question For A Deleter


    ?


    Both Himmy and Marcus had been part of Alter for a long time, slightly longer than Scar had. So they fully knew about the Deleters, which was why they had stopped eating their meal at that point.


    "What, do you guys think I can''t make it?" Scar asked, seeing the reaction as clear as day.


    "It''s not that," Himmy replied. "You should know what Deleters are required to do. They look for a certain type of person, and it''s not something I could stomach. You''re living a good life right now, right? Why can''t you just continue as it is?"


    "What, so you''re saying that I shouldn''t try to achieve more?" Scar asked. "I''vepleted mission after mission. I''m already a squad captain, I don''t want to be behind a desk like those programmers. I want to feel like I''m actually making an impact."


    "So isn''t being a Deleter a big step upward? It''s the pride of the Alter organization and needed for the organization to work in the first ce."


    Himmy looked at Marcus again; both of them were trying to be careful with their words so they didn''t upset Scar. They could tell that he had gotten more involved and persuaded into Alterpared to the others.


    There were people like this, and if anything, Alter liked having people like this.


    "Look, I''m just saying a Deleter will be away even more from your family. You take that role, and you might lose your life in Alter," Himmy continued.


    The rest of the meal went on rather silently, and despite the words of Marcus and Himmy, Scar had decided to make his choice and had put in his application forward, applying for the Deleter role.


    Not everyone who applied would even get to the assessment stage. There were a number of traits that Alter seemed to look at. A track record of where one was from, their specialties, and


    so on.


    No one really knew what it was that stood out to those that selected the role, but either way, Scar was selected toe forward.


    That day, during the regr lunch break where Himmy, Scar, and Marcus would meet up, there was one person absent at the table.


    "Did Scar get sent out on another mission already, or did he head back home?" Himmy asked. Marcus seemed unbothered as he went to take another drink, but then he paused.


    "Wait, I heard something. Today is the day of their assessing for a new Deleter. You don''t think he..."


    "He definitely did," Himmy said.


    Scar was quite amazed that he had been selected as one of the Deleters, and currently, he was sitting in a chair in a hallway just outside one of therge rooms. Along with him, he could see many others that had applied to be Deleters as well, going through the same process.


    They were squad leaders who had aplished quite a bit. There was no pattern, though, to those selected. Some of them seemed quite new to the organization, which caused Scar to raise an eyebrow.


    Otherwise, he could understand as they had managed to track down some of the most sought- after artifacts that Alter held to date, and others had a bad reputation in Alter. So much so that they were close to being kicked out.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It was hard for Scar to pinpoint what was the quality they had chosen when getting Alter members to this stage of the selection.


    ''Himmy and Marcus tried to dissuade me from this, but they don''t understand. I wasn''t the same as them. Everything that I have now is because I''m in Alter. I am achieving great things and making a big impact in the world of Panga.''


    ''Bing a Deleter will mean I''m an even higher essential part of the organization. I can see that even they look down on me slightly because of what I was back in our world. I was a nobody, unlike them, but here, once I''m a Deleter, things will change.''


    "Participant, Scar Harley, you may enter," a man said, standing by the door.


    As Scar approached, the man opened the door, and Scar walked into the room. The heavy door was sealed shut behind him, and not a word of what was said inside could be heard outside. While inside, Scar was marveling at therge room, its strange blue metallic architecture that swept the area. Then, in front of him, there were two individuals, both of whom Scar recognized, and immediately he bowed down his head.


    "It is an honor to meet you, Sir Heino!" Scar carefully bowed.


    Heino, the leader, and the person who was currently in charge of the Alter organization. Standing by his side, there was another person of great importance. Lifting his head up again, Scar then bowed down to the person beside him.


    "It is an honor to meet you as well, Deleter Garlock."


    There were few Deleters in Alter, so those that had been in the organization long enough would somewhat know of them. There were also those that no one presumably knew about, but Garlock was different, for he was always by the side of Heino, and he was the only Deleter that was a mage and from Alterian.


    "Thank you, in this assessment we are going to ask you a series of questions. At any point, you can refuse to answer, and if you wish to no longer continue your application as a Deleter, you may leave. Do you understand?" Heino asked.


    Scar didn''t know why, but just by Heino speaking, he was intimidated. Even though the man looked even younger than he was. Taking a gulp, he gave a reply.


    "Yes, sir."


    "Excellent, then we shall begin," Heino said as he went on to ask his series of questions.


    Scar answered every one of them, and he did so honestly, the way he thought. The questions seemed odd at times, but either way, he gave his answers. He thought whatever it was that had attracted him to them in his application, then he would need to show that side to them.


    "Alright, final question," Heino said. "Deleters must put Alter first above all. In doing so, it proves they truly believe in the cause of Alter. If I was to ask you to eliminate every person you know or have a connection with in order to be a Deleter... well, what''s your answer to that?"

 Chapter 851: Life Of A Deleter

    Chapter 851: Life Of A Deleter


    ?


    Scar had to blink a few times and settle his heart, wondering if he had heard the question right. Although all of the questions up to this point were strange, this question, which seemed to be thest of the lot, seemed the strangest.


    ''Are they trying to test mymitment to the cause, to see how far I''m willing to go to be a Deleter?'' Scar thought. ''How do they want me to answer this? If I answer yes right off the bat, will they think I''m some sort of psychopath?


    ''Is the correct answer to say no in this position?''


    Rather than thinking about how strange the question was, though, Scar was just thinking about the right way to answer to get the role, and wasn''t directly thinking about the scenario they had given him.


    "Don''t worry, there is no need to answer now," Heino said. "You have three days to give an answer and think about it. We look forward to hearing your answer."


    It looked like they were ready to call in the next participant, and seeing this, Scar lifted his hand.


    "No, it''s fine. I have my answer," Scar said. "The most important thing is keeping Pagna safe as a whole. To do that, there are times where people are needed to do the dirty tasks of the world and what is necessary."


    "My answer is, I would do anything for the honorable role of a Deleter."


    Both Heino and the Deleter looked at each other at that moment, and there was a smile on Heino''s face.


    "Excellent, you have passed, and we will move you forward to the next trial. You will work with us for the next six months, and depending on the results, you might very well be the next Deleter," Heino imed.


    Ecstatic, Scar continuously bowed down in front of the two.


    "Thank you, thank you so much. I won''t let you down."


    "I hope you don''t," Heino said as he waved Scar off to leave the ce, and he did just that, quickly leaving.


    "His thoughts were certainly interesting," Garlon said.


    "Yes, with thatst question, not for a moment was he thinking about the task, just everything to be a Deleter. He was quite perfect, but the real test wille after."


    As the two of them were busy talking, the door had opened once more, and the next participant hade in. Once again, they asked them a series of questions, and eventually, they had gotten to thest question.


    Just like with Scar, the same question was asked:


    "Deleters must put Alter first above all. In doing so, it proves they truly believe in the cause of Alter. If I was to ask you to eliminate every person you know or have a connection with in order to be a Deleter... well, what''s your answer to that?"


    The man being questioned was taken aback, and then finally gave his answer.


    "I''m sorry, if that is the case, then I would like to withdraw from the assessment for bing a Deleter. I could never imagine myself doing such a thing."


    "That is fine," Heino said. "That is your choice, as we stated at the beginning."


    The man was ready to leave when he could feel an immense amount of pressure building up in his head. It was growing and growing until his entire face had turned tomato red. The next moment it exploded on the spot, and the contestant fell to the floor.


    "That one did not meet the right qualities to be a Deleter. I don''t know why those like him bother to apply."


    Having passed the next stage, the next part of the selection process was a physical assessment. They were given a simtion of how they would deal with particr situations and how they would fight just as they were.


    This was the part Scar was worried about because, unlike those from other worlds, he only had a few weapons. Still, he did what he could with the weapons he had; that was how he always worked.


    Thankfully, out on the field, he had done quite well. Heino was observing the way Scar fought in these simtions and what he did.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Noticing he was versatile with his weapon choice, he was clever with his nning, and he knew how to ovee his disadvantageous situation when going against a Pagna warrior, someone from Alterian or elsewhere.


    It wasn''t just Scar that had passed, though; a couple of others had also passed the assessment.


    "Scar doesn''t have the power of a Deleter," Heino said as he was watching videos of the results along with Garlon. "But he has all the perfect qualities of one. I think I have the perfect artifact for him that could push him up to the Deleter level.


    "If he passes, he might not be the strongest Deleter in terms of power, but he will definitely be worthy of having the name, maybe more so than any other Deleter."


    Scar went on from one trial to the next, and he had been given his first task. Not yet as a Deleter, but on his way to bing one. As he had received the instructions, his heart sunk.


    Three months had passed, and Himmy and Marcus were finally returning to the main base to get their new set of instructions. They had gone to grab some food and gathered at the canteen table once again.


    Eventually, the conversation had shifted.


    "Did you see the report on Scar?" Marcus asked.


    "It said his family was killed by bandits, and that Scar had been given the task himself to deal with the situation," Himmy answered, but didn''t borate further.


    "Don''t you think that''s sh*t?" Marcus said. "I thought you would feel more down for the guy. You were the one that kept telling him how good his life was in Pagna."


    Himmy didn''t say his thoughts out loud to Marcus, as someone who looked into matters deeper than the surface.


    It was then that Marcus saw Scar grabbing his food and walking over to them. He didn''t sit at their table, though, and instead just had a few passing words.


    "Himmy, it seems like I no longer have anything holding me back from bing a Deleter now. I''m sure you read the report," Scar said.


    He didn''t give Himmy a chance to reply and just continued walking. Later that day, Himmy and Marcus found out that Scar had officially be a Deleter.

 Chapter 852: Anything To Win

    Chapter 852: Anything To Win


    ?


    When Scar had be a Deleter, a rift had opened up between him, Marcus, and Himmy. The three of them, who used to talk often due to the connection of all being from the same world, had drifted apart.


    Marcus, when going to Alter in passing, would try to approach him a few times, but Scar would always state that he was a Deleter, and that the two of them shouldn''t chat. Otherwise, who knew what could happen one day? Maybe he would have to get rid of him.


    Marcus never took it to heart, but he could tell that ever since Scar had changed into a Deleter, it had affected Himmy. He hadn''t talked to him since, nor could he really face him.


    Himmy had never told Marcus the reason why, and eventually, it had led to the situation where Himmy, who was on the run trying to aid Raze, had met with Scar once again.


    "Nah, the moment you became a Deleter, I knew you were a lost cause. Anyway, I would be careful, Scar... this is going to be your hardest job yet," Himmy said, staring out of his balcony


    room.


    "Thanks for the warning, but I won''t need it," Scar replied, as he pulled out a gun and ced it right at the back of Himmy''s head.


    Himmy had closed his eyes, waiting for the final moment toe, but he heard no sound, no click or anything.


    "What is wrong with you!" Scar said. "Why even now do you feel like you''re above me? You always think you''re two steps ahead. You knew this would happen, like you can read me. I hate it!"


    Himmy turned around, and flickers of the old, insecure Scar could be seening through.


    "I know what happened to your family," Himmy said. "And I''m not talking about the fake report that Alter pulled. I told you not to be a Deleter, but you didn''t listen. The fact that you''re a Deleter now, and have done what you''ve done, means that it''s a simple task to kill a colleague like me," Himmy replied.


    Scar started to think back. Bing a Deleter was a hard task, the first assignment he had been given. It was one of the hardest things he had to do, but from then on, the assignments got easier and easier.


    Each time he would return to Alter, he had been given their gratitude. He could see the map the Programmers had nned out and how he yed a massive role in the bigger picture. He could see that he mattered.


    After the assignments, there were even more things that a Deleter needed to do. Things that Scar couldn''t even remember much himself. No matter how hard he tried, there was almost a gap in his memory from finishing his training and bing a Deleter. Everything in between -he was sure of it-since there was a month gap in his mind.


    Yet he never asked, he never questioned it. He had gotten the role he always wanted.


    "You know what? The winner is the one that''s alive," Scar said. "So f*ck you."


    In his hand, the gun had disappeared, and in its ce, arge machete had appeared. He swung it, digging right into Himmy''s neck. It had stopped, with Scar not having the full strength to pull it across.


    At that moment, Himmy was staring right at Scar. The eyes that still showed no fear, even in these moments, drove Scar mad as he pulled the machete out and swung it again and again toward Himmy''s neck until it finally came off.


    For some reason, all of these memories had swarmed Scar in an instant as he was facing the Dark Magus in front of him.


    "I have been through a lot! I have gone through arge number of hardships and thrown everything away to reach this point!" Scar shouted, as he continued to fire away.


    This time, rather than using his barrier, Raze pulled out his light sword and swung it. As he did, he hit the bullets, deflecting them away. The barrier was helpful, but it needed time to recover, and if too much damage was taken, it would eventually go away.


    So for easy shots like this, it was best for him to just use his sword.


    "The position I am in is because of everything I sacrificed. You think you can beat someone like this!" Scar then teleported above and started to fire again.


    Raze, staying in position and remaining calm, swung his sword again in the direction where they wereing from, deflecting them once more. He did the same over and over as Scar teleported around the ce.


    Raze could feel it, though-Scar wasn''t trying to hit him with these shots; they were more like bullets fired out of frustration.


    "You sacrificed everything to get to where you are?" Raze asked. "Which means, you made the choices that got you into your position!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Raze swung his sword using the Crimson sh. Long red lines, mixed with Qi and wind magic, were created. Scar was now on the defensive as he teleported away to avoid the attacks.


    Raze continued to throw out Crimson shes at Scar, trying to hit him. Each time, Raze felt like he was getting closer, as there were only a number of ces where Scar could go because Scar was already on the attack, trying to look for openings.


    Eventually, Raze stopped, though.


    ''This is taking too long. I have ways of dealing with him, but... I also need to head to the Demonic Faction,'' Raze thought.


    "There''s a big difference between me and you," Raze said. "You chose to sacrifice everything to reach where you are. For me, I had everything taken away, leaving me no choice but to get to where I am."


    "In this world, I know nothing is fair." Raze lifted one of his hands and pounded onto his chest. He had input quite a bit of Qi as well.


    This action seemed quite strange to Scar, and he seemingly ignored it. Until momentster, he could see something red in the air opening up next to the Dark Magus.


    "I don''t care what''s fair or not, I just need to get rid of you as quickly as possible," Raze said, as the portal next to him opened, and a foot was seen stepping out.

 Chapter 853: Noodle Shop Warrior

    Chapter 853: Noodle Shop Warrior


    ?


    Outside the Perfect Noodle Shop, around the back in the alleyway, Skyler, the worker, was taking a break sitting on the staircase. He looked at his wrinkly hands.


    "Man, they put me on dishwashing duty. I thought things couldn''t get worse, but it just seems to be getting worse." Skyler started to rub the top of his head, once again wondering how he had gotten into this situation.


    Having been forced to work and make noodles, he didn''t realize how much he was enjoying it now that he was on dishwashing duty, and the only reason he had been put there was for causing a mess in the restaurant.


    Skyler didn''t think it was his fault, since thest visitors that had arrived seemingly wanted to cause trouble in the first ce, but this was his punishment given to him by Boss Rane.


    "Last time, though, my Qi control was better than it''s ever been." Skyler condensed the Qi into his fist. "And it wasn''t just a coincidence. Making those noodles using my Qi, I thought it was useless. I only did it because Zon asked me, but ever since, I''ve gotten better."


    "Maybe making noodles was the secret to his strength all along. Or maybe, I''m just going crazy working in this noodle shop."


    Either way, there was one thing that Skyler had to admit, and that was that Zon was incredibly strong. Quite possibly one of the strongest warriors in existence.


    ''And I thought I could go up against the Dark Magus when I can''t even beat someone who works in a noodle shop. I need to get stronger.'' Skyler made a fist and pumped it in the air, but as he dragged it down, he could see something.


    A person in the alleyway, looking panicked. They had some blood on their clothes, but it didn''t look like they had any wounds on them. They were rushing forward but stumbling.


    "Hey, take it easy," Skyler said. "What''s happened? Is something going on?"


    Skyler rushed to the man fairly quickly as he looked like a normal citizen, and when he got up close, he seemed to be right-the man was no Pagna warrior.


    "It''s horrible," the man said. "The students, some of them managed to rush out of the gate. They were barely able to move, covered in blood and wounds. They had practically crawled out, begging and asking for help."


    "One of the gardeners that work just outside of the gate went to check, and they said all they could see, all they could see..." Soon after, the man threw up before he could finish his sentence, right there on the floor.


    Images had entered his mind, of the child he saw, the child that had died in front of him, covered in wounds.


    "So many of the students have been hurt. They asked us to get help, to help save the others," the man eventually finished.


    Skyler couldn''t quite believe it. The academy, of all ces, had been attacked.


    "How did that even happen? How could someone attack the academy without going through the main city? There''s only one entrance, and to hurt so many students, what about the teachers, what about those inside? Isn''t the Dark Magus meant to be there as well?"


    The man shook his head.


    "We couldn''t get much, but the sight that some of them saw-it''s almost as if a whole army had managed to cause a rampage on the inside."


    Although it was just the work of one man, Skyler took it seriously. He could feel something strange in the air. He could even hear there was a rumble among the people, most likely from the news that had been passed around.


    ''If there''s one person that will be strong enough to stop this, then I know who,'' Skyler thought.


    "I''ll get someone to get some help, and if they don''t help, I''ll go there myself," Skyler said.


    When Skyler had gone back into the restaurant, he could sense the atmosphere was heavy. Next to no one was eating their food; there was a worried look on many faces as the general public were talking amongst each other.


    "What do you think it is? Do you think it''s the Light Faction making an attack?"


    "It''s hard to say, maybe it''s some members of the Dark Faction that are rebelling, but why do this now after so long, and what about the Dark Magus? Where is he? Why isn''t he sorting this out? He should be protecting the academy, right?"


    With it being a restaurant and one of the most popr ones at that, the news had certainly traveled fast.


    It was then that Skyler had decided to head over to Zon and could see that he was already talking to Rane.


    "You should go," Rane said. "I don''t know how, but you''re clearly one of the strongest people I''ve ever met. You should use your skills and power to help people. Not just make noodles."


    "I agree," Skyler said. "We should head to the academy together, and as quickly as possible."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zon looked at Skyler and Rane. He had a bad feeling about what had happened and felt arge amount of guilt, believing that it was somewhat his fault for attacking the men that had invaded from before.


    He also knew that right now the academy was practically defenseless, and that whoever was attacking, it could spill into the main city.


    It was then that Zon felt something in his body, and the system screen appeared in front of him.


    "It appears that the situation might be more dire than I thought. I am needed somewhere," Zon stated. "Skyler, grab as many warriors and physicians as you can and head to the academy, try to save as many people as possible."


    "I promised someone that I would help when I was called, and I have been called, but I also promise I will try to be back as quickly as possible," Zon imed.


    Right now, Zon believed Raze was in the Demonic Faction. If that was the case, he would help Raze with what was needed and thene back, but an image had appeared in Zon''s head. Of everyone in the noodle shop who he had worked with, all of them, no longer being alive when he returned.


    "It wouldn''t be the first time, but I am a man of duty," Zon said to himself. Right then and there, he started to draw a circle in the air with his finger, and he was soon on the move. When the circle wasplete, Zon stepped through and disappeared, leaving the rest of the workers behind.


    "What are you doing? You heard him, go and gather and get some help!" Rane shouted at Skyler.


    Zon was annoyed, extremely annoyed, and was holding back his anger. That someone had dared to attack the academy while trouble was being stirred up somewhere else. Which was why when he appeared right by Raze''s side, thest ce he expected to be was in the


    academy itself.


    Stepping through, Zon looked at the person ahead, and the dead bodies that were on the


    ground.


    "Is this the person, the one who''s caused all this trouble?" Zon asked, as energy was already flowing through his body.

 Chapter 854 Where are the Rest?

    ?Chapter 854 Where are the Rest?


    At the town of Flendon, the people guarding the town had been going through a whirlwind of emotions. Seeing the entire Behemoth Army, one of the great ns in the Demonic Faction, they all feared that their life was doomed.


    Even standing out on the wall, they knew very well they had little chance of surviving, that was until one brave warrior, who was only a Wanderer hire, had gone out to challenge the Behemoth n.


    The warrior named Brack, instead of going against Sha Mo himself, faced one of the pirs sent out, Umonke. The fight was in favor of only one, as the person known as one of the pirs of the Behemoth n had devastated Brack in the fight.


    Regardless, Brack would not fall. He stood up again and again despite clearly fighting a losing battle, which had caused the town of Flendon to cheer for him in honor of his bravery.


    Frustrated, Umonke felt like his only choice was to behead Brack, making it so Flendon would lose their morale. As he swung his sword cleanly at Brack''s head, a dagger had appeared, stopping it with a forceful amount of Qi.


    "Who are you?" Umonke asked.


    "I guess I was the first one here, and there''s a lot more of you than I thought! Cronker said as he scraped his dagger across the slicing de and then swirled his body to try striking again.


    Umonke, though quick on his feet, managed to jump back a couple of times and avoid the hitspletely.


    The pirs were some of the strongest middle-stage warriors in the Demonic Faction. While the Crimson Crane were well-known, they weren''t the strongest. In the past, it would have taken perhaps all of the Crimson Crane members just to fight one of the pirs.


    The only difference was they had the items of the Dark Magus with them now; however, Cronker was not one of the fortunate ones.


    "Interesting" Lince said, standing from the wall. "That man is incredibly fast and quick on his feet. Even with hisck of Qi, he has great foot techniques."


    With Lince and the Lost n being informants for the Demonic Faction and specializing in footwork techniques, Cronker had caught his eye. Yet no one quite knew who he was, and it was the same for those who were standing on the wall.


    "Why are there strong warriors fighting for us?" one asked.


    "I''m not sure... should we go and charge in now? Maybe we can head out and bring Brack back?" another asked.


    During thest battle with the Behemoth n, Cronker hadn''t taken part due to his duty in protecting the children. It was the first time the others had seen him.


    "It doesn''t matter who you are" Umonke said. "You stand in our way, so you will pay with your life! Umonke moved forward, and his sword sliced through the air, making a piercing sound. Cronker managed to move to the side, but the sword had skimmed his cheek, making it bleed.


    Ile noticed that this attack was far greater and filled with condensed Qipared to thest.


    I''m guessing he was holding back his power when trying to cut that kid''s head off... if I block that with my dagger, it will just slice right through it.!


    "Night Force!" Cronker shouted out.


    Brack was weak on his legs, he could barely see. His unconscious will was the only thing that had kept him going. As he wavered, just before he fell to the ground, three members with red headbands wrapped around their heads appeared, dressed in ck everywhere else.


    The Night Force was the special group that Cronker had been training up, consisting of Tilson, Joe, and Violet. They all quickly grabbed onto Brack. Like Cronker, they had focused nearly all their training on foot techniques.


    Although they certainly would be no match if they were to face a middle-stage warrior, perhaps they could match their speed if it came to using their legs.


    "Take him out of here. I saved his life, so I would like to not see his blood split, Cronker ordered. The three nodded and were ready to move, but Umonke wasn''t going to let them go so easily. "You think I will let you do that while I''m on the field?"


    By the time Umonke finished his sentence, though, the three had already rushed over to the other side. They were far quicker than he imagined.


    Using all of his anger, Umonke started to swing his weapon rapidly in the air. In response, Cronker was moving swiftly, dodging each one of them by jumping in the sand from side to side, avoiding the attacks.


    Neither one looked like they were letting up, with their attacks or with Cronker avoiding them. The Behemoth n were quite enjoying the unexpected spectacle.


    "This is not good," Lince said.


    "What do you mean?" Andy replied, overhearing one of the guards. Everyone else was cheering for this neer fighting for them. "Isn''t this fine? The two of them seem to be equal?"


    "I guess it would seem that way to most, but that certainly isn''t the case, Lince replied. "The blond-haired man is constantly using techniques to achieve his feats to dodge. He specializes in footwork, but because of this, he''s using up arger amount of Qi."


    "While his opponent is making him use these techniques just by swinging his sword. Eventually, time will run out, and when that happens, that Umonke fellow will win!"


    Hearing these words, it made Andy and the rest of them a bit nervous. If the stranger was able to win the battle out of the gate and take down one of the pirs, it would be a huge momentum shift, maybe even causing some of the Behemoth members to doubt their actions in attacking in the first ce.


    "You don''t have to worry about that," a voice said.


    The men turned to look at who was speaking but were unable to see someone, until they looked down and could see a short woman with her hair tied up in pigtails.


    "Get out of there!" the woman shouted with her hands by her mouth and filled with Qi.


    Hearing that, Cronker knew the signal and backed off. He turned his back and started running


    toward the gate. As he went through, he looked up.


    "It took the rest of you long enough" Cronker said.


    Jumping up onto one of the bricks on the wall, others could see who it was and recognized her, one of the Crimson Crane members.


    "It''s time for me to test out my new weapon on these guys," Froma said with a rosy red cheek smile.

 Chapter 855: Night Force Squad

    Chapter 855: Night Force Squad


    ?


    Although Cronker and his Night Force Squad were certainly the fastest with their foot techniques, it wasn''t as if the rest of the Crimson Crane were slow, so they weren''t far behind.


    In fact, they had seen Cronker going up against Umonke as they were drawing closer to the town of Flendon, and Alba decided they needed a n.


    "Sha Mo''s forces are a lotrger than I thought; this is going to be a hard one," Alba said.


    "Because of thest fight, Sha Mo should only have two pirs left. Those are the troublesome ones that need to be taken out," Rayna said. "I''m not saying the rest of them will be easy by any means, but those, including Sha Mo, are the ones that we need to focus on."


    "Then let''s split up into two groups," Alba replied. "Me and the rest of the Crimson Crane will head to the town of Flendon. We''ve fought by the side of a lot of them before. The rest of you, cause a disruption when you see the right time."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Rayna agreed and nodded, and as she split off, the others went ahead, following her, including Anna.


    As for Alba and her group, they had decided to take a slightly longer route in entering the town and had gone in through another one of the gates. Due to the concentration of forces led by Sha Mo, it was quite easy. Mayor Yarlston and Andy hadn''t even ordered anyone to stand guard at those gates.


    Heading inside, it only took a short while for the Crimson Crane to meet up with the rest of those that were willing to fight.


    Heading right to the front of the group that was on the ground, Tilon had appeared with his legendary shield. He lifted it up and caught the attention of those that had fought with him before.


    "Stay quiet. We don''t want to give things away just yet," Tilon said. "Just know that we are by your side, ready to fight again."


    There were many that still had the shields made by the Dark Magus fromst time.


    It was then, though, that Reno and Kizer hade to the side, pulling out arge crate.


    "Inside are weapons made by the Dark Magus himself," Kizer said. "They are the best of the best. Last time, we managed to turn this fight around thanks to his weapons, and he hase back to help again."


    Kizer reached in and started to hand out the weapons inside to the others, while Reno secretly passed weapons up to the top of the wall from behind.


    It was then, in the army of around two thousand that were there to protect Flendon, that they had turned into small groups. Lilly, a spear user from the Crimson Crane, was taking charge of those with spear-like weapons.


    Alba was in charge of the swordsmen along with Kizer. Tilon had his hand on those with shields. While finally, Froma had made it to the top, where all the ranged bowmen were concentrated.


    They now all had new weapons in their hands, but even before that, Froma went to look at Alba at the bottom.


    "Trust me, Alba, let me lead this fight, and let me deal the first attack."


    Alba had trust in her members, and even more trust in the items created by Dark Magus.


    She gave her the thumbs up.


    ''Raze must have created quite the weapon again this time, to give her that much confidence,'' Alba thought.


    It was then that Froma had gotten on the wall and, with everyone ready, shouted to inform Cronker to get back, and Cronker quickly ran back to the wall.


    "Who is that... is that who I think it is?" one of the people from far off said.


    "It is," Fixteen shouted. "Everyone, the Crimson Crane have arrived, they havee to help you. In the past, they warded off the Behemoth n, and here they are again to do the same!"


    The crowd of people, hearing Fixteen''s words and meeting the members of the Crimson Crane themselves, shouted with powerful vigor.


    "ARGHHHH!" they all yelled with might.


    The Behemoth n were taken aback; the small town, the small group of people were able to make such noise in front of their forces.


    In response to this, it was Sha Mo who raised his fist in the air.


    "The duel has ended with the involvement of the Crimson Crane! There is no reason for us to hold back anymore! Since the Crimson Crane is here, there is a high chance the Dark Magus, leader of the Dark Faction, is inside as well."


    "From today, the Town of Flendon is considered traitors working for the Dark Faction! Charge forward and eliminate them!"


    Therge sound of rumbling was felt by all of those in Flendon. Even those held up in their houses could feel the ground beneath their feet shake.


    As the army of twenty thousand strong were on the move, the wall in front of them wasing closer as the people charged forward.


    "I guess it''s time for me to act," Froma said. "Now is the perfect time."


    She gathered her hands, and then out from her fingertips, a red flowing substance appeared. From those watching, it looked as if Froma''s own blood hade out from her.


    For Froma, it felt like her actual blood wasing out of her, flowing into the bow in front.


    "I need to help them out as much as possible. This isn''t going to be the best for first-time use, but I''ll just have to go for it. A thousand arrows!"


    She pulled the blood string, and a giant substance of energy swooped into the sky. It flowed and intertwined as if it was alive, and the rest of the bow had disappeared from Froma''s hand with the attack.


    The Behemoth n members looked up, charging forward, ignoring what was above. There were only a few that stared up and eventually stopped their charge.


    "What is that?" one of the men said, and before he knew it, a red arrow pierced right through his head, killing him in one go.


    Arrows started to fall on the front line, hitting each of them, causing the men to fall. Those watching didn''t understand; they swung their swords, but as they did, the arrows moved,


    hitting those in vital spots.


    There were a few who began to fear the arrows so much they used their devastating Qi techniques, the strongest they knew, and eventually got rid of some of the arrows.


    But it was toote, as of the thousand arrows that had fallen from the sky, they had killed over seven hundred of them.


    The arrows that had sessfully pierced and killed their enemies suddenly melted back into the red substance and once again started to form together.


    Seeing this, all of the Behemoth n had stopped their advance.


    ''This is what I wasn''t looking forward to,'' Froma said. ''The curse of using this power.'' Tears were running down Froma''s face, and her whole body was shaking.


    All she wanted to do at that moment was run away and wished she had never picked up the bow made by the Dark Magus.

 Chapter 856: The Worst Curse

    Chapter 856: The Worst Curse


    ?


    The people from the Town of Flendon, as well as the Behemoth n warriors, had certainly just witnessed what felt like a Divine warrior''s feat.


    Although there were warriors that could take out arge number through various techniques such as Belil, and those on his level, they had yet to hear of someone whose main weapon of choice was a bow and arrow do the same, and in such a way as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It didn''t feel as if there was a great force of Qi used, and the deaths hade about in an effortless and odd way, making them feel as if they were being punished or helped by a Divine warrior.


    From a single shot of Froma''s bow, a thousand arrows had rained on the ground below. They weren''t even regr arrow shots, but ones that felt like they had a life to them as they wiggled and moved.


    With that single shot, over 700 of the great 20,000 force had disappeared.


    After the strange attack had killed many on the battlefield, something strange was urring. The arrows that had pierced the men started to melt into a liquid; the liquid started to gather, and as it did, it went up into the air as a ball of mass.


    Seeing this, that was when Froma''s heart started to thump.


    ''I read that note, I knew what wasing,'' she thought. ''There is no running away from this. I helped them all out as much as I could.''


    Froma turned around, and therge substance that was in the air started toe towards her. Seeing this, those that were on the wall started to move away.


    Seeing what it had just done to the others, they feared that now it was going to do the same to them.


    Froma lifted her hands up as tears flowed out of her eyes.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t think I''ll be able to help anymore in this fight."


    Alba nodded; she understood as Froma had warned her, and understood after learning that the weapons that the Dark Magus created with great power came with great drawbacks. Although Alba never did learn what Froma''s was.


    The red substance in the air went inside her body. It was all drained back in, and in an instant, excruciating pain had hit her all at once.


    She felt like she had been stabbed right through the head with an arrow. Not just in her head, but several other parts of her body, including that of her heart.


    It wasn''t just a single pain thatsted, though, for it repeatedly felt like she was being stabbed in the head over and over, as well as her heart and other parts of her body.


    The agonizing torture had begun, hitting her; her body felt in shock as the pain overwhelmed her. She wasn''t even able to move as she just fell to the floor.


    This was part of the weapon''s curse. When picking up the note, Froma had learned that there were many ways the weapon could be used.


    The weapon itself could be used in a number of different ways; she even could have used it as a single arrow, and fought how she usually would have fought.


    However, she was afraid that the curse would be too much for her. The weapon''s curse was that she was to feel the pain that the weapon inflicted onto the others.


    She would experience what death was like if she was to fight her opponents and do so over and over again.


    Knowing this, she was afraid that after firing one arrow and experiencing death once, she might be afraid to fire it again and again.


    This was where one of the arrow''s abilities hade in. She had the power to draw out as many arrows as she wanted in one go.


    If it didn''t hit her opponent, then there was no drawback, since it was only the pain that was inflicted that would go back to her.


    Still, because she knew of this, she decided to use arge number of arrows. If it was the only attack she would do in the fight, then she wanted to at least make itst.


    In this situation, she had used the arrows the best she could but didn''t wish to call a number outrger than a thousand for fear that maybe even her mind couldn''t take it, and she too would fall to death.


    As she experienced all of the pain, her eyes closed, and she fell to the ground. No one expected her to get up anytime soon.


    "Don''t let her chance go to waste!" Andy shouted. "We have to use this chance while they''re startled and not yet at the wall. Everyone, fire!"


    Those on the wall had already been given bows and arrows. Failures that had been made while the Dark Magus was aiming for the perfect creation.


    Some of them were cursed items as well. Others just enhanced weapons. Regardless, the people didn''t care as they fired away.


    Little effort was needed on their part as the weapons fired arrows that exploded on impact. Some of them, as they hit their target, electrified the Behemoth n members.


    The Behemoth n members were rattled. What was meant to be an easy task-taking over a simple town of non-Pagna warriors-was already proving difficult at the first hurdle.


    Regardless of the curse that was affecting them, or the pain that they felt, the guards on the wall continued to pull their bows and fire the arrows as they could see they were extremely effective; they already felt like they had a chance.


    Sha Mo, seeing all of this, had arge vein starting to bulge at the side of his head.


    "What are you all doing!" Sha Mo shouted, stomping his foot on the ground. His Qi lifted around fifty warriors who were directly in front of him into the air until they were head height, and then they fell back onto the floor.


    "I told you all to charge, so why are you still standing around? If I see anyone retreat, anyone moving backward, then I will make sure to kill you myself!" Sha Mo ordered.


    With no hesitation, therge army started to move towards Flendon, once again.

 Chapter 857: Flendon Falls

    Chapter 857: Flendon Falls


    ?


    With the fear of Sha Mo behind the Behemoth n, they were back to charging in full force. They ran over the dead that had umted without even checking on the ones that might have been injured or still alive.


    This was because Sha Mo wanted results; they all knew that, and they weren''t going to disappoint. This was also a chance for them, getting on his good side, rising in the n, and unlocking more techniques.


    The arrows continued to rain down on them, hitting their target, but at the end of the day, these were skilled Pagna warriors. Many of them were able to avoid the arrows or perform techniques that would equal the power that was being used.


    "Alright everyone!" Alba shouted. "Prepare your positions, Tilon!"


    Immediately, Tilon had jumped from his shield bearers and hade over to Alba''s side. She had drawn both of her dual weapons, which were glowing red.


    Then took one step swinging both of her weapons using the full extent of her Qi, bashing it right into the shield.


    "Now, go for it!" Alba said.


    Tilon charged forward. He burst with arge amount of speed. Just then, he was ready to reach the first line of those attacking, and when he arrived, he mmed his shield into the ground.


    "Barrier burst!" Tilon shouted, nting his shield in the ground.


    At that moment, a giant force field had appeared across the field. It had hit those running at full force, and they had somewhat crashed into it.


    Since the charge of the shield was fairly low, it didn''t push them back too far, but it was another unexpected urrence for the warriors.


    ''The shield can hold energy from anything that attacks it; it doesn''t just have to be enemies!'' Tilon smiled. ''It''s time to show why the Crimson Crane work so well despite having so few members.''


    Due to the strange shield having pushed them, some of the warriors thought there was still a shield in front of them. That''s when Lily, with her spear users along with Kizer, had both arrived.


    Kizer swung his sword, and arge beam of energy went out, flinging around twenty men in the air, sending them back.


    Lily wasn''t so far behind as she hade forward with her spear users, just running in to stab the enemy. Many of the men were untrained, but there was one thing they were able to do.


    That was put their hope in the Crimson Crane. Right now, they were following their orders blindly, and in doing so, they were able to have quite a bit of sess.


    "Don''t forget about the rest of us," Reno said as he avoided a sword strike and grabbed a warrior, cing his palm over their mouth.


    A momentter, and theplexion of their skin started to change.


    "It''s down to you," Reno imed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Cronker came running out, sprinting, and grabbed hold of the body. He then ran forward, directly into the center of the army.


    Using his foot techniques, he was avoiding them, and when he reached a good distance inside, he ced the body on the ground and got out of there as soon as possible.


    The dead body on the ground exploded, and gasses started toe out from the body. This was all thanks to Reno''s special poison arts.


    Now those next to the body were starting to feel weak. Their eyesight blurry.


    Concentrating on this side, Alba and another group of swordsmen rushed in. Alba swiftly struck only the vitals as she shed a neck.


    Moving to the other, she stabbed a person in the heart, before pulling both of her des out and kicking another across the battleground.


    Off on the other side, Kizer, with his special Dark Magus weapon, swung his sword over his head, causing anotherrge attack that wiped out around a hundred people in a single swing.


    The effect of the weapon grew stronger with the amount of people, and this was the most amount of people that Kizer had ever gone up against before.


    Lince, who was amongst those shooting arrows, couldn''t believe it. He was sure of it before, that the town of Flendon had no hope of winning, yet he was seeing a crazy amount of destruction happening and coordination.


    ''I am ashamed to call myself an information gatherer,'' Lince thought. ''What I am seeing now, their powers are beyond what I expected.''


    ''Even in arge-scale battle, even though they are a small n, they operate better than arge n would. Their strength is much higher than I thought, and the weapons they are using.''


    ''Is all of this because of the influence of the Dark Magus?''


    Although what Lince was seeing on the battlefield was short of a miracle, still with everything happening, he was sure the fight still wouldn''t go to the town of Flendon.


    Eventually, their Qi would dwindle among therge numbers, and there was also Sha Mo, and the two Pirs left in the fight.


    As soon as they got involved, the formation and the ones the guards believed in would all crumble in a moment.


    ''It is still a valiant effort,'' Lince thought.


    Sha Mo, taking a back step, was observing the whole battlefield. He could feel it, little mes that were erupting in several different ces.


    mes that needed to be extinguished, or they would burn the whole field, they might even end up reaching him.


    ''Which ones though, which ones need to be extinguished first?'' Sha Mo thought.


    "Kilper, go take out the man with the giant orange sword. He is doing the most damage to our front line," Sha Mo said.


    Kilper, another tall warrior by normal standards but not as long-bodied as Umonke or asrge as Sha Mo, wielded a strange weapon.


    Which held tworge giant swords stuck together by a chain in the center.


    "As for you, Umonke, deal with their leader, that will take some morale down. As for myself, I will go for that one with the shield. If I destroy that thing with my own hands, we will witness the entire wall of this town fall at the same time," Sha Mo eximed.

 Chapter 858: I Took Down The Behemoth Clan!

    Chapter 858: I Took Down The Behemoth n!


    ?


    Umonke and Kilper, receiving the order from their leader, quickly decided to move. They navigated through the battlefield fairly easily. Arrows were constantly fired toward them due to theirrge size, but they only had to move their heads slightly or step to the side, allowing the attacks to miss thempletely.


    At one point, Kilper shifted slightly, allowing a part of hisrge weapon to deflect an arrow. It fiercely hit the metal part, then ricocheted off andnded right in the head of another Behemoth n member.


    "Crap," Kilper said. "I''m not used to fighting with everyone by our side."


    Although the Behemoth n was thergest and held the most territory in the Demonic Faction, it was the first time they had utilized such arge force like this.


    Regardless, Kilper didn''t want to kill his own men, and that frustrated him quite a bit.


    ''I was meant to go for the one with the big sword,'' Kilper observed as he saw anotherrge thrust and members of the n being flung into the air, crashing into therger army.


    It was quite clear that Kizer was doing the most damage to the army, but second to him, those on the wall firing arrows were taking down those who weren''t paying attention.


    At that moment, another arrow was flying through the air, aiming right for Kilper. Raising his hand, he caught it. He could feel the energy residing in the arrow, and it wasn''t Qi energy, but using his own power, he was able to stop it from inching closer.


    ''Weapons that allow regr humans to have a chance against Pagna warriors who have trained for years are certainly dangerous,'' Kilper thought. ''Let''s go ahead and deal with the archers first.''


    Qi flowed from his dantian into his hand and eventually surrounded the arrow. Leaning back slightly, with his arm over his shoulder, he thenunched the arrow back through the air.


    Arge current formed around the arrow, pushing back the Behemoth n warriors who were close to Kilper.


    The arrow was fiercely heading straight for the upper wall where the archers were stationed. Fixteen could feel therge amount of Qi energy the arrow carried.


    ''If that hits the wall, it will break it in a single blow. The archers may be strong because of the weapons they are using, but they can''t defend themselves from an attack like that.''


    Fixteen pulled out his sword by his side and stood on top of the wall. He burst off, kicking from the wall, and headed straight for the arrow.


    While in the air, he spun his body several times and pierced his sword right at the arrow. However, the strength of the arrow was too much, and the Qi overwhelmed him, flinging his entire body onto the hard floor.


    It just went to show how much Qi had been used.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''I might have underestimated the Pirs'' strength. With the Crimson Crane so busy, will we be able to handle them as well?'' Fixteen thought.


    Andy could see the arrow still hurtling towards them at full speed.


    "Brace yourselves!" Andy shouted to them.


    That''s when he felt another person stand on the wall. Andy noticed from behind, it was the same person who had spoken about the fight between Cronker and one of the pirs.


    Just before the arrow came forward, the man standing on the wall swung his arms, and ck chains shot out from underneath his garments. They wrapped around the arrow, and pulling it, the arrow flung to the ground off to the side, in an area where there were next to no people.


    When the arrow hit the ground, the flooring was destroyed as it still had much of its power left.


    The person who had deflected the arrow was none other than Lince, the leader of the Lost n, another one of the main three ns in the Demonic Faction.


    ''Crap,'' Lince thought. ''I said I wouldn''t get involved, but I wanted to see more of how this fight would y out, and if that arrow had hit, it would have been harder for me to observe from a safe position where I wouldn''t get caught.''


    Lince quickly dropped back down and went to blend in with the others.


    "Thanks for that," Andy said. "I don''t know who you are, but since you helped us, I won''t beining much."


    Lince stayed quiet, as he still had no intentions of fully helping them.


    "Hmm, the person on the wall who deflected that must have had strong Qi," Kilper noticed. "Maybe the town of Flendon has a hidden secret after all. It could also be that was the Dark Magus."


    "If that''s the case, then I will stick to my goal after all," Kilper said as he made a turn and instead of heading straight for the wall, he was now on his way to where Kizer currently was.


    As he made his way there, Kilper suddenly felt the air shift to his right. He twisted his head, and therge weapon he was carrying on his back swung out, the chain flinging one part of the metal sword.


    As it swung out, it shed right against another sword.


    Turning to look at who it was, Kilper was surprised to see such a young individual.


    "Someone your age has the power of a middle-stage warrior?" Kilper said.


    "I''m not just anybody though," Ricktor answered. "And by the way, I''m not alone!"


    Lifting his hand, Kilper had to react fast as his forearm arrived just in time to block arge kick. The image of a waterfall appeared, and it rushed right into his arm.


    "Another young one?" Kilper thought. "How are there such strong warriors, and I have never heard of you? Are you part of the Crimson Crane?"


    "Crimson Crane?" Mada said as he poured more strength into his kick. "We''re part of the Dark Faction!"


    With both hands being used to block the attack, it was then a third person appeared down the center. With a gust of wind, they kicked off the ground.


    Kilper saw, oddly, arge pair of wings just before he felt an intense blow right to his stomach. A powerful strike, like being hit by a cannonball, sent him skidding across the floor.


    "Speak for yourself," Mantis said, with beast wingsing off from his back. "I''m from the Splitting Fang n, I''m from the Demonic Faction, and everyone''s going to know-the ck Tiger is the one who took down the Behemoth n!"

 Chapter 859: Stronger Than Before

    Chapter 859: Stronger Than Before


    ?


    Before the Crimson Crane joined forces to help the town of Flendon, they had met up with Rayna and the others. In the end, the two groups decided to split up as they entered the battle. With therge number of enemies from the Behemoth n, both Rayna and Alba knew that this battle wouldn''t be won by stalling for time. They needed to take out key members and force the Behemoth n to lose their will to fight, making them believe that defeat was inevitable.


    The Crimson Crane had shed with the main army, demonstrating extraordinary skills and powers, while the 2,000-strong guards showed remarkable courage and resilience. The Behemoth n now knew this wasn''t going to be a simple or easy fight. Still, there was something the warriors on the field feared more. They would rather risk death than upset their own n, knowing the consequences of disappointing the Behemoth n and its ruthless hierarchy.


    "Are we joining the fight?" Simyon asked.


    "We need to disrupt the power of the Behemoth n as much as possible," Rayna replied.


    The group was currently positioned a little away from the main fight, hiding behind arge protruding rock and staying in its shadow.


    "What we need to do is target as many middle-stage warriors in the n as possible. Sense those with strong Qi. If we take them out, it will make things easier for the Crimson Crane," Rayna exined. "To maximize our impact, it''s best we split up, but we also don''t want to spend too long fighting just one warrior. Doing so will attract the attention of Sha Mo and his Pirs. So let''s divide into groups."


    It didn''t take much deliberation-people grouped up with those they felt mostfortable with. Safa, Simyon, and Liam stuck together. They knew each other well from the academy, having trained together extensively, especially with Amir, and they had grown even closer since then. They worked well together, and with their newfound strength, they could take on lower-ranking middle-stage warriors, especially as a trio.


    Ricktor and Mada teamed up, leaving Anna and Mantis as thest pair.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I''ll go with Anna. The two of us have fought side by side before. Mantis, you go with Ricktor and Mada. That way, we have two groups of three, giving us a better chance to support each other," Rayna ordered.


    "I''m not part of the Neverfall n, nor am I part of the Crimson Crane. Who are you to order me around?" Mantis retorted. "Don''t you remember? I''m the ck Tiger, the strongest student in the Demonic Faction!"


    "Then let''s have a little contest to see who can take out more," Ricktor challenged. "Mada and I were also top students in the Dark Faction. Of course, we can all forget about Raze for a moment, but let''s see who really is the best."


    Ricktor drew his sword, and on his other hand, he wore a strange white glove. Mantis could feel the intense Qi emanating from Ricktor, and it seemed the contest between the two was


    on.


    With the arguments practically over, it was time for the group to move out, and that''s exactly what they did. The Behemoth n was vast, too vast to easily identify who was a member and who wasn''t, which made it easier for all the groups to blend in.


    Eventually, they split off from each other, and once inside therge throng of people, they had to bide their time, waiting for the right moment.


    "Over there," Safa pointed. "That one''s a middle-stage warrior. Simyon, get in front of him. Liam, block the view so others can''t see. I''ll take him out in one strike."


    They were going to y dirty, striking from behind without warning. It wasn''t an honorable way to fight, but none of them enjoyed what they were doing-it was all for the sake of victory.


    Simyon got in front of one of the warriors and stomped on the man''s foot. He activated the special trait of his earring, heavily concentrating his Qi into his feet. This made it feel as though his body was made of solid metal, keeping the warrior in ce.


    At the same time, from behind, Safa thrust her spear, piercing the man right through the chest.


    As this was happening, Liam struck two more individuals, shing their throats. Using his system, he identified who had noticed and swiftly took them down before the situation could escte. As they fell to the ground, Liam picked up a fallen arrow and ced it in their chests. "Damn it, this town of Flendon-they killed Barry!" Liam shouted, causing the other warriors to momentarily nce over before ignoring what had urred and continuing to fight.


    It wasn''t just Safa''s group employing these tactics; Ricktor and his group were doing the same. After defeating a few middle-stage warriors, they had drawn the attention of several others around them, turning their skirmish into an all-out brawl.


    That was when Ricktor noticed someone who stood out more than the others: arge man wielding a strange three-part weapon on his back.


    "Hey, why don''t we up the stakes a bit? Let''s see who can take out that one over there!" Ricktor said as he was already making his way toward Kilper.


    This was how Ricktor, Mada, and Mantis found themselves facing one of the Pirs of the Behemoth n.


    Meanwhile, as Rayna and Anna fought side by side, they noticed the movements of another person.


    "That man there!" Anna pointed at a figure towering above the crowd. "He''s going after the Crimson Crane. We have to stop him!"


    "I''m right behind you!" Rayna said, rushing through the crowd. She eventually leapt into the air, thrusting her spear forward.


    Before she could make contact, the man turned around, blocking her attack with his sword.


    "What''s this... aren''t you Belil''s daughter from the Neverfall n?" Umonke asked, another Pir of the Behemoth n.


    "If you''re attacking this ce, did you not expect to see me? Thisnd belongs to my family!" Rayna dered as shended on the ground, her spear skimming through the air.


    Anna quickly appeared by her side, her body already glowing red as she activated her strange powers.


    "Even if you are from the Neverfall n, your name carries no fear, unlike your brothers and father," Umonke said, whipping his sword through the air.


    "Right, right, I''ve heard that too many times," Rayna said. "But things are different this time." She struck the heels of her shoes together, and a golden ring began to light up on them.


    Rayna had been involved in the attack on the Dark Faction ns and hadn''te out empty- handed. She had taken the top artifacts belonging to the strongest ns in the Dark Faction, and she was ready to use them here and now.

 Chapter 860: White Hybrid

    Chapter 860: White Hybrid


    ?


    Mantis had delivered a powerful punch right in the center of the man known as one of the pirs of the Behemoth n, Kilper.


    After delivering the hit, Mantis looked at his fist, still feeling the power surging in it.


    ''That was perfect!'' Mantis thought. ''After watching Raze break those walls, I''ve been trying to perfect this punch in that base day after day, and now I justnded it perfectly!''


    While joyous in the punch, his wings on his back started to p.


    "Someone''s happy for a situation where the enemy is still standing," Mada imed.


    "My attack was the only one that hit, so I don''t want any crap from either of you, and that guy''s as big as at least ten buffalos," Mantis imed.


    During Mantis''s time at the Dark Faction, he hadn''t just beenmenting over his situation. He had been trying to perfect the punch he had delivered, condensing his Qi to one point. He had done well, but for a long time, something was still missing.


    His punch seemed weaker than the hit back then, and he realized what it was. When his desire was extremely strong, he unleashed part of his hybrid form.


    His hybrid form gave him extra physical power, and with his Qi, he was able to deliver one of the strongest punches he had ever done before.


    However, he was unable to control his hybrid form, something that he didn''t even ask for.


    In the end, Mantis gave in and asked Amir for help, help in controlling his Hybrid form, and now he was able to use his hybrid form at will.


    But in return for this power, he was now a Hybrid. He was willingly using his beast form. Even though he didn''t want to admit it, it was because he was ashamed that he was using this beast form for power that he had yet to go back to his n.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    How else, though, was he meant to catch up to all of the people that were around him? Even the two by his side, who were students of the same age as him, wereplete monsters in strength.


    Kilper, regaining his footing, stretched out his three-part weapon. One of thergest parts of the metallic weapon dug into the top of his back.


    After that, the chains hung around the back of his arms, and now he held two giant swords in his hands.


    "I didn''t realize there were more people to be wary of in the town of Flendon. I will fight with all my might!"


    Kilper mmed both of his swords into the ground, and arge amount of Qi surged inside. Right where the three were standing, Qi exploded in their position. So powerful it lifted them off the floor.


    "What is this feeling?" Madained.


    Still in the air, therge amount of Qi was grilling their bodies. It was wrapped around their whole skin and was crippling them to the point they were unable to move or even use their own Qi to get out of the situation.


    Kilper had lifted his swords out of the ground, but the Qi was still affecting the others.


    "Oh, there''s one that can still somewhat move. Is it because he isn''tpletely human?" Kilper noticed.


    White substance wasing out from Mantis''s body and covering him; soon it appeared as if his body was wriggling out of the area, breaking down and reforming.


    With one hand, Kilper swung the de over his head by the chain and then swung it down. The de bashed right in the center of Mantis''s body, and Mantis was mmed into the floor. Therge attack caused the warriors next to them to stumble due to the power of the attack. "That doesn''t look so good," Ricktormented, still in the strange field of Qi.


    "Not good, I''d be surprised if he''s not dead!" Mada added.


    "Don''t worry, the two of you will shortly join him!" Kilper said, swinging the sword above his head again, then swung it down, this time aiming for Mada.


    As the sword swung down, Kilper felt something off. Before the sword hit the ground, he pulled it back to his hand.


    Looking on the floor, there was no person there. Mada was nowhere to be seen, and as Kilper turned his head to look at Ricktor, who was in the air being held by Kilper''s Qi, he saw a figure flying and grabbing Ricktor out of the area of Qi and pulling him to the ground.


    Mantis stood there transformed, a strange white skull covered half of his face and arms. He looked more and more like a monsterpared to before.


    Yet in both of his hands, he had Ricktor in one and Mada in the other.


    "I thought you were dead?" Mada asked.


    "That''s a strange way to say thank you," Mantis spoke, his voice deeper and part of it lingering.


    Somewhat sounding like an animal trying to speak.


    Mantis, although able to control his hybrid form, had no clue what was happening to his body.


    When upraised and lifted into the air by Kilper''s Qi, his own body was reacting. The strange white substance was reacting and covering his body. The substance that woulde out when one transformed.


    When attacked by Kilper''s sword, the white substance gathered above his head and protected him from being cut in half by the sword.


    When on the ground, the Qi had stopped, but the white substance was still covering his body.


    During this time, he remembered some words of Amir.


    "There are so far three known colors of hybrid transformations: White, ck, and Red. I and Dame both have ck transformation, you have White," Amir stated.


    "Right, the weakest of the three colors, right? So, the beast that attached to me was weak," Mantisined.


    "Weak? Maybe in the eyes of many, or simply if we just look in terms of power, but there is a difference between these colors."


    "ck are more physical transformations; in some cases, body parts can have some capabilities as well. Red, well, we don''t have enough examples for that, and then White- some have healing capabilities, some have the ability to createrge fogs. As for you, what


    can you do?"


    Mantis still didn''t understand, but it didn''t matter right now; he was alive, and he was stronger than ever.


    "We can''t just let you do all the work," Ricktor said. "It''s time the two of us pulled our


    weight."


    Ricktor looked at his hand with the white glove, and Mada looked down at the boots covering


    his feet.


    Both of the artifacts started to activate.

 Chapter 861: A Broken Pillar

    Chapter 861: A Broken Pir


    ?


    Kilper didn''t care about what had happened, nor did he care about understanding why the Hybrid was able to survive his attack. His thinking was quite simple.


    "If you were able to take one hit and survive, then I''ll just have to hit you again and again." Kilper ced both of his swords, stabbing them into the ground.


    Knowing fully what to expect, the three on the ground split up, heading in different directions. When looking behind them, that''s when they could see the wave of Qi in the ces just where they had stood in the air.


    It was the purest form of Qi they had seen, shooting up like a tunnel.


    "Did he really think that we would be such idiots, that we would fall for the same thing twice?" Mada suggested.


    Therge vortex of Qi didn''t stop there; it was now on the move like a tornado, following their movements.


    "Well, if we''re going to waste our energy running, then we might as well run to you, right?" Ricktor said, as he sped up, starting to jump side to side, and he was the first of the three to reach Kilper.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He swung his sword from above, and his visual Qi made it look like a volcano had erupted as he swung it down. Staying in his position, Kilper swung his own sword upward, meeting Ricktor''s, but there was a clear difference in power.


    Ricktor''s sword, with almost the rest of his body, was flung upward. His body was moving towards the vortex of Qi until Mantis came and flew behind him, grabbing him once again.


    "Nice save," Ricktor said. "But sorry, I''m just going to have to borrow you as a foothold for a second."


    Ricktor lifted his legs and kicked off Mantis''s body, propelling himself toward Kilper again. At the same time, Mada had managed to reach the other side of Kilper.


    Kilper wasn''t expecting Ricktor to recover so quickly, and he needed to deal with the two of them at once.


    Grabbing onto both swords, he was ready to swing them when he felt an intense heat toward the left side of his face.


    Ricktor''s glove had turned white and was now red hot. While in the air, Ricktor was making a circr motion with his hand, andrge mes were circling out from it.


    ''This glove was an artifact left in the Erupting Fist n. It had been passed down in the n for an incredibly long time, but it seems like my father never bothered to even use it. Perhaps it would have interfered with his beast form or techniques anyway.''


    With the artifact, Ricktor had learned how it worked. The more Qi ced into the glove, the stronger the mes one was able to produce, even allowing for the temperature to rise.


    Still, it wasn''t an unlimited energy source since it would use one''s Qi. However, what Ricktor liked about it was that the stronger he got along with his Qi, the stronger the mes would be that he could produce.


    As he twirled them in a circr fashion, he then ced his hand over his sword, turning it iron-hot red. The mes even lingered on top of the sword for a while.


    "Let''s make this attack feel like a real Lava Shot!" Ricktor shouted as he thrust his sword forward. His Qi gathered all of the spiraling mes that had lingered in the air, as well as those around the sword, and all of it pushed at the same time, as it hit Kilper''s sword used to defend the strike.


    The mes carried up Kilper''s arm, and it looked like the entire thing had caught fire as it burned right in front of them. The attack caused Kilper to move his feet slightly as he couldn''t bear the fire on him.


    "What are these mes? They aren''t ordinary!" Kilper winced in pain.


    Just using his Qi to protect him or with a wave of his arm, ordinary mes would have disappeared, but these hadn''t. That was because they ran on Qi; until the Qi''s energy diminished, the mes wouldn''t either.


    From the attack, Ricktor had clearly used a lot of energy, and he noticed something else.


    As Kilper moved his feet, the Qi tunnels that were chasing the three of them disappeared as well.


    ''Was he supplying Qi constantly to those tunnels through his feet? Is that why he hadn''t moved from his position as well?'' Ricktor thought.


    Regardless, his practice with the artifact and his skills had shown results, but he had no doubt that it wouldn''t be enough to kill one of the pirs.


    ''I leave the rest up to you guys,'' Ricktor said, as hended on the ground and dropped to one knee.


    Kilper was so distracted by the mes, he didn''t even have time to look at what had happened on the other side. With a quick nce, he threw his sword down, hoping to get rid of at least one of these annoying flies.


    Looking at his sword, though, there was nothing there, and instead, there was just arge pool of water.


    Continuing to look at the water, nothing happened until, right by his foot, another pool of water had been created, and bursting out drenched in his clothes was Mada with his dark blue-colored boots with a sharp tip on the end.


    He spun his body, and the water from below rose. "Flowing Force Rampage!" Mada''s heel dug right into Kilper''s leg, causing his foot to bepletely swept up. The impact hit one point, and flowing water pushed his leg even further.


    Until Kilper had seemingly slipped. On one side, his arm was covered in fire; on the other, his leg was drenched in water.


    "I hope you didn''t forget about me!" Mantis said, as he gathered his strength into his fist again. In the middle of Kilper falling, Mantis dashed forward, cing all his strength into his fist. Once again, the star grew white substance covering his hand until it formed into a giant spear. It was his entire hand.


    Flowing with all of his Qi, Mantis flew right through the soft flesh of Kilper''s head, getting rid of itpletely from his shoulders, causing one of the pirs to fall straight to the ground. Mantis soonnded, and the Behemoth n members nearby looked in disbelief. A bunch of students, a bunch of people they had never seen before, the three of them had managed to take out one of the pirs of the Behemoth n.


    "I told you all, the ck Tiger is going to be the one to take down the Behemoth n today!" Mantis shouted in the air.


    "Let him have his moment," Ricktor smiled as he walked over to Mada, because they were right in the middle of thend of warriors, and having used up all their strength, it wasn''t going to be easy to get out of the situation they were in.


    "Win or lose, we have to ept with a fight on this scale, that there will be losses." Ricktor whispered to himself.

 Chapter 862: Fighting Until The End

    Chapter 862: Fighting Until The End


    The Pirs were given their name because that was exactly what they were to the Behemoth n. They were the members that allowed the whole n to be dered one of the three major ns in the Demonic Faction for a reason.


    The sheer size as the biggest n, maybe having more members than the other two major nsbined, was just an added threat to the n''s power. The real threat of the n and the reason why it was able to be considered a major n was because of the Pirs and Sha Mo himself.


    Two had been taken out in thest attack against Flendon. Knowing failure wasn''t an option this time, not only did Sha Mo not send two more of his Pirs, but he had alsoe himself. The main targets: the Crimson Crane and the Dark Magus.


    In reality, Sha Mo even expected that he would have to face some of the Dark Faction if Raze had managed to get them truly under his thumb. He was ready for an all-out war. It was just him, and neither he nor the Behemoth n members themselves were ready for several strong unknown warriors that could reach the same feats as them.


    It was because three of the top students in all of Pagna had worked together that they were able to take out Kilper.


    Mada looked at Kilper''s body without its head lying there on the ground, still in disbelief at what they had managed to achieve. They had been through a lot. He then looked down at his dark blue shoes that were pointed with a hard tip on the end.


    ''It was thanks to these that I was able to be somewhat useful in this fight. Who would have thought that such an artifact would have been at the Flowing Force n''s base?''


    Mada started to think back to when the Bonum Society had given the order to attack and take over the ns. Mada had gone to his own n. With no leader or even someone to rece him, they were at a loss of what to do.


    Going against his n, forcing them to agree to making the Dark Magus leader through the power of his own strength. It would be lying if he said he wasn''t nervous about it. Although his n might have lost prominent people, unlike Mada, he hadn''t reached the middle stage, and there were still middle stage warriors in the n itself.


    In the end, it was his brother Gunther who had helped him out in the situation. With his brother''s blessing, the n had agreed to Mada''s demands, and in the end, he had even been handed down the n''s artifact.


    Mada wasn''t expecting much. If the items were so strong and great, then why wouldn''t the past leaders have used them? Unless it was just because they wished to save face and not rely on items. He could certainly see many of the elders in his n being that way.


    That was when he hade across a pair of peculiar boots, the boots that he was wearing now, and the power they held was certainly interesting.


    Using its power was quite difficult, though, and he had been practicing its use for the next time he had to fight. The boots themselves, just like the glove Ricktor used, activated with Qi. However, rather than creating an element, in Mada''s item''s case, it changed what it touched.


    The ground beneath his feet would change to water. When Kilper had attacked, Mada had activated the boots, creating arge enough puddle of water for him to avoid the attack. On top of that, he continued to use the effects of the boots to create a tunnel until he was right by Kilper''s feet.


    Continuing to use its power, a pool of water was created on the surface, and he exploded from the water, delivering a devastating kick. An added bonus was the boots were made of a special metal that was used to craft the best of weapons, so it could take a heavy hit and wouldn''t lose in a battle against a sword.


    On top of that, Mada realized when using his visual Qi to create the flow of water, it would drag the water he created, giving him more power than he used to have before.


    ording to his brother, the boots were actually a tool for leaders to use in order to help them make their visual Qi more powerful. Thinking about it, he remembered his father''s visual Qi power, how effective it was covering arge distance of the floor with his Qi.


    Allowing him to use it to block attacks and attack his opponents within a certain area. Perhaps there were other uses of the weapon that he still hadn''t gotten used to. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hey!" Mantis called out. "Can you stop daydreaming and help us out? It''s kinda a rough situation here!"


    Mantis wed at the attacker in front of him, sending him in the air, and quickly returned his hands by his side as he blocked two swords from striking him with his arms. Right after, a spiked ball mace smashed into his stomach.


    It wasn''t the strongest of attacks, but the points did pierce his skin, and blood was drawn. The mace was thrown again, but it was sliced in half by Ricktor, and equally, the man who had thrown the mace was sliced in half after.


    The three were fighting right in the center of their situation, and even though they had gotten rid of one of the Pirs, it didn''t seem the fighting had stopped, and just then, Mantis''s hybrid form was starting to wither away.


    The skull that covered his face and arms had turned into nothing but soft dust, and the wings on his back were starting to disappear. Everyone was exhausted from their fight.


    "Didn''t you say you were going to take out the whole of the Behemoth n? What are you doing losing your powers now!" Mada said, kicking one in the face and quickly avoiding another strike to his face and kicking the man on the chin. "When will this end?"


    "It will end when Sha Mo himself is taken out," Ricktor imed. "I''m starting to wonder, where is Raze? If he hasn''t arrived by now, something must have happened, which means we might be on our own with this one."

 Chapter 863 A Special Headband

    Chapter 863 A Special Headband


    The intense fight with the people of Flendon was still continuing on, and it was inevitable that there were some losses among those fighting for the town of Flendon.


    Once in a while, a skilled warrior would get through their formations and be able to attack and nk from the side while members of the Crimson Crane were busy fighting.


    Still, even though this was the case, although the fight had been going on for a short while now, the losses on the town of Flendon''s side might have been around fifty or so at most.


    Seeing how many were still present and still fighting was giving them the will to keep going.


    Alba had retreated back with her group of swordsmen and was constantly running around to parts of the front line and attacking. She then could see arge group of warriors that were piled up fighting against Tilon and the Shield Bearers.


    ''While the momentum is in our favor and things are going well, we can keep fighting!'' Alba thought.


    She came rushing in with the group not too far behind her. The Behemoth n members had noticed and changed their target, but as Alba was spotted, she increased her speed and then swiped her two swords in arge X position, taking out arge majority of them in a single attack.


    After that, she jumped, spinning her body to the side, her sword slicing right through one of the members, and then mming it onto the ground, she used the power to propel herself into the air.


    She spun, knocking and slicing those that had jumped above, trying to get to the members in the back, and uponnding, she crashed, emitting her Qi out and making the others unstable.


    The guards followed, getting rid of those that Alba had managed to bypass and hurt, or those that were now unstable on their footing.


    ''Still, I have to remember they''re not Pagna warriors. Although the losses are small now, at some point they will get tired, and that''s whenrge losses will start toe from our side.''


    She looked up at the wall, and the archers were already beyond fatigued, having pulled their bows nonstop. Their arms were incredibly heavy, and parts of the skin had already torn from their fingers.


    "Everyone, remember the pills; they will recover your energy. Those with slightly blue-colored pills, take them now. Those with dark-colored blue pills, take them only when you can no longer open your eyes!" Fixteen shouted.


    The pills in question he was talking about were the Dark Magus pills that he had handed out.


    Alba, seeing this, knew those fighting on the ground had some pills as well. It would give them a second wind, but would it be enough to intimidate the Behemoth n?


    No, that wouldn''t happen unless the key members were taken out.


    "Rayna, I hope you can get the job done quickly, because right now, there seems to be no sight of Raze at all. What happened? He wouldn''t have just abandoned us¡­ would he?" Alba thought, as slight doubts were entering her mind.


    After all, it wasn''t as if she had known Raze for years like some of the other members in the Crimson Crane. Either way, they were in the middle of it now, and she wouldn''t abandon the people that were fighting by her side.


    ---


    Out on the field, due to Anna''s keen eye, both she and Rayna had gone out and intercepted a strong foe. Right in front of them was another one of the Behemoth n Pirs, Umonke. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two of them were cautious, and others had stepped away from Umonke, allowing him to fight freely as they continued to charge.


    They knew too well how sharp his sword was, and if they got hit by a stray swing, their bodies would be sliced apart.


    "I saw this one fighting with Cronker before. We have to be careful; he''s quite the strong one!" Rayna imed as both her boots started to light up, and right by the heel, a solid glowing ring could be seen.


    Rayna charged forward and jumped in the air while thrusting her spear out. At the same time, Umonke swung his sword, and the two shed.


    When they hit, Umonke felt something off urring. The spear was swung slightly to the side, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it.


    Right after, Raynanded on the ground and started to thrust her spear forward. Seeing her in ce, Umonke again went to strike several times, and Rayna was hitting them back.


    Out of the two of them, it was clear that Umonke had more strength, and Rayna looked like she could barely block the attacks.


    It was then that Umonke jumped back, and Rayna stayed focused, keeping her eyes on him.


    "Does the Neverfall n have some new tricks I''m not aware of? You were a fool to step on this battlefield. Maybe you thought the name of your father would put me off, but we knew the consequences fully before making this decision!"


    Umonke jumped from his position and spun his entire body. Right when he reached Rayna, he swung his de again, crashing into the side of Rayna''s spear.


    She had blocked the attack, and the immense amount of Qi had hit her. She even screamed in pain, but she was still standing there, still in the same spot.


    "What¡­ is going on?" Umonke asked.


    The answery in the special artifact that Rayna managed to get her hands on. One of the ns had a pair of metallic boots that others didn''t think much of, and when she had heard its effect, truthfully, she didn''t think much of them either.


    They allowed anyone who was wearing them the ability to not be knocked back. Whoever was wearing them would firmly stay nted in ce.


    During a fight, Rayna was learning how much she could use that to her advantage. Even when struck with stronger blows, her body wouldn''t get flung back. When fighting in the air, she couldn''t get struck out of it.


    Sure, she could still get cut, but this made it so she now had more of an even ying field when fighting someone who was stronger than her.


    One just had to be brave enough to stay in the heat, and she was certainly more than brave.


    "It seems you are doing well. I guess it''s time for me to get involved as well." Anna said as she pulled out a golden headband. It went right around, and then at the front, the two ends didn''t touch and instead had the image of feathers on them.


    "I''ve worked out what we need to do to win this match!" Anna imed.

 Chapter 864 A Legendary Artifact

    Chapter 864 A Legendary Artifact


    With the use of the new artifacts, all of those that were fighting had seen a big improvement from before. Even the Crimson Crane members were wearing items that helped in one way or another.


    Some had pendants that allowed them to restore part of their stamina. Others had items that gave them some sort of sixth sense when an attack appeared from behind, and so on.


    In the hands of the smaller ns in the Dark Faction, they seemed quite useless. What did it matter if a high-ranking initial stage warrior was to use such items?


    If they were attacked by something too fast for them to react to, what did it matter if they could sense it wasing? But in the hands of these warriors, they were using it to the fullest, and it was the same for Rayna.


    Since Rayna''s special boots were in effect, she was constantly swinging her spear to block attacks from hitting her. However, it was clear that Umonke was a superior opponent, making it so that all she could do was block.


    Her arms were starting to feel numb, her body getting hurt by the constant power of Qi passing through her.


    ''I can bear it though, I can bear this, can''t I!'' Rayna thought to herself as she continued to hear the constant bangs in her head. ''The Neverfall n''s training is all about putting yourself through conditions that are unbearable.'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She started to think about the intense heat in the Neverfall n base. How hard it was on her body as she went deeper into the lower levels.


    How much pain she was in back then, but she didn''t die from it, and she came out from it stronger. It was the same here.


    ''I have to be able to hold him off, I have to be able to at least do something. I need to be able to do something for him!'' Rayna thought as she picked up the pace and was matching her spear to the constant sword hits.


    Still, while there was arge struggle on her face, Umonke looked to be at ease.


    ''If I can''t do something, then how the heck am I allowed to say... that I¡­ that I¡­ that I love him!'' Rayna then went and, for the first time, thrust her spear in an attack.


    Umonke skimmed the spear away and, in turn, went to attack. Quickly, he took advantage of the mistake, and his sword was swinging down, ready to hit her right on her neck.


    "I win," Umonke said with a smile, until his sword had swung through nothing but the air. A loud bang was heard, and his entire position had shifted a foot away.


    The sword touched the ground, and Rayna was still standing by the side, but she hadn''t done anything. Looking to his side, he could see another odd woman, the palm of her hand glowing red.


    "Was it you?" Umonke asked.


    "Congrattions, you figured out the obvious." Anna said with a smile.


    Seeing Rayna in trouble, she hade in and attacked using arge amount of her energy. A strong palm st was used and had pushed Umonke to the side.


    Anna was a little disappointed with the result, though, as she was hoping that the man in question would at least be somewhat hurt. Yet he seemed incredibly fine.


    "Where were you this whole time?" Rayna said. "I said we should work as a team so we could take this guy out faster."


    14:31


    "Right, but I work best when I have information. When I have information, I cane up with a way to beat this guy using the quickest means possible."


    Rayna wasn''t so sure if Anna was telling the truth or not, but based on theirst fight, which was also against a Pir, she wasn''t the type to back down.


    "Please, continue." Anna said as she jumped back again, going on the outside of the fight.


    "Continue¡­" Before she knew it, Rayna was back again, fighting against Umonke. After blocking the first hit, the pain was traveling through her entire body once more.


    She gritted her teeth, trying to continue with blocking the hits, and noticed something: Umonke''s hits weren''t as sharp as they were before.


    ''What is going on? Did he get hurt by Anna from before? It doesn''t look like it, so why do his attacks just not quite have the edge!''


    It was a risky move, but it was then that Rayna decided to thrust her spear again. Her attack was blocked and swept away, but this time, no counterattack came forward.


    Instead, Anna was right there by his side; she mimicked a punch, but nothing came out.


    Instead, stepping back and allowing Rayna to take over.


    "The psychology of one''s mind is an interesting thing," Anna said. "After being hit once, and a fairly strong strike at that, he''s cautious that there might be an attack at any time. I don''t even have to actually hit him, and he''s already feeling the pressure of fighting two skilled warriors at once."


    This way of fighting, this way of thinking was something Rayna had never heard of before, but she could tell Anna was right. Umonke''s mind almost seemed distracted.


    Not only that, but Anna knew the perfect time when toe in, either delivering feint attacks, and then, that''s when she would mix a real one in there and punched Umonke right across the face, but quickly scurried away.


    Umonke readjusted his mouth and jumped back, no longer putting pressure on Rayna.


    "This is quite annoying¡­ and you seem to know quite a bit about fighting." Umonkemented.


    This was because of Anna''s perfect timing, but that was all due to the system she was using.


    "Right, the perfect timing like now?" Anna said.


    Arge striking pain could be felt right through Umonke''s side. Turning around, he could see a warrior with a bloody sword, not just any warrior but one from the Behemoth n.


    "What¡­ have you just done?" Umonke said as he ced his hand on the wound.


    Rayna, looking at the Behemoth n warrior, noticed on his head was a strange golden headband, one that Anna had brought with her.


    ''Just¡­ what is that golden headband?'' Rayna thought.

 Chapter 865: A Monkey Legend

    Chapter 865: A Monkey Legend


    ?


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The warrior who had just stabbed Umonke was clearly from the Behemoth n. Rayna could tell he was quite an established warrior, one that was at least at the middle stage level of Qi, although on the lower side.


    There was no one other than those that Rayna was already aware of among their allies, so why would a member suddenly betray one of their own, and one of the Pirs at that?


    The man''s hands were shaking, part of his sword covered in blood while his lips were quivering.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry..." he continued to mumble to himself. "I had to do it... I had to." With one hand, the man reached up to the golden headband on his head.


    ''That''s the artifact, the one that Anna brought with her... is that the reason he did that?''


    Nearly everyone in the group had managed to receive some type of artifact, but many of Raze''s allies were brought together under him. They didn''t all have a close connection with each other, and this was true of Rayna and Anna as well, so they didn''t have any idea of what the artifacts the others had could do.


    "It looks like my n was quite the sess!" Anna said with a smile on her face. "Although it''s quite unfortunate the wound isn''t so deep. With his attention focused on the two of us, I thought a deeper wound would have at least been made."


    In many ways, it just went to show how strong Umonke''s Qi was; even in an unexpected situation, the Qi flowing through his body was able to stop the sword from a middle stage warrior from going right through him.


    "Hey, let''s try and protect that one a bit," Anna said as she charged forward again.


    Umonke was ready to strike down the man for the betrayal but was unable to due to the worry of the two on his back.


    This time, both Anna and Rayna charged in together.


    Rayna swung her spear above, which was blocked, and at the same time, Anna delivered another powerful palm strike filled with energy to Umonke''s center, pushing him back.


    As he slid backward, a sh was made across his back by the same man with the headband. The wound was shallow, though, only causing arge scratch.


    "You have to try harder than that, otherwise!" Under her breath, Anna started to chant some words.


    Rayna didn''t recognize thenguage that was being used, and when spoken, it was in a monotone, deep voice.


    Once more, the headband on the man''s head started to glow. As it did, the man felt extreme pain and pressure; the band was tightening, and he felt like it was going to pop at any second.


    "Alright!" the man shouted, charging in to strike again, this time with moremitment and more Qi.


    Rayna and Anna moved in at the same time as well, even with Anna pulling the man out of the way from a sh that would have sliced him in half.


    The coordination from Anna, as well as being attacked from three angles, was extremely frustrating for Umonke.


    It was a strange feeling for him. He knew he was stronger than the others, but due to him not being able to knock Rayna away, she wassting longer than she would ordinarily have.


    On top of that, instructions from the strange woman with red palm strikes were perfectly timed, almost as if his mind was being read.


    Anna was smiling at the situation unfolding.


    "I can''t believe they had no idea what these items could do, and they were using it to decorate a statue of all things."


    In one of the ns Anna was sent to, she had found the artifact-the headband-along with a scroll that was hung behind it.


    Her system allowed her to know that these items weren''t from the world of Pagna, but came from another dimension.


    She tried to get information from the said dimension, but there wasn''t much from the n itself. Still, the n had control of the portal where the items were found. Venturing inside, she was able toe across information about how the headband had once been used on a fierce being to restrict its power.


    Learning this, she knew she had something special on her hands. The main problem was getting the headband on its target, which was why she had selected a middle stage warrior distracted and focused on the fight with the town of Flendon.


    If it was another n, this would have been a risky move. Many were so loyal to their ns that they would willingly give up their lives rather than attack a prominent figure in their own n.


    However, Anna could see that since the n was sorge, there was next to no loyalty. Many had joined it just for the prestige that came with being part of one of the major ns. And they were fighting right now because of fear of what would happen to them. The warriors in the Behemoth n cared more about their own lives.


    "We need to finish this!" Anna said. "Now that our assistant is fighting at full force, we can pin him down, but I don''t have the strength to beat him."


    Rayna was huffing and panting; her muscles were aching, and at any second, she felt like she would drop the spear on the floor.


    "The one that needs to finish him off is you. Come on, do it for the sake of love," Anna said.


    In an instant, Rayna''s face went red.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Can''t you tell? Raze isn''t here, which means something happened to him. If that''s the case, look at the battlefield."


    Rayna quickly observed what was happening, but she couldn''t see anything out of the ordinary; things were somewhat in a stalemate, the same as before.


    That''s when she realized that was part of the issue.


    "Who''s fighting Sha Mo?" she asked.


    In the center of the battlefield, three people stood there looking at the giant mass known as


    Sha Mo.


    They stood side by side, quaking inside.


    "Is it just me, or can''t you help but think we kinda got the short straw?" Liammented, with Simyon and Safa by his side.

 Chapter 866 Trust Zon?

    Chapter 866 Trust Zon?


    In the Dark Faction Academy, panic had taken over the outer area. Those who lived near the academy walls had decided to move back, some even leaving their homes. They moved further toward the outer areas of the city, and some who lived on the edge, hearing rumors of what was happening, were already leaving, rushing along the great bridge.


    However, there was one individual running through the city, heading toward the academy, entering any ce he could. Turning right, Skyler rushed into a local tailor shop. He could see several people sitting at the back, some hiding behind the machinery in the room.


    In one corner of the room, a person dressed like a studenty covered in blood. Cloth was draped over his eyes, his body unmoving, and Skyler couldn''t sense an ounce of Qiing from him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Is there anyone here who is a physician or has at least been an assistant before?" Skyler asked.


    A woman slowly raised her hand, and an older man standing by the child on the ground also stood up.


    "I am a physician. Unfortunately, I couldn''t save this young one''s life. Is there someone else in the city who needs help?" the old man asked.


    Skyler clenched his fist at this moment. "Not the city itself, the academy," Skyler answered. "The injured students have alle from the academy, but there are bound to be those still inside who are still breathing and need help!"


    The woman who had raised her hand quickly pulled it down, and the man looked away, sweat running down the side of his face.


    "What''s wrong? Didn''t you just say you were willing to help? Let''s go!" Skyler said, turning to the door, but he noticed there were no footsteps following him. He turned back around.


    "I am sorry, but to tell us to go to the academy¡­ From what we''ve heard from the students and even the teachers, other powerful Pagna warriors have been dealt with. If we head inside, our lives might be taken as well."


    "That''s even more reason why we have to go!" Skyler shouted. Zon had given him this task before he left, and Skyler knew how important it was.


    Zon relied on him, likely because he was in an intense fight and wouldn''t be able to help the people. This was an important task.


    "Look, I''m a skilled warrior. If we head in there, I promise to protect you. And besides, I know it¡ªsomeone is dealing with the intruder right now! Someone strong enough to get rid of him!"


    "Really?" One of the women asked with bright eyes. "Who is it?"


    Skyler took a step back. What was he meant to answer? The head chef of the perfect noodle shop? People would think he had gone mad.


    So he could onlye up with one answer.


    "The Dark Magus. The Dark Magus is dealing with them. I was asked to gather as many of those that can help, so we need to head to the academy as quickly as possible and gather as many that can assist."


    The others didn''t know the Dark Magus well, as Raze had stayed somewhat hidden since he had taken over. But the simple fact that he was now the leader of the Dark Faction gave them hope.


    "All right¡­ let''s go," the woman said.


    Skyler, with a smile on his face, left with the two. On the way to the academy, they visited several ces, trying to gather as many people as possible.


    ''Using the Dark Magus''s name like I just did might get me in serious trouble, but I don''t care! I have no loyalty to the Dark Magus; all my loyalty is to Zon! I will do as he says so he can kick whoever this sick f*ck is!'' Skyler thought as he continued to run.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In therge courtyard that connected all of the academy buildings, the students were hidden behind pieces of flooring that had been lifted and wedged into the ground. Amir was present, hiding with arge number of the students, around twenty or so of them.


    Meanwhile, out in the courtyard itself, stood Raze, the Dark Magus, and a mysterious person who had just appeared in white garments filled with cooking stains on the front.


    "What the¡­ isn''t that a chef''s uniform? What is a chef doing on the battlefield?"


    "It''s quite obvious that''s not an ordinary chef; he just came out of a portal!" another studentmented.


    Lifting his hand out, red energy condensed from the palm of Zon''s hand until a thin red sword, appearing to be made from the same strange red substance, was formed in his grip.


    "So you decide to make this a two against one?" Scar said. "You have no shame, do you?"


    Scar started to fire bullets from his handguns. He didn''t stop firing, one after the other, until both magazines were empty.


    As the bullets came at Zon, he moved his arm, which appeared as nothing more than a blur. It was a supernatural speed, knocking all of the bullets away.


    Raze looked at the bullets and could see they had been carefully deflected to the ground. Some of them were partially melted, and all fell to the side.


    "What are you still doing here?" Zon asked. "You called me for help, to deal with this one, right? Isn''t there somewhere you need to be? Somewhere you''re needed a lot more than right here?"


    "This person, they''re strong," Raze said. He had still yet to use the full extent of his abilities and had also figured out a way that he might be able to catch Scar.


    He had summoned Zon so they could deal with the Deleter quickly, allowing him to head to the Demonic Faction.


    "Do you not trust me? I thought the fact that you called me here meant that you trusted me to deal with something like this. If you don''t trust me, then there is no need to call me again," Zon eximed.


    Hearing Zon''s confident words and seeing his actions from before, Raze felt like he had no choice in the matter.


    "Very well, then I will leave this to you!" Raze said as he rushed off, heading back into the main academy building.

 Chapter 867: In Zon We Trust

    Chapter 867: In Zon We Trust


    ?


    Raze rushed from the courtyard and headed to the main building, thinking of the words spoken by Zon. He had asked him to put his trust in him. Raze started to remember thest time someone had said those words to him in Alterian-one of the few people he could call his friend¡ªand believing in those words had ultimately led to his friend''s demise.


    There were many times Raze thought back, wondering what if his friend had never gotten involved in his mess, what if he hadn''t believed in him and stayed away; maybe there would still be one person left in his life.


    This was why it was so hard for Raze to leave Zon. Yet he had ultimately decided to trust those words again.


    ''I underestimated the Deleter, and I let my anger take over me,'' Raze thought. ''Seeing Himmy''s head, I wanted to get some payback for him. But the Deleter was slimier than I expected and caused more trouble than I thought... still, I need to head to the Demonic Faction.


    ''If I''m honest with myself, even if Zon and the whole academy were to disappear, if it was for the sake of saving them, then I would at least be content with my decision. But if I stayed back to help Zon, and they were to perish, I would hate myself even more than I do now.''


    This was why, ultimately, Raze was able to make the decision to leave Zon. And besides that, from what little Raze saw, even if Zon couldn''t beat him, he would put up one hell of a fight.


    "Do you really think you can rush off in front of me?" Scar said. "Did you forget everything I can do?"


    Scar had teleported from his position, now appearing right in front of Raze, in front of the academy.


    However, now being in front of Raze, Scar saw that Raze held two swords in his hands, both covered in a type of lightning.


    "You should get out of my way!" Raze shouted as he swung both swords horizontally, around a meter apart.


    Arge current of lightning surged across, one nearly touching the floor, the other around head height. Since Raze was one step ahead of Scar, he wasn''t even able to get a shot off before he teleported again, this time appearing behind Raze.


    "You''re an idiot!" Scar said, lifting his handguns.


    "Is he?" A voice said from his right.


    Scar quickly turned to his right and activated his teleporter again, moving away.


    When he reappeared at a safe distance, his gun had fallen into two halves. He had been struck by the strange red sword, and if he had been slower in teleporting, his body would have split in half.


    ''How did he do that?'' Scar thought, looking at Zon.


    He had seen the distance between Raze and him, and even when teleporting twice, he had made sure he was in the center. Yet somehow, Zon had either gotten to him fast enough or had predicted where he was going.


    Ultimately, Scar had no choice but to watch Raze run back into the main academy and put his full attention on Zon.


    "There goes my target. Why can''t things be easy?" Scar shouted. "Oh well, I guess he will just have to learn his lesson for running away, because I still have my second target-this entire city and academy!" Scar started tough hysterically.


    "The entire city?" Zon asked, looking at him. "Does that include non-Pagna warriors as well?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Do you not understand Pagnian?" Scar said. "Every single life in this city. The Dark Magus will learn the mistake he made."


    Zon firmly gripped the energy de in his hand.


    "Including those at the Perfect Noodle Shop?" Zon asked.


    "What the... a Noodle Shop? Do you have a screw loose or something? You must be messing with me. Because of that, especially those from the damned noodle shops-all the noodle shops!" Scar shouted as he switched from his handguns back to the two Uzis.


    Pulling the trigger, bullets came flying out one after another.


    Zon, in response, held his sword in front of him, moving it in ce each time, nging against the bullets. He took a step forward, and as he did, he continued to move his sword, stopping every single bullet aimed at him.


    ''This guy... he''s not even using a force field like thest one. It''s almost like he can actually see every single one of these bullets. What''s with this person?''


    Slowly, Zon was getting closer and closer to Scar, and Scar could feel something thumping in his chest slightly harder-a panic was setting in.


    Scar teleported to a different angle, and the weapon changed in his hand. Holding it with both hands, he now had the RPG ready.


    "Try and block this!" The RPG wasunched and aimed right at Zon.


    Putting his sword away, Zon reached out his hand, and on impact, arge explosion urred, but only for a moment.


    All of the smoke and all of the fumes from the RPG looked as if they were being sucked in. It shrank in size, all flowing into the palm of Zon''s hand until it hadpletely disappeared.


    Scar''s eyebrow started to twitch.


    ''He blocked the bullets rather than absorb them, so this will deal with him!''


    Scar began to teleport himself into the air. He was at a high distance of around 5 meters, but he teleported himself again, moving another five meters up.


    Scar continued this, moving further and further into the sky until the weapon in his hands changed again. He stared down the scope of the weapon, looking at the long barrel reaching out. What he held was one of the most powerful bolt-action rifles from his world, and he was an exceptionally good shot.


    Getting everything lined up perfectly, he held his breath for a moment and pulled the trigger.


    A loud bang echoed across the entire city, as if lightning had struck, but no one could see any


    lightning.


    When Scar looked at Zon through his scope, he expected to see a fallen man. Instead, what he saw caused his heart to thump louder.


    Zon, with two of his fingers, held the long bullet between his index finger and thumb. He had perfectly caught it.


    "You should have left the noodle shop out of it," Zon said.

 Chapter 868: The Whole Deleters

    Chapter 868: The Whole Deleters


    ?


    For a moment, Scar was allowing his body to freely flow through the air. He had already switched out his sniper rifle, but right now in his hands, there was nothing.


    As he let the wind drag onto his body, he was thinking of the situation he was in.


    ''In all my time since I have been in Pagna, I''ve never met such a person,'' Scar thought. ''To catch a sniper bullet with just their fingers. Even the top Pagna warriors would struggle with that.''


    ''A mage would have to cast some pretty big fancy spell to get rid of it, but the man in front of me hasn''t even moved. Just what is this person?''


    Scar started to think back to all of the missions he had been given even before he had be a Deleter, trying to think if there was ever anyone he hade across like this.


    No one hade to mind, at least not on his missions, but he did remember seeing one person.


    At one point, Henio had called a meeting between the Deleters. All five of them had gathered in a single room in front of the head of Alter.


    The strongest forces that Alter had were gathered in one room. The room was simr to the one Scar had his assessment in; it was vast in size but mostly empty.


    Apart from what looked like a giant clock''s mechanism in the back, a swinging pendulum going side to side.


    Out of those in the room, Scar recognized Garlock from his assessment. The longest-serving Deleter and also the first to obtain the title and the role.


    As for the others, he might have caught their faces now and again, but he didn''t know them by name. Other than Garlock, most of the Deleters were secretive.


    It seemed toe with the job.


    "Since we have recently had a new member join the team, I would like you all to introduce yourselves. Although it is rare for more than one Deleter to be called on a task, there is no doubt in my mind that there maye a situation where all of you will need to work together, so please go ahead."


    The first person to step forward was a man with round sses and curly hair that stuck up on his head. There was the image of the person being somewhat of a mad scientist type.


    If anything, out of all of them, Scar felt like they were the least intimidating.


    "My name is Kush, I am from Alterian, but unlike these, I''m not a mage. I''m a researcher, but rather than looking into the field of magic, I used to look into beast crystals and other dimensions," Kush said as he went back.


    Although Kush didn''t look intimidating, Scar was sure that he was strong. After all, all Deleters needed a certain level of power to be one.


    The next to step up was therge mage Garlock, with his neatly swept-back hair and round shoulders. He didn''t exactly give off the image of a mage, but he was certainly one.


    "The First Deleter of Alter, I was close to also being one of the founding members of Alter along with Henio. If any of you have any issues with your mission or think they will bring you trouble, then feel free toe to me," Garlock said.


    "We can do that?" Scar whispered.


    "Garlock is quite amodating when ites to these things," the only female Deleter in the room said, standing next to him. "Theree times when others are more suited for certain missions.


    "The Programmers don''t really know how to utilize the Deleters well. They only know what''s best to get the goal sorted. So sometimes it''s best for us to decide amongst each other who will be best for big missions."


    In the middle of the two talking to one another, another of the individuals walked forward. Their footsteps were heavy as if their boots weighed a ton each.


    The man had dark pupils, and his ck hair was swept back, reaching his neck. Out of all those there, it was this man that looked the most menacing.


    "I am known as Red. I am from the world of Tronzo," Red dered.


    "Tronzo? I''ve never heard of an otherworlder from there," Scar said.


    "It''s not a surprise," Red replied, hearing Scar despite them being a distance away and him only speaking a whisper. "There is only one in the squads that I know of that is from the same world as me."


    "And they aren''t even aware that I am here either. I am a member of the Red Fortis Army. "As a neer, I have a piece of advice for you. If you evere across another one from Tronzo, it would be best if you let me handle the task."


    Scar was a bit taken aback by the sudden request.


    "Is it because you are from the same world, that you wish to know about them?" Scar said, as that was quite understandable.


    However, Redughed as he walked back to his position.


    "It''s not that. I read your file; I know your skill set and how you fight. If you were ever to meet someone from Tronzo, especially someone from the Red Fortis Army, you would have a difficult time facing them."


    "I''m not saying you''re weak, it''s just not a good match-up."


    Scar smiled back at Red, but he was clenching his jaw on the inside. He felt offended.


    ''It must be because I''m the new Deleter he thinks so little of me. Of course, he has no idea what I''ve done or what I''m capable of. No one would think someone from my world could take on mages either, and before I was even given artifacts from this world, I was able to deal with


    them.''


    ''This guy is just too big-headed, thinking about those from his world.''


    Finally, it was time for thest Deleter to walk forward. Judging by the thin piece of flowy cloth she was wearing, Scar could already guess that she was a Pagna warrior.


    There were quite a few in the group of Alter, but he found it surprising that there would be a Deleter that was one. After all, Deleters were those with the power to eliminate entire ns, even those at the very top.


    So if she was a Pagna warrior, shouldn''t she have been a well-known one?


    "My name is Shay!" the woman said, cing her fist into the palm of her hand and giving a bow to the others. "I am a Pagna warrior, and thest remaining person from the Noctis n."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 869: The Unstoppable Force

    Chapter 869: The Unstoppable Force


    ?


    When the woman revealed what n she was from, Scar had raised an eyebrow. Thinking back to his previous thoughts, a Deleter was meant to be powerful, and yet this woman had imed she was from a n he had never even heard of before.


    On top of that, she said she was thest member of a n he had never heard of, which meant right now she was most likely a wanderer.


    It would be a different thing if she had said she was from the Crimson Crane, a more reputable wandering n.


    When Shay had returned to her position, she nced at the uneasy look on Scar''s face.


    "Although you are not from Pagna, I thought my n would have warranted a better reaction than that," Shay said. "You should do some research, it might help you when you get into tricky situations in the future."


    "I mean, didn''t you have a wife from Pagna?"


    Shay noticed the clenching of Scar''s fist.


    "If you want, I''m happy to prove to you why I was selected as a Deleter."


    After everything that Scar had been through to reach one of the most respected positions in Alter, he thought he would be treated better than this.


    But he knew he was the new member of the group, and he would just have to prove himself.


    After the initial first meeting, Scar had gone on toplete every mission given to him perfectly, and he was ruthless in the methods he used.


    After learning what he had done, the others no longer teased him anymore.


    In the Dark Faction Academy, Scar was floating through the air, and these thoughts had resurfaced in his mind at this moment.


    Then he could see the courtyard and the person in question he was going up against.


    ''Right, he gives off a simr feeling to that man. Now I know why he annoys me so much,'' Scar thought.


    Before reaching the ground, Scar had green and metallic grenades appear in his hands, and he quickly started to drop them to the ground.


    As soon as one dropped from his hand, more would appear, and he continued to drop them from above.


    Theynded right where Zon was, some of them exploding and shooting out shrapnel in multiple directions.


    Others exploded into mes as incendiaries were being used. Others were letting out strong fumes.


    So many objects were dropped from above that none of the students could even see Zon anymore.


    Eventually, before reaching the ground, Scar had teleported himself so he wouldn''t crash into the floor and now was looking at the mess in front of him.


    Eventually, though, heavy footsteps could be heard, and stepping out of the smoke, Zon had appeared unscathed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, his chef''s clothing that he wore hadpletely burnt off, revealing a ck tight skin suit.


    It was a strange thing to see in the world of Pagna, as it didn''t look like any current material they had.


    On top of that, there were strange red circles on the suit glowing with energy. Strange lines ran down the suit, glowing with energy.


    Amir, looking with a keen eye from the side, could see there was next to no gap between the suit on Zon''s body and his skin. It seamlessly went from his neck to the natural skin on his face.


    ''That doesn''t look like clothing or armor, is that part of his skin?''


    Right on the fine edges of his neck, small parts could be seen flicking between his natural skin color and the ck of his suit, as if the suit itself was alive.


    "He did warn me about meeting someone like you," Scar mumbled to himself.


    "You must be someone from that Red Fortis Army."


    Zon''s eyes had widened at that point. Although at times Zon''s words were spoken as if they would be with anger, Zon always spoke in a calm voice, even when talking about his noodle shop.


    It was the first time that a genuine reaction on his face could be seen through the fight. "That name, how do you know that name? Who told you that!"


    Zon was aware of Anna''s existence, that there was someone from his world who was part of Alter, but she was the only one he knew of.


    When speaking to Anna, she had imed she had never met anyone else from the same world as them, on her journeys or in the organization of Alter.


    On top of that, the only ones that should know the name of the Red Fortis Army weren''t even those from their world.


    As it was a secret organization within the army itself. Only those that were told or those part of the army would know about it.


    "Haha, why would I tell you anything when I''m about to blow your brains out!" Scar imed.


    "I am a Deleter, and I have never failed my task."


    "I''ll show them that he was wrong!"


    Handguns didn''t work, sniper rifles didn''t work, RPGs didn''t work, and even grenades and chemical warfare didn''t work.


    Right now, he expected Zon to be on the floor, his eyes in pain, or struggling to breathe, but none of that was working.


    Little did Scar know the system had already warned Zon of everything, and the machines inside his body had gotten rid of any substance that would try to do harm to his body.


    ''There are plenty more things that I can try, and I alwaysplete my missions!'' Scar now had switched weapons in his hands again, and this time he had an assault rifle.


    The shots were fast and more powerful than a handgun. Making sure that it was perfectly ced, he started to fire away.


    The bullets came out fiercely, hitting Zon''s body. As they hit the ck part of his suit, it rippled, changing slightly silver in color, and the bullets dropped to the floor.


    The ck suit extended past Zon''s neck and went over his entire head. The bullets continued to hit Zon, having no effect at all; they just continued to ripple off his body as they hit him


    again and again.


    Then lifting his hand up with his thumb and index finger, he caught a bullet and instantly swung his arm out.


    It happened so fast, bullets were even still hitting Zon, that Scar had no idea until he felt his


    leg jolt, and he fell to the floor on one knee.


    "Arghh!" Scar screamed, and looking at his leg, he could see a bullet wound.


    ''Did he just throw that... and it moved even faster than a gun could fire!''


    "I''m going to do everything in my power to learn where you heard that name," Zon said as he moved forward, an unstoppable force.

 Chapter 870: I Am A Deleter!

    Chapter 870: I Am A Deleter!


    ?


    Scar was trying to think back to thest time he had struggled so much to deal with a single person. Before he had be a Deleter, there were some tough calls.


    Ever since he had been given the special artifact, he hadn''t even been hit once. Even when he first had the artifact and was learning how to properly use everything.


    ''Bullets don''t hurt this guy, grenades don''t hurt this person... every person I''vee across has been hurt one way or another... he can''t be different, he can''t!'' Scar thought.


    Teleporting again, Scar had switched to his handguns, but this time, they contained a special magazine inside. On impact, these bullets would explode, packing a punch of power.


    Moving, Scar fired the bullets, and just as he expected, when Zon went to catch the bullet, it exploded right in his face, causing a ripple effect.


    Now Scar was constantly teleporting around, changing direction at every moment he could, firing these special explosive bullets.


    They were hitting Zon from all sorts of different directions, and when the ck suit rippled just enough, human flesh looked like it could be seen underneath.


    Quickly, Scar switched one of his handguns from the explosive rounds to one that fired out regr bullets. Flowing through the air, it had sessfully hit Zon''s skin.


    It pierced right through, entering his body, and it was the first time he had delivered a shot. "It looks like now the two of us are even," Scar said with a smile.


    "Right, it looks like it," Zon replied back, as the ck suit started to repair itself, moving back into ce. But before it did, right out from his skin, the bullet appeared to be pushed out of his body and dropped to the floor.


    "What the heck are you, are you even human?" Scar screamed as he teleported close to where Zon was, nearly at striking range, and in both hands, he had tworge shotguns.


    He fired away, and heavy bangs went off, but Zon had caught both of the weapons by their barrels and lifted them above his head.


    "Trust me, you don''t want to go up against me at close range," Zon imed.


    Letting go of the shotguns, Scar had teleported again, now with arge dagger in his hand, and struck at Zon. The attack hit his suit but seemed to do nothing.


    Zon quickly turned around to sh him with his energy sword that had reappeared from his palm, but Scar had reappeared in another spot right next to him, shing his suit with his dagger again.


    Constantly, Scar was doing this, teleporting close range and slicing at every part of Zon that he could see.


    ''If bullets won''t work, then I just need to do it the old-fashioned way until I slice right at his neck, let''s see him heal from that!''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Although everyone hated Scar''s guts that were watching the match and wished for him to be dead, they had to admit, what he was doing was short of amazing.


    Even if he had an artifact that allowed him to teleport, to use it in such a way, and to have the bravery to go close to his opponent and strike him constantly, had to take guts, calction, and a natural instinct.


    Unfortunately for him, he was fighting with someone who went beyond just the instinct of a person. When Scar had reappeared and went to sh his dagger once again.


    A fist had already crashed into his arm, not just one arm, but both of his arms. In that instant, the bones inside were fractured; he could see his arms bending in directions they were never meant to bend.


    ''I... have to get away... I''m going to fail the mission at this rate... I''ll die!'' were the thoughts running right through Scar''s head.


    Before he knew it, he could only see a red beam of energy in front of his face, and a strong ripping sensation was felt around the entirety of his body.


    From the outside, it looked like mes had condensed the entirety of Scar''s body, and he wasn''t even aware of this himself.


    His body too hurt, too damaged, had dropped to the floor, and a loud nging sound was heard falling to the side. It was a small metal object with a red gem, around the size of a cockroach.


    Then right above, where Scar could see the sky, the view was quickly blocked out by Zon''s face.


    "The fight is clearly over, so are you going to give me the information that I want?"


    On the floor, Scar''s whole skin looked fried; his mouth was left in perfect condition as if to allow him to speak and nothing else. The artifact he had on him had fallen somewhere, but he was unable to even move part of his body.


    "You think... I would tell you because I''m like this? I''m a f*cking Deleter. I delete everything, getting rid of anything that will hold me back!" Scar said with spiting out of his mouth and hitting his own skin, causing more pain on his body.


    "Thest thing I do would be to tell you the information you want. In this life, everything you get is earned! Everything I know, everything in my head was earned! That''s how I became a Deleter, so screw you! I will never tell you a single thing!"


    "Very well," Zon said as he knelt down and ced his palm on the head of Scar. A small energy de hade out, and immediately Scar''s life hade to aplete end just like that.


    The thing was, Zon could tell if Scar was lying or not, and he could tell what he said was not a lie. He would never give the information that Zon wanted, so there was no need to waste any time.


    Looking to the right of the floor, that''s when Zon picked up what looked like a brooch that went on the front of one''s clothing.


    ''Is this the Artifact that he had used... having this for myself, it mighte in handy,'' Zon thought.


    As Zon stood there holding the item in his hand, he could hear footsteps in the distance, and then running into the main courtyard, Skyler, with a group of people, had arrived at the


    academy.

 Chapter 871: The Strongest Unknown Clan

    Chapter 871: The Strongest Unknown n


    ?


    Doing the task that had been ordered by Zon, Skyler had gotten to work. He had gone into every open shop looking for those that would help. Even if they weren''t physicians or assistants, those who were willing had been brought along.


    There were even a few Pagna wanderers that had juste for a visit who were willing to help. Knowing the severity of the situation, the brave warriors decided that they needed to do what they could to try and get the students out of the academy.


    Heading right through therge open front door, they finally entered the courtyard. Skyler, with around thirty helpers, had entered, and they had immediately stopped.


    Skyler looked up ahead where he caught eyes with Zon in the distance; as for everyone else, they were looking at the mess of the courtyard.


    Blood was smeared across the ground, and some students were clearly crawling for the exit but hadn''t made it. There were so many young people that had been killed.


    "Come on, we have to work quickly!" the old man physician said. "We have to focus on those that can be saved first. After that, we can figure out what to do with the others. In this situation, it''s important-every second counts!"


    The helpers agreed and quickly rushed off in different directions, trying to find which students they could help. It didn''t take them long to discover that there was an even greater mess inside the academy buildings.


    The unfortunate problem that the physicians were finding was that there were so few that could be helped. Each person they did find was a celebration.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bandages were used, and herbs were delivered. The warriors were clearing out the Red Headband building, which had the fewest number of students, and were using it as a ce of treatment.


    All the students that were being treated were being held up in one ce. As things were working out, that was when Skyler looked at Zon.


    He rushed forward.


    "Zon, is everything alright? Is the enemy still here? Is there something we need to look out for, or that I should warn the others?"


    In the middle of Skyler''s run, Zon, who was standing out on the courtyard, had suddenly disappeared. He just vanished right in front of his eyes.


    Skyler''s footsteps had stopped for a moment.


    "Where did he go?" Skyler mumbled to himself.


    "The person responsible for all of this has been dealt with," Zon said.


    Skyler turned around, and Zon was right behind him. It was strange; he knew Zon could do impressive things and was an incredibly strong fighter, but to move like that, to move so fast...


    No, it didn''t seem like Zon had moved at all in Skyler''s eyes, almost as if he had instantly appeared behind him.


    "The device seems easy enough to use; it could benefit me greatly," Zon said to himself. "He was dealt with, so it''s over, this horror is over?" Skyler said as he looked at the entire situation, wondering just who or what could have done all of this-more importantly, why. "How did this even happen? Wasn''t the Dark Magus meant to be at the academy? Why did it get like this?" Skyler asked, angry.


    In some ways, he looked up to the Dark Magus. That was why he hade to the academy, to challenge him. A new leader, a new start. Yet, he wasn''t even able to protect the students of all people in the academy, and in the end, Zon was the one that had to protect them.


    "The Dark Magus was here; this was an enemy that no one was able to handle properly," Zon said. "He is not the one to be med. After I arrived, he has gone on an important task."


    "The ones that you should be ming and directing your anger towards are those that sent these people in the first ce. Besides..."


    Zon stopped himself from going further. He didn''t want to tell Skyler that those they had fought in the shop that day, it was because of their actions that the Deleter was sent from Alter, and the deaths were partly their fault.


    Skyler was still filled with anger, with the sight in front of him. He had already been through the academy, and he couldn''t even imagine what it would be like if a situation like this had urred while he was at the academy.


    "Sir, mister, we would like to say thank you!"


    "Yes, sir, thank you so much for getting rid of that guy!"


    Skyler turned around to look at the voices, and that''s when he could see around twenty to thirty students who had rushed over that were perfectly fine.


    The students were the ones that had been hiding behind the flooring, which they were using for cover. Those that were with Amir, who had headed back into the academy to call on more help from the other teachers for the entire situation at hand.


    "Yeah, I thought we were all goners... I thought nothing could stop him and those strange powers and everything."


    Some of the students were teary-eyed, some felt exhausted as the adrenaline that was running through their bodies was starting to disappear.


    "How were you able to beat that guy? What n are you from?"


    "Yeah, tell us what n you''re from. I''m sure our parents would be appreciative and would love to hand you some gifts!"


    The students were also wondering for themselves. They did wish to get stronger, and seeing what Zon had done, maybe there was a chance to help them grow so they wouldn''t be in the same fearful situation as they were in this time.


    The question that had been asked, Skyler was curious about it as well, so he leaned in, hoping to find out an answer.


    ''Maybe I''ll learn the secret to his strength!''


    "What n?" Zon repeated. "I''m not from any n; I''m a chef at the Perfect Noodle shop." The expression on everyone''s face dropped. What did Zon even mean by saying he was a chef?


    In the Demonic Faction, in a particr cave, sparks ignited, and appearing in the area from the ground, Raze had finally made it.


    As he stood up in the cave, he ced his hand on his chest.


    ''My mana heart... it''s reacting... and my ring as well...''


    Raze remembered the moments before teleporting to the Demonic Faction. Due to all the deaths that had urred from the students, even though he wasn''t responsible for them, for some reason, the strange Dark Magic energy had all formed, and with it, it had entered into Raze''s mana heart.


    His Dark Magic had grown, and it was still pulsating through his body.


    "I have to go to Flendon!"

 Chapter 872: Rainfall

    Chapter 872: Rainfall


    ?


    Out of all the continents, the Demonic Faction''s territory was one that was prone to many different types of extreme weather. At times, they would suffer from ring heat, freezing winters; on other asions, there would be a month filled with thunderstorms without a single break in the day.


    Some thought that this might have been how the ns in the Demonic Faction even got their name. Because anyone who had lived there long enough had to be demonic.


    Sure, now that the structure of their buildings was better, and the fact that they had ways to still grow and transport crops and food, things were fine.


    But that was only due to the people who had originally stayed on thend that was considered uninhabitable in the first ce.


    Regardless of all this, the Demonic Faction was having a nice spell of weather. It allowed the citizens to enjoy their time and venture through the different towns and cities more-that was until this day.


    In the city of Repton, thergest city in the Demonic Faction, the people were out on the busy streets as always, going about their day, buying what they needed.


    Things were rxed in the Demonic Faction, that was until one felt a drop of rain on their nose.


    When staring at the sky, several droplets could be seen, and the rain at that moment started to pour down.


    "It''s raining! Quickly, get the tents up!"


    The merchants were quite quick to act, as they protected their goods, and even the shops would pull overrge pieces of cloth that would cover most of the sides of the streets, allowing people to still enjoy their time outside.


    Some people, especially the warriors, didn''t care for the rain, just letting it drop on their bodies. Due to their enhanced selves, the rain didn''t affect their immune systems.


    Hardly any even came down with diseases despite the amount of people they would interact with, andpared to their training, a bit of rain was nothing.


    The rain didn''t just cover the city of Repton; it was currently over nearly the entire territory of the Demonic Faction, which included the town of Flendon.


    In the city of Repton, a few warriors were walking through one of the streets, allowing the rain to fall on their heads. Their clothes were getting soaked.


    "Is it going to be likest time? Is it going to rain for two weeks straight?"


    "Please, I hope not, otherwise my depression is going to kick in. I need some vitamin D from the sun."


    "What are you talking about? You stay inside either way. Even if it was sunny, you''d still be inside."


    "Hey, you don''t understand. Even if I am inside, if it''s raining outside, it affects my mood, but if it''s sunny, it just cheers me up, you know?"


    "You''re crazy."


    "Hey, guys," one of the young warriors said, holding his hand out. "I think the rain just stopped."


    "What? That''s impossible. The rain never stops that quickly; it only started five minutes ago." When the group looked around them, that''s when they noticed something even stranger. They could see the rain falling, the drops causing ripples in the small pools of water.


    It was only where they were standing that the rain had stopped. In this amazement, they hadn''t even noticed the person approaching them with almost glowing white hair.


    "I need to know the quickest way to the town of Flendon," the man asked.


    "Flendon? I don''t think it''s a good idea. I heard there are rumors any day now that the Behemoth n is going to attack."


    "I think they might be in the middle of it already," another replied. "I haven''t seen the usual Behemoth n members around here."


    "Anyway, it''s not a good idea to head there, man."


    "Please, I don''t have time," the white-haired man said, staring right into the eyes of one of the men in the center. For some reason, the man felt like everything was sinking; he was being suffocated, and it was getting harder to breathe.


    "The quickest way is to head out of the west gate, and there should be a path that would lead you there, but you can just ignore the general path...and try to go as straight as you can to get there," the warrior answered.


    His friends started to wonder why he had told him. No one would go there after learning that the Behemoth n was attacking such a ce.


    But they hadn''t felt the same suffocating feeling he had, and when they turned to look back at the man, they could see he was no longer there.


    "Where the heck did he go?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They all looked around at the market stalls nearby, in the shops, but the man was nowhere to be seen. He had just disappeared in front of them.


    That was when the one who answered the white-haired man''s questions held out his hand again, and he could see the rain drops falling once more.


    "Hey, did you notice? The rain has started again."


    The others noticed it too, as it hit their clothes, but a passerby who was walking by overheard the group speaking.


    "What are you on about? The rain never stopped."


    The strange experience the group had, they didn''t understand, but one had a thought: just maybe the rain had stopped due to the individual with the bright white hair.


    Raze had already exited the city of Repton from the west gate. He continued to move through the rain, but not a single drop wasnding on him.


    As he moved at quick speeds using his Qi, he grabbed onto his chest, continuing to move forward.


    ''What is this pain in my chest? Is it all of the Dark essence that was absorbed? Is it possible that my mana heart is going on to the next star?''


    The magic was swirling out of Raze, the mana in the air swirling so violently that he was unable to control it. His Dark Magic was practically destroying the rain in the area, not allowing a single drop to get on him.


    "But not now, this is not a good time. No matter what, I need to get to the fight as fast as possible!"

 Chapter 873: Strike Of Love

    Chapter 873: Strike Of Love


    ?


    The raindrops wereing down heavily, and it was filling the battlefield in front of the town of Flendon. The hard ground was bing muddy, making everything more exhausting for those fighting.


    Lifting one''s feet and even just dragging one''s body became harder. They had been constantly fighting, and the added weight to their clothes was just making it harder.


    At least, this was the case for those that weren''t typically Pagna warriors.


    The guards that had fought with the Crimson Cranest time had some form of Qi inside them, but they were still amateurspared to those they were going against.


    Dealing with the rain was quite easy for them, but for the guards and the town''s people, they were finding it difficult.


    One man swung his sword, his body weight causing him to lunge forward, and then he slipped on the ground,nding in the mud.


    When the man looked up, he could see a warrior with a sword in his hands ready to end his life. The sword was swung down, but a loud ng was heard.


    Right after, the man that had just swung the sword was seen flying through the air.


    "We can''t keep fighting in this rain!" Tilon shouted. "Everyone, we need to retreat!"


    The others from the Crimson Crane could hear Tilon''s loud voice, and he wasn''t the only one that hade to the same conclusion.


    All members that were leading a squad had decided to move back. They couldn''t continue going in deeper anymore. So slowly, they started to back away as best as they could, until they reformed back in front of the gate.


    When Alba had returned with her squad, along with the others, she could see their numbers had lessened by a bigger margin this time-around 1400 of them were still present, and two hundred of them were on the walls firing arrows away.


    Alba looked out to the battlefield. There were too many people in front of them, so she couldn''t even catch wind of where Rayna and the others were, so she could only believe in them.


    "Alright, now''s the time!" Alba said, raising one of her swords in the air. "If you feel exhausted and have reached your limit, take the pills given to you by the Dark Magus, we will continue to hold out!"


    The Crimson Crane members had the Cursed pills, but they were just taking the regr pills for now, restoring their Qi. Staying in one spot and gathered together, they couldst longer this way.


    However, it was harder for them to move about and strike. Using this decision to guard in front of the gate meant that they had no choice but to rely on those that were deep within the enemy territory.


    "We have a huge target to hit. We have to keep giving support!" Andy shouted from the walls. "Continue to fire deep into enemy territory, ignore the front line for now, I don''t want us hitting our own men!"


    While the intense battle was taking ce, moving closer and closer to the walls of Flendon, inside, Rayna and Anna were still fighting against Umonke.


    Thanks to Anna''s nning, she was able to get them in a favorable position. They had one member of the Behemoth n, a middle-stage warrior, under their control, and they were using the special golden headband artifact.


    They were slowly wearing Umonke down, but the one that needed to deal the biggest andsting strike in Anna''s n was Rayna.


    "You have the strongest attack of us all, so you need to finish this!" Anna said as she charged forward.


    Umonke held onto his sword tightly, and right when he saw Annaing in, he swung it sharply through the air. Anna managed to sidestep just at the right moment.


    ''She moved before I even swung down. Even though I''m faster than her, it''s almost as if she can see my moves!'' Umonke thought.


    Umonke could hear a sword striking at his neck desperately, and he lifted his sword to block it. Just as he did, though, he lost sight of Anna, no longer seeing her in front of him.


    "Just focus everything you can on attacking!" Anna shouted.


    Several sts released from her hands, hitting Umonke on the back and pushing him forward. He wished to turn around, but just as he was about to, he could see Rayna was already in front of him.


    Three people attacking Umonke-already hurt and being pushed forward. His mind was unclear, uncertain of what the best course of action would be.


    "ARGHH! You should have never attacked Flendon! You should have learned your lesson the first time!" Rayna screamed as she thrust the spear right through Umonke''s chest.


    The sword was upon her, close to her neck, lightly touching her skin.


    Anna peeked her head from behind Umonke''s body and could see the blood dripping from his mouth, and eventually, his body fell to the side.


    Another one of the Behemoth n''s pirs had fallen.


    "It''s done..." Rayna said, breathing a sigh of relief, opening her mouth to let the rain hit her tongue. "We finally did it."


    "Yeah... but his sword was faster than my calctions," Anna said, as the system was wrong. The sword moving at Umonke''s speed shouldn''t have touched Rayna, yet she had a small cut on the surface of her neck.


    ''The system can only calcte based on what it sees and make predictions, but it''s not perfect. Umonke must have drawn out more power at thest moment. It''s best to keep this to myself. I only got Rayna involved in the n because the system stated it was sure to work.'' It was the first time for Anna that the system had failed her in such a way.


    Right after seeing that Umonke, the pir, had fallen, the man with the golden headband ran forward, facing Anna.


    "I did as you asked, now can you please take this headband off¡ª" the man''s sentence was cut short as Anna swiped her hand, cutting his neck.


    The man fell to the floor, and right after, the headband expanded, allowing her to pick it up.


    "I know they''re the enemy, but he did help us out in the fight," Rayna said as she came over. Although they had defeated one of the pirs, they were still deep in the Behemoth n''s


    army.


    "If he had the chance, he would have killed us in a heartbeat for his fake glory and achievements that this n has," Anna replied. "Besides, the only way to take off this headband is to kill the person wearing it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "At least, that''s the only way I know of, and I have a feeling that we might need to use this headband more."

 Chapter 874: 30 Minutes, is all thats left

    Chapter 874: 30 Minutes, is all that''s left


    ?


    Having defeated one of the pirs had only given Anna and Rayna a brief moment to rest. Having seen what urred, the Behemoth n members were hesitant to go forward.


    After all, none of them, even with their overwhelming numbers, would have dared to go against Umonke, so if they wouldn''t go against him, why would they face those that managed to best him?


    However, it only took a few to start their chain of attack, deciding they had confidence in their numbers and convincing themselves that the two must be tired.


    It only made sense, after two titans finished fighting each other, the other had to be tired, and they were quite right in their thoughts.


    "I thought you guys would understand the error of your ways!" Rayna said as she thrust her spear and twisted it in the air.


    The twist of her spear was filled with Qi, and several of those that had attacked her were warped with the hit. At least five individuals were dragged into the air and then flung to the side, crashing into other members that were attacking.


    "Can you go ahead and try to figure out the current situation?" Rayna asked.


    However, Anna was in her own mess. She moved back, allowing two swords to strike each other, then when a third person tried to whack her from behind, she spun and pushed the man into the other three.


    ''I''m in energy-saving mode at the moment, trying to mostly create situations where they hurt each other... I could do with some power stones... otherwise, I might start holding the others back,'' Anna thought.


    With the number of people she was fighting, even Anna couldn''t figure out what to do in the current situation.


    Her ears, though, managed to pick up several groans. With how deep they were fighting against the Behemoth n, there shouldn''t be any sounds of fighting, especially since the Crimson Crane with the guards had retreated closer to the wall.


    "ARGHH!" a man shouted as he was flung through the air with a broken sword.


    Looking in the direction where the man hade from, she could see three young men had appeared.


    "I''m telling you this is the quickest way!" Mantis imed.


    "How can that be when I can literally see the wall to the right of us!" Madained.


    "I have to admit, there does seem to be fewer people here," Ricktor said.


    It was then that the three stopped their bickering as they noticed the two women in front of them.


    "Now it might make sense why there''s less people here," Ricktor said, looking at the dead bodies on the ground. "And it appears that they''ve been quite sessful."


    The Behemoth n members didn''t stop, and they continued to attack. Mantis, Mada, and Ricktor fought their way until they eventually managed to regroup with Anna and Rayna.


    "It appears the two of you have managed to take out another Pir," Ricktor said as he swung his hand in the air, creating mes, and then swung his sword on the ground.


    The floor lit on fire, and it quickly spread to the clothing of those fighting anding toward them.


    "The other one?" Rayna replied. "Based on those words, you guys managed to defeat a Pir as well."


    "Of course we did!" Mantis said. "And it was mainly because of me, the ck Tiger! Spread the word, the ck Tiger has taken down the Behemoth n!"


    While Rayna continued to fight, she was thinking about the three of them. When she was their age, would she have been able to do such a feat as defeating one of the Pirs?


    They were going against those with much greater experience and a far longer life to live and grow stronger. In all honesty, she had thought the students would fail and would be best at just dying them as long as possible.


    It was the same with the Pir they had gone against as well. She half expected them to be pushed back until reaching the wall, and then the Crimson Crane would have to deal with them as they had been weakened.


    Yet everyone had aplished more than she had expected.


    ''Is this because of the Dark Magus? Is this the effect of himing here to Pagna? It really feels like one person is changing the status of the world so much.''


    "So, both of the Pirs have been defeated, but it looks like it hasn''t changed the situation much," Mada said.


    "Right, the Behemoth n are still pushing forward," Anna replied. "But with this, it will stop them from being able to push right to the wall."


    "There won''t be any left that can take on the Crimson Crane, so the only thing they can do is tire them out with their sheer numbers."


    "And will that work?" Rayna asked. "Will the Crimson Crane eventually tire out?"


    Anna looked at just those who were there. Everyone was already exhausted. How much longer could they fight for-thirty minutes maybe, at best?


    With the heavy rain, strategy had already changed. But how was this information valuable to them, who were doing their best?


    In the end, though, Anna felt like she needed to inform the others of the reality of the


    situation.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "30 minutes¡ªthat''s how long I think everyone willst. After that, the Behemoth n will reach the walls, and everyone will be too exhausted to fight."


    "30 minutes? Then that means we only have one choice, right?" Ricktor said, looking at Rayna. "The only thing that will make this army retreat is taking down Sha Mo before they reach the wall."


    Everyone was in agreement, but with how hard it was for them to take down a Pir, they weren''t so hopeful about taking on Sha Mo.


    Elsewhere on the battlefield, three individuals were standing right before the monstrous Sha Mo, who was staring them down.


    "I can''t believe the times have changed," Sha Mo imed. "The fact that three children of all things would even try to stand in front of me!"


    "Everyone!" Safa shouted. "Don''t hold back, don''t lose focus! We can''t give any less than 200 percent!"

 Chapter 875: The Dark Maguss Shield

    Chapter 875: The Dark Magus''s Shield


    ?


    The battlefield stayed clear of the area where Sha Mo stood. Because no one wanted to get caught up in his fight. His Qi, his attack power, it was all too much for them.


    It was a risk to even try to help Sha Mo due to how reckless his Qi was.


    "The disrespect kids have in this generation is unfathomable!" Sha Mo lifted his leg, and the motion almost looked like he was about to perform the first descending step.


    As it mmed on the floor, the Qi shook the entire ground at least five kilometers out in every direction from where he was.


    The Behemoth n members were stumbling, trying to get back on their feet, and for Safa, Simyon, and Liam, they were affected worse by it, falling to the floor, using their hands just to keep themselves up.


    "This is just his Qi; his damned Qi feels like it could take out the whole of the Behemoth n!" Liam said as he struggled to push himself up. "It''s no wonder none of them retreated, and they all looked so scared of him."


    As the group looked up, though, before they could even stand, they saw arge fisting towards them. Although Sha Mo was a big person, he was still human. The name "giant" was just because of hisrger-than-average size, but he was nothingpared to the beasts and monsters that others might face in the dimension.


    Yet something strange had urred as they all looked at Sha Mo''s hand. The Qi surrounding his fist started to form an image. They weren''t sure if it was an illusion or just his visual Qi. But the fist of a giant appeared to be heading their way, ready to sweep all three of them.


    ''I have to, I have to protect them. I''m the shield of this group!'' The first to get up on his feet was Simyon, and he sprinted ahead of the other two.


    The power of the Cursed earring was activated, and Simyon braced himself as he got into position. At that point, the giant fist was seen mming right into Simyon.


    Therge wave of Qi extended past Simyon and even hit some of the warriors still pushing forward, heading to the wall of Flendon.


    They toppled, falling on top of each other, and in some cases, their weapons had impaled those they fell on. It was so abrupt and a powerful force for them.


    Yet Simyon was standing there, clearly having taken Sha Mo''s fist.


    "Kuk!" Simyon coughed as he felt everything in his body, including his insides, and blood dripped out of his mouth onto his body.


    "Pull him out, the Qi, it''s going to suffocate him!" Safa shouted.


    However, the reason the Qi hadn''t reached them was because Simyon had taken it all, the full extent of the hit. Those that nced at Sha Mo''s fist were surprised at what had urred.


    Sha Mo''s strength and techniques were so powerful that when used against even low-stage middle warriors, a hit would stter their bodies as if they were truly hit by that of a giant. Limbs and organs would be removed, and their whole body ripped apart.


    "Haha!" Simyon said with a cheeky smile. "For a leader of a Demonic n, your fists are quite light."


    Right now, Simyon''s body was that of the Mythical Level. His body had the construct more of a weapon than that of a warrior. Using his Qi, he could strengthen it just like one could a weapon.


    This was why, even though he wasn''t a skilled warrior, his body was incredibly strong and sturdy and next to unbreakable, but it was quite clear he had taken some damage from the hit as well.


    "You should be proud that it will take two hits to finish you off!" Sha Mo shouted as his other fist swung, and just like thest, it appeared as if a giant fist wasing right at him. "Great sh!" Safa shouted as she lifted up her spear. The point shined so bright, and light shed out, blinding nearly everyone that was there.


    Sha Mo was unable to see for a moment, but that didn''t stop him from swinging his fist, as momentster, he heard the cries of many.


    When the light finally faded, Sha Mo was able to see in front of him a whole line of men eliminated, and that was by his own fist. At least two hundred had to have been killed by the power of his punch alone.


    He scoffed in disgust.


    "Where are those brats? They think they can win this fight with poor tricks."


    Turning his head, he was quite surprised to see they had moved quite a distance away. Not only that, but the student he had hit was looking a lot better, standing perfectly fine as if he hadn''t been hurt at all.


    Although Sha Mo wasrge, he was by no means slow. He had great power, speed, and more, because he was a high-stage middle warrior.


    The punch shouldn''t have been able to be avoided even if he was blinded at thest moment. "Please don''t make it so close next time," Liam said as he wielded two of his dual swords. They looked different from before, curved and slightly jagged, while closer to the sword guard, there was arge circr green glowing hole on the end.


    Safa ced her hand on Simyon, having mostly healed him. With the Lux Spear in her possession, she was able to heal him rtively well.


    "His Qi stumbled us, but just like I said before, we have to do this, we have to fight, and prove that we will no longer get in Raze''s way!"


    "Right," Simyon said as he banged his fists together, and around his neck, strange beads started to glow in an array of different colors.


    Simyon thought back to when Amir had given them the task to take out the various ns in the Dark Faction.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "All of you should take note. I have given you certain ns because of the information we have gathered. I have evaluated all of your strengths, especially you three.


    "I have been with you for quite some time, so I have chosen based on your skills the best artifacts that can be used to enhance your powers!" Amir imed.


    The right of Simyon''s glove started to electrify, the enchanted item that Raze had made for him. He then slowly ced it on the beads around his neck, and before he knew it, his entire body was lighting up with blue lightning all over.


    "We are the ones that took over the Dark Faction. Raze is now the leader of the Dark Faction, and I am the shield that will be there to protect him!"

 Chapter 876: Lightning Body

    Chapter 876: Lightning Body


    ?


    The entirety of Simyon''s body was glowing light blue, small sparks of energying off it. Even Liam had to admit that Simyon looked somewhat cool right now.


    As if a god had descended upon Pagna to protect them. The energy and power surging through him were impressive.


    "You think some fancy tricks are going to fool me!" Sha Mo shouted as a giant fist wasunched toward the group.


    In the middle of a swing by Sha Mo, Simyon had jumped from his position and zapped right to the fist. His body crashed into it and held it in ce.


    The fist was still moving forward, which showed the sheer power Sha Mo had, but Simyon was faring a lot betterpared to before.


    "Come on, we have to keep moving as well. Simyon''s just slowing down the fists so we can act," Safa ordered.


    As she quickly swooped around, running to the side, Sha Mo saw this and moved quickly, pulling his fist back, this time heading for Safa.


    Before it reached her, though, Simyon was right there in front of her. His body blocked the punch. Sha Mo went to kick, and Simyon zapped his body to the position again.


    Sha Mo quickly used foot techniques, sidestepping around Simyon, and reached where Liam was now. Sha Mo had both hands held together and went to hammer them down.


    Just then, Liam felt himself being pushed back, and instead, in his ce, Simyon had zapped to the location, holding up both fists above.


    Simyon''s knees were bent, he was gritting his teeth, and it felt like the whole world was being pushed onto his shoulders. As he opened his mouth and continued to bear the grunt, blood could be seen slightly dripping from his mouth.


    Safa tried to move around Sha Mo, who was seemingly ignoring Simyon, and she was gesturing for Liam to do the same.


    ''We have to focus. With Simyon in his new body state, we have to believe that he can block any attacksing our way, and just go for it!'' Safa thought.


    ''Simyon told me a bit about his new abilities. The beads around his neck seem to link up with all his other items. They were discovered inside some type of sword that could absorb the properties of elements and change the sword.''


    ''It didn''t do much for Pagna warriors, but Simyon''s body is more like that of a sword than a warrior. His earring can also take in special traits of magic, it seems.''


    ''With his thunder glove, he can store the energy in the beads. It changes the state, and with his earring, it seems to have affected his entire body.''


    ''It makes me think that Amir might have quite a good understanding of artifact magic and other things as well. However, Simyon''s body is still as strong as it is.''


    ''His lightning body is increasing his speed, giving him stronger attack power, but he still can''t overwhelm Sha Mo. So with every hit he blocks, he''s getting hurt!''


    ''I''ll trust in you, Simyon!'' Safa thought as she charged in, kicking off her feet.


    The end of her spear was lighting up until the whole head was bright. Her magic and Qi condensed to one point, and she thrust it forward.


    At the same time, Sha Mo went to throw a punch from above, but zapping around, Simyon was there taking the hit. Safa pushed the spearhead, hitting right into the center of Sha Mo''s stomach.


    At the same time, Liam was able to know Safa''s movements thanks to the system, and he was now in the air, holding the sword, ready to strike from above.


    As Liam swung his sword down, Sha Mo moved his head to the side, and the sword crashed onto his shoulder. Powerful Qi was stopping the attack, and it was the same with the spear as well.


    Safa was pushing, and even with the strength of the powerful spear, it was unable to pierce the stomach of Sha Mo.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You are all fools!" Sha Mo said, spinning his body. A leg was raised to kick Liam in the air, while a fist was ready to hit Safa.


    At that moment, Simyon used all his speed to zap himself through the air, blocking the punch and taking the brunt of the pain for Safa.


    Right after he had taken the hit, he quickly moved to where the leg was to hit Liam.


    Simyon, taking the full brunt of the kick and just having been punched, had his whole body shot to the ground and bounced across the floor.


    Liam ced his sword, digging it into the ground, and quickly rushed off while Safa had pulled back as well.


    ''Simyon, he''s too hurt! We''ve only managed to survive this long because of him.''


    Safa, although in a different position and far away, then thrust her spear forward again, and a beam of light hit Simyon on the ground.


    In almost an instant, Simyon could feel the soreness in his body starting to disappear. The pain was going, and the energy wasing back to him.


    He got off the ground, and it didn''t take long for him to feel as good as new again.


    Simyon looked at himself, still in his lightning body state, and looked over at where Safa was. When the two made eye contact, Safa gave a nod.


    ''I''ve increased my Light magic powers exponentially, focusing on them rather than my Qi,'' Safa thought. ''With the Lux Spear, this has be one of my strongest traits.''


    ''If your body breaks down, I''ll keep healing you. I''ll fix you again and again, so you can continue being the shield of this entire group.''


    "If he''s the shield, and you''re the one fixing everything, then I guess it''s time for the sword to do something!" Liam said as he swung his fingers in the green ring of his de.


    As he did this, the sword started to split apart. Something had broken off from it and began to float in the air.


    This continuously happened until there were now eight of the same swords floating right above Liam''s head. Not only that, but then Safa noticed, all across the battlefield on the ground, the same sword had been stuck on the floor, all in different locations.


    "You two weren''t the only ones that were getting stronger," Liam said.

 Chapter 877: 15 Minutes Left

    Chapter 877: 15 Minutes Left


    ?


    Since the fight had started with Sha Mo, Liam had been preparing in advance. He had learned a lot from fighting alongside Anna.


    The system was great at gathering information anding up with the best solution to fight, the best techniques to use against the enemy when countering.


    But it could only make do with what it had. The system would be unaware of certain variables, and at times it was the user that needed to act.


    Which was why throughout the fight, he had been carefully cing swords into the ground.


    When they first met Sha Mo, when running around, and even when Simyon was taking the full brunt of the attacks.


    However, if one were to look at Liam, he only possessed two swords in his hands. He neither had a ce to store extra items or objects like that of Raze.


    This was all because of the special artifact that he had managed to obtain, and they were the new weapons in his hands.


    When going from n to n, the one Liam had been to, he hade across these strange weapons.


    He had fought against the leader of the n at the time, who had used them, so Liam was already aware of what they could do.


    The Dark Faction n leader had used them along with his Qi as throwing items. The des could clone themselves with a touch of the center of the ring.


    In doing so, it would take a part of the user''s Qi each time.


    With Liam''s system, he was able to avoid the extra des and even deflect quite a few with his various martial arts.


    When he obtained the weapons created by the artifact, he was quite disappointed.


    The weapons were sturdy and certainly better than what one could normally buy. A top cksmith could perhaps make the same quality of weapons, but the weapons themselves didn''t give the user any extra power.


    What was the use of a weapon that could clone itself? Other than using it the same way his opponent had done?


    If anything, it would take up Liam''s Qi. Relying on the system would be the best way, and even with the weapons, the system had known no better what to do with them.


    In the end, though, it was his allies, his friends Safa and Simyon, that caused him to push himself into thinking further ahead.


    They hade back often, talking about how much of a genius Amir was. He had figured everything out with the artifacts they had obtained.


    It was quite possible that Amir was wrong about an artifact being useful for Liam, but nheless, he continued to try and find a way, and it hade to him.


    Out on the field, Liam had eight des hovering over his back, spread out like the face of a clock.


    In his hands, the weapons were still present along with those on the floor.


    "You have strong Qi, but you avoided my attack from earlier, so my guess is you can''t keep your Qi everywhere over your body to protect yourself. Well, prepare yourself for my attack that can''t be avoided!" As Liam finished his monologue, he pointed one of the des in his hand forward.


    Right at that moment, the swords that were floating on his back all went toward Sha Mo. It wasn''t just them, though. The swords on the ground moved, all heading toward Sha Mo from every direction, and they had done so at an incredibly fast speed.


    There were so many swords in the air, it truly was a strike that couldn''t be blocked.


    ''This is my answer, this is what I came up with, this is what you wanted from me, right Amir?'' Liam thought.


    Just like with Simyon, there was more that Liam was able to do. He had his special earrings allowing him to retract and repel objects.


    The thing was, he only had two earrings, which meant he could only retract and repel the two swords in his hands.


    Through his hardships, though, he had figured out that when cloning the weapon, the earrings treated the weapon as the same weapon.


    This gave him much more versatility in the use of his powers. One sword ced by Sha Mo''s feet, and as for the rest, he could attract the swords to that position, making it so they all went and struck him at the same time.


    He had even figured out some special uses while fighting, allowing the swords to slightly repel above him and stay in the air.


    While fighting with his two swords, he could even attract one to where he struck, giving him another ce to attack.


    With an enemy like Sha Mo, though, Liam felt like it was best to stay as far away as possible from him.


    ''Thanks to the system as well, I was able to calcte every position. From here, there''s nowhere for you to escape.''


    All the swords touched Sha Mo''s body, including the bare skin on his face. They stayed there only for a moment before falling right to the floor, doing no damage at all.


    Liam stood there with his sword pointed at Sha Mo.


    "Well, that''s it, we''re screwed!" Liam said. "If my sword can''t pierce him and your spear can''t, then how are we meant to beat this giant meatball?"


    "We have to find a way!" Simyon said. Although he was doubtful, Sha Mo''s Qi was just too strong for them to face.


    "What, with you just constantly blocking his attacks? Maybe his fist will eventually get sore, and he can bleed to death from his knuckles!"


    "Liam, you''re not helping the situation!" Safa shouted, which finally got him to shut up.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However, she too felt the frustration. They had all trained incredibly hard; they had gone through a lot. Even now, they were able to best n Heads.


    None of them were weak by any means, it was just that the jump in the level of opponent for them this time was too much.


    "Well, maybe with all of us, we can wear him down enough so something gets through,"


    Ricktor said, walking forward.


    Safa, looking to her left, could see Ricktor, Mada, and Mantis. When she turned to her right, Rayna and Anna were there as well.


    "15 minutes," Anna said. "We have to beat him in 15 minutes."

 Chapter 878: No Time Left

    Chapter 878: No Time Left


    ?


    "You kids have taken a lot on your shoulders," Rayna said. "Even though this isn''t your fight to begin with."


    When speaking those words, Rayna was speaking with anger. She hated it, hated that she had to rely on those around her. This was her town, given to her by her father. She needed to protect it, and everyone was getting dragged into this fight.


    "This is our fight," Safa said. "Don''t think too much about it. We are here to help Raze, and Raze has decided to protect this ce."


    "Speaking of Raze, where is that guy? Shouldn''t he have just been right behind us? He''s nowhere to be seen," Mada said, turning his head left and right, but there was no one in sight.


    "What is this?" Sha Mo said, his voice booming loud. He looked at all of those in front of him, and he recognized quite a few of them.


    Rayna, a member of the Neverfall n, arge number of students that had appeared during the Martial Arts Tournament. There were those who were even by the Dark Magus''s side when taking part in the tournament, which Sha Mo somewhat expected.


    Seeing Mantis as well, great confusion was filling sha Mo''s mind.


    "I knew there was something going on, a worm has managed to enter our Demonic Faction and is trying to break us. I''m sure today will go down in history as the day that we, the Behemoth n, stopped this traitorous act!" Sha Mo eximed, punching his chest with one hand.


    Powerful Qi surged out, hitting everyone like a strong gust of wind. Safa, Simyon, and Liam had felt this Qi a few times before. For the others, it was the first.


    "You three were fighting against this guy?" Madamented. "I''m surprised yousted so long."


    "If you want, I think we could give you a rematch when we''re back at the academy," Liammented. "Even without Raze, I think things would turn out a bit differently this time." Mada scoffed at this remark but never kept his eyes off Sha Mo for a moment. None of them did. They felt like they were trapped in a cage with arge rampant beast that would consume them the second they broke their concentration.


    "Do you think we''ll be easy?" Mantis imed. "I can see the look-you''re so proud, iming your n is hot crap. Well, your pirs have already fallen to us, and today, you will fall as well! The Behemoth n will fall today to the ck Tiger!"


    The moment Mantis said that, arge wave of Qi and a giant fist came out fast, ready to hit Mantis.


    However, zapping right in front of the fist was Simyon once again with his lightning body. His feet dug into the ground as he attempted to push the fist back, but all he could do was slow it down.


    "Well, are you guys going to do something or what? Attack him!" Simyon yelled, every cell in his body in pain.


    Everyone quickly moved from their position andunched a full-scale attack on Sha Mo.


    Sha Mo brought his fists back as he saw Ricktor with a sword filled with mesing at him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sha Mo waved his hand, and Qi moving through the air swept the mes away and even slowed Ricktor''s descent.


    Right after that, Sha Mo stomped his foot on the ground, and it temporarily seized the attacks of the others as they felt the Qi running through their bodies.


    There was only one person that could still move, which was Rayna, who dived forward with her spear. She thrust it forward, but Sha Mo managed to catch it.


    "I don''t think holding onto that spear is a good idea!" Mada said as he jumped out from a position behind Sha Mo and swung his leg, kicking him right in the side of the head.


    The strength of the attack-a visible impact-could be seen as a ripple of air exploded on the other side of Sha Mo''s head.


    Still holding onto Rayna''s spear, Sha Mo tried to lift her and move it, but he noticed she was unable to move, so instead, he just spun his body, mming the back of his fist into Mada.


    His body crashed onto the floor. His ribs felt like they had shattered with the single attack as he bounced and coughed out blood.


    "I need to heal them! I need to heal those that are getting hurt!" Safa remained behind, then pointed her spear toward Mada on the ground, and the healing had started.


    Thankfully, Sha Mo was busy facing the others that were able to move now-Mantis attacking in his beast mode, and Anna and Liam working together, connecting the system like before to attack Sha Mo.


    Hits were getting in like the attack Mada made on Sha Mo, but they were unsure whether or not it was doing any damage.


    "Keep fighting! We have to keep fighting!" Safa said.


    While the fighting was continuing, Sha Mo was hitting the members one by one. Simyon was stopping the more vital attacks, but in turn, right after, he would need to be healed.


    As the others were hit, Safa would continue to heal them. She could just shoot a beam of light magic through her spear as long as she thrust it in the general direction.


    It was because of her that everyone was still able to fight, that everyone was still able to keep going. If she wasn''t there, then all of those fighting would have already been dealt with.


    However, it wasn''t as if her own magic and mana were limitless. She was huffing and puffing, running in the back, avoiding the eye of Sha Mo, and healing those as she could.


    "Safa!" Simyon said as he zapped to her and managed to catch her before she fell. "You can''t just keep healing everybody."


    "But... they''re still fighting. Everyone''s still fighting," Safa imed.


    "Useless, useless, useless!" Sha Mo imed as he smiled and stopped trying to hit the others for a moment. Instead, he looked off into the distance, and his grin had only gottenrger.


    Anna, looking at the direction Sha Mo was looking, could tell why the grin on his face was so


    large.


    "The fifteen minutes are up."

 Chapter 879: A Selfish Decision

    Chapter 879: A Selfish Decision


    ?


    ording to the calctions Anna had made with her system, it would take thirty minutes until the Behemoth n reached the town of Flendon''s wall.


    Even with the Crimson Crane and the guards pushing themselves to the limit with their weapons, along with the pills used, they had alreadysted far longer than any of them expected.


    Although the guards might still not have fallen, nor had the Crimson Crane, Anna could only imagine how exhausted they were, and she was right.


    At the wall of the town of Flendon, Anna''s prediction wasing true. The Crimson Crane had decided to take the brunt of the force.


    They had gathered, making a turtle-like formation in front of the guards. They were already weak, some of them even dropping their weapons in battle.


    They had fought hard enough, and the Crimson Crane was doing what they could to keep on fighting.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Arghh!" Tilon shouted, as he blocked a sword strike, and then, with his feet, he pushed forward. His technique allowed him to rush, and he pushed back around twenty or so members.


    "Tilon''s like the only one with strength still!" Lily said. The skin around her hand had already been ripped off from fighting nonstop with the spear.


    "It''s the shield," Reno said. "He gets the energy from those attacking, but the problem now is, there''s next to no one to stop him from being attacked from behind!"


    Members of the Behemoth n had jumped from behind, trying to get to Tilon, but Kizer, with hisrge sword, swung from above, cutting right through a de and another Behemoth n member.


    "Stop doing stupid things!" Kizer shouted. "We need to stay together, just focus on blocking!"


    Kizer and Tilon returned back to the others, but that''s when they could see things were useless.


    "We can''t reach them anymore," Cronker said. "I can''t get them back from the wall."


    They could see that the Behemoth n, with theck of arrows firing, were just running up the wall itself. Cronker and his team of fighters had been taking care of those scaling the wall, but they were unable to move.


    The muscles in their legs wouldn''t allow it anymore.


    "Keep going, we are winning this fight!" Andy said as he swung his sword and shed with one of the warriors who jumped up from the wall.


    He was pushed back and fell into a group of guards. Andy was not a professional Pagna warrior, only someone who was recruited in thest fight.


    Even with special weapons, there wasn''t much that he could do.


    As for the people, there was next to no surge of energy in front of them. The strength of the 2000 had lost around six hundred so far in the fight and had taken out over six thousand of the enemy.


    It was an incredible achievement, something that would seem impossible with their numbers when fighting against warriors.


    But it still wasn''t enough. The enemy still had ten thousand strong, and now next to all of them were scaling the wall.


    The warrior charged forward again, and in doing so, he lifted his sword, ready to strike Andy down. Mid-swing, the sword was stopped as sticky white substance had surrounded it.


    Right after, a fist hade out, hitting the man in the stomach and sending him flying back from the wall.


    "Argh, what is that!" one of the guards called out.


    What they were witnessing was some type of creature of sorts, one with arge number of arms and a strange spider-like mouth.


    "Is that... Dame? What is he doing here?" Alba asked. "Does that mean... is he here?" Dame had quickly started to swing his arms, using the power of his special gauntlets. Qi sts were leaving his hands, hitting the warriors off the wall, constantly sending them flying back. Dame then jumped up to the wall, and with his mouth, started to shout out the substance, wrapping the enemies'' hands, tying them up to their swords.


    From where Dame was, he continued to fling his fists as he made sure no one else was able to scale the wall.


    ''I waited and waited, I hoped I could bring you to Flendon as quickly as possible, but I don''t know what happened. I couldn''t just leave these guys,'' Dame thought. ''I had to help them.'' Fixteen, who was also fighting on the top of the wall, looked at Dame with admiration. Even though he was a hybrid, he didn''t care about that for a second.


    He was just amazed that, for the first time, he saw Dame acting out, protecting people and fighting.


    However, even with the addition of Dame, there would be warriors that would stille through and fight. It was at that moment that he could hear a groaning from his side.


    He quickly rushed over to the small-framed girl.


    "Froma, Froma, you''re awake."


    Froma opened her eyes slowly. She still felt strange, like a shiver was inside her entire body. What stood out to her, though, were the constant screams that she could hear.


    The sound of fighting continued.


    "Froma... I don''t want to ask you this, but we''re in a dire situation... with your weapon, with the Dark Magus weapon, can you do what you did before? You can do it, right? You can hold them back just for a while more?" Fixteen asked.


    "No!" Froma screamed instantly and pushed Fixteen off from on top of her.


    "That pain, those feelings, that emotion," Froma said as she grabbed herself. "I never want to go through that again, never, never!"


    She grabbed her head, her eyes widened, and she nearly fell to her knees at that moment. She didn''t even want to think of the recent pain she had gone through.


    As she looked on the floor, though, droplets of blood could be seen. Several drops of blood could be seen on the wall, right at the front, and they were continuing to drop.


    As she looked at what was happening, she could see it. She could see the archers¡ªthe regr guards¡ªhad next to no skin left on their fingertips as they had been pulling the bows


    nonstop.


    Some of them had been hit and their bodies were hanging on the wall. Yet despite this, despite the fear and tears in their eyes, they continued to pull the string and fire arrows down. "I''m... going home... I''m going to see my baby again!" one of the men shouted.


    Hearing this, it was when Froma made her decision.


    "How can I, a Pagna warrior, be scared of death... and not even real death, just the experience


    of it, when all of these guys are going through it?"


    It was then that Froma quickly jumped on top of the wall, and out from her body, the red


    liquid had formed into the bow once more.


    She could see arge amounting toward them.


    ''I passed outst time... and it''s most likely I''ll pass out again... if that''s the case, then I at


    least need to make a big dent in them.''


    "Legendary Blood Bow!" Froma called out. "Five thousand arrows!"

 Chapter 880 5000 Arrows!

    Chapter 880 5000 Arrows!


    Froma was sure that not a single person had an idea of what she had been through. Even if she exined it, it wouldn''t have been enough. Even those that had experienced a near-death and managed toe back, they only knew a fraction of what she had gone through.


    With the amount that had died on the battlefield, the effect of the cursed weapon had taken a heavy mental toll on her. Froma wasn''t sure she would ever be the same again, and she wasn''t sure if she could even force herself to fire the bow again.


    Yet, here she was using the bow once more. Her entire hands were shaking as it was drawn from her body, and the words she had spoken, five thousand.


    ''I just have to let go¡­ I just have to let go!'' Froma could feel the energy building up, but if she didn''t let go and pull on the string, therge ball of energy wouldn''t flow into the air.


    "ARGHH!" A man screamed in pain as a sword wasunched from the other side. It had dug right into his head, killing him on the spot.


    "Sully!" Another screamed as they rushed over. They went to check on the individual, but it was quite clear that the life had already disappeared from his eyes.


    "The longer I take into pulling this bow, the more people will die! At least I know I won''t die from it, no matter what I experience!" Froma said as she pulled the bow.


    Arge amount of energy formed, flying into the air, and the condensed red circle started to grow in size.


    Those on the battlefield had seen this disyed once before. They knew what was toe next. Some of them instantly decided to turn around, running in the other direction, hoping that the arrows wouldn''t reach them.


    While others braced themselves, readying their skills to fight back against the attack.


    Right out of the giant red energy ball, arrows started to fall¡ªthousands of them descended at once. For the first time since the Behemoth n had started their conquest, they felt true fear. They were shaking.


    Some went to strike the arrows that came at them using their techniques, but just like before, the arrows seemed somewhat alive, sensing what had urred and swiveled out of the way like a snake.


    They pierced right through the warriors regardless of what Qi they used to protect themselves.


    Some others were sessful in hitting the arrows, waiting for the perfect time, trying not to panic themselves. With their skills and Qi, if they were calm enough, they could eliminate the arrow on the spot.


    However, there was a bigger issue this time: there were far more arrows than before. Blocking one arrow in a panic took all of their Qi and concentration, and they forgot about the others that would pierce their vitals from behind.


    Then there were those that were sessful, who had techniques focused on blocking attacks. Some of the stronger warriors were able to help block the attacks from the others.


    "Where are the Pirs? If we get to them, maybe they can produce arge-scale attack to block the arrows!" one of the warriors said as he ran back through the crowd of Behemoth n members.


    A red arrow was chasing him, and he was fighting all the temptation in the world not to look back and see how close the arrow was.


    "Face the arrow, that''s the best chance you''ve got. The Pirs are dead."


    "The Pirs are what?" The man slowed down slightly due to the news, and upon hearing it, the arrow pierced right through his chest.


    The arrows had killed many in the front row of the Behemoth n and a few in the back. The confusion among therge numbers had also caused a strange pushback as some looked to be retreating.


    As for those that managed to do so, Alba, Cronker, and his Red Headband assassination group were cleaning up the field nicely.


    "Head back, regroup, don''t push too far forward!" Alba ordered, raising her sword, and the rest of the members did just that.


    Looking up at the wall, she could see Froma standing there, her whole body shaking.


    ''You are a brave, brave woman, Froma¡­ as the youngest member of the Crimson Crane, you''ve taken on a lot. The town of Flendon owes you a lot.''


    All of the arrows had fallen, and in turn, the damage was done. Now the energy needed to return back to Froma. She had jumped down from the wall, and she could see all of the energying back to her.


    "Can you look after my body for me¡­ make sure I don''t get too skinny when I wake up, alright?" Froma asked Fixteen.


    He quickly got up and embraced her with a big hug. He could feel what wasing and remembered the reaction she hadst time. The energy went right to Froma, and in an instant, she could feel everything at once.


    A deafening scream came from her lungs, but it onlysted a second. She had passed out, but even in Fixteen''s arms, her entire body was convulsing, moving everywhere because of the pain.


    ---


    On the battlefield, Sha Mo had been fighting non-stop against Rayna and her group. He wasn''t struggling at all, but things were frustrating for him because of a certain individual, Safa.


    Just as he decided he was about to do something about this, that was when he saw the carnageing from the wall, and the arrows falling, killing arge number of his n members.


    ''The Behemoth n has already taken a far bigger hit than I ever thought!'' Sha Mo said as his Qi rose all over his body.


    "There is clearly someone over there that can cause a lot of trouble. I''ll deal with it myself!" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sha Mo was a few kilometers out from the wall, but it didn''t matter. He lifted his foot up and mmed it onto the ground. His Qi was injected precisely into the fissures on the floor, and it had cut out a perfect piece of the flooring.


    Using the power of his Qi, the giantrge piece ofnd had broken from the floor and rose into the air. Sha Mo then caught it with both of his hands, holding the giant piece over his head.


    "I just have to take down the wall myself!" Sha Mo shouted, as he hurled therge piece ofnd through the air. It was heading straight for the town of Flendon and wasrge enough to crush the wall in one go.

 Chapter 881: True Power Of The Demonic Faction

    Chapter 881: True Power Of The Demonic Faction


    ?


    Out on the battlefield in front of the town of Flendon, arge piece of the ground had been broken off by none other than Sha Mo.


    The presence of his Qi could be felt deep underground, causing Rayna and the others to quickly jump out from the area.


    They soon saw Sha Mo lifting the giant piece ofnd that was human-sized in thickness with just his Qi alone, then ced it above his head.


    "He''s not going to throw that thing at us, is he?" Liam asked.


    Anna looked at the wall and saw it still hadn''t fallen. Even though her system had predicted the Behemoth n would have been swarming the wall by now, something had changed.


    Which meant an unknown variable had caused this situation. Although Sha Mo didn''t have a system like Anna, she was sure he too had an inherent feeling that something was amiss.


    "He''s going to throw it at the wall!" Anna shouted.


    It was a little toote. Sha Mo hurled therge piece through the air, and he had done so, adding the power of his Qi.


    Arge current could be seen as the piece flew through the air, and it was on course.


    "Everyone retreat, get out of here!" Andy ordered.


    Fixteen carried the fallen Froma and jumped off the wall. Once on the ground, he turned to see the guards struggling.


    They weren''t Pagna warriors; they couldn''t just jump or quickly move to get out of the situation.


    ''I can''t help you,'' Fixteen said in his head, but then he noticed another figure jumping out.


    Dame had used the wall as footing and sted himself forward. He was still in his hybrid form.


    Before even meeting with therge piece ofnd in the air, he swung his arms, firing off his Qi sts.


    As they hit thend, they did nothing to slow it down. It almost looked like the Qi sts simply bounced off it.


    Next came Dame''s body itself. With all of his fists, he lunged at therge piece ofnd as hard as he could, pouring every ounce of Qi into his attacks.


    Thend was still pushing him back, and in return, he delivered a flurry of punches. Each punch had extreme might, chipping away at thend.


    Every human cell and beast cell in Dame''s body was erupting as he continued to punch.


    ''No one ever expected much of me!'' Dame thought.


    ''Not my father, not my brothers, not anyone in the n! It was because of you, Raze, that day, that I was able to see the surprised look on my father''s face!''


    ''They all thought I waszy and had no ambition, but I always wanted to build my own legacy! Rather than take over theirs!''


    ''I can tell, I''m not the main person that will go down in history! But Raze, the Dark Magus, whatever title it is that you use, I will be part of that legacy. My name will be written in the books by your side!''


    Large cracks had appeared in the giant piece ofnd, and they had reached the end. Dame''s fists had broken therge piece ofnd into several smaller pieces.


    He could see these smaller pieces going past him, and quickly, he shot outrge pieces of web from his mouth.


    As he tied up the rocks with the webbing, he then grabbed onto them with his hands. He pulled as hard as he could, throwing them back at the Behemoth n Army in front of him. He had done that with a few of the pieces, but that was all he could do.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A few of therge chunks were still able to get past him and crashed into the wall.


    Some of the pieces even went over the wall, crashing into buildings and tearing them apart, including the flooring.


    As for Dame, he had spent all of his energy. His body was returning to its normal state, and he was falling to the ground.


    His eyes were open, but all his energy was spent. He didn''t think he could even stand anymore.


    Just before he hit the ground, he felt his body jerk as it was caught mid-fall.


    "I agreed that I wouldn''t get involved in this war, so I did not stop the attack," a voice said. "However, someone like you deserves to see this till the end."


    Dame tried to look at who had caught him, somewhat recognizing the voice. But when he saw him, there were pieces of cloth covering his face, only showing part of his eyes.


    "Are you..."


    "Don''t say my name," Lince, leader of the Lost n, said. "It''s better if you don''t."


    Fixteen was surprised that Dame had been able to take out such arge piece ofnd thrown by one of the strongest in the Demonic Faction.


    Anyone who saw this feat would now know that he was a contender, an important person for the future of the Demonic Faction.


    Still, Lince looked at the destruction that had been caused. The wall-several parts of it had been destroyed.


    People were injured, stuck under the rubble, and some of the homes had been destroyed equally.


    On top of that, on the other side of the broken wall, therge enemy force could still be seen. "Advance! Take them out now and burn this entire annoying town to the ground!" one of the Behemoth n members shouted.


    "Too many people have died over this stupid town!"


    The wave of the Behemoth n, still around 8000 people, was rushing toward the town


    again.


    "We were lucky that Dame came back and blocked most of that attack," Alba said as she readied her weapons for another round.


    "But if Sha Mo were to do something like that again... no one else has the energy left to stop him!"


    "We can''t, we can''t let him do that again!" Rayna said. "Everyone, if there''s anything you have that can beat him, we need it now!"


    Sha Mo started tough, and with eachugh, the Qi around his body rose more and more. First, the flooring around a meter from him started to shatter. Hisughter grew louder, and the floor around two meters around him shattered, breaking apart.


    It continued to extend further and further.


    Everyone there could tell at that moment.


    "I thought because his men were dying, he was giving it his all against us, but it looks like he was ying with us all along," Safa said.


    Only now were they starting to witness the true power of one of the strongest in the Demonic


    Faction.

 Chapter 882: A Giant Mess

    Chapter 882: A Giant Mess


    ?


    Nearly every person on the battlefield could feel Sha Mo''s Qi. That included those in the town of Flendon.


    Even the non-warriors, the citizens that lived in the town who had never gone against or maybe even seen Pagna warriors fighting, could tell something was strange.


    They held onto each other''s rooms and were praying for some type of miracle, knowing full well what situation they were in.


    Those that had to stay in Flendon had no choice but to rely on those that were outside.


    On the field itself, those next to Sha Mo could feel it the most. The only one who had felt Qi close to this before was a particr individual.


    ''This is close to my father''s power... which I''ve only seen once before!'' Rayna thought. ''It''s no wonder that my father never did anything, even though he was so annoying and pushy in the past.''


    It wasn''t that Rayna thought her father was weaker than Sha Mo, but seeing his strength and therge mass of members, it certainly would have done a lot of damage to the Neverfall n. Especially if all of the Pirs were present like they were in the past.


    "Don''t you think you''ve already lost too much, Sha Mo?" Rayna shouted at the top of her lungs.


    The Qi that was exploding out of Sha Mo''s body had stopped around ten meters from his body. It was still affecting the ground, breaking apart the smaller pieces of dirt.


    The rainfall that was constantly dropping was breaking apart when it got within the area.


    It was quite clear to Rayna that they weren''t able to win this fight, so maybe she could talk her way out of it.


    "Listen, Sha Mo, it''s clear that we never stood a chance, but you should know that this town was given to me!" Rayna shouted. "We had to protect it, along with its people."


    "You know as well as I do, when you brought everyone here, that you weren''t going to return without something to show your achievements."


    "You''ve shown the strength of your n, we will admit defeat, but there''s no need to go further! Doing what you have done, you will get your response from the Dark Magus, but he''s not here right now!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sha Mo didn''t extend his Qi further. Although he wasn''t speaking, Rayna felt like her words were being heard because of this.


    "Think about it, you''ve lost all of your Pirs and over half of your n! The people in there are desperate, if you lose more it will be hard for the Behemoth n to recover."


    "I''m close with my father. I can talk to him. I can persuade him to help you."


    "Help me... help us?" Sha Mo said, and his Qi extended out further.


    Rayna had to be careful; she was walking on eggshells that were ready to explode at any


    moment.


    "Everyone knows you deserve your position as one of the three major ns in the Demonic Faction, but you have to know the other powers as well."


    "I''m sure the Lost n and the Neverfall n are waiting for an opportunity to strike. If they see weakness in your n, they will attack."


    "That''s the Demonic Faction''s way, but if I speak to my father, there can be a truce, and he can stop the Lost n, or any of those other worms from rising and trying to take your position!"


    Anna, when listening to Rayna speak, knew she was speaking lies, particrly when talking about her father.


    The Demonic Faction''s way wouldn''t intervene with what was happening. Her father wouldn''t agree to such a thing, why would he just because his daughter asked?


    If anything, she would be lucky not to get punished for losing the town of Flendon to Sha Mo. "Who do you think you''re talking to? How dare you disrespect me by saying such a thing? Do you think I''m scared of those two!" Sha Mo shouted and lifted both of his hands.


    In an instant, his Qi spread out further, and it encased Rayna and all of her allies. They felt the heavy Qi m them into the ground.


    Just like the floor itself, their bodies felt like they were being ripped apart. They were unable to move, and even if they tried to use part of their Qi, it was being suppressed.


    "It feels like a thousand needles are attacking us!" Liam shouted.


    He was surprised to see that even Simyon was being affected by the Qi, even with his body, which proved that the Qi was attacking them from the inside rather than the outside.


    Suddenly, though, the feeling stopped. When they looked up, they could see a visual representation of the Qi returning to where it hade from.


    It had condensed into Sha Mo''s body. Everyone was slowly getting up from the ground, the rain falling on them once again, hitting them hard.


    Yet they couldn''t focus on that. Instead, they were looking at Sha Mo himself, and as they stared at him, a shadow was starting to cast over them, and slowly they lifted their heads.


    "Did... he just be a giant?" Liam said.


    They weren''t sure if it was a visual Qi trick or what, but now Sha Mo was at least 12 meters tall in the air, with the same thickness as before.


    "That''s got to be fake... right?" Liam said.


    A giant sweep of Sha Mo''s hand didn''t even hit them, but just like before, they all felt a strange pain in their bodies as the Qi hit them, and they all skidded and fell back onto the


    ground.


    Slowly, they started to get up off the ground, but they were all in no condition to fight.


    ''My boots... they didn''t even work either.'' Rayna thought. ''We can''t fight against this... we can''t fight against that.''


    Rayna thought as she wiped the water dripping from her hair. It was then that she noticed


    something as she looked up.


    "Did it stop raining?"

 Chapter 883: This Town Is Mine

    Chapter 883: This Town Is Mine


    ?


    Being in the rain for so long, Rayna''s head was soaked. Her ck hair was extremely heavy on her head at the moment because she had used up nearly all of her energy.


    It wasn''t just her, but all of those around her were in the same state. When they hade to the aid of Safa and the others, they were already spent.


    Not only had they taken on the Pirs of the Behemoth n, but on the way here, they had to fight arge number of Behemoth n members.


    Right after that, they had faced Sha Mo himself. Being inflicted by his attack, the strange Qi that surrounded his entire body and the swing of his arm, had taken everything out of them.


    It had taken everyst bit of energy, and they no longer had the will to fight. Wiping her head in that moment was when Rayna had noticed.


    ''Did it stop raining?''


    She looked at where Sha Mo was, and there was no rainfall. When she looked around, it was the same, but that was what was strange.


    The sound of rain could still be heard in the distance. Looking further out to where the wall was, where the other members of the Behemoth n were, she could still see rain.


    "It''s not raining, why isn''t it raining?" Rayna said.


    "Have you gone mad?" Liam said, holding onto his stomach, using everything just to stay on his feet. "Why are you talking about the rain, does it even matter?"


    "No, but look, she''s right. For some reason, it''s just not raining here. Is this Sha Mo''s doing?" Simyon asked.


    When looking at Sha Mo, though, in hisrge giant form, he was looking into the crowd of men, and in the direction he was looking, the rain had stopped there as well.


    "Arghh!!" Loud screams were hearding from the distance, one after the other.


    They continued, and it caused the rest of the group to turn their heads in the same direction, wondering what was going on.


    As they looked off in the direction of the sounds, there was a wall-to-wall group of people, but it was only for a moment. A person hade flying out from the center. The other warriors had moved away, making a clear line.


    Then a Pagna warriory there on the ground, with a hole right in his chest.


    As Sha Mo looked down the clear path that had opened up and the area where there was currently no rainfall, he could see a white-haired man, wearing a particr zer on his body.


    "The Dark Magus," Sha Mo said under his breath.


    Raze carefully walked down the path, one step at a time. As he walked, one of the Behemoth n members came straight at him, trying to strike with their sword.


    Raze blocked the attack, hitting the hand away, and then punched the man in the stomach, sending him flying.


    He continued forward, moving toward where Sha Mo stood.


    Another came to attack with a spear. Raze spun his body, avoiding the attack again, and lifting his foot, he mmed it right on top of the spear.


    It had broken the pointed end, and with his hand, he thrust it forward, shooting out a Dark Pulse. When it hit the warrior, the magic went right through his stomach, killing him on the spot.


    As Raze made his way to Sha Mo, this constantly happened-those trying to attack him by surprise, and Raze dealt with each of them with ease.


    Now, he was finally here, in the area where the others were, and where Sha Mo was present. "It''s Raze... he''s finally here!" Rayna said.


    "I wonder what it was that had taken him so long," Annamented.


    "I don''t think he would have arrivedte on purpose, a serious matter must have urred," Ricktor said.


    As for Safa, she didn''t say anything. With her magic, she decided to activate her special God Eyes. In doing so, she could see a heavy shroud of darkness covering Raze.


    She had seen this before, but the dark energy surrounding Raze was purer than before. It was almost impossible to even see Raze''s figure itself.


    What was even stranger was looking at the swirling energy that was moving in the air. The dark energy that usually only stayed around Raze was spread out.


    Using God Eyes strained Safa, so she quickly stopped, and as she did, she noticed that where the rain had stopped, it was the dark energy that she could sense, which was spread around all over the area.


    ''What''s happening to Raze right now? What happened to him? There has to be a reason why he''s sote as well.''


    Raze, standing there, could feel his magic going wild. Even when he had used the Dark Pulse back there, he had been trying to get it under control.


    However, he had no time to wonder what was happening to his Magic Heart. The fighting had gone too far. Looking around, he was relieved, relieved to see that everyone was fine.


    His head then turned to therge, practically giant, Sha Mo that was right in front of his eyes. "You look quite differentpared to thest time we met," Raze stated.


    Sha Mo looked at Raze-the Dark Magus. The face was simr, but his hair-it was ck thest time he saw it during the Martial Arts Tournament.


    He knew this person gave him a tingling feeling, and Sha Mo knew this day woulde. "I''ll be honest, I never expected to see you," Sha Mo said. "I thought that you might react or hide behind your new Dark Faction that you managed to obtain."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It''s quite amazing how you got here so fast, but what do you n to do? Just because you managed to take down the Dark Faction, you don''t think you can stop me, do you?"


    Raze lifted his hand. Dark magic swirled around, and the Ghost de appeared in one hand. As he stretched out another, a light, thin sword with a green-colored hilt appeared in the


    other.


    "I don''t care about these fake titles, the Demonic Faction, the Dark Faction. All I know is you attacked Flendon, and this town belongs to me.


    "I won''t let anyone take anything away from me anymore!"

 Chapter 884: How Strong is Raze?

    Chapter 884: How Strong is Raze?


    ?


    Raze and Sha Mo appeared to be having a type of stare-down with each other. Although Raze had drawn his weapons, he hadn''t moved.


    It was the same for Sha Mo, who was standing there, looking at the small white-haired student.


    ''This is the person who took over the Dark Faction. I would be a fool topletely


    underestimate him,'' Sha Mo thought. ''That might be why so many failed before and why the first attack by the n had failed as well.''


    ''Besides that, he seems to have strange powers. It doesn''t seem to be like artifacts, and the powers vary greatly.''


    While Sha Mo was standing there along with Raze, one person in particr couldn''t hold in their curiosity any longer.


    "Raze, what happened, man? Why did it take you so long to get here? What was the hold-up?" Liam shouted.


    "There were problems at the academy," Raze answered. "A Deleter appeared."


    Everyone''s hearts sank the moment they heard that. Due to Himmy appearing at the academy before they had left, they had learned about the power of a Deleter.


    If the Deleter''s strength really was as described, it was no wonder Raze waste.


    "Is he hurt?" Rayna asked Anna, as she was aware that she had some abnormal analysis-type skills.


    "He doesn''t appear to be, but it''s hard to tell. Who knows if he''s using some strange type of pills to cover up his pain or magic," Anna answered.


    Being part of Alter, she was more aware of the Deleter''s powers. It would be near impossible that Raze hade out unscathed or at least without using a lot of his energy.


    Still, she had one hope or thought, and that was Zon was in the academy city, and if it was him, he could deal with the situation.


    "What about the academy? Is that alright?" Mada asked.


    "I think it''s important I deal with the situation in front of me," Raze said as he shuffled his feet.


    "We need to head back to the wall and the town. They will need our help anyway," Anna said as she went to turn, but herck of energy made her nearly fall straight to the floor.


    It was the same for the others as well-they could hardly move. The area a kilometer out in every direction from Sha Mo had remained clear.


    No one hade close during the fight, and they had remained at their distance away.


    The others were around 50 meters away from the edge of where the Behemoth n was. Some of them were still pushing forward, others watching the oue.


    It almost appeared like a giant arena had been made for the two of them.


    "You don''t have to worry about the wall. There''s someone strong enough there protecting it," Raze answered.


    At the wall itself, although the force of the Behemoth n had been pushed back by the arrows, after a few moments of seeing no more arrows fall, the n members were starting to be a little braver and had charged forward.


    Especially now, seeing that part of the wall had fallen. It was quite clear whoever had shot those arrows was unable to shoot them consecutively.


    The Crimson Crane were gearing up-they looked to be the only ones that could somewhat still stand, but they weren''t so sure they could fight.


    As the people charged forward, arge objectnded from the air, heavy on its feet.


    For a brief moment, the Behemoth n members rushing forward stopped as they could see the figure raising its hand.


    It had its palm out, clearly indicating for them to stop.


    "Is that a moving statue, or is it just someone that''s painted over themselves to look like stone?" a Behemoth n member said.


    "Don''t be stupid, there''s no such thing as a moving statue. How can one be alive? It must be some type of illusion art. Just be careful and keep going forward."


    Seeing the statue in front of them was a relief for the Crimson Crane, though, as they had seen its powers before.


    As the warriors charged forward, it held a stone sword in its hand, ced it near its side, and then let out an almighty sh.


    Arge force of Qi ended up hitting hundreds of men and had sliced them apart, pushing some of them back.


    After performing a single attack, the stone warrior ced its palm out again, indicating for them to stop and even shook its head.


    "That stone statue was the one that was even able to go up against Murkel for a bit. It has the same strength as a high middle-stage warrior! With it, we can recover our energy for a bit," Alba said.


    The statue had been ced in Safa''s possession for a long time, but Raze had borrowed the statue from her.


    There were a few tests that he wished to perform on the statue to try and see if he could rece those who had droplets of blood, increasing its strength even further.


    He hadn''t yet found aplete way, so he hadn''t handed the statue back. Arriving at the situation, Raze had quickly ordered Stoney to not let anyone pass the wall, and it was now doing its job.


    The Behemoth n, thinking it was only a statue, would quickly learn they were going up against an extremely powerful warrior, one that wasn''t human, and one that didn''t tire either.


    Back at the academy, with Skyler and the help of the volunteers, they had managed to help as many students as possible.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    They were only getting a fuller grasp of the situation as they went from area to area.


    It was unbelievable that so much trouble had been caused by one person.


    Walking from area to area, Amir and Zon were together.


    "That individual has a temperature that has reached 40 degrees Celsius. He needs to be treated," Zon quickly pointed out and continued.


    "I wanted to ask you, do you think Raze is strong enough to take out a n Head of the Demonic Faction?" Zon asked.


    "I have been training with him for a while," Amir answered and paused. "The power he disyed against Murkel-it seems it was not his power. Because of that, I would imagine


    it''s a tall ask."


    "You see, there is one clear fact: the Demonic Faction has the most powerful leaders. It''s only because of their poor management skills and the fact they are less united with far fewer people that they have never managed to take control of the whole of Pagna."


    "But if we were to look at the major powers of the Demonic Faction alone, they are far


    stronger than the others."


    "If he somehow manages to use that power he used against Murkel again, he will win. But I can tell, even if he had the chance, he is extremely reluctant."


    "The way you talk, it makes it sounds like he can use that power again." Zon asked


    There was an air of silence.

 Chapter 885: Sha Mo Vs the Dark Magus

    Chapter 885: Sha Mo Vs the Dark Magus


    ?


    Out on the field, Raze gripped the hilt of his des, holding onto both of them firmly. Sha Mo stayed in position, looking at the Dark Magus.


    The two of them were done talking. A lot of heat had led to the disagreement between the two -Sha Mo believing his n had been disrespected from the beginning by a young fool.


    While Raze, with the aim of getting stronger, wished to protect what was his. But in the back of his mind, he had another thought.


    ''If I take him down and use the extraction technique, then I will certainly reach the next stage! And then I can push forward, get rid of Alter, and finally take down all of the Grand Magus!'' Raze thought.


    Raze exploded from his feet, running around the edge of the arena, and the first thing he did was swing his light sword incredibly fast at therge size.


    ''Crimson sh!'' Several red shes of attacks came out toward Sha Mo. Lifting up hisrge giant forearm, the attacks seemingly did nothing as they hit him.


    "It''s the same!" Liamined. "Just like when all of us attacked. Sha Mo''s Qi is so powerful-Is this guy a monster?"


    Raze had to admit, his fast sh attack, mixed with Magic and Qi, having no effect at all, was a first, but he had somewhat expected it as well.


    After blocking the attacks, Sha Mo moved. Hisrge body seemingly disappeared and was right in front of Raze.


    Sha Mo had thrown out a fist from above, and it looked like it wouldnd regardless of what Raze did. Pivoting his foot on the ground though, Raze had activated something.


    "Pir Rise!" Raze stated.


    At that moment, right from the floor, a giant piece of the ground had risen and hit the back of Sha Mo''s giant thigh. The pir continued to grow and had practically thrown Sha Mo off bnce.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His fist was hitting nothing but the air, and with the Ghost de in Raze''s hand, he was ready. Dark magic and Demonic Qi swirled behind the sword as he pushed forward and thrusted his hand, massive amounts of magic exploding from behind the weapon.


    "Void Pulse Formation!"


    The sword crashed right into Sha Mo''s shoulder, and it pierced through his skin slightly. Equally, it looked like the power of the attack continued as a ripple was seen through the air on the other side of Sha Mo''s shoulder.


    "So it looks like the giant can bleed," Ricktor said.


    "Did you see what he did before that though? He shifted the whole ground and raised it up to throw Sha Mo off bnce. When could he control the ground like that?" Mada asked.


    During the gifting ceremony for bing the head of the Dark Faction, Raze had received various power stones, and one of them was an earth-based power stone. It allowed Raze the chance to now use Earth magic.


    Thankfully, there were also other Earth power stones that had been given to Raze, allowing him to increase his affinity with it. On top of that, Raze also knew the method of how to increase one''s affinity with Earth magic as well.


    It was a strange one, one of the strangest of all the different elements, but one needed to increase their knowledge of materials linked to the ground itself.


    The earth, the flora that one stood on, after all, was made up of multiple different substances. So one needed to know the breakdown-how nts grew from it and more.


    They even needed to learn about different minerals and rocks that could be found. However, there was a key difference as well between knowing and learning.


    Just as someone who could copy a form and receive the right answer, if they didn''t


    understand the form itself, it wouldn''t be true knowledge.


    Raze had thought back to the masters of those who knew Earth Magic, and it always amazed him-their dedication and discipline.


    In the past, on Alterian, Earth magic was actually considered one of the weakest forms of magic because of the way one needed to increase its affinity.


    However, when the portals to other dimensions opened up, those that practiced and had Earth cores grew extremely powerful. It seemed discoveries of new and different types of objects rted to Earth increased their power as well.


    Discovering rocks and the ground itself on these differents.


    Raze had explored a lot of Pagna, and being a researcher of magic himself, he understood magic more than even talented individuals.


    His understanding of things was great, which meant his affinity with Earth magic was great as well.


    Using Wind magic, Raze quickly flew up in the air. He saw Sha Mo fall to the ground due to the pir hitting him, as well as the Void Pulse attack.


    The wind-enchanted sword disappeared from his hand, and with it out, the ground started to shift again, creating giant earth-like cuffs around Sha Mo''s hands and legs, pinning him to the floor.


    A sword appeared in another of Raze''s hands once again, and this time, it was light blue in color, the metal on the de looked like a slight frost had already appeared on it.


    Raze swung the sword while in the air, and it looked as if he was using the Crimson sh. As the attacks flew through the air, they didn''t move as fast as when using the Wind enchanted sword.


    However, when theynded around therge cuffs, the areas that were hit started to cover themselves with ice.


    Raze continued to swing his sword until all of the cuffs were covered in ice.


    After he was done, he quickly changed the de in his hand again. This one wasrge and jagged, ck in color.


    This sword, unlike the others, wasn''t enchanted, and there was a reason for that.


    While floating in the air, Raze lifted both swords above his head.


    ''The Ghost de grows with power as Demonic Qi is used, and although magic can be used


    with it, its magic power isn''t enhanced.''


    ''As for the other sword, using Qi doesn''t enhance it at all, but one of the gifts from the kingdoms, it seemed this sword goes quite well with magic!''


    At that moment, Dark magic started to creep out of Raze''s hand and swirled above both of the


    weapons.


    The others watching had seen this before. They knew what wasing as they witnessed both


    of the swords covered in ck.


    "He''s... using that... with both swords!" Mantis said.


    As the others prepared to move out of the way.


    "The Dark Edge Sword Art, Second Formation!" Raze shouted out as the energy had reached


    its peak.


    ''I''ve been preparing everything I can to get rid of them, so you stepping stone-get out of my way!'' Raze swung both of his swords down as he screamed. "Dual Eclipse Strike!"

 Chapter 886: Strongest Descending Step

    Chapter 886: Strongest Descending Step


    Raze was unable to progress further with his Dark Edge Sword Arts, unable to learn the 5th to the 8th forms in the book. There was somethingcking, and Raze most likely felt it was his Pagna Qi.


    He needed to be a higher-level warrior, or either increase his magic power and pool to make up for hisck of Qi, and then maybe he could somehow perform the final steps. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, as Raze grew stronger, it became harder for him to advance further. He was a five-star mage, and the best power stones that could help him progress were nearly impossible toe by unless he ventured into higher-level portals and fought against a Dimension boss.


    He was now a middle-stage warrior, so extracting Qi from regr middle-stage warriors didn''t give him the shortcut it once did. Cultivating like everyone else would take too long.


    The dangers of Pagna were increasing, and he would be long dead if he relied solely on conventional methods.


    Knowing that his enemies would grow stronger, he needed to find ways to increase his power.


    First, using the gifts given to him, he had enchanted each de with different types of magic, making them more powerful and granting special traits.


    He didn''t just create powerful weapons for others but had crafted things he could use as well.


    Second, he had done what he could with the existing Dark Edge Sword Arts he had learned, such as using the Eclipse Strike with both of his weapons, doubling the output of power.


    "Dual Eclipse Strike!"


    Tworge strikes of magic and Qi left both of Raze''s des. Giant lines of strikes covered the sky in temporary darkness, consuming everything in their path.


    They continued and struck Sha Mo right on his body, pushing him deep into the ground. The attackpletely engulfed Sha Mo, and no one could see what was happening.


    To avoid getting caught in the attack, Rayna and the others, with the little strength they had, ran as quickly as possible. A few momentster, they turned around to look at what had taken ce.


    "That attack was what he used at the Martial Arts Tournament," Mantis said.


    "And it was twice asrge this time," Rayna replied.


    Now, where Sha Mo once stood, there was a giant crater, incredibly deep, as if a meteor had crashed.


    Raze was seen falling to the ground, and due to the curvature of the crater, they couldn''t see him or Sha Mo anymore.


    Quickly, they ran up to the edge of therge crater, and they were all stunned by what they saw.


    Sha Mo was still in the crater, and of all things, he was standing.


    "Hahaha! You are certainly strong!" Sha Mo said, waving his arm.


    The shirt he had been wearing waspletely torn off, revealing hisrge, muscr upper body. There were two marks across his chest¡ªdeep bruises, but the skin hadn''t torn, and there was no blood. Other than the bruising, Sha Mo seemed perfectly fine.


    "That''s it? That''s all that attack did?" Liam said. "I know Raze is incredibly strong, but how is he meant to go up against that giant monster?"


    "Don''t worry," Rayna said. "Can''t you tell? Even after using that strike, Raze isn''t done yet. He has more... he can give more."


    The strikes had used up arge amount of Raze''s energy, but thankfully, unlike his previous battles, he hadn''t had to exert too much power to reach his opponent.


    Although he had used some energy against the Deleter, it was nothingpared to his full capacity, so Raze could still fight on.


    ''Those attacks didn''t finish him... which means I need to produce even stronger attacks.''


    Thinking this, Raze quickly twisted both of his feet. At that moment, giant pirs formed around Sha Mo, locking his movements in ce.


    They came up across his arms, in front of his legs, and beneath his feet until he waspletely immobilized by the pirs made from the ground. The only part visible was his head.


    ''I know attacking his body won''t do much... I need to perform the strongest attack I can muster!''


    Raze thought as he lifted his foot. The first descending step was used, and Qi erupted around the area. Raze then moved onto the second step.


    "The descending steps, huh? It''s impressive that you know them and can perform them so well, but let me show you," Sha Mo said, breaking through the pirs of earth with a single movement.


    The pirs shattered and crumbled, falling to the ground. The others saw Sha Mo lifting his knee into the air, and then he said something no one had expected.


    "The first descending step!"


    Sha Mo mmed his foot on the ground, and the cracks in the crater deepened even further.


    The whole area shook, and even those observing from above felt as if they had been slightly lifted into the air.


    The powerful movement filled the entire crater, interrupting Raze''s descending steps. As he looked up, he saw Sha Mo jumping into the air.


    "The fourth step!"


    Sha Mo''s giant size and his fist were already upon Raze. Raze ced both swords in front of him to block the attack, but the powerful punch exploded.


    As it hit, Raze felt his special zer activate to protect him, but it was useless as he was flung into the curved edge of the crater.


    When he crashed into the wall, it almost looked as if another crater had appeared. Raze was stuck in the wall of the ground, his arms spread apart, and blood dripped from his mouth.


    ''My body... even surrounded by Qi and the zer, a single hit from him causes this much damage!'' Raze thought as he coughed, blood falling to the ground.


    He quickly pulled himself out, falling to one knee.


    ''This reminds me of the power I saw when Belil destroyed that vige... I''m now facing those like them... like them.''


    "Now do you understand how useless it is to go up against me!" Sha Mo imed, his Qi surrounding his body, visually destroying the ground beneath him even further.


    It was then that Raze lifted his head, and a smile could be seen through his bloody teeth.


    "This is perfect. I need to be pushed to this point," Raze said, as blue sparks appeared from beneath his foot, sparking high into the air. It looked like lightning was emitting from his feet.

 Chapter 887: Youre The First One

    Chapter 887: You''re The First One


    ?


    Lightning was emitting from outside of Raze''s boots and running up his legs, reaching around his waist.


    In some ways, it looked like how Dark magic would appear when Raze gathered his power outside of his arms and channeled it to his sword.


    As he knelt on the ground, the lightning struck higher, reaching the top of his head.


    "I''ve seen him use lightning powers before but not like that. It almost looks the same as my lightning body," Simyonmented.


    It was the same for the others, but it was to be expected for Raze to show them something new they hadn''t seen before.


    When Raze stood up, he stretched out one hand to the side, and a thin, sharp, slightly curved sword appeared.


    It was a simple sword; there was nothing fancy about the weapon. On closer inspection, the sharp-edged de looked almost like a pure line of glowing blue color.


    Raze then brought the sword in front of him and ced both hands on the hilt.


    ''With my magic power being weakened, I have had to do a lot to learn how to fight in this world.''


    ''The Dark Edge Sword Arts were a saving grace for me, but it still didn''t feel natural-it wasn''t a creation that I made on my own.''


    ''I pushed away frompletely learning Pagna arts because of my stubbornness to magic rather than epting it. This is the result of my eptance and dedicating myself to the arts.''


    The lightning around Raze''s feet zapped from the ground. It hit the floor, and Raze was seen almost disappearing from where he was. He soon reappeared in a different direction, and it looked and sounded as if lightning had struck the ground in that particr area.


    After reappearing, Raze''s body disappeared again until he was right next to Sha Mo. The sword was struck across Sha Mo''s body.


    Even though Sha Mo was giant in size, he managed to move, leaving a deep cut on his shoulder and drawing blood.


    When Sha Mo turned, though, he was unable to see where Raze was. Once again, he could see what appeared to be arge lightning strike.


    The floor beneath where the strike could be seen was destroyed and broken, but Raze had only shed in front of Sha Mo''s side for a moment.


    Once again, Raze appeared, and this time, the sword struck, hitting right across Sha Mo''s neck.


    Right after, Raze reappeared but was a great distance away from Sha Mo, holding the sword by his side.


    Sha Mo went to hold his neck, and when looking at the palm of his hand, he could see that blood had been drawn.


    A look of disgust appeared on his face.


    "Is that the Revel n''s footwork?" a voice said.


    Rayna and the others turned their heads to see a mysterious man standing by their side. He was wearing the clothing of the Flendon guards but had a mask covering his face.


    ''I didn''t even notice him next to us?'' Rayna thought. ''This man is clearly extremely dangerous... The fact that he hasn''t attacked us means he''s not after us.''


    "Who are you?" Liam shouted, but Safa pulled on his shirt before more words coulde from his mouth.


    Everyone else realized the situation, not wanting to anger the powerful stranger who had appeared.


    "The techniques he uses, I believe it''s an assassination art from a n in the Dark Faction." "The footwork is designed to give one double the speed in a single movement, and holding both hands onto a weapon kills them in a single blow."


    "However, the strange lightning powers he''s using are allowing him to achieve incredible speed, adding randomness to the pattern, making it hard to see where he''s going."


    The stranger in question was Lince, leader of the Lost n, and as a gatherer of information, he knew a lot about what was happening.


    Although Lince didn''t say more, there was something else he was impressed by. With the added power of Raze''s special power and weapon, how sturdy Sha Mo''s body was, only getting a few scratches here and there.


    "So this is what you were hiding?" Sha Mo said. On his body, although the wounds were still visible, blood was no longer being drawn from them.


    The Qi inside his body, which helped with cell regeneration, was working fast, keeping him from losing more blood.


    "After getting hit so hard, did you damage your head? If the best you can do is make scratches


    on my body, then this isn''t even a fight worth having!" Sha Mo imed.


    This was also the thought of Lince, who was watching from above.


    Raze carefully took in a deep breath, letting the zer continue to heal his body.


    Exhaling, he allowed the lightning to explode from his feet once more.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    From the numerous things that Raze had managed to obtain when bing the Dark Faction leader, arge number of the gifts were techniques.


    Techniques from numerous ns. Just like the approach he used to take in learning his magic, he applied the same to the techniques he was using.


    He went through each technique carefully, observing the faults and pros with each one. Of course, there was no perfect technique, but what he was looking for were techniques that would work well with his magical abilities.


    ''The main issue found with the Revel footwork was therge amount of Qi it took to deliver a strike.''


    ''The movement was meant to flow Qi from the feet into the sword to perform a one-move kill technique.''


    ''If it failed, many assassins would end up losing their own lives. This was the norm for most assassin techniques.''


    ''But I never nned to lose my life-not yet, not with this second chance I''ve been given.''


    "You''re the first one," Raze said. "The first one I used this technique on, so I needed to try it out first."


    "I needed to try it before I used it properly."

 Chapter 888 A Smaller Faster Body

    Chapter 888 A Smaller Faster Body


    There were a few reasons why Raze had chosen the Lightning element to support the technique he was currently using. One of them was that the Lightning attribute was perhaps the fastest casting magic, second only to Wind magic.


    It was more explosive, but because of that, it was harder to control. There were added benefits to using Lightning magic though, such as its range, allowing it to hit those around the attack.


    In this case, Raze wanted its explosive power and speed, and using it along with a small amount of his Qi meant that he could use the technique many, many times.


    Raze held the sword with both hands once again, and a loud bang was heard. Raze had disappeared from Sha Mo''s sight.


    He heard the sound of thunder and turned his head, only seeing part of Raze, and before he knew it, Raze was upon him once again. This time the sword struck up his forearm, leaving arge cut.


    Sha Mo went to swing his fist at where Raze was, but he quickly disappeared. However, the others could see that the strike of lightning had urred directly behind Sha Mo.


    Raze, lifting the sword above his head, struck down, delivering arger cut right across his back. He disappeared again and constantly moved at all angles around Sha Mo.


    "How¡­ is he able to move so much and use that technique over and over?" Rayna said in amazement.


    The swordsmanship and technique she saw were enough to rival the footwork used in the Lost n from the Demonic Faction.


    Lince, who was watching, was amazed as well, but didn''t speak much about it. He could tell the special trait was the strange lightning power being used.


    Sha Mo, standing in the center, looked lost as he wildly swung his arms, trying to hit Raze. With each hit,rge amounts of Qi would be sent out, and the pressure from the punch would hit the sides of the crater they were in.


    It would shake the ground where the others were watching from. Sha Mo was still very much a giant, and a single hit could possibly end Raze.


    "Have you noticed something?" Anna asked.


    "Yeah, Raze is kicking Sha Mo''s arse!" Liam cheered.


    "Are you not using your system?" Anna asked.


    Liam continued to watch. The system was always active, but he couldn''t see anything strange¡ªthat was until Liam noticed one bit of information that was changing.


    ''I can see what Anna is seeing, but does that matter? Isn''t it because he''s getting weaker?''


    As Liam continued to watch the fight and saw Sha Mo miss more and more, he realized, as did Anna, that it wasn''t the case at all.


    "How is he getting faster as well?"


    "What do you mean?" Simyon asked, turning to Liam.


    "Sha Mo¡­ he''s moving faster. I know it''s not enough to catch Raze, but he keeps moving faster. And the strange thing is, Sha Mo''s size¡ªit''s getting smaller as well!" Liam imed.


    Now that Liam mentioned it, although Sha Mo was stillrge, they could see him getting smaller and smaller.


    If he was just reverting to his old size, it wouldn''t mean much. Therge explosion of Qi was due to Sha Mo growing in size.


    From what they were seeing though, although Sha Mo was getting smaller, his power remained the same.


    Raze was aware of this as well, but he was counting on one more thing to work. The number of cuts all over Sha Mo''s body made it look like he had been ced in a blender.


    It was then that Raze struck across his chest with the sword, and the edge started to spark. All of the cuts on Sha Mo''s body began to light up slightly, and Sha Mo''s entire body became electrified.


    Blue lightning wasing off his body, and his muscles appeared to be twitching, no longer listening to him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "All of the attacks¡ªthe buildup of the power from that weapon he has in his hand¡ªhe''s paralyzed! Now''s his chance!" Lince eximed.


    It was true, and quickly, Raze had changed the weapon in his hand back to the Ghost de as he got into position. The paralysis was only a temporary thing, giving him a few seconds, but it would be enough time.


    The Qi and Dark magic formed around the hilt of his sword, and Raze lunged forward.


    "Void Pulse Formation!"


    The edge of the sword hit Sha Mo right in the center, and a gathering of Qi urred. It looked like the sword was trying to pierce through some type of Qi barrier, eventually breaking through, and Sha Mo''s body was flung to the other side.


    This time, it was Sha Mo''s body that went flying and crashing into the side of the wall, kicking up dust all over.


    Raze was breathing deeply in and out. He was tired; the fast footwork had messed up his breathing, so he could only use it for so long. He had used up a considerable amount of Mana and Qi performing those strikes.


    Still, Raze had a feeling this wouldn''t be the end of Sha Mo.


    "Argh!" Raze felt a sharp shooting pain around his heart and ced his hand over it.


    ''My Mana core¡­ it''s acting up again. Is it really trying to go to the next star right now? It''s not like I can just take a break from this fight and upgrade my Mana core!''


    What was more worrying was that it was causing Raze''s magic to flicker as he felt his Mana moving toward his Mana core rather than where he needed it.


    "Ha, ha, ha!" Sha Mo''s loud voice was heard, and when the dust settled, his body looked different¡ªextremely different from before.


    He was no longer a literal giant, nor the giant that everyone was familiar with. Nearly all of his body mass had gone away.


    His body was thin in the center of his stomach, his waist small. While still around seven feet tall, his limbs remained quiterge.


    It was the smallest anyone had seen Sha Mo before, yet the cuts were still prevalent, and blood was pouring from his mouth.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve needed to do this, and a long time since I''ve spilled blood like this," Sha Mo imed.


    Raze continued to rub his hand over his chest. It was quite possible that right now, he was at his weakest while Sha Mo was at his strongest.


    ''He''s strong¡­ he''s really strong,'' a familiar voice sounded in his head. ''If you want to win this fight, you''re going to have to use me¡­'' the Bloody Woman said.

 Chapter 889 A Takeover From Within

    Chapter 889 A Takeover From Within


    The voice of the bloody woman rang true in Raze''s head. It wasn''t the first time it had appeared either, and if anything, it had appeared more often.


    Ever since Raze had used the special Chalice to try and call a Divine being, he thought he might have gotten rid of the bloody woman. She hadn''t appeared in a long time, nor did he hear her voice.


    If anything, it felt like her presence had somewhat disappeared. There was silence, but when Raze had attempted to try his new techniques along with Amir in the academy, the voice had reappeared and was talking to him more frequently.


    Raze had tried to ask it questions as to who she was, why she had chosen him, and whether or not she was a Divine being, but whenever he asked these questions, he would just hear the sound ofughter in his head.


    The only thing the bloody woman wanted to talk about was letting her take over his body¡ªjust epting more of her and drawing out some of her power.


    Of course, Raze wasn''t going to let such a thing happen, but one day when he had been training with Amir, and Raze had pushed himself to the point where he was almostpletely spent of energy.


    He felt something¡ªhis hand moving on its own. It was movement as if it wasn''t his own. Stranger things were urring as his senses were changing, the smell of iron was hitting his nose, and he could feel the flow of blood rushing through his veins.


    Keeping his will and focusing, he could use his hand again, but he felt like he had almost lost himself.


    ''You think I''m going to lose this fight, you think I would lose to him before I lost to them? Don''t even think about asking such a stupid question!'' Raze said.


    With one hand, he held the Ghost de, and with the other, he was gathering Dark magic around his palm, but as it flowed out of his hand, it seemed to reverse back in.


    ''My Dark magic¡ªit really is all flowing to my mana heart. This is not a good situation,'' Raze thought as he looked at the new Sha Mo''s body in front of him.


    Instead of using his Dark magic, Raze had switched to wind swirling around his arm, and that seemed to activate somewhat fine.


    Sha Mo, on the other side, in his smaller body form, had gotten into a real fighting stance. Bending his knees slightly, he ced one hand in front of the other.


    "This will be your grave!" Sha Mo eximed as he swung one fist right in front of the other.


    Raze quickly moved to the side as he felt a giant shockwave of explosion go off behind him. He pushed himself off the ground, creating a tornado of air, and swung the Ghost de, firing off a shot of the Crimson sh.


    Sha Mo, staying in his position, swung his arms, and before the attacks even hit him, they seemed to be destroyed by some strange force.


    Raze hadnded quite close to where Sha Mo was and went in to attack him directly with the sword.


    At that point, Sha Mo crossed his arms, and in doing so, a force was felt mming right through Raze, left and right. It hit him strongly, shaking his entire body.


    His legs skidded across the floor, and as he coughed, specks of blood came out from his mouth. A strange pain and heaviness could still be felt throughout his entire body. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''What was that? I wasn''t within range of his attack,'' Raze thought. ''It''s almost like a Qi st, but projectile Qi was said to only be possible from Divine beings or special items. I can tell he has no such items on him.''


    Ricktor and Mada, who were watching the fight, had a strange sense of familiarity as they saw this.


    Raze couldn''t stop to rest, though. Just as his legs stopped skidding across the floor, he could see Sha Mo in the air, still around twenty or so meters away from him, spinning his body.


    "Dark Pu¡ª" The Dark magic still didn''t surround Raze''s hand, and he was unable to fire it away.


    Switching to wind, he pushed his body to the side, and just as Sha Monded on the ground, arge crash urred by his side.


    When Raze looked at the floor, it looked as if a giant pir had been smashed onto the ground itself. The floor was dented beyond where Raze was, and it led all the way up to Sha Mo himself.


    ''It''s not like projectile Qi. Projectile Qi can detach Qi from his body. He''s just extending it out from his body and able to fight as if he has giant weapons in his hands.''


    This was why Ricktor and Mada had a familiar feeling when seeing this. What Sha Mo was doing was quite simr to what one of the Pirs they had fought against could do as well.


    The issue was, because it was Qi, it was incredibly difficult to see.


    "What''s on your mind?" Sha Mo said as hended next to Raze and stomped on the ground. Suddenly, Raze was lifted up off his feet.


    Before he knew it, a strike from abovended on him, crushing him onto the ground. More pain was felt, as it didn''t feel like ordinary Qi was being used.


    With every hit, Raze''s cells seemed to be affected, and he felt like his body was slowing down and listening to him less.


    When Raze got up from the floor, he could see Sha Mo. Before Sha Mo reached him, Raze activated lightning around his feet and quickly disappeared from the situation.


    He had gathered distance from Sha Mo, but there was clearly one person who was far more hurt from everything that was happening.


    ''Not only can he do this strange stuff with his Qi, but he''s also faster and more agile as well. He''s definitely stronger than Murkel, but I''m not sure about the Red Hybrid.''


    "It''s fine," the bloody woman said. "Continue fighting. The more you lose control of your body, the more I can take over."

 Chapter 890 Get Out Of My Head!

    Chapter 890 Get Out Of My Head!


    Raze''s Dark magic was being fickle with its uses, and it was his most powerful type of magic when it came to destruction. His body was reacting strangely to the Qi that was being used by Sha Mo, and finally, there was the annoying voice ying in his head that just wouldn''t stop.


    All of this was urring while Raze was fighting Sha Mo at his strongest. The world was against him, but he couldn''t stop here.


    "I already told you, I''m not giving you my body, so shut up, and let me focus!" Raze shouted as he thrust his sword.


    This time, the back of his weapon only had Qi being used rather than magic and Qi. He was performing the Void Pulse, but there was something else that was odd as well¡ªRaze was using this technique quite far away.


    ''Void Pulse, Wind Tunnel!''


    When Raze thrust his weapon forward, he shot out the Wind magic from the edge of his de. The attack wouldn''t be as strong as Void Pulse hitting a person, but the explosive power of the techniquebined with his wind attack would create a single stream of wind sting in the other''s direction.


    It hit Sha Mo, who raised both hands and was swirling around the force. It skidded him across the floor for a few moments, but that was all before the attack hadpletely disappeared.


    ''I told you this one was strong,'' the bloody womanughed. ''You should have just let me deal with him. I dealt with all your problems just like I did with Murkel.''


    Sha Mo smiled as he stood there.


    "Did you think just because I controlled the biggest n in the Demonic Faction that I was weak? People follow power¡­ that''s why there are so many behind me."


    Sha Mo kicked off from his position, and Raze readied his sword, but as Sha Mo came toward him, Raze felt something wrapping around his waist.


    He couldn''t see it, but having felt it before and carefully looking at Sha Mo''s hand, he could see it was Qi.


    In Sha Mo''s hands right now, one had to envision tworge snakes that werepletely under his control, and now one of them had Raze tied up.


    As Sha Mo pulled with one hand, Raze was lifted off his feet.


    Razeposed himself and readied his sword in front of him, but it was knocked away by Sha Mo''s hand. Then Sha Mo delivered arge headbutt, knocking Raze''s head back.


    Qi transferred into the attack, affecting his whole body once again. Combined with the added power of being pulled, it almost looked as if Raze''s eyes were going to roll to the back of his head.


    When his head snapped back, the attack had caused his mind to go nk for a second. Raze''s hair started to grow out, and a change began.


    "No!" Raze shouted. "I''m the one that willplete my revenge!"


    Lifting his hand, an earth pir rose between the two of them, and Sha Mo let go, breaking them apart.


    Blood was dripping from Raze''s nose, and it was evening out of his ears due to the attack. He was quite lightheaded, but the changes had reverted, and he was back to himself.


    Yet it didn''t matter because Sha Mo was already upon him. A fist was delivered, hitting Raze right in the stomach, causing a bunch of spit to flow from his mouth as he was lifted into the air.


    Before he could move any further, Sha Mo grabbed Raze by the back, then pushed his body down and kneed him in the stomach again. This time the hit was more violent, causing blood to stter out of Raze''s mouth.


    "It appears as if you''ve suddenly slowed down. It looks like you''ve grown weaker," Sha Mo imed.


    Sha Mo was ready to attack again but quickly pulled back, and in the next moment, the entirety of Raze''s body electrified, striking the rocks beneath him.


    "I might not have known what your powers were in the beginning, but did you really think I wouldn''t notice a pattern or predict what you were going to do?" Sha Mo said with a smile and charged right in.


    He threw a fist out but didn''t even touch Raze, yet great pain could be felt in Raze''s body. Sha Mo quickly moved to the side, constantly throwing punches while moving rapidly.


    It was a replica of what Raze had been doing a moment ago, only these were fists filled with Qi, and Raze was getting badly hurt. Each blow was pushing through, and it felt like the insides of his body were being destroyed.


    Powerful hits pummeled him from all sides, and Raze''s body was clearly heavily injured. His clothing was beginning to soak with blood, but the changes that had urred moments ago weren''t happening anymore.


    "Hey, if we don''t do something, isn''t Raze going to die?" Liam asked.


    Simyon wanted to move, he wanted to go down there and stop it, but his hardened body wasn''t activating¡ªnothing seemed to be working.


    Just then, for a brief moment, Sha Mo''s attacks stopped. He was seen looking at Raze''s pummeled body, and lifting his hand up, Sha Mo shoved it onto the ground.


    From above Raze, it felt like an invisible weight had just crushed him, pinning him down to the floor. It was constantly pressing on his body, and all of his cells were vibrating as if on fire.


    Raze let go of his Ghost de. He was no longer holding it and could barely lift his head as he looked at Sha Mo. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I thought the person who managed to take over the Dark Faction would''ve been stronger than this. It seems the only people I needed to worry about were the others in the Demonic Faction."


    Sha Mo imed, still holding one hand hovering, pouring Qi down on Raze and pinning him in ce. Then, with his other hand, a ze seemed to ignite on his entire fist. It was the first time Sha Mo''s Qi had be visible.


    "Let''s end this!" Sha Mo said as he stepped forward, lifting Raze with one hand and wrapping his Qi around him, keeping him in ce.


    With Raze directly in front of him, Sha Mo threw his fist as hard as he could, and directly in the path of his fist, an individual appeared.


    Sha Mo didn''t slow down, though, as the fist continued forward, piercing right through the person''s stomach. The remaining power hit Raze, causing him to fly and tumble to the ground.


    ''What was that¡­ someone came in the way and stopped the punch¡­ who was it¡­ who was it¡­?'' Raze quickly spun his body and looked up, clutching his stomach in pain.


    There he could see it, a person with their head turned, their eyes filled with tears, and arge hole right through their stomach.


    "Ra¡ªRa¡ª" Blood filled the person''s mouth, making it almost impossible for them to speak.


    Sha Mo had already pulled his hand back, and as the person fell to the floor, they only had one more word to say.


    "Brother¡­"

 Chapter 891: Dark Burst

    Chapter 891: Dark Burst


    ?


    Standing on the outside of the crater where Raze and Sha Mo were fighting, several of Raze''s closest allies were watching everything take ce.


    They were beyond exhausted, and just standing was taking up a lot of their strength. They had constantly been fighting up to this point and had all received their fair share of Qi from Sha Mo.


    Which was why, when they saw the situation that Raze was in, the pain he was going through as he fought Sha Mo, and the damage his body had taken, they all wanted to help. They wanted to do something, but they couldn''t.


    Their bodies were beyond exhausted. At most, maybe they could slide down the crater along the side and manage to not even get close.


    After all, with each hit, Sha Mo''s Qi was expanding outward as well.


    However, this wasn''t true for one individual. There was one person who, even in the middle of fighting, with every breath they took, continued to cultivate their powers.


    On top of that, they held a great weapon that allowed their body to heal as time went by at an incredible speed.


    Not only that, but this person, even if they weren''t injured, would have done everything they could to move, which was why Safa had moved.


    She jumped down, sliding across the crater, and with her feet, she kicked off as hard as she could. She needed to get to Raze as fast as possible.


    "SAFA!" Simyon yelled. "What are you doing,e back... even if we go down there, there''s nothing we can do!"


    Simyon tried to force his body to move, but he eventually fell to the ground, and all he could do was watch Safa move faster than he had ever seen, rushing to the center.


    All eyes were focused on what had happened, and without any hesitation, before Sha Mo even threw his fist, Safa had leapt in the middle of the two fighting.


    The powerful fist was thrown by Sha Mo, and unlike Raze, who had the protection of the zer and mid-stage Qi protecting him from Sha Mo''s strikes, Safa had none of that.


    The powerful fist had ripped a hole right through the center of her stomach. Parts of her guts had already been torn out and were on the floor at that point.


    Raze, who had been knocked away by the second-hand power of the punch, looked up and could see the face of the person who had practically saved his life.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Safa..." Raze said.


    Safa turned back, her face filled with tears, but of all things, there was one thing Raze noticed -after she said herst words, she was smiling.


    "Brother..." Safa quietly said, her face satisfied that she had at least seen Raze was still alive and well.


    Raze didn''t blink, he continued to stare at the spot where Safay on the floor. He was waiting for her body to move. He was waiting to wake up from this nightmare.


    "Why... why... why are you here... why did you..."


    Raze couldn''t get his thoughts straight. His mind was rampaging, filled with pain, and his heart was beating aggressively.


    As Raze looked at Safa, the images and memories returned to him. Of the day he had gone back to the apartment, and on the ground, he had seen her there, just like Sabrina.


    "It happened again... it happened again. Everyone who gets close to me, anyone I start to care about for just a second, they get taken away from me!"


    Raze still hadn''t blinked. His hands were clenched to the point his fingernails dug into his palms, and blood was dripping down.


    "ARGHHH!" Raze let out an almighty scream as he banged his head on the floor.


    "WHYYY!!!" Raze shouted again.


    Sha Mo looked at the woman on the floor, the student.


    "She was quite reckless, jumping into the middle of that while being so weak. What a fool. What did she think she was doing?"


    "She just wasted her life for no reason. There''s only one person that needs to die, and that''s you. I bet she thought she was helpful, but she just dyed your death in the end."


    Sha Mo then walked over and looked at Safa''s lifeless eyes on the floor.


    "This body is in the way, and it needs to be removed," Sha Mo stated as he lifted up his leg. "DON''T!" Raze screamed with his hand out. "DON''T TOUCH HER!"


    In an instant, Dark magic came swirling out of Raze''s body. It spread out and traveled all over Raze, arge amount of it. It looked like dark sprites were floating in the air around Raze.


    Until so much Dark magic had been unleashed that it covered where Raze was like a dark ball. The immense power and the chills that Sha Mo felt caused him to stop for a moment and look in Raze''s direction.


    ''This power.... this isn''t Qi... I''ve never felt something like this... what have you done, Dark Magus?''


    The dark ball of energy that surrounded Raze was shaking, and then it exploded outward. A dark mist spread through the entire area. It continued exploding out from the crater, covering Rayna and the others.


    As it touched their bodies, they only felt a slight burning sensation, but their view was


    obstructed.


    It didn''t take long for the dark energy to disappear into the air and for the others to look back


    down.


    "What''s that... what''s happened to him?" Rayna asked.


    Raze could feel it, the mass amount of anger, the dark energy that had been swirling around him, and the feeling around his chest and mana coursing through his entire body.


    He was the first mage in history to activate a breakthroughing from a mage with a Dark Core, but what was the meaning of this?


    Why would his breakthrough be this, of all things?


    "What has happened to you?" Sha Mo asked. "Why have you turned into... an old man?"

 Chapter 892: Dark Breakthrough

    Chapter 892: Dark Breakthrough


    ?


    When the strange Dark Mist passed through the others, an odd feeling was felt. It wasn''t pain, nor was it like the Qi that came from Sha Mo.


    Instead, for a moment, they felt empty inside, as if all their senses had disappeared for a fraction of a second. Everything had dulled-their sense of smell, their hearing, and more. It was a strange feeling because the one sense that still existed was their sense of sight. Yet the feeling of everything being gone from them--it was almost like they had died in that moment.


    When the Dark energy went past them, they looked down at the crater and could see where Raze stood. Part of the ground beneath his feet had been destroyed.


    The ground looked as if a sphere had perfectly carved out the floor from underneath him, but the surprising thing itself was Raze.


    "What happened to him?" Rayna asked.


    "I... don''t understand either, he looks like an old man," Liam said. "And not just looks like- it''s almost as if he''s turned into an old man. Is that really Raze, or did something happen again likest time?"


    Anna was using the system to analyze the features on Raze''s face, and something strange was happening. Her system itself hade up with an error.


    [Unable to Determine if they are the same individuals.]


    [Simrities and differences have urred]


    [Here is a list of the following]


    Judging by the information, Raze''s posture, stance, and some of his internal features remained the same, but his skin and facial features-they weren''t the same person ording to the system.


    One thing the system was sure about was that all of the clothes that this old man was wearing were exactly the same.


    ''Maybe this is likest time when the Divine being took over, but why does he look different this time?''


    The reason for the confusion was because the zer Raze wore was the same, and the familiar white hair, although slightly longer, was still there.


    Still, one couldn''t just suddenly age, and why would it happen to Raze in the middle of a match?


    The truth was that even Raze himself was shocked by this.


    "What has happened to you?" Sha Mo asked. "Why have you turned into... an old man?"


    "An old man?" Raze repeated, as he looked at his hands. They were wrinkled, severely, the veins on the top of his hands stuck out.


    He could feel it in just his breathing and the normal aches and pains one got as they grew older. However, there was something else flowing through him.


    He lifted his hand and ced it against his chest.


    ''Right now, I can tell my mana heart has gone through a breakthrough. The mana has exploded all over my body, but when I look at my mana heart... why is it... can it be?''


    It was then that Raze lifted his hand and weaved it in the air. In doing so, a pool of water was created, floating.


    Sha Mo was cautious and didn''t go in for the attack just yet.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''This person managed to beat Murkel somehow. The strength I''ve witnessed so far wouldn''t have been enough to beat him. Is it because of this old figure? I can''t let my guard down.''


    When Raze used his magic to create the water, he had done so for one reason only. Now he was able to see his face in the reflection.


    Both of his hands slowly lifted as he touched the wrinkles on his face.


    ''It can''t be... it can''t be... this face... this face,'' Raze thought, his whole body shaking.


    ''This is the face of Raze Cromwell, the real Raze Cromwell from Alterian. The face that everyone knows as the Dark Magus.''


    So many theories were going through Raze''s mind because he didn''t understand it. How could something like a breakthrough of one''s Mana Core cause such a thing?


    Breakthroughs were usually based on one''s Mana Core and would be rted to that. If one had a wind-based Mana Core, maybe their casting speed would double for a short time.


    Or they would be able to form some type of weapon that aided their magical powers, but something like this had never happened before.


    Even if Raze was the first person to ever have a breakthrough using a Dark Core, a result like this had never urred.


    ''Every breakthrough is unique to the user... is it because of me, the real soul upying this body?


    ''Dark magic affinity is closely linked with death... it''s quite possible that something like this could have happened.''


    Right after, Raze waved his hand again, and the pool of water disappeared. He started to wave his hand a few times, and the water reappeared, only to disappear again.


    Then he lifted his right hand and clicked his fingers, and a small me, like that of a lighter, appeared. He flicked it into the air, and itnded on his other hand.


    Sparks started to appear, surrounding both of Raze''s arms, swirling around them, and then they suddenly stopped. Everything around Raze had stopped.


    He just stood there, looked up at Sha Mo, and started to smile.


    "You seem to have a big grin on your face, for someone who was getting beat so badly that they seem to have aged," Sha Mo eximed, getting back into a fighting stance, one hand in front of the other and his legs spread out.


    Raze looked off to the side, where Safa''s bodyy, and with a finger, she was lifted into the air. She continued to rise until she was brought to the side of the others up above. When ced on the ground, the wind could be seen blowing the dust to the side.


    "The person you fought before was Raze Cromwell of Pagna," Raze answered. "But the person you will be fighting right now is Raze Cromwell from Alterian. I will show you the power of a nine-star mage."


    In this older form, Raze was back to his strength before he hade to Pagna.

 Chapter 893: A 9 Star Mage

    Chapter 893: A 9 Star Mage


    ?


    With Raze''s breakthrough, although he was back to his old appearance, he wasn''t quite sure what benefits it had brought him.


    When looking at his Mana heart, he wasn''t sure if he could believe it, but he could feel it- nine different star points could be located surrounding his heart.


    Although it was more urate to say these were artificial stars, because with every


    breakthrough, it was a temporary form, and once the surge in power ended, for a period of time, Raze wouldn''t be able to use any magic at all.


    Now that he was a nine-star mage, he began to wonder if everything had reverted back to how it was when he was on Alterian.


    The fancy disy of magic wasn''t to show Sha Mo what he could do; it was for Raze''s own benefit. He had realized that he now had affinities with elements he hadn''t before.


    "If you are just going to mess around, then I wille for you!" Sha Mo shouted, spreading his arms apart. "In the world of warriors, old age is a sign that you are at your end!"


    These words spoken by Sha Mo were true, as advancing to each stage would bring a longer lifespan.


    Sha Mo could be close to two hundred, yet he didn''t look a day over forty.


    The hope was to reach the Divine stage before the end of one''s life, but if one aged, it meant they had been unsessful in advancing as a warrior and had pretty much reached the peak of what they could achieve.


    With his arms by his side, Sha Mo lifted them both and swung them down. The tworge invisible Qi snakes were soon tond on Raze.


    Raze gave two simple flicks of his fingers, and tworge pirs of earth ascended.


    It appeared as though two small mountains had risen. As Sha Mo''s attacknded, the mounds of earth crumbled as if cut, and the giant pieces were seen falling.


    They only flew a meter or so before they were blown away, scattering around Raze in therge crater.


    "I''ll just have to attack you closer!" Sha Mo imed, hurling himself forward.


    Raze extended his hand, and a tunnel of wind pressure shot forward, hitting Sha Mo square in the stomach.


    It pushed against Sha Mo, and even with the might of his Qi, it appeared he was unable to


    move.


    "You should have just left this business between me and you," Raze said as he brought his other hand close. "Burn."


    mes from one hand joined the tunnel of wind. The wind ignited quickly, and a giant whirlwind of fire was created.


    It surrounded Sha Mopletely. Those watching weren''t even able to see Sha Mo''s body, but from where they stood, they could feel the intense heat.


    The swirling mes continued around Sha Mo, and inside the tunnel of fire, fireballs appeared, striking Sha Mo''s body.


    They didn''t burn through his skin, but with each hit, Sha Mo could feel the Qi protecting his body was withering away.


    ''If I stay in here any longer, the mes will eventually eat away at my body!'' Sha Mo thought. Gathering both his hands together, Sha Mo drew Qi from his body into his hands and struck forward. When the Qi drained from his body, the mes attached to his skin, and the burning sensation could be felt through all of his nerves.


    The burst of Qi created an opening, and Sha Mo leapt through. Some of his skin appeared slightly burnt, but he knew he needed to escape the tornado of fire.


    ''Now I just need to-''


    Before Sha Mo could take another step, he felt a stinging pain through his leg, and right after, a jolt shot through his entire body.


    Looking down at his leg, he saw a strange blue object glowing, piercing through and pinning him to the ground.


    When Sha Mo looked at Raze, he saw several more of these objectsing straight for him.


    ''I can''t move my body-it feels just like before, every one of my cells is in shock.'' Several of these strange jagged blue objects pierced through Sha Mo''s leg, arms, and even abdomen.


    The shocking pain throughout his body intensified, and he felt like he was no longer in control of his body, no matter how much Qi he used.


    For Raze, blue sparks twirled around his fingers slightly.


    "There are many ways I could deal with you now," Raze said. "The power of water added with the pressure of wind is strong enough to cut diamonds and would be strong enough to go through your neck with ease."


    "I could create a giant ball of fire to burn you into ashes. But you see, both of those methods would have been too painless," Raze said.


    Raze lifted both his hands in the air, and magic started to surge out from his body.


    Those watching felt a sickening sensatione over them once more.


    "You see, I want you to scream, to shout so loud in pain that everyone will know what


    happens when they try to deal with the Dark Magus."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "My name will be feared here just as much as it is in Alterian, and maybe then none of you


    fools will try to take anything away from me again!"


    In the air, there were small ck balls floating-not just one, not just ten or a hundred-there were thousands of them, each the size of a marble.


    It looked like ck raindrops had frozen over the crater.


    Everyone, having seen what Raze had just done, had almost forgotten that he was going against a top warrior in Pagna.


    The fight they were witnessing was more like what they imagined it would be if a Divine warrior with full powers stepped onto thend of Pagna.


    "I can''t believe it," Lince said. "He''s toying with Sha Mo... he''s powerful enough to treat him


    like this."


    "Right now, I can''t think of a single person more powerful than him..."

 Chapter 894: 9th Mages Power

    Chapter 894: 9th Mage''s Power


    ?


    The number of small ck balls floating about in the air was like a scene out of a fantasy world for those from Pagna. They had heard of Pagna warriors controlling Qi in strange ways because they could produce projectile Qi out of their bodies.


    But something like this? Magic was already confusing to them because, in their eyes, it was creating something out of nothing, as they couldn''t understand Mana.


    However, even if they could somewhatpare Mana to another energy source like Qi, for a single person to create something like this, to be in control of something like this¡ªit was a power that only gods should be capable of wielding.


    "If all of this Dark Magic entered your body at once, it would mean certain death for you," Raze stated. "But, I''ve already told you, that''s not what I want."


    Sha Mo was still trying to move, and he could see that the first strange blue spear-like object that had pierced through his leg was starting to disappear.


    With it, the effects of its power lessened slightly. Just as he tried to focus his Qi to that point, another stinging pain shot through his leg, and the same object was ced in the same


    position once again.


    Raze''s finger flickered.


    "I''m not done," Raze said. "Don''t you even dare think of moving. I thought you were an old soul; you should know that patience is a virtue that grows with you as you get older."


    Moving his other hand, one of the small ck balls floated forward toward Sha Mo. Seeing iting, he wanted to try to reach out and grab it, to p it away with his Qi, but with all the strange attacks Raze had done to him, and the physical lightning bolts created by his magic, Sha Mo was unable to move.


    He watched as the small ck ball entered through his skin. A searing pain, different from a burning sensation, but ofplete annihtion, surged through him.


    However, as the ball went in, the pain somewhat disappeared.


    "What, do you think that''s it?" Raze asked.


    As Sha Mo continued to breathe, he was starting to struggle. Each breath he took felt shorter and shorter, and he tried to inhale harder, but it wasn''t working.


    "Dark Magic, out of all forms of magic, is the most destructive. Right now, I have created a small hole in your lung. Slowly, blood is starting to fill in, and you''re struggling to breathe. This is simr to drowning."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You know they say one of the worst ways to die is by drowning, but again, this is not enough!"


    The taste of iron filled Sha Mo''s mouth, and although he was still partially taking in oxygen, he was trying as hard as he could to conserve himself.


    Pagna warriors could hold their breath for a long timepared to regr humans. However, Sha Mo would soon learn that it would have been best if that had been the end of it.


    Raze waved his hand again, and the ck balls moved through the air. This time there were hundreds of them. When they reached Sha Mo''s body, they lingered, touching the surface of his skin.


    They covered itpletely, to the point where the real Sha Mo was no longer visible. Eventually, the small ck balls started to disappear.


    And in their ce, Sha Mo could be seen, but it was hard to tell it was even him. All of the clothing on his body, all of the skin-it was gone.


    On clear disy was the muscr flesh that held the human body together. The senses of Sha Mo''s body were on overdrive as the pieces underneath his skin were exposed to the open air.


    "I said from the beginning, it would have been simple to have all this darkness finish you in one go... but then, you wouldn''t learn your lesson, none of you would learn your lesson!" Raze said, anger in his voice.


    "Now that your skin has been ripped off, let''s see how you deal with the mes once again!" Raze said as he flicked his hand, and a tornado of mes surrounded Sha Mo.


    The mes spun around his body, and the heat intensified. With no skin and all his nerves exposed, the pain caused Sha Mo to scream at the top of his lungs.


    Due to the howl that had been made earlier, though, blood filled Sha Mo''s mouth. The pain was so excruciating that Sha Mo was on the verge of passing out. He, a middle-stage warrior who had put himself through the most strenuous situations to grow stronger, was now barely hanging on.


    Standing on the crater''s edge, Simyon''s fist was shaking.


    "That look in his eyes... I saw it before-it was the same look at the orphanage. I haven''t seen it in a long time, but it looks like it''s back."


    Simyon touched his other arm, trying to stop it from shaking, but there was no denying the fear he felt in the current situation.


    Seeing that look on Raze''s face, he thought the Raze he knew had disappeared, at least from his memory.


    "What are you saying, are you telling us to stop him?" Liam asked. "Sha Mo deserves this after everything he did. He killed Safa, and he would have killed us and all of those in the town of Flendon, and for what? What good reason did he have? As Raze said, this is the only way to stop people from going after us."


    The loud scream from Sha Mo erupted as the tornado of mes condensed around him,pletely enveloping his body. The mestched on and started to burn him.


    Right now, Sha Mo was experiencing the agony of being burned alive while also drowning- something that seemed impossible, but it was more intense than what one would normally


    endure.


    With a sweeping motion of his hand, Raze sucked the mes away, and the thin, charred body of Sha Mo copsed to the ground.


    "You can''t die yet..." Raze said as he started to walk over. "Your life force still needs to be used for one thing. I''m going to use you to grow even stronger than I am now!"

 Chapter 895: How Do You Stop That?

    Chapter 895: How Do You Stop That?


    ?


    Blinded by the anger that filled Raze, seeing another precious person taken away from him, he had almost forgotten the reason why he had decided to fight Sha Mo in the first ce.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The reason he had decided to defend the town of Flendon. Too many things had happened, especially with the Deleter attacking them in the middle of everything.


    The reason was to defeat Sha Mo and extract his Qi using the Demonic Extraction technique. By doing this, Raze was sure he would reach the next stage in the middle stage.


    Then he would be only one stage under those like Sha Mo and Belil, andbined with his magic power, there was a good chance he would be able to best anyone in Pagna.


    Thankfully, because Raze was focused on inflicting as much pain on Sha Mo as possible, Sha Mo was still alive, barely.


    He was lying on the floor, blood pouring from his mouth, his body jerking asionally. How much longer he had to live was anyone''s guess.


    But it was quite clear that in the condition he was in, there was no chance for him to speak. There was nothing left for him to say.


    Raze approached Sha Mo''s body, walking over slowly. Then, without even bending down, he lifted Sha Mo by raising his hand.


    "This body of mine is exactly like my old body. It doesn''t seem to have the same effects as its Pagna self," Raze said. "So as an old man, I''m not exactly agile enough to bend down and pick you up, but thankfully, my magic is strong enough to lift your body."


    Reaching out with his old hand, the extraction technique started to work. The only sounds that came out of Sha Mo''s mouth were as the energy drained from his body, slowly being added to Raze''s.


    Eventually, Sha Mo''s body was just shriveled up, darkened, and dropped to the ground. One of the greatest in the Demonic Faction was now unrecognizable to all.


    "Some might think I should thank you," Raze said as he looked at the body. "Because of you, I have aplished what no mage has before me. For a researcher like me, these achievements are what I live for... at least what I used to live for."


    "It''s because of you that I managed to unlock this, but at what cost? If I could, I certainly would rather have them back alive."


    Those watching didn''t fully know what to think. The great enemy they were facing, that they had so much trouble with, had ended.


    It was hard for them to believe that such a foe was taken out. Maybe they would have understood it more if it was with techniques, with punches and kicks.


    But equally, it was with powers they didn''t understand, and just like that, the threat was gone.


    Raze, on the ground, clenched his fist a few times. Ever since he had used his breakthrough, he was unable to feel the Qi inside his dantian.


    All he could feel was Mana all over his body. So he wasn''t quite sure if the extraction technique had worked, if it had allowed him to reach the next stage.


    He also wasn''t quite sure of the side effects after performing the breakthrough. Usually, one wouldn''t be able to use their Mana for a while, but what about Qi?


    Could Raze continue to fight with his Qi? If that was the case, as long as he figured out how to regrly break through, it would be a big bonus to him.


    ''Still, fighting with just my Pagna techniques iscking in strength. Thebination of magic and Qi is second to the form I currently have now.''


    "I wonder what he''s thinking," Ricktor said with a smile.


    "He just defeated a Demonic Faction leader!" Mantis said. "His name will go down in legends."


    "That''s if his name hasn''t already. His name was being spread well before this, and he has made the firstrge impact in the world of Pagna as the leader of the Dark Faction."


    "Does this mean it''s over?" Mada asked. "With Sha Mo defeated... the fight, it should have stopped, right?"


    When they looked around, though, only a few had stopped. When the fighting had gotten intense, many had moved away.


    The pressure of the Qi hitting them was affecting them too much. Maybe some of the others would have moved away as well if they could.


    This meant that there were few onlookers of the fight, and none of those watching would have ever believed that Sha Mo could be defeated in the first ce, yet it happened.


    Because of this, though, very few people were even aware of Sha Mo''s defeat, and the attack on the town of Flendon had continued.


    The statue was doing its best to protect, but the Behemoth n had started to spread out even wider, making the line of attack stretch out so it wasn''t so concentrated on one part of the wall.


    This allowed a few warriors to get in, making it incredibly difficult for those inside to fight them off.


    "It''s not over," Mada said. "Even though we took out the Pirs, even though we took out Sha Mo, the Behemoth n still exists!"


    They weren''t the only ones that thought this. Raze stood in the center, lifting his old body.


    They saw him rising up in the air, and as he spread his hands out, in an instant, all of the rainfall stopped, floating in the air.


    Those busy fighting didn''t realize it, and right after, Raze flew over to the wall of the town of Flendon.


    "They all need to be stopped," Raze said to himself.


    When he finally reached the wall, he turned around to face the Behemoth n Army that was approaching.


    "He still has that look on his face," Simyon said. "This isn''t going to be good. He''s going to kill everyone here!"


    "Alright, you might be onto something. Maybe he does need to be stopped," Liam said.

 Chapter 896: Freeze The Battlefield

    Chapter 896: Freeze The Battlefield


    ?


    An instant disy of pure power was being witnessed by many. For one, right in front of the Behemoth n''s eyes, they could see a man floating above the wall.


    Flight without special weapons was not possible for Pagna warriors, so just seeing this was already breaking their beliefs.


    It was when they looked up at the individual that they realized the rain had stopped.


    Seeing both the floating man and the fact that the rain had stopped couldn''t have been a coincidence.


    "What is going on? Strange things keep happening in this fight, I''m telling you!"


    "You''re right-moving statues, strange arrows falling from the sky!"


    "I''m starting to wonder if we might have angered the wrong person."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, is this all the Dark Magus''s doing? Shouldn''t we, the Behemoth n, have already taken out a small town like Flendon? Yet we''re struggling so much-how do you exin that?"


    "I''ve also been wondering about something else. Where is Sha Mo? Where are the Pirs? Surely, with how much we''re struggling, they would have helped us by now."


    "It seems he got caught up in some type of fight."


    "And there''s someone strong enough to fight him for this long? This is what I''m saying- something is up, and I don''t like it."


    While in the air, Raze extended his arms out, and a mist extended from his body, reaching out.


    As it touched the raindrops, they started to harden, turning into small drops of ice, simr to hail.


    The ice remained still in the air. After that, Raze twisted his hand, and the shape of the hail changed slightly.


    The drops sharpened at the end, looking like bullets.


    Looking below, there were still those fighting, and some of the warriors had gotten into the town.


    One had bashed open the door to one of the nearby shops, and an almighty scream was heard from inside.


    Immediately, images in Raze''s head appeared of Sabrina on the floor in a bloody mess. Other images flooded his mind, of more who had lost their lives in front of him.


    He wiggled his index finger, and one of the small ice drops moved. It reached the back of the warrior''s head and pierced right through his skull.


    Instantly, the warrior fell to the floor, his life lost.


    The woman inside the building wore a look of confusion on her face as her attacker suddenly copsed.


    "First, I get rid of the troublesome ones," Raze said.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Some of the frozen ice in the air began to move, piercing the warriors on the wall and those who had made it into Flendon.


    Behemoth n members were seen falling to the ground, one after the other.


    Some of the warriors, seeing their nearby allies fall, started to be on guard.


    "It''s the raindrops!" one of the warriors said, flinging their sword, filled with Qi, at the right time, stopping the ice. But the ones who could do so were few.


    There were still plenty of frozen raindrops in the air, but instead, Raze lifted his hand, and the entirety of one of his arms started to spark up. Forming in his hand was a blue thunderbolt, the same one he had used against Sha Mo.


    He hurled it at one of the survivors, and it pierced right through the warrior''s heart.


    The shock went through his entire body, and unlike Sha Mo, the warrior''s life had already ended, his body only being held up by the shock of the bolt freezing and hardening his muscles.


    Unlike the ice rainfall, the warrior wasn''t able to see this attacking in his direction. Not only that, but right now, in Raze''s hand, another lightning bolt had already appeared. "You made your decision the moment you entered the city-your actions are as clear as day." Another lightning bolt struck, killing another warrior. Loud bangs and shes of light were seen all over the ce.


    The Behemoth n members still out on the field, those who had yet to enter and go past the wall, still didn''t know what they were witnessing.


    It wasn''t just them. Andy and the rest of the guards were in awe.


    "Who is this person who hase to save us? They''re striking down all our enemies!"


    "I think that''s Raze," Fixteen answered. "I think that''s the Dark Magus."


    Andy wasn''t too sure, and neither were the rest of the guards, because this wasn''t the young man they had seen before.


    This was an old man. It was quite clear that the level of power this individual held was on a different scale.


    "It has to be him, right?" Alba asked, worn out with a few cuts on her arms. "No one else I know can do that and has a reason to fight for this town. But why does he look like that, and why does he have that look in his eyes?"


    Raze had swiftly dealt with all of those in the town of Flendon, and then he turned his attention to therge army.


    Swinging his hands down, the rainfall resumed as before, only now, it was small drops of ice.


    Seeing what had urred, the warriors braced themselves while others started to focus their attacks on the sky.


    Arge amount of Qi and skills were hurled above, and as a result, not a single one of them


    died.


    After the ice fell, the rainfall became heavy, falling on the ground at a fast pace, so much so that water was up to their ankles.


    "We stopped his attack!" the n members shouted. "We can do this-keep pushing!"


    But when they tried to move, their legs wouldn''t budge. They tried to pull them a few times until they looked at the ground and saw that the liquid had frozen.


    "Now that you are all still, it''s a lot easier to deal with you," Raze imed.


    Included in those stuck in the ice were Simyon and the rest of the group.

 Chapter 897: Caught in the Fire

    Chapter 897: Caught in the Fire


    ?


    Seeing the way Raze was and the way he had been acting, the others wished to stop him, and there were a number of reasons for them doing so.


    Some of them had sensed a strange look in Raze''s eyes, believing he had gone somewhat overboard. While others thought that Raze''s power had to be close to its end.


    He had already been fighting Sha Mo for quite a long time before all of this had happened. Any moment now, they imagined he would copse like he did before.


    They couldn''t believe that drawing so much power wouldn''t have any type of drawback.


    The main issue was, all of them still felt incredibly weak. Still, they pushed themselves beyond what they could, Simyon even carrying Safa on his back.


    He stayed behind everyone else because he didn''t want them to see her wound, while the others marched forward, going through the crowd of people.


    They hadn''t made it very far; they could still see Raze in the distance, and when he used his powers, they too had been caught in it, their feet frozen and them in the same position.


    "Yeah, my balls, he''s getting weak!" Liam said. "This guy just froze the entire battlefield just like that."


    "Do you think he might have forgotten about us?" Mada said. He had activated the power of his boots, but they were the worst thing to use in this situation.


    Instantly, his power was freezing up. It went to show that this power of magic was far greater than the artifacts they used.


    "What do you mean, forgotten about us?" Mantis said. "Are you saying we''re going to get killed with the rest of these people?"


    "Well, if he wanted to, he could have just electrified the water and killed us all in one go," Anna added. "But it appears that he has avoided that option for a reason."


    "Yeah, because he wants to torture all these people, just like he did Sha Mo. You guys said that before-he''s lost his mind!"


    "He wouldn''t do that," Rayna added. "You also saw what he just did-he carefully picked out and eliminated only those from the Behemoth n. He didn''t hurt anyone from the town of Flendon."


    When Rayna spoke, Anna could tell there was slight worry in her voice. Although Raze was able to distinguish people, was it only because there was a clear line?


    Among these eight thousand people, was it quite possible that they were just a number to Raze?


    While in the air, Raze had created tworge fireballs in his hands and hurled them toward therge group of people.


    The fireballs crashed into the warriors and engulfed thempletely, and even when crashing, parts of the mes broke out and went onto others.


    Part of their clothing caught on fire, and the rest of them burned.


    "Why is it burning my skin? I''m using my Qi... but it''s still burning, it''s still burning! AHHH!" the man screamed, unable to move his feet.


    Due to the intense heat, some of the warriors could move slightly again, and this time, they were turning away from the town of Flendon.


    "The pain you are all feeling is only slightly what I have experienced. At least you will die with only physical pain. I will have to be satisfied with this, as I am unable to make you suffer even more!"


    Therge fireballs continued to be hurled at the front line, exploding and killing many in one go. Screams were heard, and from the back, the other members were seeing therge explosions of fire in front of them.


    They stayed there in fear as they watched, waiting for the fireballs toe after them next. ''This is my power. I don''t need any help. I can get my revenge!'' Raze thought. ''Really?'' A voice was heard speaking in his head once more-the Bloody woman. ''You say you were so powerful, so powerful that you were able to defeat that man on your own.''


    ''Is that really the case? If you were so strong, then why couldn''t you save her? Why weren''t you able to save that girl?''


    The vein on the side of Raze''s head was seen protruding more, and he stopped flying, heading down to the ground. As he walked forward, those who hadn''t been struck by the mes, Raze flicked his hand, and a wind sh appeared, slicing at their throats or tearing their bodies in half.


    Raze continued to walk forward, throwing a fireball in another direction and then continuing to use Wind magic to finish off the others.


    "You know, if you had just used my power when I let you, she would have lived!" the Bloody woman shouted.


    "ARGHH!" Raze shouted as he spun, and fire spit out from both of his hands in a circle, burning everything in sight.


    The zer was protecting him, and he could cast Wind magic to blow the heat away from hitting him.


    As the mes started to die down, Raze could still see there were more, still trapped in the distance.


    He had only gone through around a quarter of the army.


    "Right, right, but keep telling yourself you''re strong. Just admit it-you''re weak. That''s why you lost her, and that''s why you lost Safa as well!"


    The thoughts continued to fill Raze''s head. Images shed of his memories of the past, everything he had gone through. Everything the Grand Magus had put him through.


    The words of the Bloody woman seemed true in that moment. These people-why did they have to attack? Why did they have to get involved?


    If they had just left him alone, if they had just left those he cared about alone, they would all be fine.


    Fireballs were thrown out in every direction in a fit of rage, and it was at that point that Raze didn''t even realize that he had thrown one heading directly toward Rayna and the others.


    "F**k my balls," Liam said as a small miniature sun was heading right toward their group.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 898 Two Miracles

    Chapter 898 Two Miracles


    Among Rayna and her group, which were trapped in the ice, there was one individual that could break out, and forcing his Qi into the ice, he already had. Someone who wasn''t quite part of their group but had been observing the fight between Sha Mo and the Dark Magus, Raze.


    As the fireball wasing toward the group, shot by Raze himself, Lince had several quick thoughts running through his head. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''If I cover my body in Qi, most likely the fireball won''t affect me too much,'' Lince thought. ''I practically still have all my strength, but as for the rest, fighting Sha Mo has depleted most of their strength and Qi. They won''t be able to escape and will be burnt just like the others.''


    It was a decision Lince had to make because he knew he had the power to stop the fireball. To at least create a strike to slice it so they all came out unharmed, but what was his rtion to these people?


    They weren''t part of his n, they were merely allies of the Dark Magus, and after seeing what the Dark Magus was capable of, Lince hadn''t made up his mind yet if it was good to try and work with him or against him.


    ''I also said that I wouldn''t get involved in this fight between the two sides, but with Sha Mo defeated, it''s quite clear that a winner has already been decided. This is just the aftermath of a battle.


    ''My involvement would only save lives.''


    It was then that Lince made a decision. He reached behind his back, ready to pull out his weapon, but just as he did, he felt two strong forces of Qi moving from the side. They were incredibly strong and aimed right for the fireball.


    Rayna was at the front of the group and would be the first to be hit. She went to reach for her weapon, even though she realized it would be useless, and that''s when two tall men stepped in front of her.


    One pulled out a flute and blew into it hard. As he did, the fire seemed to split and flick to their sides. Some of the mes from the fireball, after being split, looked to jump and were ready to still hit the group.


    But the other man jumped and opened his gourd, and in doing so, the mes looked to enter the gourdpletely, disappearing.


    The attack had beenpletely stopped, and it had been done with techniques or artifacts they hadn''t seen before.


    "I''m¡­ I''m alive!" Liam imed. "Or, am I actually dead? Maybe this is what death is like¡ªno pain."


    Anna pped Liam on the back of the head, resulting in a slight grunt from him. She could move now because the heat getting close to them had melted the ice, which went to show how strong the mes from the fireball were.


    "Since you felt that, now you know you''re not dead. But what I want to know is, who are those two?" Anna asked.


    That was what most of those were wondering. In the middle of this Behemoth n, the only allies they had were those from the town of Flendon and the Crimson Crane, but these two were neither.


    However, there were those that did recognize the two of them¡ªLince and Rayna.


    Rayna quickly bowed her head to the two in front of her, clearly as a sign of respect.


    "I wee both of you, my brothers!" Rayna said.


    "Brothers!" Mada said. "Rayna is part of the Neverfall n. Does that mean these two are those infamous brothers?"


    "You''re right," Mantis imed. "The two swords of the Neverfall n. Belil himself never lifts a finger, but it''s because of these two that the Neverfall n has such arge reputation."


    "If they''re here, does that mean they''ve been sent for support?" Ricktor asked.


    "I''m not sure. The Demonic n doesn''t really work that way. Rayna was married off to Raze, and this is her town. So they''re treated like a separate n. If the Neverfall n was going to get involved, they would have done so from the beginning."


    This was why Rayna was on guard and extremely cautious, because she couldn''t believe Belil, her father, would send her brothers.


    "First, thank you both for stopping that attack," Rayna continued. "May I please know the reason you are here?"


    "Well?" Fing, the shorter of the two brothers with the gourd, said, looking at the taller brother. "We were actually given orders by Father, so don''t think this is something we chose to do."


    Rayna looked at Han to exin.


    "What Fing says is correct. We were ordered to protect you in this war if anything was to happen. We took those orders to heart, watched your fights, and everything that took ce, and only got involved now that it seemed like your life was in danger."


    Rayna was somewhat in disbelief. This was not the father she knew. It was breaking everything she knew about the man, which didn''t seem like much to begin with.


    "Honestly, we didn''t think we were going to have to get involved at all," Fing said. "We were told not to help anyone else, not the Dark Magus or anyone. We assumed Sha Mo would have taken over this ce, gotten rid of everyone. Then we would have just stopped them from taking you out."


    Rayna was still in disbelief, but she knew her brothers wouldn''t lie about this situation, and the fact that they hadn''t bothered to even help Dame, who had been at the wall, showed the order was only to protect her.


    Besides, her brothers, other than Dame, would never even bother to do such a thing.


    In the middle of their conversation, several of the Behemoth n members could be seen retreating and running back. They had decided to give up on the fight, and with no Sha Mo to stop them, it appeared to be over.


    Right at the very back of therge wastnd, though, the ground started to rumble, and appearing from the very edge, arge wall surrounded the ce, further than their eyes could see.


    The Behemoth n members had been blocked from their escape, and the person responsible was walking their way.


    When Rayna looked through the crowd of people, she saw the old Raze''s gaze, and she could almost see no life behind his eyes. It scared her, and for some reason, seeing him look like this was bringing pain to her heart.


    It was then that Rayna decided to do something she never thought she would do in her lifetime.


    "I have a favor to ask¡­ can you stop him for me? Can you stop Raze¡ªthe Dark Magus?" Rayna asked.

 Chapter 899 The Grand Magus Appear?

    Chapter 899 The Grand Magus Appear?


    Maybe to regr family members, asking one''s siblings for a favor wasn''t a big deal.


    In fact, Rayna had even seen it ur among the regr citizens during the first attack on Flendon.


    Those willing to take up arms for their family, brothers willingly sacrificing their lives for their little or even big sisters.


    However, for Rayna, it was different. The Neverfall n, sticking true to the Demonic n ways, didn''t care for blood ties¡ªeverything was about power.


    Han and Fing were both second to Belil in terms of power. So Rayna asking them for a favor was like asking a boss in argepany to do something on their behalf.


    It was an awkward feeling for Rayna, and in the world of warriors, where she was rted by blood, asking was an embarrassment for her.


    Yet, she was willing to swallow her pride in this moment to ask for this favor.


    Although Pagna warriors were often cruel and could take out entire ns with a flick of their wrist, just like her father had done with one of the Light Faction, Rayna didn''t want this for Raze.


    Right now, Raze was just consumed by anger, and it was quite clear why¡ªbecause he cared for Safa and for the people of Flendon.


    These feelings were what made Raze different from her father and the rest of those at the top of the food chain in the world of Pagna.


    She felt like Raze was on the cusp of a change, and he was close to tipping over to the other side.


    The Behemoth n was clearly retreating. Now that they no longer had Sha Mo or the pirs, the members would be fine.


    For a long time, the Behemoth n members had bullied their way with their size in the Demonic n, so the other ns, the towns, and the local people wouldn''t be nice to them after this.


    Maybe Rayna did have a bit of her father''s blood in her because she didn''t actually care about the Behemoth n members themselves; she just cared about what Raze might be.


    After making the request to her brothers, she continued to bow her head.


    "Are we even sure that''s your husband out there?" Fing scratched the back of his head and opened up his gourd. He started to drink away.


    The others watching raised their eyebrows, as they were sure they saw mes being consumed by the item. Yet where did they go? And just what was Fing drinking from it?


    "I mean, he''s an old man right now, and he has a lot of power."


    "Stop teasing her," Han said as he barged into Fing''s shoulder. "We were watching and witnessed him change into what he is now. We don''t know why he is the way he is.


    "But one thing is clear¡ªhe was able to take down Sha Mo. Fighting him would be quite the test of our powers."


    Rayna soon raised her head. Her lips opened and closed as she struggled to speak. It seemed her brothers were already epting the request, but she realized that she needed to make one more thing clear to them.


    "Please!" Rayna said. "Can you bring him back alive? I just want you to stop him from doing this.


    "I will do whatever you want. I will pull out from the Neverfall n, serve you, and do any dirty work that is requested. Please just ept my request," Rayna asked.


    The two of them turned around and could see Raze in the distance, still taking care of the Behemoth members that had turned their backs.


    "I will do whatever you want. I will pull out from the Neverfall n, serve you, and do any dirty work that is requested. Please just ept my request," Rayna asked.


    The two of them turned around and could see Raze in the distance, still taking care of the Behemoth members that had turned their backs.


    "When an enemy is incredibly strong, it''s a hard task to do," Han said. "And honestly, from what I saw, it might be even hard for us to beat him."


    Regardless of Han''s words, the two of them walked forward, and Rayna had hope that her brothers had epted her request.


    It was twice in one day that she had been surprised by her family''s actions¡ªfirst her father, and now her brothers.


    "Will they be alright?" Mada asked.


    "I guess since you guys are from the Dark Faction, you don''t know much about them," Mantis said. "Right now, it will be like Raze is going up against two Sha Mos."


    "Yeah, and we saw how easily he dealt with him," Liam added.


    Which had put everyone in silence for a moment.


    ---


    Raze was continuing out on the field, mostly fighting those with his wind magic. One of the warriors had bravely decided to charge at him with his sword.


    With the movements of his fingers in the air, a wind strike had cut through the sword, making it fall in half.


    That was the least of the warrior''s worries, as he had arge cut on his stomach.


    "That''s it, that''s it!" the bloody woman shouted in Raze''s head. With each kill, it was almost as if she was getting more excited herself. "It''s because of all of these that the people you care about were taken from you, all of them!"


    Names repeated over in Raze''s head¡ªSabrina, Jake, Safa¡ªon top of that, the names of each of the Grand Magus and what they had done, and what Raze had been put through in his life.


    His body was acting on autopilot, just attacking those that came close or in sight.


    Even when he attacked, at times he saw the images of the Grand Magus on their faces.


    Then when he looked down at the ground, at those who had fallen, he saw the faces of those he had lost.


    "Ahh!" Raze screamed, feeling the Dark magic surrounding him.


    "Hey, will you calm it down? I mean, it''s kinda cool and all as a brother of ours that you were able to do all of this, but ya know," Fing said, with the gourd open.


    Then Han had his flute held in one of his hands.


    "Our sister¡ªor should I say your wife¡ªhas requested that you put a stop to this. This is the only time we''re going to speak to you. If you choose to fight, then we can''t be held ountable for what happens next."


    Raze turned to look at the two warriors, and he could feel immense powering from the two of them.


    "Idore! Trubin!!!" Raze yelled at the top of his lungs as he saw two of the Grand Magus right in front of him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 900 This is Dark Magic

    Chapter 900 This is Dark Magic


    The two brothers from the Demonic Faction were infamous. This was because they always got the task done. Of course, they hadn''t always been strong middle-stage warriors.


    This was because Belil, the head of the Neverfall n, was careful in his selection of tasks. He always picked something that seemed out of reach for the brothers, but not quite impossible.


    At least not in the eyes of Belil. Many of the tasks given to the two would have been impossible for many warriors, but it was because the brothers hadpleted every single mission sessfully that they had be infamous.


    This was to the point that even when there was a big issue from therger ns and the Neverfall n, the two brothers would be sent in Belil''s ce, and if a fight would ur, he trusted them to deal with the situation.


    They were the face of the Neverfall n, and when dealing with tasks, they would do whatever was necessary. The other ns and citizens could only guess what they had done to achieve their aplishments.


    In order to ovee the impossible, they must have done some underhanded tactics, but was that really the case? If they were from the Dark Faction, perhaps, but the Demonic Faction was all about strength¡ªthey had to ovee everything with their own power because that was the Demonic Faction''s way.


    "Idore! Trubin!" Raze screamed at the top of his lungs. His mind was so far gone at this point that he was seeing what his anger allowed him to see.


    Whether it was due to the influence of the Bloody woman or due to Raze''s Dark magic going rampant while he was in his breakthrough form, he didn''t know, but immediately both of his hands faced the two brothers. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It looks like he wants a fight!" Fing said, holding onto his gourd. "It appears that we might get to decide the pecking order of who''s best out of all of us after all!"


    Out from the palm of Raze''s hands,rge jet streams of mes went toward the two brothers. Quickly, slightly flipping his body in the air, Fing pulled out the gourd andnded on the ground.


    He was on one knee and held the gourd in front of him. Han looked unfazed as he stayed behind his brother, trusting him in his actions.


    When the mes were ready to hit them, they started to be sucked into the gourd. The mes were intense, and Fing could feel his fingers burning.


    He had to move his Qi over to his hands to protect them from the mes. In the end, though, all of the mes were consumed.


    When Raze stopped his magic attack, he could see the two of them were fine.


    Fing then lifted the gourd, and liquid started to fall as he consumed it. The gourd looked as if it was limitless as liquid continued to fall.


    Eventually, he stopped himself and wiped the water from his mouth.


    "How much energy was even in that attack?" Fing said, and then kicked off from his position. The ground broke beneath his feet as he came toward Raze.


    "I should have expected that fire wouldn''t work against you," Raze said as his arms started to electrify.


    When Fing was right next to where Raze was, several sparks came off from Raze''s body. It wasn''t like the single lightning strike attack that he would throw.


    This was a constant form of electricity that was hitting Fing. Fing had both of his arms crossed, and he had his arms in a cross shape. Strangely, the attack was pushing his body back.


    ''Damn it¡­ what is with this power? I can''t even move my arms.''


    Han didn''t seem to be getting hurt by the lightning¡ªit appeared to be something that was meant to just stop him from attacking, and with the other hand, Raze had gathered Dark magic.


    Momentster, arge Dark Pulse shot out from Raze''s hand, aiming to hit Fing directly.


    Before the attack even reached him, a swift high note was heard, and a strong force hit the Dark magic away.


    When Raze turned his head, he could see Han ying a strange flute in his mouth.


    "The one-man army. Possibly the strongest mage in existence when ites to one-on-one battles," Raze mumbled under his breath. "I still haven''t figured out your power, and you appear to be using a strange tool."


    Han continued to hold the flute in his hand and blew into the device. Each time a note was yed, a strange attack wasshed out toward Raze.


    When it went to hit him, though, a strong force of wind that surrounded Raze appeared for a moment. It looked like a type of barrier that had stopped the attack.


    ''What is that? I shouldn''t pay it too much attention. Right now, I need to keep attacking!'' Han thought.


    He continued to blow into his flute, and each time, Qi attacks were aimed at Raze. The wind barrier was seen activating, stopping the attacks.


    "Stopping a foolish item like that is quite simple," Raze said as he stretched out his hand and opened it.


    In doing so, the lightning attack had stopped hurting Fing, allowing him to be back in the fight again, and arge gust of wind passed the two of them.


    Han tried to continue blowing into his flute, yet no noise was being made. With no noise, it appeared as if no attack wasing out from his weapon.


    ''What has he done? Is he controlling the air in this space now?'' Han thought. ''This opponent not only has strong powers but powers that we don''t understand. This whole thing we are having to learn as we fight¡­ it''s going to be incredibly difficult.''


    "There was always one thing that I had the upper hand with you guys on, and that is¡­" Raze stretched out both of his hands, and two forms ofrge masses of Dark magic around one meter in diameter appeared in both of Raze''s hands. "That''s Dark magic."

 Chapter 901: The Fifth Round

    Chapter 901: The Fifth Round


    ?


    Han''s specialty was hispression of Qi. Due to him being a middle-stage warrior, he had arge pool of Qi, but even more so, he was able topress it extremely far down to allow it to explode at a point, making it appear stronger.


    It was a technique that he had learned to survive, toplete the tasks set by his father.


    A technique formed from having toplete impossible missions. It was because of this that Han could often defeat those considered the same rank as him.


    Even if there were those that had better techniques, he would oftene out as the winner. When Han received the special item from one of his battles-the flute-his strength had increased exponentially. He could input his pure condensed Qi into the flute, creating sound. The sound would act as a wave and was quite close to what people would consider projectile Qi. Through the sounds, Han was able to attack his opponents.


    By doing this, he would often catch his opponents by surprise. He could even attend a crowd and get rid of his opponents, but he had never expected a wind barrier around his opponent that was stronger than his condensed Qi.


    On top of that, he never expected his special artifact, which he was so used to, to be useless. No sound could be produced, oddly in the area, and the air was moving strangely.


    The issue was, Han didn''t have enough time to worry about his flute not working, because theserge giant balls of Dark energy in front of him looked frightening.


    ''This Dark energy he used before-that was what he used to damage Sha Mo''s body, but he had created several small balls. Now this...''


    Flinging his hands forward, the tworge balls of Darkness came hurling toward them.


    "I''ll take care of this one, brother!" Fing said as he rushed forward, somersaulting his body in the air. Whennding, he had the gourd ready and a smile on his face.


    ''I can''t wait to see what this energy tastes like,'' Fing licked his lips.


    When the two balls approached, they suddenly expanded in size, growing at least five timesrger than before. Everything they touched immediately disintegrated, including the floor below.


    The attack had even hit the end of Fing''s gourd and had pushed him back again.


    "What is this...why isn''t it absorbing it? This has never happened before."


    It was making no sense, and Han had a bad feeling about what he could see. With his flute being useless, he ced it to the side and started to spin his body in the air several times.


    As he did this, Qi started to surround his body and linger in the air. It continued, and eventually, as Han spun his body one more time, all of the lingering Qi had gathered in his fist.


    He then mmed it on the giant ball of ck energy and had gotten rid of it-or more precisely, had pushed it away.


    As it went off in the distance, it expanded in size again and exploded, creating a crater in the floor. Han turned his head to look at the other ck ball of energy that he dodged, and it was the same.


    ''These ck balls of energy are pure destruction. The energy that makes this up is strange. There has to be a reason why Fing''s gourd was unable to absorb this energy. It''s quite likely if that ball hit us and we were unable to push it away, both of us would disappear.''


    "We have to be careful!" Han said to his cautious brother, but when he went to look at him, he could see that Fing was blindly staring into the air.


    When Han looked up, his face didn''t know what expression to pull. Dark shadows had been cast above them. In the sky, there were several Dark balls of magic, all the size of balloons.


    There had to be hundreds of them. It wasn''t on the scale of what was used against Sha Mo; however, these Dark balls of magic were farrger.


    When Han turned his head, he could see the Dark Balls of magic were behind him as well. In that moment, all of the Dark balls of magic came toward both of them.


    They crashed into their bodies, moving them to the same position, to the point where the two brothers were touching skin. The giant balls, as they condensed around the two, started to expand and explode in Dark magic.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There was a brief moment after the explosion where both Han and Fing could be seen. Their clothes were torn, and they were clearly affected and weakened by the attack.


    "Second round," Raze imed.


    More of the balls in the air started to move, and they crushed both Fing and Han, pushing them onto the floor. They kept their Qi surrounding their bodies, doing whatever they could to not get severely hurt by the energy.


    They were pushed to the floor, and the Dark balls of magic expanded, exploding again. This time, both Han and Fing hadn''t even gotten up off the floor, yet Raze hadn''t stopped.


    "Third round."


    Those watching from the sidelines couldn''t believe their eyes.


    "Han and Fing...the two of them weren''t even able to really show their powers or why they are feared in the Demonic Faction!" Mantis said. "Just how strong is Raze right now?"


    "I think the real question we need to ask is how do we stop him, because once he''s done with them, he''ll be after us."


    Rayna thought the same thing, and right now her brothers seemed to be in trouble. Maybe... maybe she could reach out to him in that moment.


    "Fifth round!" Raze said, lifting his hand, ready to swing it down.


    "STOP! Raze, stop it!" a voice shouted out.


    When Raze looked up, his eyes were in disbelief. He wondered if they had worsened with age, or maybe he was imagining things, but he could see Safa standing, and he was sure it was her


    voice as well.


    "Safa..." A loud thump was felt pounding in Raze''s heart. Immediately, the giant wall blocking the way fell to the ground, as well as all of the Dark magic, and at that moment, Raze copsed onto the hard floor, his body still.

 Chapter 902: The End Of Pagna

    Chapter 902: The End Of Pagna


    Like a flick of a switch, everyone had witnessed the all-powerful Dark Magus, who had been dominating everything in his path, suddenly fall to the ground.


    It was a strange sight to see, and no one quite knew how to react. It was as if arge natural disaster had suddenly stopped¡ªthe ground shaking, the tornadoing to an end. There was a slight fear that it could start up again at any second, or perhaps a moment of relief that everything was finally over.


    It wasn''t just the Behemoth n members who were left alive who felt relieved, but also those behind the wall of Flendon.


    "It''s over," Alba said, watching in the distance. "Raze must have been using his power, pushing himself to the point where itpletely stopped."


    Of course, Alba and the rest of the Crimson Crane didn''t really have a full picture of what was going on or what had happened. They had no idea about Safa''s demise or what had caused Raze to end up in such a state.


    "Safa!" Simyon called out as he rushed over to give her his shoulder. He had been holding onto her the entire time, but in the midst of the fighting, the power had forced Simyon to let go of her. He had been looking for her body while Raze was fighting the two brothers, but it was nowhere to be found. So right now, he couldn''t understand¡ªhow was it that Safa was standing?


    Even if she had strong Light magic and the special Lux Spear''s capabilities, there had been a giant wound on her stomach.


    When Simyon went to look at her stomach, he could see there was no wound at all. Instead, he just saw her smooth, pale skin and belly button.


    His face went a little red from staring so hard.


    "You can look away, you know," Safa said.


    "Sorry, I just¡­ What happened? How are you alive? I''m just so happy you''re still here," Simyon said.


    "I''m not really sure myself. I have a feeling it has something to do with the special Lux Spear. It feels like part of it helped me," she answered. "But I''m not sure if it can do that again. Regardless, we need to check on Raze!"


    Safa hadn''t fully witnessed what Raze had done or what he had been capable of. There was no memory at all for her after she had been attacked by Sha Mo¡ªit was as if she had truly died in those moments. Yet she knew in an instant that the old man who had been fighting was Raze, not the brother she used to know.


    She realized something must have happened, so she had shouted at the top of her lungs to show she was okay. Now that she had seen Raze copse like that, she felt somewhat responsible. His body had been holding onto that form of power¡ªall because of her.


    As for Raze, who was lying t on the field, he was quite far from the wall of Flendon. He had pushed himself outward, getting into the middle of therge army. When therge earth wall had fallen, many of the warriors had fled, running back to their homes or who knew where.


    However, there were still some who were rtively close to Raze. They had been saved from the fight with the two brothers, but their eyes were filled with anger as they looked at their fallen friends and allies.


    "He''s passed out. He must have used all his power. This is it¡ªwe can get him!" One warrior drew his sword, and several others followed. They no longer had a desire to attack Flendon, but if they could kill the Dark Magus after everything he had put them through, they would be satisfied.


    Several men charged toward Raze, but before they could reach him, a high-pitched sound echoed. Their vision went ck as their bodies were sliced in half and fell to the floor.


    Han could be seen holding his flute up to his mouth. His clothes were badly damaged, and there were several markings on his body.


    On the other side, flipping through the air andnding in front of another group was Fing. The warriors stopped in their tracks, but it was toote. A twist of Fing''s hand sent a strange Qi through the air, making the warriors feel like their bodies were being crushed. With a single punch, their limbs were torn from their bodies and flung across the battlefield.


    "That was satisfying after taking such a beating," Fing said.


    "What''s going on?!" one of the warriors shouted. "Weren''t they just fighting that man a while ago? Why are they protecting him? It makes no sense."


    Fing wiped the blood from his hand and looked at the remaining warriors.


    "You think we''d let you just take him out while he''s worn out like that?" Fing said. "We would never let you touch this man. That fight was to decide the pecking order between us, and it''s quite clear¡ªhe is now Brother Number One!"


    Rayna was surprised to hear those words from her brother, and she could see that Han was nodding in agreement, clearly acknowledging it as well.


    "These guys are crazy! Come on, let''s get out of here!" one of the Behemoth n members yelled. With that, the remaining members turned and fled the battlefield.


    Andy and the other guards saw this and erupted into cheers.


    "The war is over!" Andy shouted. "The town of Flendon and the Dark Magus have defeated the Behemoth n!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    More cheers erupted, and the citizens who had been hiding in their homes started toe out. They were wondering if their ears were ying tricks on them. Could it really be over?


    Out on the field, Rayna and the others slowly walked over to where Razey. His appearance had reverted to his younger self.


    "Raze¡­" Rayna said, falling to her knees and stroking the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair. It was something she had never been able to do. Sometimes she just wanted to give him a hug¡ªhe always looked like he needed it.


    "What happened to you?" Rayna said, her voice full of tears. "What happened to you that made you like this?"


    Right now, Raze was trapped in deep dreams about his past¡ªa past filled with pain and suffering that didn''t end with Sabrina. There was more to Raze''s story, more pain that couldn''t be forgotten.


    Standing far back, Lince watched everything unfold.


    "This is the catalyst that''s going to change everything. First the Dark Faction is thrown into chaos, and now the Demonic Faction... The Light Faction will be making its move. And from what I know, it might not be enough. But I guess you knew that too, Belil, which is why you sent your two sons here. It can''t be a coincidence."


    "The end of Pagna is near..."

 Chapter 903: An Order For The Demonic Faction

    Chapter 903: An Order For The Demonic Faction


    ?


    Exhaustion had reached its peak for those that had fought in the battle against the Behemoth n. Many of the guards that had taken up arms fighting had dropped to the floor.


    Theyy there, looking at the sky. It was hard for them to believe that they had managed to survive once again, and that they were able to live another day.


    During the fight, they reflected, thinking back to how many times they had said theirst words in their heads, repeated the phrase, yet they had managed to live.


    Others were thinking about those that weren''t so fortunate, but promised that they would spread their names in the Town of Flendon, so others would never forget the sacrifice they had made.


    Another amazing thing that had urred, was that while the guardsy there in ce, they heard movement. It wasn''ting from out on the field but instead wasing from the town of Flendon first.


    "Make sure all of these people have plenty to eat and drink first!" a woman shouted. "After that, make a note of all of those injured."


    "The theater has said that they will house them. If the theater fills up, move them to the inn!"


    Groups of people, including that of children, had rushed out from the town to care for those that had taken part in the fight. They were carrying drinks, and buckets of food, feeding all of the hard workers.


    Some of them were even family members of those that had fought. They had grabbed their loved ones.


    While others searched for those that had perished in the fight.


    Rayna and the rest of them were walking back through the entrance of Flendon, seeing everything that was taking ce. She was carrying Raze on her back.


    No one had dared to even approach her or ask if they could help. After crying in front of Raze and stroking his hair, she had just picked him up.


    As they continued, eventually Alba and the other Crimson Crane members had arrived.


    "It looks like you managed to do a good job out there," Alba said with her hands held by her hips. She was trying to look energetic, even though she could pass out at any moment. "You did your part, and it looks like you all came out of it alive."


    Rayna turned her head to look at Safa for a moment.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I guess it did turn out that way. You did a good job too. I''m going to take Raze to the Town Hall. I think it might be good for all of us if we meet up there when he wakes up, and see what to do next with all of this."


    The others agreed, but who knew when Raze was going to wake up or recover from this fight. With that said, Cronker was sent to the Town Hall, and when the time was right, he would go and inform the rest.


    "Crimson Crane, let''s all go and rest up. You all did well! Let''s get a big meal as well," Alba said.


    They all cheered and agreed in response, but when looking around, Alba noticed something. "Where''s Froma?" she asked.


    "I saw one of the men take her into one of the nearby houses in the middle of the fight. It seems he''s treating her wounds," Reno answered.


    "Oh?" Alba replied with a raised eyebrow. For some reason, Alba could hear a particr type of music ying in her head. "Well, as long as she''s okay, let''s leave her be."


    When Rayna and the others had reached the Town Hall, they felt like there was something strange, almost as if they had forgotten about something.


    Constantly, Liam was mumbling numbers under his breath as he spoke.


    "What''s wrong man, are you trying to learn maths right now of all times?" Simyon said.


    "No, it''s not that," Liam said. "I literally could do any calction you coulde up with. I''m beyond smarter than you."


    "And with all that smartness, that was the best thing you could say," Simyon replied.


    "Anyway, what I''m counting is the number of people here. I''m counting everyone and looking at everyone and it seems like everyone''s here, yet at the same time, someone is missing, and I can''t remember who."


    "You''re right, one person left us," Anna said. "It was the guy that had randomly appeared, with the cloth covering his face."


    "Oh right, there was that guy, who even was he?" Simyon asked. "I mean he was dressed like one of the guards, but none of the other guards even made it that deep into the fight."


    "Does it even matter?" Mantis said. "Let''s eat, I''m starving."


    Anna was deeply curious about the person as well, but she was more curious about what was currently happening at the Dark Faction, where Zon was still at.


    The person in question that the others had forgotten about, had taken off their disguise and now a man with long, flowing ck hair was sitting in one of the many inns.


    Since he was dressed as a guard, free food was given to him. He felt a bit guilty eating the food meant for those that had fought to protect the city, when he hadn''t done so.


    ''I guess... I did stop Sha Mo''s big rock, so I can take some of this food,'' Lince thought as he continued to eat.


    Eventually, another person sat down opposite him. A young man who was dressed as a regr street merchant with in clothing.


    "You called, sir," the man whispered.


    "Right," Lince said, picking up the giant pork chop and taking arge bite. After chewing it down, he ced it back down on his te.


    "I have some orders for you. Make sure every member of the Behemoth n is eliminated. Moving forward, we can''t have anyone trying to oppose us, or go against us, no matter how


    small the risk."


    "Inform those in the Light Faction that they are to pull out of there immediately. As for the Elders, tell them that I will be paying a visit to Belil. It seems he is aware of a lot more than we originally thought," Lince ordered.

 Chapter 904 Alter Make A Move

    Chapter 904 Alter Make A Move


    Once again, news was spreading throughout the world of Pagna. Lately, it seemed like amon urrence.


    So much was happening in Pagna that the citizens were starting to get worried, as well as the warriors themselves.


    Big changes were urring, which wasn''t good for the kingdoms and empires that relied on the ns for bnce.


    They, too, were keeping a careful eye. This time, though, the news wasn''t broken by anyone special¡ªit was word of mouth instead.


    In one of the smaller cities in the Demonic Faction, a warrior was walking down the main street.


    He spotted a shop that sold y pots. Walking forward, the warrior swept his hand, moving the cloth from the entrance, and entered.


    "I''m here for y," the warrior said.


    An old gentleman behind the counter pointed to an open door.


    The warrior quickly entered and could see a table with a man sitting opposite.


    The warrior looked over his shoulder and out through the door to the shop''s entrance. Right after, he returned and pulled up a seat, sitting down.


    "You need to be clear with all the details," the man said, bringing out a scroll of paper, a feather, and some ink.


    "The Behemoth n was defeated," the warrior said, his hands shaking as he thought back to the battlefield.


    He was remembering everything and recounted it to the man opposite him, from the start of the battle with the fallen arrows to the strength of the Crimson Crane members.


    All the details were being jotted down.


    "It seems there were others fighting as well. I didn''t see it firsthand, but all of the pirs had been defeated. It wasn''t the Crimson Crane¡ªthey were too busy defending."


    "As for Sha Mo himself..."


    The man writing down the details paused, waiting for a response.


    "Go on... who was it that defeated Sha Mo? How did they do such a thing?" the man asked.


    "I''m not sure, no one has the details, but I''m sure it was the old man with white hair¡ªthe Dark Magus. He used all sorts of powers that didn''t feel like they were from this world. It was almost as if he was a Divine being!"


    The warrior continued to recount what was said¡ªthunder striking from the air, giant walls created, and a field of ice freezing everyone.


    The man marking down the details thought it was a clear exaggeration, and the warrior would make a great storyteller.


    Regardless, he wrote it down as the man exined, as that was what he was tasked to do.


    But he ced the tip of the feather against his mouth.


    "An old man with white hair? Are you sure? The reports state that the Dark Magus is a young man with white hair," the man asked.


    "I''m sure of it," the warrior said, standing up. "I have done my part. The Behemoth n is clearly no more after today, and I don''t wish to disappear as an informant. This is thest report I give to you, y," the warrior said and made a swift exit toward the door.


    When the warrior reentered the shop, he noticed that the old man behind the counter was missing. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The warrior didn''t like the feeling he had as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he drew his sword.


    "I''m warning you, I am a warrior of the prestigious Behemoth n. I know how to fight!" the warrior imed.


    The warrior moved slowly across the room, still unable to see anyone. He started to panic and decided to bolt for the exit, but a person appeared right in front of him, followed by a sharp pain in his stomach.


    The warrior looked down and saw a de had impaled him.


    "The Behemoth n is no longer prestigious. Its name and all its members will be erased from history on this day." The man pulled out the de and swiped it, shing across the warrior''s neck, killing him on the spot.


    Quickly, the man moved to the entrance of the other room but saw that no one was present.


    "It looks like I was a little behind."


    The urrence in the shop was happening all over the Demonic Faction.


    The lingering members who survived the battle against the town of Flendon were falling fairly quickly.


    Although regr citizens had no idea who was behind it, it wasn''t the same for the ns in the Demonic Faction.


    There was only one n capable of such a thing, and it was the Lost n.


    Despite the Lost n''s efforts, reports had left the Demonic Faction, traveling far and wide until they reached the Light Faction as well.


    "Not even Sha Mo, the biggest n in the Demonic Faction, can stop him!"


    "Does this mean the Demonic Faction is severely weakened at this point? Maybe the Light Faction will act. It''s a chance, right?"


    "A war has practically broken out between the Dark Faction and the Light Faction, so it means the Dark Faction is weakened at the moment."


    "But also, isn''t this Dark Magus kind of scary as well? He took over the Dark Faction and bested one of the top ns in the Demonic Faction. Can the Light Faction take him down? Who even is this Dark Magus?"


    Walking through the streets, a light-haired man with round sses and a fancy zer was making his way.


    By his side, a man dressed in finelyyered cloth with swords at his side, his red hair standing out, walked next to him.


    "We haven''t read the full report yet, but it appears that the Dark Magus was able to best the Behemoth n," Heino said, looking ahead at arge church-like building.


    It was the Aurora n''s main base of operations.


    "You know what that means then, right?" Red said. "That the person who killed Scar... it wasn''t the Dark Magus. There has to be someone else strong by his side."


    "Hmm... Come on, we should get the reports from the Aurora n, and we need to discuss another, more important matter that hase up."


    News had been received by Alter¡ªnews so important that they had to even set aside the Dark Magus for now.

 Chapter 905: At All Costs

    Chapter 905: At All Costs


    ?


    Aurora City was home to the Aurora n, currently the biggest n in all of the Light Faction. Unlike the other factions, where there was no clear unity and either ran by strong individuals or by a single person, the Light Faction was different. The ns gathered and often voted for which ns would represent the Light Faction. The lower ns in the Light Faction would all have thoughts to select the major ns.


    The major ns themselves had votes worth more when selecting who they believed should be the head, and the current head was the Aurora n.


    Followed by the Illumination n, and finally the Dawnde n, which, in the eyes of some, had fallen from its high position, as it had the longest standing at the top of the Light Faction but slowly was being pushed down, further and further.


    The city was mostly made out of grey stone that carved the walls and paved the flooring. They didn''t cover the entirety of the green space, keeping a perfect bnce in the city.


    The structures in the city itself were well made, and maintenance was kept up on all of the buildings. Unlike cities in other factions, there seemed to be a standard of quality in every single area.


    This could also be seen with the people walking through the streets. There were no holes in their clothing, and no one sat on the streets begging for food or looked malnourished.


    Some say this was the reason why the Aurora n had risen to the top-because Aurora City had be the happiest ce to live in the Light Faction. With the Aurora n at the top, everyone in the Light Faction hoped for the same result.


    Centered in one area of the city was arge church, an architectural marvel for the people. Crafted by Pagna warriors with their very own hands.


    It was an impressive sight, with the very top of one of the spires visible from the entire city. Currently, a meeting was taking ce inside. A room where seats were arranged in a circle, tiered on top of each other, and the main three ns of the Light Faction had gathered.


    Kawak was stationed on a pir slightly elevated above the others, giving him a clear view of all those around.


    As he watched those entering the room, his eyes made contact with Henio and the mysterious person he had brought with him.


    The two of them gave each other a nod. Since Henio''sst visit, Alter and the Light Faction had agreed to improve their bonds and work closely together.


    Henio himself didn''t have to attend these meetings, but he hade for a few reasons.


    "A first-hand report hase in from one of our members who were directly in the Behemoth n. The informant has stated that everything said is as seen," Kawak said, clearing his throat.


    Already many in the Light Faction had heard the news of the Behemoth n''s fall. What was surprising was how it had even urred.


    The current leader of the Dark Faction should have been at the Dark Faction Academy, ording to their reports. So how did one get to the Town of Flendon, and how did they protect themselves from such arge group like the Behemoth n?


    "These are the ounts of what urred on the battlefield..."


    Kawak read them aloud, and everyone listened carefully with varied reactions. Some of the Light Faction members were in disbelief, wondering what type of artifacts had been used.


    While others thought it had to be exaggerations, but if they were exaggerations, how did they beat the Behemoth n? The only answer they had was the one in front of them.


    They had all also witnessed what the Dark Magus was capable of, having teleported them away during the Martial Arts Tournament.


    "I believe there is some confusion among the reports, so we also had sketches made of the people described as the Dark Magus that we know of, and the one that appeared on the field."


    Walking into the center, tworge scrolls were revealed, one depicting a young man, the other an old, frail man.


    When looking at the two individuals, it was quite obvious to them that these weren''t the same people.


    "So was it the Dark Magus that actually got rid of the Behemoth n? That looks like a different person."


    "There''s a chance that it was a mistake in the report, but Kawak said this is confirmed by more than one eyewitness."


    "Then I guess, for the time being, we have to believe that there is a second individual among those in the Dark Magus'' circle who is strong enough."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Henio also took note of the sketches that had been drawn and leaned in to whisper to Red by his side.


    "You''ve analyzed the drawings, right? If you were to create a replica, would it be possible?" Henio asked.


    "Yes, I''ll do that when we''re back at the base."


    "Good. I think the others will be interested to know what the Dark Magus of Pagna looks like -the person who has tried to use his name."


    The meeting continued with deliberation and ns of action. They debated whether to go against the Dark Faction, ask for an official report, and pretend as if there was still no bad blood between the groups.


    There seemed to be next to no result, and in the middle of all their talking, Red stood up from his seat and leapt down to the center.


    "What is he...?"


    Red moved over to one of the guards on the ground floor in the inner circle and pulled the guard''s head down. In that moment, a red energy beam shot out from the palm of his hand, going right through the warrior''s head.


    Red then threw him onto the ground. His bodyy still, and for a moment, everyone was stunned into silence.


    "Well, I guess this is as good a time as any for me to talk," Henio said as he jumped into the


    center.


    From thest visit, many recognized who he was, but it was clear by the looks on their faces that they wanted answers to what had just happened.


    "The man on the ground was a spy. For whom, unfortunately, we don''t know, but I thought it best to get rid of him before I talk about important matters."


    "What do you mean important matters? Do you think what you have to say is more important than what we have to say?" a man yelled.


    Kawak quickly raised his hand, getting the warrior to stop.


    "You see, there is something very important that has appeared, and we have to get it at all costs. An item known as the Golden Globe."


    "Until recently, we had no idea about its location, but it has been discovered-or should I say soon to be discovered. Regardless... this is something that we can''t do much about ourselves, so we''ll need your help."


    "We must get the Golden Globe... at all costs."

 Chapter 906: A Sour Reunion

    Chapter 906: A Sour Reunion


    ?


    Fortunately, there wasn''t much destruction that had urred in the town of Flendon. It was only a few houses and buildings on one side of the wall that were impacted.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The locals were using their own resources to already help each other and theirmunity. They wouldn''t dare want the guards to work, or the people of Flendon that had stayed to have thise out of their pockets.


    Especially when they had the resources to do such things. They had plenty of gifts given to them when the town of Flendon had been put under the Dark Magus''s control.


    The truth was, now that the news of Flendon defeating the Behemoth n had spread again, there was a phenomenal amount of visitors.


    The ns nearby came bearing gifts, the local merchants and many more would visit. All of them had done so with the intention of meeting the Dark Magus.


    Yet, not a single one of them was given an audience with the Dark Magus. Regardless, they hoped their gifts would allow them to be remembered in his head as good people.


    With many in the Demonic Faction rising to the top, the others gave gifts more so out of fear, for fear that something would happen to them.


    In the town hall that was stationed at the back near the south gate, this was where Raze was currently located. When the town hall had been rebuilt and upgraded, a special area had been created for guests.


    This was to amodate not just those in the city, but perhaps those who had traveled far. Rather than pay for an inn, the town hall would amodate them to their needs.


    Located on the second floor, in a fairlyrge room, where half of it looked like a library of sorts, Raze wasid out on the bed, tucked under his sheets.


    His eyes peacefully closed.


    A knock was heard at the door, and that''s when Rayna, who was sitting by his bedside in a chair, closed her book.


    "Come in," Rayna said.


    When the door opened, Alba entered the room. She quickly closed it behind her and started to walk toward where Raze was.


    "Man, the people, they don''t just stoping. If they can''t see Raze, then they at least want to see you, and I don''t know what to tell them?" Alba said, rubbing the back of her neck.


    "I said to just inform them that he is currently back at the Dark Faction. It will take a while for them to travel there and find out if it''s the truth or not," Rayna replied.


    Alba walked closer and continued toward the bed, and just as she was about to step further forward, two men came and stood in her path.


    "You know the rules," Fing said. "No one is allowed to get within arm''s reach of the top brother here."


    Alba pulled a face, thinking this was ridiculous. It was the same thing that had urredst time she hade to visit, and it wasn''t just one brother.


    Although Han didn''t say anything, he was also standing guard beside Raze''s bed.


    "I''m the leader of the Crimson Crane, and Raze is part of it. If anything, I''m above him in terms of rank, and I can''t even see him. I''ve also known him a lot longer than the two of you!" Albained.


    The two of them shook their heads.


    "Do you really think that''s the case? Raze, the Dark Magus, has be even bigger than the Crimson Crane."


    "When he married Rayna and joined the Neverfall n, he became a part of our family, which is already a higher status than some wanderer n."


    "You have to remember you''re talking about the head of the Dark Faction as well. You''re a fool if you think he''s still part of your Crimson Crane group."


    Fing''s words stung Alba''s heart somewhat. They were true, and it was hard to say he was part of the Crimson Crane whentely they had been relying on him to make weapons in order to increase their strength.


    They had also all been caught up in Raze''s troubles and pulled along. Still, it felt ridiculous. She was closer to Raze than just some type of contract they had going on, right?


    Alba then looked at Rayna, hoping that she could reason with her brothers. Instead, she just saw her mouth the words "sorry."


    There was a reason why neither of them could say anything. Because the two brothers were ridiculously strong, to the point where Alba couldn''t even force her way through.


    Right now, Raze was certainly in safe hands, and it was unlikely anyone would be able to get to him.


    So despite everything, she decided to stay standing away from him.


    "He''s still sleeping, no sign of waking up yet?" Alba asked.


    "No, but he seems stable," Rayna answered. "We had some physicians see him, and they say there are no problems, so I think he''ll wake up soon."


    "It''s still all so hard to believe that he did all that, and that old man from before, that it was really him," Alba said.


    When she remembered the image of the old man, she remembered something else as well. The look in his eyes.


    "Hey Rayna... when Raze had transformed or turned old, whatever you call it, did you notice something that felt a bit different about him? I mean his ey-"


    Just as Alba was about to finish her question, another knock was heard at the door. The only people that knew Raze was staying here were those that were considered close to him.


    When the door opened, the person standing there paused for a moment.


    "I was told Raze was in here, but I didn''t realize who else would be here," Dame said.


    Rayna''s heart was starting to race at that moment. Currently, all of the children of Belil were in the same room. This hadn''t urred in a very long time.


    And there was a good reason why it hadn''t either.

 Chapter 907: He is not your Brother

    Chapter 907: He is not your Brother


    ?


    In an instant, Alba could feel the extremely tense atmosphere in the air, and it had urred the moment Dame had entered the room.


    ''I almost forgot that all of these are from the same n, and not even just the same n- they''re from the same blood!'' Alba thought.


    It was quitemon in therger and more famous ns for sibling rivalry to ur.


    Often the descendants would be the ones to take over the n, but when there were many descendants, it became an intensepetition among them.


    It was quite normal for families to even facilitatepetition between each other, and oftentimes it would incur death.


    Yet, it wasn''t a problem for the father and mother, for they had many descendants to choose from, and their favorites would be the strongest ones.


    In the Demonic Faction ns, that was even more true. It was part of the reason Alba had be a wanderer, making her own n.


    One with rules far away from all of that.


    "We have been ordered by father to be here," Fing imed, drinking from his gourd. "We have a right to be here, but you don''t. Why don''t you run away and flee, it''s what you do best, right?"


    Dame tensed his fist as he moved closer to where Raze was.


    "I have no right? You know nothing about the rtionship between me and Raze. You knew nothing about him until you met him today."


    "Just because you bore witness to his power, now suddenly you are willing to call him brother?"


    "Someone strong like him is much more worthy of being called a brother than a cker like you."


    Fing''s response had visibly angered Dame, whose lips raised, revealing his clenched teeth. "Stop it. I don''t want to be involved in a useless fight," Han said. "And you, Dame, should be more honest with yourself. If you didn''t know about the Dark Magus''s power, then you too wouldn''t have stayed by his side."


    Dame''s anger subsided slightly as a feeling of guilt entered the pit of his stomach.


    It was true. Dame saw great use in the Dark Magus, and that''s why he originally approached him, but it wasn''t like that anymore.


    Whenever Dame thought back to the times he had spent with Raze, he couldn''t help but smile. Even when their lives were in danger, a bond had been growing within him from everything they had done together.


    And Dame realized that most when he had joined the Martial Arts Tournament with the aim of helping the others.


    Although Dame had the goal of impressing his family and father through his own legacy, he wanted to be part of this legacy.


    "None of you have earned any right," Dame said, "to call him or me your brother. The things you did growing up."


    "I had already told both of you that I didn''t care for the Neverfall n anymore, yet both of you took every chance you could to shove me down."


    "Throwing me into the pit of a descending spiral, forcing me to even hurt those who got close to me so no one could get close. Luckily, I still found some people I cared for."


    "Whereas you two, you just found each other because you''re as sick as the other."


    Rayna was holding in her pain and sorrow. She remembered the number of times she had seen Dame crying, lost and alone.


    Although she hadn''t taken part in any of the abuse, she hadn''tforted or helped Dame either.


    "Those were just childish things," Han said. "I can''t believe you''re still a child holding onto things that happened when we were kids."


    "If anything, you should be thanking us. Everything we did to you was to prepare you for the world out there."


    "Right!" Fing said, nodding. "Being a descendant, there is a lot expected of you, but we could see you were soft."


    "The moment you trained with others or went to the academy, they would have eaten you alive, and you would have never been able to progress."


    "Sure, you''re nothing like us two, but without us, you wouldn''t have even survived and would''ve taken your own life!"


    "Just childish y. I deserved all that for what, because I was the youngest child?" Dame said, his mind incredibly conflicted.


    He couldn''t believe the reason his brothers were giving for having done such things.


    "So, even injuring my dantian before entering the academy-that was all for my sake?" Dame shouted.


    Rayna almost gasped. She wasn''t even aware of this happening. When Dame entered the academy, he wouldn''t have been a child anymore.


    Not only that, but Dame''s performance was subpar to what was expected, at least from what Belil had expected.


    In turn,rge punishments were received from their father, and after that, the rtionship looked like it would never be fixed.


    When Rayna looked back on it, she realized that was when Dame had started to change drastically.


    No longer caring at all for his training, frequently visiting brothels, and essentially being known as the failure within the family.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was then that Rayna realized the hardships had never stopped from her brothers and could have very well stunted Dame''s growth.


    "If you had ovee that, you''d be stronger than you are today," Hanmented.


    At that moment, a smile appeared on Dame''s face, and tears rolled down the sides of his


    cheeks.


    "Thank you, thank you. I''m d now I understand-you two were never my brothers... and you don''t deserve to call Raze your brother!"


    Dame transformed, his face changing and his arms breaking out from his back. Shooting out from his mouth, the strange webbing wrapped around Han and his flute.


    "STOP IT!" Rayna screamed.


    She didn''t want to see this, especially something happening to Dame, and her being unable to


    stop it.


    Sure, Dame had grown leaps and bounds due to his Hybrid form, but to take on both of his brothers was an impossible task.


    The Qi in the room had risen, and the webbing had broken from Han''s hand.


    "Wrong move, you''re not a child anymore. And you''re no longer part of the n. These


    actions are courting death," Han imed.


    He raised his flute to his mouth and blew down, but when he did, no sound was made. A familiar feeling overcame Han, sending shivers down his spine.


    "Don''t touch him... don''t touch my friend."

 Chapter 908: Not Just A world For Warriors

    Chapter 908: Not Just A world For Warriors


    ?


    The repairs to the town of Flendon were done fairly quickly, partly due to some help sent by the other Demonic Faction ns nearby.


    All of the warriors and guards who could utilize Qi were worn out from the fighting. Originally, Yarlston wanted to use some of the town''s funds to repair it.


    They had quite a few funds left over from the constant gifts they had received before. War was usually expensive, but with how few people had taken up arms, it wasn''t too costly on their side.


    The thing was, nothing needed to be used. The other ns, wishing to get close to the Dark Magus, had repaired the ce for free.


    "Things are looking up!" Andy said, with bandages wrapped around his shoulder and waist. He had suffered a few scratches here and there when the warriors scaled the wall.


    Still, his willpower was strong, and seeing the wall back in working condition put a giant smile on his face.


    "You know, I still haven''t seen that short girl from the Crimson Crane anywhere!" Andy ced his hand just above his eyebrow, blocking the light above as he quickly turned his head, but there was no luck.


    "It was because of her that so many of us survived. She pushed back arge number of them, and she did it twice. Whatever it was that she used, she fainted twice, and it didn''t exactly look normal."


    "Maybe I should ask one of the other members and prepare some sort of gift for her." Just as Andy was getting ready to walk, through the entrance of the gate, down the path, he could see something in the distance that caught his eye.


    It was a fairlyrge fancy carriage, adorned with assorted gems on the side of its door. There was even a golden frame that wrapped around the carriage. The horses pulling it looked to be in spectacr condition with great muscle.


    No normal person could acquire such horses, and he imagined the equipment covering their faces could fetch quite a penny as well.


    Seeing this sight, though, Andy sighed as he walked forward.


    "Should we turn them away, sir?" one of the guards asked.


    "If we do without exining something, they might kick up a fuss. I''ll deal with it," Andy said as he walked out and eventually put out his hand, signaling the horses to stop.


    "What, are we in the city already? Are we at the townhouse?" a muffled voice could be hearding from inside the carriage.


    "No, sir, there is a guard outside!" the carriage rider out front shouted.


    "This is the head guard of the town of Flendon. Please state your business as to why you are here!" Andy shouted.


    Momentster, the door was seen opening. A man stepped down onto the ground with his curled-up shoes that had a small bow on the end.


    The man walking out was covered in severalyers of clothing and had a rounded red hat to his side. The man also had a plump belly and a long winding mustache.


    It was quite clear that this person wasn''t a Pagna warrior. Andy couldn''t imagine anyone fighting in those things.


    "I havee on behalf of King Doclet!" the man stated. "We are here to see the one named the Dark Magus and to congratte him on his sess in defending the town of Flendon."


    Andy recognized the name and was surprised to hear it. King Doclet was the ruler of one of the two kingdoms that governed the Demonic Faction.


    The Dark Faction had several kingdoms and independent forces. The Demonic Faction had two kingdoms, while the Light Faction had an empire.


    All of these forces were the local governments that governed thend outside that of the Pagna warriors.


    The thing was, the people of Flendon didn''t really have a good view of King Doclet. Although he technically owned thend the town was on.


    It was almost as if they had always been forgotten about, apart from when it came to taxes. The town was in a poor state, barely able to feed itself, yet taxes were still insisted upon, and what did they get in return? Next to nothing.


    When the Demonic Faction abused the town even more, pushing them away from any type of self-help, the kingdom or king didn''t even bother to contact the ns to try to sort out something.


    They had been so distanced from the king that the people had forgotten about him until today.


    "Unfortunately, at the moment, the Dark Magus is not epting any visitors," Andy said. "If you wish to leave him a gift, we will ce it in a storage room and pass on the message. If the Dark Magus decides to meet you, that''s up to him." Andy picked his nose and then flung it on the floor.


    The man was clearly disgusted by the barbarian''s actions, and when looking to the side, he could see extremely extravagant gifts piled up as if they were nothing.


    ''These fools, I bet they don''t even know the value of those items on the side. People from this town, Pagna warriors-all of them are just so barbaric.''


    ''But I know that his majesty will soon clear up all of this trash... we just need to bide our time.'' Marcel thought.


    He cleared his throat and tried to speak again.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I''m afraid this isn''t a matter the Dark Magus can avoid. You should know all thisnd belongs to his majesty. We are not like the other visitors you have. It would be in his, and this town''s, best interest to meet with us. Otherwise, you might regret it."


    Andy couldn''t believe it. It was quite clear that the man in front of him was threatening him. After what they had been through, and after facing off with the Behemoth n, what did the Doclet Kingdom think it could do?


    If the treaty wasn''t there between Pagna warriors and the regr citizens, did they really think they could best the world of Pagna?


    Perhaps Andy had thought that way before, but now, being involved in fights with Pagna warriors, he certainly didn''t think that way anymore, especially with the Dark Magus.


    "The longer you keep me waiting, the worse this will be for you."


    Just as Andy was going to reply, a person appeared by his side with a red headband. It was


    none other than Joe from the special assassin force.


    "Really, he''s awake... he''s awake!" Andy said as he turned around.


    Andy ran back toward the city without even turning to look at Marcel, whose veins were now


    popping out of his head.


    ''The disrespect has gone too far... Dark Magus, today you could have made a strong ally, but instead, I''m sure you have made arge enemy.''


    Andy didn''t care about any of that, for the Dark Magus was now awake.

 Chapter 909: A Slight Tingle

    Chapter 909: A Slight Tingle


    ?


    The Dark Assassin force, led by Cronker, was busy in the town of Flendon. They were moving as fast as they could around the city to deliver the news.


    The Dark Magus had woken up. They were informing the key members in town who would care, and Cronker had sweat running down his face.


    He quickly burst into one of the restaurants, the door swinging open. When the guests turned to look at the door, they could see no one there.


    "Kizer!" Cronker shouted, cing both hands on the table.


    Kizer erupted into a fit of coughing as therge piece of meat he was eating got stuck in his throat.


    "The Dark Magus is awake! We are to meet at the town hall immediately!" Cronker said.


    "Did you really have to jump out like that? Can I at least finish my food? Since he''s woken up now, it''s not like he''s just going to disappear or anything." Kizer, lifting his fork, looked at arge piece of meat and went to stab it, but suddenly, the te had disappeared and his fork hit the wooden table.


    "You don''t understand! Alba rushed out immediately and told me to inform everyone as soon as possible. That''s why I''m going everywhere trying to tell everyone. Something must be happening," Cronker said.


    Kizer could tell from the look on Cronker''s face that he was serious, but was it really a big deal? What could have happened in the short time since he woke up?


    "Alright, alright, I''ll go. As for Froma, I haven''t seen her, but someone said that guy... what was his name, Fixteen, has been looking after her in one of the houses out front. If you find him, he should know where she is," Kizer answered.


    As quick as that, Cronker had left the restaurant, leaving Kizer on his own.


    "Did he have to take the food?" Kizer grumbled. "He''s going to owe me ten steaks after this."


    Everyone who was a guard at the wall knew who Froma was. She was quite recognizable with her small size and rosy cheeks.


    It wasn''t just her appearance though; everyone felt like they owed a bit of their life to her.


    She was part of the reason for them being alive, which was why when Fixteen had asked one of the guards if they could use their house next to the wall, they had given it without hesitation. They said they could live at their parents'' house for a while and to take as long as they needed. Fixteen had entered one of the small homes, about fifty square meters in size, carrying a crate filled with specific ingredients.


    "Reno said all of these should help... I just hope I can do a good job," Fixteen said.


    "ARGHHH, ARGHH!"


    The sound of loud screams could be hearding from the other room. Immediately, Fixteen rushed inside.


    He could see Froma on the bed, holding her shoulders, wing at them. The sheets were covered in blood, and she continued to scream into the air.


    "Make it stop, make it stop! I don''t want to remember, I don''t want to remember, please!" Fixteen rushed over and grabbed her, holding her hands to stop her from hurting herself. "I''m here, I''m here, don''t worry... look, this world is real, look, you can feel this," Fixteen said as he pulled her hand away and started to draw circles in her palm.


    She started to calm down slightly, sniffling away, but still looked in agony.


    Eventually, when she was calm enough, Fixteen tried to pull away, but Froma quickly pulled his hand slightly.


    "I''m not going anywhere, I just need to reach for the medicine," Fixteen exined. He grabbed a bowl on the side, stretching out his hand, and eventually brought it over.


    He helped her drink the strange-colored liquid inside, and she closed her eyes, leaning her body up against the wall for a moment.


    ''The poor woman, the weapon must have taken arge toll on her body... When she fell, I didn''t think twice about catching her.''


    ''I brought her in here while she was still passed out, and now... I''m doing this,'' Fixteen thought.


    Every couple of hours or so, the screams would continue from Froma, and she still hadn''t left the house.


    Right now, Fixteen was the only one who could really help her.


    "Thank you for doing all of this for me," Froma said. "I know we''re not close, but I appreciate it... You''re a really good man."


    "It''s not a problem, but don''t you want the Crimson Crane to try and help you?" Fixteen asked.


    "I can''t, I can''t drag them down with my problems. Besides, it''s not like I can get rid of this. I''m not even using the bow, and I''m still like this right now... I''m sure I''ll be better in a few


    days."


    As she said those words, though, the tremors and thoughts returned to her mind. She pulled tightly onto Fixteen''s clothes.


    He quickly started to draw circles in the palm of her hand again.


    "No, it''s filling my head again. I need something stronger, a stronger feeling," Froma said, starting to pull at Fixteen''s shirt, even ripping part of it.


    "Hey... I don''t think this is..."


    Fixteen was pulled until his face was next to hers. He could feel the heat from her breath, and her red cheeks were turning brighter by the moment.


    "I''m sorry, but you''re kind enough to forgive me, right?" Froma said as she pulled Fixteen in and pressed her lips against his.


    She continued, as the sensation coursed through her body, trying to forget those thoughts and needing to feel something real.


    At that point, Froma''s body was weak, Fixteen knew this. It wouldn''t have taken much for him to push her away, and that was because there was one main thought that was running throughn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    his head.


    ''This feels kinda... nice.''


    "Froma!" Cronker shouted, breaking through the front door and immediately turning into the bedroom. "There''s an... emergency..."

 Chapter 910: The Army Move out!

    Chapter 910: The Army Move out!


    ?


    Marcel stood there, upright with perfect form, watching as the leader of the guards he was talking to ran off in the other direction.


    He couldn''t hold in his anger; he wanted to burst out shouting. Never had a situation like this urred before.


    ''Where are thevish gifts, themendation food, the royal treatment I get when I visit other towns and cities?'' Marcel thought.


    Being a messenger for the king was one of the most luxurious jobs one could have. It was even a position that Pagna warriors had to respect.


    At times, Marcel even enjoyed ordering around those arrogant warriors, knowing full well that they were unable to say anything directly to him or harm him.


    Maybe kingdoms and empires looked the other way when the general public was hurt, but for a man of such high status, that wasn''t the case.


    However, no matter how much he wanted to shout and scream, there was now no one to shout and scream at.


    "This is ridiculous. Fine, if no one will escort me, then I will just head there myself," Marcel said as he walked forward, clicking his fingers.


    He ordered the driver with the carriage to follow him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Marcel had only managed a few steps before the guards at the wall came forward, drawing two spears across each other and blocking his path.


    "What is the meaning of this?" Marcel shouted. "Surely you two buffoons heard my


    conversation earlier. I am a messenger for King Doclet, here to meet the Dark Magus, so why do you stand in my way?"


    "Due to the recent attacks that have urred, no one is allowed to enter without permission from the head guard or higher personnel. The head guard did not give you permission," one of the men said.


    "We have very good ears, sir, and we specifically heard him deny your visit to the Dark Magus."


    Marcel was beyond stunned. Sure, at times people would deny a meeting or make an excuse, but to be denied at the gate as well?


    Was this not thend of King Doclet? If he wasn''t allowed here, then none of these people were allowed.


    Just then, a farmer in rags walked past with a stick and tworge baskets filled with tea leaves. The guards quickly pulled up their spears and let him through.


    When Marcel tried to follow, the guards swung the spears down once again, almost hitting his face.


    "I see, I see now. This whole town of Flendon has be quite rebellious. We will see how that works out for all of you," Marcel imed as he turned away.


    He got in his carriage and was on his way to the city of Done, home to King Doclet.


    It had taken a few hours for Marcel to travel, and with his anger having reached its peak, he had taken no breaks.


    The Kingdom of Doclet was a grand ce, with arge courtyard and green-colored nting roofs.


    The pce was tiered, with the king''s pce located at the top. Immediately, Marcel had been granted an audience with the king.


    He was in his main office, arge space where the doors opened at the back, leading to a garden that allowed flowing light inside.


    "I see, so that''s how they treated us. It''s quite clear that Pagna warriors have gotten far too confident due to how long the alliance hassted," King Doclet said as he turned around, rubbing hisrge beard a few times.


    King Doclet was a fairlyrge man with a grey beard. He was in his sixties and had been in charge of the kingdom for thest ten years.


    Just like the lives of high-ranking n warriors, life in a kingdom wasn''t easy either, with several people battling for the throne.


    Yet, in the end, King Doclet had managed to reach the top thanks to his expertise. "From what you''ve said, it''s quite clear that the town of Flendon has rebelled against the Doclet Kingdom. We must quell rebellions before they turn into something bigger, don''t you agree?"


    Doclet was smiling, and so was Marcel. Both of them couldn''t help butugh in joy.


    "I think it''s time we show them what we can do. After the battle with the Behemoth n, I imagine most of the warriors are weak, but even then, there wouldn''t be much they could do against this!" Doclet clicked his fingers.


    Immediately, a man came in from the other side of the door, holding a long object covered in a cloth. The man knelt on the floor and pulled the cloth away, revealing a long metallic object underneath, with a wooden frame at the bottom and a few other instruments beside it.


    "What is this, sir?" Marcel asked, his eyes shining.


    Doclet nodded at the man to demonstrate. The man began to gather the equipment, wiping a cloth down the center of the metal object with what looked like a type of brush.


    Afterward, he poured something into the top of the contraption that looked like dust, and finally inserted a metallic ball. The whole process took around ny seconds or so. Right after, he pointed therge metallic object, and with a bang, a metallic round ball flew into the air, tearing through one of the metallic pieces of armor that was hung up. "It... prated the metallic armor... what is this marvel of a device?" Marcel asked. "That is our miniature cannon that we have created. Not only have our ships received great investment in technology, but we''ve created something that can turn every person into a great form of power!"


    "With this, the warriors will be shaking in their boots. We will go to take the Dark Magus in, and if he doesn''tply, he will witness a massacre with our new advanced equipment!" King Doclet proudly said with his chest out. Then, swinging his hand, he gave the order. It was the order that Marcel had been waiting for his majesty to give out for a long time. "Order the army to move out! Our first conquest will be the town of Flendon."

 Chapter 911: Razes Power Spike

    Chapter 911: Raze''s Power Spike


    ?


    Fing and Han had faced numerous challenges in their time working for their father in the Demonic Faction. They had to work hard because they were sure that one day they would be the ones to end up in charge of the Neverfall n.


    It wasn''t just them who thought it, but the other ns and those within their n as well. They believed what Belil did was quite clever because he was building up the legacy for the next generation.


    With all their aplishments, there wasn''t much that Fing and Han could say they were afraid of, but their eyes had opened slightly.


    They never thought that a family member of theirs, introduced to them through marriage, would be able to best them. In doing so, at least for now, they decided to give this person great respect.


    Because that was what the Demonic Factn did-they respected great strength, especially one they didn''t understand.


    When Han and Fing had reached the boiling point of their conversation with their brother, and he reached for his flute, as he tried to blow into his weapon, he felt a chill surround his entire body.


    ''It''s not working... it''s not working again! It''s just likest time... can it be?''


    It wasn''t just a chill because his flute wasn''t working. An energy, different from Qi, felt like it was surrounding his body from behind, creeping into him, suffocating him and making it hard to breathe.


    "Don''t touch him... don''t touch my friend."


    The words spoken were quiet, but the chill Han felt sank into his heart deeper when he heard those words. He was even afraid to turn his head around, but he eventually did, and his eyes locked onto the Dark Magus lying there in bed.


    His hand was held out, and there was a deep scowl on his face.


    "Raze... Raze, you''re awake!" Alba said, thankful that he was up now. There was a slight worry in her head though--what if the situation got worse?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I have to tell the others, I have to tell them toe here as quickly as possible!" Alba said as she practically ran out of the room, back where she hade from, and immediately informed Cronker and the others to get there as fast as they could.


    With so many people, it was unlikely something would happen, right?


    "Listen to Raze," Rayna said, standing up. "Raze doesn''t want you guys to fight. You said you were protecting him, right? How can you protect him if you fight so close to him!"


    Immediately hearing that, both Fing and Han ced their weapons away. It was the same for Dame, who was no longer in his Hybrid form, but he was looking at Raze, his mouth slightly ajar.


    "Friend... did you just say friend?" Dame whispered to himself.


    He didn''t speak too loudly, but when Dame thought about it, those were the words he needed. Words to make clear that his rtionship with Raze had cemented and had be something bigger than they originally thought.


    He had been with Raze for a long time as well, and it wasn''t as if Dame had many people he could call friends either. He was sure of it-it might have been the first time he had ever heard Raze say those words.


    Honestly, in that moment, Dame didn''t even care for the hurt he had received from his brothers in the room. Hearing Raze say those words, willing to go against his two brothers for him, meant everything.


    ''I wouldn''t hate it... if I had to follow this man for the rest of my life,'' Dame thought with a smile.


    "Raze, you''re finally awake. Is everything okay? How do you feel?" Rayna asked. She went to reach out for his hand but then stopped herself, remembering he didn''t like to be touched.


    While he was asleep, she had managed to sneak in a few touches here and there, which she wasn''t able to do anymore.


    "Am I fine?" Raze said, now no longer feeling the Qi in the room. He could tell things had settled down, giving him a moment to think. First, he touched his mana heart.


    Closing his eyes, he focused.


    ''Everything seems to be working as normal. Nothing is damaged... No, it''s not just working as normal-I can see another star circling it... I''m now a 6th star mage!'' Raze was inwardly smiling, but he didn''t want to show it on his face.


    Because he was starting to remember what had happened to get there-the breakthrough that had urred, the powers he used.


    It wasn''t as if he was a mindless beast. He had been controlling himself, his old body and its powers, and he remembered everything.


    The only thoughts that were slightly muddled, like a fog over his mind, were what had urred toward the end.


    ''But I did it, I managed to make a breakthrough, and with it, I increased my star level and the magic along with it... but how did I even do it? Is it something that I''m even able to replicate? If not, then it''s as useless as having that Bloody woman around.''


    ''If I do figure it out, I need to know if I can use it properly, or if with every use, I''ll end up like this. There''s a good chance I was like this because I pushed myself too far.''


    Concentrating further, there was one more thing he wanted to check on himself, and that was his dantian. As he looked deep into his Qi...


    He could feel it as his energy flowed through his fingertips. His senses were sharpened, and his body felt anew. It was hard to say he was even human now, with how slow his heart was beating and how his body was functioning.


    The world of magic may have made no sense to others, but to him, the world of Pagna warriors was also an amazing thing.


    ''I''m now a 9th stage warrior. I''ve just reached this stage, but I''m on the same level as Sha Mo and Belil. I still have a ways to go to catch up to them with my Qi... but there should now be no one in Pagna who can take me on.''


    As Raze thought this, the door swung open, and several people pushed through the crowded area, some falling on top of each other.


    Eventually, walking past them, was one girl with a bright smile.


    "Safa..." Raze called out. "You''re alive... but how?"


    "Not because of you." A voice rang in Raze''s head followed by an echoeyughter.

 Chapter 912 An Open Heart

    Chapter 912 An Open Heart


    For a long time, arge number of emotions had been suppressed in Raze. Ever since he had fully taken on the name Dark Magus, his emotions were numb, with nothing left but mainly anger on his mind.


    Almost daily, he would rey in his head what had happened, so he wouldn''t forget the revenge he needed toplete. He had to numb his other emotions because it was the only way he could allow his Dark Magic to grow, and in turn, its growth gave him more power to face his enemies.


    There were things the old Raze had never imagined himself doing. Things that he wouldn''t have been proud of, but in Alterian, in order to progress, he had to continue that way, suppressing his other emotions.


    He had brought this with him when he entered Pagna. Only caring about his goal to get stronger¡ªor at least he thought he did¡ªas the first one to pry his heart open slightly was Safa.


    An action of a sister that wasn''t even his own family. As time went on, there were more and more that were weaving its way into his heart, yet he wished to shut them out. Why?


    Because he never wanted to go through those emotions again. If he let someone into his heart, and he lost them again, what would the result be?


    Could he go through that pain once more, the same pain he had gone through before? Maybe this was why he was unwilling to let others in his heart again, and before he realized it, he already had.


    Seeing Safa standing by the door, he felt a sense of relief. All of his tensed-up muscles rxed, and a flood of strange and overwhelming feelings entered him.


    "I''m happy, Raze," Safa said as she wiped the tears away from her face but continued to sniffle away. "I''m so happy that I get to see you again."


    Safa started to walk forward, and naturally, the others stood aside.


    She came closer and closer, and not even the two brothers got in the way of Safa as she approached the edge of the bed. When she was close enough, she leapt in, holding him tight, and continued to sob out loud.


    "WAHHH!" Safa said, as she continued to hold Raze tight.


    Everyone watching who knew Raze was a bit stunned. At first, they were even worried about what would happen, but nothing did happen. Instead, Raze embraced the hug and even lifted his hands back and pulled her in.


    "It''s okay¡­ I''ll protect you," Raze said. "I''ll make sure you''re okay. I won''t go missing because I will do everything in my power to make sure you''re okay." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When Raze said those words, he wasn''t just directing them at Safa, it was a promise made to himself, and one that was made to the annoying Bloody woman that wouldn''t get out of his head.


    In his heart now, he had opened a space for Safa. epting this fact, he could even embrace her, but also, epting this fact, he knew he had to ept his duty to protect her.


    He hadn''t done well to protect those he cared about in his old life, but this was a fresh start, and Safa was part of this body''s family and, in a way, felt like she was part of Raze''s.


    "I guess this might be the closest thing I''ll have to a granddaughter," Raze mumbled under his breath, which was picked up by Anna and Liam. They thought it was a strangement for him to make, oddly strange, especially after seeing his form from before.


    "How did you manage to survive?" Raze said as he pulled away. Although he had allowed her in, the hug was getting a little much for him.


    Safa pulled away and wiped her tears again.


    "I''m not sure, honestly. I was hoping that maybe you would have the answer to that." Reaching behind her, Safa pulled the Lux Spear out and held it on its side. "But I think it might have something to do with this."


    Raze''s eyes widened as he reached out and grabbed hold of the spear.


    ''Right, I almost forgot about that, one of the conditions of the sword. Upon death, the user will be given a second chance.''


    Knowing that it really was the spear that had managed to save Safa, it didn''t make him feel any better. In a way, it proved that the Bloody woman was right, and Raze had failed to protect her.


    The second-chance effect of the weapon had been activated, but now it would never be activated again.


    "From here on out," Raze said as he pulled his hand away, "there will be no second chances. The spear won''t be able to save you again, so don''t go and do something stupid like that¡­ or I''ll have to lock you away, and put you somewhere you will never be able to get hurt again."


    Although Raze''s words might have been meant toe off as sweet, the others weren''t so sure they were. It was almost going a step too far, but Raze had said everything with a smile on his face.


    Sniffling away, the tears started to fade from Safa. She had confirmed that her spear was the one that saved her, and there wouldn''t be a second chance.


    She needed to get stronger, but the main reason wasn''t to save herself. As she looked at Raze on the bed, images kept appearing in her head of the old man she had seen.


    It wasn''t that the old man scared her or his image, it was the eyes she saw at the time. Although she hadn''t been conscious for that long, she never wanted to see such darkness in those eyes again.


    "Raze, I want to ask you a favor. You told us some of your story before, and about yourself¡­ but can you tell us everything¡­ what exactly happened to you, in Alterian?" Safa asked.

 Chapter 913 All Of Razes Past

    Chapter 913 All Of Raze''s Past


    This question that had been proposed to Raze had been asked more than once, and each time Raze had somewhat avoided it from the others.


    Thest time he spoke about his past, he mentioned his name, Dark Magus. He informed them of his infamous reputation in Alterian and how the enemies he wished to face were the Grand Magus, and how they might be linked to Alter and Pagna.


    However, when he was pushed to go further, when Safa had asked himst time, "What did the Grand Magus do to you?" he was unable to answer.


    Raze was unable to relive all of those moments. He could only remember the anger. Telling the story to himself, telling it out loud and exining all the details¡­ it seemed like an impossible task.


    "Raze, please," Safa said. She had avoided being intrusive to Raze, but after what had happened, she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.


    "I don''t want to lose you¡­" Safa said, staring firmly into Raze''s eyes.


    To be honest, all those watching were silently cheering her on. It had gone on too long. It had been too long for them to not understand Raze''s goal.


    Sure, they knew he was after the Grand Magus, but what drove him to the darkness they could all feel on the battlefield?


    "I don''t want to say goodbye to another brother," Safa imed.


    It was then that the serious expression on Raze''s face disappeared, and it turned into a soft smile.


    "Fine, you win," Raze said. "I will tell you the story of how my life was ruined by each of the five Grand Magus. How they took everything that I cared about in the world."


    "My childhood, my work, my life''s ambition, my colleagues, my dear loving wife¡­"


    When Raze said those words, instinctively, Rayna''s hands raised to her chest, but it was something she wanted to hear about as well.


    "And the only other person who had supported me after I had lost everything, how they had even taken that, my dear friend Jake," Raze said.


    ---


    King Doclet and hisrge army were quick to move. New items were provided to his troops, and those with the new advanced weapons were named infantrymen.


    Most of them were currently moving inrge groups in big carriages being pulled along by horses. In front of them, there was a row of men on horses, ready to be the first line of attack.


    The army must have numbered around fifty thousand or so men and women. If there was one thing the kingdoms and empires clearly had on their side over that of the Pagna warriors, it was people.


    Although there were arge number of ns, and arge number of warriors, in the grand scheme of things, it was nothingpared to the general poption.


    "Look at all of this!" Marcel said with arge smile, his hands spread wide. "I can''t wait to see the look on that filthy town''s face once we bring them all in! They will marvel at our state-of-the-art army."


    "Yes, exactly!" King Doclet said by his side. The two of them were riding on top of horses, centered in the middle of therge army.


    Behind them, something else was being dragged along by people and animals: giant wooden ships. These ships were ced on rollers,rge wooden logs allowing for them to be pulled easier on the ground.


    They were also greased up with animal fat as well.


    "This is going to be the first act of the kingdoms, and it''s important that we y a big tribute to our advanced technology!" King Doclet said with a gleaming face. "That was why I didn''t bring toorge an army with us; otherwise, they would im that we had just won this thing with numbers."


    Marcel nodded along, still thinking about the special weapon that had been produced. He couldn''t imagine anyone stopping it.


    "We shouldn''t underestimate the enemy," General Re said, wearing his red and white coat, with a metallic shoulder piece. He had one of the new long metal barrel-like weapons on his back.


    "Your majesty, I think it would be best if we can end this fight by just bringing the Dark Magus in. Perhaps we can even use him to our advantage."


    "Ha!" Marcelughed, pointing a finger at the general. "Use him? What use would we have for those savages? Even those warriors fight with their bare hands! There is no need to use people like them."


    "Did you not hear the reports?" General Re asked, raising an eyebrow. "My men gathered information on the battle with the Behemoth n."


    "They say rain fell and froze the entire battlefield,rge walls appeared from the ground, and thunder struck at their toes at a single whim!"


    "Invisible strikes cut the necks of people from left and right, not knowing where they came from, and even the power of the sun was harnessed by this man, the one we are going over to face... the Dark Magus."


    When saying his name, and recalling everything Re had heard about this man, he almost startled himself into fear.


    "Haha!" Marcel started tough, and soon after, the king joined in with him.


    "General Re, look around you. Look at our ships that have never lost in battle or even been taken over by pirates. Look at the weapons we have that have never been seen before in the world of Pagna."


    "These are real things you can see in front of you," King Doclet said. "Those words you spoke of¡ªno warriors, not even those who train their fists every day, could aplish those things."


    "It''s quite clear that the city and the Dark Magus himself have spread those rumors about him. You should know it''s amon tactic to do this to strike fear into one''s army."


    "The only thing is, if they were lying, then they should havee up with a better lie. The Dark Magus is clearly a scam!" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Up ahead, it wasn''t much further until they would reach the town of Flendon.

 Chapter 914 Razes Past Jake Dove

    Chapter 914 Raze''s Past Jake Dove


    Finally, the others would learn Raze''s story¡ªnot just his story, but that behind the Dark Magus.


    They knew already, regardless of what would be said, that they would support Raze. They had made that decision multiple times throughout their journey.


    He had saved all of their lives¡ªfrom the orphanage, to the academy in the underground dungeon, to even at the Martial Arts Tournament when Murkel was willing to take all of their lives.


    Maybe all of these things really were just stepping stones for Raze, but to them, it was part of their journey and life, and they wouldn''t know what to do without him.


    They weren''t part of the Dark Faction or the Demonic Faction; they were part of the Dark Magus Faction.


    "For my story, I will start at the beginning of my life in the world of Alterian, from when I was a child." Just as Raze had started his story, Han had a strange reaction.


    His head quickly turned to the side, the tip of his earlobe twitching.


    "I''m sorry, brother Raze," Han said. "Although I am interested in your tale of how you gathered such strength, it seems the two of us must go."


    "Huh!" Fing said. "Both of us?"


    Han was already heading to the door, and it felt like Fing had no choice but to follow. Those in the room just wanted them to hurry up and leave.


    "I can''t believe they would even say something like that," Albained. "This isn''t the story of how Raze got stronger... it''s the story of where his angeres from¡­" Alba mumbled thest part to herself.


    Now that everyone was ready, Raze continued his tale to them all. Just like he said, he started from the beginning, and he made sure not to leave a detail out.


    He talked about how, as a child, a mage would frequently visit him, and how magic became the savior of his life.


    From there, he researched magic, became a professor, grew older, and enjoyed his time.


    Then, he exined how someone he thought was his friend had betrayed him for the principal position.


    At each point in the story, the others wanted to talk to Raze, to stop andfort him. But they didn''t know how.


    Some of them had lived hard lives, but Raze''s story made theirs seem like nothing. The other issue was that the tales of sadness continued on.


    After losing his job and losing himself, there was one person who had stayed by his side¡ªhis wife, Sabrina.


    She had done everything to help him, and without her, he would have perished even sooner.


    Then came the moment when Raze had witnessed her death, his pir of support taken away from him.


    What was important to note so far were the names of the Grand Magus that had been mentioned throughout the story.


    The saddest part was that beyond his wife''s death, there was more. He talked about the only friend he had made after, a man named Jake Dove, and how he had been taken from him too.


    Moving on to thest part of his tale, he exined what linked all of the Grand Magus together, and how he had vowed to do whatever he could to get rid of them all.


    The story of Jake was one that Raze didn''t want to remember until he had at least gotten his revenge on that specific person.


    When Raze finally finished his tale, everyone was left speechless. A few of the women were tearing up, and even Liam was wailing the most.


    Still, no one said anything. How could they when they thought back to each of the horrors that urred in his life?


    While everyone was silent, Raze moved the sheet off himself. He noticed the zer he was wearing.


    "A gift from her, one she wasn''t even able to give me herself," Razemented, taking a deep breath as he sniffed the edge.


    Due to the zer''s magical properties, it didn''t need to be cleaned. It allowed him to self-heal, and the zer itself would repair.


    She had truly put everything she could into the zer, and then Raze started to flicker Dark Magic around his hands. It quickly disappeared, and in its ce, a book appeared in his hands.


    He rubbed his finger against the indented bottom, in gold, that read the words ''Jake Dove.''


    ''I was never able to get a memento from you. I was too caught up in my revenge, and I never thought I''d be brought to another world like this.


    ''Yet somehow, in this world, I have obtained something that belonged to you.'' Raze thought back to who had given him the book. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Of all people, Charlotte had handed it to him, thinking it was just a simple book of spells that would help him develop his magic, not knowing its true value to Raze.


    ''Himmy asked me to help her. It was his parting gift for helping me¡­ I made that promise, and I should keep it.'' Raze thought.


    "What is this!" the Bloody woman said in his head. "Didn''t you say you were the Dark Magus filled with hatred, ready to carve the world with blood? What happened to you? Have you turned into the Light Magus?"


    Razeughed at the taunts from the Bloody woman. They hardly affected him anymore.


    ''Opening up my heart, I''ve decided there are those I care about. It''s no use lying to myself anymore.''


    ''But don''t get me wrong¡ªif the path to the Grand Magus is a bloody one, then so be it. And regardless of how these people see me in this room, I will do whatever it takes for them.''


    Raze quickly put the book away. With his storyplete, he knew he had to move on.


    With his current strength and his breakthrough, he was now capable of taking out the Grand Magus.


    At that moment, the door swung open, and to everyone''s surprise, Han and Fing had returned.


    "I''m sorry, but we have a message to deliver," Han said. "The head of the Neverfall n wishes to meet you."


    This was what Raze had been waiting for. He wanted to meet Belil as well, and ask him about the location of the Golden Globe.

 Chapter 915 Will I Be In His Heart?

    Chapter 915 Will I Be In His Heart?


    It was quite shocking for the group to learn that the head of the Neverfall n was calling for Raze. It wasn''tpletely unexpected, after all, they had just sessfully bested Sha Mo and the Behemoth n.


    The news was sure to have spread around the entire continent of Pagna by now.


    What they didn''t expect was to meet Raze so soon, and a number of thoughts were going through their heads.


    What was it that Belil wanted? Did he now want to fight Raze as well? But then why send the brothers to his aid, and why so casually invite him?


    The thing was, Raze didn''t look too shocked by this either.


    "Can you just give me a few moments?" Raze asked.


    The two brothers nodded.


    "As long as we arrive by today, I think it will be okay. Take as much time as you need," Han said as he left the room, and Fing followed as well.


    Without a doubt, the two of them would be keeping a close eye on the building to see if Raze was just going to disappear.


    "Actually, I meant all of you, if you don''t mind," Raze said.


    "Oh, right, sure. We can give you space, Raze. We''ll wait for you downstairs, in the main hall," Safa said.


    "I''m sure you need to decide what to do with us and the Dark Faction before you leave," Anna said, looking a little restless, tapping her foot.


    Raze could already imagine why. She knew something was up and was perhaps worried about what would happen to Zon.


    When everyone had left the room, Raze sat there and stared at the ceiling.


    ---


    The others that had all been brought to the Demon Faction by Raze gathered in the main hall. It was arge meeting room with several seats.


    Everyone was somewhat walking around casually, waiting for what was to happen next.


    As Cronker walked around the room, he soon saw Fixteen and Froma. The two quickly looked at each other, their faces burning bright red, and both walked in the opposite direction.


    A loud thud followed, as Fixteen bumped into a wall right in front of him and began to rub it in pain.


    "I didn''t see anything!" Cronker shouted slightly louder than intended and turned around.


    Those on the other side of the room even heard him and looked at the situation.


    "I wonder what that was about?" Liam said, looking at both Simyon and Safa sitting next to each other.


    "Still, I can''t believe everything that happened to Raze... and that he''s really an old man!" Liam imed.


    "You know, I can rte a little bit," Simyon said. "I also had something taken away from me... but for him, for everything to be taken away like that¡­"


    "It was almost as if he didn''t get a second chance at all, no chance to even live a moment of happiness."


    "No," Safa said. "That''s where you''re wrong. I too... lost my family and my brother, but we''re able to move forward because of him. So we just need to do the same for him."


    "You might be right about that, but this whole magic thing is quite interesting, right?" Liam said. "I mean, the old Raze was back for a moment as an old man, and now he''s young again."


    "That''s nearly every Pagna warrior''s dream, and it can only be achieved by those in the Divine Realm. I know Raze''s story was sad and all that, but if Raze is here in Pagna, it makes me wonder¡ªwill we ever get the chance to go to Alterian?"


    On one side of the room, distancing themselves from the others, Rayna was leaning against a wall, her arms folded, continuing to look at the floor.


    "You''re quiet, which is your usual mode, but I haven''t seen that look on your face since we were kids."


    When Rayna looked up, she was surprised to see that it was Dame speaking to her.


    "What look? There''s a look on my face right now?"


    "I hate to spoil it, but you''ve had that look for a long time," Dame answered. "When we were young, when something happened to me, when my brothers did something that upset me, or I was punished by one of the elders or father¡­"


    "I''d see this look¡ªthe same look you have now. It feels like you want to do something, you want to say something, but you can''t. And since I''m not the one in the hot seat right now, my guess is this has something to do with Raze."


    Dame was spot on with his guess, and Rayna''s feelings did feel quite simr to how they did back then.


    "It''s just after hearing everything Raze went through in his world... I don''t know what to do. I don''t know my ce," Rayna said, her voice cracking slightly.


    "I want to be there for him, I want to be someone that can help and support him... but at the same time, after hearing about his wife, about everything Sabrina did for him... I never want to rece that."


    "Yet for some reason, I start having selfish thoughts too. Would there ever even be a ce for me in his heart?" she asked, on the verge of tears. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At that point, Dame didn''t know what to do tofort her. There was no gesture he could make, so he said what he could.


    "Maybe I don''t feel it the same way you do, but there was a slight thought in the back of my mind, and you know what? Today I heard him call me ''friend,'' a word I never thought I''d hear from his mouth."


    "It seems the Raze we first knew is changing, and even the one he spoke of from Alterian. Although we are helping him with what needs to be done, maybe we need to think of Raze as two different people."


    "The Raze from Alterian, and the Raze from Pagna."


    The double doors swung open, and they were expecting it to be Raze, but instead, it was Mayor Yarlston and Andy together.


    "Where is the Dark Magus?" Andy asked. "It seems we have a problem."

 Chapter 916: Big Trouble Arriving

    Chapter 916: Big Trouble Arriving


    ?


    Andy and Yarlston had arrived at the town hall the moment they had gotten the news that Raze, the Dark Magus, was awake. Originally, they wanted to head into the room and thank him for saving the people, for saving the town of Flendon once again.


    However, when the two of them saw all of the others rush upstairs, they had decided it was not their ce. It was important to give Raze time with the people that were close to him.


    So they stayed downstairs, until a message had urred. Heading outside, they went to get a bigger idea of the problem that was approaching.


    After learning of the news that was at hand for them, they had quickly rushed back. They had no choice. They needed to inform the Dark Magus because they would need his help, which was why both of them had burst back through the room asking for Raze.


    The others that were waiting were quite shocked, and eventually, Alba had approached the group.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What''s going on, why are you calling for Raze?" Alba asked, ncing above her.


    "It''s a big deal," Yarlston said. "Right now, there is an army heading our way. We haven''t told the people yet to avoid causing panic, and after the fighting that''s happened before, I don''t really know what to say to them."


    "The people, they might not be able to handle another war. From the banners that they were carrying off in the distance, it looked like it was the Doclet Kingdom," Andy said.


    The name of the kingdom had caught Rayna''s attention.


    "Why would they be bringing an army here? They own thend here, but they should have brought some type of messenger to talk with us, the Neverfall n.


    "They should know this ce is under our protection!" Rayna said, annoyed.


    Andy started to sweat, recalling that there was indeed a messenger that hade from the Kingdom of Doclet.


    But could his small actions have caused them to call their whole army? It didn''t make sense.


    For a kingdom to act this way, they were likely just looking for an excuse to attack, and found the right one.


    Rayna then walked forward, thinking about how long Raze might need on his own. One thing was clear though-he deserved as much time to himself as he needed.


    "Don''t inform Raze of this," Rayna ordered. "We will deal with this situation."


    "Rayna!" Dame called out. "You should know of the long-standing agreement between Pagna warriors and citizens. If you get involved too heavily, it could blow up in the warriors'' faces and will make it so all of the ns are against us.


    "I know you want to help Raze, but let''s treat this situation with caution."


    An incident between the citizens and warriors on thisrge of a scale hadn''t urred in many years, and there was a worry on everyone''s mind that this might be the cause of one.


    The Demonic Faction wasprised of two kingdoms and two royal families. Although this was the case, the two kingdoms weren''t at war, and trade was even opened up between them and the cities in their territories.


    The other kingdom was known as the Karab Kingdom, located on the south side of the Demonic Faction that was quite hot in weatherpared to other areas. The surrounding areas were covered mostly in sand, yet there were still beautiful oases and rivers that ran through certain areas.


    Making the cities still full of energy and life. In the Karab Kingdom, in one of the pces, the king, Empon, was sitting on his throne.


    The triangr-shaped window behind him was letting the sun ze into the room, but he was chilled as he had several servants by his side blowingrge leaves to fan him.


    "It is strange to have a messengere asking for me directly from the Doclet Kingdom. Please speak," Empon said as he took a bite of an apple.


    "Yes, your majesty!" the man said, pulling out arge scroll. "The message is from King Doclet himself. He has decided to travel with an army of fifty thousand men to the town of Flendon."


    "His aim is to take down the city and the warriors within it. He wishes for you to witness the might of the Doclet Kingdom, and join him in a feast in the town of Flendon after the battle."


    The man ended the message with a proud smile on his face, only to witness King Empon drop his apple onto the floor with his mouth wide open.


    He then quickly stood up from his seat.


    "Is King Doclet a fool?!"


    The messenger was angered by the words from the king of another kingdom but had to keep his cool.


    "Sir... why do you say this?" the man asked.


    "I thought the King was smarter than this! It''s his ownnd, yet he hasn''t even heard the stories of the person who is in the town of Flendon right now."


    "Who are you talking about?" the messenger asked.


    "I''m talking about the Dark Magus!" Empon imed. "We gathered several people from all over who had interactions or heard stories of the Dark Magus, including those from the town of Flendon themselves."


    "They say the powers that the Dark Magus possesses are far beyond what we thought possible, and how he is able to perform miracles."


    The messenger had also heard these tales, but thought that King Empon was the fool for believing such things. Was it even possible that a single man could do such things?


    "I can see the look on your face-you don''t believe such things, but believe me. It''s quite clear from all the information we have gathered that the Dark Magus is no ordinary man." "Maybe if you were to attack another n you would be saved by the agreement and more, but this man... if you anger him, then I fear that you will all fear his wrath, and there will no longer be a Kingdom of Doclet."


    For a moment, the messenger started to think. What if they had made a mistake, and he needed to hurry back.

 Chapter 917: Where Did Everyone Go?

    Chapter 917: Where Did Everyone Go?


    ?


    Following both Andy and Yarlston, the group had ended up back at a familiar ce, a ce they didn''t think they would be gathering at so soon again.


    They were at the north wall, which had just finished being repaired. Much of the scaffolding was still left on the buildings, and they hadn''t yet taken it down because it was so soon.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hey, is everything okay, Mayor?" one of the men shouted, shirtless. He was one of the guards who had fought in the battle against the Behemoth n.


    He was still covered in bandages and had been working on the wall.


    "Everything is okay, we''re just observing something!" the mayor shouted back. He didn''t know what to say. He didn''t want to lie to them, but at the same time, if he told them the truth, how devastated would the whole town be?


    The thing was, they would eventually learn the truth; how could they not? Therge group following the two quickly went up to one of the towers located on the wall.


    It was an open-top tower, where two guards were on lookout, cing their eyes through a strange device, looking outward into the open field.


    "Whoa, look at them," Liam said. "Both of them are shaking."


    The two men who were supposed to be on the lookout were kneeling on the floor, shivering. Only when Andy came close did one of them manage to stand up and point in another direction.


    "If this is their reaction to what''s going on out there, then I understand why they''re reluctant to tell the entire town," Safa said.


    Alba peered through the telescope and saw it: a giant army making its way through the hardened desert, kicking up dirt from the ground.


    Even in her, a jolt was felt. Memories resurfaced of when they had seen the Behemoth n''srge army of twenty thousand, and now there was an evenrger one heading their way.


    Looking out, the others took turns gazing at therge forceing toward them.


    "This has to be the first case, right? In arge number of years," Ricktor said. "I don''t even know if anyone is still alive in Pagna who has witnessed an attack from regr people on Pagna warriors."


    "We still aren''t sure if this is an attack on us," Dame said. "We don''t know their reason foring here."


    "You think they brought arge army to chat?" Kizer replied. Although he couldn''t see them with his own eyes, and only through the telescope, his sword was already reacting to therge number of people.


    "It''s quite clear they want something and are nning to take it by force," Renomented. "The timing is too good as well. They must think that Raze and the rest of us are weak."


    The thing was, Pagna warriors recovered rtively fast. They were ready to fight, but there were a few things holding them back.


    Just how strong were the kingdoms? They had to have rtive strength to the Pagna warriors; otherwise, why would the alliance have been made in the first ce?


    "Regardless, what are we meant to do?" Dame asked. "If we can''t fight them..."


    "What happens if we do fight them, if we break that rule?" Simyon asked.


    "No one knows for sure," Dame replied. "It''s just a rule that we''ve honored for a long time, but there are rumors. When the rules were set in Pagna by the strongest warriors, they had risen above to the Divine Realm."


    "Even if the strength of warriors has increased beyond that of regr citizens, if the rule is broken, some of those Divine warriors who set up the rule long ago wille down and unleash their wrath on the people."


    Simyon gulped. Whenever a Divine one was mentioned, it was a frightening thought, even if their powers were limited in the world of Pagna.


    There was one Divine warrior who was still out there in thend of Pagna somewhere, though the others were unaware of this.


    Anna knew, and she was keeping it to herself. So far, it didn''t seem like the Divine warrior had caused any trouble, but it was a force that could disrupt things on thend.


    "If Raze defeated Sha Mo, then he should be able to go up against someone from the Divine Realm, at least in Pagna as well," Anna said.


    "No," Rayna replied. "I already said I don''t want Raze involved, and besides, we don''t know the status or issues in the Divine Realm."


    "I''m sure some of them are heads of big ns in the other factions. They might still hold influence in the ns. If Raze were to take the me or attack the citizens, there''s a good chance he could be the enemy of every n and arge enemy of the Divine warriors above... he already has too much on his te."


    The world of warriors was delicate; each action could causerge ripples, and they had no idea how far those ripples would reach.


    "Something''s happening," Mantis said.


    Several of the others came over and looked through the telescope, and that''s when they noticed the army was splitting into tworge halves.


    Moving to the side, it looked like part of the army was heading for thergeke attached to the town.


    "I guess we have no choice. We need to head out there before they reach us," Rayna said. "Let''s go see what they want."


    At the same time, Raze had finally gotten off his bed and proceeded to stretch. The book was ced away, and he felt back to his old self again, his Pagna self.


    "I have to say, it''s good to be in this body, though. I really did revert back to my ways with the breakthrough."


    Opening the door, Raze was ready, having made his decision on what to do next and with the others, but when he entered the main reception of the town hall, he was left confused.


    "Where is everyone?"

 Chapter 918: Give Us What We Want!

    Chapter 918: Give Us What We Want!


    ?


    Looking around the town hall, Raze noticed that the ce was quite empty, with not a single one of those who had traveled with him in sight.


    As he looked more, he noticed something else-it wasn''t just them. Where was the mayor? Where were the staff? It seemed like they had all disappeared.


    ''This isn''t right. I know I told them to leave me alone, but isn''t this a bit of an overreaction?'' Raze thought. ''Was I too harsh on the younglings?''


    Recently, Raze had been doing more reflection on his actions. It almost felt like he had been in a trance up until this point. Regardless, he needed to push on.


    ''If they aren''t here, I should look for them. This is stranger than I''d like,'' Raze thought. Eventually, Raze decided to exit the town hall. He opened the wide doors, half-expecting to see them outside, but he could only see the general public walking around, along with two others right in front of him.


    "Brother Raze, you''re up. Are you ready to head to the Neverfall n?" Fing asked.


    Raze turned his head left and right.


    "I was looking for Rayna and the others. Have you seen them?"


    "They headed to the wall, but we weren''t really sure why," Han answered.


    Hearing that, Raze guessed he knew where to go next and started to walk ahead. As he walked, he noticed a few footsteps trailing behind him.


    "I don''t need bodyguards," Raze said, turning around.


    "Yes, of course," Han replied. "But our father has asked us to escort you... not that we think you would flee or need help, but we just need to keep an eye on where you are. Please, ignore us and go ahead."


    Raze hadn''t fully made up his opinion on the two brothers, and that was mainly because he didn''t know his full opinion on Belil and the whole Neverfall n yet.


    What was their whole role in all of this? One thing was clear: he didn''t like how they had acted against Dame, but right now, while they weren''t his enemies, there was no reason for him to make an enemy of them.


    ''I do wonder, am I strong enough to take them on? My magic went up a star, and my Cultivation increased by a stage. I did best them with my breakthrough, but it''s hard to know if I could beat them now.''


    Although Raze had achieved these two growths in power, he had yet to test it, and the town of Flendon wasn''t exactly the best ce to do so.


    "Hey, that''s him, right?"


    "Yeah, he''s the Dark Magus. I heard he came and helped us again, to stop the Behemoth n!"


    "I can''t believe it''s really him."


    As Raze continued to walk through the streets, he was drawing a lot of attention from the locals. At first, he heard them just saying words of praise and pointing at him.


    Eventually, members of the town came up to him and thanked him directly.


    Although they didn''t see what Raze had done, due to hiding in their homes, they knew it was because of him that they were safe.


    Then, members of the public started toe bearing gifts-either bread from their bakeries or free clothing from their stalls.


    Children even offered pieces of candy to him as he walked by, before running off.


    ''This is a strange experience... it might be a first for me,'' Raze thought.


    In Alterian, Raze had done plenty as the Dark Magus. He had even stopped high-level crime, corrupt guilds, and more.


    It was never his intention to do these things, but it was a byproduct of his goal against the Grand Magus.


    However, these "good deeds" he hadpleted as the Dark Magus were covered up and shown in the news outlets as moments of terror by the Dark Magus.


    It was simply the Dark Magus going on a rampage, destroying guilds. As for the problems that had originally been caused, they were all med on him.


    He had quickly be the public enemy of all of Alterian.


    Now, he was hearing the Dark Magus spoken about positively, and people were directly thanking him for what he had done.


    ''A byproduct of my own selfish desires again,'' Raze thought. ''I only saved this town and fought against Sha Mo because I believed that if I absorbed him, I could grow even stronger.'' ''If it had been just a regr n attacking the town of Flendon, I''m not sure I would have acted,'' Raze thought to himself.


    Continuing to walk, there was a slight smile on his face. Due to all of the interruptions, he had yet to reach the wall, and that''s when he heard an outcry from the public.


    "There''s something happening at theke!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What do you mean?"


    "There''s some type of army! A fleet of ships has entered theke. There are at least a hundred ships with arge number of people!"


    "Is it the Behemoth n again? Did theye back?"


    "No, I don''t think it''s the Behemoth n. I saw another g!"


    Immediately hearing this, Raze strayed from his path and decided to head to theke instead of the wall. He quickly moved, running, and the two brothers followed him.


    With Raze''s speed, it didn''t take long for him to reach theke area, where there were few houses. A barrier and walkway had yet to be built, so there was still an issue with flooding.


    Yet a group had naturally formed as they pointed, and arge fleet of ships could be seen in the water.


    On one of the slightlyrger ships, General Re from the Doclet Kingdom stood at the forefront. Using a specialrge tube-like device on the edge, he sent out his message.


    "We, the Kingdom of Doclet, rightful owners of thend where the town of Flendon is located, have a message for you all!" Re shouted. "We are here to capture the rebellion, the Dark Magus!"

 Chapter 919: Go Away!

    Chapter 919: Go Away!


    ?


    The loud words traveled across the vastke and were heard by everyone on the shore. Soon, more people hade over, realizing something was happening as word spread through the


    town.


    "Did they just say the Dark Magus is rebelling? Against what?"


    "How can they call him a rebel when he just saved everyone from the Behemoth n?"


    "They said they''re from the Doclet Kingdom, right? Are they not happy with what the Dark Magus did or something?"


    "None of this is making any sense. The Doclet Kingdom has never cared for this town, and now theye here suddenly?"


    "Not just that, they''ve brought an entire army to go against the Dark Magus. Isn''t he with the Crimson Crane and the Neverfall n? Are the kingdoms nning to go against the Pagna warriors? Why are they breaking the pact?"


    The people were riled up and worried, and they noticed that the Dark Magus was by the edge of theke as well, looking out at the ships.


    "I repeat, people of Flendon, the Dark Magus has rebelled against the Kingdom of Doclet! We are to bring him in by force if necessary!" General Re said again.


    The people weren''t happy about this at all, and before Raze could even decide what to do next, the crowd started to shout insults and attempt to throw rocks at the giant ships, even though they would never reach the ships.


    "Screw you! What has the Kingdom ever done for us?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You can''t take our savior away, he''s done nothing wrong!" the people continued to shout again and again.


    Raze had been out for a day or so, but he hadn''t been gone for long. It made him wonder what was really happening.


    "Do you know anything about this?" Raze asked. "The Neverfall n gifted this ce, so I thought it was under their control.


    "Other than the otherrge ns, I thought we had nothing to worry about."


    "That would be the case," Han answered, perplexed by the situation himself. "But you see, the people there-therge force-they aren''t Pagna warriors.


    "For hundreds of years, non-Pagna warriors and citizens have stayed apart. So I have no idea why they areing for you now."


    "Because everyone else hates Pagna warriors," Fing imed. "It''s clear-they''re scared of the unknown and our power. The pact is the only thing keeping us from fighting.''


    "So they want to get a jump start. After the Demonic Faction had a big battle with each other, and with Raze being the neer, they saw him as an easy target. I guess as the more powerful ones, we need to be more careful."


    Han nodded to this suggestion.


    "Fing is right. Even for us, we wouldn''t get involved with an entire kingdom. It''s too risky. It wouldn''t be a good idea for any Pagna warrior to get involved in this. If anything, it might even be best just to run away."


    While the group was in the middle of their conversation, General Re was also speaking with his men on the ship.


    "Sir, all the cannons have been loaded. They''re able to hit the shoreline at this distance," one of the men said.


    "King Doclet already gave his orders. We found out in the reports that several of the ordinary citizens in the town had taken up arms to fight alongside the Dark Magus and the warriors. He has imed that the whole town is rebellious."


    "And we are to make an example of this town to all those in the future who underestimated us," General Re said.


    "But sir, why did you make an announcement if we were ordered to destroy the town anyway?" the man asked.


    "I hoped that some people, knowing our reason for being here, would flee, but instead, they''ve acted like this and are defying us in the face of a giant fleet of ships with state-of- the-art cannons!" General Re imed.


    "Even if the rumors are true, there won''t be any warriors who can take on a group like this. Do as I say-fire a warning shot on the shore."


    "Yes, sir!"


    One of the cannons was ready, already in position. Lighting it up, a loud bang urred, and a giant ck ball was sent hurling toward the shoreline.


    There were hundreds of people on the shore, and even this warning shot made it clear that they would be hurt in the st.


    "AHHH!" the people screamed as they started to run, while others just braced themselves.


    Raze quickly moved, stepping in front of them all, and stretched out his hand. As the ball was about to hit him, it seemingly slowed down, and Raze caught it with a single hand.


    "What happened?" General Re asked. "Was it a dud?"


    One of the men pulled out his telescope and saw a young man with white hair, holding the ck ball with a single hand.


    The crowd, seeing the Dark Magus catch the ball, cheered in amazement.


    "WHOOO, YEAH!" they screamed.


    ''That was fairly easy. I slowed it down with my wind magic, and even at that velocity, I would have been able to just grab the ball with my Qi,'' Raze thought.


    ''But if I hadn''t stopped it, several people would have been hurt.''


    Raze looked up at the fleet of ships, all of them with cannons ready to fire onto the shore.


    "What are you thinking of doing?" Han asked. "I told you already, it''s not a good idea, brother. It''s a pact that hasn''t been broken for generations. Pagna warriors should never get involved in civilian matters. They''re two different worlds!"


    Remembering the promise to himself, Raze wouldn''t let anyone be taken away from him again. He smiled at Han.


    "It''s a good thing I''m not from this world, right?" Raze said, charging Qi into his hand, and hurled the ball through the air at lightning speed.


    The cannonball crashed into the center of one of the ships, tearing it in half, and slowly, it was seen sinking into theke.


    "I''ll just have to get rid of them all," Raze said.

 Chapter 920 A Fleet Of Ships

    Chapter 920 A Fleet Of Ships


    The crowd on the shore watched as therge ship sank to the bottom of theke. It was an unusual sight for them for a few reasons.


    For one, battles between kingdoms over territories and such were not something they would usually see unless the fighting had reached the city. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The pact with the warriors had somewhat protected people twofold, as the constant wars that would happen between different kingdoms and empires had pretty muche to a stop as well.


    If anything, it always seemed like the kingdoms and the Empire in the Light Faction were trying their best to get on the good side of the Pagna warriors.


    Theserge, monstrous ships that could fire cannons, destroying houses, seemed unstoppable, a feat of human intelligence, yet they had been destroyed just like that¡ªand by their own attack.


    "Yeah!" A single man from the crowd cheered at the top of his lungs, saliva dripping from the bottom of his mouth. "With the Dark Magus, no one can mess with us, bitch!"


    The crowd on the shore continued to shout, even louder than before, and the insults and words were heard by the other ships.


    On the ships themselves, General Re was in shock.


    "What just happened? What attacked us? Does the town of Flendon have some type of technology that we''re not aware of yet?" General Re asked.


    "We''re not sure, but the Dark Magus seems to be on the shore. He might be the one behind it!" one of the other men shouted.


    "Since they''ve attacked back, we have no choice. Fire a barrage on the shore! We''ll get rid of every single one of them!" General Re ordered.


    The men on all the ships had a spark lit in their bellies. They quickly moved, loading the cannons and aiming them perfectly. Then, on each ship, as a hand signal was waved down, several explosive sounds went off one after the other.


    Now, not just onerge mass of a ck ball wasing towards them, but several were seen in the air.


    The people who saw this grew slightly worried as they went silent until they saw the Dark Magus float up into the air. The Ghost de was ready in his hand, ced to his side.


    Dark magic swirled around Raze''s body,ing out fiercely and wrapping around his entire form until it surrounded the sword and condensed it until it waspletely ck in color.


    "Eclipse Strike!" Raze shouted, swinging his sword vertically.


    With Raze''s new added Qi power, his increased strength in magic, and his Dark magic''s affinity increasing by an incredible amount, the released attack looked as if another sea of darkness had appeared. It spread across all the cannonballs, covering thempletely.


    The strike continued to travel, disappearing just short of the fleet of ships in the distance. As the attack dissipated into nothing but energy, no cannonballs were seen any longer.


    General Re, seeing Raze floating in the air, having performed such a strike, trembled with disbelief.


    "It can''t be, right? Can it? Were the rumors about him true?"


    Raze quickly moved at that moment, and as he flew across the water, part of theke could be seen splitting slightly apart.


    When Raze got close to one of the ships, he swung his sword down.


    "Crimson sh!"


    Arge red line of Qi and Wind magic was unleashed, cutting therge ship directly in half. It began to sink in the middle as the crew members were thrown into the sea.


    Immediately after, Raze rose up, and a mass of Dark magic, a ck ball, formed in his hand. He hurled it towards another ship. As it reached its target, the ck ball of magic expanded out.


    Everything it touched disappeared, including some of the people on board.


    There was too much panic, and the people were unable to strike Raze as he moved too fast. With sword strikes and Dark magic, he was destroying the fleet of ships with ease.


    Then, Raze flew up, his hand pointed at the ship General Re was on.


    "What¡­ have we done¡­ we''ve all made a grave mistake," General Re muttered as he saw nothing but darkness. It was thest thing he saw.


    Back on the shore, the people of Flendon were witnessing the power themselves. While the brothers stood there, watching in awe.


    "Are you going to stop him?" Fing asked.


    As they watched, they saw ship after ship sink. In a panic, some of the ships fired their cannons, but they hit nothing, and some had even hit each other.


    It was quite clear that the fleet was hopeless in this situation.


    "I think it might be a little toote for that," Han replied. "I''m sure, though, Father will like him. He''s just like Father in a lot of ways."


    ¡ª¡ª


    Out in the dried, hardened wastnd, Alba and the others had rushed out from the town. They had done so with the intention of meeting therge army heading their way. They wanted to meet them before they reached the town.


    It didn''t take long, and they could finally see therge group up ahead, around 40,000 troops, as arge chunk of them had broken off, heading in a different direction.


    The group stopped around a hundred meters away, and the king stopped with his men as well.


    "Okay, remember everyone, we''re here to just talk to them," Rayna said. "We need to do whatever we can to convince them not to attack and to head back. Whatever we do, we can''t get into a fight with them!" Rayna said, and the others nodded in agreement.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Back at theke, the fighting hade to an end. Therge crowd that feared what was going to happen to them, were silent, as there was no longer anything for them to shout about.


    Fing and Han watched as Raze flew back towards the shore. Behind him, the entire fleet of ships sent by the Doclet Kingdom had been destroyed.

 Chapter 921: A Name That Shouldnt Be Said

    Chapter 921: A Name That Shouldn''t Be Said


    ?


    Alba was traveling with a ratherrge group. She had everyone with her, the Crimson Crane, along with Rayna and the others. It had be quite natural for them to travel together now, and having fought side by side, even more so.


    For a lot of them, it was a foreignnd and town, with their link being Raze.


    Rayna would actually be the one to lead the negotiations and conversations, as she was the main head and representative of Flendon after all.


    When they were about ten meters away from the king''s army, Albamented.


    "We''ll stay here and wait. If they make a move, we can help from this distance," Alba said. "Although these kingdom guys know of us, they don''t really know what we''re all capable of individually."


    The group nodded in agreement, and Rayna was seen walking ahead on her own.


    For a moment, Alba turned her head to look at Froma. The moment the two made eye contact, Froma cowered behind Fixteen, who had alsoe along with them.


    ''It''s not fair to rely on her like we did in the fight against the Behemoth n,'' Alba thought. ''She''s already been through a lot. Besides, as Rayna said, we can''t start a fight... if we do... it''s going to be big trouble.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Eventually, Rayna reached five meters away from the king, and he raised his hand, signaling her to stop.


    "I am Rayna, the Dark Magus''s wife, and the warrior put in charge of the town of Flendon," Rayna stated. "Is there a reason for such a visit of this nature?"


    Rayna made sure to point out the army behind her. Although she had no intention of getting into a fight, she didn''t know if the king felt the same way, so she had to be confident in the situation.


    By King Doclet''s side, Marcel moved slightly forward to deliver his message.


    "The town of Flendon has always belonged to the Doclet Kingdom," Marcel imed. "We are here to take back what is rightfully ours."


    "However, when we originally asked to meet with the Dark Magus to talk about this matter, he refused to visit us. It''s quite clear... that beating the Behemoth n has gone to his head, and he ns to rebel against the Doclet Kingdom!"


    "We order that the Dark Magus be brought to us now, and if you refuse, we will attack!"


    It was clear to Rayna that everything being said was just an excuse. From those words, their intentions were obvious-they were looking for a fight.


    "You are willing to break the pact? This can cause arge ripple effect throughout the entirety of Pagna!" Rayna said. "If you wish to speak, you can speak to us now."


    "The only person we will speak to is the Dark Magus. Where even is he?" Marcel asked, looking around for an individual with white hair, but he was unable to spot anyone.


    "If the Dark Magus doesn''te out in five minutes, we will attack and force him to our feet."


    Frustrated by everything that had happened, Rayna headed back to the others, hoping they might have some ideas on how to de-escte the situation.


    "What''s wrong?" Alba asked.


    "They refuse to budge or even talk," Rayna replied. "They say they only want to speak to the Dark Magus, and no one else. I have a feeling they''re prepared to fight."


    "Even if Raze were here, do you really think he could de-escte the situation?" Simyon asked.


    They all thought for a moment. So far, Raze''s answer when their backs were against the wall had been to fight.


    "Maybe?" Safa said. "You heard him in the room. He''s changed. He doesn''t want us to get hurt, so he wouldn''t do something that would harm us, right?"


    Many of the adults shook their heads at poor Safa. Humans couldn''t just change at the snap of a finger, and even if they could...


    "So what is the n, then?" Mantis asked. "Is someone going to go back and get Raze, and if hees..."


    "Even if hees, it looks like they will try to take him by force, and I can guess they''ll attack anyway," Ricktor added.


    "Right, right. If ites to it, do we need to fight?" Reno asked.


    "I say we fight, but we don''t kill," Alba replied. "If we show them our power with just us here, and stop their advance, it could convince them that they''ve made a mistake, and it wouldn''t be breaking the pact."


    To everyone, that certainly sounded like the only way. They had barely recovered from thest fight, but it was better this way. More and more, they thought it was best that Raze hadn''t


    come.


    "I''ve analyzed their weapons-they don''t have a lot of firepower," Anna added. "We should be able to deal with them even with theirrge numbers."


    Now that they had decided what to do next, Rayna returned to the king and his messenger, trying to give it onest chance to prevent their group from being dragged into another


    conflict.


    She talked and talked, but the king and Marcel shook their heads at every plea she made. She could even see a smile underneath as she turned her head.


    ''I have to calm down for the sake of all of Pagna,'' Rayna thought, regrouping with the others. "One minute until it''s time!" Marcel called out.


    The group had to mentally prepare. Fighting while trying not to harm anyone was harder than just fighting them, but they all knew what was at stake.


    "All right, it looks like time''s up. The Dark Magus has not arrived, so it''s clear you''ve made your decision!" Marcel eximed.


    The army was getting ready to charge forward, but then the ground shook as dirt and dust were kicked up, and a figure fell from the sky,nding right in front of them.


    As the dust settled, white hair became visible, and slowly, the rest of his body was revealed. "The Dark Magus is a name that shouldn''t be said so lightly," Raze said.

 Chapter 922: Ill Take Them All Out

    Chapter 922: I''ll Take Them All Out


    ?


    Just like that, as the Doclet Army was ready to move forward, Raze appeared from the air swiftly andnded in the center of the mess, calm as ever.


    Originally, Rayna didn''t want Raze toe at all, fearing that the situation would worsen with him there. However, since it looked like they were about to fight anyway, perhaps the person in question could calm matters down.


    ''We don''t quite know what will happen if someone from Pagna breaks the pact. If the Divine warriors will descend from the sky, if somethingter will happen, or what, but it would be best to avoid all of that.''


    As Raze walked forward towards the king, an even greater worry appeared in Rayna''s mind.


    ''Does Raze even know about the consequences of breaking the pact? He is originally from the world of Alterian...''


    The king and Marcel, sitting on their high horses, were looking down at Raze. The descriptions of the man known as Dark Magus matched.


    They had heard he was a young warrior with white hair, exuding a fearless aura. The rumors about him seemed never-ending.


    Looking at him now, the king was sure the rumors were exaggerated.


    ''What even is this?'' King Doclet curled his lip. ''This person is just a child, and he confidently enters the middle of this. He has no idea about the ace we have up our sleeve.''


    "This here is the King of the Doclet Kingdom!" Marcel imed, pointing to the man at his side. "You dared to make him wait and even stated that we could not call for the Dark Magus ¡ªthat is your name, is it not?"


    Raze stopped, about two meters away from them, and stared at both the king and the army, evaluating their strength.


    Now that he was this close, he could feel that these people, none of them, had Qi. They were not warriors like the others.


    "The Dark Magus is not just a name," Raze answered. "It is a title that has been given to me, and as I said, a title that shouldn''t be spoken lightly."


    "You are as rude as the men at your gate!" Marcel eximed. "You act confident now because you have no idea of our strength."


    "I bet you''re acting like this because you bested the Behemoth n. Yet you haven''t even faced the smallest part of our might."


    Hearing these words, the king couldn''t stop grinning, having held it in for a while.


    "As my messenger says, it''s quite clear about your rebellious nature. We have already confirmed that many in the town of Flendon helped you in the fight against the Behemoth n.


    "They''ve been persuaded to join your ranks. So, I dere that you, as well as the entire town of Flendon, are rebellious to the Doclet Kingdom!" The king lifted his hand in a cheer. "Right now, arge fleet of ships is approaching the town of Flendon."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "With you and your warriors here, it looks like there''s no one to protect the town, and you will experience the might of the Doclet Kingdom! Ha, ha, ha!" The king let out a loud bellowingugh.


    Right after, Marcel joined him as well.


    "So that''s why the army split up back then," Safa said. "Is the entire town in trouble now?" The group was disheartened to learn this, and the king and the messenger continued tough. "Scruffy beard, and a scar on the top of his forehead. What name were those people shouting again? Was it General Re? Yes, I think that''s right. That was his name."


    Theughter stopped from the king and Marcel, and they looked at Raze. The name General Re, although known by some aware of the affairs of the Doclet Kingdom, was described perfectly by Raze.


    "What did you do?" King Doclet asked.


    "I apologize. As you said, I was a bitte," Raze answered. "The reason was because a fleet of ships approached myke. A man named General Remanded a fleet of ships."


    "They attacked, so I did what was the only appropriate response-I got rid of the threat. I got rid of them all."


    "That''s impossible!" Marcel shouted and looked to one of the men in the front row.


    He pulled out a telescope and looked toward the town. There was some smoke rising from theke, but no appearance of ships. It looked as if there weren''t any at all.


    "King Doclet, move back!" Marcel ordered.


    The king and Marcel on their horses hurried back into therge army''s forces, standing behind a few lines of men. Raze jumped and pushed himself back with wind, reaching the others. "Raze... did you really destroy the fleet of ships from before?" Rayna asked, overhearing the


    conversation.


    "I did, as I said before, I won''t lose anyone again. I won''t act like I did before."


    Raze then prepared his fist, gathering Qi before calling out a name.


    "Tilon! Shield up!"


    Almost on instinct, hearing Raze''s words, Tilon turned around and raised his shield. Before he knew it, he saw Raze''s fist being thrown into the air, colliding right against the shield.


    Powerful energy was drawn into the shield at that moment.


    "Everyone, ready your weapons!" King Doclet ordered.


    The infantry at the front prepared their weapons and aimed them at the group.


    "Fire!" Doclet ordered.


    A clear line of bullets was shot out, heading toward the group.


    Now, Tilon understood why Raze had done what was needed, and he mmed his shield on the ground. Arge force appeared, and as the bullets hit the force field, they fell to the


    ground, harming no one.


    "Kizer!" Raze called out. "I''m going to need to borrow your sword!"


    Stretching out his hand, Kizer felt a powerful gust of wind push the sword from his grip. Letting go, it flew over to Raze''s hand.


    It was a special weapon he had created for Kizer, one that grew stronger with the number of people it faced and prevented the user from using the same skill more than once as a


    drawback. But that didn''t matter to Raze.


    "I''m going to kill every single one of those who tried to take our lives!" Raze said, walking forward with therge sword in hand.

 Chapter 923: Breaking The Pact

    Chapter 923: Breaking The Pact


    ?


    They had seen Raze act as he liked before, but to see him act like this, even in the face of a situation that everyone believed was tricky, they didn''t understand it.


    Raze wasn''t even asking the others for their thoughts or support like Rayna had done. He was just acting, using Tilon''s shield to defend everyone, and now holding Kizer''s sword, which he had crafted, in his hand.


    "Wait, Raze!" Rayna shouted. "We can''t fight with them, they''re not warriors!"


    "It''s useless," Anna said. "Those words he spoke before, when he talked about the fleet of ships-they were true. Even if Raze doesn''t act now, he has already dealt arge blow to the Doclet kingdom."


    "Based on the conversations you''ve had with the king so far, do you think he''s the kind of person that''s just going to let this go?"


    The others watched as they saw Raze walk ahead of them. They were unsure whether they should go and help him or not, to be part of the mess that he was about to cause.


    Because they were sure of one thing: Raze didn''t need any help and would be just fine taking on the kingdom on his own.


    "How can this be?" King Doclet said. "Those weapons are the most advanced technology in all of Pagna! Yet they have weapons that can block them-just what is that shield?"


    "I''ve heard of special artifacts that these warriors carry!" Marcel exined. "But I''ve never heard of an artifact so strong... I thought some of these things were just rumors!"


    Hearing the word rumor, a dreaded thought crossed the king''s mind. What if what he had heard about the war against the Behemoth n-what if they weren''t just rumors?


    Thinking this, he saw the Dark Magus jump in the air, therge sword in his hand. Hended on the ground and swung the sword from above, and arge explosion of Qi hit the army straight ahead.


    Thousands of men wereunched into the air, flying back, left and right. Those who were hit at the front- their bodies dismembered-not knowing what had hit them.


    "I will not lose anyone, so I will not give those who try to take what I care about a second chance!" Raze swung his sword sideways this time.


    Therge amount of Qi caused the front row of the citizens'' weapons to break as they were pushed back, and even more were flung into the air.


    A mass panic was urring among the army as they suffered huge losses in mere seconds, and it was all just because of one man.


    They weren''t warriors with the bodies of super mortals-these were just mere mortals who realized there was no hope. If their new weapons didn''t work, it was likely nothing would, and they decided to turn back.


    "King Doclet, we must retreat!" Marcel eximed. "We have to go back and think of something else. Now that the warrior has attacked us, maybe we can rally the other kingdoms to go against the Dark Magus."


    No one had approached Raze, and because of that, people were running away from him, leaving space in front of him. The king couldn''t take his eyes off the Dark Magus.


    "You were proud of these weapons your army had, but you have no idea how small your world is." Raze lifted one hand, and Dark magic surrounded it for a moment before a weapon appeared in his hand.


    It was rather small but looked like aplex device made out of metal with a barrel at the end. It was something the king had never seen before.


    "A gift from someone I should have protected," Raze said as he pulled the trigger. A bullet flew out, piercing right through the king''s head, leaving a perfectly round hole. The king slid off his horse and fell to the ground.


    The king of the Doclet kingdom had fallen.


    "Retreat, retreat everyone!" Marcel shouted. "We shall live to fight another day!"


    After finishing his sentence, a dark energy beam shot right through Marcel''s head, causing him to fall to the ground as well.


    Raze then flew into the air with the sword in his hand and cast Wind magic around his throat as he made a clear announcement.


    "I will make sure that none of you ever think about attacking Flendon Town again!"


    Kizer''s sword started to turn obsidian ck, and it was one of Raze''srgest attacks, casting a massive amount of Qi and Dark magic.


    He flew to the ground and swung his sword over his head, performing the Eclipse Strike. A field of darkness spread out, consuming those it could reach from the Doclet Army.


    A few thousand from the army, who hadn''t looked back and had started running long ago, managed to survive, but they would never think of taking on Flendon Town, or the Dark Magus, ever again.


    A monster-just one monster-had taken down the entirety of the Doclet kingdom.


    Rayna, Alba, and the others stood there, looking at Raze on the battlefield. It was different from when he fought the Behemoth n, and there wasn''t even a chance for them to step in with everything he had done.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Oddly, Raze started to lift his hand, and they were unsure of what was happening. Safa activated her god eyes at that moment, and she could see it-darkness, Dark magic was gathering into Raze''s body from all those who were dead.


    "Well, it looks like the problem with the Doclet kingdom is solved, right?" Liam said. "There''s no one attacking us anymore. Maybe we can get out of this one on a technicality."


    "Technically, he''s not a Pagna warrior, right?" Liam said.


    "Who was it that talked about Raze opening up his heart?" Anna asked. "Because we might have been let into his heart, but now... it seems that no one who isn''t in his heart is safe. This is their fate... he might have even be more cruel."


    Safa felt the same, and she thought that Raze almost losing her might have been the reason for all of this.

 Chapter 924: Pagna Changing

    Chapter 924: Pagna Changing


    ?


    The king, the messenger, and one of the army''s top generals-all of them had fallen in the battle to try and take over the town of Flendon.


    It was the first time in a long while that a kingdom had tried to attack a Pagna warrior n. It was hard to call it a real n, though, because the only n present in the town was the Crimson Crane.


    Yet, what the world knew was the two leaders were the Dark Magus and Rayna. Regardless, the first attack that had broken the pact resulted in aplete failure on the citizens'' side.


    The repercussions of what had urred were unknown, apart from the fact that the Doclet Kingdom had fallen.


    Raze handed back the sword he had borrowed from Kizer and continued to walk back to the town of Flendon. As he did, the rest quickly followed him, starting to run by his side.


    "Raze..." Rayna began, but paused. She wasn''t sure what to say. Should she thank him for helping them, for defending the town from a great attack, or try to warn him about what he''d done?


    "What... are you going to do now?" Simyon eventually asked.


    "With them, nothing. You can send a message to Mayor Yarlston that they cane to collect their dead. We won''t intervene," Raze answered. "After defeating one of the top Demonic Faction ns and fending off an attack from the city, I doubt we''ll be attacked again."


    "There is a chance, though, right?" Ricktor said. "The pact was broken. Maybe Divine beings from another realm wille down. Maybe this will lead to some kind of meeting between the warrior ns and the rest."


    "It''s not my issue," Raze replied. "I''m not a Pagna warrior; I''m not from this world. I''m just doing what I want to do, and I have more important things to worry about."


    "Right now, no Divine beings have dropped from the sky, and no one is attacking us at the moment. So I don''t think we have anything to worry about."


    It was hard for the group to argue with that. Everything certainly seemed settled, though it felt like there might be more toe.


    However, Raze had already heard these worries from the two brothers of the Neverfall n, yet he was sensing something strange was urring, and he couldn''t quite put his finger on it.


    ''Before, a high level of magic would cause a rupture; I would see openings of portals. Yet I broke through during the fight with the Behemoth n, and nothing happened. I used massive amounts of magic, and still, nothing happened.''


    ''It feels like the entire world of Pagna is changing-even beyond what the warriors knew.''


    Originally, Raze had nned to go to Belil sooner orter anyway, because he was certain that Belil was the one most likely to know where the Golden Globe was.


    Eventually, the entire group returned from the battlefield and entered the town again. As they walked through the streets, members of the public cheered and shouted with joy.


    They were mainly shouting the Dark Magus''s name and chanting words of thanks for him protecting them. Rayna and the others felt a little awkward because it almost felt like they were being praised as well.


    Even though they had done next to nothing, they continued to follow Raze, wondering what he was going to do next until they saw him enter the town hall.


    He had returned, and Andy and Yarlston were there, already waiting for him.


    "What happened? Did the army retreat?" Andy asked.


    "Yes," Raze said as he took out a piece of chalk and started to draw on the floor of one of the main reception rooms.


    "Then what about the Doclet kingdom? Do we have to worry about them? I heard someone even spotted the king," Yarlston asked.


    "We don''t have to worry about them; the king is dead," Raze answered as he continued drawing on the floor.


    "What a relief," Yarlston sighed, until his eyes almost popped out of his head. "Wait- DEAD?"


    "He''s not lying," Alba said. "We saw it with our own eyes. It''s true; you don''t have to worry about them or an armying to attack. I think the town of Flendon might be at peace for a while."


    It was hard for them to believe, but they had already heard the news of what Raze had done at theke. Knowing that, they wondered if it was really far-fetched.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was then that Raze finished drawing the circle on the floor.


    "Everyone, I''ve made my decision," Raze announced. "I will be sending you all back to the Dark Faction for now. The town of Flendon is safe.


    "Once I''m done with my meeting with the Neverfall n, I will return. When you get back, help the people as much as needed... they need it."


    They weren''t sure what Raze meant, but before they could ask, he was already speaking to


    Anna.


    "I need you to do me a favor as well," Raze requested. "Can you look for Charlotte for me? Bring her to the Dark Faction and make sure she''s safe."


    Safa wanted to say more; she wanted to ask if she could stay with Raze ore with him, but before anyone could speak, Raze had already ced his hands together.


    He used his magic, activating the circle. As he saw the light cover their entire bodies, he threw a small statue to Safa, who caught it.


    "That''s yours, not mine," Raze said.


    Thest thing Safa saw was the smile on Raze''s face as the others teleported and returned to the main room of the Academy.


    The wooden floors, the nted roof-it was a familiar ce to them, but they were still unsure about what Raze had said to them and why he had said it.


    It didn''t take long, though, until Zon suddenly appeared right in front of the group. "You''ve returned. My system detected two other users here," Zon exined. "Where''s Raze?"


    "He isn''t with us. He said he wouldeter," Anna replied.


    "That''s not good¡ªI have something to tell him... I know where the Golden Globe is."

 Chapter 925: The Last Visit

    Chapter 925: The Last Visit


    ?


    Quickly, as Rayna, Alba, and the others explored the academy, they learned of the tragedies that had urred while they were away.


    How many students had been ughtered and the cause of it all. It was hard for them to believe, but there was something visible that allowed them toprehend therge scale of the devastation.


    In the main academy building, a ce usually reserved for teachers, severalrge halls had been converted into medical bays.


    Even now, students were being treated, and Safa, with her Light magic and spear on her back, was using her powers as best as she could.


    Her efforts were working wonders on many of the severe wounds that couldn''t be healed otherwise.


    The others were trying their best to help in their own ways. Most of the Crimson Crane, including Alba, were attending to several of the bodies.


    In the main courtyard, hundreds of dead bodiesy covered in white cloth. Special flowers and other offerings were being ced by each of the bodies.


    The idea was to have a mass funeral service for the students, and they were helping with all of this.


    "This is just sickening, isn''t it?" Cronker said as he ced a bouquet of flowers in a y pot in front of one of the students covered in cloth. "I don''t even think Pagna ns could be this cruel."


    "Right, and all of this was caused by Alter? What were they even thinking? Were they trying to wipe the Dark Faction off the map?" Tilion asked.


    "It''s as he said¡ªthey must truly want to get rid of the Dark Magus," Reno replied. "You heard his story; he knows too much about their corrupt ways."


    "Right? But if Alter and Alterian are linked, how are they connected to Pagna?" Alba wondered. "Was this really necessary? It feels like Raze''s business with the Grand Magus and this Dark Magus is bing an issue for all of Pagna."


    Elsewhere in the academy, in a single room, Anna was sitting in a chair. She looked at a round object ced on the table before her.


    "I told you, I really did tell you that if you did this, you''d end up this way," Anna said out loud. "Zon''s headed off to look for Raze, trying to reach him, and now Raze wants me to find Charlotte."


    "My guess is it''s because of what happened to you, right, Himmy?" Anna said as she clenched her trousers tightly. "I didn''t want you to go so soon... why does everyone have to be such a fool."


    Back in the town of Flendon, with everything finally done, Raze was ready to leave. There had been a few interruptions, but it was quite clear there wouldn''t be any more.


    He hade out of the situation a lot stronger, though, increasing his star level, his Pagna stage, and now even unlocking hints of being able to use his breakthrough-like power.


    In some ways, he was thankful the Doclet Kingdom had attacked, as it gave him a sense of just how much stronger he had be.


    He had a good understanding of his Qi, as well as his magical powers. His Dark magic in particr had increased substantially due to all the fighting.


    "You ready to go finally?" Han asked.


    "Yeah, I don''t think Father expected us to take this long, but it''s not like we could''ve dragged you away from everything that was happening," Fing said.


    "Let''s go," Raze replied.


    All three of them stepped outside the front gate. They were getting ready to sprint to the Neverfall n base until they heard a loud, bellowing cry from behind.


    "WAIIIIIT!" a voice screamed at the top of its lungs.


    Turning their heads, they saw a warrior hurrying toward them, wearing a strange ck vest of armor. When the warrior reached them, he skidded across the ground, huffing and panting, trying to catch his breath.


    "I finally get to meet you... do you remember me?" Brack asked.


    Looking closely at the young man''s face, something clicked in Raze''s memory.


    "From the Martial Arts Tournament, you were the student from the Behemoth n, right?" Raze asked.


    "Right... you protected me back then. I had nowhere to go, so I ended up in this town," Brack exined. "I was... I was..."


    Brack had been exhausted, having pushed himself far beyond his limits in attempting to stop the Behemoth n''s advance.


    Eventually, he woke up and overheard the guards talking about what had happened with the Behemoth n and the Doclet Kingdom.


    It was unbelievable to Brack to hear that Sha Mo, the Mountain-the unstoppable force-had been defeated. It just wasn''t possible.


    However, what concerned him even more was that the Dark Magus, the person he had been longing to meet, was here in this city.


    Upon meeting head guard Andy, he was informed they were getting ready to leave, and he had managed to catch them just in time.


    "I''ve wanted to ask this since I met you... but please." Brack fell to his knees and ced his head on the ground. "Take me as your disciple... please! I''ll follow you anywhere, do whatever I can to aid you on your journey."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What is going on?" Fing said. "We don''t have time for this."


    "He''s right, we must hurry. You should ask about joining the Crimson Crane or one of the other ns before asking Raze," Han stated as he turned around. However, Raze didn''t turn


    with him.


    "Okay," Raze said.


    The answer surprised the two brothers, who let out a slight gasp, and it even surprised Brack, who lifted his head with a raised eyebrow.


    "You will?" Brack replied. "I mean, thank you! Thank you for taking me in as your disciple!" The brothers didn''t understand why Raze had agreed, but he had his reasons, and with that, Brack was now tagging along with Raze as he headed to the Neverfall n.


    ''I will finally get my answers as to just what the Dark Faction founder was doing here in the first ce... and how to get out of Pagna!''

 Chapter 926 Belils Sacrifice (Part 1)

    Chapter 926 Belil''s Sacrifice (Part 1)


    The world of Pagna was still settling with the news that the Behemoth n had been beaten. This was significant because it was one of the three major ns that had been wiped out, and much of the talk was due to the one responsible.


    The neer, given the name Dark Magus, who had taken over the Dark Faction, had also shifted the status of the Demonic Faction.


    Although it had taken some time, it was still sooner than many thought, and now the citizens were wondering just what was going to happen next.


    Because of this news, even the further news of the Doclet Kingdom being defeated hadn''t spread out. The army that had returned to the major city, and the higher-ups and officials, had silenced every mouth they could.


    It would be a disaster if the people and the world were to learn of this¡ªa disaster for the kingdom itself. Still, during this time, things had still been moving.


    For one, the leader of the Lost n, Lince, had witnessed everything that had urred with the Behemoth n, and it was because of this he had decided to pay a visit to none other than Belil himself.


    At therge base, which looked like an inverted mountain, Lince had jumped over the wall andnded softly on the ground, making next to no sound at all.


    Lince continued to walk through the n base as if it was his own home until someone called out to him.


    "Wait, you''re not a member of the Neverfall n?" one of the guards shouted out.


    Lince turned around, surprised that the guard had noticed him.


    "Oh, they have a middle-stage warrior on the first floor? Things have changed since thest time I was here."


    "If you are a guest, you must register first. We will give you a nk stating what floor you can go to, and we need to know the reason why you''re here in the first ce," the guard asked.


    "Oh right, I''m still in the guard uniform," Lince realized, as he spun his body. In doing so, visual Qi surrounded his body like a small tornado.


    Itpletely disappeared from the others'' sight, and when the small gust of wind had disappeared, a man standing there, wearing all ck, heavily wrapped clothing was present.


    What was most notable was that the man also wore a ck mask covering his face and a wrap that went around his head, trailing down until it touched the ground.


    There was only one person who dressed this way.


    "Lince from the Lost n!" the warrior said. He was surprised but didn''t bow his head. "That''s even more reason for you to register; just because you are one of the big figures in the Demonic Faction, you think you can just walk in here. We would have known if someone like you was visiting."


    "Charming respect as always," Lince replied.


    It was expected, though; Lince was technically in enemy territory since the Demonic Factions weren''t so aligned like the others.


    On top of that, this was an impromptu meeting by Lince. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Well, if I were to go down there anyway, do you think anyone could stop me?"


    The guard didn''t say anything as he tried to think about what to say.


    "That''s my invitation then!" Lince replied as he ran forward, and right when he reached the ledge, he leapt down and jumped toward the center, beginning his fall.


    The air hit his body as he continued to fall, and he could see each of the floors passing by him, going from one area to the next. At the same time, he could feel the intense heat growing.


    Just like before, just as he was about to reach the ground, Lince started spinning his body in several directions, and when hended, it was ever so softly. One wouldn''t even be able to hear himnd.


    Now on the bottom floor, Lince turned his head and could see arge double-door frame wide open.


    "Come in!" a voice called out.


    "You noticed me?" Lince said as he walked toward the door. "And here I thought I had gotten better."


    "I opened the door the moment I heard you arrive from above."


    When Lince walked past the door, he could see down a tunnel lined with candles, to the end in a circle-like area, where the one and only Belil, leader of the Neverfall n, sat.


    Belil had his shirt off, his bulging muscles showing on his back, and next to no sweat was dripping off his body. When Lince walked further, a drip fell from his forehead onto the ground.


    He paused for a moment, looking at the mark made on the floor.


    "I''m disappointed in myself. I really thought I had improved after all this time, but I guess I still can''t best someone like you," Lince said.


    Belil then turned around. He was sitting casually on the floor in a pair of white trousers, one knee raised up, the other leg out. He looked rxed and had arge smile on his face as he looked at Lince.


    "Maybe if I was wearing a ridiculous outfit like yours, I would be sweating as well," Belil joked.


    Lifting his hand, Lince then pulled down the mask covering his face, revealing several cuts that went across his lip, going down to the bottom of his jaw.


    They continued slightly onto his neck but not as far as his Adam''s apple.


    "As I remember, it''s disrespectful to talk to you without showing my face, so I should show some respect," Lince imed.


    Belil waved his hand casually.


    "That''s true for most of my visitors, but you know you are an exception. After all, you''re the only one who knows my secret, and you have kept it well."


    "Which one?" Linceughed as he sat down on the floor opposite Belil. He noticed the floor was even hotter than the room itself.


    "Are you talking about the fact that you''re a Divine warrior in Pagna?" Lince asked.

 Chapter 927: Belils Sacrifice (Part 2)

    Chapter 927: Belil''s Sacrifice (Part 2)


    ?


    Belil was a powerful figure in the entire Demonic Faction, and in a lot of cases, he was considered the most unpredictable. Whatever came his way, his rule was always to inflict punishment twofold back on anyone who crossed him.


    The thing was, it wasn''t always him carrying out the punishment. Being a high-level, mid- stage warrior meant he had lived a long life¡ªor at least that''s what everyone believed about Belil.


    Including his own children. There was one person who knew the truth, and that was the one currently sitting opposite him.


    "Although I know the truth, I never knew the reason why," Lince said. "You''ve been in Pagna for a long time already, yet you''ve reached the Divine Stage.


    "You''ve achieved immortality, and you could even go to the realm above. I know you well; you''re someone who cares about strength."


    "Here, your strength is limited. It might even be the reason why you stay down here all the time, unable to feel anything by going outside. And why you send your family to handle most matters."


    "Because everything has be a bore."


    When a mid-stage warrior reached the Divine Stage, it meant a few things. First, they achieved immortality. The worry of old age getting to them disappearedpletely.


    It was partly why the name was given-because they could now live forever, as long as they weren''t killed by something.


    Another fact was that they could enter another realm. A world that was considered the same as Pagna that only other Divine warriors could enter.


    Thirdly, if a Divine warrior was in Pagna, then their strength would be limited to that of a mid-stage warrior, and further progress into the Divine Stage was impossible.


    Most who ever reached the Divine Stage were warriors driven to be stronger. They had what few in the world had, and because of that, they tried to grow even stronger in the Divine Realm.


    Yet here Belil was, still in the world of Pagna after all this time.


    "I have my reasons for doing things my own way," Belil answered. The look on his face wasn''t as friendly anymore; the smile had almost disappeared.


    "Just tell me why you''re here," Belil asked.


    "I''m sure you''ve heard the news about the Dark Magus and his defeat of the Behemoth n. I noticed you sent both of your eldest there. I''m surprised you''ve chosen to protect someone."


    "I wanted to know why you''ve done that and if it''s rted to what''s going to happen in a couple of days," Lince asked.


    The smile had quickly returned to Belil''s face.


    "Right, the day ising. You know something about it? I''m not surprised with your informationwork."


    "The end of Pagna?" Lince replied. "It''s something I''ve heard many in Alterian talk about, specifically the Alter who work in the Light Faction."


    "I understand why everyone has an interest in this but don''t fully know what''s happening. Why would someone like the Dark Magus be involved in all of this?"


    "Is it rted to the strange powers he used? Is it rted to his real identity? There are a lot of things that I''m confused about, or where this person even came from to begin with."


    Belil let out a loud bellow ofughter that caused all of the candles to ignite further in strength.


    "So, you were there yourself. You''re quite the tricky one. Let me ask for a favor: can you tell me what happened, can you tell me everything that urred?" Belil asked.


    It was then that Lince told the tale of everything he had witnessed-the grand powers Raze used, how his friends had aided him in battle, and the turn of the tide when Raze had suddenly aged into an old man.


    Additionally, Lince went into detail on how Raze had bested his two elder sons. He decided to take extra time exining how helpless they had been in the fight.


    After finishing everything, Belil continued to let out a belly ofughter once again. "He''s more than I expected, after all," Belil said. "Honestly, I thought the day would nevere, and the fact that he''s fallen right into myp... I guess the world has a strange way of making things work."


    After saying those words, Lince noticed that Belil looked at the ground. He was staring off, clearly deep in thought, yet not expressing it aloud.


    This was something Lince had hardly seen on a person''s face. Was this just how those who had reached the Divine Realm felt? Is this why many stayed in the Divine Realm?


    Or at least stayed there, as long as there was no way topletely use their powers?


    "I owe you a few favors now," Belil imed. "And thank you for telling me such an interesting tale. In return, I will tell you everything about the so-called end of Pagna."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "As well as what I exactly n to do with the Dark Magus," Belil said.


    This was what Lince was waiting for. The information he had gathered from his own n felt like all of the pieces, but he didn''t have any idea of the picture of the puzzle, so he was unable to put things together or know if they were right or not.


    He wasn''t so sure Belil knew, but now after hearing him say those words, he was confident about it.


    Belil spoke, and Lince listened respectfully to every single one of his words. He wanted to stop; he wanted to shout and ask if Belil was crazy for his ns, even for someone like him.


    Yet, because of the decisions he was nning to make, it would have been rude for him to even say such a thing.


    "In the future, I wish for you to help him as much as possible," Belil imed. "But it is your own life. I made my choice in the end; all of the power I cultivated, this is just the tip of all of that, all for the sake of saving Pagna."

 Chapter 928 A Gathering Of Powers

    Chapter 928 A Gathering Of Powers


    In the Light Faction, thendmass and terrain were different from the othernds. Whereas the Dark Faction and Demonic Faction had areas where life and crops seemed to struggle to flourish, the Light Faction had greenery as far as the eyes could see with flourishing flowers and more.


    It was because of this, that the living situation in the Light Faction was differentpared to other areas. They weren''t condensed in the major cities, and there were many vigers spread across thend.


    Areas with smaller poptions yet still had a good standard of life. One of these smaller viges was located quite far up north in thend, and was based by the sea.


    The general public were quite curious as they walked down the streets and looked out at the sand, to see severalrge camps, and people dressed in white cloth.


    "There are a lot of warriors here today. There isn''t a n located in Baracu, is there?" one of the young women asked, carrying a basket of flowers by her side.


    "No, but we were made aware that they wereing," a young man replied. "The men were asked to gather more food from the nearby city. Because quite a few people would be staying here. I don''t know why though, maybe they''re going to venture out into the sea."


    The young womanughed. "From here, you know no one does that; there must be another reason."


    When thinking about it though, they couldn''t think of anything for warriors to gather for. They weren''t close to the Empire, they weren''t close to the other two factions, the only ce they were close to was the sea. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    So what else could be the reason for them gathering?


    On the beach itself several tents had been set up, with sleeping areas prepared, storage, and more. The Light Faction warriors had brought their own supplies and were sharing amongst each other.


    But if one was to have a closer inspection, they would notice that the tents were somewhat divided, and markings could be seen on them, markings of three ns.


    The three ns that were present were the three highest-ranking ns in the Light Faction: the Aurora n and the Illumination n.


    The leaders of the n weren''t present in such a ce, but a group of ten warriors, including a high middle-stage warrior, was selected from each n. That was apart from one n, the Dawnde n, thest n.


    In one of therger tents, Ricar was sitting at his seat, his fingers intertwined, and standing in front of him were four elder men with clothing that was dragging across the floor and mostly covering their faces.


    "Is there really any need for this?" a soft voice asked. She was one of the Elders of the Dawnde n, known as Impress.


    "She''s right," Lyon replied. "Why are five of the elders out on this expedition, while the other ns have only sent¡­ them."


    "There are a couple of strong ones among them," Lukas replied, his arms folded. "But nothingpared to us Elders; you should exin yourself."


    "You should all know the situation we are in," Ricar replied. "In the eyes of the Light Faction, we have failed several important tasks. To Kawak, leader of the Aurora n, this is important."


    "Important to him?" Beatrix asked. "Or, is it important to those from Alter?"


    The others nodded in agreement. The entire reason why they, including the other ns, were lined up on the beach, was because of the request made by Heino, leader of Alter.


    He had talked to Kawak, saying that he needed their help, and it was something that only they could do.


    "The fact that all of us are present means we can''t fail this task, and that we must seed. Otherwise, it''s an embarrassment for all of us," Ricar replied. "As for you, Beatrix, you have been given an honorary Elder Role."


    "It''s your first time in this case, and although you now have the same status as us, you are still to follow our orders."


    Beatrix nodded as she understood. A lot had changed for her since the Martial Arts Tournament.


    "And what should we do with him?" Lyon asked. "The one that Alter sent to aid us?"


    "Him?" Ricar replied. "For now, it''s best if we ignore him. He doesn''t seem like the type of person that is in need of our help or would be epting of it."


    Standing out on the edge of the sand, allowing for the sea to just touch the edge of his feet, a man with spiky red hair stared out into the distance.


    Whererge dark clouds could be seen and constant thunder strikes were hearding down one after the other.


    "With this, I might be able to see you all again, right Zon?" Red said with arge smile.


    Red lifted his hand up, and out from his forearm, a small light lit up.


    "Have you noticed any changes yet?" a voice spoke through the device on his arm, the voice of Heino.


    "No changes at the moment, but it isn''t time yet, right? And I haven''t seen anyone elseing here either," Red reported. "Do you expect that there will be interferences?"


    "I have my concerns," Heino replied. "There might be others thate out of curiosity or that have information themselves, but I''m not too worried."


    "The Elders sent with you, I''ve heard they have great strength. If you run into anything dangerous, they will be able to help you, and besides, you know some of them are with us, right? Did you look at the list?" Heino asked.


    "I know, I know, I won''t harm anyone. I''m a Deleter, I get the job done, so you don''t have to worry about me," Red replied.


    "I would have said the same thing about Scar, and look where he ended up," Heino replied.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll get the Golden Globe, and if I run into the Dark Magus, I''ll get him as well. Besides, he won''t be able to do what he did against the Behemoth n." Red started tough, and the call ended there.

 Chapter 929: Red Fortis Reunion

    Chapter 929: Red Fortis Reunion


    ?


    Zon, leaving the Dark Faction, was traveling fast across thend. Since Raze hadn''t used his distress signal, he wasn''t able to open up a portal to reach his side.


    Right now, Zon couldn''t just risk waiting for that to happen, so he was traveling across the continent. However, he was moving at quite a fast speed, because of two reasons.


    Due to the unique structure of his body, he didn''t tire, and he could move even faster than most warriors. However, his body would run out of energy, and when running out of energy he would need to replenish that.


    On top of that, he was using the new item he had obtained, allowing him to teleport certain distances in a sh as well. Using both of these things, he was making great progress and was already in the Demonic Faction.


    When he had reached the Demonic Faction, he realized something and stopped in the middle of an open, deserted wastnd.


    "I''ve run out of crystals... and for what''s toe, I might need arge variety of crystals. My energy is already low because of the fight that I had with that Deleter, and everything else I had been doing after."


    "I rushed so much that I didn''t think properly."


    Zon tapped the side of his head, remembering some things from the past. Because he was eager toplete missions with his squad, he hadpletely disregarded other things that had put him and the Red Fortis army in trouble.


    "If Raze is heading to the Neverfall n, there has to be a reason for it. The chances of him learning the truth on his own are quite high. Over 90 percent."


    "If I were to guess, then there is a good chance that the two of us will be able to meet there. It might be best to avoid going to the Neverfall n."


    There were multiple worries in Zon''s mind. One of them being that he might be a step behind the others'' movements. Right now he was quite far from where he wanted to be, he had to travel as north as possible in the Demonic Faction.


    On top of that, in the past when in the Demonic Faction, it was the most frequent ce where The would get into scuffles here and there.


    "I have no choice, the best course of action is to head north. If Raze doesn''te, then I will just have to sort out everything myself."


    "I''ll find a portal around here, and quickly gather some beast crystals. After that, I''ming for you... I never realized you ended up here after all, Red." Zon thought.


    His body quickly disappeared from sight at that moment.


    Raze, the two brothers Fing and Han, as well as Brack were all traveling from the town of Flendon to the Neverfall n base.


    They were moving slightly slower than they would have because Brack was unable to fully keep up with them.


    "I still don''t understand why you brought someone like him along," Fing scoffed.


    "You should let him do what he wants," Han replied. "I''m sure the Dark Magus has his own reasons for such things."


    Although Han himself, no matter how much he thought about it, couldn''t understand why he was bringing Brack along with him, why he had said yes.


    If Raze had brought one of the other stronger warriors, then he could understand.


    For Brack though, even though it was hard, he was pushing himself.


    "I just have to think of this like training!" Brack thought. "It''s because of Raze now that I''ve managed to survive so many times. I need to be a better, stronger warrior!"


    As they continued to travel, Raze had surprisingly started to talk to Brack.


    "Since you were one of the major disciples of the Behemoth n, did you ever learn Sha Mo''s unusual Qi techniques?" Raze asked.


    "Are you talking about him being able to change size?" Brack asked. "That was something unique to him, but the other stuff he could do. Controlling his Qi and forcing it down like a snake of sorts, that''s the Behemoth n''s specialty."


    "So do you know it?" Raze asked, getting to the point.


    "I know the theory of it, and can do it on a small scale, but not to the major extent that Sha Mo could," Brack answered.


    "Right... well that should be enough then," Raze said.


    His conversation cut short as they saw the Neverfall n right ahead.


    All of them easily jumped over the wall, and upon entering, the members that were on the top floor bowed down to the two brothers.


    The thing was, they didn''t even lift their heads as they bowed down; they continued to look at the floor, not raising it until they walked past.


    "Usually you would need a pass of sorts, but you''re with us, and we basically have the same authority as the head of the n or the elders here, so you don''t have to worry too much," Fing said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Eventually, they walked up to the edge, and Brack looked down into the center. It was his first time being in the Neverfall n base, and he couldn''t even see the bottom.


    More so, he could feel an intense heating from the bottom.


    "Our base is unique," Fing exined. "The lower levels are only for middle-stage warriors. If someone like you went so far down, then they wouldn''t be able to even move about."


    Raze, looking at the n base, was doing so with open eyes. He felt like something had to be here. This was where the message from the Dark Faction founder was found.


    This was where the Dark Edge Sword Arts were found as well. The rtion between the Demonic Faction and the mage from Alterian that hade to the world of Pagna.


    All of that was here, and there had to be a reason. Raze was ready to face Belil.


    "Hey, if you want, I can help you out." Fing said.


    "What do you mean?" Brack asked, turning around.


    "Help you get a closer look." Fing then pushed Brack in the chest. His whole body lifted into


    the air, and Brack was in the center, falling into the deep pit.

 Chapter 930: Blood On Our Hands

    Chapter 930: Blood On Our Hands


    ?


    Returning to the Dark Faction, for once the group thought they might be able to rx a little. They had, after all, been thrown from one situation to the next, one after the other.


    The Academy was somewhat a safe haven for a few reasons. One, it wasn''t part of a n and wasn''t centered on the border of any of the other factions'' territory.


    Because of this, there was no reason other than to get to the Dark Magus for someone to attack it. On top of that, the Academy itself was filled with students.


    Most of them wouldn''t be in the middle stage, and mostly other warriors would ignore thempletely.


    Which was why none of them would have ever imagined the situation they had actually returned to in the end. It was devastating, and it was cruel at the same time.


    In one of the smaller libraries and reading rooms, Safa, Simyon, and Liam were taking a break. There was tea on the table with snacks, but they had remained untouched as all three of them were slouched in their seats.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It just doesn''t end," Liam said. "Do you know what I''ve been doing? I had to go out and send messages to the other ns, to the other families, and tell them what happened to their children."


    "The look on their faces. Some would just stare at me, not saying anything. Others would break out into a devastating scream... and you know what the worst reaction was of them all?"


    "The ones that did nothing. The ones that didn''t care and didn''t even bother to reply or turn up to the funeral. Everything is making me feel so sick."


    For once, Simyon didn''t say anything, but just rubbed his friend''s back. He could tell he was truly distraught by all of this. All of them were; too many deaths at once, too close to them, too close to the same age as them.


    They had been on one end before, but this time, as part of the heads of the Dark Faction, they felt responsible.


    "Maybe if some of us stayed back, we could have..."


    "You can''t think like that," Safa replied. "If we stayed back, then the same thing could have happened to the people of Flendon. It was just bad timing with everything, and who knows, it might have been the best result in all of this."


    Simyon clenched his fist. He had improved by leaps and bounds. He was a middle-stage warrior with an incredibly tough body now.


    He was even able to take several hits from Sha Mo. There wouldn''t be many out there who could take him on. He wanted to protect people, protect people who would be in a bad situation like his sister.


    Yet, even with how strong he was, how much of a shield he had be, he still had things taken away from him.


    "What about you, Safa? How are you holding up? You must have been using your magic a lot, right?" Simyon asked.


    "It''s exhausting but bearable. The Lux Spear increases my magic, and due to the cultivating technique I learned to be used at all times, I can switch it to gathering mana, which allows me to restore mana even now."


    "So I''m always replenishing my body with mana, and the spear helps it build up quicker." Safa practically could use her magic constantly at the moment with no consequences, it was just the amount in one go. If she used arge amount, it would take time to recover.


    She wanted to ask Raze if there was anything she could do to increase her star level as well, but there just wasn''t the right time for that either.


    ''If only there was someone else from Alterian? I don''t want to bother Raze all the time with all of these things,'' Safa thought.


    "It''s sorted now, so you don''t have to worry. Everyone that can be seen has been seen already. So I can rest a bit, just like the rest of you guys."


    There was silence for a moment between all three of them until Liam spoke out.


    "But it''s not over, right? Like, I don''t even understand. Even if they are enemies of Raze, they went after the students. We were students just a year ago."


    "If we were there, we would have been killed, and we wouldn''t have even known the reason why," Liam said. "Honestly, I don''t know what this goal of theirs is to eliminate Raze, but it can''t be good if they''re willing to go this far."


    A knock was heard by the door, and a momentter, it opened, and Ricktor was seening through the door. Simyon made eye contact for a few moments before he turned his head away.


    It was still awkward to look at each other, and whenever Simyon did make eye contact, Ricktor would give a wink his way and even lick his lips at times.


    "Sorry to bother you while you''re resting, but Rayna has called for all of us to enter the main hall."


    The three entered the main hall and realized it wasn''t just them but everyone. Mantis, Mada, the rest of the Crimson Crane as well.


    There was even Amir present, standing next to Rayna.


    "I wanted to thank you all for helping out with the situation that unfolded at the Academy," Amir said. "Honestly, it''s a devastating event, and I wish for it never to happen again."


    The others nodded their heads, and that''s when Rayna took out her spear and stabbed it into the ground, holding the very top.


    "We can''t just keep waiting for Raze to do his own thing while we support him," Rayna said. "Them attacking the Dark Faction, attacking the students-it''s a step too far."


    "This goes beyond Raze. What has happened is beyond cruel, and I want to punish all of those that did this, the people behind this. At the same time, we can''t let Raze take on all the hatred himself."


    "We can''t let him be the only person to get his hands dirty. Which is why I''m proposing we get rid of every single member of Alter in the Dark Faction!" Rayna said, twisting her spear into the ground and splitting the wood, her eyes fierce.

 Chapter 931: Eliminate Alter

    Chapter 931: Eliminate Alter


    ?


    Through Rayna''s words, they could feel the angering off from her in that moment. They resonated with it more because, for thest couple of days, they had been working nonstop. They had been dealing with the oue of the attack on hand.


    "I''m angry as well," Alba spoke up. "But what are you suggesting exactly? You need to make it clear. You''re talking about getting our hands dirty and bloody; isn''t that what we''ve been doing against the Behemoth n and more?"


    "The ones behind attacking us weren''t the Behemoth n. The people behind this were the group known as Alter!" Rayna said. "The Behemoth n, at least they attacked with reason."


    "Even if we had lost the war with the Behemoth n, they wouldn''t have killed every person inside. What has happened here is not something that is done by people who can be considered the same. Even for us Pagna warriors, who are content with killing, it''s too far," Rayna imed.


    Many in the room resonated with what Rayna was saying. At least when the students had died from the harsh training situations, it was for a purpose, but what purpose did this have?


    "Right now in the Dark Faction, there are many ns spread all over that use Alter for their benefits. I''m saying we use this chance to get rid of every single person from Alter."


    "We call on their services and trap them, making sure that not a single one of those scum is even on the samend as us."


    "We have been on the defensive the whole time, always just trying to protect ourselves in these situations, and it''s time we help Raze by being on the offensive."


    "We need to stop things like this from happening again. I know you all felt it as well, when you saw Raze... how dark his eyes were, how dark his heart was..."


    "I''m afraid if Raze needs to resort to something like this, he will push himself in doing so, and if he does, he will never be the same again. The Raze we know will be lost."


    "Which is why I''m willing to bear some of the blood on my hands as well... but I can''t do it alone... I can''t."


    Rayna paused and looked at the faces of each individual. It was hard to tell how everyone was feeling. It was almost as if they wanted to agree with her, yet there was something stopping them.


    "What about the innocent ones in Alter?" Safa said. "I don''t want Raze to go back to what he was, and I don''t want something like this to happen."


    "Maybe you''re right and we do need to go on the attack, but there are those in Alter that don''t even know what''s happening, just following the orders of the ones from above. Are they really to me?" Safa asked.


    Rayna then looked to her side, as she had someone else who could exin the situation a little better, and that''s when Amir stood forward.


    "You are right; among those in Alter, there will be many innocent ones, but Alter is not a giant organization," Amir exined. "They''re an organization with power, but there is a reason why they need to make use of the other factions."


    "In the end, there are only so many otherworlders thate to Pagna. The amount that they had killed in the Academy might even exceed the total members of those from Alter."


    "The reality is, if we are hesitant, then something like this can happen again. We can''t try and pick and choose who is innocent or who is not. Otherwise, it will just cause more meaningless deaths of others."


    "Do you know how the attack on the Academy even started in the first ce?" Amir asked. Safa shook her head.


    "It was a team from Alter; they hade to do some scouting work, unaware of the real task at hand, believing they were here to protect the world of Pagna."


    "It''s nearly impossible to change their views, to tell someone that they are the ones on the wrong side. It''s hard for anyone to believe, especially just through words."


    "And it was because of that innocent team from Alter that a Deleter was sent here, and the result was as follows."


    "If we want to stop this, we need to end them."


    It was then that Rayna stepped forward.


    "At some point, we might be in another big battle like we had against the Behemoth n; it might even be on arger scale."


    "We can''t keep turning our backs, thinking about who we can trust. While they are here, innocent or not, following the orders of Alter, they could disrupt everything... if you want to help Raze, if you want to help the Dark Faction and even the warriors, this is something we have to do... and let me tell you something, Safa."


    "If we don''t do this, then Raze will be the one that has to do it."


    Safa ced her head down on the ground, filled with thoughts. Warriors cared about life lesspared to others. It was the life of a warrior, but Safa never wanted to be a warrior.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Things had just naturally be this way. In the end, though, as if Rayna knew the right words to say, she agreed with everything. It was unfair to have Raze go through everything again.


    "I agree... I''ll do it," Alba called out first.


    "Well, you know if the boss is doing it, the rest of us are involved, right?" Kizer said.


    Soon more and more in the room agreed, even Liam as he remembered the faces of the parents, and then there was even Simyon, with thest person being Safa herself.


    She took a deep breath and then looked up.


    "I''ll... do it as well."


    Rayna nodded to all of them. She knew it wasn''t going to be easy, but they were going to act straight away. They were going to be as cruel as the Dark Magus in the stories of Alterian, in order to stop something like this happening again.


    "Alright, then I order everyone: the elimination of Alter starts now!" Rayna said, mming her spear on the floor, and that was the signal to the start of a massacre.

 Chapter 932: The Dark Dark Faction

    Chapter 932: The Dark Dark Faction


    ?


    The Dark Faction was on the move, and in various ways. For one, Cronker had expanded his Dark Assassin force, the Dark Hand.


    He had been training up a number of students, on top of Joe, Violet, and Tinson. There were also members of the Bonum Society, proficient at using foot techniques, who had joined, and now the squad was ten members strong.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Dark Hand, as well as several of the Bonum Society members, had spread messages to all the ns to set the n in motion.


    Letters had been received by all ns, from those high up in the mountains to those in the trenches of swamps and caves.


    Not a single n didn''t receive a notice, and it was word from the Dark Faction Academy, telling them toply. They had all seen what had urred that day, the day the Dark Magus took over the Academy.


    How the major ns were useless, and all other ns had already suffered defeat from mysterious groups of people and organizations.


    True to their word, they had continued allowing the ns to operate as they wished, not getting involved, as long as they did as they were told. And now that time hade.


    However, it wasn''t as if the ns receiving the letters were unwilling toply. If anything, they were more eager to work together with the Academy.


    The letters contained details of the n and the reason for such actions-to rid the scum that attacked the Academy, causing a great loss of many children.


    One of the Dark Faction''s ns, the ck Marble n, was located among the mountaintops. Due to their secluded location, they weren''trge in size but had loyal followers who would be members of the n.


    The n was quite unique as it was almostpletely separated from regr citizens, only heading down to the vige at the mountain''s base to trade once in a while.


    Walking up a long grand staircase to reach the top was a group of three people. They were wearing regr Pagna clothing, with two of them carryingrge backpacks.


    "Man, why did we get stuck with this job? This thing is torture!" one of the men said, pouring sweat and pushing off his thigh to go up another step.


    "Apparently things have been pretty busy. I was talking to Stacy, and she got called out too, so we were actually the closest Alter squad to this n," the other replied, who was


    struggling less because he was a Pagna warrior.


    "Don''t you have a spell to make this stuff lighter or something?" the manined.


    "If I did, then I would''ve used it on myself." The third person was also covered in sweat, making their way up the stairs.


    "Why do we even have to do this anyway? Can''t we refuse a job that''s so far away?"


    "You know the deal: Alter has to make ie somehow, and we need to spread our name as trustworthy people while gathering information. So let''s just suck it up and keep moving forward."


    Eventually, the Alter squad reached the top. They were treated well by the warriors, given food and drinks, and finally brought into the main n base.


    Soon after, they were invited to the main room where the n elders were gathered. It was arge hall with wooden flooring and a raised tform where three elders sat in their chairs. "It''s a pleasure to meet you three," one of the elders said.


    "Same to you." One of the men bowed. "I''ve heard that the request you asked about is to do wi-"


    In the middle of his speech, three red arrows shot out, going straight through the Alter members'' heads. They fell to the floor and died in mere moments.


    The elders had nervous sweat forming on the sides of their faces. When they turned to look, they saw a fairly short woman with dark bags under her eyes, standing by the sliding door.


    "Heh... heh... heh!" Froma chuckled. "Is it just me, or is it bing easier... to deal with these things?" She dragged her fingers across her face.


    Seeing Froma look like a madwoman and how she quickly dealt with three members of Alter, including a Pagna warrior, the elders were sure they were on the right side.


    "On to the next one, I guess," Froma said, slouched as she went to walk off.


    This urrence wasn''t just happening at one n base. Every n base in the Dark Faction was calling on the help of Alter members, who were then being assassinated and taken care of.


    As for the force known as the Dark Hand, they had gathered information from Anna, as well as all the ns. Descriptions of every person they had seen working for Alter.


    After cross-referencing these descriptions, they would go out and take down the members of Alter one by one.


    In one location, in a bar at night, drinks were flowing, and many were having a joyous evening.


    Suddenly, the door swung open, and Anna was seen entering. She scanned the room with her eyes, then moved to a table.


    Upon reaching the table, she grabbed the back of one man''s head and mmed it down into his bowl. She then picked the man up by his head again and hurled him toward another, crashing him down.


    A third person tried to strike, but Anna avoided it, holding the man''s arm, then striking by the elbow with her other hand, breaking it in one hit.


    "It''s okay!" Anna shouted. "I''m here on orders of the Dark Magus."


    She then turned to the man who was screaming in pain.


    "You know, I never did like Alter too much, but there was one man I was quite fond of, and


    now he''s gone, and it was you guys who did it."


    "But you see, there''s one person he cared about, so I''m going to ask you guys... right, you''re a retriever team? So what''s your lead on a mage called Charlotte?" Anna shouted.


    In a day, the existence of Alter would be no more in the Dark Faction, and Alter themselves were too busy, with their focus on something else to even react.

 Chapter 933: Save Me Dark Magus

    Chapter 933: Save Me Dark Magus


    ?


    The moment Raze arrived at the Neverfall n base, his mind was going wild, thinking about what the rtionship between the n and the Dark Faction founder could be.


    Warriors were a strange group of people to Raze, with values quite different from those in Pagna, and for Belil, he was an even stranger person.


    While thinking these things, he was unaware of what was about to happen. Looking ahead in a daydream, he saw it-he saw one of the brothers, Fing, push Brack over the edge.


    A normal warrior wouldn''t survive a fall from such a height, but this wasn''t just a cliffside; this was the Abyssal Mountain, where extremely high temperatures were felt toward the bottom.


    "Ha, ha, ha! Did you see his face?" Fing said, pointing toward the hole.


    Right after, he felt arge gust of wind blowing his hair, and he saw a man with white hair jump right into the abyss.


    Raze was falling down, but he could see Brack ahead of him. As he was falling deeper, his body was avoiding therge chains that hung from the hole in the base, allowing people to go from one area to the next.


    "I need to get closer!" Raze activated the magic around his hands, propelling himselfn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    forward, pushing him further down, but he could see that they would reach the bottom at any moment.


    Swinging both of his hands, just as Brack''s back was about to hit the floor, a cushion of wind hit him, breaking his fall, but he still crashed onto the ground, and blood gushed out of his mouth from the impact.


    Razended right after, swiftly, and stood there, looking at Brack.


    ''The strange heat energy stopped my magic from working properly,'' Raze thought. He also noticed thatpared to thest time he was here, his body was handling the heat better.


    He didn''t need to use his ice magic to cool his body. Although he was sure part of that was because of the zer he was wearing.


    Raze quickly went to Brack, who was thankfully breathing. He seemed in an okay state since he was a warrior, but it was the intense heat that was worrying him.


    Causing him to have next to no energy and even draining his Qi energy away, which would help him recover somewhat faster. Quickly pulling out a piece of chalk, Raze started to draw a magic circle on the ground.


    At the same time, he fed Brack one of his pills and continued with his work. When he was done, misty air could be seening from Raze''s hands, and when he ced them on the floor, the magic circle on the ground lit up.


    The area covered the entirety of Brack''s body, and the look on his face was one of instant relief as the heat was escaping him, now feeling as though he had a shield covering him.


    Raze wasn''t quite sure it was enough, so he decided to take his zer off and ced it on top of Brack''s body like a nket. He knew its healing properties would help somewhat.


    As for himself, he still had some basic cloth underneath a sleeveless shirt, so his hard- crafted muscles were on disy. A body he never had before, even at the same age when he was in Alterian.


    ''Why did they even do that? What reason could they have, even if you aren''t both from the same n?'' Raze thought.


    The words of Rayna started toe back into his head, the warning to be careful of her brothers. They weren''t like her and Dame; both of them were cruel.


    "Holy crap, he managed to survive. I guess that''s no doubt thanks to our brother, huh?" Fingmented.


    Standing up, Raze then turned around to see Fing and Han present.


    "Why did you do that?" Raze asked.


    "Because if he fell and survived, he''d get stronger. Can''t you feel the energy seeping into him? He''ll be a middle-stage warrior after this," Fing said. "He''ll be thankful."


    However, Raze knew if he had done nothing, if he hadn''t helped Brack, then he would have fallen to his death. Were these two any different from Sha Mo, who also wished to get rid of Brack?


    Why was Brack always the one on the short end of the stick?


    "He could have died," Raze said.


    "And then that would have been his fate," Han added. "The strong survive, the weak die. He is just another warrior." Fing felt like it would be entertaining to see what would happen, which is why he acted.


    "Is there a problem with this?"


    Out of the two, Raze thought that Fing was the wild one and Han the sensible one, but he realized now, after talking to the two of them for a while, they were both crazy.


    "So the strong make the rules. So if I just decided to kill you now... you''d have no problem with that?" Raze asked.


    "The weak die, that''s all, the strong make the rules in this world and this is thew of the Demonic Faction."


    Raze started tough. Is that why his friend died then? Is that why his wife had perished? Just because they were weak? Just because people were weak, did they deserve to die... even if they brought no harm, only care, into this world?


    Raze''s heart was beating intensely, but he was distracted as he heard doors swing wide open, and a heat wave seemed toe out, hitting him on his face from the side.


    The man in question, with long straightbed-over hair flowing down his back, was Belil. He walked out of the room and was now on the floor with the others, observing the situation. "He should be fine," Belil said. "He will live, and the energy here will allow him to reach the middle stage. Keep your anger inside you."


    "Besides, you might need your energy; after all, the two of us need to talk, Mage." Belil said.

 Chapter 934: Let Me Ask You A Question

    Chapter 934: Let Me Ask You A Question


    ?


    At first, Raze was a little stunned as he saw Belil emerge from his independent training room. At least that''s what Raze thought Belil used it for; he wasn''t quite sure.


    The reason for him feeling this way, he didn''t understand it. He had faced Sha Mo, someone from the Demonic Faction who was considered on the same level.


    Although the power of Qi was fierce, Raze had handled it well, fighting it off with his own body. Thest time Raze had met with Belil, he had felt this as well.


    A slight tingle all over his body, like a small electric shock on the inside. Yet he thought that was due to the difference in Qi, so why was he feeling it now once again?


    But all of those thoughts disappeared with one word that hade out of Belil''s mouth. "Besides, you might need your energy; after all, the two of us need to talk, Mage," Belil said. ''Mage'' continued to ring in Raze''s head because of who had said the word.


    ''Everyone knows about the Dark Magus now, due to all the reports and me spreading out my name, but the word ''mage'' is unknown to Pagna warriors.


    ''Those in Alter might know it, as well as some people in Bonum Society, so why does Belil know it... why does he know this word ''mage'', and why does he know I am one as well?''


    If Raze was on guard before, he was extra careful now, thinking that at any point, he might have to fight for his life.


    His guess was right: there was a link between Belil and the Dark Faction founder, but whose side was who on? Raze didn''t even know if he was on the Dark Faction''s side-he was just following in his footsteps at the moment, wishing for an item that he left behind.


    "What, did I startle you?" Belil asked, standing by the door and already turning around. Before Raze knew it, he was moving his feet, but something was still on his mind. He turned his head, thinking about his zer; he didn''t want to leave it with the two troublemakers. "Don''t worry, you two aren''t to touch him. If you do, I will deal with you myself," Belil said. Raze didn''t know whether to say thanks or not, as he was more concerned about his zer, but thought Belil''s threat would be enough to stop the two from doing anything at all.


    "This will be a private matter," Belil said, turning around, and when he stretched out his hand, the door swung closed.


    It appeared like Wind magic, but that would have been impossible. So the only thing Raze could think it was, was Qi.


    Yet how could one use Qi like that? Raze had recently gone against Sha Mo, but the Qi was just invisible and connected to him.


    This didn''t seem to act the same way.


    Too many questions were appearing in Raze''s mind, even more than thest time he had visited. It felt like he was finally going to get some answers.


    Raze was walking down the narrow hallway. The heat was intensifying, yet he didn''t use his magic to cool himself down like he had before.


    He wanted to hold on; he could feel the heat affecting his body, almost breaking down the energy inside and recing it with new energy.


    Eventually, Belil sat down cross-legged, facing the door in the circle, then in one area, Raze saw an area circling, almost like wind again.


    "Take a seat; let''s talk face-to-face about these matters. I''m sure there are a lot of questions you want to ask."


    Willingly, Raze walked over and sat down in the circle. It was slightly cooler; whatever was being used was pushing the extreme heat away.


    "First, I want to talk about the positives. You have grown incredibly strong since west met, in such a short amount of time. You are indeed an impressive person, and I am happy that Rayna happened to pick you."


    "It''s almost as if strings are being pulled all just to please me!" Belil said with arge smile. "Should we go and destroy another Light Faction base? Maybe this time, you can have some part as well."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Belil continued tough, and Raze didn''t know if he was serious or not. Some people thought the Dark Magus was crazy, yet it was clear they hadn''t met Belil, Raze thought.


    "Your Qi has improved so much, and you even managed to defeat the Behemoth n. He has been a pain for so long, but I never dealt with him. Do you know why?"


    "Because going to battle with him would mean the loss of many of your men?" Raze replied, unsure if that was the right answer.


    It felt strange for Raze; it was quite likely that these two were closer in age than Belil thought, but from Belil''s actions, it was almost as if he were talking to his own child.


    "No, not at all. I''ve always been quite confident I could beat that man with ease. I believe he might only have half a brain. I mean, he didn''t even fully n out his attack on Flendon and acted on pure emotion. Which is why I like you, because you seem to be a person with a head on his shoulders, at least for now," Belil replied.


    "The reason I never got rid of him was because he was the biggest deterrent to other factions attacking us. He was a useful tool to use with therge size of his n."


    "The Demonic Faction has always been smaller in the number of warriorspared to the other factions, so his numbers boosted the power of the faction as a whole quite a bit... but I think the timing was right more than anything. We won''t have to worry about the other factions, especially with you controlling the Dark Faction!"


    Belil continued once again in a loud bellow ofughter, and when he stopped, he straightened his face as he asked his next question.


    "So let me ask you, how much of the Dark Edge Sword Arts have you learned?"

 Chapter 935: No, Let Me Ask You A Question

    Chapter 935: No, Let Me Ask You A Question


    ?


    It was the second time that Raze had been surprised by the wordsing out of Belil''s


    mouth. The thing was, he hadn''t even had time to confront him about the first thing that had surprised him, because Belil was leading the conversation, and at this point, Raze felt like


    enough was enough.


    "You knew I was a mage before I came in here, so it''s clear you know something," Raze replied. "But to also know about the Dark Edge Sword Arts? Just how much do you know... what is your goal in all of this, and what are you even doing... should I be worried?"


    Belil folded his arms. Even though Raze was speaking more sternly, the smile on Belil''s face hadn''t disappeared for a moment.


    "You''re right, you''re right. You see, I''m just sensitive to one''s body. I can feel the cells inside you reacting, the goosebumps in your body, so I wanted to see how you would react... and besides, it''s not as if the two of us talked muchst time," Belil said.


    "But first, do you mind answering my question?" Belil asked again.


    Raze thought about how to answer for a bit until he finally gave one.


    "I have fully mastered four of the formations. However, with how I am now, I''m sure I could perform the fifth formation as well."


    Immediately, Raze could see Belil shaking his head in disappointment.


    "That means you aren''t as strong as him. I''m surprised, with you having beaten Sha Mo, I thought you would have known at least up to the seventh formation," Belil said, and then unfolded his arms and shook his head.


    "Enough of that, I should exin. I know about the formations because I was one of the two people who created the formations in the first ce."


    Something clicked in Raze''s head. Why hadn''t he thought of this before? There were two versions of the book-one that could work just on Qi.


    Creating arts sometimes took several generations of knowledge, and just like Raze, Bofan was originally from Alterian.


    "I heard descriptions of the powers you used, especially from the Martial Arts Tournament; there was no doubt that was you. I had hints that you knew how to use magic as well, and that was pretty much confirmed when you pulled your stunt at the tournament."


    "Of course, the Dark Edge Sword Arts manual is missing, as well as another item of mine, and I''m guessing that''s because of you?"


    Raze did indeed take two items from the Neverfall n base. Although he saw it as borrowing because Dame, a member of the Neverfall n, was with him at the time.


    The good thing was, with how casually Belil was bringing it up, he didn''t seem to be annoyed.


    "How much do you know about Alterian, about Bofan? About the portals and what''s happening here, and even about Alter?" Raze asked.


    His voice was rising slightly; he wanted answers.


    "Rx, we have time," Belil waved his hand. "Let me tell you, I know only what Bofan told me, because the two of us were close."


    "I know Bofan came from another world, and he traveled across the Dark Faction continent, challenging various people. He didn''t just do that in the Dark Faction but also traveled to the Demonic Faction as well."


    "We first met in a duel, and I beat him rtively easily, of course, but he kept challenging me and kept losing. It was clear he was stubborn and hiding something, and eventually, that caused him to use magic.


    "And guess what?" Belil said with a smile.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Raze was about to answer, but Belil answered for him.


    "I still beat him!" Belil said, going into another fit ofughter.


    "The two of us became close. I, as a warrior, liked a challenge and was curious about where he hade from. At the time, the only rtionship we had with each other was through our


    fighting."


    "And I guess that''s why, in the end, it felt like I was the only person he could trust... but that''s notpletely the truth either."


    Belil then looked up at the sky.


    "The Divine Realm... it''s a ce filled with annoyance-humans who believe themselves gods. Do you know why I know all of this?" Belil asked again.


    This time, Raze didn''t bother answering, knowing Belil would just cut him off with the answer.


    "Because I''m actually a Divine being. I have already reached the Divine stage." Belil held out his hand, and Qi started to condense. Strange, small glowing balls of light wereing out from his hand, forming a floating sphere.


    It almost looked like magic, but it was quite clear that the energy being used waspletely different.


    "I left the Neverfall n for a short while. When someone reaches the Divine stage, one has no choice; it''s almost like a light blinds you, pulling you into that other world."


    "And getting down here isn''t as easy as people think either. In the end, I crashed down, having lost a fight above. My body was badly hurt, and I was on the brink of death."


    "As for the person who saved me, it was none other than Bofan. I owed that man a debt-the debt of my life. I learned that even though I reached the Divine stage, it also meant I was not yet ready for it."


    "And Bofan gave me a second chance to get my revenge on those above... at least that''s what it was initially. It was also because of Bofan that I found the meaning of caring and love down


    here on Pagna."


    "Learning about his world changed everything for me. You might not believe it, but I am quite the family man now, even though I wasn''t before."


    "A man who didn''t care about what n one was from, what faction or upbringing you had, yet truly cared about people. I yearned for a rtionship like that."


    "I had failed with my first two sons. I learned toote, but thanks to Bofan, I tried to grow that bond with the other two, and they are very dear to me."


    Words he never expected to hear. There were too many words Raze never expected to hear. Now, though, he understood why Belil had sent his first two sons to protect Rayna.


    As for Dame, who knows what Belil was doing in the shadows to support him as well. But he had only mentioned failing with the first two, so he had to have cared for Dame as well. "Because of everything Bofan taught me, I decided that I would do whatever to help him. To continue to grow the strength of the Neverfall n and the Demonic Faction as a force he


    could use."


    "Even when he created the Dark Faction and became its leader, we would frequently meet up, and he would always speak as if someday... he would disappear."


    Belil then stood up on his feet.


    "There is a lot more to tell you about Bofan, the end of Pagna, and the Golden Globe, but before I tell you any more of that... I want the two of us to fight... and I want you to win... just


    like Bofan did, on that day."

 Chapter 936: An Odd Feeling

    Chapter 936: An Odd Feeling


    ?


    It would be a lie if Raze never thought that fighting Belil was a possibility, and he had envisioned it both ways.


    Either Belil was actually an enemy, unaligned with his goals, and he would have to fight for his life, or he would want to test his capabilities.


    Despite hearing that Belil was a changed man from his old days, Raze couldn''t see it. A family man? This was a man who still loved to fight and battle.


    Maybe he had just changed his prioritiespared to before, but it was still within him.


    Thest time, Belil had even asked him to fight one of his middle-stage warriors to test his abilities, but now it was to fight Belil himself.


    ''When I imagined fighting him, I imagined how to survive and escape. The strength I saw that day when he took out the Light Faction n might be something I could match with the Eclipse Strike currently.''


    ''But Belil had done it effortlessly.''


    There was another thing Raze had only realized through speaking to him-that Belil was actually a Divine warrior. So he could have very well been hiding his power, even if it was limited.


    "I understand you want to test my powers, maybe evenpare me to Bofan, who you knew from before. I''m guessing you won''t tell me anymore, and there''s a reason for this. But you already know that I don''t know all of the Dark Edge Sword Arts, so I''m likely weaker than him."


    It was something Raze had to admit, especially since even he was weaker than himself as a nine-star mage.


    He just had more versatility, but Bofan would have been the same; he was clearly a nine-star mage as well and had studied in Pagna for a very long time.


    "If you wish to test my strength, how about I go against one of your sons outside?" Raze suggested.


    He had been wanting to give them a bit of payback for their recklessness for a while now.


    "Haha, and what would be the point in that? I already heard that you humiliated the two of them with ease. I want to see the full extent of your power!" Belil then stood up from his position.


    "You have no choice; you have to fight me, and saying no is not an option. Otherwise, I will have to punish my son-inw for stealing from the family. I don''t want to see my daughter crying."


    Raze stood up. If this was how it was going to be, then this was how it would be.


    Although some might think Belil was crazy or rough around the edges, he was honest if nothing else.


    And Raze would much rather deal with him than arge number of mages out there.


    "Come on, this isn''t a good ce to fight. Follow me." Belil said as he walked toward the door and swung his arms, making it open wide.


    As they exited, they saw Brack standing there, carefully holding the zer in his hands, amazed by what was happening.


    Just as Belil said, he had reached the middle stage. He could still barely move due to the intense heat and felt like he had no energy, but he mustered up a smile.


    Once again, just by following the Dark Magus, he was growing by leaps and bounds.


    As Raze walked forward, Brack''s shaky arms held out the zer to him.


    "Thanks for looking after it," Raze said.


    "Thank you for giving it to me. I can tell it''s very special."


    "It is... if these two had touched it, I would have sent them ten feet deeper into the ground," Raze answered. It sounded like a joke, but to Raze, it wasn''t.


    Raze proceeded to put on the zer as he might very well need it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "He cane with us," Belil said. "It''s always good to have a witness to future stories that will be told. As for the two of you, make sure you look after the base."


    "There are times when both your natures are needed, but I also wish both of you were a little more like your brother and sister."


    "If all four of youe together, the Neverfall n will reach new heights and make history."


    The two brothers started to jump up, using the chains while Raze helped Brack with his magic. Seeing this, Belil quickly jumped, lifted Brack with one arm, and continued to leap upward. Brack''s face turned red, unsure if it was from the heat or something else.


    ''Right now, I''m in the arms of the Neverfall n''s leader... just what is going on? I... I...''


    Before Brack regained his bearings, all three of them were outside the Neverfall n base. They were still rtively close, but now, without someone slowing them down, they ascended much easier.


    Still holding onto Brack, Belil looked up at the sky, just above where the Neverfall n base was.


    "A fallen mountain, a strike from a demon... I guess you really could call it a demon." They were words he mumbled to himself before he continued.


    "The location of our fight is a bit far; I don''t want others to get caught up in our mess or know what we''re doing. There''s a nosy one in the Demonic Faction."


    "Um, are you going to put me down?" Brack had finally gotten the courage to ask.


    "You will just slow us down, so no."


    Belil rushed off, and Raze followed, his heart pounding as he was about to face what could be the hardest fight of his life.


    "While on our way, I''ll tell you a little more about Bofan," Belil stated.


    Back in the Neverfall n base, both Han and Fing were moving up the Abyssal base. They were moving slowly, and both were rather silent-even Fing, for a change.


    "Was that strange?" Han asked.


    "Yeah, Father has never spoken to us for that long unless it''s about training us... something is strange. What is he nning?" Fing replied.

 Chapter 937: The Last Condition

    Chapter 937: The Last Condition


    ?


    It was quite clear that in the current situation, Belil wasn''t an enemy to Raze. If anything, he was more of a means to get his way.


    From what Raze could gather, Bofan was close to Belil, and there was a reason why so many things had been left with him. Since Bofan was no longer on Pagna, Belil was now following his wishes and continuing what he left off.


    The question was, why was Raze needed? Was there a specific reason, or did Belil just believe that there was someone up for the job?


    That was perhaps what Belil wanted to find out through this fight-to use him in some way.


    ''I''m fine with being used, I''m fine with all of that, as long as I get what is needed and can head to Alterian. I''m fine with all this.''


    Now knowing what Belil''s stance pretty much was, Raze decided to ask a question he had been holding back.


    "Those words you mumbled before, do they mean anything? I saw you looking up at the sky," Raze asked.


    "Ah, right, I said I''d tell you a bit more about Bofan, but I guess I can exin what I was thinking back then," Belil replied. "You know, there are several rumors about how the Abyssal base was created where the Neverfall n stands?"


    "I also thought some of those rumors were true, that was until I reached the Divine stage and was pulled up there. The truth of the matter is..."


    "Two of the strongest Divine beings were having a battle. The power was so strong that it couldn''t be contained, and an attack lingered down, creating such arge hole in the ground."


    "The intense heat, and the energy you can feel flowing through your body-that is the energy of their attack, still strong after who knows how many years."


    "This is what I learned when I went to the Divine Realm."


    To cause that much power, it was quite extraordinary. Raze didn''t look too much into the Divine Realm because he had no such intentions, and there was no such thing on Alterian.


    As long as he kept his Qi stage at the maximum capable at the middle stage, he would be fine increasing his magic. Still, the power of the Divine beings seemed even stronger than the Grand Magus.


    They weren''t an enemy of Raze''s, so he would ignore them.


    "The world of Pagna is being protected by something amazing; if there wasn''t a realm that divided us, maybe the whole would have been destroyed. It''s almost as if it was purposely created," Belil continued.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I told you, Bofan''s beauty and obsession with Pagna transferred to me. He cared about thisnd a lot, and in turn, it made me care about things I hadn''t before."


    "Maybe it was the fact that I was beaten within an inch of my life; going to the Divine Realm can humble you quite a bit."


    "Regardless, we spent a lot of time together, but toward his end, he started speaking of strange things. He constantly talked about not wanting Pagna to disappear."


    "And he kept talking about what would happen when he disappeared. Every time we met, he would frequently bring this up in conversation."


    "It made me wonder, what was he afraid of? Although I said Bofan would constantly lose to me, I guarantee he was perhaps the second strongest person in all of Pagna."


    "And then, just like that, he was gone."


    "That''s it?" Raze replied, surprised. Not even Belil knew what happened. Worry set in that maybe Belil didn''t know as much as he had hoped.


    "When he left, he left several things behind, exining all of his thoughts, all of his worries. Thest ce he visited was the Neverfall n."


    "Finally, I understood everything he talked about. Maybe some would think I was tricked, but I don''t believe that to be the case."


    "Now I feel obligated to follow in his footsteps and continue from where he left off, to try and save Pagna."


    "He guessed that someone at some point woulde along and be in the same situation as him. But in truth, it was a race against time, and it would be unlikely that anyone would e."


    "He made a gamble, and now I need to see if his gamble paid off."


    Raze could tell that was the end of his tales about Bofan. Everything else would be revealed after the talks. Finally, they had reached their destination.


    They were in the middle of an open dry desert. The ground was hard, but due to the shapes of rocks, it almost looked like a fighting arena.


    Giant bs of ground were lifted up, arched at an angle, surrounding an area that was about a mile in size.


    Belil quickly bnced Brack on top of one of theserge bs that stuck out of the ground, and then continued into the center along with Raze.


    "This is my old battleground. I haven''t used it since he disappeared," Belil imed. "I think this is an appropriate ce for the two of us, don''t you think?"


    Now on closer inspection, Raze realized why it looked like an arena; it was purposely done with Earth magic. It had just been so long that part of the bs had eroded away. Images filled his head as he imagined a mighty mage going up against a warrior. Some of the areas were darkened, and there were even hard brown stains in other areas.


    "The time hase, Raze, the great Dark Magus!" Belil imed. "You have a good strong title, I like that. In our fight, use everything you have-magic, Qi, weapons, traps... do everything in your power."


    "Because this isn''t just a fight to test your strength. If you lose this fight, then I will never tell you about the Golden Globe you are desperately looking for... and I am a man of my word!" Belil said as both of his hands were covered in glowing orange energy.


    It was slightly transparent, and his knuckles could still be seen. Belil then bunched them both together, and a shockwave blew out from his position, pushing everything in the area and knocking all of the dust away.


    Raze''s feet even skidded on the ground despite him trying to hold his ce.


    "I... have to win this fight?"

 Chapter 938: Dark Magus Vs Belil (Part 1)

    Chapter 938: Dark Magus Vs Belil (Part 1)


    ?


    Fingertips were holding onto the edge of a rocky b. Eventually, Brack had pulled himself up and stood on the edge of the strange makeshift arena he was on.


    "That was a close one; that Qi energy almost blew me away to the floor. If I weren''t a middle- stage warrior, maybe I would have been blown all the way back to the Neverfall n base," Brack said, wiping the sweat off from his head.


    "That punch from before... I can''t even imagine how strong Belil really is! I thought maybe Raze would have a chance. After all, he''s the Dark Magus who took on Sha Mo!"


    "Weren''t Sha Mo and Belil meant to be of equal strength? It doesn''t seem like that, and I can''t really follow what they were saying before, either."


    Brack started to scratch his head, as he couldn''t believe he was about to bear witness to the fight that was going to take ce.


    No one but him knew that the Dark Magus and Belil were fighting against each other, and only he had the privilege of watching everything.


    "I won''t take my eyes off this... I won''t, just like Belil said. I might be the one who will have to record this down in history!"


    Belil, after pounding his fists, had arge smile on his face, then, reaching out with his hand, he taunted Raze, pulling his fingers toward himself, telling Raze toe at him.


    "You''re not the only one who has strong Qi!" Raze said as he summoned another sword in his hand, which was the wind-enchanted sword.


    He swung them both, and red crimson shes came out toward Belil. With swings of his arm, they shattered, not cutting his skin.


    Raze continued to swing his sword, as the attacks hit Belil more and more.


    "Come on, this is noth-" he began, in the middle of his sentence.


    That was when he could see an even bigger red crimson she at him. At the perfect time, Belil pped both of his hands, hitting it and making it disappear, breaking down into nothing.


    "I see... your Qi is impressive; it''s heavily condensed, so it feels stronger than the stage you are at... that''s actually something most need to do once they reach the higher stages and start to teau!" Belil imed. "It''s quite impressive, considering how long you have been at the middle stage, how far you havee."


    "And to top it off, you used magic in that attack." Belil raised his eyebrows. "Are you surprised that I could tell?"


    Raze had already rushed forward, performing three of the descending steps in session, one after the other, and took a swing at Belil from the side.


    Belil raised his hand, blocking the attack, and just looked at Raze, who quickly bounced back. As he moved backward, he fired off a Dark Pulse from his hand.


    The beam of Dark energy shot forward. Once again, though, like everything before, Belil swung his fist, and the Dark energy on impact was destroyed, just exploding away.


    ''My Dark magic affinity has already increased so much, yet it still failed to even put a scratch on him. Is he coating his body in Qi?''


    The fight so far had reminiscences of his match with Sha Mo. He, too, had a strong body that seemed unable to be scratched. However, Raze was stronger than that now, with more Magic and more Qi, yet this was still the major difference between the two of them.


    "I''ll just have to wear him down," Raze said as he put both swords away and pointed both of his hands toward Belil.


    Out of them, a constant dark beam of magic came out, hitting Belil''s body. It pushed against his bare chest, seemingly doing no damage, and eventually, Belil moved his hand in front of the attack, stopping it from hitting his body.


    Belil then shoved his hand forward. In doing so, in front of Raze''s eyes, both of the beams of Dark energy were destroyed as they were being pushed back.


    Raze quickly stopped the attack and moved out of the way. Just behind where Raze had been moments ago, the attack hit the giant bs of earth that surrounded their fighting area, creating tworge holes in them.


    "Come on! Is this all you have?" Belil said. "I haven''t attacked yet because I don''t even feel any dangering from you. Are you really the person who defeated Sha Mo and my two sons?"


    The truth was, the Raze who had defeated all three of them was the old Dark Magus, the nine- star mage. The current Raze wasn''t stronger than that... but he had to win this fight, and right now, all he was being was a disappointment for Belil.


    ''I didn''t have time to figure out how to do a Dark Core breakthrough. So, the powers I disyed before, it''s impossible for me to disy them now.''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Then I will just have to go with it!" Once again, both swords were seen in Raze''s hands. If Belil was just going to stand there, then he had time on his hands.


    He performed the first descending step, all the way up to the sixth, when he was up in the air. With both swords raised above his head, they were condensed in Dark magic.


    "Dark Edge Sword Arts, Second Formation: Duel Eclipse Strike!" Raze threw both of his swords, and the entire area was covered in Dark magic as they left his hands.


    They hit the floor and caused the whole ce to shake. Belil was nowhere to be seen, and Brack, watching, had to hold on tight again.


    Eventually, the power of the attack was fading into particles, and when it did, Belil was seen standing there, his bodypletely fine just like it was before.


    "Now that''s more like it, but you made a foolish mistake," Belil said as he lifted his hand in the air. Soon, orange energy flowed out of his body and started to condense around his whole arm, including his fist.


    "Didn''t I tell you already? I was the one who helped make those techniques in the first ce! Neverfall, Eclipse Strike!" Belil shouted, swinging his arm out.

 Chapter 939: Raze vs Belil (Part 2)

    Chapter 939: Raze vs Belil (Part 2)


    ?


    The moment Raze saw Belil lift his hand in the air, he had a strange feeling. A massive amount of energy could be felting out from Belil''s body.


    It was a little different from Raze''s own Dark Edge Sword Arts, but there was definitely a sense of familiarity, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.


    It made him think for a moment; maybe this was how others felt when they saw his attack.


    ''I need to move!'' Raze spun his body with wind and tried to cast Wind magic to force his propulsion down. Right at that moment, Belil swung his fist in the air.


    Coming out from his hand and arm was orange energy that shot out, covering a wide area. It wasrge in size, covering nearly all the area that could be seen.


    The attack went further forward, reaching and piercing the skies, splitting the clouds apart. Raze had touched the floor, and when he looked up, he could still see the energy of the attack going past him, until the orange glow on his face had disappeared from the reflection of the attack.


    His eyes thenid on Belil in front of him, who looked at his own fist.


    "Do you really think the Dark Edge Sword Arts, which was created by me and Bofan, could be used against me? Not only that, but those techniques were created long ago... if anything, I know the perfect way to counter them, and let me tell you now"


    "Although I don''t know how to use magic, I know how to use all of the formations, as they are formations belonging to me in the first ce."


    Honestly, before Raze had used the attack, he had an inkling that this would happen, but he had to try it. After all, he was now a Dark Mage with high affinity.


    His attacks might be stronger than Bofan''s, and he had special weapons in his hands along with learning how to perform a dual strike with the technique.


    In some ways, Raze believed he had made it his own, but his attack was useless, and now seeing it from one of the creators, his was perhaps half as effective.


    "Come on, do it. I know you want to test if the Dark Edge Sword Arts really work against me or not. I''m sure they have helped you throughout your journey, so this is a first for you!" Belil imed.


    "Very well, then let''s test it!" Raze said as he charged forward.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There had to be something, something he could do, something he could use to get through. In the meantime, he would at least try his own way of the Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    As Raze came close, Dark magic started to surround both of his swords. With his increased Qi and mana, he was able to use the first formation, the Shadow Bind Formation, with both of his weapons.


    ''Was Bofan able to do this?'' Raze swung both swords wrapped in Dark magic, and they swirled and intertwined within Belil''s body, wrapping around him.


    Then, right after, Raze even changed weapons and swung an attack, hitting his feet. Ice started to freeze over at the bottom, reinforcing the position Belil was in.


    "Now, time for... What?" When Raze went to try and swing his de, he noticed his legs and arms were wrapped in strange orange energy, and the power was seeping into him.


    It was draining him as it touched him. When Raze looked up, Belil had already broken out, and both his arms were wrapped around like a snake in strange orange Qi.


    "I bet you didn''t even see me use my skill, right? There''s no point in binding if someone can see iting. They will just avoid it and attack you back!"


    In a desperate situation, Raze managed to cast Dark magic over his body, exploding it out like particles. It disrupted the bindings around him, and he quickly moved back.


    Dark energy came out like a mist from his sword as the Nightmare Veil Formation was created. With swings of his sword, the dark mist in the area formed the appearance of beastsing at him.


    "Now, this is something that I have always hated. This is not something I can particrly do, and it suits more of your mage''s tricky type, but there''s a simple way to deal with this."


    The dark mist started to swirl, forming into a tiger beast that leapt right at Belil.


    Calm as ever, Belil looked up, opened his mouth, and let out a single loud scream.


    "AH!" The scream echoed with power, and just like when he had pounded his two fists together, a wave of Qi rippled from his body.


    It pushed and destroyed all of the dark energy in the air, moving it away, and the Nightmare Veil Formation was gone just like that-it was practically useless.


    "Even if that touched me, it wouldn''t have hurt my body," Belil imed.


    "Right, right, but this might!" Belil looked to his side and saw Raze''s feet sparkling with a type of lightning.


    At the same time, Dark magic and Qi had gathered at the back of his sword. Raze exploded forward, lightning shooting off his foot, giving him immense speed.


    At the same time, the Void Pulse Formation was used. Ripping through the air, with a current of lightning, Dark magic, and Qi behind him, Raze''s sword thrust forward, aiming for Belil''s chest.


    The sword almost touched his skin, but Belil blocked the attack with his palm. The very tip of Raze''s sword pushed against the palm of his hand.


    "Well, would you look at that, you managed to make a cut," Belil stated. Blood dripped down his palm and fell onto the floor.


    It was as Belil said, during the whole fight, with everything that Raze had done, including using his magic, there wasn''t a single wound on him.


    "I guess it means it''s finally my turn to go on the attack," Belil stated.

 Chapter 940: Raze vs Belil (Part 3)

    Chapter 940: Raze vs Belil (Part 3)


    ?


    Raze knew that he couldn''t rely on the Dark Edge Sword Arts. It was the perfect set of arts for the situations he was in¡ªan art thatbined magic and Qi together. It was something that had a lot of effort put into it and would be better than anything he coulde up with on the go.


    So he decided to try and enhance it in other ways. One of those ways was tobine his Lightning magic along with a foot technique, allowing him to have superior speed and power when attacking.


    He thenbined it with the most powerful piercing technique the Dark Edge Sword Arts had, the Void Pulse Formation.


    In a way, it was his most powerful attack that focused on a single point, with the main goal of breaking through any defense, and it had seeded, but looking at the small drop of blood in front of him, it had only seeded at the smallest level.


    ''Murkel held the title as the one closest to reaching the Divine realm, and Sha Mo was said to have equal power to Belil, but I can tell all of that was false. Now that I have met the real thing, it''s quite obvious that this is the very peak of the middle stage!''


    If Raze thought about it a bit more, he would realize it was even beyond that. Since Belil was actually a Divine Stage warrior, he had spent years still trying to grow his strength in some way, not something a typical warrior would do after reaching his level.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I guess it means it''s finally my turn to go on the attack," Belil stated.


    Arge smile appeared on Belil''s face, and seeing this, Raze decided to quickly go on the defensive. He used his lightning footwork to move away.


    Right after, the swords had changed in his hands once again, one with lightning attribute, the other with ice. His feet lit up, sparking, and quickly disappearing, Raze reappeared by Belil''s side.


    He swung both swords, shing as hard as he could against Belil''s body. Right after hitting, he would move with his footwork again, disappearing and reappearing in another location. The sword strikes weren''t piercing Belil''s skin, but that wasn''t what Raze was aiming for in the first ce. The constant attacks from the swords had been aimed at Belil''s legs.


    He was hoping for one of two things to ur: either for the static from the lightning- enchanted sword to paralyze Belil''s entire body, or for thetter, which urred. Belil''s legs began to freeze from the constant attacks. Quickly, Raze ced both hands on the floor, and walls lifted up around Belil''s sides and back.


    Right after that, Raze started to gather his Dark magic, condensing it into balls, and throwing them in the air. They were slightly bigger than a fist, and as he threw them above him, they lingered for a while.


    He had made around twenty in total, and then, moving both of his hands, he castrge tornado-like wind spells. The ck balls gathered with the magic of the wind, and then they were all pushed right toward Belil.


    The condensed balls hit his body, and Raze didn''t let up, as he started tobine Dark magic with his tornado-like wind, creating a tunnel of darkness from his hands and wrapping around Belil''s entire body.


    ''With the way I am now, I also don''t have every affinity unlocked like I did when I had my breakthrough. It would have been nice to have fire and water elements to help me in this fight, but I''ll have to do what I can!''


    Raze was trying to recreate some of his spells that he could perform but on a smaller scale than when he was a nine-star mage, with his Dark magic as the core of the attack.


    With the constant attack hitting Belil, some marks could be seen on his body, but it didn''t appear as if they had broken through his skin.


    Then, with his hand, Belil grabbed onto the tunnel of Dark magic. He did so as if the wind or Dark magic had some type of physical form.


    Raze had never seen a mage or a Pagna warrior do something like this before. Then, Belil lifted the entire attack like it was some giant snake''s head and then bashed it into the ground.


    No matter what Raze tried to do, the attack from his hands was now just going into the ground, so he quickly decided to cancel his spell.


    In Belil''s hand, he had grabbed and ripped off part of the magic attack, and now it appeared as if a ball of darkness was in his hands, and he hurled it right at Raze.


    Quickly, Raze made several earth walls, raising them up, but the ball of darkness went right through the walls. Holding both of his hands out, Raze used several Dark Pulses, hitting the ball, and as they hit, the ball eventually got smaller and smaller.


    Then, at thest moment, Raze was able to pull out his Ghost de and slice at the dark ball of energy, destroying itpletely.


    ''That was close... I was nearly taken out by my own attack,'' Raze thought. ''With him throwing it, he had added his Qi into the attack as well. It made it a lot stronger and fiercer than my attack.''


    Belil''s words started to ring in his head. Belil still hadn''t gone on the offensive, but surely now he would... So just what was Raze to do? Now, he was hoping he would have at least


    injured him.


    "You said you can perform up to the Fourth Formation perfectly, right? Then let me show you something special!" Belil said, lifting both of his hands in the air, orange energying out from his body, covering his shoulders and going all the way to his fingertips.


    When he moved his hands down to his side from the air, several arms of energy appeared to linger, making him look like he had multiple arms hovering around his body, made of pure Qi


    energy.


    "The Fifth Formation! The Neverfall n''s Phantom Formation!" Belil eximed.

 Chapter 941: Raze vs Beili (Part 4)

    Chapter 941: Raze vs Beili (Part 4)


    ?


    Although Raze perhaps should have been afraid and worried for what was about toe, part of him was a little excited. He had been practicing the Fifth Formation for some time.


    He was nearly there, and although he could somewhat perform it himself, it seemed imperfect, and now he might go on to learn the crucial points needed to perform such a move.


    When Belil lifted his hands in the air and ced them by his side, after images made of his orange Qi appeared, signaling the start of the formation.


    "Ready?" Belil said, and in an instant, he had kicked off from his feet. So much Qi extended out from his leg thatrge chunks of the hard flooring split apart, looking like even more giant bsing up from the floor.


    Rushing toward him, Raze feared for the worst that was about toe his way.


    "I''ll slow him down!" Raze blew a tornado of wind from his palm and added frost with his other hand. Whatever went in its path would be condensed with ice.


    However, this time, without even needing to throw a fist, the explosive power of Belil allowed him to crash right through the wind and ice, having no effect on him at all, and Raze saw a fisting right at him.


    Switching to his Ghost de, Raze swung the de to match the fist, condensing as much Qi as he could to stop the attack.


    ''I''m not as weak as you think I am!'' Sparks of lightning came from his elbow, allowing for superior speed, and the de struck right on the knuckle.


    Still, Raze knew this wasn''t enough; he needed to pull the de away. As someone who knew the Fifth Formation, he understood this was only the start of the attack.


    As the fist struck, several fists of energy appeared from all corners of where Raze was. He tried to move the de away, to use his magic to push the attack away, yet it was impossible.


    The orange fists appeared from every direction. They were slighty translucent, like fists from a ghost. When they moved forward and hit Raze''s body, it was quite clear they were not fist''s of a ghost.


    The powerful strike erupted, striking Raze''s body and pounding him from all sides and directions.. The Qi energy hurt him not just on the outside but on the inside as well.


    He was sure he could feel some of his bones fracturing, and he couldn''t hold it in anymore as he coughed out blood from his mouth, part of itnding on Belil''s face.


    "Did you think I would just attack once?" Belil said, already throwing his fist up from underneath again.


    In desperation, Raze, close to falling to the floor, ced his hand on the ground. He shifted the earth, moving Belil back, and used his lightning footwork to rush away.


    When he had reached a reasonable distance from Belil, he let out anotherrge cough, sttering blood onto the ground.


    "Kek!" Raze was breathing heavily, his eyes twitching, his body still in pain.


    ''All of this just from one of his techniques hitting me... I''m still alive, but if that second hit had struck, there''s a good chance I might have died.''


    Raze thought back to the technique Belil had just used. Although Belil had called it the Neverfall Phantom Formation...


    The Dark Edge Sword Arts called it the Phantom Edge Formation. When Raze used it, the sword took on a translucent effect, appearing more like a ghostly de.


    As it moved in the air, faint, spectral images of the sword would appear as well. It had the capability, in a single strike, to perform multiple strikes that could attack from various angles simultaneously.


    The strikes that came from the spectral images rather than the sword itself were weaker, which was why Raze had put his all into blocking the attack, but he was already so hurt.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Come on... what did I say?" Belil shouted as he walked forward again, this time casually strolling toward Raze. "You have to win this fight, or you get nothing. You won''t achieve what it is you want."


    "Why are you even doing all of this?" Belil asked. "There are plenty of mages who are part of that Alter group, whoe over here every day."


    "They decide to just live their normal lives. Some are interested in the Pagna world, but they''re not like you. Why did you pick up the Dark Edge Sword Arts? Why did you push yourself to reach this high position?"


    "I can tell; I can see from the look in your eyes that there''s something you want! If you don''t beat me now, then all of that will go away!"


    The pain Raze felt all over his body started to fade. Instead, it was being reced with emotions of anger.


    ''He''s right... if I lose this fight, then all of those years, everything I continually went through, will have been for nothing.''


    Raze took a deep breath, and his feet ignited with lightning powers once more. He charged forward, exploding from his position, and appeared right in front of Belil.


    In one hand, he held arge, condensed ball of Dark magic, while his Ghost de was covered in darkness. Raze pushed one hand forward, swinging the other.


    "That''s not it!" Belil shouted as he mmed down with his fist, hitting Raze right on top of both shoulders. A loud cracking sound echoed just before Raze''s entire body was thrown to


    the ground.


    Cracks appeared all across the battlefield, and Brack, watching from a distance, was nearly thrown off his b once again.


    With one hand, Belil lifted Raze, his limp body hanging in the air.


    "You are not the person who defeated Sha Mo. You are not the person who defeated Murkel! This is not enough."


    As Raze weakly opened one eye, looking at Belil, a deep thought filled his mind.


    ''He... really is going to kill me.''


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 942: Raze vs Belil (Part 5)

    Chapter 942: Raze vs Belil (Part 5)


    ?


    Brack watched from above as he could see a weakened Raze being held up with one hand. Although he hadn''t seen Raze fight against Sha Mo himself, it was clear from the power and techniques he disyed that he was incredibly powerful.


    Yet, after everything, the fight had turned out extremely one-sided, and now it almost looked like Raze had nothing left.


    "Is this it?" Belil shouted as he shook him with one hand. "Is this it!" Belil shouted again, his voice erupting with Qi.


    Moving his hand, Raze then grabbed onto Belil with both hands. As he did, his veins started to bulge, and through the simple touch, energy beganing back into Raze.


    Immediately, Belil pulled his arm away, and Raze dropped to the floor,nding crouched.


    "The Demonic Extraction technique... and it was absorbing energy at such a fast rate... I guess you still have something, but it''s useless!" Belil said.


    While crouched, Raze summoned two swords in his hands, one enchanted with lightning, the other his Ghost de, and he swung them both at Belil.


    Moving to the side quickly with his foot technique, Belil avoided them both, then lifted his hand and delivered a p across Raze''s arm. It was so forceful that it caused Raze''s body to spin out of control.


    Right as Raze regained his footing, another hand came right at his face, and the palm struck him cleanly, swinging his head to the side.


    The taste of iron filled his mouth, and blood soon followed, falling onto the floor.


    "Come on, what is this? Use everything-you took my energy, right? So you must have something!" Belil shouted.


    Raze lifted his sword, but only half of it was encased in ck energy as he attempted to swing it down. Before he could fully swing the weapon, Belil moved forward, grabbing Raze''s wrist and lifting it.


    Once again, with his free hand, Belil pped Raze, this time across his ribs. The searing pain shot through his body, and a shockwave could even be seen extending out the other side.


    "I''m not even bothering to use any techniques now; this is getting ridiculous!"


    With Raze''s eyes half-open, he continued to swing his swords, either pouring Qi energy or mana into them. He wasn''t fully aware of what he was doing, and in the middle of the fight, all he could hear were Belil''s words ringing in his ears.


    Each time Belil said something, it caused Raze to tighten his grip around the weapon and swing, drawing even more energy than he thought he had.


    Energy he didn''t think he had left-willpower he didn''t think he had-seemed to appear from within him. On top of that, thoughts started to fill his head as well.


    ''I only defeated Murkel because of the Bloody Woman. Right now, she''s nowhere to be seen, her words aren''t in my head... Is this because of what I saidst time, how I could do things on my own?''


    ''If I die, don''t you die as well?''


    Despite thinking these things, there was still no voice in his head. All he could do was muster a slight smirk as he took another swing, but it was stopped, and Belil responded with another strike to his face.


    He could feel nearly all the muscles in his bodypletely swollen.


    ''The breakthrough... it was because I regained my old powers that I was able to defeat Sha Mo. Without that and without the Bloody Woman taking over my body... there''s no chance I can win this fight.''


    In Raze''s view, he saw blood leaving his mouth again. He was surprised he could still bleed, surprised he was still standing-just what was keeping him up on his feet in the first ce? ''Pathetic, this whole thing is pathetic. Did I win all my fights before just because I was lucky? Now that the luck hasn''t fallen my way, I''ve finally lost this fight... I''ve finally lost my life.''


    Summoning up even more energy from within, Raze charged forward, kicking off the floor. He moved his hand over his sword, covering the lightning enchantment and growing it evenrger.


    Swinging it sideways, the lightning on the sword extended andshed out like a whip.


    In response, Belil threw his fist right through the lightning, destroying it, and then charged toward Raze again.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Coming right at him, Raze didn''t even use his magic to put his weapons away. Instead, he ced his hands together and shot arge beam of ck energy.


    It hit Belil''s body and pushed him back slightly, but only for a moment. It continued to hit Belil as he walked forward. All it seemed to do was slow him down, and eventually, the magic from Raze''s hands ceased.


    "I''ve... run out of mana?" Raze thought.


    In this situation, if his head wasn''t filled with strange thoughts, maybe he would have used a cursed Qi pill to keep fighting just a bit longer.


    Or maybe his mind was sound, and it was telling him that even if he used it, it would be useless in the end.


    Regardless, at that moment, he thought one thing.


    "If I can''t use my mana, then I''ll just use my Qi!" Raze took one step forward, and immediately, his entire body fell to the ground,nding t on his face.


    "What... is this...? I can''t even move my body."


    Belil, not even drawing out his own Qi, simply walked toward Raze, who was staring at him from the corner of his eye.


    "You''ve used every ounce of energy in your body; you have exhausted all your Qi. This is your body''s way of saving you. If you drew out anything else, it would use your life force, and you would end up with nothing." With his foot, Belil kicked Raze, pushing him onto his back.


    His face, his body-everything was aplete mess. Belil knelt down by his side and ced his hand right on Raze''s chest.


    "It looks like you have failed this test," Belil said, as the veins on his hand started to bulge.


    Immediately, Raze recognized the feeling-it was the extraction technique... his life was about to be taken away.

 Chapter 943: A strong Duo Set out!

    Chapter 943: A strong Duo Set out!


    ?


    The Lost n, a pivotal n in the Demonic Faction, was at the center of information gathering. Due to their position, no n wished to get on their bad side.


    At the same time, they were good at keeping information as well, such as the total numbers of the n and the strength of each of the members.


    People were unaware of the lengths they had gone to in the past and currently, even the fact that Lince, the leader of the Lost n, had ordered the elimination of the Behemoth n members.


    Because of this, it wasn''t often that the leader of the n would be at the base or in a singr city. Orders would be sent through various different members, which others weren''t able to get their hands on.


    Lately, though, Lince had been away from the base longer than usual, and even now he was busy riding in a carriage. His ck hair was sticking out from a headband that he would wear slightly nted.


    He still had the ck mask that would cover the bottom part of his face. At times, people had even mistakenly called him Kakashi, whoever that was.


    As the carriage bumped up and down through the dry desert, he couldn''t help but think about a particr individual in his mind whom he had recently visited.


    ''Belil, are you going through with what you said right now?'' Lince thought. ''I still can''t believe everything you told me about. If I were in your shoes, I don''t think I could do it... but what am I talking about? Even now I''m moving because of you. I guess you infected me somehow with all of this.''


    Eventually, the carriage came to a stop, and Lince exited the vehicle. He threw a few silver coins to the driver as he looked at the sight in front of him.


    He could smell the salt in the air and hear the waves crashing back and forth.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I can''t even remember thest time I visited this ce," Lince said as he looked at the giant ships docked on the wooden tform.


    Lince had traveled as far north in the Demonic Faction, bringing him to such a ce. It wasn''t a city where many people lived, and that was due to therge number of criminals who would live in such an area.


    There were arge number of pirates in the city itself, and there was no n that protected the ce. So it was either pirates and warriors against one another, or just those who were running away from something, being chased.


    On the front, there were plenty of inns and drinking areas, where a fight would ur.


    Lince walked through the city, and as he walked on the stone flooring, he saw men running, being chased past him.


    He saw a group of children who had even used knives and other tools to gang up on a single individual.


    Lince soon stopped in the middle of the street as well, and a man came hurtling from the side and went right past him. Looking to his left, he could see a broken door and anotherrge man moving forward.


    "At some point, it would be good if the Demonic Faction could deal with this town, but now is not the right time."


    Eventually, Lince reached the harbor. Just walking along the many ships, he could sense the high-level warriors guarding each of the ships.


    It was the only way they could deter other thieves from trying to take what was theirs.


    "I guess I should start asking," Lince said as he headed toward one of the ships.


    Immediately, one of the warrior guards moved towards him.


    "Hold up, what are you- "


    In the middle of the warrior''s sentence, Lince had disappeared, and he was already on the ship itself among the other crew members.


    "Are you the captain?" Lince asked.


    "Aye." A man with several missing teeth said, with a ck bandana on top of his head. The man was quite startled, suddenly seeing Lince standing on the edge of his ship.


    "There''s somewhere I need you to go. In two days'' time, I need you to head north. I can give you directions, and don''t worry, I won''t be asking you to do this for free." Lince then pulled out a pouch and threw it over.


    The captain lifted his hand and caught the pouch. When he opened it up, it was filled with a few golden coins. It wasn''t money anyone could get their hands on.


    Even though they weren''t meant to head north, this was sure to persuade them.


    "I''ll tell you the same as the other guy," the captain said. "There ain''t nothing north, and I''ll take you as far as the sea will let me. I ain''t dying for any amount of gold."


    "The other guy?" Lince asked.


    When looking at the crew, that''s when he noticed something odd. Although the warrior guard looked fine, all of the crew on the ship were badly hurt.


    They had wounds, some were bandaged up, even carrying a sling over their arm. It wasn''t just that, but part of the ship in certain areas looked to be partially destroyed as well.


    ''Did I go on the wrong ship?'' Lince thought, but then another thought crossed his mind as to what could have possibly happened.


    "Wait... this person, did they ask you to go to the same ce?" Lince asked.


    "Aye, and I''d appreciate it if you both didn''t fight aboard the ship; otherwise, the whole thing will sink even before we leave this ce," the captain said.


    At that moment, the door to the captain''s area opened. A man wearing pagna clothing and a strange ck suit underneath hade out.


    Immediately, the man looked at Lince, who was onboard the ship, and the two locked eyes with each other. At the same time, they both asked the exact same question.


    "Who are you?" Lince and Zon asked.

 Chapter 944 Punishment For Losing

    Chapter 944 Punishment For Losing


    Seeing Belil''s hand reach toward him, Raze had an idea of what wasing next¡ªthe extraction technique. In the first ce, it was a technique that hade from the Demonic Faction.


    Those at higher stages, considered prodigies, could use it at a great speed. It wasn''t practically useful in a fight, but after defeating an opponent, it could help one increase in strength dramatically.


    When Belil''s hand pressed on Raze''s chest, he could see the veins on Belil''s hands start to bulge, and something from within began to be lifted.


    ''I''ve lost the fight¡­ I have no more mana, I can''t even lift a finger. I can forget about taking any type of Qi pills to give me another chance, but that would all be useless anyway.''


    In truth, Raze could only think of two things that might have been helpful in the current situation: for his body to be so close to death that he would perform a breakthrough.


    As for the second thing, it was for the Bloody Woman toe and protect him.


    ''I¡­ can''t do it¡­ I''m so angry. I''m so angry at myself!'' Raze thought. The only thing he could muster up were his thoughts. ''I didn''t even get to take one of them out yet¡ªnot a single one of them for everything they did!''


    ''I was so close, I was so close to having the strength to face them. If I were to meet them again, I would have gotten rid of them all, and now here is where I have to pass.''


    In hisst moments, memories started to appear¡ªof Sabrina and Jake, the people he cared about still in Alterian. But then, strangely, other images started to appear in his mind.


    Harvey from the police station, and Kelly, the student who had helped him as well. Finally, all those in Pagna appeared in his mind.


    Coming up one after the other, their faces, their smiles, and the start of this whole journey filled his mind.


    ''I never really did have a moment to enjoy the now with them. I wonder why I''m thinking so much about them now?'' Raze thought.


    "Good," Belil said. "I can tell you really have nothing left in you. You drew out every little bit of power you had, and you still couldn''t beat me. Which means you''ve be aplete failure.


    "Bofan was wrong, as I expected he would be."


    The veins continued to bulge on Belil''s hands, and Raze was wondering, why wasn''t his body changing? The fighting feeling from within him had gone, and instead, the new feeling was somewhat¡­nice?


    The feeling now, it was the same as when he would use the extraction technique.


    "It can''t be?" Raze said. "Are you¡­ giving me my energy?"


    As time went on, Raze grew more certain¡ªenergy was being fed into him, and it could only being from one person. Yet this made no sense.


    If Belil left Raze alone, he would eventually recover, and the fight was lost long ago. There was no need for Belil to go this far, so why was he doing it now?


    "As I said, you didn''t win, which means you aren''t strong enough. Bofan''s gamble was that at some point, someone woulde to this world in a simr situation as him."


    "Who knows what would have urred, but he hoped that maybe, just like him, they would fall in love with the world of Pagna."


    "If that did happen, and they found out the truth, then maybe they''d try to protect it. However, he was wrong. Someone dide along, but they weren''t strong enough."


    "Bofan''s n failed!"


    ''Protect Pagna?'' Raze thought.


    He didn''t want to protect Pagna. Maybe there were some people he cared about, but he just wanted to get back to Alterian. Somehow, his goal had simply aligned with Bofan''s.


    "Bofan was an optimist. Someoneing along just like him? A skilled mage like him, a powerful warrior like him, and someone as smart as him able to do all of that? And within a certain time, it would be impossible."


    "Even if someone did, why would they fight for Pagna? I don''t know your reason, but you seem to be going up against Alter, and that''s good enough for me."


    "Anyway, I had an inkling that Bofan''s n would fail. So I decided from that day on, when he disappeared, to make his wish a reality. I decided that I would be his backup."


    "Right now, what I''m doing with you is the backup n because you failed to best me."


    Raze was slowlying to a realization from all the words that had been spoken before. But would someone really do such a thing? Would someone do that for him when they hardly knew him?


    "It seems you figured it out. I''m going to give you all of my energy," Belil exined. "This is different from the extraction technique where you just take a portion of my power."


    "I''m giving you everything I have. Your Qi will be just as strong as mine, you will have the strength to take out anyone who gets in your way, and you will still have your magic powers!"


    "You will be the person that Bofan wanted in this world. My energy is vast, so I needed you to use everyst bit of energy in your body, to use everything you had so I could ce mine inside you instead."


    "It''s still going to hurt because it''s going to force your body through things it''s not ready for yet, but it''s the only way." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After hearing everything, Raze only had one question as he learned this.


    "Is it the same consequence as the extraction technique? You doing this¡­ will you lose your life?" Raze asked.


    There was a moment of silence from Belil, it made Raze wonder what was he contemting, this wasn''t an answer but then he finally spoke.


    "Just shut up and let me do the speaking. While I exin everything and what''s going to happen in the next two days." Belil said.

 Chapter 945 The Location Of The Golden Globe

    Chapter 945 The Location Of The Golden Globe


    Although Raze had already said some words out of shock, it was very painful for him to speak. So he thought it was better this way, for him to just listen to what Belil wanted to say.


    It seemed like he would get his information anyway, regardless of him losing; he just didn''t know what the oue of this whole thing would be.


    Currently, he could feel the energy not just flowing into his dantain but his whole body. Due to it being Demonic energy like his own, it didn''t feel foreign either.


    Instead, his whole body was starting to feel revitalized. Still, the energy was spreading through his body quicker than it could react. Nothing was being repaired by the Qi that was entering, and he was still unable to move.


    "I''ve already spoken about how Bofan truly did fall in love with the world of Pagna, and he passed that on to me as well, including my love for my children," Belil exined.


    "However, there was a huge difference between me and Bofan¡ªa line that I could never cross and a line that I never understood. Bofan had love for two worlds. He had love for Pagna and still had love for Alterian as well."


    "He never wished for anything to happen to either of them, and maybe it was because of these conflicted feelings that he had no choice but to dy what might be inevitable anyway."


    "I knew and learned about Alterian from Bofan. He would talk about the world of magic often, the people there, and the amazing things the mages had managed to aplish."


    "And eventually, Bofan learned that there were others like him who came to this world. On top of that, there were portals that opened to other dimensions."


    "During his travels, Bofan also spent a good deal of time investigating these portals and dimensions that would open up, and in the end, he made a discovery."


    "Those from Alterian¡ªthe mages¡ªare trying to find a way toe over to Pagna."


    This was somewhat shocking to Raze but notpletely. The portals reacted when strong magic was used, and Raze had seen the mages enter dimensions after the dimension bosses were defeated and cleared.


    He, too, had thought this might be the reason for everything happening, and the fact that Bofan found that out as well only confirmed his thoughts.


    What he didn''t know was why. He understood Alter and those in Alter from Alterian wanting to go back, but why would mages want toe to Pagna?


    "I know what you want to ask, but I never did find out the reason, and I''m not sure if Bofan did either. However, he constantly talked about what would ur.


    "If Alterian figured out a way to get to Pagna, he feared they would destroy everything. Arge-scale war would take ce between Pagna and Alterian."


    "For him, who loved both worlds, it was thest thing he wanted to happen. How was he meant to even pick sides if this did happen?"


    A war¡ªRaze could see that happening in a heartbeat. The way of living for the two worlds was extremely different, and with their contrasting concepts and cultures, it would be hard for them to understand each other.


    Raze was also pretty sure that whoever was behind this already knew Pagna was full of humans yet were still trying toe over.


    "The thing is, they never did find a way toe over until a particr item was discovered," Belil imed.


    In Raze''s head, he said the name of the item.


    "The Golden Globe. An item that would allow one to open a portal to anywhere they desired. An item that had belonged to the Bonum Society."


    "With more members of Alter forming on the other side, Bofan came to the conclusion that there was a good chance they were being controlled by those in Alterian in the first ce."


    "Their power was growing, and Bofan wasn''t sure it could be protected by the Bonum Society. So he stole the item. But where could he go with it?"


    "What could he do with it? In the end, he made a choice. In Pagna, there are tworge continents ofnd. One is the currentnd we''re on, where all three of the factions reside." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Then up north is arge ind, a ce abandoned and filled with strong and powerful beasts. Whether it''s from a portal break or not, no one really knew."


    "But it was the perfect ce for Bofan to hide the item. Still, cing it on the ind wasn''t enough. So he came to me and gathered a bunch of high-tier crystals to cast a powerful spell on the ind."


    "Now, whirlpools appear near the base, thunder andva spew from the ind, making it impossible for anyone to reach. But you see, that spell isn''t going tost forever; that spell runs out in two days'' time."


    Now Raze understood what the gamble was that Bofan had made, why Belil imed that he had simply just dyed things rather than facing the situation.


    Why they had practically run out of time. But things still didn''t quite make sense. Why didn''t Belil just gather the Neverfall n in two days'' time and get the item for himself?


    Why did he wait for him? Why did he resort to all of this? And why right now was he passing his power onto Raze?


    "I''ve reached a peak in my power," Belil said, as if he could hear Raze''s questions. "I can''t grow stronger because I''ve already reached the Divine realm."


    "If I wished to grow stronger, I wouldn''t be able to live in Pagna. From what Bofan said, I am also not strong enough to help save it."


    "But for someone like you, who is exactly like Bofan, you can grow your strength due to your magic. It''s something that only you can do."


    "But if you went to that ind without any help at all, you would simply die. On the ind, there were two spells cast. One, which ends in two days'' time; the other won''t end for another 100 years."


    "A method to stop mages from getting their hands on the item if the first spell failed. On the ind, the thing you call magic¡­ won''t work."

 Chapter 946 Get Rid Of Them All

    Chapter 946 Get Rid Of Them All


    The location of the Golden Globe was on an ind where magic wouldn''t work? It sounded extremely strange, especially for the world of Pagna, where magic didn''t originally exist.


    Mana still existed in the world, and using one''s magic core, someone could still control it. But when Raze thought about it more, he remembered instances of this taking ce.


    He recalled some small discoveries of artifacts that absorbed magic, stopping all attacks. At times, there were spells that could dispel mana as well.


    Both of these things he knew of, though, were on a small scale. If they existed on a small scale, it meant that in some way, somehow, it would be possible to replicate it on arge scale as well.


    He imagined either an artifact already with arge amount of power being used, or perhaps boosting it with crystals and a magic circle, the effects could be extended for arge period.


    The thing was, it seemed useless; there was no practicality around it. Why would a mage ever want to create such a thing?


    Even in Alterian, only a mage could create such a thing, but the moment they did, it would cause that person to lose their own power as well.


    A mage would have to be heavily persuaded in Alterian to even consider such a thing, and he doubted any mage at a high caliber, around the nine-star level, would cover arge area with it.


    But he learned that Bofan had his reasons. Doing this, he would stop mages from getting their hands on the Golden Globe at all costs.


    "What makes you powerful is yourbination of magic and Qi. That''s how you''ve been able to best your opponents," Belil exined. "Even when you went up against me, the great power was from both."


    "Yet you were still unable to beat me. If you went to the ind in search of the item in your current state, you would have been killed in an instant. Maybe not even by others, but perhaps by the beasts as well."


    Belil''s words were true. Could he have defeated someone like Murkel with no magic? Could he have defeated someone like Sha Mo with no magic?


    To both of those, the answer was no, and for many fights he had before, the answer was always no. With just his Qi, he was a pretty average warrior.


    "Enchanted weapons, do they work as well?" Raze eventually asked.


    "No¡­ the only thing you''ll be able to rely on is your techniques and your Qi," Belil answered again. "I''m pretty sure you know it''s most likely that others are aware of where the Golden Globe is."


    "I imagine either Alter or Bonum, who wish to get their hands back on the Golden Globe, know about it. However, the issue is the same for them; they won''t be able to use their magic or great items as well."


    "They have been forming rtionships in the shadows, and from everything gathered so far, my guess is they will reach out to the Light Faction."


    Raze had to agree with this theory as well. After all, the first time he met an elder from one of therger ns in the Light Faction, he, too, had used magic.


    Not only that, he appeared to know Raze''s name as well. The name of the Dark Magus. There was fear in his eyes when the name had been spoken.


    It was clear that the rtionship between Alter and the Light Faction wasn''t just a small rtionship but a fairly big one.


    There was one thing, though: on the ind where one of the spells woulde to an end in two days'' time, at least they would both be on an even ying field.


    Everyone present would be on equal footing.


    ''Alter will have some of the strongest warriors from the Light Faction going there. I can''t get the others involved. They have grown much stronger and can help me, but it''s too dangerous for them.''


    ''It will be best for them to stay in the Dark Faction. After this, I should head to the ind as soon as possible.''


    "Now you should understand why I decided to give you my power. With it, none of them will be any match for you. You already had your strength, and now mine will be added to yours."


    "This is not like the extraction technique. I''m willingly giving you my energy¡­ but because of this, there is a catch."


    "It''s good that you managed to reach the highest stage possible in the middle stage realm. Otherwise, this whole thing would have been impossible."


    "I have to admit you were more capable than I thought, but still, my energy is too much for your body."


    "When all my energy enters your body, it will need to reconstruct your body to use it better. It will be a painful ride, but once you get through it, I can guarantee you will be the strongest in all of Pagna when ites to Qi!"


    Hearing this, Raze wondered if he would even be pushed to the Divine stage. What would happen then? Would he be cast into the other realm forcefully without being able to do anything?


    "You will be able to be as strong as I was today¡­ and don''t worry about reaching the Divine realm. There is something else you will need to reach that as well, but that is a ce I hope you never have to visit in your lifetime."


    "Anyway, I predict that all of this will take three days for your body to recover and reconstruct itself. In three days, you will be able to move." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Which means you will be slightly behind the others; they will have a head start searching for the Golden Globe. I know Bofan, though. He won''t make it easy for them."


    "So when you arrive on that ind, show them my strength, show them your strength, and get rid of everyst one of them!" Belil eximed.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 947 Last words

    947 Last words


    Raze could feel the energy flowing through him from Belil. He had already taken in a lot of energy; his dantian had felt full for a while now, and it was spreading everywhere else in his body.


    His dantian almost felt overstretched, forcing it to expand, and it was painful, like a stomachache. He was sure that this wouldn''t just be it.


    There was more pain toe, judging by how his body would reconstruct itself, ording to Belil''s words. It wasn''t normal for a body to contain this much power without going through real experiences and growth on its own.


    His body was being forced to go through these experiences, and it might have been where the excess energy was going.


    Thankfully, with Raze''s energy filling, the wounds on his body from before were now healing, and his zer, as always, was doing its trick, taking care of his body nicely.


    Now, since Raze could speak freely without much pain, he had questions for Belil¡ªthings he had to ask after everything was being done for him.


    "Belil, I still don''t understand why you''re doing this for me. It makes no sense," Raze said. "I am not the person you or Bofan think I am."


    "I don''t care about Pagna, and I don''t even care about Alterian. The only reason I did all of this was for my own selfish revenge. The only reason I want the Golden Globe is so I can go back to Alterian and kill those who ruined my life!"


    Raze spoke with strong conviction and passion because he was afraid of something¡ªafraid of the oue of all that was taking ce.


    A weight was being ced on his shoulders without him even asking for it.


    "You could have gone to the ind yourself. You said it: you''re the strongest warrior; you could have dealt with them all and stopped them."


    "Even if you give me your power, I won''t be able to use it like you. It won''t be the same¡­ and I could have grown strongerter!"


    Although Raze had the energy to talk, there was still a strange force on his stomach, almost an attack of sorts from Belil, keeping him pinned down and preventing him from moving freely.


    Belilughed, as usual, at Raze''s words.


    "I told you, I am following his will, and you are the closest person to it all."


    "Raze, Dark Magus, Demon, White Dragon, and my son¡ªI want you to listen to my next words carefully. Right now, what I''m giving you is something that everyone wishes for."


    "Hundreds of years of cultivation obtained just like that, in less than an hour. The life of immortality is considered a boring one, but the truth is, I found myself changing even after a few hundred years!" Belilughed again.


    "I want you to look after my daughter and my son Dame. I tried to raise them correctly in this world, but they''re a bit too soft."


    "I do care about my other two sons, but I''ve already seen instances where they''ve done wrong. If they were to fall by your hand, then I would ept that, but maybe, if you could steer them in the right direction, like what happened to me, then that would be good. Think about it as well."


    "All of them run the n, and they will soon all look up to you. Which means the Neverfall n and its legacy are practically in your hands now."


    Inwardly, Raze was shaking his head. The way the words were being spoken, the way they were trailing, he knew where it was going. Where all of this was going, he wanted to tell Belil to stop, to stop right now.


    The thing was, he knew how stubborn old fools were, being one himself, and in particr, Belil as well; he had already made his decision in all of this.


    If he interrupted him, he would be the arsehole in all of this.


    "I listened to what you said¡ªyou don''t care about the world of Pagna, but I hope that at some point, you will. With my power, I''m sure you''ll have a long life, so there''s a chance you might change your mind. I''ve heard things have already been changing for you slightly." Belilughed.


    "Lastly, it doesn''t matter that you don''t know my techniques; you have the Dark Edge Sword Arts. Now, with my Qi, you should be able to perform all eight techniques."


    "You will be practically unstoppable in Pagna, but Raze, I don''t know how strong your enemies are."


    "Maybe they''re as strong as those who wish to harm Pagna. They might even be stronger, based on how crazily you have been seeking strength."


    "So I have onest request: get stronger, get far stronger than Bofan or I ever did!" Belil let out a loud bellyugh.


    His Qi was immense with eachugh, and the strength could still be felt around Raze''s chest, until the pressure was gone from his stomach.


    Slowly, Raze moved his hand and ced it by his side. His body felt frozen, but eventually, he lifted himself up and looked at Belil.


    His eyes were wide open, and he still had arge grin on his face, one that was permanently there. Now that he looked deeply into the smile, he realised, it was the same smile that he would always see on Belil''s face, a smile that was intimidating when they first met, but now it looked extremely friendly.


    Finally, someone who had been watching for a while now descended. Brack moved in cautiously, assessing the situation as he saw Raze just looking ahead. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Is everything okay? I thought you might have been a goner there," Brackmented.


    When he got closer, he could see that Raze was just staring ahead at Belil, and only then did he realize that Belil hadn''t moved the entire time.


    "What happened?" Brack asked, afraid to even wave his hand in front of Belil''s face.


    "He''s¡­ dead," Raze said.


    Right after saying those words, a striking pain shot through Raze''s body.

 Chapter 948 An Unexpected Distraction

    948 An Unexpected Distraction


    Looking at Belil''s body, Raze realized that his worst fears hade true. A man who had achieved so much in the world of Pagna, who still had many followers, had given his life to him?


    It was hard for Raze to understand. There weren''t many people he had gotten close to in years, and even in Pagna, if there were those he had been close with, he would never have suspected Belil to give his life¡ªperhaps not even those he truly trusted. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He still didn''t fully understand; he couldn''t empathize with the feelings that Belil had, and right now, all he had was a deep regret, feeling unworthy of the gift inside him.


    In the middle of his spiraling thoughts, the transformation had begun. Every part of his body felt like it was being stretched out. His muscles twitched, the fibers expanding, tearing apart, and being rebuilt.


    This wasn''t happening over a long period of rest and recovery; it was happening continuously within Raze''s body to the point that he could only scream for a few moments before copsing to the ground in pain, his body frozen.


    "What is happening now?" Brack eximed, lifting both hands to his head. "First, the leader of the Neverfall n is just here dead, and now the Dark Magus is on the floor¡­ why did you guys bring me along for this? Wouldn''t a physician have been better?"


    Brack hurried to Raze, lying on the ground. There was nothing he could do about Belil, but maybe there was something he could do about Raze, and after all, he owed Raze for saving himst time.


    As Brack got close, he reached to touch Raze''s hand, feeling his body tense like a rock, not only that but the sheer amount of Qi energying off just from touching his skin.


    Brack felt like his entire body would be overwhelmed in a moment.


    "Tell me what to do! Tell me what I have to do!" Brack asked.


    Belil had warned that this would happen. He did not seem like a man who would lie, so if Raze went by what he said, this wouldst a little over two days.


    The sun was already setting, and it was getting dark. When this day ended, there would only be one more day that the spell on the ind would stay active, and on the third day, Raze would finally be able to move.


    ''The others will have a head start on the ind, and right now, I''m the only one who knows about it. Do I tell Brack to inform the others, to head to the ind? But if I do that, there''s a chance they could all get hurt as well.''


    ''I can''t do that. I''ll have to trust that Bofan has hidden the Golden Globe well and that it won''t be an easy task to retrieve. It''s the only thing I can do!'' Raze thought.


    Eventually, he decided on something else¡ªsomething that would keep the others busy and prevent them from looking for him. Magic swirled around his hand, and soon, something the size of a thumb, ck in color, appeared in his palm.


    "Take¡­ this," Raze said rigidly.


    Brack looked at it and took the small device. He had no idea what it was; he''d never seen anything like it before.


    "Hand it to the one named Anna¡­ say it''s from Himmy¡­ Don''t worry about me¡­ I''ll be okay¡­ keep everything here¡­ secret¡­ secret," Raze reiterated thest word firmly.


    How was Brack supposed to keep such big news a secret? They were in the middle of nowhere, and he honestly didn''t know how to deal with this for now.


    "Fine, I''ll do as you say!" Brack concluded. "I''ll give this to Anna¡ªsay it was from Himmy. But once I''ve done that, I''ming back here to check on you again."


    "I''ll¡­ be¡­ fine!" Raze answered.


    "You better be," Brack said nervously, ncing at Belil once more before rushing off. Seeing Brack run, Raze felt he had made the right decision.


    The special device Himmy had given was meant to hold information about Raze''s past. Anna, being close with Himmy, would know what the device was.


    If she got an order from Raze, as a way to help him, they would try to look into this, steering them far away from the troubles that would soon unfold on the ind.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Brack sprinted back to the town of Flendon, but once he arrived, he realized he had to go even further. He needed to reach the Dark Faction, which was a somewhat long journey.


    He might not even get there until early morning the next day. The only good thing was that with his speed now as a middle-stage warrior, he was covering much more ground than he would have before.


    Brack had underestimated his speed; it was close to midnight when he finally arrived at the Dark Faction academy. His legs didn''t stop moving, worried that Raze might be in trouble.


    In some ways, Brack thought what he held in his hands might be the answer to helping Raze. After entering the academy, Brack asked around, looking for Anna, but no one seemed to know where she was.


    He even approached Amir, who said she was out. Wandering the academy, Brack eventually made his way to the library, where he spotted three students he recognized from before, sitting quietly.


    They looked a bit bruised and battered, likely from the special missions they had been undertaking recently.


    "I need¡­ to meet Anna, as soon as possible," Brack asked, huffing and panting.


    "Anna? I think she''s the only one who didn''te back. Everyone else said they were done with that¡­ business," Simyon answered. "Wait, who are you?"


    "It''s not important," Brack said. "Raze gave me this, and he asked me to find Anna. Can you contact her somehow?"


    Safa and Simyon turned to Liam, who was closest to her, thinking he might know how to reach her.


    "I don''t have any idea where she is! How am I supposed to know something like that?" Liam said, standing up. "Just because we share the same system doesn''t mean I''d know where she went."


    Curious, Liam approached the strange device in the man''s hand and took it for a moment.


    Brack didn''t think it would be a big deal since he didn''t think Liam would just run off with it.


    "Huh, what''s this?" Liam said. "The system is saying I can ess this thing?"

 Chapter 949 An Early Fall

    949 An Early Fall


    In a small harbor town where several ships docked, ready to set sail around the vast continent, two powerful people had met.


    No one quite knew the strength of these two individuals as their faces weren''t widely known, and one''s face couldn''t even be seen.


    Yet they both held strength in their hands that could change the continent of Pagna forever, and both had boarded a ship.


    They looked at each other for a moment until Lince eventually jumped down. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "It''s quite obvious that you forced your way onto this ship?" Lince asked. "One can tell by their injuries, but might I ask where you wish to head, and let''s not waste time¡ªyou might as well tell me why."


    Lince, leader of one of the strongest Demonic Faction ns, was on board the ship because of what a particr man had told him.


    Only a couple of days ago, he had paid a visit to Belil. Lince knew the truth; he knew who Belil was but didn''t know his n until two days ago.


    He had learned of the sacrifice Belil was going to make and why¡ªfor the sake of all of Pagna¡ªand with that information, Lince was free to do as he wanted.


    In the end, he decided to set sail to the special ind. He still wasn''t sure if Belil''s story was true, but even if there was a chance, he felt he needed to.


    To avoid the attention of others, he was moving on his own, but now he had met someone else, who had forced their way on just like him. There weren''t many that would do that, especially here where the ships were mostly run by pirates, some were even warriors, making him guess they were doing the same thing.


    ''I have to be careful. This person doesn''t look like a typical warrior, not from one of therger ns. There''s a chance he could be from Alter? Or that Bonum Society¡ªboth are not very good options for me. It might be best to get rid of him now.''


    Lince''s hand was moving towards his back, but he noticed that the stranger was keeping an eye on him.


    "I promise you, you don''t want to fight against me," Zon replied. "If we''re both heading to the same location, then it shouldn''t be a problem as long as we don''t get in each other''s way, right?" Zon asked.


    "I''m afraid that''s not the case, and the fact that you''re speaking so confidently to me is annoying," Lince''s tone had changed, and Qi started to swirl and surround his body.


    The system Zon was using indicated the fight wasn''t going to be easy, but Zon now had a new item, and right then, he used it.


    He disappeared and reappeared right behind Lince, his hand moving lightning fast as he grabbed Lince''s wrist before he could reach for his dagger.


    "There''s a reason I''m confident. What do you have against me heading to the ind? Is there something you''re looking for as well?"


    Lince was stunned; he was keeping a clear eye on the strange man, waiting for him to move, but saw nothing. Not only that, but his strength was high enough to grab Lince by the wrist.


    Even with his regr strength, he was unable to move unless he forced a high amount of Qi.


    It was best if the two didn''t fight.


    "I''m from the Demonic Faction, the Lost n," Lince answered. "I''m there to stop someone from getting something."


    Zon could tell he wasn''t lying.


    "So you''re not from Alter?" Zon asked.


    "If you''re asking that, I guess you''re not from Alter either?" Lince replied.


    Zon let go, knowing this man wasn''t the enemy, but he was still curious why he wanted to go to the ind. They both were.


    "I''m here to look for someone and something as well, and I''m helping the Dark Magus out," Zon finally answered.


    "Oh?" Lince raised an eyebrow. "Maybe the two of us should talk after all, then. I have a feeling it might be important that we get to know each other."


    Through conversation, they both made their positions clear. They were practically there for the same reason, and Lince imed he was somewhat a supporter of Raze.


    He was helping him in a way, but not directly. The conversation flowed easily without Lince having to exin much, as Zon could confirm whether Lince was lying.


    Since they both knew what was possibly ahead, they agreed to travel together. The next day arrived, and Zon looked out at the ind, noticing a change in the distant clouds.


    "We need to set sail!" Zon shouted. "It''s changing¡­ it looks like we''ll be able to reach the ind in a few hours."


    "What?" Lince said. "But Belil said it wouldn''t be until tomorrow?"


    "If the ind has been like this for many years, then there''s a chance his guess could have been wrong. It''s surprising he was only off by a day or two."


    Lince felt a little nervous about Belil''s n if that was the case, and it was a good thing he hade along. He just had to hope the new friend by his side was strong enough to face what was toe.


    In the Light Faction, there was movement on the beach as they readied to board theirrge ships, heading to the ind.


    They weren''t the only ones who noticed.


    "Red!" Heino called. "The mission is the most important above all else. Do your job well."


    Red smiled as he joined the other warriors and started boarding the ship.


    In the Light Faction, in the same city, one man stood out, looking at the ind from afar.


    "Oh, it looks like something''s happening. Strong energy. I guess I should go and see what''s happening. After all, since I came down from above, things have been a bit boring," Mosak said.


    Remembering when he first appeared in that room, summoned into this foreign mage''s body¡ªa divine warrior unrestricted by the world''s rules.

 Chapter 950 Harveys Last Clue

    Chapter 950 Harvey''s Last Clue


    Brack had heard what Liam said, but he didn''t fully understand. What did he mean by reading something so small? How could anyone read something like that?


    Whatever it was, it was clearly important if Raze had asked him to pass it to this Anna person as well.


    "Can you do me a favor?" Brack said, fidgeting with his fingers and shuffling his feet. "It looks like you guys have figured something out, which is good. My guess is that maybe he wanted Anna to have this because she''d understand it better than us."


    "You seem close to her too, so if you see her, hand this over. It''s important. I really need to get back."


    Brack turned, ready to leave, but he hesitated, wondering if he''d done the right thing or not. In the back of his mind, he was extremely worried.


    "Wait, you said Raze gave this to you, right?" Safa asked. "Is everything okay? You look a bit worried."


    "Everything''s fine!" Brack answered nervously. "He''s just having a meeting with a very alive Neverfall n leader. They''re doing some secret stuff, so Raze will be back soon. Since he''s going to be away for a while, he really wanted Anna to have that."


    With that exnation, Brack didn''t even give the others a chance to respond. He left in a hurry, his mind still troubled. Already, one leader of the Demonic Faction had perished, and if Raze were to disappear as well, the state of Pagna would spiral into chaos¡ªif it wasn''t already heading that way.


    With Brack gone, the three left in the room were stunned.


    "Okay, he was definitely hiding something, right?" Simyon asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or is he just always like that?"


    "I guess none of us even know him that well. And why was he with Raze in the first ce?" Safa said, inching closer to Liam.


    As she got closer, the vibrant scent of her hair wafted toward Liam, making his face flush a bit. Noticing this, Simyon clenched his fists.


    "I''ve never seen anything like this before. Why would Raze have something like this with him?" Safa asked.


    "Isn''t the real question why Liam could ess it and read it, when the rest of us couldn''t?" Simyon asked. "Maybe it''s because you two are the same?"


    "Oh, right, because of that system thing," Liam replied. "Makes sense. No wonder he gave it to Anna. But what could he trust Anna with that he wouldn''t trust us?"


    "Maybe he still sees us as kids," Simyon said, sitting back and shrugging. "It''s annoying, but you have to remember that Raze is actually an old man. You know, like one of those people on the street that look like raisins but are nowhere near as tasty."


    "Anna''s older than us, so it makes sense he''d trust her more. Just because he looks the same age as us doesn''t mean he''ll actually trust us like that."


    "So¡­ should I read it then or what?" Liam asked.


    "I mean, if Raze wanted Anna to see it, wouldn''t it be rude to do something like that?" Safa said. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Toote," Liam said, as he activated the system to ess the information on the small thumbnail-sized device.


    As his system decoded it, information started flooding into Liam''s mind.


    "What is it?" Safa asked. "What can you see? Or did it not work?"


    "No, I can see it," Liam said, tapping the side of his head, trying to organize his thoughts. "The information includes detailed reports on several different cases."


    "I''m using the system to figure out a theme. It looks like it''s about arge number of deaths in several cities and towns."


    Safa''s heart pounded a bit faster. Was this the reason Raze wanted Anna to look into it? Could it somehow rte to what happened to her and her real brother back then?


    "There''s even a case¡­ on you and Raze," Liam said, hesitating as he wondered if he was prying into things he wasn''t meant to see.


    "It''s okay," Safa said, ncing at Liam uneasily. "Simyon already knows about what happened. That was when Raze¡­ well, when he was no longer Raze."


    "When my brother left me. My mother and father were killed, and I had to hide. In the end, the two of us were the only ones to survive. Or maybe¡­ it was just me."


    Hearing this and seeing that the others couldn''t know what he was seeing, Liam''s curiosity got the better of him, and he continued looking over the information.


    He began to think carefully, trying to understand the link between the cases. He wasn''t going to read everything and attempt to piece it all together alone.


    His mind wasn''t too sharp for that kind of detective work¡ªor at least, he believed his old mind wasn''t capable of it. As he thought this, the system began to process the data, working it out for him.


    It provided valuable information, and in the end, it even gave him insight into the connection between the cases.


    "Hey, Safa, I''m guessing you never really found out why all that happened, right?" Liam asked.


    Safa nodded. "There were even people chasing us after that, still trying to kill us," she replied. "But it doesn''t happen anymore. Maybe it''s because we''re part of the academy now; it''s well-protected."


    "Well, I think I might have found a link," Liam said, his voice lowering as he tried to process the gravity of it. "This information¡ªit''s from Himmy, that Alter guy you met."


    "With this system, I can see themon links, and I think it''s something he missed. It''s small, but something happened with each of these cases¡ªamon urrence."


    "There are two things: first, every one of these cases urred within five miles of a church belonging to the Rylon religion. On top of that, eyewitnesses im that even if there wasn''t a church in the town or city, they saw people from the Rylon religion entering the area," Liam exined.


    Safa''s eyes widened in shock, and Simyon stood up as well.


    "This is something we need to investigate," Simyon said firmly. "Something you need to confront, Safa. Your past, and your real brother''s past. We need to uncover just how he was involved in all of this."


    Safa swallowed hard, her mind racing as she thought about the connection between her family''s past and the religious group that seemed to linger around these tragedies. This revtion only deepened the mystery, making her question the extent of her brother''s involvement.


    "We should start looking into this," Liam added. "If there''s a link between the deaths and the Rylon religion, there could be more people involved as well?" Safa took a deep breath. "You''re right. This could exin why Raze wanted Anna to see it. If she could help make sense of it all¡­"


    ---

 Chapter 951 Where are you Himmy?

    Chapter 951 Where are you Himmy?


    In the Dark Faction, in one of the medium-sized viges, a short young woman was walking down the open streets. There were market stalls on either side, and the smell from the meat being cooked in the open wafted into her nose.


    She ced her hand on her stomach to suppress the sound. ''Shut up, alright? I only have a few bronze coins left!'' Charlotte pped her stomach, but it didn''t do much to ease the pain.


    It was strange, since escaping from Alter along with Himmy, she had been going from ce to ce. She had no idea where would be safe.


    After all, Alter was an incrediblyrge organization, with secret members everywhere, even members she wouldn''t know about.


    All she could hope for was toy low until Himmy figured something out. Every time she turned a corner or looked up, she hoped she would see Himmy, telling her it was finally over.


    At first, things weren''t too bad for her. The hunger she could ignore, as she was too afraid of people catching up to her. But then the painful pangs set in.


    It was strange, though, because after that, the hunger disappearedpletely. She had gotten used to it, but it seemed to be a dreaded cycle, and now the pain hade back again.


    ''I need these coins to stay at an inn somewhere. I''ve been moving too much and haven''t even recovered my energy. At some point, my spell is going to wear off, and with no energy, how am I going to keep up my appearance?''


    Her bright, vibrant orange hair made her stand out even in the world of Pagna, which was why she had cast a spell to make it ck.


    She was sure it was because of this spell that Alter hadn''t quite found her just yet.


    "Hey, are you going to buy something or not?" therge woman shouted from behind the counter.


    In the middle of her thoughts, her feet had taken her to the stall, where skewers hung out on disy. She could see the fat dripping off them onto the ground, and reluctantly, she handed over herst few coins.


    It didn''t take long for her to gulp down the food, and she regretted it instantly, wishing she had savored the taste a bit more. Eventually, her feet started to hurt, and she found herself at an inn that served drinks and food.


    Since she didn''t have enough to stay the night anymore, the only thing she could afford was a drink using her veryst few coins.


    The inn wasn''t busy, as it was the middle of the day. Most people were out working, which was better for Charlotte as she sat in the corner and twisted therge ss several times.


    "I better savor this and make itst as long as I can. Otherwise, I''ll have to go outside in the cold again."


    Charlotte was starting toment what she should do now, where she should go, and who she could even trust in the situation she was in.


    She was sure that Alter would now target Raze and the rest of his friends, so it wasn''t safe for her to go there.


    But how was she going to make money or find a ce to stay without using her magic? How would she feed herself?


    At this rate, she might even starve to death before Alter caught up to her.


    For a moment, she thought about breaking the taboo. Maybe using her magic for other means¡ªto steal or gather information.


    She was no longer part of Alter, so what did it matter? She started small by expanding the Wind magic around her, allowing her to hear more from her surroundings.


    Then she could hear two tables around her, with a group having an odd conversation.


    "I think it''s best we get out of this ce."


    "What do you mean? Did you receive an order?"


    "No, but it doesn''t matter if we''re going to lose our lives. Didn''t you hear? The ns are calling all sorts of Alter groups for various tasks, and then they''re never seen again."


    "What? You think the Dark Faction is targeting Alter all of a sudden? No way, that''s crazy."


    "It''s true. No one can even get in contact with the base to confirm it. I''m telling you, something or someone is after us. Don''t ept any requests, and let''s just head out of the Dark Faction."


    "Should we go to the Alter base or just leave it? And what about our missions?"


    "Some are just refusing requests and dying missions, but who knows when we could get caught up in all of this? If we head back now while Alter is saying nothing, they can''t me us for it."


    Hearing this news, Charlotte didn''t know how to feel. Should she be happy that her pursuers were being killed off, and that maybe she would be safe?


    That they had bigger problems to worry about? Or should she be worried that her former colleagues were being killed, and that there was now a chance another group was after her life as well?


    "Ahh, I can''t even think straight!" Charlotte groaned, mming her head on the table. "I wish Himmy were here." She started to sob, but realized that maybe crying in this situation wasn''t a good idea, especially when she was still partly dehydrated.


    But she kept thinking of Himmy and how he would look after her, guide her, and tell her what the right thing to do was. She just needed someone like that right now because she waspletely lost.


    It almost felt like when she first arrived in Pagna, all alone and different from everyone else. Only now, people were after her life.


    "You seem to be having quite a lot on your mind," a soft voice said.


    Charlotte looked up and saw a man wearing yellow clothing, a bright smile on his face.


    "We at the Rylon religion help anyone who is in need, so please tell us if there is anything I can do to help ease your troubles," the man smiled.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 952 Everyone Here Will Die

    Chapter 952 Everyone Here Will Die


    Arge number of hopeless thoughts swirled around in Charlotte''s head. As the days went on, her situation worsened, and she felt increasingly hopeless.


    She wanted someone to lean on, someone to pull her out of the situation she was in. Maybe that was why she had taken the offer given to her.


    Right now, she was walking through the streets side by side with a stranger she had met only thirty minutes ago. She thought she might have gone crazy.


    Who knew if this man was someone from Alter in disguise? But she was too tired to care. If this man really was from Alter, then so be it¡ªthat was just her fate. She couldn''t continue the way she was anymore.


    Through their walk, she learned a little about the man. His name was Carl, and he called himself a Meister, a member of the Rylon Religion who worked at the church.


    Carl had stated that it was his duty to help people like her, those who appeared lost and without focus, with no way out of their situation¡ªperhaps even people who had run away.


    Carl didn''t ask Charlotte to exin her story, which made her trust him more, and on top of that, he had even bought her a nice meal at the inn where they had met.


    Abination of these things led her to eventually leave with him.


    "The church will give you shelter, a ce to stay, and food to eat. We do have certain programs to help people get back on their feet, but we can''t just freely give individuals money," Carl exined.


    "After all, many of those on the streets end up in particr situations due to some part of their own actions in a way. So before letting them back out, we wish for them to have the skills to survive in the world."


    "How is the Rylon Religion able to do all this?" Charlotte asked. "Are they expecting me to join the religion? Because I don''t want to take advantage of you, but I have my own beliefs."


    Carl looked at Charlotte with a bright smile, the same hopeful smile she had first seen as she was losing hope.


    "Our churches help many people, and we have many donors, including those we''ve helped in the past. There is no obligation for you to stay, and there is no expectation for you to join us either. Feel free to decide after you see the ce," Carl continued. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Charlotte didn''t want to feel like she was taking advantage of the man, but she thought it was a safe and good hiding ce for now.


    She thought back to all of her missions and couldn''t remember Alter ever looking into the Rylon Religion or involving them in anything. Which was why she believed it was the perfect ce to hide from Alter as well. There would be nothing that troubled them, and there would be no Alter members there.


    Charlotte was in a medium-sized town. It wasn''t a city, and therefore the church wasn''t thatrge either. It was, however, located a bit away from the main town center.


    There were a few fields and hills one would have to pass, but the town was still visible from the church-like building. The outside was built with gray stones, and there was a spire on top.


    She also noticed many ss-pane windows along the walls. What also caught her attention were the many people outside wearing the same yellow clothing.


    They seemed to be cleaning the area or doing fieldwork, and there were even adults walking in and out of the entrance.


    "Don''t worry, these are mostly followers of the religion thate here. As I said, we get quite a lot of different individuals, so we understand others'' situations," Carl exined.


    "The sleeping areas are private from the rest."


    Following Carl, he gave her a small tour. There was the main prayer room with benches lined up, as well as ornaments disyed on the walls.


    On the back wall, there was arge sun painted, with strange streams of heating off it, touching the ground and other areas.


    The same workers outside, dressed in orange clothing, could be seen inside as well.


    After passing the main room, Charlotte saw them walk past the kitchen and several other areas, including a staircase leading both above and below the building.


    After showing her a ce where she could wash herself and grab clean tunics and shorts, he then took her to the sleeping area for guests.


    Carl opened the door, and the room wasn''t empty by any means. There were already four individuals lying on their beds.


    One was a frail-looking woman, who was even rubbing the sides of her arms.


    Then there was a teenage boy with a bandage wrapped around one of his eyes. There was also a small child, a boy, who looked to be around six years old.


    Finally, there was another man, who didn''t appear frail but had an unshaved, messy beard. He wasn''t paying attention, just staring out the window.


    "This is the only sleeping area we have for guests, but I assure you, everyone is fine. Sunder, the teenage boy, has been here the longest, so if you need anything, you can ask him for help."


    The boy with the bandage waved at Charlotte and gave her a small smile.


    After that, Carl excused himself, saying he was busy. If she needed anything, she could speak to Sunder for the time being, and he closed the door.


    ''Well¡­ it''s not perfect, but it''s better than being on the run and sleeping on the streets,'' Charlotte thought.


    Walking over, Charlotte was getting ready to introduce herself, as she didn''t know how long she would be here with these people.


    Just as she was about to say hello to the young boy, the woman rubbing her shoulders spoke.


    "Leave¡­ leave this ce¡­ otherwise, you''ll die¡­ just like everyone else. We''re all going to die."

 Chapter 953: A Dangerous Place?

    Chapter 953: A Dangerous ce?


    ?


    "We''re all going to die?" Charlotte said, grabbing her own shoulders as a shiver went through her body, urging her to turn back.


    She had to get out of here; it couldn''t be a coincidence, not when her life was already on the line.


    "Wait, sister!" the little boy said, sucking his thumb. "It''s okay... the woman is... the woman is... her brain, not 100 percent?"


    The little boy turned to Sunder, who had jumped out of bed and patted the kid on the head.


    "He means that Tithiny there has gone through a lot. She has good and bad spells, and right now she''s going through a bad one. She has her own story as to how she ended up here," Sunder said. "As do I," he added, pointing to his own eye.


    "My name is Harper," the little boy said, pointing proudly to his chest.


    Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief, and being able to talk to the others settled her down a little. Bending down to Harper''s eye level, she smiled.


    "It''s nice to meet you, I''m Charlotte."


    Sunder introduced himself and then went on to introduce the other two in the room. The man in the back wasn''t much of a talker; his name was Byon.


    Byon gave a brief wave before staring back out the window, and Sunder advised it was best to try speaking with Tithinyter, as it wasn''t a good time right now.


    Eventually, Charlotte started talking with little Harper and Sunder, picking a bed next to the two of them. They talked about the church and how long they had been there.


    Harper was just a kid who had lost his parents, an orphan wandering the streets until the church took him in. Currently, the religion was trying to find someone willing to adopt him, as they didn''t have an orphanage in town, and it wasn''t the kind of ce one was meant to stay long-term.


    "Wait, why can''t they just look after Harper until he''s older? I mean, they say they take people in all the time," Charlotte asked.


    "That''s because of the program they have. Actually, peoplee in and out of this ce weekly," Sunder exined. "I''m meant to leave in two days myself.


    "The religion doesn''t give us money, but they give us food, a ce to eat and stay. But if a person''s been here a month, they hand them enough coin tost another month outside and tell us to be on our way.


    "They say that we cane back, but only after a month. I think it''s something to make us less reliant on this ce. I''m a bit scared and nervous at the same time."


    Charlotte found it strange. After all, what could a little boy like Harper do, and Sunder was just a teenager? They were practically kicking them out after taking them in.


    It didn''t makeplete sense to her, but at least they were helping in some ways rather than ignoring everything outside.


    The more prominent thought on her mind was that she only had a month or so here. Maybe, in that time, she could gather strength and things would change.


    As the day went on, Sunder and Harper took Charlotte to the canteen where food was served. They ate together, and Sunder even gave some of his food to Charlotte.


    It wasn''t enough to fill her, so she felt a bit embarrassed, but Sunder insisted he was full.


    "Sister, take mine!" Harper said, handing over half of his bun. "Harper''s small, small stomach already filled with food. You need to eat!"


    When she looked down at her wrists, she realized how thin she had be, and maybe that was why they were giving her extra food.


    This feeling was nicepared to the things she saw as an agent of Alter and the harshness of Pagna. The religion and this ce had aforting vibe, and she could see why people wanted to give back in the future.


    Finally feeling she was in a safe environment, when night fell, she went to sleep almost instantly. She was more worn out than ever, and even the sound of rain hitting the window wasn''t enough to wake her up.


    Harper, however, was having trouble falling asleep. Rubbing his eyes, the little boy got up and jumped down from his bed.


    He quietly moved across the room, opened the door, and headed to the bathroom. After finishing, he aimed to just head back to bed and try to get more sleep.


    "Charlotte was so happy today when I gave her food... maybe I should get some more!" Harper thought.


    He turned around and decided to head to the kitchen. He spotted a basket of bread left out, but it was out of his reach.


    So he pulled a chair over and started to climb, eventually grabbing a few pieces of bread. With a smile on his face, he walked out of the kitchen, ready to head back to the room again. When he entered the hall a second time, he heard something strange.


    "Is it from outside?" Harper thought.


    He followed the strange muffled noises, and when he got closer, he realized they wereing from the staircase-the one that led downstairs.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Harper doesn''t like this... it''s too scary... I want to go back now!" Harper whispered as he turned, only to bump into a soft piece of cloth.


    "Harper!" Carl said with a smile. "What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be asleep?"


    Harper felt embarrassed, realizing he had taken food from the kitchen when he wasn''t


    supposed to.


    Seeing this, Carl began to tut.


    "You know, Harper, it''s not good to take things that aren''t yours. Bad people need to be punished."


    Carl lifted his leg and forcefully kicked Harper straight in the stomach.


    Harper''s legs lifted off the ground, and the bread he was holding scattered across the floor.


    Harper could only see the smile on Carl''s face as he fell into darkness, his pieces of bread left scattered on the floor.

 Chapter 954: The Rylon Religions Secret

    Chapter 954: The Rylon Religions Secret


    ?


    The beaming sun through the curtainsnded on Charlotte''s face, warming it slightly. She lifted her hand, scratching her cheek, with her leg out from the sheets, and slowly opened her eyes.


    Her body felt more tired than when she went to sleep, which just went to show how much her body needed to catch up on, how rough it had been for her.


    "Hey!" Sunder called out. "You''re finally awake, don''t worry much, we were all like that when we first came here, it just goes to show that you''re like the rest of us, which makes us feel morefortable."


    Looking in the room, Charlotte realized that all of the others had left, apart from Sunder, the teenage boy. He then turned around and when he looked at Charlotte he rubbed his eyes a few times.


    "Am I seeing things, but has your hair changed colour? Is it orange now? It''s brightening up the whole room!" Sunder said.


    Charlotte quickly grabbed her hair, and even pulled out a single strand, seeing the orange colour.


    "Oh no!" she thought, as she quickly cast her magic, and right in front of Sunder''s eyes, he saw her hair change from orange to ck.


    "What the... what the... are you a Wi-!"


    Charlotte leapt from her bed and jumped right on top of Sunder. The two wrestled for a bit until eventually Charlotte was on top of Sunder, having pinned him down, and having her hands covering his mouth.


    "I''m not a witch, but you said it yourself, right? We all have our things, our secrets that we''re running from... and I like it here, I like all of you guys, so please don''t say anything about this, okay?" Charlotte pleaded, her eyes were watering.


    All of the tension had practically left Sunder''s voice, as he realized even if this woman could change her hair colour, she was still just like them after all, so raising his hand he gave a thumbs up, and slowly Charlotte lifted her hands from his mouth.


    "I won''t ask you about what I just saw," Sunder said. "But I''m finding it hard to breathe, can you get off me."


    Embarrassed, Charlotte quickly stood up and folded her arms. Trying to change the subject, she brought up something else.


    "Where is everyone, where did they go?" Charlotte asked.


    "It''s prettyte, it''s 10 am, I thought you might want to have breakfast together. After all, tomorrow, I''m not going to be here anymore."


    That was right, Charlotte remembered Sunder saying that he would have been here a month, and that was when the Church imed it was time for them to go.


    The two headed to get some breakfast, and after eating they continued in the limited areas, but that''s when Charlotte noticed something: there was one person she hadn''t seen.


    "Where''s little Harper?" Charlotte asked, already wondering if she could squeeze his cute little cheeks. She was too shy on the first day since they hardly knew each other, but Harper was such a sweet boy she was sure that he wouldn''t mind.


    "Oh, I asked Carl about that; he said that they found someone to adopt Harper, so he''s no longer here," Sunder replied.


    Charlotte looked around; currently the two of them had wandered outside, and were just walking on the gravel pathways outside the church. But there were still staff walking to and from the main town covered in orange clothing.


    "Wait, when would that have happened?" Charlotte asked. "He was sleeping with us in the middle of the night; did they find someone this morning then?"


    "I guess, I didn''t actually get to see him, but it''s good he''s with a family now anyway; we should be happy for him," Sunder replied.


    "But adoption is no easy thing, someone would juste in the morning and take him, and on top of that, weren''t you and Harper close? Wouldn''t he evene to say goodbye to us? I understand not me, but what about the others?" Charlotte asked.


    "We weren''t close," Sunder replied. "You have to remember I''ve been here the longest; Harper was here for an even shorter time. It would be hard to develop that big of a bond, and he''s a kid, so they see shiny things and run toward them."


    "So I''m not that bothered about it. I can tell why you''re worried though, with me going tomorrow, and Harper gone. You''re going to be left with the other two, but don''t worry I''m sure there will be more at some point." Sunder smiled.


    Charlotte gave a smile back but the moment she looked away she couldn''t get the thought out of her head that it was so strange, but maybe Sunder was the one that was right. Maybe her life and being part of Alter had made her just overly suspicious of everything. For the rest of the day she was unable to keep her guard up, and when she had met with Carl in the church and asked him about Harper, he had given the same answer as Sunder had. Charlotte tried to dive deeper, asking if she was able to meet him and go to see him, but the Rylon religion imed that they didn''t hand out information like that, as they had to do right by the people that wished to adopt him.


    She understood, but still everything felt so strange to her. With that hint of suspicion, everything started to look suspicious to her after.


    Which led her to head into the town where she had first been approached by Carl. Returning here, she was on guard once again, but thankfully Sunder had decided toe with her asn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    well.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve been here," Sunder said.


    "You mean you don''t leave the church ever? It''s not against the rules, so why not?" Charlotte asked.


    "Because I have no money, there''s no reason for me to head out; what can we buy, what can we get? It''s just useless at that point, and I''m mostly focused on recovery as well," Sunder said, tensing his bicep and showing rtively well developed.


    In the end, Charlotte had decided to go around, and she had a specific question in mind. Something that was bugging her. Something so generous, why hadn''t she heard about it


    before?


    Being part of Alter, they had a vast amount of knowledge at their hands, so she continued to ask, and each person they approached said the same thing.


    It was then that even Sunder started to get nervous.


    "Why do you keep asking people if they know about the Rylon religion and their program?" Sunder asked with a shaky voice.


    It was then that Charlotte saw an old man, a beggar on the corner; she knelt down and asked the same thing.


    "Hey, we don''t have any money, but we do know that the church just out of town, the Rylon religion, can give you food, shelter, and coin. Did you know about this?"


    The old beggar wafted his hand.


    "I have heard of it."


    It was the first person who had answered this way.


    "But when I went there, they turned me away, saying that it wasn''t something that they did. They gave me some water, but that was it. I went back a second time, but they refused to even


    give me water."


    "For someone like me, it''s too far a journey to go just for water."


    Sunder, hearing the answer, and hearing all the answers from before, was starting to shake slightly. Even he felt something was up.

 Chapter 955: The Real Razes Life

    Chapter 955: The Real Raze''s Life


    ?


    Both Sunder and Charlotte continued to walk through the vige. They didn''t continue their line of questioning, and eventually when they had reached an open area where kids were ying, chasing wooden wheels and spinning tops on the floor, Sunder couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Wait, what''s going on? Can you exin to me why you were asking all of the questions before?" Sunder asked.


    "I told you, I thought it was strange that Harper would just go like that. Do you know I asked the others in the room, and not a single one of them saw him in the morning; just how early did these adoption peoplee and get him this morning?" Charlotte asked. "There was a man that told me, if things don''t make sense then start asking questions."


    "And if they still don''t make sense then ask even more questions. If things start to get more confusing, then it means something is being hidden."


    The words of a person that was quite close to her, it had stung her heart. She had followed him for a long time, and now it was time for her to take over.


    "I asked the same question to all of those people out there, because I thought it was strange. People know orphanages exist, people know food houses exist in bigger areas. So such a ce, or a thing like the Rylon religion is doing, shouldn''t more people know about it?"


    "Yet not a single person in this vige, town, whatever it is, has heard about their goodness. Heck, you heard that beggar, they had even refused to bring him in. So let me ask you another question, were you approached by Carl himself?" Charlotte asked.


    Sunder paused for a moment. He was almost afraid to answer the question even though he had no idea where it wasing from.


    "No," Sunder answered. "But, I did get approached by another member of the Rylon religion."


    "Then let me ask again, what about everyone else? Did they find out about this, or were they approached by members from the religion?"


    Sunder''s eyes widened, but he quickly shook his head and swung his arm out.


    "That doesn''t matter. I mean it makes sense that they are just picking people that they want to help out, those that really need it like me or you?"


    "That makes sense, but you arrived at the church and there were others before you, yet everyone you met the same way?" Charlotte said. "And if those people got out, then where are they right now? Didn''t they alle from this town? Wouldn''t they have spread the word of what the group was doing?"


    "Did anyone ever return to that ce?" It was then that Charlotte started to choke up, as she started to think of the worst. "Will we ever see Harper again?"


    At that point, Sunder could no longer deny it. Something was strange and he had felt it for a while now. He fell to his knees, and started to sob into his forearm. Eventually he looked up at Charlotte.


    "Charlotte... tomorrow is the day, it''s the day I''m meant to leave, what does that mean, what''s going to happen to me?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    There was part of Sunder thinking that they should run now. They didn''t have to go back to the church but then what would they do? Who would he rely on? In his head, he felt like if something went wrong he could always go back, but what was he to do now.


    "I''m going to help you, and if we can, we''re going to help Harper. You saw what I did today, right." Charlotte then swirled her finger in the direction of one of the spinning tops on the ground.


    Wind picked up and started to cause the spinning top to move faster. Controlling the wind, she controlled the direction making it zig and zag across the floor.


    The kids in amazement started to cheer as they chased the spinning top, and eventually she had spread her fingers out putting it to a stop and the spinning top stoppingpletely.


    "I have powers, and I can use them to help you, so don''t worry, we can do this."


    The two of them returned to the church, and tried to pretend that everything was the same. It was all normal, and they spent the rest of the day there as normal. Charlotte conserved her strength, knowing full well what she might have to do.


    Then finally the next day had arrived. Sunder had all of his things packed in a leather backpack handed to him by the church. Carl was in the room, and had handed over a pouch filled with coins.


    "Everything in there will allow you to survive on your own. The Rylon Religion wishes for everyone to be self-reliant, but if you do struggle and the month is over, there will always be a ce back for you." Carl tapped Sunder on the shoulder, and then asked everyone to see him off.


    Everyone gave him a hug, even Tiffany whose head was back to normal for a moment, and just before Sunder left the room, he gave a nod to Charlotte.


    In the vastnd of the Dark Faction, three individuals were riding in a carriage heading to a particr town. It had been a while since it was just them three traveling together.


    "Hey, so Liam, you got to pick up your weight, you know Raze won''t be here to save us if we''re in trouble again," Simyon said.


    "What do you mean, I was the one that read that thing, without me we would have known nothing. What''s good having a lightning rock teleporting all over the ce!" Liam said.


    Eventually, as they traveled, Simyon had asked Safa a question, one that he was curious about for a while now.


    "What was Raze like, the real Raze I mean, your brother," Simyon asked.


    Safa smiled as she started to reminisce.


    "He was kind-hearted but troublesome at the same time. He wanted what was best for everyone and tried to help in his own ways, but he was young. I remember one time, he got into an argument with our mum and dad."


    "There wasn''t enough food for us. In the end, he decided to run away from home for a while. When I think about it, I think he did that for us, because he knew that four mouths was too much to feed, and I could eat more. That''s the type of person he was."


    "Ran away from home, as a teenager?" Liam said. "I mean, he did a good thing and all, but how did he even manage to survive himself with no food?"


    "That is the question... I don''t know. Now that I think about it, it was after he came back, things were slightly strange."

 Chapter 956: Illegal Substances Here?

    Chapter 956: Illegal Substances Here?


    ?


    It was time for Sunder to leave the Church, the Rylon religion. He saw Carl step to the side allowing him to walk out of the ce. He had already said his goodbyes to everyone, yet now several thoughts were filling his head.


    His legs weren''t moving because he was worried; why hadn''t anyone returned to the Church after leaving? Why did no one know about the Church''s good deeds and what about that old man?


    The thing was, that wasn''t the worst of what they had found out. Through investigating a little more before leaving the city, there had been a case where someone missing had returned to their family, and the entire family had lost their lives.


    ''If I leave this ce, will I lose my life?'' Sunder thought.


    "What''s wrong," Carl said, cing his hand on Sunder''s back. All the times before, the smile on Carl''s face and his touch felt warm, yet for the first time it felt cold, very, very cold.


    "I''ll take him to the front, I think he''s just going to miss this ce," Charlotte said as she grabbed Sunder''s hand and led him to the front.


    Several of the church members followed so they couldn''t say much, but Charlotte gave a nod in Sunder''s direction. He gulped and finally he moved forward, walking away from the church and heading down toward the town.


    He continued following the path, until he could no longer see the church as he was walking slightly uphill. The vige was quite a distance away, maybe three kilometers of walking.


    It felt like a short walk yesterday but now it felt so far.


    ''I don''t even have a family to go to, so will they even wait for me to head back, for me to even enjoy a few days before they arrive?''


    It was then when looking up on the path, Sunder could see someone dressed in all ck in front of him. It was a robe that even covered his face, something that thieves in Pagna would often wear.


    Never before, while walking this path, or while the others walked, had they heard of such a thing happening. Yet he tried to ignore it and continue to move forward. Closer and closer, his heart felt like it was ready to jump out of his throat.


    Until he was about to cross paths with the man, and then he continued past him, and the man dressed in ck had continued past him.


    Immediately after, the man turned around, a string of wire in his hands, and immediately Sunder had turned around with a knife in his hands. He swung it, hitting the wire in the center. The strong wire didn''t break, but he had stopped it from wrapping around his neck.


    "What''s this... this is the first time someone has resisted, at least someone so young!" the man said, with a crazed look in his eye.


    The thing was, Sunder knew he wouldn''t win in a battle of strength, so he eventually let go of the knife and decided to make a run for it.


    He ran ahead and continued to run, until traveling right in front of him were two men in yellow-colored robes.


    "Sir Klein and Sir Gold! Both of you looked after me, why are you doing this, why!" Sunder shouted.


    Knowing how fast they had moved, it was quite clear that they were Pagna warriors, or at least people that knew how to use Qi. Sunder had no chance against these two, and he had no more weapons.


    He fell to his knees feeling hopeless at that moment.


    "I didn''t want to believe it, I didn''t want to believe it... I thought you really cared about us."


    The two men in yellow robes were moving forward and the man dressed in ck was moving from behind.


    "Why would you do this, did you do the same to Harper?" Sunder asked.


    "Harper... it wasn''t his time," Sir Klein answered. "But he saw too much. We truly were looking for a family to adopt him; if they did, it would have sped up our process."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was then that Sunder rubbed his tears.


    "Thank you for answering, because I don''t care what happens to you anymore, I hope you and the rest of the Rylon religion burn!" Sunder shouted.


    The man dressed in ck felt arge gust of wind hit him in the stomach, forcing him to the floor. Right after, two tunnels of mes came out hitting both of the men dressed in yellow.


    The twisting mes hit their bodies and using their Qi, they had to deflect the mes, forcing them onto the ground. Part of their clothing and arms were burnt.


    And now, appearing by Sunder''s side, was Charlotte.


    "I told you they were up to no good. But out of respect for you, I decided to do it your way. You found out the truth, I''ll do everything I can to protect you."


    The original men dived in again, and Charlotte quickly pointed out her hands and small fireballs fired out from them. The yellow men used their Qi to hit the mes, but it burnt the skin on their knuckles and embers hit the rest of their bodies.


    Not just that, but the fireballsing out from Charlotte were continuous, aiming at all three of them. Eventually, the man dressed in ck had cleanly been hit, and his clothes lit up in


    fire.


    The fire started to grow and the man began to scream in pain.


    The two members in yellow looked at each other at that moment.


    "A mage."


    "A strong mage at that. If we capture her, won''t that help us out greatly?"


    "Right, right, no one would know, even if she is part of Alter."


    Charlotte was shocked by the words she was hearing and wondering just what was going on with the whole religion.


    At that point, both of the men pulled out a small orange glowingrge pill. It was the same length as a finger, and glowing bright with a yellow-like glow to it.


    Immediately the two men took the pills and consumed them on the spot.


    "What did they just take!" Sunder asked, worried at how confident the two were.


    "That''s... I''ve seen those before... in Alterian, they were considered illegal substances... why do they have them, and they''re meant for mages, not warriors."

 Chapter 957: A powerful Weapon

    Chapter 957: A powerful Weapon


    ?


    A particr ce had been selected by the trio of travelers, a small city that was located on the border between the Demonic Faction and the Dark Faction. The reason for picking this ce was quite simple.


    One, it was quite close and was an area that they would have to pass through if they wanted to head to the Dark Faction anyway. As for the second reason, it was all because of Liam''s information gathering.


    ording to him, one of the ces where the strange deaths had urred was this particr city, a ce where the Lethal Bite n once was and still was. ording to the report, Raze had also been a part of the mission here.


    Which made them wonder if anything was found. There were many instances where the three of them were away from Raze, and they didn''t really know what he had been up to, other than the reports that woulde from the Golden News once in a while.


    When they entered the town, it didn''t take long for them to ask for a meeting with the current mayor and head of the Lethal Bite n, Harbour, who was also Lisa''s brother, the previous head of the Lethal Bite n.


    Due to their positions in the academy, and the fateful day when Raze had taken his position on the stage, Safa and the others'' presence had be well known throughout the academy.


    They had entered the old Lethal Bite n base that was positioned on top of a giant staircase, and made their way into one of the meeting rooms where Harbour was sitting behind a rectangr table.


    He wasn''t the only one present, as there were three more individuals there.


    "You''re Bargo, from the Moon Shield n, right?" Liam asked as his system was the one that actually notified him. He also was a person that had turned sides and helped them face the rest of the Dark Faction.


    "I am indeed. I frequently visit this city, and when I heard that you wereing, I felt like I had no choice but to greet you as well," Bargo said.


    Their heads then turned to the third person in the room, as they were unsure about who this individual was.


    "I''m Graft," the man introduced himself. "I''m from Alter... or at least I would like to say I was from Alter."


    Safa and the others were on guard immediately. It wasn''t so long ago that they had been tasked with getting rid of all of those from Alter in the Dark Faction, so they wondered if this was a setup of some kind.


    With two n leaders in the room as well, it wouldn''t be an easy task if there were more of them.


    "Calm down, Raze knows both of these individuals," Harbour exined. "Besides, Graft had helped Raze quite a bit in the past, and his squad are good friends with Himmy and his group. They are ready to give whatever information is needed."


    "Which is why I have given them a safe ce to rest. I''m sure Raze will be grateful, and you are free to report to him about this matter whenever you wish."


    Harbour also would have received the order about eliminating the Alter ns, and Graft and his squad would have been ced in a tricky situation. They didn''t have much choice to pick sides and they had eventually picked the current side.


    "Actually, it might be good that he is here as well," Safa stated. "We wanted to ask you, ording to our information, Himmy and his squad were tasked with a special investigation in this town. To locate an unknown group of deaths that had appeared here, do you know what happened?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bargo and Harbour looked at each other; they knew the full extent of the entire report well, and Bargo was there in person to see it all.


    "Right, I remember reading those files," Graft replied. "I believe what had happened was another Alter group was investigating and ended up being killed as well. Himmy and his group were chosen to investigate just in case it was rted to their case."


    "Ah, so that''s what brought them here," Harbour added. "Things are making some sense. I''ll give you what information I know but I don''t know if it will help you much. One of the elders within the Lethal Bite n was conducting particr experiments."


    "They were sacrificing people to summon something, and in the end it appeared as if the summoning had seeded. I don''t quite know what or who, or what happened, but Raze seemed to deal with it."


    Safa was a bit disappointed by the answer. The first ce they had arrived, had they already hit a dead end? Was it actually unrted to all of the other cases after all?


    "However, I did look into things a bit more. You see, it turns out that the elder of the Lethal Bite n had a particr weapon with him. A powerful weapon that would allow him to heal. It was a glowing sword with this beaming energy."


    "The man was almost unkible, but Raze dealt with him again."


    "Smoking balls," Liam said. "How many things did Raze go through, and doesn''t that weapon sound like Safa''s weapon as well, the one she has?"


    "That weapon, I learned, actually belonged to a group that was here¡ªthe Rylon Religion, the church. They had ordered several Wanderers to get the weapon back from Raze, but he had dealt with them swiftly as well."


    "After I had learned of this, I asked all of the members to leave this town. I couldn''t find out what their link was with the elder of the Lethal Bite n, but the Rylon religion is arge organization covering the entirety of the Dark Faction, so getting them to leave was the best thing I could do," Harbour exined.


    Although the case at first seemed unrted, once again, the same link that Liam had found had appeared-the group known as the Rylon religion. Safa eventually pulled the spear out from her back that was wrapped in cloth, and revealed it.


    The eyes of Harbour and Bargo were glued as they saw it.


    "It has the same glow," Bargo said. "The energying off it even feels the same."


    "What was the name of the sword that Raze used?" Safa asked.


    "I believe he called it the Lux Sword," Harbour answered.


    Safa was sure of it now, the weapon that Raze had received was the weapon she was using in


    her hands right now. It was an incredibly powerful weapon.


    "So it''s the same weapon then," Liam said, and the others had overheard him. "But that weapon is mega powerful, I understand if a n or Alter had something like this, but how did a religion have something like this in their hands, and why?"

 Chapter 958: Finding out the Truth of Everything

    Chapter 958: Finding out the Truth of Everything


    ?


    The trio had listened to Raze''s story in a bit more detail from Harbour and the others. They learned of his great feat of even repelling one of the Demonic Faction ns that had attacked the ce.


    Which in turn hadter been the reason why the town of Flendon was left abandoned in the first ce. It was interesting for all of them to hear what Raze had done, and just like their experience of him, sometimes he sounded like a hero, while other times he sounded like a viin, it just depended which side one was on.


    After that, they had obtained information on where the closest Rylon Church was. In a nearby medium-sized town, that wasn''t too far.


    "You won''t need to worry about the n there," Bargo said. "They will listen to you before they listen to the Church even if they are a big organization. It''s just the ns never want to deal with that stuff and sometimes they seem a bit crazy."


    "Also, there''s the rules of civilians and warriors not meant to get involved with each other." The three of them looked at each other nervously, knowing full well that Raze had taken out an entire kingdom. It was surprising that there was still no fallout from all of that.


    Was it just a rumor about Divine beings descending from the sky for doing such a thing, and the kingdom itself had kept it under wraps, which was understandable.


    With that information, the three of them were off, and due to how close the town was, they had decided to walk on foot rather than take a carriage.


    Currently, they were walking through a forest talking about what was ahead.


    "Safa, I was wondering if there is a reason you think Raze wanted to give that device to Anna, and not want the rest of us to get involved, because I feel like things might start to get troublesome," Liam asked.


    "I''m not sure," Safa replied. "We know Raze has bigger issues to deal with, and for me, I feel like this is more a personal matter to begin with. It might be linked with why Raze had gone into the body of my brother."


    "And, I want to find out the truth of what my brother was involved in himself. Maybe Raze asked Anna to do this, because he too wants to find out what is bothering him."


    Safa was thinking about the strange aura she felt surrounding Raze back then. At one point it had even protected her, but why, what was it? How was it even linked to all of this, and the people that at one point had been after her and Raze''s life.


    "Oh oh oh look at what we have here!" A man had dropped right in front of their path. A man with next to no clothes covering his chest with a big sword being held over his shoulder, and he wasn''t alone either.


    Behind him there was a group of at least six people, and looking left and right, they could tell there were several in the trees as well.


    "Come on!" Simyon said. "Bandits... really... I thought we were done with this."


    "Three practically children are traveling on their own with no escort whatsoever," the head bandit said. "And it looks like you guys have some fancy equipment and some fat pouches with you."


    "Should we just chop off his balls?" Liam asked, looking at the others.


    "What so you can keep them as a trophy? Seriously man, I think you should see a therapist about your balls obsession, is it because you don''t have any yourself?"


    Safa sighed as the usual spat between Simyon and Liam had started again. This was the problem with traveling with the usual three.


    "Are you seriously ignoring me now, a bunch of kids, I guess you have no idea how cruel this world can be!" The head bandit said, swinging his sword from the side, ready to strike all of them.


    Until a metal ng sound was heard. The bandit had to blink twice as he didn''t understand what was happening at all. He could see that one of the dark-skinned children had just lifted his hand and it was blocking the swordpletely.


    "You really tried to kill us," Simyon said as he reached towards the beads on his neck. Lightning from his glove started to emit, and then from the beads it linked to his earrings and his whole body was lighting up with blue lightning.


    Simyon quickly moved from his position and pounded the head bandit right in the stomach. While he was in the middle of flying through the air, Simyon quickly went to all of the others and hit them with his fist.


    Simple attacks caused bones to break, and the shock from his body caused them to fly far into the distance.


    Simyon had dealt with therge group quickly, and when he turned around, he could see that Liam had also dealt with those that were in the trees.


    His swords were floating above his back, and grabbing one he threw it at the tree hitting a person right in the chest and causing them to fall onto the floor.


    "That''s thest of them," Liam said.


    "Right, I didn''t think we would have to deal with things like that anymore, but I guess we don''t have a name for ourselves like that of the Dark Magus," Simyon said.


    "Ohh good point!" Liam said. "Why don''t wee up with some nicknames to spread our name."


    Safa walked past the bandits, and looked behind Liam and Simyon, seeing what they had just done. Maybe they didn''t realize it, but they were incredibly strong.


    The bandits were Pagna warriors, and they had dealt with them just like that with no trouble at all. With them always trying to catch up to Raze all the time, they felt like they were weak but it wasn''t the case at all.


    She had to remind herself that it was all of them that were stalling Sha Mo for as long as possible. However, Safa herself had done nothing just then.


    Her powers with the spear and Light magic allowed her to heal the others from afar. She was fine with this because she thought she could still help Raze this way, using the power to help


    him.


    But seeing how Liam and Simyon had just performed, maybe she could use Light magic more offensively.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''The spear that I got was from the Rylon Religion. If they have items like this, then maybe there''s a chance that they have more things that I can use as well.''


    Looking straight ahead, as they exited the forest and stood atop a hill, they could see the town below, and a church located in the city. She was ready to find out the answers about her real brother, how Raze came to this world, the death of her family, and all about the bloody woman that followed them.

 Chapter 959: A bloodbath

    Chapter 959: A bloodbath


    ?


    Entering the town on their own, the two guys couldn''t stop turning their heads and using their coin to buy snacks, ornaments, and more. It had been a long time since they were able to just do this.


    To just enter a town, or a city and enjoy it for what it was. Even though they knew they were here for a reason. As for the second thing, it was the first time they had money avable as well.


    It seemed like not just Simyon but even Liam had lived a life that was filled with poverty, especially the way they were spending coin.


    "Can you guys cool it a little?" Safa asked. "We don''t even have a ce where we can put all of this stuff."


    "Don''t worry, I paid a carriage man to look after our excess items and we can use him to head back as well. I don''t think it''s a problem," Liam said.


    "Yes, but you guys are using the money that Raze got, it''s not really our money. He gets allowances from the ns, and he also makes a lot of money from selling his creations. You''ve seen how much he works doing those things in his spare time," Safa said.


    For a moment both Liam and Simyon felt guilty, and after giving their items away, they quickly followed Safa again, and turned their heads more straight onto the task.


    "So what are we going to do, are we just going to head into the Rylon Religion and try to do some detective work?" Liam asked.


    "Or maybe we can wear disguises, or pretend that we want to be members. Sneak around and find out what they''re up to!" Simyon suggested.


    "No, that would take too long," Safa replied. "First, I think it''s best we pay a visit to the local n."


    The three were standing in front of arge red door surrounded by a wall, and two guards stood out front. It was the local n of the area, the Force n.


    "We are here from the Dark Faction Academy," Safa imed. "We would like to have a meeting with your leader. Please let him know we are here."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two guards looked at each other, and smiled, they then looked up and down what practically looked like three children in front of them.


    "Yeah, and erghh I''m best friends with the Dark Magus, go home kids," the guard said, and the two of them chuckled.


    "Seriously?" Simyon asked. "Is this going to happen every time?"


    "This is why I told you, we need a name for ourselves man. Something that everyone can hear!"


    "AHH!" The two boys heard screams of pain as they were discussing, and they could see that Safa was holding the spear in her hand. She had whacked one in the leg breaking it, and the other in the face, and mmed his body against the wall causing him to fall to the ground. Right after, she wasted no time as she walked in.


    The air around Safa had changed since she had entered the town, and the two needed to quickly follow her lead.


    They entered the small courtyard that was filled with trees and nts, and the building in front of them with many members turning their heads to look at what was taking ce. One of the guards outside who had been hit in the face, shook his head before shouting. "Intruders... we have intruders attacking us, hurry!" The man shouted at the top of his lungs. Quickly, many of the warriors that were on the inside had rushed and had ced a formation around them. They drew their weapons ready to fight.


    "Maybe we just need to look at this as training, and it reminds me of the time when we had to raid all those other ns," Liam added.


    Due to themotion, it was clear that the head of the n moved from inside the building. He pushed the sliding door to the side and walked out onto his banister looking at the situation.


    He squinted his eyes as he looked at the three in the centre.


    "You fools what are you all doing, put your weapons down!" The n Head said.


    Hearing the n Head shout like so, the other warriors immediately put their weapons down. The elder then rushed out, and when in front of them, he ced his knees on the ground. "Please forgive my n members, your appearance is not known to many," the man said. "Please forgive me!" In that moment raising his own hands the n Head started to p himself, at the side of his face hitting his cheeks.


    He hit them so hard blood was appearing from his mouth. The others watching had no clue what was going on, and then Safa eventually grabbed the Elder''s hand, and with her other hand glowing she treated his cheek with her Light magic.


    "You don''t have to do this, it was us who came here unannounced," Safa said.


    The elder remembered well, the Force n was also affected by the great attacks that had urred, and he did well to remember every single person that stood next to the Dark Magus. Not only was he afraid of these three individuals but also the Dark Magus himself.


    Seeing how their elder was reacting the two guards at the front couldn''t help but gulp at the scene, wondering what they had done.


    "Please tell me, what is the reason you havee to visit us today, is there anything we can do to help?" The elder asked.


    The healing on the cheek hade to an end, and Safa leaned back up.


    "I came here to inform you that we will be investigating the Rylon Religion. I thought it was only right that we would inform the local n here of what we are going to do."


    "I want to tell you, that whatever happens, to not get involved, and to keep all of the public away as much as possible."


    Safa turned away without hearing an answer, and the other two followed her.


    Hearing those words there was only one thought that was going through the elder''s mind. "It''s going to be a bloodbath," the elder mumbled.

 Chapter 960: Enter The Rylon Religion

    Chapter 960: Enter The Rylon Religion


    ?


    Safa had exited from the n base and was already making her way back through the town''s street, and she had one ce on her mind, the church spire that could be seen up in the sky.


    She was quick in her stride, and Simyon with Liam weren''t too far behind.


    "Hey, are you a little worried about her?" Liam whispered. "I mean, she seems to be a bit different. Like she has too much emotion involved in all of this. I''ve never seen her act like this, although it''s not that I''m saying I don''t like this side of her."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was usually then when Simyon would disagree with Liam, to tell him he was talking crazy, or he was thinking with other round objects in his body, but he had to admit, even he was worried.


    "Safa," Simyon said as he caught up and was walking by her side. "What was the point of doing that to the n? I thought we might be using them, and we''re heading to the church now, so are we going to sneak in, or what? I need to know, we need to know so we can help." Safa continued to walk forward as she went on to talk.


    "ording to the report, just like my hometown, deaths of several families have urred. I don''t know if the n is involved or not, but they should be well aware of what is happening."


    "There is a good chance that the n might have set up some type of deal with the religion to turn the other way. I don''t want things to be harder for us. Our visit just then was to tell them not to get in our way."


    Safa could feel that this whole thing was linked, and she was getting upset, as images would return to her mind of her having to hide that day when her family died, when everything was taken away from her.


    When she had no power, but now she had the power to fight back, to go after these people, and she wasn''t going to hold back.


    The current Rylon religion was located in the city. Taking a turn around the corner, they could see several peopleing in and out. They just looked like ordinary citizens and weren''t even Pagna warriors.


    At least not from what they could sense. Simyon wanted to stay back and observe a bit more, but that was when Safa walked forward.


    "With the system, you can tell right, you can tell if someone is lying?" Safa asked.


    "Right... I can tell," Liam said.


    "Good, thene on, let''s head inside."


    All three walked up to therge double doors that were already swung open. There was a man standing on the outside wearing a yellow robe, and he saw the three quickly walk past.


    "Wait, I haven''t seen you three before, if you are not part of the Rylon Religion, you need to register first before entering!" the man shouted.


    Liam turned around with a smile.


    "It''s not a good idea to get in our way, so I''m going to help you for now." Grabbing the open wooden door, Liam then swung it, and the door crashed into the member that was trying to chase them.


    It made a slight bang, which caused those inside the church to turn around and have a look at just what was going on.


    After entering through the double doors, they were immediately in the main hall, where there were several benches for those to sit at, at the back a stand, and an image of arge sun with various beamsing off it in different directions.


    On the stage, there was another man in yellow clothing.


    Safa wasted no time, as she continued to walk down the middle of the aisle between the two sets of benches. Some of the guests were already leaving, worried for what was to happen.


    Eventually, Safa stopped in the middle.


    ''I can feel a tingling sensation from the Lux Spear. What is it reacting to?'' she thought, the energy inside this ce?


    "Recently there have been a number of missing people, deaths, as well as family deaths and more that have urred in this town," Safa said, with no care for the people around them. "I''vee here to ask you if you are anyway involved in these deaths!"


    After asking her question, out from the halls and the pirs on the side, several more men and women wearing orange robes hade out from the sides.


    "What atrocities are you speaking of, we would do no such thing, you are scaring the people, get out of here!" the man on stage shouted.


    Safa then looked at Liam, who had only one word.


    "Lie."


    "It looks like we''re in the right ce after all then," Simyon said, as his eyes were darting around. For some reason, he didn''t think these church members were just regr members who didn''t know how to fight.


    Safa then tapped the side of her head in that moment, activating her god eyes. She could see it - a flow of magic that was appearing from each one of them. It was small but it was on their clothes as well as the rest of their bodies.


    When she looked around, she could see a concentrated mass of it under the church as well, in the underground floor. She knew where she needed to go next. When looking up though, she noticed something else: on every single one of the church members, underneath their robe, they had a finger-sized tube hidden.


    It was glowing with energy, and it was the same type of energy that she used, light magic was condensed inside.


    The church members were asking all of those inside to get out quickly, and when thest of the public were out, they closed both of the doors.


    "This is the first time in a long time we have had someone so brazen enter our doors!" the man said as he reached in for the finger-sized vial, and so did the rest of the members.

 Chapter 961: Praise The Sun God

    Chapter 961: Praise The Sun God


    ?


    All of those that were wearing yellow had the small vials in their hands. They then ced them to their mouths and ripped apart the top with their teeth. Right after, they gulped down the contents inside.


    "I have a feeling that those things aren''t so good, so let''s try and stop them!" Liam said as he cloned his sword, and then hurled it in the air right toward one of the men in yellow.


    With Liam''s Qi strength and also the nano robots in his body, the sword went through the air fast and was able to pierce and deal with next to no one.


    When the sword got close to the man, his eyes glowed white, and expanding out of his body was great energy. It exploded and hit the sword causing it to flip and fall to the floor.


    "What was that?" Liam asked.


    Safa already had the answer.


    "It''s magic, they''re using magic!"


    The mages from all different directions lifted up their palms. Their eyes started to glow and beams of energy were shot out toward the trio. Quickly all three of them split apart, as they went to dodge the attacks.


    Liam swung his sword hitting one of therge beams of energy and needed to use his Qi to push back against an attack, while another started toe his way. He had to quickly roll out of the way of the other iing beam and due to theming from so many different directions, he had no idea where to roll or how to even get close to one of the warriors.


    "These beams, I have a feeling they''re going to hurt quite a bit if they hit me!" Liam shouted. There was one person though that wasn''t so much afraid of getting hit. He had activated his lightning body, ready to zap himself around the room to deal with each of them. When the beam of energy hit him though, the lightning aura around him started to disappear.


    A burning sensation could be felt on the outside of his skin. However, he wasn''t badly hurt. "What are these guys then, are they mages or what?" Simyon shouted, frustrated he decided to bear the burning sensation, and just ran toward one of the men.


    One of the men was quite surprised and focused his constant beam on Simyon. Several of those close started to do the same, and pushed back Simyon''s body with the beams.


    His advance had eventually stopped and Simyon was screaming as he tried to push forward. "ARGHHH!!"


    As for Safa, she was observing everything, while avoiding the beams as well, and eventually she took out her spear. She spun it in her hands as a beam of energy came from the front. When it hit the spear, the energy coated around it.


    It almost looked like the spear itself had absorbed the energy, and she could feel even greater power in her.


    ''It is the same type of magic, it''s Light magic, and the Lux Spear can do some impressive things, I wonder if it can do something simr back!''


    Stopping the spin of her spear she then thrusted it forward and Light magic appeared out of the tip. She often used this power to heal others but now she was using it as a force.


    It hit one of the robed men and lifted them off their feet until their body crashed into the wall causing them to pass out.


    The other robed men had no clue what was happening and started to focus their attacks on Safa, but spinning her spear she was able to block them and redirected the energy sts toward them.


    This finally gave Liam a chance to use his swords in his throwing manner as well. Even attracting them to a fallen point from before.


    Eventually, Simyon had pushed through and grabbed one right by the waist and ran into the wall with another, and then, there was only one left in the room.


    Safa leapt from her position and reached the stage, she stabbed the spear right in the man''s shoulder and pinned him upright against the wall.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What is going on here right now? What is the Rylon religion doing!" Safa asked. "Why is it that you guys can use magic? What''s going down in the underground basement."


    The old man who had been stabbed in the shoulder, he just smiled andughed, his eyes shined bright, and Safa could see it, his own magic from within him, it was burning him up inside, it was taking his own life.


    "Our sacrifice is for the Sun God!" were the man''sst words, before his life had ended.


    "I thought I would get more answers," Safa said as she pulled out her spear, but wondering what had happened to the man, she tapped the side of her head and activated her god eyes once more.


    She could see trails of magic not justing from the man, buting from every single one of the members that they had taken out. The trails of magic were leading down, to the same area she had seen before, they were going down to the basement.


    "Come on, let''s see what''s going on!" Safa said, as she rushed ahead, and the two boys followed.


    "Good work there, strong body man!" Liam chuckled. "I saw you managed to at least take one out."


    "If Safa didn''t do all of the work, then you would have taken none out," Simyon shouted back. Safa eventually led them to the staircase and they had quickly gone down the stairs. A foul stench wafted into their faces, a smell that they were familiar with before. Going underground, it was a familiar feeling to their past experience as well.


    When they eventually reached the bottom, Safa raised her hand and Light magic was cast allowing them to see the whole scene.


    "Just what were they... doing?" Simyon asked.


    The underground basement was filled with bodies. Bodies had been piled up in the corner. Blood was sttered across the floor, as if they had been sacrificed. Then oddly there was a chair centered around the back.


    If it was the first time the group had seen something like this, they would have struggled but, it wasn''t the first time for them, but it still came as a shock.


    As Safa moved forward, she went to the chair ced in the centre. There was a man sitting in the chair tied up, his life had already been taken from him, but she noticed something on the


    ground.


    "I''ve seen these before, in the books that Raze lent me. It''s a magic circle." Safa said.


    "What does it do?" Simyon asked. "What were they doing here with all of this?"


    "I have no idea. Liam, can you make note of this magic circle every single detail? There''s one person that will know what this magic circle will do."


    "Raze right, maybe he can shed some light on what was happening." Liam said. "I''ll make note of it, I''ll be able to draw it perfectly again. But what are we going to do now, go back to the n, head back to the academy and see if Raze is there."


    "No." Safa answered. "It''s clear the Rylon religion is up to something, that''s obvious. I think we might be able to find more answers at the other churches. I want to head to my hometown, the closest church to my hometown. I''m sure we''ll find answers then."


    Just as they were leaving the ce, Liam noticed something in the dark.


    It was scratched out on one of the walls.


    "Praise the Sun God, praise the Grand Magus...?"

 Chapter 962: All Roads Lead to One Place

    Chapter 962: All Roads Lead to One ce


    ?


    Anna had left the Dark Faction Academy for a while now, with one task on her mind, and that was to find Charlotte. It was the request of Raze, and more importantly, it was something she knew Himmy would have wanted as well.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although part of Alter, like her, she had abandoned it and was on the run. When Rayna had given the order to get rid of all of those belonging to Alter, Anna had also eliminated said members. Charlotte was in the Dark Faction-that was the most likely probability.


    From those she had interrogated so far, some were on her trail, following her from town to town, but she always managed to give them the slip now or then.


    Right now, Anna was walking through the streets of a rather small town, thest location someone from Alter had seen her.


    ''Charlotte did well to avoid them. I guess Himmy had taught her well, and with her magic she could give them the slip rather easily,'' Anna thought. ''But things have gotten incredibly hard now. With all of the deaths of Alter members, I doubt there are any left in the Dark Faction.''


    ''Either they''re dead, or have already pulled out of the area, so there''s no one I can really interrogate anymore.''


    Anna was slightly worried as well. The sad part about all of this was Charlotte was probably still living in fear, afraid that at any point and time someone from the organization would be out to get her, even though it was perfectly safe.


    Eventually, Anna looked at one of the buildings and then jumped up from her position, using part of the housing as footing, andnded on the t roof. She looked out over the town to see what there was close by.


    "I have to think of all of this logically. With how much time she''s been on the run, she would have run out of money. So she had to survive somehow?" Anna started to calcte, and with help from her system she could figure a lot of these things out.


    She observed the mostly red rooftops of the houses, and even saw a small n.


    ''If I remember correctly, the n here is known as the Red Brigade, but would the warriors know anything? They would have gotten the order to take out those from Alter as well, right?''


    It was the only lead she had, and so she decided to venture out to the local n base. Upon arriving, there wasn''t much problem with Anna going in through the doors.


    The guards had told her to wait a few moments as they ventured and got one of the elders from the inside. After, they had invited Anna inside and were willing to answer any questions she had.


    "So you say that you were ordered toe here by the Dark Magus?" the elder asked.


    "Not quite. I''m looking into something, but it could be rted to the order you received recently," Anna exined. "I''m looking for a woman with orange hair. She''s quite short and appears to have passed through this town."


    "If you don''t know anything, I was hoping that there might be others that do know something -the members of Alter."


    The man stroked his beard and shuddered slightly as he heard the name.


    "I''m afraid Alter members haven''t visited this town for quite a while. I believe it was since that incident, where a man wearing long clothing had entered. Come to think of it, I believe that woman also had bright orange hair that was with him at the time?"


    Anna blinked a few times. An orange-haired duo with arge man-that sounded exactly like Himmy and Charlotte, but how was that possible? She had seen Himmy''s head.


    "But that was months ago, and it seems like you are looking for someone who was here more recently. Since then, no people from Alter have answered our call," the elder exined.


    Anna somewhat sulked as she realized that it must have just been a mission that Himmy and Charlotte were on in the past, a mission that had been done without her. With nothing else, all she could do was guess what Charlotte would do, and try to follow her movements.


    "Thank you for your time," Anna said, standing up and giving a bow, getting ready to leave.


    The old man suggested he escort her out, feeling bad about what happened. As they walked through the open area toward the gate, Anna thought about asking the old man what had happened back then, to have Himmy and Charlotte here, but there was amotion at the gate.


    "Please, I need someone to help me! I just need you guys to listen to me!" a voice pleaded. "Just rx, young one. The elder is currently in a meeting. We will inform him of your problems, but you just have to wait," the guard replied.


    "We can''t wait! If we wait any longer, who knows what will happen to her. Please, I can''t do anything by myself, I can''t, I can''t!" the young man continued to plead.


    Anna, walking with the elder, waved the man off; she didn''t need an escort and informed him that he could deal with the kid''s problems. Maybe another person would have stopped to listen to the young one''s worries and helped out.


    But Anna had her own problems, and she was in the middle of something herself-not that if she wasn''t she would have helped; she was just not that type of person. As Anna walked past, she continued past the young man on his knees, and the elder had eventually reached the walls.


    "Please, you have to help me!" the young man pleaded. "My friend, she was taken by the church. The one just up the hill. I need warriors, we need warriors to save her. They''re strong, and they''re using strange powers, like some type of magic. Please, you have to help them."


    The elder wished tofort the young man, as in this state there wasn''t much he could do, and the church wasn''t even part of the town''s jurisdiction in the first ce. For n members to get involved would be a hard task.


    "Did you say magic?"


    The boy looked up, a bandage covering one of his eyes, at the strange woman in front of him.


    "This girl, your friend that you''re talking about, she didn''t happen to have orange-colored hair, did she?" Anna asked.

 Chapter 963: The Sun God Revealed

    Chapter 963: The Sun God Revealed


    ?


    Slowly, Charlotte''s eyes started to flutter open. At first, she could only see a blur in front of her, as her eyes were out of focus. All of the energy felt like it had been drained out of her body and was still being drained now. Her body didn''t even want to focus on what was in front of her and around her.


    Using what will she had, she attempted to move her hands, but it was impossible. All she could tell was they were behind her back, and she could feel her feet nted on the ground.


    ''Am I in some type of chair, tied up?'' Charlotte thought, but even her mind was foggy due to her energy levels being low. ''I can''t even muster up any mana or anything. What happened? I can''t even remember properly.''


    Although she didn''t remember how she had gotten here, wherever here was, she was remembering what had urred before.


    ''I was helping Sunder out. Those from the Church, they were attacking him, just like I thought they would, and then they all used that illegal substance-it gave them magical powers.''


    Charlotte was a 3 star mage, and she was quite versatile in her magic abilities. She could deal with one who had magical powers, but multiple ones were a tall task.


    The moment she had been struck from behind by the strange power, more beams of energy were hitting her. As ast resort, she had decided to muster all of her Wind magic and blow Sunder as far away as she could. After hended off in the distance, thest thing she saw was him running away to the city.


    ''Wait, that''s not quite right. They didn''t even bother to chase after Sunder. It was after they had learned that I was a mage, they decided to focus on me instead.''


    Finally, her vision was bing clearer, and her other senses were starting to work as well. A foul stench had filled her nose. Her vision returning allowed her to see she was in a dark room; it was dimly lit with a few lights in the corner from some sort of glowing stones.


    However, she wished she couldn''t see, as the sight in front of her was a tragedy. Countless bodies were on the floor, their bodies either pierced through the stomach or slit by the throat, lying on the floor.


    Her gag reflex almost activated, but it was almost as if her body couldn''t even do that. She couldn''t throw up due to how weak she was feeling.


    "Mm!...Mmm!..Mm!"


    Turning her head to the side, Charlotte noticed that she wasn''t alone in the room. Her guess was correct; she was sitting in a chair, tied up, her hands close to the back of the room, but in the space there were two more, who had blindfolds on, as well as their body parts tied.


    The thing was, Charlotte recognized them.


    "You two, you''re from the Church as well... they brought you here as well, what for?" Charlotte wanted to shout out; she wanted to use her magic to cut their bindings and get answers, but there was nothing.


    Looking around to see if there was something she could use, that''s when she spotted a poor boy down by her side, already life lost from him.


    "No... Harper... Harper... no... no, no!" Charlotte thought as she shook her head frantically. She didn''t want to look at the young boy, who had no reason to lose his life, but when she did, she noticed there was something different about Harperpared to the rest.


    For one, there were no cuts on his body, no blood, yet his life had clearly ended. When she looked under his body, she could see a magic circle drawn underneath him. It was a formation she hadn''t seen before, and she was too low a star level to even have any idea of what it could aplish.


    When she looked down below her own chair, she noticed the same.


    "A magic formation under me as well, and then there are links."


    A magic circle was drawn around her and her chair. Then branching off, a line could be seen connected to the two that were tied up. Equally, there were two more magic circles around them as well.


    The image, if one was to look from a bird''s eye view, looked a lot like that of the images in the Church-of the sun, and connected links streaming off from it.


    In the middle of her thoughts as she tried to figure out what was happening, she heard footsteps. Eventuallying out from the stairs were three dressed in robes, and at the center of them all was Carl.


    "You... you!" Charlotte tried to go after him, but all she could muster up were a couple of words.


    Carl eventually walked up to Charlotte and stood a few meters away from her.


    "You ruined my ns, you know, but it''s no wonder since you are a mage," Carl said. "It''s the first time I''ve actually managed to get my hands on one."


    "But look at this!" Carl said, pointing toward the two that were tied up. "Because of you, there aren''t enough sacrifices to perform the ceremony. Although, there''s a chance because you''re a mage that things could work better."


    "After all, it''s you mages and your power that are able to form links between different worlds, right?" Carl smiled.


    In all honesty, Charlotte had no clue what Carl was even talking about. Them creating bridges or what this magic circle was for.


    "This ceremony is twofold. We use the sacrifices to call and link with those above. They are always observing and watching us," Carl exined. "Then that goes down and gets stuck in you. After that, we extract the energy from you and deliver it to our Sun God."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "That is your duty-you are to be used as a pass-through project, in order to allow us to gain great strength. It doesn''t always work though, and at times the energy we have is used to make various weapons or tools that we can use as well."


    "Our god has given us a lot, and we have to pay him back for all the miracles he has solved. We pass on all the energy from the realm above to Gizin, our Sun God."


    The moment Charlotte heard the name, she was left with deep confusion. Gizin-a name very familiar in the world of Alterian; there wouldn''t be a single person, mage or not, who wouldn''t know him. As they were thergest supplier of pharmaceuticals for the general public and mages, creating medicine and even special clothing to enhance the lives of the people, he was one of the Grand Magus.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 964: Visiting The Start

    Chapter 964: Visiting The Start


    The trio had finally arrived at the medium-sized vige, and it was a ce that had brought back big memories for a couple of them. Walking down the streets this time, it was the first in their journey where they had seen Safa slow down her pace.


    As they were walking, Simyon pulled Liam by the scruff of his shirt.


    "Hey, I need to mention something to you and it''s pretty serious," Simyon said. "This vige, it''s Safa''s hometown. So she''s going to have a lot of memories and feelings going through this stuff, so calm down on the intensity."


    "What do you mean intensity?" Liam replied. "Are you saying I''m insensitive? I think I''m more aware of things than you."


    Liam wasn''t joking with his reply either; thanks to his system, the subtle movements in the muscle structure of one''s face told him how one was feeling or the emotion they were portraying. Still, it didn''t mean he knew how to deal with it.


    "Also, isn''t this your hometown as well?" Liam asked.


    Simyon shook his head. "The three of us met at the same orphanage which was located close to this town but not really a part of it," Simyon exined. "I was from another vige that was destroyed due to a portal break, and I lost everything. So the town itself, I have no attachment to, and I''ve somewhat dealt with my demons. I''m just not sure Safa has done."


    There was a lot of regret with Simyon originally¡ªhis sister sacrificing herself for him, him not being strong enough to do anything, and wanting to be as strong as the Pagna warrior that saved his life.


    Because of this, he had be a shield, a strong shield, and he couldn''t let the past hold him back but have it try to push him forward.


    While walking around, they had gone down an alleyway, away from the marketce. There were still people selling items but it was with a rag on the floor, handing out vegetables or trinkets for coin.


    As they walked, a few times Safa had even given them coin, without asking for anything in return, and the two boys didn''t say anything.


    Until they had eventually stopped. Safa stared at a wooden house that connected to a row of other houses. It was slightly nted on its side.


    "Is this your old home?" Simyon eventually asked.


    Safa nodded and continued to look at the door, until it creaked open. She saw a young child inside wearing just a long shirt that covered their knees; it was filthy. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Mum, there''s a few strange people outside staring at our house!" the young boy shouted.


    "Come on, let''s go," Safa said, as they wandered off.


    "Wait, don''t you want to go inside and have a look around?" Simyon asked.


    "What I''m wondering is if they aren''t family members then how did they even get inside the house," Liam added.


    "It doesn''t matter; most likely they learned of what had happened. I don''t even know who got the rights to the house after our parents passed away and we moved from that. I don''t think there are many that would want to live in a house of death anyway," Safa said. "If it can at least provide some shelter for another family, then that''s fine with me."


    After visiting the house, Safa didn''t say much, but they had grabbed some food to eat, and then she said they should head to the nearby church, which came as a surprise to Simyon.


    "Wait, don''t you want to go anywhere first? Do you want to head to the n, or to the orphanage to see if everything is okay?" Simyon asked.


    Safa shook her head. "That would just be distractions right now," Safa replied. "Right now I want to focus on the task. We know the Red Brigade aren''t involved this time¡ªthey wouldn''t be. Besides, the more time we spend, who knows how many more lives could be lost."


    With the three in agreement, they decided to head off. It had been a while, so Simyon was looking forward to heading to the orphanage again; he thought maybe he could teach them a few things he would have liked to have been taught back then.


    However, as he thought about his hometown and Safa''s ce of origin, a deep thought did enter his mind in all of this, and he had to ask.


    "Liam...what n are you even from? We''ve traveled quite a lot through the Dark Faction and we haven''t run into your hometown, have we? I mean, don''t you want to go home or anything?"


    "Yeah, home, I guess I haven''t gone home. I didn''t even go home during the break, did I? Well, my home is wherever I am, so there''s no need for that. Besides, don''t you think all of this talking is going to slow us down? Come on!" Liam said, going slightly ahead of the other two.


    Now, it was Safa and Simyon that were turning to each other.


    "Did he justpletely avoid the question?" Simyon asked.


    "He did. Come to think of it, we don''t know much about Liam, do we?" Safa replied.


    Liam was the most talented individual not from a big-name family. That was all they knew, and through a series of coincidences he had ended uping along with them and getting the power of a system from another world.


    Although Simyon found Liam incredibly annoying, he had been with them through it all, in every situation always willing to fight. Yet they knew nothing about him, and for a moment both of them felt bad.


    However, the issue at hand that they were going through now was the bigger thing.


    "If he needs to speak to us about it, he will, and when we can we''ll help him as well. It''s because of him I might find out everything to do with my brother," Safa answered.


    They had long exited the town, and now having reached just over the hill, they could see the church in the distance.

 Chapter 965: Getting To The Bottom Of It

    Chapter 965: Getting To The Bottom Of It


    ?


    Since the three could see the Church ahead, it was time for a slight change of ns. There were a few church members that were outside, but since this wasn''t located in the major part of the vige, there looked to be few members that were going in and out.


    "We can do things a bit differently this time," Safa suggested. "We know the Rylon Religion is up to no good. I doubt that it was a one-off considering the linked deaths here as well."


    Using her god eyes, even from this distance she could see a vast amount of manaing off from the building.


    "What we do know is they have to use those strange vials to use magic, so let''s try to get them before they can do that. But be careful-we know that the Lux spear I have was from the religion as well, so there''s a good chance that they could have other weapons like this as well."


    "Alright, but how are we going to sneak up and into the building then?" Liam asked.


    Safa pulled out her spear and swung it in a circr motion.


    "I can use light magic to cause a reflective effect. As long as we move slowly and are in the sunlight, we will practically be invisible to them."


    The spell had been cast, and Safa needed to keep a constant flow of magic to use the spell. It wasn''t too much of a problem for her though, since her special circumstances allowed her to essentially meditate and draw in constant mana and Qi as she moved.


    The amount of mana she would take up using the spell and regain was essentially the same, so it was perfect for them.


    "Wow, this is amazing!" Liam whispered. "We''re practically walking right by them, and they can''t see us at all. Right now I just want to kick them in the balls or something."


    "Will you shut up!" Simyon whispered aggressively. "Although they can''t see us, they can still hear us."


    Thankfully, the group weren''t talking or close enough for the people to hear them, and they eventually made it until they were around the right back side corner of therge church-like building.


    Standing in the shadow of the building, the spell would no longer work.


    "Alright, let''s climb this and enter from above. We should be able to stay hidden...and let''s take them out silently, but we need to make sure to keep one of them alive-we need answers." Safa wanted to correct her own words; it wasn''t **we**, it was **her**.


    She wasn''t doing this to be some hero of justice saving people from the Rylon Religion. Otherwise, they would have traveled to several other churches in the other Dark Faction cities. Maybe Safa could have informed Rayna to do the same to them as they had done to the churches. She was doing this because she needed to find out the truth and she felt like she was so close.


    As powerful Pagna warriors, climbing the jagged-shaped church was rtively easy. They would only need a small point that was sticking out to lift their bodies up and ascend the side of the church.


    When they had reached the very top, there was a balcony of sorts linked to the outside, along with a door. Liam walked forward and broke it with ease, and in a way that made practically no noise.


    As they moved into the building, they now could see everything from above. They could see the familiarrge reception hall, but it was several feet down to the bottom.


    All three of them kept hunched up and decided to split up. While Simyon and Liam walked around the edge of the balcony observing the situation, Safa took a different tact; she waited for the right time when no one was looking and dropped down onto the ground.


    She saw one of the orange-robed men walking down the hallway, and she had decided to keep up with him.


    She continued to follow the man going to who knows what.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing this, Liam quickly hurried to where Simyon was making aplete circuit of the balcony that went around the main area of the room.


    "Hey, she''s gone off on her own. I thought we would try and take out everyone in this room first," Liam whispered. "Should we follow her, see if everything''s alright?"


    "Let''s just wait and see. If she isn''t caught or there''s no trouble, then we will continue and take on the others as well," Simyon said.


    It was a strange feeling, attacking people from the shadows rather than head-on. It wasn''t what they were used to, but they understood why it was necessary in this situation.


    It was at the same time, though, that just outside of the Church, two individuals were walking up and appearing.


    "So this is the ce, kid?" Anna asked.


    "That''s right, they took Charlotte. She has to be in there-all of them...they all used these strange powers to attack us, you have to help her," Sunder said.


    There was one reason why Sunder went on to trust this stranger he had met. When Anna had asked him about the missing girl that she knew, she had said **orange hair**.


    Sunder had seen Charlotte with her orange hair rather than ck. He imagined it was something that few people knew. At first, he was reluctant due to the people that were after Charlotte-she seemed to be on the run of sorts.


    In the end though, she was already captured, so why not at least give it a chance.


    Back inside the Church itself, Safa had continued to follow one of the orange-robed men who took a turn and went inside his room. He had gone to close the door by just pushing it behind him, but Safa had grabbed it before it shut.


    Not hearing the familiar bang, the man had turned around and saw Safa. She lunged forward at that point and was ready to stab him with her spear.


    "Safa..." the man said, frightened and startled, moving back.


    Safa quickly closed the door behind her and continued to move.


    "How...how do you know my name?" Safa asked.


    "Of course I know your name," the man said. "Your brother...Raze, right? He would talk about you all the time."

 Chapter 966: Everyone Colides

    Chapter 966: Everyone Colides


    ?


    Inside the main church hall, both Simyon and Liam were observing the situation. They were counting how many members there were and waiting for the perfect chance to take them out. It was Liam who was doing the calctions in his head as he sorted through everything he could see.


    "It looks like there''s no perfect option either way," Liam stated. "Due to the amount of them there are, and the angles, if we take out two of them at the same time, someone will spot us. So we''re just going to have to go with it."


    "Or we could be a little patient and wait. It seems like Safa hasn''t acted yet, and who knows if these religion members are going to leave the room or not."


    They waited for the perfect chance. There were around eight members dressed in the colorful clothing. The good thing was there didn''t appear to be any worshippers or ordinary citizens inside the building at the moment.


    But they all wouldn''t stay in one ce for long, Simyon was sure of it. Regardless, though, it wouldn''t matter. A loud m was heard, and the doors from down below were swung open.


    Due to the position both Liam and Simyon were in, they would be seen by anyone who entered, so they quickly moved together from above to the side closer to where the door opened.


    "This church seems to have a problem on its hands, and because of it now I''ve gotten involved," a woman''s voice was heard. "You might have gotten away with things for a long time, but you just happened to capture the wrong person this time!"


    All of those in the room had turned around, and Simyon and Liam wondered who was mad enough to just wander in like they had done.


    "Wait, that''s Sunder!" one of the men said. "He escaped and he''se back with some type of help. Everyone, ready yourselves!"


    Immediately, many of them had grabbed the vials inside their robes and gulped down the liquid, while some had even pulled out small glowing daggers that were glowing with energy. Anna, seeing this, went to charge ahead towards one, and that''s when one of the Rylon religion members threw out both of his hands and a beam of white energy hit Anna right on her body. She could block the hit with her body and some of her own red beam of energying from her hands. But she felt her body soon being attacked in several different other areas as well.


    ''I expected some of them to have magic, but I didn''t expect it to be like this!''


    It wasn''t so much that the magic attacks were hurting her but they were annoying; every time she attempted to move she would be hit, and she couldn''t move too easily due to the particr boy who hade in with her.


    "I... I can help as well," Sunder said as he pulled a dagger and started to charge to the side. He had run behind a pir, making it hard for them to attack him. Then when he was ready he charged forward at one of the men in orange robes.


    Sunder went to strike, but before he could reach the man, with one hand holding the dagger, it started to light up and shine brightly until it hadpletely blinded Sunder and he had no idea what he was running into.


    "We''ve been prepared for an attack for a long time, you thought we wouldn''t be ready!" the man said as he faced one palm of his hand right toward Sunder, ready to light him up.


    Anna was still far too busy with her own situation, that she wouldn''t be able to reach the kid in time. She felt bad, but there was nothing she could do. With him gone as well, she thought she could actually get rid of these guys.


    The beam of energy was shot out towards Sunder, and as he was gaining his eyesight back he saw iting towards him, until a sh of blue light and the hairs on his body stood up.


    His view was blocked by the blue image in front of him and so was the attack.


    "Don''t worry, you can stay behind me and you''ll be okay!" a voice said.


    Right after, Simyon had grabbed part of the wall to the side, and pulled it out and hurled it right toward the warrior. The warrior attacked part of the wall, disintegrating it to bits, but he could no longer see the intruder, because Simyon was right behind him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With an attack right to the back of his neck, the man had passed out falling straight to the ground. At the same time, Anna suddenly was feeling she had a lot less pressure on her, as attacks were dwindling one by one.


    She could hear loud groans and when she saw what happened, she could see several swords had been thrown and were now lodged into the enemies'' backs. Eventually dropping down onto the stage was a person she recognized.


    "Liam... and Simyon, what are you two doing here?" Anna asked.


    "We actually wanted to ask you the same thing," Simyon said. "It''s good you came though, that was a lot easier than we thought because you two were such a big distraction for them. We worried that would actually be hard work."


    The two had eventually gotten into the center, and as they moved Liam pointed toward the dead bodies and raised his eyebrows. Simyon knew what he was getting at; Liam had once again taken out more than him.


    "Man, how can he evenpare like that? In the first ce I''m a defense person not an offense person," Simyon sulked.


    "About your question... we''re looking into matters with Safa, which is why we''re here," Simyon answered.


    "Oh... I''m on the trail, looking for Charlotte," Anna replied. "That''s why I''ve been away. It''s quite a coincidence we''ve both ended up here in the same ce. The world is truly small. But I have to ask, if Safa is with you, where is she?"


    Both Liam and Simyon had a worried look on their faces; Safa had been gone for a while now, and they had no clue what was going on.

 Chapter 967: Her Borthers Dark Secret

    Chapter 967: Her Borther''s Dark Secret


    ?


    Inside the Rylon church, down the hallway in one of the secluded rooms where the core members could have time to themselves for changing or praying as well as other activities, Safa had entered the room following a single member.


    She didn''t quite trust that Simyon or Liam would be able to keep someone alive for questioning, so she decided to take it into her own hands and saw the perfect opportunity. When she had been caught stopping the door from closing, she never expected to hear wordse out from the Rygon religion member''s mouth.


    "Safa!" the man said, startled, a bead of sweat dripping down his face as his eyes stared at the spear in her hand.


    Using her foot, she reached out and closed the door before asking her own question.


    "How... how do you know that name, how do you know my name?" Safa said, making sure the tip of the spear was pointed at the Rylon religion member. She was well aware of what they were capable of, so she wanted to have his hands up where she could see them.


    "Of course I know you," the man said with a smile, and gulped down his saliva to the point his Adam''s apple was quite prominent when sticking out. "I know you because of your brother; he would often talk about you."


    "You look just as he said you did¡ªa silent beauty with long ck silky hair. The two of you also have a simr resemnce."


    If it was any other person, or any other time, Safa might have let her guard down and dropped her spear slightly, but she knew fully what these people did, what they were capable of doing.


    She then decided that it wasn''t time to be ying games and shoved the spear right through the man''s shoulder.


    "Ahh!" the man screamed.


    "Shut up, or the next one goes through your head!" Safa imed, which made the man instantly shut up.


    "I know you Rylon religion members, what you do, and the strange magic you use. Why do you think I''m even here in the first ce," Safa said. "Right now, I want to know, how do you know my brother, how were the two of you close."


    "If you don''t tell me, I will make your death as painful as possible." At that moment, the tip of the spear lit up, and the wound was seen healing on his shoulder. The skin scabbing over and from the naked eye real progress was made.


    Yet, Safa turned the spear and dug it in deeper, causing the same pain to vibrate through his body again. Healing him, and doing the same damage over and over.


    "Alright, alright!" the man said. "But you have to promise to let me go if I tell you anything." Safa was ready to turn the spear once again at that answer, until the man started to speak.


    "The Rylon religion picked him up and brought him from the streets," the man exined. "Raze said he was a runaway from his family, so we decided to look after him and in turn we got close to each other-that''s how I know about him."


    Safa then twisted the spear and shoved it through; now the point could be seen on the other side of his body.


    "Why were our parents killed, what is all of this that he was involved in!" Safa asked.


    "After bringing in your brother, he became part of our religion, part of our goal, and became a dedicated member to serve our sun god."


    The answer wasn''t satisfying to Safa; she wasn''t sure if this was what she wanted to hear, but she needed to, and wanted him to go on.


    "The goal of the Rylon religion is to harvest energy from the realm above-the Divine realm. Through rituals and incantations along with sacrifices, we summon Divine warriors into bodies down below into a host."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "When a host is forced from the realm above they are usually weak but their energy is strong. We then harvest the energy from the host and pass it on to our sun god."


    It looked like Safa was ready to turn the spear again, and the man could tell she was getting impatient.


    "Your brother, he agreed to be a host in the end, he agreed to use your family as sacrifices, but I don''t know what happened, whether he got cold feet or changed his mind, because you are still alive."


    "The ritual, it must have ended with failure with everything that happened."


    Safa thought about it; the attachment that was currently on Raze, was that a Divine being? Was that something that came from the realm above that attached to her brother''s body? Was The then going to go back to the church?


    Or was it that the ritual had failed, and in turn rather than a Divine being taking over her brother''s body, instead, the current Raze from Alterian had done so?


    With it all though, she couldn''t imagine it, her older brother doing that?


    "You tricked him, you tricked him into doing it, you sick people!" Safa shouted.


    "No, we didn''t trick him!" the man pleaded. "We informed him of what needed to be done, we informed him of it all. He agreed to help us if wepleted his request; for just a month he wanted to live a life of luxury."


    "A life where he could eat what he wished and not go hungry, a life where he could buy any items on the streets that he wanted, and not worry about where the next coin woulde from."


    "We provided it for him, and he decided to be fullymitted to the goal of our religion as a host!"


    "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Safa said as she pulled her spear out and then shoved it right through the man''s head, killing him on the spot.


    Was this the truth she sought? That her brother had given up her family''s lives, and everyone else just for that? Was that all their lives were worth to her brother, who she saw in a good


    light?


    ''Why Raze... why am I the only one left alive?''


    The sound of the door creaking was heard, and Anna, along with the others, had entered from behind. They saw Safa turning her head to look at them with tears falling down her eyes.

 Chapter 968: Pure Panic

    Chapter 968: Pure Panic


    ?


    In the underground cer, Carl was making a fewst touch-ups to his preparations. Charlotte was still tied up to a chair with the magic circle beneath her, and then there were the two other so-called volunteers that were ced in their own magic circles as well.


    He carried severalrge ss jars and ced them just behind where Charlotte was sitting.


    "This bit will hurt slightly," Carl said with a smile as a needle was ced into the top of Charlotte''s hand and then some sticky substance on top of it. Oddly, the flow of blood didn''te down the tube that was currently inserted into Charlotte and into the containers.


    The same was then done with her other hand. Not too far off to the side, Charlotte had also noticed other containers with strong glowing magical energy.


    ''These aren''t regr containers, have they been enchanted with a spell, or some type of magic to keep the energy in, and that energy doesn''t feel normal either; it''s the same stuff they used in the small vials, but it looks like several litres of the stuff are inside.''


    Looking around, Charlotte couldn''t find what she was looking for. Judging by what Carl had said earlier, she gathered that the energy had to be transported elsewhere but how. Was it through another magic circle, a portal elsewhere, or were they to be physically transported? ''I don''t know why I''m trying to figure out what''s going on here, when I have a bigger problem. How am I going to get out of this situation myself!'' Charlotte thought.


    Carl, after setting all the preparations, then stood there for a few moments; he looked at Charlotte and was tapping his foot.


    "What is taking them so long?" Carl said out loud. "All they need is two more people. Is it such a hard thing to do? If they are cking, then I will just use one of them myself."


    It was quite clear judging by the dynamic she had heard them speak of since her captivity, Carl was somewhat of a higher-ranking member.


    Charlotte then witnessed Carl walking off, and heading into the darkness and eventually the sound of him ascending the staircase.


    ''Come on! Come on, I have to do something right!'' Charlotte thought. She moved her fingers slightly and was able to cast a small amount of wind magic, but it did nothing to break the ss jars away from her.


    In the room, there was nothing else, apart from the bodies of others as well.


    ''Is it just because I''m me, that this has happened, being cast into this world alone! Why was I sent to Pagna! I can''t deal with this like Himmy can, I just can''t, I can''t!'' She wanted to cry, and in the end she felt like she needed to give up, it was the only thing she could do.


    Carl reluctantly dragged his feet as he walked up the stairs; he did so ready to give a mouthful to all of the members. They were one of the top-performing churches, and they needed to keep it that way.


    When he reached the top of the stairs and looked down the hallway, he felt like something was up. He tilted his head and tried to look straight ahead, and that''s when he could see something in the main hall.


    A head was lying on the marble flooring, blood spilling from the person''s mouth.


    ''A member has been killed, what is going on!'' Carl went to rush forward, but after taking one step, a realization hade. It was silent, it was deadly silent. Someone else should have noticed something was going on, which made hime to the realization that maybe everyone had been killed.


    Looking closer, Carl had noticed something else on the floor-a broken vial-and it waspletely empty.


    ''They had consumed the substances and still this is the result. This is bad, this is bad, what can I do... what can I do.''


    Turning around, Carl felt like there was only one thing he could do. He turned and decided to run right back down the stairs where he hade from.


    "Hey, there''s one more!" Liam called out, as he looked back into the room with the others. "I''ll go get him."


    Carl had quickly descended down the stairs, and when he entered the cer, he pulled out a dagger. He wasted no time, as he then used it to slit one person''s throat. They copsed on the floor, and blood filled the formation on the ground.


    Moving to the next person, he had done the same.


    Charlotte started to panic seeing this; her heart was beating at an incredibly fast speed. She wondered if the dagger was going to be used to slit her throat next.


    Instead though, she saw that Carl had headed straight for the jar of energy. He lifted it up and turned around.


    "I said stop!" Liam shouted as he threw his sword.


    The others following him had entered right after seeing Liam''s sword in the air.


    The sword continued forward until it had pierced the jar. The substance inside spilled all over Carl, while part of the sword also went into Carl''s body. The substance fell all over, and then dropped to the ground.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Wait, we were meant to keep him alive," Simyon said. "What are you doing?"


    "Don''t worry, I made sure not to pierce him that deep and missed his vitals. These guys are a piece of cake to deal with."


    However, a strange sound and energy was being felt from everyone, and Safa could see it- the energy was spreading through the room from the jar.


    The strange substance then leaked into the magical formation on the ground, started to light up, and it continued until it hadpletely surrounded where Charlotte was.


    When she looked up, Charlotte''s eyes had met with Anna''s, someone she knew, but the fact that the formation was lit up, there was pure panic running through her instead.

 Chapter 969: A Costly Mistake

    Chapter 969: A Costly Mistake


    ?


    Liam was enjoying the little friendlypetition that he was having with Simyon in his head. He had a tally of how many more members of the Rygon Religion he had taken out over his partner. In his mind, it made him a stand-out figure, and he would stand out in Safa''s eyes.


    So when he saw another man wearing orange, he thought it was his time to shine and rushed off after him. He had be incredibly skilled at duplicating and throwing his swords, taking out his opponents, and he had done the same rushing off after Carl.


    Liam was so focused that he didn''t even have a chance to look at the condition of the cer or what was in it, and had just thrown the sword out.


    ''Even though this attack won''t kill him, I''ll still count it as an aplishment over Simyon!'' Looking deep down, maybe it was the fact that Simyon had done a better job when it came to taking on Sha Mo.


    How he had used his body to protect everyone, where his attacks were useless, whereas right now they were working. There was still a smile on his face as he saw the sword pierce through the strange jar and stab Carl in his stomach.


    "What is going on in this ce?" Simyon asked.


    The main thing he noticed weren''t just the dead bodies and foul stench, but how fresh two of the bodies were that were in the room, blood was still dripping out of their bodies.


    "Charlotte!" Anna called out, as she had finally found her target as well.


    Yet it almost felt like it was toote. The strange magical energy that was kept in the jar had spilled onto the ground and touching the magical formation it had activated it.


    "ANNA!" Charlotte wanted to scream, but her voice came out weak. How was she meant to tell Anna to stop the formation?


    Regardless it didn''t matter, Anna was already charging forward.


    ''I don''t know what''s happening but it''s not good. I wasn''t there to help when Himmy needed me. I have regrets that I didn''t spend more time with him when I should have. I have so many regrets that I was too focused on my task. When I lost him it was only then that I realized what I lost.


    ''I was never really close to Charlotte, but if Himmy asked me to save her, I''m worried that I might have that regret again, when she''s right in front of me.


    Due to her work with Alter, Anna hade across a few magic formations before. Although activated, it didn''t seem to be working straight away, and afraid she would get caught up in the spell, instead she positioned her hand opening up her palm.


    A red beam was starting to gather and she fired out toward the floor. She was just going to destroy the formation itself.


    Before the red beam hit the floor, a strange glowing white orangish energy hade out and hit the beam instead. It was the same attack that she had experienced before above ground, only this one was far stronger.


    The moment it met with the red beam of energy it had consumed itpletely and pushed back. It then hit Anna''s hand and caused it to be flung back with arge burning sensation going through her body.


    Before she knew it, she was lifted off her feet as another beam hit her in stomach and shended on the ground now staring at the ceiling.


    The others looked ahead and could see where the attack hade from. It was from the individual who Liam had attacked.


    "He seems a lot stronger than the other ones." Simyon gulped, cing his hand on his beads ready to transform his body.


    For the Rygon religion member known as Carl looked incredibly different. There was a glow that was surrounding his entire body, the wound that had been made on his stomach hadpletely disappeared.


    Yet the energy was flowing from all over to the point where the pupils in Carl''s eyes could no longer be seen, they werepletely white and filled with energy.


    When Safa used her god eyes, it was blinding in the cer; the energy was rampant all over the


    room.


    "So this is it," Carl said looking at his hand. "This is the energy that we pass on to the sun god. For how long have we passed on this power to him, with us only dipping into this nectar now and again.


    "If that container contains this much power, then our god must truly be the strongest individual in existence, we have served him well," Carl said with a smile.


    "It''s the same stuff that was in those small vials, but it seems the container of the stuff has taken over his bodypletely. He has an immense amount of power," Safa exined. Carl then looked at the formation that Charlotte was in, and he scorned slightly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''It''s running quite slow. Is it because of theck of sacrifices, is it not enough to call someone? But this time we have a mage, so there is a good chance that more of the person''s power can be drawn down.


    ''I''ll need to get rid of them all.''


    Liam was ready with his des, and Simyon had already activated his lighting body. Safa had drawn out her spear, hoping she could draw some of the energy out of Carl, but it was a long shot due to therge amount of energy, and finally, Anna had gotten back up off the ground, looking at the frightened Charlotte who could feel the formation doing something, iplete but the fear of a ticking time bomb going off at any moment was causing her to panic.


    They all lunged toward Carl but with a smile on his face he had pulled out a silver orb in his hand. It lit up, and exploded.


    A bright sh filled everyone''s eyes but when it hit them they felt no pain. When the sh disappeared though something very odd had urred.


    Simyon''s lighting body was no longer working. Safa couldn''t feel the energy going through her spear, and for Liam and Anna both of them had received the same messages from their


    system.


    [Error, Error, System is unavable.]


    "What just happened?" Simyon asked.


    "I think... we might have just lost our powers," Liam answered.

 Chapter 970: Losing all Power

    Chapter 970: Losing all Power


    ?


    With Safa''s god eyes, there were a few things that she was able to see: therge flow of mana in the room, the flow of mana around certain individuals and devices, and in particr, what type of mana was being used.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All of the vials that the religious members were taking, including the energy and powers they were using to attack them-all of it was light magic. It was why her Lux sword was acting up as she entered certain ces and why she was able to even counter and control other magics that were being used her way.


    The round sphere-like device in Carl''s hand, she also knew that it was a device that was powered by powerful light magic. Knowing a few light spells herself, she had assumed that the sh of light was to blind one''s opponents and then give them the chance to attack.


    All of them had been blinded by the magic that hade out of the spear. It had a wide range of use, and they felt no pain. This was the case with many light magic spells, as there weren''t too many that could be used as an attack.


    Even the beams of energy that the Rylon religion members were using were more like pure forms of mana to attack rather than light magic spells.


    So then Safa was wondering why, currently she was struggling to gather her mana. She could see it flowing around her, but it was almost as if she couldn''t use her mana core to control it.


    With her mana not working, she next tried to summon her Qi as well, yet this was doing nothing as well.


    She opened her mouth, ready to call out to the others to inform them that something was wrong with her, when Liam spoke instead.


    "I think... we can''t use our powers," Liam stated.


    "What do you mean we can''t use our powers!" Simyon called out, and when he turned his head, Carl had dashed toward him.


    Carl himself didn''t look to be using the magic energy, but his body was still glowing with power. The way he moved was much more like that of a Pagna warrior. He had burst over and with a fist punched Simyon in the stomach as hard as he could.


    "ARGHHH!" A scream came out of Carl''s mouth. "How is your body so hard... I took away your Qi!"


    Simyon could feel it; he no longer had Qi in his body that he could use to power himself. His lightning body and his forms of magic were gone, but his body was reliant on the item he wore. Although he could use Qi to strengthen his body.


    Simyon''s body waspletely refined anew and was more like that of a weapon. So even with strange things happening, his body was incredibly hard even to a warrior''s fist. Out of everyone, Carl had chosen the worst opponent.


    With Carl in front of him, Simyon threw his fist down, but itpletely missed as Carl moved out of the way.


    ''My fists are so slow without Qi... I''m just using my regr body strength!''


    Liam hade and tried to attack from the side, even throwing out his weapon, but Carl shot out a beam of energy from his hands, hitting the duplicated weapon away, then hitting Liam in the stomach and sending him away.


    Safa and Anna, using this opportunity and not worrying what was going on with their bodies, had decided to pincer in Carl, attacking him from both sides.


    ''Even though I don''t have the system to help me out at the moment, I can guess what Safa is doing from all my experience of fighting!''


    The fist and spear were thrown toward Carl, but with both of his hands, he had hit the spear or the sword away, and knocked the fist of Anna away. It had knocked their bodies slightly off bnce. Now Carl''s hand was beaming with energy again, and it burst, hitting both of them. Anna was flung back just like Liam, and the sensation and power was hurting her body a lot more as well. She eventually crashed into the wall, her body feeling sore.


    ''I can tell the nanobots in my body are still working. I don''t have the body of a natural human, but something is definitely up with them. That shouldn''t have hurt as much as it did. Will things be back to normal, and how much longer until they are?''


    However, there was one person who hadn''t been hit back as far as he would have liked; instead, he was right next to her, swinging the spear again. She swung it, hitting the back of Carl. His body jolted slightly but it didn''t hurt much.


    Before Safa could pull it back and thrust the tip, Carl then held onto the spear itself.


    "I see you weren''t affected by the hit from before; was it because of this spear? I feel like I recognize it," Carl said, with arge smile.


    With the great strength in his hand, Carl knew he could still use Qi, while the girl, although having survived the hit, she would be in no way able to help but forcefully allow for the spear to be taken.


    "Don''t let go of that spear, Safa!" Liam shouted andunched himself, grabbing onto part of the body of the weapon. Liam started to pull, as well as Safa, but Carl was still too strong. Carl was ready to yank the weapon when another pair of hands hadnded on the weapon; these were firm.


    "I''m here as well... if he gets this, along with that strange orb he has, who knows what he''ll be able to do!"


    All three of them were pulling as hard as they could but despite that, with no Qi in their bodies, it was a losing battle for them. Carl yanked the spear, causing the three to topple over each other, and when they looked up they could see that Carl now had the Lux spear in his hands.


    And Safa could see the energy shining from his body into the weapon.

 Chapter 971: The Strength Of Light Magic

    Chapter 971: The Strength Of Light Magic


    ?


    Light magic energy worked perfectly with the Lux spear, and it was an item that was originally from the Rygon religion to begin with. Safa''s god eyes were showing her then/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    constant glow of energy surrounding Carl and into the weapon, and she wasn''t sure what they could do at this point.


    "Don''t worry," Simyon said. "We''re going to get your weapon back."


    Safa looked around; she could see Liam was standing ready to go again, and then there was Anna-all of them were ready to go ahead.


    "There''s only one real way we can get him," Anna said. "And get to Charlotte."


    With a smile on his face, Carl lifted the orb in his hand, and the magic started to cause the ball to light up. It covered the whole area, and instead of staring brightly into the light they had all closed their eyes this time.


    Regardless, they could all feel a strange tingling sensation, as if something had been taken from their body. When opening them they could see clearly, but there was no difference from before. Nothing else had been taken.


    "I imagine that it''s on some sort of timer, so he has to keep using it to take our powers away, but it''s not going to matter!" Simyon shouted as he moved in front, and saw a beam of energy being fired from Carl''s hands.


    Simyon tensed his entire body, blocking the hit, and tried to push forward. He continued to, until they had reached a certain distance and Carl had opted to use the spear instead. Magic swirled in the air and surrounded the entire spear, spinning.


    Safa, seeing this, was amazed; she had never thought to use the light magic in this way, to make it a more destructive force of nature, but she didn''t have time to be in awe for long as she dashed to the side.


    She came right from behind Simyon, using his strong body to block the attack. The man seeing this moved his palm and started to fire away as she leapt in the air avoiding the hit, and even diving down onto the ground so the energy had hit one of the bodies instead.


    Her face and clothes were covered in blood from the ground, but it didn''t matter to her; they needed to take down this person to get rid of this target.


    For a moment, while Carl''s focus was distracted not caring for her own hands, Anna had grabbed onto the spear itself. The swirling magic was twisting and tearing off parts of her skin, while the nanobots in her body were doing their best to repair its body in time.


    ''It was quite easy to notice although this person holds a lot of power they''re not used to fighting. That''s probably what happens when someone just bes a member of the church for a long time and does nothing but fighting and captures their targets instead, anyway it''s all up to you now!'' Anna thought.


    Liam had prepared himself and threw several of his swords as hard as he could, even without Qi he had added strength from his own unique body substance. As the swords came out of his hands they hit the foot of Carl, stabbing right through them.


    Liam continued again and again, and eventually had reached Carl''s body, and swung his swords shing at him left and right. The cuts weren''t deep, as Liam could feel some type of invisible force dragging his swords, weakening them before they hit Carl, but it didn''t matter; he needed to continue swinging them and that he did.


    Swing after swing, cut after cut, Carl''s body was bing bloody, but as quickly as it was bing bloody, the cuts were healing. There were next to no cuts on his wounds, and when Carl had even realized this, he had just let out a fit ofughter.


    "Haha, you can''t hurt me, you can''t!" Carl imed. "With both of these items in my hands I am invincible, there isn''t a single person that can stop me!"


    Right after making that im, something strange happened where Charlotte was. The magic formation that was on the ground beneath her, it started to light up brightly and consumed all of her body.


    Charlotte felt arge pain from her head, that forced her head to be lifted into the air. Deafening screams rang out through the room. The screams so loud that everyone was just looking at Charlotte wondering what was going to happen.


    ''The energy I feel now, it''s different, this isn''t Light magic? Is it Qi? No, it almost feels like it''s something else.''


    Carl knew what was up, he had seen it multiple times before; he was a little worried at first that it didn''t work because there weren''t enough sacrifices, but he had a feeling that the power of a mage would be able to suck one of those in, one of those greedy people from above.


    Little did they know that it was all a trap.


    "This is perfect, this is perfect!" Carl said. "And with all of you, maybe I can all use you as hosts as well. Our Sun God will be the strongest being there is. And I will be right there under him."


    "Why does this guy care about someone else?" Liam asked.


    As Anna had long let go of the spear and had backed up, a little frightened at what was about to happen.


    "These people, they have lost all reason a long time ago, there''s no worrying about that, we just have to put a stop to him."


    Anna was deeply concerned about Charlotte, but at this rate all of them would lose their lives. When she turned her head to look at Charlotte she was surprised to see that someone else was standing there as well though.


    "Safa... what is she doing?" Anna thought.


    Safa, in all of the focus, in all of the distraction had crawled through the ground and had reached Charlotte.


    "With this energy, there''s a chance... I think, I might be able to control it!" Safa imed as she stepped into the magic circle formation, and a tingling sensation was felt through her entire


    body.

 Chapter 972 The Smartist Girl

    Chapter 972 The Smartist Girl


    During the fight against Carl, there was a particr thought that was constantly going through Safa''s head¡ªthe word ''useless'' was being repeated over and over. She didn''t want to be useless. In the fight against Sha Mo, she had practically ended up dead.


    Thanks to the Lux Sword, she had received a second chance at life, but that chance wasn''t going toe again. With the way she was, she needed to be stronger in order to help Raze.


    She had learned Light Magic, studied everything she could about it, and would use that to at least support Raze and the team by healing them, but now that she was no longer able to use Light Magic, was she the most useless in the group?


    It was the wondering thought that continued in her mind again and again. She had been called talented by her spear teacher, she had been called talented by Amir for being able to cultivate Qi constantly, but without all of that she knew she was useless.


    Right now, Simyon, Liam, and Anna were picking up the ck. They were the only ones able to do anything, and it wasn''t right. Not only that, because Safa had let go of the Lux Sword, now their opponent was even stronger.


    Although she had promised herself never to be put in the same situation against Sha Mo, she felt like it was worse if all of the others perished. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    So she didn''t care if she was covered in blood, didn''t care if she needed to use the carcasses of the bodies to avoid getting hurt, and didn''t care what she had to bite through or bear the pain¡ªshe was going to help.


    It was just an idea she had in her head, a simple thought and a gamble, but she decided to go around and step right into the magic circle.


    From what she knew, interrupting a magic circle was quite deadly in a few ways. For one, it could interrupt the spellpletely, causing it to st energy to the outside and hurting all those in and out of the circle.


    However, various other things could ur depending on what type of magic circle it was. Seeing with her god eyes that she was still able to use, that it was a type of Light Magic, even though she had no mana she could control, she thought she would be able to flow through it.


    She stepped into the circle at that moment to help Charlotte, and maybe then they could get away, but when stepping into the circle, something else happened instead. Safa couldn''t control the magic at all, at least not yet.


    Instead, Safa could feel it as she dropped to her knees right in the circle. She grunted as she turned her head to look behind her.


    "Safa!" Simyon shouted, and charged forward, but Carl''s body looked to have disintegrated into nothing but energy. As he moved, a constant flow of orange energy was left behind in his path. He appeared right in front of Simyon and shoved the spear deep into his chest.


    Simyon grunted as he held onto the spear, pushing it with his body. The tip had pierced his skin but he was still holding on strong.


    "SAFA!" Simyon shouted out again.


    "Safa, Safa, Safa, are you in love with her or something?" Carl said as the winding magic covered his spear again and spiraled around the entire weapon until it reached the tip. It then forcefully pushed, exploding and ripping arge part of Simyon''s skin off from his chest and chucking him into the air.


    Liam tried to move out of the way but was knocked by Simyon and the two had practicallynded on top of each other.


    "That fool," Carl imed. "Does she not know anything about that circle? She has just decided to be a willing sacrifice instead!"


    This was part of Safa''s worry as well¡ªthat depending on the magic formation drawn on the ground, her entering would mean she was a part of whatever was going on right now. She could feel it; strangely, energy was drawing out of her, but this new energy she could feel, that wasn''t magic or Qi, wasing from somewhere.


    ''Focus Safa, focus, this isn''t why you came here.'' Lifting her hands up, she tapped the side of her head, and activated the god eyes. When she looked, she could see the links in the room¡ªthe flowing of different energies from all over.


    The energy from the sacrifices¡ªred lines that connected to the magic formation. From there, the energy from Charlotte, and the threads that were connecting to above, and all of it¡ªthe Light Magic that was being used.


    "Come on, I thought you were going to save your friend!" Carlughed. He wasn''t even charging forward trying to hurt the others, or Anna that was still very much standing. Instead, he was justughing.


    At the end of the day, all he needed to do was wait until the ritual wasplete, and with two individuals he thought they could gather more energy than ever.


    "Youugh andugh, and although I don''t have my system anymore I can tell you one thing," Anna said. "That girl is the smartest girl that I''ve ever met, and if she went in there, then she would have done so with a n!"


    Safa moved her hands in the air, grabbing threads of energy, and appearing in one of her hands was a small stone statue. A very particr special statue which was now permanently hers and a gift from Raze.


    ''I didn''t want to rely on the statue, as we have to solve the problem ourselves. We have to get stronger, rather than relying on Stoney all the time, but in important situations we have to use him!'' Safa thought to herself.


    The issue was, with the strange item that Carl had originally used, it had stopped her magic from working. With it she was unable to activate Stoney that needed magic in the first ce to work.


    In the dire situation she looked for the one area where magic source was still powerful, so as long as she could use the Light Magic in the formation, she could activate Stoney.


    "Help us, Stoney!" Safa called, and the magic inserted into the statue.


    It immediately started to grow in size, taking on its full form, and the mass amount of Qi energy could be felt. Carl was quite surprised as he could feel the energying off from the statue. If he was to go head to head with it, he wasn''t sure that he could survive.


    "Take him out!" Safa called.


    Stoney immediately stepped out of the magic circle formation, and charged forward toward Carl. Afraid for his life, there was only one thing he could do. The metallic orb in his hand¡ªhe activated its powers, and with a sh, it filled the entire room.


    The others were unprepared so this time they were blinded by the strong light. Slowly they started to open their eyes, and all they could hear was the sound ofughter.


    "Ha¡­ha¡­ha!" Carlughed with his head in the air. "The Sun God has done it again. The items we have obtained because of him is a blessing¡ªlook at its power, it can even stop such things like this! There is nothing that can get in the way of those that support the Sun God!"


    The item that Carl used, just like before which had gotten rid of Safa''s powers, of Liam''s and Anna''s systems and Simyon''s magic items, it had also gotten rid of the statue.


    "Crap, crap, crap!" Simyon shouted. He knew Stoney''s power was great, and with it he would have been able to beat Carl, if it wasn''t for the strange device that he had. If it wasn''t for that, then everything would have been just fine.


    Now Simyon felt like Safa''s sacrifice had gone to waste, and she somewhat thought the same as she looked at Stoney.


    ''He won''t be able to be used again¡­but it''s not over yet, I need to think, I need to think!'' Safa thought.


    Her god eyes were still activating and her head was pounding. With mana and energy being taken from her body, it was affecting her severely, but with the energy maybe she could see something, and soon she could.


    When she looked above, there was something in the room only she could see¡ªa mystical power that wasing down from above, and looked to be heading toward the formation.


    "What¡­are you?" Safa said looking at the energy.


    The energy seemed to be trying to pull away, trying to move back up, but was being forced down.


    "You can see me," the mystical energy said, the voice resounding in her head and vibrating through her body. "It seems like you can. I can see what is happening; this man is trying to take my power¡­I can see the situation.


    "If things continue like this, then I will not survive, and it looks like neither will the rest of you. I suppose, if I am to finally die, after a long life, then I might as well take the one who got rid of me as well¡­I shall help you, young woman¡­I shall give you this power of a Divine one."

 Chapter 973: A Transfer Of Power

    Chapter 973: A Transfer Of Power


    ?


    Unlocking what had happened with her brother, that was the reason why Safa had pushed herself into this situation. Why she had gone further than originally intended. She had somewhat learned the truth already from one of the Rylon Religion members, but she couldn''t quite believe it.


    Raze, her brother, was part of the religious cult, and he had agreed to sacrifice their whole family? What for¡ªto summon a Divine being from above, and then take their power to be delivered to another figure known as the Sun God.


    Not only did the ritual sound ridiculous and unbelievable, but the reason for her brother doing such actions sounded ridiculous as well. When trapped in the magic circle she thought back again and again to those times.


    How was her brother? Was he angry at their parents for never living a life of luxury, for never having a single day with no food in his belly? The more she thought about it, the more she remembered the times she saw resentment on his face.


    Although he would always face Safa with a smile, there was something behind the smile. The reason she was having all of these thoughts was because she knew with her god eyes that the energy that she was looking at from above, that was making its way down towards Charlotte, was the power of a Divine being.


    ''If this is true, then maybe everything my brother did... it was true as well. I hate to say it, I hate to even think it, but taking the lives of our mother and father... maybe him disappearing from this world was the right thing for him, and for him to be reced by Raze.'' She hated that she thought this way and her heart ached when she did.


    Yet she had to ept this reality as she looked up at the Divine being that was in the room, which was a cloud of mist in her eyes, that was forming a shape of a person. No one else in the room could see the person''s presence.


    ''Just like what we had heard from Bargo and the others. A Divine being summoned from sacrifice¡ªit has happened again and might be what my brother originally tried to perform, but with what the Divine being was saying before, is it trying to help us in this situation? Should I try and ept it?''


    The Divine being''s form was being pulled closer to Charlotte; there was a clear resistance from its part.


    ''If I enter this body, then my life will be taken away,'' the strange voice said. ''Maybe most would have no idea what this is, but I can read the formations that are present on the ground; I know what is going to happen to me.''


    With these thoughts in its mind, it didn''t even let Safa have a choice. It started to lift its hand and the strange energy started to swirl around the room. As it went past the others it felt like gusts of wind hit their faces yet no part of their bodies would move, like if it were wind.


    ''The energy¡ªhe''s not gathering it around me... I thought he would be,'' Safa realized.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When the energy swirled around the room, it condensed to a certain ce, and it was the rubble that was left on the floor-the small pieces of rubble from the statue''s original size before magic was embedded into it.


    They rolled across the floor until they had reached the magical transformation, going past Carl with no bother.


    Carl had no idea what was going on, only believing that the ritual was a sess and that maybe he would be getting two Divine beings. The rubble continued to move until it leapt up and touched Safa''s body.


    ''This is a good powerful item. It was the power of many powerful beings, I can tell. With its power added to yours, it should be able to allow you to face most in this world.''


    The rubble started to form around Safa''s skin; it grew in size until it covered her bodypletely. She looked to be a statue frozen in ce. Slowly though, the rubble started to melt away¡ªat least in appearance it did-instead it was being absorbed into her skin and the power was being transferred inside of her.


    The moment the absorption wasplete, her dantian that held her Qi smashed to pieces, and blood spewed out from her mouth. She hurled over, staring at the ground, more blood dripping from her mouth.


    "SAFA!" Simyon shouted. His body still hadn''t healed and he ran straight past the others; it was only a momentter that he had been hit by Carl and was knocked back through the air in the direction he hade from.


    Meanwhile, Safa could see that therge energy that was above had dissipated. A lot of power had already disappeared from this individual, but she was now far more concerned about her own condition that she was in.


    ''Your body was weaker than I thought. The power can''tbine with you, as there is toorge of a difference between the two of you. At this rate you will end up dead. I only have one thing that I can do myself. I have to heal you.


    "I have already decided that I will try not to survive. I know there is a chance that all of us will perish if I do. So instead, I wish for you to get punishment on my behalf!"


    The energy started toe towards Safa instead of Charlotte and then willingly went in her body. It was going right through her eyes, and every single open pore that was in her body.


    ''I told you, don''t resist and just ept my power. I won''t take presence anywhere in your body. I have decided to sacrifice myself. Save yourself, save your friends, and heed my warning... never go to the Divine realm, avoid it at all costs.''

 Chapter 974: A Divine Power

    Chapter 974: A Divine Power


    ?


    Inside the underground basement, Simyon, Liam, and Anna were unsure what was happening, but judging by the creepy smile and the smug look on Carl''s face, it wasn''t good news for them.


    "He has so much power," Simyon said, holding onto his chest. "How are we going to take him out without being able to use our own powers?"


    "Right, and the guy can just keep healing because of his magic and the weapon," Liam added.


    Anna was beat as well, but could she give up? Would Harvey give up if he was here? Harvey was practically a normal human being, but she never realized how much of a presence he had. With his limited powers and relying on equipment, he was able to do so much.


    "I have to... I have to try it!" Anna said as she charged forward.


    "Do you think she has a n? Should we follow her?" Simyon asked.


    "I have no idea, I don''t have the system currently!" Liam shouted.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Useless," Simyon said as he followed after Anna. "You didn''t have the system before, and you were still one of the most skilled students. I''m starting to think that system is actually holding you back."


    All three charged forward, and Carl, seeing this, lifted his spear in the air. Instead of the magic energy swirling around it like a spiral, now the whole thing was lighting up. The light glow made it look twice the sizepared to before.


    Carl then swung it, and the energy came out as arge sh aiming to hit all of them. The attack looked farrger than any of the others and even shook the room when it was unleashed. Being hit by this wasn''t going to be so easy for everyone to get up again.


    They stopped in their tracks, ready to brace themselves, until a personnded right in front of their eyes. They swung their hand down and crashed right through the energy. Usually, a strike at only one point of such arge attack would only stop one area.


    Instead, though, the attack had spread out, breaking all of the light magic, making it turn into nothing but particles.


    "Who was that... is it Raze?" Liam asked. "Did he somehow manage to find us ande at thest moment like he always does? I mean, where even is that guy?"


    "It''s not Raze," Simyon answered.


    Although the figure in front of them looked slightly bigger, with an arm that seemed to be fortified by a strange type of stone, Simyon recognized the ck hair dangling on the back. There wasn''t a doubt in his mind.


    "That''s Safa," Anna added. "I told you, she would have some type of n."


    Safa stood up, and the transformation covering her hand hade to an end. Standing there looking ahead at Carl, her eyes were glowing just like his, but rather than having a yellow tint, hers looked like pure white energy.


    "So you managed to break out of the formation then?" Carl said. "But you seem different. I guess I have an idea what happened. Are you one of the Divine beings? Have you taken over her body? Usually, you guys aren''t so strong like this, as the two of you fight for control over one another, but it doesn''t matter."


    Carl pulled out the silver marble ball from his hand.


    "That is precisely the reason why we have this in the first ce to take your power away!"


    The ball lit up and shined brightly, before shing and blinding everyone once more. When the sh faded, though, Safa was already charging right ahead toward Carl, and it was fast, just like that of a warrior.


    Carl, in a panic, then thrusted his spear, but it was quickly grabbed by Safa, who held it just by the pointed end.


    "But how? All of your Qi should be drained from your body, even if you''re a Divine being! How are you still able to move? What Divine being are you?"


    "I''m not a Divine being," Safa answered. "But I do have one to thank in this situation." Where Safa was standing not too long ago, there was rubble on the ground. Just as the item was used, Safa had been able to cover herself in the stone statue. Now it was linked to her body, and she was oddly able to call its power at will.


    When the statue was covering her, she felt an immense strength-the power of all of the abilities of the statue added to her own-and her own power had even increased because of the Divine being.


    However, she knew what was toe with the orb having been used several times. If the statue''s power was with her and increased her power when using it, then was it a separate power? What if she covered her body?


    She wasn''t sure how it would fully work, and she didn''t really have time for testing, but she used it anyway, and this was the current result.


    "Just because you are able to hold your hand on this spear again and are unaffected by my items, you think you can best me? You have no idea about the power that we hold!" Out from the palm of Carl''s hand, a bright light shined and hit directly into Safa''s stomach.


    She wasn''t using the power of the spear, nor did she have the power of the statue in use, yet despite the powerful energy that was hitting her, it was doing no harm to her body at all. The energy continued to brush against her skin, having next to no effect.


    ''I don''t even really know what''s going on with my own body. If I have reached multiple stages or there is a new power inside me, but right now I have the power to deal with the situation.''


    Before Carl knew it, the spear had been yanked from his hands, and straight after, in a smooth motion, the spear had pierced through his chest and through his heart. The healing power that was in him¡ªthe light magic-all of it was being drained away, and he knew now that his life wasing to an end.


    "You have no idea what powers you are dealing with," Carl said. "Soon the Sun God wille to this world and deal punishment to everyone on thisnd!"

 Chapter 975: At The Top of Rylon

    Chapter 975: At The Top of Rylon


    ?


    Carl''s life hade to an end, and all of the Rylon religion members had been defeated in the current church. Safa had pulled out the spear from his chest and looked at him on the ground, remembering his final words.


    The situation in the room was finally cleared, as whatever the ritual was that was being done hade to an end.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Whoa, what happened to you, Safa? How were you able to do all of that?" Simyon asked.


    When he went to move forward, Anna quickly pulled him back to his side, stopping him with her hand.


    "If a person goes through such a drastic change like that, they might no longer be the same person as before," Anna informed.


    She had been through the same situation several times now. There were far too many examples and cases of this happening that they needed to be careful.


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Safa said as she ced the spear behind her back and wrapped it around with the cloth she usually would that was ced around her waist as well. She had done it in a smooth motion, and even Simyon watching this, it just didn''t feel like Safa was the same.


    "Don''t worry," Safa said. "I got some information from one of the members, so if I exin, I think you might understand."


    Safa went on to exin about what the Rylon religion member had imed: how they were performing rituals of sorts-magic formations that would bring Divine beings from above down to people in Pagna.


    After that, they would store the energy from the Divine being while it was weak, and then that energy would be passed on. She didn''t mince her words, as she also exined about her brother''s involvement.


    How he had decided to willingly sacrifice his family for the sake of the goal of the religion. Maybe he wasn''t a devoted member like many of those they had met today, but he had done it in turn for a life of luxury for just a month.


    They could taste the pain in their mouths when Safa spoke. After exining that, she went into the further details of what had actually happened-how a Divine being, rather than going into a body to survive, had decided to just sacrifice its life and pass on its energy to her. Right now, her Qi power was immense, like that of a top-tier middle-stage warrior. Then there was her magic, which was still shining strong with power, simr to what Carl was able to produce.


    Lastly, there was also the fact that Stoney no longer existed, and now somehow, they had both melded and merged into her.


    After finishing her exnation, the others didn''t say much; they didn''t know what to say tofort her as they had never been in the situation before. Meanwhile, Anna had gone to Charlotte, making sure she was all better.


    "I really thought I was a goner, I really did," Charlotte said, still having no energy in her body. She was down on her knees and wiping her tears away.


    "It''s okay," Anna said. "I''m just happy I found you, and I was able toplete Himmy''s wish."


    "Himmy''s wish?" Charlotte looked up; hope was shining bright on her face.


    "I''ll exin to you when we get to a ce that''s somewhere more safe; just here isn''t the right ce."


    While everyone was somewhat caring to Charlotte-including Safa, who decided to use some of her light magic-Liam instead had gone to the body on the ground and started scrounging until he eventually picked up the silver-colored orb and held it up in the air.


    "This item caused us a lot of pain," Liam said. "And now in our hands it will be a lot better." Eventually, Charlotte had regained the energy to move again, and as she got up, they were slowly ready to leave the ce, but there were some questions on the others'' minds.


    "So what should we do now?" Simyon asked. "You wanted to find out about your brother, and you found out some things, but it''s hard to confirm them or not."


    "Right," Safa said. "At the end of it, I still have good memories of my brother and I''m still alive today, so there had to be something. Still, I can''t deny what happened. I thought about maybe going to the other churches, stopping what is happening right here, but I have a feeling there is something bigger going on.


    "Charlotte, did you know what they were doing here?" Safa asked.


    "Not really," Charlotte replied. "I understand some of the magic formations on the ground; it looks almost like a transfer of energy of sorts, but I have no idea where exactly or the process. I''m just not a high enough mage to understand this type of thing."


    "I think we should find Raze as soon as possible and let him know what we found. I think he''ll know the answer to this. Thest he was seen was in the Demonic Faction at the Neverfall n base, so we''ll just have to ce a visit there."


    In Alterian, inside one of the many warehouses across the, there was one with the words that read **Green Magic Pharma**. It was one of the biggestpanies in all of Alterian, and they owned several warehouses in a number of ces.


    Inside was a factory of sorts, withrge machinery churning out several items, and in one section in a hidden room, several small capsules of yellow to gold glowing energy were being pushed out in an assembly line one after the other.


    There were rows of the vials that were being sent out, but in one row in particr, the vials had stopped; they were no longer being pushed out.


    Inside the factory itself, there was arge office room located on the second floor of the warehouse. The operations manager quickly rushed up and then knocked on the door a few


    times.


    "Sir, there is a problem with another one of the assembly lines, it seems. It might not be a big issue as at times there is a timing issue between production," the man exined. "But with two so close together, I thought it might be something you would like to look into?" Looking inside the room, the operations manager was shocked to see the sight-a sight only few people had ever seen.


    There was a special chair in the room, connected to it tworge vats that pushed the same golden and yellow liquid into them. They were linked to the seat, which in turn had a needle attached to a certain individual''s veins.


    "Please, Gizin, let me know your order," the man said again, as he bowed his head down to one of the Grand Magus.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 976: Razes Second Day

    Chapter 976: Raze''s Second Day


    ?


    Brack had left Raze alone in a ce where hardly anyone passed. It was a secret location that was known only to Belil-a ce he would frequent and practice his own martial arts. It was void of life due to the powerful disturbance of Qi that would be used frequently.


    Now, no life was present there; no grass or greenery was able to grow, and animals and even the few beasts that did roam Pagna didn''te close. So Brack was pretty sure that Raze would be okay there and that he wouldn''t run into anyone, but he wasn''t so sure about Raze himself.


    It was in the middle of the night; it had taken him a long time to deliver the message, and now he was on his way back to Raze. He had taken a few wrong turns at times as he wasn''t quite sure of his way back.


    ''Why did I have to rush off? I was trying to get back and help Raze as soon as possible that I didn''t even make note of where he was.'' Thankfully, with Brack now being a middle-stage warrior, he didn''t really tire.


    After relentless searching, he could see therge uprooted ground which had created a stadium that appeared to have been created from nature. Rushing over, he had quickly scaled one of therge rocks and then slid down toward the crater. He jumped from where he was andnded right by Raze''s side.


    The moment his feet touched the floor, he could feel the inside of his toes tingling even through the shoes.


    ''Is this Qi that I can feel... and the floor feels hot as well.'' Brack quickly shook his head. ''I need to focus.'' He knelt down by Raze''s side and looked at him.


    He was on the ground, still but his muscles were moving. The veins on his forehead and on his arms were bulging and twitching constantly. When Brack went to touch his skin to try to see if everything was fine, he could feel his body was burning hot to touch.


    "Seriously, what did Belil do to you?" Brack asked.


    However, unlike before where Raze was able to say a few words and speak, his eyes were closed shut and his mouth was clenched in pain. So he couldn''t say anything.


    "I managed to pass on that item you gave me, all is well so you have no need to worry about that, but I have to focus on you. What do I do?" Brack tried to massage Raze''s muscles for a bit.


    But his hands were burning as he did, and the strange energy was somewhat feeding into him. At times he felt like his own energy was being drawn in as well. For around an hour, Brack tried several things but none of it worked, and Raze was still in the same state as he was before.


    ''How long is he going to be like this?'' Brack thought. ''Has he been like this, in pain this whole time while I was away as well? With no food or water, or herbs, maybe I should try and do something at least.''


    Brack was kicking himself for not bringing anything with him that could have helped Raze, but the good thing was, at least he would be able to head to the town nearby rather than heading all the way back to the Dark Faction.


    The closest town though was a town close to the Neverfall n. Thinking of this, he turned his head to look at Belil''s body. It was just lying there on the floor still in ce.


    "I need to do something about that as well. I can''t just leave it like that; it will rot, right? But I can''t exactly bring it to the Neverfall n with me as well, there''s just going to be so many questions... maybe Raze will know what to do."


    It was then that Brack had decided it would be best to deal with one problem at a time. Carrying the Neverfall n leader''s body wouldn''t be a good idea, and hopefully there would be some type of Qi still left protecting his body, so the worst wouldn''t happen.


    With that, Brack was off once again.


    "Raze, you helped me, and right now I''m the only one that knows about you like this. I''m going to help you!" Brack rushed off as quick as he could, heading back in the direction of the Neverfall n.


    Due to how much time had passed, the sun was already rising, signaling that it was the start of the next day. It had been a long time and it was hard to believe that Raze would still be at the same spot but Brack had to believe.


    Using all of the coin he had on him, in the small town that he had entered he had bought whatever he could: buying herbs, bandages, and more, and he even went in to try and buy Qi pills as well.


    ''I didn''t even buy Qi pills myself to increase my cultivation and they have a hefty price tag, but it should be fine.''


    "Do you have any Qi pills that help with healing?" Brack asked in the shop.


    The shopkeeper started to rub his hands, and then out from behind the counter he ced a Qi pill out on a bed of felt. A red pill was seen shining in ce, and marked onto the Qi pill there was the marking of **DM**.


    "This here is said to have the best healing properties and is a special pill made by the Dark Magus himself!" the man said.


    There was a sighing look of defeat on Brack''s face. The best pill that the shop had for healing was made by the person that needed healing. Wouldn''t Raze have already used something like this, if one thought it was going to work?


    It was thest of his coin and although reluctant and seemingly stupid, Brack had to buy it just in case anyway. With several supplies tied up in a rucksack and ced on the end of a stick, Brack was running out of the city.


    Unaware though, in the city there were two individuals following him.


    "He''s on the move," Fing said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Right, something is definitely up with Father, and the fact that Brack isn''t with the Dark Magus. We need to keep close to him and see what happens," Han added.

 Chapter 977: A Whole New World

    Chapter 977: A Whole New World


    ?


    A type of truce had been dered between Zon and Lince, once they both realized that they had amon enemy. This was all because Zon could tell if Lince was lying or not through the system.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Even with his face covered in bandages, the system was still advanced enough to pick up on other factors to give him the information they needed. Not only that, but it also made him aware of just who the other person was the head of the Lost n, one of the biggest ns in the Demonic Faction.


    The two had gathered in the captain''s hold on the ship and had shared some alcohol that was left on board. As they sat down, they talked to each other because they both had the same destination. It very well meant that they could be after the same thing.


    "So you are after this item on behalf of Belil?" Zon asked as he lightly pressed his fingertips against his empty ss.


    "Correct. Belil gave me quite a bit of information on it all and passed on more than I would have liked. Now that this item, the Golden Globe, is linked to Pagna... I''ve taken it upon myself to stop it from getting into the hands of others.


    "But I do have to tell you something. I do not wish for this item to fall into the hands of the Light Faction or Alter, but I''m not so sure if it was to fall into the hands of your friend Raze it would do well either. There are some things I disagree with Belil doing, especially the extreme measures he has taken."


    Lince knew about it all in hisst meeting with Belil-that he had decided to sacrifice his life and pass on his strength to Raze. There was no doubt with the strength Lince had already seen Raze disy, now with Belil''s strength added, he was the strongest in Pagna.


    "I have to ask, you don''t seem to be from the same world as Raze, yet you are getting your hands on this item because of him? I need to know more of the reason why you want this item as well; otherwise, couldn''t you be just as bad as Alter and the Light Faction?"


    It was quite clear that Lince was speaking in fighting words. Although they had agreed they wouldn''t fight now, or on the ind when they arrived, who knew when they had the item right in their sights.


    "The Golden Globe is just a means for me and the Red Fortis army to get back to our world. Following Raze, I thought it would allow me a way to return to my world. As you know, mages and portals opening are linked in Pagna.


    "With Raze''s help, I thought I would be able to get into Alter. I had assumed they already knew great details of a means of such an item, but there was something else that I found out as well.


    "A person that I have been looking for is in Alter. To be honest, I nned to use Raze to allow me to head inside. As for whether Raze wishes to take control of Pagna or will be the right person for the item, I don''t know.


    "But I can say one thing: he only cares about taking down his enemies, and Pagna is not his enemy."


    All of the storms, the dark clouds, and more had stopped around the ind. The rough waves that the ship was handling wereing to an end, and now the ind was seen in a clearer view.


    It was incrediblyrge, almost a continent on its own. There was arge mountain in the center, and the area was mostly covered in thick jungle and greenery. While on the edge was a white sandy beach and several rocks and cliff tops in the surrounding areas.


    "I can''t believe it!" the captain said with his eyes wide. "These people, did they know the storms would stop? Are we going to be the first ones to ever makend on this ind?"


    There were no other ships in sight around their area, and no one else from their direction had even thought abouting to the ind. He was sure that the news would spread at some point and more woulde, but even the captain was wondering what treasures, minerals, and more would exist on such an ind.


    "Captain!" one of the men shouted. "There''s a fleet of ships entering from the west side of the ind."


    The captain walked over and snatched the telescope out of the man''s hand, and they could see it. Lince and Zon both quickly rushed over to have a look. Although they couldn''t see who was on board, with therge banners they could see the Light Faction n emblems on board.


    "It''s all three of the major Light Faction... I guess it wouldn''t be so easy after all," Lince sighed. The banners were clear as day: the Illumination n, the Dawnde n, and the Aurora n were all present.


    "This is going to be hard with just the two of us," Lince stated. "The good thing is that we''re on the other side of the ind, and right now we have no clue just where the Golden Globe is. Do you have any idea?"


    "No," Zon replied. "I should be able to search for signs and ideas, but I have no idea. They will have the advantage in numbers, and if they have someone like me on their side, then it will be the same as then."


    Due to the location and length of the ind, they were no longer able to see the others on the other side, but they were sure tond at the same time. As the ship approached the beach, both Zon and Lince jumped from the edge, leaving the crew behind andnding on the sand.


    In an instant, they both fell to their knees as a strange surge of energy flowed through both of their bodies. The smell, the atmosphere, even the gravity-everything felt different. As if they had entered a whole new world.

 Chapter 978: Island Of Terror (Part 1)

    Chapter 978: Ind Of Terror (Part 1)


    ?


    On the west side of the ind, a fleet of around six ships was seen approaching. Each of them had the banners of the ns they represented, but all of them were from the Light Faction. On board the Illumination n ship was Gelgar, a high middle-stage warrior.


    He wasn''t a n Head or Elder but was a promising man within the n that focused on teaching many of the students. Then there was Krynic from the Aurora n. Krynic was an older man who had a muscr upper build and wore his robe across his chest, revealing his shoulder and half of his bare chest.


    He was a member of the Aurora n for a long time but had never reached the high position of Elder or leader within the n. On top of that, each fleet of ships had around ten warriors on board.


    There were sixty warriors either at the peak of the initial stage or at the middle stage. On top of that, though, there was extra power in the group, particrly from the Dawnde n that was somewhat leading the expedition due to how much power had been brought. The head Elder, Ricar, who had survived the Martial Arts Tournament; then there was Impress, one of the female Elders, along with Lyon. Finally, there was thetest Elder to the Dawnde n, doing her first tasks as an elder: Beatrix. The Dawnde n had practically brought out four of its strongest warriors toplete the task, and failure was not an option.


    With therge force with them, including the invited guest ''Red'' from Alter, they were a force that couldn''t be stopped.


    "Sir, it seems that there were other ships spotted heading to the east coast!" a warrior imed.


    "Ignore them," Gelgar stated. "We must focus on the main task. Let''s head ashore and find the item; that is the most important task in all of this."


    Due to therge force at their disposal, he wasn''t particrly worried about others approaching the ind, especially since it was just a single ship. No matter who was on board, the strength they had could eliminate whole armies and kingdoms.


    Eventually, the ships had dropped anchor and the warriors started to jump onto the white sandy beach of the ind one after the other. The moment theynded, a strange surge was felt through them.


    No matter what position theynded in, it caused all of them to fall to their knees as they braced themselves. The inside of their bodies felt like they were being tickled.


    "What''s the matter?" Ricar shouted, as he and the other Elders hadn''t jumped off but witnessed many of the n members acting this way.


    After a few seconds, the warriors turned around, looking at their own bodies. They attempted to use them as they punched the air, but there was seemingly nothing wrong.


    "Nothing seems to be the problem!" the warrior shouted back. "It''s just the same feeling one gets when they enter another dimension, but it seems to not affect us!"


    Ricar decided to wait a little while, but eventually both Gelgar and Krynic and his group had gotten impatient, jumping off the ship. They had the same reaction but after a few seconds werepletely fine.


    "Don''t think about it too much," Red said as he stood at the edge of the ship. "This ind, I think we should think of it like a dimension. No one has set foot on it for, what, hundreds of years now? Who knows what could be on here."


    Red jumped andnded on the beach, and even he was affected with his special body. It didn''t dishearten him, but he just had a smile as he stood up.


    "Is this what Henio was talking about? This must be the spell that''s still active here. I guess it stops any mages from using their powers, so I''ll be on an even ying field with anyone I meet. The good thing is, the system and the rest of my body works just fine."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Eventually, all of the others jumped onto the ind as well, and the strong force had made it.


    Beatrix was exploring the area for a while and could see the leaders talking, and eventually joined them.


    "We''ve decided to split up," Ricar exined. "Into three different expedition forces, to search for the item-the Golden Globe. We can choose how to split up our own groups as we wish, but we have decided to do it this way to cover more ground."


    "Now that we know others are here, it''s important that we are the first ones to find this item."


    Krynic and Gelgar nodded, but there were a few more preparations that were beingpleted before they headed in. They were heading in to reach for supplies on the ship. Some warriors would carry medical supplies, food, and Qi pills for whatever it was they would run into. "Do you really think this will be needed?" Krynicined. "With all of us, we''ll be able to explore the whole ind in half a day."


    "It was a precaution from the one from Alter," one of the warriors said.


    Krynic turned his head to look at the strange man, who was wearing loose flowing clothing that was tattered and had a beard covering his face. He looked rough, like a person who had lived on the streets for a while.


    "He said that we should treat this as a dimension with beasts here as well."


    "Beasts?" Krynic replied. "Do you not remember what this ind was like? Volcanic eruptions, whirling tornadoes, and constant lightning strikes going on day by day. If any beasts were to survive that type of weather and still be here, then who knows how strong they would be."


    One of the scouting groups was walking across the beach, on the edge of the jungle-like area. It was then that he hade across what looked like a small bunny with white fur and red eyes, and a small horn on top of its head.


    "Oh, there really are beasts here," the warrior from the Illumination n eximed. "I guess something this small to survive would make sense."


    The beast turned its eyes to the warrior and opened its mouth, revealing its teeth. They weren''t threatening, but it was a clear sign of aggression.


    "What does a bunny think it''s going to do to a middle-stage warrior like me?" the man smiled.


    The bunny then bent its back legs and fired off from its spot. Itunched itself in the air and with its horn ripped right through the man''s chest. As it exited out from the other side of the body, on top of its horn was a heart that only thumped one more time before it stopped. They didn''t realize it yet, but they had allnded on an ind which would be hell to them all.

 Chapter 979: Island Of Terror (Part 2)

    Chapter 979: Ind Of Terror (Part 2)


    ?


    The white rabbit''s fur was quickly soaked in red blood as itnded on the ground, the heart still attached to the end of its horn. With a quick shake, the heart fell to the floor, along with part of the blood shaking off.


    The warriors on the beach were somewhat spread out, looking to see if they could find anything on the beach area first as clues, and that''s when one of the warriors around ten meters away had spotted and saw everything that happened.


    "BEAST!" the warrior shouted. "HIGH-LEVEL BEAST HAS BEEN SPOTTED!"


    His cries were powered with Qi, catching the attention of everyone in the area. They turned their heads to look at themotion; they could see the dead warrior on the ground, one from the Illumination n, and a middle-stage warrior at that.


    However, where was the ferocious high-level beast that had killed him? It was nowhere in sight.


    One of the other warriors nearby drew their sword, heading in the direction of the fallen warrior.


    "The rabbit, the rabbit!" the warrior cried out again.


    "Are you talking about this thing?" the warrior said.


    Just like before, the rabbit had readied its hind legs and snapped forward. The warrior lifted his sword in the way, but the tip of the horn, the moment it touched the sword, broke right through it, and the horn ended up piercing through the warrior.


    It hadn''t pierced directly through, but it was a serious wound, and it had sent the warrior onto his back. The rabbit was on the warrior''s chest and quickly lifted its horn out from his body before jumping in the air and hurling down, stabbing right through his chest again with the horn.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This time, it wasn''t just one warrior that had witnessed what had taken ce. It was nearly everyone on the beach.


    A panic had set in, with several drawing their weapons but with none charging in. The first warrior was a middle-stage warrior; even with all of his Qi, the beast had torn through it.


    It was fast and small in size, making it harder to hit. The second warrior that had been killed, although an initial-stage warrior, was one at the peak, and blocking its attack with his sword had yielded no results.


    The ones weaker than the two individuals that were killed were now extremely hesitant at what was happening.


    It didn''t matter though, because the rabbit was going to be ready to attack either way. It bent its hind legs and thenunched itself at a warrior that was far away.


    Seeing this, two of the Light Faction warriors from the Aurora n dived towards the one being attacked, and three of the swords met at the same point of the horn. Qi was surrounding the area, flowing, and they had managed to stop the attack.


    "You''re dead!" one of the Illumination n warriors eximed and swung for the rabbit, but it quickly fell to the floor, causing his swing to misspletely, and then the rabbit sted itself, stabbing right through the warrior''s foot.


    The warrior almost instantly fell to the floor. The panic was continuing over the warriors as they were trying to get the handle on one rabbit.


    "Seriously?" Gelgar sighed. "Is there not one capable warrior in this group to take care of a simple beast?"


    From his back, Gelgar had pulled out what looked like a trident. He was aiming carefully, ready to throw it from his position right at the rabbit, but before he released it, another person had caught it right by the scruff of its neck.


    "I guess it''s true," Red said. "These beasts are a lot stronger from this ind."


    The rabbit was struggling; it was shaking about and kicking the air. Each time it kicked its legs, the powerful force hit the ground below. They could hear a loud bang, even though it was at least a meter and a half from the floor.


    Looking at this sight was only frightening the warriors even more. Quickly, Red lifted his other hand and ced it on the rabbit''s neck. It was done in a smooth motion, and then the hand dropped by his side.


    The others didn''t see what happened but were only able to see the oue of the blood pouring from the beast''s neck.


    "The crystal from these things should be quite helpful, right? Maybe a level 5 power stone? No, is it even above that?" Red asked as he dug in with his other hand searching for the power stone.


    While this was happening, Gelgar, Krynic, as well as all of the Elders from the Dawnde n, were all paying close attention to Red.


    "He didn''t use any Qi, at least not Qi that I could feel," Beatrixmented.


    "I believe you are correct," Ricar replied. "And judging by the fact the beast was able to best a few middle-stage warriors inbat, it''s quite clear he is above them in leaps and bounds." This was the thought that was running through many of their heads, but that led Beatrix to think of another question.


    "Is it quite possible that this man from Alter is even stronger than you?" Beatrix asked.


    Out of all of those present, it was presumed that Ricar was the strongest. He was in the Dawnde n, and the other two middle-stage warriors, although powerful, weren''t strong enough to be considered the top of their ns.


    "I hope we don''t have to find an answer to that question," Ricar responded. "After all, we need to remember that this man is on our side."


    There was a reason why Alter had sent him after all, and this was also a chance for them to see just how powerful the people in the organization they were working with were.


    The group cleared up the dead bodies and started to treat the wounded. It was more than they had expected from their run-in with the first beast, and everyone was far more alert now.


    They were careful to spot any more bunnies. A few times they had been startled by the rustle of feathers, but it was just their own colleague''s foot.


    That''s when one could hear the rustling of leaves again. The warrior''s heart sank as he


    retreated.


    "What''s wrong, did you see another bunny?" a warrior asked.


    The man shook his head and pointed in the direction of the jungle.


    That''s when,ing out of the forest this time, was what looked like a white-furred monkey


    with two tails and four arms standing there.


    It looked at the group of people menacingly.


    "Well, if a rabbit was able to cause that much mess, it makes me wonder what this monkey is going to do," Red smiled.

 Chapter 980 West Beach Blood Bath

    980 West Beach Blood Bath


    The strange-looking white-furred bunny that had caused a small disaster for the Light Faction was simr to white bunny beasts they had discovered in other portals. It was the reason why so many didn''t make a big deal of it, yet it still managed to cause devastation to them all.


    Which was why, now seeing a white-furred monkey that wasrger, had four arms and two tails, a deep panic was set in everyone''s hearts. They didn''t dare move close to the monkey, and just like before, it was the monkey that attacked.


    It jumped from its position to the closest warrior. Seeing this, the warrior gathered their Qi and struck from above their head with a downward strike. Immediately, the monkey reacted, spinning its body. It hit the sword away with two of its hands, and then when its body spun in the air, with its other two hands itnded a hit square on the warrior''s head and neck.


    In an instant, the warrior felt his skull being cracked, despite the Qi that was covering his body. The rest of his body folded after the hit and crashed into the ground,ying there lifeless. In a single move, another warrior had been killed.


    "Ah, ah, ah!" the monkey jumped up and down and started to bang its chest with its forearms. Each of the powerful thumps was heard as waves of power were sent through them.


    "How can we have gone up against two powerful beasts one after the other? Just what is this ind? It''s like we''ve gone through a Divine portal or something!" a warrior screamed.


    The monkey looked around; in the warriors'' minds each one of them was begging that it wouldn''t choose them, that it wouldn''t make them its next target. And that''s when its head stopped, eyeing up four warriors standing next to each other¡ªwarriors from the Dawnde n.


    It jumped from its position and was in the air; the warriors didn''t know whether to get in formation, attack, or run. They were startled, and one clean hit from the beast would kill them.


    "Crescent Block!" a voice shouted out.


    A sword filled with bright Qi was raised in a crescent shape before the monkeynded. The monkey looked to be swept up in the attack and flipped backwards,nding on the ground, but it was unharmed.


    As for the person who hade in blocking the attack at the right time, the Dawnde n could clearly see who it was. It was Impress, one of the female Elders from the n.


    With one of the most skillful warriors on their side, surely she would be enough to take care of the white-furred monkey.


    Her sword was still glowing brightly, and she charged in, thrusting the weapon. The monkey beast was agile, dodging it as it flipped in the air at each of the thrusts, and then when flipping backwards it tried to charge forward for an attack.


    That was until Impress quickly turned her thrust and struck upward, delivering arge cut on the monkey''s chest. The monkey itself seemed shocked by seeing its own blood, but Impress didn''t stop there.


    She quickly shed at the monkey, who used its hands to block the attacks from hitting its vitals.


    She shed and shed; the monkey was on the back foot. Although blocking the attacks, the sword still ripped through its skin, drawing blood, and eventually, with the sword lit up, Impress struck down, slicing off two of its hands. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    To finish it off, she thrust her sword and pierced the monkey right through the head. The beast was clearly killed, and the moment of fear was over for the warriors.


    "That''s the Elder of the Dawnde n for you!"


    "With her here we are safe! The Dawnde n are triumphant!"


    Even the warriors from the other ns were thankful for the elder''s skills, but there was a strange look on her face as she went to the other elders.


    "What''s wrong?" Lyon, another elder, asked.


    "I won the fight, and you may say it was with ease, but still someone on my level wasn''t able to kill it in one strike," Impress exined.


    "Which means, if there are more beasts like that on the ind, then there are only a few that can actually survive on this ind," Ricar exined. "The rest of the people that we brought with us, even the middle-stage warriors, they will be nothing but fodder."


    "You worry too much," Lyon added. "Those were strong beasts that we happened to run into. There won''t be many like that."


    Soon Lyon would eat his words as the rustling of the deep jungle in front of them continued. They could hear the cries of the monkeys even more, as they went high to low pitched and started to bang on their chests.


    Eventually, several monkeys with white fur started toe out of the jungle, bit by bit, and there were more inside. There were at least ten already on the edge between the jungle and the ind sands.


    "Everyone, this is an order, we must run deeper into the jungle!" Ricar eximed as he raised up his sword. "We will only have a moment. Search for the item, stay close to your allies, and remember all the formations you are taught."


    "Treat every beast you see, no matter how small, as a great enemy that you must take on!"


    Beasts were territorial and rarely left the areas they were in. Ricar and the others knew this, and he was gambling that right now they were in the strange white-furred monkeys'' territory. If they entered and got to another area, then perhaps they would be safer.


    On top of that, the fighting they had already done, it was a good chance that it had attracted more beasts and the fighting would just continue on wearing them out. The better option right now was to run.


    However, there was a risk that entering deeper into the jungle would mean they were running away from one mess to head into an even bigger mess, but it was the only thing they could do right now.


    Ricar''s sword shined brightly, and then he jumped from his position and swung it down. When it hit the ground, a bright sh of light had hit in the direction towards the jungle.


    "NOW!" Ricar ordered.

 Chapter 981 East Beach Blood Bath

    981 East Beach Blood Bath


    On the east side of the ind, it wasn''t as if the group that hadnded weren''t dealing with their own set of troubles either.


    "It''s sinking, it''s sinking!" one of the pirates on board shouted out.


    "She''s been damaged too much!" the captain shouted. "We have no choice but to go ontond!"


    "You mean right where those monsters are!" another shouted.


    In the end, the captain was tired of shouting and arguing with his men, so he jumped off his ship into the sea and started to swim toward the shore. It didn''t take long for the rest to follow; they knew it would be harder to swim out once the shippletely sank¡ªit was a death trap, and they would be taken deeper into the sea.


    While the captain and the others were swimming onto the shore, they could see what was happening.


    One of the men had a strange ck suit covering his body with red lines of glowing energy. He was facing two monkeys and had already broken a pair of arms on both of them. He then grabbed onto the fists of two of them and pulled them until their heads banged into each other.


    It was a loud hit, like two coconuts crashing into each other. The two monkeys were startled, and Zon quickly ced both of his hands on the back of their heads and then, with a zap of his red energy, sted through them, killing them on the spot.


    As for Lince, it was hard to see where he was. He had avoided a hit from one of the monkeys and then, with the back of his dagger, stabbed right through the back of the head of one. What was amazing was the tenacity of the beast.


    It was still moving even with the de stuck in its head. With the Qi Lince used, he was unable to push it right through so the de reached the other end, but it should at least be a few inches into its brain.


    "Since I''m going up against so many opponents, I can''t even concentrate on one of them!" Linceined as he rushed forward, wrapping from one of his arms tied around a monkey beast, flipping it in the air and dragging it down.


    Lince then pulled down on the wrapping and pushed his dagger right into its neck, killing it in a single hit. Right after, his body seemed to vanish as a monkey tried to hit him, but Lince was now behind the monkey and could see his dagger in the back of its head. He then punched the sword''s handle, pushing it right through the monkey''s head, killing the second one on the spot.


    Finally, for a moment, for the two of them there was silence.


    The captain and the rest of his raggedy crew of twelve had made it on the beach.


    "It looks like it''s over. When those monkeys threw those rocks at our ship I was worried, but it looks like we traveled with the stronger monsters!" the captain cheered.


    Right after, the others behind the captain cheered in session while Zon and Lince looked at the beasts that were on the ground¡ªthree monkeys each they had taken care of.


    "Those weren''t regr beasts... and for them to be on thend of Pagna and not in another dimension, this is quite the strange thing. If these types of beasts ever got out onto Pagna it would be quite devastating for the general public as well as the warriors."


    Zon didn''t say anything, but it was clear that the beasts weren''t normal by any means.


    "We should head in deeper," Zon eventually said. "There aren''t a lot of us, and fighting the beasts will slow us down."


    "I must find the Golden Globe," Zon imed. "I can''t fight every beast wee across. Knowing there are others, we can''t afford to be held up. My system states that you won''t die, so I will go search for the Golden Globe!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    19:57


    When Zon pointed into the jungle though, he so happened to be pointing at another figure that looked to being out of the jungle¡ªeyes staring at them, that was seen towering around ten meters in height.


    Not just a single set of eyes but four in total. When it continued to move out, its heavy footsteps could be felt vibrating thend, and finally its whole body could be seen clearly in view.


    "That might be a little harder than the other monkeys," Lince imed.


    In front of them was a giant white monkey. Instead of a pair of eyes, it had two pairs totaling four eyes. Then, where the others had two tails, this monkey had three. It still had two pairs of arms totaling four like the others, but the sheer size of it made both of them know this beast was going to be far harder to facepared to the others.


    "ARGHHH!" the beast roared mightily, deafening the ears of the pirates at the back.


    It then started to bang its chest several times.


    "Let''s just be happy that we''re not facing a gori," Lince imed.


    Although he soon would eat those words as the monkey was extremely agile even at its size as it jumped in the air, flipping itself right to Lince''s position, and threw a fist into the ground. The sand kicked up everywhere, and Lince and Zon had jumped apart from each other.


    The monkey then turned its eyes to Lince and went to strike at him. Luckily, Lince had used his wrapping around his arms and attached it to the floor and pulled himself away, causing the monkey to hit nothing but air.


    Therge monkey was relentless though as it continued to throw punch after punch at Lince, who was barely avoiding them all.


    "Are you going to help me!" Lince shouted, noticing that Zon hadn''t been targeted once and was just watching. "I thought both of us were partners."


    "I must find the Golden Globe," Zon imed. "I can''t fight every beast wee across. Knowing there are others, we can''t afford to be held up. My system states that you won''t die, so I will go search for the Golden Globe!"


    Just like that, Lince''s trusted partner had run off into the jungle, leaving him all on his own.

 Chapter 982 Something Stronger Than Beasts

    Chapter 982 Something Stronger Than Beasts


    Ricar''s quick disy of his power had blinded the beasts, and the warriors, knowing this might be their opportunity to get out of a tough situation, took it and all ran deeper into the jungle.


    It was sporadic; although mainly warriors from the same n ran with each other, many were just running into the forest with those closest to them. The groups were mostly made up of tens or so, some with even fewer people.


    On top of that, the startling sh of light didn''tst long. As the monkeys were getting their bearings, they started to run towards the groups that had run into the jungle.


    "Come on, Beatrix!" Ricar shouted. "We''re going in as well."


    Beatrix nodded and followed Ricar''s lead as they both dived headfirst. Ricar didn''t run a straight path; instead, he jumped side to side slightly, and even swung his de in the air, emitting Qi from his strike, hitting a few of them on the back.


    It didn''t take long to notice what he was doing or why he was doing this, so Beatrix followed his lead, and before they knew it, when they had entered the jungle, there were around ten monkeys that were following them.


    Agilely running through the forest as they swung from tree to tree. With four arms, some had even grabbedrge solid fruits that looked simr to a coconut, only darker on the outside, and hurled them toward the two of them.


    Beatrix quickly spun her body as she leapt off a tree branch and cut right through the coconut, splitting it in two. With another hand, she grabbed half of it and hurled it back towards the others.


    ''I know we led most of the monkeys away to protect the other warriors, but this might just be too much for us to handle,'' Beatrix thought when she saw the monkeyspletely avoid her throw, and just how powerful and hard the ck coconut was that she had cut through.


    The coconuts continued to be thrown at them; thankfully, they both seemed to be traveling at just as fast a speed as the monkeys were. With them having to deflect countless coconuts, they weren''t so sure how long they could keep up, though.


    That was when Ricar leapt up ahead andnded on the ground; he hadnded in a slightly darker area of the jungle. The thick trees were spread further apart here, and there was more ground to fight on.


    While in the jungle, Ricar thought the monkeys had the advantage; here at least he believed that they would be able to fight more fairly. When he turned back, he saw Beatrixnding on the ground as well, skidding across the floor and turning, readying her weapon to fight.


    That''s when the two of them saw it.


    "The monkeys... did they give up?" Beatrix asked.


    The monkeys had paused for a moment, standing in the trees, but only after a few seconds they decided to turn and head back where they hade from.


    "Beasts are territorial, remember, and it seems that we might have entered a territory of another beast, or type of beasts," Ricar said as he looked over his shoulder and around him. "For now, we appear safe, and I hope it will be the same for the others as well."


    Rather than cing her sword in its guard, Beatrix decided to hold onto it, as did Ricar. When arriving on the ind, thest thing the two of them thought they would be doing was running away from beasts.


    At least not beasts that were so small and sorge in number. These two were some of the strongest in Pagna. Who would have thought such an ind would exist? There was a thought in the back of Ricar''s mind that perhaps they should retreat ande back with more reinforcements; the issue was seeing the other ship.


    This mission was one that they couldn''t fail. It had the fate of the whole n riding on it.


    "Come on, I think it''s best if we keep moving. We''ll continue our search on the ind, and we''ll try to locate some of the others," Ricar stated.


    The issue was the ind was incredibly vast, and with the panic, he was sure that everyone had run off in different directions. Originally, the meeting point for all of the groups that were to split up in threes was back at the ship.


    However, he wondered how any would even want to go back there when there were bunnies and monkeys protecting the ce. Just trying to get to the ship would be death for most, unless they had those powerful by their side.


    Both Beatrix and Ricar decided to head deeper into the dark green part of the forest. While moving ahead, Beatrix had used her sword to carve the n''s symbol of a crescent moon into the trees.


    This was a way for her to find a way back, and also a way to tell their n members where they were heading, as it would be safest for them if they were next to elders. Originally, the n thought that everyone would be fine going off on their own even in small groups of three, but it would need at least five people to take out one of those monkeys.


    As they continued to move though, Ricar eventually ced his hand out, telling Beatrix to stop. He then started to ascend one of the trees as he ran up on it and stood on top of a thick branch.


    Not long after, Beatrix did the same, and the two of them were squatting side by side, looking at what was in front of them from above. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It''s like you said, we''re in the territory of another beast. No wonder those monkeys left," Beatrix imed.


    A giant body that had to weigh a few tons, along withrge scales on its back. It somewhat looked like a crocodile, only having curved horns on its front, and the sheer size of the thing.


    However, there was something more that stood out. The beast, even thoughrge in size and clearly something fierce, wasn''t moving due to therge hole that was in its head¡ªa singlerge hole that allowed one to see from the top of its head onto the ground.


    "What I''m more concerned about is who was able to kill such a beast and is on this ind," Ricar imed.


    "Who? You don''t think it''s another beast?" Beatrix asked.


    "No," Ricar replied. "That wound¡ªit looks like it was done by a fist, and I don''t think those monkeys are capable of doing something like that."

 Chapter 983: The Strongest On The Island

    Chapter 983: The Strongest On The Ind


    ?


    It wasn''t just the regr warriors that had acted as soon as Ricar had given the order. The higher and more talented warriors also saw this as an opportunity to get on with the job. Dealing with the beasts was troublesome.


    Seeing how one of the Elders from the Dawnde n had already dealt with one of the monkeys was enough to motivate the rest to do the same. So they too had headed into the forest with people on their trail.


    The man leading the group known as Gelgar from the Illumination n was one of them. Following behind him were four other men from the same n, including one particr individual, Red from Alter.


    Gelgar was slowing his pace down for the others to get ahead, and in doing so, he was using powerful fist techniques from the n to hit many of the monkeys at once that were on their tail. It wasn''t enough topletely stop them but to injure them and send them back.


    What Gelgar didn''t know was that at that point, Red was ahead of everyone else and was taking a particr path. The others followed him until they eventually reached a flowing river with a bed of rocks before it.


    Red had stopped at this point and turned around. The rest of the warriors thought the man was crazy and were ready to run right past him, until Gelgar hade out and turned as well.


    "WAIT!" Gelgar called out to the others.


    When they stopped running just by the river, they too turned and noticed that it was quieter. The monkeys had stopped their pursuit.


    "It seems we have left their territory. That was lucky of us to enter a new ce," Gelgar said, as he took count of those that were with him. He clicked his tongue, hoping that there would be more.


    "Lucky?" Red smirked. "There was no luck involved."


    After looking around for a few seconds, it was quite clear that Red was getting ready to leave and head further up the river.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Gelgar said. "You saw those beasts and how strong they were. We will do better together, and we will be able to search for the item."


    Red immediately shook his head.


    "I agree with one thing-it would be better for you guys if I was to stay with you. Not the other way around; I would do perfectly fine on my own. Maybe your luck will get you out of this ce."


    "We are to support each other. You heading off will make it so more of my men will die," Gelgar imed. He saw a part of the strength of Red and knew he was at least the same as that of the Elders from the Light Faction.


    They did need him more than the other way around, but this was just a person from Alter, while he was leading the Illumination n. In Gelgar''s mind, his position was much higherpared to the others.


    "I''m doing my own thing and finding the item myself," Red turned his head. "And by the way, it was me who led you guys to this safe ce. It wasn''t luck, so I''ve already done more than I originally intended."


    With that, Red had run off and was out of sight. The other warriors weren''t too worried since they had Gelgar, but it was only Gelgar himself who felt like there was now quite a loss to their group.


    "I''ll have to report on his actions when I get back. Come on, let''s move from this ce," Gelgar said as he pointed to the other side of the river where the greenery was darker but the trees lessened, giving them more space.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In Gelgar''s mind, it was an easier ce for them to fight.


    "Sir, are we going to head deeper into the jungle? What if there are even more powerful beasts? Shouldn''t we go and try to team up with the others before progressing?" one of the warriors asked.


    "Do you really think that there would be so many powerful beasts on this ind? Those monkeys are a one-off," Gelgar said as he jumped to the other side.


    The warriors had conflicted looks on their faces. Was it really a one-off? Did Gelgar already forget about the extremely powerful bunny they hade across as well? Regardless, they had no choice, as they felt like they were safer with Gelgar rather than without him.


    So they too jumped onto the other side of the river and headed into the forest.


    The group of six, including Gelgar, had slowed down their pace. They were trying to figure out where they were or where the center of the ind was for them. This was where Gelgar thought the item would most likely be.


    At the same time, they tried to recall which way they hade from so they could head back. If there weren''t so many powerful beasts, then it wouldn''t be so much of a problem for them to just run around the area and find where their ship was.


    Things were different now, and they were carefully going through the jungle not to attract attention. As Gelgar broke through a fewrge leaves, he immediately readied himself in a stance upon seeing something up ahead.


    A blond-haired man, wearing a strange zer a person he hadn''t recognized and a person who was on his own.


    "Who are you? What are you doing here on this ind!" Gelgar immediately shouted.


    The other warriors stood by his side and drew out their weapons immediately, and started to surround the man.


    "Me?" the man said, pointing at himself. "I''m just an... explorer if you call it that. You don''t have to pay me no trouble."


    As the other warriors had the strange man surrounded, one of them eventually felt their leg kick something. When they looked down, they could see the heavy round weight-it was a human head.


    "A n member, a member of the Aurora n!" the warrior shouted.


    It wasn''t just one body though; the other warriors had also discovered two more as well.


    "It''s an enemy! Everyone, ready your positions!" Gelgar shouted.


    The man in the center looked up in the air and sighed.


    "Thest group of people made the same mistake in attacking me. I was hoping that you guys wouldn''t do the same. I''m starting to wonder if the Divine Realm or here is worse... but at least here it''s a bit more fun," Mosak said with a smile.

 Chapter 984: Not Alone

    Chapter 984: Not Alone


    ?


    Deep in the jungle, there was one group who had been moving through slowly, and that was Krynic currently leading the Aurora n with ten members and one of the Elders of the


    Dawnde n, Impress, who had another five with them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They were one of thergest groups that had managed to group up together. This was because of the two skilled individuals fighting against the monkeys. Although from different ns, both of them were skillful with the swords and were blocking several attacks.


    ''I saw what Ricar and Beatrix did!'' Impress thought as she spun her body and blocked an attack from five of the monkeys, slicing and cutting several of their hands. She then spun her body a second time and pushed them all to the ground.


    "Keep moving further in, don''t stop, let us two deal with this!" Impress shouted.


    While the monkeys had fallen, it was Krynic who was taking advantage of the situation. He threw his spear towards one of the monkeys on the ground and pierced right through their body. He was rtively far, around ten meters, and after throwing the spear, he was somewhat able to lift his body and pull himself towards it like it was attached by a piece of string.


    Hurling himself towards the spear, he pulled it out from the dead monkey and then quickly threw it at another one, repeating this process.


    ''It''s thanks to Ricar and Beatrix gathering arge amount of monkeys that we can make it through. We aren''t like the other factions; we also look after and protect our n members!''


    After the constant fighting, they noticed that the monkeys retreated as they had entered a new section of the jungle which was darker in color. Impress leapt back along with Krynic as they both watched the monkeys'' retreat.


    "You did a good job," Krynic said. "I thought the Dawnde n was in fallen times, but with Elders like you, I would say those were nothing but rumors."


    "I also didn''t know the Aurora n had skillful spear users. I thought nearly all their techniques were to do with the sword," Impress replied back.


    "Correct, but there are always exceptions, those ced in a n through fate that they don''t really believe in themselves," Krynic replied back, and the two of them looked at the warriors.


    They were exhausted, although they had thankfully managed to all survive, it wasn''t without injuries. Some had ck coconuts chucked at their body parts, injuring an arm or leg. Others had even their skin ripped by ws before others had arrived.


    Thankfully, knowing the danger of the beasts, the warriors stuck together and fought side by side, and if there was one thing the Light Faction was exceptional at, it was teamwork and formations.


    Impress looked around the darkened color and noticed it was quite strange. To her left and right, like a curved circle, she noticed there was a cut-off point. It almost looked like a line had been drawn in the grass rather than a general natural pass-through.


    Seeing this didn''t give her high hopes for what was toe.


    "I think we should prioritize finding Ricar and the others rather than exploring the ind," Impress said.


    "I have no problem with that," Krynic immediately replied. "The Dawnde n was given control of this mission, and honestly, we were told to prioritize the objective over helping the other ns, but those above have no idea about the situation at hand. So I am happy toply."


    The two from opposing ns in the same faction looked at each other and nodded; they were happy that at least the two of them could work well together.


    While the few that were injured were being treated with Qi pills and basic herbs, Impress had made another observation, that the safest ces for them were the territory borders. The monkeys wouldn''t even get close to the borders, and whatever beasts were on the darker side of the jungle probably wouldn''t do the same to the other side as well.


    Leaving a safe vantage point for them. That was if it worked the way she hoped. It could possibly also be that on the darker side the stronger beasts didn''t care so much about going into the weaker''s territory; thankfully they were at least fine for now.


    "Alright, now that everyone is ready, let''s move, remember your formations and stay close to me and Krynic!" Impress ordered.


    Rather than walking straight into the jungle, Impress was pacing to the left for a while and then pacing to the right before advancing deeper. She was covering more ground of the jungle this way.


    She didn''t care about advancing deeper due to the fear and was more concerned with trying to find the others they had split up with. Judging by them being the slowest group, she thought they would be behind the others and see some sort of sign.


    It wasn''t long until she saw stters of blood on one of the trees. Seeing this, she lifted her


    hand up.


    "I''ll go up ahead, you guys stay back and keep your wits about you, make sure you''re covering yourselves from all directions," Impress stated.


    "Let mee with you," Krynic said. "With what we''ve run into so far, there might be something that needs the both of us."


    Usually, as an Elder and in a higher position, Impress would have declined but in the current situation she agreed, and the two of them moved forward. They saw more blood stters as they moved slightly ahead and eventually on the ground they saw body parts.


    An entire arm was on the ground looking to have been ripped off. They continued forward, ignoring the arm for now, looking at the destruction and eventually stopped in their tracks in an open area.


    "What... did this?" Impress said.


    Several warriors'' bodies were lying on the floor lifeless. All of them on the edge pointing towards something. However, there wasn''t much destruction for the forest itself, showing signs that there wasn''t much of a struggle for whatever it was that they were fighting against. Quickly, Krynic jumped as he recognized the individual in the center.


    "This is Gelgar from the Illumination n, even he was killed. What type of beast did they run into?"


    "They did not run into any beast," Impress answered. "Can''t you see the wounds, they were done by martial arts. It''s clear that there is someone that is very dangerous on this ind."

 Chapter 985: I Can Kill You?

    Chapter 985: I Can Kill You?


    ?


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ricar and Beatrix, since it was just the two of them traveling, had decided to take it upon themselves to try and locate the item first as quickly as possible. Although this might have been seen as a selfish act in the eyes of many others, for them it wasn''t.


    The quicker they found the item, the quicker they could focus on taking everyone back.


    ''If I could, I would let everyone know not to progress beyond the darker green part of the jungle. There is something incredibly dangerous, but finding and locating everyone would take too much time,'' Ricar thought.


    ''Finding the item and heading back is the best thing that we can do!''


    There was another issue that he wasn''t sure the others were aware of, but it was the fact that since they had entered the ind, the artifacts that the Light Faction had no longer worked. Ricar hadn''t told the Light Faction that he had obtained the artifact from the arena-one that was able to change the battlefield through input of one''s Qi. He had tried to use it when the groups of monkeys had attacked but it didn''t work, and he had tried to use it again when he had gathered the others but there was still no effect.


    It was as if the artifact wasn''t responding at all, and if his guess was right, that strange feeling they all felt when they hadnded on the ind could very well be part of the cause as to why the artifacts weren''t working.


    They traveled through the dark green area and something had surprised the both of them. Up ahead they could see the jungle ending, and part of the river that was leading to arge waterfall and open caves.


    There were vines on the side of the waterfall making it easier to head up, but it also worried Ricar about how open the area was, including the flying beasts that were up in the air. Looking at one of the flying beasts though, he saw it diving down to the ground in front of them.


    As it dived down, a redser appeared to be shot out and ripped right through the beast''s wing. It caused the beast to fall at an angle, and then crash into the ground.


    "What was that!" Beatrix said.


    "...That might just be the person who had killed the beast from before!" Ricar announced and gathered his Qi in his de.


    Beatrix stayed by Ricar''s side as the two charged forward. They ran across the open area and saw the beast lying on the ground as well as a person standing right next to it. When the person turned their head, they then moved both of their hands in the direction of the two, and just like the redser that was used to shoot at the beast, two redsers shot out of the man''s hands.


    They came out too fast for them to dodge, and both Ricar and Beatrix needed to swing their swords in a crescent shape using their Qi. Eventually, they managed to deflect the energy- Ricar into the air for it to hit nothing, while Beatrix had deflected it into the side of the jungle, crashing into a tree and destroying the areapletely.


    "That was a warning shot!" the man said. "Running up to a person means bad intentions... and considering you''re both from the Light Faction, I can confirm that you have bad intentions."


    Both Beatrix and Ricar hade to a stop. They didn''t have the upper hand in delivering a surprise attack against this individual, so now it was best if they were to talk it out. When taking a moment, it was then that they both seemed to recognize each other.


    "Wait, I know you, you were with Raze and the others from the Martial Arts Tournament!" Beatrix eximed.


    Now Ricar also recognized the man. When they saw him, they were unaware of what he was capable of doing since they didn''t see him act directly, but judging by how strong the beasts were on this ind and how easily he had dealt with one, it was clear this person was very strong.


    The real question was though, why was this individual on the ind as well? Was Raze, the Dark Magus, and the rest of the Dark Faction on the ind? Was that the ship that they had seen that hadnded filled with those from the Dark Faction?


    If that was the case, then this would be big trouble for them.


    "What is your reason for being on this ind?" Ricar imed. "Is it just to gather beast crystals from these beasts?"


    Although Ricar asked this, he doubted that it was the answer. The ind had just be safe to travel to. They had learned this was going to happen from Alter, so how did the others know about it?


    "I am here for the same reason as all of you," Zon answered. "I am here to search for the item. My guess is that you are here for that reason and aim to hand over the item to the Light Faction. If that is the case, then I am afraid it would be easier for me to get rid of you now."


    Zon energized two red des into his hands and held onto them tight. He knew he was quite deep into the jungle ahead of the others, but with only him here, he needed to stop anyone else from getting close.


    Elsewhere on the ind, Lince was rolling his shoulder as he walked through the ind.


    "That giant monkey was strong, really strong. I didn''t even beat it in the end; I just ran away from it, it would have taken up too much time." Lince then started to shake his head. "Maybe I made a mistake teaming up with that Zon guy."


    "He just abandoned me, and judging by what he said, he''s notpletely on Raze''s side with all of this in the first ce. This whole thing is bing frustrating, and where even is Raze? ording to Belil''s n, shouldn''t he be here by now?"


    Lince then pushed arge leaf out of the way and noticed the ground starting to change; it was hard, more like a desert. The terrain on the ind was certainly weird, and up ahead he could see piles of ruins, buildings as if they had fallen, but more equally he could see a man standing there looking through the ruins, with red hair.


    The man then stood up and looked back at Lince.


    "You''re not from the Light Faction? Which means I can kill you, right?" Red said with a smile.

 Chapter 986: Zons Struggle

    Chapter 986: Zon''s Struggle


    ?


    Zon had energized two red des in his hand, and the ragged cloth that was covering his body seemingly disintegrated, revealing the hardened ck suit he was wearing on his body. It was no time to keep up appearances.


    Zon didn''t care who saw him on the ind, because the only important matter was getting the item.


    "Beatrix, focus on defensive maneuvers, I''ll focus on attack!" Ricar said with urgency in his voice.


    Usually, he wouldn''t dare tomand a high-level warrior, especially one that was skillful enough to earn the rank of an Elder, but in the current situation they were in, he had a really bad feeling about their opponent, and doing things this way might be the only way they could survive.


    cing one hand over his sword, Ricar''s weapon started to light up, and he charged forward, thrusting the weapon. Zon avoided the attack with ease, moving to the side and allowing it to go under his arm, but the attack didn''t stop there.


    After the thrust, a bright white light shone in the area. The attack was filled with Qi and had the effect to blind one''s opponent.


    "That doesn''t work on me!" Zon said as he swung his sword right for Ricar''s head. Before it reached, Beatrix swung her sword upward, performing the Crescent Moon Block. It had knocked both of Zon''s swords surprisingly well.


    Usually, she would follow up with another attack, but she hadn''t done so, focusing on what Ricar had asked, for her to focus on defense. She felt like it was a good thing as well, as Ricar and herself retreated slightly back. She could see that Zon''s eyes were looking straight at her, as if he was ready for her next move.


    "Is this person even human?" Ricar asked. "How was he not blinded, and was still able to throw an attack? This is the first time something like this has happened."


    It wasn''t the first time someone had deflected ore up with some counter to the attack, but more so just taking it straight on and ignoring it. Ricar and Beatrix both had the same thought as they looked at this person: they didn''t know why, but he heavily reminded them of the man that hade with them from Alter.


    Zon then charged forward, moving at an incredible speed, and then in an arc shape he swung both of his swords from above. Both Ricar and Beatrix had no choice but to use defensive techniques as they blocked the attack from above.


    Their feet sunk into the ground beneath them slightly as it broke, and they were trying to skim the sword away, but instead they were in a struggle for power.


    "Do you two even know why you are fighting, why you are risking your lives?" Zon said as he scraped the swords and then started to attack again. He was swinging his weapon at both Beatrix and Ricar, who were blocking.


    What was even more startling to them was that each individual arm seemed to be performing different techniques, meaning that both of them would have to counter them in different ways.


    "The Light Faction is just blindly following the doings of Alter, and for what? The item that you are after-do you even know what they wish to do with it?"


    When swinging with his right arm, Zon''s de had suddenly disappeared, and instead he had blocked with his arm. The sword had hit his ck suit, not leaving a single mark. Then opening up his palm, he fired aser, hitting Beatrix in the stomach and sending her away. Quickly, Ricar struck the ground, breaking the flooring, and leapt back to check on Beatrix, who had been hit, but there was no physical wound left on her.


    "I have a real reason to go after this item, while the two of you are just blindly following orders," Zon said, and he paused as if he wanted to say more, but some memories started to resurface in his mind.


    He was once the same in the Red Fortis army, not asking questions and just following what came from above.


    "This item is clearly something valuable to all," Ricar imed. "A powerful artifact-if it falls into the hands of the Dark or Demonic Faction, then all will be lost for all of Pagna."


    "So you believe you and Alter are the only ones that have good intentions for such an item?" Zon asked. "Do you truly believe the words that areing out of your mouth? You have teamed up with the ones who wishes the downfall of Pagna."


    "But your faction has been so caught up in not losing against the Dark and Demonic Faction that you can''t even see it. Right now, only the Light Faction is an enemy of Pagna. You are the only ones that are going against the flow."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Although the exchange had been small, and Ricar and Beatrix still hadn''t fought with everyst fiber they had, they felt like this was a fight they would lose, because it was the same for their opponent-he hadn''t been pushed to his limit either.


    ''How... how is it that the Dark Faction managed to find someone so powerful and have them by their side?''


    Immediately though, Zon had turned his head as he saw a giant serpent appear from the nearby river. It was dark green in color, and as it opened its mouth, strange gills looked to appear by the side, spreading out and vibrating widely.


    Before they knew it, the giant serpent dived, heading straight for Zon and hitting him directly in his body, pushing him away.


    "Let''s get out of here, head up by the waterfall now!" Ricar shouted.


    Beatrix agreed, and the two of them used all of their Qi to move as fast as possible. The beast seemed powerful, so they knew it might keep the man busy for a while. Some might have thought it was a chance to get rid of a powerful enemy, but the beast was a beast and wasn''t working for them-it just happened to help them out in this current situation.


    While running though, and escaping the area, Beatrix did have a strange thought running through her head.


    ''There was a lot of truth to what that man said though... we don''t even know what we''re getting. What if bringing this item to Alter really does harm all of Pagna...?'' she thought.

 Chapter 987: Reds Struggle

    Chapter 987: Red''s Struggle


    ?


    In particr, Lince was worried that after running away from the giant white-furred monkey, he might run into an even more dangerous beast. Instead, he hade across a man with dark red hair.


    While travelling through the jungle, in order not to gain the attention of others that might be here including other beasts, Lince was using his light footwork technique. It would be next to impossible for someone to detect him or his Qi, even if they were a highly skilled middle- stage warrior.


    Yet as soon as he had entered the strange desert sand-looking area among the ruins, the red- haired man had stared directly his way, and had an unsettling smile on his face.


    "What did you say?" Lince asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you say you wanted to kill me? And people say we from the Demonic Faction are unhinged."


    Right after finishing his sentence, the red-haired man had disappeared from his sight, who had been at least thirty meters away.


    The red-haired man then swung his arm trying to catch Lince, but had hit nothing but air. The man seemed confused as he looked at his hand and nothing was in it.


    "My, you are a fast one. I was quite shocked there that I had to move on instinct," Lincemented, who was now standing on the edge of one of the ruins, out from the sand. "I didn''t know there was someone in the Light Faction as fast as you. That is where you''re from, right?"


    Immediately, Red smiled, and then quickly moved from his position again. The leftover ruins were crushed and ripped through, broken down, and the man was startled as he looked around for the mysterious person.


    "Such bloodlust, this doesn''t feel like someone from the Light Faction, more like someone from the Demonic Faction," Lince said.


    This time, Red moved again, but Lince was unable to get away, and both of their faces were staring right at each other.


    "You''re right, I''m nothing like them!" Red bashed his head trying to headbutt Lince, but he had already disappeared and was behind Red. Now Lince struck with his dagger from behind, but Red quickly stopped the hit.


    Lince pulled away, and the two were in a situation where they were constantly moving to each other''s strikes, trying to take the other one down. In the end, Lince then unraveled one of the bandages on his arms and used it to swirl in the sand, creating a dust tornado.


    He was hoping it would block the sight of this stranger from him, but once again, it seemed to not affect the man as he charged right through and headed toward the ruins where Lince was hiding.


    Lince continued to jump back and eventually stayed on top of one of the ruins that were at the highest point.


    "Wait, think about this, do the two of us really have to fight?" Lince asked.


    Immediately, Red had stopped the chase and looked up at Lince. Although he hadn''t managed to catch him yet, he could tell that he was getting close. It felt like he was getting closer each time.


    The fact that they had that little scuffle and exchange was proof of that as well. Red had figured the person in front of him was someone who was skilled in foot techniques, which was why he was betting once the two of them fought head to head, that it would be a battle he could easily win.


    "If you are not from the Light Faction, and some sort of inhabitant of this ind, then I will leave you be," Lince said.


    "I''m not an inhabitant, and I''m not with the Light Faction," Red answered.


    "Then who are you?" Lince asked.


    Red straightened himself.


    "I''m a man from the Red Fortis army, and my name is Red, so that might give you a clue as to who I am."


    "Right, right, so if you''re not with the Light Faction, there''s no reason for us to fight. I will be on my way."


    "No," Red said. "I know who you are. No one from Pagna is allowed to get their hands on the item, and all of those that are here for the item must be eliminated-that is my job as a Deleter!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lince was hoping it wouldn''te to this. He was confident in his strength; he was, after all, the head of a n, and not just any n but one of the three major ns in the Demonic Faction.


    The Faction was known for having far fewer people and caring about power above all. To reach his position, there was no one that could call him weak, but there was one trait everyone knew about Lince.


    Seeing the situation, he let out a big sigh.


    ''I really can''t be bothered with this one!'' Lince thought as he gathered his Qi into his dagger. He saw Red charge right at him, moving at his fast speed again. Then Lince hurled his dagger right at Red.


    Like a bullet, it had knocked him out of the air, and his body was skidding across the sand. Tworge waves of sand were created due to therge force of Qi that was used.


    As for what Lince was known as to those in the Demonic Faction, he was known for being incrediblyzy, wishing to take the simplest route in things, and in this situation, he thought the simplest thing to do was to finish this battle in one go.


    ''Red Fortis army, I can''t say I''ve ever heard of them, and judging by his name being Red, was The the leader or something?'' Lince wondered.


    When the sand settled through, he saw Red hunched forward, the cloth he had on his body had disappeared, and now his ck tight skin suit could be seen with red energy pulsating through his entire body.


    As for the dagger, it had pierced through his suit, hitting the top of his shoulder. Blood was drawn but it hadn''t sunk in too deep. Red pulled it out with a big smile on his face.


    "You might be the first person I''ll have to go all out on," Red said as he lifted his hand in the air. "I''ll show you why I was considered the strongest in the Red Fortis army!"

 Chapter 988: The Fortis Armies Secret? (Part 1)

    Chapter 988: The Fortis'' Armies Secret? (Part 1)


    ?


    The strange man known as Red-Lince still had no idea who he really was. Whether he was an individual searching for an item, a person who was a natural inhabitant of the ind, or if he was someone working for the ind''s sake.


    There was one thing that was clear though: he was quite the powerful person, and now he meant business.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''I was hoping that myst attack would have finished him off... and he has my dagger with him now as well.'' Reaching behind, Lince could feel he still had one more dagger on him, but just having one left him feeling rather vulnerable.


    When Red lifted his hand in the air, red energy was gathering in the palm of his hand, but in the air itself, small red particles-small line-shaped beams likesers-wereing toward the palm of his hand.


    It made Lince wonder, was this energy like Qi, where it came from within his body, or was it like Mana, where one used energy to force the energies of the outside world to be controlled? It was hard to say at just a nce, but whatever it was, he didn''t like it.


    ''Maybe I should stop him rather than let him go ahead with this final move of his. A throw of my second dagger would be a bit harder this time, but then it would be harder for me to fight hand to hand,'' Lince thought, considering if his attack didn''t work the second time.


    Just then, from behind his ear, he could feel a tingling sensation. A low deep roar and the sound of slight banging.


    "That can''t be?" Lince thought.


    Turning his head, his thoughts hade true as he witnessed a giant white-furred monkey flying through the air. Momentster, it crashed in the middle of the sand and started to bang its chest again and again.


    The monkey had a heavynding, shaking the ground slightly and causing Red to stumble. Right after, the monkey spun its body and started to chuck sand all over the ce, and even piles of rubble to the left and right.


    Lince didn''t waste any time and took his chance to head back where he came from-into the dark green part of the jungle, searching other areas. He ran at a fast speed, and with his silent footsteps and techniques he would leave no trace, making it almost impossible for Red to keep up with him.


    "You know, when I got rid of that monkey, I thought I would be happy to never see him again. It turns out I was wrong. That was a good monkey-I should treat him to a few bananas the next time I see him... if he doesn''t try to snap my head off, or try to eat me instead," Lince thought as he continued on, hoping he would never run into Red again.


    The sun was starting to set on his journey, and Lince really had no idea where he was going. He just knew that there was no point in turning to the light green-colored territory of the jungle.


    There was likely nothing there, as it would just be the outer area of the jungle, whereas the dark green section of the jungle would lead to different ces internally. At least that was what he had gathered from his observations.


    Eventually though, Lince hade across a stream of fast-flowing water. Seeing it, he knew there had to be a strong source nearby, like a waterfall.


    "That would be a good ce to hide a special item, right? Aren''t there usually secret entrances to these things like behind the waterfall? If I was the one to hide the item, is that where I would hide it, or would that be much too obvious?"


    The more Lince thought about it, if he really hid an item and didn''t want anyone to get their hands on it, on an ind like this, there really was only one thing he would do, and that was to hide the item where the strongest beasts remained.


    They wouldn''t have a clue what the item was, and Lince wasn''t even sure if beasts could activate these artifacts by ident on their own-unless they turned into Hybrid beasts.


    A shiver ran down Lince''s entire body, just imagining how strong a Hybrid beast would be that had to live in this type of environment.


    Judging by the level of beasts that Lince hade across already, he had figured out that it would be impossible to fight higher-level beasts than this on his own, and he had made the right choice to team up with Zon.


    "The question is, where even is that guy? With the sun setting, it''s going to be hard for me to keep searching."


    So far, Lince had just gone down the river. If he came across the item, that wouldn''t be a bad thing either, and if there was some dangerous dragon-type beast protecting the treasure, then he could look for Zon after.


    Or just point some of the Light Faction members in the right direction, while they were fighting the beast he could steal the item.


    "Zon, where are you?" Lince sighed as he stopped walking.


    "You called my name?"


    Looking around, Lince was surprised to hear a response but could see no one next to him, until his eyes caught something floating in the river. Lince had gone the opposite direction from the stream so the current was far weaker, and he saw a man in a ck skin-tight suit just floating by.


    "What are you doing in the river, get out of there,e on!" Lince asked.


    Zon had quickly gotten up and pushed himself out of the river to the stone bedding, and now Lince and Zon had reunited.


    "It''s getting dark," Zon said. "It might be best we camp for a while. The beasts in this ce are too powerful, and at night we have less of an advantage."


    "I agree, and I think it''s better we stick together and not run off from each other likest time," Lince stated. "But you''re going to have to exin why you were floating in the river


    like that."

 Chapter 989: The Fortis Armies Secret? (Part 2)

    Chapter 989: The Fortis'' Armies Secret? (Part 2)


    ?


    Lince and Zon had decided to head into the dark green jungle area and looked for a location that would provide them decent cover. Eventually, they found a cliffside of sorts, where they could set up some type of camp.


    Because Lince was a powerful warrior, and Zon was... whatever Zon was, it wasn''t as if a campfire was needed for heat or for them to see. Zon could see well at night, and Lince could use his other senses to help him in a fight.


    The cliffside was chosen because they could at least see enemiesing from one direction toward them, and didn''t have to worry about their back or what was above at least at night. Still, there were a few things Zon had said to set up, and they were temporary measures to allow them to hear if beasts were heading their way. Breaking apart bark of the tree or heavy- duty leaves, setting them up so if beasts came then it would ck several dark ck coconuts together, setting them awake.


    While doing all of this, Lince had gotten his answer as to why Zon was just floating in the water. Eventually, the two of them sat down by their makeshift camp and decided to talk.


    "So what''s the grand tale then? After you ran off and left me behind, it''s quite clear you didn''t find the item, so why were you floating?" Lince asked.


    "I had a run-in with those from the Light Faction. From my database, they were Ricar and Beatrix," Zon exined.


    It was as expected for Lince. The ships they saw were certainly the Light Faction, and judging by who was sent, they didn''t send any weaklings either.


    "You don''t look hurt, although it''s hard to tell if you are hurt or not," Lince asked.


    "I''m not," Zon answered immediately, as if he would have been offended to say he had received a wound. But receiving one from two strong members from the Dawnde n wouldn''t be a wound one should be embarrassed about.


    "The reason I was floating in the water was because I was interrupted by a beast-it had to be at least a level 7 beast. It took a lot of my energy and power to defeat it, and by the end of it, I was low on reserves."


    "I managed to pull out its crystal though, but my body is having a hard time taking in the energy from the crystal. In order to not tire out and still travel around the ind, I decided to allow the water to just let me float around while observing all the areas I hadn''t been to."


    Lince didn''t know what to say. He was thinking more and more that this partner of his was a madman. Who would even think to do such a thing? Was he not worried that there would be more beasts in the river where he fell from?


    Or did he just not think that far ahead?


    "Absorbing the crystal raw, not as a Qi pill? I know you''re not a Pagna warrior, so you don''t use Qi. So is that what you run on, power stones from the beasts?" Lince asked. He was curious for more reasons than one.


    "A correction would be that''s a type of energy we can run on," Zon exined. "In our world, those like us can use different forms of energy. The system has to run on something, and we can charge ourselves at certain ces."


    "Coming to this world, I learned that we can use crystals to power the system, the suit, and other things that my body requires. However, it''s interesting, I gave a system to one of the warriors in Raze''s group."


    "It appears because the system integrated with him rather than someone from our world, that the energy being used to power his system is his own Qi, so he doesn''t have the same hurdles as us. I''m sure he can grow up to be very strong." Zon smiled.


    It was interesting to note, and it gave Lince an idea if he was ever to run into someone else like he did earlier in the day again.


    "Are you not going to even ask what happened to me?" Lince asked.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Did you find the item?" Zon asked.


    Lince shook his head.


    "Then relevant information should have already been gathered. The Light Faction are here, there are powerful beasts and we have no idea of the present location of the Golden Globe. If you had information that was important, you would have said it already."


    Lince''s eyes were twitching. Although Zon didn''t seem to be trying to antagonize him or make him angry, he was sure doing a good job of it.


    "The reason why I was asking you questions was because I ran into someone on this ind as well," Lince exined. "And he had the exact same ck suit that you have, heck his arms even lit up red like you did as well."


    Immediately, Zon''s eyes widened, looking at the ground. Numbers of images shed in his head. So many questions wereing to mind, but he didn''t even know which to ask first, and multiple system screens were popping up in front of him, reacting to his mixed and various feelings inside.


    "I think he said that he was from the Red Fortis army or something. Is he rted to you then? Didn''t you say you were looking for someone, maybe this is your long-lost friend or something or brother?" Lince joked.


    But his happy nature stopped as he saw the look on Zon''s face, and there was only one question on his mind.


    "A name... did you manage to get his name?"


    "Yeah..." Lince replied. "He called himself Red."


    Immediately, Zon clenched both of his hands. He had done so so tightly that his fingernails had carved into the palm of his hand drawing blood.


    "He''s here... Red is really here, like I thought. The person I''ve been looking for is right here on this ind... this isn''t good though. If you met with him and fought against him, how are you even still alive?" Zon asked.

 Chapter 990: Raze okay?

    Chapter 990: Raze okay?


    ?


    With the night skying out, and the moon rising, it wasn''t just Zon and Lince that had decided it was best to camp. All of the other groups in different areas had decided to do the same.


    Ricar and Beatrix still hadn''t found any of the others in the deep jungle and had camped on their own. They figured it was because they were in deeperpared to the others anyway, but the thought of how many managed to survive did run through their heads.


    Krynic from the Aurora n, and Impress were still together and had managed to gather a few other surviving groups, and now they were around twenty in size-a fairlyrge number. They feared that being in such arge group would attract attention from beasts in the jungle.


    But at the same time, arge size had its advantages in allowing many to keep watch for anything.


    Then there was Red, who was wandering around the ce on his own, andstly there was also Lyon, one of the Elders from the Dawnde n, who had gathered a group of ten individuals from the Light Faction. A mixture of Dawnde n members and others.


    While traveling through the jungle, they had found smaller groups and a couple of survivors; that''s how his group had grownrger. As for the other members, they weren''t so fortunate. The first day on the ind was rough for many, and without groups merging together, they had no way to tell each other what they had experienced or whether they had found the Golden Globe or not. Leaving everyone feeling partly defeated and left with their own thoughts on whether or not this whole thing was worth it.


    With the first day on the ind passing though, it didn''t mean things remained stagnant elsewhere. One person had been traveling non-stop through the towns, cities, and across thend.


    Now, with a stick and a fairlyrge rucksack on his back, Brack had been endlessly traveling across the Demonic continent.


    "You''re going to be okay, right Raze? You''re a strong warrior, Belil didn''t do anything weird to you, so it should all be fine, right, right?" Brack said to himself as he continued moving.


    He was starting to remember why he had be so attached to Raze in the first ce. How, at the Martial Arts Tournament, despite the two of them being the same age and in the same position, he had decided to stand up to Sha Mo.


    For him, who was practically a stranger. His life after the Martial Arts Tournament would have been worse than death. He would have been kicked out of the n and unable to go anywhere to progress his martial arts if Raze didn''t give him a ce.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    And in the end, Brack had hedged his bets right, as Sha Mo had been defeated by this individual. Now strange things were happening to Raze, and Brack was the only one there to help him.


    Therge outer rocks could be seen up ahead, meaning Brack was at the right location. He sped up with a spur of energy he had gotten and leapt, running up the rock and back down into the center.


    Things appeared to be the same, and there was no sense of beasts or anything like that around the area. Not just that, but Raze was still on the floor.


    Brack went over, and he was thankful for one thing, Raze didn''t seem to be in as much pain as before. The veins on his body were no longer bulging, but he still had other symptoms. Sweat was running down the side of his face, and his skin still looked slightly paler.


    His breathing was quite heavy as well, but whatever it was he was going through, the worst of it seemed to be over.


    "That''s good, it might give a chance for the medicine to work better," Brack thought.


    He pulled out the herbs and some special wraps, and started to wrap them around Raze''s body, allowing it to cool down. He even got a towel and hot water and was wiping the sweat away from his face, before cing a cooling towel on top of his head.


    Afterward, he gave Raze a number of mixed herbs in a liquid format and poured it down his mouth. He could see Raze naturally swallowing the liquids, which was a good sign.


    "These things usually take some time to get better, but this might be all I can do right now." Lastly, Brack also gathered a bunch of bed quilts he had in hisrge sack, and ced it over Raze''s body. With the sun gone, it was quite cold, usually not a problem for a Pagna warrior, especially one at Raze''s level, but who knew what type of sickness they were going through.


    There was onest thing that Brack did, and he decided to pull out the special red Qi pill that he bought. It had the marking of DM.


    "You mightugh at me for using this on you, but the thing is I couldn''t find any of these pills on you, and they say the Dark Magus is the best at Alchemy, so here it goes," Brack said, cing the pill in Raze''s mouth and then using his hands to shut his jaw, helping him chew the pill up.


    "What is this!"


    A voice was heard from behind, and immediately startled, Brack stood up and turned. There wasn''t meant to be anyone in the area. There was nothing here and no one knew of the training area, so why would they be here? Even if he was followed, there would be no reason for him to be followed.


    When he saw who it was, or who the two were, things started to make sense to him.


    "What happened to him!" Fing shouted. "What happened to our father!"


    The two brothers had arrived, Fing and Han. After Belil, the strongest in the Neverfall n, and right now the two of them were standing over their father''s dead body.

 Chapter 991: Raze is not the enemy!

    Chapter 991: Raze is not the enemy!


    With everything that had happened, Brack felt like the best decision was to leave Belil''s body as it was. He figured it had to have strong Qi left inside it to the point it wouldn''t start dposing just yet, and at the same time, because of the area they were in, no beasts woulde after it.


    After when Raze was better, then maybe they could figure out what was best, because he feared bringing Belil''s body back to the Neverfall n would incur a bunch of questions which he didn''t really have the answers to.


    It turned out that now, that situation was unfolding right in front of him, his worst nightmare.


    ''These two don''t like me enough as it is, and now they stumble across this, what can I even say!'' Brack thought.


    Fing was stood up, his hands were by his head, it was quite clear he was having some type of meltdown. Loss was difficult for many, but usually in the case of Pagna warriors, death was treated slightly differently as it was expected at any time.


    The reaction that Brack was seeing now was worrying, as it was the reaction of those that deeply cared for a person.


    Meanwhile, Han was knelt down and seemed to be doing a few checks on Belil''s body.


    "He''s dead¡­ he truly is dead. There is no pulse anywhere in his body, it seems it has been this way for quite a while, and even the Qi in his body is incredibly weak, almost everything has been drained out of him."


    Han didn''t say it out loud, but he wondered how that was even possible? Unless there was a fight of some kind that had pushed Belil truly to the edge. If that was to happen though, wasn''t thendscape too clean? Morend, more of the area should have been destroyed, and in the first ce, was there anyone alive in the whole of Pagna that could even do that to him?


    Han then stood up next to his brother.


    "It''s true what you said, he''s dead, father really is no longer alive, what does that mean for the n then, what does that mean for us¡­ and who did this to him, who!" Fing shouted.


    Han only looked ahead in a particr direction, and past Brack they could see another individual on the floor, who appeared to be in a weak state. However, unlike their father, they were alive.


    "It was the Dark Magus, it had to be right!" Fing said. "Father and the Dark Magus were going out, the two of them were nning to have a fight, it had to be him that was responsible for this."


    "Wait, wait, I think you got it all wrong!" Brack said, raising his hands in a panic.


    He could see how the two hade to the conclusion. Anyone would have, and the reality of the situation, which he didn''t understand himself, would be even harder to believe than the thoughts the two brothers had.


    "Wait, wait, I think you got it all wrong!" Brack said, raising his hands in a panic.


    He could see how the two hade to the conclusion. Anyone would have, and the reality of the situation, which he didn''t understand himself, would be even harder to believe than the thoughts the two brothers had.


    "It''s true the two of them fought, but your father and Raze ended up like this after the fight. Your father did something to Raze and then¡­ he¡­ he ended up like that. I went back to the city to try and get supplies to help Raze¡­ but your father, he was already gone."


    "SHUT UP!" Fing said, and a wave of Qi left his body and swept toward Brack. If he wasn''t a middle-stage warrior, he was sure he would have fallen on his backside just from this Qi alone.


    "Your friend went too far, and killed our father. Killing the head, he is an enemy of the Neverfall n. Stand aside and I will get rid of him!" Fing shouted, his hand on his gourd ready to fight at full force.


    Brack needed to think. Raze wasn''t able to fight in this state, and if he was to go up against both of them it would be impossible, even if it was just one of them it would have been impossible.


    "You might not believe what I said, but shouldn''t you follow the Demonic Way anyway!" Brack pleaded. "The strong have the right to rule. If you really think Raze was responsible for all of this remember he is part of the Neverfall n as well. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "If he defeated Belil, then it shouldn''t matter right, shouldn''t you respect the result of what happened, and not attack Raze while he''s in this state while he''s weak!"


    When Brack said these words, he had used his eye contact mostly on Han, who seemed to be more of the sensible one between the two of them. He was pleading with him to make some sense.


    "I can''t believe that Belil was rightfully bested. Especially based on the situation. Raze, the Dark Magus, is also a member of the Dark Faction, I cannot rule out that he used some underhanded tactic to defeat our father." Han''s hand then started to shake.


    As Belil said to Raze before, maybe he had made a mistake raising these two boys, but they were more attached to their father than they themselves realized. Always on his order, always trying to do something for their father to be proud.


    They didn''t feel like they were members of the Neverfall n. Instead, just sons of Belil. Wherever he went, they wanted to go as well. With him gone, and no guidance, what were they supposed to do?


    Right now, all of their anger was faced toward one person that was present and on the ground. So much that neither of them could really think straight.


    "Therefore, the Demonic way of strength above all is not valid in this situation!" Han stated. "If Raze is truly strong enough to take on our father, then even in the state he is now, he should be able to best the two of us!"


    Now it was from Han that a wave of Qi hade out and spread, hitting Brack.


    At the same time, Brack made a promise to himself as well, no matter what, he would protect Raze. He would stand here and stop these two from getting close to him.

 Chapter 992: I Gave You A Warning

    Chapter 992: I Gave You A Warning


    ?


    Brack had tried talking to them, to avoid a fight that he knew he had no chance of winning, but it failed, which was as expected. Despite knowing that he was going to lose, he wasn''t going to run away, and he wasn''t going to abandon Raze.


    Brack charged forward, and then started to run to the side. He nced over his shoulder making sure Raze''s body was at least not behind him.


    "Making the first move, like you think this is a proper fight?" Fing said as he continued to drink from his gourd, and then wiped his mouth.


    Right after, he jumped from his position, and gathered powerful Qi energy in his body.


    Like a shooting star he positioned right where Brack was and dived right towards him. Brack had stopped moving and braced himself as Fing crashed in front of him and the ground cracked right through his force. A few chippings from the floor had hit from the side here and there, but he did well to keep his eyes open.


    He saw an opening and struck with his fists left and right.


    ''I''m a middle stage warrior now, I''m at the same stage as them, so I should be able to do something!''


    There was one thing that Brack was good at as well, and that was his foot techniques. He quickly moved from his position and appeared by Fing''s side but just like the additional two punches, all of them were effortlessly avoided by Fing.


    His body was rxed and fluid, which didn''t match the scorn that he had continued on his face, avoiding each of the hits. Until eventually Fing grabbed onto Brack''s hand.


    "Did you think because you were a middle stage warrior that you could stop us now? There is arge difference between us and you, that can''t be made up just like this!"


    Brack went to throw another hand, which was immediately grabbed by Fing, and then he twisted them down with ease. At the same time though, Brack then kicked his legs into the ground.


    It was an odd choice of attack, one that Fing didn''t even understand because the kick wasn''t directed at him but instead was directed to the ground. It was onlyter that a rise of Qi was felting from the ground and felt on Fing''s hands.


    It forced him to let go of Brack in that moment as he was left confused by the invisible force. As Fing was wondering what was going on, Brack was seen with his hands holding onto what looked like the air, and swinging it, the next thing Fing knew he felt like a physical punch hit him right across the face.


    It swung his head to the side, but he still hadn''t moved from his position.


    Fing slowly raised his hand at his cheek.


    "What are these cheap tricks of yours?" Fing asked.


    Right now, Brack was using the special technique of the Behemoth n, taught to the upper members. A constant stream of Qi that could be controlled like that of a snake from one''s body.


    He held both hands in the air, and then swung them together and now two giant snake-like Qi objects wereing right at Fing.


    ''The element of surprise is all I have in this fight, so I need to do as much as I can before he can get used to it.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fing was still standing in ce as the Qi wasing to strike him, and at thest moment he stretched out both of his hands. His fingers were curled like ws and he held them up in the air.


    Brack could feel it, the sweat running down the side of his face.


    ''He''s captured my Qi, even though he couldn''t see it, he figured out its trick already and is holding onto it.''


    "I can''t believe I let someone of your caliber toy with me." Fing said as he closed his curled fingers and balled his hand into a fist. Immediately both of the invisible giant Qi snakes had broken.


    Before Brack could do anything else as well, Fing was already upon him, and struck hard right at the back of his head, causing his eyes to roll to the back of his head and his body to m into the hard ground.


    "Come on Han, we have a job to do." Fing said.


    Han jumped over to where Fing was, and now the two of them were looking at Raze who was still on the floor. They had taken two steps toward him before they stopped, feeling a surge of Qi from behind.


    "I won''t let you get to him!" Brack shouted.


    When they turned around they could see Brack with his hand held out. He had used his special Qi trait again, creating a giant snake that wrapped around their bodies.


    Han then pulled out his flute, and started to blow sharply into it. While Brack was standing there now he was on the receiving end of attacks that couldn''t be seen.


    His body was getting cut up left and right, was getting hit and pounded, blood came rushing out of his mouth, but he still stood there, standing his ground, despite all of the attacks on him.


    "This guy is so annoying!" Fing shouted as he rushed over. Fing then pulled his hands back and held them behind his back.


    While Han had ced his flute away and was now standing right in front of him.


    "There was no reason for us to take care of you." Han said. "And in a way, our father already saved your life once, so we wanted to respect him by saving your life again, but I guess you just made us realize that our father is now dead."


    "He no longer has any wishes left for us to follow, so we will make our own choice. Since you are so stubborn we will take your life."


    Han raised his hand, a strike to the heart or head would kill Brack on the spot, and with Fing holding both of his hands there was no way for him to escape.


    "What did I say... What did I say... about touching him." A voice said from behind.


    All Han could see was the shocked, wide-eyed look from his brother, along with the sound of his heartbeat.

 Chapter 993 A New Raze

    Chapter 993 A New Raze


    A deep voice resounded in both of the brothers'' ears, and not just the brothers but Brack''s as well. When he looked up, he could see that the Dark Magus, Raze, was finally standing on his feet.


    No longer did he have the paleplexion he did from before. No longer was sweat dripping down his body. He had recovered, and the strangest thing was, despite him standing there right in front of them, everyone noticed something strange.


    Han turned his head around. ''His Qi, where is his Qi? I can''t feel his Qi at all?'' Han questioned.


    "I finally get out of that nightmare of a situation and the first thing I need to deal with is you two troublesome kids." Razemented.


    "Troublesome kids!" Fing shouted as he let go of Brack and stood by his brother''s side. "Who are you to say that to us? We, and our father, treated you like family, brought you in, and now look at what you did to him!"


    Fing shouted as he jumped up in the air. Han wanted to be more cautious, he wanted to warn his brother not to be so rash, but since it was toote, he had no choice but to join in on the attack as well.


    If they were both to attack at the same time, it was the only way Han could foresee them winning this.


    ''This is not like before, he''s not in the same form as he was before. We can do this¡­ this time!''


    Those were thest thoughts Han remembered thinking before they were followed by excruciating pain, and then passing out. His whole vision had gone ck, it felt like he had left the world of Pagna, and for how long he had no idea.


    When his eyes finally fluttered open, he could feel pain surging through his body. When he looked to the side, he was able to see his brother Fing, in a mangled position, some of the bones in his arms protruding out from his body.


    ''Just what happened to us¡­ what happened?'' Han thought.


    "You''re finally awake." Raze said. "It''s a good thing I had some healing pills on me, otherwise this might have taken a long time, and I''m in a bit of a rush."


    Han wanted to say something, he was trying to move his mouth and gather energy, but the look Raze gave him immediately told him that it wasn''t a good idea.


    "If it was up to me, both of you would be dead right now. I gave you both too many warnings, yet you still decided to act rashly and in this way." Raze said.


    Judging by the condition they were in, Han knew it, Raze could have killed both of them. Still, he was confused. To be in this state without even knowing what happened¡­ this didn''t even ur when Raze had bested them thest time.


    Judging by the condition they were in, Han knew it, Raze could have killed both of them. Still, he was confused. To be in this state without even knowing what happened¡­ this didn''t even ur when Raze had bested them thest time.


    How had he obtained so much power? Was this how he was able to best their father as well?


    "The reason why you''re both alive, you can thank your father for that. It seems I owe that man a lot now, and I''m starting by saving both of you." Raze exined.


    "I''m sorry about your father''s passing. I never wanted this to happen, it wasn''t my choice. You can choose to believe the words I speak or go against them, but I''m telling you now, if you decide to go after me or those close to me, you will not be spared again."


    "I think even your father would understand that."


    Raze waited a while, and neither Fing nor Han said anything, which was quite a surprise even from Fing, who had to be in utter disbelief.


    "The strength I have right now was received from your father. The two of us battled it out, and I lost, I was not able to best your father, he was far too strong. Right after the fight, he decided to give me all of his Qi."


    "His power flows through my veins, and what I just used on you two was part of your father''s powerbined with my own. I won''t go into the details of why your father did such a thing¡­ maybe that will be exined another time."


    "But your father wished for me to take over a task for him by giving me his power¡­ and I''m still not sure what to do myself."


    "Still, he had words for you two. With him gone, you two will be in charge of the Neverfall n. I have no interest in running a n and I''m already running the Dark Faction."


    "Our rtionship can be a good one together, but you two will have a lot of growing up to do, and quickly. As the entire n is now your responsibility. Grow strong like your father, and protect your family and protect Pagna¡­ like he did as well."


    Raze then went and grabbed onto Brack, holding him tight and close. It was still an awkward feeling for Raze, but initiating contact was getting easier, he just had to think of it like a fight in his mind.


    Right after he stretched his legs, and he exploded off into the air. He had a ce he needed to be, he had spent too much time, his body had spent too much time trying to get used to the Qi taken in from the power.


    The others would have been on the ind already, and he needed to make his way there and make sure the Golden Globe didn''t end up in the hands of others.


    While Han and Fing were left there with each other, they felt their bodies slowly getting better, maybe after a couple of hours they would be able to walk again. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Do you think what he said about father was true, that he gave his powers to that guy!" Fing said. "Why wouldn''t he give it to us, his own sons, it makes no sense."


    "I think right now, it might be the only reasonable exnation." Han replied. "You remember what father said before he left, he was acting strange, both you and me knew that¡­ things are making more sense if we think of them this way."


    "What we need to decide is¡­ do we help him as well?"


    "Help him with what, I have no idea where he''s even gone, and look at us, look at us!" Fing shouted, stuck on the ground.


    The next day on the ind was starting, as the sun began to rise, and one more person was nning to join.

 Chapter 994: The King Of The Jungle (Part 1)

    Chapter 994: The King Of The Jungle (Part 1)


    ?


    As soon as the sun rose, both Lince and Zon were on the move toward the center of the jungle. They had decided to avoid areas they had already gone through, including the desert-like area that Lince had discovered Red in.


    This was at Zon''s suggestion, which was quite surprising for Lince. It was clear from their conversation yesterday that Zon wanted to meet this man, yet now they were avoiding him. Perhaps it wasn''t the right time?


    Regardless, the search for the Golden Globe was clearly more important, and Lince was happy about that since it was his only priority. Going through the darkened area of the jungle, thanks to Zon leading the way, they were able to avoid most beasts.


    His hearing and senses were even better than Lince''s, who was a highly trained specialist Pagna warrior. It was surprising-at times he could see things that were even hidden, or predict where beasts would be.


    Eventually, this led them to a new area of the jungle. They knew this because the color of the jungle had changed once more. Where the outside by the sandy beaches was a light green, and the inner areas were darker, now this section of the jungle was almost a pale yellow. Therge trees and leaves looked almost unhealthy in color, dried out by the heat, but the leaves and such were still plenty strong-it was just their coloration that looked this way.


    Another key thing they noticed was that some areas of the ground would go from hardened earth and mud to sections of sand. There were also broken ruins in different parts.


    Just pirs that didn''t seem to form any type of structure, but were clearly part of one at some point.


    "I have hope that the more ruins we see that the closer we are to the artifact," Lincemented.


    "I would agree," Zon replied. "In other dimensions, the artifacts tend to be in areas of civilization, so it should be the same here, but we do have to keep in mind that this was an item that was purposely hidden."


    "So it''s either heavily protected or not in the most obvious ce."


    Lince was thankful that at least now the two of them were traveling together, as it was making the journey much easier for him. But traveling with Zon, he couldn''t help but think about what they had spoken about the night before.


    There were no beasts in the nearby area, the dark sky was out, and Lince had just revealed to Zon about his confrontation with the man known as Red.


    "How are you even still alive?" Zon asked.


    This was Zon''s reaction to meeting the man. Lince had an inkling that the two of them knew each other, after all, they both had the same ck suit that was hidden and attached to their skin, but to get this type of reaction?


    "Hey, do you think I''m really weak or something?" Lince replied. "Remember I am the leader of one of the top ns in the Demonic Faction. I may not have a ridiculous title like ''the closest to the Divine realm'' or anything like that, but I do have some strength." Lince turned his head away; he couldn''t believe it.


    Maybe him beingzy in matters had ruined his reputation around the world of Pagna quite a bit. Right now he wanted to go out there and prove to everyone something that only the Lost n could do, but the more he thought about it, the more of a drag and effort it sounded.


    "I have evaluated your strength, and added a 20 percent modifier in my predictions," Zon exined. "Even then, based on what I know about Red, he would still win in a fight between you two."


    "I know Red well, because the two of us are from the same world."


    Lince had no frame of reference to how strong Zon thought he was, but to allow a 20 percent discrepancy and still say he would lose made Lince think back to the moments before Red acted.


    He had a bad feeling, which was why he decided to abandon the fight, and realized that it might have been a good thing after all.


    "If he''s from the same world as you, then why is he here, why isn''t he working with you?" Lince asked.


    "I can only assume that he is here because of Alter," Zon replied. "I doubt he was able to gather information ore here on his own, and we only saw one set of ships on the way here. Alter working with the Light Faction and him being a part of it, it all makes sense."


    "As for working with that man, it''s an impossibility. That is a man who only loves war, he has no intention of going back home. I will just leave it at that."


    A troubled past¡ªas many of those who had lived a long life or held high positions had. Actually, Lince was one of the few who didn''t have any of these things. He had earned his position in the Lost n, raised himself to be a strong warrior, and that was it.


    The way it was meant to be in these ns: no mysterious past, no revenge plot to get stronger, no family issues to prove one''s strength, and the reason he was helping right now was because he was somewhat friends with Belil and cared for Pagna.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You don''t need to tell me, but if you ever want to, I have an open ear. The good thing is, I know now that if I see him, he''s an enemy, not a friend." Lince replied, although he kind of already figured that out.


    Traveling deeper into the jungle, more pirs and ruins could be seen up ahead, and instantly, Zon could see the back of arge creature with dark fur. It was faced away from them.


    "Why are we here?" Lince asked.


    "Because, if you see, there''s a wooden bridge right past that creature. So my guess is there''s something there," Zon imed.


    After saying those words, the creature turned around and opened its ferocious mouth. They could see it wasrge in size with white fur on its body. It looked like the white-furred monkeys, only this one was the biggest they had seen so far.


    The creature had four tails split on its back. Its eyes were fierce, and on its chest there was a patch of ck fur.


    "Judging by how strong the three-tailed giant white monkey was... I have no clue how strong this one is going to be," Lincemented.


    The monkey picked up a fairlyrge ck coconut-it was around three times bigger than a regr sized coconut-and hurled it towards the two of them. Both Lince and Zon moved out


    of the way.


    As the coconut continued, it crashed into a tree, ripping out the center of not just one, but several of the trees further on than the two of them could see with their eyes.

 Chapter 995: King Of The Jungle (Part 2)

    Chapter 995: King Of The Jungle (Part 2)


    ?


    The other monkeys they hade across had thrown ck coconuts before; they were fast and hard when thrown, but never to this degree. Lince was quite shocked by the destruction it caused as he looked at the trees that were now falling due to the middle section being


    completely missing.


    The four-tailed white-furred monkey then roared out loud, causing the birds in the trees to scatter into the distance.


    "The fact that we are seeing stronger beasts might be a sign that we''re heading in the right direction," Lince said.


    He saw that the monkey had a pile of ck coconuts next to it. Most of them had been broken into and the insides eaten. Instead ofing towards them and fighting, the monkey picked up the half-eaten coconuts and started to hurl them towards both Lince and Zon with its four


    arms.


    Lince, thanks to his great footwork, was able to avoid them all, and each time they missed, he could hear the devastating destruction they caused behind him. Zon was fast as well, and thanks to his system, he could predict the path of where they would be thrown even before they wereunched.


    Both of them were avoiding them non-stop, but the coconuts seemed endless, and not just that, Lince wasn''t sure if it was his imagination, but the speed of the coconuts appeared to be getting faster.


    It looked like one pile of the eaten coconuts would soon run out, and then the monkey would switch to the whole, bigger coconuts next to it.


    "I have a suggestion: let''s fall back for now and pick another route. There should be different ways to get to where we want to be," Zon suggested. "Fighting this creature, even with the two of us, might take too much effort."


    Zon was also considering if they ran into more beasts and, more importantly, if they ran into Red.


    Lince agreed to the n, and to show it, he jumped up in the air and mmed his heel into the floor. Several parts of the ground broke off and scattered into the air. When the pieces fell back to the floor, the monkey could no longer see the two small men who were in front of him.


    It scratched its head and then its belly with two of its hands, while the other two went ahead to open one of the ck coconuts with just its finger strength alone.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Both Zon and Lince had retreated back to the path they hade from. Although they could no longer see the monkey, they could still see the destruction it had caused with its fallen coconuts. Large trees had fallen on top of others, entangled with vines.


    Looking at the ground, Lince then picked up one half of the ck coconut that had been thrown. It was surprisingly heavier than he imagined, at least over 100kg, and that was just half of the outer shell.


    If one wasn''t a warrior, there was no way they could pick up such a thing, and it was nearly the size of his entire chest.


    Right after, Lince looked in a direction where there was a row of trees that seemed to be in good condition. Gathering up his Qi, he hurled the ck coconut half. It went flying, breaking through several of the trees-around eight or so-beforending on the ground approximately thirty meters away.


    "Why did you do that?" Zon asked.


    "You have your ways of judging strength, I have mine," Lince replied. "And I think you''re right, fighting that monkey would have been tough for both of us. Its raw strength is even greater than mine with Qi."


    "So you think you would lose?" Zon asked.


    Lince let out a single, loudugh.


    "You really do think little of me. You seem to base things just on in statistics. Even if its raw strength is greater than mine, what about my battle IQ? What about my techniques and skills that enhance my Qi? I can even sharpen my Qi or ce it into a weapon, making it more deadly."


    "Even if that monkey threw a coconut directly at me, I could use my skills and Qi to break it. I''m starting to think your evaluation of me is quite poor."


    Zon didn''t say anything. Instead, he was already trying to figure out different paths to head to the same area. Eventually, after going around quite a bit, they came across another set of ruins.


    The ruins scattered in the jungle were ced in different locations, so both Lince and Zon were sure they were in a different area, but it was almost the sameyout. When they moved ahead, they could see the same wooden bridge and a pile of coconuts by the side.


    The thing was, there was also the same creature, the four-tailed monkey, only this one was on the ground.


    "It''s dead," Lince said as he moved closer. Approaching it, they could see severalrge marks on its body. Blood had poured from its mouth onto its belly, and there were even broken bones.


    What was quite surprising was that the area looked as if there were no signs of a battle at all. "Do you think this was your friend?" Lince asked.


    "Not my friend," Zon replied. "And no, it doesn''t look like his work. Maybe another beast, another type of monkey?"


    It was scary for Lince to think there might be a beast even stronger than the monkey they came across, but they both knew this wouldn''t deter them. So they both decided to cross the bridge, and when they did, they could see a man up ahead, sitting by the bridge, looking their way.


    "Oh, you''re the first visitors I''ve seen today... well, apart from that monkey," the man said as he stood up and brushed off his strange zer.


    Both Lince and Zon had no clue who this man was, but they knew one thing: every cell in their bodies, and their instincts, were telling them to run away from this man.

 Chapter 996: 1 in 10 Chance

    Chapter 996: 1 in 10 Chance


    ?


    The man in front of them, the way he was dressed, the way he stood, and more, were all telltale signs that the man in front of them wasn''t a regr Pagna warrior, and it was perhaps knowing this fact that made their own bodies react.


    If the man in front of them wasn''t a regr Pagna warrior, then what exactly was he? It was clear a normal individual wouldn''t be able to survive such an ind, and he was in the darkened yellow section of all ces.


    Lince, also being the information gatherer of the Demonic Faction, knew the faces of those he needed to be concerned about, especially in the Light Faction. Sure, he didn''t know about Red, but that was an anomaly hidden by Alter.


    In this case, to spot another person like this? Were they also a member of Alter as well?


    "I have to ask," Lince said as he cleared his throat. "That beast just over the bridge, that didn''t happen to be your handiwork, did it?"


    "Are you talking about that monkey?" the man replied. "Ah yes, I simply wanted to just pass through here, but it was quite determined to not let me go any further. So I guess you could say that it''s my handiwork."


    It wasn''t as if Lince couldn''t have guessed the answer to his question-more so, he needed to confirm it in his mind, just how cautious they needed to be with this person. Would running away even be considered a good idea in this case?


    "And why are you here?" Zon asked. While Lince was thinking of the best question to follow up with, Zon had gotten straight to the point.


    "Why am I here? That''s a good question," the man said, cing his hand on his chin. "I guess you could say this ind attracted me. I could feel the strong powering from it, so I decided to pop by."


    "It turns out that this ind has attracted quite a few people here, and now seeing these beasts and more heading this way, I have to ask, why are so many people even here?"


    Now Lince was trying to figure out whether the question was something to bait them or not, but he supposed if they were an enemy, he would have attacked straight away.


    ''Doesn''t Zon have some strange sense of truth-telling?'' Lince started to think. ''After all, that''s when he realized I was telling the truth and decided to work with me as well.''


    "If the two of us aren''t looking for the same thing, then I have to ask, will you let us pass here with no trouble?" Zon asked.


    The man smiled as he heard the question.


    "You know, you''re the first pair of people that haven''t jumped straight at me and attacked me the moment they saw me. So I appreciate that, but you see, from them, I learned the reason why they were on this ind, and now that does interest me."


    Seeing how only Zon and Lince were working together, they could only assume the other people he had run into were the Light Faction warriors.


    "Since you haven''t attacked me as soon as you saw me, I will do you a favor. If you turn around and stop your search for the item, then things will be fine, but if you try to proceed, I will have to stop you."


    Lince quickly moved from his position, using one of his techniques to appear right by Zon''s side. His body appeared as if it disappeared, then reappeared. The entire time, Lince was keeping an eye on the man to see what reaction he had from the move he had just performed. It was a high-level footwork technique, and when showing it now, Lince wanted to disy the level of his skill to ward off the option of a fight-to show that the two of them weren''t novices either.


    When he turned to look at the man, he could just see himzily yawning away, as if everything was just another day for him.


    "You are good at chances, right?" Lince whispered. "So tell me then, what are the chances that the two of us can take him on together?"


    Zon was eyeing everything, trying to gauge his strength. He had a good idea of the Four Tails Monkey, and on top of that, how the man in front of them had no wounds, while the wounds on the monkey were severe.


    "I think it would be slim..."


    "Oh, so there''s a chance," Lince said.


    "I meant a slim chance of him losing. We would be defeated 999 times out of 1,000."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Just as they heard that, though, they could hear the sound of footsteps approaching on the bridge from behind.


    The two of them immediately turned their heads, and both Lince and Zon recognized who the two were who had immediately drawn their swords.


    They rushed across the bridge and jumped to the side, both of their swords pointed at Zon. "Ah great, these are the two that you said you met before, right?" Lince asked, as he looked at the Light Faction warriors who had their weapons pointed toward Zon.


    Lince knew them well-it was Ricar, the head of the Dawnde n, along with Beatrix, one of the new elders in the group.


    ''Having their swords drawn out towards us because of Zon is understandable, but is the other man in front of us really someone that they can side with as well?'' Lince thought.


    "You have been kind to answer our questions. What''s your name?" Lince asked.


    "My name? You really are polite. My name is Mosak," the man answered.


    "And about the people that you said you came across and met before-were they wearing the same light clothing as these two, and are they still of this world?"


    The man then chuckled.


    "I told you they attacked me, and anyone who attacks me deserves death," Mosak answered, still noting towards anyone. It seemed he was going to stay true to his word.


    But Lince had an idea, and he made a suggestion as he leaned in to whisper to Zon.


    "If we were to team up with the other two... then what are our chances?" Lince asked. Zon looked at the two of them, thought back to how they fought, and gave his answer. "1 in 10. A 1 in 10 chance that we will win."

 Chapter 997: Running On Water!

    Chapter 997: Running On Water!


    ?


    On the shore of the beach, the pirate captain that Zon and Lince had forced themselves onto to reach the ind had been busy. Several of the men''s clothes were soaking wet, and on the beach itself, there was now a barrier facing outward from the shore.


    It was made from the wreckage of the ship, while supplies had been gathered as well, making some type of camp.


    "We don''t know how long we''re going to be on this ind, but if things like those monkeyse back, we''re going to be done for!" the captain imed.


    From the few dead bodies of the monkeys that had already been defeated by Zon and Lince, the captain had ordered his men to ce them close to the edge of the jungle. They were afraid at first and, after hacking their bodies, immediately ran back.


    There was some theory behind what the captain was doing-or more so just his own thoughts that made sense in his head. The monkeys would be less willing to venture out of their habitat and onto the sand if they could see and smell their fallen kin.


    Even though the captain knew they would be hopeless in an attack against them, it was the only thing he could do.


    After making some sort of camp, they gathered several barrels of gunpowder, among other things, and used the leftover parts andrge leaves to create a makeshift bonfire.


    "Captain, are you sure about this? If we make arge fire, won''t it attract the other beasts on the ind?" a member asked.


    "I''ll keep that in mind as ast resort, but if there''s a sailing ship going past in the distance, we need to do whatever we can to get their attention. Ships will be few and far between in these waters," the captain exined.


    "I''ve spotted someone! I''ve spotted someone!" one of the men shouted with a telescope, pointing out to sea.


    "A ship? You''ve spotted a ship? Quick, light the bonfire, quick!" the captain shouted.


    The man was pointing with his finger, shaking at the tip.


    "No... not a ship, sir. As I said, I spotted someone!"


    The captain paused from setting the bonfire alight for just a moment, walking over and snatching the telescope out of his hands. As the captain looked through the scope, he could see a white-haired man running on water.


    He was getting closer by the second, and before the captain knew it, the man had disappeared.


    "Where is he? Where did he go?" the captain asked, swirling his head around, searching for the white-haired man with the telescope.


    As he ced the telescope down, though, he could see footprints in the sand, leading straight into the jungle.


    ''That''s impossible... right?'' the captain thought.


    Both Krynic and Impress felt like they were figuring out the jungle a little. Not only did the white-furred monkeys reside in the lighter greens of the area, but through exploration, they found other groups of beasts as well.


    However, with theirrger numbers, eventually, the two sub-leaders of the group had to make a tough decision.


    They had talked after making camp and now faced a choice on where to head.


    "I think it will be more trouble for us if we try to head back to the beach or just stay put," Impress exined. "I can tell that there''s a group of beasts following us, but because we are on the border of the changes in territory, they haven''t acted yet."


    "The darker green territory-although the beasts seem stronger, it also seems like they are fewer in number. With a group asrge as ours, we would lose more members trying to tread back," Krynic said.


    It looked like the two leaders hade to an agreement. With their size, strength, and formation, it was safer to encounter a more powerful beast in the darker green area, so they decided to venture in and move slowly.


    Turning back, Impress looked at the several movements scurrying in the trees, hoping she had made the right decision.


    With therge group, it was harder to move silently, but they were doing their best with Impress scouting in the front and Krynic at the back, both of them moving in a circr motion until Impress lifted her hand, signaling the group to stop.


    They crouched lower as they looked ahead, and there was no exnation needed. They could see the beast through the dense trees.


    It had arge body and two necks sticking out-or perhaps two long eyes; it was hard to tell- but as it reached up to the top of the trees, it was eating a red fruit. The yellow beast''s body was facing away, and Impress wanted to observe it for a while.


    "Don''t you think this is a good time to attack?" one of the warriors asked. "We can all go for it at once while its back is turned."


    Impress noticed something. They had been moving in a circr motion before deciding on the safest route to edge forward, so they were still rtively close to the borders. In the trees, there was a white-furred monkey with two tails and four arms.


    The same kind they had seen on the beach, which had given their group so much trouble-the one she had eventually bested.


    Its eyes were glued to the red fruit, inching closer and closer to where the beast''s head was. As it moved closer, it eventually leapt over and tried to grab the fruit.


    In an instant, the long head turned around and moved through the air, snapping at the white- furred monkey.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The monkey was caught in the razor-sharp jaws of the beast, which continued biting away, killing it instantly, with no struggle at all.


    ''It killed the other beast in an instant, and it wasn''t even able to do anything. The speed it moved at was incredibly fast as well... Did we make a mistake heading deeper into this damned ind?''


    She was thinking of what to do since heading forward wasn''t the right answer. In the middle of her thoughts, though, seemingly out of nowhere, someone was now standing in the center of the open area, close to the beast.


    "Who... is that?" Impress thought.


    It wasn''t someone from their group, and there was one thing that stood out about him-it was his bright white hair.

 Chapter 998: Teaming With The Enemy

    Chapter 998: Teaming With The Enemy


    ?


    A new area of the jungle had yet to be explored further. Entering the yellow colored greenery of the jungle, they hade across a wooden bridge, and after the ground started to travel slightly uphill.


    But just a few meters away from the bridge, several groups hade across each other. Two individuals, Zon and Lince, and two more individuals, Ricar and Beatrix had joined.


    Before them, there was another man with his arms folded, who had dered his name as Mosak.


    The man had been in a conversation with Lince and Zon, making his condition and situation quite clear. When suddenly the two individuals from the Light Faction had arrived. Despite this, Mosak was still calm as ever, and it looked like he was even ignoring thempletely. "Did you hear what was said?" Beatrix said leaning in to Ricar. She and him still had their swords pointed toward Zon and Lince, and were even thinking of turning it slightly to the strange man.


    They had never seen him before, and to hear that their fellow allies had been struck.


    "Don''t take what this person says straight to heart. Judging from his attire, I believe that is Lince from the Lost n, in the Demonic Faction." Ricar imed.


    Those at the top knew who to keep their eyes on in the other factions. However, Lince was a little differentpared to others, since not many knew what his appearance was like due to the role he wished to y.


    "So it''s just a trick... but that man is with him as well." Beatrix said. "You were worried even with the two of us it would be troublesome to take him on. So now that he has one of the


    Demonic Faction''s leaders by his side, wouldn''t it be impossible."


    This was certainly the thought that was going through Ricar''s head. He slightly turned looking toward the bridge hoping that maybe more of the Light Faction members would have made it, and even a part of him was at least hoping for the other man from Alter to arrive.


    While Ricar had a side eye at the bridge, he could feel Qi being directed right at him, and saw that the Demonic Faction n leader was heading his way.


    ''Such straight forward Qi, this isn''t how I thought the man would attack. Isn''t his Qi meant to be hidden and kept under-wraps.''


    When high-stage warriors fought, the way the Qi was used inbat was quite important. Since higher stage warriors were more sensitive to Qi, it could reveal where an opponent was, how much power was in a strike, and even where a strike woulde from.


    The Qi that was flowing through Lince''s sword, it was being directed straight at Ricar, and he could even see it being directed right where his sword was.


    ''This is too obvious, especially for a man of his caliber, is he trying to trick me?'' Ricar thought.


    But he held his sword firm, and to everyone else it looked like Ricar had performed the perfect block as waves of Qi exploded in the air.


    "Beatrix don''t move, just make sure the other one doesn''te forward!" Ricar shouted. Pulling down the mask that covered part of Lince''s face, a scarred smile appeared through it. "It seems like you understand." Lincemented.


    "You didn''t strike me on purpose and made it obvious, this is just a show for the man that is there, so clearly you want to say something. So just say it!" Ricar said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lince started to swing his dagger about and had done it in the same fashion as he had done before. Making it obvious via his Qi as to where he was going to attack. This allowed Ricar to move it in the perfect ce blocking.


    It was a shy performance to those watching on the outside, not knowing who had the upper edge.


    "My friend told me you metst night, and that you are after the same thing that we are, the golden globe." Lincemented. "The issue is, our path is blocked by this man right now, and I don''t know if you can tell or not, but that man is extremely powerful."


    Ricar took a nce, there was something off about him, but there was also something off about Zon so it was hard to say.


    "He has already dealt with arge portion of the Light Faction, he won''t let you guys through to the next area as well, and it''s the same as us, so I have a proposal, just for now, a temporary truce between the four of us." Lince proposed.


    Ricar continued to block the attacks, and he was thinking in his head. Regardless they would have to fight against Zon and Lince, which was already a tough battle for them. This Mosak individual wasn''t on their side either, so he would be another opponent.


    "The truce continues." Ricar said. "until we find the item, when that happens, then we must decide a fair way to get the item."


    Lince wanted to burst outughing? A fair way when they found the item? Even if they were those stronger that could just take it? Did Ricar also have no idea what the stakes were of this item?


    Even if they lost whatever this fair way was? It wasn''t as if Lince could just let it be and watch the downfall of the world and more, he couldn''t, and this was the naivety of the Light Faction shining through.


    The thing was, Lince didn''t mind that about Ricar and Beatrix by his side, because they believed this they were perhaps the easiest to deal with.


    "Alright, let''s do this then!" Lince said, as he suddenly moved to the point where he was behind Ricar.


    "Did you hear everything young woman, now''s the time." Lince said.


    He only spoke those words before turning around, and his dagger started to shine brightly. As


    it did, he hurled the dagger straight heading right for Mosak.


    At the same time, the other three had charged forward following up from the attack.


    Mosak smiled, as he moved his head to the side and grabbed onto the handle of the dagger stopping it from going any further and held it in ce.


    "So this is your decision?" Mosak asked.

 Chapter 999: Unbeatable Opponent

    Chapter 999: Unbeatable Opponent


    Lince had ced a great deal of Qi into his dagger when he decided to throw it this time. He had already let one dagger go and lost it during his fight against Red, which had been a considerable setback. Throwing another one again presented quite the risk, but he believed that the element of surprise would be on his side this time. He felt that the suddenness of the attack could catch his target off guard, allowing him to turn the tide of the battle, even if only momentarily.


    After all, even when he had thrown the dagger against Red before, it had still been effective in striking its target. The problem was that it simply did not achieve the oue he had originally intended. The dagger had not inflicted the level of damage that Lince had hoped for. What he did not expect, however, was for the strange man standing before him now to catch the dagger so cleanly, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. The man''s body had not even been dragged backward. This disy of strength and control was both astonishing and unnerving. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "This is the power of the warriors that roam thesends these days?" Mosak asked with a tone that suggested mild disappointment rather than admiration. "I suppose I shouldn''t be too surprised. I can''t even remember thest time a warrior ascended to the Divine realm." With everyone converging on his position, Mosak carefully eyed all those who stood before him. He examined Zon, Beatrix, and Ricar, gauging their stances, their weaponry, and perhaps even their internal reserves of Qi. Then, holding the captured dagger in his hand, he abruptly threw it back. Immediately, it flew at terrifying speed, passing right by Zon, Beatrix, and Ricar without any sign of slowing. It continued on its path, heading straight for Lince with an almost casual ease, as if guided by Mosak''s mere will.


    Seeing the de''s trajectory, Lince decided to use all of his Qi to evade the attack. He moved swiftly out of its path, twisting his body with trained precision.


    The dagger sped right past him and disappeared deeper into the jungle''s thick foliage. As it traveled forward, it cut through whatever stood in its way. It did not fade or vanish, nor did it lose momentum. Instead, it was like a needle piercing silk, carving a narrow, unwavering line through the dense growth.


    The difference was clear. Unlike the coconut bombardments from the beasts they had faced before, which caused wild swathes of destruction, this dagger''s path was pinpoint sharp. There was no wide-ranging chaos, just an unrelenting de slicing through whatever dared to block its straight journey. Lince had no idea where it might finallye to rest, or even if it would stop at all.


    ''One in ten¡­ your estimate might have been right on this one,'' Lince thought, recalling previous calctions he had made. ''This makes me think I might have lost against that Red guy as well. But I know one thing for sure: there''s no way I could win a match against this man alone. So you must either think highly of these two at my side, or very highly of yourself.'' His thoughts swirled as he considered whether Zon, Beatrix, and Ricarbined would be enough to handle an adversary of this caliber, or whether Mosak was simply that confident in his own abilities.


    Ricar''s sword was shining brightly. When he drew near his opponent, he stabbed the de into the ground, causing a vibrant, radiant light to re up. This sudden brilliance served as a strategy to distract. Beatrix, meanwhile, had made certain to stay directly behind Ricar, using him as a shield from any counterattack. She wanted to avoid exposing herself too soon.


    ''This technique didn''t work against the man by my sidest time,'' Ricar thought, recalling earlier battles. ''Still, it should give him the opportunity to attack.'' He trusted that Zon would seize the opening presented by the sh of light.


    And that was precisely what Zon did. He had already energized two red swords and, without hesitation, thrust them both forward toward their shared enemy. Yet, just as quickly, Zon felt a force pushing back. When the sh of light disappeared, Ricar and Beatrix caught sight of the final moments of what had just urred. The man had been using only his hands, covering them in Qi, moving them in a circr motion to deflect the red energy beams that Zon had fired. It was an elegant, efficient defense, and it unsettled them all the more.


    Right after that exchange, Zon refused to give up. He continued to attack, moving incredibly fast, lunging with his sword from all manner of angles. He tried high strikes, low strikes, diagonal cuts¡ªanything that might break through. For the first time, the mysterious man''s face lost a bit of its casual smile. This subtle shift gave Ricar and Beatrix a hint of hope. Perhaps theirbined assault was beginning to test him.


    Ricar advanced along with Beatrix, the two of them running in an intertwined pattern. Their footwork was carefully choreographed, each step taken to create an opening for the other. When they drew close to the man, Zon pulled back at just the right moment, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He seemed to know that Ricar and Beatrix needed this chance to strike together.


    Ricar swung his sword, employing various techniques he had mastered over countless hours of training. Although his blows were deflected, they were not brushed aside lightly. The man had to handle them with more care, suggesting that Ricar''s attacks, if not immediately victorious, were at least worthy of more measured defense. However, Ricar could not keep using these high-level techniques indefinitely. They were draining, and he had a n to address that issue.


    Beatrix rolled in from behind with fluid grace, and as she rose into the air, she struck downward from above. Her sword glowed with energy, and she brought it down toward Mosak with a focused intensity. This was a coordinated effort, designed to stress Mosak from multiple directions.


    Mosak lifted both of his forearms, blocking Beatrix''s descending attack. He braced himself so firmly that he sank slightly into the solid ground beneath him. The earth gave way under the pressure, forming a shallow depression. While he was locked in this blocking position, it created a perfect opportunity for Zon to capitalize on the distraction. Zon, who no longer held the energized swords, began to fire st after st at Mosak, aiming to strike him while he was upied.


    The assaults from Zon impacted Mosak''s body, causing visible damage to his clothing and perhaps some superficial harm. Yet the attacks did not pass through as they normally would. At least Zon knew now that these methods were not entirely ineffective. There was some effect, however minor, and that was better than nothing.


    "I no longer have a weapon, but I still need to do my part!" Lince shouted. In almost an instant, Lince appeared right in front of Mosak. The wrappings that usually covered Lince''s arms were now wound around his legs, providing extra support for his next move. He spun into a powerful side kick aimed directly at Mosak''s stomach.


    The impact sent Mosak''s body flying into the air. He crashed into a tree, breaking it apart, and then dropped to one knee on the ground. Despite this, Zon did not let up. He continued to move his hands rapidly, firingser-like beams into the spot where Mosak hadnded. Eventually, he ceased the barrage and summoned his two red energized swords once more.


    "Working together, I think we make quite a good team," Lince said, sounding pleased that they had at least forced a reaction, if not a decisive victory.


    "Everyone should prepare," Zon warned, his tone serious. "He''s still very much alive." With Zon''s enhanced senses and systems, he knew full well that their attacks had done next to nothing in terms of truly injuring Mosak.


    They saw the truth of Zon''s words for themselves. Mosak began to rise from the shattered remains of the fallen tree, casually brushing dust and debris from his clothing. It was as if their barrage had been nothing more than an inconvenience to him.


    "Alright, I have to admit, the one with the freaky ck suit is somewhat strong," Mosak said, referring to Zon''s distinctive attire. "It wasn''t quite what I was expecting." He sounded almost amused. "But I like the unexpected. Everything so far on this ind has been somewhat unexpected!"


    Lince, observing the situation and trying to gauge their odds, felt a deep sense of concern. If the four of them, working together, could not bring this one opponent down, then what chance did anyone else on this ind have? If the strongest among them could not best Mosak, who could possibly hope to emerge victorious against such a foe?

 Chapter 1000: The White Haired Demon (Part 1)

    Chapter 1000: The White Haired Demon (Part 1)


    ?


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Krynic, who was leading the Aurora n, and Impress for the Dawnde n, hadid low after seeing the beast in front of them. Seeing how easily it was able to kill the white-furred monkey, they knew taking out the beast itself was going to be a tough task.


    The truth was, no matter where they went, they would run into trouble all over the ce. So they were just going for the simplest or easiest option. In Impress''s mind, it was the one that would lead to the least amount of deaths within their fairlyrge group.


    While observing the dangerous beast, though, that was when a particr man appeared. Hended in the center of the open area, which was void of therge trees but still had tall grass and broken branches on the ground.


    The beast was off to the side, still munching on the remains of the monkey. The man that stood in the open area appeared out of nowhere. There was almost no noise, no action, no Qi felt by Impress, and she had almost missed him.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that the young man had white hair, she might have ignored him altogether.


    "There''s someone out there, but with that beast, they''ll be killed!" was Impress''s initial thought, until she started to have a good look at the young man in the center.


    His appearance wasn''t one of their own. It wasn''t someone from the Light Faction. Yet, she had a feeling of familiarity when she looked at him.


    "Are you wondering the same thing as me?" Krynic asked, moving from the back of the group over to Impress''s side. "What is the Dark Magus doing here?"


    It started to click in Impress''s head. She had seen this man before. It was the Dark Magus, the student who had taken part in the Martial Arts Tournament from the Demonic Faction. Nearly all of them had been present that day, and his countless performances had burned his image into their heads.


    When Impress looked at the young man, though, there was something different about him. The whole air around him felt different, and she didn''t feel as if she were looking at the same individual. Yet, just by his face, it was clear that it was him.


    "It''s expected that the Dark Magus would be here. There''s a reason Alter wants their hands on this item after all, and it might be so he doesn''t get his hands on it," Impress said.


    "Well, it would be the perfect chance to take out a big enemy. Part of the Demonic Faction or leader of the Dark Faction here alone? With all of us and us two, we should be able to do it."


    Impress quickly moved her hand out again, signaling for Krynic to stop, as she could see he was already ready to move.


    "He is not an easy target like most think. That is maybe why no one has been able to take him out so far. Do not underestimate him." Impress didn''t take her eyes off Raze for a second, who continued to just stand there.


    "This man is the one that bested Murkel and climbed to the top of the Dark Faction. Maybe some consider it a fluke or didn''t see the real results with their eyes, but shortly after, he even bested Sha Mo from the Demonic Faction, proving that it wasn''t just a one-time thing."


    "No one can think of him as an easy target anymore."


    Krynic didn''t argue because he realized that when she put it like that, it was true. Warriors'' lives were longer than those of regr humans, and honing one''s skills and Qi took a long time.


    So legends and powerful warriors took time to build up their legacy, to build up their stories. It was something that was passed around and talked about frequently. Passed on from when they were children, warned about in their ns who not to mess with.


    These things were drilled into their heads again and again, even if they were part of another faction. But that wasn''t the case with Raze or the Dark Magus. He was a new warrior who had seeminglye out of nowhere.


    Disrupting everything the warriors had solidified over years. So when seeing such a person, it was quite easy to forget about the things that he had done. His legacy was short, but looking at his record, the Dark Magus was shaping up to have one of the biggest legacies in Pagna.


    "Then, we should stay put," Krynic suggested. "The beasts on this ind aren''t normal. Even us top-tier warriors are struggling with them. Let him deal with it on his own, and right after, we''ll swoop in and take him out."


    A worn-out, injured man-either way, with all of them, no matter how strong he was, they should be able to take him out. It was worth the risk to them.


    Although Raze still didn''t move, it looked like the beast was ready to act. It turned its head and looked toward Raze with its two long heads. One of them was covered in blood due to its sharp teeth.


    The heads were moving in a circr motion, as if swirling with the wind, until they opened wide and let out a high-pitched screech. It screamed at the top of its lungs, and both heads moved at the same time.


    They were lightning-fast, just like when going against the white-furred monkey. It swung them low, opening its mouths, heading right toward Raze.


    "I thought beasts had better sense than humans," Raze said as he still looked down at the ground. "You should know when you have met someone who''s far stronger than you!"


    Raze turned his head and stared directly at the beast. His eyes were wide open, and he looked straight into the eyes of the beast. In that instant, its mouth stopped along with its heads, dead still.


    Then, with itsrge legs, it started to back away.


    "What... is going on? The beast-it''s not attacking?" Krynic asked.

 Chapter 1001: The White Haired Demon (Part 2)

    Chapter 1001: The White Haired Demon (Part 2)


    ?


    The sight that Impress and Krynic witnessed was extremely familiar to them both because something like this had also happened at the Martial Arts Tournament. It was something that few high-level warriors experienced in their lives.


    Beasts were, in many ways, more sensitive than humans when it came to other senses. Their simple-minded nature gave them top-tier survival instincts. Of course, in some cases, they would forgo these instincts and try to test the limits one way or another.


    In this case, though, the beast was listening to these instincts. If it attacked the person in front of it, its life woulde to an end. It realized the mistake it was making and chose to back up.


    This had also urred at the Martial Arts Tournament, but everyone was unsure of the reason or why. Now, Impress had an inkling that the same person was responsible.


    "How could that be? Even the basic beasts on this ind are enough to give middle-stage warriors trouble. For one to cower in fear like this-that can''t be what''s happening, right?" Krynic asked.


    This was exactly what Impress thought had urred, and she was starting to think they were making a big mistake by being here right now, close to this individual. They needed a lot more than just the two of them.


    ''We might need all of the elders together to take on this man.'' Impress thought, and wondered if even that would be enough.


    Raze was looking ahead at the beast, seeing that it had backed away, no longer baring its teeth, but it wasn''t running either.


    "You nearly made a mistake," Razemented. "But I''m sure your rash actions on others would have cost many of them their lives. Maybe, even if I were still the man I was before, you would''ve caused a hefty wound on me. For that, you will have to be punished."


    Almost as if the beast could understand Raze''s words, it started to lift both heads in the air. They swirled about, and both of them let out an almighty scream once again. If it was going to be killed by this human anyway, it might as well do whatever it could to hurt the person in front of it.


    It dived from above with both its heads right at Raze, opening its mouths wide. Quickly, as one head came right in front of Raze, he ced his hand on top of it and shoved it to the ground.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Take the punishment you deserve!" Raze forcefully pushed down, and the head snapped shut and crashed into the floor. The ground broke underneath, and small fissures appeared.


    As the top half of the beast''s mouth met the bottom half, its jaw shattered, and part of its skull bent in.


    The beast wasn''t done yet, though, as it had a second head ready to attack. Both heads had moved at the same time, and this one came at Raze''s side.


    Reaching out from his back, Raze pulled out the sword from its sheath and shed down. As he did, half of the beast''s head was sliced off, and it stopped in its path before it could even reach Raze.


    With its two heads gone, the beast''s life came to an end. Its body started to tilt to the side and crashed onto the ground. Just like that, with next to no effort at all, the beast was dealt with.


    The beast that had easily dealt with the white-furred monkey was, in turn, just as easily dealt with by Raze. This gave those watching a small idea of what had urred.


    "This is quite annoying," Raze said as he held the Ghost de in his hand. The sword was clean, void of blood due to how fast it had been swung.


    The reason for Raze''s sigh was the extra step he now had to take as he reached and ced the sword back into its sheath located on his back. Knowing the details of the ind and what it was capable of, Raze had prepared beforehand.


    What he had just attempted out of habit was to use his Dark Magic to ce the sword away. Yet, it didn''t work. None of his magic had worked since hended on the ind.


    Although he had learned this beforehand, he found it hard to believe. He knew of spells and items that could do such things, but even then, there was a limit to how much magic could be stopped.


    Now, as a six-star mage, for his magic to still be stopped was incredibly impressive, especially for it to have such a wide range.


    On top of that, there were other issues. He couldn''t switch out his weapons, so he only had the enchanted Ghost de. And then there were the enchantments themselves.


    His Ghost de didn''t glow orange when he ced his Demonic Qi in the weapon. All the effects of the weapon were gone as well.


    Still, there were some things he had brought with him, one of them being a pouch of different Qi pills. He wasn''t so sure these wouldn''t work, since they needed to be consumed, but he didn''t want to test them out right now to see whether they worked or not.


    He imagined taking a load of cursed Qi pills only to feel their effects once he left the ind.


    ''The beasts on this ind aren''t too hard. Are they level-three beasts?'' Raze wondered. ''I guess this isn''t like the other dimensions I''ve been in. I thought they would be more difficult.''


    It wasn''t just Raze who thought this as well.


    "Maybe the beast wasn''t as strong as we thought, and that was just a regr monkey?" Krynic said. "I still couldn''t feel his Qi."


    Although Krynic still wanted to fight, the same couldn''t be said for Impress, who was already shuffling her feet back.


    "You guys over there! You''ve been watching for a while now... Eithere out and attack me or tell me who you are!" Raze demanded.

 Chapter 1002: The First Person

    Chapter 1002: The First Person


    ?


    There was one person who had consistently been venturing the ind on their own, hoping that they would find the right path toward the Golden Globe, or at least that was their original goal. Red from the group Alter had been stuck in the sandy area of the ind.


    It was strange to have a desert-likendscape on the ind in the first ce, especially one filled with jungle and life in other areas. Seeing this, along with torn-down ruins and buildings, Red thought there had to be something there.


    He searched the area, trying to look for something, and in doing so, he hade across vicious scorpion-like beasts. They were tough to handle, and most warriors wouldn''t be able to face them, but it wasn''t so much for Red.


    If another was to trail through the desert, they would be finding corpses of scorpion beasts all over the ce. There were norge markings on their bodies, only parts that had been sliced off or small holes through several different areas.


    "There''s nothing here!" Red shouted, swinging his fist and hitting a pir next to him. Arge part of the pir broke off and skipped across the sand. The structure of the pir started to crumble and fall.


    "Absolutely nothing in this area, and that man I saw from before, he''s nowhere to be seen. I thought he would have stayed in this area as well. Did he really just run off?"


    The second reason why Red had decided to stay in the area was his search for the mystery man who covered his face. The man he had gotten in a confrontation with. The monkey had interrupted their fight, so he believed that the mysterious man would use that chance to explore the area.


    Red wanted a second go at him, and seeing the man''s strength temporarily, he thought he would be a good fight, that the two were simr and wanted to go at it again, yet that never happened.


    "I''ve wasted too much time here. I need to find that item!" Red eximed, and his body moved swiftly at fast speed, dragging the sand with him.


    Red quickly went back out of the desert area and returned to the darker green area of the jungle. He wasted no time going through different areas, not slowing down. On some asions, he saw beasts quickly notice him, and he formed a red energy de, stabbing it right through the head, killing it in one hit, as he continued to move from area to area.


    Until he had discovered a new area where the jungle started to turn slightly yellow in color. He slowed down, as somethingrge could be seen up ahead.


    "Another white-furred monkey, but this one is bigger than the others and has more tails. I guess you''re a grandfatherpared to those young ones and the one I took down before then," Red said to himself as he stared at the bridge located just on the other side.


    "Now that looks more like the location where a special item would be left."


    After looking at the bridge, Red saw therge monkey lift a giant ck coconut and hurl it through the air right at him. It was so fast and sudden that Red didn''t have time to avoid it and instead held his hand out.


    The coconut crushed into Red''s hands, and his fingertips broke through the ck coconut. The force of the throw from the monkey dragged him back through the ground, with dirt piling up behind the heels of his feet.


    Eventuallying to a stop ten meterster.


    "You fat-arse monkey!" Red shouted as he clenched his fingers hard, breaking the outside shell of the hard coconut into several pieces and dropping it and the water inside onto the ground.


    Around ten minutes had passed, and finally, Red was on top of the fallen monkey, his leg standing on top of it. Just like with the scorpion beasts, there were several small holes in its body.


    However, unlike the scorpion beasts, parts of the monkey''s limbs hadn''t been shed off. Instead, there were just several cuts all over its body.


    "That was quite the tough beast. I think maybe the toughest one that I''ve had to deal with so far," Red said as he reached into the monkey and pulled out the power stone. He held it in his hand and pulled it toward his chest.


    His chestpartment and ck suit started to open up, and the sound of thumping was heard. Inside it, Red pulled out a crystal, threw it onto the ground, and then ced the blood- soaked crystal from the gori inside him.


    His chestpartment closed, and the ck suit started to form back around his chest. "That''s a high-level power stone. That''s quite the nice upgrade you gave me, friend. Now to continue on this journey," Red imed.


    Walking across the bridge, Red had seemingly entered a new area. It was wide and far- reaching, but rather than walking around the edge to explore every corner, he decided to just head further and further into the center.


    Then finally, he hade across an opening. When looking up, it looked as if it was the base of a mountain. It was covered in green moss, and the ruins and stones they were made of were the same color as before.


    Walking forward, the entrance was extremely wide. It was a single doorway of sorts but was big enough for even giant beasts to enter the ce.


    Red could see nothing on the outside but made sure that his system recorded every single detail. As he entered, he walked across a long hall, the flooring a dark rusted golden color.


    Red was being careful. After seeing the gori beast on the outside, he feared that there might be something even more dangerous on the inside. He was sure his system had recognized it, but he decided to ignore it.


    Finally, Red had made it to arge open room with a change in the flooring-tiles that were different colors with carvings on the floor, a giant circle of sorts.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It looks like I''m the only one here and the first person to find the Golden Globe," Red said in


    relief.

 Chapter 1003: The Divines power

    Chapter 1003: The Divine''s power


    ?


    The group had made a temporary alliance and was perhaps one of the strongest groups not just on the ind but even in the entirety of Pagna. Because warriors from different ns and factions had teamed up.


    Even Zon, who wasn''t a warrior, was incredibly skilled and could be considered one of the strongest in Pagna. Yet with the four of them using argebination of skills, their opponent looked the same as he was just moments ago, getting up from the broken tree.


    ''This man... maybe our chances are lower than Zon thought,'' Lince inwardly said. ''So far, all he has done is react to our own skills. He hasn''t even shown any of his own skills yet, which means there is still a lot toe.''


    "Alright, I guess it''s time for me to strike back then. Let''s see if you can deal with a real divine warrior!" Mosak imed, and the Qi unleashed from his body vibrated the ground right in front of him.


    The beasts located behind where Mosak was could all feel a tingling sensation and were reacting with cries and shouts.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As for the people standing in front of him, they felt like their feet were going to buckle at any moment.


    "Don''t falter to this! Stick to your path and vision, and we cane up with something!" Ricar shouted.


    Both he and Beatrix ran forward once more, intertwining with each other. As they moved on the floor, the path they walked on started to light up. Visible footsteps could be seen, and then Beatrix jumped back and started to swing her sword right where the footsteps were ced.


    Large pirs of Qi, visible in a white light, came hurling towards Mosak.


    While Ricar did a sweeping motion along the ground, a strike that covered the floor in aplete line came toward him.


    "It''s too bad I don''t have a spear, but my hands will have to do!" Mosak said as he swirled his hands in the air.


    The massive amount of Qi that came off from his body swirled in the air, and all of the strikes that had been made by Ricar and Beatrix were being swept into one ce. Then, with a striking fist thrust forward, all of the Qi broke, and the attacks were formed into nothing.


    Ricar wanted to react or move forward, but Mosak was already in front of him. He avoided a sword strike from Ricar, grabbed the back of his clothing, and threw him off to the side.


    The old man went flying through the air before he crashed into several trees, breaking into them.


    Desperate, Beatrix followed in, swinging her sword several times, and then to match it, Mosak with his hand pointed thrust it toward Beatrix''s sword. Before it reached, though, strange wrappings had gathered around his hand, being pulled by Lince, trying to slow it down.


    At the same time, from a distance, tworge energy sts had been shot out from Zon. Mosak lifted his feet, mming them on the floor, and his Qi had created a type of barrier blocking the energy sts while his hand moved, meeting Beatrix''s sword. As his finger touched the tip of the sword, it shattered, and something strange urred to Beatrix as well, as she felt blood filling her mouth.


    She was hurt-badly hurt-and as her body was falling to the side, she had a deep thought in her mind.


    ''This power is not something that can exist on Pagna right now... Is it a Divine being? A Divine warrior is the only one that can have this power and level of techniques, and they seem quite simr to the Aurora n''s spear techniques.''


    A particr individual, long ago from the Aurora n, had ascended to the Divine realm, but that was around a thousand years ago. The man in front of them would no longer have anyone he cared about from the n.


    So the fact that they were Light Faction warriors would also mean nothing.


    ''Why though? Why are these people all after this item? That strange man was right. The Light Faction going after this item and handing it over to Alter... is it really a good thing?''


    The moment Beatrix fell to the floor, standing right where she was, was Zon. He had the two red des in his hand and swung them down from above.


    In response to this, Mosak lifted both of his hands and touched the red des, holding them in ce.


    What he also didn''t realize was Lince''s involvement as well, who had uncovered his wrappings around his arms and tied them around Mosak''s leg. He was using all of his strength to pull on them.


    He was sure that a lot of energy was being contained from Mosak not falling over, and that''s when Mosak himself noticed something. Although he was holding the two energy des, they were shining bright, and a small high-pitched sound was being made.


    "These are no ordinary swords. They''re moving back and forth at an incredibly high speed, allowing them to rip through anything. I thought I could hold onto them safely, but it doesn''t seem to be the case," Mosak imed as he saw blood dripping from his hands.


    Using a surge of Qi, Mosak then circled his hands and threw the des to the side, and following up in the fluid circr motion, he then thrust his hand like a spear right toward Zon''s stomach. It crashed into the suit, and a ripple of Qi was seen in the air.


    Equally, a ripple was made in Zon''s ck suit. It slowly broke apart, revealing his bare skin underneath and the vines through his body that were bulging. As quickly as the suit broke off, it looked to repair itself,ing back together.


    In front of him, Zon looked unharmed andpletely fine, and it was then that Mosak let Lince pull him away.


    Mosak was pulled from his legs and onto the ground. Using the momentum of the pull, Mosak twisted his body and unraveled himself as he kicked off the ground into the air, eventuallynding on a tree branch.


    He looked at all of the warriors. Beatrix had got back up on her feet. Ricar had rejoined the others, and there was still a lot of fight left in both Lince and Zon.


    "I''ve changed my mind," Mosak stated. "If the four of you wish to go ahead, then feel free-


    go ahead."

 Chapter 1004: Compelty Trapped

    Chapter 1004: Compelty Trapped


    ?


    The four were getting themselves ready and prepared to fight for their lives against Mosak. They still felt like he had shown little effort in his attacks and his fighting. Perhaps on guard from the fact that all four of them were attacking him at the same time.


    When suddenly, after just delivering a single punch against Zon that seemed ineffective, his whole tune had changed. He stood there on the tree branch, looking at all of them.


    "You are free to go ahead," Mosak said.


    Beatrix and Ricar looked at each other.


    "Is this some type of trick?" Lince asked. "It has to be. Why would you suddenly let us pass? Are you going to attack us from behind? Attack us when our guard is down, and we think we''re safe?"


    "I would do no such thing," Mosak said. "I have weighed up how much effort it would take to get rid of you four and have decided it''s best to just let you pass. You can believe me or not, but I will no longer be stopping you."


    Mosak didn''t stay for conversation, and just like that, he had left. They couldn''t see which direction he had gone, whether it was back over the bridge in some way or further into the jungle.


    Making them even more unsure about what to do.


    "I can confirm that he is no longer in the vicinity," Zon stated, thanks to his system.


    "Can you also tell about what he said just now, about letting us go further or not, whether it was the truth?" Lince asked.


    "I believe it is the truth," Ricar answered. "If I''m right, that man was a Divine being, a person who was from the Light Faction at one point. I could tell his techniques were from the Aurora n. We from the Light Faction wouldn''t go back on our word or attack from behind."


    "Yet you are willingly able to destroy the whole of Pagna because of your stubbornness," Lincemented, saying the words loud and clear.


    This was the second time they had met someone who had said the same thing, which was why rather than arguing back, Beatrix and Ricar stayed silent, as they were unsure about all of this that was happening.


    "We will continue to travel with you," Ricar said. "Our deal was to continue to work together until we found the Golden Globe."


    Lince and Zon didn''t argue about this. With everything they had run into so far on the ind, they thought it might be the best decision for all of them.


    Mosak was rushing back through the jungle, and he had gone back instead of forward over the bridge and was just by the area where the jungle started to turn dark yellow. He stopped for a moment before going left and was now running in seemingly a big circle around the area. ''Those four were a bit too rash rather than thinking things through, but I hope I haven''t made the wrong decision,'' Mosak thought. ''The bridges-I noticed before that there is more than one entrance into the central area. Each bridge is protected by a white-furred monkey. If I''m right, then all of the bridges will lead to the same area either way.''


    Mosak continued to run around until he had eventuallye across a bridge, and he was quite surprised to see that there was no white-furred monkey-at least no monkey that was alive. Coming across its body, he could see that there were several holes in it and shes made across its entire body.


    "Is this something a sword could do?" Mosak wondered aloud. "More importantly, this might mean someone has reached the center before me. The area I went through-there was arge, powerful beast, which would have been painful to beat."


    "Now the others are going to have to deal with it. I thought maybe the beast would be protecting something important, but maybe that was just an unlucky bridge to cross."


    Mosak would find out eventually by exploring, so he decided to cross the bridge. He went further in, exploring the yellow-colored area. Following whatever path felt the most natural and void of nts andrge trees.


    He saw no other powerful beast like he did on the other path, and eventually, he was led to arge opening. Ruins that were covered with moss were part of a giant mountainscape. Walking forward, he went inside and continued to follow the path.


    The path then opened up into a giant hall, and Mosak could see it. Strange tiles on the floors were covered in markings he didn''t see before, nor did he understand. They were spread out wide in a circr shape on the ground.


    Even more important, though, was that there really was another person who had arrived before him.


    "Huh?" The man with red hair said. "Who are you? You''re not someone from the Light Faction. Why are you here?"


    Mosak sighed.


    "Why is it that everyone I meet on this ind is rude?"


    Paying close attention, he noticed the ck tight suit the red-haired man was wearing and could see it was very simr to thest man.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What, you like what you see? Well, this is my body, man, and you ain''t touching it with your filthy hands!" Red shouted.


    The vein on Mosak''s head was starting to grow evenrger.


    ''Maybe I should just teach this man a lesson or two,'' Mosak thought.


    He moved in and stepped into the circle to get closer to the red-haired individual. The moment he did, though, a strange sensation was felt throughout his entire body. It was almost the exact same sensation as when one went on the ind-only even more forceful and disruptive to one''s body.


    "This... is even affecting me?" Mosak looked at his hands.


    "Haha, haha! Look at that, I tricked you!" Red said. "Now you''re in the same situation as me. You''re trapped in this ce, just like I am."


    "Trapped?" Mosak said, turning around and making a fist. He tried to throw a punch right


    where he came in from. His fist didn''t go past the area where the circle was drawn on the floor and instead had hit some type of barrier, not activating the Qi in his body at all.


    "It looks like I really am trapped," Mosak said.

 Chapter 1005: Belils Power

    Chapter 1005: Belil''s Power


    ?


    Inside the jungle, after defeating the beast, Raze was able to sense something from his side. It wasn''t just Qi that he was able to sense, which was why he knew there was a fairlyrge group of people not too far from him.


    "He knows we''re here, which means we only have one choice now," Krynic said as he gripped onto his spear firmly. "We have to take him out!"


    Krynic rushed out, and in doing so, the rest of the Light Faction warriors decided to follow, thinking it was their time to move. They knew who the individual with white hair was.


    It was all anyone talked about these days, and at the end of the day, this was their enemy-the leader of the Dark Faction and ally to the Demonic Faction. This was the man who had also climbed his way to the top of the Dark Faction.


    If they didn''t eliminate him, then he would eliminate them. With these thoughts in their heads, they willingly charged with Krynic.


    "Wait!" Impress shouted. She didn''t think it was a good idea. She thought everyone had gone mad. Didn''t they just see what that individual had done to the beast, and so effortlessly as well?


    Raze stood his ground as he saw the group of people run towards him.


    ''Judging by their clothes, all of these guys are from the Light Faction, and they don''t exactly seem to be giving me a friendly wee, which is understandable. So far, I''ve been going through this jungle aimlessly. If they''ve spent a day more than me here already, then it might be best to use their knowledge first.''


    The other thought going through Raze''s head was what a pain it would be that he couldn''t use magic, so there was only one thing he could do. He lifted his foot, gathered his Qi, and mmed it onto the ground.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''The first Descending Step!'' One of the fundamentals that Raze had known for a long time sent a powerful wave of Qi at all of the Light Faction members, making all of them stop dead in their tracks.


    They could feel the Qi entering them, making them feel almost sick and unable to move. Some were staring at the ground, covered in their own sweat, wondering what had happened, until they heard the cry of a fellow member.


    "ARGHH!" A man shouted at the top of his lungs as a sword was struck through his body. The man fell on the ground, bleeding from part of his neck, until he was lifeless on the ground.


    The others looked at the fallen warrior, a middle-stage warrior, but they could only do so for a moment because it only took a second before another was struck.


    They could see Raze moving to each one of them, swinging his sword. Some could finally move and had lifted their swords, pouring all of their Qi into the weapons, but Raze struck, breaking right through the swords.


    Four men had already been taken down.


    "This is taking far too long," Raze thought as he jumped through the air andnded several feet away from them. "Belil said I have his power now... I haven''t had a chance to really use it, so let''s see what it can do!"


    Raze lifted his hand in the air, and the Demonic Qi started to swirl from within around his fist. It felt like a great weight was in his hand, and it was only getting heavier and denser as he lifted it.


    Those that came close, including Krynic, felt as if their own footsteps were getting heavier as well. It was the first time they had felt so much pressure from Qi before.


    ''He can''t have gotten this powerful, could he, in such a short amount of time? This isn''t the power he had at the Martial Arts Tournament!''


    The next thing Krynic knew, Raze had thrown out his fist, and several ripples of explosions were seen through the air. The punch had ripped the grass from the ground, including several trees in the area.


    As the attack hit several of the Light Faction warriors, they were lifted off their feet and sent flying with the grass-if they didn''t pass out beforehand, anyway.


    Krynic eventually found himself falling to his knees. He felt pain in his entire body as he had used every inch of his Qi to just stay standing in front of Raze, the Dark Magus. He, a high- staged middle warrior, wasn''t even able to get close to the person in front of him.


    At that moment, he felt very, very foolish about his actions.


    "It seems it worked out well," Raze said to himself, looking at his fist as he walked over to Krynic. "I controlled my Qi so it would go around you and not hit you directly. I needed one of you alive to tell me what you''ve found so far. So, tell me are you going to speak?"


    Krynic was still in shock, and he had only just turned his head to see the chaos and destruction of the jungle that had been caused by one person. A whole section had been uprooted and destroyed. A ce that was terror and an ind of hell for them was nothing to this man.


    Not just that, he was thinking of the answer that Raze had proposed to him. What was he meant to tell him? That they had been cowering on the ind away from the beasts like those he had just defeated?


    That they had yet to find anything of worth? It would sound like a lie even if he said anything.


    "I don''t want to waste my time," Raze said once again and ced his sword on the shoulder of Krynic. He started to press down, cing his Qi into him, and Krynic felt his knees sink as they were pushed and breaking part of the floor.


    "Wait!" Impress called out, running. "We can work together... we can help you."

 Chapter 1006: Dont Waste Time

    Chapter 1006: Don''t Waste Time


    ?


    Never did Raze think that he would be traveling side by side with two of the Light Faction members, and he didn''t even know the positions of the two members. It just fit the situation of him needing to find the Golden Globe as soon as possible.


    Currently, Impress was leading the way with Krynic by her side, and Raze was following slowly from behind. The truth was, Impress had revealed that she would lead them to a location that looked suspicious in her eyes, as long as Raze didn''t harm or get rid of Krynic.


    But Krynic and she both knew this was a lie. They had found nothing but beasts since they got there and only knew of two locations.


    Both of them were constantly looking at each other, wondering what the best thing to do was, as she was just aimlessly walking through the jungle right now.


    ''Maybe if we keep walking, we might run into an even stronger beast, one that even the Dark Magus will have trouble with. At that point, the two of us can run away,'' Impress thought. ''My way wouldn''t let me leave Krynic behind when I knew I could do something to help him, so I had to step in. But this might be the best chance if we''re both alive to survive as well.''


    Impress did feel somewhat bad because leaving with Raze meant the two of them had left the group of Light Faction members behind. Some no longer had life after being hit by the Dark Magus''s attacks.


    Others had been badly injured to the point they would struggle to move. It usually wouldn''t be so much of a problem, but on an ind like the one they were on now, it most likely meant death with no one there to protect them.


    Meanwhile, Raze had his own thoughts going through his mind as he trodded behind the others.


    ''These two could be leading me aimlessly around this jungle. It doesn''t seem like they''re high up in the rankings of the Light Faction. I need to find the real people in charge if I want to get somewhere.


    ''The Light Faction and Alter wouldn''t have sent such a small group. I wonder when I should ditch these two in front of me,'' Raze thought, tantly unaware of those he was traveling with.


    When thinking about the punch he had unleashed, the power he had witnessed was subpar to that of Belil. He remembered the conversation. ording to Belil, the method he had used to give his power to Raze allowed a more direct transfer of Qi and energy.


    It wasn''t like the extraction technique. So not only did he have arge percentage of Belil''s Qi, but he had his own now as well. So Raze figured that his strikes when gathering Qi should be even stronger than Belil''s, and yet they weren''t.


    The only reasons he could think of were that Belil had used some type of technique when throwing his fist, or Raze wasn''t best at utilizing the Qi, or his body wasn''t yet adapted to the Qipletely that was within him.


    The destruction he had caused with his fist was something he could have done with his second formation¡ªthe Eclipse Strike.


    What Raze didn''t know, since he had rushed onto the ind, was that everything was different. The terrain, the strength of the beasts, the ground, and the trees themselves. All of this and the experiences he had so far with the beasts and the warriors he met made him have ackluster experience when he expected more.


    While walking around, Impress did notice a change in the scenery. She had continued to head straight and noticed a change in the jungle''s colors, deciding to head there. Eventually, all three of them went into an open area where they could see a long wooden bridge.


    It was a strange ce to put a bridge because it didn''t go over a trail of water or a big cavern, but a bridge that just went from one rock to the other-something Pagna warriors could get across with rtive ease.


    Only, there was also something directly in front of the bridge. There was arge, giant white- furred monkey with four arms and four tails. On either side of the bridge, there were two piles of ck coconuts.


    Immediately, the monkey picked up one of the ck coconuts and hurled it toward the group. Both Impress and Krynic pulled out their weapons to defend themselves. The spear and sword, filled with Qi, shed against the ck coconut, and the two of them were being pushed back through the ground.


    They were moving further and further until they had nearly reached Raze''s position as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''What is with these two? I thought they would send strong Light warriors to this ce, but they can''t deal with a beast like this?'' Raze thought.


    He had seen various sizes of beasts in different areas, and the size didn''t always mean strength. But this beast didn''t look too intimidating, nor did it seem to have any special traits, unless a person counted throwing coconuts as one of them.


    Eventually, the coconut fell to the ground, and Impress and Krynic looked at each other. They could tell from the coconut throw alone that this was the strongest beast they hade to face.


    "We will need to go all out to take out this thing!" Impress imed.


    "I will go from the right, and you go from the left. Otherwise, the beast will hurl all of those coconuts in one direction," Krynic said.


    Both of them were ready as they nodded at each other, prepared to go, until Raze walked forward and headed straight in the center of the two.


    The monkey, seeing Raze with his white hair, picked up one of the ck coconuts.


    "I already told you guys that I''m in a rush," Raze said.


    The monkey hurled the coconut again at Raze, and he was ready to swing his sword.


    "Crimson sh!" Raze used his mostmon but helpful technique, one he usually used magic with, but this time he just used Qi, and it stretched out.


    The coconut was split in half. And shortly after, the beast''s body was split in half as well. "I can''t waste time," Raze said to the two.

 Chapter 1007: 10 Times More Powerful

    Chapter 1007: 10 Times More Powerful


    ?


    After debating the situation for a while, the group hade to a decision that the man known as Mosak had told the truth, that he truly let them go ahead. Although they were suspicious, the fear that maybe someone else would get to the Golden Globe before them had pushed the group forward.


    The main fear being pushed by Zon who had already started to walk ahead and the rest somewhat followed.


    The group went on ahead, traveling through the dark yellow area of the jungle. The terrain was starting to change, as therge trees were bing fewer and the area they were walking in was bing more open.


    "Can I ask a question?" Beatrix asked, and instantly Ricar turned, scowling at her, almost wondering why she would even speak.


    She knew this would be the case. Ricar was the elder of the n, he had authority over her in the n, and had been there longer. Although the two of them carried the same rank, there was still a level of authority between them.


    "Our agreement didn''t include questions between us?" Lince joked. "But feel free to go ahead."


    "The Golden Globe, this item that Alter is after, what is its use-or let me ask, what is your use for it?" Beatrix asked.


    A question that had been bugging her for a long time. In her mind, Ricar had been blinded by trying to revive the n to the position that they were before, and by it, he was blinded to what the Aurora n and Illumination n were doing with Alter.


    If anything, Beatrix was annoyed that they were being led by the Alter n and wanted answers herself.


    "What I''m going to do with the item? Maybe throw it in the sea so no one can get their hands on it," Lince said.


    Judging by Lince''s answer so far, Beatrix had no clue if he was lying or not. So she decided to maybe talk to the other individual who was far more straightforward.


    "To go this far for an item just to chuck it away makes no sense. Do you follow the same view as your friend?" Beatrix asked. "It seems that you two aren''t from the same Faction... your powers don''t seem like a warrior''s either."


    "I can tell your reason for asking these questions," Zon replied. "Your intentions are to find out the use of the item. For me, it''s very foolish to blindly follow orders and not know the


    cause.


    "I will not use the item to have an effect on Pagna, but I wish to use it myself. However, I won''t do so until I finish my business that needs to be dealt with here."


    Beatrix didn''t say anything else, because the answers were so vague they didn''t really make any sense to her, and she felt like asking further wouldn''t lead to anything else. They had said what they wished to say-one speaking sarcastically and one speaking in riddles.


    As they moved closer, Beatrix noticed something else. The ground beneath her feet was vibrating slightly. It wasn''t strong, and it didn''t feel like the normal energy that came from someone using an attack of Qi or some sort.


    Since it was just a small rumble, they all figured it was something to do with the ind and continued, but the rumbling of the floor could still be felt.


    "There''s no volcanic activity up ahead, and the ind itself is not vibrating off in the distance. It appears that only our area is being affected," Zon exined.


    They hadn''t mentioned it, but Zon''s words had just made them all worry even more than they did before.


    "Do you know what''s causing it?" Ricar asked. He was still thinking back to why Mosak had let them go through. Although the Light Faction was honest, they had their ways of getting around the truth, which was what worried him slightly.


    When Zon stopped dead in the jungle, the others stopped as well.


    "The terrain-it seems to have changed," Zon answered.


    "What do you mean?" Beatrix asked.


    "Thend around us, the trees, and everything else. This whole ind''sndscape has been weird, with nts and the ground giving off the same heat signature as the beasts we''vee across," Zon exined.


    "Wait... wait, thend is changing?" Lince said. "And the nts are giving off the same heat signature as beasts. Has it been the whole ind or just this new area?"


    "Just this new area," Zon answered.


    Collectively, the other three wanted to p their heads at the same time. Zon was the one able to gather the most information. He was straightforward and seemed to know what he was doing-or so they thought-but he wasn''t reliable when it came to putting information together to draw conclusions.


    Now, all of them started to notice the trees and the flooring seemed to be moving. Large giant mounds were forming, and the movement was picking up speed. Along with it, the vibrations on the floor were growing more violent.


    As they looked up ahead, just shy of therge mountain that was in front of them, they could see anotherrge mound rising up in the sky. Dirt and leaves were falling from the mound, and a clearer picture of something else was forming high above the ind.


    Three separate, long,rge serpent heads had emerged, with several yellow, golden piercing eyes staring down at the ground. As for the rest of the area that had been moving along their side, it was the legless limbs of therge giant creature they were now looking at.


    On top of the limbs, on its body, and even on its neck, several of the trees they had been seeing in the jungle were attached to the top of its skin. They didn''t appear to justy on top of the body, but to be part of the beast''s body.


    "This creature... looks around ten times stronger than that monkey," Lincemented, and The feared he was right.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 1008: The Storngest Beast

    Chapter 1008: The Storngest Beast


    ?


    The ground continued to shake in the area of the ind where they were. The rumbling had spread wide and nearly affected the whole ind. The crew that were on the shore could feel the rumbling, but when looking into the jungle they were unable to see further and deeper within.


    As for Lyon and his group of Light faction warriors, they had been spending some time in the darkened green area of the ind. Lyon quickly climbed up one of the tree''s, jumping to the very top.


    He had expected to see a spewed volcano, maybe lightning or some sort of attack nearby. Instead, far off in the distance several miles into the ind, he could see threerge separate- like heads.


    They were darkened green in color, and each of the separate heads that floated up had several eyesing out from them.


    "It''s a beast...and a giant one at that... for a beast that size to be on an ind like this....how old would it have had to be? How many hardships would it have had to have gone through to fight against so many enemies to be able to get to the sheer size that it is now." The thought of such a beast sent shivers down his spine.


    When looking down, Lyon could even see movement through the forest. They were too far away for it to be from the beast, instead they were from severalrge creatures, around 6 meters in height, of all shapes and sizes.


    One withrge two yellow heads that were attached to a long neck ran in their direction butpletely ignored Lyon and his group of men.


    "For the beasts to even be scared and not want to be anywhere close, it looks like I might be right."


    It was at that point that Lyon had decided to make a decision, he jumped down from the tree branchnding on the ground and looked at his men.


    "We''re heading back to the ships! This ind is far more dangerous than we expected, and the beasts don''t seem to be so terrifying with what is above." Lyon exined.


    "What is above, sir!" A warrior asked.


    "We need to trust that the others will deal with the task, and we shall protect the ship to give them safe passage. If we were to head in, then all of us will die." Lyon exined.


    Looking up, there were four individuals that were staring at the neck of the three heads. Therge body was away from them, and all of the trees that surrounded them had practically vanished, but they were only starting to realize that it was part of the beast''s body, or they had grown on top of the soil that was now attached to the beast''s body.


    "The honorable Light faction." Lince said. "The man was so honorable I think he allowed us to fight this cute beast all by ourselves!"


    Ricar and Beatrix knew Lince was being sarcastic but they couldn''t really say anything instead they were just stunned by the sheer size of what was in front of them. Now they knew why the man had suddenly allowed them to go first.


    It was at that point that the three heads turned and looked down at those on the ground. Straight away, fighting from other parts of its body were severalrge vines that were on the side, and then, all three mouths opened wide, and a yellow energy was forming inside of them.


    Momentster a beam struck out from the mouth aiming toward the group of four. Naturally, Lince and Zon had jumped in one direction, while Beatrix and Ricar ran the other way.


    Therge beams of energy were following them, as they were moving forward they were doing so in such a way so they could run towards the beast''s body, and go for an attack. One had turned to look at the destruction of the beams to try and gauge how powerful of an attack could be made.


    But the strangest thing was he could see that no harm was done to the ground or the grass that was still intact at all.


    ''Will we be okay if that hits us?''


    Two beams were going towards Lince and Zon since there were three heads in total, and deciding to risk it he ran in another direction and then stopped holding out his hand. He waited for the beam to continue to follow him and eventually it touched his outer skin.


    In moments the ck suit of his started to act strange, it didn''t hurt nor did it feel like it was getting destroyed. He quickly pulled his hand out, and started to move away and noticed that grass was growing on the outside.


    Parts of his ck suit were green, and he could feel a throbbing pain on the inside of his body. He used his system to deactivate part of the suit, breaking down nano parts, and he could see that it looked almost like grass was growing out of his skin.


    They had lodged deep inside, and blood was dripping from his arm. Thankfully though, Zon could also tell his system was healing and the grass was falling off. It was slow processpared to usual but still a process.


    ''This beam attack is certainly strange, if it wasn''t for the nanobots in my skin, then I''m not sure how easy it would be to recover from something like this. If the others get hit it might be the end for them.''


    Lince no longer had either dagger in his hand, but with his wraps he was able to twist them around his whole hand in a pointed shape, and used his Qi outside to make it just as sharp as a


    weapon.


    Of course a strong powerful weapon would be even more helpful for him, but he was doing the best that he could in this situation.


    ''Do I attack its head and try to slice it off? Or do I go for its body to see just how hard doing something like that would be?'' Lince thought.


    Yet he soon noticed several things moving across the ground, and eventually through the air.


    A green object came at him like a whip, and Lince had reacted slicing it apart with his hand and


    cutting it.


    The sharp sounds continued to be heard and Lince had a clear picture of just what was attacking him. From the skin of the beast severalrge long and thick vines nearly the size of one''s wrist were being flung at him in every direction.


    They were just as fast as an advanced middle stage warrior, so Lince had to stop his advancement, as he focused and attacked the several vinesing towards him, but he also noticed the beam of energying his way.


    He continued to move attacking several more getting close to the body, until those on the ground had wrapped around his legs and fought him in the air. Instantly several more vines cameshing out rather than attacking him they wrapped around his thighs and then around his arms and held him up in the air.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    There was no chance for Lince to beat the beast''s vines just with his strength, the vines weren''t even part of the real body of the beast and this was starting to worry him. With his arms tied up, he was unable to cut the vines as well.


    "This isn''t good, the beam of energy ising towards me...maybe I should have stayed back and let one of the others attack first...I just thought, this ind and Belil has made me crazy." Lince was starting to wonder if these would be hisst thoughts.


    Before he knew it though, he saw a red beam of energy sh above, cutting the vines from above and Zon slid in front of him, Zon turned around and used both of his hands to fire out redsers shooting at the bottom vines.


    It had freed Lince, who quickly moved from where he was and went to Zon and swung his arms in the air cutting several vines that were already, ready to attack him from the back.


    "Don''t let that beam of energy hit you no matter what." Zon said.


    With everything that was happening, and how the enemy was attacking them, Zon thought that it would have been a good opportunity to use the item he had received from the Delter. In this situation he could have teleported himself right to the beast''s head and finish it off.


    "That''s what I was trying to do." Lince said.


    The beam of energy then stopped going towards them, and instead had gone over the several vines that had been cut up, and as it did, the vines started to regrow connecting to each other


    and were on the move again.


    "This is not going to be easy." Zon imed.


    Sorry forck of updated Chapters. I am currently away for 5 days at a Webnovel Event.


    I have made this chapter slightly longer to make up for it, but will get back on track soon!

 Chapter 1009: Zons Last strike

    Chapter 1009: Zon''s Last strike


    ?


    The strange energy being shot out from therge beast was not only damaging them in some way when being used, but it also appeared to be healing its own body, or doing something of that nature.


    The vines that came off from the beast''s body had reconnected themselves, twisting from the ends and growing at a fast pace, and all the work that both Zon and Lince had done, and gone through felt useless to them.


    Watching all of this were Beatrix and Ricar. Luckily, the two of them only needed to deal with one energy st, but they had stayed together just in case. In case the st was pure energy, they were afraid that the two of them would be needed to stop the attack.


    However, while running away, Ricar had been keeping an eye on the others. Seeing the results of what had urred, he had hid behind a tree. He was the test subject in this situation. When the energy beam had hit therge tree he was hidden behind, he could see that it had done no damage whatsoever.


    The beam continued to hit the tree doing nothing to it. It didn''t st it away, but only made some part of the tree darker with green growing on the very edge. Seeing this, Beatrix had done the same, moving to a tree next to Ricar, to make sure that the concentrated sts wereing their way.


    They had stayed quite a distance away from where the other two were, and the least they could do if they weren''t attacking the beast was making sure that at least one of the heads wasn''t too busy.


    "What are we going to do!" Beatrix shouted.


    The moment she did, the beam of energy sted from Ricar and had moved to where she was. She somewhat flinched for a moment, but the energy did the same thing, not doing anything to harm them.


    It was strange because she could still see parts of the energy going by her side and hitting the ground. A part of her wanted to reach out and touch the attack since it had done nothing to the surrounding area, it certainly was a strange phenomenon.


    Ricar took a peek from his tree, and at this time he could see the vines being healed right after Lince had been freed.


    "I stayed back because of those vines in the first ce," Ricar stated. "They''re too fast and strong and we haven''t even gotten close to the body of the beast. Although it might not be strong in its physical state, we can''t be so sure with a creature sorge in size."


    "So you want us to just wait, and continue to let the others fight. Is that really what we should be doing as members of the Light Faction?" Beatrix asked. "As a warrior, as an elder of the Dawnde n, is that what you really think we should be doing?"


    "We have to admit in this situation that we are not the same as them," Ricar replied back. "We can only wait and see in this situation at the moment."


    The vines immediately after regenerating were starting to attack the two. With Lince and Zon back to back, they had a much easier time avoiding the vines. Using his two red des, Zon was able to input more energy into them, extending the red des in length.


    As he did this, he swung them in a circle motion, cutting several of the vines too close but even those from behind. While this was happening, Lince had stopped any froming to him just like those that had got to him, but regardless of how well they acted, there was one thing that they couldn''t avoid, and that was the two energy sts that wereing their way. ''If only I was able to use the new item I had received, it would make things several times easier,'' Zon thought. He still hadn''t really had much use of the item, and it felt useless with him, so he could only do one thing for now.


    "I need you to distract the two energy sts for a while. I need it off my back."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I can do that," Lince replied. "I can try to, but what about the vines then?" Lince asked. Immediately, Zon disregarded the red energy swords in his hands and started to st severalsers out of them. They hit the vines at several points and burnt several parts. Arge number of the vines were no longer inmission, and the energy sts started to move from the two of them, and started to move towards the vines to repair them just like before.


    Zon moved, and Lince rushed ahead towards the energy sts. Right after the energy sts had recovered the vines, they both started toe from Lince as Zon was practically no longer in view.


    ''I hope he has a good n to deal with this thing, because I don''t,'' Lince thought.


    Zon had analyzed what he could using his system, moving in a way that would allow him to avoid the eyes of the beast as much as possible. He knew it would be a hard task with the beast having three heads and several eyes.


    It was most likely that the beast would have peripheral vision to see from its side, but it was the only thing he could do. Eventually running from the side, Zon started to ce both of his hands together.


    The red lines on his ck suit all started to light up and the energy was shifting to the palm of his hands. Theser, rather thaning out from the palm of his hand like it would do, arge handle was being madeing towards the back of his palm.


    Right after that, the energy de started to thicken ande out, turning into what looked like a giant greatsword being held in his hands. The red energy swords weren''t thin like the ones he would usually use.


    Zon looked up at the beast as he started to move in a zigzag pattern towards the beast. ''This is not big enough to take down a beast of this size. But if we were to take out such arge beast, especially one that has this kind of power, then using its crystal maybe I would be able to grow stronger than before, and even stronger than him!'' Zon thought.


    With this in his head, the sword was growingrger in size. It was growing longer and the end of the de was growing even thicker, till the sword was nearly five meters in height.


    The red from the ck of his suit was starting to fade and as it did, the ck part of his suit around his arms started to disappear as well. Instead, it was forming by the handle of the red de. It encased around it, making a solid firm handle for Zon to hold.


    "Alright, I''m ready!" Zon thought to himself as he rushed out and started to run towards the body of the beast, therge energy sword being dragged through the ground by his side. It cut the grass and ground freely as he continued to run.


    When running forward, Zon knew what to aim for.


    ''With this attack I might not be able to take out three of the heads in one go, but I''ll at least take out one of them!''


    While rushing forward, Zon was focused as much as possible on the head. With his legs, he could jump up to the head height in one go. He moved closer and close and was ready until a wall of vines raised in front of him.


    There were like smaller versions of therge beast itself, or twisting at the top looking toward


    Zon.


    ''I can''t swing my arms right now! If I do, they''ll get me, the beast will notice me as well. I thought the vines would take longer to heal than this!'' Zon thought.


    From the corner of his eye, he could see Lince was already dealing with two of the sts. He was doing the job as tasked but despite him being close, none of the vines were going after


    him.


    ''I have no choice, I have to just swing the sword and hope I still have enough energy for another attack!'' Zon thought.


    He tensed his hands around the grip of his weapon until he saw one individual right in front of him. Her sword was glowing white, and she swung it in a crescent shape, cutting the heads of


    all the vines in front of Zon.


    "Get that thing!" Beatrix shouted.


    Zon didn''t expect this, nor was it variable he thought about with his system, but it was a wee one. His feet closed off the floor, and he was equal height to the beast in front of


    him.


    Then with the strength of the nano machine in his body, he swung it from his side, swinging at the beast''s head. Immediately after the beast''s head moved, the st from its mouth had stopped as it snapped, opening its mouth and biting right onto the energy de.


    At that moment, Zon could feel its strength. He could feel that there was nothing he could do. The strength of the beast was enough to stop its attackpletely, and it had done it with ease. Zon felt at the mercy of the beast.


    With a snap of its head, it could fling it to the ground, but instead one of the heads turned to


    face him, and the yellow energy beam was gathering in its mouth.


    ''I can''t...die here,'' were the thoughts running through Zon''s head.


    As the energy st grewrger andrger, it was ready to burst out from its mouth. Out from


    the top of the beast''s head, arge force enclosed on the top, snapping the head closed, stopping the energy sts.


    Immediately, the powerful force had forced the head of the beast down until it crashed into


    the ground.


    Zon had been saved, and all he could see was a white-haired figure falling down to the ground where the beast''s head was.

 Chapter 1010: Razes New Power

    Chapter 1010: Raze''s New Power


    ?


    Everyone who was close to the area felt the ground rumble once more, but this was different from the times before. They could feel a new energy spread out into the ground and under their feet, causing everyone to turn to look at what happened.


    One of the threerge snake heads had been mmed into the ground cracking the floor beneath. It wasn''t just any beast but one of thergest beasts in the area, that no one had sess getting close to.


    Now standing right next to its head was a man in a special colored zer with white hair, and in an instant everyone recognized who this person was.


    ''The Dark Magus...so he really is here.'' Ricar thought, still staying behindpared to everyone else.


    He was side by side with Beatrix, staying at the back just getting the focus of one of the beast''s heads, but in the end Beatrix had decided to break away from Ricar, believing that it wasn''t right and their duty to help out, and had helped Zon in his attack, little did they know that it would end in failure.


    ''I expected with the appearance of the others that the Dark Magus might be here...but what is this strength?'' Ricar thought. ''He''s far stronger than I am, and the other Elders. I knew about him besting Sha Mo, but has he really grown this much?''


    What was even more worrying for Ricar was the fact that he could only see Qi being used, and no form of technique. It was almost just a simple punch, which reminded him of a particr monster in the demonic faction could achieve.


    At the same time, Zon had also noticed the man that had arrived and there was relief on his face.


    ''I knew that he would have gathered information on his own and known about this ind, although he is here a littlete, it seems he has managed to change once again.'' Zon thought.


    He was perhaps the only person that had a good idea of the real strength of the beast. Having swung using all of the muscles in his Nano Machine body, as well as the great weapon he had. Yet it hadn''t caused a single scratch on therge beast''s body, it had no effect at all and the beast''s strength was enough to throw him to the groundpletely.


    ''This strength, is it part of his magic, or some type of artifact he has? No, artifacts don''t work on this ind, so it can''t be that?''


    Although Raze hade in and punched one of the beast''s separate-like heads. It wasn''t out, and it was far from dead. It quickly got up and swirled across the ground snapping right at Raze.


    Its head and body had pushed Raze lifting him up into the air. It continued to but Raze still had one hand held on its snout. Using a surge of Qi, he pushed it to the side, and therge head with the rest of the body was flung into the jungle and crashed into several of the trees.


    "Thisrge beast is faster than it looks, what power stone level is this at, a 5 or a 6?" Raze said to himself, still unaware of the real strength of the power stones.


    Having just thrown one of therge serpent''s heads into the ground, the other two heads had ignored the others, and now all of them were turning to Raze. Two of them had opened their mouths wide, and the yellow energy was starting to gather ready to st right at him.


    While the third head had lifted from the ground and was ready to physically go after Raze, along with several vines extending out of its body.


    Raze started to run forward the moment the energy sts sted out of the Beast''s mouth and avoided the two attacks letting them hit the floor. He jumped up and swung his sword at the third head that was swung at him like a giant sword.


    Arge sh as well of shaking Qi disrupted in the air. The giant snake''s head continued to go back and forth, swinging itsrge and heavy body fast at Raze who would use his sword to deflect it, and once in a while leave a cut, shing it apart.


    Still, it looked filthy and difficult for Raze as he was also avoiding the attacks from the two other heads.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "He''s not using his magic...I would think this would be a situation for him to use his magic." Zon said as he observed the situation. He had already used a lot of power in hisst attack, and he needed time to recover himself.


    "Didn''t you feel that strange feeling when we first entered the ind, I''m sure you noticed something was up." Lince said having returned by his side. He was just watching what Raze was doing with awe.


    "The power he has is magic, right? Well, right now, he and everyone else, no one is able to use magic. Which means everything he''s doing right now, tobat the beast, it isn''t using magic, nor is he using any artifact or any sort, he is just using pure Qi."


    It was easy for Zon to confirm it with his system, that there were no traces of magic at all. In fact, that was why he had asked the question in the first ce, but only now he was realizing, how was it that Raze was able to have this much amount of Qi in such a short amount of time.


    "What happened to Raze when he left everyone for the Demonic Faction? Did he break through another stage? Is he now a Divine Stage warrior? But then he still wouldn''t be able to stay down here." Zon perplexed in his own mind.


    It wasn''t just the two of them, but Beatrix and Ricar had managed to rendezvous with each other and were watching Raze deal with the beast heads.


    The beast heads were bing more coordinated, with now two of them attacking physically and the third shooting a beam at the right moment. Raze was just too fast with his movements and since he could deflect theirrge bodies and heads with his swings, he was able to deal with the full situation at hand.


    What the four of them had struggled with Raze was doing better than them on his own.


    In the middle of watching Raze, that was when they could hear the sounds of othersing through the forest from behind. Ricar had turned his head with his sword in his hand ready to strike.


    He was partly worried that maybe Mosak had returned and part of his n was to have the four of them weaken the beast that way he could deal with it himself after, but as soon as he saw who had entered, the Qi filling his sword had weakened.


    "Impress, you made it here!" Ricar said surprised.


    It wasn''t just Impress though, as by her side there was also Krynic from the Aurora n. Based on what he and Beatrix had been through and the beast now in front of him, he wouldn''t have been too surprised if all of those that hade had perished.


    However, it was quite saddening for Ricar to see only the two of these with no one else behind them. Meaning the chance was quite high that no one else had managed to survive.


    "How did you get here, what are you doing here?" Ricar asked bbergasted. "It''s not safe, we should try to find another route to the center of the ind."


    "Actually, we came here because he rushed off in this direction." Impress said with her eyes and head pointing toward the white-haired man.


    "Right, he ran off suddenly, and it made sense when we could see what was happening. Since he wasn''t there we were worried that it might have been other Light Faction members in trouble." Krynic exined. "The issue was, with just the two of us we didn''t think we could do much, so we thought it was best to stay close to him."


    "Wait, so you were traveling with the Dark Magus?" Ricar asked bbergasted. At least at first. When he thought about it more, he realized that maybe just like them there might have been a set of circumstances that had led to the situation.


    "I''ll be honest, we might have only survived this ind because of him. That man, the Dark Magus, is incredibly strong. We saw him take out beast after beast like they were nothing." Impress exined. "If we hadn''t run into him, then I''m pretty sure we might have never


    made it this far."


    Ricar had the same sentiment towards Zon and Lince. Without them, they would have been killed by the man known as Mosak. Still, the Dark Magus was a different matter.


    It was then that Raze had struck two of the heads down, knocking them to the side. He had finally found the opening he had been waiting for, and ran up one of the trees before kicking off from one of the thick branches and was now in the air directly at one of the beast''s heads.


    It had opened its mouth and energy was charging up ready to fire out. "You will be the first to experience the full power of my Qi!" Raze said lifting both hands


    above his head. "The second formation, Eclipse Strike!"


    ****


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 Chapter 1011: The Demonic Qi Trait

    Chapter 1011: The Demonic Qi Trait


    ?


    Raze hadn''t been on the ind long, because he was in a rush to find where the Golden Globe was. Being just a single day behind the others he believed it was a lot of time and with arge search group by their side, the Light Faction or Alter might have already found it.


    It was his only chance of heading back to Alterian, and in doing so, his chance forpleting his revenge. So he didn''t have many run-ins with people or beasts on the ind. Seeing therge beast in front of him, he thought for the first time there was something worthy of him fighting against.


    Something that could test his new powers and Qi. No longer with his magic, he had to get used to the power that was given to him, to not waste this opportunity. Which was why he had been using Raw Qi strikes this whole time.


    After gauging the situation for a while, he had decided it was enough, and it was time for him to use one of the Dark Edge Sword Arts.


    Lifting the Ghost de above, it started to light up yellow, and a darkened red energy started to swirl around the sword. The redness had covered the entire de until it was glowing out. "The Eclipse Strike...it feels different," Raze noticed. "This isn''t the same as before!"


    In the past, even when Raze had used just the regr Dark Edge Sword Arts rather than the magical version, it covered the sword in an eclipse of darkness and even the attack would cover the whole area with darkness.


    The color of his power was different this time, and he could feel the energying from deep within his dantian rather than his magic core. Regardless, with the beast in front of him, he swung the sword through the sky.


    "The Eclipse Strike!"


    As the sword went through the air, a giant rift of redness had covered the entire sky vertically. It left his sword, and the beast at the same time sted energy from its mouth.


    When the two attacks met in the air, the dark red energy consumed all of the beast''s energy attack. Making it appear as if it was never fired from the beast''s mouth in the first ce, it continued to travel right down the center of the beast''s head.


    The attack continued through the air, before eventually dissipating into nothing, and left behind in its tracks were two parts of the beast''s head, only arge chunk from its center was now missing.


    The two parts started to fall to the side, as it became lifeless, but there were still two more heads to go by its side. The beast was still alive.


    Razended back on the ground and looked at his weapon; he could see its glow starting to diminish.


    ''That''s really strange... did I just gain energy back from that attack just now? What is this effect?'' Raze started to wonder.


    Not only had the color of the attack changed but even its effects. In the books there was nothing about this happening. A considerable amount of Qi was used in these attacks, and before he had never regained Qi energy or mana unless there were those that were killed by the attack.


    It was a trait of one of his rings along with his Dark Magic, restoring part of his mana, but it had never restored part of his Qi. It was the first time such a thing had happened and it was a considerable amount of it as well.


    However, when using it with his Dark Magic, he noticed that the range was more spread. Who knew if it was because it was mixed in with Qi. He still hadn''t performed this move since his increased power with Qi, so he had no idea what the result would be after that as well.


    Those that were watching were continually being surprised. They imagined even if they were to perform their strongest attacks they would have had no chance to split the beast in half. Yet the raw power of the Qi was certainly very impressive.


    It made them wonder over and over, just where this Qi hade from. But now there was one person who was sure of it.


    ''The only exnation for all of this is Belil had done what he said he was going to do,'' Lince thought. ''Which means that Belil himself is no longer of this world. Is this what you wanted to create, is this the protector of the world you envisioned?''


    For some reason, even though Raze was this powerful being, he couldn''t see such a person having great care for Pagna.


    ''I should be thankful though for now, that Belil''s power was given to him and he''s on the ind, or the situation might have worsened,'' Lince thought.


    Looking at the situation and how the result of the first head of the beast had been dealt with, Raze was feeling good about getting rid of the beast, but with it he would test a few more things first.


    One of the two heads had dived toward him, while the other was getting ready to charge up an attack. For a moment, Raze held the sword in front of him, and dark red energy started to swirl and wrap itself like two snakes over the orange glowing sword.


    He ran forward towards the beast''s head, and at thest moment, he swung it. The red energy left from his sword and went straight at therge snake. As it hit the beast, it twisted and intertwined itself between the snake''s head and getting close to the rest of its body.


    "The Dark Edge Sword Arts First Formation!" Raze said as he quickly jumped to the side, avoiding the energy st.


    One head had been subdued and not only was it being subdued but the same effect was happening again. Raze could feel that his sword, along with the rest of his body, was absorbing Qi energy.


    The feeling was quite familiar, it was almost as if he was using his Qi extraction technique on the beast. He wasn''t, he wasn''t even touching it, yet it had the same effects, and it made him wonder if the energy was truly being drained from the beast as well.


    ''The good thing is, while I''m gaining energy, it allows me to link up the next attack a lot easier!'' Raze thought, as at the hilt of his sword, red energy was now swirling around that. He rushed forward and leapt up until he was right behind the beast''s head.


    "Void Pulse!" Dark red energy exploded from the back of Raze''s sword and pushed him forward, the tip hit the beast''s head and it exploded on the spot. Part of its skin and flesh going off in all different directions and falling to the ground.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Just like the first head, the rest of the beast''s neck was seen falling to the ground, and just like every single formation that Raze had used recently, this strange red energy and techniques was restoring his power.


    On his way down, Raze could see the first formation was wearing out on the final snake''s head. He kicked in the air, using one of the Descending Steps to push himself forward and his sword had pierced its head.


    The attack didn''t cause the head of the beast to explode like the Void Pulse formation, but the sword was well stuck in there. Using his Qi, he moved his sword shing through its head and jumped off from the beast.


    With all three heads of the beast having been taken out, finally it appeared as if the beast was dealt with. Its heavy body crashed onto the ground along with thest head. The trees and the area around covered in dust, and therge nts that were growing from its body, all of them started to shrivel up, bing dehydrated and lifeless until they crumbled into nothing. "The beast has been dealt with!" Beatrix said. "And we''re all safe... that man did it, the Dark Magus did it!"


    The more Beatrix thought about it, the more crazy it seemed. This was the man she had


    originally met in another dimension. She had attacked him on the spot and had nearly killed him, a person who at the time had no Qi and no martial prowess whatsoever, and now he had managed to aplish all of this.


    "With him having taken out Murkel, the man closest to the Divine stage, and taken out Sha Mo, as well as with what we have seen him do today, I would have to say, that the Dark Magus might be the strongest single individual in the whole of Pagna," Ricar imed.


    He didn''t know the full extent of strength the two other Light Faction ns had, but he had some idea, and it didn''t seem toe close to the Dark Magus. At least not now.


    As Raze was done with the beast, he thought it would be a waste to leave the power stone in ce; he could already feel the dark energying from its body and entering into his ring. Although he couldn''t use magic, he was happy that this could still happen. When going to move forward though, Zon had appeared by his side.


    "It''s good to see you here... I hoped that the two of us could havee together, but I was worried that others might find the item in time," Zon exined.


    That was all that was needed to be said, to know that Zon had an idea of the full details.


    "I have to ask a favor from you, and if you grant me this favor, I will forever be in your debt, and will do whatever you ask from me," Zon said, and immediately got down on his knees. This was the first time Raze had seen Zon this way. After all his power was great, and Raze wasn''t even sure if he was stronger than Zon either, so why would he be begging for


    something.


    "The power stone in the beast, I wish for you to hand it over to me... please!" Zon asked.


    ****


    ****


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 Chapter 1012: A Rare Power Stone

    Chapter 1012: A Rare Power Stone


    ?


    Although Raze and Zon didn''t know each other well, there were quite a few simrities


    between the two of them. They both seemed to have significant lives in their past world. They had great strength in their powers from their previous world, and there was a certain goal that both of them carried.


    When Zon had asked for a favor, Raze believed that it might have something to do with the Golden Globe and how they would proceed up ahead, but of all things, he had asked for the Power Stone that was within the beast.


    Turning his head, he looked at the beast.


    ''It''s a high-level power stone, but isn''t this something that Zon is even capable of dealing with himself? It did look like they were fighting the beast before I arrived?'' Raze thought. In some ways, he felt guilty for taking their kill, but he needed to test part of his power.


    When Raze looked around, he recognized two of the others: Beatrix and Ricar. Finally, he figured he had met with two strong members from the Light Faction.


    ''Since they aren''t outright attacking, I''m guessing some sort of deal or situation has urred between them. Almost like me and the other members of the Light Faction... It would be wise to not go up against the two of them, and having Zon''s help would be a plus.''


    The issue in Raze''s mind was the weight of Zon''s words. It almost sounded as if he would be indebted to him for a simple crystal. He was curious to ask why such a crystal was needed, but he didn''t want to pry into Zon''s past too much, because Zon had never pried into his.


    "It''s fine, you can go ahead and take the crystal. It''s not a problem," Raze said.


    Immediately, Zon had gotten up from his knees and then bowed down.


    "I won''t forget this."


    Zon jumped from his position and immediately went on top of the beast''s body and started to locate where the power stone would be inside.


    Meanwhile, the others were shocked.


    "He gave away such a rare power stone!" Beatrix whispered. "He could have made an extremely powerful Qi pill with that, or maybe even a special artifact weapon."


    "Right, but you saw how he was able to deal with it as well. That might just go to show how much he''s changed already. With the strength he has, getting a power stone at that level would be easy for him," Ricar replied.


    "Right... his strength is beyond what I thought," Krynic said. "I was a fool to try and take him on back then, but still, to give away such a power stone makes no sense. Even if he could defeat another beast of that level, will he evere across one again?"


    "I doubt other than in the Divine Dimensions, there will ever be a beast that powerful in Pagna or other dimensions. It''s a rarity toe across that."


    The others didn''t say anymore, but they realized something else. How right Krynic was, Raze at this stage had to be incredibly close to reaching the Divine Realm.


    "Raze!" Lince called out as someone appeared by his side. "It seems Belil has given you a gift."


    Raze turned to look at the person by his side and he recognized him-the head of the Lost n. One of the big three ns in the Demonic Faction.


    "Since you''re saying that, I assume you know the details of everything that''s happened," Raze replied.


    "He did make me aware, but I never thought he would go through with it. But here you are. For now, the two of us are on the same side along with your friends. I just wanted to make you aware. I will help you get the Golden Globe and go up against anyone as someone who wishes to help Pagna... and I just hope that won''t change."


    "Don''t worry," Raze replied. "My business is not with Pagna."


    Finishing his sentence, Raze ced the sword back in his sheath located on his back.


    "Your Qi... I saw the color change, do you know what you just did?" Lince asked.


    "The formations I just used, or are you talking about the other effects?" Raze didn''t want to outright say what he had felt using the techniques, just in case it was something strange that had urred.


    "I thought as much, because you didn''t know how to utilize it in your normal attacks," Lince exined. "What you just did was unlock the full properties of the Demonic Qi-the nature of it, to absorb and take from others."


    "I''m not sure if you''ve run into it too much, but there are those that have heavily studied the properties of the different types of Qi being used by other factions. From my information gathering, Murkel had also discovered the properties of Dark Qi."


    Raze thought back to his fight; it was true. All of Raze''s attacks felt like they were being sucked in or drawn to his Qi. That was just the Qi alone rather than the technique itself.


    "As for the Demonic Qi, well I''m sure you''ve experienced the results. However, what you have experienced is not so strange. It''s the same for me- even I can only activate the properties of the Demonic Qi when using arge attack. However, it had taken me a long time to learn, and for you, who didn''t even know what you''re doing... it makes me extremely jealous, I can''t lie." Unlocking the properties of the Demonic Qi, Raze thought about what Sha Mo was able to do as well. The reason why he had helped Brack back then was so he could learn some of the Behemoth n''s techniques. Perhaps there was a way tobine these two things together, or learn how to use itpletely.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Eventually, Zon hade out with a crystal in his hand.


    "I don''t know how long this will take, but once I''m done, I wille meet the rest of you," Zon exined. "It''s best that you all hurry up and find the Golden Globe as quickly as


    possible. Especially knowing we aren''t the only ones after it."


    Zon didn''t have to tell Raze more than once, as he nodded and was already on the move, trusting that Zon would be able to catch up eventually. The Light Faction members followed from behind, and Raze had paid them next to no attention.


    It didn''t take the group long to find something of interest: arge ruin-like structure, with a wide open front and a tunnel leading to who knew where.

 Chapter 1013: Forever In Debt

    With therge beast ripping up a chunk of the ind, Raze and the others believed that they had to be near something. Whether it would be the Golden Globe itself, or something that would help lead them to the Golden Globe, honestly they didn¡¯t really know, but they decided to progress within the same vicinity and general area they were in.


    The ones leading up ahead were Lince and Raze who were quickly using their foot techniques and other skills to try and locate what was around them. Raze was relying more so on Lince¡¯s skills than his own.


    If he was able to use his magic maybe he would have some type of edge, but he was pretty clueless on the ind. Still, there was something that was bothering him and it was the people that were on their tail since they had been here.


    "So what¡¯s the deal with them, are they working with us?" Raze eventually asked.


    "Right, we had a run-in with someone, someone incredibly powerful, they didn¡¯t seem to be from any of the factions," Lince exined. "So at the time it made more sense for us to create an alliance."


    Raze looked at the condition of them all, and they all seemed to be in rtively good condition, making Raze believe whoever they had run into, they had dealt with, or were at least able to deal with them.


    "Which is why we have agreed to go to the Golden Globe together, when or after we find the item, that is another matter altogether. As those from the Light Faction, I don¡¯t think we have to worry about them till we find the item," Lince answered and then looked back again, at another two that were joining them.


    "And what¡¯s the deal with those that you brought?"


    "Them," Raze said, referring to Krynic and Impress. "I met them with arge group of Light Faction warriors. I agreed to let them be as long as they helped lead me to the item, and they seem to have led me in the right direction."


    "But if you¡¯re worried about them helping the other Light Faction members, then you don¡¯t have to worry too much. The two of them are incredibly weak, they struggled greatly with a few beasts."


    Lince had to turn his head to get a second look at the two individuals, to see if he was the one who had made the mistake, but he was sure of it. With his position within the Demonic Faction, he had been in charge of gathering information and from his information he was sure that the woman was Impress, an Elder from their Dawnde n.


    As for the other, it was Krynic, the strongest spear user from the Aurora n. No one on Pagna in their right minds would refer to the two of them as weak¡­ yet Raze had done so.


    ¡¯He isn¡¯t the type to be bragging about his strength? Is he mistaken about something? No it can¡¯t be¡­ could it?¡¯


    ¡ª¡ª


    Zon had extracted the crystal from the beast¡¯s body. Any remnants of blood had disappeared, evaporating from it. The crystal itself wasn¡¯t hot, yet for some reason the blood was gone, as if it wasn¡¯t allowed to touch a thing of such beauty.


    Never before had Zon faced such a powerful beast, and noting its strange powers he was sure that the power stone within it was invaluable in more ways than one.


    "With the beast¡¯s dead body here, and all the chaos that had urred, I doubt there will be any beasts that wille near by. The probability of an attack taking ce is 2 percent. I will take those chances."


    Holding the crystal, Zon started to move it toward his chest. As he did the strange ck suit started to slowly ripple away, showing his bare skin, and after, his bare skin started to open up mechanically.


    Zon reached in and pulled out arge cylinder object that was encased in ss and red in colour. As he pulled it out from his body, the glow had disappeared right after he threw it on the floor.


    "I can¡¯t believe I would throw something so valuable away. There were wars fought over such a thing, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯m doing the right thing."


    After that, Zon then ced the crystal inside, and from the inside of his chest metallic objects started to move until it attached itself around the crystal. The chest cavity of Zon started to close, and something strange was happening.


    "ARGHH!" Zon screamed as he fell to his knees, and the rest of his ck suit started to ripple off revealing his naked body. His body was flicking as it would ripple the suit on and off constantly.


    "AHHH!" Zon screamed and a pulse exploded out from his body, a yellow coloured substance exploded out in a small five-meter radiance from where he was and his eyes glowed for a moment.


    With heavy breathing, his ck suit started to recover, rippling back all over his body and covering him from head to toe, up to the top of his neck, only revealing his face to the others.


    Finally, thest change could be seen as parts of his suit started to light up. The small circr oval cups over his suit as well as the strange lines that would connect them. All of them lit up with a bright yellow energy.


    Zon then stood up and looked at the change on his body.


    "The suit¡¯s changed its color¡­ this is the first in a long time, a very long time."


    "Who would have thought, here of all ces, that a stronger energy source would be found for the system and suit."


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zon started to think about how some people had thought the name of the Red Fortis army was because of the red energy that would glow through their suits. Little did people know that the original color of the suits was a dull white color.


    The colours represented how strong the energy was being used to power the suits, and so far there had been nothing beyond that of red, and now Zon had discovered it.


    "I truly am in your debt, Raze. You have no idea."

 Chapter 1014: The Worlds Magic

    Chapter 1014: The World''s Magic


    ?


    Onest thing had been left by Himmy before he had met a cruel fate. He had left information for Raze to find out the truth as to what had urred with him and Safa in the past, all the information they had gathered at least.


    In the end, this had led Safa, Liam, and Simyon all on a journey. They had gone across the Rylon Religion, looking for answers, and Safa had found her answer, although it might not have been the one she had been looking for.


    Through it, she had gained a lot more than she bargained for as well, as strange power was now running through her body. Gifted by a Divine being who had been forced toe down, and sacrificed itself to empower her.


    Even now, she was still left with their powers, but the entire group were left with more questions on their mind. For one, what was the Rylon Religion even doing with the magic circles?


    Charlotte, whom they happened to save, said that it was a transfer of sorts, but to where, to whom, and why. With Liam storing the information in their mind, they were hoping Raze would know, so after resting up, the three, including Anna and Charlotte, had headed to the Town of Flendon.


    The city where the Crimson Crane, along with Rayna and the rest, were all currently at. Safa had entered the city hall with the two boys behind her. Charlotte and Anna had split from the group, deciding to rest up.


    It seemed they had a lot to catch up on, and a lot to mourn over as well, but Safa was more concerned about getting down deeper to the truth of the matter. Although there might have been no way for her to confirm what she knew was the truth or not, she felt like there was still a part of her that needed to pursue something.


    "You three certainly have been away for a while," Alba said as she held a crystal in her hand and skimmed it across therge table, a map andyout of the town. On the table wererge stacks of papers, the reports of what they had been doing, trying to get rid of as many Alter members as possible in the Demonic and Dark Factions.


    "I thought you would have gone back to the Academy, why are you here? Weren''t you following Rayna''s order?" Safa asked.


    "We''ve already done what we can so instead we have been busy in our own way," Alba answered. "I''m sure you noticed it as well. Raze has grown leaps and bounds ahead of us, and it seems the enemies we areing across now are incredibly strong, to the point where we have next to no understanding of what they can do or what they are capable of."


    "The best things we can use are the weapons that he can create. The Demonic Faction seems to have ess to quite the interesting and powerful Dimensions, so me and the Crimson Crane have been venturing into them to acquire powerful crystals so he can create items for the few of us that have yet to get weapons."


    Safa understood well because just moments ago, as she watched Liam and Simyon do next to everything for them. Now though, she didn''t know how strong she was and maybe she would be an extremely great help to Raze, especially with the overflowing power she could feel with her Light Magic.


    "Actually, we came here looking for Raze, we thought he might help with something. Has hee back from the Neverfall n base yet?" Simyon asked.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    cing her hand on her chin, she started to wonder, what had even happened to Raze. He had been gone far too long even if Raze was having a fight with the Neverfall n, and there was next to no news.


    "You know what, I have no idea at all..." Alba answered.


    With this question in mind, the group had decided to explore and ask around. They found next to no answers, and they couldn''t even find Brack, the person who Raze had dragged along with him at the time.


    It was starting to get worrying, so Fixteen had decided to go pay a visit to the Neverfall n himself. A few hourster he had returned with some news to the group, but it wasn''t what they would have expected.


    Back in the Town hall, Fixteen was now standing not too far from Alba at her table.


    "The Neverfall n said that Raze had left a while ago... and things felt strange at the n. I can''t quite exin it, but almost the tension was as if they didn''t want me to be there." Fixteen was honestly annoyed, even though he was with Dame as a loyal friend, and Dame had already discarded the n, it was no way to treat him. Still, he felt this was different.


    Even in the past, he would still learn of matters that had urred, and it was strange that even he was denied a pass to head down deeper into the Abyssal base.


    "I did find something out, a rumour that is spreading and quickly turning into a not so rumour," Fixteen exined. "It appears that the ind to the north of the Demonic and the Light Faction, thendscape has changed."


    "The stretching waves and whirlpools, the thunder-all of it has stopped ande to a calm. Because of this, many ns and even regr people are thinking of going to the ind to see what''s there. The ind, after all, no one has stepped foot on it in so long, so it has piqued many individuals'' curiosity."


    "So you think Raze might have gone to this ind?" Liam replied. "I guess it makes sense with him disappearing and all of that. Otherwise where else would he have gone? He probably wants to get some treasure before the others or something."


    "It''s not a pirate treasure ind you dumbass!" Simyon replied back.


    "Let''s go," Safa said. "You said north, right?"


    Safa tapped the side of her head, something else that had been bugging her. Streams of mana could be seen in the air, and all of them were heading towards the North. She knew something had to be up.


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 Chapter 1015: Always Two Steps Ahead

    Chapter 1015: Always Two Steps Ahead


    ?


    Many strong individuals had gathered behind that of the Dark Magus, but with it they also now had arge amount of territory to cover and look after. Amir was at the Dark Faction Academy along with arge number of individuals, the Bonum Society, and he even had Mantis with him as well.


    It seems Mantis had asked to be his student of some sort after thest fight with Sha Mo. Rayna was looking after Flendon, and the Crimson Crane were free flowing between the two ces, but ultimately they were staying in the town of Flendon.


    It was their preferred ce at the moment, particrly because the Dark Faction and the Academy still felt to be slightly in mourning over everything that had urred.


    So when Safa, Simyon, and Liam had imed they were to head north, to venture to where the ind was, there were many individuals that had asked to go with them, but in the end, only Dame had set out with them.


    He was selected for a few reasons. One, he had a closer connection with the threepared to others due to being at the Dark Faction Academy with them. The second was because Dame knew the Demonic Faction well, which was where they were all currently traveling through. The four were in a carriage which was steadily heading north.


    "Man, I can''t believe you chose the name Pink of all things back at the academy," Liam said, pping his knee as he was finding it hrious, but not as funny as Dame was finding it.


    "Right, right, talking about the person with a single eyepatch who likes to talk about balls all the time," Dame replied. "I had to use an alias that was so far gone from my original name, but if you were to pick one I guess you could onlye up with Biam, or Ballman or something ridiculous."


    After hearing Dame''sments Safa and Simyon couldn''t stopughing with almost tears running down their eyes.


    "I see you''re not afraid of me," Liam replied with a side vein sticking out from his head. "You know I''ve gotten a lot strongerpared to back then, maybe the two of us should have a spar. It''s been a long time."


    Back at the academy, Dame had helped Liam and Simyon a lot with their training. It felt so long ago, and yet so short at the same time with all they had been through. It wasn''t just them that had gone through these changes, it was him as well.


    "Right... I also need to strengthen myself. Rather than relying on this Hybrid form of mine," Dame answered. "Who knows, maybe one day the Neverfall n will decide to be an enemy of Raze and I will need to help him."


    "I don''t think that will happen," Safa added. "After all, I think your father likes Raze."


    "Right, he''s not the one that I''m worried about though," Dame replied. "If anything was to happen to my father, or he was to reach the Divine realm, then it would mean them two would take over the Neverfall n. That''s where my worries lie, and before you say I''m exaggerating, you have never been raised in a powerful n that belongs to the Demonic Faction."


    Although they had never been raised in such a ce, all of them had heard the rumours and the stories, and they had also heard of how the brothers were willingly wanting to fight against Dame not too long ago, even though they were family.


    It was sad for those present who would do so much for the sake of their families.


    "Right, where were we, this ind, it makes me wonder why Raze is heading there, he doesn''t have much interest in Pagna," Dame said. "Maybe it''s to get some ingredients."


    Safa looked out the window on the path they were on, and they weren''t the only ones that were heading for the port city that was just up ahead. Several groups from different ns were heading there as well.


    Currently filled with many, all of them wondering what was on the ind itself.


    "The main issue is if ns from the Demonic Faction are acting like this, no doubt that the Light Faction will move as well," Simyon stated. "And on top of that, I have a feeling that Alter will be involved iming they''re looking for artifacts."


    "Let''s hope with Rayna''s involvement that Alter is a little too busy to have their hands filled with this," Dame answered.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    None of them were aware of what was on the ind, apart from Safa who, with her god eyes, could seerger and stronger streams of magic all heading north.


    It didn''t take long for them to eventually find their way into the city. The port city was filled with people walking through the streets and hanging around the taverns. It was clear that the port itself wasn''t prepared for what was happening.


    As the four continued they noticed something happening right at the dock, something they didn''t expect. Standing up one wooden pir were several people, all of them were captains of the various ships that were currently docked.


    "HAHA this is the best day of my life!" The captain shouted, as he counted the amount of golden coins in his hands.


    "It looks like the captains know their worth right now, and they''re having a bidding war," Dame stated. It was expected, arge number of people wanted to head to the inds, and there were few ships avable to head there immediately.


    "Do we have a lot of coin with us?" Liam asked.


    "Well, we could always use force?" Dame replied.


    "Then won''t we have to go up against everyone else, I don''t think those from the Demonic Faction ns would be willing to just step aside so much," Simyon replied.


    The four of them were deliberating over what the best option would be, until a voice called out to all of them.


    "Don''t worry, the four of you won''t be going anywhere. None of you will step foot on that ind."


    As they turned to look they could see a light blonde-haired man with round sses, a staff in his hand and wearing a zer standing there. What was most notable was the pocket watch attached to his hip.


    This man was Henio, the head of Alter.


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 Chapter 1016: All In The same Place

    Chapter 1016: All In The same ce


    ?


    Raze, along with the rest of the group following him, had arrived at a ce where there were several ruins in the area. Fallen pirs, strange stones scattered in different areas, but there was one ce that stood out.


    Stones that had been formed into a wide opening that went deep into one of the hill-like structures. It wasn''t just the outside but even the ground was paved with the same type of stone, in a dull y-like color.


    It was quite clear that it was the entrance to somewhere.


    "Should we go inside then or just stand here staring?" Lince asked.


    "It could be a trap... there seem to be a lot of thosetely," Beatrix added. "Do you really think that the Golden Globe would be hidden in such an obvious ce?"


    That was the thought that had been running through many of their minds. Wouldn''t it be more hidden?


    "I don''t think so," Krynic said, speaking up. "Think about those that are on the ind, including us. The beasts that were located here, therge monkeys protecting the bridge, and finally therge beast that you faced just now. The item was well protected and not many could make it this far."


    While the others were deliberating whether to move forward or not, Raze was already walking through the deep dark tunnel. They felt like they had no choice as they followed behind. "At least if there are any traps they should hit him first," Beatrix mumbled to herself.


    While walking in there wasn''t much light in the tunnel itself. It was mostly covered in darkness but the group being the skilled warriors they were could travel through the tunnels with rtively ease.


    Raze wasn''t cautious with his steps, he stood confidently on each tile, but he didn''t just run in, just in case there was something. He was gaining more confidence in his body and the strength of it,pared to when he had firste to Pagna.


    While the others, seeing that Raze was fine, confidently followed behind him.


    Eventually an orange glow could be seen up ahead, and not only that, but a few mobs here and there.


    "It looks like someone else has made it before us."


    Immediately, Raze leapt from his position, leaping into therge open room. He couldn''t let anyone else get their hands on the Golden Globe, and if they had them, he would pry it from their fingers.


    As hended into the open room though, the scene in front of him was not what he had expected. He carefully looked around and was trying to get information about the situation.


    The others ran into the room behind him with their weapons drawn.


    "Who is it, are the other Light Faction members here!" Impress called out.


    That''s when they all stopped. They could see standing in the center of the room two individuals. They were next to each other, they weren''t fighting each other and neither looked hurt.


    All they were doing was standing in the center, and everyone in the group had recognized these individuals in the room, but they were focused on different people.


    "Come on, you all shoulde closer!" Red shouted at the group. "This is what you''ve been looking for, it''s here!"


    The others didn''t know why Red was saying this, but all of those from The Light Faction recognized Red, and so did Lince as well.


    "So this is where you ended up after our little scuffle... Raze, we should be careful, and not just at one of them but both of them," Lince warned. Lince''s eyes were darting between the two and felt like this might have been the worst situation for the two of them to be in.


    Lince had gathered that the man he had met with red hair was most likely from Alter working with the Light Faction, and as for the other individual, that was who Beatrix, Ricar, and himself were more worried about.


    The man who imed he was Mosak was also in the room with the rest of them. Depending on the situation, who knew who was going to be on whose side in the fight, and there was a good chance that Raze and Lince would be ganged up on.


    "So that''s the infamous Dark Magus!" Red said, pping his hands together. "He''s so young, I thought he would at least look a bit older, but I''m d that you made it on this ind as well. As for you, I have business to deal with you, why don''t youe over here and fight me!"


    Red was saying these words towards Lince, still upset that theirst encounter didn''t end up in a scuffle.


    "Do you think we''re fools?" Lince asked as he was more rxed before. He was no longer bent over in a fighting stance, and instead he was almostughing at the situation. "It''s quite clear why you''re getting us toe over, I think anyone could figure it out."


    Krynic leaned over to Impress and covered his mouth with his hand.


    "I can''t figure out... what''s going on."


    "They''re trapped," Impress answered loudly despite Krynic whispering which had caused his cheeks to turn slightly red. "The two of them, they''re not fighting, nor have they moved from the center. The flooring changes where they are. Red''s taunts were to get us to move in, so we would be trapped with them."


    Judging by the scorn on Red''s face, it was the perfect guess. Now the group had to know exactly what they were going to do with the two in front of them, or try to get a better understanding of the situation.


    When Lince looked at Raze, he could see he was looking at the other man that stood in the center as well.


    "Oh, it''s you?" Mosak said, raising an eyebrow. "I didn''t expect to see you in a ce like this, but I guess you didn''t expect to see me here as well."


    This was worrying news for those in the Light Faction; they didn''t expect Raze to know who this individual was and the next line had shocked them all.


    "I guess I didn''t really thank you for freeing me before," Mosak said.


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 Chapter 1017: Feeling Trapped

    Chapter 1017: Feeling Trapped


    ?


    Surprised looks spread across the room, even from Lince who was meant to be Raze''s ally in this situation. Such a powerful warrior the world didn''t know about was in front of them. Something that he should have known about, and now they hear that Raze had freed him, from where, from what, just what was going on.


    Those in the Light Faction were more nervous than before but were still confused by the whole situation. The only thing they were thankful for was that fighting hadn''t broken out yet between everyone present.


    "I wasn''t the one that freed you," Raze answered. "I was trying to stop what was happening and I didn''t even know what was happening. I was just in the same ce at the same time." They waited for Mosak''s response which was a shrug of the shoulders.


    "You yed your part in all of it, and I was able to descend because of it, so I thank you." Raze was remembering back to that moment. Learning that those in the Dark Faction from the Lethal Bite n were trying to summon a Divine warrior from above to help them. Not just summon a Divine warrior but do so with the Divine warrior keeping their power.


    Putting them in a host body of sorts, so there wouldn''t have the same limitations if a Divine warrior normally came down from the Divine realm. In the end, it was somewhat of a sess so this man in front of them had incredibly great strength, and Raze knew that as well.


    Lince hearing Raze''s words thought he had a better idea of the situation so he quickly moved to Raze''s right side.


    "That man is also the one that we were talking about before, he calls himself Mosak," Lince exined. "All of us had to team up in order to go against him, so I''m just warning you, he''s a very dangerous person, even for us."


    An unexpected variable to the Golden Globe Raze thought. He didn''t know how much of a pain this person would be, and whether he was just in this situation for his own benefit or not. Maybe, if Mosak understood, there would be a situation where Raze didn''t have to fight him, because he was unsure he could take on someone from the Divine realm, not while his magic was still at the 6th stage, and not while he hadn''t figured out how to use his Dark Core Breakthrough either.


    "I have an idea of who you are," Raze said and then lifted his hand pointing at the man next to him. "But you, who are you? I''ve seen that outfit before, so I can tell that you''re anN?v(el)B\\jnn


    Otherworlder, are you with Alter?"


    Red smiled in response to the question that was being asked.


    "Why are you asking questions that you already know the answer to, but you should be careful who you point your finger at. Because it might be thest time you ever point a finger out at someone again. I''m not just from Alter, I''m a Deleter."


    shing memories came flooding through Raze''s mind. The word Deleter, the warning that had been given to Raze by Himmy, and all of the destruction one had caused thest time he had run into one.


    "Hahaha, judging by your reaction, it seems that you have heard of us, but that''s the appropriate reaction I guess. I bet you wished you would have brought more people by your side this time. Because I''ll tell you now, I''m not as weak as Scar, he was by far the weakest of us all!" Red imed.


    Now there were tworge annoyances in Raze''s mind, including even those that were traveling with him.


    "Is he here because of you?" Raze asked, looking at Ricar and Beatrix.


    "Yes," Ricar answered truthfully although it was less like he didn''t want to admit it. "An alliance between Alter and the Light Faction has begun. As we know your movements in the matter, the Demonic Faction and Dark Faction seem to be growing closer together...the Light Faction feels like it''s on the back foot, and that war will soon be upon us."


    "Ha!" Razeughed with an irk curling up his face. "You have no idea, it looks like none of you do. I don''t care about the Light Faction, I don''t care about the Demonic Faction or the Dark Faction. The only reason why I got involved is because they got involved with me."


    "I have no ns to take over the Light Faction, the ones that I''m after are Alter at the end of the day, because they have information that I wanted, and it seems that we''re both after the same thing."


    Ricar was trying to think about what the Dark Magus said, was it truth, was it just trying to trick them? Someone so powerful, someone who had risen through the ranks so fast, did they not care to conquer all of Pagna.


    Wasn''t that many of the n''s dreams, even those in the Light Faction to unite everyone under one banner, and to be the ones that managed to aplish it.


    Yet if what Raze was saying was true...then...then...


    "You''re being used," Raze answered. "Alter is using the Light Faction to get in my way. Alter, otherworlders, the world of Pagna is small in the grand scheme of things. They are using you to stop me, that''s all, and I''m just making sure nothing gets in my way."


    Raze walked forward and stopped just shy of the circr area where the tiles on the ground changed. He looked down before giving an answer.


    "It''s a high-level spell, a magic formation. One that drains all types of energy that is being used. The spell is powerful because the instructions are quite simple. A strong magic has been used, but in truth, after a while the spell will wear out."


    "So, it was a trap, they just trapped there but there are no other entrances in this room?" Lince asked.


    "Precisely," Raze answered. "The spell is instructed to start another formation, either when time runs out, or when eight people enter the circle."


    Everyone started to count the number of people in the room.


    Red


    Mosak


    Raze


    Lince


    Beatrix


    Ricar


    Impress


    Krynic


    There were exactly eight, there was enough for them to activate the next formation.


    "And then what?" Beatrixz asked.


    "I don''t know, maybe it will lead us to where we all want to go," Raze answered.


    With that, it seemed like it was pretty much decided what they were to do next, until footsteps were heard from the side again, and when they turned their head they could see Zon in his ck suit had entered the room.


    Immediately his eyes were stuck on just one person in the room, and both of Zon''s hands were balled up into a fist.


    "RED!" Zon said gritting his teeth, the yellow energy around his suit sparking.


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 Chapter 1018: Pick Which Eight Enter?

    Chapter 1018: Pick Which Eight Enter?


    ?


    Raze was being truthful when he read the signs that were visible to him. That the magic circle required eight people to enter and only after that, would it activate and proceed to the next step. There was much he wouldn''t know, much he wouldn''t be able to see.


    If a mage wished to hide their work and their enchantments, it was certainly possible, and especially a skilled one like so, which made him think that whoever had made the magic circle wished for a mage to see it on purpose.


    Out of everyone here, Raze was the only one that was a mage, and the only person that knew the requirements that were needed. Knowing the person who did this, the Dark Faction Founder was also a mage, Raze had a good feeling that they were heading in the right direction for finding the Golden Globe, but he was conflicted with the news.


    ''The magic circle requires eight people, and what reason would it need so many people to do such a thing? And does it have to be the case that there are eight of us right now?'' Raze thought. There was no excuse as to why they couldn''t go into the magic circle, since they had the right amount of people.


    Making Raze think he should have kept the information to himself. The only reason why he hadn''t was due to it being a simple task of just not entering the circle himself to stop it from activating.


    ''With everyone here in the circle, for those who enter, there will be more enemies on our side than allies... if only Zon was here.''


    Right on cue, as soon as Raze thought this, the footsteps were heard forcing Raze to turn his head to the side.


    "RED!" Zon said gritting his teeth, the yellow energy around his suit sparking.


    Energy exploded out of Zon''s body and hit them like a wave. All of them could feel the physical heat of the energy. This wasn''t like Qi, or mana, this was a pure form of energy being used anding from his body.


    ''This is the angriest I''ve ever seen Zon, he is a man that has a calm head on him at all times, so what could have happened to cause him to be this way.'' Raze thought.


    Looking to his right, the answer was obvious, it had to be due to the man with the same suit as him. Before Raze could turn his head to look at Zon again, he had already shed across the room kicking up all of the dust in a vacuum and sending it behind him.


    With a heavy fist, Zon threw it directly forward aiming for one person in particr. As the fist traveled, it crashed and a barrier had appeared right in front of Zon. It was still several meters away from Red''s face, who was seen smiling on the other end.


    "Wow, what a reunion, huh captain." Red said with a devious smirk on his face.


    The punch from Zon had caused the entire room to shake as his fist couldn''t get past the barrier. Yet Zon failed to notice this as his eyes were locked onto the person in the room.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Pulling his fist back again, Zon''s fist was glowing with the yellow energy from his suit and he mmed it against the barrier again. The room shook even more violently with pieces of rubble falling from above.


    "HAha fantastic, fantastic!" Red said. "Let''s have this whole ce copse, maybe then I''ll finally be able to get out of here!"


    "Red!" Zon said through his teeth. "I knew someone like you couldn''t have just disappeared, you killed the All Knowing, you left our world in chaos, and you have yet to suffer yourself for all of this! I knew you were out there somewhere."


    "Ah!" Red pped his hands. "Right I almost forgot about that, but so much for the All Knowing, they didn''t really see meing did they. I guess it was just a fake title given to them, just like the title given to us."


    "Trained killers, trained to fight, and when not needed we were to be discarded, so I did my part, and I discarded them."


    Hearing all of this just fueled Zon''s anger even more. He pulled both of his arms back, the energy was continually flowing from the round circr metallic devices on his suit. It was running up and down his arm into the palm of his hand drawing more power.


    "That''s a fancy upgrade it looks like you got, yet someone like you can''t even take down this barrier? Even though you were the captain, you always knew you were second to me right? Is that what this is really all about?" Red continued.


    "Oh shut up!" Mosak shouted,ining. "Even I want to punch your face in, and it''s too bad I can''t!"


    Zon was ready to throw both fists at the barrier, while the others were debating whether they should just run back from where they hade from. There was a good chance the whole ce could copse on them.


    Being Pagna warriors with strong bodies, they would perhaps survive, but then the weight of the mountain, or trying to get out, was another thing altogether. They would perhaps slowly end up suffocating to death or staying stuck in the mountain for hundreds of years before their bodies ran out of Qi energy eventually dying.


    This thought dreaded them and they believed it might be even worse than death itself.


    "ZON!" Raze shouted.


    The moment Zon heard Raze''s voice, he didn''t know why himself, but he ced his hands down by his side and the energy stopped. Zon turned to look at Raze, his face still filled with anger as if he wanted to say something.


    "I''m not stopping you frompleting what needs to be done, but there is a chance that your actions might hamper me as well." Raze exined. "We have worked together for a while now, but if you continue, it could ruin our rtionship."


    Although Zon''s mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts moments ago, rationality started to kick in. Looking at the ce and the area, they were probably in the location of the Golden Globe. And Zon had an idea how much the time meant to him.


    Not only that, but after promising Raze that he was in his debt to act like this in front of him, and not pay attention to his needs, he felt like a fool in this moment.


    "That barrier is not something that even I could break through, not without time or more equipment at least," Raze said.


    Maybe when he was a nine-star mage he could do something, the magic needed to reverse break a spell. One needed great understanding of the spell being used, or could force it to be broken with one''s own mana with a few tricks but still needed a basic understanding. "Punching that is useless and won''t help the situation. Right now, he is trapped in that circle, there is nowhere for him to run."


    Now Zon was truly understanding why Red was doing all of his antagonizing from before. Rather than stay closer to Red than he needed to, Zon decided to move back and stood by Raze''s side, and now, Lince, the head of one of the top ns of the Demonic Faction and Raze


    was here as well.


    "You seem to be taking a lead in the situation, and seem to also know more than most here," Ricar said. "So what do you suggest we do now, we are somewhat at your whim."


    Raze believed that the Light Faction warrior was being nice. After all, with them all teaming up, maybe it would still be a struggle for their group, but the reason why they were so willing to follow Raze''s order and lead was because of the power they had seen him disy.


    In turn though, believing that the Light Faction were acting out of kindness, Raze had decided to return the favor slightly.


    "I will be entering the circle, once eight enter, the next part will start. I wish to take Lince and Zon with me. So you must decide amongst yourselves who won''t enter," Raze replied.


    The Light Faction members had turned to each other, and huddled up in a group. There was much talking and in the end, surprisingly a person had volunteered.


    "It''s best that I stay on the outside, I think it might be better this way," Krynic said. "All of you are from the Dawnde n, I am from the Aurora n. In this situation your skills and your knowledge of each other will help you out more."


    "If you get into a fight, your strength and synergy together will be needed, whereas I will just


    be a side helper."


    The others didn''t say much but they respected Krynic for stepping to the side.


    "Stand back," Raze said, to Krynic overhearing their conversation and Krynic moved till his


    back was touching the edge of the cavern wall.


    "You three, enter," Raze said.


    Slowly, Impress, Beatrix, and Ricar walked forward heading into a circle. A strange feeling


    overwhelmed their bodies just for a moment as they weren''t inside. Even simply breathing felt harder as all of their Qi looked to be taken away.


    "Now it''s time for us to enter as well," Raze said.


    Walking together, the three of them entered into the special circr room, and immediately all of the ruins on the floor started to light up.

 Chapter 1019: The Golden Globe (Part 1)

    Chapter 1019: The Golden Globe (Part 1)


    ?


    The moment eight of them had stepped into the circled area, the runes on the floor activated. Zon had truthfully thought that he might be able to head over to where Red was and at least attempt to attack him.


    It was still hard for him toprehend even with his system how a barrier could stop his attack, the energy of his fists, but allow them to simply walk into the area. With the light consuming them all, each of them felt their bodies shifting position.


    It wasn''t pushing them in anyway, but it was as if the floor was moving itself, cing them into position. Now stood in a circle staring at each other were the eight of them.


    "Is this something we should be worried about?" Lince asked.


    "The formation isn''t meant to harm us, but is meant to keep us still," Raze answered. "At least, the part that I could see."


    Lince quickly turned his head and raised an eyebrow. Were they really trusting to follow this man that would make off-handments, on an ind that they didn''t understand where everything was trying to kill them.


    All of them felt like they were trapped in a tube of sorts around them. They could barely move their feet and hands a few inches. They were stuck, and there was nothing they could do.


    Eventually, the flooring started to lift up slightly, splitting from the ground, and after lifting up, it started to sink into the floor. All of them were sinking into the ground extremely quickly and could only see darkness around them.


    They continued to descend down further and further. Heat was starting to get to them all, and despite them trying to move they were still unable to. When tilting their head up, they could no longer see the hole which they were in above.


    At some point it felt like they were no longer moving, but they couldn''t be sure. The only thing they could see were each other, due to the lighting of the stones on the ground which they stood on.


    Lince took a peek at Raze to see if he was panicking. If he was panicked he figured that the rest of them should be as well, but his head was tilted down looking at the floor.


    The runes on the ground not just under Raze but everyone else were splitting up and constantly moving. They were glowing and breaking apart, but it wasn''t anything Lince could make sense of. He could only see Raze continuously mumble from his lips.


    ''It''s breaking out now?'' Raze thought to himself. ''I can understand the breakdown of the runes... it''s not asplicated as I thought, but how much energy needed to be used to even get to such a stage?''


    Eventually Raze lifted up his head, and everyone could see the light source from the runes and the flooring had expanded out. It was allowing them to see the walls to their side and it was quite the sight to see.


    The edge of the wall looked to be made of nothing but power stones. They were various colors of shapes and sizes, and they had a small glow in each one of them. The glow was proof that the power stones were active.


    "How many power stones are in here, this far deep, where these were forced in?" Ricar said to himself.


    "The power stones'' energy is being used now, perhaps to power this contraption as well," Impress said.


    Raze knew the truth though, they were all thinking far too simply, the crystals here were being used even now to keep the spell that was active on the entire ind. The concentration of crystals was something he had never seen.


    How many years, how many beasts had to have been killed to ce such crystals in one area. Now they were being used to keep the spell active on the ind, to make sure magic couldn''t be used and was even powering the contraption and spells being used on them now.


    ''This isn''t something that one person can do on their own, even if they are a nine-star mage... did he have the help of Belil? Did he help with the donation of crystals, even then, the founder must have done some things himself.''


    ''Traveling dimension to dimension, gathering crystals to achieve all of this, all for the sake of hiding the Golden Globe.''


    Raze couldn''t understand what would lead a man to do so much work. It wasn''t a pure emotion like revenge that had driven him so what was it, what was the reason?


    When carefully staring at the wall of crystals, it was clearly the way they had been ced was topletely draw their energy out as well. Raze could see carefully crafted runes written underneath each crystal.


    They had to be hand-nted in the area, there was no doubt in Raze''s mind though, this had to be where the Golden Globe was, and he had to figure out how to break free of the formation that was trapping them.


    Meanwhile, Beatrix continued to turn her head, she too was in awe of the crystals but had different thoughts in her head. She continuously was thinking of the words spoken by Zon, spoken by the others since they had been here.


    ''All of these crystals, this ind, and everything else, it''s clear that something bigger is happening, and we the Dawnde n were told nothing. I understand Ricar''s feelings but doesn''t he feel suspicious as well of all of this?''


    ''How can we just help Alter, when we have no idea what all of this is for! I don''t think we should help them, I don''t think we should hand over the item to Alter... at least for the sake ofn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Pagna.''


    The doubts in her head had been growing for a while, but she was still reluctant to make a decision for everything she had been taught in the Light Faction and in the n.


    In the middle of these thoughts, several crystals above lit up, and energy lingered in the air like small little particles. They gathered above them in the center, until a mystical image formed, of a simple hooded man in the center. The facial features or eyes couldn''t be seen as it was a simple mist.


    Yet the figure looked almost familiar to all of them.


    "It''s nice to meet you all, I am Bofan, the founder of the Dark Faction."

 Chapter 1020: The Golden Globe (Part 2)

    Chapter 1020: The Golden Globe (Part 2)


    ?


    The name Bofan was known well among the world of Pagna, full name Bofan Klik. The founder of the Dark Faction, a man from a bygone era, a man who had statues built for him ced around the Dark Faction.


    Yet for the rest of the Pagna warriors and most in the room, he was a person that they hadn''t heard much of. Seeing his image here, they didn''t understand what it meant. In truth, there were only three people in the room that had an idea of what was going on.


    Zon, Red, and Raze. In particr, thetter had been following his footsteps which led him to Belil, and eventually to this point where he was now. With Alter trying to find the Golden Globe for arge amount of time, it was no wonder they had an inkling of where the item was.


    As for how Zon knew, Raze hadn''t even had the time to ask, but none of that mattered because, seeing Bofan here meant they were on the right path, and perhaps everything that Belil had said and told him waspletely true.


    "Don''t worry!" the mysterious voice said, oozing with power with each word. Just from speaking, one could tell energy from the crystals around had been used up. "This is a message most likely from beyond the grave, but I knew my time was up."


    "And do you all know why I knew my time was up? Because of people like you. People who are far too greedy, that need to push and push to get what they want. Why can''t you just enjoy what you have with your lives now?"


    "It seems those on Pagna and Alterian are quite simr, which is why I knew it woulde to this. You can''t change people, it seems." There was a big sigh at the end.


    It was quite interesting how realistic the image felt in front of them, as if he was actually there watching them. At times the head even moved and turned around as it talked to them all directly.


    "What is this item that we''re taking?" Beatrix couldn''t help but mumble to herself.


    Even Ricar started to feel uneasy. Seeing the Dark Faction Founder, where they were taking something that didn''t belong to them, this wasn''t matching up with the morals of the Light Faction at all.


    If anything, Ricar was starting to believe more and more that they might be in Bofan''s tomb and was taking something from him.


    The ground underneath the mist started to rumble and the area in the center started to change. A pir made from the ground started to rise until a golden glowing ball came out, ced on the pir. Circles and markings of glowing energy were swirling around the orb, constantly moving. The markings looked like rings that would appear on others, constantly swirling.


    It somewhat even looked like the images that mages would draw of a mana heart. "The reason why you are all here is because of this, the legendary artifact, called the Golden Globe," Bofan exined. "A little information for you all, as I imagine after so much time has passed, you might not even know what you are after, and some of you might even be here on behalf of others, but I wish for everyone here who is present to have a clear understanding." "This item used to belong to a race of people not from Pagna, the Bonum Society people. Their world was one that was on the verge of destruction, and so they used their powerful artifact to move here to the world of Pagna."


    "Interesting, right? An item that gives one the power to move worlds. If it was as simple as that, I wouldn''t go far to protect it. You see, this item is extremely powerful. Not only can it open rifts to allow people to jump between worlds easily,"


    "It can also open rifts between different realms, allowing one to bypass even universes that we are in, those on a different ne. Although I never figured out how to do it myself, who knows the full capabilities of this item, it might be able to even open a rift through time!"


    The ecstatic conversation and excitement as Bofan was exining things weren''t resonating with the others. Learning more about the item sounded extremely frightening to many of them there.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Frightening, right? Such a powerful item that can be used to help can also be used for so much harm. Ie from a world of researchers, mages who are gaining more and more knowledge about the world. It''s quite frightening, honestly."


    "In fact... I had at one point taken this item back to them.... it was a mistake on my part. They tried to use their minds to create another one, to create a simr item, another Golden Globe. Mages are great at enchanting items, and powerful ones with the right conditions can create artifacts that might even be godly artifacts like this."


    "Too much power attracts too much attention. Too much attention and the universe will deem that it must be dealt with. I''m sorry, it''s my fault that rifts constantly open up in your world."


    "It''s my fault the mages are trying to find a way here... although it seems they knew of this world before I gave them the item... but that is a story that I have no end to."


    "Regardless, I hid this item for many years, wishing it would never get in the wrong hands, and because you are seeing this message, it means that many people are after this item. To protect it again, to use it for their own good. I do not know... which is why I have created this test."


    "Right now, the darkest moments and deepest memories of each individual here will be revealed to you all. Your heart will be open to all on disy in this room."


    "After, all of you will be asked a question, and there will be no escaping the truth. The one you all judge to be the safest person to have the Golden Globe will be able to take it home."

 Chapter 1021: The Dark Secrets Are Out

    Chapter 1021: The Dark Secret''s Are Out


    ?


    The words and exnation from the Dark Faction founder hade to an end, and with them all stuck in a strange spell that none of them could break, they had no choice but to y along with his whims and trials.


    The issue was, it was quite hard for many of them to believe.


    "We are to be the judge, what does that even mean?" Impress asked.


    "Well, stranger things have happened, right?" Beatrix replied. "The whole situation with this ind, and even how we are here now, none of it makes sense. Including the portal


    dimensions opening."


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 Chapter 1022: Zons World

    Chapter 1022: Zon''s World


    ?


    As each person was being selected and the memories, the feelings and more were being transferred to those around them, there was a brief moment between each selection. Each time, Raze would quickly look at the ground and with his finger draw something in the air.


    His lips were moving at a fast speed as he went through things in his head. Breaking down the spells in his head.


    ''This isn''t asplicated as I thought. The spells are fairly simple that are being used. The magic formations are just blocks built up on top of blocks. The reason it''s able to work so well is due to therge amount of crystals that are being used.'' Raze thought.


    Maybe arge amount of magic wouldn''t be needed to break the spell. Just arge amount of knowledge, and mana control, which was both what Raze had.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1023: The Mind Of A Divine (Part 1)

    Chapter 1023: The Mind Of A Divine (Part 1)


    ?


    The magical mist head was turning, and as it turned it had stopped at Raze. Staying right where he was for a moment, everyone was interested in learning to see what was in his mind. For many of them, he was a man shrouded in mystery.


    From the outside, he appeared straight and forward growing at an incredibly fast rate, and he had made it quite clear that he would never let anyone get in the way of his revenge.


    They looked and waited until the mist head had moved, continuing on to one more that was in the room,nding on Mosak.


    "Oh, it''s me, I''m quite surprised to be honest," Mosak said. "I thought that since I was able to bring my Divine powers with me down to this containment that I wouldn''t be affected. I even thought that it might have forgotten about me."


    "But I guess since it was even able to trap me." Mosak lifted his hands and hit the outside of the barrier by every side. "It looks like I can''t escape from this. It''s quite obvious though, before all of you see what''s in my head... that none of you understand what it takes to be in the Divine realm."


    They were thest words spoken by Mosak before the rune had appeared on his head, and the floor started to light up underneath everyone else''s feet as well. What was also to note was that currently Mosak was in another''s body, a body that was from Alterian.


    Would they even be able to see Mosak''s memories or would it be their own, and with this fact, it would also determine what they would see when looking into Raze''s mind as well.


    The scene had changed, and the smell that entered their nose with the green scenery spread across thend. It was clear to them that this was Pagna, but not exactly the same Pagna as they knew today.


    There was a lot less structure and built-up areas in the world. Clearly, it was a Pagna from long ago. The scene they were seeing was from the Aurora n. A city that was ced on the base of a tall mountain where its peak was covered in snow.


    Impress, Ricar, and Beatrix recognized it. Although it looked different from what they had seen, thendscape around had stayed practically the same. It was the base of the Aurora n. What they currently were witnessing was from a young man''s point of view. The man didn''t look like Mosak, but based on the memories before, they knew they were now looking into Mosak''s mind.


    It was showing him scaling the mountain, reaching the top. Ricar knew what this was; it was the tradition of their founders, to head to the top and offer incense to a shrine in the mountains.


    It was a tradition that had been passed down by the founder. The thing was there wasn''t a particr person that was set to do the task. Judging by the warrior''s clothing and how there wasn''t an entourage around him, one could presume that Mosak wasn''t the n Head.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This was quite strange in the others'' minds, but when they thought about it, it made sense. If Mosak was a n leader, and one that had managed to reach Divine status moving up to another realm, then everyone would have known the name.


    Of course, there were those that had moved up too long ago in history, or warriors they had never heard about that had perhaps made it to the Divine realm. After all, Pagna was arge continent and only things in recent times had be clearer in regards to areas being united and news traveling.


    Not only that, but they figured that the n leader would also be somewhat proficient in Qi. Climbing the mountain was a hard task for warriors, but based on the breathing alone, they could tell that Mosak, at the time, was a low middle stage warrior.


    Which made them all wonder, how did Mosak even be a Divine warrior in the first ce, and would they find out in his memories?


    ''This seems pretty normal though?'' Beatrix thought. ''What so strange about a warrior going through their traditions, why would this be one of his darkest times?''


    In the memories, we saw Mosak finally reaching the shrine. It was small and simple, a single building covered in snow, with part of the roof tiles falling off. The ce had clearly been neglected apart from the golden pot which already had several burnt-out incense sticks.


    The man moved down and brought out a match. He moved his hand swiftly, lighting it up, and covered the incense stick in a me before finally setting it in the burner. The man kept his hands by the side to make sure the cold and the wind wouldn''t burn it out.


    Thankfully, Mosak was able to use his own Qi to at least keep warm.


    "I''ve done this for three years now... and nothing has changed, I don''t even know why the n bothers to do this for so long." Mosak mumbled to himself. "I''m still a middle stage warrior, and I can''t even progress."


    "Should I try heading to another n? But it would have to be with the same Qi base that I have, and learning a whole new set of techniques and getting into another n would be tough. It''s also somewhat impossible to join another n once one knows you''ve left."


    There were many reasons for this, with the individual knowing the n''s techniques and secrets that had been passed down. In the end, Mosak had be a member of the Aurora n because of his family.


    However, he wasn''t born from someone high-ranking in the family to begin with. The high- level techniques, the Qi pills given out, they were all given to the bloodline of the n Head, to make it so the leader would always end up staying within the same family.


    With it, Mosak had been stuck at his progression for an extremely long time and had been stationed to tasks like this.


    "I wish there was something that could change, otherwise this might be my life forever." cing his head down to the snow out of respect, the incense had finished burning and Mosak was ready to leave.


    Lifting his head up, a bright light had appeared in front of him, and a warm glow was felt even in the location he was in. The light was so bright that Mosak was unable to see. When the light started to fade, and he lowered his hands down he could see a man standing there.


    His face and entire body had a golden glow along with his hair, which was a bright yellow going down slightly past his cor bone.


    With a white pair of boots and a clean shirt on, he looked like a Pagna warrior but there was a strange air around him. Even just looking at him, Mosak felt like he should look away.


    "Perfect, perfect, I told them to send someone down around this time of year. I guess it''s your lucky day," the man said. "I am Finis Aurora, I''m sure you have heard my name, as I said today is a very lucky day for you, meeting a Divine one."

 Chapter 1024: The Mind Of A Divine (Part 2)

    Chapter 1024: The Mind Of A Divine (Part 2)


    ?


    A Divine warrior, those who had surpassed the 9th stage, reaching the 10th stage, and gained the ability to ascend into another realm, a realm that was unreachable to those on Pagna.


    On Pagna, not much was known about the Divine realm itself, apart from it being a ce where immortals went to live. Because when one reached the Divine stage, they had achieved immortal life.


    Age and health were no longer a warrior-ing factor for them. In the end, these two were the only facts that warriors could be assured of. That there was a Divine realm and reaching the Divine status would grant one immortality.


    This was because, after one entered the Divine realm, not many ever came and descended back to Pagna. There had been instances where this had urred. Words written in their scriptures and books of such things happening.


    Events even urring once every ten years or so even now, but it was a rarity. This phenomenon was also unknown to them.


    Although Divine warriors could descend down to Pagna, why did they choose not to? There could only be mere guesses as to the reason. Was it because so much time, hundreds of years were taken to ascend to the Divine realm that no one wanted to descend?


    Had time be an abstract thought to immortalspared to mortals. Maybe, they didn''t even see those on Pagna as the same. Or was it because the Divine Realm was such an extravagant ce, that there was no reason for them to descend. Perhaps even the feeling of not being able to use one''s full power frustrated them.


    Because the few that did descend to Pagna didn''t do so for long. For one to spend thousands of years, many lifetimes to obtain power, to then feel weak in the world, for a warrior it was no wonder they would head back to the Divine realm instantly, even if they were considered weak in another world.


    Just because a human felt superior and strong among others didn''t mean they would continue to live among the others in the wild. They would continue to live in human society, even if they were at the bottom of society.


    Which was why, it was a first for nearly all of them, as they experienced Mosak''s memory, of him meeting a Divine. A once in a lifetime chance, had been granted to him.


    "A Divine warrior and Finis Aurora, the founder of the Aurora n itself!" Immediately Mosak bowed his head, digging it into the snow multiple times. He understood why the energy of the individual in front of him felt so different now.


    For a person to appear out of nowhere and for him to not even notice it on this mountain, it was the only exnation that made sense to him.


    "Keep your head up." Finis said. "I told you right, today is your lucky day, I heard you, felt your frustrations with this stick of incense, and I might be able to grant you your wish. What if I taught you everything I knew, on how to be a Divine warrior, to ascend to the upper realm like me."


    Mosak didn''t even know how to respond, but his heart beat and facial expression were already responding strongly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I''ll take that as a yes." Finis exined. "You see, I left many ingredients and recipes to myself in Pagna, and I can help you with cultivation methods to increase your stage."


    Mosak was already thanking the man and after digging his head on the floor several times he lifted it up.


    "I thank you, I thank you a million times, but how will I ever be able to return this debt." When Mosak asked this question, arge smile appeared on Finis''s face. "I have two conditions. When you ascend the Divine realm, you are to obey me even up there, to stay underneath me for the rest of your life to staypletely loyal. As for the second, it''s to obey every word I say for Pagna as well, do you understand."


    The task sounded so simple, and for Mosak who had nothing, who wouldn''t take this offer, so he quickly epted without a second of hesitation.


    "Alright, in order to prove your loyalty to me, then the first thing, the Garbon family, if they have a daughter I want you to get close to them, closer to the point where you will be married. If they have a son, I want you to get close to them, so close that you could be mistaken for brothers!"


    Mosak didn''t understand the task, but he had heard of this family before. They were members of another n not too far from the Aurora n. Standing up he decided he wouldn''t fail this duty.


    Mosak didn''t see the Divine warrior after that, even though he hade back weekly to climb the mountain and offer incense. Although the others didn''t see any of this.


    Instead they saw the scene skip ahead. Now, Mosak was quite a bit older, and he was in a house, with a woman. The two of them had wedding rings on their fingers.


    Mosak gave the woman a kiss, and after he had ascended the mountain again. This time after offering incense, Finis had arrived once more.


    "You''ve grown a lot stronger, it looks like there''s not much longer until you will reach the Divine stage. Today is the day, do you have everything prepared?"


    Mosak nodded.


    The scene changed back to the house. Mosak''s wife suddenly fell faint as she fell to the floor, and Mosak quickly had tied her up to a chair. He had cleared the house, and then ced a strange object at the foot of the door.


    His wife was soon seen waking up looking at Mosak straight in the eye who stared down at her.


    "This will all end quickly." Mosak said, as he dragged one of her arms out from under the ropes, and then with his two hands he pulled until a snapping sound was heard. "AHHHH!" Loud screams were heard and Mosak quickly ced his hand on his wife''s mouth.


    It didn''t take long until the door burst open, with a grey-haired man entering. The strange device that was ced on the floor started to activate. Instantly, Mosak turned around, and a great battle ensued between Mosak and the man.


    In the middle of the fight, Finis had also appeared, and the two of them together were eventually able to finish the old man off.


    Finis picked the dead man''s body off the ground. "I can''t believe fools like this still care about what''s below." Finis imed. "I thank you for doing your job, and now you need to finish it inside as well. We can''t have thoseing back for revenge... that''s one of the strongest emotions that can drive someone."


    "So you have to cut all loose ends, after that, I''ll tell you what you need to reach the Divine realm." Finis said.


    Heading back into the house, the final darkest scene of Mosak''s life had yed out. As a person he had spent a number of years with he had killed with his own hands.


    Finally the scene had ended and Mosak''s memory hade to an end.


    "Ha, ha, ha!" Mosakughed as his past was shown on disy to all. "That was so long ago, I had almost forgotten about it. Oh, how times have changed, how times have changed."


    The others didn''t say anything, they just knew that in their right minds, the Golden Globe would never go in his hand, and judging by the fact he was a Divine warrior now, they knew the man named Finis had granted him his wish.


    Finally, the magic mystical head only had one person left that it could go to, Raze Cromwell.


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 Chapter 1025: Razes Memories (Part 1)

    Chapter 1025: Raze''s Memories (Part 1)


    ?


    It was finally thest person''s memory to be shown, the memory of a mysterious man that no one really knew about. If there was one thing Raze was thankful for, it was the amount of time he had to figure out the runes on the floor that were holding them in this contraction and making them go through all of this.


    However, even with the time he had, he still had yet to figure it out, so there was no avoiding what was about toe, what was about to be seen by everyone, and judging by Mosak''s memories, it meant that they would see the real Raze''s life.


    ''The darkest moments of Raze''s life?'' Lince thought. ''Based on what it''s been showing, the scenes have been very peculiar. It seems like this magic is bringing our own thoughts into it.'' ''It would be impossible to just pick what are the darkest moments in one''s life in a general consensus among the people; it has to be the darkest in terms of what the person themselves thought.''


    As they all looked at Raze, they said nothing, and he said nothing, allowing the rune to appear on his head. Right after, the area around him started to glow, and it was the same as everyone else.


    They were soon to be transported into the world of Alterian for the first time. All of them would experience it through the world of Raze, and for him, it didn''t start from when he was old, but when he was just a young boy, living in the Underground world of Alterian.


    It was Raze when he was younger, still living with his father, when his father was still using him to earn some coin, so they could eat.


    Everyone there saw what he had been through and almost could feel his anger as he stared at a particr robe with the Golden I in the center.


    They didn''t understand what it was, and all of them were wishing that the scene would just quickly move on from that point.


    The scene did move on, and some thought that maybe that would be the end of what had happened to Raze. Surely that was dark enough for what had urred, but it didn''t.


    It moved to when Raze was trying to escape and using magic for the first time, killing his own father.


    It showed, despite what Raze had been through and how much he might have hated his father for putting him through particr things, he still regretted his actions of that day, even getting rid of the evil that gued him and thanking the magic that saved him; it wasn''t a good memory for him.


    Unfortunately, the others wouldn''t be able to see the greater parts of Raze''s life. Instead, they witnessed the time that he had been framed as a professor.


    Standing in the courtroom, and his dear friend Ibarin, another professor, had framed him.


    For this, there was context needed as to why it was a bad time for Raze, but the others had no idea, other than noticing his sentencing.


    What they did learn, though, was it was quite clear by now Raze was already an old man, and the person in front of them, the Raze that they knew from Pagna, wasn''t.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It had be obvious to the Light Faction members that knew little about otherworlders, that he was even from a different world and his body was different now as well.


    The next scene shifted to Raze at home, a drunken and sulking mess. His eyes saddened as he sat there in his home all alone.


    The others could guess it was due to the trial at the academy, based on what they had learned had happened.


    However, what was interesting to note was the woman in these scenes his wife-who woulde in and cheer him up, look after him as she did her work.


    Although it was a joyous moment, why was it considered one of his darkest times?


    And it had hit Lince first, and the realization started to spread to the others.


    ''It''s the guilt he''s feeling. His wife is doing everything for him, and in the situation he is in where he can''t help. It''s eating him up, yet he''s in a spiral that even he can''t get out of.''


    Living in Pagna wasn''t easy, and they all had experienced or heard of stories like this happening to others.


    People who had lost a lot or had a bad upbringing from young. It was different this time for them because seeing the memories this way, in this magical way, it felt as if they were going through it themselves.


    The memories were reying from Raze''s mind directly to them as if they were the ones who went through it.


    Which was why they were able to somewhat guess what had urred even if they hadn''t seen everything.


    As the scene eventually moved, for once they could see a smile on Raze''s face, something of happiness which was a rarity, until he had opened the door.


    Upon opening it, the feeling of dread had instantly entered when he saw the man standing next to his wife.


    The scene yed out, and in the end, Raze was there by his wife''s side, staying there for as long as he could.


    They were there for every moment, as the dread didn''t stop, and were even there to witness Raze, seeing the gift she had brought.


    They had noticed that it was the zer he wore even now.


    ''I finally understand you, Raze. I understand your greed for your strength,'' Zon said. ''It''s as I thought, you have your reasons for wanting to get back. You have your reasons for needing to get stronger, it''s the same as me... but it isn''t.''


    Although Zon had a strong thirst for vengeance and revenge, he could tell from the experience of Raze''s, his didn''t go so deep.


    It didn''t cut as deep as Raze''s, and he was starting to understand why. No wonder he didn''t let anyone get in the way of his goal.


    The thing was, after seeing these scenes, they thought that was the end of Raze''s dark moments, but it wasn''t-it was only the beginning.


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 Chapter 1026: Razes Memories (Part 2)

    Chapter 1026: Raze''s Memories (Part 2)


    ?


    Raze''s darkness was different from the darkness they had seen so far. Rather than it being the darkest acts that they themselves hadmitted, instead it was the worst of what had happened to him.


    Since they hadn''t seen any of it through his own actions and memories, it almost appeared as if this person was cursed.


    From a young age until he had grown older, it was no wonder he had a strong thirst for revenge and had a darkened heart.


    If they had seen the things that led up to the darkest moment-his wife losing her memories just before, gaining them back, and in the end, his wife informing one of the nemesis that had gotten her killed-they would have had an undeniable rage in them.


    The thing was, the memories didn''t stop there as it moved to another image. Raze looked older than before, his hair waspletely snow white.


    It looked like they were in the underground world of Alterian once again. Over his shoulder, he was carrying a taller man with short ck hair, whose body waspletely frail.


    There were small cuts all over his body, and he looked malnourished. Eventually, Raze, going past a drawn curtain, went into one of the many buildings that had next to nothing.


    When entering, several rats scurried away, moving to the side. It was hard to call what they had entered a house, especially since it was rare to even have a stable ce in the underground world of Alterian.


    Eventually, Raze ced the man down on the ground.


    "Jake, what did they do to you? How did you end up like this? Tell me?" Raze asked.


    Jake''s eyes were sunken, his chest had deeply sunken in, almost as if a bowling ball had crushed it.


    Raze knew that this was a sign of illegal substance abuse. It was when one''s mana heart was copsing in on itself, and other than an 8 or 9-star mage that specialized in Light Magic, it was impossible to save an individual.


    "Raze... don''t be saddened," Jake weakly said. "Haven''t both of us been through so much already? Didn''t we know the risks when we got involved with all of this?"


    "Risks, these were all my risks!" Raze shouted back.


    While here in this moment with his friend, Raze had started to think back to how the two of them had met.


    This was not a memory that was intended to be shown by the Dark Faction founder''s magic power, but instead his deep thoughts in this moment had overridden it, taking the clock back and allowing everyone to see what had urred.


    At the time, Raze had already lost his wife, and he had been hell bent on his revenge. Using the books he had taken from the central mage academy.


    He believed learning Dark Magic was his only way to get back at the powerful mages that had ruined his life.


    When seeing that the Grand Magus had been established, Raze had done research into the links between the Green Mage Pharmacy Company, run by Gizin, and the link to Idore and the rest.


    It was quite clear that the two were working together and had Trubin in their back pocket as well.


    He couldn''t rush these things he needed to bide his time. Yet, there was a moment-a moment not too far gone for Raze just yet he hadn''tpletely sunken into the pit of darkness as there was a small light that had somewhat pulled him out.


    This light was the man known as Jake Dove. The only friend that Raze had made after losing his wife.


    It was a coincidental meeting. Often, Raze would walk the streets of Alterian, the same paths and walks that he would often take with his wife.


    Although Raze had next to no ie, it was easy for him to do odd jobs that only a high-level mage could do.


    Although they had to be more on the ck market side-jobs that he hadn''t considered doing before he had lost his wife.


    Some of them were even as far as getting rid of a few people. Although Raze had yet to go this far, he was able to capture individuals and deliver them to whoever needed to do who knew what.


    He didn''t delve further into the matter. At the same time, it allowed him to test his Dark Magic powers as well.


    The jobs started small and continued to rise in vulgarity, and even Raze had his limits. On days like this when his head was too filled with what he had done or what could happen, he would go for a walk and remember his wife Sabrina instead.


    During the walk, while passing by a bakery shop, it was there the tall man known as Jake Dove had exited out of the shop.


    "Professor Cromwell?" Jake asked.


    Hearing his second name, it was the first in a long time and had immediately caused Raze to turn his head.


    He looked at the young man who was dressed sharply, with a nice outfit and short hair, yet he couldn''t recognize him.


    "Ah, it''s been a long time so I doubt you would recognize me. My name''s Jake Dove, I was a student of yours at the academy."


    "Your lessons on Wind Magic and theory were truly the best. You were my favorite professor, so when I saw you I just had to say hi."


    "Ah right, Jake Dove, you do look different," Raze said, his words were the truth.


    He remembered Jake Dove because he was one of his hardest and most talented working students in the ss. The thing was, he had mostly forgotten his golden days as professor


    back at the academy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Because it was what had eventually led him to the domino effect.


    "Professor, you taught me so much. I told myself that if I ever saw you, that I needed to treat


    you for a drink," Jake said. "So please, let''s have a talk over a drink."


    Raze thought about it for a while. He wanted to say no, but his mind was riddled with


    unwanted thoughts.


    It would have been nice to just talk with a student about magic for a change.


    "Okay... but I don''t drink alcohol anymore," Raze answered.


    There was a big smile on Jake''s face as he led the way to a nearby shop.


    Thinking back at it now, Raze wished he had never epted that offer, for the sake of Jake


    himself.

 Chapter 1027: A Real Friend

    Chapter 1027: A Real Friend


    ?


    Raze had done as his old student had requested, and the two of them had gotten together to talk about the olden days. It went beyond just having a drink, as they continued and even shared a bite to eat together, despite Raze not having an appetite before.


    Jake would bring up some of the other kids who would be told off from time to time, as well as the funny moments and projects in his life.


    It was a nice break-a break from the rambling voices that constantly echoed in his head, reying over and over how he would get payback against those who had wronged him one day.


    He hated to admit it, but he enjoyed his time spent with the student. As the time and conversations wereing to an end, even Jake could tell there was some sort of pain on Raze''s face.


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 Chapter 1028: Getting Too Involved

    Chapter 1028: Getting Too Involved


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    When Jake had asked Raze the question-what was the darkness that loomed over his head, what was it that stuck so closely to him that he wouldn''t let go-he wanted to tell him.


    For a long time, he had wanted to tell someone. He wanted to shout and share his anger and the thoughts that repeated in his head. Some days, he went mad keeping it in.


    Yet, no one would believe him even if he told the truth. The Grand Magus had conspired to take his position as principal of the Central Academy. Then what happened? His wife was murdered by Trubin, the most powerful mage. Why? Because they discovered Idore was working with Gizin to sell illegal substances.


    He sounded like one of those crazy conspiracy theorists, and with his reputation already in shambles, people might think he was just seeking attention.


    Besides, even if Jake believed him, even if there was a way for them to work together, he wouldn''t involve him.


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 Chapter 1029: The Last Friend (Part 1)

    Chapter 1029: The Last Friend (Part 1)


    ?


    It was a slip of the tongue for Jake. He didn''t mean to mention it, but the anger had been building inside of him.


    From the very beginning, Jake had already gotten it into his head that Ibarin was the one who framed Raze.


    Even though he had no proof, he trusted Raze fully, so the conversation, every action of denial, and Ibarin''s sudden anger when using simple lines of questioning, in Jake''s mind, just made him more sure of who the culprit was until he exploded on the spot.


    "Because you were the one that set him up!" Jake shouted.


    The two stared at each other for a moment in silence, waiting for the next person to speak.


    Slowly, Ibarin lifted his finger.


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 Chapter 1030: The Last Friend (Part 2)

    Chapter 1030: The Last Friend (Part 2)


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    Due to the sess of the book, Jake Dove was a man currently in very high demand. It was a book that was said to truly change the lives of mages.


    It gave a fuller understanding of Wind magic and even made some think about what they wanted their magic core to be when they grew older.


    Because there was now more information on Wind magic that would let one get ahead, Jake had been invited to be a guest on numerous shows. On one of these shows, he had been informed beforehand that they wanted him to meet Enaxx, one of the Grand Magus and practically the poster boy for the organization.


    Where Idore had his Noble Guild and his specially crafted enchantments, Gizin had his pills and magical pharmaceuticals, Trubin was known for being the strongest fighting mage and was often sent to deal with dangerous individuals. Then there was Ibarin, head of the most prestigious mage academy in all of Alterian, the Central Academy.


    Lastly, there was Enaxx, a talented nine-star mage at the peak of magic, who was the spokesperson of the Grand Magus-the person who handled public interviews and more.


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 Chapter 1031: A Demonstration Of Class

    Chapter 1031: A Demonstration Of ss


    ?


    The presenter, along with the rest of the TV crew, was pleased with the way things were going. A demonstration between a famous author, who was praised for his great


    understanding, and the Grand Magus was sure to attract viewers and hundreds of ybacks even after the event had ended.


    In fact, they had even prepared a part of the stage to the side for the demonstration. Originally, they were only going to ask Jake to perform, as there had already been several times when Enaxx had demonstrated his abilities.


    First, the camera centered on Jake. He waved his hands in the air, and wind began swirling around him. As the wind wrapped around his arms, he exined the concepts he had written about in his book.


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 Chapter 1032: The Good Of The Grand Magus

    Chapter 1032: The Good Of The Grand Magus


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    There were multiple public cases, as well as those who knew Enaxx personally, who would use one word to describe him: petty. This pettiness drove him to absurd actions over the smallest of cases.


    Yet, it was perhaps because of this pettiness that he had been able to rise so high in the first ce. Maybe this was what Idore saw in him when choosing among the other candidates to be a nine-star mage and a part of the Grand Magus.


    Still, bing part of the Grand Magus and being a public figure all the time had forced him to learn to somewhat control his usual urges. After all, he was already at the top. He didn''t have much left to prove anymore.


    However, the position had also caused him to demand respect from everyone, and although many gave it, there were times when he felt disrespected. What Jake Dove had done, from the way he spoke to the way he exined his theories, was, in Enaxx''s eyes, a clear sign of disrespect.


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 Chapter 1033: A Deep Punishment (Part 1)

    Chapter 1033: A Deep Punishment (Part 1)


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    The general public was in uproar over recent events that had urred in Alteiran. Every news channel, every broadcaster, every guild, and everyone who was anyone was talking about onerge event that had urred, wherever possible.


    They were talking about the recent arrest of Jake Dove. The reporters covered in detail what had urred, that Jake Dove had been arrested for the murder of his wife and child. The full details hadn''te out, as the case had yet to go to trial and it was only a recent event.


    However, it was presumed that illegal substances had been used, and in a rage from the substances, Jake had murdered both members of his family.


    It had shocked people because Jake on his broadcast had been seen as a likable person. He was a personality that was quickly gaining poprity. Not only that, but people were truly believing that he was making a change in his books and was fighting for the lower star mages with his breakthrough theories.


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 Chapter 1034: (Fixed) A Deep Punishment (Part 2)

    Chapter 1034: (Fixed) A Deep Punishment (Part 2)


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    After Enaxx had vanished, Jake had copsed onto the floor holding onto his chest. The veins on his neck were showing and even the simplest of tasks such as breathing felt quite difficult for him.


    He grabbed onto the clothing on his chest tight, unsure whether the immense amount of pain he felt from his heart was because of the loss of his family, or the onset pain from taking the illegal substance.


    ''I just want them back...'' Jake said to himself as the substance was taking its effect.


    In Alterian, Jake had been taken into one of the local police stations. It wasn''t particrlyrge in size, there were around twenty-five staff members in the office, with a total of four floors in the building.


    It was located in one of the main cities but not directly in downtown. It was ced on the corner of a street from a few residential apartment buildings. Cars mostly just drove by the ce unless they had a problem and came in.


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 Chapter 1035: The Last Of Razes Memories

    Chapter 1035: The Last Of Raze''s Memories


    ?


    The group that were there to retrieve the Golden Globe had never expected to witness the


    darkest moments in each other''s minds. They never thought they would learn so much about the strangers around them.


    Yet, for Raze, the person known as Dark Magus, they had learned far more about him than they had ever expected. His feelings of certain events had overridden the strange spell, and they had shown everything.


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 Chapter 1036: You Are The Chosen One

    Chapter 1036: You Are The Chosen One


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    Although Raze didn''t want to see his own memories or remember in vivid detail what happened to Jake, he thought it was a good time for him to reaffirm why he was doing things. One thing he wasn''t happy about, though, was the fact that everyone around was able to see what he had gone through.


    And there was the bigger worry on his mind: what would this mean for the choice of who got the item. To be honest, Raze didn''t have much hope of being selected knowing what was in his head. The only chance he had was that it would show the other Raze''s memories, but that didn''t ur.


    However, what he didn''t expect was that this spirit in front of him had made a specific decision on the spot, to exclude him from the selection.


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